R

Question 1

rail

(v.)

Answer 1

to scold, protest

(The professor railed against the injustice of the college’s tenure policy.)

Question 2

rancid

(adj.)

Answer 2

having a terrible taste or smell

(Rob was double-dog-dared to eat the rancid egg salad sandwich.)

Question 3

rancor

(n.)

Answer 3

deep, bitter resentment

(When Eileen challenged me to a fight, I could see the rancor in her eyes.)

Question 4

rapport

(n.)

Answer 4

mutual understanding and harmony

(When Margaret met her paramour, they felt an instant rapport.)

Question 5

rash

(adj.)

Answer 5

hasty, incautious

(It’s best to think things over calmly and thoroughly, rather than make rash decisions.)

Question 6

raucous

(adj.)

Answer 6

loud, boisterous

(Sarah’s neighbors called the cops when her house party got too raucous.)

Question 7

raze

(v.)

Answer 7

to demolish, level

(The old tenement house was razed to make room for the large chain store.)

Question 8

rebuke

(v.)

Answer 8

to scold, criticize

(When the cops showed up at Sarah’s party, they rebuked her for disturbing the peace.)

Question 9

recalcitrant

(adj.)

Answer 9

defiant, unapologetic

(Even when scolded, the recalcitrant young girl simply stomped her foot and refused to finish her lima beans.)

Question 10

recapitulate

(v.)

Answer 10

to sum up, repeat

(Before the final exam, the teacher recapitulated the semester’s material.)

Question 11

reciprocate

(v.)

Answer 11

to give in return

(When Steve gave Samantha a sweater for Christmas, she reciprocated by giving him a kiss.)

Question 12

reclusive

(adj.)

Answer 12

solitary, shunning society

(Reclusive authors such as J.D. Salinger do not relish media attention and sometimes even enjoy holing up in remote cabins in the woods.)

Question 13

reconcile

(v.)

Answer 13

1. to return to harmony
2. to make consistent with existing ideas

1. (The feuding neighbors finally reconciled when one brought the other a delicious tuna noodle casserole.)
2. (Alou had to reconcile his skepticism about the existence of aliens with the fact that he was looking at a flying saucer.)

Question 14

rectitude

(n.)

Answer 14

uprightness, extreme morality

(The priest’s rectitude gave him the moral authority to counsel his parishioners.)

Question 15

redoubtable

(adj.)

Answer 15

1. formidable
2. commanding respect

1. (The fortress looked redoubtable set against a stormy sky.)
2. (The audience greeted the redoubtable speaker with a standing ovation.)

Question 16

refract

(v.)

Answer 16

to distort, change

(The light was refracted as it passed through the prism.)

Question 17

refurbish

(v.)

Answer 17

to restore, clean up

(The dingy old chair, after being refurbished,
commanded the handsome price of $200.)

Question 18

refute

(v.)

Answer 18

to prove wrong

(Maria refuted the president’s argument as she yelled and gesticulated at the TV.)

Question 19

regurgitate

(v.)

Answer 19

1. to vomit
2. to throw back exactly

1. (Feeling sick, Chuck regurgitated his dinner.)
2. (Margaret rushed through the test, regurgitating all of the facts she’d memorized an hour earlier.)

Question 20

relegate

(v.)

Answer 20

1. to assign to the proper place
2. to assign to an inferior place

1. (At the astrology conference, Simon was relegated to the Scorpio room.)
2. (After spilling a drink on a customer’s shirt, the waiter found himself relegated to the least lucrative shift.)

Question 21

relish

(v.)

Answer 21

to enjoy

(Pete always relished his bedtime snack.)

Question 22

remedial

(adj.)

Answer 22

intended to repair gaps in students’ basic knowledge

(After his teacher discovered he couldn’t read, Alex was forced to enroll in remedial English.)

Question 23

remiss

(adj.)

Answer 23

negligent, failing to take care

(The burglar gained entrance because the security guard, remiss in his duties, forgot to lock the door.)

Question 24

renovate

(v.)

Answer 24

1. restore, return to original state
2. to enlarge and make prettier, especially a house

1. (The renovated antique candelabra looked as good as new.)
2. (After getting renovated, the house was twice as big and much more attractive.)

Question 25

renown | (n.)

Answer 25

honor, acclaim ## Footnote (The young writer earned international **renown** by winning the Pulitzer Prize.)

Question 26

renunciation | (n.)

Answer 26

to reject ## Footnote (Fiona’s **renunciation** of red meat resulted in weight loss, but confused those people who thought she’d been a vegetarian for years.)

Question 27

repentant | (adj.)

Answer 27

penitent, sorry ## Footnote (The **repentant** Dennis apologized profusely for breaking his mother’s vase.)

Question 28

replete | (adj.)

Answer 28

full, abundant ## Footnote (The unedited version was **replete** with naughty words.)

Question 29

repose | (v.)

Answer 29

to rest, lie down ## Footnote (The cat, after eating an entire can of tuna fish, **reposed** in the sun and took a long nap.)

Question 30

reprehensible | (adj.)

Answer 30

deserving rebuke ## Footnote (Jean’s cruel and **reprehensible** attempt to dump her boyfriend on his birthday led to tears and recriminations.)

Question 31

reprieve | (n.)

Answer 31

a temporary delay of punishment ## Footnote (Because the governor woke up in a particularly good mood, he granted hundreds of **reprieves** to prisoners.)

Question 32

reproach | (v.)

Answer 32

to scold, disapprove ## Footnote (Brian **reproached** the customer for failing to rewind the video he had rented.)

Question 33

reprobate | (adj.)

Answer 33

evil, unprincipled ## Footnote (The **reprobate** criminal sat sneering in the cell.)

Question 34

reprove | (v.)

Answer 34

to scold, rebuke ## Footnote (Lara **reproved** her son for sticking each and every one of his fingers into the strawberry pie.)

Question 35

repudiate | (v.)

Answer 35

to reject, refuse to accept ## Footnote (Kwame made a strong case for an extension of his curfew, but his mother **repudiated** it with a few biting words.)

Question 36

repulse | (v.)

Answer 36

1. to disgust 2. to push back ## Footnote 1. (Antisocial Annie tried to **repulse** people by neglecting to brush her teeth.) 2. (With a deft movement of her wrist and a punch to the stomach, Lacy **repulsed** Jack’s attempt to kiss her.)

Question 37

reputable | (adj.)

Answer 37

of good reputation ## Footnote (After the most **reputable** critic in the industry gave the novel a glowing review, sales took off.)

Question 38

requisition | (n.)

Answer 38

a demand for goods, usually made by an authority ## Footnote (During the war, the government made a **requisition** of supplies.)

Question 39

rescind | (v.)

Answer 39

to take back, repeal ## Footnote (The company **rescinded** its offer of employment after discovering that Jane’s resume was full of lies.)

Question 40

reservoir | (n.)

Answer 40

1. reserves, large supply 2. a body of water used for storing water ## Footnote 1. (Igor the Indomitable had quite a **reservoir** of strengh and could lift ten tons, even after running 700 miles, jumping over three mountains, and swimming across an ocean.) 2. (After graduation, the more rebellious members of the senior class jumped into the town **reservoir** used for drinking water.)

Question 41

resilient | (adj.)

Answer 41

able to recover from misfortune; able to withstand adversity ## Footnote (The **resilient** ballplayer quickly recovered from his wrist injury.)

Question 42

resolute | (adj.)

Answer 42

firm, determined ## Footnote (With a **resolute** glint in her eye, Catherine announced that she was set on going to college in New York City even though she was a little frightened of tall buildings.)

Question 43

resolve | (v.)

Answer 43

1. to find a solution 2. to firmly decide ## Footnote 1. (Sarah and Emma **resolved** their differences and shook hands.) 2. (Lady Macbeth **resolved** to whip her husband into shape.)

Question 44

respite | (n.)

Answer 44

a break, rest ## Footnote (Justin left the pub to gain a brief **respite** from the smoke and noise.)

Question 45

resplendent | (adj.)

Answer 45

shiny, glowing ## Footnote (The partygoers were **resplendent** in diamonds and fancy dress.)

Question 46

restitution | (n.)

Answer 46

restoration to the rightful owner ## Footnote (Many people feel that descendants of slaves should receive **restitution** for the sufferings of their ancestors.)

Question 47

restive | (adj.)

Answer 47

resistant, stubborn, impatient ## Footnote (The **restive** audience pelted the band with mud and yelled nasty comments.)

Question 48

retract | (v.)

Answer 48

withdraw ## Footnote (As the media worked itself into a frenzy, the publicist hurriedly **retracted** his client’s sexist statement.)

Question 49

revel | (v.)

Answer 49

to enjoy intensely ## Footnote (Theodore **reveled** in his new status as Big Man on Campus.)

Question 50

revere | (v.)

Answer 50

to esteem, show deference, venerate ## Footnote (The doctor saved countless lives with his combination of expertise and kindness and became universally **revered**.)

Question 51

revoke | (v.)

Answer 51

to take back ## Footnote (After missing the curfew set by the court for eight nights in a row, Marcel’s freedom of movement was **revoked**.)

Question 52

rhapsodize | (v.)

Answer 52

to engage in excessive enthusiasm ## Footnote (The critic **rhapsodized** about the movie, calling it an instant classic.)

Question 53

ribald | (adj.)

Answer 53

coarsely, crudely humorous ## Footnote (While some giggled at the **ribald** joke involving a parson’s daughter, most sighed and rolled their eyes.)

Question 54

rife | (adj.)

Answer 54

abundant ## Footnote (Surprisingly, the famous novelist’s writing was **rife** with spelling errors.)

Question 55

ruminate | (v.)

Answer 55

to contemplate, reflect ## Footnote (Terry liked to **ruminate** while sitting on the banks of the river, staring pensively into the water.)

Question 56

ruse | (n.)

Answer 56

a trick ## Footnote (Oliver concocted an elaborate **ruse** for sneaking out of the house to meet his girlfriend while simultaneously giving his mother the impression that he was asleep in bed.)