Set 3

Question 1

salve

Answer 1

salve /sælv, sɑːv $ sæv/

verb

→ salve your conscience
If you do something to salve your conscience, you do it in order to feel less guilty: EASE, soothe, appease, still
…I give myself treats and justify them to salve my conscience.

noun

Salve is an oily substance that is put on sore skin or a wound to help it heal: BALM, cream, medication, lotion

> early 18th century: back-formation from the noun salvage: mid 17th century (as a noun denoting payment for saving a ship or its cargo): from French, from medieval Latin salvagium, from Latin salvare ‘to save’. The verb dates from the late 19th century.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Wiktionary

Question 2

#could

Answer 2

#could

Question 3

promulgate

Answer 3

prom‧ul‧gate
/ˈprɒməlɡeɪt $ ˈprɑː-/

1 to spread an idea or belief to as many people as possible: MAKE KNOWN, make public, publicize
…The shipping industry promulgated a voluntary code.

2 to make a new law come into effect by announcing it officially: PUT INTO EFFECT, enact, implement, enforce
…In January 1852 the new Constitution was promulgated.

> mid 16th century (earlier (late 15th century) as promulgation ): from Latin promulgat- ‘exposed to public view’, from the verb promulgare, from pro- ‘forth’ + mulgere “to bring forth, literally to milk”
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, Oxford Dictionary of English, Wiktionary

Question 4

unscathed

Answer 4

un‧scathed
/ʌnˈskeɪðd/

Question 5

contrail

Answer 5

con·trail
/ˈkänˌtrāl/

> condensation + trail
> Collins English Dictionary

Question 6

convalescent

Answer 6

con·va·lesce
/ˌkänvəˈles/

con·va·les·cent
/ˌkänvəˈles(ə)nt/

adjective
(of a person) recovering from an illness or operation.

noun
a person who is recovering after an illness or operation.

> From Latin convalēscere, from con- (intensive prefix) + valēscere (“to become strong”), inchoative of valēre (“to be strong”).
> Oxford Dictionary of English, Wiktionary

Question 7

run sth by sb

Answer 7

run sth by sb
run sth past sb

to tell someone about an idea or plan so that they can give you their opinion.
…I’m definitely interested, but I’ll have to run it by Larry Estes.
…Run that by me again.
…You’d better run it by your manager first.

> Collins English Dictionary, Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Longman Business Dictionary

Question 8

scoff

Answer 8

scoff

1 to laugh at a person or idea, and talk about them in a way that shows you think they are stupid; If you scoff at something, you speak about it in a way that shows you think it is ridiculous or inadequate: SCORN, MOCK, deride, laugh at, ridicule, sneer at, be scornful about, treat contemptuously, jeer at, jibe at
…At first I scoffed at the notion.
…‘You’ll have to do better than that,’ Joanna scoffed.

2 INFORMAL•BRITISH
to eat something very quickly
…She scoffed the plate of biscuits.

> mid-14c., “jest, make light of something;” mid-15c., “ridicule, mock,” from a noun meaning “contemptuous ridicule” (c. 1300), which is from a Scandinavian source such as Old Norse skaup, skop “mockery, ridicule,” Middle Danish skof “jest, mockery;” perhaps from Proto-Germanic *skub-, *skuf- (source also of Old English scop “poet,” Old High German scoph “fiction, sport, jest, derision”), from PIE *skeubh- “to shove” (see shove (v.)). Related: Scoffed; scoffing.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Etymonline

Question 9

throw sb off

Answer 9

throw sb off

Question 10

ecstatic

Answer 10

ec·stat·ic
/ɪkˈstætɪk, ek-/

1 If you are ecstatic, you feel very happy and full of excitement: ENRAPTURED, elated, rapturous, entranced, enthusiastic, frenzied
…an ecstatic welcome from the thousands who lined the streets
…They were greeted by the cheers of an ecstatic crowd.
…His wife gave birth to their first child, and he was ecstatic about it.
…a football player who was ecstatic upon receiving a full athletic scholarship to the college of his choice
…In a promo video posted on the daytime series’ account on X (formerly known as Twitter), viewers were ecstatic to hear a major announcement about season 27.
—Adrianna Freedman, Good Housekeeping, 22 Aug. 2023
…Lane was ecstatic, planting endless hugs and kisses on her husband-to-be.
—Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 5 Sep. 2023

2 → ecstatic review/praise/applause
a review (=an opinion about a film, play etc that appears in a newspaper or magazine), praise etc that says that something is very good.
…They gave an ecstatic reception to the speech.
…The production received ecstatic reviews and had audiences weeping.

> From Old French estaise (“ecstasy, rapture”), from Latin ecstasis, from Ancient Greek ἔκστασις (ékstasis), from ἐξίστημι (exístēmi, “I displace”), from ἐκ (ek, “out”) and ἵστημι (hístēmi, “I stand”) + -tic
> ecstasy (n.): late 14c., extasie “elation,” from Old French estaise “ecstasy, rapture,” from Late Latin extasis, from Greek ekstasis “entrancement, astonishment, insanity; any displacement or removal from the proper place,” in New Testament “a trance,” from existanai “displace, put out of place,” also “drive out of one’s mind” (existanai phrenon), from ek “out” (see ex-) + histanai “to place, cause to stand,” from PIE root *sta- “to stand, make or be firm.”
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, Wiktionary, Etymonline

Question 11

snarky

Answer 11

snar‧ky
/ˈsnɑːki $ ˈsnɑːr-/

annoyed, or saying rude things in an annoyed or sarcastic way

Snarky vs. Sarcastic

Some feel that sarcastic usually implies irony, or stating the opposite of what is really intended (for example, “thank you so much for your promptness” spoken to someone who arrives late), whereas snarky implies simple impertinence or irreverence (as when Downton Abbey’s Dowager Countess asks Isobel Crawley, “does it ever get cold on the moral high ground?”) ~ Merriam-Webster

> Noun sense “snide remark” as back-formation from snarky (1906), from obsolete snark (“to snore, snort”, verb) (1866), from Middle English *snarken (“to snore”), equivalent to snore +‎ -k. Of Germanic origin, but ultimately onomatopoeic.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Wiktionary

Question 12

prod

Answer 12

prod

Question 13

decry

Answer 13

de‧cry
/dɪˈkraɪ/

FORMAL
to express strong disapproval of; If someone decries an idea or action, they criticize it strongly: CONDEMN, DENOUNCE, criticize, blame
…People decried the campaign as a waste of money.
…She decried sexists’ double standards
…In her article, she decries the pollution of the environment by manufacturers.
…Violence on television is generally decried as harmful to children.

USAGE NOTES:
Decry implies open condemnation with intent to discredit.
…decried their defeatist attitude

> early 17th century (“to cry down, speak disparagingly of;” in the sense ‘decrease the value of coins by royal proclamation’): 1640s, “clamor against actively and publicly,” from French decrier (14c.; Old French descrier “cry out, announce”), from des- “apart” (see dis-) + crier “to cry,” from Latin quiritare (see cry (v.)). In English, the sense has been colored by the presumption that de- in this word means “down.”
> Decry has several synonyms in English, among them disparage and belittle. Decry connotes an open condemnation that makes it the best choice for cases in which criticism is not at all veiled. The forthrightness expressed by the word is an echo from its ancestry: decry was borrowed in the 17th century from the French décrier, meaning “to discredit, depreciate,” and the crier in that word is also the source of our word cry, the oldest meaning of which is “to utter loudly; shout.”
> Collins English Dictionary, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, Oxford Dictionary of English, Merriam-Webster, Wiktionary, Etymonline

Question 14

intractable

Answer 14

in‧trac‧ta‧ble
/ɪnˈtræktəbəl/

1 Intractable people are very difficult to control or influence: STUBBORN, obstinate, difficult

2 Intractable problems or situations are very difficult to deal with: UNMANAGEABLE, difficult, insoluble /ɪnˈsɒljəbəl/, out of hand
…The disposal of toxic wastes is one of the most intractable problems facing industrialized societies.

> 1540s, “not manageable,” from French intractable (15c.) or directly from Latin intractabilis “not to be handled, unmanageable,” from in- “not, opposite of” (see in- (1)) + tractabilis (see tractable). Related: Intractably.
> ‌tractable (adj.): “manageable,” early 15c., from Latin tractabilis “that may be touched or handled, workable, tangible, manageable,” figuratively, “pliant,” from tractare “to handle, manage” (see treat (v.)). Related: Tractability.
> Collins English Dictionary, Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Etymonline

Question 15

palatable

Answer 15

pal‧at‧a‧ble
/ˈpælətəbəl/

1 agreeable to the palate or taste; If you describe food or drink as palatable, you mean that it tastes pleasant: TASTY, appetizing, pleasant-tasting; eatable, edible, drinkable, flavorful, flavorsome, savory, delicious, delectable, enjoyable, mouthwatering, luscious, toothsome, succulent, dainty
…a very palatable wine
…The restaurant’s chicken dishes are quite palatable.

2 agreeable or acceptable to the mind; If you describe something such as an idea or method as palatable, you mean that people are willing to accept it: PLEASANT, acceptable, satisfactory, pleasing, agreeable, easy to take, to one’s liking
…The truth, as always, is slightly less palatable.

→ palatable to
…They changed the wording of the advertisement to make it more palatable to women.
…attempted to make physics palatable to a broader range of students

> palate +‎ -able: Middle English palate, from Latin palātum (“roof of the mouth, palate”), perhaps of Etruscan origin.
> 1660s, “good-tasting, agreeable to the taste,” from palate + -able. Figurative sense of “agreeable to the mind or feelings” is from 1680s. Palatable comes from palate, a word for the roof of the mouth, which itself comes from Latin palatum. The palate was once thought of as the seat of the sense of taste, so the word eventually came to mean “sense of taste,” or broadly, “liking.”
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, Wiktionary, Etymonline

Question 16

#since

Answer 16

#since

Question 17

#texting-abbreviations

Answer 17

#texting-abbreviations

Question 18

cold feet

Answer 18

cold feet

a loss or lack of courage or confidence; an onset of uncertainty or fear; apprehension or doubt strong enough to prevent a planned course of action

get cold feet

to feel too frightened to do something that you had planned to do; If you get cold feet about something, you become nervous or frightened about it because you think it will fail; A person is said to be “getting cold feet” when, after previously committing to a plan, they ultimately do not carry out the planned course of action.
…I was going to try bungee jumping, but I got cold feet.
…She got cold feet when asked to sing a solo.
…Some investors got cold feet and backed out.
…Twitter soon agreed to Musk’s terms, yet the billionaire quickly got cold feet.
—Bynicholas Gordon, Fortune, 1 Sep. 2023
…Despite fading inflation and the potential for A.I. to spur tech spending and increase productivity, tech investors have started to get cold feet over the past month.
—Bywill Daniel, Fortune, 11 Aug. 2023
…The Government is getting cold feet about the reforms.

> Oxford Dictionary of English, Collins English Dictionary, Cambridge Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Dictionary.com, Wikipedia

Question 19

ward off

Answer 19

ward off

to avoid being hit by (something): PARRY, avert, deflect, block, turn aside, defend oneself against, guard against, evade, avoid, dodge
…ward off a blow

—often used figuratively; to do something to try to protect yourself from something bad, such as illness, danger, or attack: AVERT, rebuff, rebut, keep at bay, keep at arm’s length, fend off, stave off, oppose, resist, prevent, hinder, obstruct, impede, foil, frustrate, thwart, check, balk, stop, head off
…I tried different remedies to ward off a cold.
…Don’t forget insect repellent to ward off the mosquitoes.
…Amazon has no shortage of gear to help ward off thieves, so keep reading to find more travel safety items on sale at the retailer.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 7 Sep. 2023
…Eating plenty of magnesium-rich foods can also help ward off irregular sleep patterns that many women experience.
—Georgia Day, Vogue, 6 Sep. 2023
…Background noise from podcasts or shows helps people concentrate, manage their emotions or ward off loneliness.
—Tatum Hunter, Washington Post, 28 Aug. 2023

> ward (v.): Old English weardian “to keep guard, watch, protect, preserve,” from Proto-Germanic *wardon “to guard” (source also of Old Saxon wardon, Old Norse varða “to guard,” Old Frisian wardia, Middle Dutch waerden “to take care of,” Old High German warten “to guard, look out for, expect,” German warten “to wait, wait on, nurse, tend”), from PIE *war-o-, suffixed form of root *wer- (3) “perceive, watch out for.” Meaning “to parry, to fend off” (now usually with off) is recorded from 1570s. Related: Warded; warding.
> wer- (3): Proto-Indo-European root meaning “perceive, watch out for.” It forms all or part of: Arcturus; avant-garde; award; aware; beware; Edward; ephor; garderobe; guard; hardware; irreverence; lord; panorama; pylorus; rearward; regard; revere; reverence; reverend; reward; software; steward; vanguard; ward; warden; warder; wardrobe; ware (n.) “manufactured goods, goods for sale;” ware (v.) “to take heed of, beware;” warehouse; wary.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, Etymonline

Question 20

root for sb/sth

Answer 20

root for sb/sth

Question 21

connive

Answer 21

con‧nive
/kəˈnaɪv/

1 to pretend ignorance of or fail to take action against something one ought to oppose; If you say that someone connives at something or connives in something, you are critical of them because they allow or help it to happen even though they know that it is wrong and that they ought to prevent it: DELIBERATELY IGNORE, overlook, not take into consideration, disregard, pass over, gloss over, take no notice of, take no account of, make allowances for, turn a blind eye to, close/shut one’s eyes to, wink at, blink at, excuse, pardon, forgive, condone, let someone off with, let go, let pass; look the other way; informal let something ride
…The government connived in the rebels’ military buildup.
…wardens connived at offenses in return for bribes

2 → connive (with sb) to do sth
to cooperate secretly or have a secret understanding; If one person connives with another to do something, they secretly try to achieve something which will benefit both of them: CONSPIRE, collude, be in collusion, collaborate, intrigue, be hand in glove, plot, participate in a conspiracy, scheme; informal be in cahoots
…He accused ministers of conniving with foreign companies to tear up employment rights.
…Senior politicians connived to ensure that he was not released.
…local authorities suspected of conniving with the Mafia

con‧niv‧ing
/kəˈnaɪvɪŋ/

acting in a dishonest way : using or controlling other people for selfish reasons; If you describe someone as conniving, you mean you dislike them because they make secret plans in order to get things for themselves or harm other people: SCHEMING, plotting, colluding, cunning; MANIPULATIVE, Machiavellian, unscrupulous, unprincipled, disingenuous; duplicitous, deceitful, underhand, treacherous, Janus-faced; informal foxy
…He’s a conniving bastard!
…He plays a conniving swindler who charms people into giving him money.

NOTE: Do you know anyone who is always trying to get away with things? Do they constantly look for ways to get out of trouble or work? Those kind of people are conniving. This is a word for secretive, shifty behavior. However, being conniving isn’t the worst thing in the world — it’s negative, but you probably wouldn’t say a murderer is conniving. It’s usually reserved for con men, shady business moguls, and manipulative social climbers.

> connive (v.): c. 1600, “shut one’s eyes to something one does not like but cannot help,” from Latin connivere, also conivere “to wink,” hence, figuratively, “to wink at (a crime), be secretly privy,” from assimilated form of com “with, together” (see con-) + base akin to nictare “to wink” (from PIE root *kneigwh-; see nictitate). From 1630s as “conceal knowledge (of a fault or crime of another); give silent encouragement to a culpable person.” From 1797 as “be in secret complicity.” Related: Connived; conniving.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Cambridge Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Britannica, Vocabulary.com, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, Etymonline

Question 22

riled up

Answer 22

riled up

Question 23

fawn

Answer 23

fawn¹
/fɔːn $ fɒːn/

noun

1 a young deer in its first year.
…The fawn ran to the top of the ridge.

2 a light yellowish-brown color.
…a light fawn coat

fawn²

verb

1 to praise someone and be friendly to them in an insincere way, because you want them to like you or give you something; If you say that someone fawns over a powerful or rich person, you disapprove of them because they flatter that person and like to be with him or her: BE OBSEQUIOUS TO, BE SYCOPHANTIC TO, INGRATIATE ONESELF WITH, be servile to, curry favor with, pay court to, play up to, crawl to, creep to, dance attendance on, fall over oneself for; FLATTER, praise, sing the praises of, praise to the skies, praise to excess, eulogize; informal sweet-talk, soft-soap, brown-nose, suck up to, make up to, smarm around, be all over, fall all over, butter up, lick someone’s boots, rub up the right way, lay it on thick
…a sports star surrounded by fawning fans

fawn on/over
…a student who could not wait to fawn over the new teacher
…Big movie stars are fawned over by the waiters at the restaurant.
…People were fawning over him, hoping for tickets.
…Xi has received fawning coverage in Chinese state media over the visit.
—David Pierson, BostonGlobe.com, 23 Aug. 2023
…When the 10 episodes dropped on Netflix in early April, critics fawned over the dark comedy and its culturally specific study of anger, which begins with a road rage incident that leads to a contentious feud between Danny (Steven Yeun) and Amy (Ali Wong).
—Lacey Rose, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Aug. 2023

2 to show affection —used especially of a dog
…The dog was fawning on its master.

USAGE NOTES:
- Fawn, Toady, Truckle, Cringe, Cower mean to behave abjectly before a superior.

• Fawn implies seeking favor by servile flattery or exaggerated attention.
  
  • waiters fawning over a celebrity
• Toady suggests the attempt to ingratiate oneself by an abjectly menial or subservient attitude.
  
  • toadying to his boss
• Truckle implies the subordination of oneself and one’s desires or judgment to those of a superior.
  
  • truckling to a powerful lobbyist
• Cringe suggests a bowing or shrinking in fear or servility.
  
  • a cringing sycophant
• Cower suggests a display of abject fear in the company of threatening or domineering people.
  
  • cowering before a bully

> fawn (n.): “young deer,” mid-14c., from Anglo-French (late 13c.), Old French (12c.) faon, feon “young animal,” especially “young deer,” from Vulgar Latin *fetonem (nominative *feto), from Latin fetus “a bringing forth; an offspring” (from suffixed form of PIE root *dhe(i)- “to suck”). It was used of the young of any animal as recently as King James I’s private translation of the Psalms, but the sense has been mainly of deer since 15c. Color use is by 1881.
also from mid-14c.
> fawn (v.): Middle English faunen, from Old English fagnian “rejoice, be glad, exult, applaud,” from fægen “glad” (see fain); used in Middle English to refer to expressions of delight, especially a dog wagging its tail (early 14c.), hence “court favor, grovel, act slavishly” (early 15c.). Related: Fawned; fawning.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary of English, Cambridge Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, Etymonline

Question 24

abet

Answer 24

a‧bet
/əˈbet/

1 LAW, FORMAL
to assist or support (someone) in the achievement of a purpose : especially : to assist, encourage, instigate, or support with criminal intent in attempting or carrying out a crime —often used in the phrase aid and abet; If one person abets another, they help or encourage them to do something criminal or wrong. Abet is often used in the legal expression ‘aid and abet’: ASSIST, aid, help, lend a hand, support, back, encourage; cooperate with, collaborate with, work with, connive with, collude with, go along with, be in collusion with, be hand in glove with, side with; second, endorse, boost, favor, champion, sanction, succor; promote, further, expedite, push, give a push to, connive at, participate in
…His wife was sentenced to seven years imprisonment for aiding and abetting him.

2
to actively second and encourage (something, such as an activity or plan); To abet something, especially something bad or undesirable, means to make it possible: ENCOURAGE, further, forward, promote
…The media have also abetted the feeling of unreality.

> late 14c., “to urge on, incite” (in the sense ‘urge to do something good or bad’), from Old French abeter “to bait, to harass with dogs,” literally “to cause to bite,” from a- “to” (see ad-) + beter “to bait.” This verb is probably from Frankish or some other Germanic source (perhaps Low Franconian betan “incite,” or Old Norse beita “cause to bite”); ultimately from Proto-Germanic *baitjan, from PIE root *bheid- “to split,” with derivatives in Germanic referring to biting. Sense of “encourage by aid or approval” is from 1779. Related: Abetted; abetting.
> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary of English, Merriam-Webster, Etymonline

Question 25

savor

Answer 25

sa·vor /ˈseɪvə $ -ər/ verb **1** If you **savor** food or drink, you eat or drink it slowly in order to taste its full flavor and to enjoy it properly: ENJOY, appreciate, relish, delight in ...Just relax, eat slowly and **savor** the full flavor of your food. **2** If you **savor** an experience, you enjoy it as much as you can: RELISH, like, delight in, revel in ...She **savored** her newfound freedom. noun **1** a pleasant taste or smell ...the sweet **savor** of wood smoke **2** interest and enjoyment ...Life seemed to have **lost its savor** for him. ...Without her love, life has **lost its savor** for me. \> Middle English: from Old French, from Latin sapor, from sapere 'to taste'. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary of English, Merriam-Webster

Question 26

covenant

Answer 26

cov‧e‧nant /ˈkʌvənənt/ noun **1** A **covenant** is a formal written agreement between two or more people or groups of people which is recognized in law. ...Barstool founder Dave Portnoy is the buyer of the brand, and there is a non-compete clause among other restrictive **covenants**. —Alex Weprin, *The Hollywood Reporter*, 8 Aug. 2023 **2** A covenant is a formal written promise to pay a sum of money each year for a fixed period, especially to a charity: DEED, contract, bond ...If you make gifts through a **covenant**, you can reclaim the tax which was already paid on this money. verb **1** [transitive] to promise by a covenant : PLEDGE **2** [intransitive] to enter into a covenant : CONTRACT ...He **covenanted** to pay £30 a month into the fund. \> **covenant (v.)**: c. 1300, covenaunt, "mutual compact to do or not do something, a contract," from Old French covenant, convenant "agreement, pact, promise" (12c.), originally present participle of covenir "agree, meet," from Latin convenire "come together, unite; be suitable, agree," from com- "together" (see **com-**) + venire "to come," from a suffixed form of PIE root *gwa- "to go, come." \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Etymonline

Question 27

vitriol

Answer 27

vit‧ri‧ol /ˈvɪtriəl/ **1** bitterly harsh or caustic language or criticism; If you refer to what someone says or writes as **vitriol**, you disapprove of it because it is full of bitterness and hate, and so causes a lot of distress and pain. ...His speech was full of political **vitriol**. ...The **vitriol** he hurled at members of the press knew no bounds. ...He has been no stranger to controversy and **vitriol** during a tumultuous political career. ...Her most recent album, August 2022’s Traumazine, followed years of intense emotional and personal turmoil, online **vitriol** and legal sagas for the three-time Grammy-winning rapper. —Kyle Denis, *Billboard*, 19 Sep. 2023 **2** sulphuric acid \> late 14c., "sulphate of iron," a glassy mineral salt used in medicine, alchemy, etc., from Old French vitriol (13c.) and directly from Medieval Latin vitriolum "vitriol," noun use of neuter of vitriolus, variant of Late Latin vitreolus "of glass," from Latin vitreus "of glass, glassy," from vitrum "glass" (see **vitreous**). So called from its glassy appearance in certain states. The meaning "bitter or caustic feelings" is attested by 1769, in reference to the corrosive properties of vitriol (when heated it produces sulfuric acid, formerly called oil of vitriol). \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Etymonline

Question 28

abate

Answer 28

abate FORMAL to become less strong or decrease; If something bad or undesirable **abates**, it becomes much less strong or severe. ...We waited for the storm to **abate**. ...At about six, as the heat **abated**, people began to crowd the streets and marketplaces, and to fill the cafés. —Milton Viorst, *New Yorker*, 12 Oct. 1987 ...Seemingly **abating** inflation also raised hopes on Wall Street that the Federal Reserve would soon curb its interest rate hiking cycle, helping equities edge higher. —Krystal Hur, *CNN*, 29 Sep. 2023 ...The energy price surge that followed Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine has **abated**. —Rachel Siegel, *BostonGlobe.com*, 13 Sep. 2023 ...The rivalry feelings haven't **abated** in the years since. —Jr Radcliffe, *Journal Sentinel*, 28 Aug. 2023 USAGE NOTES: **Abate**, **Subside**, **Wane**, **Ebb** mean to die down in force or intensity. - **Abate** stresses the idea of progressive diminishing. - the storm *abated* - **Subside** implies the ceasing of turbulence or agitation. - the protests *subsided* after a few days - **Wane** suggests the fading or weakening of something good or impressive. - *waning* enthusiasm - **Ebb** suggests the receding of something (such as the tide) that commonly comes and goes. - the *ebbing* of daylight \> Middle English (in the legal sense): from Old French abatre ‘to fell’, from a- (from Latin ad ‘to, at’) + batre ‘to beat’ (from Latin battere, battuere ‘to beat’). \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary of English, Merriam-Webster

Question 29

deity

Answer 29

de‧i‧ty /ˈdeɪəti, ˈdiː-/ a god or goddess ...the **deities** of ancient Greece ...to the ancient Greeks, Zeus was the **deity** who ruled over the sky and weather, and Poseidon was god of the sea ...We prayed to the **Deity** for guidance \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Merriam-Webster

Question 30

superlative

Answer 30

su‧per‧la‧tive /suːˈpɜːlətɪv, sjuː- $ sʊˈpɜːr-/ **1** excellent ...a **superlative** performance ...the New England town meeting is a **superlative** example of grassroots democracy ...European tours and repeat Newport bookings may seem improbable for someone his age, but Wilkins has achieved these things on the strength of two **superlative** albums over the past three years, alongside an array of significant sideman work. —Bill Beuttler, *BostonGlobe.com*, 3 Aug. 2023 **2** a superlative adjective or adverb expresses the highest degree of a particular quality. For example, the superlative form of ‘tall’ is ‘tallest’. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Merriam-Webster

Question 31

incongruous

Answer 31

in‧con‧gru‧ous /ɪnˈkɒŋɡruəs $ -ˈkɑːŋ-/ strange, unexpected, or unsuitable in a particular situation ; Someone or something that is **incongruous** seems strange when considered together with other aspects of a situation. ...Springsteen, with his everyman persona, looked **incongruous** in a black suit. —Darlene Superville and Colleen Long, *Chicago Tribune*, 22 Mar. 2023 ...His outburst seemed **incongruous** to those who know him well. ...There's an **incongruous** modernism to the actor's performance in this period piece. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster

Question 32

posh

Answer 32

posh **1** INFORMAL ELEGANT, FASHIONABLE : If you describe something as **posh**, you mean that it is smart, fashionable, and expensive. ...Celebrating a promotion, I took her to a **posh** hotel for a cocktail. ...a **posh** car. ...a **posh** dinner party. **2** INFORMAL•BRITISH typical of or intended for the upper classes; If you describe a person as **posh**, you mean that they belong to or behave as if they belong to the upper classes. ...I wouldn't have thought she had such **posh** friends. ...He sounded so **posh** on the phone. \> Collins English Dictionary, Meirram-Webster

Question 33

vis-à-vis

Answer 33

vis-à-vis /ˌviːz ɑː ˈviː, ˌviːz ə-/ FORMAL in relation to or in comparison with something or someone ...Short-term yields are higher, as much as 5.06% for three-month Treasuries, an unusual situation **vis-à-vis** longer-maturity bonds that can presage a recession. —Maria Gracia Santillana Linares, *Forbes*, 20 Apr. 2023 ...Each currency is given a value **vis-à-vis** the other currencies. ...But car safety experts recommend postponing the big turnaround until your child is as close to 4 as possible, when his bones are more formed and his head is more proportionate **vis-à-vis** the rest of his body. —Jennifer Brookland, *Detroit Free Press*, 3 Aug. 2023 \> 1755, from French prepositional use of the adj. vis-à-vis "face to face," from Old French vis "face" (see **visage**). \> Vis-à-vis comes from Latin by way of French, where it means literally "face-to-face." In English it was first used to refer to a little horse-drawn carriage in which two people sat opposite each other. From there it acquired various other meanings, such as "dancing partner." Today it no longer refers to actual physical faces and bodies, but its modern meaning comes from the fact that things that are face-to-face can easily be compared or contrasted. So, for example, a greyhound is very tall vis-à-vis a Scottie, and one currency may be stronger vis-à-vis another. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Merriam-Webster, Etymonline

Question 34

bonanza

Answer 34

bonanza

Question 35

prayer

Answer 35

prayer /preə $ prer/ \> c. 1300, preiere, "earnest request, entreaty, petition," also "the practice of praying or of communing with God," from Old French prier "prayer, petition, request" (12c., Modern French prière), from Medieval Latin precaria "petition, prayer," noun use of Latin adjective precaria, fem. of precarius "obtained by prayer, given as a favor," from precari "to ask, beg, pray" (from PIE root *prek- "to ask, entreat"). \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Etymonline

Question 36

diminutive

Answer 36

di‧min‧u‧tive /dəˈmɪnjətɪv/ adjective A **diminutive** person or object is very small. ...She noticed a **diminutive** figure standing at the entrance. ...Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a **diminutive** yet towering women’s rights champion who became the court’s second female justice, died Friday at her home in Washington. —Mark Sherman, *Fortune*, 18 Sep. 2020 ...The budget-minded SE also has slightly lesser specs than the Mini, which despite its **diminutive** size had flagship-class internal components. —*WIRED*, 16 Sep. 2023 ...Despite their **diminutive** size, these self-pollinating trees produce a tremendous number of berries, beginning in May and lasting through summer. —Nevin Martell, *Washington Post*, 13 Sep. 2023 noun A **diminutive** is an informal form of a name. For example, ' Jim' and ' Jimmy' are diminutives of ' James'. ...Dimon /ˈdaɪmən/ is a **diminutive** for Dmitry. —Joseph De Avila, *WSJ*, 11 Mar. 2022 \> **diminutive (adj.)**: late 14c., in grammar, "expressing something small or little," from Old French diminutif (14c.) and directly from Latin diminutivus, earlier deminutivus, from deminut-, past-participle stem of deminuere "lessen, diminish," from de- "completely" (see **de-**) + minuere "make small" (from PIE root *mei- (2) "small"). Meaning "small, little, narrow, contracted" is from c. 1600. \> As a noun, in grammar, late 14c., "derivative word denoting a small or inferior example of what is meant by the word it is derived from." Related: Diminutively; diminutiveness. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Etymonline

Question 37

dazed

Answer 37

If someone is **dazed**, they are confused and unable to think clearly, often because of shock or a blow to the head: SHOCKED, stunned, confused, staggered ...When the realization hit her, she just sat there looking **dazed**. ...I stumbled from the room **dazed** and confused, completely disoriented by what had just happened. ...After a particularly fierce blow, he crawled to his feet, too **dazed** to rush. —Jack London ...She sat confused and **dazed** after hearing the news. dazed look/expression etc ...Her face was very pale and she wore a **dazed expression**. ...He stood there with a **dazed expression** on his face watching her pack her bags. \> **daze (v.)**: Compare dasask (“to become weary”), with reflexive suffix -sk, Swedish dasa (“lie idly”), and Icelandic dasask (“to make weary with cold”). Also compare Proto-Germanic *dusāną, to slumber. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Wiktionary

Question 38

pitch

Answer 38

pitch

Question 39

riddance

Answer 39

riddance **1** : an act of ridding **2** : DELIVERANCE, RELIEF —often used in the phrase *good riddance* especially to express relief that someone or something has gone \> Merriam-Webster

Question 40

between a rock and a hard place

Answer 40

between a rock and a hard place

Question 41

laudable

Answer 41

laud‧a‧ble /ˈlɔːdəbəl $ ˈlɒːd-/ worthy of praise; Something that is **laudable** deserves to be praised or admired: PRAISEWORTHY, commendable, admirable, meritorious, worthy, deserving, creditable, worthy of admiration, estimable, of note, noteworthy, exemplary, reputable, honorable, excellent, sterling ...Improving the schools is a **laudable** goal. ...You showed **laudable** restraint in dealing with that ridiculously demanding customer. ...Holloway said the goal of the plan was **laudable**, echoing similar sentiments from other educators interviewed by The Washington Post. —Karina Elwood, *Washington Post*, 16 Sep. 2023 ...While the goal to protect young people is **laudable**, the laws have been stirring concern among critics who argue the laws are setting dangerous precedents that could affect the future of free speech online for everyone. —Theara Coleman, *The Week*, 7 Aug. 2023 \> early 15c., from Old French laudable "praiseworthy, glorious" and directly from Latin laudabilis "praiseworthy," from laudare "to praise, commend, extol" (see **laud**). Related: Laudably. \> **laud (v.)**: From Middle English lauden, from Old French lauder, from Latin laudō, laudāre, from laus (“praise, glory, fame, renown”), from echoic Proto-Indo-European root *leh₁wdʰ- (“song, sound”). \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, Wiktionary, Etymonline

Question 42

sordid

Answer 42

sor‧did /ˈsɔːdɪd $ ˈsɔːr-/ 1 If you describe someone's behavior as sordid, you mean that it is immoral or dishonest: SLEAZY, base, degraded, shameful, low 2 very dirty and unpleasant: SQUALID, dirty, seedy \> early 15c., sordide, of a bodily sore, "festering" (Chauliac), from Latin sordidus "dirty, filthy, foul, vile, mean, base," from sordere "be dirty, be shabby," related to sordes "dirt, filth," which might be from a PIE root *swordo- "black, dirty" (source also of Old English sweart "black;" compare swart). \> In reference to actions or habits, the sense of "low, mean, ignoble" is recorded by 1610s. Related: Sordidly; sordidity; sordidness. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Etymonline

Question 43

come unglued

Answer 43

unglued adjective **1** : emotionally upset : DISTRAUGHT **2** : in a state of complete failure come unglued **1** if a plan, situation etc comes unglued, it stops working well ...When his parents got divorced, his whole world **came unglued**. ...Alex Murdaugh, 54, has seen his life **come unglued**. —Timothy Bella, *Washington Post*, 12 July 2022 ...Western civilization is **coming unglued**. —Peter Wood, *National Review*, 12 May 2022 **2** to become extremely upset or angry about something ...If someone talked to me like that, I would just **come unglued**. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Merriam-Webster

Question 44

predate

Answer 44

predate

Question 45

ooze

Answer 45

ooze adjective **1** When a thick or sticky liquid **oozes** from something or when something **oozes** it, the liquid flows slowly and in small quantities: SEEP, discharge, flow, exude, trickle, drip, dribble, issue, filter, percolate, escape, leak, drain, empty, bleed, sweat, well, leach ooze from/out of/through ...The ice cream was melting and **oozing out of** its wrapper. ...A cut on his cheek was still **oozing** blood. **2** If you say that someone or something **oozes** a quality or characteristic, or **oozes with** it, you mean that they show it very strongly: EXUDE, GUSH, drip, pour forth, give out, send out, emit, breathe, let loose, display, exhibit, demonstrate, manifest ...Outwardly, Graham will **ooze** all his old confidence. ...The Elizabethan house **oozes charm**. ...Manchester United were by now **oozing with** confidence. noun **1** [uncountable] very soft mud, especially at the bottom of a lake or sea; You can refer to any thick, sticky, liquid substance as **ooze**, especially the mud at the bottom of a river, lake, or the sea: MUD, slime, alluvium, silt, mire, bog, sludge, slush, muck, dirt, deposit ...He grabbed into the **ooze** and came up clutching a large toad. **2** [singular] a very slow flow of liquid: SEEPAGE, seeping, discharge, flow, exudation, trickle, trickling, drip, dribble, filtration, percolation, excretion, escape, leak, leakage, drainage, emptying, bleeding, sweating, welling, leaching, secretion \> **ooze (v.)**: Old English wōs ‘juice or sap’; the verb dates from late Middle English. \> **ooze (n.)**: "fine soft mud or slime," Old English wase "soft mud, mire," from Proto-Germanic *waison (source also of Old Saxon waso "wet ground, mire," Old Norse veisa "pond of stagnant water"), probably from a PIE root meaning "wet." Modern spelling is from mid-1500s. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Etymonline

Question 46

pediatrician

Answer 46

pe‧di‧a‧tri‧cian /ˌpiːdiəˈtrɪʃən/ a doctor who deals with children and their illnesses \> **pediatric (adj.)**: "of or pertaining to the medical care or diseases of children," 1849, from Latinized form of Greek paid-, stem of pais "child" (see **pedo-**) + -iatric. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Etymonline

Question 47

thunk

Answer 47

thunk noun a dull, heavy sound, such as that made by an object falling to the ground ... The door closed behind us with a **thunk**. ...The suitcase fell off the end of the conveyor belt with a **thunk**. verb to move, fall, or strike something with a dull, heavy sound ...The ball didn't bounce. It just **thunked** to the floor. \> 1950s: imitative. \> Oxford Dictionary of English, Cambridge Dictionary

Question 48

at all costs

Answer 48

at all costs

Question 49

furnace

Answer 49

fur‧nace /ˈfɜːnɪs $ ˈfɜːr-/ **1** a large container for a very hot fire, used to produce power, heat, or liquid metal **2** a piece of equipment used to heat a building ...The home’s old diesel **furnace** was loud and inefficient. —Sarah Yang, *Sunset Magazine*, 30 Aug. 2023 ...Yet the genre blend is pure Beck, and his infectious energy was the **furnace** behind all of the songs. —William Earl, *Variety*, 11 Sep. 2023 \> early 13c., from Old French fornais "oven, furnace," figuratively "flame of love" (12c.), from Latin fornacem (nominative fornax) "an oven, kiln," related to fornus/furnus "oven," and to formus "warm," from PIE root *gwher- "to heat, warm." \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Merriam-Webster, Etymonline

Question 50

brawl

Answer 50

brawl noun a noisy quarrel or fight among a group of people, especially in a public place: FIGHT, fist fight, skirmish, scuffle, tussle, fracas, scrimmage, fray, melee, rumpus, altercation, wrangle, clash, free-for-all, scrum, brouhaha, commotion, uproar; fisticuffs, rough and tumble; *Irish, North American, & Australian* donnybrook; *informal* scrap, dust-up, set-to, shindy; *British informal* punch-up, bust-up, ruck, bit of argy-bargy; *North American informal* roughhouse, brannigan ...a drunken **brawl** in the street ...They were thrown out of the party after starting a **brawl**. verb to quarrel or fight in a noisy way, especially in a public place; If someone **brawls**, they fight in a very rough or violent way: FIGHT, skirmish, scuffle, tussle, exchange blows, come to blows, struggle, grapple, wrestle, scrimmage; *informal* scrap, have a dust-up, have a set-to; *British informal* have a punch-up; *North American informal* roughhouse ...Fans were **brawling** in the streets after the game. ...A bride and groom spent their wedding night in separate police cells after **brawling with** hotel security guards. \> late Middle English: perhaps ultimately imitative and related to **bray**. \> **bray (n.)**: "utter a loud and harsh cry," c. 1300, from Old French braire "to cry," from Gallo-Roman *bragire "to cry out" (11c.), perhaps from a Celtic source (compare Gaelic braigh "to shriek, crackle"), probably imitative. Related: Brayed; braying. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary of English, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Etymonline

Question 51

occlude

Answer 51

oc·clude /əˈklo͞od/ : to close up or block off : OBSTRUCT, BLOCK also : CONCEAL ...Thick makeup can **occlude** the pores. ...A blood clot had **occluded** a major artery in his body. ...Too much ear wax can get **occluded**, or stuck, in the ear canal. —Madeleine Burry, *Health*, 3 Mar. 2023 ...His once-collegial demeanor was **occluded** by an officious streak that eroded his reputation. —C.j. Chivers, *New York Times*, 21 Feb. 2023 \> "to shut up or stop up so as to prevent anything from passing through," 1590s, from Latin occludere (past participle occlusus) "shut up, close up," from assimilated form of ob "in front of, against" (see **ob-**) + claudere "to shut, close" (see **close** (v.)). Of teeth, "come in contact with another tooth," 1888. Related: Occluded; occluding. \> Oxford Dictionary of English, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Etymonline

Question 52

woe

Answer 52

woe /wəʊ $ woʊ/ **1** **Woe** is very great sadness: MISERY, sorrow, distress, wretchedness, sadness, unhappiness, heartache, heartbreak, despondency, desolation, despair, dejection, depression, gloom, melancholy; ADVERSITY, misfortune, disaster, affliction, suffering, hardship, pain, agony, grief, anguish, torment ...He listened to my tale of **woe**. **2** **woes** [plural] FORMAL the problems and troubles affecting someone: TROUBLE, difficulty, problem, trial, tribulation, burden, cross to bear, misfortune, stroke of bad luck, setback, reverse, blow, misadventure, mishap, vicissitude, failure, accident, disaster, tragedy, catastrophe, calamity, adversity, affliction ...the company's recent financial **woes** ...the country’s economic **woes** ...The city's traffic **woes** are well-known. ...But news of the probe could renew investor concerns about the lender’s exposure to Credit Suisse’s legal **woes** and compliance failures, which ultimately played a key role in destroying clients’ confidence in the bank. —Hanna Ziady, *CNN*, 27 Sep. 2023 ...The state of Alaska has begun a sweeping analysis of state employees’ salaries to determine whether poor pay is contributing to ongoing hiring **woes** in the executive branch. —James Brooks, *Anchorage Daily News*, 19 Sep. 2023 ...China Evergrande Group’s shares dipped after police in southern China detained some staff at its wealth-management unit, adding to the debt-laden developer’s **woes**. —Sherry Qin, *WSJ*, 18 Sep. 2023 ...Thinning hair has to be one of the most frustrating haircare **woes** of all time. —Jessie Quinn, *Peoplemag*, 13 Sep. 2023 \> late 12c., from the interjection, Old English *wa!*, a common exclamation of lament in many languages (compare Latin væ, Greek oa, German weh, Lettish wai, Old Irish fe, Welsh gwae, Armenian vay). \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, Etymonline

Question 53

gnarly

Answer 53

gnarl‧y /ˈnɑːli $ ˈnɑːr-/ **1** Something that is **gnarly** is twisted and strangely shaped, usually because it is old. ...This is one of Cornwall's largest and loveliest ancient woodlands, with wonderful **gnarly** old oaks. ...Rinse the potatoes, scrubbing off any **gnarly** bits, and dry well. ...There were low trees with thick, **gnarly** branches. **2** a word meaning very good or excellent, used by young people ...‘Look at the size of that wave.’ ‘**Gnarly**!’ **3** a word meaning very bad, used by young people ...a **gnarly** car wreck **4** very difficult or challenging to deal with ...a **gnarly** [=thorny, knotty] problem ...This is a **gnarly**, worldwide problem. ...His relaxed delivery helps him to sail smoothly through the **gnarliest** of topics. ...Your immune system is your body’s first line of defense for fending off harmful substances that can lead to **gnarly** infections. —Kayla Blanton, *SELF*, 21 Sep. 2023 \> "knotted and rugged," c. 1600, from gnarl (see **gnarled**) + **-y** (2). Picked up 1970s as surfer slang to describe a dangerous wave; it had spread to teen slang by 1982, where it meant both "excellent" and "disgusting." \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Cambridge Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Etymonline

Question 54

affront

Answer 54

af‧front /əˈfrʌnt/ verb to offend or insult someone, especially by not showing respect; If something **affronts** you, you feel insulted and hurt because of it: INSULT, offend, outrage, mortify, provoke, slight, hurt, pique, wound, put out, irk, displease, distress, bother, rankle, needle, vex, gall, scandalize, disgust, disgruntle, put someone's back up, ruffle someone's feathers, make someone's hackles rise, raise someone's hackles ...did not mean to **affront** you when I told you I didn't need your help ...His reforms had so **affronted** many of his natural supporters in England. noun a remark or action that offends or insults someone; If something is an **affront to** you, it is an obvious insult to you: INSULT, offense, indignity, slight, snub, slur, aspersion, provocation, injury, put down, humiliation; outrage, atrocity, scandal, injustice, abuse, desecration, violation; *informal* slap in the face, kick in the teeth ...She has taken my inquiry as a personal **affront**. ...He regarded her rude behavior as a personal **affront**. affront to ...He’s shown what many industry leaders still think about Black and female musicians, and his choice of words are an **affront to** the creativity and genius exhibited by so many artists. —Jem Aswad, *Variety*, 19 Sep. 2023 affronted adjective ...He pretended to be **affronted**, but inwardly he was pleased. \> early 14c., "offend by open disrespect," a figurative use, from Old French afronter "to face, confront; to slap in the face" (13c., Modern French affronter), from Late Latin affrontare "to strike against," from Latin ad frontem "to the face," from ad "to" (see **ad-**) + frons (genitive frontis) "forehead, front" (see **front** (n.)). Related: Affronted; affronting. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Etymonline

Question 55

Few of them ___ either rich or poor.

Answer 55

Few of them **are** either rich or poor.

Question 56

5′10″ = Five ____ ten = Five ____ ten inches

Answer 56

5′10″ = Five **foot** ten = Five **feet** ten inches

Question 57

reticent

Answer 57

ret‧i‧cent /ˈretəsənt/ inclined to be silent or uncommunicative in speech; Someone who is **reticent** does not tell people about things: RESERVED, withdrawn, introverted, restrained, inhibited, diffident, shy, modest, unassuming, shrinking, distant, undemonstrative, wouldn't say boo to a goose; UNCOMMUNICATIVE, unforthcoming, unresponsive, tight-lipped, close-mouthed, close-lipped, quiet, taciturn, silent, guarded, secretive, private, media-shy, playing one's cards close to one's chest; *informal* mum ...An extremely **reticent** man, Morris does not like to talk about his experience in personal terms. —Helen Dudar, *New York Times Magazine*, 30 Oct. 1977 ...her husband is by nature a **reticent** person, and she resigned herself to that fact long ago ...Overseas shoppers are making a beeline for buzzy new developments all across the city, while domestic buyers remain somewhat **reticent** and on the sidelines, waiting. —Abby Montanez, *Robb Report*, 3 Oct. 2023 ...Builder confidence had been on a tear this year as homeowners, **reticent** to move and relinquish their low borrowing costs, have kept resale inventory limited and encouraged buyers to seek out new construction. —*BostonGlobe.com*, 15 Aug. 2023 ...Lawrence Livermore officials have been **reticent** to reveal many details but have confirmed the July experiment came back with improved results. —Rob Nikolewski, *San Diego Union-Tribune*, 14 Aug. 2023 reticent about ...the panel decided to investigate the fraud charges against the company, which has always been **reticent about** its internal operations USAGE NOTES: **Silent**, **Taciturn**, **Reticent**, **Reserved**, **Secretive** mean showing restraint in speaking. - **Silent** implies a habit of saying no more than is needed. - the strong, *silent* type - **Taciturn** implies a temperamental disinclination to speech and usually connotes unsociability. - *taciturn* villagers - **Reticent** implies a reluctance to speak out or at length, especially about one's own affairs. - was *reticent about* his plans - **Reserved** implies reticence and suggests the restraining influence of caution or formality in checking easy informal conversational exchange. - greetings were brief, formal, and *reserved* - **Secretive**, too, implies reticence but usually carries a suggestion of deviousness and lack of frankness or of an often ostentatious will to conceal. - the *secretive* research and development division \> mid 19th century: from Latin reticent- ‘remaining silent’, from the verb reticere, from re- (expressing intensive force) + tacere ‘be silent’. \> **tacit (adj.)**: Borrowed from late Middle French tacite, or from Latin tacitus (“that is passed over in silence, done without words, assumed as a matter of course, silent”), from tacere (“to be silent”). \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Wiktionary, Etymonline

Question 58

call an audible

Answer 58

call an audible to change plans at the last minute based on newly revealed information. ~ Wikipedia ...But unlike conventional active managers, strategic-beta funds cannot make adjustments. After the play has been called in the huddle, there is no option to **call an audible**. With respect to the ongoing implementation of the strategies built into their benchmarks, they are strictly passive. — Johnson, Brent. “Strategic Beta Is Active Management.” Morningstar ETFInvestor, August 2021

Question 59

menial

Answer 59

me‧ni‧al /ˈmiːniəl/ adjective **Menial** work is very boring, and the people who do it have a low status and are usually badly paid: LOW-STATUS, DEGRADING, LOWLY, UNSKILLED ...low paid **menial** jobs, such as cleaning and domestic work noun someone who does menial work, especially a servant in a house: SERVANT, domestic servant, domestic, drudge, maid of all work; galley slave, laborer, minion, junior, slave, underling, subordinate, inferior, hireling, vassal, serf, lackey, flunkey, factotum, stooge; hewers of wood and drawers of water; *informal* wage slave; *British informal* skivvy, dogsbody; *North American informal* peon, gofer ...As such, they were treated as **menials**, on a level with cooks, footmen and other servants. \> **menial (adj.)**: late 14c., "pertaining to a household," from Anglo-French meignial, from Old French mesnie "household," earlier mesnede, from Vulgar Latin *mansionata, from Latin mansionem "dwelling" (see **mansion**). Compare Middle English meine "a household, household servants" (c. 1300; also "chessmen"), from Anglo-French meine, Old French maisniee. From early 15c. as "belonging to a retinue or train of servants." Sense of "lowly, humble, servile, suited to a servant" is recorded by 1670s. \> **menial (n.)**: "a domestic servant, one of a body of household servants," late 14c., meynyal; see **menial** (adj.). \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Etymonline

Question 60

clamor

Answer 60

clam‧or /ˈklæmə $ -ər/ noun **1** a very loud noise made by a large group of people or animals: DIN, racket, loud noise, uproar, tumult, babel, shouting, yelling, screaming, baying, roaring, blaring, clangor; commotion, brouhaha, hue and cry, hubbub, bedlam, pandemonium; *British informal* row ...He shouted over the rising **clamor** of voices. **2** the expression of feelings of anger and shock by a large number of people – used especially in news reports: DEMAND(S), call(s), urging, insistence clamor for ...There is growing **clamor for** reform. ...Walker and Manyika have been meeting with politicians in the United States and abroad to address the growing **clamor for** AI regulation. —Gerrit De Vynck, *Washington Post*, 9 Aug. 2023 **3** a strongly expressed protest or demand from a large number of people: PROTESTS, storms of protest, complaints, outcry ...A smaller trade deficit will still the **clamor** of protectionists. verb **1** to shout loudly and insistently: YELL, shout loudly, bay, scream, shriek, roar ...The surging crowds **clamored for** attention. **2** to demand something loudly; If people **are clamoring for** something, they are demanding it in a noisy or angry way: DEMAND, call, bay; press, push, lobby clamor for ...The audience cheered, **clamoring for** more. ...Republicans **clamored for** the spotlight at the second presidential primary debate. —Elizabeth Robinson, *NBC News*, 28 Sep. 2023 ...But as his rivals onstage Wednesday night **clamored for** airtime, conscious of their fading window, the Florida governor projected an air of confidence. —Nicholas Nehamas, *New York Times*, 28 Sep. 2023 ...But with the House now under GOP control this year and Republicans **clamoring for** deep federal spending cuts, getting the money approved is a steep challenge. —Globe Staff, *BostonGlobe.com*, 23 Aug. 2023 ...Contributor In a landscape saturated with brands **clamoring for** consumers' attention, the bottled water industry has never been more competitive. —Hilary Tetenbaum, *USA TODAY*, 22 Aug. 2023 clamor to do sth ...All his friends were **clamoring to** know where he’d been. ...Major cities **clamored to** place them along main avenues, including, in New York, in the median strips of Park Avenue in 1993. —Stephen Kinzer, *BostonGlobe.com*, 15 Sep. 2023 \> **clamor (n.)**: late 14c., "a great outcry," also figurative, "loud or urgent demand," from Old French clamor "call, cry, appeal, outcry" (12c., Modern French clameur), from Latin clamor "a shout, a loud call" (either friendly or hostile), from clamare "to cry out" (from PIE root *kele- (2) "to shout"). \> **clamor (v.)**: "utter loudly, shout," also figurative, "make importunate demands or complaints," late 14c., from clamor (n.). Related: Clamored; clamoring. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary of English, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Etymonline

Question 61

ebb and flow

Answer 61

ebb and flow

Question 62

short shrift

Answer 62

short shrift little or no attention or consideration; rapid and unsympathetic dismissal; curt treatment. **to get/be given short shrift** to be treated very rudely or to receive very little attention ...Employees' complaints are **getting short shrift**. ...McLaren **got short shrift** from all the record companies when he first presented his new band to them in 1976. ...Refracting the story of a serial killer through those of his victims (and near-victims) is a clever device on paper, but in practice the film’s tack of jumping from woman to woman gives almost all of them **short shrift**. —*The New Yorker*, 22 Sep. 2023 ...Surprisingly, even our heroine is dealt **short shrift** in each story track. —Courtney Howard, *Variety*, 31 Aug. 2023 ...So many of the supporting characters, unfortunately, **get short shrift**. —Daniel Fienberg, *The Hollywood Reporter*, 3 Aug. 2023 ...The loan agreement **gives short shrift** to capacity and conditions but is focused on capital and collateral factors: This is a non-recourse project financing where A looks to Project value to get repaid and has no rights in B’s existing property. —Ann Rutledge, *Forbes*, 13 Aug. 2023 \> The earliest known use of the phrase comes from William Shakespeare’s play Richard III, in which Lord Hastings, who has been condemned by King Richard to be beheaded, is told by Sir Richard Ratcliffe to “Make a short shrift” as the king “longs to see your head.” Although now archaic, the noun shrift was understood in Shakespeare’s time to refer to the confession or absolution of sins, so “make a short shrift” meant, quite literally, “keep your confession short.” However, since at least the 19th century the phrase has been used figuratively to refer to a small or inadequate amount of time or attention given to something. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary of English, Merriam-Webster

Question 63

tirade

Answer 63

ti‧rade /taɪˈreɪd, tə- $ ˈtaɪreɪd, təˈreɪd/ a long angry speech criticizing someone or something; A **tirade** is a long angry speech in which someone criticizes a person or thing: DIATRIBE /ˈdaɪətraɪb/, outburst, harangue, abuse ...He went into a **tirade** about the failures of the government. ...The coach directed a **tirade** at the team after the loss. tirade against ...He **launched into a tirade against** the church. ...She **launched into a tirade against** the policies that ruined her business. tirade of ...He too has met a **tirade of abuse**. \> "a long, vehement speech, a 'volley of words,' " 1801, from French tirade "a volley /ˈvɒli $ ˈvɑːli/, a shot; a pull; a long speech or passage; a drawing out" (16c.), from tirer "draw out, endure, suffer," or the French noun is perhaps from or influenced by cognate Italian tirata "a volley," from past participle of tirare "to draw." The whole Romanic word group is of uncertain origin. Barnhart suggests it is a shortening of the source of Old French martirer "endure martyrdom" (see **martyr**). \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Etymonline

Question 64

mediocrity

Answer 64

mediocrity /ˌmiːdiˈɒkrəti $ -ˈɑːk-/ /mee·dee·**aa**·kruh·tee/ **1a** : the quality or state of being mediocre ...came to terms with his **mediocrity** **1b** : moderate ability or value ...fed up with the **mediocrity** of the local schools **2** : a mediocre person \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Oxford Dictionary of English, Merriam-Webster

Question 65

onerous

Answer 65

on‧er‧ous /ˈɒnərəs, ˈəʊ- $ ˈɑː-, ˈoʊ-/ (of a task, duty, or responsibility) involving an amount of effort and difficulty that is oppressively burdensome: BURDENSOME, heavy, inconvenient, troublesome, awkward, crushing, back-breaking, oppressive; weighty, arduous, strenuous, uphill, difficult, hard, severe, formidable, laborious ...He found his duties increasingly **onerous**. ...Garner insists the innovations are meant to help human employees with **onerous** tasks. —Laura Reiley, *Washington Post*, 3 Oct. 2023 ...Religious groups that once enjoyed relative autonomy—even those favored by the state—must now contend with **onerous** restrictions. —Ian Johnson, *Foreign Affairs*, 22 Aug. 2023 \> From Middle English onerous, from Middle French onereux, from Old French onereus, from Latin onerosus (“burdensome”), from onus (“load”). \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Oxford Dictionary of English, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Wiktionary

Question 66

give sb/sth a wide berth

Answer 66

berth /bɜːθ $ bɜːrθ/ **1** A fixed bunk for sleeping (in caravans, trains, etc). **2** Room for maneuvering or safety. (Often used in the phrase a wide berth.) \> (1600-1700) Probably from bear “to carry” **wide berth** **1** (nautical) Adequate distance from sea vessels or other objects to ensure safety and maneuverability. ...Steer to port and **give** the rocks **a wide berth**. ...Ships are advised to **give** the islands **a wide berth**. **2** (idiomatic, by extension) A considerable or comfortable distance from a person or object, especially for safety or deliberate avoidance: AVOID, SHUN, keep away from, stay away from, steer clear of **to give sb/sth a wide berth** to avoid or stay away from (someone or something); If you **give** someone or something **a wide berth**, you avoid them because you think they are unpleasant, or dangerous, or simply because you do not like them: AVOID, SHUN, keep away from, stay away from, steer clear of, keep at arm's length, fight shy of, have nothing to do with, have no truck with, have no dealings with, have no contact with, give something/someone a miss; eschew, dodge, sidestep, circumvent, skirt around ...I could see that she was in a bad mood, so I **gave** her **a wide berth**. ... Andolfi says that if possible, **give a wide berth** to those family members who create or trigger conflict. —*Washington Post*, 12 Feb. 2021 ...I tend to **give** the city centre **a wide berth** on Saturdays because it's so busy. ...Sons of famous fathers often **give** them **a wide berth** when forging their own careers. ...She **gives** showbiz parties **a wide berth**. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary of English, Merriam-Webster, Cambridge Dictionary, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Wiktionary

Question 67

derelict

Answer 67

der‧e‧lict /ˈderəlɪkt/ \> **derelict (adj.)**: 1640s, "left, abandoned by the owner or guardian," from Latin derelictus "solitary, deserted," past participle of dereliquere "to abandon, forsake, desert," from de- "entirely" (see **de-**) + relinquere "leave behind, forsake, abandon, give up," from re- "back" (see **re-**) + linquere "to leave," from PIE root *leikw- "to leave." \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Etymonline

Question 68

petulant

Answer 68

pet‧u‧lant /ˈpetʃələnt/ (of a person or their manner) childishly sulky or bad-tempered; Someone who is **petulant** is unreasonably angry and upset in a childish way: PEEVISH, bad-tempered, ill-tempered, pettish, cross, impatient, irritable, moody, in a bad mood, sulky, snappish, crotchety, touchy, waspish, irascible, tetchy, testy, querulous, fractious, captious, cantankerous, grumpy, complaining, whiny, fretful, huffish, huffy, pouty, disgruntled, crabbed, crabby, ill-humored; sullen, surly, sour, churlish, ungracious; splenetic, choleric; *informal* snappy, chippy, grouchy, cranky; *British informal* ratty, narky, eggy, whingy, miffy, mumpish; *North American informal* soreheaded, sorehead, peckish ...His critics say he's just being silly and **petulant**. ...In these early passages, the parent-child dynamic feels reversed; Georgie is strict and rational while Jason is **petulant**. —Odie Henderson, *BostonGlobe.com*, 14 Sep. 2023 ...So the studios are in the financial squeeze of — the linear business (old-fashioned cable TV and ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, et al) is shrinking but still provides more profit than streamers, which are like **petulant** children — always hungry, high-maintenance and always in search of the shiny new toy. —Cynthia Littleton, *Variety*, 15 May 2023 \> Petulant is one of many English words that are related to the Latin verb petere, which means "to go to," "to attack," "to seek," or "to request." "Petere" is a relative of the Latin adjective petulans ("impudent"), from which "petulant" was derived. Some other words with connections to "petere" are "compete" and "appetite." "Competere," the Late Latin precursor to "compete," is a combination of the prefix com- and the verb "petere." The joining of ad- and petere led to "appetere" ("to strive after"), and eventually to Latin appetitus, the source of our "appetite." Additional descendants of "petere" are "petition," "perpetual," and "impetus." \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary of English, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus

Question 69

lewd

Answer 69

lewd /luːd/ **1** : OBSCENE, VULGAR, crude, smutty, dirty, filthy, pornographic, coarse, tasteless, indecorous, indelicate, off color, unseemly, indecent, salacious, gross, disgusting, sordid, low, foul, vile; rude, racy, risqué, naughty, wicked, arousing, earthy, erotic, sexy, suggestive, titillating, spicy, bawdy, ribald, raw, taboo, explicit, near the bone, near the knuckle; *informal* blue, raunchy, X-rated, nudge-nudge ...He reportedly made **lewd** comments in meetings. **2** (of behavior, speech, dress, etc.) sexual in an obvious and rude way; If you describe someone's behavior as **lewd**, you are critical of it because it is sexual in a rude and unpleasant way: LECHEROUS, lustful, licentious, lascivious, dirty, prurient, salacious, lubricious, libidinous; immoral, impure, debauched, depraved, inappropriate, unchaste, decadent, dissipated, dissolute, corrupt, perverted; bestial, goatish, wolfish; *informal* horny; *British informal* randy ...He made **lewd** remarks to the woman at the bar. ...Bystanders were shocked by the **lewd** behavior of the couple in the park. ...He was accused of **lewd** behavior by a woman from his own parish, then banished for seven years. ...Gerard was once accused of **lewd** behavior by a woman, which he did not challenge. ...They frequented the tavern and engaged in unspecified **lewd** practices. ...He would promise to help her, making **lewd** suggestions. \> Old English lǣwede, of unknown origin. The original sense was ‘belonging to the laity /ˈleɪəti/’; in Middle English, ‘belonging to the common people, vulgar’, and later ‘worthless, vile, evil’, leading to the current sense. \> **lay (adj.)**: "uneducated, non-professional; non-clerical," early 14c., from Old French lai "secular, not of the clergy" (12c., Modern French laïque), from Late Latin laicus, from Greek laikos "of the people," from laos "(the common) folk, the people, the crowd; the military; a tribe," in the New Testament especially "the Jewish people," also "the laity," a word of unknown origin. Beekes writes that it is "most often connected with" Hittite lahh- "campaign" and Old Irish laech "warrior," but that the form "is rather Pre-Greek, and has a Pre-Greek suffix -it(o)-. In Middle English, contrasted with **learned**, a sense revived 1810 in contrast to **expert**. **Laic** is a more modern borrowing directly from Late Latin. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary of English, Cambridge Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Etymonline

Question 70

agog

Answer 70

a‧gog /əˈɡɒɡ $ əˈɡɑːɡ/ full of intense interest or excitement; If you are **agog**, you are excited about something, and eager to know more about it: EAGER, excited, impatient, in suspense, on tenterhooks, on the edge of one's seat, on pins and needles, keen, anxious, longing; curious, expectant, enthralled, enthusiastic, avid, breathless, open-mouthed, waiting with bated breath; *informal* itching ...I’ve been **agog** all afternoon, waiting for the next part of your story. ...We waited **agog** for news. ...The city was **agog** with rumors last night that the two had been executed. ...The town is **agog** over the plan. ...Now that Gucci is between creative captains once again, the audience will be similarly **agog** to discover the author of its next chapter. —Luke Leitch, *Vogue*, 16 Dec. 2022 ...Today, no one walks into their dentist's office and looks **agog** at the X-ray machine. —Ophir Tanz, *Forbes*, 8 Mar. 2023 \> "in a state of desire; in a state of imagination; heated with the notion of some enjoyment; longing" [Johnson], c. 1400, agogge, probably from Old French en gogues "in jest, good humor, joyfulness," from gogue "fun," which is of unknown origin. \> English speakers have been clamoring over the word agog for over 450 years. The word probably derives from the Middle French phrase en gogues, but the semantic link between en gogues (meaning "in a state of mirth") and the earliest English uses of agog, which exist in the phrase "to set agog" ("to excite, stimulate, make eager"), are not entirely clear. The -gog part of the word might make one wonder if agog has a connection to the verb goggle, meaning "to stare with wide or protuberant eyes," as in the manner of one who is intensely excited about something. That word actually has a different origin: the Middle English gogelen, meaning "to squint." In many instances, agog is followed by a preposition, such as over or about. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Cambridge Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Etymonline

Question 71

unduly

Answer 71

un‧du‧ly /ʌnˈdjuːli $ -ˈduː-/ in an undue manner; more than is normal or reasonable: EXCESSIVELY, immoderately, intemperately, disproportionately, out of all proportion, inordinately; superfluously, too, overly, overmuch; unnecessarily, needlessly; unwarrantedly, unjustifiably, unreasonably; inappropriately, unsuitably, improperly, ill-advisedly ...an **unduly** harsh punishment ...**unduly** sensitive ...**taxes** that unduly burden homeowners ...This will achieve greater security without **unduly** burdening the consumers or the economy. ...Commission staff see the first stage of the plan, proposed by Chief Executive Patti Poppe, as **unduly** expensive for PG&E customers, the Wall Street Journal’s Katherine Blunt reports. —Sammy Roth, *Los Angeles Times*, 3 Oct. 2023 ...Big banks are **unduly** hopeful that Kim Kardashian’s Skims brand could go public soon, paving the way for other IPOs and revitalizing the sluggish dealmaking happening on Wall Street. —Jane Thier, *Fortune*, 21 July 2023 **unduly worried/concerned/anxious etc** If you say that something does not happen or is not done **unduly**, you mean that it does not happen or is not done to an excessive or unnecessary extent. ...She doesn’t seem **unduly** concerned about her exams.[1] ...It didn’t trouble me **unduly**. ...'But you're not **unduly** worried about doing this report?'—'No.' - 1) The meaning of the sentence is that she is not worried more than necessary or reasonable about her exams. The word **unduly** means to an unwarranted degree or excessively. It is an adverb that modifies the adjective **concerned**. The sentence implies that she is either confident or indifferent about her exams, or that she has a realistic expectation of her performance. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster

Question 72

trepidation

Answer 72

trep‧i‧da‧tion /ˌtrepəˈdeɪʃən/ a nervous or fearful feeling of uncertain agitation; **Trepidation** is fear or anxiety about something that you are going to do or experience: FEAR, APPREHENSION /ˌæprɪˈhenʃən/, dread, fearfulness, apprehensiveness, agitation, anxiety, worry, nervousness, tension, misgivings, unease, uneasiness, foreboding, disquiet, disquietude, perturbation, discomposure, dismay, consternation, alarm, panic, trembling, jumpiness; British nerviness; *informal* butterflies, jitteriness, the jitters, a cold sweat, a blue funk, the heebie-jeebies, the willies, the shakes, the yips, the jim-jams, collywobbles, cold feet ...**trepidation** about starting a new job ...**With some trepidation**, I opened the door. ...This was an ambitious project, and a number of us felt some **trepidation** about the possible results. —Brian Phillips, *New Republic*, 13 Dec. 1999 ...He had some **trepidation** about agreeing to their proposal. ...Shaking with **trepidation**, I stepped into the old abandoned house. ...In Alaska, some members of the state’s fishing industry are watching the budget discussions with **trepidation**. —Michael Collins, *USA TODAY*, 31 Aug. 2023 \> late 15th century: from Latin trepidatio(n- ), from trepidare ‘be agitated, tremble’, from trepidus ‘alarmed,’ from past-participle stem of trepidare "to tremble, hurry," from trepidus "alarmed, scared," from PIE *trep- (1) "to shake, tremble" (source also of Sanskrit trprah "hasty," Old Church Slavonic trepetati "to tremble"), related to *trem- (see **tremble** (v.)). Related: Trepidacious (1915). \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary of English, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Etymonline

Question 73

perennial

Answer 73

pe‧ren‧ni‧al /pəˈreniəl/ **1** continuing or existing for a long time, or happening again and again; You use **perennial** to describe situations or states that keep occurring or which seem to exist all the time; used especially to describe problems or difficulties: EVERLASTING, CONTINUAL, perpetual, eternal, continuing, unending, never-ending, endless, undying, ceaseless, abiding, enduring, lasting, persisting, permanent, constant, unfailing, unchanging, never-changing ...Flooding is a **perennial problem** for people living by the river. ...the **perennial** urban **problems** of crime and homelessness. There's a **perennial shortage** of teachers with science qualifications. ...Teddy bears are a **perennial favorite** with children. ...Here’s a guide to the best family-friendly movies to stream this Halloween. 01 Halloweentown (1998) Premiering in 1998 as one of the very first Disney Channel Original Movies, Halloweentown has become a **perennial favorite**. —Keith Langston, *Peoplemag*, 20 Oct. 2023 ...The issue between science and art is of **perennial** interest to me, since I started off in science in college, in medicine, was headed for psychiatry, and ended up writing novels … —Walker Percy, *"The State Of The Novel,"* 1977, in Signposts in a Strange Land, 1991 **2** a plant that is perennial lives for more than two years ...a **perennial** herb with greenish-yellow flowers. USAGE NOTES: **Perennial** implies enduring existence often through constant renewal. - a *perennial* source of controversy \> 1640s, of plants or leaves, "evergreen" (a sense now obsolete), formed in English from Latin perennis "lasting through the year (or years)," from per "through" (from PIE root *per- (1) "forward," hence "through") + annus "year" (see **annual** (adj.)). The botanical sense of "remaining alive through more than two years" is attested from 1670s; of springs, etc., "lasting or continuing without cessation through a year or many years," by 1703. The figurative meaning "enduring, permanent" is from 1750. Related: Perennially. For vowel change, see **biennial**. The noun meaning "a perennial plant" is from 1763. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Etymonline

Question 74

stunt

Answer 74

stunt¹ ... stunt² to hinder the normal growth, development, or progress of; If something **stunts** the growth or development of a person or thing, it prevents it from growing or developing as much as it should: INHIBIT, HAMPER, impede, hinder, restrict, retard, slow, curb, arrest, check ...Lack of sunlight will **stunt** the plant’s growth. ...The heart condition had **stunted** his growth a bit. ...High interest rates have **stunted** economic growth. ...Slow economic growth **stunted** corporate profits last quarter. \> **stunt ²**: "to check in growth, to dwarf," 1650s; earlier "bring to an abrupt halt" (c. 1600); "provoke, anger, irritate" (1580s), from obsolete Middle English adjective stunt "foolish, stupid; obstinate," from Old English stunt "stupid, foolish" (as in stuntspræc "foolish talk"), from Proto-Germanic \*stuntaz "short, truncated" (source also of Middle High German stunz "short, blunt, stumpy," Old Norse stuttr (\*stuntr) "scanty, short"), an adjective which stands in gradational relationship to **stint** (v.). \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Etymonline

Question 75

metastasize

Answer 75

me·tas·ta·size /muh·**ta**·stuh·size/ **1** If cancer cells **metastasize**, they spread to another part of the body. ...During a routine scan, doctors discovered Quivers’s cancer had returned and **metastasized to** her lymph nodes. —Vanessa Etienne, *Peoplemag*, 27 Oct. 2023 **2** If a problem **metastasizes**, it spreads in an uncontrolled way. ...Corruption **metastasized into** any parts of the state apparatus that remained healthy. ...The first people of this land often live on the frontlines of our **metastasizing** climate disaster. ...Thus far, Donald Trump’s **metastasizing** legal troubles have largely been visible only from the outside. —Paul Farhi, *Washington Post*, 1 Sep. 2023 \> **metastasis (n.)**: "change of substance, conversion of one substance into another," 1570s, originally in rhetoric, from Late Latin metastasis "transition," from Greek metastasis "a removing, removal; migration; a changing; change, revolution," from methistanai "to remove, change," from meta, here indicating "change" (see **meta-**) + histanai "to place, cause to stand," from PIE root *sta- "to stand, make or be firm." A rhetorical term in Late Latin for "a sudden transition in subjects," medical use for "shift of disease from one part of the body to another" dates from 1660s in English. Related: Metastatic. \> Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford Dictionary of English, Etymonline

Question 76

stratospheric

Answer 76

strat·o·spher·ic /ˌstrætəˈsferɪk◂ $ -ˈsfɪr-, -ˈsfer-/ **1** [only before noun] relating to the outer part of the air surrounding the Earth **2** INFORMAL a stratospheric price, amount, level etc is extremely high or great ...**stratospheric** house prices \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

Question 77

sumptuous

Answer 77

sump‧tu‧ous /ˈsʌmptʃuəs/ extremely costly, rich, luxurious, or magnificent; Something that is **sumptuous** is grand and obviously very expensive: lavish, luxurious, deluxe, opulent, magnificent, resplendent, gorgeous, splendid, grand, extravagant, lush, lavishly appointed, palatial, princely, rich, costly, expensive, impressive, imposing; *informal* plush, ritzy, swanky; *British informal* swish ...a **sumptuous** feast ...She produces elegant wedding gowns in a variety of **sumptuous** fabrics. ...The cruise ship claims to offer **sumptuous** furnishings, exquisitely prepared cuisine, and stellar entertainment. ...The restaurant offers a **sumptuous** buffet-style breakfast each morning and a wide choice of dishes at dinner. ...Many of the writers are also professional photographers and this certainly shows - the book is crammed full of **sumptuous** color pictures. \> sumptuous (1400-1500) Old French sumptueux, from Latin sumptuosus, from sumptus “cost”: late 15c., "costly, expensive; luxurious, magnificent," from Old French sumptueux or directly from Latin sumptuosus "costly, very expensive; lavish, wasteful," from sumptus, past participle of sumere "to borrow, buy, spend, eat, drink, consume, employ, take, take up," contraction of *sub-emere, from sub "under" (see **sub-**) + emere "to take, buy" (from PIE root *em- "to take, distribute"). \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Etymonline

Question 78

exude

Answer 78

ex‧ude /ɪɡˈzjuːd $ ɪɡˈzuːd/ **1** to display conspicuously or abundantly; If someone **exudes** a quality or feeling, or if it **exudes**, they show that they have it to a great extent: EMANATE, RADIATE, ooze, give out, give forth, send out, issue, emit; display, show, exhibit, manifest, demonstrate, transmit, breathe, embody, be a/the picture of ...**exudes** charm ...She **exudes** self-confidence. ...He **exuded** an air of wealth and power. **2** to (cause to) ooze out; If something **exudes** a liquid or smell or if a liquid or smell **exudes from** it, the liquid or smell comes out of it slowly and steadily: EMIT, LEAK, DISCHARGE, OOZE ...The plant **exudes** a sticky liquid. ...Nearby was a factory which **exuded** a pungent smell. \> 1570s (intransitive), "to ooze from a body by a natural or abnormal discharge, be secreted," as juice or gum from a tree, pus from a wound, or serous fluid from a blister, from Latin exudare/exsudare "ooze out like sweat," from ex "out, out of" (see **ex-**) + sudare "to sweat," from sudor "sweat" (see **sweat** (v.)). Transitive sense "to discharge slowly through the pores, give out gradually as moisture" is by 1755. Related: Exuded; exudes; exuding. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Etymonline

Question 79

devolve

Answer 79

de‧volve /dɪˈvɒlv $ dɪˈvɑːlv/ **1** If you **devolve** responsibility, power etc **to** a person or group at a lower level, or if it **devolves on** them, it is given to them; If you **devolve** power, authority, or responsibility **to** a less powerful person or group, or if it **devolves upon** them, it is transferred to them.: DELEGATE, pass (down/on), hand down/over/on, depute, transfer, transmit, commit, assign, consign, convey, entrust, turn over, make over, sign over, give, part with, let go of, leave, cede, surrender, relinquish, deliver; bestow, grant; offload, dump, get rid of, palm off, foist, fob off devolve sth to sb/sth ...the need to decentralize and **devolve** power **to** regional governments ...Community leaders hope that the new government will **devolve** more power **to** the community itself. ...Responsibility has **devolved to** the individual teachers. devolve on/upon ...Half of the cost of the study will **devolve upon** the firm. **2** to degenerate through a gradual change or evolution ...The scene **devolved into** chaos. ...In the movie, Louise (Sarandon) and Thelma (Davis) embark on a road trip that quickly **devolves into** a crime spree. —Benjamin Vanhoose, *Peoplemag*, 16 Oct. 2023 **3** if land, goods etc devolve to someone they become the property of that person when their owner dies ...In the event of the guardian dying before the child attains twenty-one years, all of the estate shall **devolve upon** the said child and be held for him in trust. \> mid-15c., devolven, "to roll downward or onward" (a sense now archaic or obsolete), from Latin devolvere "to roll down," from de "down" (see **de-**) + volvere "to roll," from PIE root \*wel- (3) "to turn, revolve." Figurative sense of "to cause to pass down, transfer (something) from one person to another" is from 1520s; sense of "be transferred or transmitted" is from 1550s. Meaning "to degenerate" is by 1830. Related: Devolved; devolving. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Etymonline

Question 80

whopping

Answer 80

whop‧ping /ˈwɒpɪŋ $ ˈwɑː-/ adjective INFORMAL very large; If you describe an amount as **whopping**, you are emphasizing that it is large: HUGE, massive, enormous, gigantic, very big, very large, great, giant, colossal, mammoth, vast, immense, tremendous, mighty, stupendous, monumental, epic, prodigious, mountainous, monstrous, titanic, towering, elephantine, king-sized, king-size, gargantuan, Herculean, Brobdingnagian, substantial, extensive, hefty, bulky, weighty, heavy, gross; *informal* mega, monster, whopping great, thumping, thumping great, humongous, jumbo, hulking, bumper, astronomical, astronomic; *British informal* whacking, whacking great, ginormous ...a **whopping** fee ...They made a **whopping** $74 million loss. ...Planned spending amounts to a **whopping** $31.4 billion. ...The play was a **whopping** success. ...The car sped by at a **whopping** 110 miles per hour. ...Last year, the month saw a **whopping** 68 tornadoes hit the U.S., according to The Weather Channel. —Caitlin O'Kane, *CBS News*, 31 Oct. 2023 ...Halloween is one of America’s favorite holidays, with a **whopping** 172 million people celebrating. —Abigail Wilt, *Southern Living*, 31 Oct. 2023 adverb **Whopping** is also an adverb. ...Footballers in **whopping** great studded boots walk over the pitch. whop (*also* whup /wʌp/) (past tense and past participle **whupped**, present participle **whupping**) **1** to defeat someone easily in a sport or fight ...I’m gonna **whup** your **ass** (=defeat you very easily). **2** to strike, beat, or thrash \> "to beat, strike," mid-15c., of imitative origin. Compare Welsh chwap "a stroke," also of imitative origin; also see **wap**. Related: Whopped; whopping. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Etymonline

Question 81

convoluted

Answer 81

con‧vo‧lut‧ed /**kaan**·vuh·loo·tuhd/ **1** FORMAL (especially of an argument, story, or sentence) extremely complex and difficult to follow; If you describe a sentence, idea, or system as **convoluted**, you mean that it is complicated and difficult to understand:COMPLICATED, complex, involved, intricate, elaborate, impenetrable, serpentine, labyrinthine, tortuous, tangled, Byzantine, Daedalian, Gordian; confused, confusing, bewildering, baffling, puzzling, perplexing; *informal* fiddly, plotty ...Despite its length and **convoluted** plot, this is a rich and rewarding read. ...The policy is so **convoluted** even college presidents are confused. ...a **convoluted** explanation that left the listeners even more confused than they were before **2** having many twists and bends ...a tightly-coiled **convoluted** tube \> 1752, past-participle adjective from verb convolute (1690s), from Latin convolutus, past participle of convolvere "to roll together," from assimilated form of com "with, together" (see **con-**) + volvere "to roll," from PIE root *wel- (3) "to turn, revolve." Or perhaps a back-formation from **convolution**. French has convoluté (18c.), in form a past-participle adjective, but without the verb. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary of English, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Etymonline

Question 82

call a huddle

Answer 82

**call a huddle** INFORMAL•NORTH AMERICAN to make people come together to talk about something **go into a huddle** to gather together privately to talk about or plan something ...The attorneys **went into a huddle** with their client before asking the next question. **NOTE**: Although huddle has been used since the 16th century in the sense of “a crowded mass of things,” the current usage comes from football, where the team goes into a huddle to decide on the next play. [Mid-1900s] \> **huddle (v.)**: 1570s, "to heap or crowd together," probably from Low German hudern "to cover, to shelter" (of hens on chicks or nurses with children), from Middle Low German huden "to cover up," a frequentative form of Middle English huden, hiden (“to hide”), equivalent to hide +‎ -le and/or hide +‎ -er. Compare also Middle English hoderen "heap together, huddle" (c. 1300). Related: Huddled; huddling. The noun is from 1580s. U.S. football sense is from 1928. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Dictionary.com, Wiktionary, Etymonline

Question 83

agnostic

Answer 83

agnostic

Question 84

blitz

Answer 84

blitz /blɪts/ noun **1** a sudden military attack, especially from the air the Blitz (=the bombing of British cities by German aircraft in 1940 and 1941): BOMBARDMENT, battery, bombing, carpet bombing, onslaught, barrage, sally; attack, assault, raid, offensive, strike, blitzkrieg **2** a rush of the passer by a defensive linebacker, back, or end in football **3** INFORMAL a period of great effort in order to deal with something quickly and completely → blitz on If you have a **blitz on** something, you make a big effort to deal with it or to improve it: ALL-OUT EFFORT, effort, exertion, endeavor, onslaught, attack, push, thrust, set-to ...We’ll have to have a **blitz on** the house before your parents arrive. **4** a big effort to make people notice something or buy something → a media/marketing/advertising etc blitz ...The campaign was launched with a nationwide **publicity blitz**. ...The company is planning an **advertising blitz** for the new product. ...a multimedia **blitz of advertisements** for the summer blockbuster —blitz verb: BOMBARD, attack, pound, blast; bomb, shell, torpedo, strafe; destroy, wipe out, wreck, devastate, ravage, smash ...News came that Rotterdam had been **blitzed**. \> **blitz (n.)**: "sudden overwhelming attack," 1940, shortening of **blitzkrieg** (q.v.). The use in U.S. football is from 1959. As a verb, 1940, from the noun. Related: Blitzed; blitzing. \> **blitzkrieg (n.)**: "rapid attack," 1939, from German Blitzkrieg, from Krieg "war" (see **kriegspiel**) + Blitz "lightning," from Middle High German blicze, back-formation from bliczen "to flash," from Old High German blecchazzen "to flash, lighten" (8c.), from Proto-Germanic *blikkatjan, from PIE root *bhel- (1) "to shine, flash, burn." \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Etymonline

Question 85

crater

Answer 85

cra‧ter /ˈkreɪtə $ -ər/ noun **1** a round hole in the ground made by something that has fallen on it or by an explosion ...**craters** on the Moon's surface **2** the round open top of a volcano verb intransitive verb 1 to exhibit or form craters 2 to fail or fall suddenly and dramatically : COLLAPSE, CRASH ...The deal **cratered** when neither party could agree on the final price. ...**cratering** stock prices ...Stock prices **cratered** after the companies' merger. ...If the United States is unable to pay its creditors for an extended period, White House economists have predicted the value of the stock market could **crater**, and the country could suffer a deep recession, with the loss of more than 8 million jobs. —Julia Horowitz, *CNN*, 9 May 2023 ...The New York Times reported Monday the president had to be dissuaded last week from a military strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, a move that could damage the country’s enrichment operations but probably also **crater** Biden’s ability to cool tensions and cajole the regime to the table. —*Washington Post*, 17 Nov. 2020 transitive verb to form craters in \> 1610s, "bowl-shaped mouth of a volcano," from a specialized use of Latin crater, from Greek krater "bowl for mixing things, crater," from kera- "to mix," from PIE root *kere- "to mix, confuse; cook" (see rare (adj.2)). \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Merriam-Webster, Etymonline

Question 86

ethos

Answer 86

e‧thos /ˈiːθɒs $ ˈiːθɑːs/ FORMAL the distinguishing character, sentiment, moral nature, or guiding beliefs of a person, group, or institution; An **ethos** is the set of ideas and attitudes that is associated with a particular group of people or a particular type of activity: SPIRIT, character, atmosphere, climate, prevailing tendency, mood, feeling, temper, tenor, flavor, essence, quintessence; ANIMATING PRINCIPLE, dominating characteristic, motivating force, disposition, rationale, code, morality, moral code, attitudes, beliefs, principles, standards, ethics ...The company made environmental awareness part of its business **ethos**. ...They are working to keep a democratic **ethos** alive in the community. ...a community in which people lived according to an **ethos** of sharing and caring ...After all, an intimate evening dedicated to love, connection, and pleasure is the exact **ethos** of this wedding trend. —Shelby Wax, *Vogue*, 16 Oct. 2023 \> From Ancient Greek ἦθος (êthos, “character; custom, habit”). Cognate to Sanskrit स्वधा (svádhā, “habit, custom”). \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Wiktionary

Question 87

crackle

Answer 87

crack‧le /ˈkrækəl/ verb **1** If something **crackles**, it makes a rapid series of short, harsh noises. ...The radio **crackled** again. ...Now all that's left to do is find a cozy spot on the couch in front of a **crackling** fireplace. —Southern Living Test Kitchen, *Southern Living*, 17 Oct. 2023 **2** to show animation : SPARKLE ...the essays **crackle** with wit ...Only now, more than ever, there's a palpable sense of identity **crackling** through. —Audrey Phoon, *Condé Nast Traveler*, 6 Oct. 2023 ...Hostile in nature, the unresolved divide between them **crackles** with passion, a testament to the performers’ dexterity to tap into a melodramatic tone. —Carlos Aguilar, *Los Angeles Times*, 6 Oct. 2023 noun ...the **crackle of** flames and gunfire. ...The **crackle of** gunfire and crump of tank fire ever present. —ABC News, 5 Nov. 2023 \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster

Question 88

malaise

Answer 88

ma‧laise /məˈleɪz, mæ-/ **1** FORMAL **Malaise** is a state in which there is something wrong with a society or group, for which there does not seem to be a quick or easy solution. ...a general malaise within **society** ...There is no easy short-term solution to Britain's chronic economic **malaise**. **2** FORMAL a vague sense of mental or moral ill-being; **Malaise** is a state in which people feel dissatisfied or unhappy but feel unable to change, usually because they do not know what is wrong: UNHAPPINESS, UNEASE, restlessness, uneasiness, melancholy, depression, despondency, dejection, disquiet, trouble, anxiety, anguish, angst; ailment(s), ills; lassitude, listlessness, languor, weariness, enervation, doldrums; weakness, feebleness, debility, indisposition, infirmity, illness, sickness, disease, discomfort ...An infected person will feel a general **malaise**. ...He complained of depression, headaches and **malaise**. ...Over the course of the eight episodes — narrated by Toby’s friend Libby (Caplan) — the audience starts to understand the deep wounds of this relationship and the **malaise** of early middle age. —Esther Zuckerman, *The Hollywood Reporter*, 16 Aug. 2023 \> c. 1300, maleise "pain, suffering; sorrow, anxiety," also, by late 14c., "disease, sickness," from Old French malaise "difficulty, suffering, hardship," literally "ill-ease," from mal "bad" (see **mal-**) + aise "ease" (see **ease** (n.)). The current use, in the sense of "unease, discomfort," especially "an indefinite feeling of uneasiness," is perhaps a mid-18c. reborrowing from Modern French. A Middle English verbal form, malasen "to trouble, distress" (mid-15c.), from Old French malaisier, did not endure. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Etymonline

Question 89

anything but

Answer 89

anything but not at all; You use **anything but** in expressions such as **anything but quiet** and **anything but attractive** to emphasize that something is not the case. ...I will be **anything but** quiet on Saturday night! ...The fiscal year is over — but the Biden border crisis is **anything but**. —Mark Green, *National Review*, 27 Oct. 2023 ...But the downturn has shaken citizens who have never experienced **anything but** improvements in their standard of living. —Evan Osnos, *The New Yorker*, 23 Oct. 2023 \> Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster

Question 90

affectation

Answer 90

af‧fec‧ta‧tion /ˌæfekˈteɪʃən/ speech or conduct not natural to oneself : an unnatural form of behavior meant especially to impress others; If you say that someone's attitude or behavior is an **affectation**, you disapprove of the fact that it is not genuine or natural, but is intended to impress other people. **Affectation** refers to a form of behavior that's unnatural to the person engaging in it, and that is meant to impress other people. A phony accent someone uses to sound more sophisticated, for example, can be considered an affectation, as can pretending to know all about some obscure band in order to seem cool. ...His French accent is just an **affectation**. ...I wore sunglasses all the time and people thought it was an **affectation**. af‧fect /əˈfekt/ **1** to do something that produces an effect or change in something or in someone’s situation ...the areas **affected** by the hurricane ...a disease that **affects** the central nervous system ...decisions which **affect** our **lives** ...Trading has been **adversely affected** by the downturn in consumer spending. **2** to make someone feel strong emotions ...We were all **deeply affected** by her death. Grammar **Affect** is often passive in this meaning. **3** FORMAL to pretend to have a particular feeling, way of speaking etc ...As usual, Simon **affected** complete boredom. ...He used to **affect** a foreign accent. \> **affectation**: borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French affectation, borrowed from Latin affectātiōn-, affectātiō "striving after, strained manner (in rhetoric)," from affectāre "to strive after, try to accomplish, pretend to have" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of action nouns. \> **affect (v.1)**: From Middle English affecten, from Latin affectāre, from Latin affectus, the participle stem of Latin afficere (“to act upon, influence, affect, attack with disease”), from ad- + facere (“to make, do”). \> **affect (v.3)**: "to make a pretense of," 1660s, earlier "to assume the character of (someone)," 1590s; originally in English in a now-obsolete sense of "aim at, aspire to, desire" (early 15c.), from Old French afecter (15c.), later affecter, from Latin affectare "to strive after, aim at, aspire to," frequentative of afficere (“to act upon, influence”). \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Merriam-Webster, Wiktionary, Etymonline

Question 91

paltry

Answer 91

pal‧try /ˈpɔːltri $ ˈpɒːl-/ **1** a paltry amount of something is too small to be useful or important; A **paltry** amount of money or of something else is one that you consider to be very small: SMALL, meager, trifling, insignificant, negligible, inadequate, insufficient, scant, scanty, derisory, pitiful, pitiable, pathetic; *informal* measly, piddling, piffling, mingy, dinky; *British informal* poxy ...**paltry sum** of money ...He received only a **paltry** £25 a day. ...Their initial forecasts are relatively optimistic for snow lovers, especially compared to last winter’s **paltry** totals. —Ian Livingston, *Washington Post*, 31 Oct. 2023 ...Many thousands of innocent people will likely be killed and displaced, and much of the already **paltry** infrastructure of everyday life in Gaza will be decimated. —Eric Alterman, *The New Republic*, 27 Oct. 2023 **2** unimportant or worthless; You can use **paltry** to describe something or someone that you consider to be small or unimportant: WORTHLESS, PETTY, TRIVIAL, unimportant, insignificant, inconsequential, of little account/consequence, meaningless, negligible, nugatory, minor, footling, contemptible; *informal* penny-ante; *British informal* twopenny, twopenny-halfpenny; *North American informal* nickel-and-dime, picayune /ˌpɪkəˈjuːn/ ...**paltry** issues \> From Middle Low German paltrig (“ragged, rubbishy, worthless”), from palter, palte (“cloth, rag, shred”), from Old Saxon *paltro, *palto (“cloth, rag”), from Proto-Germanic *paltrô, *paltô (“scrap, rag, patch”). Of uncertain ultimate origin, but perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *polto- (“cloth”), see also Proto-Slavic *poltьno (“linen”). Cognate with Low German palterig (“ragged, torn”), dialectal German palterig (“paltry”). Compare also Low German palte (“rag”), West Frisian palt (“rag”), Saterland Frisian Palte (“strip; band; tape”), dialectal German Palter (“rag”), Danish pjalt (“rag, tatter”), Swedish palta (“rag”). See also palterly. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Wiktionary

Question 92

moniker

Answer 92

mon‧i‧ker /ˈmɒnɪkə $ ˈmɑːnɪkər/ INFORMAL : NAME, NICKNAME; The **moniker** of a person or thing is their name, especially when they have changed it. ...She's the author of three detective novels under the **moniker** of Janet Neel. ...Living up to the exclamation mark occasionally inserted into her **moniker**, P!nk belts loudly, raps lustily, moans orgasmically, and, unlike Britney, is altogether believable as an out-of-control party monster. —David Browne ...More than a half-dozen automakers have announced electric pickup trucks, and Ford has chosen the Mustang **monicker** for its new compact electric SUV. —Bill Howard ...He earned the **moniker** “Gator” from his days wrestling alligators in Florida. ...I think “Happy” is an appropriate **moniker** for someone who smiles so much. \> "person's name, especially a nickname or alias," 1849, said to be originally a hobo term (but monekeer is attested in London underclass from 1851), of uncertain origin; perhaps from monk (monks and nuns take new names with their vows, and early 19c. British tramps referred to themselves as "in the monkery"). Its origins seem always to have been obscure: \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Etymonline

Question 93

insurgent

Answer 93

in‧sur‧gent /ɪnˈsɜːdʒənt $ -ɜːr-/ noun **1** a person who revolts against civil authority or an established government especially : a rebel not recognized as a belligerent; **Insurgents** are people who are fighting against the government or army of their own country: REBEL /ˈrebəl/ (verb /rɪˈbel/), revolutionary, revolutionist, mutineer, agitator, subversive, guerrilla, anarchist, terrorist, bioterrorist, narco-terrorist, ecoterrorist, cyberterrorist, agroterrorist, rioter; freedom fighter, resistance fighter; traitor, renegade ...By early yesterday, the **insurgents** had taken control of the country's main military air base. ...**Insurgents** are trying to gain control of the country's transportation system. ...Terrorist and **insurgent** groups regularly attack Iraqi security forces and civilians. —Danielle Wallace, *Fox News*, 22 Oct. 2023 **2** one who acts contrary to the policies and decisions of one's own political party adjective rising in opposition to civil authority or established leadership: REBELLIOUS, rebel, revolutionary, mutinous, mutinying; traitorous, renegade, rioting, seditious, subversive; rare insurrectionary, insurrectionist ...any **insurgent** soldiers will be dealt with harshly \> **insurgent (n.)**: "one who rises in revolt" against a government or its laws, 1745, from Latin insurgentem (nominative insurgens), present participle of insurgere "rise up, lift oneself; rise against; stand high, gather force," from in- "against," or here perhaps merely intensive, + surgere "to rise" (see **surge** (n.)). \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Etymonline

Question 94

instigate

Answer 94

in‧sti‧gate /ˈɪnstɪɡeɪt/ **1** to make a process start, especially one relating to law or politics; Someone who **instigates** an event causes it to happen: SET IN MOTION, put in motion, get under way, get going, get off the ground, get in operation, start, begin, initiate, launch, institute, lay the foundations of, lay the first stone of, sow the seeds of, set up, inaugurate; trigger off, set off, spark off, inspire, foment, kindle, stir up, whip up, actuate, generate, cause, bring about; start/get/set the ball rolling; *informal* kick off; *formal* commence ...The government has **instigated** an investigation into the cause of the accident. ...Jenkinson **instigated** a refurbishment of the old gallery. ...The violence over the last forty-eight hours was **instigated** by ex-members of the secret police. 2 to persuade someone to do something bad or violent: INCITE, encourage, urge, goad, provoke, spur on, drive on, egg on, entice, stimulate, push, press, prod, prompt, induce, impel, prevail upon, constrain, motivate, make, influence, persuade, sway; arouse, rouse, excite, inflame, stir up, sting, prick; *informal* put up to; *North American informal* root on; *Law* procure ... He accused union leaders of **instigating** the disturbances. instigation noun : PROMPTING, urging, bidding, incentive ...The talks are taking place at the **instigation of** Germany. ...At Kukhar's **instigation** he joined the restaurant as an apprentice chef. Usage Notes: **Incite**, **Instigate**, **Abet**, **Foment** mean to spur to action. - **Incite** stresses a stirring up and urging on, and may or may not imply initiating. - *inciting* a riot - **Instigate** definitely implies responsibility for initiating another's action and often connotes underhandedness or evil intention. - *instigated* a conspiracy - **Abet** implies both assisting and encouraging. - *aiding* and abetting the enemy - **Foment** /fəʊˈment $ foʊ-/ implies persistence in goading. - *fomenting* rebellion \> mid 16th century (in the sense ‘urge on’): from Latin instigat- ‘urged, incited’, from the verb instigare, from in- ‘towards’ + stigare ‘prick, incite’. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary of English, Merriam-Webster

Question 95

phone it in

Answer 95

phone it in **1** to connect (to some place) by phone. ...A number of our listeners have been **phoning in** to tell us their opinions on this matter. ...Ted couldn't be here in person for the meeting, but he's going to **phone in** from Chicago. **2** to relay or transmit information (to someone or some place) with or as with a phone. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "phone" and "in." ...Make sure you **phone in** the incident immediately, or we could be held legally liable for it. ...If you have a news tip for us to broadcast on the air, don't hesitate to **phone it in**! **3** to perform a role or duty in a halfhearted, disinterested, and unprofessional manner. In this usage, noun or pronoun can be used between "phone" and "in," especially "it." ...Everyone **phones it in** on the morning after a staff party, so don't worry if you don't feel able to give this report your all. ...You can tell the actor is **phoning it in**—I'm sure he got a good paycheck for the voiceover, but you'd think he would try a little bit harder. \> The Free Dictionary

Question 96

countenance

Answer 96

coun‧te‧nance /ˈkaʊntənəns/ noun [countable] *literary* your face or your expression: FACE, features, physiognomy, profile; facial expression, expression, look, appearance, aspect, mien; informal mug, clock; *British informal* mush, dial, phizog, phiz; *North American informal* puss, pan; *literary* visage, lineaments ...All color drained from her **countenance**. ...Then she put down the hairbrush and inspected her **countenance**. ...Despite his troubles, his **countenance** was always friendly. ...a pleasant **countenance** that puts visitors at ease verb FORMAL to accept, support, or approve of something; If someone will not **countenance** something, they do not agree with it and will not allow it to happen: TOLERATE, permit, allow, admit of, approve (of), agree to, consent to, give one's blessing to, take kindly to, be in favor of, favor, hold with, go along with, put up with, endure, brook, stomach, swallow, bear; Scottish thole; *informal* stand for, stick, hack, give the go ahead to, give the green light to, give the thumbs up to, give the okay to → countenance (sb) doing something ...I will not **countenance** you being rude to Dr Baxter. ...Jake would not **countenance** Janis's marrying while still a student. ...the military men who refused to **countenance** the overthrow of the president ...Enter Email Sign Up Mr. Al Fayed claimed that Diana was pregnant and planning to marry Dodi and that the royal family could not **countenance** the princess marrying a Muslim. —Danica Kirka, *BostonGlobe.com*, 1 Sep. 2023 ...With vanishingly few exceptions, nearly every politician in Washington refuses to **countenance** major spending reform. —David Harsanyi, *National Review*, 14 Sep. 2023 \> **countenance (n.)**: mid-13c., contenaunce, "behavior, bearing, conduct, manners;" early 14c., "outward appearance, looks," from Old French contenance "demeanor, bearing, conduct," from Latin continentia "restraint, abstemiousness, moderation," literally "way one contains oneself," from continentem, present participle of continere "to hold together, enclose," from assimilated form of com "with, together" (see **con-**) + tenere "to hold," from PIE root **ten-** "to stretch." The meaning evolved in late Middle English from "appearance" to "facial expression betraying or expressing a state of mind," to "the face" itself. Hence also, figuratively, "aspect imparted to anything." Also formerly "controlled behavior, self-control, composure" (c. 1300); in Chaucer to catch (one's) contenaunce is to gain self-control. In later Middle English it also could mean "outward show, pretense." \> **countenance (v.)**: late 15c., contenauncen, "to behave or act (as if)," from **countenance** (n.). Sense of "to favor, appear friendly to, patronize" is from 1560s, from notion of "to look upon with sanction or smiles." Related: Countenanced; countenancing. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Etymonline

Question 97

pernicious

Answer 97

per‧ni‧cious /pəˈnɪʃəs $ pər-/ causing great harm or damage often in a way that is not easily seen or noticed; If you describe something as **pernicious**, you mean that it is very harmful: HARMFUL, damaging, destructive, injurious, hurtful, detrimental, deleterious, dangerous, adverse, inimical, unhealthy, unfavorable, bad, evil, baleful, wicked, malign, malevolent, malignant, noxious ...Parents are blaming not only peer pressure but also the **pernicious** influence of the internet. ...There is a **pernicious** culture of excellence: everything has to be not merely good but the best. ...Its release also underscored the **pernicious** influence of misinformation in the United States, where some influential voices on the right had spread conspiracy theories about the attack on Mr. Pelosi. —Tim Arango, *New York Times*, 27 Jan. 2023 ...Ukraine is fighting against a Russia that has been a **pernicious**, destabilizing force on the global stage. —Frida Ghitis, *CNN*, 22 Jan. 2023 ...But while the American public seems well aware of social media’s **pernicious** effects on political discourse, don’t expect things to change anytime soon. —Jacob Carpenter, *Fortune*, 8 Nov. 2022 USAGE NOTES: **Pernicious**, **Baneful**, **Noxious**, **Deleterious**, **Detrimental** mean exceedingly harmful. - **Pernicious** implies irreparable /ɪˈrepərəbəl/ harm done through evil or insidious corrupting or undermining. - the claim that pornography has a *pernicious* effect on society - **Baneful** implies injury through poisoning or destroying. - the *baneful* notion that discipline destroys creativity - **Noxious** applies to what is both offensive and injurious to the health of a body or mind. - *noxious* chemical fumes - **Deleterious** /ˌdeləˈtɪəriəs◂ $ -ˈtɪr-/ applies to what has an often unsuspected harmful effect. - a diet found to have *deleterious* effects - **Detrimental** implies obvious harmfulness to something specified. - the *detrimental* effects of excessive drinking \> early 15c., of a deed, "evil, wicked;" from 1520s as "having the property of destroying or being injurious," from Old French pernicios (13c., Modern French pernicieux) and directly from Latin perniciosus "destructive," from pernicies "destruction, death, ruin," from per "completely" (see **per**) + necis "violent death, murder," related to necare "to kill," nocere "to hurt, injure, harm," noxa "harm, injury" (from PIE root *nek- (1) "death"). Related: Perniciously; perniciousness. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Britannica, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Etymonline

Question 98

run sb/sth down = slag sb off

Answer 98

run sb/sth down INFORMAL to criticize someone or something unfairly or unkindly; If you **run** people or things **down**, you criticize them strongly: CRITICIZE, denigrate, belittle, disparage, deprecate, speak badly off, speak ill of, find fault with; revile, vilify; *informal* put down, knock, bad-mouth, have a go at; *British informal* rubbish, slag off ...She began to **run** him **down** in front of other people. ...that chap who was **running down** state schools slag sb off INFORMAL•BRITISH to criticize (someone) harshly; to criticize someone in an unpleasant way, especially when this is unfair; To **slag** someone **off** means to criticize them in an unpleasant way. ...He’s always **slagging** her **off** behind her back. ...She often **slags off** other musicians to try to make herself look good. ...All bands **slag off** their record companies. It's just the way it is. ...People have been **slagging** me **off**. \> **slag (n.)**: "refuse matter from smelting," 1550s, from Middle Low German slagge (German Schlacke) "splinter flying off when metal is struck," related to Old High German slahan "to strike, slay" (see **slay** (v.)). \> **slag (v.)**: "denigrate," by 1971, perhaps from **slag** (n.) in a secondary slang sense of "worthless person" (1788). Related: Slagged; slagging. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Etymonline

Question 99

confluence

Answer 99

con‧flu‧ence /ˈkɒnfluəns $ ˈkɑːn-/ **1** the place where two or more rivers flow together; The **confluence of** two rivers is the place where they join and become one larger river: CONVERGENCE, meeting, junction, joining, conflux, watersmeet ...The 160-metre falls mark the dramatic **confluence of** the rivers Nera and Velino. **2** FORMAL a situation in which two or more things combine or happen at the same time; If there is a **confluence of** two things, they join, combine, or come together. confluence of ...a **confluence of** unhappy events ...the **confluence of** African and Portuguese cultures in Brazil ...a happy **confluence of** beautiful weather and spectacular scenery during our vacation ...At the same time, a **confluence of** factors, including temperature magnified by climate change and the historical over-suppression of wildfire, has increased the risks of major wildfires across many parts of the country. —Nadja Popovich, *New York Times*, 9 Nov. 2023 ...As ambitious policy gambits go, this one had a lot to recommend it—in particular, the genuine **confluence of** interests among Israeli and Saudi leaders that has already generated tangible momentum toward more public-facing bilateral cooperation on security and economic matters. —Suzanne Maloney, *Foreign Affairs*, 10 Oct. 2023 \> early 15c., "a flowing together, especially of two or more streams," from Late Latin confluentia, from Latin confluentem (nominative confluens), present participle of confluere "to flow together," from assimilated form of com "with, together" (see **con-**) + fluere "to flow" (see **fluent**). \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Etymonline

Question 100

psychiatry

Answer 100

psy‧chi‧a‧try /saɪˈkaɪətri $ sə-/ a branch of medicine that deals with mental, emotional, or behavioral disorders; 정신의학 ...For eight-and-a-half years, Alliance HealthCare System's inpatient geriatric **psychiatry** program helped older patients in Holly Springs, Mississippi, with depression and other mental health issues. —Gretchen Morgenson, *NBC News*, 31 Oct. 2023 \> "the medical treatment of mental diseases," 1846, from French psychiatrie, from Medieval Latin psychiatria, literally "a healing of the soul," from Latinized form of Greek psykhē "mind" (see **psyche**) + iatreia "healing, care" (see **-iatric**). \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Merriam-Webster, Etymonline

Question 101

invariably

Answer 101

in‧var‧i‧a‧bly /ɪnˈveəriəbli $ -ˈver-/ on every occasion; If something **invariably** happens or is **invariably** true, it always happens or is always true: ALWAYS, every time, each time, on every occasion, at all times, without fail, without exception, whatever happens, universally; everywhere, in all places, in all cases, in every case, in all instances, in every instance; regularly, consistently, repeatedly, habitually, unfailingly, day in, day out, infallibly, inevitably, dependably ...There’s no point in rushing – she’s **invariably** late. ...High blood pressure is almost **invariably** accompanied by high blood cholesterol. ...The trains here are **invariably** punctual. ...Third-party candidates are **invariably** hopeless in American politics. —Matt Ford, *The New Republic*, 25 Oct. 2023 ...Postmortems **invariably** find that warning signs existed but were hard to identify before disaster struck. —Amy Zegart, *Foreign Affairs*, 11 Oct. 2023 ...Even if the price of gas is reaching $6 a gallon in some parts of the country, soaring yields on benchmark U.S. government debt are pushing borrowing costs for average consumers into pain-inducing territory that some believe will **invariably** end in a recession. —Christiaan Hetzner, *Fortune*, 6 Oct. 2023 \> **invariable (adj.)**: "constant, uniform, unchanging," early 15c., from Old French invariable (14c.) and directly from Medieval Latin invariabilis, from in- "not, opposite of" (see **in-** (1)) + variabilis "changeable" (see **variable**). Related: Invariably. \> **variable (adj.)**: late 14c., of persons, "apt to change, fickle," from Old French variable "various, changeable, fickle," from Late Latin variabilis "changeable," from variare "to change" (see **vary**). Of weather, seasons, etc., attested from late 15c.; of stars, from 1788. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Cambridge Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Etymonline

Question 102

derive

Answer 102

derive

Question 103

tumultuous

Answer 103

tumultuous

Question 104

hovel

Answer 104

hov‧el /ˈhɒvəl $ ˈhʌ-, ˈhɑː-/ a small dirty place where someone lives, especially a very poor person. \> From Middle English hovel, hovil, hovylle, diminutive of *hove, *hof (“structure, building, house”), from Old English hof (“an enclosure, court, dwelling, house”), from Proto-Germanic *hufą (“hill, farm”), from Proto-Indo-European *kewp- (“arch, bend, buckle”), equivalent to howf +‎ -el. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Wiktionary

Question 105

revel

Answer 105

rev‧el /ˈrevəl/ verb to spend time dancing, eating, drinking etc, especially at a party: CELEBRATE, make merry, have a party, party, feast, eat, drink, and be merry, carouse, roister, have fun, have a good time, enjoy oneself, go on a spree; *informal* live it up, whoop it up, have a fling, have a ball, make whoopee, rave, paint the town red; *British informal* push the boat out ...With their exams out of the way they **reveled** all night. ...**reveling** all night is not conducive to a productive next day at work revel in sth to enjoy something very much; If you **revel in** a situation or experience, you enjoy it very much: ENJOY, delight in, love, like, adore, be entertained by, be amused by, be pleased by, take pleasure in, appreciate, relish, lap up, savor, luxuriate in, bask in, wallow in, glory in; GLOAT OVER, feel self-satisfied about, crow about; *informal* get a kick out of, get a thrill out of ...He **reveled in** his new-found fame. ...He **reveled in** the applause which greeted him. ...**Reveling in** her freedom, she took a hotel room and stayed for several days. noun lively and noisy enjoyment, especially with drinking and dancing; **Revels** are noisy celebrations: CELEBRATION, festivity, jollification, merrymaking, carousal, carouse, spree, debauch, bacchanal; PARTY, jamboree; *informal* rave, shindig, bash, jag; *British informal* do, rave-up, knees-up, jolly, thrash, beano, beanfeast ...There are a few spots in town for night **revels**. ...The **revels** often last until dawn. \> **revel (n.)**: late 14c. (c. 1200 as a surname), "riotous merry-making," also an occasion of this, from Old French revel, resvel "entertainment, revelry," verbal noun from reveler, also rebeller (14c.) "be disorderly, make merry" (see **rebel** (adj.)). "The development of sense in OF. is 'rebellion, tumult, disturbance, noisy mirth'" [OED]. \> **revel (v.)**: early 14c., revelen, "to feast in a noisy manner, make merry;" late 14c., "take part in revels," from Old French reveler, also rebeller "be disorderly, make merry; rebel, be riotous," from Latin rebellare "to rebel" (see **rebel** (v.)). The meaning "take great pleasure in" is recorded by 1754. Related: Reveled; reveling; revelled; revelling. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Etymonline

Question 106

compliment

Answer 106

**Compliment**: "Wow, I love your new shoes!" vs. **Complement**: "These shoes finish off my outfit." ------------------------------------------------------ COMPL**I**MENT (pra**i**se) - noun - adm**i**ration; pos**i**tive remark - verb - to express praise/admiration vs. COMPL**E**MENT (compl**e**te) - noun - something that **e**nhances, **e**nriches, and compl**e**tes another thing - verb - to make something perfect or complete \> **compliment (n.)**: The spelling of this derived sense shifted in English after c. 1650 to compliment, via French compliment (17c.), which is from Italian complimento "expression of respect and civility," from complire "to fill up, finish, suit, compliment," from Vulgar Latin *complire, for Latin complere "to complete." \> YourDictionary, Etymonline, [Curvebreakers](https://curvebreakerstestprep.com/compliment-vs-complement-difference/)

Question 107

abjure

Answer 107

ab‧jure /əbˈdʒʊə, æb- $ -ˈdʒʊr/ to renounce upon oath or to reject solemnly; If you **abjure** something such as a belief or way of life, you state publicly that you will give it up or that you reject it: RENOUNCE, relinquish, reject, dispense with, forgo, forswear, disavow, abandon, deny, gainsay, disclaim, repudiate, give up, spurn, abnegate, wash one's hands of, drop, do away with; eschew, abstain from, refrain from; *informal* kick, jack in, pack in; *Law* disaffirm ...He **abjured** the Protestant faith and became King in 1594. ...**abjured** some long-held beliefs when she converted to another religion \> late Middle English: from Latin abjurare, from ab- ‘away’ + jurare ‘swear’. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary of English, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus

Question 108

honorific

Answer 108

hon‧or‧if‧ic /ˌɒnəˈrɪfɪk◂ $ ˌɑːnə-/ FORMAL conferring or conveying honor; An **honorific** title or way of talking is used to show respect or honor to someone. ...He was given the **honorific** title of national chairman. ...All employees will refer to each other by the **honorific** suffix 'san'. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster

Question 109

revile

Answer 109

re‧vile /rɪˈvaɪl/ FORMAL to express hatred of someone or something; If someone or something **is reviled**, people hate them intensely or show their hatred of them: HATE, CRITICIZE, BLAME, censure, condemn, attack, inveigh against, rail against, lambaste, flay, savage, brand, stigmatize, denounce; blacken someone's reputation, defame, smear, slander, libel, traduce, cast aspersions on, cast a slur on, malign, vilify, calumniate, besmirch, run down, abuse; *informal* knock, slam, pan, bash, take to pieces, take apart, crucify, hammer, lay into, roast, skewer, bad-mouth; *British informal* slate, rubbish, slag off, monster; *North American informal* pummel ...The president **was** now **reviled** by the same party he had helped to lead. ...Many people **reviled** him for his callous behavior. ...Meanwhile, Biden has essentially implemented some of the same border policies of former President Donald Trump that **were** once **reviled** by Democrats. —Michael Smolens, *San Diego Union-Tribune*, 10 Nov. 2023 ...These possibilities **have been** long **reviled** by local environmental groups and some residents, especially after the catastrophic 2015 spill, which continues to loom large in the region. —Grace Toohey, *Los Angeles Times*, 31 Oct. 2023 \> c. 1300, revilen, "debase, degrade" (a sense now obsolete);" mid-14c., "insult, taunt, vilify, assail with abusive language," from Old French reviler "consider vile, despise, scorn," from re-, here perhaps an intensive prefix (see **re-**), + aviler "make vile or cheap, disesteem," from vil "shameful, dishonorable; low-born; cheap; ugly, hideous" (see **vile** (adj.)). Related: Reviled; reviler; reviling. \> **vile (adj.)**: late 13c., "morally repugnant; morally flawed, corrupt, wicked; of no value; of inferior quality; disgusting, foul, ugly; degrading, humiliating; of low estate, without worldly honor or esteem," from Anglo-French ville, Old French vil "shameful, dishonorable; low-born; cheap; ugly, hideous," from Latin vilis "cheap, worthless, base, common," of uncertain origin, perhaps from PIE root *wes- (1) "to buy, sell" (see **venal**). Related: Vilely; vileness; vilety (early 13c.). \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Etymonline

Question 110

uphold

Answer 110

uphold

Question 111

lurk

Answer 111

lurk \> Middle English: perhaps from lower3 + the frequentative suffix -k (as in talk). The noun is from British slang lurk ‘method of fraud’. \> c. 1300, lurken "to hide, lie hidden," probably from Scandinavian (compare dialectal Norwegian lurka "to sneak away," dialectal Swedish lurka "to be slow in one's work"), perhaps ultimately related to Middle English luren "to frown, lurk" (see **lower** (v.2)). From late 14c. as "move about secretly;" also "escape observation." Related: Lurked; lurking. \> Oxford Dictionary of English, Etymonline

Question 112

rote

Answer 112

rote /rəʊt $ roʊt/ **Rote learning** or learning **by rote** is learning things by repeating them without thinking about them or trying to understand them: MECHANICALLY, automatically, without thinking, unthinkingly, parrot-fashion, mindlessly; FROM MEMORY, by heart ...He is very sceptical about the value of **rote learning**. ...In old-fashioned schools, much learning was **by rote**. ...**rote** memorization ...For white-collar workers, automation could mean less time doing **rote** or technical tasks, and more time spent on creative or strategic work that artificial intelligence cannot do — yet. —Annabelle Timsit, *Washington Post*, 26 July 2023 ...There’s been much chatter about the potential uses of A.I. in hiring, from helping to eradicate biases to extinguishing **rote** tasks. —Amber Burton, *Fortune*, 24 Apr. 2023 \> From Middle English rote (“custom, habit, wont, condition, state”), further origin unknown. Found in the Middle English phrase bi rote (“by heart, according to form, expertly”), c. 1300. Some have proposed a relationship either with Old French rote/rute (“route”), or Latin rota (“wheel”) (see **rotary**), but the OED calls both suggestions groundless. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Wiktionary

Question 113

vernacular

Answer 113

ver‧nac‧u‧lar /vəˈnækjələ $ vərˈnækjələr/ *Vernacular* describes everyday language, including slang, that's used by the people. The *vernacular* is different from literary or official language: it's the way people really talk with each other, like how families talk at home. You know how some language is fancy and formal? Vernacular is different: think of it as how friends talk when no one is listening. Vernacular language includes slang and obscenities. One of the hardest things about writing for school is getting away from the vernacular and learning to write in more formal ways that don't come as naturally. You can also say specific groups have a vernacular, meaning the unique way people in a certain region or profession speak. noun **The vernacular** is the language or dialect that is most widely spoken by ordinary people in a region or country: EVERYDAY LANGUAGE, spoken language, colloquial speech, native speech, conversational language, common parlance; regional language, local tongue, regionalism, localism, provincialism; *informal* lingo, local lingo, patter, geekspeak ...books or plays written **in the vernacular** ...But ask baseball people about [Michael] Young, and they'll admiringly tell you that he is a "grinder," **vernacular** for a player who works his butt off. —Chris Ballard, *Sports Illustrated*, 8 May 2006 ...He spoke **in the vernacular** of an urban teenager. ...In media and online, he is largely defined through an explosive **vernacular** of zany interview clips, Photoshopped images, and antagonistic sound bites. —Jason Parham, *WIRED*, 28 Aug. 2023 ...The comedian’s most comfortable and funniest speciality is using gay **vernacular** mockingly. —Murtada Elfadl, *Variety*, 22 June 2023 adjective **1** using a language or dialect native to a region or country rather than a literary, cultured, or foreign language ...writes essays in a very easy-to-read, **vernacular** style **2** **Vernacular** architecture is the style of architecture in which ordinary people's houses are built in a particular region: COLLOQUIAL, popular, informal, local ...the island's **vernacular** architecture. ...Native crafts, the use of local materials, and **vernacular** buildings were considered integral to each country's heritage, and their preservation and revival became part of the movement to forge a strong national identity. —Wendy Kaplan, *Antiques*, October 1995 \> c. 1600, "native to a country," from Latin vernaculus "domestic, native, indigenous; pertaining to home-born slaves," from verna (“a native, a home-born slave (one born in his master's house)”), a word of Etruscan origin. Used in English in the sense of Latin vernacula vocabula, in reference to language. As a noun, "native speech or language of a place," from 1706. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Vocabulary.com, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Wiktionary, Etymonline

Question 114

slog

Answer 114

slog verb **1** to hit hard : BEAT **1a** INFORMAL•BRITISH slog it out to fight, compete, or argue about something until one side wins ...The teams will be **slogging it out** on Saturday. **2** to work hard at something without stopping, especially when the work is difficult, tiring, or boring; If you **slog through** something, you work hard and steadily through it: WORK HARD, toil, labor, work one's fingers to the bone, work like a Trojan/dog, work day and night, exert oneself, keep at it, keep one's nose to the grindstone, grind, slave, grub, plow, plod, peg; *informal* slog away, plug, put one's back into something, work one's guts out, work one's socks off, knock oneself out, sweat blood, kill oneself; *British informal* graft, fag slog away ...He **slogged away** at the paperwork all day. ...They were **slogging away** to meet a deadline. slog through ...They secure their degrees by **slogging through** an intensive 11-month course. ...She **slogged through** her work. ...She **slogged** her **way through** her work. ...She has **slogged** her **way through** ballet classes since the age of six. ...You just have to sit down and **slog through** long lists of new vocabulary. **3** to make a long hard journey somewhere, especially on foot: TRUDGE, tramp, traipse, toil, plod, trek, footslog, drag oneself; *British informal* trog, yomp ...He **slogged through** the deep snow. ...They **slogged** their way **through** the snow. noun **1** a piece of work that takes a lot of time and effort and is usually boring; If you describe a task as a **slog**, you mean that it is tiring and requires a lot of effort: HARD WORK, toil, toiling, labor, struggle, effort, exertion, grind, blood, sweat, and tears, drudgery; Herculean task; *informal* sweat, elbow grease; *British informal* graft ...Writing the book took 10 months' hard **slog**. ...I eventually got financial backing, but it was a **slog**. ...It will be a long, hard **slog** before everything is back to normal. **2** a long period of tiring walking: TRUDGE, tramp, traipse, plod, trek, footslog; *British informal* trog, yomp; *North American informal* schlep /ʃlep/ ...It was a long **slog** up the mountain. \> Probably a variation of slug (“to hit very hard”) or slough. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary of English, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Wiktionary

Question 115

ho-hum

Answer 115

ˌho-ˈhum INFORMAL You can use **ho hum** when you want to show that you think something is not interesting, remarkable, or surprising in any way. ...My general reaction to this news might be summed up as '**ho-hum**'. ...The music is generally terrific but the scripting and acting are a bit **ho-hum**. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary

Question 116

leach

Answer 116

leach (also **leach out**) /liːtʃ/ (with reference to a soluble chemical or mineral) to drain away from soil, ash, or similar material by the action of percolating liquid: DRAIN, filter, percolate, filtrate, discharge, strain, leak, separate; trickle, dribble, drip, ooze, seep ...Even a small amount of rain can **leach** the toxic material from the soil. ...All meaning has been **leached** from my life. ...The chemical eventually **leaches** away from the soil. ...In this case, chemicals can **leach** from the plastic into the water. —Alyssa Brascia, *Peoplemag*, 6 Oct. 2023 ...That decision is apparently **leaching** support among independents, and some Republicans, away from Trump. —Adrienne Mahsa Varkiani, *The New Republic*, 18 Oct. 2023 ...Centuries of heavy rainfall have also **leached** nutrients from the soil. —*WIRED*, 22 July 2023 \> "wash or drain by percolation of water, treat by downward drainage," by 1660s in cookery, perhaps from a dialectal survival from Old English leccan "to moisten, water, wet, irrigate," which, under Norse influence, became **leak** (v.). The word was used 18c. in technological senses, such as leach-trough, a device used in salt-works in which corns of salt taken from brine were set to drain dry, after which they were called leach-brine. Related: Leached; leaching. Hence leach (n.) "a preparation made by leaching or straining" (1630s), in later use especially "a separation of lye or alkali in solution." \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Oxford Dictionary of English, Merriam-Webster, Etymonline

Question 117

fumble

Answer 117

fumble fumble at/in/with fumble for

Question 118

hold sth/sb dear

Answer 118

hold sth/sb dear to value highly; to care about greatly; to care for or value someone or something greatly; to consider someone or something to be very valuable or important, especially at a personal level: CHERISH, treasure, prize, appreciate, value highly, rate highly, care very much for/about, place a high value on, attach great importance to, set great store by; *informal* put on a pedestal ...Fidelity is something most of us **hold dear**. ...We were facing the loss of everything we **held dear**. ...Even though this old pocket watch doesn't work anymore, I still **hold** it **dear** as it was the last thing my grandfather ever gave me. ...I consider myself a pretty gregarious person, but there are only a few people I truly **hold dear**. ...We purport to **hold** these values **dear**, but our actions contradict them. \> Oxford Dictionary of English, The Free Dictionary, Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Wiktionary

Question 119

privy

Answer 119

privy **1** : SECRET ...This can elevate the mood and allow access to **privy** information. —Akin Akinpelu, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2023 **2** be privy to sth FORMAL having secret knowledge; If you are **privy to** something secret, you have been allowed to know about it: AWARE OF, acquainted with, in on, informed of, advised of, apprised of, in the know about, cognizant of; *informal* genned up on, clued in on, clued up on, wise to, hip to ...Only three people, including a police officer, will be **privy to** the facts. ...Only top management was **privy to**(= knew about) the proposed merger. \> early 13c., "secret, concealed, not made known in public;" c. 1300, of places, "secluded," from Old French privé "friendly, intimate; a private place," from Latin privatus "private, personal" (see **private** (adj.)). Meaning "participating in (a secret)" (usually with to) is attested from late 14c. Related: Privily. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Cambridge Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Etymonline

Question 120

denigration

Answer 120

denigration

Question 121

itinerary

Answer 121

i‧tin‧e‧ra‧ry /ai·**ti**·nr·eh·ree/ /aɪˈtɪnərəri $ -nəreri/ An **itinerary** is a plan of a journey, including the route and the places that you will visit: PLANNED ROUTE, route, journey, way, road, path, course; travel plan, schedule, timetable, program, travel arrangements, flight plan; tour, circuit, round ...The next place on our **itinerary** was Silistra. \> mid-15c., "route of travel," from Late Latin itinerarium "account of a journey, description of a route of travel, road-book," noun use of neuter of itinerarius "of a journey," from Latin itineris "a journey," from ire "go" (from PIE root *ei- "to go"). By early 15c. it meant "record of a journey;" extended sense "sketch of a proposed route, list of places to be included in a journey" is from 1856. \> Oxford Dictionary of English, Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Etymonline

Question 122

rampage

Answer 122

ram‧page /ˈræmpeɪdʒ/ verb When people or animals rampage through a place, they rush about there in a wild or violent way, causing damage or destruction: RUSH WILDLY, RUSH MADLY, GO BERSERK, riot, run riot, go on the rampage, run amok, storm, charge, tear; rave; *informal* steam ...He used a sword to try to defend his shop from a **rampaging** mob. rampage through ...Rioters **rampaged through** the streets of the city. ...Hundreds of youths **rampaged through** the town, shop windows were smashed and cars overturned. ...Drunken football fans **rampaged through** the streets. ...In May, a high school student armed with ammunition from the plant **rampaged through** a residential neighborhood in Farmington, N.M., killing three and injuring six. —Ben Dooley Emily Rhyne, *New York Times*, 11 Nov. 2023 noun a course of violent, riotous, or reckless action or behavior **on the rampage** rushing about in a wild and violent way, often causing damage; If people **go on the rampage**, they rush about in a wild or violent way, causing damage or destruction: BERSERK, out of control, wild, violent, frenzied, running amok, rioting, riotous, destructive, rampaging; *North American informal* postal ...gangs of youths **on the rampage** ...a bull **on the rampage** ...Rioters **went on the rampage** through the town. ...The prisoners **went on the rampage** destroying everything in their way. ...On September 9, a Hindu mob **went on the rampage**, torching Muslim shops and vehicles. —Parth M.n., *WIRED*, 23 Nov. 2023 ...Thomas Hand's life was turned upside down when Hamas went **on a killing rampage** on Oct. 7 in the Kibbutz Be’eri where his daughter Emily was attending a sleepover. —Chao Deng, *WSJ*, 22 Nov. 2023 ...Amid the spat, Billy and Mayfair are shot to death by Snow and Spruce, causing the mayor to **go on a rampage** in town to find their murderers. —Kelsie Gibson, *Peoplemag*, 17 Nov. 2023 ...The violent arrest took place on Sept. 12, 2020, hours after a gunman **on a days-long rampage** shot two sheriff’s deputies sitting in their cruiser near the Compton Metro station. —Keri Blakinger, *Los Angeles Times*, 8 Nov. 2023 \> From Middle English ramp (“rave, rush wildly about”), from Old French ramper. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Wiktionary

Question 123

tout

Answer 123

tout /taʊt/ verb **1** to praise something or someone in order to persuade people that they are important or worth a lot; If someone **touts** something, they try to sell it or convince people that it is good: PRAISE, tip, promote, urge [disapproval] ...It has the trappings of an election campaign in the United States, with slick television ads **touting** the candidates. ...a popular advertising industry practice of using performers to **tout** products ...He was **being touted as** the most interesting thing in pop. ...The product **is touted as being** completely natural. ...a couple of highly **touted** novels **2** to try to persuade people to buy goods or services you are offering; If someone **touts for** business or custom, they try to obtain it: SOLICIT /səˈlɪsɪt/, seek, drum up; ask, petition, appeal, canvas, beg **tout for business/custom** British English (=look for customers) ...Minicab drivers are not allowed to **tout for** business. ...He visited Thailand and Singapore to **tout for** investment. ...Minicabs are not allowed to **tout for** hire on the streets. **3** If someone **touts** tickets, they sell them outside a sports ground or theatre, usually for more than their original value. [British] ...a man who made his money **touting** tickets ...The queue stretches several hundred yards and tickets are **touted** for a tenner. noun A **tout** is someone who sells things such as tickets unofficially, usually at prices which are higher than the official ones. [British] \> Middle English tute ‘look out’, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch tuit ‘spout, nozzle’. Later senses were ‘watch, spy on’ (late 17th century) and ‘solicit custom’ (mid 18th century); The sense developed to "look out for jobs, votes, customers, etc., to try to get them" (1731), then "praise highly in an attempt to sell" (1920). The noun was first recorded (early 18th century) in the slang use ‘thieves' lookout’. \> Collins English Dictionary, Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus , Etymonline

Question 124

tectonic

Answer 124

tec‧ton‧ic /tekˈtɒnɪk $ -ˈtɑːn-/ **1** relating to the structure of the earth's crust and the large-scale processes which take place within it ...the movements of the **tectonic** plates ...areas of **tectonic** activity ...Iceland is one of the most active volcanic hot spots in the world, as the island is located where two **tectonic** plates, the Eurasian and the North American plates, are slowly moving away from each other. —Marlene Lenthang, *NBC News*, 17 Nov. 2023 ...Most oceanic islands are volcanic, formed by magma that wells up as **tectonic** plates drift over hot spots in the Earth’s mantle. —Frank Hulley-Jones, *Washington Post*, 17 Nov. 2023 **1a** having a strong and widespread impact ...a **tectonic** shift in voting patterns ...a **tectonic** shift in societal trends occurred in the 1960s ...More generally, there appears to be a degree of denial in the West over the **tectonic** shift in world order toward a more assertive Global South. —Jorge Heine, *The Conversation*, 8 Nov. 2023 **2** relating to building or construction ...a contest of **tectonic** quality and public attractiveness \> 1650s, in sense of building, from Late Latin tectonicus, from Ancient Greek τεκτονικός (tektonikós, “pertaining to building”), from Ancient Greek τέκτων (téktōn, “carpenter, joiner, maker”), from Proto-Indo-European *tek- (“to make”) (from which also texture). In sense of geology, attested 1894. By surface analysis, Ancient Greek τέκτων (téktōn) +‎ -ic (“pertaining to”). ~ Wiktionary \> 1650s, "of or relating to building or construction," from Late Latin tectonicus, from Greek tektonikos "pertaining to building," from tekton (genitive tektonos) "builder, carpenter, woodworker; master in any art (sculpture, metal-work, writing)," from PIE root *teks- "to weave," also "to fabricate." The geological sense, "pertaining to the structure of the earth's crust," is recorded from 1887. ~ Etymonline \> Oxford Dictionary of English, Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Merriam-Webster, Wiktionary, Etymonline

Question 125

lavatory

Answer 125

lav‧a‧to‧ry /ˈlævətəri $ -tɔːri/ FORMAL a toilet or the room a toilet is in ...The public **lavatories** are situated on the other side of the beach. ...Even the **lavatory** was luxurious, with a marble interior and soft, white hand towels. \> late 14c., "washbasin," from Late Latin lavatorium "place for washing," noun use of neuter of Latin adjective lavatorius "pertaining to washing," from lavat-, past participle stem of lavare "to wash," from PIE root *leue- "to wash." Sense of "washroom" is first attested 1650s; as a euphemism for "toilet, W.C.," it is attested by 1864. Related: Lavatorial. \> **leue-**: Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to wash." It forms all or part of: **ablution**; **alluvium**; **deluge**; **dilute**; **elution**; **lather**; **latrine**; **launder**; **lautitious**; **lavage**; **lavation**; **lavatory**; **lave**; **lavish**; **lotion**; **lye**. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

Question 126

sleuth

Answer 126

sleuth /sluːθ/ noun someone who tries to find out information about a crime: PRIVATE DETECTIVE, detective, private investigator, investigator; *British* enquiry agent; *informal* private eye, PI, snoop, sleuth-hound; *North American informal* private dick, dick, peeper, shamus, gumshoe; *informal, dated* hawkshaw, sherlock ...Experts also worry that this technology is not necessarily accurate, meaning that amateur[1] **sleuths** could make mistakes with heartbreaking consequences. —Deidre Olsen, *WIRED*, 15 Nov. 2023 ...And its protagonist — thoughtful but punkish-looking, pink-haired Darby, a 24-year-old amateur **sleuth** who is low-key the smartest person in the room — doesn’t fit the template of the standard whodunit heroine. —Michael Ordoña, *Los Angeles Times*, 14 Nov. 2023 --- 1) /ˈamətə, -tʃʊə, -tʃə, ˌæməˈtɜː $ ˈæmətʃʊr, -tər/ verb *intransitive verb* : to act as a detective : search for information *transitive verb* : to search for and discover ...To parse writing, AI models **sleuth** through textual clues, such as word choices, to see their connections. —Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, *Scientific American*, 21 Apr. 2023 ...In 1994, The New Republic sent him on assignment to Little Rock, Arkansas, to **sleuth** around the financial paper trail known as Whitewater. —Jonathan Lethem, *The New Yorker*, 21 Aug. 2023 ...One redditor **sleuthed** that The Afterparty season three is already in the works, according to an Instagram story posted by writer Katie Miller. —*Town & Country*, 2 Aug. 2023 ...Serious collectors **sleuth** online for hard-to-find species and travel around the country to auctions and plant shows. —Hannah Holland, *Washington Post*, 2 May 2023 ...Veterinarians first identified influenza D in pigs in 2011 and later **sleuthed out** the virus’s primary host: cattle. —Meghan Bartels, **Scientific American**, 24 Apr. 2023 \> From Middle English [Term?], from Old Norse slóð (“track”) +‎ hound. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Merriam-Webster, Wiktionary

Question 127

huff

Answer 127

huff verb **1** to blow out loudly; puff. ...He was **huffing** under a heavy load. **2** to say something in a way that shows you are annoyed, often because someone has offended you; If you **huff**, you indicate that you are annoyed or offended about something, usually by the way that you say something. ...“The project is a complete waste of time,” she **huffed**. ...‘I haven’t got time for that now,’ **huffed** Sam irritably. ...'This,' he **huffed**, 'was discrimination.' **huff and puff** a) to breathe in a loud and heavy way because of physical effort ...He was **huffing and puffing** by the time he got to the top. b) to show one is annoyed or angry; to show clearly that you strongly disagree with or are annoyed about something; If someone **huffs and puffs**, they express their annoyance or dissatisfaction with a decision or situation loudly but do not do anything to change it. ...The British government **huffed and puffed** at the commission's decision. ...She'll **huff and puff** for a while, but she'll calm down later. ...After a lot of **huffing and puffing**, he eventually gave in to our request. noun **in a huff** INFORMAL feeling angry or bad-tempered, especially because someone has offended you; If someone is **in a huff**, they are behaving in a bad-tempered way because they are annoyed and offended: BAD MOOD, sulk, fit of bad humor, fit of pique, pet, temper, tantrum, rage, fury, passion; *Northern English & Midlands English* mard; *informal* grump, snit; *British informal* strop, paddy; *North American informal* blowout, hissy fit go off/walk off/leave etc in a huff ...She walked off **in a huff**. ...She stormed out **in a huff**. ...After the row /rau/ in a pub he drove off **in a huff**. ...In the real world, someone like Eileen — who’s hoisted herself on her own petard — would more likely leave her old job **in a huff** and start up a newsletter and write disingenuously about her nonexistent cancellation. —Nina Metz, *Anchorage Daily News*, 6 Oct. 2022 **NOTE**: The phrase “hoisted herself on her own petard” is a variation of the expression “hoist with one’s own petard,” which originates from William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet. It means to be harmed by one’s own plan or actions intended to harm someone else1. In this context, it suggests that Eileen has been caught or affected negatively by her own actions, particularly those that were meant to manipulate or deceive others. The sentence implies that, in reality, someone like Eileen, who has fallen victim to her own schemes, would likely leave her job angrily (“in a huff”) and start a newsletter. In this newsletter, she would insincerely write about how she has been unfairly treated or “cancelled,” even though such a cancellation is not real (“nonexistent”). It paints a picture of someone who, despite being the architect of their own downfall, continues to act deceitfully and portray themselves as a victim. USAGE NOTES: - **Huff** implies a peevish short-lived spell of anger usually at a petty cause. - *in a huff* he slammed the door \> **huff (v.)**: mid-15c., apparently imitative of forcible exhaling. Extended sense of "to bluster with arrogance or indignation" is attested from 1590s. Related: Huffed; huffing. As a slang term for a type of narcotics abuse, by 1996. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary of English, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Etymonline

Question 128

come hell or high water

Answer 128

come hell or high water INFORMAL in spite of any problems or difficulties ; whatever difficulties may occur ...He confirmed that, **come hell or high water**, he will make his first trip to Scotland in November. ...I will be there on time, **come hell or high water**. ...I decided I would get the job done by Friday, **come hell or high water**. ...**Come hell or high water**, he'd never missed a race and he wasn't going to miss this one. ...My father felt I should stay in my marriage **come hell or high water**. \> Oxford Dictionary of English, Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Merriam-Webster

Question 129

undermine

Answer 129

un‧der‧mine /ˌʌndəˈmaɪn $ -ər-/ : to subvert or weaken insidiously or secretly ...trying to **undermine** his political rivals ...She tried to **undermine** my authority by complaining about me to my boss. ...The events of the past year have **undermined** people's confidence in the government. ...Industry groups and digital rights advocates have criticized the efforts, arguing that such laws will force companies to collect more data from younger users, **undermining** children’s privacy. —Naomi Nix, *Washington Post*, 15 Nov. 2023 USAGE NOTES: - **Undermine** and **Sap** suggest a weakening by something working surreptitiously and insidiously. - a poor diet *undermines* your health - drugs had *sapped* his ability to think \> c. 1300, undermyne, "render unstable by digging at the foundation," from under + mine (v.1) "dig." The figurative sense "injure by invisible, secret, or dishonorable means" is attested from early 15c. Similar formation in Dutch ondermijnen, Danish underminere, German unterminiren. The Old English verb was underdelfan. Related: Undermined; undermining. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Merriam-Webster, Etymonline

Question 130

dawdle

Answer 130

daw‧dle /ˈdɔːdl $ ˈdɒː-/ **1** to take a long time to do something; If you **dawdle over** something, you spend more time than is necessary doing something: LINGER, dally, take one's time, drag one's feet, be slow, waste time, kill time, fritter time away, idle; delay, procrastinate, stall, hang fire, mark time, putter around; *informal* dilly-dally, let the grass grow under one's feet dawdle over ...He got fed up as bank staff **dawdled over** cashing him a cheque. [V over n/-ing] ...pals who **dawdle over** coffee [V over n/-ing] ...I **dawdled over** a second cup of coffee. **2** If you **dawdle**, you spend more time than is necessary going somewhere: AMBLE, stroll, go/walk slowly, loiter (along), move at a snail's pace, not keep pace, putter, hold back, lag behind, fall behind, trail behind; *informal* mosey, tootle; *British informal* pootle, bimble, mooch ...Eleanor will be back any moment, if she doesn't **dawdle**. ...Ruth **dawdled** back through the woods. USAGE NOTES: - **Loiter** and **Dawdle** imply delay while in progress, especially in walking, but **Dawdle** more clearly suggests an aimless wasting of time. - *loitered* at several store windows - children *dawdling* on their way home from school \> a variant of daddle (“(Britain, dialectal) to walk or work slowly, dawdle, saunter, trifle”) or doddle (“(Britain, dialectal) to walk feebly or slowly, dawdle, idle, saunter, stroll”), possibly influenced by daw (“(Britain, dialectal) lazy, good-for-nothing person, sluggard”) \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary of English, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Wiktionary

Question 131

forsake

Answer 131

for‧sake /fəˈseɪk $ fər-/ verb (*past tense* **forsook** /-ˈsʊk/, *past participle* **forsaken** /-ˈseɪkən/) FORMAL **1** If you **forsake** someone, you leave them when you should have stayed, or you stop helping them or looking after them: ABANDON, DESERT, LEAVE; *informal* run/walk out on, rat on, drop, dump, ditch, chuck; *British informal* give someone the push, give someone the elbow, give someone the big E, bin off; *North American informal* give someone the air [literary, disapproval] ...children **forsaken** by their parents ...I still love him and I would never **forsake** him. ...He would never **forsake** Tara. ...children who've been **forsaken** by individual teachers. I don't want him to feel **forsaken** and unhappy. **2** to stop doing, using, or having something that you enjoy; If you **forsake** something, you stop doing it, using it, or having it: RENOUNCE, GIVE UP, SET ASIDE, RELINQUISH, dispense with, forgo, desist from, forswear, disclaim, disown, disavow, discard, wash one's hands of, turn one's back on, repudiate, have done with; withdraw, drop, do away with, jettison; betray, renege on; *informal* ditch, scrap, scrub, axe, junk ...It was never expected that voters would **forsake** their loyalties. ...But that didn't make her **forsake** her ideals. ...She **forsook** her notebook **for** new technology. **3** to leave a place, especially when you do not want to ...He has **forsaken** his native Finland to live in Britain. \> From Middle English forsaken (“to abandon, desert, repudiate, withdraw allegiance from; to deny, reject, shun; to betray; to divorce (a spouse); to disown; to be false to (one's nature, vows, etc.; to give up, renounce, surrender; to discard; to omit; to decline, refuse, reject; to avoid, escape; to cease, desist; to evade, neglect; to contradict, refute; to depart, leave; to become detached, separate”) [and other forms], from Old English forsacan (“to oppose; to give up, renounce; to decline, refuse”), from Proto-West Germanic *frasakan (“to forsake, renounce”), from Proto-Germanic *fra- (prefix meaning ‘away, off’) + *sakaną (“to charge; to dispute”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *seh₂g- (“to seek out”)). The English word can be analysed as for- +‎ sake, and is cognate with Saterland Frisian ferseeke (“to deny, refuse”), West Frisian fersaakje, Dutch verzaken (“to renounce, forsake”), Middle High German versachen (“to deny”), Danish forsage (“to give up”), Swedish försaka (“to be without, give up”), Norwegian forsake (“to give up, renounce”), Gothic 𐍃𐌰𐌺𐌰𐌽 (sakan, “to quarrel; to rebuke”). \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Wiktionary

Question 132

fluster

Answer 132

flus‧ter /ˈflʌstə $ -ər/ verb to make (someone) agitated or confused; If you **fluster** someone, you make them feel nervous and confused by rushing them and preventing them from concentrating on what they are doing: UNSETTLE, make nervous, unnerve, agitate, ruffle, upset, bother, put on edge, discompose, disquiet, disturb; *informal* hassle, rattle, faze, discombobulate, put into a flap, throw into a tizz; *British informal* send into a spin ...She was a very calm person. Nothing could **fluster** her. ...The interruption **flustered** the speaker. ...The 6-1, 220-pounder repeatedly **flusters** defenses by escaping out of would-be sacks and delivering seemingly impossible throws. —Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, *USA TODAY*, 30 Apr. 2023 noun a state of agitated confusion; STATE OF AGITATION, state of anxiety, nervous state, flutter, panic, frenzy, fever, fret, upset, turmoil, commotion; *informal* dither, flap, tizz, tizzy, tiz-woz, twitter, state, sweat, stew; *North American informal* twit ...His appearance put the household into quite a **fluster**. **in a fluster** nervous and confused because you are trying to do things quickly ...All the yelling on the bus put the driver **in a fluster**. More examples: - The rookie pitcher was **flustered** by the opposing team's aggressive batting, leading to a series of wild pitches. - Despite the loud cheers from the crowd, the star basketball player remained **unflustered**, sinking the game-winning shot with ease. - The sudden change in weather **flustered** the golfers, causing a delay in play as they adjusted their strategies. - In the final set of the tennis match, both players showed signs of being **flustered**, with unforced errors becoming more frequent. - The football team's quarterback was visibly **flustered** after the third sack of the game, leading to a huddle to regroup and calm nerves. \> early 15c. (implied in flostrynge), "bluster, agitate," probably from a Scandinavian source (compare Icelandic flaustr "bustle," flaustra "to bustle"), from Proto-Germanic *flaustra-, probably from PIE *pleud-, extended form of root *pleu- "to flow." Originally "to excite," especially with drink; sense of "to flurry, confuse" is from 1724. Related: Flustered; flustering; flustery. As a noun, 1710, from the verb. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary of English , Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Etymonline

Question 133

smid‧gin, smidgen (also smidge)

Answer 133

smid‧gin, smidgen /ˈsmɪdʒɪn/ (also smidge /smɪdʒ/) INFORMAL a very small amount of something ...She arrives a **smidgen** ahead of time smidgin of ...a **smidgen of** salt ...a **smidgen of** common sense ...I added just a **smidgin of** chilli sauce. ...I'll just have a **smidgen of** ice cream. ...The maid cleaned the house until there wasn't even a **smidgen of** dust left. ...Take a **smidgen of** hydrogen, then blast it with lasers to set off a small thermonuclear explosion. —Kenneth Chang, *New York Times*, 13 Nov. 2023 ...Nevertheless, Republicans voted to weaken oversight over such weapons—just days after survivors from numerous mass shootings visited the Hill to ask members of Congress for even a **smidgen of** meaningful action on guns. —Prem Thakker, *The New Republic*, 14 June 2023 ...While the most unscrupulous human campaign operative may still have a **smidgen of** accountability, AI has none. —David E. Clementson, The Conversation, 21 July 2023 **NOTE**: So, the overall meaning is that while even the least ethical human involved in political campaigns may have some level of responsibility for their actions, AI does not have any accountability. This could be due to the fact that AI is a tool or system operated by humans, and any accountability would ultimately fall on the human operators or creators, not the AI itself. \> Likely based on a variant of smiddum, smeddum (“fine powder”), influenced by Scots smitch (“stain, speck, small amount, trace”). Alternatively, from *smitching, a diminutive of smitch. Compare Northumbrian dialectal English smiddum (“small particle of lead ore; smitham”). Scots smitch, also smutch, likely derives from English dialectal smit, smite (“bit, small portion”), Old English smytta, smitta (“a smear, blot, spot, mark, pollution”), related to Old English smītan (“to daub, smear, smudge”); or possibly from *smuddian, *smyddan, *smydecian, *smydegian (“to soil, stain, taint, blacken”), perhaps related to Middle Low German smudde (“dirt, filth”), smudden (“to soil, make dirty”), Middle High German smotzen (“to be dirty”). If so, then cognate with smudge. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Wiktionary

Question 134

espouse

Answer 134

es‧pouse /ɪˈspaʊz/ FORMAL to take up and support as a cause : become attached to; If you **espouse** a particular policy, cause, or belief, you become very interested in it and give your support to it: ADOPT, embrace, take up, take to, take to one's heart, receive enthusiastically/wholeheartedly, accept, welcome; SUPPORT, BACK, champion, give help to, help, assist, aid, be on the side of, side with; vote for, ally oneself with, stand behind, fall in with, stand up for, defend, take someone's part, take up the cudgels for; sponsor, vouch for, promote, further, endorse, advocate; *informal* stick up for, throw one's weight behind ...She ran away with him to Mexico and **espoused** the revolutionary cause. ...The persistence of elevated inflation has prompted the Fed to **espouse** a policy of holding interest rates at high levels for a prolonged period, which in turn has increased the 10-year Treasury yield and put upward pressure on mortgage rates. —Max Zahn, *ABC News*, 19 Oct. 2023 ...There was also Social Media Week, founded in 2009, an event that hosted talks **espousing** the value of building an audience online. —Taylor Lorenz, *Rolling Stone*, 13 Sep. 2023 —espousal noun ...her **espousal** of liberal reforms USAGE NOTES: **Adopt**, **Embrace**, **Espouse** mean to take an opinion, policy, or practice as one's own. - **Adopt** implies accepting something created by another or foreign to one's nature. - forced to *adopt* new policies - **Embrace** implies a ready or happy acceptance. - *embraced* the customs of their new homeland - **Espouse** adds an implication of close attachment to a cause and a sharing of its fortunes. - *espoused* the cause of women's rights \> mid-15c., "to take as spouse, marry," from Old French espouser "marry, take in marriage, join in marriage" (11c., Modern French épouser), from Latin sponsare, past participle of spondere "make an offering, perform a rite, promise secretly," hence "to engage oneself by ritual act" (see **sponsor** (n.)). Extended sense of "adopt, embrace" a cause, party, etc., is from 1620s. Related: Espoused; espouses; espousing. For initial e-, see **e-**. \> As you might guess, the words *espouse* and spouse are hitched, both coming from the Latin verb spondēre, meaning “to promise” or “to betroth.” In fact, the two were once completely interchangeable, with each serving as a noun meaning “a newly married person” or “a husband or wife” and also as a verb meaning “to marry.” Their semantic separation began when the noun *espouse* fell out of use. Nowadays, *espouse* is most often encountered as a verb used in the figuratively extended sense “to commit to and support as a cause.” \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Etymonline

Question 135

strident

Answer 135

stri‧dent /ˈstraɪdənt/ **1** characterized by harsh, insistent, and discordant sound; If a voice or sound is **strident**, it is loud, harsh, and unpleasant to listen to: HARSH, jarring, grating, clashing ...The **strident** tone in his voice revealed his anger. ...He could hear Hilton's **strident** voice rising in vehement argument with Houston. **1a** commanding attention by a loud or obtrusive quality (in an excessively and unpleasantly forceful way); If you use **strident** to describe someone or the way they express themselves, you mean that they make their feelings or opinions known in a very strong way that perhaps makes people uncomfortable. ...the unnecessarily **strident** tone of the Prime Minister's remarks ...Demands for his resignation have become more and more **strident**. ...Secretary of State Antony Blinken delivered a more **strident** message before arriving in Israel this morning, where he is expected to push for humanitarian pauses. —Elizabeth Robinson, *NBC News*, 3 Nov. 2023 ...In contrast, other companies have grown increasingly **strident** about employees working more in the office. —Bysteve Mollman, *Fortune*, 14 Oct. 2023 —stridently adverb ...He was arrested in 1984 on suspicion of being a spy–a charge he **stridently** denies. ...In the late 1920s the party began to adopt a more **stridently** nationalistic posture. \> "creaking, harsh, grating" 1650s (Blount), from French strident (16c.) and directly from Latin stridentem (nominative stridens), present participle of stridere "utter a shrill, inarticulate sound; grate, screech," probably of imitative origin; From the same imitative Proto-Indo-European root as Ancient Greek τρίζω (trízō, “to screech, to squeak, to grind, to gnash”) and στρίνξ (strínx, “screecher”) (compare Latin strix). \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary of English , Merriam-Webster, Wiktionary, Etymonline

Question 136

abject

Answer 136

ab‧ject /ˈæbdʒekt/ **1** : sunk to or existing in a low state or condition : very bad or severe; You use **abject** to emphasize that a situation or quality is extremely bad: WRETCHED, miserable, hopeless, pathetic, pitiful, pitiable, piteous, stark, sorry, forlorn, woeful, lamentable, degrading, appalling, atrocious, awful. ...Both of them died in **abject** poverty. ...This scheme was an **abject** failure. ...The policy has been an **abject** failure, in terms of both saving lives and reducing the number of migrants. —Ed Caesar, *The New Yorker*, 6 Nov. 2023 ...The state is lowering expectations to mask its **abject** failure to educate students, particularly students of color. —Jeff Eager, *National Review*, 2 Nov. 2023 **2a** : cast down in spirit : SERVILE, SPIRITLESS; If you describe someone as **abject**, you think they have no courage or respect for themselves: OBSEQUIOUS, SERVILE, HUMBLE, HUMILIATING, CRAVEN, groveling, crawling, creeping, fawning, toadyish, cringing, sniveling, ingratiating, toadying, sycophantic, submissive ...He sounded **abject** and eager to please. ...He looked back at the **abject**, silent girl and repeated his question. **2b** : showing hopelessness or resignation ...**abject** surrender **3** : expressing or offered in a humble and often ingratiating[1] spirit ...**abject** flattery ...an **abject** apology --- 1) ingratiating /ɪnˈɡreɪʃieɪtɪŋ/: trying too hard to get someone’s approval – used to show disapproval \> c. 1400, "humble, lowly, poor; of low quality; menial," from Latin abiectus "low, crouching; common, mean, contemptible; cast down, dispirited," past participle of abicere "to throw away, cast off; degrade, humble, lower," from ab "off, away from" (see **ab-**) + iacere "to throw" (past participle iactus; from PIE root *ye- "to throw, impel"). \> Abject comes from the Latin abjectus (meaning "downcast," "humble," or "sordid"), the past participle of the Latin verb abicere, meaning "to cast off." Its original meaning in English was "cast off" or "rejected," but it is now used to refer more broadly to things in a low state or condition. Abject shares with mean, ignoble, and sordid the sense of being below the normal standards of human decency and dignity. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Etymonline

Question 137

futile

Answer 137

fu‧tile /ˈfjuːtaɪl $ -tl/ serving no useful purpose : completely ineffective; If you say that something is **futile**, you mean there is no point in doing it, usually because it has no chance of succeeding: FRUITLESS, vain, pointless; USELESS, worthless, ineffectual, ineffective, inefficacious, to no effect, of no use, in vain, to no avail, unavailing ...efforts to convince him were **futile** ...He brought his arm up in a **futile** attempt to ward off the blow. ...a **futile** attempt to save the paintings from the flames ...My efforts to go back to sleep proved **futile**. ...All our efforts proved **futile**. ...Kevin made one last **futile** attempt to persuade Sandra to go with him, then left. ...Minutes later a team of paramedics began a **futile** effort to revive the boy. it is futile to do something ...**It was futile to** continue the negotiations. ...The goal is not to punish the rebels, but to convince them that **it is futile to** resist. —futility /fjuːˈtɪləti/ noun ...This sums up Owen’s thoughts on the **futility** of war. USAGE NOTES: **Futile**, **Vain**, **Fruitless** mean producing no result. - **Futile** may connote completeness of failure or unwisdom of undertaking. - resistance had proved so *futile* that surrender was the only choice left - **Vain** usually implies simple failure to achieve a desired result. - a *vain* attempt to get the car started - **Fruitless** comes close to **Vain** but often suggests long and arduous effort or severe disappointment. - *fruitless* efforts to obtain a lasting peace \> Origin futile (1500-1600) Latin futilis “that pours out easily, useless” ~ Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English \> "incapable of producing result," 1550s, from French futile or directly from Latin futilis, futtilis "vain, worthless, futile," a figurative use, literally "pouring out easily, easily emptied" (the Latin adjective used as a noun meant "a water vessel broad above and pointed below"), hence "leaky, unreliable," from fundere "to pour, melt," from nasalized form of PIE root *gheu- "to pour." Related: Futilely. ~ Etymonline \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Etymonline

Question 138

bereft

Answer 138

be‧reft /bəˈreft/ **1** → bereft of hope/meaning/life etc FORMAL completely without any hope etc; If a person or thing is **bereft of** something, they no longer have it: DEPRIVED OF, robbed of, stripped of, denuded of; CUT OFF FROM, parted from, devoid of, destitute of, bankrupt of; wanting, in need of, lacking, without, free from; low on, short of, deficient in; informal minus, sans, clean out of, fresh out of ...The team now seems **bereft of** inspiration. ...The place seemed to be utterly **bereft of** human life. ...These women were old and toothless at a young age, their eyes **bereft of** hope. **2** feeling very sad and lonely ...His death in 1990 left her completely **bereft**. \> late 14c., past-participle adjective from **bereave** (v.). \> **bereave (v.)**: Middle English bireven, from Old English bereafian "to deprive of, take away by violence, seize, rob," from **be-** + reafian "rob, plunder," from Proto-Germanic *raubōjanan, from PIE *runp- "to break" (see **corrupt** (adj.)). A common Germanic formation; compare Old Frisian biravia "despoil, rob, deprive (someone of something)," Old Saxon biroban, Dutch berooven, Old High German biroubon, German berauben, Gothic biraubon. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Etymonline

Question 139

sermon

Answer 139

ser‧mon /ˈsɜːmən $ ˈsɜːr-/ **1** A **sermon** is a talk on a religious or moral subject that is given by a member of the clergy as part of a church service: HOMILY /ˈhɒməli $ ˈhɑː-/, address, speech, talk, discourse, oration; lesson; preaching, teaching ...Today's **sermon** was **on** the importance of compassion. give/preach/deliver a sermon (on something) ...The Reverend William Cronshaw **delivered** the sermon. ...He **preached a sermon on** the importance of kindness. **2** INFORMAL a long talk in which someone tries to give you moral advice that you do not want – used to show disapproval: LECTURE, tirade, harangue, diatribe; speech, disquisition, monologue, declamation, exhortation; reprimand, reproach, reproof, scolding, admonishment, admonition, reproval, remonstration, upbraiding, castigation, lambasting, criticism, censure; *informal* spiel, telling-off, talking-to, rap over the knuckles, dressing-down, earful, roasting, bawling-out, blast, row; *British informal* ticking off, carpeting, rollicking, wigging; *British vulgar* slang bollocking; ...Dad gave me a **sermon** yesterday about doing my homework. ...He realized that if he said any more he would have to listen to another lengthy **sermon**. ...I really don't think it's a politician's job to go **delivering sermons on** public morality. \> c. 1200, sermoun, sarmun, "a discourse upon a text of scripture; that which is preached," from Anglo-French sermoun, Old French sermon, sermun "speech, words, discourse; church sermon, homily" (10c.) and directly from Latin sermonem (nominative sermo) "continued speech, conversation; common talk, rumor; learned talk, discourse; manner of speaking, literary style." \> This is reconstructed to be from PIE *ser-mo-, a suffixed form of the root *ser- (2) "to line up," hence "to thread, thread together," and thus "a stringing together of words." De Vaan writes, "The derivation from a root 'to link, put on a string' is not compelling, but can be defended with parallel etymologies of words for 'speech' in other languages." \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Cambridge Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Etymonline

Question 140

riff

Answer 140

riff noun **1** a repeated series of notes in popular or jazz music ...a guitar **riff** **2** a piece of speech in which someone talks about a subject in an entertaining way that does not seem planned ...He **goes off on a riff** about the problems of being middle-aged. **3** a distinct variation : TAKE verb **1** If a rock or jazz musician riffs, they play riffs. ...He **riffs** like a jazzman. **2** If writers, performers, or artists **riff**, they develop a theme or idea, often in a clever or amusing way. ...There are only so many times you can **riff on** a single theme. [VERB on noun] ...Spiritual sequels like Paper Mario and the Mario & Luigi series **riffed on** some of Mario RPG's ideas, but Nintendo never revisited the specific version of Mario's world created for Super Mario RPG outside of occasional Virtual Console rereleases. —Andrew Cunningham, *Ars Technica*, 15 Nov. 2023 ...Claudel took to sculpture in her teens, making busts of famous historical figures (Napoleon, Bismarck) and **riffing on** mythological and biblical themes (Daphnis and Chloe, David and Goliath). —Sebastian Smee, *Washington Post*, 7 Nov. 2023 ...The show featured comedians **riffing on** internet and pop culture trends in a game-show format hosted by Chris Hardwick. —Rick Porter, *The Hollywood Reporter*, 1 Nov. 2023 ...He is justly famed for his ability to **riff off** anything that catches his attention. [V off n] ...All of them **riff off** of her most iconic looks over the years (including, yes, that signature Jean Paul Gaultier cone bra). —Christian Allaire, *Vogue*, 16 Oct. 2023 **NOTE**: It implies a celebration or reinterpretation of those styles in new or different ways. The phrase "riff off" means to take something as inspiration and create variations or different versions of it. \> **riff (n.)**: "a repeated melodic phrase in jazz," 1935 (but said to have been used by musicians since c. 1917), of uncertain origin, perhaps a shortened form of **riffle**, or altered from refrain. The verb is attested by 1942, from the noun. Also in transferred or extended use (by 1970). Related: Riffed; riffing. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, [HiNative](https://hinative.com/questions/4156886), Etymonline

Question 141

in a pinch

Answer 141

**at a pinch** *BrE*, **in a pinch** *AmE* in a bad situation when help is needed; used to say that you could do something if necessary in a difficult or urgent situation; Something that you can do **in a pinch** can be done if it is really necessary, but it will be difficult, not perfect, or not what you would really like. ...There’s space for three people. Four **at a pinch**. ...If you’re **in a pinch**, I’m sure they’d look after Jenny for a while. ...I can help out **in a pinch** if you need a babysitter. ...I'd trust her **in a pinch**. ...Everyone knew he was **in a pinch**. ...I need $20,000 to set up the business, but I suppose $15,000 would do **in a pinch**. ...We can get six people round this table **at a pinch**. ...The recipe is for beef, but **at a pinch** you could use chicken. ...I don't have any cooking oil. Is there anything else I can add to the recipe **in a pinch**? ...Ah, this shade of lipstick will do **in a pinch**—it's better than nothing. ...In a way this makes sense: with revenues running in the billions and strong international demand for their goods and services, the world’s largest corporations have both the need and the ability to get around the world **in a pinch**. —Paula Conway, *Forbes*, 30 Nov. 2023 ...Known for its cost efficiency, flavor, and convenience, Cup Noodles has served families well **in a pinch** through decades of inflation. —Abigail Wilt, *Southern Living*, 1 Nov. 2023 \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Oxford Learner's Dictionaries, Collins English Dictionary, Cambridge Dictionary, The Free Dictionary, Merriam-Webster

Question 142

hiatus

Answer 142

hi‧a‧tus /haɪˈeɪtəs/ FORMAL A **hiatus** is a pause in which nothing happens, or a gap where something is missing: PAUSE, break, interval, interruption, suspension, intermission, interlude, gap, lacuna, lull, rest, respite, breathing space, time out; *North American* recess; *informal* breather, letup ...Diplomatic efforts to reach a settlement resume today after a two-week **hiatus**. ...Talks between the two countries have resumed after a six-year **hiatus**. ...The band is making an album again after a five-year **hiatus**. ...The 10-episode first season aired this summer while the cast and crew started production on Season 2 in London — the shoot is on **hiatus** until the resolution of the SAG-AFTRA strike. —Hunter Ingram, *Variety*, 19 Nov. 2023 hiatus in ...There was **an hiatus in** his acting life. ... Steam was rising from **an hiatus in** the ground. a brief/short/long hiatus ...There was **a brief hiatus** in the war. \> Borrowed from Latin hiātus (“opening”) (mid-16th century), from hiō (“stand open, yawn”). ~ Wiktionary \> 1560s, "a break or opening" in a material object, especially in anatomy, from Latin hiatus "opening, aperture, rupture, gap," from past-participle stem of hiare "to gape, stand open" (from PIE root *ghieh- "to yawn, gape, be wide open"). The sense of "gap or interruption in events, etc.;" "space from which something requisite to completeness is absent" [Century Dictionary] is recorded from 1610s. ~ Etymonline \> **ghieh-**: Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to yawn, gape, be wide open." It forms all or part of: **chaos**; **chasm**; **dehiscence**; **gap**; **gasp**; **gawp**; **hiatus**; **yawn**. ~ Etymonline \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Wiktionary, Etymonline

Question 143

quip

Answer 143

quip /kwɪp/ noun a witty remark; A **quip** is a remark that is intended to be amusing or clever: JOKE, witty remark, witticism, jest, pun, sally, pleasantry, epigram, aphorism; (**quips**) repartee, banter; *French* bon mot; *informal* one-liner, gag, crack, wisecrack, funny ...They traded **quips** over a beer. ...There are treasures here on every page, sometimes an unforgettable **quip** and sometimes just a joyful little encounter with a pet. —Jacob Brogan, *Washington Post*, 24 Aug. 2023 ...He was known for the **quip** that everything in life is foreseeable, as long as one has the foresight. ...I very much enjoyed the **quips** with which he accompanied his criticism. ...Obviously, it was a joke that fell flat; it was meant to be a very good-humored **quip**. ...We have enjoyed it not so much for its content but for the **quips** he so lightly made in the course of it. verb to make a witty remark; To **quip** means to say something that is intended to be amusing or clever: JOKE, jest, pun, sally, banter; *informal* gag, wisecrack. ...She rolled her eyes at her brother's bragging and **quipped**, “You're a legend in your own mind, all right.” ...“Everyone wants to be Cary Grant. Even I want to be Cary Grant,” Grant once **quipped**. \> *Quip* is a shortening of *quippy*, a noun that is no longer in use. Etymologists believe that *quippy* came from Latin *quippe*, a word meaning "indeed" or "to be sure" that was often used ironically. \> **quip (n.)**: "smart, sarcastic remark," 1530s, a variant of quippy in the same sense (1510s), perhaps from Latin quippe "indeed, of course, as you see, naturally, obviously" (used sarcastically), from quid "what" (neuter of pronoun quis "who," from PIE root *kwo-, stem of relative and interrogative pronouns) + emphatic particle -pe. Compare **quibble** (n.). \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary of English, Cambridge Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Etymonline

Question 144

callus

Answer 144

**cal‧lus** /ˈkæləs/ an area of thick hard skin ...the **calluses** on his hands \> "hardened skin," 1560s, from Latin callus, variant of callum "hard skin," related to callere "be hard," from Proto-Italic *kaln/so- "hard," but the PIE source is uncertain. Among proposed cognates are Old Irish calath, calad, Welsh caled "hard;" Old Church Slavonic kaliti "to cool, harden," Russian kalit "to heat, roast," Serbo-Croatian kaliti "to temper, case-harden." **cal‧lous** /ˈkæləs/ not caring that other people are suffering; A **callous** person or action is very cruel and shows no concern for other people or their feelings: HEARTLESS, unfeeling, uncaring, cold, cold-hearted, hard, as hard as nails, hard-hearted, with a heart of stone, stony-hearted, insensitive, lacking compassion, hard-bitten, cold-blooded, hardened, case-hardened, harsh, cruel, ruthless, brutal; unsympathetic, uncharitable, indifferent, unconcerned, unsusceptible, insensible, bloodless, soulless; *informal* hard-boiled ...We were shocked at the **callous** disregard for human life. ...a **callous** attitude ...the **callous** slaughter of seals \> c. 1400, "hardened," in the physical sense, from Latin callosus "thick-skinned," from callus, callum "hard skin" (see **callus**). The figurative sense of "unfeeling, hardened in the mind" was in English by 1670s. Related: Callously; callousness. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Etymonline

Question 145

travesty

Answer 145

trav‧es‧ty /ˈtrævəsti/ noun a false, absurd, or distorted representation of something; a grotesque or debased likeness or imitation; something that fails to represent the values and qualities that it is intended to represent, in a way that is shocking or offensive; If you describe something as a **travesty of** another thing, you mean that it is a very bad representation of that other thing: MISREPRESENTATION, distortion, perversion, corruption, poor imitation, poor substitute, mockery, parody, caricature; farce, charade, pantomime, sham; apology for, excuse for ...If he couldn't prepare his case properly, the trial would be a **travesty**. ...To Hunter Biden’s father, the Supreme Court decision last June that expanded Second Amendment rights is a **travesty** for gun control. —Michael S. Schmidt, *New York Times*, 31 May 2023 travesty of ...Her research suggests that Smith's reputation today is a **travesty of** what he really stood for. ...He dismissed the proceedings as a **travesty of justice**. ...Not allowing her to speak in her own defense was a **travesty of justice**. ...Denied effective legal counsel prior to his indictment, Stewart's trial at Inveraray in September 1752 was a **travesty of justice**. verb to make a travesty of; turn (a serious work or subject) to ridicule by burlesquing: MISREPRESENT, parody, caricature, burlesque, mock, make a mockery of, ridicule, make fun of; distort, pervert ...He felt that Michael had betrayed the family by **travestying** them in his plays. ...This comedy sketch mindlessly **travesties** the hard work of relief workers around the world. \> mid 17th century (as an adjective in the sense ‘dressed to appear ridiculous’): from French travesti ‘disguised’, past participle of travestir, from Italian travestire, from trans- ‘across’ + vestire ‘clothe’. ~ Oxford Dictionary of English \> Travesties are terrible too, but travesty refers specifically to something that is done in a way that makes a mockery of what it’s supposed to be: for example, a contest won by the judge’s spouse could be considered a travesty. And a trial in which the defendant wasn’t allowed to present evidence could be described as a “travesty of justice.” ~ Merriam-Webster \> 1670s, "literary burlesque of a serious work," from adjective meaning "dressed so as to be made ridiculous, parodied, burlesqued" (1660s), from French travesti "dressed in disguise," past participle of travestir "to disguise" (1590s), from Italian travestire "to disguise," from Latin trans "across, beyond; over" (see **trans-**) + vestire "to clothe" (from PIE *wes- (2) "to clothe," extended form of root *eu- "to dress"). ~ Etymonline \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary of English, Cambridge Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Dictionary.com, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Etymonline

Question 146

nuptial

Answer 146

nup‧tial /ˈnʌpʃəl/ adjective **1** : of or relating to marriage or the marriage ceremony ...**nuptial** vows ...newlyweds still in a state of **nuptial** bliss ...This style is perfect for fall and winter weddings and adds a sophisticated touch to any **nuptial** guest's outfit. —Kaitlyn Yarborough, *Southern Living*, 31 July 2023 **2** : characteristic of or occurring in the breeding season ...nuptial **flight** noun : MARRIAGE, WEDDING —usually used in plural Someone's **nuptials** are their wedding celebrations. ...She became immersed in planning her **nuptials**. ...Their **nuptials** will take place at the university chapel. \> "of or pertaining to marriage or the wedding ceremony," late 15c., from French nuptial, or directly from Latin nuptialis "pertaining to marriage," from nuptiae "a wedding," from nupta, fem. past participle of nubere "to marry, get married, wed, take as a husband," which is of uncertain origin. Perhaps it is from a PIE root *sneubh- "to marry, wed" (source also of Old Church Slavonic snubiti "to love, woo," Czech snoubiti "to seek in marriage," Slovak zasnubit "to betroth"). De Vaan finds the old theory that the verb nubere is literally "to cover, veil oneself" (as a bride) semantically attractive but unproven (compare Latin obnubere "to veil, cover the head," from nubes "cloud"). Related: Nuptially. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English,

Question 147

vertebrate

Answer 147

ver‧te‧brate /ˈvɜːtəbrət, -breɪt $ ˈvɜːr-/ noun A **vertebrate** is a creature which has a spine. Mammals, birds, reptiles, and fish are vertebrates. ...Both groups share two attributes normally associated with **vertebrates**. ...Mosquitoes will feed on any **vertebrate** blood. adjective having a spine ...Goswami is an evolutionary biologist at the Natural History Museum in London who studies large-scale patterns of evolution in **vertebrate** animals through time. —Kate Wong, *Scientific American*, 4 Oct. 2023 ...The bulk of the industry does not actually seek to replace human consumption of **vertebrate** meat with insects. —Lars Chittka, *Scientific American*, 14 June 2023 \> "a vertebrate animal," 1826, from Latin vertebratus (Pliny), from vertebra "joint or articulation of the body, joint of the spine" (see **vertebra**). As an adjective also from 1826. \> **vertebra (n.)**: "bone of the spine," early 15c., from Latin vertebra "joint or articulation of the body, joint of the spine" (plural vertebræ), perhaps from vertere "to turn" (from PIE root *wer- (2) "to turn, bend") + instrumental suffix -bra. The notion would be the spine as the "hinge" of the body. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Etymonline

Question 148

coarsen

Answer 148

coars‧en /ˈkɔːsən $ ˈkɔːr-/ **1** to become thicker or rougher, or to make something thicker or rougher; If something **coarsens** or **is coarsened**, it becomes thicker or rougher in texture: ROUGHEN, thicken, toughen, harden ...Hard work had **coarsened** his hands. ...Skin thickens, dries and **coarsens** after sun exposure. **2** to become or to make someone become less polite in the way they talk or behave; If someone's behavior or speech **coarsens** or if they **coarsen** it, they become less polite or they begin to speak in a less pleasant way: DESENSITIZE, harshen, dehumanize; blunt, dull, deaden ...He’s **been coarsened** by his experience of war. ...He **was coarsened** by his time in prison. ...offensive words that **coarsen** the English language ...The book describes how popular culture has **coarsened** in recent decades. ...In a country so divided and **coarsened**, does one person’s private struggle for moral purity really matter? —Danny Heitman, *WSJ*, 30 Dec. 2018 ...Look, the culture has **been coarsened**, the entertainment industry, music, film, billboards, television, everything is over sexualized or too violent or just dumped down altogether. —*Fox News*, 3 Aug. 2018 \> "to make coarse or coarser," in any sense, 1805, from **coarse** + **-en** (2). Related: Coarsened; coarsening. \> **coarse (adj.)**: Adjectival use of course that diverged in spelling in the 18th century. The sense developed from '(following) the usual course' (cf. of course) to 'ordinary, common' to 'lacking refinement', with 'not fine, granular' arising from its application to cloth. Compare the development of mean. ~ Wiktionary \> **coarse (adj.)**: Originally referring to rough cloth for ordinary wear, the sense of "rude, vulgar, unpolished" developed by c. 1500 and that of "obscene" by 1711. Perhaps via the notion of "in regular or natural order," hence "common, vulgar" (compare the development of **mean** (adj.), also **ornery** from ordinary). Or it might be via the clothing sense, and the notion of "wanting fineness of texture or elegance of form." Or both, and there might be also an influence, via metathesis, of French gros (see **gross** (adj.)), which underwent a similar sense development. Related: Coarsely; coarseness. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Wiktionary, Etymonline

Question 149

indolent

Answer 149

in‧do‧lent /ˈɪndələnt/ wanting to avoid activity or exertion; LAZY, idle, slothful, loafing, work-shy, shiftless, apathetic, lackadaisical, inactive, inert, lifeless, sluggish, lethargic, listless, languid, torpid, slow, slow-moving, dull, plodding; slack, lax, remiss, negligent, good-for-nothing; *informal* bone idle ...an **indolent** boy who had to be forced to help out with the chores ...**indolent** teenagers who won't lift a finger to help ...The average life expectancy of a 75-year-old man is about 11 to 12 years, and cancers in older men tend to be more **indolent**, which is why 75 is a reasonable time to stop screening. —Dr. Keith Roach, *oregonlive*, 6 Sep. 2023 USAGE NOTES: **Lazy**, **Indolent**, **Slothful** mean not easily aroused to activity. - **Lazy** suggests a disinclination to work or to take trouble. - take-out foods for *lazy* cooks - **Indolent** suggests a love of ease and a dislike of movement or activity. - the heat made us *indolent* - **Slothful** implies a temperamental inability to act promptly or speedily when action or speed is called for. - fired for being *slothful* about filling orders —indolence noun /ˈɪn.dəl.əns $ ˈɪn.dəl.əns/ avoidance of activity or exertion; laziness; **Indolence** means laziness; LAZINESS, IDLENESS, SLOTHFULNESS, SLOTH, shiftlessness, inactivity, inaction, inertia, dormancy, lifelessness, sluggishness, lethargy, languor, languidness, torpor, torpidity, slowness, dullness; remissness, negligence, slackness, laxity ...After a sudden burst of activity, the team lapsed back into **indolence**. ...There is often an assumption of **indolence** and crime when people think about poverty. ...Rather than encouraging enterprise and initiative, socialism was said to foster corruption and **indolence**. \> **indolence (n.)**: c. 1600, "indifference to pain," from French indolence (16c.) or directly from Late Latin indolentia "freedom from pain, insensibility," abstract noun from Latin indolentem (nominative indolens) "insensitive to pain," from in- "not, opposite of, without" (see **in-** (1)) + dolentem (nominative dolens) "grieving," present participle of dolere "suffer pain, grieve" (see **doleful**). Originally of prisoners under torture, etc. The intermediate sense "state of rest or ease neither pleasant nor painful" (1650s) is now obsolete as well; main modern sense of "laziness, love of ease" (1710) perhaps reflects the notion of avoiding trouble (compare *taking pains* "working hard, striving (to do)"). \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary of English, Cambridge Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Etymonline

Question 150

throw sb off

Answer 150

throw sb off to disconcert or confuse someone ...I think the sudden change in weather has **thrown me off** a bit. \> Oxford Dictionary of English

Question 151

gripe

Answer 151

gripe verb INFORMAL to complain with grumbling; If you say that someone **is griping**, you mean they are annoying you because they keep on complaining about something: COMPLAIN, grumble, moan, groan, protest, whine, bleat; *Northern English* mither, twine; *informal* grouse, bellyache, beef, bitch, grouch, kick up a fuss, knock; *British informal* whinge, chunter, create, be on at someone; *North American informal* kvetch ...The students **griped** that they had too much homework. gripe about ...All of the workers were **griping about** the new regulations. noun INFORMAL **1** A **gripe** is a complaint about something: COMPLAINT, grumble, moan, groan, grievance, objection, protest, whine; cavil, quibble, niggle; *informal* grouse, beef, bellyaching, beefing, bitching, grouching; *British informal* whinge, whingeing; *North American informal* kvetch ...I would rather not listen to **gripes** about your latest disasters in the dating game. ...Students' main **gripe** is the poor quality of the dorm food. ...My only **gripe** is that it could have been bigger. ...The biggest **gripe** is that the temperature display isn’t always accurate and sometimes off by a couple degrees. —Danny Perez, *Popular Mechanics*, 7 Sep. 2023 ...Our only **gripe** is with the battery life, which left much to be desired in our testing. —Scott Gilbertson, *WIRED*, 28 Nov. 2023 **2** → the gripes sudden bad stomach pains \> **gripe (v.)**: c. 1200, "to clutch, seize firmly," from Old English gripan "grasp at, lay hold, attack, take, seek to get hold of," from Proto-Germanic *gripan (source also of Old Saxon gripan, Old Norse gripa, Dutch grijpen, Gothic greipan, Old High German grifan, German greifen "to seize"), of uncertain origin, perhaps from PIE root *ghreib- "to grip" (source also of Lithuanian griebiu, griebti "to seize"). Figurative sense of "complain, grouse" is first attested 1932, probably from earlier meaning "produce a gripping pain in the bowels" (c. 1600; compare **belly-ache**). Related: Griped; griping. \> **gripe (n.)**: late 14c., "a fast hold, clutch, grasp," from **gripe** (v.). From c. 1600 as "cramp, pain in the bowels" (earlier of pangs of grief, etc., 1540s). Figurative sense of "a complaint" is by 1934. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Etymonline

Question 152

grimace

Answer 152

gri‧mace /**gri**·muhs/ /ɡrɪˈmeɪs, ˈɡrɪməs/ verb to distort one's face in an expression usually of pain, disgust, or disapproval; If you **grimace**, you twist your face in an ugly way because you are annoyed, disgusted, or in pain: SCOWL /skaʊl/, frown, sneer, pout, moue, wince, distorted expression; face, wry face ...She sipped the whisky and **grimaced**. ...Washington coach Ron Rivera kept his offensive starters in for the game's first 30 minutes, and not without risk; wide receiver Terry McLaurin **grimaced** while leaving the field with a toe injury. —Chris Bumbaca, *USA TODAY*, 22 Aug. 2023 → grimace with ...He tried to stand and **grimaced with** pain. noun an expression you make by twisting your face because you do not like something or because you are feeling pain: SCOWL, frown, sneer, pout, moue, wince, distorted expression; face, wry face ...He took another drink of his coffee. 'Awful,' he said with a **grimace**. ...The patient made a painful **grimace** as the doctor examined his wound. → grimace of ...Helen made a **grimace of** disgust when she saw the raw meat. \> **grimace (n.)**: 1650s, from French grimace (15c.) "grotesque face, ugly mug," possibly from Frankish or another Germanic source (compare Old Saxon grima "face mask," Old English grima "mask, helmet"), from the same root as **grim** (adj.). With pejorative suffix -azo (from Latin -aceus). \> **grim (adj.)**: From Middle English grim, from Old English grimm "fierce, cruel, savage; severe, dire, painful," from Proto-West Germanic \*grimm "grim, angry, fierce," from Proto-Germanic \*grimmaz, from Proto-Indo-European \*gʰrem- (“to resound, thunder, grumble, roar”,) which is perhaps imitative of the sound of rumbling thunder. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Cambridge Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Wiktionary, Etymonline

Question 153

temperate

Answer 153

tem‧pe‧rate /ˈtempərət/ **1** having a moderate climate which especially lacks extremes in temperature: MILD, clement, pleasant, agreeable, benign; gentle, balmy, fair ...That's led to all sorts of new threats, like the 2021 heatwave that killed more than 1,400 people in the typically **temperate** Pacific Northwest. —Justine Calma, *The Verge*, 14 Nov. 2023 **2** FORMAL showing moderation or self-restraint; behavior that is temperate is calm and sensible: SELF-RESTRAINED, restrained, moderate, self-controlled, controlled, disciplined; abstemious, self-denying, austere, ascetic; teetotal, abstinent ...Charles was **temperate in** his consumption of both food and drink. \> late 14c., of persons, "modest, forbearing, self-restrained, not swayed by passion;" of climates or seasons, "not liable to excessive heat or cold," from Latin temperatus "restrained, regulated, limited, moderate, sober, calm, steady," from past participle of temperare "to moderate, regulate" (see **temper** (v.)). Related: Temperately; temperateness. Temperate zone is attested from 1550s. \> **temper (v.)**: Old English temprian ‘bring something into the required condition by mixing it with something else’, from Latin temperare ‘mingle, restrain’. Sense development was probably influenced by Old French temprer ‘to temper, moderate’. The noun originally denoted a proportionate mixture of elements or qualities, also the combination of the four bodily humors, believed in medieval times to be the basis of temperament, hence temper (sense 1 of the noun) (late Middle English). \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Merriam-Webster, Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Etymonline

Question 154

facile

Answer 154

fa‧cile /**fa**·sl/ /ˈfæsaɪl $ ˈfæsəl/ **1** easily accomplished or attained: EFFORTLESS, easy, undemanding, unexacting, painless, trouble-free, unchallenged; leisurely, simple, uncomplicated, straightforward, elementary; *informal* easy-peasy, as easy as pie, as easy as falling off a log, as easy as ABC, a piece of cake, child's play, kids' stuff, a cinch, no sweat, a doddle, a breeze, a pushover, money for old rope, money for jam; *North American informal* duck soup, a snap ...a **facile** victory **2** : SHALLOW, SIMPLISTIC; If you describe someone's arguments or suggestions as **facile**, you are criticizing them because their ideas are too simple and indicate a lack of careful, intelligent thinking: SIMPLISTIC, superficial, oversimple, oversimplified, schematic, black and white; shallow, pat, glib, slick, jejune, naive; *North American informal* dime-store, bubblegum ...This subject is admittedly too complex for **facile** summarization. ...That's too **facile** an explanation. ...This problem needs more than just a **facile** solution. ...The senator is known for making **facile** judgments on current issues. ...The **facile** idea was that, as Kara Swisher pointed out on her podcast, Musk was potentially the one person who could solve Twitter’s long-term profitability problem. —Jelani Cobb, *The New Yorker*, 27 Nov. 2022 ...First, reformers should avoid **facile** assumptions about what the public wants and will accept. ...It is **facile** to attribute all childhood problems to poor parenting or social circumstances. \> late 15th century (in the sense ‘easily accomplished’): from French, or from Latin facilis ‘easy’, from facere ‘do, make’. ~ Oxford Dictionary of English \> *Facile* comes from the Latin *facilis*, meaning "easy," and *facere*, "to make or do." The adjective can mean "easy" or "easily done," as befits its Latin roots, but it now often adds the meaning of undue haste or shallowness, as in "facile answers to complex questions." ~ Merriam-Webster \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary of English, Cambridge Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus

Question 155

regiment

Answer 155

re‧gi‧ment /ˈredʒəmənt/ noun **1** a large group of soldiers, usually consisting of several battalions; A **regiment** is a large group of soldiers that is commanded by a colonel: UNIT, outfit, force; army, group, corps, division, brigade, battalion, squadron, company, commando, battery, platoon, section, crew, detachment, contingent, band, legion, cohort ...The exhibit includes a list of the **regiment**'s soldiers who were killed, wounded, captured, or declared missing following the Battle of Fort Wagner on July 18, 1863. —Thomas Catenacci, *Fox News*, 15 Nov. 2023 **2** a large number of people, animals, or things; A **regiment of** people is a large number of them. ...robust food, good enough to satisfy a **regiment of** hungry customers verb to organize rigidly especially for the sake of regulation or control: ORGANIZE, order, systematize, control, manipulate, regulate, manage, discipline, keep a tight rein on, bring into line, rule with a rod of iron ...They carefully **regiment** their son's diet. ...She criticized the way the school **regiments** its students by having strict rules. ...During her time in foster care, Sanchez’s phone use had been **regimented**. —Kitra Cahana, *ProPublica*, 6 Nov. 2023 ...Wilson, 23, **regiments** his life around football, opting to live a short drive from the Jets’ facility in Florham Park, N.J., and, in an unusual move for a new pro, settling in without any family members or friends as roommates. —Jonathan Abrams, *New York Times*, 27 July 2023 ...Every stage of their production is controlled and **regimented** to ensure each fruit is as close to perfect as possible. —Megan Hughes, *Better Homes & Gardens*, 24 Apr. 2023 \> **regiment (n.)**: late 14c., "government, rule, authority, control," a sense now obsolete, from Old French regiment "government, rule" (14c.), from Late Latin regimentum "rule, direction," from Latin regere "to rule, to direct, keep straight, guide" (from PIE root \*reg- "move in a straight line," with derivatives meaning "to direct in a straight line," thus "to lead, rule"). The military meaning "unit of an army" is recorded by 1570s, from a sense in French; the reference in the word originally was to permanent organization and discipline. The exact number of soldiers in a regiment has varied widely over time and place. \> **regiment (v.)**: "to form into a regiment" with proper officers, hence "to organize, bring under a definite system of authority," 1610s, from **regiment** (n.). General sense of "organize systematically" is from 1690s. Related: Regimented; regimenting. \> **reg-**: Proto-Indo-European root meaning "move in a straight line," with derivatives meaning "to direct in a straight line," thus "to lead, rule." It forms all or part of: **abrogate**; **address**; **adroit**; **Alaric**; **alert**; **anorectic**; **anorexia**; **arrogant**; **arrogate**; **bishopric**; **correct**; **corvee**; **derecho**; **derogate**; **derogatory**; **Dietrich**; **direct**; **dress**; **eldritch**; **erect**; **ergo**; **Eric**; **Frederick**; **Henry**; **incorrigible**; **interregnum**; **interrogate**; **maharajah**; **Maratha**; **prerogative**; **prorogue**; rack (n.1) "frame with bars;" **rail** (n.1) "horizontal bar passing from one post or support to another;" **Raj**; **rajah**; **rake** (n.1) "toothed tool for drawing or scraping things together;" **rake** (n.2) "debauchee; idle, dissolute person;" **rakish**; **rank** (adj.) "corrupt, loathsome, foul;" **real** (n.) "small Spanish silver coin;" **realm**; **reck**; **reckless**; **reckon**; **rectangle**; **rectify**; **rectilinear**; **rectitude**; **recto**; **recto-**; **rector**; **rectum**; **regal**; **regent**; **regicide**; **regime**; **regimen**; **regiment**; **region**; **regular**; **regulate**; **Regulus**; **Reich**; **reign**; **resurgent**; **rex**; **rich**; **right**; **Risorgimento**; **rogation**; **royal**; **rule**; **sord**; **source**; **subrogate**; **subrogation**; **surge**; **surrogate**; **viceroy**. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Etymonline

Question 156

pariah

Answer 156

pa‧ri‧ah /pəˈraɪə, ˈpæriə/ someone or something that is despised or rejected; If you describe someone as a **pariah**, you mean that other people dislike them so much that they refuse to associate with them: OUTCAST, persona non grata, leper, reject, untouchable, undesirable ...She is a **pariah** within the Republican Party for doing something she grew up believing the Republican Party stood for … —Ed Montini ...Even as her star was rising in the outside world, she was becoming more and more a **pariah** in her own village, where her isolation and sense of rejection made her, for a time, a prisoner in her house, a victim of agoraphobia. —Judy Oppenheimer, *New York Times Book Review*, 3 July 1988 ...He's a talented player but his angry outbursts have made him a **pariah** in the sport of baseball. ...I felt like a **pariah** when I wore the wrong outfit to the dinner party. ...Russia has been committing crimes against humanity and has become an international **pariah**. —Katya Soldak, *Forbes*, 19 Feb. 2023 ...He worried that his stammer would make him a social **pariah**. ...Her criticisms of the life-saving treatment have made her a **pariah** among international health leaders. \> 1610s, "member of a low caste in southern India, shunned as unclean," from Portuguese paria or directly from Tamil (Dravidian) paraiyar, plural of paraiyan "drummer" (at festivals, the hereditary duty of members of the largest of the lower castes of southern India), from parai "large festival drum." "Especially numerous at Madras, where its members supplied most of the domestics in European service" [OED]. Applied by Hindus and Europeans to any members of low Hindu castes and even to outcastes. Extended meaning "social outcast" is attested by 1819. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Cambridge Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Etymonline

Question 157

depredation

Answer 157

depredation (countable and uncountable, *plural* depredations) The depredations of a person, animal, or force are their harmful actions, which usually involve taking or damaging something: PLUNDERING, plunder, looting, pillaging, destruction, ravaging, devastation, ransacking ...The town had somehow escaped the **depredations** of enemy soldiers. ...Crops can be all too easily decimated by unchecked **depredations** by deer. ...Much of the region's environmental **depredation** is a result of poor planning. \> "act of plundering, pillaging," late 15c. (Caxton), from Old French depredacion (15c., Modern French déprédation), from Late Latin depraedationem (nominative depraedatio) "a plundering," from past-participle stem of Latin depraedari "to pillage," from de- "thoroughly" (see de-) + praedari "to plunder," literally "to make prey of," from praeda "prey" (see prey (n.)). \> Depredate derives primarily from the Latin verb praedari, meaning "to plunder," an ancestor to our words **predator** and **prey**. Dating to the 17th century, the word most commonly appears in contexts relating to nature and ecology, where it is often used to describe the methodical, almost automatic destruction of life. That's how the film critic Stanley Kauffman, for example, used it to summarize the plot of the famous horror movie Jaws (1975): "A killer shark depredates the beach of an island summer resort. Several people are killed. Finally, the shark is killed. That's the story." \> Collins English Dictionary, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, The Britannica Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Etymonline

Question 158

charade

Answer 158

cha‧rade /shuh·**rayd**/ /ʃəˈrɑːd $ ʃəˈreɪd/ **1** : an empty or deceptive act or pretense; an act or event that is clearly false: FARCE, pantomime, travesty, mockery, parody, pretense, act, masquerade, sham, fake, false display, show, front, facade ...Everyone knew who was going to get the job from the start — the interviews were just a **charade**. ...Unless more money is given to schools, all this talk of improving education is just a **charade**. ...His concern was a **charade**. ...We've grown tired of your **charades**. ...put on a convincing **charade** to keep her from knowing about the surprise party ...Simon has told Susan that his marriage is a **charade**, continued only for the sake of the children. ...The trial was just a **charade** — the verdict had already been decided. ...Both are **charades** meant to direct attention away from a stubborn commitment to the status quo. **2** → charades **Charades** is a game for teams of players in which one team acts a word or phrase, syllable by syllable, until other players guess the whole word or phrase. ...She and her three brothers played **charades**. \> late 18th century: From French charade, charrade (“prattle, idle conversation; a kind of riddle”), probably from modern Provençal charrado ‘conversation’, from charra ‘chatter’, perhaps of imitative origin. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Cambridge Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Oxford Dictionary of English, Wiktionary

Question 159

lascivious

Answer 159

las‧civ‧i‧ous /ləˈsɪviəs/ filled with or showing sexual desire; expressing a strong desire for sexual activity; If you describe someone as **lascivious**, you disapprove of them because they show a very strong interest in sex: LECHEROUS /ˈletʃərəs/, lewd /luːd/, lustful, licentious, libidinous, goatish, salacious, wanton, lubricious, prurient, dirty, smutty, filthy, naughty, suggestive, indecent, ribald; debauched, depraved, degenerate, dissolute, dissipated, unchaste, loose; informal horny, blue; British informal randy ...a **lascivious** smile ...He gave her a **lascivious** wink. ...He was arrested for lewd and **lascivious** behavior. ...was criticized for making **lascivious** remarks that offended many in the group ...He was initially charged with three felony counts of lewd and **lascivious** acts with a minor under 14, one felony count of oral copulation of a child under 10 and one felony count of possession of child pornography, according to the district attorney's office. —Mirna Alsharif, *NBC News*, 19 Nov. 2023 ...The brother-in-law of former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, a Democrat, has been arrested in Florida on charges of human trafficking, battery and lewd or **lascivious** touching of a minor, according to the Office of the State Attorney for the 13th Judicial Circuit. —Brandon Gillespie, *Fox News*, 18 Nov. 2023 ...After the encounter, Frost allegedly sent two more **lascivious** photos and then blocked him from Snapchat. —Rebecca Rosenberg, *Fox News*, 7 Sep. 2023 \> mid-15c., "lustful, inclined to lust," from Medieval Latin lasciviosus (used in a scolding sense by Isidore and other early Church writers), from Latin lascivia "lewdness, playfulness, fun, frolicsomeness, jolity," from lascivus "lewd, playful, undesigned, frolicsome, wanton." This is from PIE *las-ko-, from the root *las- "to be eager, wanton, or unruly" (source also of Sanskrit -lasati "yearns," lasati "plays, frolics," Hittite ilaliya- "to desire, covet," Greek laste "harlot," Old Church Slavonic laska "flattery," Slovak laska "love," Russian lasyj "greedy, eager, affectionate," Old Irish lainn "greedy, eager," Gothic lustus, Old English lust "lust"). Meaning "tending to excite lust" is from 1580s. Related: Lasciviously. In 17c. also with a verbal form, lasciviate, now obsolete. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary of English, Cambridge Dictionary, Merriram-Webster, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Etymonline

Question 160

loafer

Answer 160

loaf‧er /ˈləʊfə $ ˈloʊfər/ If you're a **loafer**, you avoid working whenever possible, preferring to lounge around relaxing instead. And, if you're too lazy to tie your own shoes, you may prefer to wear *loafers* — slip-on shoes without laces. **1** **Loafer** *trademark* a flat leather shoe that does not need to be fastened onto your foot **2** someone who is lazy and does nothing when they should be working: IDLER, layabout, good-for-nothing, ne'er-do-well, do-nothing, lounger, shirker, sluggard, slug, laggard, slugabed, malingerer; *informal* waster, slacker, cyberslacker, slob, lazybones; *British informal* skiver ...She's a lazy **loafer**. ...We cannot have in this country **loafers** and idlers, and we shall not want them. \> (1800-1900) Probably from German landläufer “homeless person who moves from place to place”, from land “land” + läufer “runner” \> If you're a *loafer* at work, your co-workers will grow to resent you for doing nothing while they do their jobs. Loafers like to *loaf*, or "spend time in an idle, aimless way." People will call you a loafer if you spend most of your time in a reclining position, take frequent breaks for snacks and naps, or obviously avoid anything resembling hard work. This noun has been in use since the mid-1800s, but its origin isn't clear. The shoe called a *loafer* got its name because it's easily slipped on, without the work of laces and knots. \> Vocabulary.com, Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Cambridge Dictionary, Britannica, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus

Question 161

the wee hours

Answer 161

*AmE* the wee hours (*also* the wee small hours) *BrE* the small hours the first few hours after midnight; the early hours of the morning, just after 12 o’clock at night ...The party continued into **the wee small hours**. ...The recording session extended into **the wee hours**. ...Soul musicians are, by nature, nocturnal, so many of his interviews would take place in **the wee hours**. ...We got to Sabinal in **the wee hours** before dawn. ...He was up until **the wee hours** trying to finish his work. ...The only thing she had to eat since yesterday noon was a glass of milk in **the wee hours** of the morning. ...But don't overstay your welcome by partying until **the wee hours**. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Cambridge Dictionary, YourDictionary

Question 162

moan

Answer 162

moan /məʊn $ moʊn/ verb **1** to make a long low sound expressing pain, unhappiness, or sexual pleasure; If you **moan**, you make a low sound, usually because you are unhappy or in pain: GROAN, wail, whimper, sob, cry, whine, howl, keen ...The wounded soldier **moaned** in pain. ...Tony **moaned** in his sleep and then turned over on his side. **2** INFORMAL to complain or grumble, typically about something trivial; To **moan** means to complain or speak in a way which shows that you are very unhappy: COMPLAIN, grouse, grouch, grumble, whine, carp, mutter, murmur, whisper; *Northern English* mither, twine; *informal* gripe, bellyache, bitch, beef; *British informal* whinge ...‘I feel seasick already,’ she **moaned**. ...The children were **moaning** and groaning all morning, but their mother would not let them go outside. ...While the general population often experiences Gen Z as whining, **moaning** complainers who expect the world to be handed to them on a platter, the data shows that Gen Z see themselves as trying to navigate the world without a road map. —Suzy Welch, *Fortune*, 30 Nov. 2023 moan about ...A lot of people **moaned about** the parking problems. ...We were all **moaning about** the cold, rainy weather. ...He's always **moaning about** his salary. ...But after the game, all fans could do was **moan about** how a win extended then-head coach Clay Helton’s tenure. —Kevin Reynolds, *The Salt Lake Tribune*, 13 Sep. 2023 moan at ...My mum never stops **moaning at** me. moan that ...He’s always **moaning that** we use too much electricity. ...He **moaned** and groaned all the way there. **3** *literary* if the wind moans, it makes a long low sound: SOUGH /sau, sʌf/, sigh, murmur, whisper, groan ...They could hear the wind **moaning** in the trees. ...The wind **moaned** in the trees. ...The boat heaved back and forwards, and the wind **moaned** outside. —Laurie Hertzel, *Los Angeles Times*, 19 Oct. 2023 noun **1** : LAMENTATION, COMPLAINT: COMPLAINT, complaining, grouse, grousing, moans and groans, grouch, grouching, grumble, grumbling, whine, whining, carping, muttering, murmur, murmuring, whispering; *Northern English* twine; *informal* gripe, griping, bellyache, bitch, beef, beefing; *British informal* whinge, whingeing ...The victim’s pained **moans** can be heard in the background as the dispatcher instructs the caller to cover the wound with a clean cloth or T-shirt. —Jeremy Childs, *Los Angeles Times*, 1 Sep. 2023 ...She **gave** a little **moan** of pleasure. **2** → have a moan (about sth) INFORMAL•BRITISH to complain about something ...We were just **having a moan about** work. **3** *literary* a low sound made by the wind: SOUGH /sau, sʌf/, sigh, murmur, whisper, groan. ...the **moan** of the wind ...the **moan** of the car's engine \> From Middle English mone, mane, mān, (also as mene), from Old English *mān, *mǣn ("complaint; lamentation"), from Proto-West Germanic *mainu, from Proto-Germanic *mainō ("opinion; mind"). Cognate with Old Frisian mēne ("opinion"), Old High German meina ("opinion"). Old English *mān, *mǣn is inferred from Old English mǣnan ("to complain over; grieve; mourn"). More at **mean**. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary of English, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Wiktionary

Question 163

cut corners

Answer 163

cut corners to do something in a way that saves time, effort, or money, but that also results in it not being done properly; to do something in the easiest and shortest way, esp at the expense of high standards ...There is always a temptation to **cut corners** when time is short. ...One airline was accused of **cutting corners** on safety. ...Men working on the site complained of pressure to **cut corners** to save time on the delayed project. ...The dictionary took nearly 70 years to complete because its makers refused to **cut corners**. ...We could finish this project early only if we **cut corners**. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Oxford Dictionary of English, Collins English Dictionary, Cambridge Dictionary

Question 164

prevaricate

Answer 164

pre‧var‧i‧cate /prɪˈværɪkeɪt/ to speak or act in an evasive way; to avoid telling the truth or saying exactly what you think; If you **prevaricate**, you avoid giving a direct answer or making a firm decision; While **prevaricate** basically means to lie, it also has the sense of making it hard to know exactly what the lie was. You talk in a confusing way, go back and forth, and as deliberately as possible mislead someone: EVADE, lie, shift, hedge ...Government officials **prevaricated** about the real costs of the project. ...During the hearings the witness was willing to **prevaricate** in order to protect his friend. ...Until disclosures are made mandatory, companies are likely to **prevaricate**. —*The Economist*, 21 Sep. 2019 ...For 10 months, the woman has been living on income support while her former husband skillfully evades the system by **prevaricating** over details. ...For a fortnight or so there was no reply, and then there was a **prevaricating** reply, and finally we gathered that nothing would be done. —prevarication noun : EVASION, lies, deception, pretence ...After months of **prevarication**, the political decision had at last been made. USAGE NOTES: *Prevaricate* and its synonyms *lie* and *equivocate* /ɪˈkwɪvəkeɪt/ all refer to playing fast and loose with the truth. **Lie** is the bluntest of the three. When you accuse someone of lying, you are saying that person was intentionally dishonest, no bones about it. *Prevaricate* is less accusatory and softens the bluntness of *lie*, usually implying that someone is evading the truth rather than purposely making false statements. **Equivocate** is similar to *prevaricate*, but it generally implies that someone is deliberately using words that have more than one meaning as a way to conceal the truth. \> **prevarication (n.)**: This Latin word is from prae "before" (see **pre-**) + varicare "to straddle," from varicus "straddling," from varus "bowlegged, knock-kneed" (see **varus**). The main modern meaning "evasion, quibbling, act of deviating from truth, honesty, or plain dealing" is attested from 1650s. \> **varus (n.)**: foot deformity in which the feet are extroverted, so that the inner ankle rests on the ground, while the sole of the foot is more or less turned outwards, 1800, from Latin varus "bent, bent outwards, turned awry, crooked," specifically "with legs bent inward, knock-kneed," a word of uncertain origin (see **vary**). \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary of English, Cambridge Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Vocabulary.com, Etymonline

Question 165

liken

Answer 165

liken to represent as similar; to point out the resemblance of someone or something to; If you **liken** one thing or person **to** another thing or person, you say that they are similar: COMPARE, equate, show the resemblance/similarity between, analogize, draw an analogy between, make an analogy of/between, draw a parallel between, parallel, correlate, match; link, associate, make connections between, bracket together, think of together, regard as similar, set beside, mention in the same breath; set side by side. ...I think that we can **liken** the two pianists, at least in terms of natural talent. liken sb/sth to sb/sth ...He once **likened** his job **to** fire-fighting. ...Some are **likening** his ouster **to** Steve Jobs being fired at Apple, a sign of how momentous the shakeup feels amid an AI boom that has rejuvenated Silicon Valley. —Bysteve Mollman, *Fortune*, 19 Nov. 2023 \> late 13c., "to represent or describe as like, compare," from **like** (adj.) + **-en** (1). Related: Likened; likening. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary of English, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Etymonline

Question 166

slur

Answer 166

verb **1** to speak unclearly without separating your words or sounds correctly; If someone **slurs** their speech or if their speech **slurs**, they do not pronounce each word clearly, because they are drunk, ill, or sleepy: MUMBLE, speak unclearly, garble, stumble over, stammer ...His voice sounded **slurred**. slur your words/speech ...She was **slurring her words** as if she was drunk. ...She was **slurring her words** and holding on to the bar-top for support. ...Her speech was **slurred** and barely comprehensible. ...There are a few potentially misleading videos that have circulated recently, such as one of Representative Nancy Pelosi **slurring her speech** and one of Biden enjoying a song about killing cops. —Daniel Immerwahr, *The New Yorker*, 13 Nov. 202 **2** to criticize someone or something unfairly; to cast aspersions on : DISPARAGE ...He was accused of slurring his opponent's reputation. ...The article slurred the company's good name. **3** (music) to play or sing notes in a smooth, connected way ...The violinist slurred the notes together beautifully. ...The singer slurred the melody for emotional effect. noun **1** an unfair criticism that is intended to make people dislike someone or something; A **slur** is an insulting remark which could damage someone's reputation; INSULT, slight, slander, slanderous statement, libel, libelous statement, misrepresentation, defamation, aspersion, calumny, smear; allegation, imputation, insinuation, innuendo /ˌɪnjuˈendəʊ $ -doʊ/ ...The mother alleges the neighbor, who was identified by the city of Midvale as Kathryn Smith, screams racial profanities at the woman's 9-year-old son and terrorizes her interracial family, frequently shouting **racial slurs** at them. —Davi Merchan, *ABC News*, 14 Dec. 2023 ...In 2019, Boston Officer Joseph Lynch was fired after being accused of calling a group of teens **slurs**, including the n-word, while talking to school officials. —Sean Cotter, *BostonGlobe.com*, 10 Sep. 2023 ...Your accusation of bribe-taking is a **slur** which I shall never forgive. slur on/against ...Milton regarded her comment as a **slur on** his country. ...How dare she **cast** a **slur on** (=criticize) my character? **2** *technical* a curved line written over musical notes to show they must be played together smoothly \> **slur (n.)**: From Middle English sloor (“thin or fluid mud”). Cognate with Middle Low German sluren (“to trail in mud”). Also related to dialectal Norwegian sløra (“to be careless, to scamp, dawdle”), Danish sløre (“to wobble, be loose”) (especially for wheels); compare Old Norse slóðra (“to drag oneself along”). \> **slur (v.)**: c. 1600, "smear, soil by smearing," from **slur** (n.). Meaning "disparage depreciate" is from 1650s. In music, "sing or play two or more sounds in a smooth, run-together manner," from 1746; of speech, "become indistinct through imperfect articulation," by 1827. Related: Slurred; slurring. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Wiktionary, Etymonline

Question 167

frenetic

Answer 167

fre‧net‧ic /fruh·**neh**·tuhk/ /frəˈnetɪk/ : marked by fast and energetic, disordered, or anxiety-driven activity : FRENZIED, FRANTIC sense 2; If you describe an activity as **frenetic**, you mean that it is fast and energetic, but rather uncontrolled: FRANTIC, wild, frenzied, hectic, fraught, feverish, fevered, mad, manic, hyperactive, energetic, intense, fast and furious, turbulent, tumultuous, confused, confusing; exciting, excited; *British informal* swivel-eyed ...a **frenetic** attempt to beat a deadline ...succumb to exhaustion merely trying to keep up with the president's **frenetic** schedule. —*The Economist* ...the **frenetic** pace of life in New York ...Embracing Change And Innovation The digital marketing arena is marked by its **frenetic** pace, where economic dynamics and consumer behaviors undergo perpetual evolution. —Cristy Garcia, *Forbes*, 30 Nov. 2023 ...The sudden, mysterious ouster of Mr. Altman, the chief executive of OpenAI, by the company’s board sent shock waves through the tech world and set off a **frenetic** guessing game about what brought down one of the industry’s biggest stars, at a time when everything seemed to be going his way. —Kevin Roose, *New York Times*, 18 Nov. 2023 \> late 14c., frenetik, "temporarily deranged, delirious, crazed," from Old French frenetike "mad, crazy" (13c.), from Latin phreneticus "delirious," alteration of Greek phrenitikos, from phrenitis (nosos) "frenzy, mental disease, insanity," literally "inflammation of the brain," from phrēn "mind, reason," also "diaphragm" (see **phreno-**) + **-itis** "inflammation." The classical ph- sometimes was restored from mid-16c. (see **phrenetic**). Related: Frenetical; frenetically. Compare frantic. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Etymonline

Question 168

clout

Answer 168

clout /klaʊt/ 1 INFORMAL•NORTH AMERICAN power or the authority to influence other people’s decisions: INFLUENCE, power, pull 2 INFORMAL•BRITISH a hard blow given with the hand: SMACK, slap, thump, punch, blow, hit \> From Middle English clout, from Old English clūt, from Proto-Germanic klūtaz, from Proto-Indo-European gelewdos, from Proto-Indo-European gel- (“to ball up, amass”). The sense “influence, especially political” originated in the dialect of Chicago, but has become widespread. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Wiktionary

Question 169

breadwinner

Answer 169

bread‧win‧ner /ˈbredˌwɪnə $ -ər/ the member of a family who earns the money to support the others; The **breadwinner** in a family is the person in it who earns the money that the family needs for essential things. ...When Roland's grant ran out, Val became the **breadwinner**. ...I've always paid the bills and been the **breadwinner**. \> also bread-winner, "one who supplies a living for himself and others," especially a family, 1821, from the noun **bread** (probably in a literal sense) + winner, from **win** (v.) in its sense of "struggle for, work at." Attested slightly earlier (1818) in the sense of "skill or art by which one makes a living." Not too far removed from the image at the root of **lord** (n.). \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary of English, Etymonline

Question 170

subservient

Answer 170

sub‧ser‧vi‧ent /səbˈsɜːviənt $ -ˈsɜːr-/ **1** always obeying another person and doing everything they want you to do – used when someone seems too weak and powerless; If you are **subservient**, you do whatever someone wants you to do: SUBMISSIVE, deferential, acquiescent, compliant, accommodating, obedient, dutiful, duteous, biddable, yielding, meek, docile, ductile, pliant, passive, unassertive, spiritless, subdued, humble, timid, mild, lamblike; servile, slavish, groveling, truckling, self-effacing, self-abasing, downtrodden, sniveling, cowering, cringing; *informal* under someone's thumb subservient to ...Don remained entirely **subservient to** his father. ...She is expected to be **subservient to** her uncle. ...What she hated about being a nurse was having to be so **subservient to** doctors. subservient role/position ...His wife refused to accept a traditional **subservient role**. **2** FORMAL less important than something else; If you treat one thing as **subservient to** another, you treat it as less important than the other thing: SUBORDINATE, secondary, subsidiary, peripheral, marginal, ancillary, auxiliary, supplementary, inferior, immaterial; less important than, of lesser importance than, lower than subservient to ...The rights of the individual are being made **subservient to** the interests of the state. ...The woman's needs are seen as **subservient to** the group interest. ...His other interests were **subservient to** his compelling passion for art. \> 1630s, "useful as an instrument or means, serviceable," from Latin subservientem (nominative subserviens), present participle of subservire "assist, serve, come to the help of, lend support," from sub "under" (see **sub-**) + servire "serve" (see **serve** (v.)). The meaning "slavishly obedient, disposed to serve in an inferior capacity" is recorded by 1794. Related: Subserviently. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Cambridge Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Etymonilne

Question 171

coterie

Answer 171

co‧te‧rie /ˈkəʊtəri $ ˈkoʊ-/ FORMAL a small group of people who enjoy doing the same things together, and do not like including others. ...Normally it comes from what she likes to call her **coterie** of friends and advisers. \> "exclusive set or circle of persons who are in the habit of meeting and socializing, a clique," 1738, from French coterie "circle of acquaintances," originally an organization of peasants holding land from a feudal lord (14c.), from cotier "tenant of a cote" (see cottage). \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Oxford Dictionary of English, Etymonline

Question 172

draconian

Answer 172

dra‧co‧ni‧an /drəˈkəʊniən $ -ˈkoʊ-/ FORMAL very strict and cruel; **Draconian** laws or measures are extremely harsh and severe: HARSH, severe, strict, extreme, drastic, stringent, tough, swingeing, cruel, brutal, oppressive, ruthless, relentless, summary, punitive, authoritarian, despotic, tyrannical, arbitrary, repressive, iron-fisted draconian measures/controls/penalties etc ...**draconian** measures to control population growth ...**draconian** censorship laws ...The 2021 supply chain crisis, which resulted from Beijing's **draconian** handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, forced many countries to reconsider their reliance on China for production and trade. —Peter Aitken, *Fox News*, 3 Dec. 2023 ...On Friday, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Narges Mohammadi, a women's rights activist imprisoned in Iran who has repeatedly spoken out about the **draconian** enforcement of wearing a headscarf. —Susannah George, *Washington Post*, 6 Oct. 2023 ...The **draconian** punishment for one silly video seemed unfair, Ms. Watkins said. —Kashmir Hill, *New York Times*, 27 Nov. 2023 ...Hamas was voted into power by the Palestinian people in 2007 and quickly began a **draconian** reign of terror. —Bradford Betz, *Fox News*, 20 Nov. 2023 \> 1759, "of or pertaining to Draco," the ancient Greek statesman; 1777, in reference to laws, "rigorous, extremely severe or harsh" (earlier Draconic, which is implied from 1640s). Draco is the Latinized form of Greek Drakon, name of the archon of Athens who laid down a code of laws for Athens c. 621 B.C.E. that mandated death as punishment for minor crimes. His name seems to mean literally "sharp-sighted" (see **dragon**). ~ Etymonline \> *Draconian* comes from *Draco*, the name of a 7th-century B.C. Athenian legislator who created a written code of law. Draco's code was intended to clarify existing laws, but its severity is what made it really memorable. According to the code, even minor offenses were punishable by death, and failure to pay one's debts could result in slavery. *Draconian*, as a result, became associated with especially authoritative actions that are viewed as cruel or harsh. ~ Merriam-Webster \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Etymonline

Question 173

reverie

Answer 173

rev‧e‧rie /**reh**·vr·ee/ /ˈrevəri/ a state of having pleasant dream-like thoughts; A **reverie** is a state of imagining or thinking about pleasant things, as if you are dreaming: DAYDREAM, musing, preoccupation, trance ...He was lost **in reverie** until he suddenly heard someone behind him. ...She was startled out of her **reverie** by a loud crash. ...I was lost **in reverie** and didn't realize my flight was boarding until it was almost too late. ...Musk would often lapse into long reflective **reveries**, and the biographer would learn not to interrupt. —Margot Roosevelt, *Los Angeles Times*, 12 Sep. 2023 ...Sometimes he would drift off into **reverie**, and gaze out of the window for hours. ...Valence also smiled, though his was a pensive smile, a smile of **reverie**. \> mid-14c., reuerye, "wild conduct, frolic," from Old French reverie, resverie "revelry, rejoicing, wantonness, raving, delirium" (Modern French rêverie), from resver "to dream, wander, rave" (12c., Modern French rêver), a word of uncertain origin (also the source of **rave**). \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Cambridge Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Etymonline

Question 174

square up

Answer 174

square up **1** BRITISH to get ready to fight someone; in some sports, to bring the body into a position where it is directly facing an opponent or the ball, goal, etc. ...In the meadow beside the lane, two hares were **squaring up**. ...They **squared up** for a fight. ...She **squared up** for a three-point shot. to ...The players **squared up to** each other and started shouting. ...The two lads **squared up to** each other. ...She **squared up to the basket** for a three-point shot. **2** **square up to sb/sth** to deal with a difficult situation or person in a determined way; If you **square up to** a problem, person, or situation, you accept that you have to deal with them and take action to do so. ...The world's most prestigious insurance company was last night **squaring up to** take on MPs who have accused it of being riddled with corruption. ...a woman **squaring up to** the deepest crisis she has yet had to face ...The two teams will be **squaring up to** each other in the final next week. ...The candidates are preparing to **square up** on Friday in the first presidential debate. ...Germany's biggest carmaker is **squaring up** for fierce wage negotiations with its employees. **3** to adjust (something) so that it is square or rectangular ...Use a mallet to **square up** the frame and check by measuring the diagonals—both dimensions should be the same. ...Your desk would look neater if you **squared up** the piles of papers so they don’t look so much like haystacks. **4** **square up (with sb)** to pay money that you owe; to pay, settle, or reconcile (an account, bill, ledger, etc.): PAY, pay in full, settle, settle up, discharge, clear; defray, liquidate, satisfy, meet, account for, make good ...Can I leave you to **square up with** the waiter? ...I’ll pay for the drinks and you can **square up** later. ...Would you **square up** the bill? ...If you pay for both tickets now, I'll **square up with** you later. ...We **squared up with** the cashier and checked out of the hotel. ...A property manager can help you collect dues, **square up** the books, and save money by negotiating discounts with local service providers. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford Learner's Dictionaries, Cambridge Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Dictionary.com, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus

Question 175

wring/wrung/wrung

Answer 175

wring/wrung/wrung wring sth from sb wring sth out of sb If you **wring** something **out of** someone, you manage to make them give it to you even though they do not want to: EXTRACT, elicit, force, coerce, exact, extort ...They are always trying to **wring** additional funds **from** the government. ...I managed to **wring** the information **out of** him. wring out When you **wring out** a wet cloth or a wet piece of clothing, you squeeze the water out of it by twisting it strongly: TWIST, squeeze \> Old English wringan "press, strain, wring, twist" (class III strong verb; past tense wrang, past participle wrungen), from Proto-Germanic *wreng- (source also of Old English wringen "to wring, press out," Old Frisian wringa, Middle Dutch wringhen, Dutch wringen "to wring," Old High German ringan "to move to and fro, to twist," German ringen "to wrestle"), from *wrengh-, nasalized variant of *wergh- "to turn," from PIE root *wer- (2) "to turn, bend." To *wring (one's) hands* "press the hands or fingers tightly together (as though wringing)" as an indication of distress or pain is attested from c. 1200. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Etymonline

Question 176

kindred

Answer 176

kindred

Question 177

assuage

Answer 177

as‧suage /uh·**swayj**/ /əˈsweɪdʒ/ **1** to lessen the intensity of (something that pains or distresses); If you **assuage** an unpleasant feeling that someone has, you make them feel it less strongly: RELIEVE, ease, alleviate, soothe, mitigate, dampen, allay, calm, palliate, abate, lull, temper, suppress, smother, stifle, subdue, tranquillize, mollify, moderate, modify, tone down, attenuate, dilute, lessen, diminish, decrease, reduce, lower; put an end to, put a stop to, take the edge off ...Life contains sorrows that cannot be **assuaged**, and it is important to be honest in acknowledging this. —Jo McGowan, *Commonweal*, 5 May 2006 ...He couldn't **assuage** his **guilt** over the divorce. ...Is any of this enough to **assuage** the fears of a sector of the economy that is already looking potential doom in the mouth? —Bob Inglis, *Forbes*, 30 Nov. 2023 ...Eliminating power cables and mooring chains could also **assuage** some of the concerns over offshore wind’s potential effect on fisheries and wildlife. —*IEEE Spectrum*, 23 Sep. 2023 **2** to put an end to by satisfying; If you **assuage** a need or desire for something, you satisfy it: SATISFY, fulfill, gratify, appease, indulge, relieve, slake, sate, satiate, quench, quell, overcome, check, keep in check, dull, blunt, allay, take the edge off, diminish ...The meat they'd managed to procure **assuaged** their hunger. USAGE NOTES: - **Assuage** implies softening or sweetening what is harsh or disagreeable. - ocean breezes *assuaged* the intense heat \> *Assuage* comes from the Latin adjective *suavis*, meaning—you guessed it—“sweet.” \> From Middle English aswagen, from Old French asuagier (“to appease, to calm”), from Latin ad "to" (see **ad-**) + suavis "sweet, agreeable" (from PIE root *swād- "sweet, pleasant;" see **sweet** (adj.)). \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Wiktionary, Etymonline

Question 178

anoint

Answer 178

a‧noint /əˈnɔɪnt/ **1** to smear or rub with oil or an oily substance: SMEAR WITH OIL, rub with oil, apply oil to, spread oil over ...**anoint** the wound with antiseptic to prevent infection **2** To **anoint** someone means to put oil or water on a part of their body, usually for religious reasons: CONSECRATE /ˈkɒnsəkreɪt $ ˈkɑːn-/, sanctify, bless, ordain, hallow /hǽlou/ ...He **anointed** my forehead. ...The Pope has **anointed** him as Archbishop /ˌɑːtʃˈbɪʃəp◂ $ ˌɑːrtʃ-/. ...the **anointed** king → anoint sb with sth ...He was **anointed with** sacred oil. **3** to choose by or as if by divine election; If a person in a position of authority **anoints** someone, they choose them to do a particular important job. ...The populist party **anointed** him as its candidate. ...Mr. Olsen has always avoided **anointing** any successor. **3a** also : to designate as if by a ritual anointment ...Critics have **anointed** her as an important new literary figure. ...The magazine **anointed** her the most popular actress of the year. ...When the coaching staff recruited Moore, a five-star prospect from Detroit, many **anointed** him as the future. —Thuc Nhi Nguyen, *Los Angeles Times*, 17 Dec. 2023 \> mid-14c., enointen, "pour oil upon, smear with ointment," from Old French enoint "smeared on," past participle of enoindre "smear on," from Latin inunguere "to anoint," from in- "in, into" (see **in**) + unguere "to smear" (see **unguent** (n.)). \> **unguent (n.)**: /ˈʌŋɡwənt/ "ointment," early 15c., from Latin unguentem "ointment," from stem of unguere "to anoint or smear with ointment," from PIE root *ongw- "to salve, anoint" (source also of Sanskrit anakti "anoints, smears," Armenian aucanem "I anoint," Old Prussian anctan "butter," Old High German ancho, German anke "butter," Old Irish imb, Welsh ymenyn "butter"). \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Etymonline

Question 179

salvage

Answer 179

sal‧vage /**sal**·vuhj/ /ˈsælvɪdʒ/ verb **1** to rescue or save especially from wreckage or ruin; If something **is salvaged**, someone manages to save it, for example from a ship that has sunk, or from a building that has been damaged: SAVE, RECOVER, RESCUE, RESTORE ...The team's first task was to decide what equipment could **be salvaged.** ...Few of their possessions **were salvaged** from the fire. ...He is trying to **salvage** his marriage. ...It was a desperate attempt to **salvage** the situation. ...After the fraud scandal he had to make great efforts to **salvage** his reputation. **2** if someone salvages a deal when there have been serious disagreements and problems about it, they find a way to make people accept it ...He **salvaged** a last-minute deal to sell the state’s interests in the bank. noun **1** [uncountable] **Salvage** is the act of salvaging things from somewhere such as a damaged ship or building: RESCUE, saving, recovery, raising, reclamation, restoration, salvation. ...The **salvage operation** went on. ...the cost of **salvage** **2** [uncountable] The **salvage** from somewhere such as a damaged ship or building is the things that are saved from it: SCRAP, remains, waste, junk ...They climbed up on the rock with their **salvage**. \> **salvage (n.)**: 1640s, "payment for saving a ship from wreck or capture," from French salvage (15c.), from Old French salver "to save" (see **save** (v.)). The general sense of "the saving of property from danger" is attested from 1878. Meaning "recycling of waste material" is from 1918, from the British effort in World War I. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Cambridge Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Etymonline

Question 180

paramour

Answer 180

par‧a‧mour /ˈpærəmʊə $ -mʊr/ an illicit or secret lover ...a married man and his **paramour** \> From Middle English paramour, paramoure, peramour, paramur, from Old French par amor (“for love's sake”). The modern pronunciation is apparently an Early Modern English readaptation of the French, from Anglo-French and Old French par amour, from accusative of amor "love," from amare "to love" (see Amy) \> paramour (1300-1400) Anglo-French par amour “by way of love” \> Merriam-Webster, Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Wiktionary, Etymonline

Question 181

cloister

Answer 181

cloister [usually plural] a covered passage that surrounds one side of a square garden in a church, monastery etc \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

Question 182

iffy

Answer 182

if‧fy /ˈɪfi/ **1** INFORMAL•BRITISH not very good; If you say that something is **iffy**, you mean that it is not very good in some way: SUBSTANDARD, second-rate, low-grade, low-quality, of low quality, of poor quality; doubtful, dubious, questionable; *informal* not up to much; *British informal* dodgy, ropy; *US informal* farkakte. ...That meat smells a bit **iffy** to me. ...The windscreen's a bit **iffy**, but it's a good car. ...He was from an **iffy** neighborhood. **2** INFORMAL If something is **iffy**, it is uncertain: TENTATIVE, undecided, unsettled, unsure, unreliable, unresolved, in doubt, in the balance; *informal* up in the air ...His political future has looked **iffy** for most of this year. ...The July date is still rather **iffy**. ...The odds of additional rainfall this month are **iffy**. —Ian Livingston, *Washington Post*, 22 Nov. 2023 \> 1930s (originally US): from **if** + f + **-y**. Originally associated with President Franklin D. Roosevelt. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary of English, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Etymonline

Question 183

sequester

Answer 183

se‧ques‧ter /suh·**kweh**·str/ /sɪˈkwestə $ -ər/ verb **1** FORMAL to keep a person or a group of people away from other people; If someone **is sequestered** somewhere, they are isolated from other people: ISOLATE ONESELF, CUT ONESELF OFF, SECLUDE ONESELF /səˈklud —/, shut oneself off, hide oneself away, shut oneself away, set oneself apart, segregate oneself; closet oneself, withdraw oneself, remove oneself, retire ...He **sequestered himself** from the world. ...This jury is expected to **be sequestered** for at least two months. ... A growing forest **sequesters** carbon and gives off oxygen. ...Philips explains that the journalists **were sequestered** in the legendary Metropol Hotel. —Terry W. Hartle, *The Christian Science Monitor*, 20 Nov. 2023 ...Dating shows like Love Island and The Bachelor **sequester** people on islands and in mansions to force romance. —Lovia Gyarkye, *The Hollywood Reporter*, 16 Mar. 2023 **2** LAW to seize especially by a writ of sequestration: CONFISCATE /ˈkɒnfəskeɪt $ ˈkɑːn-/, seize, sequestrate, take possession of, take, appropriate, expropriate, impound, commandeer, arrogate; *Law* distrain, attach, disseize ...The government **sequestered** all his property. ...Everything he owned **was sequestered.** ...Lili's father was tremendously rich until the government **sequestered** all his property. Grammar: **Sequester** is usually passive. noun an order by the US government stating that a government organization or department must reduce the money it spends ...In 2013, the Tea Party had negotiated the budget **sequester** and all federal hiring at the immigration courts was essentially halted. —Isaac Chotiner, *The New Yorker*, 2 Mar. 2023 ...If the projected deficit is more than $74 billion, a **sequester** will be administered. ...Education and labor are among the agencies scheduled for **sequester cuts**. \> *Sequester* first appeared in English in the 14th century. The word derives from Latin *sequestrare* ("to hand over to a trustee") and ultimately from *secus* ("beside," "otherwise"), which is akin to Latin *sequi* ("to follow"). ~ Merriam-Webster \> late 14c., sequestren, transitive, "remove (something), set aside; quarantine, isolate (someone); excommunicate;" also intransitive, "separate oneself from," from Old French sequestrer (14c.) and directly from Late Latin sequestrare "to place in safekeeping," from Latin sequester "trustee, mediator," noun use of an adjective meaning "intermediate," which probably is related to sequi "to follow" (from PIE root \*sekw- (1) "to follow"). The legal meaning "seize by authority, confiscate" is attested from 1510s. The alternative verb sequestrate is early 15c. (Chauliac), from the Latin past participle sequestratus. Related: Sequestered; sequestering. ~ Etymonline \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary of English, Cambridge Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Etymonline

Question 184

hold water | /hoʊld ˈwɔːtər/

Answer 184

(phr.) to be valid, logical, or consistent ##Footnote His argument doesn't hold water when you examine the facts closely.

Question 185

splotchy | /ˈsplɑːtʃi/

Answer 185

(adj.) marked or covered with irregular patches or spots ##Footnote - Her face turned splotchy and red after she finished the intense workout. - The paint on the wall dried unevenly, leaving a splotchy appearance.

Question 186

vaporware | /ˈveɪpərˌwɛr/

Answer 186

(n.) software or hardware that is publicly announced but not yet available, often with uncertainty about whether it will ever be released ##Footnote - Many fans were disappointed when the much-anticipated game turned out to be vaporware. - The company's promised revolutionary smartphone turned out to be vaporware, never actually making it to market.

Question 187

inaugural | /ɪˈnɔːɡjərəl/

Answer 187

(adj.) marking the beginning of an institution, activity, or period of office ##Footnote The president delivered her inaugural speech to outline her vision for the future.

Question 188

entice | /ɪnˈtaɪs/

Answer 188

(v.) to attract or tempt someone by offering pleasure or advantage ##Footnote The company tried to entice new customers with special discounts and offers.

Question 189

luxe | /lʌks/

Answer 189

(adj.) luxurious or of high quality ##Footnote The hotel's luxe accommodations included marble bathrooms and silk bedsheets.

Question 190

conducive | /kənˈduːsɪv/

Answer 190

(adj.) making a situation or outcome more likely to happen; favorable or beneficial ##Footnote A quiet environment is conducive to studying and concentration.

Question 191

interference | /ˌɪntərˈfɪrəns/

Answer 191

(n.) the act of intervening in a situation where one is not wanted or needed, often causing disruption ##Footnote - His constant interference in their plans caused unnecessary delays. - The radio signal experienced interference due to the nearby power lines.

Question 192

subsume | /səbˈsjuːm/

Answer 192

(v.) to include or absorb something into a larger group or category ##Footnote The small department was subsumed under the larger corporate division during the reorganization.

Question 193

hedonism | /ˈhiːdənɪzəm/

Answer 193

(n.) the pursuit of pleasure as the most important goal in life ##Footnote - His lifestyle of constant partying and indulgence was a clear example of hedonism. - The ancient philosophy of hedonism advocates for maximizing pleasure and minimizing pain.

Question 194

refractory | /rɪˈfræktəri/

Answer 194

(adj.) stubborn or resistant to authority or control; difficult to manage ##Footnote The refractory student refused to follow the teacher's instructions, causing disruption in the class.

Question 195

take root | /teɪk ruːt/

Answer 195

(phr.) to become established or start to develop ##Footnote The idea of environmental conservation has begun to take root in communities around the world.

Question 196

asphyxiate | /əsˈfɪksieɪt/

Answer 196

(v.) to cause someone to die or lose consciousness by preventing them from breathing ##Footnote The firefighters warned about the dangers of smoke inhalation, which can quickly asphyxiate victims in a burning building.

Question 197

dusk

Answer 197

In everyday language, the term dusk is commonly used as another word for evening twilight—**the period from sunset until nighttime**. Other colloquial synonyms include nightfall, sundown, and eventide. In some contexts, dusk is also used to denote the setting of the Sun. ~ [Time and Date](https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/dusk.html)

Question 198

flux | /flʌks/

Answer 198

(n.) continuous change or movement; a state of uncertainty ##Footnote The company's policies were in a state of flux as they adapted to the rapidly changing market.

Question 199

nitpicking | /ˈnɪtˌpɪkɪŋ/

Answer 199

(n.) the act of looking for small or unimportant errors or faults, especially to criticize unnecessarily ##Footnote - Her constant nitpicking about every minor detail was frustrating to the entire team. - The editor's constant nitpicking about minor grammatical issues frustrated the writer.

Question 200

in a rut | /ɪn ə rʌt/

Answer 200

(phr.) in an established, unvarying routine that is dull or unproductive ##Footnote - After five years at the same job, Tom felt he was stuck in a rut and needed a new challenge. - He felt like he was in a rut, doing the same tasks every day with no excitement or progress.

Question 201

pageant

Answer 201

pageant ...