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1
Q

Define:

obfuscate

(ob-fuh-skeyt)

A

v. to deliberately obscure, to make confusing, to bewilder

The governor obfuscated the issue with big words and numbers.

2
Q

Define:

encomium

(en-koh-mee-uhm)

A

n. enthusiastic praise

That country’s national anthem is an encomium to the heroes of a war long past.

3
Q

Define:

din

(din)

A

n. loud sustained noise, confusing or tumultuous sound

During the concert, Jill couldn’t hear Rick over the din of the loudspeakers.

4
Q

Define:

alloy

(n. al-oi; v. al-oi)

A

n. a mixture of superior and inferior ingredients

v. to debase by mixing with something inferior

The heroism one sees nowadays is often alloyed with some degree of self-interest.

5
Q

Define:

pugilism

(pyoo-djuh-liz-uhm)

A

n. the skill or practice of fighting with fists; boxing

Mike Tyson is known throughout the world for his pugilism.

6
Q

Define:

sanctimony

(sangk-tuh-moh-nee)

A

n. self-righteousness, pretended piety

His sanctimony was laughable, since we all knew he was one of the worst offenders.

7
Q

Define:

baleful

(beyl-fuhl)

A

adj. full of sinister influence, pernicious, ominous

The basilisk’s baleful glare is lethal.

8
Q

Define:

hallow

(hal-oh)

A

v. to set apart as holy, to sanctify

The site for the church was hallowed in a special ceremony.

9
Q

Define:

ostensible

(uh-sten-suh-buhl)

A

adj. apparent

adj. pretended

The oil spill was the ostensible result of lax safety regulations.

10
Q

Define:

sinecure

(sahy-nih-kyoor)

A

n. a comfortable job requiring little work

Carolyn’s position in the office is a sinecure; she does nothing all day yet she draws the same salary as everyone else.

11
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to deliberately obscure, to make confusing, to bewilder

A

obfuscate

(ob-fuh-skeyt)

synonyms: baffle, muddle, confound

12
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. enthusiastic praise

A

encomium

(en-koh-mee-uhm)

synonyms: tribute, laudation, praise

13
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. loud, sustained noise, confusing or tumultuous sound

A

din

(din)

synonyms: buzz, clamor, commotion, racket

14
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a mixture of superior and inferior ingredients

v. to debase by mixing with something inferior

A

alloy

(n. al-oi; v. al-oi)

synonyms: blend, combination; debase, devalue

15
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. the skill or practice of fighting with fists; boxing

A

pugilism

(pyoo-djuh-liz-uhm)

synonyms: battle, sparring, duel

16
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. self-righteousness, pretended piety

A

sanctimony

(sangk-tuh-moh-nee)

synonyms: smug, hypocritical, preachy

17
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. full of sinister influence, pernicious, ominous

A

baleful

(beyl-fuhl)

synonyms: menacing, evil

18
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to set apart as holy, to sanctify

A

hallow

(hal-oh)

synonyms: bless, consecrate

19
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. apparent

A

ostensible

(uh-sten-suh-buhl)

synonyms: exhibited, likely, manifest

20
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a comfortable job requiring little work

A

sinecure

(sahy-nih-kyoor)

synonyms: easy work

21
Q

Define:

lackey

(lak-ee)

A

n. a male servant, servile follower, toady

Lori’s boyfriend becomes a lackey during her shopping trips.

22
Q

Define:

redress

(ree-dress)

A

v. to set right, to remedy

n. compensation or restitution for a wrong

The peaceful petitioning for redress of wrongs is a right enshrined in our country’s founding document.

23
Q

Define:

unctuous

(uhngk-choo-uhs)

A

adj. oily, greasy

adj. characterized by insincere earnestness

The king had the unctuous toady removed from his palace.

24
Q

Define:

arrant

(ar-uhnt)

A

adj. impudent

adj. thorough, utter, notorious

Though the professor is considered one of the greats of his discipline, lately his lectures have verged on arrant nonsense.

25
Q

Define:

vaunt

(vawnt)

A

v. to boast or brag about

Chris, though usually very modest, will readily vaunt his achievements in a job interview.

26
Q

Define:

affectation

(af-ek-tey-shuhn)

A

n. a show or pretense

n. artificial behavior to impress others

That American doctor’s affectation of a British accent has drawn much criticism.

27
Q

Define:

philately

(fih-lat-uhl-ee)

A

n. the study of postage stamps

His grandfather is obsessed with philately and has even made several overseas pen pals in order to study their countries’ postage.

28
Q

Define:

canonical

(kuh-non-ih-kuhl)

A

adj. in agreement with accepted principles

adj. authorized, accepted

The canonical Mozart sonatas were consulted in order to compare them to the newly-discovered manuscript attributed to him.

29
Q

Define:

whit

(wit)

A

n. the smallest possible part or fraction

The bank robber did not have a whit of self-respect.

30
Q

Define:

epaulet

(ep-uh-let)

A

n. a shoulder ornament, esp. a strap on military uniforms

The veteran’s uniform was adorned by a pair of impressive epaulets.

31
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a male servant, servile follower, toady

A

lackey

(lak-ee)

synonyms: servant, butler, subordinate

32
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to set right, to remedy

n. compensation or restitution for a wrong

A

redress

(ree-dress)

synonyms: help, compensate; justice

33
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. oily, greasy

adj. characterized by insincere earnestness

A

unctuous

(uhngk-choo-uhs)

synonyms: fatty, slick; lying, untruthful

34
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. impudent

adj. thorough, utter, notorious

A

arrant

(ar-uhnt)

synonyms: shameless; brazen

35
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to boast, to brag

A

vaunt

(vawnt)

synonyms: flaunt, gloat

36
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a show or pretense

n. artificial behavior to impress others

A

affectation

(af-ek-tey-shuhn)

synonyms: pretend, artificiality

37
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. the study of postage stamps

A

philately

(fih-lat-uhl-ee)

synonyms: study of stamps

38
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. in agreement with accepted principles

adj. authorized, accepted

A

canonical

(kuh-non-ih-kuhl)

synonyms: orthodox, standard

39
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. the smallest possible part or fraction

A

whit

(wit)

synonyms: atom, crumb, grain, iota

40
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a shoulder ornament, esp. a strap on military uniforms

A

epaulet

(ep-uh-let)

synonyms: military decoration, service stripe

41
Q

Define:

panoply

(pan-uh-plee)

A

n. a splendid, striking array

n. the complete armory of a warrior

n. a shining protective array

A porcupine’s panoply of quills is quite a protective arsenal.

42
Q

Define:

pantheon

(pan-thee-on)

A

n. a temple dedicated to the gods

n. all the gods of a people

n. a group of famous persons

The Greek pantheon includes Zeus and his consort, Hera.

43
Q

Define:

blandish

(blan-dish)

A

v. to coax or influence with flattery

Steve blandished her into going out with him.

44
Q

Define:

peremptory

(puh-remp-tuh-ree)

A

adj. admitting of no contradiction; putting an end to further debate; haughty; imperious

He ended the discussion with a peremptory wave of his hand.

45
Q

Define:

tyro

(tahy-roh)

A

n. a beginner or novice in any kind of skill

The hapless tyro tripped over the ropes on his way into the boxing ring.

46
Q

Define:

fetid

(fet-id)

A

adj. malodorous, stinky

The fetid green substance had taken over the entire fridge.

47
Q

Define:

fecundity

(fih-kuhn-dih-tee)

A

n. fertility, fruitfulness

An artist’s period of fecundity can come at any time of her life.

48
Q

Define:

rarefied

(rair-uh-fahyd)

A

adj. thin, pure, refined

The rarefied air of higher altitudes makes it very difficult to climb Mt. Everest.

49
Q

Define:

delectation

(dee-lek-tey-shuhn)

A

n. enjoyment

They played wiffleball for the delectation of it, not for the competition.

50
Q

Define:

fickle

(fick-ul)

A

adj. prone to changing often

Suzanne was a fickle friend who could not be relied upon.

51
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a splendid, striking array

n. the complete armory of a warrior

n. a shining protective array

A

panoply

(pan-uh-plee)

synonyms: display, arrangement; armaments

52
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a temple dedicated to the gods

n. all the gods of a people

n. a group of famous persons

A

pantheon

(pan-thee-on)

synonyms: house of worship, sanctuary

53
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to coax or influence with flattery

A

blandish

(blan-dish)

synonyms: charm, flatter

54
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. admitting of no contradiction; putting an end to further debate; haughty; imperious

A

peremptory

(puh-remp-tuh-ree)

synonyms: opinionated, absolute, assertive

55
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a beginner or novice in any kind of skill

A

tyro

(tahy-roh)

synonyms: beginner, rookie

56
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. malodorous, stinky

A

fetid

(fet-id)

synonyms: corrupt, gross

57
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. fertility, fruitfulness

A

fecundity

(fih-kuhn-dih-tee)

synonyms: abundance, productivity

58
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. thin, pure, refined

A

rarefied

(rair-uh-fahyd)

synonyms: thin, refined

59
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. enjoyment

A

delectation

(dee-lek-tey-shuhn)

synonyms: delight, elation

60
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. prone to changing often

A

fickle

(fick-ul)

synonyms: inconstant, unpredictable

61
Q

Define:

fidelity

(fih-dell-ih-tee)

A

n. devotion to obligations or loyalties

n. the accuracy of a reproduced sound or image

Kevin’s parents were proud of him for his fidelity to the family business.

62
Q

Define:

fission

(fish-un)

A

n. the act of separating into parts

The controversial legislation led to the fission of the administration.

63
Q

Define:

flag

(flag)

A

v. to become tired or weak

v. to droop or limp

The runner’s enthusiasm flagged when she realized she still had many miles ahead of her.

64
Q

Define:

florid

(floor-id)

A

adj. healthy-looking

adj. ornate or flowery

The author’s florid prose did not impress the critics, who found her work pretentious.

65
Q

Define:

forbear

(for-bear)

A

v. to refrain from doing something

Although I know Adam likes to crack jokes, I would have liked him to forbear silliness in such a serious situation.

66
Q

Define:

forestall

(for-stall)

A

v. to deal with ahead of time; to prevent

The mayor called the police before the protest even began in order to forestall rioting.

67
Q

Define:

quail

(kweyl)

A

v. to shrink with fear

The puppy quailed at my angry tone.

68
Q

Define:

forthright

(forth-rahyt)

A

adj. straightforward

One should be forthright and honest with the authorities so as not to seem suspicious.

69
Q

Define:

fortuity

(for-too-ih-tee)

A

n. an event that happens by chance without a known cause

n. luck

By sheer fortuity, Linda was assigned to the same homeroom as her twin brother.

70
Q

Define:

mince

(minss)

A

v. to speak carefully; to euphemize

Don’t mince words with me; just say what you need to say!

71
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. devotion to obligations or loyalties

n. the accuracy of a reproduced sound or image

A

fidelity

(fih-dell-ih-tee)

synonyms: allegiance, faith

72
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. the act of separating into parts

A

fission

(fish-un)

synonyms: division, severance, parting

73
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to become tired or weak

v. to droop or limp

A

flag

(flag)

synonyms: droop, fade, wane, weaken

74
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. healthy-looking

adj. ornate or flowery

A

florid

(floor-id)

synonyms: pretty, fancy; extravagant, ornamental

75
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to refrain from doing something

A

forbear

(for-bear)

synonyms: avoid, constrain, forgo

76
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to deal with ahead of time; to prevent

A

forestall

(for-stall)

synonyms: intercept, anticipate, prevent

77
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to shrink with fear

A

quail

(kweyl)

synonyms: recoil, cower

78
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. straightforward

A

forthright

(forth-rahyt)

synonyms: honest, frank

79
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. an event that happens by chance without a known cause

n. luck

A

fortuity

(for-too-ih-tee)

synonyms: accident; good fortune

80
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to speak carefully; to euphemize

A

mince

(minss)

synonyms: soften, tone down

81
Q

Define:

visceral

(viss-er-uhl)

A

adj. felt in one’s stomach

adj. emotional, rather than intellectual

Jeb’s visceral response to his mother’s racist ramblings was visible to all of us.

82
Q

Define:

refectory

(rih-fek-tuh-ree)

A

n. a room or dining area where meals are served

The students milled about the entrance to the refectory, counting down the seconds until supper would be served.

83
Q

Define:

frenetic

(fruh-net-ik)

A

adj. frenzied or frantic

Frenetic screams filled the room as people tried to get out before the fire spread.

84
Q

Define:

infinitesimal

(in-fin-ih-tess-uh-muhl)

A

adj. immeasurably small

The proportion of truly selfless people in this world is surely infinitesimal.

85
Q

Define:

sanguine

(sang-gwin)

A

adj. cheerfully optimistic

Samantha had a sanguine attitude towards life that enriched those around her.

86
Q

Define:

furtive

(fur-tiv)

A

adj. secretive, sly

At the party, Julia cast furtive glances around the room to make sure her older sister was not around to send her back home.

87
Q

Define:

calumny

(kal-uhm-nee)

A

n. a false statement; slander, aspersion

The desperate candidate abandoned reasoned arguments and resorted to calumnies against the front-runner.

88
Q

Define:

quotidian

(kwoh-tid-ee-uhn)

A

adj. everyday, commonplace, habitual

Joe’s small, quotidian pleasures seemed more substantial than Mattias’s high-profile jet-setting.

89
Q

Define:

salacious

(suh-ley-shuhs)

A

adj. causing sexual desire, bawdy

Many parents were unhappy with the magazine’s salacious material.

90
Q

Define:

importune

(im-pour-chewn)

A

v. to beg persistently

Kate importuned her father every day to teach her how to sail.

91
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. felt in one’s stomach

adj. emotional, rather than intellectual

A

visceral

(viss-er-uhl)

synonyms: habitual, instinctive, inherent; affective

92
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a room or dining area where meals are served

A

refectory

(rih-fek-tuh-ree)

synonyms: chamber, dining hall

93
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. frenzied or frantic

A

frenetic

(fruh-net-ik)

synonyms: anxious, hysterical, rattled

94
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. immeasurably small

A

infinitesimal

(in-fin-ih-tess-uh-muhl)

synonyms: little, microscopic

95
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. cheerfully optimistic

A

sanguine

(sang-gwin)

synonyms: happy, cheerful

96
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. secretive, sly

A

furtive

(fur-tiv)

synonyms: sneaky, stealthy

97
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

n. a false statement; slander, aspersion

A

calumny

(kal-uhm-nee)

synonyms: misrepresentations, slanderous

98
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. everyday, commonplace, habitual

A

quotidian

(kwoh-tid-ee-uhn)

synonyms: ordinary, trivial

99
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

adj. causing sexual desire, bawdy

A

salacious

(suh-ley-shuhs)

synonyms: erotic, lecherous, raunchy

100
Q

Which of your vocabulary words means the following?

v. to beg persistently

A

importune

(im-pour-chewn)

synonyms: demand, appeal