Word List 21

Question 1

instrumentalist

Answer 1

a player on a musical instrument

Question 2

insular

Answer 2

of, relating to, or constituting an island
dwelling or situated on an island
characteristic of an isolated people; especially, being, having, or reflecting a narrow provincial viewpoint

e.g. the insular world of boarding school
an insular community that is not receptive of new ideas, especially from outsiders

Question 3

insurgent

Answer 3

a person who revolts against civil authority or an established government; also, one who acts contrary to the policies and decisions of one’s own political party
rising in opposition to civil authority or established leadership; rebellious

e.g. The government subjected the insurgents to the most inhuman torture imaginable.
Any insurgent soldier will be dealt with harshly.

Question 4

insurrection

Answer 4

an act or instance of revolting against civil authority or an established government

e.g. the famous insurrection of the slaves in ancient Rome under Spartacus

Question 5

rive

Answer 5

to wrench open or tear apart or to pieces; rend
to split with force or violence
fracture

e.g. rove pavement that had been riven by the annual freeze-and-thaw cycle
the bitter disappointment that threatened to rive my heart in two

Question 6

intangible

Answer 6

not tangible; impalpable

e.g. Leadership is an intangible asset to a company.

Question 7

intelligible

Answer 7

apprehensible by the intellect only
capable of being understood or comprehended

e.g. the ability to make complex concepts intelligible to the average reader
Very little of the recording was intelligible.

Question 8

intent

Answer 8

the act or fact of intending; purpose
a usually clearly formulated or planned intention; aim
meaning, significance
directed with strained or eager attention; concentrated
having the mind, attention, or will concentrated on something or some end of purpose

e.g. The intent of the law is to protect consumers.
intent on finishing her sculpture in time for the group show

Question 9

inter

Answer 9

to deposit (a dead body) in the earth or in a tomb

e.g. The soldier was interred with great honors at Arlington National Cemetery.

Question 10

intercede

Answer 10

to intervene between parties with a view to reconciling differences; mediate

e.g. When the boss accused her of lying, several other employees intercedes on her behalf.

Question 11

intercession

Answer 11

the act of interceding

prayer, petition, or entreaty in favor of another

Question 12

interdict

Answer 12

to forbid in a usually formal or authoritative manner
to destroy, damage, or cut off by firepower to stop or hamper an enemy; also, intercept

e.g. The state legislature moved to interdict the use of radar-detection devices by motorists.
Federal agents are able to interdict only a small percentage of the narcotic shipments into the country.

Question 13

interim

Answer 13

an intervening time; interval
done, made, appointed, or occurring for an interim

e.g. There was a brief interim in the proceedings while everyone got organized.
Putting up some students in local motels is obviously just an interim solution to the college’s housing shortage.

Question 14

interject

Answer 14

to throw in between or among other things; interpolate

e.g. interject a remark

Question 15

interjection

Answer 15

the act of uttering exclamations; ejaculation
the act of putting in between; interposition

e.g. A chorus of angry interjections greeted the announcement that our flight would be delayed.

Question 16

interlude

Answer 16

a usually short simple play or dramatic entertainment
an intervening or interruptive period, space, or event; interval

e.g. He has resumed his acting career after a two-year interlude.
They always met in the city for their romantic interludes.

Question 17

intermediary

Answer 17

intermediate
acting as a mediator
mediator, go-between; also, medium, means
an intermediate form, product, or stage

e.g. an intermediary agent
He served as an intermediary between the workers and the executives.

Question 18

interminable

Answer 18

having or seeming to have no end; especially, wearisomely protracted

e.g. an interminable sermon

Question 19

intermingle

Answer 19

to mix together; intermix

e.g. In her short stories, science fiction and romance intermingle.

Question 20

intermission

Answer 20

the act of intermitting; the state of being intermitted
an interval between the parts of an entertainment

e.g. an awkward intermission between speeches

Question 21

intermittent

Answer 21

coming and going at intervals; not continuous
occasional

e.g. intermittent rain
intermittent trips abroad

Question 22

intern

Answer 22

to confine or impound especially during a war

e.g. intern enemy aliens

Question 23

internecine

Answer 23

marked by slaughter; deadly; especially, mutually destructive
of, relating to, or involving conflict within a group

e.g. a political party that has suffered because of bitter internecine rivalries

Question 24

interplay

Answer 24

interaction

e.g. the interplay of opposing forces

Question 25

interpolate

Answer 25

``` to alter or corrupt (as a text) by inserting new or foreign matter to insert (words) into a text or into a conversation to insert between other things or parts; intercalate ``` e.g. He interpolated a very critical comment in the discussion.

Question 26

interregnum

Answer 26

the time during which a throne is vacant between two successive reigns or regimes a period during which the normal functions of government or control are suspended a lapse or pause in a continuous series e.g. The democratic regime proved to be a short-lived interregnum between dictatorships.

Question 27

intersperse

Answer 27

to place something at intervals in or among to insert at intervals among other things e.g. intersperse a book with pictures seagulls interspersed among the ducks

Question 28

intertwine

Answer 28

to unite by twining one with another to become mutually involved e.g. He's always telling stories in which the present and the past intertwine.

Question 29

intimate

Answer 29

to make known especially publicly or formally; announce to communicate delicately and indirectly; hint e.g. trying to intimate that there was more going on than anyone knew

Question 30

intoxicate

Answer 30

poison to excite or stupefy by alcohol or a drug especially to the point where physical and mental control is markedly diminished to excite or elate to the point of enthusiasm or frenzy e.g. The stunning spectacle of this Las Vegas show is sure to intoxicate spectators.

Question 31

intractable

Answer 31

not easily governed, managed, or directed not easily manipulated or wrought not easily relieved or cured e.g. an intractable child who deliberately does the opposite of whatever he is told intractable metal/pain

Question 32

intransigent

Answer 32

characterized by refusal to compromise or to abandon an extreme position or attitude; uncompromising e.g. He remained intransigent in his opposition to the proposal, refusing all suggestions for improvement of the process.

Question 33

intrepid

Answer 33

characterized by resolute fearlessness, fortitude, and endurance e.g. an intrepid explorer who probed parts of the rain forest never previously attempted

Question 34

intrigue

Answer 34

a secret scheme; machination a clandestine love affair cheat, trick e.g. a novel of intrigue and romance an administration characterized by intrigue and corruption evidence that the leading manufacturers had intrigued to keep prices artificially high

Question 35

pall

Answer 35

to lose strength of effectiveness to lose in interest or attraction e.g. His humor began to pall on us. Our enthusiasm soon palled.

Question 36

introspection

Answer 36

a reflective looking inward; an examination of one's own thoughts and feelings e.g. Not a man given to introspection, he grew impatient with his wife's constant need to discuss their relationship.

Question 37

inundate

Answer 37

to cover with a flood; overflow overwhelm e.g. inundated with phone calls

Question 38

undulant

Answer 38

rising and falling in waves | having a wavy form, outline, or surface

Question 39

inure

Answer 39

to accustom to accept something undesirable to become of advantage e.g. The hardship of army training inured her to the rigors of desert warfare. policies that inure to the benefit of employees

Question 40

invective

Answer 40

of, relating to, or characterized by insult or abuse an abusive expression or speech insulting or abusive language; vituperation e.g. an overbearing, bullying boss who is fond of sending invective e-mails to long-suffering assistants a barrage of racist invective

Question 41

inveigh

Answer 41

to protest or complain bitterly or vehemently; rail e.g. always inveighing against the high property taxes that they were forced to pay

Question 42

inveigle

Answer 42

to win over by wiles; entice to acquire by ingenuity or flattery; wangle e.g. She inveigled her way into a promotion. He inveigled her to write the letter. They inveigled the information from him.

Question 43

inveterate

Answer 43

firmly established by long persistence confirmed in a habit; habitual e.g. the inveterate tendency to overlook the obvious an inveterate liar

Question 44

invidious

Answer 44

tending to cause discontent, animosity, or envy envious of an unpleasant or objectionable nature; obnoxious of a kind to cause harm or resentment e.g. The boss made invidious distinctions between employees. Inevitably, his remarkable success attracted the invidious attention of other sales representative.

Question 45

inviolable

Answer 45

secure from violation or profanation secure from assault or trespass; unassailable e.g. a person with inviolable moral standards an inviolable trust between lawyer and client

Question 46

invoke

Answer 46

to call forth by incantation; conjure to petition for help or support; to appeal or cite as authority to make an earnest request for; solicit to put into effect or operation; implement bring about, cause e.g. He invoked the memory of his predecessor. She invoked history to prove her point.

Question 47

invocation

Answer 47

the act or process of petitioning for help or support; specifically, (oft. cap.) a prayer of entreaty a calling upon for authority or justification a formula or conjuring; incantation an act of legal or moral implementation; enforcement e.g. justifying his position by invocation of the past

Question 48

involuntary

Answer 48

done contrary to or without choice compulsory not subject to control of the will; reflex e.g. Breathing and circulation are involuntary processes. When the door burst open, she let out an involuntary shriek. The lawyer argued that the client's confession was involuntary.

Question 49

invulnerable

Answer 49

incapable of being wounded, injured, or harmed | immune to or proof against attack; impregnable

Question 50

iota

Answer 50

an infinitesimal amount; joy e.g. did not show an iota of interest

Question 51

irascible

Answer 51

marked by hot temper and easily provoked anger

Question 52

irate

Answer 52

roused to ire arising from anger e.g. Irate viewers called the television network to complain about the show.

Question 53

ire

Answer 53

intense and usually openly displayed anger also e.g. The patronizing comment from the snooty waiter roused her ire.

Question 54

iridescent

Answer 54

shining with many different colors when seen from different angles; having or exhibiting iridescence

Question 55

irk

Answer 55

to make weary, irritated, or bored e.g. Drivers were irked by the higher gasoline prices. It irks me to have to clean up after you.

Question 56

irksome

Answer 56

tending to irk; tedious annoying or irritating e.g. the irksome habit of leaving all the kitchen cabinet doors open

Question 57

ironclad

Answer 57

sheathed in iron armor (esp. of naval vessels) so firm or secure as to be unbreakable e.g. an ironclad oath The company has an ironclad policy against revealing secrets to competitors.

Question 58

irradicable

Answer 58

impossible to eradicate; deep-rooted e.g. irradicable hatred

Question 59

irredeemable

Answer 59

not terminable by payment of the principal not exchangeable for coin; inconvertible being beyond remedy; hopeless e.g. Without intervention, the country could fall into irredeemable chaos.

Question 60

irreducible

Answer 60

impossible to transform into or restore to a desired or simpler condition; specifically, incapable of being factored into polynomials of lower degree with coefficients in some given field impossible to make less or smaller e.g. They thought the world was made up of four irreducible elements: earth, air, fire, and water. an irreducible minimum

Question 61

irremediable

Answer 61

not remediable; also, incurable e.g. There was an irremediable split between the two sides of the family. the firm belief that no juvenile delinquent is irremediable

Question 62

irrevocable

Answer 62

not possible to revoke; unalterable e.g. an irrevocable decision

Question 63

irrigate

Answer 63

wet, moisten to refresh as if by watering e.g. The surgeon irrigated the wound.

Question 64

issue

Answer 64

the action of going, coming, or flowing out; egress, emergence a means or place of going out; exit, outlet; also, offspring, progeny to go, come, flow out; emerge accrue to be a consequence or final outcome; emanate, result e.g. profits issuing from the sale of stock

Question 65

isthmus

Answer 65

a narrow strip of land connecting two larger land areas | a narrow anatomical part or passage connecting two larger structures or cavities

Question 66

itinerant

Answer 66

traveling from place to place; especially, covering a circuit e.g. An itinerant musician can see a lot of the world.

Question 67

jabber

Answer 67

to talk rapidly, indistinctly, or unintelligibly e.g. She rushed into the room jabbering something about a dog.

Question 68

jade

Answer 68

a broken-down, vicious, or worthless horse a disreputable woman; a flirtatious girl to wear out by overwork or abuse to tire or dull through repetition or excess either of two tough compact typically green gemstones that take a high polish e.g. A steady diet of nothing but lobster would jade the palate of even the most ardent lobster lover.

Question 69

jaded

Answer 69

fatigued by overwork; exhausted made full, apathetic, or cynical by experience or by surfeit e.g. a public jaded by political scandals

Question 70

jagged

Answer 70

having a sharply uneven edge or surface having a harsh, rough, or irregular quality e.g. jagged piece of broken glass jagged rhythms

Question 71

jamb

Answer 71

an upright piece or surface forming the side of an opening (as for a door, window, or fireplace) a projecting columnar part or mass

Question 72

jar

Answer 72

to make a harsh or discordant sound; to have a harshly disagreeable or disconcerting effect to be out of harmony; especially, bicker to affect disagreeably; unsettle to make unstable or loose; shake also e.g. The loss jarred his confidence in the team. The tiles jarred loose in the earthquake.

Question 73

jaundice

Answer 73

yellowish pigmentation of the skin, tissues, and body fluids caused by the deposition of bile pigments a state or attitude characterized by satiety, distaste, or hostility e.g. The jaundice in the eyes of the two feuding neighbors was enough to kill crabgrass.

Question 74

jaunt

Answer 74

to make a usually short journey for pleasure an excursion undertaken especially for pleasure e.g. took a leisurely jaunt up to the mountains for the day

Question 75

jaunty

Answer 75

sprightly in manner or appearance; lively e.g. He struck a jaunty pose for the camera. a jaunty stroll a jaunty white cap

Question 76

jeer

Answer 76

to speak or cry out with derision or mockery to deride with jeers; taunt also e.g. He tried to ignore the jeering crowd. ignored the jeers of the other team's fans and just focused on making her free throw shot

Question 77

jejune

Answer 77

lacking nutritive value devoid of significance or interest; dull juvenile, puerile e.g. jejune diets/lectures another moralizing tale filled with jejune platitudes

Question 78

jeopardize

Answer 78

to expose to danger or risk; imperil e.g. His health has been jeopardized by poor nutrition.

Question 79

jest

Answer 79

an utterance intended to be taken as mockery or humor prank; a ludicrous circumstance or incident a frivolous mood or manner; gaiety and merriment laughingstock also e.g. a supposedly harmless jest You should know that our teasing was done entirely in jest.

Question 80

jettison

Answer 80

a voluntary sacrifice of cargo to lighten a ship's load in time of distress also to get rid of as superfluous or encumbering; omit or forgo as part of a plan or as the result of some other decision e.g. With his ship rapidly sinking, the captain ordered a last-ditch jettison of much of its cargo. must be prepared to jettison many romantic notions

Question 81

jibe

Answer 81

to be in accord; agree e.g. The report does not quite jibe with the commissioner's observations.

Question 82

jingoism

Answer 82

extreme chauvinism or nationalism marked especially by a belligerent foreign policy.

Question 83

jockey

Answer 83

a person who rides or drives a horse especially as a professional in a race; also, a person who operates or works with a specified vehicle, device, or material to deal shrewdly or fraudulently with drive, operate e.g. a pencil jockey There was a lot of political jockeying at the fund-raiser. jockey a truck into position

Question 84

jocular

Answer 84

given to jesting; habitually jolly or jocund characterized by jesting; playful e.g. a jocular man the jocular observation that the best way to make a small fortune in the wine business is to start off with a large fortune

Question 85

jocund

Answer 85

marked by or suggestive of high spirits and lively mirthfulness e.g. old friends engaged in jocund teasing

Question 86

jovial

Answer 86

markedly good-humored especially as evidenced by jollity and conviviality

Question 87

maudlin

Answer 87

drunk enough to be emotionally silly weakly and effusively sentimental e.g. He finished another beer became maudlin, starting to cry like a child. a maudlin movie about a lovable tramp

Question 88

dreary

Answer 88

feeling, displaying, or reflecting listlessness or discouragement having nothing likely to provide cheer, comfort, or interest; gloomy, dismal e.g. The family struggled through dreary economic times.

Question 89

jubilation

Answer 89

an act of rejoicing; the state of being jubilant | an expression of great joy

Question 90

judicious

Answer 90

having, exercising, or characterized by sound judgment; discreet e.g. judicious use of our resources Judicious planning now can prevent problems later.

Question 91

juggernaut

Answer 91

a massive inexorable force, campaign, movement, or object that crushes whatever is in its path e.g. an advertising/political juggernaut There was no escaping the juggernaut of hype for the studio's biggest summer blockbuster.

Question 92

jumble

Answer 92

to move in a confused or disordered manner to mix into a confused or disordered mass (oft. used with up) hodgepodge a state of confusion e.g. The contest editor has jumbled the letters of some common words.