words Flashcards

Question

augment

Answer 1

(vb) to enlarge or increase | In an effort to augment her paper on William Faulkner, Aubrey added three pages about

Answer 2

(n) divine prediction Augustus believed the groundhog's shadow was an augury of a delayed springtime. Word Forms: augural, augurate, auguration, augur

Answer 3

(adj) noble and dignified The august king was admired for his good work. Word Forms: augustly, augustness

Answer 4

(n) extreme greed for material wealth Avery amassed million-dollar homes, luxury cars, and exquisite jewelry to satisfy her avarice, but still wanted more. Word Forms: avaricious, avariciously, avariciousness

Answer 5

(adj) resembling an uncle in kindness or indulgence Mr. Avery developed an avuncular affection for his neighbor’s children after having spent so many years next door. Word Forms: avuncularly, avuncularity Related Word: uncle

Answer 6

(adj) repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse The plot of the movie is banal; everything that takes place in this film has happened in a dozen other movies. Word Forms: banally, banalize, banality

Answer 7

(n) a bell tower | No one volunteered to clean out the belfry because of all the bats that live in it.

Answer 8

(adj) charitable; kind The benevolent nun spent her entire life working with the poor. Word Forms: benevolently, benevolentness, benevolence Related Words: benefactor, benefit

Answer 9

: (n) a large group | The picnic lunch on the beach attracted a bevy of birds.

Answer 10

: (vb) to cheat or swindle Bill was bilked out of $10,000 when he invested in the phony scheme. Word Form: bilker

Answer 11

: (n) any factor that causes decay or deterioration The blight that killed Blake's corn was responsible for the destruction of crops throughout the county. Word Form: blightingly Antonym Forms: unblighted, unblightedly, unblightedness

Answer 12

: (adj) cheerful Blythe was know for her blithe spirit; she was always happy and cheerful. Word Forms: blitheful, blithefullly, blithely, blitheness, blithesome Related Word: overblithe

Answer 13

: (n) pompous or pretentious talk or writing | Be sure that your speech isn’t pretentious or inflated,

Answer 14

: (n) friendliness Bonnie had many friends who admired her kind nature and bonhomie. Word Form: bonhomous

Answer 15

: (n) a person who is rude, clumsy, and lacking social manners Boris was a boor at the dinner party; after telling the host that her house was cheaply decorated, he ate his steak with his fingers and burped during the meal. Word Forms: boorish, boorishly, boorishness Note: Be careful not to confuse a boor (a rude person) with a bore (a boring person).

Answer 16

: (n) a common saying As true as the old bromides are, such as “It is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all,” none of them are much comfort to a newly-broken heart. Word Forms: bromidic, bromidically

Answer 17

: (adj) relating to country life; rural The farmer lived a bucolic lifestyle, rising with the sun to tend the farm and retiring at sundown. Word Forms: bucolical, bucolically

Answer 18

: (vb) to flourish | Under the mayor's direction, the quiet town burgeoned into an active city

Answer 19

: (adj) highly complex or intricate | In a home loan, the byzantine language and unfamiliar terminology can be intimidating to a first-time home buyer

Answer 20

: (n) a secret group of plotters or schemers The cabal met in a church basement to plan the overthrow of the government. Word Form: caballer Related Word: cabala

Answer 21

: (n) harsh, jarring sound On the first day of school, the band’s output was a cacophony of trumpets and horns; however, by the end of the year, the horn section blended well with the rest of the ensemble. Word Forms: cacophonic, cacophonous, cacophonously

Answer 22

: (vb) to influence by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering Caleb cajoled his mother into letting him borrow the car by

Answer 23

: (n) a false statement intended to harm someone’s reputation Callie delivered the calumny about Brittany to an audience in the cafeteria; she hoped the lie would keep the other girl from becoming Prom queen. Word Forms: calumniate, calumniation, calumnious, calumniously, calumniatory, calumniator

Answer 24

: (n) false story or rumor The belief that Napoleon was short is a canard; he was actually 5'7", an above average height for a Frenchman in 1800.

Answer 25

: (vb) to polish In preparation for his dinner party, Bernie burnished the silverware and serving platters. Word Forms: burnishable, burnishment, burnisher Antonym Form: unburnished

Answer 26

(adj) authorized or accepted Pluto is no longer a canonical planet; due to its small mass, it was reclassified as a “dwarf planet” in 2006. Word Forms: canonically, canon, canonic Antonym Forms: uncanonical, uncanonically

Answer 27

(adj) ill-tempered and unwilling to cooperate The cantankerous old man took the little boy’s sucker and refused to give it back. Word Forms: cantankerously, cantankerousness

Answer 28

: (adj) apt to change suddenly Cane’s capricious personality made him a fun friend but a terrible boss; social spontaneity was exciting but workplace unpredictability was frustrating. Word Forms: capriciously, capriciousness, caprice

Answer 29

(vb) to criticize or punish severely Cassie was castigated by her parents and the school principal for her role in the cheating scam. Word Forms: castigation, castigative, castigatory, castigator

Answer 30

: (n) a violent upheaval The political uprising against the dictator is a cataclysm that will hopefully result in a more democratic regime. Word Forms: cataclysmic, cataclysmically, cataclysmal Related Word: catastrophe

Answer 31

: (adj) inducing a release of tense emotions Painting was a cathartic exercise for Cathy; through her paintings she was able to release anger and fear. Word Forms: cathartically, catharticalness

Answer 32

: (adj) universal; liberal Cathy had very catholic tastes, enjoying a wide array of food and drink. Word Forms: catholically, catholicly, catholicalness, catholicness

Answer 33

: (adj) burning or stinging Cosette's caustic remark stung Kent; he could handle criticism about his job, but her bitter words were personal. Word Forms: caustically, causticly, causticness, causticity

Answer 34

: (adj) burning or stinging Cosette's caustic remark stung Kent; he could handle criticism about his job, but her bitter words were personal. Word Forms: caustically, causticly, causticness, causticity

Answer 35

: (n) a man who is chivalrous and gallant The young cavalier was rewarded for his gallant behavior when he was chosen to escort the princess to the ball. Word Forms: cavalier (adj.), cavalierly, cavalierness, cavalierism

Answer 36

: (n) a person who falsely claims to possess skills or knowledge; an imposter The charlatan tricked the unsuspecting customers out of money by pretending to be able to predict the future. Word Forms: charlatanic, charlatanish, charlatanical, charlatanically, charlatanistic, charlatanry, charlatanism

Answer 37

: (adj) cautious; timid; choosy Charlie was chary of sitting on the wobbly chair; he was afraid it would break under his weight. Word Form: charily Antonym Form: unchary

Answer 38

: (n) the use of tricks to deceive someone The con artist relied on chicanery to get his victims to reveal their Social Security numbers; he promised them a tropical vacation for simply listing their personal information. Word Forms: chicane, chicaner

Answer 39

: (adj) rude and vulgar Cheryl did not think the man’s churlish jokes were appropriate, and asked that he apologize for his vulgarity. Word Forms: churlishly, churlishness, churl

Answer 40

: (n) an indirect way of expressing something Sergio hoped that his circumlocution would stall the reporters long enough to think of a better answer to their question. Word Forms: circumlocutory, circumlocutorily, circumlocutional, circumlocutionary

Answer 41

critic; a person who disparages someone or something. | "the island, say its detractors, has been devoured by development"

Answer 42

: (adj) restricted Her driving privileges are circumscribed by the state; she is only allowed to drive at night if she is returning from work. Word Forms: circumscribable, circumscriber Related Word: circle

Answer 43

: (adj) cautious; discreet Given the recent theft of passwords, you need to be circumspect when sharing personal information on the internet. Word Forms: circumsp

Answer 44

: (adj) secret The school administrators held clandestine meetings about the school uniform policy; they were afraid that if the public knew they were contemplating a new policy, the outcry

Answer 45

: (adj) wearying through excess Her perfume smelled sweet at first but became cloying after sitting in the car with her for an hour. Word Forms: cloy, cloyingly Antonym Form: uncloying

Answer 46

: (n) a box for storing valuables; funds Keifer depleted the organizations coffers, but his plan was to replenish the funds. Word Form: cofferlike

Answer 47

: (adj) convincing; telling Craig presents a cogent argument through sound evidence and logical conclusions. Word Forms: cogency, cogently Antonym Form: noncogent, noncogently, uncogent, uncogently

Answer 48

: (n) a secret agreement; conspiracy The founding fathers worked in collusion to revolt against the British government. Word Forms: collusive, collusively, collusory Antonym Forms: noncollusion, noncollusive Related Word: colludet

Answer 49

: (vb) to win over; to make peace The manager was able to conciliate the angry customer by offering her a fifty dollar gift certificate. Word Forms: conciliable, conciliation, conciliatory, conciliatorily, conciliatoriness Related Word: reconcile

Answer 50

: (adj) existing or occurring at the same time Building a home can be an exciting process, but it also has concomitant stress associated with difficult decisions. Word Forms: concomitant (n.), concomitantly, concomitance

Answer 51

noun the practice of gaining sexual pleasure from watching others when they are naked or engaged in sexual activity. "Internet sites dedicated to the act of voyeurism"

Answer 52

: (n) a destructive fire The fire department determined that the conflagration in the old warehouse was a result of faulty wiring. Word Forms: conflagrative, conflagrate, conflagrant

Answer 53

: (adj) obvious The realtor put the “For Sale” sign in a conspicuous spot in the front yard so that people in traffic could easily see it. Word Forms: conspicuously, conspicuousness, conspicuity Antonym Forms: inconspicuous, inconspicuously, inconspicuousness

Answer 54

: (adj) perfect and complete Constantine is the consummate host; he greets his guests, makes sure they are comfortable and enjoying themselves, and introduces new friends to everyone. Word Forms: consummate (vb.), consummately, consummatory, consummation, consummator

Answer 55

: (adj) feeling guilty and remorseful The contrite criminal broke into sobs as he apologized to the victim’s family for the suffering he had caused. Word Forms: contritely, contriteness, contrition

Answer 56

: (adj) willfully disobedient The contumacious convict spat at the judge and refused to acknowledge his sentence. Word Forms: contumaciously, contumaciousness, contumacity Antonym Form: noncontumacious, noncontumaciously, noncontumaciousness Related Words: contumely, contumelious, contumeliously, contumliousness

Answer 57

: (adj) excessively fat The corpulent man purchased two adjacent airline seats in order to have a more comfortable flight. Word Forms: corpulently, corpulence, corpulency

Answer 58

: (vb) to pamper Cossette cosseted the puppy, providing him with diamond collars, caviar dinners, and doggy massages. Word Form: cosseted Antonym Form: uncosseted

Answer 59

: (n) an exclusive group of people; a clique | The town's wealthiest socialites formed a coterie and few people were able to gain entrance to the circle

Answer 60

noun a small close-knit group of people who do not readily allow others to join them. "his flat became a haven for a clique of young men of similar tastes"

Answer 61

: (adj) cowardly Rather than face her landlord and explain the damage to the house, the craven tenant packed up and moved in the night. Word Forms: craven (n), cravenly, cravenness Antonym Form: uncraven

Answer 62

: (n) peak of growth The cheers in the audience reached a crescendo when the concert headliner was introduced. Antonym Form: decrescendo Related Word: crescent

Answer 63

: (n) excessive greed Cullen's downfall was his cupidity; he couldn't walk away with the money he had already embezzled and was caught when he went back for more. Word Form: cupidinous

Answer 64

: (n) cranky, difficult person The old curmudgeon complained about every part of his meal. Word Form: curmudgeonly Related Word: cur

Answer 65

: (n) the deliberate act of delaying and playing instead of working Dalton’s dalliance at the basketball court kept him from working on the term paper that was due tomorrow. Word Forms: dally, dallyingly, dallier Related Word: dilly-dally

Answer 66

: (vb) to cause to lose courage Don had finally worked up the courage to ride the roller coaster when he was daunted by the pale faces of the riders who had just completed the ride. Word Forms: dauntingly, dauntingness Antonym Forms: dauntless, dauntlessly, dauntlessness, undaunted, undauntedly

Answer 67

: (n) a lack in supply | During the Second World War, the dearth of male baseball players led to the creation of a women’s baseball league.

Answer 68

: (n) a downward slope The backyard's declivity caused rainwater to wash down it, creating a pool of standing water at the bottom of the slope. Word Forms: declivitous, declivous, declivent Antonym Form: acclivity

Answer 69

: (adj) proper and dignified The decorous host made sure that she had proper table settings; each was arranged correctly for the five-course meal. Word Forms: decorously, de

Answer 70

: (adj) harmful The deleterious effects of cigarette smoking, such as lung cancer, are highlighted in the public service campaign. Word Forms: deleteriously, deleteriousness Related Word: delete

Answer 71

: (vb) to outline In her speech, Delilah clearly delineated her plans for changing several policies should she be elected class president. Word Forms: delineable, delineative, delineation, delineament, delineatory, delineator Antonym Form: undelineated

Answer 72

: (n) a political leader who seeks support by appealing to popular passions and prejudices Hitler was a demagogue who gained power by exploiting religious prejudices in Germany. Word Forms: demagoguery, demagogism, demagogic, demagogical, demagogically

Answer 73

: (vb) to set, mark, or draw the boundaries of something The twins demarcated the room after their fight; Demarcus was only allowed access to the right side of their room, while Demonte had to stay on the left side. Word Forms: demarcation, demarcator

Answer 74

: (vb) to object I was surprised when my father did not demur to me attending the rival college of his alma mater. Word Forms: demurrable, demurral, demurrer Antonym Form: undemurring

Answer 75

: (vb) to damage the reputation of The candidate hoped to denigrate his opponent’s character by exposing the embezzlement scandal. Word Forms: denigration, denigrative, denigratory, denigrator

Answer 76

: (n) a person without a home, job, or property The derelict spent his days begging on the street corner and his nights sleeping in the alley. Word Forms: derelict (adj.), derelictly, derelictness, dereliction Related Word: relinquish

Answer 77

: (n) a person without a home, job, or property The derelict spent his days begging on the street corner and his nights sleeping in the alley. Word Forms: derelict (adj.), derelictly, derelictness, dereliction Related Word: relinquish

Answer 78

: (vb) to ridicule The unsupportive team captain derided Desiree’s attempts to make the volleyball squad. Word Forms: deridingly, derision, derisive, derisible, derider

Answer 79

: (n) something that came from an original The Pilates exercise system is a derivative of the ancient Indian practice of yoga. Word Forms: derivative (adj.), derivatively, derivativeness, derive, derivation

Answer 80

a word or phrase, especially with regard to style or idiom. a person's style of speech. "his impeccable locution"

Answer 81

: (vb) to dry up When the flowers in my bouquet desiccate, I can preserve them as dried flowers. Word Forms: desiccation, desiccative, desiccated, desiccator

Answer 82

: (n) a person who steals goods The despoilers from the pirate ship stripped the village members of all their possessions. Word Forms: despoil, despoilment Related Word: spoils (n.)

Answer 83

: (n) a ruler with complete power The despot was a harsh ruler who imposed outrageous taxes and unreasonable upon against his subjects. Word Forms: despotic, despotical, despotically, despotism

Answer 84

: (adj) completely wanting or lacking (usually money, food, and shelter) The homeless man wasn’t always destitute; he once had a job, but poor money management led to bankruptcy. Word Forms: destitutely, destituteness, destitution

Answer 85

: (adj) disconnected and random People wondered about Desiree's mental state when her conversation turned desultory; she jumped from topic to topic with seemingly no connection. Word Forms: desultorily, desultoriness, desultorious

Answer 86

: (adj) sheer; nearly translucent Daphne would be wise to wear a slip under that diaphanous skirt. Word Forms: diaphanously, diaphanousness, diaphaneity Antonym Forms: nondiaphanous, nondiaphanously

Answer 87

: (n) bitter criticism; verbal attack It was clear from Diana's diatribes against her mother that their relationship was beyond repair. Word Form: diatribist

Answer 88

: (n) a formal statement | The president released a dictum forbidding texting while at work.

Answer 89

: (adj) educational The children’s book is not only entertaining, but also didactic; the story teaches the dietary habits of marine animals. Word Forms: didactical, didactically, didacticism, didact Related Words: autodidactic, autodidact

Answer 90

: (adj) shy; reserved Daphne was diffident when she first made the team, but by the end of the season, she was clearly a leader on the court. Word Forms: diffidently, diffidenness, diffidence Antonym Forms: nondiffident, nondiffidently, undiffident

Answer 91

``` : (adj) intending to delay Dillon asked nearly twenty dilatory questions at the start of class in an attempt to postpone the scheduled math test. Word Forms: dilatorily, dilatoriness Related Word: delay ```

Answer 92

``` : (adj) intending to delay Dillon asked nearly twenty dilatory questions at the start of class in an attempt to postpone the scheduled math test. Word Forms: dilatorily, dilatoriness Related Word: delay ```

Answer 93

: (n) a person who engages in an activity (such as art) without serious intentions or inquiry Although Dylan started painting, he was merely a dilettante; his paintings were amateur attempts at a part-time hobby. Word Forms: dilettantish, dilettanteism

Answer 94

: (n) a funeral song As the dirge played, mournful cries could be heard throughout the funeral. Word Forms: dirgeful

Answer 95

: (vb) to free someone from false ideas Dixon believed tomatoes were vegetables but I disabused him of that idea when I revealed they are actually fruits. Word Form: disabusal

Answer 96

: (vb) to perceive or understand with sight or other senses The captain discerned another ship in the fog. Word Forms: discernible, discernibly, discernment, discernibility, discernableness, discerner Antonym Forms: indiscernible, indiscernibly, indiscernibility, indiscernibleness

Answer 97

: (n) a lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike The suspect was looked upon with disdain by the detectives who investigated the terrible crime. Word Forms: disdain (vb.), disdainful, disdainfully, disdainfulness Related Word: deign

Answer 98

: (adj) insincere Denise’s disingenuous apology was just an attempt to get out of her punishment; she was not truly sorry for going to the concert without permission. Word Forms: disingenuously, disingenuousness, disingenuity Antonym Forms: ingenuous, ingenuously, ingenuousness Related Word: genuine

Answer 99

: (vb) to belittle or criticize My mom’s feelings were hurt when I disparaged her cooking skills. Word Forms: disparagement, disparaging (adj.), disparagingly, disparager

Answer 100

: (adj) different and distinct The mixture of three disparate styles—jazz, rock, and country—created a unique sound and a diverse audience. Word Forms: disparately, disparateness Related Word: disparity

Answer 101

: (n) a person who conceals his real feelings by professing false beliefs The dissembler pledged allegiance to the rebel group, but he was really working undercover for the opposing army. Word Forms: dissemble, dissemblingly, dissemblance Related Words: resemble, semblance

Answer 102

claim that one has (a quality or feeling), especially when this is not the case.

Answer 103

: (vb) to spread widely The police hoped the information about the suspect would disseminate quickly; the more people who knew, the better chances of apprehending the wanted man. Word Forms: dissemination, disseminative, disseminator

Answer 104

: (n) harsh, jarring sound On the first day of school, the band’s output was a dissonance of trumpets and horns; however, by the end of the year, the horn section blended well with the rest of the ensemble. Word Form: dissonancy Antonym Form: consonance Related Words: assonance, resonance

Answer 105

: (n) the female part of a family Driving skills clearly fell on the distaff side of the family; the ladies had clean driving records but the men had sixteen traffic tickets among them.

Answer 106

: (vb) to be indecisive Dillon dithered on whether to go to business school or law school. Word Forms: ditherer, dithery

Answer 107

: (adj) daily; daytime Humans are diurnal creatures, so working the night shift can disrupt our natural sleep rhythms. Word Forms: diurnally, diurnalness Antonym Forms: undiurnal, undiurnally Related Word: nocturnal

Answer 108

: (adj) impractical; insistent about one's own theory The doctor believed that the lack of exercise was the single cause of high blood pressure and was doctrinaire in his inability to accept genetic factors. Word Forms: doctrinaire (n), doctrinairism Antonym Forms: nondoctrinaire, undoctrinaire

Answer 109

: (adj) characterized by assertion of unproved or unprovable principles The dogmatic scientist continued to publish his theory, despite the fact that it was unproven. Word Forms: dogmatically, dogmaticalness, dogmatize, dogmatism, dogmatist Related Words: dogma

Answer 110

: (adj) amusing; comical The droll little man amused the children with his odd gait and his quaint way of speaking. Word Forms: drollness, drolly, drollery

Answer 111

: (adj) irritable and gloomy Dyson was dyspeptic about his acceptance into business school; everyone tried to cheer him up, but he was convinced he would be rejected. Word Forms: dyspeptically Antonym Forms: nondyspeptic, nondyspeptical, nondyspeptically

Answer 112

: (adj) extremely excited or enthusiastic The ebullient child clapped her hands and jumped up and down as she waited to ride the pony at the party. Word Forms: ebulliently, ebullience

Answer 113

: (adj) made up of choices from diverse sources Mrs. Eckert has an eclectic music collection; her albums span from classic jazz to hip hop to disco. Word Forms: eclectically, eclecticist Related Word: select

Answer 114

: (vb) to benefit by instruction The art teacher edified his students by taking them to a premier art gallery to teach about painting techniques. Word Forms: edifier, edifyingly, edifying, reedify Antonym Forms: nonedified, unedified

Answer 115

: (adj) effective The pest repellent was efficacious in keeping the mosquitoes away; none of the guests were bothered by the bugs. Word Forms: efficaciously, efficaciousness, efficacy, efficacity Antonym Forms: inefficacious, inefficaciously, inefficaciousness, inefficacy, inefficacity

Answer 116

: (n) a representation of someone The mayor's effigy was unveiled as a sculpture in the park, erected to honor his lifelong service. Word Form: effigial

Answer 117

: (n) shameless boldness | She had the effrontery to imply that I was pregnant when in fact I had just gained some weight

Answer 118

: (adj) excessive enthusiasm or emotion Effie’s effusive praise was so excessive and over-the-top that it almost seemed insincere. Word Forms: effusively, effusiveness Related Words: effuse, infuse

Answer 119

: (adj) characterized by the belief in equal rights for all people Edgar’s egalitarian beliefs made him an excellent husband; he divided the housework equally, helping his wife with cooking, cleaning, and childcare

Answer 120

: (adj) outrageously bad or offensive Edie made the egregious mistake of asking the slightly overweight woman if she were expecting a baby. Word Forms: egregiously, egregiousness

Answer 121

: (n) a sad poem or song "To An Athlete Dying Young" is a heartbreaking elegy written by A. E. Housman. Word Forms: elegize, elegist

Answer 122

: (vb) to call or bring out The woman elicits sympathy from her audience by telling the story of her difficult childhood. Word Forms: elicitation, elicitor Related Word: solicit Note: elicit is often confused with illicit, which means illegal

Answer 123

: (adj) expressing oneself powerfully and effectively The minister’s eloquent sermon stirred the members of the church. Word Forms: eloquently, eloquence Antonym Forms: ineloquent, ineloquently, ineloquence

Answer 124

: (vb) to bring into an argument or negative situation Emory is embroiled in a lawsuit with his former landlord over the condition of the apartment when he moved out. Word Forms: embroilment, embroiler

Answer 125

: (n) a person sent on a mission to represent the interests of someone else The general sent an emissary to the enemy’s camp to inquire about the terms of surrender. Related Words: emission, emissive, emit

Answer 126

: (n) that which has a softening or soothing effect, especially to the skin Emmaline applied an emollient lotion to the rough calluses on her hands. Word Form: emollient (adj.), emollience

Answer 127

: (adj) resulting from an experiment As a scientist, Emmie relied on empirical data every day, which is why it was hard for her to trust her intuition. Word Forms: empirically, empiricalness

Answer 128

: (n) high praise The chairwoman delivered an encomium about Enzo before introducing him as the employee of the month. Word Form: encomia

Answer 129

: (adj) natural to a local area Fire ants are endemic to the southeastern coastal plains, but they have started to migrate to the interior. Word Forms: endemically, endemism Antonym Forms: nonendemic, unendemic Related Words: epidemic, pandemic

Answer 130

: (adj) lacking strength or vigor After an entire weekend of moving furniture, Enrico was enervated; he would need to rest to get his strength back. Word Forms: enervate (vb.), enervation, enervative, enervator

Answer 131

: (vb) to produce Divorce can engender feelings of anger, loss, and powerlessness. Word Forms: engenderer, engenderment Antonym Form: unengendered Related Word: generate

Answer 132

: (n) boredom | The monotony of my job produces utter ennui.

Answer 133

: (adj) expressing oneself powerfully and effectively The minister’s eloquent sermon stirred the members of the church. Word Forms: eloquently, eloquence Antonym Forms: ineloquent, ineloquently, ineloquence

Answer 134

(of a place) uninhabited and giving an impression of bleak emptiness.

Answer 135

cause (something) to fall into disrepair or ruin

Answer 136

: (adj) lasting a very short time Effie’s sadness over her breakup is ephemeral; she will quickly find a new boyfriend to help her forget the last. Word Forms: ephemeral (n.), ephemerally, ephemeralness, ephemerality, ephemerous, ephemeron

Answer 137

: (n) a person with refined tastes, particularly of food and wine The reality show features several epicures judging the cooking skills of America's best chefs. Word Forms: epicurean, epicureous, epicurism

Answer 138

: (adj) relating to letters | The couple has an epistolary relationship; although they have never met, they communi

Answer 139

: (n) steadiness of mind under stress Eva made an excellent emergency room doctor because she handled trauma with equanimity; she was clear-headed during the most stressful situations. Word Forms: equanimous, equanimously, equanimousness Related Word: longanimity

Answer 140

: (adj) uncertain; open to multiple interpretations The politician’s equivocal statement about the environment could support either side of the issue. Word Forms: equivocality, equivocacy, equivocally, equivocalness Antonym Forms: unequivocal, unequivocally, unequivocalness

Answer 141

: (adj) artificial; serving to substitute | Aspertame is an ersatz sugar that has caused a lot of controversy in recent years.

Answer 142

: (n) knowledge gained from study Erik’s erudition is sure to help him win a lot of money on the trivia-based quiz show. Word Forms: eruditional, erudite, eruditely, eruditeness

Answer 143

: (vb) to avoid; to shun Attempting to follow a low carb diet, Essie eschewed all foods containing sugar. Word Forms: eschewal, eschewer Antonym Form: uneschewed

Answer 144

: (adj) intended for a select group of people; secret or confidential Esteban was a member of an esoteric club, whose membership consisted strictly of men over fifty who lived in the city. Word Forms: esoterically, esotericism, esotericist Antonym Forms: exoteric, exoterically, exotericism

Answer 145

: (vb) to adopt or marry (such as an idea or cause) Although Esmerelda had never practiced a formal religion, she espoused her fiancé’s faith in order to join his church. Word Forms: espousal, espouser Related Word: spouse

Answer 146

: (n) the spirit or attitude of a group | The ethos of 4-H is education resulting in positive change for the community.

Answer 147

: (n) a formal expression of praise (often delivered at funerals) The director delivered a eulogy about the center’s most helpful volunteer, praising her for helping the needy. Word Forms: eulogize, eulogist

Answer 148

: (n) an inoffensive word or phrase used in place of one that is hurtful or harsh In the hospital's yearly report, the euphemism "negative patient outcome" is used instead of "death." Word Forms: euphemistic, euphemistically, euphemist, euphemistical, euphemious, euphemously, euphemize Antonym Forms: uneuphemistic, uneuphemistical

Answer 149

: (n) pleasant sound When the orchestra started to play, a euphony ensued that made audience members smile. Word Forms: euphonize, euphonious, euphoniously, euphoniousness Antonym Forms: noneuphonious, noneuphoniously, noneuponiousness

Answer 150

: (adj) vanishing Many people believe that youth is evanescent, quickly vanishing before it can be truly appreciated. Word Forms: evanescently, evanesce, evanescence Related Word: vanish

Answer 151

: (vb) to increase the harshness or bitterness of My headache was exacerbated by the child playing drums on the pots and pans. Word Forms: exacerbatingly, exacerbation Related Word: acerbate Note: exacerbate is often confused with exasperate (meaning to irritate).

Answer 152

: (vb) to intensely irritate The airline passenger was exasperated by the last minute cancellation of his flight. Word Forms: exasperatedly, exasperatingly, exasperation, exasperator Related Word: asperate Note: exasperate is often confused with exacerbate (meaning to increase).

Answer 153

: (vb) to clear from blame The arson suspect was exculpated when forensics revealed that the fire had been the result of faulty wiring. Word Forms: exculpable, exculpation, exculpatory Related Words: culpable, culprit Antonym Forms: inculpate, inculpable, inculpation, inculpably, inculpatory, inculpability, inculpableness

Answer 154

: (n) an explanation or critical interpretation (especially of the Bible) The minister is delivering an exegesis on the first two books of the Bible, where he will interpret the lessons from Genesis and Exodus and apply them to modern times. Word Forms: exegetic, exegetical, exegetically, exegete, exegetist

Answer 155

: (adj) urgent; demanding This is an exigent matter: if you don't reach the client in time, we stand to lose millions of dollars. Word Forms: exigently, exigence Antonym Forms: nonexigent, nonexigently, unexigent, unexigently

Answer 156

: (vb) to clear from blame The use of DNA helped exonerate the innocent man; twenty years after he was sent to prison, he was released. Word Forms: exoneration, exonerative, exonerator

Answer 157

: (n) a person who lives outside his own country, often to renounce allegiance The little village in Costa Rica is filled with American expatriates who moved there for a more relaxed lifestyle. Word Forms: expatriate (vb.), expatriation Related Word: patriot

Answer 158

: (n) a person who explains or interprets My attorney was an excellent explicator; he clearly interpreted each clause of the legal contract. Word Forms: explicate, explication, explicative, explicatively, explicatory Related Word: explicit

Answer 159

: (n) one who explains or interprets The teacher was an exponent of turn of the century literature, explaining the themes that populated novels at that time. Word Forms: exponent (adj), exponential, exponentially Antonym Forms: nonexponential, nonexponentially

Answer 160

: (vb) to revise by removing offensive text; to purify by cleansing Recent versions of Huckleberry Finn have been expurgated to remove racial slurs and references. Word Forms: expurgated, expurgation, expurgator Antonym Form: unexpurgated

Answer 161

: (vb) to praise highly The critic extolled the works of Shakespeare, citing them as the most important contribution to the English language. Word Forms: extollingly, extolment, extoller

Answer 162

: (adj) not relevant or essential When studying for the SAT, be sure to ignore the extraneous information in the book, such as the history of the test. Word Forms: extraneously, extraneousness Related Word: extra

Answer 163

: (adj) not intended to be taken seriously Fatima, who hated getting her teeth cleaned, was being facetious when she said, “I love going to the dentist!” Word Forms: facetiously, facetiousness

Answer 164

: (n) a false idea Many textbooks teach the fallacy that George Washington cut down a cherry tree; it is widely believed that an author made up that story to increase the sales of his book. Word Forms: fallacious, fallaciously, fallaciousness

Answer 165

: (adj) capable of making a mistake Fallon knew that her boyfriend was fallible, but she was still disappointed to learn that he had lied to her. Word Forms: fallibly, fallibility, fallibleness Antonym Forms: infallible, infallibly, infallibility, infallibleness Related Word: fall

Answer 166

: (adj) not in use The fallow field had not been used for crops in over a decade so the farmer had to till and aerate the soil. Word Forms: fallowness Antonym Form: unfallowed

Answer 167

: (adj) giving careful attention to detail; hard to please Mrs. Foster, my teacher, is a fastidious grader; she deducts points for any error in grammar, punctuation, or spelling. Word Forms: fastidiously, fastidiousness Antonym Form: unfastidious

Answer 168

: (adj) foolish and silly The professor made a fatuous argument that everyone dismissed due to its extreme foolishness. Word Forms: fatuously, fatuousness

Answer 169

: (vb) to seek attention through flattery The associate fawned over his supervisor in an attempt to receive a raise. Word Forms: fawner, fawningly, fawningness

Answer 170

: (adj) productive; fruitful The fecund field has been producing record-setting crops for many years. Word Forms: fecundity, fecundate, fecundator, fecundatory

Answer 171

: (n) pleasing and appropriate style; happiness The book review highlighted both the felicities and the imperfections of the novel. Word Forms: felicitous, felicitously, felicitousness Antonym Forms: infelicity, infelicitous, infelicitously

Answer 172

: (adj) hot or passionate The fervid senator fought passionately for victim's rights. Word Forms: fervidity, fervidly, fervidness Antonym Form: nonfervid, nonfervidly, nonfervidness Related Word: fervent

Answer 173

: (adj) stinky; smelling of decay I hated turning the compost pile because of its fetid smell. Word Forms: fetidly, fetidness, fetidity

Answer 174

: (adj) disrespectful; lacking seriousness Floyd was grounded for making flippant remarks about the new rules his father set for him. Word Forms: flippantly, flippantness, flippancy

Answer 175

: (n) floating wreckage or useless, discarded items In the filthy city, the gullies are filled with flotsam that finds its way into the sewer after a heavy rain. Related Word: jetsam Note: Flotsam originally referred to the floating wreckage of a boat, while jetsam referred to the items discarded by a ship in distress. Both are loosely used today to refer to useless, discarded items.

Answer 176

: (n) a minor flaw or weakness of character Foster’s only foible is his inability to make a decision. Related Word: feeble

Answer 177

: (n) a push for trouble or rebellion The juniors would not have participated in skip day if it weren’t for the fomentation of their senior friends. Word Forms: foment, fomenter

Answer 178

: (adj) affecting extreme elegance in dress and manner The foppish fellow wore a three piece suit and a top hat to the wedding. Word Forms: foppishly, foppishness, foppery, fop

Answer 179

: (n) a shallow portion of a river used for crossing Pioneers often would travel miles out of their way in order to find a ford that would allow them to safely cross a river. Word Forms: ford (vb), fordable

Answer 180

: (adj) causing fear due to powerful strength Forrest is a formidable opponent on the tennis court; he has not lost a set in his last twenty games. Word Forms: formidably, formidableness, formidabilty

Answer 181

: (adj) fortunate; by chance Getting stuck in an elevator with a head hunter on my way to a job interview turned out to be a fortuitous event. Word Forms: fortuitously, fortuitousness, fortuity Antonym Form: nonfortuitous, nonfortuitously, nonfortuitousness Related Word: fortunate

Answer 182

: (adj) unruly; irritable Fido was a fractious dog who refused to cooperate even after months of obedience classes. Word Forms: fractiously, fractiousness Antonym Form: unfractious, unfractiously, unfractiousness

Answer 183

: (adj) frantic The castaways were frenetic in waving down the rescue plane. Word Forms: frenetically, frenetical Antonym Form: nonfrenetic, nonfrenetically

Answer 184

: (adj) not serious; silly The author’s new novel is a frivolous look at life in the city; although it lacks the serious tones of his previous novels, it’s a fun and enjoyable story. Word Forms: frivolously, frivolousness, frivolity, frivol, frivoler

Answer 185

: (adj) characterized by the avoidance of excessive spending A frugal shopper will always wait for items to go on sale or clearance before purchasing them. Word Forms: frugally, frugalness, frugality

Answer 186

: (vb) to explode loudly or to loudly pronounce Phil was angry at his boss and fulminated his frustrations to his coworkers at lunch. Word Forms: fulminator, fulminatory, fulmination Antonym Form: nonfulminating, unfulminated, unfulminating

Answer 187

: (adj) sneaky Frank devised a furtive plan in which he would sneak onto the rival’s campus and steal their school flag. Word Forms: furtively, furtiveness

Answer 188

: (n) to skip and frolic | Grandma was a fun friend; she gamboled through the field with me, collecting flowers and chasing butterflies.

Answer 189

: (vb) to earn or to collect Garrett garnered a reputation as a fierce lawyer after winning the trial amid national scrutiny. Antonym Form: ungarnered

Answer 190

: (adj) excessively talkative or wordy The garrulous hairdresser talked the entire time he cut my hair. Word Forms: garrulously, garrulousness, garrulity

Answer 191

: (adj) polite and friendly It’s important for a kindergarten teacher to be genial; young children respond positively to a friendly adult. Word Forms: genially, genialness, geniality Related Word: congenial

Answer 192

: (adj) related to; relevant I have some ideas germane to the discussion that might resolve some of the issues we are having. Word Forms: germanely, germaneness Antonym Forms: nongermane, ungermane

Answer 193

: (adj) fluent and talkative, often insincerely so The glib salesman promised me that the car had been inspected, but the transmission blew two days after I bought it. Word Forms: glibly, glibness Antonym Forms: unglib, unglibly

Answer 194

: (vb) to stare with dislike or anger Mr. Glover glowered at me after I walked on his flowers. Word Form: gloweringly Antonym Forms: unglowering, ungloweringly

Answer 195

: (n) gradual or successive changes The bumble bee can see subtle gradations in color that humans are unable to notice. Word Forms: gradational, gradationally Related Word: regradation

Answer 196

: (adj) free; given without reason On Monday, our supervisor announced that all employees were receiving two gratuitous tickets to this weekend’s concert. Word Forms: gratuitously, gratuitousness, gratuity

Answer 197

: (adj) sociable Greg is a gregarious student who finds it difficult to avoid socializing during class. Word Forms: gregariously, gregariousness Antonym Form: ungregarious

Answer 198

: (vb) lowering oneself as in asking forgiveness or showing respect Grover groveled for forgiveness from his mother after he broke her favorite vase. Word Forms: groveler, grovelingly Antonym Form: ungroveling

Answer 199

: (n) a skillful deception The sneaky woman used guile to get close to the withdrawn millionaire; she pretended to have known his brother who died in the war. Word Forms: guileful, guilefully, guilefulness Antonym Forms: guileless, guilelessly, guilelessness Related Words: guise, disguise

Answer 200

: (adj) relating to the sense of taste The restaurant provides a gustatory experience by offering skewers of beef, pork, and poultry marinated in exotic oils. Word Forms: gustatorily, gustation, gustative, gustativeness

Answer 201

: (adj) repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse Instead of relying on hackneyed clichés in your essay, try to create original metaphors and similes. Word Form: hackney (vb.)

Answer 202

: (adj) joyful, peaceful, or prosperous During the company’s halcyon days, the employees were making higher than average wages and enjoying benefits unmatched by other corporations. Word Forms: halcyonian, halcyonic

Answer 203

: (adj) unlucky The hapless fellow was in a car accident on the same day he lost the winning lottery ticket. Word Forms: haplessly, haplessness

Answer 204

: (n) a long, pompous speech At the assembly, the principal delivered a harangue on the merits of perfect attendance and good behavior. Word Forms: harangue (vb.), harangueful, haranguer

Answer 205

affectedly grand, solemn, or self-important. | "a pompous ass who pretends he knows everything"

Answer 206

: (n) a person dedicated to the pursuit of pleasure After working for years as a hospice nurse, Heidi had no respect for the hedonist who lived next door; by only seeking pleasure, he left the more unpleasant activities to caretakers like Heidi. Word Forms: hedonist (adj.), hedonistic, hedonistically, hedonism, hedonic, hedonically

Answer 207

: (n) leadership The country exerted its hegemony over the smaller territories. Word Forms: hegemonic, hegemonical Antonym Form: antihegemony

Answer 208

: (adj) characteristic of an opinion at odds with accepted beliefs Many people in the church believe the heretical teaching of evolution should be banned. Word Forms: heresy, heretic, heretically, hereticalness Antonym Forms: nonheretical, nonheretically

Answer 209

: (adj) isolated and protected Many of the sea islands were hermetic during the Civil War, making them a safe place for runaway slaves to hide. Word Forms: hermetical, hermetically Antonym Form: unhermetic Related Word: hermit

Answer 210

: (adj) overly dramatic The histrionic patient pretended to faint when he saw the needle used for the vaccination. Word Forms: histrionic (n.), histrionics, histrionical, histrionically

Answer 211

: (adj) old or stale Harry tells the same hoary stories at every dinner party. Word Forms: hoarily, hoariness Antonym Form: unhoary

Answer 212

: (n) pride; arrogance If pride goes before a fall, hubris goes before a downfall. Word Form: hubristic Antonym Forms: nonhubristic, unhubristic

Answer 213

: (vb) to manage wisely or thriftily Henry husbanded his finances so that he would have plenty to live on in retirement. Word Form: husbander Antonym Form: unhusbanded Related Word: husband (n)

Answer 214

: (n) a person who who attacks cherished ideas or traditional institutions Many religious leaders accused the author of being an iconoclast for presenting evidence that contrasted with the religion’s long-standing beliefs. Word Forms: iconoclastic, iconoclastically, iconoclasm

Answer 215

: (n) a characteristic that is peculiar to a specific person Some people found Ida’s idiosyncrasy a source of humor, but I never made fun of her for wearing her shirt backwards. Word Forms: idiosyncratic, idiosyncratically

Answer 216

: (adj) great adoration The young girl's idolatrous worship of the teen heartthrob began to worry her mother. Word Forms: idolatry, idolatrously, idolatrousness Antonym Forms: nonidolatrous, nonidolatrously, nonidolatrousness Related Words: idol, idolize

Answer 217

: (adj) dishonorable; common Your ignoble behavior at the dinner party will keep you off of invitation lists in the future. Word Forms: ignobility, ignobleness, ignobly Antonym Forms: noble, nobility, nobly

Answer 218

: (adj) creating illusions; deceiving The illusory sweepstakes isn’t really a contest at all; “winners” think they have won a free cruise, but the trip actually costs several hundred dollars and requires attendance at marketing seminars. Word Forms: illusorily, illusoriness, illusive Related Word: illusion

Answer 219

: (vb) to inspire After the seminar, our supervisor was imbued with the teachings of the keynote speaker, a management expert. Word Form: imbuement Antonym Form: unimbue

Answer 220

: (n) blocked progress; deadlock | We came to an impasse in our discussion about our wedding colors; we both refused to compromise.

Answer 221

: (adj) poor In less than a year, Imogen had lost all of her money, going from a wealthy businesswoman to a impecunious beggar. Word Forms: impecuniously, impecuniousness, impecuniosity

Answer 222

: (adj) calm; incapable of agitation Imelda had imperturbable composure, which is why she was selected to tackle the nerve-wracking feat. Word Forms: imperturbability, imperturbableness, imperturbably Antonym Forms: perturb, perturbable

Answer 223

: (adj) lacking respect or devotion, usually for a god or religion Imogene had a difficult time convincing her impious husband to attend church with the family. Word Forms: impiously, impiousness Antonym Forms: pious, piously, piousness

Answer 224

: (adj) incapable of being pacified or appeased Inez was so upset at the waiter that she became implacable; nothing the manager offered was going to make her happy. Word Forms: implacability, implacableness, implacably Antonym Forms: placable, placably, placability Related Word: placid

Answer 225

: (adj) implied though not directly expressed Although we never mentioned the fight, there seemed to be an implicit agreement not to talk about it. Word Forms: implicitly, implicitness, implicity Antonym Forms: explicit, explicitly, explicitness

Answer 226

: (n) a curse The old woman dabbled in voodoo, and was known for casting imprecations on her enemies. Word Forms: imprecate, imprecator, imprecatory Antonym Form: unimprecated

Answer 227

: (vb) to attack as false or wrong The candidate impugned his opponent’s voting record, proving that she had voted against reform she now supports. Word Forms: impugnable, impugnability, impugnment, impugner Related Word: oppugn

Answer 228

: (vb) to attribute or credit to The doctors imputed her sudden weight loss to a problem with her thyroid gland. Word Forms: imputable, imputably, imputative, imputatively, imputativeness, imputedly, imputer Related Word: putative

Answer 229

: (adj) red or pink; flesh-colored For Valentine's Day, I gave my girlfriend incarnadine carnations since red is the color of love and passion. Word Form: incarnadine (vb) Related Word: carnation

Answer 230

: (adj) in the early stages of development Your inchoate plan for the fund-raiser has a lot of potential, but we need to discuss some details before moving forward. Word Forms: inchoately, inchoateness, inchoation, inchoative, inchoatively

Answer 231

: (adj) beginning; just starting The zinc lozenges will help an incipient cold, but do nothing for a well-established virus. Word Forms: incipiently, incipience, incipiency

Answer 232

: (adj) unquestionable; impossible to deny Protesters demanded the release of the imprisoned woman, saying there was incontrovertible proof of her innocence. Word Forms: incontrovertibly, incontrovertibility, incontrovertibleness Antonym Forms: controvertible, controvertibly, controvertibility, controvertibleness, controvert

Answer 233

: (adj) incapable of being corrected or punished The incorrigible child continued to throw his vegetables even after the mother threatened to send him to his room. Word Forms: incorrigibly, incorrigibleness, incorrigibility Antonym Forms: corrigible, corrigibly, corrigibleness, corrigibility

Answer 234

: (adj) skeptical; not willing to believe The incredulous car buyer did not believe the dealer’s claim that the car was accident-free; he insisted on seeing a report on the car’s history. Word Forms: incredulously, incredulousness, incredulity Related Word: incredible Antonym Forms: credulous, credulously, credulousness, credulity

Answer 235

the realization or fulfilment of a plan or project. | "the plans have come to fruition rather sooner than expected"

Answer 236

: (adj) displaying anger due to unfairness The seniors were indignant over their disqualification in the homecoming contest, claiming that the decision was unfair. Word Forms: indignantly, indignation

Answer 237

: (adj) lazy India was an indolent worker, and was thus fired when it was discovered that she was lazy. Word Forms: indolently, indolence

Answer 238

: (adj) incapable of being put into words Effie’s joy at being reunited with her long-lost brother was ineffable; words could not explain her happiness. Word Forms: ineffably, ineffableness, ineffability Antonym Form: effable

Answer 239

: (adj) unyielding Mary Ingalls was aware that she would lose her sight before she began her inexorable decline into blindness. Word Forms: inexorability, inexorably, inexorableness Antonym Form: exorable

Answer 240

: (n) an artless, innocent young girl (especially as portrayed on the stage) The young actress will play the part of the ingenue, an innocent girl who becomes caught up in the plot in Act II. Related Word: ingenuous

Answer 241

: (n) an ungrateful person Inga came off as an ingrate when she failed to thank her hosts for dinner. Word Form: ingrately Related Word: grateful

Answer 242

: (vb) to put oneself in another's good graces Ingrid's boyfriend ingratiated himself with her father by sharing a love of classic movies and old cars. Word Forms: ingratiation, ingratiatory, ingratiating

Answer 243

: (adj) existing as a natural and essential characteristic The abused dog had an inherent distrust of men, so only female volunteers at the shelter could get close to him. Word Forms: inherently, inhere, inherence Related Word: inherit

Answer 244

: (adj) harmful or hostile Oscar cast an inimical sneer at Melissa when she took credit for his idea. Word Forms: inimically, inimicalness, inimicality, inimicable Related Word: enemy

Answer 245

: (n) wickedness The wicked witch's iniquity kept Dorothy from returning to Kansas. Word Forms: iniquitous, iniquitously, iniquitousness

Answer 246

: (adj) harmless No one had to be evacuated after the tanker spill, as the gas released was innocuous. Word Forms: innocuously, innocuousness, innocuity Antonym Forms: nocuous, nocuously, nocuousness Related Word: inoculate

Answer 247

: (adj) intended to entrap, deceive, or harm Sid devised an insidious plan to get the witness to admit he hadn’t really witnessed the crime. Word Forms: insidiously, insidiousness

Answer 248

: (adj) bland, dull, or uninteresting When I left for college, the insipid cafeteria food made me miss my father’s home-cooked meals. Word Forms: insipidly, insipidness, insipidity Antonym Forms: sipid, sipidity

Answer 249

: (n) rudeness The headmaster said that insolence would not be tolerated; rude behavior towards a teacher would result in suspension. Word Forms: insolent (n.), insolently, insolence

Answer 250

: (adj) narrow-minded; isolated The culture is criticized for its insular ideas, such as the belief that women should not be allowed to attend school. Word Forms: insularly, insularism, insularity

Answer 251

: (n) a rebellion or uprising King George ordered British troops to quash the colonist's insurrection, but the uprising led to the Revolutionary War. Word Forms: insurrectional, insurrectionally, insurrectionism, insurrectionist

Answer 252

: (vb) to bury James Garfield, the 20th President of the United States who was assassinated in 1881, was interred in Cleveland, Ohio. Word Form: reinter Antonym Form: uninterred

Answer 253

: (n) a person who takes part in a conversation At the apartment complex, the two interlocutors continued to debate the merits of television outside my bedroom window until well after midnight. Word Forms: interlocution, interlocutory, interlocutorily Related Words: locution, eloquent

Answer 254

: (n) a period of time free from authority When the king died, there was a two week interregnum as the prince returned from abroad for his coronation. Word Form: interregn

Answer 255

: (adj) stubborn; difficult to manage The intractable child refused to let the babysitter into the room. Word Forms: intractability, intractableness, intractably

Answer 256

: (adj) refusing to yield or compromise When it came to Edgar’s hunting trophies, Enid was intransigent; she refused to hang the deer heads on the wall. Word Forms: intransigent (n.), intransigently, intransigence, intransigency

Answer 257

: (vb) to flood After the newspaper ran the controversial story, the editor was inundated with calls from hundreds of angry subscribers. Word Forms: inundation, inundatory, inundator

Answer 258

: (vb) to become used to People in Alaska were inured to cold weather. Word Forms: inuredness, inurement Antonym Form: uninured

Answer 259

: (n) violent criticism The governor was quick to issue an invective denouncing the show that portrayed her state's residents as vulgar and obscene. Word Forms: invective (adj), invectively, invectiveness Antonym Form: uninvective

Answer 260

: (vb) to persuade with smooth talk Vicki inveigled Vivianne into playing checkers, even though Vivianne would have rather played chess. Word Forms: inveiglement, inveigler Antonym Form: uninveigled

Answer 261

: (n) ceremony for bestowing an official title At the investiture, the detective was promoted to sergeant. Word Form: investitive

Answer 262

: (adj) intended to hurt, offend, or discriminate Ivan’s invidious remarks to his wife shocked their guests; they had no idea that he could be so cruel. Word Forms: invidiously, invidiousness

Answer 263

: (adj) quickly aroused to anger The irascible old lady caused a scene at the restaurant by yelling at the manager when her hamburger was overcooked. Word Forms: irascibly, irascibleness, irascibility Related Word: ire

Answer 264

: (adj) traveling from place to place to work The itinerant pastor was transferred to our church from a ministry in Ohio; he will stay with us for six months before going to New Hampshire. Word Forms: itinerant (n.), itinerantly, itinerate, itineration Related Word: itinerary

Answer 265

: (vb) to throw away Jett was arrested when he jettisoned old boat fuel into the harbor. Word Form: jettisonable

Answer 266

: (n) noisy and excessive patriotism for one's country The candidate's jingoism cost him the election, as constituents did not believe he could tactfully handle foreign policy. Word Forms: jingo, jingoish, jingoist, jingoistic, jingoistically

Answer 267

: (adj) characterized by joking Jack's speeches were always entertaining because they were peppered with jocular anecdotes. Word Forms: jocularly, overjocular, jocularity Related Word: joke

Answer 268

: (vb) to place side by side When Justin’s picture was juxtaposed with his father’s picture, the resemblance between the two was remarkable. Word Form: juxtaposition Related Word: pose

Answer 269

: (n) sound of a bell at a funeral or a sign of looming death or destruction The town was quiet, with boarded up buildings and no sign of life, a knell of the impending war. Word Form: knell (vb)

Answer 270

: (adj) tearful; sad Lakeisa tends to get lachrymose over animal rescue commercials depicting cats and dogs in abusive situations. Word Forms: lachrymosely, lachrymosity

Answer 271

: (adj) expressing much in few words A laconic essay will be scored higher than an essay with unnecessary words or sentences. Word Forms: laconically, laconism Antonym Form: unlaconic

Answer 272

: (vb) to mock in a satire The actors of "Saturday Night Live" make a living by lampooning current events. Word Forms: lampoon (n), lampooner, lampoonist, lampoonery Antonym Form: unlampooned

Answer 273

: (adj) lacking in energy or spirit My boss's languid response to my proposal wasn't expected; I thought he'd be excited about my initiative and creativity. Word Forms: languidly, languidness Antonym Forms: unlanguid, unlanguidly, unlanguidness Related Word: languish

Answer 274

: (adj) relating to polished stones; characterized by exactness and extreme polishing The author's lapidary manuscript was so carefully crafted that editors could find no mistakes. Word Forms: lapidarian, lapidarist

Answer 275

: (n) generous gift-giving Larissa's largess at the twins' birthday party would not soon be forgotten; she gave them enough toys to keep them busy for a year. Related Word: large

Answer 276

: (n) lack of energy; weariness | One symptom of the illness was lassitude; Leslie learned early on that she had no energy during an attack.

Answer 277

: (adj) existing but not visible or obvious Latika clearly had latent ability in math, but she failed to put forward any effort in the subject so no one knew how bright she really was. Word Forms: latently, latency

Answer 278

: (n) trickery; sleight of hand The magician employed legerdemain to fool the audience into believing he pulled a rabbit from his hat. Word Form: legerdemainist

Answer 279

: (n) inappropriate lack of seriousness | The teenagers' levity during the assembly on drinking and driving cost them six Saturdays in detention.

Answer 280

: (n) the act of writing dictionaries Noah Webster’s career in lexicography developed from his dissatisfaction with British school books; he wrote his first dictionary to help his elementary students learn to spell. Word Forms: lexicographic, lexicographical, lexicographically, lexicographer Related Words: lexicon, dyslexic

Answer 281

: (vb) free; unrestrained When the farmer accidentally left the stall door open, the liberated horse sprinted for the woods. Word Forms: liberated, liberative, liberatory, liberation, liberator Antonym Form: unliberated

Answer 282

: (adj) unrestrained by morals Libby had no scruples and thus made libertine choices, never worrying about those affected or what others would think. Word Forms: libertine (n), libertinage, libertinism

Answer 283

: (adj) unrestrained by morals Libby had no scruples and thus made licentious choices, never worrying about those affected or what others would think. Word Forms: licentiously, licentiousness Antonym Form: nonlicentious, nonlicentiously, nonlicentiousness Related Word: license

Answer 284

``` | \ ˈger-ish \ Definition of garish 1: clothed in vivid colors a garish clown 2a: excessively or disturbingly vivid garish colors garish imagery b: offensively or distressingly bright : GLARING 3: tastelessly showy : FLASHY garish neon signs ```

Answer 285

: (adj) clear; calm The limpid waters provided opportunity for the anglers to sight cast directly to the fish they could see in the clear water. Word Forms: limpidity, limpidness, limpidly

Answer 286

/ɪmˈpiːd/ Learn to pronounce verb delay or prevent (someone or something) by obstructing them; hinder.

Answer 287

: (adj) lacking energy or spirit My boss's listless response to my proposal wasn't expected; I thought he'd be excited about my initiative and creativity. Word Forms: listlessly, listlessness

Answer 288

: (adj) extremely talkative Lance was disappointed in his loquacious date; she talked so much that she never had time to listen to any of his stories. Word Forms: loquaciously, loquaciousness, loquacity Related Words: eloquent, ventriloquist, soliloquy

Answer 289

: (adj) clear; easy to understand If your directions had been more lucid, I might have made it to the party on time. Word Forms: lucidly, lucidness, lucidity Related Word: elucidate

Answer 290

: (adj) excessively mournful; sad and gloomy Lucy’s lugubrious behavior has started to annoy her friends; it has been two months since her breakup with Josh, but she is still as gloomy as if it had happened yesterday. Word Forms: lugubriously, lugubriousness, lugubriosity

Answer 291

: (n) a crafty plot The fairy tale follows the machinations of an evil stepsister who is out to steal the prince from the heroine. Word Forms: machinate, machinator

Answer 292

: (n) a powerful whirlpool or turbulent chaos | When the manager was fired, he left the office in a maelstrom; there was frequent infighting and little leadership.

Answer 293

: (adj) noble and generous in spirit The magnanimous donor has given over ten million dollars to children’s charities in the city. Word Forms: magnanimously, magnanimousness, magnanimity

Answer 294

: (n) a curse The members of the team feared that the old woman had placed a malediction upon their season because they hadn’t won a game since accidentally shattering her windshield with a foul ball. Word Forms: maledictive, maledictory, maledict Antonym Forms: benediction, benedictive, benedictory Related Words: diction, dictate, dictionary

Answer 295

: (adj) evil The malevolent old man plotted the demise of his neighbor’s barking dog. Word Forms: malevolently, malevolence, malevolency

Answer 296

: (n) a desire to make others suffer Malika’s sharp comment was delivered with malice; she knew that her words would hurt her mother’s feelings. Word Forms: malicious, maliciously, maliciousness Antonym Form: unmalicious

Answer 297

: (vb) to fake an illness to avoid responsibility Malinda claims to have strep throat, but since she has been known to malinger in the past make sure she brings a doctor's note when she returns to work. Word Form: malingerer

Answer 298

: (adj) having an unpleasant smell My malodorous shoe smelled so terrible that my mom threw it away. Word Forms: malodorously, malodorousness Related Words: odor, odorously

Answer 299

: (vb) to make imperfect; to disfigure My nearly-perfect report card was marred by a low grade in speech class. Word Forms: mar (n.), marred (adj.) Antonym Form: unmarred

Answer 300

: (adj) relating to war The mayor was in favor of taking a martial approach to the problem, preferring to send soldiers into the abandoned houses to remove the squatters and drug dealers. Word Forms: martialism, martialist, martially, martialness Antonym Form: nonmartial

Answer 301

: (n) a person who rigidly demands that rules are followed; a strict disciplinarian Marty realized that the drill sergeant was a martinet, so his best course of action was to closely follow all the rules. Word Forms: martinetish, martinetism

Answer 302

: (n) the female head of a family As the matriarch of the family, Grandma sat at the head of the Thanksgiving dinner table. Word Forms: matriarchal, matriarchic, matriarchalism, matriarchy Antonym Forms: patriarch, patriarchal, patriarchic, patriarchalism, patriarchy Related Words: ma, maternal

Answer 303

: (adj) foolishly emotional When Maude drinks too much, she becomes maudlin, crying over silly things like her shoelaces coming untied. Word Forms: maudlinism, maudlinly, maudlinness Antonym Forms: unmaudlin, unmaudlinly

Answer 304

: (n) a person who chooses to be independent in behavior or thought Even though the other ranchers were branding their cattle, Sam was a maverick who believed he did not need to follow the rules set by his associates

Answer 305

: (n) a mixture | Melanie’s walls are decorated with a mélange of surfing posters and beach photographs.

Answer 306

: (adj) lying, false, or untrue The mendacious girl said that she didn’t take her mother’s lipstick, but the bright red evidence was all over her face. Word Forms: mendaciously, mendaciousness, mendacity

Answer 307

: (adj) begging In the poverty-stricken country, mendicant children approach tourists to ask for food and money. Word Forms: mendicancy, mendicity

Answer 308

: (adj) apt to change; volatile; lively Meryl was known for her mercurial moods; she could be charming and kind one minute and caustic and hateful the next. Word Forms: mercurially, mercurialness Antonym Forms: unmercurial, unmercurially, unmercurialness Related Word: mercury

Answer 309

: (adj) insincere; flashily attractive Meredith bestowed meretricious praise upon Mark on-camera, but she had nothing nice to say about him off-camera. Word Forms: meretriciously, meretriciousness Antonym Form: unmeretricious, unmeretriciously, unmeretriciousness

Answer 310

: (n) a form of social system in which power goes to those with superior abilities Critics argue that a meritocracy cannot be fairly created, as intelligence and ability are difficult to measure accurately. Word Form: meritocratic Related Word: merit

Answer 311

: (vb) to have substantial influence Millie's grandfather's significant donations to the university militated for her acceptance in the admissions process. Word Form: militation Related Words: military, militia

Answer 312

: (n) laughter or merriment Even the old scrooge could not resist the mirth of the holiday season, as he eventually joined in the celebration. Word Forms: mirthful, mirthfully, mirthfulness, Antonym Forms: mirthless, mirthlessly, mirthlessness

Answer 313

: (n) a person who hates and distrusts mankind The main character is a bitter misanthrope who learns to trust again through her friendship with the children next door. Word Forms: misanthropist, misanthropic, misanthropical, misanthropically, misanthropy

Answer 314

: (n) a stingy person who lives in miserable conditions in order to save money The old miser lives in a rat-infested apartment even though he has more than enough money to live in a nice home. Word Forms: miserly, miserliness Related Words: misery, miserable

Answer 315

: (n) a letter | The governor sent out missives to her supportive constituents, thanking them for their contributions to her campaign.

Answer 316

: (vb) to soften or soothe Molly was able to mollify the crying child by offering him an ice cream cone. Word Forms: mollification, mollifier, mollifyingly, mollifiable

Answer 317

: (vb) to shed feathers The cockatoo molted every spring in preparation for new feathers. Word Form: molter

Answer 318

: (adj) relating to monasteries or relating to a dedicated way of life Mona lived a monastic life, refraining from sensual pleasures and the accumulation of material possessions. Word Form: monastically Antonym Forms: nonmonastic , nonmonastically Related Words: pseudomonastic, monastery

Answer 319

: (n) 1. a swamp 2. a difficult situation After Morgan accepted Jill’s invitation to the dance, he found himself in a morass; his friend offered him a ticket to a concert that he really wanted to see, but it happened to be on the same night as the dance.

Answer 320

: (n) suspension of an ongoing activity When many students were late returning from lunch, the principal placed a moratorium on off-campus lunch privileges. Word Form: moratory

Answer 321

: (n) important customs or beliefs of a group | The advertisements in the housekeeping magazine from 1950 reflect the social mores of the time.

Answer 322

: (adj) gloomy After his girlfriend moved away, Morris became morose and depressed. Word Forms: morosely, moroseness, morosity

Answer 323

: (adj) having many parts and much variety The school offers multifarious activities after school; children should have no problem finding a program that matches their interests. Word Forms: multifariously, multifariousness

Answer 324

: (adj) very generous The munificent donor gave the hospital enough money to build a specialized center for heart patients. Word Forms: munificently, munificentness, munificence

Answer 325

: (adj) lacking long-term vision Maya has a myopic outlook when it comes to investment; she complains about the money she is investing now, rather than focusing on the money she will make in the future. Word Forms: myopically, myopia

Answer 326

: (n) the lowest point Nadia entered the nadir of despair when she lost her job and her fiance called off the wedding. Word Form: nadiral

Answer 327

: (adj) being born or beginning The nascent hockey team did not have much experience, as this was their first year in the league. Word Forms: nascence, nascency

Answer 328

: (adj) vague or cloudy When I woke up in the hospital, I only had a nebulous memory of the accident. Word Forms: nebulously, nebulousness Antonym Forms: nonnebulous, nonnebulously, nonnebulousness

Answer 329

: (adj) extremely wicked In the novel, the nefarious character plotted to financially destroy the hero. Word Forms: nefariously, nefariousness

Answer 330

: (n) a new word Each year Merriam Webster decides which neologisms will be granted entry into their dictionaries. Word Forms: neologist, neologistic, neologistical, neology

Answer 331

: (n) a beginner Neil is a neophyte at downhill skiing, so he should stick to the smaller hills today. Word Forms: neophytic, neophytish, neophytism

Answer 332

: (vb) to irritate I was nettled by her annoying voice. Word Forms: nettle (n), nettler, nettly Antonym Form: unnettled

Answer 333

: (n) belief in the rejection of rules and the destruction of social and political order During the rebellion, the followers of nihilism were the first to break the laws in the city. Word Forms: nihilistic, nihilistically, nihility, nihilist

Answer 334

: (adj) offensive (especially odors) My noisome shoe smelled so terrible that my mom threw it away. Word Forms: noisomely, noisomeness

Answer 335

: (adj) harmful The danger of a carbon dioxide leak is that the noxious fumes are odorless. Word Forms: noxiously, noxiousness

Answer 336

: (n) a subtle difference The nuances between the two fonts are often missed by the untrained graphic designer. Word Form: nuanced

Answer 337

: (adj) pertaining to coins or medals The archeologist found numismatic evidence of the ancient civilization, including three coins with depictions of animals. Word Forms: numismatics, numismatical, numismatically

Answer 338

: (adj) stubborn The obdurate child refused to eat his vegetables and sat at the dinner table with the untouched broccoli until bedtime. Word Forms: obdurately, obdurateness, obduracy Related Word: indurate

Answer 339

: (vb) to confuse or make unclear If a solution to a math question requires units to be in inches, the test makers may obfuscate the question by using feet. Word Forms: obfuscation, obfuscatory

Answer 340

: (adj) slanting; not straight; indirect or evasive The politician made oblique comments about his opponent, hinting at corruption but not actually saying it was an issue. Word Forms: obliquely, obliqueness

Answer 341

: (adj) noisily defiant or aggressive The obstreperous students crowded the school board meeting to protest the new dress code. Word Forms: obstreperously, obstreperousness, obstreperosity

Answer 342

: (adj) intellectually slow; dull You might have to simplify your explanation of photosynthesis because Obie is a bit obtuse. Word Forms: obtusely, obtuseness

Answer 343

: (vb) to prevent any perceived difficulty The car seat manufacturer obviated the risk of injury by removing the cup holder from the most recent model. Word Forms: obviable, obviation, obviator, preobviate Antonym Form: unobviable

Answer 344

: (vb) to shut or block Plaque buildup in the arteries can occlude the flow of blood resulting in heart disease. Word Forms: occludent, occlusion, occlusal Antonym Forms: include, nonocclusion

Answer 345

: (adj) offensive; hateful The majority of Americans view dog fighting as an odious crime. Word Forms: odiously, odiousness Related Word: odium

Answer 346

: (adj) aggressively forward My officious neighbor insisted on helping me after my accident, but I really just wanted to be left alone. Word Forms: officiously, officiousness, overofficious

Answer 347

: (adj) threatening or foreshadowing evil The dark clouds in the distance were ominous and threatened to ruin the picnic. Word Forms: ominously, ominousness Related Word: omen

Answer 348

: (adj) oppressive; burdensome Cinderella was saddled with onerous household duties while she lived with her wicked stepmother. Word Forms: onerously, onerousness, onerosity Antonym Forms: nononerous, nononerously, nononerousness

Answer 349

: (vb) to express an opinion The editor opined about the evils of genetically modified foods in today's opinion section of the newspaper. Antonym Form: unopined Related Word: opinion

Answer 350

: (n) disgrace or severe criticism due to shameful behavior The team owner faced public opprobrium when he was caught making racial remarks. Word Forms: opprobrious, opprobriously, opprobriousness Antonym Form: nonopprobrious

Answer 351

: (adj) rich and luxurious The opulent kitchen had marble countertops and solid gold fixtures. Word Forms: opulently, opulence, opulency

Answer 352

: (adj) highly decorated The ornate palace had colorful paintings and intricate wood carvings in every room. Word Forms: ornately, ornateness Related Word: ornament

Answer 353

: (vb) to harden like bone; to become inflexible in habits or beliefs Oscar was open-minded prior to college, but after graduation he began to ossify concerning politics. Word Form: ossifier Antonym Form: unossifying

Answer 354

: (adj) pretended Austin’s ostensible excuse for missing school was that his grandmother was in the hospital; the real reason, however, was that he went to the beach. Word Forms: ostensibly, ostensive Related Word: ostentatious

Answer 355

: (adj) open and observable; not secret or hidden The candidate’s overt support of stem cell research was unusual; he made it clear that if elected, he would work to increase research efforts. Word Forms: overtly, overtness Antonym Forms: covert, covertly, covertness

Answer 356

: (adj) extremely excited or disturbed Eva became overwrought when she lost her cell phone. Related Word: overwork

Answer 357

: (vb) to calm; to bring peace The babysitter used a teething ring to pacify the crying baby. Word Forms: pacifiable, pacifyingly, pacific, pacifier, pacifist

Answer 358

: (n) a song of praise The ancient Greeks sang paeans to Apollo and other gods. Word Form: paeanism

Answer 359

: (adj) like a palace; magnificent Polly bought a palatial home that had eight bedrooms, two kitchens, a ballroom, and a six car garage. Word Forms: palatially, palatialness Antonym Form: unpalatial

Answer 360

: (vb) to relieve or lessen Aloe will palliate the pain from a sunburn. Word Forms: palliation, palliator, palliative Antonym Forms: nonpalliation, unpalliated

Answer 361

: (adj) pale; lacking energy Palmer did not look healthy; his pallid skin had lost all trace of color. Word Forms: pallidly, pallidness

Answer 362

: (n) a cure for all diseases, or a solution to all problems The manager believed the new software was a panacea for all of the company’s computer problems, but Pam was skeptical of its ability to improve the entire system. Word Form: panacean

Answer 363

: (n) dashing style, flair, or manner | Penny only dates men with panache; she prefers to be seen with flamboyant boyfriends

Answer 364

: (n) a formal expression of praise The director delivered a panegyric about the center’s most helpful volunteer, praising her for helping the needy. Word Forms: panegyrical, panegyrically, panegyrist, panegyrize, self-panegyric

Answer 365

: (n) complete or impressive array Penelope has managed to attract a panoply of bird species to her backyard bird feeder. Word Form: panoplied Antonym Form: unpanoplied

Answer 366

: (n) a statement that contradicts itself but nevertheless may still be true Parker said, “I always lie,” but this is a paradox; if the statement is true, then he must be lying. Word Forms: paradoxal, paradoxical, paradoxically, paradoxicalness, paradoxicality, paradoxology

Answer 367

: (n) a perfect example Parmida is a paragon of professionalism; she arrives on time, treats co-workers with respect, and refrains from gossip. Word Forms: paragon (vb.), paragoned

Answer 368

: (adj) characterized by the use of parenthesis A remark in parenthesis is called a parenthetical remark, which is usually used to explain the sentence. Word Forms: parenthetic, parenthetically, parentheticalness Related Word: parentheses

Answer 369

: (n) a person who is rejected; an outcast Pamela became the pariah of the company when she was caught stealing money from her co-workers. Word Forms: pariahdom, pariahism

Answer 370

: (vb) to talk or confer The two generals met to parley their demands for surrender. Word Forms: parley (n), parleyer

Answer 371

``` grant (a title, degree, benefit, or right). "the Minister may have exceeded the powers conferred on him by Parliament" Similar: bestow on present with/to grant to award to decorate with honour with give to give out to gift with endow with vest in hand out to extend to vouchsafe to accord to Opposite: withhold remove 2. have discussions; exchange opinions. "the officials were conferring with allies" ```

Answer 372

: (vb) to ward off, avoid, or evade The senator parried any questions about the scandal by focusing on the state of the economy. Word Forms: parriable, parrier Antonym Forms: unparried, unparrying

Answer 373

a cause of pain or harm. | "a crippling affliction of the nervous system"

Answer 374

yearn to possess (something, especially something belonging to another). "I covet one of their smart bags"

Answer 375

a double-flowered cultivated variety of clove pink, with grey-green leaves and showy pink, white, or red flowers.

Answer 376

having or showing too great a readiness to believe things. | "a ceremony staged for credulous tourists"

Answer 377

plural noun: sinews | a piece of tough fibrous tissue uniting muscle to bone; a tendon or ligament.

Answer 378

an act of speaking one's thoughts aloud when by oneself or regardless of any hearers, especially by a character in a play. "Edmund ends the scene as he had begun it, with a soliloquy"

Answer 379

a small hill or mound. | "a grassy knoll"

Answer 380

make a formal judgement on a disputed matter. "the Committee adjudicates on all betting disputes" act as a judge in a competition. "we asked him to adjudicate at the local flower show"

Answer 381

A gerund is a noun made from a verb by adding "-ing." The gerund form of the verb "read" is "reading." You can use a gerund as the subject, the complement, or the object of a sentence.

Answer 382

1a: a frame usually of two upright posts and a transverse beam from which criminals are hanged

Answer 383

: (adj) extremely reluctant to spend money; frugal and stingy The parsimonious woman told her grandchildren that the gumballs in the candy machine were too expensive. Word Forms: parsimoniously, parsimoniousness, parsimony

Answer 384

: (adj) tending to favor one group or one way of thinking Gun control is a partisan issue; one party favors government management while the other prefers individual authority. Word Forms: partisanship, partisanry, partisan (n.) Antonym Forms: nonpartisan, bipartisan Related Word: party

Answer 385

: (n) a work that is a mixture of styles, materials, or sources Patsy's composition was truly a pastiche, borrowing musical elements from Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart. Word Forms: pasticcio, pasticheur, pasticheuse

Answer 386

: (n) the male head of a family As the oldest of the seven, Uncle Pat was the patriarch of the family and thus gave the toasts at all family gatherings. Word Forms: patriarchal, patriarchic, patriarchalism, patriarchy Antonym Forms: matriarch, matriarchal, matriarchic, matriarchalism, matriarchy Related Words: pa, paternal

Answer 387

: (n) an insufficient quantity or number | Pam realized there was a paucity of hamburger buns.

Answer 388

: (n) a minor fault or sin Mr. Peck brought a bottle of white wine instead of a bottle of red wine to the dinner, but was forgiven for this peccadillo when he also produced a box of luxurious European chocolates.

Answer 389

: (adj) relating to education or teaching The course for new teachers taught the pedagogical principal that all children could learn. Word Forms: pedagogy, pedagogic, pedagogically, pedagogism, pedagogery, pedagogish, pedagog, pedagogue

Answer 390

: (adj) overly focused on small details while teaching or learning It was difficult to be Penny’s partner because she was pedantic about recording every single step of the scientific method. Word Forms: pedantical, pedantically, pedanticalness, pedanticism, pedantism, pedantry, pedant, pedantesque

Answer 391

: (n) a word that is derogatory or belittling At one time, 'imbecile' meant weak, but it has since become a pejorative to describe a person who is intellectually slow. Word Forms: pejorative (adj), pejoratively, pejoration Antonym Forms: nonpejortaive, nonpejoratively, unpejorative, unpejoratively

Answer 392

a right or privilege exclusive to a particular individual or class. "in some countries, higher education is predominantly the prerogative of the rich"

Answer 393

: (n) a strong liking | Penny has a penchant for poetry; she has filled two notebooks with poems and poetic lines.

Answer 394

: (adj) feeling or expressing remorse for misdeeds The penitent criminal asked for forgiveness from the family he had robbed. Word Forms: penitently, penitence Antonym Forms: impenitent, impenitently, impenitence Related Words: repentant, penance, penitentiary

Answer 395

: (adj) extremely reluctant to spend money; stingy and frugal or extremely poor The penurious old man refused to donate his spare change to the charity. Word Forms: penuriously, penuriousness, penury

Answer 396

: (vb) to travel After high school, Perry chose to peregrinate through Europe before attending college. Word Forms: peregrinator, peregrination Related Words: peregrine, peregrinity

Answer 397

: (adj) tending to betray The perfidious soldier was selling classified secrets to the army’s enemies. Word Forms: perfidiously, perfidiousness, perfidy

Answer 398

: (adj) done only as a matter of routine, with indifference and a lack of enthusiasm The principal gave a perfunctory speech about attendance, even though the students had heard the same speech a dozen times before. Word Forms: perfunctorily, perfunctoriness

Answer 399

too extreme to bear; intolerable. | "the heat would be insufferable by July"

Answer 400

not allowing fluid to pass through. | "an impervious layer of basaltic clay"

Answer 401

given to or involved in conspiring to do something immoral, illegal, or harmful. "a heartless and conniving person"

Answer 402

arrogant and domineering. | "his imperious demands"

Answer 403

involving or requiring strenuous effort; difficult and tiring. "an arduous journey"

Answer 404

the writing of the lives of saints. | a biography that treats its subject with undue reverence.

Answer 405

excessively concerned with minor details or rules; overscrupulous. "his analyses are careful and even painstaking, but never pedantic"

words Flashcards

(429 cards)