1-875

edible

adj. able to be eaten Sentence: Dorothy rummaged through her cupboards, searching in vain for something edible.

audible

adj. able to be heard Sentence: The eruption of Karkatau in 1883 was so powerful that echoes from the explosion were audible halfway around the world.

tenable

adj. able to be maintained in argument; rationally defensible; able to be held against assault; defensible Sentence: A statement supported by fact is more tenable than one based solely on beliefs

resilient

adj. able to recover quickly (e.g., from bending or illness) Sentence: Mike hurts his chances by taking offense at the criticism; if he were more emotionally resilient he could take it in stride and get back to work faster Alternate forms: resilience.

brusque

adj. abrupt and curt of manner Sentence: After spending many months preparing his ideas, Ronald was upset that the company president gave such a brusque reaction without even waiting to hear the complete proposal

wont

adj. accustomed Sentence: After a heavy meal and a hard day's work, my father is wont to fall asleep in front of the television set and drool all over his shirt.

vigilant

adj. alert and watchful, esp. for what is dangerous Sentence: It looks as though the crisis has passed, but officials will no doubt remain vigilant for the next few days. Alternate forms: n. vigilance

omniscient

adj. all-knowing Sentence: Children typically believe their parents are omniscient until the children prove otherwise to themselves by learning things their parents do not know. Alternate forms: n. omniscience.

omnipotent

adj. all-powerful Sentence: Children often learn early to ask whether someone omnipotent can make a rock so heavy that he or she can't lift it, and they learn to paradox of such strong words alternate forms: n. omnipotence

nominal

adj. appearing in name only; negligible or of low amount Sentence: Some independently wealthy men and women in public office insist on receiving a nominal salary of $1

forlorn

adj. appearing sad because abandoned; in pitiful condition; almost without hope Sentence: Everyone felt sympathy for the forlorn widow, who looked as if she were about to collapse from grief.

haggard

adj. appearing tired and thin, as from anxiety, disease, hunger, etc. Sentence: By the end of finals week, Anna looked haggard from the long nights of studying and the many skipped meals.

plausible

adj. appearing worthy or belief or trust Sentence: Robert wasn't able to come up with a plausible excuse to explain why he had come home at two in the morning, so his parents grounded him. Alternate forms: n. plausibility

colloquial

adj. appropriate to spoken, as opposed to written, language; informal Sentence: In her dialogue, Toni Morrison successfully captures the colloquial lilt of her characters' speech.

apt

adj. appropriate; having a natural tendency Sentence: An apt math student, Ruth quickly grasped even the most difficult concepts in her calculus class.

redolent

adj. aromatic; fragrant; suggestive Sentence: John loved baking mostly because of the aroma, so the kitchen was frequently redolent of baking cookies. Alternate forms: n. redolence

ersatz

adj. artificial; not genuine; fake Sentence: He thought the ersatz engagement ring would fool his fiancée, forgetting that her father was a professional jeweler.

cantankerous

adj. bad-tempered; quarrelsome Sentence: Though he is known for his grouchy, cantankerous remarks, Walt can also at times be quite jovial and even pleasant to be around.

figurative

adj. based on a figure of speech; not literal Sentence: "Go take a hike" is the sort of figurative expression that can confuse those who speak English as a second language.

subjective

adj. based on personal experience or feeling, not on external evidence Sentence: Reading a novel is a subjective experience since each of us responds in a different way to the story, a way based on personal beliefs and experiences.

incipient

adj. beginning to appear or to be noticed Sentence: A week after he had planted the grass seeds, incipient blades could be seen poking up through the soil.

affected

adj. behaving in an artificial way to impress people Sentence: Already certain her answer would be no, my mother hesitated first, with an air of affected indecision, before answering. Alternate forms: n. affectation

salutary

adj. beneficial; favorable to health Sentence: After years of living in a polluted northern city, the Harrisons retired to Florida, seeking a more salutary climate.

insolent

adj. boldly disrespectful in speech or behavior; impertinent; impudent Sentence: The teacher would not tolerate insolent behavior from her students and punished any disrespect with detention Alternate forms: n. insolence

concise

adj. brief and to the point Sentence: After reading so many wordy and tedious reports, King's is refreshingly concise.

serene

adj. calm and peaceful Sentence: The meadow was serene: butterflies fluttered about peacefully, and the flowers swayed calmly in a light breeze. Alternate forms: n. serenity

composed

adj. calm and self-possessed Sentence: Teresa remained composed, despite the throng of reporters around her snapping photographs and shouting questions.

sedate

adj. calm; quiet Sentence: The doctor emphasized that the medication would not calm Mrs. Carson unless she were moved to a more sedate environment Alternate forms: v. sedate

competent

adj. capable and skilled Sentence: Allied Manufacturing would like to hire competent machinists, but the labor shortage is so severe that the company is willing to hire almost anyone and train him or her on the job. Alternate forms: n. competence

credible

adj. capable of being believed Sentence: Believing that the prosecution's star witness was not credible, the jury found the defendant not guilty. Alternate forms: n. credibility

palpable

adj. capable of being handled, touched, or felt; easily perceived Sentence: Right before the storm began, there was a palpable change in the air: you could feel an unmistakable difference on your skin.

legible

adj. capable of being read or deciphered Sentence: Nate's handwriting is barely legible, so his family asked him to send emails instead of letters so that they can read their thoughts

discreet

adj. careful about what one says or does; circumspect; done, said, or placed so as to attract little notice Sentence: Teachers often know when the end of class is near because students' looks at the clock are not at all discreet. Alternate forms: n. discretion

frugal

adj. careful in spending money or resources Sentence: John thinks of himself as frugal, but he takes saving money to such extreme lengths but he takes saving money to such extreme lengths that his friends think he is a miser. Alternate forms: n. frugality

negligent

adj. careless; inattentive Sentence: It's hard to believe that some parents could be so negligent to leave an infant alone all day, but such things happen every day Alternate forms: n. negligence

dubious

adj. causing doubt; questionable Sentence: The mayor's claim that installing parking meters will boost business to nearby shops is dubious, for a recent survey casts serious doubt on that claim and suggests the effect will be the opposite.

dismal

adj. causing gloom or depression Sentence: The use of dismal weather in a book to reflect characters' depression or to foreshadow gloom is called a pathetic fallacy wince weather rarely is so obliging as to mimic our moods and happenings.

eerie

adj. causing inexplicable fear or uneasiness, often because of an apparently supernatural origin Sentence: Other than some good smoke effects and eerie music, the haunted house was a disappointment.

incendiary

adj. causing or capable of causing fire; stirring up trouble Sentence: The unrest and fighting at our high school is not likely to die down soon, given the incendiary nature of your last opinion column.

lurid

adj. causing shock or horror; tastelessly vivid; glowing like fire through a haze Sentence: When critics complained the descriptions of violence were too lurid, the novelist responded that he was writing about war, and anything less shocking and horrible would have misrepresented just how awful war really is.

wary

adj. cautious; on guard Sentence: Now that I know my toaster oven has f frayed wire, I'm a little wary of approaching it with wet hands.

indubitable

adj. certain; indisputable (literally "not doubtable") Sentence: It is indubitable that we will one day cease to be, but until that time comes, we can lead lives of great joy.

maternal

adj. characteristic of a mother Sentence: Mrs. Tuck's maternal instincts were so strong that she practically smothered her children with affection.

benevolent

adj. characterized by doing good Sentence: The king acquired a reputation as a benevolent ruler by keeping taxes low and frequently helping the poorest of his subjects Alternate forms: n. benevolence

pompous

adj. characterized by excessive self-importance or exaggerated dignity. Sentence: His sudden acquisition of wealth has made Dennis pompous, and now he acts as if he's better than everyone else. Alternate forms: n. pomposity

gala

adj. characterized by festivity; n. a festive occasion, esp. a lavish social event Sentence: The wedding reception was a gala event, for everyone was smiling broadly, wishing the newlyweds a lifetime of martial bliss.

hectic

adj. characterized by intense activity Sentence: With everyone racing to turn in assignments and study for exams, the last few days of the semester are usually hectic.

jocular

adj. characterized by joking Sentence: The best situation comedies try to conceal serious messages about our society under a jocular veneer.

furtive

adj. characterized by secretive behavior Sentence: Unaware I was watching her like a hawk, my dog took a few furtive steps toward the tray of coffee table mints and gave them a discreet sniff

impetuous

adj. characterized by sudden emotion, energy, etc.; impulsive and passionate Sentence: Markets put gum, candy, and magazines near the registers to lure impetuous shoppers into impulse buys Alternate forms: n. impetuosity

pretentious

adj. claiming dignity or importance, esp. when undeserved Sentence: We found Linda's insistence on using the term "gummibar" instead of "gummi bear" to be pretentious, especially she insisted on using the original German pronounciation. Alternate form: n. pretension.

turbid

adj. cloudy, muddy; in a state of turmoil Sentence: The river, normally so clear you can see fish in it, became turbid during the storm, and the water became nearly opaque with mud and sediment Alternate forms: n. turbidity

cumbersome

adj. clumsy or difficult to manage Sentence: The box wasn't heavy, but it was too cumbersome for one person to carry

nascent

adj. coming into being; being born Sentence: The plan has been carefully thought out by now, but when it was a nascent idea, it had many problems.

impervious

adj. completely resistant to penetration; unaffected Sentence: Successful politicians must be impervious to all the criticism that will inevitably be leveled at them.

staccato

adj. composed of abrupt, disconnected parts or sounds Sentence: Mauricio had grown accustomed to hearing the staccato sound of his mother's high heels as she walked up the concrete steps.

eclectic

adj. composed of materials from various sources Sentence: Her living room was an eclectic collection of furniture from various garage sales

covert

adj. concealed or disguised; not openly practiced Sentence: Although the U.S government loudly objects whenever a foreign spy is discovered, we should remember that the CIA conducts its own covert operations in other countries as well.

scrupulous

adj. conscientious and exact; having principles Sentence: The pharmacist was scrupulous about checking orders twice since a single error could be disastrous

temperate

adj. consistent; moderate; without extremes Sentence: People from farther north enjoy moving to LA because of its more temperate climate Alternate forms: n. temperance

extant

adj. currently or actually existing Sentence: Remaining artifacts from the region are beautiful, making it all the more regrettable that so few are extant.

precarious

adj. dangeriously insecure or unstable Sentence: The books on Quincy's desk are in a precarious stack several feet high and I get the sense that if he sneezes, they will come tumbling down.

somber

adj. dark and gloomy or dull Sentence: The gray and rainy day fit well with the somber mood of the funeral procession.

pragmatic

adj. dealing practically with a situation or a thing; based on experience rather than theory Sentence: It's tempting to purchase the small, shiny sports car, but a more pragmatic choice would be the minivan with airbags. Alternate forms: n. pragmatism; n. pragmatist

holistic

adj. dealing with something as a whole rather than by its individual parts Sentence: The judges decided which contestants would go on to the second round based on their holistic impression rather than on a detailed analysis.

immortal

adj. deathless Sentence: The book's introduction points out that we call these poets immortal precisely because we continue to read them. Alternate forms: n. immortality

derelict

adj. deserted, abandoned (of a building); neglectful of a duty (of a person); n. a homeless person. Sentence: The many empty, derelict buildings near the waterfront attest to the decline that part of town has undergone in the last decade

reprehensible

adj. deserving to be severely criticized Sentence: Senator Thomson's statement that the poor deserved to be poor was seen as reprehensible, and members of both political parties harshly condemned the senator's insensitivity.

elaborate

adj. detailed; carefully thorough; v. to develop with care or at greater length Sentence: The concert featured elaborate lighting and pyrotechnic effects, all precisely planned to coincide with the music Alternate forms: n. elaboration

arbitrary

adj. determined by chance or individual preference, not by reason, necessity or principle Sentence: The city's arbitrary decision to stop funding after-school programs angered many parents, who felt there was no justification for such a move.

headstrong

adj. determined to have one's own way; stubbornly willful Sentence: If you'are going to maintain your headstrong insistence on getting a raise, you'd better be ready in advance with all your reasons.

precocious

adj. developing earlier than usual, esp. mentally Sentence: Albert was precocious and learned to read a full two years before his peers. Alternate forms: n. precocity

voracious

adj. devouring; extremely hungry Sentence: Having skipped both breakfast and lunch, Lucy had a voracious appetite for dinner and ate ravenously Alternate forms: n. voracity

arduous

adj. difficult; laborious Sentence: Kiera was confident that she could write a romance novel in a week or two, but the actual process turned out to be far more arduous than she expected

assiduous

adj. diligent; hard-working; constant Sentence: Priyanka was an assiduous student: if she did not understand a topic, she would research it online or at the library

forthright

adj. direct and without evasion; honest Sentence: After several hours of evasive responses, the interrogators appreciated when the suspect began speaking in a forthright manner about his involvement in the crime.

forbidding

adj. disagreeable; menacing Sentence: The forbidding thunderclouds on the horizon signaled that it would be a good idea for the golfers to leave the course before they were struck by lightning

cynical

adj. distrusting others from a sense that everyone's motives are selfish Sentence: Admirers believe the televangelist is honestly devout, but those who are more cynical believe he is just trying to become rich from donations.

giddy

adj. dizzy; lightheaded Sentence: Disoriented by the broken roller-coaster whipping us through the same circle, we felt our fear giving way to giddy, hysterical laughter.

prevalent

adj. dominant; widespread Sentence: Having dedicated his life to social work Father Murra is especially annoyed at the prevalent attitude that poor people are lazy.

methodical

adj. done in an orderly, systematic way Sentence: Refusing to be hurried, despite the looming deadline, Susan wrote the report in her usual methodical fashion.

extemporaneous

adj. done with little or no preparation Sentence: Since Helen did not expect to win an award, she had not prepared a speech and was forced to make a few extemporaneous remarks.

perfunctory

adj. done without interest or merely as a form of routine Sentence: Initially, Heloise did the assigned reading carefully, but after few weeks she began to give her books only a perfunctory glance.

arid

adj. dry and barren; not interesting Sentence: In such an arid region as the desert, most plants have the ability to store water for a long time. Alternate forms: n. aridity

drab

adj. dull or dreary; monotonous Sentence: The first thing the Reyez family did after moving into their new house was to repaint the drab walls of their living room with bright, cheery colors

banal

adj. dull or stale; commonplace Sentence: What was supposed to be a creative and innovative presentation on the new uses of solar energy turned out to be banal and redundant.

crass

adj. dull-witted; unrefined Sentence: At the art gallery's black tie event, the artist stunned everyone by being crass, showing a complete lack of refinement and harsh indifference to everyone else's sense of decency.

lethargic

adj. dull; sluggish; moving slowly Sentence: Every Monday morning the class is unusually lethargic, as most students have spent their weekends playing and have not gotten through enough sleep. Alternate forms: n. lethargy

belligerent

adj. eager to fight; aggressive; engaged in warfare Sentence: A belligerent reporter persistently badgered the president for the facts Alternate forms: n. belligerence

pliant

adj. easily bend; pliable; adaptable or compliant Sentence: The cabinet maker streamed the wood to make it pliant enough to bend around the curved template

venial

adj. easily excused or forgiven Sentence: One juror voted to acquit the drunk driver because she considered the offense venial and not worth prosecuting, but the other 11 jurors disagreed strenuously, noting the potential consequences of what they considered a serious offense.

timid

adj. easily frightened; lacking self-confidence Sentence: Although Brad was madly in love with Natalia, he was too timid even to talk to her, let alone ask her out on date.

tractable

adj. easily managed or controlled Sentence: Complex problems can often be solved if you first divide them up into smaller, more tractable parts Alternate forms: ant. intractable.

glib

adj. easy and fluent in conversation or writing, often suggesting insincerity or deceitfulness Sentence: The skilled liar didn't set off a single alarm on the polygraph as he offered his glib explanations for his whereabouts.

supple

adj. easy to bend Sentence: If you work with this wood while it's dry you'll only break it; you have to wet it first to make it supple.

conspicuous

adj. easy to notice; obvious; apparent Sentence: The boy was horrified to find a huge zit conspicuous at the end of his nose on the day school pictures were to be taken

capricious

adj. erratic; tending to change abruptly Sentence: People ordinarily agonize for months over the purchase of a new house; it's seldom a capricious decision.

inveterate

adj. established for a long time; habitual Sentence: An inveterate gambler, Jake would bet on anything, including how long he could go without making a bet

melodramatic

adj. exaggeratedly emotional or sentimental Sentence: Hoping to attract attention, Jessica swept into the room and struck a melodramatic pose of despair Alternate forms: n. melodrama

prodigal

adj. exceedingly or recklessly wasteful Sentence: Do not blame me if you die broke; I am the one who warned you not to be so prodigal with your inheritance Alternate forms: n. prodigality

turgid

adj. excessively ornate or complex in style; swollen, as from fluid Sentence: After the heavy rains, the stream was turgid and threatened to overflow its banks. Alternate forms: n. turgidity

pious

adj. exhibiting reverence and religious observation Sentence: His insistence that he do no work on the Sabbath springs from a lazy impulse, not a pious one.

feral

adj. existing in a wild or untamed state Sentence: Organizations devoted to reducing the population of stray cats often trap feral cats, neuter them, and release them so these wild cats can live out their lives without adding to the population

infatuated

adj. experiencing an unreasonable passion or attraction. Sentence: After 50 years of marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Miller looked back at a relationship that began with innocent infatuation, grew into a deep friendship, and ultimately blossomed into a lifelong love affair

plaintive

adj. expressing sorrow Sentence: The plaintive yaps that my dog makes when I leave for work just break my heart.

drastic

adj. extreme; severe Sentence: During the extreme emergency of the Civil War, Lincoln took the drastic step of suspending the writ of habeas corpus, in effect allowing the government to hold people prisoners without trial.

livid

adj. extremely angry; discolored, as from a bruise; pale, ashen Sentence: Gary became livid when he was accused of corruption, but some thought his excessive anger only made him appear guilty.

sordid

adj. extremely dirty; morally corrupt Sentence: Melissa knew that her husband had had an affair, but she had no desire to learn all the sordid details

fervid

adj. extremely emotional; passionate Sentence: My first few hours in a maximum security prison were enough to inspire in me a fervid hope that I would soon be released. Alternate forms: n. fervor

draconian

adj. extremely harsh and severe Sentence: The sorority house is notoriously prudish, enforcing the sort of draconian curfews and visitation restrictions you'd find in a convent.

meticulous

adj. extremely or excessively careful about details; finicky Sentence: The editor is determined to eliminate every typographical error, insisting on meticulous attention to detail.

tenacious

adj. extremely persistent; stubborn; relentless; holding firmly; cohesive Sentence: Determined to solve the last math problem, Kyle was tenacious and worked several hours relentlessly, refusing to give up until he had the answer. Alternate forms: n. tenacity.

evanescent

adj. fading from sight; transient Sentence: When Sally first woke, her dream seemed remarkably clear, but it proved evanescent, and soon she could remember nothing more than fragments. Alternate forms: n. evanescence

redoubtable

adj. fearsome; formidable Sentence: His bravery dissolved when he found himself face-to-face with the most redoubtable opponent he had seen in all his years of fighting

supercilious

adj. feeling or showing proud contempt; smug; arrogant Sentence: Confident of his elevated status on the playground, Billy surveyed his third-grade classmates with a supercilious smile.

penitent

adj. feeling regret Sentence: The Japanese legal system operates more leniently for those defendants who plead guilty and appear truly penitent Alternate forms: n. penitence

contrite

adj. feeling sorry for what one has done Sentence: Since the teenager appeared contrite, the judge let him go with only a warning Alternate forms: n. contrition

vicarious

adj. felt as if one were taking part in the experiences of another Sentence: Although Vera knows she will never be wealthy herself, she gets a vicarious thrill of reading about the lives of the rich and famous.

germane

adj. fitting and appropriate Sentence: He is a serious student of the issues, always inquisitive about the facts, always asking questions that are germane and central to the issue

impeccable

adj. flawless Sentence: I thought my essay was impeccable, but the teacher did find several areas where I could improve it.

florid

adj. flushed with rosy color; overdecorated Sentence: Because he wanted a memorable signature, Carlton practiced long and hard to come up with a florid signature, complete with multiple loops, swoops, and other documents

vehement

adj. forceful; furious Sentence: No one ever doubted his guilt, despite his loud and vehement claims of innocence. Alternate forms: vehemence

happy

adj. fortunate; being especially well adopted Sentence: The two best friends from high school met through a happy accident when both of their flights were delayed and they met in an airport restaurant.

disinterested

adj. free from bias Sentence: Judges are expected to be disinterested in every case they try, and should recuse themselves if a conflict of interest ever rises.

antiseptic

adj. free from germs; thoroughly clean; n. a substance that inhibits the growth of germs. Sentence: Fueling the public's paranoia about germs, the home cleaning industry has begun to market antiseptics far more powerful than the real risk of infection warrants

amiable

adj. friendly and agreeable; sociable Sentence: Vince's amiable attitude impressed the visitors he talked to, who had expected New Yorkers to be surly uncommunicative

affable

adj. friendly; easy to talk to Sentence: Because Vic was so affable, even complete strangers would, after a couple of minutes talking with him, feel comfortable sharing their secrets Alternate forms: n. affability

blithe

adj. frivolous; casual; carefree Sentence: No one was more surprised from Shelia at her own blithe indifference to losing her job.

succulent

adj. full of juice; highly enjoyable Sentence: When I bit into the succulent pear, juice burst out and trickled down my chin.

liberal

adj. generous; giving freely Sentence: Many start-up companies give their employees liberal fringe benefits to encourage employee loyalty.

magnanimous

adj. generous; noble in mind Sentence: I know how much you love your bedroom, so it was truly magnanimous of you to let your newly adopted brother have it while you take the smaller room. Alternate forms: n. magnanimity

effervescent

adj. giving off gas bubbles; showing high spirits or excitement Sentence: Nick had an effervescent personality, and it was nearly impossible to be depressed around him since his good humor was contagious Alternate forms: v. effervesce; n. effervescence

stygian

adj. gloomy and dark; infernal or hellish Sentence: In the stygian darkness, I could see nothing, not even my hand when I held it an inch away from my face.

bleak

adj. gloomy and somber; dreary Sentence: Life in the Aran islands has always been bleak and difficult.

mercenary

adj. greedy; motivated by desire for money Sentence: The woman openly admitted her mercenary intentions, declaring that she would not marry anyone who had less than a million dollars.

subsequent

adj. happening afterward; following in order Sentence: As subsequent events proved, the politician's campaign promise to reform government turned out to be completely false.

premature

adj. happening, done, arriving, or existing before the proper time Sentence: The warm February weather has led to premature blooming of the flowers around here.

unwieldy

adj. hard to handle or manage, esp. because of size or weight Sentence: The parcel that the man carried was so unwieldy that he could not open the door to his apartment building.

innocuous

adj. harmless Sentence: Taking a short walk on a sunny day is innocuous, but sunbathing regularly for hours on end has real harm, notably the increased risk of skin cancer.

dissonant

adj. harsh and disagreeable in sound Sentence: The music was wonderful, beautiful even, until a dissonant chord ruined everything and made me cringe the way fingernails on a blackboard would. Alternate forms: n. dissonance

relentless

adj. harsh; pitiless; persistent Sentence: Obsessed with the pop star, Timothy continued his relentless pursuit of her through every city on her national tour.

acrid

adj. harsh; sarcastic; bitter to the taste Sentence: Jan tried to quit smoking by taking medication that gives tobacco an acrid taste.

inclement

adj. harsh; severe (usually of weather) Sentence: Your mud home should work out fine when it's sunny, but don't expect it to hold up well in inclement weather.

fetid

adj. having a bad odor Sentence: Never one to engage in house keeping, Ted became noetheless alarmed when his refrigerator began to give off the fetid aroma of forgotten leftovers.

infamous

adj. having a bad reputation Sentence: Billy the Kid became infamous during the nineteenth century as an outlaw gunslinger. Alternate forms: n. infamy

squalid

adj. having a dirty or lowly appearance Sentence: It is a sad fact that millions of people live in squalid conditions with no plumbing, no waste disposal, no electricity, and few, if any, luxuries. Alternate forms: n. squalor.

bland

adj. having a moderate, undisturbed quality Sentence: The bland smile on his face did nothing to show the inner turmoil he actually felt.

avid

adj. having a passionate desire Sentence: Jake is an avid sports fan and spends hours poring over the sports pages memorizing the statistics of his favorite players. Alternate forms: n. avidity

keen

adj. having a sharp edge; perceptive Sentence: In mystery novels, the detective almost always has a keen eye for detail, noticing things that the police somehow overlook.

objective

adj. having actual existence or reality; not influenced by emotion or personal prejudice Sentence: Claims for the existence of mental telepathy have never been verified by any objective proof.

frowzy

adj. having an uncared-for appearance Sentence: Still sickly and a little hung over, my older sister looked pretty frowzy when they awarded her that Sweepstakes prize on national television

defunct

adj. having ceased to exist or live Sentence: Since the Soviet Union became defunct, the political situation in Eastern Europe has turned far more complicated.

motley

adj. having elements of great variety; composed of many colors Sentence: The audience was a motley crowd of individuals from very different backgrounds: the rich and the impoverished, blue- and white-collar workers all sat shoulder to shoulder.

voluminous

adj. having great size or fullness Sentence: The historian spent many hours in the library poring over the voluminous records of old tax data.

perspicacious

adj. having keen perception or understanding Sentence: She was too perspicacious to be deceived by such flawed argument Alternate forms: n. perspicacity

multifarious

adj. having many different parts or forms; numerous and varied Sentence: The multifarious animals in the rain forest represent a startling diversity of life

arrogant

adj. having more pride and self-importance than is proper Sentence: Richard's arrogant confidence that he is always correct has upset many people Alternate forms: n. arrogance.

ambiguous

adj. having more than one possible interpretation Sentence: The politician took a deliberately ambiguous position on the controversial issue, hoping to avoid offending partisans on either side. Alternate forms: n. ambiguity

ruthless

adj. having no compassion or pity Sentence: His rise to the top was characterized by a ruthless disregard for any who had helped him along the way.

listless

adj. having no interest in what is going on about one; languid; spiritless Sentence: Since losing his job, Chuck has been listless and disinclined to look for new work.

gracious

adj. having or showing kindness, courtesy, charm, etc. Sentence: As a hostess, Kelly was remarkable; with a few gracious remarks she could put even the shyest guest at ease.

concave

adj. hollowed out; curved inward Sentence: Because the plaza is slightly concave, a miniature lake forms in the middle every time it rains.

veracious

adj. honest; truthful Sentence: Shelia probably lies occasionally, but in my own dealings with her, she has never spoken a word which was not veracious Alternate forms: n. veracity

petulant

adj. impatient or irritable, esp. over a minor annoyance Sentence: After standing in line at the DMV for only five minutes, her petulant three year old began to complain, and when she told him to be patient, he started screeching. Alternate forms: n. petulance

imminent

adj. impending; threatening; likely to happen Sentence: The dark clouds on the horizon indicated that rain was imminent, and sure enough, rain fell within a few hours.

salient

adj. important, prominent, most noticeable Sentence: The salient feature of Professor Edwards's writings is the combination of his informal language and his key insights, for it is these two factors that one notices first.

stringent

adj. imposing strict standards of performance; constricted Sentence: The company expects you to adhere to its stringent rules of conduct, even during your time off. alternate forms: n. stringency.

incontrovertible

adj. impossible to dispute Sentence: Though the prosecutor called the defendant's guilt incontrovertible, the jury apparently disagreed, for the defendant was acquitted.

imposing

adj. impressive by virtue or size, power, or manner Sentence: The professional football player is an imposing figure given his size and muscular build, but he really is a pleasant person.

putrid

adj. in a foul state, as of decaying flesh; rotten Sentence: A putrid odor wafted from the slaughter house. Alternate forms: v. putrefy; n. putrefaction

dormant

adj. inactive, but capable of being active Sentence: Even when her temper is dormant, you can see the threat of violence in her eyes. Alternate forms: n. dormancy

quiescent

adj. inactive, often suggesting a temporary state Sentence: For a minute or two, the dog lay quiescent in the yard, but then he spotted a butterfly and set after it with all the energy he could master. Alternate forms: n. quiescence.

indelible

adj. incapable of being removed or erased Sentence: The tragic images of the aftermath of the Haitian earthquake left an indelible impression on many viewers, prompting them to do whatever they could to help those less fortunate

lenient

adj. inclined not to be strict Sentence: The driver's education teacher was unpopular with students because he refused to be lenient in grading those who knocked over the little lane markers. Alternate forms: v. leniency

omnibus

adj. including or dealing with many items at once; n. a volume of reprinted works of a single author or of reprinted works on a single theme. Sentence: The omnibus spending bill submitted to Congress contained many small items for various special-interest groups.

untenable

adj. indefensible, or impossible to maintain Sentence: Only after the invention and refinement of the microscope was the idea of spontaneous generation (that life can begin from tiny, inanimate objects) rejected as untenable

blasé

adj. indifferent or bored with life; unimpressed as if because of too much worldly experience Sentence: After 20 years of performing live concerts, the band members became blasé, and their performances betrayed their boredom.

callow

adj. inexperienced; not developed; immature Sentence: When Stan was a callow teenager, he thought he could solve all the world's problems; with maturity, however he realized that he had been naive.

shoddy

adj. inferior or cheap Sentence: When she saw how shoddy the work was, she refused to pay for it.

ingenuous

adj. innocent; naive Sentence: His ingenuous belief in the kindness of total strangers could get him in trouble some day.

august

adj. inspiring awe or admiration, esp. because of high rank or character Sentence: William was a bit intimidated to find himself in the august presence of three Nobel laureates.

visceral

adj. instinctive; relating to the internal organs Sentence: My reaction to the plan was more visceral than thoughtful; I instinctively liked the idea based on nothing more than my gut reaction

symbiotic

adj. involving a close relationship of mutual dependence Sentence: Lichen actually consists of a fungus and an alga that live together in a symbiotic relationship in which each one benefits the other Alternate forms: n. symbiosis

testy

adj. irritable; touchy Sentence: Dad is usually testy until that third or fourth cup of coffee; I would stay away from him for a few more minutes if I were you.

benign

adj. kindly; creating a favorable influence; (in medicine) not dangerous to one's health Sentence: The old man sat quietly with a benign smile on his face as he watched his great-grandchildren play on the floor in front of him

prescient

adj. knowing things before they occur Sentence: The investors managing Yale university's endowment showed prescient judgment when they pulled their money out of the stock market right before the crash Alternate forms: n. prescience

desultory

adj. lacking a plan or purpose; unmethodical Sentence: Jan planted his garden in a desultory manner, planting a shrub here and some flowers there and leaving areas in the middle unplanted until he was inspired

callous

adj. lacking pity or mercy; unfeeling Sentence: During the age of colonialism, the Belgians were considered most callous towards the people they dominated, and at the other extreme the Egnlish had the most open-minded and sympathetic local governors.

lopsided

adj. larger or shaped indifferently on one side than on another Sentence: The painter deliberately created a lopsided work to try to make a commentary about the expectation for rectangular forms

perennial

adj. lasting through years Sentence: The perennial struggle in Western philosophy is one between the theorists, represented by Plato, and the empiricists, represented by Aristotle.

sluggish

adj. lazy; lacking energy Sentence: When Carol skips breakfast, she feels sluggish all day.

desolate

adj. left alone; lonely; deserted Sentence: The desolate desert town was surrounded by nothing but arid land and dried brush, but once the town had been a busy mining site. Alternate forms: n. desolation.

translucent

adj. letting light through, but no visual details Sentence: The bathroom window had a translucent finish, which admitted sunlight without allowing anyone to see inside

lithe

adj. limber and graceful; supple Sentence: The ballet dancer was extremely lithe, making every move seem graceful no matter how difficult.

modest

adj. limited in amount, extent, etc. Sentence: Although famous is her native country, the novelist enjoyed only modest success in the United States.

provincial

adj. limited in perspective; unsophisticated Sentence: Although Lenny tried to adopt an urbane manner, at heart he remains provincial and intolerant of other viewpoints.

lank

adj. long and slender; lean Sentence: Stubby Stella looks even funnier when she is standing next to her lank brother, a year older and eighteen inches taller than she is.

ulterior

adj. lying beyond what is evident, revealed, or claimed Sentence: Danny pretends he is looking out for others, but those who know him best warn that he usually has an ulterior motive.

mendacious

adj. lying; false, esp. habitually Sentence: Matilda protested that, while she may have an honest mistake in her testimony, she was never intentionally mendacious

prudent

adj. marked by careful planning; discreet Sentence: Buying lottery tickets is not a prudent retirement plan; saving and investing money is wiser. Alternate forms: n. prudence

slipshod

adj. marked by carelessness or casual attention to detail; sloppy Sentence: Ana's term paper was slipshod affair, full of careless errors of spelling and grammar.

perfidious

adj. marked by extreme treachery Sentence: In his closing statement, the prosecutor claimed that there were no crime more perfidious than killing a family member for financial gain. Alternate forms: n. perfidy

tepid

adj. moderately warm; lacking force or enthusiasm Sentence: Aware that his last movie had received only a tepid response from his public, the director decided to spice up his next film with a few car chases

stealthy

adj. moving with quiet caution; intending to avoid notice Sentence: The thief was skilled in making a stealthy entrance to buildings, even those with elaborate security systems.

insular

adj. narrow in outlook; provincial Sentence: Before World War II, many Americans were insular in their outlook and preferred to believe that the violence in Europe and Asia was none of their concern.

indigenous

adj. native, occurring naturally Sentence: The island of Madagascar was separated from nearby continents early in its history; as a result, it hosts indigenous plant and animal species found nowhere else.

adroit

adj. naturally skillful, esp. dealing with difficult circumstances Sentence: He is an adroit negotiator, able to help parties who appear to have irreconcilable differences come to an argument.

dapper

adj. neatly dressed; trim;stylish Sentence: Because Oliver normally wore baggy, torn jeans and threadbare T-shirts, we were stunned by his dapper appearance when he wore a tuxedo to the prom

incumbent

adj. necessary or obligatory; n. a person who currently holds a particular position Sentence: Since the police haven't shown up to defend us, it's incumbent on us to do what we can for ourselves.

skittish

adj. nervous; easily frightened Sentence: Alice soothed the skittish horse with a comforting tone of voice and a lump of sugar

incessant

adj. never pausing; continuous; without a stop Sentence: The incessant prattle of my five-year-old nephew is amusing for about 15 minutes; after that, it becomes extremely annoying.

inalienable

adj. not able to be taken away or transferred to others Sentence: Violet argues that the Declaration of Independence is not literally accurate in talking about the inalienable rights of life and liberty since both can be taken away through execution or imprisonment.

unseemly

adj. not decent or proper Sentence: You managed to cover that sneeze in front of her parents quite effectively, although asking them afterward if you could borrow a "snot rag" was unseemly.

obdurate

adj. not easily moved to pity or sympathy Sentence: The obdurate headmaster seemed deaf to the complaints of the students about the ridiculous rules; nothing could get him to change his mind.

impassive

adj. not feeling emotion; now showing emotion Sentence: The defendant remained impassive during his sentencing, even though the judge gave him a life sentence without the possibility of parole

subtle

adj. not immediately obvious; hard to understand Sentence: There was a subtle flavor in the Thanksgiving stuffing that I could not identify, so I asked the chef and found out that he had used tarragon. Alternate forms: n. subtlely.

heterodox

adj. not in agreement with accepted beliefs, esp. religious dogma Sentence: Most of the early presidents of the United States were, by the standards of the established religions of the time, rather heterodox thinkers who preferred to go their own way in matters of religious belief.

opaque

adj. not letting in light; unintelligible Sentence: Many students have claimed that the translation of philosopher Jacques Derrida is opaque: all of the words are recongnizably English, but the meaning is almost impossible to decipher. Alternate forms: n. opacity

secular

adj. not religious; worldly Sentence: The church in the Middle Ages enjoyed considerably more power in the secular realm than it does today.

immaterial

adj. not significant or relevant Sentence: Your claim that your birthday is tomorrow is immaterial to the issue your math test: your birthday has nothing to do with your failure to study

incoherent

adj. not sticking together; not logically connected Sentence: Unaware that all his odd-numbered flashcards had been stolen by his opponent, the mayor gave a thoroughly incoherent speech that left his audience dumbfounded Alternate forms: n. incoherence

disingenuous

adj. not straightforward or candid; crafty; insincere or calculating Sentence: The candidate was being disingenuous when he expressed outrage and labeled his opponent as a "tool of big business since the candidate himself had taken millions from the tobacco and banking industries.

civil

adj. observing accepted social customs; not rude Sentence: Although the members of the country club were civil to the new member, they were hardly effusive in their welcome, feeling that his wealth could not excuse his uncouth behavior.

manifest

adj. obvious; very clear; evident Sentence: I know you're not finished yet, but the hard work you've done so far is certainly manifest to anyone who takes a look. Alternate forms: n. manifestation.

nocturnal

adj. occurring at night Sentence: The recent availability of cameras that can film in near darkness has made the study of nocturnal animals much easier for scientists.

sporadic

adj. occurring irregularly Sentence: His test scores are sometimes, but not always, good, indicating that his study habits are only sporadic.

spontaneous

adj. occurring naturally or without forethought Sentence: Spontaneous combustion, at least in the theory, happens when someone simply bursts into flames with no external cause, but there is virtually no evidence that this phenomenon has ever actually occurred. Alternate forms: n. spontaneity.

quiant

adj. odd, esp. in an old-fashioned way Sentence: There was a certain quaint charm to Betty's use of "sir" and "ma'am" when she addressed people, but her use of "golly" and "shucks" was just silly.

momentous

adj. of extreme importance Sentence: She asked to have more time to consider so momentous a decision as taking job in another country, so they gave her the weekend.

frivolous

adj. of little importance Sentence: There's no convincing him that his current obsession with popularity will one day appear frivolous. alternate forms: n. frivolity

saline

adj. of or containing common salt Sentence: IF you plan to keep fresh water fish, you must ensure that the water is not saline. Alternate forms: n. salinity

rustic

adj. of or living in the country Sentence: Tired of the blare of car horns, the snarled traffic on every street, and the hectic pace of city life, Linda moved to the country to live the rustic life of a small farmer.

abject

adj. of the lowest degree; brought low in condition Sentence: The film was an abject failure in that critics and audiences alike found it awful, and it was pulled from theaters just two days.

diaphanous

adj. of transparent or translucently fine texture; delicate and insubstantial Sentence: Beneath her diaphanous veil, the bride could be seen to smile nervously and bite her lip

superficial

adj. on the surface only; shallow, not thorough Sentence: This editorial gives only a superficial view of the situation, but what more can you expect from a 300-word piece?

unilateral

adj. one-sided; unequal Sentence: As a gesture of good will, the government announced a unilateral cease fire, hoping that it would bring the revels to the negotiating table.

frank

adj. open and sincere; straightforward Sentence: Don't ask someone for frank answers to questions about yourself if your feelings are easily hurt by blunt comments.

averse

adj. opposed, reluctant; repelled Sentence: Few people are averse to the idea of making tons of money; it's the hard work along the way that turns them off.

sweltering

adj. oppressively hot and humid Sentence: Though it was hardly sweltering, the greenhouse was noticeably warm, even in winter. Alternate forms: v. swelter

egregious

adj. outstanding for undesirable qualities; remarkably bad Sentence: In hindsight, letting the supplies run to low turned out to be an egregious error, with consequences more severe than any of us had imagined.

ostensible

adj. outwardly appearing as such Sentence: The ostensible reason Ada declined the invitation to the concert was that she was sick, but in truth she simply did not enjoy the last music.

saccharine

adj. overly or sickeningly sweet Sentence: The trick to writing an effective love song is making it sentimental, without becoming saccharine.

diligent

adj. painstaking and steady Sentence: Diligence will help you in almost anything, for hard work is often the key to success. Alternate forms: n. diligence

immaculate

adj. perfectly clean Sentence: Only in the nineteenth century did surgeons understand the nature of airborne contaminants and thus realize the importance of an immaculate operating room

civic

adj. pertaining to a city or citizen Sentence: Nancy believes that voting is a civic duty, that being part of a city requires one to take part in the political process.

mnemonic

adj. pertaining to or assisting the memory Sentence: Many students use mnemonic devices, such as "please excuse my dear aunt Sally" to represent the order of operations, to help them remember concepts.

palatable

adj. pleasant or acceptable to the taste Sentence: Mom's recipe for kumquat tuna casserole turned out to be barely palatable

toxic

adj. poisonous; dangerous Sentence: By law, employees have to be warned and protected whenever they are required to work around toxic substances. Alternate forms: n. toxin.

indigent

adj. poor; needy; destitute Sentence: Responding to harsh criticism that arose after the candidate said indigence is a sign of moral failure, the would-be governor explained that he meant a nation that tolerates poverty is not doing its duty to alleviate the problem.

innate

adj. possessed at birth; inborn Sentence: Baby sea turtles have an innate compulsion to seek the water, for when they are born, they instinctively crawl from the sand to the surf.

ubiquitous

adj. present everywhere Sentence: American culture is so ubiquitous today that is not uncommon to find people in distant countries wearing clothings with logos of American sports teams and companies. Alternate forms: n. ubiquity

propitious

adj. presenting favorable circumstances Sentence: Sitting in his car, Ed waited for the rain to stop or at least let up and offer a propitious moment for him to run to the door.

sanctimonious

adj. pretending holiness; hypocritically devout Sentence: Your sanctimonious lectures are annoying, for you'are acting as if you've never done anything wrong and judging me harshly for things you've no doubt done yourself. Alternate forms: n. sanctimony

prolific

adj. producing a lot Sentence: One of the most prolific authors in Stephen King, who can turn out a few novels in a year.

fertile

adj. producing abundantly; prolific Sentence: Most skeptics dismiss claims of UFO sightings as the result of witnesses' fertile imaginations Alternate forms: n. fertility

lucrative

adj. producing wealth; profitable Sentence: The profession attracts the noble as well as the materialistic, since it's one of the most lucrative ways to help others.

pedantic

adj. putting unnecessary stress on minor or purely academic knowledge Sentence: Mr. Thorn is excessively pedantic; his stress on minute details bores even those students who are interested in the subject Alternate forms: n. pedant

agile

adj. quick and easy in movement; mentally alert Sentence: Friends recall that he was a particular delight at parties where he proved to be an informed and agile conversationalist. Alternate forms: n. agility

divine

adj. related to a god; supremely good or beautiful Sentence: Each day, Francis sought divine guidance through prayerful meditation. Alternate forms: n. divinity

agrarian

adj. related to farming Sentence: With less than two percent of the population engaged in farming, the United States clearly is not the agrarian nation Thomas Jefferson envisioned.

municipal

adj. relating to a city, town, village, or the like with local self-government Sentence: Even after she became a U.S. senator, Harris remained involved in the municipal issues of her hometown, firmly believing that local politics was important Alternate forms: n. municipality

pastoral

adj. relating to country life, esp. of shepherds; rustic Sentence: Margaret loved the pastoral life of an English village, where a traffic jam meant one car blocked by 50 sheep.

paternal

adj. relating to or characteristic of a father Sentence: When Frank took on a paternal role with the birth of his first child, he found his life both more hectic and more fulfilling than it had ever been before.

pithy

adj. relating to the central part of something; economically phrased Sentence: Since we haven't had lunch yet, we'd appreciate it if you made your sales pitch as pithy as possible.

intrinsic

adj. relating to the essential nature of a something Sentence: Intrinsic to the liberal arts is the notion that a broadly-based education provides a better preparation for life than one narrowly restricted to a single discipline

domestic

adj. relating to the home or family; relating to one's own country Sentence: Both Mr. and Mrs. Donaldson worked hard, but they never brought work home, keeping their domestic life together completely separate from their work lives Alternate forms: n. domesticity

pertinent

adj. relevant Sentence: You can claim you made a pertinent point, but the rest of us just saw it as a digression Alternate forms: v. pertain

pristine

adj. remaining in a pure state Sentence: It's somewhat disconcerting to find litter in the middle of a forest that is supposed to be a pristine and protected reserve.

redundant

adj. repeating unnecessarily Sentence: It was a fair indication of the speaker's nervousness that his presentation was redundant and filled with hesitations. Alternate forms: n. redundancy.

brittle

adj. rigid; likely to break Sentence: Although she appears calm, her composure is actually rather brittle and can easily be shattered by even minor insults.

rotund

adj. rounded in figure; plump Sentence: Nelo Wolfe, the detective in Rex Stout's mysteries, is rotund and prefers sitting behind hiso desk and eating gourmet meals to exercising or otherwise moving his great bulk.

gregarious

adj. seeking and enjoying the company of others; tending to move in a group Sentence: Since human beings are by nature gregarious animals, solitary confinement has always been considered a severe punishment.

vindictive

adj. seeking revenge; marked by a desire to hurt Sentence: The war was caused not by a clash of ideals but by the king's vindictive urge to punish his enemies

specious

adj. seeming to be truthful on the surface, but actually false Sentence: The lawyer's specious arguments were aimed at deceiving the jury, but once the jurors thought through the case, they saw the fallacy in his remarks.

nonchalant

adj. seemingly unconcerned or indifferent Sentence: Although I was extremely nervous before the finalists were announced, I tried to act nonchalant, as if I really did not care whether I was selected. Alternate forms: n. nonchalance

reserved

adj. self-restrained and withdrawn in speech and manner Sentence:Jackie was too reserved ever to enjoy spending a night out at some loud party with lots of people

staid

adj. serious and settled; sedate Sentence: Because Tim was always staid at work, adopting a somber, serious, and professional demeanor, nobody expected him to be the life of the holiday party

solemn

adj. serious; grave Sentence: With a solemn expression on his face, the principal told the misbehaving student that he was expelled. Alternate forms: n. solemnity

grave

adj. serious;dignified; formal Sentence: The festive atmosphere suddenly turned grave when news of the disaster reached the group. Alternate forms: n. gravity.

excruciating

adj. severely painful Sentence: People with loose fillings or sensitive teeth will find that chewing ice may be an excruciating experience.

acute

adj. sharp; clever; severe Sentence: Anyone who overheard our whispering in the church must have a very acute sense of hearing. Alternate forms: n. acuity

rash

adj. showing boldness or haste without judgment Sentence: Taking calculated risks is quite different from being rash.

conscientious

adj. showing care and precision; painstaking Sentence: The store's owners have been delighted with the new employee, praising his punctuality and his conscientious attention to each customer

circumspect

adj. showing discretion and careful judgment Sentence: Careful not to get the family's hopes up, the doctor was circumspect in her comments, carefully letting the loved ones know that there was a long road ahead. Alternate forms: n. circumspection.

amicable

adj. showing friendliness or good will Sentence: Neighbors all described Phil as an amicable fellow, a person who always had a cheerful greeting for everyone he met.

fastidious

adj. showing or acting with careful attention to detail; not easy to please; very critical or discriminating Sentence: Charlene is a fastidious art collector, and her collection of paintings therefore shows her discriminating taste.

auspicious

adj. showing signs of a favorable outcome; marked by favorable circumstances Sentence: With beautiful weather and light traffic, the cross-country trip was off to an auspicious start.

senile

adj. showing the marked deterioration Sentence: Mr. Jenkins' children began to worry that he was becoming senile when he forgot to put on his pants before going for a walk

ostentatious

adj. showy; pretentious Sentence: The first thing Gwen wanted to do with her lottery winnings was move into a bigger, more ostentatious house to make all her friends jealous. Alternate forms: n. ostentation

wan

adj. sickly pale; colorless Sentence: Weeks of working away from sunlight in the top secret underground facility left the special agent looking wan and sickly.

sedentary

adj. sitting down most of the time Sentence: Health clubs can thrive only in those area where most workers lead sedentary lives.

dexterous

adj. skillful with the hands or mind Sentence: The card player's dexterous fingers allowed him to deal from the bottom of the deck without detection. Alternate forms: n. dexterity

unkempt

adj. sloppy; messy; unclean Sentence: We knew from the depressed man's unkempt appearance that he had neither taken a shower nor slept soundly for many days.

malodorous

adj. smelling very bad Sentence: The sewage spill left the beachuncovered with a malodorous ooze.

morose

adj. sour tempered and inclined to be silent Sentence: While the rest of use went swimming in the afternoon, Diane had a morose habit of sulking around the hotel room.

malicious

adj. spiteful Sentence: We understood why the thieves stole our electronics, but slashing our paintings and smashing our family photographs was just malicious and could only have been done to hurt us. Alternate forms:n. malice

austere

adj. stern or severe in appearance; without luxury Sentence: Despite his newly achieved wealth, Henry still practices the same austere lifestyle he developed when he was a poor, struggling writer.

novel

adj. strikingly new Sentence: Though the teacher was impressed by the imaginative and novel reasons you gave for your tardiness, you're still being penalized for it.

staunch

adj. strongly loyal Sentence: The latest acts of treason were so glaring that even her staunch supporters could no longer defend her.

wayward

adj. stubbornly going against what is expected or required in order to satisfy one's own desires. Sentence: Veronica's successful bid for a seat in the local assembly came as a surprise to those who remembered the lawless and wayward days of her youth.

refractory

adj. stubbornly resistant to control, authority, or treatment Sentence: Sue is so determined to do things her own way that she can be as refractory as a mule when people try to order her around.

insidious

adj. subtly harmful; stealthy, sneaky Sentence: Even the most transparent propaganda have an insidious effect, as the constant repetition of falsehoods makes them seem less ridiculous

expedient

adj. suitable for a purpose; convenient but based on self-interest rather than principle; n. a means to an end, especially when based on self-interest Sentence: A company may feel it is expedient to cut corners in its manufacturing to maximize short-term profits, but in the long run the resulting loss of quality will damage its reputation with consumers.

arable

adj. suitable for growing crops (of land) Sentence: In recent decades, much arable land has been converted to housing tracts, as expanding urban developments encroach on traditional farming areas.

congenial

adj. suited to one's need or nature; friendly; sympathetic Sentence: The library carrel proved congenial for Olivia since it had an outlet for her laptop, was in a quiet selection of the library, and allowed her to get up and go to the stacks with only a few steps.

cursory

adj. superficially done; performed rapidly Sentence: I have not checked your work thoroughly yet, but a cursory glance tells me you have the right idea.

preeminent

adj. superior in status or fame to all others, esp. as a generally recognized quality Sentence: Sir Issac Newton carefully protected his reputation as the preeminent scientist of his day.

remedial

adj. supplying a remedy; intended to correct Sentence: Many colleges have found that they need remedial courses in math and writing because so many high-school graduates lack basic skills in these areas and need to address this deficiency

paramount

adj. supreme; ranking higher than others in power or importance Sentence: The president told Congress that the nation's security was his paramount concern and that everything else was less important

voluble

adj. talkative Sentence: Even the shyest worker will become voluble when the subject of a raise is brought up.

prone

adj. tending or likely to do something; lying face down Sentence: Vernon is prone to tripping; last time he was so embarrassed to have tripped on the staircase that he simply lay prone at the bottom, hoping everyone would be gone by the time he got up.

credulous

adj. tending to believe too easily Sentence: My uncle is too credulous to be entrusted with the management of his wife's business; he'd fall for every con artist to come along. Alternate forms: n. credulity.

conducive

adj. tending to bring about Sentence: Although violent protest may attract media attention, it is rarely conducive to a settlement, as the targets of the protest only tend to become more stubborn.

skeptical

adj. tending to question or doubt Sentence: Michael is skeptical of all claims of the paranormal and demands extraordinary proof for such extraordinary claims before he will accept them as true. Alternate forms: n. skeptic

optimum

adj. the most favorable point or condition Sentence: In retrospect, it is now obvious that Fred invested in this technology stocks at the optimum moment, for his portfolio has now increased in value more than ten times.

sparse

adj. thinly spread or distributed; not dense or crowded Sentence: The barren landscape is only occasionally

exhaustive

adj. thorough Sentence: The study of the region's history is so exhastive that it has remained the standard reference work for over 50 years.

indefatigable

adj. tireless, unceasing Sentence: Only through the indefatigable efforts of their leaders were the prisoners able to dig a long tunnel beyond the bounds of the fence

incapacitate

adj. to make unable to function in normal activities; disable Sentence: Under enormous pressure from all sides, the prime minister was suddenly incapacitated by indecision.

gross

adj. total, entire; glaringly obvious, flagrant Sentence: A business's gross income is the sum of all the money taken in; net is what is left over after expenses.

incorrigible

adj. unable to be corrected or reformed Sentence: Alicia's parents feared she was absolutely incorrigible when she was a teenager, but once she married and had her own children she settled down.

illegible

adj. unable to be read Sentence: Doctors' illegible handwriting can have serious consequences if a pharmacist cannot read a prescription

inert

adj. unable to move or respond; sluggish Sentence: Despite the efforts of reformers, the government's massive bureaucracy remained inert and resistant to any change Alternate forms: n. inertia

homely

adj. unattractive, plain looking Sentence: From a somewhat homely child, Chris grew into a stunningly attractive adult.

eccentric

adj. unconventional; odd Sentence: Every television situation comedy has at least one eccentric character, such as the wacky next-door neighbor. Alternate Forms n. eccentricity

uncouth

adj. uncultured; crude Sentence: Matt was proud of his uncouth nature since he saw manners and culture as artificial constructs of a corrupt society and viewed his rudeness as a form of protest

inadvertent

adj. unintentional; accidental Sentence: It said that dogs can distinguish between deliberate and inadvertent cruelty, that they learn to fear those who are intentionally cruel but quickly forgive those who accidentally cause pain.

insipid

adj. uninteresting; having no flavor Sentence: Although his children liked the movie and its silly jokes, Bill found it insipid, no different from a hundred prior films and certainly no more interesting.

illicit

adj. unlawful; improper Sentence: The corporation, which had made millions by charging illegally high interest rates, had to repay its illicit gains after the attorney general's investigation.

superfluous

adj. unnecessary; extra Sentence: Many people use the phrase "widow woman," through the word "woman" is a superfluous here since a widow is, by definition, a woman Alternate forms: n. superfluity

dank

adj. unpleasantly damp Sentence: Kim is usually healthy, but the hours spent each morning in the dank basement of her client's mansion eventually took their toll.

passive

adj. unresisting; submissive Sentence: Since the hero was so passive for the first hour of the movie, no one believed it when he suddenly took control at the end.

rampant

adj. unrestrained Sentence: Rumors of corruption in the mayor's administration were rampant, and though there was no real proof, most voters believed that so many rumors had to mean something.

altruistic

adj. unselfish; benevolent; caring more for others than oneself Sentence: Studies suggest that being altruistic actually help us, for when we give others or help people in need, we experience a real sense or happiness Alternate forms: n. altruist; n. altruism

loath

adj. unwilling, reluctant Sentence: Because heights make him feel ill, William was loath to climb to the top of the Eiffel tower.

pernicious

adj. very harmful or destructive Sentence: The pernicious rumors about the actor's bad temper and poor work habits made producers reluctant to hire him for their projects

lofty

adj. very high; noble Sentence: Looking down from the lofty spire of Chartres Cathedral, my dad had turn his eyes to the side for a moment so he wouldn't get dizzy

antediluvian

adj. very old; outdated Sentence: Because technology is racing forward so quickly, some view landline telephones, cassette tapes, and even compact discs as antediluvian, but they are not ancient at all and still used by many.

adept

adj. very skilled, esp. natural talent improved by practice Sentence: An adept pianist, Geoffrey can play almost perfectly by sight a piece he has never even heard before.

proficient

adj. very skillful, esp. through training Sentence: It takes a year or more to learn the basics of tapestry-weaving and even longer to become truly proficient.

loquacious

adj. very talkative Sentence: Danny becomes loquacious about his problems when he is under a lot of stress, departing from his normally quiet demeanor.

parched

adj. very thirsty; dried up because of the heat Sentence: The desert prospector could barely speak through his parched lips, so we offered him a drink from our canteens.

painstaking

adj. very thorough; careful Sentence: Because the teacher had threatened to fail anyone who turned in a paper with grammatical errors in it, Richard proofread his paper with painstaking care.

cordial

adj. warm and friendly; polite and respectful Sentence: Although their relations have lately been cordial, they never really got over the blood feud begun by their families generations ago.

tenuous

adj. weak; thin Sentence: The connection between the two events is tenuous at best, and I suspect that there actually is no link at all, not even a weak one.

replete

adj. well-filled; abundantly supplied Sentence: After Oliver returned from the grocery store, his pantry was replete with food enough to feed army

proverbial

adj. well-known because widely repeated Sentence: It's far easier for the proverbial camel to pass through the eye of a needle, hump and all, than for a government to admit that it has made a mistake. Alternate forms: n. proverb

frenetic

adj. wildly excited or active Sentence: Eventually the frenetic pace caught up with the rock star, and she had to cancel a few show dates so that she could rest.

tortuous

adj. winding, twisted Sentence: The tortuous mountain road curved in and out along the contours of the mountain and, frankly, scared me so much that I closed my eyes until my mother had negotiated the curves and brought us safely the valley below.

facile

adj. with effortless ease; without proper care; superficial Sentence: At first I thought your arguments against my idea made sense, but in hindsight they seem more like facile excuses for avoiding work. Alternate forms: n. facility

inanimate

adj. without any character or life; dull Sentence: Whenever Bridgett becomes extremely mad, she takes out her frustration by smashing inanimate objects rather than by attacking her family

amorphous

adj. without definite shape; shapeless; unorganized Sentence: At first, the ideas for our team project were amorphous, but now they are beginning to assume a definite shape.

impromptu

adj. without preparation Sentence: Having completely forgotten about the speech he was to prepare, Jason stood up anyway and humiliated himself with a sloppy impromptu preparation.

fruitless

adj. without results; unprofitable Sentence: The company's efforts to attract new clients through billboard advertising were fruitless as the billboard had the wrong phone number and drew no new clients.

inept

adj. without skill; absurd or foolish Sentence: Although he was a brilliant mathematician, Mark was socially inept, behaving awkwardly whenever he was around others. Alternate forms: ineptitutde

prodigious

adj. wonderful; amazing; very big Sentence: He gained success in his lifetime through hard work and good publicity, but his high standing in the eyes of later generations is the result of his prodigious talent.

verbatim

adj. word for word Sentence: Since she recorded the whole lecture on cassette, she was able to order a verbatim transcript from a professional typist.

verbose

adj. wordy Sentence: I found the new novel far too verbose and believe the author could have cut out half the words without losing any of the story.

venerable

adj. worthy of honor and respect by reason of dignity, age, etc. Sentence: Supporters praised the British House of Lords as a venerable tradition with a glorious history; critics called it an outmoded instituition that had no place in a modern society.

laudable

adj. worthy of praise Sentence: Your desire to make peace between the two feuding friends was laudable, and I do praise you for having your heart in the right place, but I'm not sure anyone can do anything to bring these two back together. Alternate forms: v. laud

wizened

adj. wrinkled from aging Sentence: From his wizened appearance you would think he is 80, but in fact he is only 40 years old.

incognito

adv. in disguise Sentence: The superstar actress goes out in public frequently but is almost always incognito since without a disguise, she is seldom able to have a minute to herself.

paradox

n a statement or situation that appears contradictory Sentence: The grandfather paradox, the notion that once could travel back in time and kill one's gradfather, preventing one's own birth, is often cited as proof that travel backwards in time is impossible. Alternate forms: adj. paradoxical

covenant

n. a binding agreement Sentence: According to the Book of Genesis, the rainbow represents God's covenant that there will never be another world-wide flood.

manuscript

n. a book or other document written by hand; an author's original copy of a document submitted for publication Sentence: Sir Issac Newton's dog Diamond once destroyed the only manuscript of a treatise Newton had been working on for months, forcing the great mathematician to replicate all his work.

pugilist

n. a boxer Sentence: A pugilist pays a heavy price for his chosen sport, often suffering severe mental problems later in life as a result of the many blows to his head.

caesura

n. a break or pause Sentence: Robin Williams can make it through most of his monologues without stopping to take a breath, talking through even the natural caesura speakers usually have at the end of a sentence.

sojourn

n. a brief visit Sentence: The local population is so happy to see tourists in town, they'll do all they can to make sure the sojourn is a pleasant one.

compound

n. a building or group of buildings enclosed by a barrier. Sentence: Each day, the prisoners were allowed to exercise within the compound under the watchful eyes of armed guards

edifice

n. a building; architectural monument Sentence: Many beautiful, centuries-old edifices still stand in Italy today.

ritual

n. a ceremonial act; a customary procedure Sentence: Each evening the father went through the same bedtime ritual with his daughter: first he tucked her into bed, then he read her one chapter of a story, then he kissed her goodnight and turned out the lights.

conduit

n. a channel for conducting fluids; a means by which something is transmitted Sentence: Our friend George is a medical researcher, and thus a valuable conduit of information about the latest cures

trove

n. a collection of valuable items Sentence: This collection of memorabilia is a trove of data about life at the turn of the century

farce

n. a comedy based on crudely humorous, unlikely situations; something absurd or ridiculous, as an obvious pretense. Sentence: The final day of the convention was a farce, with the delegates making a public show of debating and voting on issues that had already been decided privately. alternate forms: adj. farcical

mandate

n. a command; an order Sentence: We will spare no effort to enforce the mandate we got from the state board to improve our schools on the local level.

platitude

n. a commonplace remark delivered as if it were important Sentence: When someone has lost a loved one, others, having little to say, tend to offer platitudes such as "everything happens for a reason"

volition

n. a conscious choice or decision Sentence: The U.S Marshals were relieved when the 300-pound convict agreed to accompany them of his own volition

mentor

n. a counselor or teacher Sentence: During the weekend conference, each applicant will be teamed up with a mentor, some expert in the applicant's chosen field.

eddy

n. a current, as of water or air, moving contrary to the direction of the main current, esp. in a circular motion Sentence: As Helen tried to navigate her boat through the rapids, an eddy caught her canoe and smashed it into a rock, spilling into the water.

cadaver

n. a dead body, esp. a human body to be dissected Sentence: John was not looking forward to having to spend a term dissecting a cadaver in his gross anatomy class, but he knew that seeing a real human body was an important step in becoming a doctor. Alternate forms: adj. cadaverous

impasse

n. a dead-end Sentence: The negotiators reached an impasse when management refused to increase salaries and workers refused to back down on their demand for better hours. Alternate forms: adj. impassable.

diminution

n. a decrease or diminishing Sentence: With so many qualified people moving to other countries for work, the prime minister was concerned about the diminution in technical skill in her country's workforce.

ramification

n. a development or consequence resulting from a course of action Sentence: Before you publicly make such a controversial suggestion, I hope you will consider every possible ramification and not just the one you are hoping for.

malady

n. a disease; illness; sickness Sentence: Several employees took suddenly ill when a mysterious malady swept through the factory.

relief

n. a distinction or prominence due to contrast Sentence: "The light brought the white church into relief from the flat ledges

dichotomy

n. a division into two contrasting or non-overlapping parts. Sentence: Those who cling to a strict dichotomy based on gender are finding their views challenged by the issue of transgendered people, who do not always fit neatly into the strict division of all people into male and female. Alternate forms: adj. dichotomous

office

n. a duty or function assigned to someone Sentence: Because her parents spent such long hours at work, Jane had to assume the office of a parent, taking care of her younger siblings each afternoon.

trace

n. a faint amount Sentence: Although Chad claimed that he had forgiven me, I could still detect a trace of resentment in his tone.

tinge

n. a faint coloring; a trace amount Sentence: When he heard that his old girlfriend was getting married, Burt felt a tinge of regret that he had let her get away

fallacy

n. a false notion, esp. one based on incorrect reasoning Sentence: The idea that a cold winter disproves the theory of global warming is a fallacy; a single cold spell does not prove temperatures are not rising on average. Alternate forms: adj. fallacious

disdain

n. a feeling of contempt Sentence: Jeff glared with disdain at the man talking on his phone in the movie theater, thinking such rudeness was beneath contempt. Alternate forms: adj. disdainful

euphoria

n. a feeling of great happiness Sentence: As she accepted her college diploma, her euphoria was inexpressible since the diploma represented a triumph over many obstacles Alternate forms: adj. euphoric

antipathy

n. a feeling of strong repulsion or aversion Sentence: Julia and Maria used to be best friends, but ever since Maria found out it was Julia who stole her favorite necklace, there has been much antipathy between them.

compunction

n. a feeling of uneasiness caused by a sense of guilt Sentence: The animal-rights activists felt no sense of compunction breaking into the laboratory to free the test animals, for they were convinced that they were combating a moral injustice

contempt

n. a feeling that something is low or disgusting Sentence: Katrina felt nothing but contempt for the unemployed until she herself lost her job and understood that the disgust she had felt had been nothing but ignorant snobbery Alternate forms: adj. contemptuous; adj. contemptible

ultimatum

n. a final demand or statement of items Sentence: Under instructions from his government, the ambassador delivered an ultimatum: if the embargo was not immediately lifted, war would be declared.

stipend

n. a fixed and regular payment Sentence: The graduate student received a regular stipend that permitted her to conduct her studies without needing to work to support herself.

trowel

n. a flat-bladed tool used for spreading cement Sentence: Only after mixing the cement did Barney realize he had no trowel to spread the mixture, so he used a spatula from the kitchen as a substitute.

vortex

n. a flow of fluid around an axis, like a whirlpool Sentence: Even before the twister touched the ground, Dorothy could plainly see the vortex of whirling dust and debris overhead.

shard

n. a fragment of a brittle substance, e.g., glass or pottery; a small piece of something Sentence: Although her son had just smashed a valuable vase, the mother only sighed and swept up the shards.

bevy

n. a group, esp of birds Sentence: A strict vegetarian, Horace was delighted by the bevy of non-meat offerings at the buffet.

cacophony

n. a harsh, jarring sound Sentence: As the members of the orchestra finished their individual warm-up exercises, the cacophony died down, and they waited for the conductor to take the podium.

altercation

n. a heated or noisy argument Sentence: The debate between the two candidates was interrupted when an altercation broke out in the audience between partisans of both sides.

aristocracy

n. a hereditary ruling class; a group considered to be superior to the others Sentence: The Roosevelts and the Kennedys were both families of the political aristocracy; generation after generation their members entered public service. Alternate forms: n. aristocrat; adj. aristocratic

avocation

n. a hobby Sentence: It's been years since the last time he was able to sell canvas, so he now refers to painting as his avocation and real estate as his profession

mausoleum

n. a huge tomb Sentence: The Taj Mahal, built by Shah Jahan to honor the memory of his favorite wife, is the most famous extant example of a mausoleum

quarry

n. a hunted bird or animal; prey Sentence: A number of African countries now auction off a limited number of permits for wealthy Western hunters who are seeking new and exotic quarry.

expanse

n. a large amount of something spread out Sentence: Some people consider the cemetery a monument to foolishness, a vast expanse of otherwise useful land planted with nothing better than tombstones and wooden boxes.

aviary

n. a large enclosure for keeping birds Sentence: The aviaries at the San Diego Zoo are huge structures in which the birds have room to fly, at least for short distances.

chasm

n. a large gap Sentence: Evel Kneivel was famous throughout the 70s for his stunts involving the motorcycle jumps over one enormous chasm after another.

spate

n. a large number or amount of something, esp. in a brief time Sentence: A spate of broken windows along the usually quiet street prompted the police to increase their patrols in an attempt to catch the vandals.

demagogue

n. a leader who obtains power by appealing to the emotions and prejudices of the people Sentence: A true demagogue, the governor rose to power by blaming a small group for the problems that people were emotional about, and the voters rallied behind him passionately Alternate forms: n. demagoguery

byline

n. a line at the head of a newspaper article carrying the author's name Sentence: Although the articled appeared under his byline, most of the reporting in the field was actually done by others.

eon

n. a long period of time Sentence: Since Kathy and Colin had not seen each other in eons, they were initially somewhat awkward, but after a few minutes, they were the best of friends again, acting as if they had never been apart

saga

n. a long prose narrative, often telling of adventure or heroism; a long, detailed report Sentence: When I asked where her homework was, she launched into a tiresome saga about how hard it was to keep up with all her different classes.

scythe

n. a long-handled, bladed instrument used for harvesting crops Sentence: On his first day of work at the farm, Josh used his scythe with so much vigor his feet were in constant peril.

clamor

n. a loud and continuous noise Sentence: The wide spread clamor aroused by the president's proposal to raise taxes forced him to change his plans Alternate forms: adj. clamorous.

fiasco

n. a major disaster Sentence: The company's plan to introduce a new product turned into a complete fiasco, with millions of dollars wasted without a result

peccadillo

n. a minor sin Sentence: Some view a lie as mere peccadillo but others view lying as far from a minor sin and, indeed, a sight of a deep character flaw.

medley

n. a mixture; an arrangement of songs performed together Sentence: The restaurant downstairs is proud to offer its signature side dish: a medley of vegetables from around the world.

faculty

n. a natural ability to do something Sentence: An unerring faculty for detecting hypocrisy is one of her most useful attributes.

proclivity

n. a natural or habitual tendency or inclination Sentence: Jenny had a proclivity for mechanics, a talent she obviously had not inherited since when things needed repair, they relied on her to fix them.

rabble

n. a noisy crowd; the lowest, coarsest class of people Sentence: Before the revolution, French aristocrats regarded the rabble with deep contempt.

compress

n. a pad of folded cloth for applying pressure or heat, etc. Sentence: When she heard the ambulance was delayed in traffic, mom tried to reduce the swelling in my elbow by applying a compress full of ice.

idiosyncrasy

n. a particular, peculiar, or eccentric trait Sentence: One of Alberto's idiosyncrasies is that he climbs the stairs in his house two at a time but climbs all other stair cases one at a time Alternate forms: adj. idiosyncratic

larder

n. a place (e.g., a pantry or cellar) where food is stored Sentence: Convinced that civilization was about to collapse, the survivalist stocked his larder with enough canned supplies to feed himself for several years.

quarters

n. a place of residence, esp. for military personnel; an assigned station or place, as for officers and crew on a warship Sentence: When the soldier failed to return to his quarters by taps, he was declared absent without leave.

niche

n. a place or situation suited for a person or thing; a recess in a wall Sentence: Although Larry never achieved the fame he had dreamed of, he did manage to carve a niche for himself as a respected writer of mystery novels

blight

n. a plant disease; something that impairs growth, progress, or prosperity Sentence: Caused by one of three fungi and spread by beetles, Dutch elm disease is a blight that can ruin longstanding forests

pulpit

n. a podium used for preaching Sentence: Pastor Rodriguez preferred not to speak from the pulpit, instead choosing to leave the podium to walk up to and even among her congregation.

elegy

n. a poem that mourns a death; a composition (e.g., a piece of music) that resembles such a poem in mood. Sentence: Milton's great poem "Lycidas" is an elegy composed to honor the memory of a friend who was drowned in a shipwreck. Alternate forms: adj. elegiac

bard

n. a poet Sentence: The bard enchanted his audience with his condensed version of the Trojan war.

leaning

n. a preference or inclination Sentence: Adventurous all her life, Alice has a leaning towards exciting sports like parachuting.

quintessence

n. a pure substance or essence of something Sentence: That phony arrow running through your hat is the quintessence of your childish sense of humor Alternate forms: adj. quintessential

charisma

n. a quality of leadership that inspires great devotion in one's followers; personal magnetism or charm Sentence: Despite his short stature and rather sickly appearance, Admiral Horatio Nelson was one of those rare leaders with the charisma to inspire his followers to extraordinary feats of courage. Alternate forms: adj. charismatic

dais

n. a raised platform Sentence: The throne was centred on the dais in the great hall.

motif

n. a recurring subject or theme, esp. in a work of art or literature Sentence: A traumatic obsession with death is a persistent motif in the work of Jack Kerouac.

recrimination

n. a reply to one charge with a countercharge Sentence: The politician, accused of taking bribes, answered with recriminations of his own, claiming that the FBI had entrapped him. Alternate forms: v. recriminate

epitome

n. a representative example of a type Sentence: Her room is the epitome of slovenliness; you can't get from one side to the other without stepping on old clothes and unseen squishy things. Alternate forms: v. epitomize

charge

n. a responsibility; someone or something entrusted to the care of another Sentence: The commission's charge was to determine possible solutions to the impending healthcare crisis.

conundrum

n. a riddle or puzzle, esp. one without a solution Sentence: Brianna was facing a real conundrum: whether to tell her best friend that her boyfriend was being unfaithful and thus jeopardize their friendship or to say nothing and see her friend be hurt more deeply later.

caste

n. a rigid and hereditary social class Sentence: The duchess, convinced of the importance of marrying someone of the same caste, was alarmed to see her daughter spending so much time with the chauffeur.

hazard

n. a risk of being harmed; something that presents such a risk Sentence: Carelessly discarded chemicals endanger more than just ourselves; they also present a hazard to future generations

premonition

n. a sense of a future event; a warning in advance Sentence: Every time Umberto boarded a plane, he was sure that he had a premonition of dying in a fiery crash, but his visions were not in fact omens, and every flight ended uneventfully

foreboding

n. a sense of impending evil, esp. one without definite cause Sentence: The somber music heard at the opening of the film creates a sense of foreboding, but true disaster does not neutrulize until the conclusion

endeavor

n. a serious attempt or effort Sentence: Jane decided to repaint her house herself, and endeavor that proved harder than she had anticipated Alternate forms: v. endeavor

bravura

n. a showy display Sentence: Dan's bravura has irritated people, but unlike many braggarts, he backs up his big words with real accomplishments.

byproduct

n. a side-effect; something produced in the making of something else. Sentence: Gasoline was originally chosen as a fuel because it was the cheap byproduct of petroleum distillation.

stigma

n. a sign of disgrace; a mark that lowers a reputation Sentence: In most developed countries, education is valued and there is a stigma attached to dropping out of school early. Alternate forms: v. stigmatize

beacon

n. a signaling light, a source of guidance or inspiration Sentence: Ravaged with hunger, we were relived to see the restaurnants neon sign rising before us, a welcome beason in the night.

analogy

n. a similarity between things that are otherwise dissimilar; a comparison based on such similarity Sentence: Charles's parents didn't find his analogy between their restrictive curfew and Nazism very funny and grounded him for a week. Alternate forms: n. analogue; adj. analogous

remnant

n. a small amount left over after the rest has been used; a surviving trace Sentence: A few stones scattered around a field are the only remnants of the huge cathedral that once stood here.

spat

n. a small argument or dispute Sentence: Like most couples, Ed and Serena have the occasional spat over minor issues, but their relationship remains strong and loving

hovel

n. a small miserable dwelling Sentence: Olga grew up in a small shack that was nothing more than a hovel with its single room, lack of indoor plumbing, and many holes in the walls.

morsel

n. a small piece, esp. of food. Sentence: Veronica was so hungry that she devoured every morsel of food on her plate.

modicum

n. a small quantity Sentence: Everyone expects at least a modicum of praise for his or her accomplishments.

shade

n. a small variation, a nuance; a small amount Sentence: You will understand this novel much better if you reread it, for there are many shades of meaning that aren't evident at first.

predilection

n. a special liking for something; a preference Sentence: I have always had a predilection for high scoring sports and therefore have never had much interest in soccer.

dogma

n. a specific set of idea or beliefs, esp. religious or asserted to be absolutely true Sentence: To Zane, the claims of his religion are Truth, but the claims of any other faith are more dogma. Alternate forms: adj. dogmatic

knack

n. a specific talent for doing something, esp. one that is difficult to teach Sentence: Traci has a knack for making friends; almost everyone she meets like her instantly.

patron

n. a sponsor; a supporter; a regular customer Sentence: J. Paul Getty was famous as a patron of the arts and donated a large portion of his fortune to museums.

rhapsody

n. a state of great happiness; such a state expressed in speech or writing Sentence: Although I am happy that Peter has found a new girlfriend, it is tiresome to listen to his endless rhapsody about all her virtues.

conviction

n. a strong belief or opinion Sentence: Although his opinions are unpopular, at least he has the integrity to maintain his convictions despite the mockery he faces.

penchant

n. a strong liking Sentence: Tad has a penchant for spicy foods, and has been known to eat habanero chilies whole.

hangar

n. a structure used for housing aircraft Sentence: He thought he remembered putting it away the night before, but when he got to the hangar his beloved Cessna biplane was missing.

idiom

n. a style or manner of expression peculiar to an individual or group; an expression that cannot be understood from the individual meanings of its words (e.g., "keep tabs on") Sentence: The phrase "raining cats and dogs" is an idiom since, obviously, it does not literally rain cats and dogs. Alternate forms: adj. idiomatic

prowess

n. a superior skill or ability Sentence: Gina demonstrated her prowess in tennis by thoroughly trouncing her boyfriend George.

addendum

n. a supplement; something added at end of book or document Sentence: An addendum added to the end of the dictionary lists words that have entered the language since the dictionary was first published a decade ago. Alternate forms: pl. addenda.

abeyance

n. a suspension of activity Sentence: The development of the corporate database was left in abeyance after the lead programmer unexpectedly quit.

meritocracy

n. a system in which promotion is based on individual ability or achievement Sentence: The founders of the company envisioned a meritocracy in which the most talented employees were rewarded with raises and bonuses

creed

n. a system of beliefs, principles, or opinions Sentence: Herb lived by the creed that one should find a job that made one happy, not that was necessarily prestigious or well-playing

malaise

n. a vague feeling of physical discomfort or uneasiness Sentence: After losing his job, Charlie felt a persistent malaise; instead of getting out to find new work, he just lay on his couch and watched TV.

dialect

n. a variety of language, esp. regional Sentence: Even though who speak the dialect of the south can not understand speakers of the north, the country remains unified by its commonly-understood written language

caveat

n. a warning Sentence: When I decided to buy a car, my father warned me to have it checked by an independent mechanic, and this caveat saved me since the first car turned out to need major repairs.

atrophy

n. a wasting away, esp. of body tissue Sentence: Nurses who care for long-term patients have to prevent the atrophy of those muscles that are not regularly exercised Alternate forms: v. atrophy

cascade

n. a waterfall or series of small waterfalls; a succession of stages, processes, or units Sentence: From the top of the cliff, the stream descended in a cascade, each little waterfall creating a small pool before the water proceeded to the next waterfall.

savant

n. a well-educated person; a scholar Sentence: Although she lacked a college degree, her thoughtful and learned essays earned her a reputation as a savant

verity

n. a widely-accepted truth Sentence: That a customer should always leave your store completely satisfied is an accepted verity for small business owners.

artisan

n. a worker trained or skilled in some manual trade Sentence: The Living History Project sponsors a recreation of a Renaissance town, complete with artisans practicing trades that are now obsolete, such as blacksmithing and cooperage

accord

n. agreement Sentence: Observers are pointing out the obvious when they say there won't be an end to the hostilities until some sort of accord is hammered out. Alternate forms: n. accordance

cornucopia

n. an abundance Sentence: The cornucopia of foods offered at the lavish Las Vegas buffet was impressive, and though Chris ate until she was sated, she barely made a dent in the abundance of available food.

blasphemy

n. an act that shows contempt for God or religious matters Sentence: The priest stopped dead in his tracks as he saw the graffiti on the altar, struck speechless by the blasphemy of the vandals who had broken in the night before. Alternate Forms: adj. blasphemous; v. blaspheme

ruse

n. an action or device intended to deceive Sentence: Francine's moaning, grimacing, and complaining of stomach pain were a ruse, but her mother saw through the deception and sent Francine to school.

coalition

n. an alliance, esp. a temporary one Sentence: Because no one party had a majority in parliament, a coalition of various groups reached an agreement to choose a prime minister

rejoinder

n. an answer, esp. to another answer Sentence: Whenever my mother asked a question, she was quick with a rejoinder to my answer, so if she asked where I was going and I said "out," she'd said, " I can't figure out why you don't have a Nobel price with brilliant answers like that."

veneer

n. an attractive, ultimately misleading outward show; thin layer Sentence: The diplomats exhibited a veneer of civility, but beneath this outward show, neither trusted the other

segue

n. an easy, effective, or uninterrupted transition Sentence: The introductory music provided a smooth segue into the first act.

vagary

n. an erratic motion or action Sentence: I am used to some of your bizarre quirks, but this latest vagary has been taken me completely off guard.

crux

n. an essential or pivotal point; a perplexing difficulty Sentence: The crux of the trial came when the glove that the murderer wore did not fit on the defendant's hand.

paragon

n. an example of perfection Sentence: The doctor's private practice was hailed as a paragon of excellence for keeping patient costs low and still managing to deliver unparalleled medical service.

surfeit

n. an excess Sentence: Having overestimated the number of Christmas shoppers last year, retailers were left with a surfeit of inventory that they are still trying to sell off.

prerogative

n. an exclusive right or privilege, esp. one that is the result of heredity or official position Sentence: Along with getting a higher salary and the status that comes with being boss, it's her prerogative to take the closest parking space each morning.

utopia

n. an ideally perfect place Sentence: The utopia envisioned in your proposal sounds undeniably attractive, but few believe we'll ever attain it.

icon

n. an image; a symbol; a representation of a holy person, esp. in the Orthodox Christian churches Sentence: The spirit of St. Louis, the plane in which Charles Lindbergh made the first transatlantic flight, remains an icon of the adventurous spirit of the early aviators. Alternate forms: adj. iconic

impetus

n. an impelling or originating force Sentence: A series of critical articles in the local newspaper was the main impetus for the council to reform.

increment

n. an increase in quantity; v. to increase Sentence: Progress came in increments: slowly, the once rundown section of the city was improved, step by step, until eventually it became a thriving region.

innuendo

n. an indirect suggestion about someone or something, esp. of a negative nature Sentence: Although no direct accusations of illegal behavior were ever made, rumors and innuendo of corruption swirled around the nominee

conjecture

n. an inference or conclusion based on incomplete evidence Sentence: Her conjecture that she would get a new car for her birthday was wrong, but that's bacause her guess was based more on her desire than on her parents'.

aptitude

n. an inherent capacity for learning, understanding, or performing. Sentence: As a child, Dennis showed an unusual aptitude for mathematic, and so it surprised no one when he earned a Ph.D. in the subject

artifact

n. an object produced by human work, esp. one of historical or archaeological interest. Sentence: Some of the artifacts from the archaeological site ended up in private collections rather than museums, where these objects should have been displayed.

scenario

n. an outline for a planned series of events, either real or imagined; a summary of a work of fiction Sentence: In attempting to plan for possible emergancies, the fire department developed numerous scenarios covering every conceivable disaster.

glut

n. an over supply Sentence: Wheat farmers always suffer when a glut of grain products on the market forces their prices lower.

ingrate

n. an ungrateful person Sentence: I realized that I had acted like an ingrate when I expressed disappointment after receiving a gift from my grandparents and failing to thank them.

mishap

n. an unlucky or unfortunate accident Sentence: Despite her mother's premonition that something horrible was going to happen, Judy returned from her European vacation without mishap.

hallmark

n. any mark or symbol of genuineness or high quality Sentence: The hallmark of genius is the ability to make intuitive leaps, to perceive connections between things that seem totally different to more pedestrian minds.

facet

n. any of a number of sides or aspects Sentence: The expert, who has studied all the facets of a complicated problem, is more likely to express opinions cautiously than the amateur, who often makes a snap judgment on limited information

lineaments

n. any of the features of the body, usually the face. Sentence: After 50 years, the lineaments of her face had changed, the smoothness of the cheeks and forehead replaced by wrinkles, but there was still an unmistakable spark in her eyes.

chronology

n. arrangement of events in time Sentence: After much laborious investigation, the detectives managed to piece together a chronology of the crime, demonstrating that the suspect's whereabouts were unaccounted for during the crucial period Alternate forms: adj. chronological

animosity

n. bitter hostility, esp. that which provokes punitive action Sentence: The animosity between the Hatfields and the McCoys is legendary, for these two feuding families hated each other for decades.

consanguinity

n. blood relationship Sentence: Not even the ties of friendship are as strong as those of concanguinity

effrontery

n. bold and insulting behavior Sentence: It was bad enough when the army division actually invaded the wrong country, but the commanding officer made it worse when he had the effrontery to say that he thought it was kind of fune

raiment

n. clothing Sentence: Once he sheds his policeman's raiment, Al completely loses his air of authority

solace

n. comfort in time of distress Sentence: A true friend not only celebrates your victories but also offers solace for your failures. Alternate forms: v. solace

inception

n. commencement; beginning; origin Sentence: The play has grown in popularity during its months in the theater, but it was not all that popular in its inception: small audiences attended the first few performances.

restitution

n. compensation for a loss Sentence: After being convicted of vandalizing his neighbor's house, the young man was ordered to pay restitution in order to have the damage repaired.

denouement

n. conclusion; resolution; the falling action of a story after its climax Sentence: Some have criticized the denoument of the film, claiming that this conclusion does not represent the best possible ending for the two main characters.

discord

n. conflict or disagreement Sentence: My twins are having a hard time getting along with each other, and their constant discord is beginning to irritate me Alternate forms: adj. discordant

disarray

n. confusion, disorder Sentence: When the neighbor's dog managed to enter my house and chased my two cats around, the animals left the living room in a state of disarray with all my belongings strewn about the room.

duplicity

n. deception; deceitfulness; double-dealing Sentence: Most people hold elected officials in such low esteem that reports of a politician's duplicity are frequently received with no surprise at all Alternate forms: adj. duplicitous

woe

n. deep distress or misery; misfortune Sentence: Sonali Deraniyagala tells a tale of great woe in her memoir, which recounts the events when she and her family were caught in a deadly tsunami.

antithesis

n. direct contrast; opposition Sentence: Hope is the antithesis of despair. Alternate forms: antithetical

vim

n. energy; enthusiasm Sentence: The son was full of vim about the family trip to Disney world.

ambiance

n. environment Sentence: The pizza's good, but most dinners at Spago are there for glittering, celebrity-filled ambiance.

hyperbole

n. exaggeration Sentence: With his usual hyperbole, Justin announced that he had a ton of homework and that exam schedule would kill him.

impunity

n. exemption from punishment or harm Sentence: Because of his wealth and power, the business executive believed that he could act with impunity, misappropriating the company's funds without fear of punishment.

iniquity

n. extreme immorality or injustice; wickedness Sentence: The Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s had as its goal the elimination of the many inequities faced by African Americans in society Alternateforms: adj. iniquitous

prestige

n. fame or importance based on reputation or achievements Sentence: The prestige associated with that particular boarding school is so great that the number of applicants is 20 times the number of available spots Alternate forms: adj. prestigious

chagrin

n. feeling of embarrassment because of failure or disappointment Sentence: To the chagrin of the campaign manager, his predictions of an overwhelming victory turned out to be wildly inaccurate.

candor

n. frankness or sincerity of expression Sentence: With refreshing candor, the mayor said that his plan had not worked out and that he would now like to consider the city council's original plan to deal with crime. Alternate forms: adj. candid.

currency

n. general acceptance or use; the state of being up-to-date Sentence: The term "hip" enjoyed a brief currency in the 60s, but it no longer has the widespread acceptance that "cool" still has.

largess

n. generosity in giving gifts Sentence: Because Vince had no job, he relied on his parents' largess for spending money, and they were indeed generous, giving him a sizable allowance.

mirth

n. gladness, esp. when expressed as laughter Sentence: The mirth at the birthday party came to an end when the birthday boy started crying after falling and scraping his knee.

kudos

n. glory; fame Sentence: Those who seek high office usually claim they are doing it out of civic duty and not merely for the money or kudos.

dossier

n. group of documents Sentence: Aware the student looked vaguely familiar, the principal pulled his dossier from the drawer to refresh her memory

apex

n. highest point Sentence: The apex of the director's career was the moment when she accepted her Academy Award for best picture.

autonomy

n. independence; self-government Sentence: After moving into her first apartment, Jackie relished her new autonomy, the freedom to do what she wanted when she wanted without having to check with her parents for permission. Alternate forms: adj. autonomous

vernacular

n. informal speech; native language Sentence: Studying a language in school is great, but doing so may not prepare you for the vernacular, the forms of the language spoken regionally.

complicity

n. involvement as an accomplice in a crime or wrongful act Sentence: Police were able to establish the bank guard's complicity in the robbery by reading emails that showed not only that the guard had known about the robbery but that he had actively helped by disabling the alarm. Alternate forms: adj. complicitous

lore

n. knowledge about a particular subject, esp. of a traditional or popular nature Sentence: Although vampires may seem to be mythological creatures with a history extending deep into the past, virtually all of what passes for vampire lore was invented by Bram Stocker, the creator of Dracula

discrepancy

n. lack of agreement; difference Sentence: Banks are careful to reconcile account statement without error; it's very unusual ot find a discrepancy in their accounting. Alternate forms: adj. discrepant

sloth

n. laziness Sentence: Despite her New Year's resolution to work harder, she was never able to overcome her natural tendency toward sloth

foliage

n. leaves Sentence: During the Vietnam war, the U.S armed forces sprayed the jungle with chemicals powerful enough to remove the foliage from the trees

camaraderie

n. loyalty; a warm, friendly feeling among members of a group Sentence: Ed missed the camaraderie among his buddies on the force after retiring from work as a policeman.

zenith

n. maximum; the highest point Sentence: Gwen's high-school career reached its zenith when she was named valedictorian and asked to give a speech at the graduation ceremony.

clemency

n. mercy, or leniency towards an offender Sentence: Despite appeals from the convicted man's family, the governor refused to grant clemency.

adversity

n. misfortune; trouble Sentence: The challenge of marriage is to remain supportive and loving toward your spouse, not only in good times but in times of adversity as well.

subsidy

n. monetary assistance Sentence: The government refused to give the project any additional subsidy until the money already spend had been accounted for.

proceeds

n. money derived from some activity; price of profit Sentence: To his surprise, the proceeds derived from last week's garage sale weren't enough to finance his trip to Italy.

tautology

n. needless repetition of an idea in different words; a statement that is logically true no matter what. Sentence: Tautologies bother Irma, so if you mention you received a "free gift" or know the "true facts" expect her to correct you.

umbrage

n. offense or resentment (used with "take") Sentence: Richard admitted that his work could have been better but took umbrage at the suggestion that he had not worked hard, for any suggestion that he was less than diligent was downright offensive.

parameter

n. one of a set of measurable factors that determine a system's behavior and are varied in an experiment. Sentence: Although the study attempted to show a link between certain kinds of food and cancer, there were so many different parameters to consider that the findings were inconclusive.

polyglot

n. one speaks many languages; adj. speaking many languages Sentence: George is a polyglot, able to speak four langauges fluently.

atheist

n. one who believes that God does not exist Sentence: Rebelling against the religion of his parents, Sam declared that he was an atheist. Alternate forms: n. atheism

martyr

n. one who chooses to die rather than to give up religious beliefs, or who suffers greatly to further a cause. Sentence: The early Christian church, severely persecuted by Roman authorities, had many members who chose to become martyrs rather than sacrifice to the Roman gods.

glutton

n. one who eats too much Sentence: Our pasta bar gift certificates are perfect for the glutton on your Christmas giving list Alternate forms: n. gluttony

dilettante

n. one who engages an art with only superficial skill; an amateur Sentence: Although he has produced many sculptures, he is a mere dilettante, never having had any real training in the craft.

nomad

n. one who has no permanent home Sentence: After retirement, Mr. and Mrs. Lee sold their house, bought an RV. and lived as nomads, traveling throughout the country Alternate forms: adj. nomadic

benefactor

n. one who helps and supports others Sentence: The charity did receive a few small donations but relied primarily on a single benefactor, a millionaire who donated thousands of dollars to the charity.

nemesis

n. one who inflicts justified or great punishment; a source of harm or ruin Sentence: Uncritical trust was Yolanda's nemesis, for many people took advantage of her.

interloper

n. one who interferes with the affairs of others; a meddler. Sentence: Elizabeth was offended by the interloper, who meddled with matters irrelevant to him and thereby disrupted her plans.

sycophant

n. one who seeks favor by flattering people of wealth or influence Sentence: Though our boss likes to think he is immune to shameless flattery, he's pretty easily persuaded by which ever sycophant happens to be with him at the time. Alternate forms: adj. sycophantic.

spendthrift

n. one who spends money wastefully Sentence: His parents gave Albert every material comfort but never taught him responsibility, so he became a spendthrift and wasted their entire fortune within a few years.

raconteur

n. one who tells stories with skill Sentence: Ronald Reagan was a brilliant raconteur who could always entertain his audiences, even when his stories were less than truthful

protégé

n. one whose welfare, training, or career is promoted by another person. Sentence: Mr. Garret took an instant liking to the much younger man, whom he made his protégé and began to groom as his eventual placement.

virtuoso

n. one with great skill, esp. in music or the arts Sentence: Natural talent, combined with long hours of practice, made Jasha a virtuoso of the violin by the age of 12.

epicure

n. one with refined tastes, esp. in food and wine Sentence: A true epicure, Ginger would never eat fast food; her view was that food is a necessity but it should also be a pleasure, so she sought out only the finest in dining experiences Alternate form: adj. epicurean

demeanor

n. outward behavior, esp. that reveals one's personality or attitude Sentence: Despite the tension of the situation, Kenndy's demeanor was genial and relaxed.

semblance

n. outward form of appearance Sentence: If you're hoping your parents will let you go out tonight, you should restore your room to at least a semblance of order.

affliction

n. pain; suffering; anything causing pain Sentence: Andrew has suffered from a herniated disc in his back for years, an affliction that sometimes incapacitates him with great pain Alternate forms: v. afflict

amenity

n. pleasantness; something increasing comfort Sentence: For $25 a night, we did not expect to have many amenities in our hotel.

euphony

n. pleasing sound, esp. of words Sentence: What is most impressive about Keats' abilities as a poet is his gift or euphony, for choosing words that have an almost musical quality when put together. Alternate forms: adj. euphonious

decorum

n. polite behavior Sentence: Jim's lack of decorum at the funeral was especially evident when he belched loudly during the eulogy and then laughed at the shocked looks on others' faces. Alternate forms: adj. decorus

oratory

n. public speaking, esp. marked by pompous rhetoric Sentence: He was too inept in the art of oratory to trust himself at the podium, so he convinced a friend to make the speech for him. Alternate forms: n. orator; v. orate

hierarchy

n. ranking according to status or ability; a group having authority Sentence: According to the strict hierarchy in the club, the president has the highest ranks, the vice president is second, and all general members are a distant third. Alternate forms: adj. hierarchial

verisimilitude

n. resemblance to the truth Sentence: The demand for verisimilitude is reduced in comic books, where the readers permit a greater departure into fantasy.

stamina

n. resistance to fatigue or hardship; endurance Sentence: Although he had been running every day, Fred still lacked the stamina to complete the marathon.

autocracy

n. rule by one person with unlimited power Sentence: Henry Ford ran his company as a complete autocracy and insisted on making all important decisions for himself Alternate forms: n. autocrat; adj. autocratic

plight

n. sad situation Sentence: The plight of the earthquake victims aroused great sympathy as many around the world wanted to help alleviate the suffering they saw on television.

remorse

n. sadness or regret for what one has done Sentence: Whatever remorse he might have felt over the theft was short-lived; within a few hours he embarked on a cross-country larceny spree. Alternate forms: adj. remorseful

aplomb

n. self-assurance; self-confidence; poise Sentence: Despite her nervousness before going on stage, she gave her speech with great aplomb

ignominy

n. shame; dishonor Sentence: The cowardly act of some crew members in abandoning the ship while leaving the passengers behind brought ignominy upon the entire crew. Alternate forms: adj. ignominious

nepotism

n. showing favoritism to relatives Sentence: Charges to nepotism were inevitable when Grace hired her brother as vice presidents of her company.

paucity

n. smallness of number; scarcity Sentence: The coach was disappointed at the paucity of good players among the freshman class and made a mental note to do more recruiting next year.

harbinger

n. someone or something that indicates what is to come Sentence: The sniffles and a cough are the harbingers of illness

anathema

n. someone or something that is hated Sentence: The very idea of a new government program was anathema to the conservative senator, who wanted the smallest possible government.

forte

n. something at which a person excels Sentence: She can complete many skating jumps with grace, but speed skating is her forte.

anachronism

n. something not belonging to a certain time period Sentence: The wristwatch one character wore in the film about ancient Rome was an anachronism since watches weren't invented till much later. Alternate forms: adj. anachronistic

legacy

n. something passed down to a descendant Sentence: He was a horrible businessman; confusion and bad debts were the only legacy his children could expect from him.

entity

n. something that exists and can be recognized as a distinct unit Sentence: Universities did not acquire an existence as identifiable corporate entities until the thirtheenth century.

enigma

n. something that is puzzling, ambiguous, mysterious, or inexplicable; a perplexing puzzle Sentence: The structure of the atomic nucleus remained an enigma until Rutherford created the current model.

projectile

n. something thrown or fried Sentence: The substitute could not turn her back on the class without another mysterious projectile landing on the board with a wet smack. Alternate forms: v. project

masonry

n. stonework or brickwork Sentence: The new house was finished on the outside, the masonry and landscaping all in place; only the interior needed further attention

drivel

n. stupid or childish talk Sentence: I hope she is his girlfriend; if she is not going out with him already, his endless drivel on the phone will only nauseate her.

placebo

n. substance, often presented as a medicine, that has an effect because of a patient's expectations rather than because of an active ingredient Sentence: One of the fascinating mysteries of medicine is why placebos poutperform some drugs that were previously effective.

anarchy

n. the absence of government Sentence: During the Iranian revolution, there was a brief period of anarchy between the overthrow of the Shah and the establishment of a new government. Alternate forms: n. anarchist; adj. anarchic

disrepute

n. the absence or loss of reputation Sentence: Once held in high regard as a sort of grandfather to the Democratic party, Clark Clifford fell into disrepute in a highly publicized banking scandal.

abstinence

n. the act of voluntarily doing without something Sentence: After being visited by four ghosts and reforming, Ebenezer Scrooge of "A Christmas Carol" never sees another ghost, what Dicken called "the Total Abstinence Principle" Alternate forms: v. abstain; adj. abstinent

prognosis

n. the anticipated progress of recovery Sentence: Although my sister has been seriously ill, her prognosis is good, and her doctors expect she will soon be out of hospital

enmity

n. the bitter attitude or feelings of an enemy or of mutual enemies Sentence: Generations after the feud began, both families still told vicious stories about each other, keeping the enmity alive through folklore.

synthesis

n. the combination of separate parts into a unified whole Sentence: Renfrew's new book is a synthesis of recent developments in the fields of archaeology and historical linguistics Alternate forms: adj. synthetic; v. synthesize

exodus

n. the departure of a large number of people Sentence: The play's horrible actors provoked a mass exodus of the audience, and by intermission, only two brave souls were left in the theater.

girth

n. the distance around something; circumference Sentence: I so loved the magnificent chair that I bought it once only to find out that its girth was so great that I could not fit it through my front door.

demographics

n. the distribution of human population groups Sentence: The demographics of a TV show's audience determine the advertisers; shows with large teenage audiences draw different advertisers than shows with primarily elderly viewers.

vitality

n. the force that distinguishes life from death; exuberance Sentence: Though in her ninth decade, my great grandmother has a great deal of vitality and spends much of her day gardening or taking hikes Alternate forms: adj. vital

rudder

n. the hinged plate at the back and bottom of a boat, used for steering Sentence: It takes a steady hand and a trustworthy rudder to navigate narrow spaces.

denomination

n. the name for a special class of persons, such as a religious group Sentence: Because the military chapel serves various denominations, it has no symbols such as a cross or star of David, that might seem to give preference to one belief

habitat

n. the place where a person or thing is ordinarily found; a particular type of natural environment Sentence: The desert is a brutal habitat, but numerous creatures have evolved remarkable ways of surviving in this hostile environment.

allure

n. the power to attract with something desirable Sentence: The allure of a chance to win great wealth often leads people to gamble recklessly at casinos. Alternate forms: adj. alluring

efficacy

n. the power to produce the desired effect Sentence: The efficacy of the medicine is decreased after a big meal; these pills are more effective when taken on an empty stomach. Alternate forms: adj. efficacious

suffrage

n. the right to vote Sentence: Universal suffrage for adults is considered basic to democracy, for without the right to vote, large segmanents of the populattion are often explloited.

euphemism

n. the substitution of an agreeable word or phrase to replace one that might offend Sentence: Saying someone has passed on to meet his maker in that great cornfield in the sky is just a euphemism for saying he has died.

torso

n. the trunk of the human body Sentence: Brad's muscular torso was the result of many long hours spent lifting weights in the gym.

syntax

n. the way words are arranged to form phrases, clauses, and sentences Sentence: The study of syntax has been revolutionized since the 50s by the work of Noam Chomky, but most high school textbooks continue to teach the same, out-dated grammar of a century ago. Alternate forms: adj. systactic

metamorphosis

n. transformation, as by magic; a marked change in appearance or function Sentence: The metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a butterfly is one of the amazing phenomena of nature Alternate forms: v. metamorphose

minutiae

n. trivial details Sentence: After agreeing to a substantial sum for the sale of the business, the two business people left it to the lawyers to sort out the minutiae, the trivial details that did not really affect the big picture.

serendipity

n. unexpected gift or discovery Sentence: Many breakthroughs in science result from serendipity rather than careful planning Alternate forms: adj. serendipitous

chauvinism

n. unreasoning and boastful devotion to one's country or sex. Sentence: You will not have a very good time as a tourist until you set aside your chauvinism and accept other cultures for what they are. Alternate forms: chauvinistic

affluence

n. wealth Sentence: The message given by popular American culture is that affluence leads to happiness, but many people find that the pursuit of wealth carries heavy emotional consequences.

diction

n. word choice in speech or writing; degree of clarity in speaking Sentence: Mack's mother told him that people would judge him by his diction, so it was important that he choose the words that were right for his intended audience.

apprehension

n. worry or unease Sentence: The approach of the history final in only one week filled Mary with apprehension as she realized she had forgotten most of the course material. Alternate forms: n. apprehensive

deference

n. yielding an opinion, desire, or position to another out of respect Sentence: Though Nate thought his comments inoffensive, he changed them in deference to suggestions from this staff that they might be perceived as insensitive Alternate forms: deferential

verdant

v. green Sentence: The drought was visibly behind us when the hills were suddenly covered with lush, verdant vegetation.

burnish

v. polish Sentence: The soldier burnished his ceremonial sword until it shone brightly.

malinger

v. to act sick in order to avoid work Sentence: I am quite sure you have not caught the Ebola virus, so do not malinger any longer and have that report on my desk by tomorrow morning.

own

v. to admit, esp. taking responsibility for one's own actions or thoughts Sentence : One of the things people seem to respect about Craig is his ability to own up to his mistakes by taking responsibility for them

aver

v. to affirm or declare Sentence: Steve's parents agreed to let him attend the after-prom party after he averred that he would not drink or get into a car with anyone who had.

accede

v. to agree to something Sentence: After days and days of whining, Johnny finally convinced his parents to accede to his request to go to the beach.

acquiesce

v. to agree without protest Sentence: Shy and subservient, Henry acquiesces to all of the demands that other people make of him.

consent

v. to approve; to agree; to yield Sentence: Knowing that he had nothing to hide, Martin consented to a search of his car by the police.

haggle

v. to argue, as over terms or price Sentence: Look,I am too tired to haggle, just make me your best offer for the car.

pique

v. to arouse (interest, curiosity,etc.); to irritate Sentence: Mark always begins his speeches with a joke in an attempt to pique the interest of his audience.

implore

v. to ask for urgently; to beg Sentence: Convinced she was making a foolish choice, Isabel's parents implored her not to pursue a career as an actress

impute

v. to assign credit, often of guilt or blame Sentence: It's a common tactic of dictators to impute their countries' problems to an unpopular ethnic group Alternate forms: n. imputation

relegate

v. to assign to an obscure place or condition; to send away Sentence: The company will relegate those salespeople who don't meet their quota to the shifts with the fewest customers.

assail

v. to attack; to assault Sentence: When they finish attacking his reputation in general, prosecutors will assail the details of his alibi. Alternate forms: n. assailant

ascribe

v. to attribute to a specific source Sentence: The principal ascribed the low test scores to a few lazy students, but in fact, the scores reflected broader problems in the school.

eschew

v. to avoid; to shun Sentence: Joan eschewed novels and read only nonfiction, believing that life was too short to read about things that are not real.

brood

v. to be deep thought; to think over moodily and at length Sentence: Larry could have used the poor grade as motivation to study harder, but instead, he just went into his room and brooded sullenly.

behoove

v. to be necessary or proper for Sentence: Just as children owe respect to their parents, it behooves parents to honor their children as individuals.

herald

v. to bear news; to announce Sentence: Folk stories will have you believe that a groundhog who sees his shadow will herald the end of winter. Alternate forms: n. herald

relent

v. to become less severe; to give in Sentence: Although Vicki's parents initially balked at paying so much money for riding lessons, they relented when they realized how much the sport meant to her

ingratiate

v. to bring oneself into another's favor or good graces by conscious effort Sentence: The new student tried to ingratiate himself with the teacher by raising his hand all the time.

convene

v. to bring together Sentence: Because several of the flights to town were delayed, the council couldn't convene the meeting until a few hours after it had been scheduled. Alternate forms: n. convention

conflate

v. to bring together; to merge into a composite whole Sentence: The historical novel was wildly inaccurate, conflating radically different eras that were centuries apart Alternate forms: n. conflation

subjugate

v. to bring under control; to conquer Sentence: After William the Conqueror won the Battle of Hastings, it took him several years to fully subjugate the English countryside Alternate forms: n. subjugation

convoke

v. to call together in a meeting Sentence: Haverfold College convokes the entire student body once a year to reaffirm a commitment to the school's honor code, and all students are expected to attend Alternate forms: n. convocation

infuriate

v. to cause to become very angry; to enrage Sentence: The team's fans were infuriated by the referees' failure to call an obvious foul.

stultify

v. to cause to lose interest, become bored, or feel dull and not alert Sentence: The young director thought his film, which consisted only of a man reading the phone book without any inflection in his voice, was brilliant, but everyone else, including the actor, was stultified

compel

v. to cause to occur by pressure; to force Sentence: The building contractor did so little of the promised work on schedule that the home-owners sued to compel him to fulfill his obligations Alternate forms: n. compulsion

desist

v. to cease; stop Sentence: Lawyers often send "cease and desist" letters, though why they should use two synonyms is not clear when they could just say "stop"

veer

v. to change direction Sentence: While she read the text message on her phone, her car veered into the lane for oncoming traffic, and only good luck prevented her carelessness from becoming a tragedy.

vindicate

v. to clear of blame with supporting arguments or proof Sentence: "Our society permits people to sue for libel so that they may vindicate their reputations."(Irving R. Kaufman) Alternate forms: n. vindication

consolidate

v. to combine into a whole; to strengthen Sentence: In order to save money, the city consolidated several elementary schools, hoping that once enrollment increased, the combined schools could once again be separated into the original, independent schools.

accrue

v. to come as a gain; to increase Sentence: Billy enjoyed working and saving his money because he liked to dream about all the interest that would accrue by the time he was 50. Alternate forms: n. accrual

intervene

v. to come between two things Sentence: The government appointed an arbitrator to intervene in the dispute between the airline and its pilots. Alternate forms: n. intervention

gripe

v. to complain constantly and naggingly Sentence: Since the judge let you off easy, I would advise you not to gripe about the sentence.

purse

v. to contract into wrinkles or folds; to pucker Sentence: Sucking on a lemon can make you purse your lips, almost as if you are about to kiss someone.

mimic

v. to copy closely, esp. with intent to ridicule Sentence: Jake stood at the front of the class and mimicked his teacher's speech patterns, amusing the students but getting himself in trouble when the teacher came in and saw. Alternate forms: n. mimicry

transcribe

v. to copy over, usually into a different form Sentence: The elderly court reporter used an eccentric system of shorthand, producing notes that he alone could transcribe into legible text Alternate forms: n. transcript

emulate

v. to copy sometime; to imitate Sentence: He shaved his head and joined the swim team in an effort to emulate his older brother, who had been a varsity swimmer before him. Alternate Forms: n. emulation.

chasten

v. to correct by punishment or criticism; to restrain Sentence: Ms. Owens praised her students for good work, but she was just as quick to chasten them if their work was sub par, and this criticism usually brought results.

tabulate

v. to count Sentence: The school election was marred by accusations that there were irregularities in how the results had been tabulated. Alternate forms: n. tabulation

tally

v. to count; to add Sentence: It takes an hour each day after closing for all the bank employees to tally their cash drawers and reconcile any differences

immerse

v. to cover completely in a liquid; to engage wholly Sentence: Scholars who immerse themselves in their subjects can often seem distant and removed from daily realities. Alternate Forms; n. immersion

castigate

v. to criticize severely, esp. in public Sentence: The judge castigated the attorney for badgering the witness and threatened to fine him if he did not stop.

decapitate

v. to cut off the head Sentence: Dr. Joseph Guillotine believed it would be a painless form of execution to decapitate the condemned Alternate forms: n. decapitation

truncate

v. to cut short Sentence: A sudden attack of dysentery forced the family to truncate its vacation

dissemble

v. to deceive or conceal; to hide one's motives; to stimulate Sentence: Although Laura cried and said that she loved Grandmother more than anyone on the planet, it was obvious she was merely dissembling with the hopes of inheriting grandmother's large fortune

pale

v. to decrease in relative importance Sentence: Jenny's projects, as impressive as they are, pale in comparison to Gina's; Gina seems to have spent every waking hour working on hers

vanquish

v. to defeat, esp.totally Sentence: The allied British, Belgian, and Prussian force vanquished Napoleon at the battle of Waterloo.

parry

v. to deflect an attack Sentence: In fencing, one of the most important skills is the ability to parry the opponent's blade by deflecting it to the side.

defer

v. to delay; to put off Sentence: Since we do not have enough board members present to call a vote, we will defer action until our next meeting Alternate forms: n. deferment

sabotage

v. to deliberately obstruct or destroy Sentence: The mechanic saw immediately that someone had sabotaged the racecar by cutting the fuel line.

revel

v. to delight, to enjoy (used with "in") Sentence: Too stunned to believe his good fortune, let alone revel in it, Jerry decided to just take a nap after he learned that he had won the lottery. Alternate forms: n. revelry

exact

v. to demand and obtain by force or authority Sentence: After conquering the country, the king exacted a high tribute from the subjugated people. Alternate forms: n. exaction.

diverge

v. to depart from a set course or opinion Sentence: Although the two candidates largely agreed on general principles, they diverged sharply over how they wanted to achieve their goals. Alternate forms: adj. divergent; n. divergence

dismay

v. to destroy courage or resolution; to cause to lose enthusiasm, to disillusion Sentence: When he made it to the state wrestling championship, Tony was excited, but when he found out that his opponent had not lost in three years, he was dismayed.

coin

v. to devise a new word or phrase Sentence: The widespread use of the Internet has led to the coining of new words such as "downloading" and the creation of new meanings for existing words like "surfing"

sully

v. to dirty or tarnish, esp. by disgracing Sentence: Mark accused his rivals within the company of deliberately starting a campaign of rumors to sully reputation

dissent

v. to disagree Sentence: In the supreme court's decision, a seven-judge majority decided in favor of the state, but two judges dissented, arguing that they could not agree with the majority's broad new rule. Alternate forms: n. dissent.

ascertain

v. to discover with certainty, as thorough examination Sentence: By comparing the two essays, the teacher was able to ascertain that one had been plagerized from the other; there were too many identical phrases for any other possibility.

loathe

v. to dislike something greatly Sentence: Mike loathes telephone solicitors and screams obscenities at them whenever they call. Alternate forms: n. loathing; adj. loathsome

flaunt

v. to display ostentatiously; to show off; to boast Sentence: After winning the district title in the tennis tournament, Sean flaunted his accomplishment by wearing a shirt with THE BEST printed on it and by singing "We are the Champions" while walking in the halls at school.

allot

v. to distribute; to assign as a portion Sentence: While the report alloted the majority of blame to the CEO, the entire board was held partly responsible for the company's poor performance.

faze

v. to disturb; to disconcert Sentence: The sight of so much misery will faze even the toughest of rescue workers.

bifurcate

v. to divide into two parts Sentence: We were dismayed to see the road bifurcate ahead of us in the headlights; our directions gave us no clue which way to take

improvise

v. to do without preparation Sentence: Lacking the supplies to cook the meal she had originally planted, the chef still improvised a fabulous meal with the left overs in the refrigerator.

cower

v. to draw back out of fear Sentence: The dog adopted from the pound may have been abused as a puppy, because every time he hears a loud noise, he cowers in fear

elicit

v. to draw out; to invoke Sentence: Ignore him when he insults you like that; he's just trying to elicit an angry response. Alternate forms: n. elicitation

banish

v. to drive away; to force to leave a place by official decree Sentence: Because the dog kept trying to jump on the table, my parents banished her to the living room during meals.

desiccate

v. to dry completely Sentence: The easiest way to make raisins is to leave grapes outside a few weeks, letting the sun desiccate them into shriveled little lumps

corrode

v. to eat into; destroy gradually, as by a chemical process Sentence: The acid was so strong that it corroded any metal it touched Alternate forms: adj. corrosive

abash

v. to embarrass Sentence: The student was clearly abashed after he called his teacher "Mommy," and his face turned a deep red.

underscore

v. to emphasize Sentence: Ms. Gomez underscored her point by writing it on the white board and then physically underlining the key words.

abet

v. to encourage, assist, or support, usually in wrong doing. Sentence: The moment you chose to abet the thieves by providing them with the key to the museum, you became as guilty as they are.

terminate

v. to end Sentence: Congress terminated the weapons project when it became clear that large amounts of money had been wasted. Alternate forms: n. termination

relish

v. to enjoy Sentence: I've been putting off getting the filling put in, since visiting the dentist isn't something I particularly relish.

elude

v. to escape from, as by daring or skill; to escape the understanding of Sentence: Police helicopters make it almost impossible for car thieves to elude the police in high-speed car chases Alternate forms: adj. elusive

found

v. to establish; to set up on a firm basis Sentence: Ima Hogg gave a substantial amount of money to found a mental health program at the University of Texas. Alternate forms: n. foundation

transcend

v. to exceed; to go beyond or above the limits Sentence: Great art transcends mere rules of composition

debunk

v. to expose the falsehood of Sentence: James Randi devotes his time to debunking the claims of supposed psychics and has proved several to be frauds.

protract

v. to extend the duration of; to prolong Sentence: Both the rebels and the government needlessly protracted negotiations by raising numerous trivial objections. Alternate forms: adj. protracted

renege

v. to fail to carry out a promise Sentence: You stand to make a lot of money on this deal, so long as they don't renege at the last minute.

deplore

v. to feel or express strong disapproval of Sentence: I deplore violence in all forms and thus oppose war in all its forms. Alternate forms: adj. deplorable

repent

v. to feel remorse for a past action Sentence: Saying you are sorry isn't enough; you also have to truly repent of the hideous comment you made to him. Alternate forms: n. repentance.

coerce

v. to force by threat or intimidation Sentence: The gangsters coerced the restaurant owner into paying protection money by threatening to burn down his business if he did not pay. Alternate forms: n. coercion

dislodge

v. to force out of a concealed position Sentence: Corn on the cob is good, but sometimes it takes an hour of flossing to dislodge a kernel from between your molars.

integrate

v. to form into a unified whole Sentence: The latest trend in computer software is to integrate many separate programs into a seamless package Alternate forms: n. integration

circumscribe

v. to form or mark the limits of; to restrict or limit severely. Sentence: Having a body cast from your neck to your feet is not the end of the world, but it will certainly circumscribe your recreational options.

inaugurate

v. to formally bring into office at the beginning of a term Sentence: After being elected, a new president must wait about two months to take office; we elect a president in November and inaugurate in January. Alternate forms: n. inauguration

impeach

v. to formally charge an official with wrongdoing; to discredit Sentence: Although the legislature has voted to impeacher her several times, none of the accusations could be proven, and so she remains in office.

recant

v. to formally take back a previous statement Sentence: Privately, the witness told attorneys she wanted to recant her testimony, but she was afraid of being arrested for perjury, for lying the first time, if she took back her earlier words

disabuse

v. to free from error or falsehood Sentence: In order to disabuse Catherina of the idea that psychology is nonsense, I tried to explain to her the many contributions the field has made to our understanding of humans.

impart

v. to give a portion of; to make known Sentence: Before his son got married, the proud father tried to impart some advice about how to live harmoniously with a wife.

dispose

v. to give a tendency or inclination to Sentence: The doctor warned Fred that his poor diet and sedentary lifestyle disposed him to coronary disease Alternate forms: adj. disposed

attest

v. to give evidence that something is true or genuine Sentence: The hordes of fans, who wait in line for days to buy concert tickets, attest to the popularity of this band. Alternate forms: n. attestation

succumb

v. to give in or yield Sentence: Although he knew he ought to be doing his homework, Jacob succumbed to the temptation to play video games instead.

espouse

v. to give loyalty or support to; to adopt Sentence: The famous novelist espoused the importance of rewriting, saying that her first drafts were not suitable for publication

exude

v. to give off; to emit; to radiate Sentence: Vickie exuded a sense of confidence that was so compelling that she was given the job over several applicants who had superior qualifications on paper

harbor

v. to give shelter; to entertain or nourish (a specific thought or feeling) Sentence: The school harbored those whose homes had been destroyed in the hurricane.

invigorate

v. to give strength and energy to Sentence: It's time to invigorate this stale and repetitive discussions with new idea. Alternate forms: adj. invigorating.

circumvent

v. to go around, bypass; to surround Sentence: The wealthy businessman used his political connections to circumvent the ordinarily lengthy procedures needed to approve new building plans.

recede

v. to go back; to withdraw Sentence: As the waters from the flood receded, they left behind a trail of debris and mud that would take months to clean up.

precede

v. to go before Sentence: Small earthquakes known as foreshocks sometimes precede a major tremor.

appreciate

v. to grow in value Sentence: Although the value of Henry's house did rise a little, it did not appreciate as much as he had hoped when he first bought the property.

coalesce

v. to grow together; to merge into a single body Sentence: Our employees have suggested many possible reforms to our sick-leave policy, but opinion has not yet coalesced sufficiently for a single plan to be implemented. Alternate forms: n. coalescence

detest

v. to hate Sentence: Charles detests green beans, and no amount of persuasion can get him to eat them.

impinge

v. to have an effect on something, esp. a negative one; to encroach Sentence: Burt chose not to take morning classes in college since he believed such classes would impinge upon his habit of staying up late very night and sleeping in each morning.

insinuate

v. to hint Sentence: When I said that humor is a personal thing, I didn't mean to insinuate that all your jokes fell flat. Alternate Forms: n. insinuation

repress

v. to hold back; to put down by force Sentence: Always fearful of rebellion, the dictator repressed public speaking and large gatherings, enforcing these bans by military force at times. Alternate forms: n. repression; adj. repressive

revere

v. to honor Sentence: Juanita revered her mother, partially for her business successes but mostly for her compassion and love for humanity. Alternate forms: adj. reverent; n. reverence

mortify

v. to humiliate; to fill with embarrassment Sentence: Mr. and Mrs. Park were mortified when their daughter concluded the valedictory address by saying, "Remember, the future is for the young generation, not old people like my parents.'

levy

v. to impose or collect, usually taxes Sentence: Aware of their impending budget crisis, the voters in the state gave their legislature permission to levy a new property tax.

mitigate

v. to improve by lessening the severity of Sentence: The developer planned to set abide a portion of the land for a park and other open space, in order to mitigate the impact that all the new buildings would have on the environment. Alternate forms: n. mitigation

comprise

v. to include; to contain; to be composed of Sentence: At its birth, the United States was a nation comprising 13 states with traditions of independent governance

escalate

v. to increase or intensify Sentence: The accidental downing of the commercial airliner only escalated tensions between the already hostile countries. Alternate forms: n. escalation

implicate

v. to incriminate; to show or suggest involvement Sentence: Although Hendrickson swore he had never been in the house, the presence of his fingerprints in the master bedroom implicated him in the bulgary

surmise

v. to infer something by intuition or with slender evidence; n. such an inference Sentence: With nothing but the guilty grin on his face to guide her, Mrs. Evans was able to surmise Jason still hadn't done his homework.

apprise

v. to inform or notify Sentence: The author subscribed to a news service to keep her apprised of all reviews or other stories about her that were published.

imbue

v. to inspire; to permeate; to fill with a mood or tone Sentence: Sports drinks are specially formulated to imbue the athlete with a renewed sense of vigor.

flout

v. to intentionally and obviously disobey Sentence: Recent highly publicized blunders have made a few countries think it is okay to flout the demands of the United Nations Security Council.

hamper

v. to keep from moving or acting freely Sentence: The iron shackles are there to hamper any attempt to escape from your desk.

guffaw

v. to laugh loudly and crudely; n. a loud burst of laughter Sentence: I know the movie is funny, but when you guffaw like that you spray wet popcorn over the seats in front of you.

abate

v. to lessen in amount, intensity or strength Sentence: The brutal August heat lasted for eight days before it finally abated, though it was still quite warm for another week. Alternate forms: n. abatement.

assuage

v. to lessen pain or distress Sentence: The businessman tried to assuage feelings of guilt over the means by which he had become wealthy by giving generously to charity

delve

v. to look for; to search; to investigate (usually with "into") Sentence: Reports illegal gambling was occurring inside the restaurant prompted the police chief to announce that she would delve into the matter and make sure that any such gambling was gambling and stopped.

venerate

v. to look upon with respect and honor Sentence: Veteran's Day is set aside each November as a time to venerate those who fought to defend our country in times of war. Alternate forms: n. veneration

languish

v. to lose strength or health; to remain neglected Sentence: To prevent students from languishing in the back of the classroom, the teacher has a new seating plan each day and calls on all of the students at least twice a week.

abase

v. to lower in rank or prestige Sentence: The convicted felon was too proud to abase himself before the judge and admit he had done anything wrong, so he was sentenced to the maximum term.

condescend

v. to lower oneself to a less formal or less dignified level Sentence: An expert at the tricks physics use, Raymond would never condescend to use his talent to defraud people; he performs only to instruct others on the techniques by which less scrupulous people deceive others. Alternate forms: adj. condescending; n. condecension

drone

v. to make a continuous, low buzzing or humming sound; to speak monotonously Sentence: The speaker spoke without inflection, emphasis, or passion, and I fell asleep as she droned on and on.

jar

v. to make a harsh sound; to shake by sudden impact Sentence: It took a D on her physics exam to jar Cerise out of her conviction that she was the smartest student in her school.

err

v. to make a mistake Sentence: A Chicago newspaper erred when it printed the "Dewey Defeats Truman," and this mistake became famous because of a picture of a smiling Truman holding the paper. Alternate forms: adj. erroneous

acclimate

v. to make comfortable in a new environment; to adapt to Sentence: In order to acclimate herself to the new city, Melissa took a long walk each night so that she could see and become used to all the city had to offer. Alternate forms: n. acclimation

season

v. to make competent through experience; to accustom Sentence: Years of living as celebrity had seasoned her to the constant prying of reporters and fans into her personal life.

score

v. to make cuts or lines on Sentence: The old duelist's face was scarred from the sabers that had scored his face.

obfuscate

v. to make difficult to understand; to make indistinct Sentence: The government went to great lengths to obfuscate the truth about how the war was proceeding by releasing misleading and incomplete statements. Alternate forms: n. obfuscation

reconcile

v. to make friendly again; to settle a dispute; to make seemingly incompatible things fit together or coexist. Sentence: Many found hard to reconcile Patty's love of both opera and rap, but she explained that the two actually fit together well since both forms of music tended to teel stories of passion, betrayal, and revenge.

scoff

v. to make fun of; to ridicule Sentence: Only a few generation ago, many would have scoffed at the idea that people would one day be able to cross the U.S in only a few hours.

preclude

v. to make impossible; to prevent the occurrence of Sentence: During his first year of college, Tim skipped most of his classes, thus precluding any chance of earning good grades.

promulgate

v. to make known by official announcement Sentence: Once his decree was signed, the king called on his army of horsemen to promulgate it throughout the realm. Alternate forms: n. promulgation

intimate

v. to make known subtly; to hint Sentence: The health inspector intimated that he would give the restaurant a passing grade if he received a bribe. Alternate forms: n. intimation

amplify

v. to make larger Sentence: Certain type of soil can amplify the shaking of an earthquake, making buildings built on such soil particularly vulnerable to damage Alternate forms: n. amplification

fluster

v. to make nervous or upset Sentence: Unaccustomed to praise, Oliver was flustered when his teacher held up his essay as an example of good writing, and he manage to blurt out only a walk "thank you"

consecrate

v. to make or set apart as sacred Sentence: The government decided to consecrate the site as a memorial to the veterans of all the country's wars. Alternate forms: n. consecration.

pacify

v. to make peaceful; to restore calm Sentence: The explanation of his tardiness was a fabrication designed to pacify the other members of his carpool, who had every right to be angry.

annul

v. to make void or invalid Sentence: The new administration acted quickly to annul several laws that the prior administration had enacted hastily and without thorough consideration.

impair

v. to make worse; to damage Sentence: Studies have shown that going to a lot of loud rock concerts may impair your hearing Alternate forms: n. impairment

muse

v. to meditate; to consider thoughtfully Sentence: While waiting for his bus, Charles mused on the advantages of owning a car.

fluctuate

v. to move back and forth or up and down, esp. unpredictably Sentence: Because of the political instability in the Middle East, prices for oil fluctuated wildly over several months, alternating between extremely low and high.

blunder

v. to move carelessly; n. such a movement; a significant error Sentence: Ruth is doing well now, but no one knows how long it will take her to blunder into another embarrassing mishap.

scurry

v. to move with light running steps Sentence: The mouse scurried about the room, just eluding the woman chasing it with a broom.

propagate

v. to multiply or reproduce; to transmit; to extend to a wider area Sentence: Rabbits were introduced in small numbers to Australia for hunting but soon propagated until there were tens of thousands of rabbits Alternate forms: n. propagation

accommodate

v. to oblige; to provide a service or favor; to fit Sentence: I'm delighted your family is coming to visit, but I'm worried that we may not have a large enough house to accommodate all 12 of them. Alternate forms: adj. accommodating

inveigle

v. to obtain by flattery Sentence: Trying to inveigle an A, Polly flattered her teacher excessively, but the teacher was immune to the attempts and gave Polly the grade she had earned.

procure

v. to obtain or acquire Sentence: Since the restaurant serves only the freshest foods, each day, the chef procures fruits and vegetables from nearby farms. Alternate forms: n. procurement

tender

v. to offer formally; n. a legal offer; something, esp. money, offered in payment Sentence: After his remarks caused a storm of controversy in the press, the cabinet member tendered his resignation to the president

codify

v. to organize something (such as laws or rules) into a system Sentence: By the 14th century, the colorful designs on the shields of medieval warriors had been codified into the formal system of heraldry

surmount

v. to overcome (e.g., an obstacle); to climb to the top of Sentence: Sarah showed a fierce determination to surmount every obstacle and achieve her goal of becoming a wealthy businesswoman

disburse

v. to pay out money Sentence: Accounting cannot disburse the funds to cover your travel expenses until you submit the proper forms.

discern

v. to perceive and understand so as to make distinctions Sentence: Television producers will continue to create mediocre programs as long as their audiences show no ability to discern quality shows from inferior ones.

oppress

v. to persecute with an excessive use of power Sentence: Jim Crow laws were an embarrassment to his country, a legalized attempt to oppress minorities and perpetuate old injustices. alternate forms: adj. oppressive

skew

v. to place at an angle; to cause bias in or distort; adj. asymmetric; distorted or biased. Sentence: Online surveys are almost never representative of the general population since the very nature of having people to volunteer to take the survey skews the results one way or another. Alternate forms: adj skewed

induct

v. to place formally in office; to admit as a member Sentence: Since the NHL waived its usual waiting

collude

v. to plot secretly for deceitful or illegal purpose Sentence: In 1991, the Ivy League schools were accused of colluding in financial-aid decisions, of plotting secretly to make financial-aid decisions in order to eliminate cost as a basis for students' decisions about which school to attend. Alternate forms: n. collusion

ruminate

v. to ponder at length Sentence: Before making the decision to go to war, the prime minister ruminated long and hard, thinking about all of the consequences of such a decision. Alternative forms: adj. ruminative

extol

v. to praise highly and lavishly. Sentence: the cell phone manufacturer extolled the numerous features of its new phone, but this praise seems excessive since I cannot understand why a phone needs to have a fold-out map of Algeria.

prognosticate

v. to predict Sentence: Ted thought he could see which way the dispute would end, but he was reluctant to prognosticate in public.

bestow

v. to present or give (used with "on") Sentence: The Nobel committee voted to bestow yet another honor on the world-famous scientist.

censor

v. to prevent from becoming known or circulated; n. an official editor of material Sentence: In times of war the U.S. army regularly censors all mail going to and from its troops to ensure that no vital military secrets are being sent. Alternate forms: n. censorship

deter

v. to prevent or discourage from acting by means of fear or doubt Sentence: One of the functions of prisons is to deter people from committing crimes in the first place, putting in place a consequence that prevents criminal acts. Alternate forms: n. deterrence

thwart

v. to prevent or frustrate Sentence: Justin's dreams of a perfect prom were thwarted when his parents refused to pay for a limo, his date came down sick, and his face broke out with acne.

proscribe

v. to prohibit or forbid; to denounce Sentence: To protect its own apple industry, North Carolina effectively proscribed apples from out of state, but this ban was found unconstitutional Alternate forms: n. proscription

buttress

v. to prop up or support Sentence: The plaintiff buttressed this lawsuit with voluminous supporting evidence. Alternate forms: n. buttress

spurn

v. to push or drive away contemptuously with or as with the foot Sentence: The truly depressed person will usually spurn those trying hardest to help.

belittle

v. to put down; to speak of contemptuously Sentence: The insult comic made her career by belittling people, mocking unfortunate victims as a form of humor.

exert

v. to put forth or bring to bear Sentence: Politicians of the opposing party accused the governor of exerting his influence to pass a bill that created a tax break for a major contributor Alternate forms: n. exertion

culminate

v. to reach the highest point Sentence: The story begins with some suspenseful hints of the supernatural, but it never manages to culminate in a convincing, horrifying climax. Alternate forms: n. culmination

peruse

v. to read carefully Sentence: She liked getting up early so she'd have time to peruse the paper before leaving for work, as she felt it necessary to learn as much as possible about current events.

decipher

v. to read or interpret something confusing or illegible; to convert from a code Sentence: The archaeologists enlisted the help of a linguist to decipher the previously unknown language captured in writing on the shards of pottery.

reminisce

v. to recall the past, esp. fondly Sentence: The old man liked to reminisce about the year he had spent as a minor-league baseball player. Alternate forms: n. reminiscence; adj. reminiscent

contract

v. to reduce in size by drawing together Sentence: The pupil of the eye dilates in response to darkness and contracts in response to light

rebuff

v. to refuse someone; to reject an offer Sentence: I thought my script was amazing, but every studio I approached rebuffed me and said that the idea of a film about belly-button lint was not marketable.

rue

v. to regret Sentence: When the teacher announced the pop quiz, Kelvin rued his failure to study the night before Alternate forms: adj. rueful

repudiate

v. to reject as invalid or untrue Sentence: The government repudiated the actions of its ambassador, claiming that he had acted without authorization in meeting with the rebels Alternate forms: n. repudiation

bide

v. to remain in a condition or state; to wait Sentence: Obeying a command to stay, Fido bided outside the store while his master went inside

excise

v. to remove by or as if by cutting Sentence: To make the movie under two hours long, the director was forced to excise several scenes.

recur

v. to repeat; to occur again Sentence: The first step to identifying a bug in your computer software is to figure out which actions will most reliably make the problem recur Alternate forms: adj. recursive

rejuvenate

v. to restore energy or an appearance of youth Sentence: After spending several hours playing at the park with her hyperactive children, Jacqueline found that an uninterrupted afternoon nap was the only thing able to rejuvenate her.

check

v. to restrain or block Sentence: Unless countries unite to check that dictator's territorial ambitions, it is likely that he will invade neighboring countires

curb

v. to restraint or control Sentence: Since previous effort to curb graffiti had failed, the residents of the affected community organized a nighttime neighborhood watch, hoping that would reduce the scope of the problem

incarcerate

v. to restrict by imprisonment; to keep in prison Sentence: In an era of overcrowded and expensive prisons, it is foolish to incarcerate those who commit non-violent crimes. Alternate forms: n. incarceration

revert

v. to return to a former condition Sentence: Though reserved and dignified as an adult, Francis quickly reverted to be playful, excitable young man he once was when he returned to his hometown for his college reunion

regress

v. to return to a previous state Sentence: After the summer break, Juan found that his math skills had regressed, and it was a good thing the first two months of his calculus were a review of the material he had forgotten

dispel

v. to rid one's mind of; to drive away by scattering Sentence: The normally reclusive celebrity agreed to give a televised interview in order to dispel rumors of her illness that had been circulating in the tabloids.

lacerate

v. to rip, cut, or tear; to cause deep emotional pain Sentence: The broken glass lacerated Andy's hand, making stitches necessary to repair the gash Alternate forms: n. laceration

dissipate

v. to scatter; to spend wastefully Sentence: Lacking anything that could be termed self-restraint, Malcolm quickly dissipated the inheritance he received from his father.

berate

v. to scold severely and at length Sentence: The unhappy customer berated the salesman for providing her with shoddy goods.

confiscate

v. to seize private property by or as if by someone in authority Sentence: When it turned out that Willie hadn't paid taxes for the last 20 years, the IRS confiscated his home to collect the debt.

emanate

v. to send forth; to come forth Sentence: Eager for his dinner party to be success, the host did all he could to be hospitable and emanate a sense of good will Alternate forms: n. emanation

detach

v. to separate from larger mass; disengage or remove (physically or emotionally) Sentence: Astronauts spent a few awkward hours trying to detach their shuttle from the space station when the docking latches became stuck. Alternate forms: adj. detached.

segregate

v. to separate into groups or parts Sentence: The students were segregated into different classes based on their scores on the placement test.

embark

v. to set off on a long trip Sentence: After he inherited a fortune from his wealthy aunt, James quit his job and embarked on a round-the world cruise

arbitrate

v. to settle a dispute or a fight between two parties. Sentence: The business partners agreed to hire someone to arbitrate their disagreement and said that they would abide by the decision Alternate forms: n. arbitration

quiver

v. to shake; to tremble from fear or cold Sentence: Before his appointment with the dentist, David quivered with fear, but the dentist was so gentle that he soon stopped shaking and, by the end of the appointment, even asked his father to make an appointment with her for the next week.

saturate

v. to soak or fill to capacity Sentence: When the pipe burst in the ceiling, a stain appeared at first, the plaster eventually became saturated with water, and then the entire ceiling collapsed. Alternate forms: n. saturation

tout

v. to solicit customers; to praise or recommend highly Sentence: Thirty-minute infomercials are a particularly cheap way to tout your product's benefits to potential customers.

mollify

v. to soothe the temper; to pacify; to appease Sentence: When you come in four hours after your curfew, you will want to have some excellent excuses to mollify your parents' anger.

disparage

v. to speak in a disapproving or slighting manner; to belittle Sentence: Kelvin's habit of disparaging his friends behind their backs soon led to his having many fewer friends

prevaricate

v. to speak or write evasively in order to avoid telling the truth Sentence: A master at prevarication, the politician often spoke in doublespeak, leading people to believe he had said something significant when all the while he was being evasive and hiding the truth.

denounce

v. to speak out against; to accuse publicly Sentence: Once its most famous spokesman, the celebrity instead began to denounce the product when he found out it was poisonous.

expedite

v. to speed up Sentence: Students who want to expedite the college admissions process can apply for early decision. Alternate forms: adj. expeditious

patronize

v. to sponsor or support; to be kind or helpful in a snobbish way, as if dealing with an inferior Sentence: Majorie prefers to patronize smaller businesses, even if she has to pay a bit more for giving them her business. Alternate forms: adj. patronizing

pervade

v. to spread through or be present throughout Sentence: Before the important verdict was handed down, anxiety and tension pervaded the city Alternate forms: adj. pervasive

suffuse

v. to spread through or over (as with light or color) Sentence: After Bill read the letter announcing that he had been accepted to Princeton, his face was suffused with happiness

burgeon

v. to sprout or grow rapidly Sentence: Only careful planning and intensive marketing can improve the odds that a new business will burgeon.

loiter

v. to stand about without purpose; to delay Sentence: Because he is paid to collect shopping carts, it bothers his employers to see him loiter in the parking lot with his girlfriend instead.

deploy

v. to station or assemble troops or forces in position Sentence: Nervous about troop movements in the neighboring country, the general deployed his troops to the border in case of an attempted invasion. Alternate Forms: n. deployment

pilfer

v. to steal a small amount Sentence: According to one book on the Vill of Rights, if you pilfer something worth less than $20, you can not be prosecuted in court, but don't be fooled: the book is wrong, and theft of things of even a small value is still a crime.

purloin

v. to steal, oft. in violation of a trust Sentence: During the party, someone purloined the silver bell that had been above the door, and the hosts mourned the loss of their stolen heirloom

jut

v. to stick out; project Sentence: Park your surfboard carefully, so that it doesn't jut out into traffic.

foment

v. to stir up negative feelings, esp. those that lead to violent action Sentence: Despite attempts of scientists to foment discontent among the workforce, most employees at the company were quite happy with their current situation

obviate

v. to stop from occurring; to prevent or make unnecessary Sentence: A higher paying job would obviate my need to borrow money from you.

propound

v. to suggest for consideration; to propose Sentence: The speaker lost the interest of his audience when he began to propound his theory that aliens had built the pyramids.

recapitulate

v. to summarize; to paraphrase Sentence: At the end of a speech this long, you should really take a paragraph and recapitulate so the audience will not lose track of your main points.

bolster

v. to support or strengthen Sentence: Bradley's campaign was bolstered by his unexpected success of fundraising.

adjourn

v. to suspend until a later, stated time Sentence: Each afternoon of the lengthy trial, the judge would admonish jurors not to speak of the case then adjourn until the next day.

lurch

v. to sway or tip abruptly to one side; to stagger Sentence: Until he got used to walking at sea, he would lurch from one end of the boat to the other whenever he tried to cross the deck.

vacillate

v. to swing back and forth Sentence: Since he will probably vacillate for a few days before truly making up his mind, it is good idea not to carry out his orders right away. Alternate Forms: n. vacillation

dismantle

v. to take apart Sentence: With proposition 227, Californians voted to dismantle the system of bilingual education that had been in place since the late 1960s

rescind

v. to take back or cancel Sentence: When Blake missed his curfew for the third time that month, his parents rescinded their permission for him to spend the weekend skiing with friends.

assimilate

v. to take in as one's own; to absorb; to adapt or adjust to the customs, etc. of a group Sentence: Manfred spent years studying the great masters and assimilating their techniques before he began to produce original painting of his own Alternate forms: n. assimilation

supplant

v. to take the place of Sentence: The word processor has largely supplanted to the electric typewriter.

harp

v. to talk or write about excessively Sentence: At first we were happy to talk about the movie, but Vern harped on the costumes so much that we were eventually eager to change the topic.

savor

v. to taste or smell, esp. with pleasure; n. the taste or smell Sentence: Vin knew it would be long time before he could afford to eat in such an expensive restaurant again, so he ate slowly, determined to savor every morsel of his meal.

recount

v. to tell in detail Sentence: Much to her friends' chagrin, Erendira recounted her excruciating experience in the dentist's office for the third time that day, this time in even more detail.

premeditate

v. to think out, plan, or scheme beforehand Sentence: What made the vandalism more reprehensible was the fact that it was so clearly premeditated: the valdals had brought with them a ladder so they could spray paint the top of the famous statue. Alternate forms: adj. premeditated.

ponder

v. to think over with great care Sentence: Because Rober always ponders every decision carefully, he never makes up his mind quickly.

abide

v. to tolerate Sentence: She cannot abide fools, and she becomes very snappish whenever someone makes a statement she considers idiotic.

brook

v. to tolerate Sentence: The authoritarian dictator brooks no dissent with his policies, and all political protestors are immediately thrown to jail.

bait

v. to torment or harass; to lure Sentence: He will keep nagging you like this because he wants to bait you into an extended argument on politics

prevail

v. to triumph over; to be or become most common Sentence: Though the team fell behind early, it eventually prevailed, winning at the last moment with a miraculous come-from-behind victory.

avert

v. to turn away Sentence: The custom of throwing a pinch of salt over your shoulder is an ancient superstition intended to avert bad luck

blanch

v. to turn pale Sentence: Mark blanched when he learned that he had to take organic chemistry from the notoriously difficult Professor Martinet.

rouse

v. to wake or provoke Sentence: Felix was having a wonderful dream about swimming at the beach when his mother roused him from his sleep and told him he had to shovel the snow before school.

enervate

v. to weaken Sentence: Enervated by the disease, Judith lacked the energy to perform up to her usual level and ultimately had to call in sick for work.

undermine

v. to weaken Sentence: Periodic outbreaks of continued fighting have undermined the ciplomant's claim that the cease-fire is holding.

erode

v. to wear away slowly Sentence: The combination of heavy storm winds and high waves eroded much of the beach, washing away the sand. Alternate forms: n. erosion; adj. erosive

douse

v. to wet thoroughly Sentence: At our last barbeque I discovered that it's a bad idea to douse your charcoal with unleaded gasoline before lighting it.

abdicate

v. to willingly give up the position of king, queen, etc.; to choose not to fulfill the role or duty Sentence: Years of rebellion and unrest in the outlying provinces eventually took their toll, and the king was forced to abdicate his throne in hops that his successor would have more luck. Alternate foms: n. abdicaton

collaborate

v. to work together, esp. at an intellectual effort Sentence: After discovering their common interests at a dinner party, the two scientists decided to collaborate on their next project Alternate forms: collaboration

aggravate

v. to worsen Sentence: You will only aggravate your poison ivy rash by scratching it.

jot

v. to write briefly and hastily; n. a very small amount Sentence: He didn't get a chance to jot down her phone number before he forgot it, so he had no way to reach her.

bellow

v. to yell loudly; to shout Sentence: Mrs. Sampson bellowed from the kitchen for her kids to come in for lunch

comply

v. to yield or act in accordance with requests, conditions, etc. Sentence: If you want to earn your parents' trust you much comply with their rules and come home each night before curfew. Alternate forms: adj. compliant; n. compliance