1100 words you need to know

week 1

Voracious - desiring or consuming great quantities After skiing, I find that I have a voracious appetite. Indiscriminate - choosing at random without careful selection Modern Warfare often results in the indiscriminate killing of combatants and innocent civilians alike. Eminent - of high reputation, outstanding The eminent author received the Nobel Prize for literature Steeped - soaked, drenched, saturated My cousin is so steeped in schoolwork that his friends call him a bookworm Replete - completely filled or supplied with The football game was replete with excitement and great plays Abound - to exist in great numbers The western plains used to abound with bison before those animals were slaughtered by settlers Technology - branch of knowledge dealing with engineering, applied science, etc. Man may be freed from backbreaking labor by the products of scientific technology Prognosticate - to predict or foretell a future event The mayor refused to prognosticate as to his margin of victory in the election Automaton - a robot; a mechanical "person" The time is approaching when human workers may be replaced by automatons Matron - an older married women A clever salesman will always ask a matron if her mother is at home. Paradox - a statement that at first seems to be absurd or self-contradictory but which may in fact turn out to be true One of the great paradoxes of American life is that though minority groups have suffered injustices, nowhere in the world have so many varied groups lived together so harmoniously Realm - special field of something or someone; kingdom The cruel king would not allow the prince to enter his realm, restricting him to the forest, which abounded with wild animals Annals - historical records The annals of sports are replete with the names of great black athletes Compound - to increase or add to His gloom was now compounded by the failing mark on his geometry test Tinge - a trace, smattering, or slight degree A tinge of garlic is all that's necessary in most recipes Badger - to pester, nag, annoy persistently The teacher continually badgers the pupil for the missing assignments Implore - to plead urgently for aid or mercy The sick child's mother implored the doctor to come immediately Drudgery - unpleasant, dull, or hard work She does her homework on Fridays to save herself the drudgery of having to do it during the weekend Interminable - unending I listened to the boring lecture for what seemed an interminable fifty minutes Perceive - to understand, know, become aware of The eminent scientist perceives difficulties in putting the invention into practice

week 5

rampant - going unchecked, widespread When the plague was running rampant on the island, Dr. Arrowsmith's wife died Inane - foolish; unintelligent Orville Wright was criticized for his inane desire to fly Ethics - code of principles A special management committee was asked to investigate business ethics Concur - agree, be of the same mind If I can get my parents to concur, I'll join the Peace Corps Clandestine - secret, undercover The spies thought their meeting was a clandestine one, but a throng of F.B.I. agents gathered outside the building Flagrant - outrageous, offensive Parking in front of a hydrant is a flagrant violation of the city's law Admonish - to voice or convey disapproval of I suspect that my father will admonish me for coming home late Duress - compulsion, force The confession was signed under duress, the attorney claimed Culprit - the guilty person The culprit was caught with his fingers in the cookie jar Inexorable - unyielding; unalterable., unrelenting Television sleuths are inexorable in the pursuit of the lawbreakers Egregious - remarkably bad The bank teller's egregious error was difficult to correct Distraught - mentally confused, crazed The soldiers were distraught to learn that their furloughs had been canceled Duplicity - cunning, trickery On many occasions, she'd seen the duplicity and cold manipulation he'd spoken of. Acrimonious - bitter We tried to ignore the acrimonious comments, but that took considerable restraint Paucity - scarcity Although it was a creative writing class, the teachers complained about the paucity of their talent Elicit - to draw fourth It isn't easy to elicit answers from a sleepy class on Monday morning Pernicious - harmful, causing injury The dictators pernicious rules failed to intimidate the leaders of the underground Tolerate - to put up with, to bear Dentist appreciate patients who can tolerate pain Construe - to make a deduction, to infer She hoped that we would not construe her decision to run for office as a thirst for power Impunity - freedom from punishment The border guards allowed the doctor to cross the frontier with impunity

week 8

Emaciated - to make or become extremely thin, especially as a result of starvation The emaciated residents of the Warsaw Ghetto managed to win several skirmishes from the Nazis Surge - to rush suddenly Chicago put its heaviest players up front, but they were helpless as the Giants' line surged toward them Tranquil - calm, quiet A firecracker terminated the tranquil climate of the neighborhood Sanctuary - shelter When Richard violated the sanctuary of the church to seize the princes, he exceeded his jurisdiction Ascend - to rise Inexorably the determined climber began to ascend the Himalayan peak Malnutrition - faulty or inadequate diet The emaciated prisoners were obviously suffering from advanced malnutrition Afflict - to trouble greatly, to distress Citizens of several Kentucky mountain communities are afflicted by the worst poverty in the nation Besiege - to surround By running up a white flag, the besieged troops indicted their desire to withdraw from the fray Privation - lack of the basic necessities or comforts of life Albert Schweitzer endured considerable privation as a jungle doctor Sinister - evil, ominous The stool pigeon, the detective's confidant, told him about the sinister plot Ubiquitous - being everywhere at the same time Sprinting all over the court, the ubiquitous referee called one foul after another Remote - distant, hidden away Ben's reprehensible table manners led his fraternity brothers to seat him in a remote corner of the dining room Thwart - to hinder, defeat In an attempt to thwart the voracious ants, he surrounded his house with a moat of burning oil Harbinger - a forerunner, advance notice The excellent soup was a harbinger of the delicious meal to follow Malignant - likely to cause death The surgeon finally located the malignant tumor that had afflicted his patient for many months Excruciating - agonizing, torturing With the excruciating slowness, the minute hand inched its way around the clock Respite - a usually short interval of rest or relief The voluble insurance salesman gave my father no respite Reverberating - reechoing, resounding The rescue team heard the miners voice reverberating through the caves Fretful - worrisome, irritable Around income tax time fretful faces are ubiquitous Succumb - To submit to an overpowering force or yield to an overwhelming desire; give up or give in Besieged by debts, the corporation finally had to succumb to bankruptcy

week 6

Affluent -Generously supplied with money, rich Under duress from the tax officer, the beggar admitted that he was truly affluent Feasible - possible to do easily or conveniently It's feasible to build an electric auto, but wouldn't you need a terribly long extension cord Discern - perceive or recognize (something) When we could discern the city lights, we knew we were safe at last Sally - suddenly rush forward Some prisoners planned a disturbance while others would sally toward Consternation - feelings of anxiety or dismay, typically at something unexpected To the consternation of the sergeant, there was a paucity of volunteers for the dangerous mission Precocious - reaching maturity early The children in Shakespeare's plays are so precocious that they all sound like grandparents Perfunctory - done without care, carried out with minimum effort Edith gave only perfunctory attention the new millennium, skipping our New Year's Eve party Chagrin - feeling of disappointment, humiliation To the chagrin of many taxpayers, some citizens seem to cheat the gov't with impunity Perverse - contrary, persisting in error When I correct my kid brother's math errors, he is perverse enough to insist that he is right Deride - to ridicule, scoff at The Wright brothers didn't become distraught when a skeptic would deride them Disparage - to discredit, belittle The affluent storeowner disparaged the efforts of his small competitor, saying that he could always tolerate that kind of rivalry Laudable - (of an action, idea, or goal) deserving praise The paradox is that Javert's inexorable pursuit of Jean Valjean was both laudable and despicable Fiasco - a thing that is a complete failure, especially in a ludicrous or humiliating way In an acrimonious letter, her father described the project as a complete fiasco Masticate - to chew up To aid in digestion, you must masticate each piece of meat one dozen times Eschew - deliberately avoid using; abstain from Once he sought the limelight, but now he eschews all interviews Quell - put an end to In order to quell the riot, the police sallied forth with tear gas Voluble - talkative I could not doze in the chair because of the voluble barber Confidant - one to whom you confide your secrets A teenage boy's father should be his true confidant Obsolescence - process of wearing out The obsolescence build into many products could be regarded as a flagrant insult toward the duped consumer Dubious - hesitating or doubting When the duplicity was revealed, the jury became dubious about Ed's innocence

week 4

Alacrity - briskness The waiter moved with alacrity because he perceived they were big tippers Disdain - the feeling that someone or something is unworthy of one's consideration or respect When the curtain came down, the critic's face registered the disdain she felt for the lackluster play Belligerent - hostile and aggressive His belligerent manner caused him to lose one friend after another Intimidate - frighten or overawe (someone), especially in order to make them do what one wants Y2K concerns of the problems with computers failed to intimidate our company Feint - a false attack The Germans were duped by the Allies feint toward the south, leaving the way open for the Normandy invasion Pugnacious - eager or quick to argue, quarrel, or fight Since everyone can outpunch my cousin, he cannot afford to be pugnacious Promulgate - to make known officially We implored the faculty advisor to promulgate the requirements for the presidency of the club Brash - impudent (not showing due respect); self-assertive in a rude, noisy, or overbearing way My mother liked the salesman's brash personality, but he irritated most people Scoff - to sneer at; to mock at or treat with laughter I don't understand modern art, but I neither loathe nor scoff at it Belittle - to make seem less important Although Ralph can't play, he doesn't hesitate to belittle the efforts of our football team Tangible -having actual form Mr. Dixon belittled our request for tangible proof of his loyalty Laceration - jagged wound The medic reached into his kit to find a bandage for the ugly laceration Castigate - to correct by punishing The kindly foreman was to reticent to openly castigate the clumsy new worker Sordid - dirty Stories of their sordid youth poured from the unhappy felons Octogenarian - person in his or her eighties When the teenager announced her engagement to the octogenarian the public suspected it to be a publicity stunt Solace - easing of grief; comfort in sorrow In trying to offer solace to the deceased's wife, the reporter inadvertently made the situation worse Aspirant - candidate for a high position The publisher scoffed at the reports that he was an aspirant for the job of Secretary of State Frenzy - state or period of uncontrolled excitement or wild behavior In a frenzy, the teenager overturned every drawer while searching for the car keys Dregs - most worthless part; residue or remains At the bottom of the beautiful wine bottle, only the dregs remained Scurrilous - making or spreading scandalous claims about someone with the intention of damaging their reputation Vigilant censors protect the public from listening to scurrilous language on television

week 14

Aspire - to strive for I had a premonition that Eli would aspire to the position of captain Inveigh - attack verbally The pickets agreed to inveigh against the law that curtailed their freedom Nettle - irritate Although the comic's dirty jokes seemed to be mild, they began to nettle the nightclubs owner Overt - open Overt acts of violence by the prisoner jeopardized his parole Relegate - assign to an inferior position When they tried to relegate the star to a minor role she was furious Supine - lying on the back From a supine position, the hunter emitted the animals mating call Mammoth - huge Mammoth placards announced the opening of the new movie Repulse - drive back Management is sure to repulse any request for increased remuneration Havoc - ruin The virulent plague caused havoc among the populace Raze - destroy Following the revolution, the people razed the subterranean dungeons of the dictator Lethal - deadly The jockey received a lethal kick from the fractious horse Scurry - run hastily Poe's here watched the rats scurry across his motionless body Incisive - acute Our editor castigated the proposal with his incisive commentary Precipitate - hasten A quarrel was precipitate among the relatives after they heard the terms of the reprehensible will Stereotype - unvarying pattern The laconic Clint Eastwood was a stereotype of the strong, silent Western hero Stentorian - loud In his customary stentorian tones, the sergeant reprimanded those who thought the army was a haven for incompetents Singular - extraordinary A viable peace was brought about as a result of the diplomat's singular contribution Valor - courage The word surrender is anathema to people of valor Bias - prejudice The bigots bias precipitated a fistfight Sinecure - a job that requires little or no effort The director was ousted from his sinecure when he angered the major

week 5

Complicity - partnership in wrongdoing Proceeding on the premise that the broker was guilty of complicity in the swindle the detective followed him surreptitiously Liquidation - disposal of, killing After the liquidation of the gang leader, a mammoth conflict arose among his ambitious lieutenants who aspired to be the next boss Accomplice - an associate in crime Although he was judged as a minor accomplice, the driver had actually played an integral part in planning the crime Recant - withdraw previous statements When the clergyman refused to recant, his superiors were so nettled that they relegated him to an isolated parish in Alaska Culpable - deserving blame Once the incontrovertible evidence was offered, the servant was held culpable in the theft of the jewels Abrogate - abolish The wealthy uncle decided to abrogate his inane nephew's sinecure Alleged - reported, supposed It is symptomatic of some newspapers that an alleged criminal is regarded in print as guilty Access - admittance Once the druggist had been duped into opening the store, the addict gained access to the pep pills Invalidate - to deprive of legal force, to nullify The general was sure to invalidate the court-martials decision once he learned of the flagrant bias of the presiding officer Preclude - prevent The manager was distraught when he realized that the slugger's sickness would preclude a World Series history Persevere - persist If we persevere, we can overcome many of our inhibitions Landmark - historic, turning point on a period The Battle of Midway was a landmark victory in the U.S. campaign for ultimate victory over the Japanese in World War II Extrinsic - foreign, coming from outside Collectors avidly sought the rare coin for its extrinsic value Declaim - speak loudly I knew that my father would declaim against Mother's choice of ostentatious fabrics Fetter - to hamper The senator inveighed against the policy because he felt it would fetter our Air Force Paragon - model of excellence The town planners looked upon their utopia as a paragon for other communities Nomadic - wandering In the desert, nomadic tribes wander back and forth, enduring much privation Asperity - harshness of temper We were amazed at the display of asperity from our normally phlegmatic neighbor Epithet - descriptive name A bitter quarrel was precipitated when both politicians hurled vile epithets at each other Controversial - debatable Some school principals attempt to repress the publication of controversial editorials

week 12

Diatribe - bitter criticism Her third novel, Lelia, is in the same vein, a stronger and more outspoken diatribe against society and the marriage law. Inhibition - to hold back; restrain After two drinks the usually calm dentist lost all of his inhibition Fortuitous - happening by accident or chance The meeting was a fortuitous one, but the jealous husband construed it as pre-arranged and clandestine Incoherent - unable to think or express one's thoughts in a clear or orderly manner Since the patients speech was garbled and incoherent, we could only conjecture as to his message Ilk - kind, sort It is often fruitless to argue with racists, bigots, and others of that ilk Prestigious - having a high reputation A salient feature of the prestigious company's success was its fair treatment of employers Placard - a sign or notice for display in a public place The police posted a placard asking all citizens to desist from looting Integral - essential or necessary for completeness She seemed to be an unimportant member of the presidents entourage but actually she played an integral role in White House affairs Remuneration - reward, pay Derek Jeter's remuneration from the New York Yankees made him a millionaire many times over Nominal - slight For allowing his ferocious mastiff to appear on a commercial, the trainer was paid for a nominal sum Expunge - ‌to delete or erase After having made the rash statements, the senator wished that he could expunge them from the record Flamboyant - showy, colorful Our theatrical pages were inundated with press releases from the flamboyant producer Anathema - something greatly detested The traitors name was anathema in his father's domicile Schism - a separation or division A pernicious schism developed between the two sisters Utopia - place of perfection In Lost Horizon a character recoiled at the idea of living in a utopia Timorous - ‌fearful or timid Under duress, the normally timorous husband was coerced into demanding a raise Truncated - cut short It is frustrating to have one's lengthy remarks printed in truncated form Jaunty - sprightly, With his cap set at a jaunty angle, the amicable sailor strutted down the street Fractious - quarrelsome Roger's fractious behavior compounded the bad relationship he had already had with his partner Ostentatious - showy In an ostentatious display of histrionics the star refused to perform

week 7

Implacable - cannot be pacified, not to be appeased The detective was implacable in his search for the murder weapon Paroxysm - a fit, sudden outburst In a paroxysm of rage, the tenant stormed out of the landlord's office Reprehensible - worthy of blame The brash student was forced to apologize for her reprehensible conduct Jurisdiction - power, range of authority Saying that it was beyond his jurisdiction, Judge Klein refused to rule on this case Skirmish - small fight, brief encounter The precocious boy enjoyed an intellectual skirmish with his elders Harass - to trouble, torment If anonymous telephone callers harass you, the phone company will give you an unlisted number Monolithic - massively solid, uniform, invulnerability George Orwell's 1984 depicts a frightening monolithic gov't Indigent - poor, needy The indigent client was surprised when she was accosted by her social worker in the elegant restaurant Arbitrary - determined by chance, or impulse, and not by necessity, reason, or principle We stopped at the first motel we passed, an arbitrary choice Fray - a fight or brawl After the fray, the feuding families agreed to path up their differences Stymie - to hinder, block, or impede "Cause of cancer continues to stymie doctors" Effigy - A likeness or image, especially of a hated person. "coach of losing team hanged in effigy" Flout - show contempt, scoff "many motorist flout traffic laws, study shows" Cognizant - aware, fully informed; conscious " F.B.I. cognizant of clandestine gangland meeting" Turbulent - unruly, agitated "turbulent atmosphere in angry senate chamber" Terminate - to end It seemed incongruous to terminate his employment just when he was so successful Forthwith - at once; immediately Upon seeing the show, he called the TV studio forthwith to protest Exacerbate -make worse The arrest of the spy did much to exacerbate relations between the two countries Revert - to return to a former condition, practice, subject, or belief After taking the drug test, she began to revert to the days of her childhood Oust - to drive out, eject The ushers moved with alacrity to oust the disorderly patrons

week 13

Importune - to harass with persistent requests; demand of (someone) insistently Although Eddie was not okay about his chances, he continued to importune his boss for a winter vacation Incontrovertible - undeniable The expert's incontrovertible testimony corroborated the police report Surreptitious - stealthy, accomplished by secret With a surreptitious movement, the meticulous bookkeeper emptied the ash tray Haven - place of safety In inclement weather our barn is a haven for many animals Subjugate - to bring under complete control; conquer The dictator used deceptiveness in order to subjugate his rivals Ultimate - final Gaining better housing for all was the ultimate goal of the zealous reformer Eventuate - to result finally A thorough investigation eventuated in a comprehensive report Emit - to give off The mayor issued a diatribe against companies who smokestacks emit poisonous fumes Subterranean - underground After two years of confinement in a subterranean dungeon, the prisoner was thin and wan Viable - practicable, workable When the schism in the company was healed, a viable arrangement was worked out Premise - grounds for a conclusion Action on the premise that there were no burglars around, the police became quite lax Jeopardize - endanger The trapeze artist was squeamish about having to jeopardize his life Incredulous - skeptical After I had studied the Yankee lineup, I was incredulous about their chances of winning Permeate - to spread or flow throughout A terrible odor that was impossible to expunge permeated the skunk handlers clothing Propitious - favorable At a propitious moment the flamboyant movie star made her grand entrance Surmise - guess Edna had surmise that she would be charged with a nominal sum and so she was outraged when she got the bill Curtail - to cut short Publication of the lurid magazine was curtailed by the district attorney Repress - to put down I had to repress my desire to interject my criticism during the debate Cryptic - puzzling Although his remarks appeared cryptic at first, we began to see how really pertinent they were Inchoate - in an early stage The young couple was disappointed to see the inchoate state of their new house

week 9

Impresario - a person who organizes or manages public entertainment, organizer The eminent impresario brought many cultural spectacles to our shores Extortion - getting money by threats When the business manager was accused of extortion, his colleagues sought to oust him from the firm Adverse - unfavorable, harmful In was excruciatingly painful for the actors to read the adverse reviews that their performances had received Asset - a valuable thing to have President Obama found that texting was an asset to his communication skills Bigot - a narrow-minded, prejudice person Attacked by the irate crowd, the bigot asked the police for sanctuary Blatant - disagreeably loud, very showy With blatant discourtesy the reporters continued to harass the bereaved family Entourage - group of attendants The visiting dictator's ubiquitous entourage of bodyguards disturbed our tranquil city Virulent - extremely infectious, malignant, or poisonous; harmful Europe's population was afflicted by a virulent plaque known as the Black Death Venom - poison, spite, malice My neighbors mother succumbed to the venom of a snake bite Spew - throw up, vomit, eject From each candidate's headquarters acrimonious charges would spew forth daily Loath - unwilling or reluctant; disinclined Since we felt that the ruling was arbitrary, we were loath to obey it Solicit - to seek to obtain by persuasion, to beg Daily volunteers went out to solicit funds for the poor families Astute - keen, shrewd My neighbor was astute enough to discern the adverse features of the mortgage Advocate - to be in favor of, to support The general was sure to advocate that we give the enemy no respite from the bombings Ineffectual - not effective The play was so blatantly bad that the impresario fired its ineffectual director Scrutinize - examine closely No sooner did the lawyer scrutinize the extortion note than she called the police Nefarious - villainous, vicious We were distraught upon hearing the venom spewed forth by the nefarious bigot Amicable - friendly, peaceful Our amicable relations with Latin America are an asset to hemispheric trade Vexatious - annoying The vexatious buzzing of the mosquitoes as they surged about our heads nearly drove us insane Malady - disease Once the virulent malady had run its course, my temperature dropped

week 11

Inundate - ‌to cover completely with water; overflow; flood; swamp Even though his boat was almost inundated, the skipper was loath to radio for help Fruitless - ‌‌yielding nothing or nothing of value; unproductive After a fruitless attempt to wrest control of the gov't, the traitors were incarcerated Poignant - profoundly moving; touching The sermon was poignant enough to bring tears to the brash delinquents eyes Garbled - confused, mixed up Although the message was garbled, its salient points were clear enough Sanguine - cheerfully optimistic, hopeful, or confident Because the malignancy had gone unchecked, the surgeons were not sanguine about the patients chances Phlegmatic - calm, hard to rouse to action Harriet's careless error disturbed even her phlegmatic employer Corroborate - confirm, support Even the swindlers nefarious accomplice refused to corroborate his alibi Comprehensive - thorough In order to get the job, you had to go through the drudgery of filling out a ten-page comprehensive questionnaire Zealous - filled with or inspired by intense enthusiasm The fund raiser was so zealous that he solicited money from a Salvation Army Santa Claus Coerce - to force The elusive fugitive was coerced by his attorney into surrendering Elapse - the passing of time Inadvertently, Emma had allowed two months to elapse before paying her rent Meticulous - extremely careful and precise The meticulous musician had nothing but disdain for his disorganized friends Domicile - ‌a place of residence; house or home A man's domicile is his castle Lax - careless, negligent Because the watchman was lax, thievery was rampant at the warehouse Sporadic - occurring at irregular intervals; having no pattern or order in time The lackluster battle was punctuated by sporadic mortar fire Rash - acting without due consideration or thought It was exceedingly rash of the lightweight to insult the belligerent longshoreman Conjecture - guess, a statement based on inconclusive evidence It was sheer conjecture on the detectives part but it led to the arrest of the vexatious counterfeiters Lurid - sensational The newspaper switched from mundane coverage to lurid reporting Obviate - do away with, eliminate The necessity for preparing sandwiches was obviate when the picnic was postponed Quip - a joke; ‌a clever, witty remark often prompted by the occasion Hamlet remembered that Jake was always ready with a lusty quip

week 2

Laconic - expressing much in few words His speech was usually rambling, but this time I found it brief and laconic Throng - a large, densely packed crowd of people or animals A howling throng of teenage girls surrounded the rap artist Intrepid - brave, fearless, adventurous The corporal received the Silver Star for his intrepid deeds in combat Accost - to approach and speak to "reporters accosted him in the street" Reticent - silent; not revealing one's thoughts or feelings readily Even under repeated questioning, the witness remained reticent Furtive - secret, stealthy In a furtive manner she removed her shoes and tiptoed up to her room Felon - a person guilty of a major crime Since the boss learned that Bob associated with a known felon, he fired him Plethora - a large or excessive amount of (something) When the teacher asked why the homework had not been done, he was greeted by a plethora of incredible alibis Hapless - (especially of a person) unfortunate The hapless contest winner was unable to locate the lucky ticket Irate - angry, incensed My uncle was irate when the drunken driver swerved in front of us Pretext - reason given in justification of a course of action that is not the real reason; an excuse Her pretext of being tired did not fool us for an instant Fabricate - to lie; to construct Most fisherman can fabricate a story about the size of the one that got away Adroit - clever or skillful in using the hands or mind My nephew is quite adroit at making model airplanes Gesticulate - move the arms energetically I often marvel as I watch the traffic officer gesticulate at the onrushing cars Vigilant - keeping careful watch for possible danger or difficulties The shootings at Columbine High School made educators much more vigilant Avid - having an eager desire for something Bill Clinton is an avid student of the social media and is listed on Facebook Cajole - persuade someone to do something by sustained coaxing or flattery The parakeet refused to be cajoled into entering her cage Rudimentary - of or relating to an immature, undeveloped, or basic form Since my grasp of algebra is rudimentary, I cannot solve the problem Enhance - intensify, heighten It will enhance your enjoyment of an opera if you know what the plot is about in advance Nuance - slight variation in meaning, tone, etc. In reading the satires of Jonathan Swift, one must be vigilant in order to catch each nuance

week 3

Loathe - to hate; feel intense dislike or disgust for I loathe spinach but I love other green vegetables Reprimand - to show sharp disapproval When Ed arrived late, he knew that the grocer would reprimand him Lackluster - dull, boring Speaking in a monotone, the politician was booed for his lackluster address Caustic - sarcastic In a caustic article, the drama critic slaughtered the hapless actors Wrest - take by force With the help of his brothers he was able to wrest the leadership of the company from his partner Infamous - having a bad reputation The bombing of Pearl Harbor was referred to as an infamous deed Jostle - to shove hard When he attempted to jostle the old lady, she struck him with her umbrella Dupe - a person easily tricked The wealthy dupe consented to buy the often-sold Brooklyn Bridge Incipient - just beginning to exist By telling the truth, we stopped the incipient rumor from spreading Inadvertent - headless, not attentive Through an inadvertent error, the guided missile sped out of control Ominous - giving the impression that something bad or unpleasant is going to happen; threatening; inauspicious After the weatherman had seen the ominous clouds, he prognosticated rain Tremulous - shaking or quivering slightly. The widow's tremulous hands revealed her nervousness Repudiate - to reject, decline The general attempted to repudiate the testimony of the lieutenant, claiming that the young officer was not an authority on low level bombing Cessation - the fact or process of ending or being brought to an end; a stopping The cessation of the bombing in Iraq was urged by the United Nations Bristle - stiffen with fear or anger Upon seeing the snake, the cat began to bristle with fear Euphemism - a less offensive term The word "expired" is a euphemism for "died" Mundane - of this earthly world rather than a heavenly or spiritual one The philosopher dealt with spiritual things, ignoring the mundane ones Incongruous - inappropriate The play was so incongruous that it seemed to be the work of several authors Condolence - an expression of sympathy, especially on the occasion of a death When my neighbor's dog was run over, we sent our condolences Stipulate - to specify a condition We repudiated the contract because it did not stipulate a cost of a living bonus

week 10

inclement - unfavorable, stormy She blamed her absence from the game on the inclement weather, but we knew that was our sour grapes. Peruse - to read carefully After being admonished by his father, he began to peruse the wanted ads daily Premonition - forewarning When the black cat crossed her path, Ellen had a premonition of disaster Desist - cease The pickets promulgated a warning that they would not desist in their efforts to enhance their standard of living Recoil - draw back As the snake prepared to strike, the girls recoiled in horror Pertinent - to the point During the trial the astute lawyer was able to elicit the pertinent information from the key witness Mastiff - large dog My nervous neighbor bought a pugnacious mastiff to frighten burglars Obsess - to haunt, preoccupy The stockbroker was obsessed with the idea of becoming a painter Doleful - sad, melancholy Doleful expressions abounded throughout headquarters on the night of the election Wan - unnaturally pale, as from physical or emotional distress. After the tension, his normally ruddy face was wan and tired Histrionics - display of emotions Saying that he would not tolerate her histrionics, the director fired the temperamental actress Elusive - counteract, foil, thwart All his life he found happiness elusive, but wealth easy to come by Frustrate - to prevent from accomplishing a purpose or fulfilling a desire The warden frustrated the prisoners attempt to escape by adding more guards Symptomatic - having to do with signs or symptoms, indicative The rioting was symptomatic of the problems facing the large cities Interject - insert, interrupt Most viewers hate it when a commercial is interjected to suspense drama Inert - without power to move Seeing the inert player, the manager dashed out onto the field Salient - outstanding, prominent One of the salient features of her poetry is a dependence upon euphemisms Imminent - likely to happen, threatening The senator loathed it when people said that an atomic war was imminent Squeamish - easily shocked, over sensitive When his squeamish partner complained about a lack of ethics, the businessman laughed at his innocence Engrossed - absorbed Engrossed in his crossword puzzle, he failed to notice the paucity of customers of the restaurant