Last practice

abundant

cornucopia,

people pleaser, easily controlled

amenable

friendly

amiable,

friendly

amicable,

dry, ordinary, uninspiring

pedestrian

easily irritated, can't relax, acts like a baby.

peevish,

sharp

percipient

sharp, insightful, good judgement

percipient

conflagration

An extensive fire which destroys a great deal of land or property.

disapprove, scold

Castigate,

pervert

Prurient

stubborn, unyielding

adamant

Alacrity

an eager willingness to do something.-- "he accepted a BJ with ______"

highest level

heyday

sad, emotional

maudlin,

bad temper or moody

morose

sharp

perspicacious

spending excessively

prodigal,

sad, emotional

saturnine,

hinder

stymie,

overused, dull

trite,

verbal attack, ridicule

vituperation,

Mellifluous

(Of a sound) pleasingly smooth and musical to hear. "Chelsea's grandmother thought Franz Schubert's music to be the most _____ ever written; Chelsea demurred (raise doubts), and to her grandmother's chagrin (embarrassment), would blast Rihanna on the home stereo speakers."

prolific

(Of an artist, author, or composer) producing many works. "Schubert was the most ______ composer, producing hundreds of hours of music before he died at the age of 31."

overused, dull

, jaded,

enjoin

1. encourage or 2. prohibit; 2 . there are many products _____ed from being taken into a plane.

avail

1. use or take advantage of or 2. help/benefit another: All our efforts ____ed us little in trying to effect a change; His strength did not ______ against the hostile onslaught.

Beatific

A ____ person is one who radiates bliss. This person is so happy, they almost seem blessed and holy (think of a saint, or the Buddha). "Marred by the ravages of time, the idols were hardly beautiful, yet each seemed to emanate a ____ aura that not even 500 years could diminish."

nabob

A _____ is a wealthy, influential person. A person of conspicuous wealth or high status. "The _____s can be seen, heads a bobbing, driving by in their Italian sports cars, listening to techno."

tyro

A beginner or novice. "All great writers, athletes, and artists were ____ at one time-- unknown, clumsy, and unskilled with much to learn." (syn w/rookie, neophyte)

Peremptory

A bossy and domineering person; insisting on immediate obedience. "My mom used _____ language to tell me to do the dishes, a chore I would either do perfunctorily or avoid doing altogether."

tribulation

A cause of great trouble or suffering. "They hoped to escape the _____s of a civil war."

Powwow

A conference or gathering, often informal.

conundrum

A confusing and difficult problem or question

Aberration

A deviation from what is normal or expected (has a negative connotation). "______s in climate have become the norm: rarely a week goes by without some meteorological phenomenon makes headlines."

Virago

A domineering, violent, or bad-tempered woman. "Poor Billy was the victim of the _______'s invective—she railed at him for a good 30-minutes about how he is the scum of the earth for speaking loudly on his cellphone in public."

Charlatan

A person falsely claiming to have a special knowledge or skill; an imposter.

fledgling

A person or organization that is immature, inexperienced, or underdeveloped. "the country's ______ democracy" (syn w/incipient, inchoate)

Iconoclast

A person who attacks or criticizes cherished beliefs or institutions (not necessarily negative)- sometimes destroyer of religious images. Kind of like breaking from tradition: think andy warhol or chuck berry

miscreant

A person who has done something wrong or unlawful.

philistine

A person who is hostile or indifferent to culture and the arts. "Jane considered Al completely ______, because he talked almost exclusive about video games."

Sybarite

A person who is self-indulgent in their fondness for sensuous luxury, a hedonist. And though the word doesn't directly relate to wealth, most of the times a _____ has to be wealthy. "Despite the fact that he'd maxed out fifteen credit cards, Max was still a _____ at heart: when the feds found him, he was at a $1,000 an hour spa in Manhattan, getting a facial."

Phantasmagorical

A sequence of real or imaginary images like that seen in a dream; a series of images that seem as though they are out of a dream, whether those images are real or in one's head. "Those suffering from malaria fall into a feverish sleep, their world a ________ whirligig; if they recover, they are unsure of what actually took place and what was simply a product of their febrile imaginations."

Modicum

A small amount; if my sister had even a _____ of sense, she wouldn't be enaged to that barbarian.

buttress

A source of defense or support. "China's economy has been _______ed by a global demand for the electronic parts the country manufactures."

enmity

A state or feeling of active opposition or hostility (hate). "Ron's rude remark toward Sarah yesterday was due to his illness, not due to any real _____ toward Sarah" (syn w/animosity, antipathy)

chimera

A thing which is hoped for but is illusory or impossible to achieve. "Many believe that a world free of war is a _____, a dream that ignores humanity's violent tendencies."

Pittance

A very small or inadequate amount of money (has a negative connotation). "Vinny's uncle beamed smugly about how he'd offered his nephew fifty dollars for his Harvard tuition; even twice the amount would have been a mere ______." (syn w/modicum)

Aberrant

Abnormal; When the financial director started screaming and throwing food at his coworkers, the cops had to deal with his ____ behavior.

acquiesce

Accept something reluctantly but without protest. "to ______ halfheartedly in a business plan."

inure

Accustom (someone) to something, especially something unpleasant, harden. "Three years of Manhattan living has _____d her to the sound of wailing sirens; she could probably sleep through the apocalypse"

Embellish

Add details to; "Paul would write nice lyrics, and John would _______ them with puns and poetic images"

gambit

An act or remark that is calculated to gain an advantage, especially at the outset of a situation. "Randy played a ____, telling his boss that he would leave at the end of the week if he didn't get a raise."

pastiche

An artistic work in a style that imitates that of another work, artist, or period. "Even as artistic theory values repetition and familiarity in _____ and other ways, law is not keeping up."

gaffe

An unintentional act or remark causing embarrassment to its originator; a blunder. "In a famous ____, the VP attempted to correct the spelling of a grade school student, only to find that the child was correct.

maverick

An unorthodox or independent-minded person; radical thinker. "Officer Kelly was a ______, rarely following police protocols or adopting the conventions for speech common among his fellow officers.

Reprobate

An unprincipled person. is a mildly humorous word, meaning that you would use it to describe some no good soul, but one you have a fondness for.

Row

Angry dispute (an altercation); the prime minister looked very foolish after his ____ with the foreign dignitary was caught on video and posted on youtube (syn w/acrimony)

Apprehension

Anxiety or fear that something bad or unpleasant will happen: "he felt sick with ______"; understanding; grasp: his first ______ of such large issues

Approbatory

Approval or praise. "Although it might not be her best work, Hunter's new novel has received generally ____ reviews."

imperious

Arrogant and domineering. "Our citizens should be free to express their political views without expecting Congress to act as a kind of ______ censor or arbiter of what is acceptable, intelligent or in good taste" (syn w/peremptory)

Relegate

Assign an inferior rank or position to. 'they aim to prevent women from being _____d to a secondary role (syn w/devolve)

Languish

Become weak; stranded in the wilderness for four days, the hiker ______ed, eating protein bars and nuts.

credence

Belief in or acceptance of something as true. "He played no _____ in psychics.

Anachronism

Belonging to another time; "The spy thriller is a genre that arguably should have died fifteen years ago, and its continued popularity seems an _______ at first glance."

Placid

Calm and peaceful, with little movement or activity. "Doug is normally _____, so we were all shocked to see him yelling at the TV when the Mets lost."

Unimpeachable

Can't be doubted, very trustworthy. "The advice of the best doctors in the world is the most_____" (related to incontrovertible)

Enthrall

Captivate; She was so ______ed by the movie that she never heard people screaming Fire

solicitude

Care or concern for someone or something. "I walked to his house in the rain to make sure he had enough to eat while he was sick, but he seemed not to appreciate my _______"

nettlesome

Causing annoyance or difficulty. "Maria found her coworker's cell phone ______, because ever few minutes it would buzz to life with another text message."

ossifi

Cease developing; stagnate. "even as a young man. Bob had some bias against poor people, but during his years in social services, his bad opinions ______ed into unshiftable views"

Capitulate

Cease to resist an opponent or an unwelcome demand; yield (surrender). "Sanders, in June, _____d to Hillary."

Morph

Change dramatically; the earnestness of the daytime talk shows of the 1970s has _____ed into something more sensational, like Jerry Springer.

transmute

Change in form, nature, or substance (alter in form). "one of the goals of alchemy was to find the substance or process that would _____ lead into gold."

Fickle

Changing unpredictably; Trump was so ___ in his politics, it was hard to pinpoint his beliefs-- one week he said one thing, and the next, something else. (syn w/mercurial and capricious)

Enamor

Charmed; she is completely _____ed of Justin Bieber, and goes to all his concerts.

disapprove, scold

Chastise,

ebullient

Cheerful and full of energy (enthusiastic). "Can you blame him for his ____ mood? He just graduated from medical school." (synonym with jovial)

puerile

Childishly silly and immature. "Helen enjoyed blowing soap bubbles, but Jim regarded this as _____, totally unworthy of a women with a Ph.D"

Corroborate

Confirm or give support to (a statement, theory, or finding). "Her claim that frog populations were falling precipitously in Central America was ______d by locals, who reported that many species of frogs had seemingly vanished overnight."

craven

Contemptibly lacking in courage; cowardly. "a _____ abdication of his moral duty"

Aplomb

Coolness under strain; self-confidence or assurance, especially when in a demanding situation. "Nancy acted with ______ during dangerous situations -- she once calmly climbed up an oak tree to save a cat."

Commensurate

Corresponding in size or degree; in proportion. "The convicted felon's life sentence was ________ to the heinousness of his crime, it was therefore a very fitting penalty."

Exegesis

Critical explanation or interpretation of a text, or scholarly work; also of scripture. "The Bible is fertile ground for _____—over the past five centuries there have been as many interpretations as there are pages in a Gideon."

Panacea

Cure-all; "While the company credit card made most large purchases easier, it is no_____; some stuff must still be bought in cash".

dispatch

Deal with (a task or opponent) quickly and efficiently. "She finished her thesis with _____, amazing her advisors who couldn't believe she had written 60 scholarly pages so quickly."

Reverent

Deeply solemn respectful; the professor could speak objectively about the other composers, but he always lectured about Brahams with a particuarly _____ air, unable to offer a single criticism of his compositions (syn w/venerable)

Iconoclastic

Defying tradition; Andy Warhol was an ______ artist, totally breaking the tradition by splashing paint on a blank canvas

halcyon

Denoting a period of time in the past that was idyllically happy and peaceful. "the _____ days of the mid 1980s, when profits were soaring"

Turpitude

Depraved or wicked behavior or character. "The moral quality of the act is the same; the difference is wholly in the degree of ______."

Uncheck

Describing something undesirable that has grown out of control; Deserted for six months, the property began to look more like a jungle and less like a residence— weeds grew _______ed in the front yard.

Estimable

Deserving respect; after serving thirty years, in which he selflessly served the community, the judge was one of the more _____ people in town.

Cumbersome

Difficult to carry; only ten years ago, being an avid reader and a traveler meant carrying a _____ backpack stuffed with books-- these days we need only an e-reader.

Besmirch

Dishonor or damange reputation. the prince's choice of calling her a bitch _____ed not only his own name, but the reputation of the entire royal family.

macabre

Disturbing because concerned with or causing a fear of death; any description is filled with gruesome details about death and horror. "Edgar Allen Poe was considered the master of the _______; his stories vividly describe the moment leading up to—and often those moments after—a grisly (gruesome) death."

Slapdash

Done too hurriedly and carelessly; careless; hastily put together. "The office building had been constructed in a _____ manner, so it did not surprise officials when, during a small earthquake, a large crack emerged on the façade (face) of the building."

Obliging

Eager to help; "An _____ passerby helped her with her packages."

Obliging

Eager to help; even after all his success, I found him to be accomodating and ____, sharing with me his secret tips on how to gain wealth and make friends.

patent

Easily recognizable; obvious. "she was smiling with ______ insincerity."

Lucid

Easy to understand; "Compact and precise—just 172 pages of text and 23 pages of notes—the book is a model of ______ historical writing."

Pellucid

Easy to understand; the professor had a great ability to make even the most difficult concepts seem ______.

Ornate

Elaborately decorated; the ___ Victorian and Edwardian homes spread throughout San Francisco are my favorite part of the city.

machinate

Engage in plots; scheme. "The rebels met at night in an abandoned barn to _____"

extrapolating

Estimate or conclude; "By ______ from the data on the past three months, we can predict a 5% increase"

Perennial

Everlasting, perpetual, lasting a long time; even at the old-timers games, Vin Sculley would get the loudest cheer: he was a _____ favorite of the fans there.

Malevolent

Evil-minded; villains are known for their ______nature, oftentimes inflicting cruelty on others just for enjoyment.

Elicit

Evoke or draw out (a reaction, answer, or fact) from someone. "I tried to ______ a smile from Joanna"

vicarious

Experienced in the imagination through the feelings or actions of another person. "Traveling ______ly through the discovery channel"

Mulct

Extract money from (someone) by fine, taxation, or defrauding them. "The so-called magical diet cure simply ended up ____ing Maria out of hundreds of dollars, but not hundreds of pounds."

Avarice

Extreme greed for wealth or material gain. "The Spanish conquistadors were known for their ____, plundering Incan land and stealing Incan gold." (syn w/cupidity)

Penurious

Extremely poor; poverty-stricken; or, unwilling to spend money; mean, stingy. Exs of both defs: "Truly ____, Mary had nothing more than a jar full of pennies. Sarah chose to be ____ and drive a beat-up VW, though with her wealth she could have easily afforded an Italian sports car."

Elude

Fail to be grasped; even a basic understanding of physics can ____ most high school students

Revere

Feel deep respect or admiration for (something). "These birthers all fit the same profile: uneducated whites that ____ the likes of Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh." (syn w/venerate)

Chauvinistic

Feeling of superiority; Donald Trump is________, believing he is better than everyone.

contrite

Feeling or expressing remorse at the recognition that one has done wrong. "being ____ is not enough to spare you an arrest if you're caught shoplifting"

dovetail

Fit together tightly; a joint formed by one or more tapered projections on one piece which interlock with corresponding notches or recesses in another. "Although Darwin's evolution and Mendel's genetics were developed in isolation from one another, they _____ very well."

squelch

Forcefully silence or suppress. "property developers tried to ______ public protest"

Noisome

Foul-smelling; the garbage had a ____ smell. (syn with maladorous)

Affords

Give opportunity for; The summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro ___ a panoramic view that encompasses both Tanzania and Kenya.

conniving

Given to or involved in conspiring to do something immoral, illegal, or harmful. "a heartless and ______ woman"

Creditable

Good but not great; critics agreed the movie was _____, but few gave it more than three out of five stars.

enormity

Great wickedness, morally wrong; "a thorough search disclosed the full _____ of the crime"

Cupidity

Greed for money or possessions (but more for money). "Some people that amassing as much wealth as possible is the meaning to life—yet they often realize that ____ brings anything but happiness." (syn w/avarice)

Misanthrope

Hater of people; Kevin is such a _____ that he refused to attend the Christmas party, claiming that everyone's happiness was fake and annoying.

Cryptic

Having a meaning that is mysterious or obscure. "Since Sarah did not want her husband to guess the Christmas present she had bought him, she only answered ____ly, when he would ask her questions about it."

puissant

Having great power or influence. "Over the years of service, and quite to his surprise, he became a ____ advisor to the community."

unflappable

Having or showing calmness in a crisis. "The house shook and the ground quaked, but my dad was _____ and comforted the family."

Accolade

High praise; Jean Paul Satre was not a fan of _______s, and as such, he refused to accept the Nobel Prize in Lit in 1964

encumbered

Hold back, restrict, or impede (someone or something) in such a way that free action or movement is difficult. "she was _____ by her heavy skirts"

Forthright

Honest in speaking; I did not expect the insurance agent to give us any straight answers, but I was pleasantly surprised by how ____ he was.

Jocular

Humorous; My uncle was always in a _____ mood at my family gatherings, messing up people's hair and telling jokes.

Cadaverous

If someone is so skinny or emaciated that they look like a dead person, then that person is ________. Very pale, thin, or bony: "Some actors take challenging roles in which they have to lose so much weight that they appear _______."

Scintillate

If something gives off sparks, such as when photons collide, it is said to _____. Figuratively, _____ describes someone who is brilliant and lively; Richard Feynman was renowned for his _____ing lectures—the arcana of quantum physics was made lucid as he wrote animatedly on the chalkboard.

Becoming

If something is _____, it is appropriate, and matches nicely. "Her dress was ____ and made her look even more beautiful."

Tell

If something is ___ing, it is significant and revealing of another factor- or unraveling. "Her dress was very _____ing when it came to her sense of fashion."

Moment

If something is of _______, it is significant and important; Despite the initial hullabaloo, the play was of no great moment in Hampton's writing career, and, within a few years, the public quickly forgot his foray into theater arts.

little or no money

Impecunious,

Indecorous

Impolite; Eating with elbows on the table is considered ____ in refined circles

finesse

Impressive delicacy and skill; Great subtlety and tact in handling or manipulating people or difficult situations. orchestral playing of great ______. "There's a certain ____ required for pulling off unforgettable sci-fi movies and I really hope Neil has it - I don't want a story with potential like this one becoming the next Jumper."

little or no money

Indigent

Artlessness

Innocence; I, peronally, found the ____ of her speech charming

Tempestuous

Intensely emotional; turbulent. "They had a very unstable, ______, relationship. (syn w/tumultuous)

officious

Intrusively enthusiastic in offering help or advice; interfering (synonymous with meddlesome). "The professor had trouble concentrating on her new theorem, because her _____ secretary would barge in frequently reminding her of some trivial detail."

Embroiled

Involve (someone) deeply in an argument, conflict, or difficult situation; an embarrassing, confusing situation. "These days D.C. is always _____—a welcome phenomenon for those who, having barely finished feasting on the sordid details of one scandal, can sink their teeth into a fresh one."

Immaterial

Irrelevant; the judge found the defedant's comments ____ to the trial, and summarily dismissed him from the witness stand.

inchoate

Just begun and so not fully formed or developed; rudimentary. "____ideas about the relation of humans to other animals had been discussed since the middle ages. (syn w/incipient, fledgling)

Surreptitious

Kept secret, especially because it would not be approved of (stealthy). "Since his mom was a light sleeper, tim had to tiptoe ______ly."

omniscient

Knowing everything

people pleaser, easily controlled

Kowtow,

pervert

Lascivious,

pervert

Lecherous,

pervert

Libertine,

pervert

Licentious,

Imbibe

Literally, to ____ is to drink, usually copiously. Figuratively, ___ can refer to an intake of knowledge or information; Plato ___ed Socrates' teachings to such an extent that he was able to write volumes of work that he directly attributed, sometimes word for word, to Socrates.

stalwart

Loyal, reliable, and hard-working; dependable. "Despite all the criticism directed at the president during this scandal, Lisa has remained his ____ supporter." (syn w/staunch)

assuage

Make (an unpleasant feeling) less intense. "the letter _____d the fears of most members" (similar to abate but used differently)

perpetuat

Make (something) continue indefinitely. "If you don't let him do things for himself, you're merely _____ing bad habits that will be even harder to break in the future." *very common

adjudicate

Make a formal judgement on a disputed matter (judge).

Err

Make a mistake; He ____ed in thinking that indigent and indignant were synonyms.

Placate

Make less angry; I was able to ____ the angry mob of students by promising to bring cookies on Monday (syn w/propitiate and appease)

sanctimonious

Making a show of being morally superior to other people; what happened to all the _______ talk about putting his family first?

exacting

Making great demands on one's skill, attention, or other resources. "though his childhood piano teacher was very _____, Max is thankful now, as a professional pianist."

Clemency

Mercy; lenience. "In the final moments of the trial, during his closing speech, he asked the judge for ______"

Jovial

Merry; the presidential candidate and her supporters were _____ once it was clear that she had won. (syn w/ebullient)

Pith

Most essential part; she is always able to discard the irrelevant details and extract the _____ of what the article states. (syn w/crux)

Start

Move suddenly; all alone in the mansion, Jason ____ed when she heard a sound

inviolable

Never to be broken, infringed, or dishonoured; sacred. "To many the grass at Wimbledon is ______ and only greater tennis players are able to enjoy a game there"

obstreperous

Noisy and difficult to control; noisily defiant. "the boy is cocky and _______"

incontrovertible

Not able to be denied or disputed. "Unless you can provide _______ evidence, I will remain skeptical." (syn w/ irrefutable, unassailable)

Improvident

Not careful; Marty was ______, never putting money aside for the future.

Unforthcoming

Not cooperative; the teacher demanded to know who broke the window while he was out of the room, but the students understandably were _____

unassuming

Not pretentious or arrogant; modest (syn/ w/self-effacing)

Appreciable

Noticeable; there is an ______ difference between those who say they can get the job done and those who actually get the job done.

Dispassionate

Objective, unemotional; a good scientist should be ______, focusing purely on what the evidence says, without personal attachment.

Cardinal

Of the greatest importance; fundamental. "Most cultures consider gambling a ______ sin and thus have outlawed its practice."

Miser

One who is cheap; Monte was no ______, but was simply frugal, wisely spending the little he earned.

Ambiguous

Open to more than one interpretation; not having one obvious meaning. "The coach told his team, "Move towards that side of the field"; because he did not point, his directions were ____, and the team had no idea to which side he was referring." (*extremely common word)

Sanguine

Optimistic or positive, especially in an apparently bad or difficult situation:

Eccentric

Peculiar; Mozart was well-known for his ____ personality, often speaking words backwards to confuse those around him.

Futile

Pointless; I thought I could repair the car myself, but after two days of work with no success, I have to admit that my efforts were_____

grandiloquent

Pompous or extravagant in language, style, or manner, especially in a way that is intended to impress. "They were always ______, using important-sounding words." (syn w/ostenatious)

indigent

Poor or needy; Because he was _____, the court appointed a lawyer to defend him.

Pastoral

Portraying or evoking country life, rustic, Rural; those who imagine America's countryside as a ____ region are often disappointed to learn that much of rural US is filled with cornfields as far as the eye can see. (syn w/bucolic)

Malinger

Pretend to be ill in order to escape duty or work. "At one time, our country was full of hardworking respectful people, but now it seems that everyone is a ____ with little inclination to work."

Disingenuous

Pretending to be honest; many adults think that they can lie to children, but kids are smart and know when people are _____ (opposite of genuine)

Defray

Provide money to pay (a cost or expense). "In order for Sean to attend the prestigious college his magnanimous uncle helped _______ the excessive tuition with a monthly infusion of cash"

combative, defiant

Pugnacious

debase

Reduce (something) in quality or value; degrade. "The third-rate script so _____d the film that not even the flawless acting could save it from being a flop"

pecuniary

Relating to or consisting of money. "The defendant was found guilty and had to serve a period of community service as well as pay _______ damages to the client."

prodigious

Remarkably or impressively great in extent, size, or degree. "the stove consumed a ______ amount of fuel" (syn w/copious)

denouement

Resolution of a story in which the strands of the plot are drawn together and matters are explained or resolved. "At the ______ of the movie, all questions were answered, and the true identity of the robber was revealed."

Betray

Reveal; with the gold medal at stake, the gymnast awaited his turn, his quivering lip ____ing his intense emotions.

countermand

Revoke or cancel or reverse a command. "an order to arrest the strike leaders had been ________ed"

boorish

Rough and bad-mannered; coarse. "Sue was known for being a ______ drunk and alienating close friends and family."

Discrete

Separate; what was once known as Czechoslovakia has since split into two ____, independent nations.

Austere

Severe or strict in manner or attitude. or, living plainly without fancy stuff. "he was an ____ man, with a rigidly puritanical outlook

Transitory

Short-lasting; If we lived forever and life was not ____, so you think we would appreciate life less or more? (syn w/ephemeral)

Truncate

Shorten (something) by cutting off the top or the end: "a ____ cone shape"

Truncate

Shorten; the soccer game was _____d when the monsoon rain began to fall

Venal

Showing or motivated by susceptibility to bribery; corrupt. "local customs officers are notoriously _____"

Venality

Showing or motivated by susceptibility to bribery; corrupt. openness/willingness to do corrupt things. "If our legal system becomes plagued with _____, then the very notion of justice is imperiled."

complacent

Showing smug (self pride), self-satisfied, or uncritical satisfaction with oneself or one's achievements. "you can't afford to be ______ about security"

retiring

Shy and fond of being on one's own. "Nelson was always the first to leave soirees-- rather than mill about with "fashionable" folk, he was _____, and preferred the solitude of his garret."

tact

Skill and sensitivity in dealing with others or with difficult issue (ie proper social behavior). "the inspector broke the news to me with _______ and consideration"

Obtuse

Slow to learn; Jackson was the most ____ member of the team: the manager's subtle ironies were always lost on him

Diminutive

Small; he prefers to be called a ____ of his name: Bob, instead of Robert.

maladorous

Smelling very unpleasant (stinky)- synonymous with noisme

Mute

Softened; Helen preferred ____d earth colors, such as green and brown, to the bright pinks and red her sister liked.

Churlish

Someone who lacks manners or refinement; the person lacks tact and civility is often outright rude. "The manager was unnecessarily _____ to his subordinates, rarely deigning to say hello, but always quick with a pointed jab if someone happened to be wearing anything even slightly unbecoming." (syn w/crude)

evanescent

Soon passing out of sight, memory, or existence; quickly fading or disappearing. "The storm flashed into exsistence above us and lasted only a short time-- an ______ turbulence of wind and cloud."

Debonair

Sophisticated, charming; James Bond is known for his good looks, high tech gadgests, and _____ manner.

urbane

Sophisticated; Because of his service as an intelligence officer and his refined tastes, dude became the inspiration for the ____ and sophisticated spy James Bond. (syn of debonair)

spending excessively

Spendthrift,

Pristine

Spotless; The glacial lake was _____ and we filled our canteens to drink deeply.

Dissipate

Squander; the recent graduates ______ed their earnings on trips to Las Vegas and cruises to the Bahamas.

uncanny

Strange or mysterious, especially in an unsettling way. "Reggie has an ____ ability to connect with animals."

Recapitulation

Summary; every point of the professor's lesson was so clear that the students felt his concluding ____ was not necessary

celerity

Swiftness of movement. "We aim to respond to customers' questions with ____ and accuracy."

Appropriate

Take forcefully; the government _______d land that was occupied by sqautters, sending them scurrying for another place to live.

Preempt

Take the place of; a governmental warning about an imminent terrorist attack would ______ ordinary network progamming on TV. (syn w/supplant)

complicit

Taking part in; while the grand jury cleared the senator of all criminal charges, in the public mind he was still _____ in the corruption."

Attenuate

Taper off; her animosity towards Bob _______d over the years, and she even went so far as to invite him to her party (Syn w/abate)

lachrymose

Tearful or given to weeping. "________ and depressed, walked home in the rain."

Credulity

Tendency to believe; Lucy's wide-eyed ______ as a five-year old was replaced by suspicion after she learned that Santa Claus didn't really exsist.

Evasive

Tending to avoid commitment or self-revelation, especially by responding only indirectly. His responses were clearly______; he obviously did not want to take on any responsibility or any new work (syn w/elusive, equivocal)

Perfunctory

That is, if you do something in which you are merely going through the motions, you are probably not doing your best; minimum effort/care. The word also carries with it the connotation of carelessness.

resignation

The acceptance of something undesirable but inevitable. "Since Jack could now think of a convincing reason why he had to miss the seminar, he attended it with a sense of _____."

verisimilitude

The appearance of truth. "All bad novels are bad for numerous reasons; all good novels are good for their _____ of reality, placing the readers in a world that resembles the one they know."

Paragon

The best of its kind; Even with the rise of Kobe Bryand, many still believe that MJ is the ____ for basketball players

Nadir

The lowest or most unsuccessful point in a situation. "Mike had walked in cold to the new GRE and was not surprised afterwards that he'd hit a standardized test _____.

Serendipity

The occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way; finding something pleasant that you weren't even looking for. "The invention of the Post It Note was and event marked by _______, because the scientist who had come up with the idea was looking for a strong adhesive; the weak adhesive he came up with was perfect for holding a piece of paper in place but making it very easy for someone to pull the paper free.

semblance

The outward appearance or apparent form of something, especially when the reality is different; while the banker maintained a _____ of respectability in public, those who knew him well were familiar with his many crimes.

exalt

Think or speak very highly of (someone or something). "the party will continue to _____ their hero" (syn w/venerate, revere, esteem)

Dupe

This word means to trick or swindle. The charlatan mistook the crowd for a bunch of ____s, but the crowd was quickly on to him and decried his bald-faced attempt to bilk them."

baleful

Threatening harm; menacing. "Bill shot a ____ glance in her direction"

Defenestrate

Throw (someone) out of a window. "It's rare to ______ these days of sealed windows."

Miserly

Tight wad with money; ___ has a negative connotation, i.e. you pinch every penny. (syn w/parsimonious)

Beg

To ___ a question can mean to evade a question, invite an obvious question, or to ask a question that in itself makes unwarranted assumptions (or, if you avoid giving a direct answer). "By assuming that Charlie was headed to college—which he was not—Maggie _____ed the question when she asked him to which school he was headed in the Fall."

Expunge

To ___ simply means to wipe out or remove any trace off. Many people who commit petty crimes have those crimes ____d from their records,

Demur

To ____ is a verb meaning to object , raise doubts, or show reluctance. Wallace dislike the cold, so he _____s when his friends suggest they going skiing in the Alps.

Check

To ____ is to limit, and it is a word usually used to modify the growth of something. "When government abuses are not kept in ____, that government is likely to become autocratic."

Inundate

To _____ is a synonym for flood. Figuratively, to be ____ed means to be overwhelmed by too many people or things; The newsroom was ___ed with false reports that only made it more difficult for the newscasters to provide an objective account of the bank robbery.

Start

To _____ is to suddenly move or dart in a particular direction. Just think of the word startle. "All alone in the mansion, Henrietta _____ed when she heard a sound."

Demure

To be ___ is to be modest and shy. This word is typically used to describe a woman.

Unnerve

To disconcert a person to the point where he/she is likely to fail. "At one time ______d by math problems, she began avidly "Magoosh-ing and soon became adept at even combinations and permutations questions."

Galvanize

To strengthen something or motivate somebody; shock or excite (someone), typically into taking action. To excite to action or spur on. "At mile 23 of his first marathon, Kyle had all but given up, until he noticed his friends and family holding a banner that read, "Go Kyle"; ____d, he broke into a gallop, finishing the last three miles in less than 20 minutes."

Desecrate

Treat (a sacred place or thing) with violent disrespect:

combative, defiant

Truculent

impervious

Unable to be affected by. "he worked, apparently _______ to the heat"

Implacable

Unable to be stopped; "El chap was______"

Insolvent

Unable to pay debts owed. "With credit card bills skyrocketing, surprisingly many are truly ______."

Insufferable

Unbearable; Amit always tried to find a way to be better than others; his co-workers found him _______ and chose to exclude him from daily outings.

Spartan

Unconcerned with comfort; after losing everything in a fire, Tim decided to live in ______ conditions, sleeping on the floor and owning as little furniture as possible

Juggernaut

Unstoppable force; once considered a ______, Napoleon's army was finally stopped by the Russians.

Steadfast

Unwavering; a good captain needs to be ___, continuing to hold the wheel and stay the course even during the most violent storm

disapprove, scold

Upbraid,

Meteoric

Very rapid; the early spectacular successes propelled the pitcher to ____ stardom, but a terrible injury tragically cut his career short.

Parsimonious

Very unwilling to spend money or use resources; A synonym with miserly and stingy; extremely frugal; has a negative connotation. "Even with millions in his bank account, Fred was so _____ that he followed a diet consisting of nothing more than bread and canned soup."

Cataclysm

Violent upheaval; the introduction of smallpox was a ____ for native americans, killing off more than half the population.

vacillate

Waver between different opinions or actions; be indecisive. "Some students ____ between schools when deciding which to attend, while others focus only on one school"

Tender

When you _____ something, you offer it up. For instance, when you ____ your resignation, you hand in a piece of paper saying that you are resigning.

Assiduously

With great care; the top college football program recruits new talent ______, only choosing those who were the top in their county.

Amorphous

Without a clearly defined shape or form; Lacking a clear structure or focus. "His study plan for the GRE was at best ______; he would do questions from random pages in any one of seven test prep books."

Veritable

Without a doubt, REAL; Frant is a ______ life-saver-- last year, on two different occasions, re revived people using CPR.

Inimitable

Without equal; Mozart's music follws a clear pattern that, anyone could imitate, but his music gives an overall sense of effortlessness that is ______

Malfeasance

Wrongdoing, especially by a public official (or some corporate official). "Not even the mayor's trademark pearly-toothed grin could save him from charges of _____: while in power, he'd been running an illegal gambling rink in the room behind his office."

Frugal

You don't spend a lot of money. ___ has a positive connotation, i.e. you spend money wisely

hedge

___ your bets, you play safely. If you ___ a statement, you limit or qualify that statement. Finally, ____ can also mean to avoid making a direct statement, as in equivocating. " When asked why he had decided to buy millions of shares at the very moment the tech companies stock soared, the CEO _____ed, mentioning something vague about gut instinct."

Sangfroid

____ literally means cold-blooded. It is defined as calmness, composure, coolness, and poise, especially in trying or dangerous situations. "The hostage negotiator exhibited a _____ that oftentimes was more menacing than the sword at his throat or the gun at his head."

Arrant

_____ means complete and utter. It usually modifies a noun with a negative connotation, e.g. liar, fool, etc. An ____ fool, Lawrence surprised nobody when he lost all his money in a pyramid scheme that was every bit as transparent as it was corrupt. (syn w/thoroughgoing)

venial

_______actually doesn't refer to a person but rather a sin or an offense. A _____ offense is one that is minor and pardonable. "taking the restaurant's menu as a souvenir seems like a ______ offense"

Melee

a confused hand-to-hand fight or struggle among several people. A confused tumultuous mingling, as of a crowd: "the rush-hour _____". "Turns out one of those ejected from the ballpark in the ______ was the husband of the woman who'd been occupying our seats when we arrived."

Hodgepodge

a confusing mixture or jumble; "Long after his heyday as Germany's pre-eminent visionary philosopher, Nietzsche began to populate his writing with a ______ of aphorisms (sayings)."

corollary

a consequence; or a proposition that follows from one already proved. "A ____ of hurricane Sandy, which ravaged the east coast of the US is a push to build higher sea walls to protect against future hurricanes."

Raft

a large number of something; Despite a ____ of city ordinances passed by an overzealous council, noise pollution continued unabated in the megalopolis. (NOT glut)

Amalgam

a mixture of two or more things. "The band's music was an ______ of hip-hop and jazz."

Lament

a passionate expression of grief or sorrow or an expression of regret or disappointment or a complaint; he _____ed the modernization of the building or the mourners _____ed

pedantic

a person who annoys other people by correcting small errors and giving too much attention to minor details; the avitia bros are ____

quisling

a person who betrays his or her own country by aiding an invading enemy, often serving later in a puppet government; fifth columnist.

dilettante

a person who cultivates an area of interest, such as the arts, without real commitment or knowledge; amateur. "The person who worked at the deli showed he was a complete _____ when he began providing strong opinions about Russian politics" (syn/w dabbler)

Loafer

a person who idles time away; refusing to find a job, Stef, the ____, did nothing all summer

Martinet

a person who is a strict disciplinarian. "The job seemed perfect to Rebecca, until she found out that her boss was a total ______; after each project the boss would come by to scrutinize—and inevitably criticize—every little detail of the work Rebecca had done."

Pariah

a person who is hated and rejected by other people. "The once eminent scientist, upon being inculpated (blame) for fudging his data, has become a _____ in the research community."

firebrand

a person who kindles strife or encourages unrest; an agitator; troublemaker. "Freddie is a _____: every time he walks into the office, he winds up at the center of a heated argument."

Deluge

a severe flood, or a great quantity arriving at the same time; a ___ of complaints.

quisling

a traitor; Judas is one of the most famous _____ ever

Protean

able to do many different things; versatile. "Peter Sellers was truly a _____ actor—in Doctor Strangelove he played three very different roles: a jingoist general, a sedate (calm, dignified, not in a hurry). President and a deranged scientist."

prescience

able to foresee future; movies about robots taking over the world are probably ______ (syn w/prognostication)

moribund

about to die; "Whether you like it or not, jazz as a genre is _______ at best, possibly already dead."

Thoroughgoing

absolute, or involving or attending to every detail or aspect of something. "As a ______ bibliophile, one who had turned his house into a veritable library, he shocked his friends when he bought a Kindle." (syn w/arrant)

unqualified

absolute; complete; out-and-out: his mom said, "You have my ______ support"

understood by a few

abstruse

highest level

acme,

Turpitude

acts deemed to be downright wicked and immoral; vile, shameful, or base character; depravity. " During his reign, Caligula indulged in unspeakable sexual practices, so it not surprising that he will forever be remembered for his ______."

expound

add details to; H. Clinton does as little as possible to ____ upon her email controversy

disapprove, scold

admonish,

friendly

affable,

pompous

affectedly and irritatingly grand, or self-important; a ____ ass who pretends he knows everything.

goad

aggressively urge on; doug did not want to enter the race, but Jim, through a steady stream of taunts, _____ed him into signing up for it. (syn w/exhort)

juxtaposition

an act or instance of placing close together or side by side, especially for comparison or contrast.

Arriviste

an ambitious or ruthlessly self-seeking person, especially one who has recently acquired wealth or social status (similar to parvenu though ____ connotes more ruthless ambition).

predicament

an unpleasant or confusing situation that is difficult to get out of or solve: With no money and no job, he found himself in a real _______.

parvenu

an upstart (a person who rises, economically or socially) and thinks they're better than others; think Carlos Slim. (syn w arriviste, upstart)

hoary

ancient, grey; most workout gurus are young, fit people, whereas most yoga gurus are _____ men with long white beards.

dry, ordinary, uninspiring

anemic,

exasperate

annoy; Irritate intensely; infuriate. "As a child, I ______d my mother with strings of never-ending questions."

vicissitude

any change in one's circumstances, usually for the worse. "Governments cannot protect citizens from all the circumstances and ______s of life."

Juggernaut

any large force that cannot be stopped. "Napoleon was considered a _______, until he decided to invade Russia in winter; within weeks his once seemingly indomitable army was decimated by cold and famine."

Byzantine

anything that is extremely intricate and complex. It actually carries a negative connotation. typically involving a great deal of administrative detail. "Getting a driver's license is not simply a matter of taking a test; the regulations and procedures are so ______ that many have found themselves at the mercy of the DMV."

highest level

apex,

concise saying

aphorism,

highest level

apogee,

concise saying

apothegm,

highest level

apotheosis,

aesthete

appreciator of beauty; a true _____, Marty would spend hours at the Guggenheim museum, staring at the same Picasso.

apposite

appropriate; for a writer with such quick wit, Jonathan Swift has a rather _____ name.(syn w/germane)

understood by a few

arcane,

inflammatory

arousing or intended to arouse angry or violent feelings, hostility, or passion. "He incited the mob with an _____ speech."

device to deceive

artifice

importuned

asked persistently; sometimes one must be _____ to get what they need

attentive to accuracy, detail

assiduous,

sharp, insightful, good judgement

astute,

denigrate

attack a reputation; Tom Wolfe wrote a hit piece to _____ Chomsky

proselytize

attempt to convert; Christians from Spain ______d Mexican natives into Christianity.

impute

attribute; he ______ed his subpar performance on the test to a combination of stress and poor sleep (syn w/ascribe)

ascribe

attribute; regard something as being due to (a cause). "he _____d Jane's short temper to her upset stomach"

derelict

avoiding duties; the teacher was ____ in her duties because she hadn't graded a single student paper in three weeks. (syn w remiss).

palaver

babble, speak incomprehensively, or just chatter; others ______ing and drinking coffee while watching their children play.

simulacrum

bad imitation; apple products in Mexico are ________s of the real things.

annoy, harass

badger,

overused, dull

banal,

fortuitous

based on chance; the similarity between pena nieto's thesis and the mexican author didn't occur by a ___ occurance.

Arbitrary

based on random choice or personal whim, rather than any reason or system: the exam questions seemed entirely ____.

obtain

be customary, prevalent; the custom of waiting your turn in line does not ____ in some countries in which many people try to rush to front of the line at the same time.

behoove

be one's duty; the teacher looked down at the student and said, it would _____ you to be in class on time so you don't fail.

Abate

become less intense or widespread; the storm suddenly _____d. (syn w/dissipate)

flag

become tired, weaker, or less enthusiastic. "After 3 crushing defeats in the last three games, the team's enthusiasm began to ____." (syn w/languish)

mendicant

beggar; tolstoy was an aristocrat, but he strove to understand the christianity of the russian peasants by wandering among them as a ______.

Amuck

behave uncontrollably and disruptively. "Wherever the bowl-cut teen-idol went, his legions of screaming fans ran through the streets _____, hoping for a glance of his boyish face."

Remorseful

being apologetic or regretful.--"the defendant was _____for what he had done"

disapprove, scold

berate,

sad, emotional

bereft,

perfidy

betrayal; "the _____ of her husband" (syn w/treachery, duplicity)

preternatural

beyond what is normal or natural

irritable or irritated

bilious

easily irritated, can't relax, acts like a baby.

bilious,

mordant

biting, caustic, cynical, mocking; having or showing a sharp or critical quality. "When Jay frequently made _____ remarks about company policy overall, he always was considerably gentler in discussing any person in particular" (syn w/sardonic)

acrimonious

bitterness; _____ disputes between wife and husband.

beatific

blissfully happy; children are amazing, _____, humans

vaunt

boasted about; for years, Mark talked up his Ping Pong game, yet when he entered the office tournament, his much ______ed skills suddenly failed him and he lost all three games he played. (syn w/tout)

browbeat

boss around, bully. during the interrogation, the suspect was _____en into signing a false confession.

peremptory

bossy; Lucy is very ____ and demanding.

doughty

brave, bold; scareface is a____ character

hinder

bridle

scintillat

brilliant; richard feynman was renowned for his _____ing lectures-- the arcana of quantam physics was made lucid as he wrote animatedly on the chalkboard.

verbal attack, ridicule

broadside,

overused, dull

bromide,

sad, emotional

brooding,

impugn

call into question; though many initially tried to ____ Darwin's theory, in scientific circles today, the idea is taken as truth.

Inflammable

can mean extremely controversial, incendiary. easily moved, aroused/excited, esp. as to incite passion or anger. "It only takes one person to leave an ________ comment on an Internet thread for that thread to blow up into pages upon pages of reader indignation."

Syncretic

can refer to any amalgam (a mixture or blend) of different schools of thought; attempted reconciliation or union of different or opposing principles, practices, or parties, as in philosophy or religion. "Jerry the shrink takes a ____ approach to psychotherapy: he mixes the Gestalt school with some Jung and a healthy (or unhealthy, depending on your view) dose of Freud."

Palimpsest

can refer to anything that has been changed numerous times but on which traces of former iterations can still be seen; usually in paper form. "The downtown was a _______ of the city's checkered past: a new Starbucks had opened up next to an abandoned, shuttered building, and a freshly asphalted road was inches away from a pothole large enough to swallow a house pet."

ineffable

can't be put in words; the feeling of being admitted to the college of your dreams is _____.

Discreet

careful and circumspect in one's speech or actions, especially in order to avoid causing offense or to gain an advantage; He ____ly coughed so the enemies wouldn't notice him (very common word, syn w/ inconspicuous, subtle)

factious

causing dissension (disagreement); Row V. Wade was a _____ bill.

invidious

causing resentment; at a time when many others in the office were about to be laid off, many considered Cheryl's fine clothes that day a ___ display.

soporific

causing sleep; a lot of good profs at UCLA give ____ lectures.

fete

celebrate a person, festival; typically people have ____'s for birthdays in the US

lionize

celebrate; students in the US learn to _____ Jefferson, Franklin, and Washington because they are the founding fathers of the nation.

expurgate

censor; "the rap song was_______ed; every reference to sex and drugs was hidden, converting the rapper's raunchy flow into a series of bleeps." (syn w/bowderlize)

bowdlerize

censor; the rated X movie was _____d (syn w/expurgate)

disapprove, scold

censure,

erudite

characterized by great knowledge; learned or scholarly. " Ken could turn any conversation into an ____ discussion"

Pangloss

characterized by or given to extreme (naive or blind) optimism, especially in the face of unrelieved hardship or adversity. "Megan, Brittney's cousin claimed she was going to Harvard, even with subpar academic performance, illustrating she was _______."

Kafkaesque

characterized by surreal distortion and a sense of impending danger; having a nightmarishly complex, bizarre, or illogical quality/complexity. "The process of applying for a passport was so _____ that Charles ultimately decided not to take a vacation." (syn w/byzantine)

winsome

charming; she was _____ by nature, and many people were drawn to this free and playful spirit.

tawdry

cheap, showy; carol expected to find new york city magical, the way so many movies had portrayed it, but she was surprised how often ___ displays took the place of genuine elegance.

cocky, rude, have the nerve

cheeky,

sanguine

cheerful; with the prospect of having to learn 3, 000 words during the course of the summer, Paul was anything but ____.

disapprove, scold

chide,

easily irritated, can't relax, acts like a baby.

choleric,

irritable or irritated

choleric,

Cogenc

clear and persuasive; (of an argument or case) clear, logical, and convincing."His essay writing, while full of clever turns of phrases, lacks _____y: the examples he uses to support his points are at times irrelevant and, in one instance, downright ludicrous."

conspicuous

clearly visible. "a ____ error."

ingenious

clever, original, and inventive. "he was ____ enough to overcome the limited budget."

gauche

clumsy, socially awkward; bermudez from bosco was seen as _____

maladroit

clumsy; as a child she was quite ______, but as an adult, she has become an adept dancer.

bumbling

clumsy; within a week of starting, the _____ new waiter was unceremoniously fired.

glean

collect; herb has given us no formal statement about his background, but from various hints, I have ______ed that he grew up in difficult circumstances.

pugnacious

combative; the two little pugs have ____ attitudes and taunt fights often.

ribald

comically vulgar; the speaker was famous for his _______ humor, but the high school principal asked him to keep the talk G-rated when he spoke to the student body.

Expansive

communicative, and prone to talking in a sociable manner; After a few sips of cognac, the old man shed his irascible (i.e. easily angered) demeanor and became ______, speaking fondly of the "good old days".

vie

compete for; while the other teams in the division actively ____ for the championship, this team seems content simply to go through the motions of playing.

people pleaser, easily controlled

complaisant,

Involved

complicated, and difficult to comprehend; The physics lecture became so _____ that the undergraduate's eyes glazed over.

duress

compulsory force; the witness said he signed the contract under ____ and argued that the court should cancel the agreement.

immure

confine; the modern supermarket experience makes many feel clausterphobic, as they are ____d in walls upon walls of products.

subsume

contain, absorb, or include; the wave quickly _____d the pier and boardwalk, destroying everything in its path.

derision

contemptuous ridicule or mockery. Gov. Chris Christie's decision to endorse Donald Trump back in February brought him plenty of ____ at the time.

look down on someone

contemptuous,

look down on someone, ridicule

contemptuous,

Contentious

controversial (in terms of an issue); inclined to arguing (in terms of a person). "As soon as the discussion turns to politics, Uncle Hank becomes highly ______, vehemently disagreeing with those who endorse the same positions."

tortuous

convoluted, twisty, winding; the lawyer's logic made no sense, it was ______ (related to meander)

aplomb

coolness under strain; nancy acted with ______ during dangerous situations-- she once calmly climbed up an oak tree to save a cat. (term is similar to inflappable)

abundant

copious,

plucky

courageous; some scouts initially doubted Pedroia because of his short stature, but he is a _____ player, surprising everyone with his boundless energy and fierce determination. (syn w/mettlesome, intrepid)

draw back in fear

cringe,

bad temper, moody

curmudgeon

dissolution

debauchery, overindulgence; Charlie Sheen's life is now riddled with _____

antipathy

deep-seated feeling of aversion (hatred). Maria had an _____ for tour groups, often bolting to the other side of the museum as soon as she saw a chaperone leading a group of wide-eyed tourists. (syn/w/hostility)

devolve

delegate; those in the top usually ____ tasks to those below. (syn w/relegate)

gossamer

delicate; butterflies have ____ wings

disapprove, scold

denigrate

deprive

deny (a person or place) the possession or use of something: the city was ______d of its water supplies.

repudiate

deny as untrue, reject; I ______d the claim that I was late to work.

staunch

dependable; no longer a _____ supporter of Anarchism, terry now sometimes questions whether society would be better off without defined hierarchies. (syn w/stalwart)

look down on someone, ridicule

derision,

eponym

derived from a name; Cesar Chaven Ave. is an _____ derived from the late Cesar Chavez

delineate

describe in detail; After a brief summary of the proper swimming technique, the coach _____d the specifics of each stroke, spending 30 mins alone on the backstroke.

Imbroglio

describes a complicated, confusing, and potentially embarrassing, situation. The chef cook-off featured one gourmand who had the unfortunate distinction of mixing the wrong broths, creating an ____ that viewers will not soon forget.

dry, ordinary, uninspiring

desiccated,

Enumerate

determine the number of; the survey ________s the number of happy workers and the number of unhappy workers.

anathema

detested person; Trump is an ______ in Mexico.

verbal attack, ridicule

diatribe,

dissension

disagreement that leads to discord; the nomination of Trump in the Rep. party lead to ______

Crestfallen

disappointed; I asked Maria on a date and she refused without a moment's thought; I was ______.

pejorative

disapproving (deragatory); the term "retarded" is no longer used due to its _____ nature

disaffected

discontent; the voters became ____ after the government didn't do anything to help them (syn w/disgruntle)

ignominious

disgraceful; since the politician preached ethics and morality, his texting of revealing pictures was _____, bringing shame to himself and party.

veneer

disguising layer; Mark Twain referred to Victorian period in America as the glided age, implying the ample moral corruption that lay beneath a mere ____ of respectability.

ignoble

dishonorable; in the 1920s, the world series was rigged-- an _____ act which baseball took decades to recover from.

ostentatious

displaying wealth, knowledge, etc., in a way that is meant to attract attention, admiration, or envy; a simple design that is glamorous without being __________

rakish

disreputable; as soon as he arrived in the city, the ____ young man bough some drugs and headed straight for the seedy parts of town.

tendency to lie

dissemble,

heretic

dissenter, or nonconformist; draft dodgers during the Vietnam war are considered _______s.

panache

distinctive style; Juan Gabriel had a very ___ style of dress.

chagrin

distress or embarrassment at having failed or been humiliated; a feeling of vexation, marked by disappointment or humiliation. "The rejection of his proposal _____ed him deeply."

leery

distrustful; I was ____ of Edwin after he sold me cafe he just bought from Martin

sad, emotional

doleful,

sad, emotional

dolorous

magisterial

domineering; "Though she was only a third grad teacher, ms. martinet was ____ in dealing with her class, lording over them like a queen."

trick into doing something

dupe,

tendency to lie

duplicity,

forthcoming

easily available, accessible; "financial support was not _______"

tractable

easily managed; compared to middle school students, who have an untamed wildness about them, high school students are somewhat more ____

Sinecure

easy job; working as a cashier is ____

efficacious

effective; since maggie's cough syrup, which had expired five years back, was no longer _______, she coughed through the night.

cocky

effrontery,

cocky, rude, have the nerve

effrontery,

sad, emotional

elegiac,

edifying

enlightening; the question is, is reading literature _____, making us more moral?

concise saying

epigram,

coterminous

equal in scope or physical limits; This influence is not _____ with national territorial boundaries, however.

tantamount

equal to; being silent in trying times is _____ to aiding the enemy.

understood by a few

esoteric,

surfeit

excessive amount; there was no such thing as a ___ of shopping for nancy-- she could stay at the outlet stores from opening to closing time.

debauchery

excessive indulgence in sensual pleasures; Eazy E's life eventually ended in part because of _______ (syn w/dissolution/dissipation)

glut

excessive supply; the internet offers such a ____ of news related stories that many find it difficult to know which story to read first. (syn w/surfeit)

perquisite

exclusive right; only a few have the _______ to nuclear secrets

disapprove, scold

excoriate,

disapprove, scold

execrate,

dispensation

exemption; since her father is an admin who is highly compensated, she is given _____ from many responsibilities.

Bemoan

express discontent or sorrow over (something); lament, disapproval; after the meeting, employees _____ed the cuts as further evidence that management was against them

Tendentious

expressing or intending to promote a particular cause or point of view (kind of like biased), especially a controversial one; Because political mudslinging has become a staple of the 24-hour media cycle, most of us, despite proclamations to the contrary, are ______ on many of today's pressing issues.

Quixotic

extravagantly chivalrous or romantic; visionary, impractical, or impracticable. "For every thousand startups with ______ plans to be the next big thing in e-commerce, only a handful ever become profitable."

Pollyannaish

extremely cheerful and optimistic. "Even in the midst of a lousy sales quarter, Debbie remained ______, never losing her shrill voice and wide smile, even when prospective customers hung up on her." (syn w/sanguine)

ethereal

extremely delicate and light in a way that seems not to be of this world. "the windows give the church an ____ glow."

Belie

fail to give a true notion or impression; disguise or contradict; most importantly: Means when outward appearance does not match up with the reality. That contradiction is the essence of this word. Examples: Her surface calm ____d her roiling emotions; The effortless fluidity with which the pianist's fingers moved ___d the countless hours he had practiced; Her upbeat attitude during the group project ___d her inherent pessimism towards any collective endeavor.

ersatz

fake, articfial; Starbucks doesn't sell real coffee, it sells _____

spurious

fake; it's hard to tell the polician's ____ from real views.

canard

false report; Fox News notoriously provides _____s.

eminent

famous and respected within a particular sphere. "one of the world's most ______ statisticians" (syn w/distinguished and estimable)

attentive to accuracy, detail

fastidious,

carping

fault-finding, difficult to please; critics of the president are always ____

propititous

favorable; the doctor sees ____ signs of an improving condition

Jingoist

favoring conflict over compromise; extreme patriotism, especially in the form of aggressive or warlike foreign policy. "In the days leading up to war, a nation typically breaks up into the two opposing camps: doves, who do their best to avoid war, and ______s, who are only too eager to wave national flags from their vehicles and vehemently denounce those who do not do the same."

people pleaser, easily controlled

fawn,

intrepid

fearless; Being in law enforcement or the military requires _____ individuals who are in positions in which they'll likely encounter violence. (syn w/mettlesome, plucky)

Indignant

feeling or showing anger or annoyance at what is perceived as unfair treatment; he was ____ at being the object of suspicion. (syn/w umbrage)

entrenched

fixed firmly, established; by the time we reach 60 years old, most of our habits are so _____ that it's difficult for us to change.

Impeccab

flawless; he was ______ly dressed in the latest fashion without a single crease or stain

trick into doing something

fleece

cocky, rude, have the nerve

flippant,

abundant

flush

meander

follow a winding course (windy) (literally or figuretively); in SF, joey hit the curb of the famous ______street known as the Windy Road.

Gregarious

fond of company; sociable. "Often we think that great leaders are those who are ________, always in the middle of a large group of people; yet, as Mahatma Gandhi and many others have shown us, leaders can often be introverted" (Syn w/expansive)

proscribe

forbid, ban, especially by law. "My doctor ______d my habit of eating donuts with chocolate sauce and hamburger patties"

solemn

formal and dignified, or characterized by a deep sincerity.

panegyric

formal praise; I asked my buddy for a brief statement at my wedding but instead gave a____, enumerating a whole spiel, embarrassing me.

amok

frenzied (Wildly excited or uncontrolled); wherever the bowl haircut teen-idol went, his legions of screaming fans ran through the streets ____, hoping for a glance at his boyish face.

easily irritated, can't relax, acts like a baby.

fretful,

convivial

friendly and lively; the wedding reception was _____: friends who hadn't seen each other for ages drank and ate together before heading to the dance floor.

hinder

frustrate,

Voracious

full of hunger, whether for food or knowledge--"He has a ______ appetite."

sanguinary

full of or characterized by bloodshed; bloody:

Mettlesome

full of spirit and courage; lively. "For its raid on the Bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad, Seal Team Six has become, for many Americans, the embodiment of _____." (syn w/plucky, intrepid)

Disparate

fundamentally different--"they inhabit _____ worlds of thought"

cocky, rude, have the nerve

gall,

largess

generosity; don't confuse ____ for weakness.

friendly

genial

circumvent

get out of duty; one way of ______ing the GRE is to apply to a grad school that doesn't require GRE scores.

rankle

get under one's skin; the ones we love most are best able to _____ us

engender

give rise to; the policy of appeasement _____ Hitler

abjure

give up; Solemnly renounce (a belief, cause, or claim). "While the church believed that Galileo ____d the heliocentric theory under threat of torture, he later wrote a book clearly supporting the theory."

capricious

given to sudden and unaccountable changes of mood or behavior.

grudging

given, granted, or allowed only reluctantly or resentfully. "a _____ apology"

admonitory

giving or conveying a warning or reprimand. UCLA provides an ____ notification service in case of an emergency.

Zeal

great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or an objective; his ___ for privatization | Laura brought a missionary ____ to her work. (Syn w/zest)

sardonic

grimly mocking or cynical; sarcastically grim. "The movie is a ____ look at modern life." (syn w/mordant)

antic

grotesque or bizzare. "The clown's ____ act was too extreme for the youngest children, who left the room in tears."

kiss ass

grovel

people pleaser, easily controlled

grovel,

burgeon

grow rapidly; "China's market is _____ing, but some predict that the growth is merely a bubble and will burst much like the US real estate bubble of 2008.

device to deceive

guile

trick

gull

trick into doing something

gull,

inveterate

habitual; being an _____ smoker has large consequences

inveterate

habitual; he is an ____ smoker

overused, dull

hackneyed

verbal attack, ridicule

harangue,

besiege

harass; After discovering a priceles artififact in her backyard, Jane was ____d by phone calls, emails, and reporters all trying to buy, hold or see the rare piece of history.

travail

hard, laborious, work; only those who wish to ____ will succeed in climbing Mt. Everest.

Industrious

hard-working; Pete was an ______ student, completing every assignment thoroughly and on time

pernicious

harmful; Cancer could be very _________ if not treated early (syn w/inimical, damaging)

deleterious

harmful; the BP oil spill in the gulf of Mx was ____ to the fishing industry in the southern states.

annoy or harass

harried

annoy, harass

harried,

acerbic

harsh; the movie critic was not just ___, he was a complete ass, insulting the actors.

asperity

harshness of manner; the editor was known for his _____, often sending severe letters of rejection to amateur writers.

cocky, rude, have the nerve

haughty,

cocky, rude, have the nerve

hauteur,

parochial

having a limited or narrow outlook or scope. "Jasmine was sad to admit it, but her fledgling relationship with Jacob did not work out because HIS culinary tastes were simply too ___; "After all," she quipped on her blog, "he considered Chef Boyrdee ethnic food. (syn w/provincial)

eclectic

having a variety; deriving ideas, style, or taste from a broad and diverse range of sources. "universities offering an ____ mix of courses"

stolid

having little emotion; Gangsters who fled war are _____ (related to sangfroid)

Indulgent

having or indicating a tendency to be overly generous to or lenient with someone. allow other people to do what they want. Someone who is self _____ allow themselves to do what they want. the act of is usually thought of as wrong or unhealthy

hinder

hobble,

hobble

hold back; bad weather has _______d rescue efforts, making it difficult for crews to find bodies in the wreckage. (similar to frustrate/stymie)

trick into doing something

hoodwink,

forlorn

hopeless; many people after receiving a serious medical diagnoses feel ____

inimical

hostile; water is _____ to fire

annoy, harass

hound,

cocky, rude, have the nerve

hubris

dry, ordinary, uninspiring

humdrum,

facetious

humorous and not treating serious matters with proper respect (i.e. flippant); _____behavior will not be tolerated during sex education class, it's time for all of you to treat these matters like mature adults.

voracious

hungry, either literally or figuratively. " Steven was a _____ reader, sometimes finishing two novels in the same day."

hagiographic

idealizing a subject; most accounts of Michael Phelps were ______, until caught smoking weed.

malady

illness; the town was struck by a _____ throughout the winter that left most people sick in bed for two weeks. (syn w/ailment)

phantasmagorical

illusive (i.e. deceptive); those suffering from malaria fall into a feverish sleep, living in a _____ world; if they recover, they are unsure of what actually took place and what was simply a product of their febrile (feverish) imaginations.

cocky, rude, have the nerve

impertinent,

inexorable

impossible to stop; the rise of the computer was an _____ shift in technology and culture

ameliorate

improve; three of tea tells the story of western man who hopes to ____ poverty and the lack of education in afghanistan.

cocky, rude, have the nerve

impudent,

incipient

in an initial stage; beginning to happen or develop. or, (of a person) developing into a specified type or role. (syn w/fledgling, inchoate)

untoward

inappropriate or inconvenient; professors find teaching _____ as having to prepare for lectures and conduct office hours prevents them from focusing on research.

infelicitious

inappropriate or unfortunate; the asians in the library white girl made the tsunami comment at a ______ time. (syn w/inauspicuous)

sharp, insightful, good judgement

incisive,

Intimation

indirect suggestion; at first the hostess tried ______, praising the benefits of cutlery; when Cecil continued eating with his hands, the hostess told him to use a fork at dinner.

Oblique

indirect; Herbert never explicitly revealed anything negative about Tom's past, but at times he would _____ly suggest that Tom was not as innocent as he seemed. (syn w/intimate)

oblique

indirectly stated or expressed; not straightforward. "she wanted to date him, but expressed this in an _____ manner"

callow

inexperienced; both los angeles and new york are known for ____ out-of-towners hoping to make it big.

kiss ass

ingratiate,

people pleaser, easily controlled

ingratiate,

glib

insincere, smooth-talker; I have found that the more ___ the salesman, the worse the product.

dry, ordinary, uninspiring

insipid,

cocky, rude, have the nerve

insolent,

Abhorrent

inspiring disgust and loathing; repugnant: racial discrimination was______ to us all.

redoubtable

inspiring fear; Che was a communist insurgent, ____ to the bourgeois

didactic

instructive; visiting the needy provides a _____ lesson for the young.

probity

integrity; Once the FBI finished their probe, it was clear that Calderon was a man of very little _____

Benighted

intellectual or moral ignorance, typically owing to a lack of opportunity; or, darkness. If the sky darkens, and becomes night, it is, unsurprisingly, _______. However, if a people are _____, that group falls in a state of ignorance. Far from being a period of utter _____ness, The Medieval Ages produced some inestimable works of theological speculation.

Animosity

intense hostility, ___ should be reserved for extreme cases. "The governor's ______ toward his rival was only inflamed when the latter spread false lies regarding the governor's first term." (syn w/antipathy, enmity)

meddlesome

interfering, intrusive. "Her neighbors saw her as a _____ nuisance."

stubborn, unyielding

intransigent,

verbal attack, ridicule

invective,

treacherous

involving betrayal

easily irritated, can't relax, acts like a baby.

irascible,

irritable or irritated

irascible,

fractious

irritable; we rarely invite my ____ cousin Johnny to family events.

Precipitate

is to be hasty (quick) or rash (impulsive); to make something happen suddenly. Cause to happen suddenly, unexpectedly, or prematurely. "Instead of conducting a thorough investigation after the city hall break-in, the governor acted ________ly, accusing his staff of aiding and abetting (assist) the criminals." (syn w/impetuous)

Qualifi

is to limit, and is usually used in the context of a statement or an opinion. "an author usually expresses _____ed approval or some limited opinion in the passage. As you may have noticed, the authors of reading comprehension passages never feel 100% about something. They always think in a nuanced fashion. Therefore, they are unlikely to be gung-ho or downright contemptuous. That is, they ______, or limit, their praise/approval/disapproval." (syn w/hedge)

Galvanize

is to shock or urge somebody/something into action. "The colonel's speech ______d the troops, who had all but given up."

Limpid

it relates to clarity in terms of expression. ___ is typically used to describe writing or music. Ex: Her ____ prose made even the most recondite subjects accessible to all.

dry, ordinary, uninspiring

jejune,

schadenfreude

joy in others' suffering; from his warm apartment window, Stanley reveled in _______ as he laughed at the figures below, huddled together in the arctic chill.

disapprove, scold

lacerate,

sad, emotional

lachrymose,

insouciance

lack of concern; even in emergency's, the admin at el tech demonstrate _____

Paucity

lack of something--"the police cannot act with such a _____ of evidence"

facile

lacking depth; Common core Math is ____, students need Math that stimulates thinking.

incongruous

lacking harmony; the vast economic inequality of modern society is ____ with America's ideals.

vacuous

lacking intelligence; to the journalist's pointed question, the senator gave a _____ response, mixing a few of his overall campaign slogans with platitudes and completely avoiding the controversial subject of the question.

inclement

lacking mercy; the judge, _____ as always, gave the prisoner-- despite all the tears -- a full sentence.

guffaw

laugh loudly; whenever the jester fell to the ground in mock pain, the king _____ed, exposing his yellow, fang-like teeth.

chortl

laugh merrily; walking into the cafe, I could hear happy, _____ing people and the smell of the rich aroma of roasted coffee.

feckless

lazy, irresponsible. "Edgar is a _____ mama's boy"

unequivocal

leaving no doubt; unambiguous.Her answer was an ______ yes

pervert

libidinous,

raillery

light teasing; Mario is not able to handle _____, he is "sentido"

magnanimous

likely to forgive, generous; He was a great sportsman: in defeat he was complementary and in victory he was ______.

hedge

limit a statement; when asked why he had decided to buy millions of shares at the very moment the tech companies stock soared, the CEO _____d, mentioning something vague about gut instinct.

litany

long account; the eyewtiness provided a ____ for a testimony.

sad, emotional

lugubrious,

hamstrung

made powerless; Cuba was made ____ after the fall of the USSR

deprave

make (someone) immoral or wicked: this book would _____ and corrupt young children.

incense

make furious; when herb bought football tickets for a game on the day of their wedding anniversary, Jill was ______d.

internecine

marked by internal strife; the guerilla group, which had become so powerful as to own the state police, was finally destroyed by an _____ conflict.

Checker

marked by periods of varied fortune or discreditable incidents: his ____ed past might hurt his electability.

consummate

masterful; Tyler was the _____ musician: he was able to play the guitar, harmonica, and the drum at the same time.

sad, emotional

mawkish,

concise saying

maxim

short saying

maxim

exiguity

meagerness (i.e lack of quantity or quality; inadequacy); after 2 months at sea, the ____ of the ship's supplies forced them to search for fresh water and food.

chauvinist

mean anyone who thinks that their group is better than anybody else's group. "The _______ lives on both sides of the political spectrum, outright shunning anybody whose ideas are not consistent with his own."

Factitious

means artificial, not natural. Also can be used literally to refer to something artificial (i.e. "phony"). "The defendant's story was largely _____ and did not accord with eyewitness testimonies."

Acrimony

means bitterness and ill will. "The dispute between the president and vice-president was an______. It sent an unequivocal signal to voters: the health of the current administration was imperiled."

Wanting

means lacking. So, if your knowledge of secondary meanings is ____, this eBook is a perfect place to start learning. She did not find her vocabulary ____, yet there were so many GRE vocabulary words that inevitably she did not know a few.

Restive

means restless; can be used to describe both people and groups of people. "The crowd grew ____ as the comedian's opening jokes fell flat."

artful

means to be cunning and wily, clever or skillful, typically in a crafty or cunning way. "People who are good with things, people like me, can appreciate the infinite diversity of possible tools buried in _____ combinations of even the humblest technologies."

Ponderous

means to be weighed-down, and to move slowly and in a labored fashion; boring, dull; great weight. "students struggling to stay awake during a _______ lecture" (syn w/plodding)

mercurial

means to change constantly in terms of personality or mood. Typically, we say a _______ person is moody and unpredictable. "The fact that Ella's moods were as ______ as the weather was problematic for her relationships—it didn't help that she lived in Chicago."

Prevaricate

means to equivocate or to speak in an evasive (avoid self revelation way) by responding indirectly, ie. beat around the bush (syn w/hedge).

vindicate

means to prove oneself right or clear (someone) of blame (Their approach to the problem has been ______d by the positive results) or suspicion ("She will be completely _______d by the evidence."). Means exonerate/absolve

Undermin

means to weaken and is usually paired with an abstract term, such as authority. It can also have the connotation of slowly or insidiously eroding.; The student ____ed the teacher's authority by questioning the teacher's judgment on numerous occasions.

tendency to lie

mendacity

fecund

mentally productive; the artists had entered a ____ period, producing three masterpieces in the span of 2 months.

attentive to accuracy, detail

meticulous

specious

misleadingly attractive; lots of photos of people on facebook are ______

conflate

mix together; without sleep, feeling like my head is inflated with information, I _____d terms on the biology test.

travesty

mockery, misrepresentation; "the absurdly lenient sentence is a _____ of justice"

temperance

moderation; college students must practice ______ when it comes to drinking

self-effacing

modest; the most admirable teachers and respected leaders are those who are _____, directing attention and praise to their students and workers. (syn w/unassuming)

decadence

moral or cultural decline as characterized by excessive indulgence in pleasure or luxury. the act or process of falling into an inferior condition or state; deterioration; moral decay:

sententious

moralizing (self-righteous); jehova's witnesses tend to be _____

sordid

morally questionable; the tactics used by Nixon at watergate were filled with ____ facts.

bad temper, moody

morose,

recrimination

mutual attacks; the two brothers sat and cried, pointing fingers and making elaborate ______s of the other's guilt.

Ingenuous

naïve and innocent. "Two-years in college in Manhattan had changed Jenna from an ______ girl from the suburbs to a jaded (used up) urbanite, unlikely to fall for any ruse (scheme), regardless of how elaborate."

incumbent

necessary; the real responsibility for the financial well-being of the corporation is ____on the CEO

desideratum

necessity, requirement; Desiree said that a ____ of a relationship with her is lots of affection

untenable

not able to be maintained or defended against attack or objection; indefensible. "all the theories of the Moon's origin proposed before the Apollo Moon landings of 1969 became ________ when the rocks returned from the Moon proved to be as old as the Earth and significantly dissimilar."

cavalier

not caring; Dan dismissed the issue with a ____ wave of his hand.

immutable

not changeable; taxes are one of the ____ laws of the land, so there is no use arguing about paying them.

unpropitious

not giving or indicating a good chance of success; unfavourable; unlikely to be successful. "Without water left, the hikers faced an _____ task." (syn w/inauspicuous)

untrammeled

not limited; the whole notion of living _____ inspired the American Rev.

Anomalous

not normal, out of the ordinary. "According to those who do not believe in climate change, the extreme weather over the last five years is simply ______—average temps should return to average, they believe."

unseemly

not proper or appropriate. "he acted in an ________ manner, insulting the hostess." (syn w/indecorous)

incorrigible

not reformable; not able to be corrected, improved, or reformed. The damage Ryan Lochte caused in Rio was ____

frivolous

not serious; compared to her passionate concern for human rights, her bf's concern for football seemed ____

imprudent

not wise; Hitler, like Napolean, made the ____ move of invading Russia in the winter, suffering even more casualities than napolean had.

stubborn, unyielding

obdurate,

verbal attack, ridicule

objurgate,

kiss ass

obsequious,

people pleaser, easily controlled

obsequious,

stubborn

obstinate

stubborn, unyielding

obstinate,

finagle

obtain (something) by devious or dishonest means. He said to his friend, "when you go into Tower Records, _______ as many CD's as you can"

Picayune

of little value or significance. trifling or meager; petty (of little importance). Therefore, if I'm being ____, I'm fussing over some trivial point. "English teachers are notorious for being _____"

Sartorial

of or relating to tailoring, clothes, or style of dress. "Monte was astute at navigating the world of finance; _____y, however, he was found wanting—he typically would attempt to complement his beige tie with a gray suit and white pants."

umbrage

offense or annoyance; since he was so in love with her, he took ____ at her comments, even though she had only meant to gently tease him. (Syn w/ indignant)

vociferous

offensively loud; my mom gave a ____ response to the lady and every turned.

promulgate

officially make known; the president wanted to ______ the success of the treaty negotiations, but he had to wait until congress formally approved the agreement.

Venerable

old and respected : valued and respected because of old age, long use, etc. "a ______ member of Congress.."

dabbler

one not deeply engaged in or concerned with something. "Many on Fox are ______s, pretending they know History and Statistics, when they're mere entertainers" (syn with dilettante)

Aboveboard

open and honest; usually refers to government officials who are honest. "The mayor, despite his avuncular visage plastered about the city, was hardly ______ - some concluded that it was his ingratiating smile that allowed him to engage in corrupt behavior and get away with it."

dogmatic

opinionated; many conspiracy theorists are ___ but provide little, if any, evidence.

cosseted

overly pampered; the king and queen _______ the young prince, giving him a prized miniature pony for his fifth birthday.

abrogate

overturn a law, revoke, repeal; as part of the agreement between the labor union and the company, the workers _______d their right to strike for four years in exchange for better health insurance.

cocky, rude, have the nerve

overweening,

Extenuating

partially excusing or justifying; serving to make a fault, offense, etc., appear less serious. "The jury was hardly moved by the man's plea that his loneliness was an _______ factor in his crime of dognapping a prized pooch."

respite

pause from work; every afternoon, the small company has a ______ in which workers play foosball or board games.

flummox

perplex someone, bewilder (confuse); Mary's behavior completely _______es me: I never have any idea what her motivations might be.

sharp, insightful, good judgement

perspicacious,

Disabuse

persuade somebody that his/her belief is not valid. "As a child, I was quickly _____d of the notion that Santa Claus was a rotund (fat) benefactor of infinite largess—one night I saw my mother diligently wrapping presents and storing them under our Christmas tree."

appurtenance

pertaining, a part of, or accessory to. Books and laptops are among the _________s of student life.

annoy, harass

pester,

easily irritated, can't relax, acts like a baby.

petulant,

verbal attack, ridicule

pillory,

highest level

pinnacle,

Heyday

pinnacle, or top, of a person, time period or career. "During the ______ of Prohibition, bootlegging had become such a lucrative business that many who had been opposed to the 18th Amendment began to fear it would be repealed."

provident

planning ahead; making or indicative of timely preparation for the future.

overused

platitute

overused, dull

platitute

sad, emotional

poignant,

lampoon

poke fun at; mark twain understood that ______ing a bad idea with humor was the most effective criticism.

verbal attack, ridicule

polemic

cocky, rude, have the nerve

pompous,

turgid

pompous/bombastic, tedious (grand, but long). The amount of GRE vocabulary he used increased with his years- by the time he was 60, his novels were so ____ that even his diehard fans refused to read him.

ascetic

practicing self-denial (ie self restraint). to maintain a happy marriage, they lived an ______ life, even if tempted by hot people.

prognostication

prediction; when the Senator was asked about where the negotiations would lead, he said that any guess he could make would be an unreliable ____ (syn w/prescience)

cocky, rude, have the nerve

presumptuous,

Overweening

presumptuously arrogant; can also refer to ideas/opinions/appetites that are excessive or immoderate."Mark was so convinced of his basketball skills that in his ________ pride he could not fathom that his name was not on the varsity list; he walked up to the basketball coach and told her she had forgotten to add his name."

feign

pretend to be affected by (a feeling, state, or injury), simulate. "The student _____ed illness to avoid the test"

Insidious

proceeding in a gradual, subtle way, but with harmful effects; sexually transmitted diseases can be _____ and sometimes without symptoms.

spending excessively

profligate

abundant

profuse,

portentous

prophetic, omen/warning; some superstitious people may view common mundane things as ______

dry, ordinary, uninspiring

prosaic,

render

provide/make. " the accord was ______ed obselete)

contrive

pull off a scheme; Despite a low GPA, he _______d to get into college, going so far as to write his own glowing letters of recommendation.

attentive to accuracy, detail

punctilious

piquant

pungent (ie penetrating) in taste; the chef, with some salt, turned the bland tomato soup into a ____ meal.

dog

pursue relentlessly. "Throughout his life, he was ____ged by insecurities that inhibited personal growth." (syn w/hound)

brook

put up with; while she was at the chalkboard, the teacher did not _____ any form of talking--- even a tiny peep resulted in afternoon detention.

draw back in fear

quail,

apocryphal

questionably fake; birthers kept asserting, in spite of contradicting evidence, that Obama's birth cert was _____

tactiturn

quiet; while the CEO enthusiastically shares his plans and agenda with all who will listen, the CFO is far more ____, rarely revealing his perspective. (syn w/reticent)

ordinary and uninspiring

quotidian

dry, ordinary, uninspiring

quotidian,

understood by a few

rarefied,

impetuous

rash (i.e. without careful consideration); Herbert is rarely _______, but on the spur of the moment, he spent thousands of dollars on a motorcycle today. (syn w/precipitate)

bristle

react angrily; "as we discussed the painting, I noticed that the artist's wife _______d at our criticisms, ready to defend her husband's work.

disapprove, scold

rebuke,

foolhardy

recklessly bold or rash; the police regularly face dangerous situation, so for a police officer not to wear his bullet-proof vest is _____

profligate

recklessly wasteful

rapprochement

reconciliation; although Ann hoped that her mother and her aunt would have a ____, each one's bitter accusations against the other made any reconciliation unlikely.

understood by a few

recondite,

Junta

refers to the aggressive takeover by a group; a military or political group that rules a country after taking power by force

genteel

refined, proper; ______ looks don't equate to effectiveness and efficiency. (syn w decorous)

stubborn

refractory

stubborn, unyielding

refractory,

balk

refuse to accept; the students were willing to clean up the broken glass, but when the teacher asked them to mop, they ____ed, citing reasons why they needed to leave.

Endemic

regularly found among particular people or in a certain area. "a plant ____ to Hawai'i"

snub

reject bluntly; wheeler was completely qualified for the committee but the board _____ed him, choosing an obviously lesser qualified candidate instead.

spurn

reject with contempt (i.e. disdain); She _____ed all his flattery and proposals, and so he walked off embarrassed and sad.

apostate

rejector or defector of political/religious doctrine

recrudesc

relapse; after year's of going to AA classes, he ended up ____ing.

pertinent

relevant or applicable to a particular matter. "she asked me a lot of very relevant, ________ questions"

germane

relevant; the wholistic approach to the college admissions processes, takes into account ____ information, that more elitist institutions that value numbers don't take into account. (dyn w/pertinent, apposite)

Loath

reluctant; unwilling. "The government was ____ to inject more money in the fear that it might set off inflation."

abrogate

repeal or do away with (a law, right, or formal agreement). syn w/revoke "a proposal to _____ temporarily the right to strike"

easily irritated, can't relax, acts like a baby

repine

irritable or irritated

repine

disapprove, scold

reproach

disapprove, scold

reprove,

Buck

resist; the buccaneers _____ed the raiders at the raiders' last superbowl.

gumption

resourcefulness; poor students need to have a lot of _____ to succeed in college.

deferential

respectful; Trump is not _____ to the Mexican people

circumscribe

restrict within limits; their tour of South America was ______d so that they saw only popular destinations and avoided the dangerous parts of cities.

Factious

result when a large group splinters into smaller ones. Anything that causes factions is _____; the term is typically not used to describe people. "The controversial bill proved ______, as dissension even within parties resulted."

Earnest

resulting from or showing sincere and intense conviction, someone who is serious about something. an ____ student takes school seriously (syn w/serious, solemn)

reprisal

retaliatory action. "three youths died in the _______s which followed"

reversion

return to previous state

Telltale

revealing. "The many ____ signs of chronic smoking include yellow teeth, and a persistent, hacking cough." (kind of like--typical)

annoy, harass

rile

dilapidated

run down; in a state of disrepair or ruin as a result of age or neglect; run down. "The main house has been restored but the gazebo is still ____ and unuseable."

bucolic

rural; zacapoaxtla is considered a ___ section of Puebla (syn w/pastoral)

sharp, insightful, good judgement

sagacious,

stultif

sap enthusiasm; As an undergrad, mark felt _____ied by classes outside his area of study.

look down on someone, ridicule

scornful,

eke

scrape by, barely support thyself; stranded on an island for a few days, Sue was able to ____ with the fruit on the island.

verbal attack, ridicule

screed,

attentive to accuracy, detail

scrupulous,

Arcana

secrets or mysteries; his knowledge of federal budget _____ is legendary.

attentive to accuracy, detail

sedulous,

arrogate

seize without authority, claim; Manifest Destiny was the belief by arrogant Americans that the US had the _______, god-given right, to expand westward.

exclusionary

selective; KAO was _______

presentiment

sense of future; on the night that lincoln would be fatally shot, his wife had a _____ about going to Ford's theatre, but lincoln persuaded her that everything would be just fine.

staid

serious, quiet, respectable, old-fashioned; Mr. De Souza was a _____ man

ephemeral

short-lived; the lifespan of a mayfly is _____, lasting from a few hours to a couple of days.

dearth

shortage; "I am surprised by the ____ of fast food chains; this is America and I assumed they were on every street"

myopic

shortsighted; the company ultimately went out of business because the ______ managers couldn't predict the changes in their industry.

Sedulous

showing dedication and diligence; An avid collector, Harold ________ly amassed a collection of coins from over 100 countries—an endeavor that took over fifteen years, and to five continents.

Solicitous

showing interest or concern, considerate. "He had always been ________ for the welfare of his family."

wanton

showing no limits; expressing _____ behavior and crude language, the drunk man was thrown out of the bar and asked to never return.

callous

showing or having an insensitive and cruel disregard for others. "his ____ disregard for the poor is disgusting."

Auspicious

showing or suggesting that future success is likely; favorable.--"Indeed, it seems like an _____ time to introduce a brand of cigarettes" (syn w/propitious)

sharp, insightful, good judgement

shrewd,

draw back in fear

shrink

eschew

shun (having nothing to do with); Clinton keeps _____ing press conferences

timorous

shy, lack of confidence; his ____ speech indicated that he wasn't used to speaking in front of people.

diffident

shy; you cannot be _____ if you want to succeed professionally

inanity

silliness, without meaning; bill's poem was nothing more than a list of impressive sounding words, so there was no point in trying to take meaning from the _____.

inanity

silliness; Bill's poem was nothing more than a list of impressive sounding words, so there was no point in trying to take meaning from the ______.

calumny

slander; Ivanks Trump is accusing the press of ____ against her, as she argues that the news that she was a sex workers is not accurate

raffish

slightly disreputable, not completely acceptable or respectable but interesting and attractive; the men found him _____ but the women adored his smart clothes and casual attitude

plodd

slow-moving; We _____ed our way across the muddy field. (Syn w/ponderous)

torpor

sluggishness; without enough sleep, one goes to work in _____

Innocuous

small

smattering

small amount; Folks in the Sierra know only a _____ of English. (syn w/modicum)

foible

small weakness; even the smartest most successful people have many _____s

cocky, rude, have the nerve

smug,

look down on someone, ridicule

snide

expansive

sociable; most of the guys in theta xi were very ____

solecism

social blunder; all eyes were on pena nieto in the 3 amigos summit, many expecting some _____ on his part. (Syn w/gaffe)

Lagniappe

something given as a bonus or extra (or, unexpected) gift.

boon

something helpful or beneficial. "Modern technology has been a ____ to the travel industry"

Imponderable

something that is impossible to estimate, fathom or figure out. "it's _______ know know the vastness of outer space."

mollify

soothe; in the morning, Harriat was unable to ____ Harry, if he happened to become angry, unless he had he cup of coffee. (syn w/appease, placate)

gainsay

speak out against, deny; I can't ____ a single piece of evidence James has presented, but I still don't trust his conclusion.

pontificate

speak pompously; the VP would often ____ about economic theory, as if no one else in the room were qualified to speak on the topic.

easily irritated, can't relax, acts like a baby.

splenetic,

Egregious

standing out in a bad way.--"_______ abuses of copyright"

culpability

state of guilt; since Jon had left his banana peel at the top of the stairwell, he accepted _____ for Martha's broken leg.

furtive

stealthy; While at the UCLA, C and I felt the need to be as ___ as possible about their relationship.

foment

stir up, agitate, instigate; the protesters in Turkey tried to _____ a revolution

deign

stoop to; The master of the house never _____ed to answer questions from the servants.

errant

straying from course or standards, also delinquent; unlike his peers, who spent their hours studying in the library, Matthew preferred _____ walks through the university campus.

predilection

strong liking (ie fondness); Obama has a ______ for Truedeu, PM of Canada

trick into doing something

subterfuge,

bad temper or moody

sulk

bad temper, moody

sulk,

bad temper, moody

sullen,

highest level

summit,

cocky, rude, have the nerve

supercilious,

espouse

support a cause; as a college student, Charlie _____d Marxism, challenging the free-market.

bad temper, moody

surly,

askance

suspiciously; the white onlookers looked _______ at the black teens

trick into doing something

swindle,

people pleaser, easily controlled

sycophantic,

supplant

take the place of; for many, a cell phone has _____ed a traditional phone; in fact, most 20-somethings don't even have a traditional phone anymore. (syn w/preempt)

garrulous

talkative; lynne was _____: once she had a fifteen minute conversation with a stranger before she realized the woman didn't speak English. (syn w/volubility)

volubility

talkativeness; a person's _____ could be perceived as annoying by many. (syn w/garrulous)

discursive

tangential; many readers find it tough to read moby dick since the author is _____, often cutting the action short to spend 20 pages on the history of a whale.

cocky, rude, have the nerve

temerity,

truculence

tendency to fight. (syn w/pugnacious)

Sedentary

tending to spend much time seated; somewhat inactive; because he was ______ all summer, he got fat

anodyne

that which soothes; the music, along with the sedative medicine was_____

Wherewithal

that with which to do something; means or supplies for the purpose or need, especially money. "the _____ to pay my rent."

Zeitgeist

the defining spirit or mood of a particular period of history as shown by the ideas and beliefs of the time. "the story captured the ______ of the late 1960s"

Extant

the opposite of extinct; still in existence; surviving.--"the original manuscript is no longer _____"

Malapropism

the unintentional misuse of a word by confusion with one of similar sound, esp when creating a ridiculous effect, as in: "I am not under the affluence of alcohol"

atavism

throwback; Much of the modern art movement was an ____ to a style of art found only in small villages through Africa and South America.

dilatory

time-wasting; lawyers use ____ tactics so that it takes years before the case is actually decided.

verbal attack, ridicule

tirade,

languid

tired; after climbing Mt. Whitney, I was ____

Arch

to be ____ is to be deliberately teasing, as in, "he shrugged off her insults because he knew she was only being ___"? Also, as a root, means: chief or principal.

equivocate

to be ambiguous or evasive; "Bobby learned not to _______ when his teacher asked him where his homework was; by giving a straightforward answer, he would avoid invoking the teacher's wrath." (syn w/prevaricate)

jaundice

to be biased against as a result of envy or prejudice. Shelly was ______d towards Olivia; though the two had once been best friends, Olivia had become class president, prom queen, and, to make matters worse, the girlfriend of the one boy Shelly liked.

Chary

to be cautious or reluctant to do something. "Jack was suspicious of GRE words that looked similar, because they usually had different definitions, he was____ (syn w/wary)

Diabolical

to be extremely wicked like the devil; "The conspirators, willing to dispatch anyone who stood in their way, hatched a _______ plan to take over the city."

Sententious

to be moralizing (telling what's right and wrong arrogantly), usually in a pompous sense; The old man, casting his nose up in the air at the group of adolescents, intoned (said in a monotonous voice) ________ly, "Youth is wasted on the young."

Remiss

to be negligent in one's duty. "_____ in his duty to keep the school functioning efficiently, the principle was relieved of his position after only three months."

Histrionic

to be overly theatrical. "Though she received a B- on the test, she had such a _____ outburst that one would have thought that she'd been handed a death sentence."

Hector

to bully or intimidate. The boss' _____ing manner put off many employees, some of whom quit as soon as they found new jobs.

Fell

to cut down a tree or very evil. "For fans of the Harry Potter series, the ___ Lord Voldemort, who terrorized poor Harry for seven lengthy installments, has finally been vanquished by the forces of good—unless, that is, JK Rowling decides to come out of retirement."

Begrudge

to envy or resent the pleasure or good fortune of, ex, she _____s Martin's affluence. Or, to give reluctantly or resentfully, ex, She did not ____ the money spent on her children's education.

Blinkered

to have a limited outlook or understanding. In gambling, the addict is easily ______ed by past successes and/or past failures, forgetting that the outcome of any one game is independent of the games that preceded it.

Vindictive

to have a very strong desire for revenge. "the criticism was both ______ and personalized"

Stem

to hold back or limit the flow or growth of something; To ___ the tide of applications, the prestigious Ivy requires that each applicant score at least 330 on the Revised GRE.

Wax

to increase. The opposite of ____ is to wane. "Her enthusiasm for the diva's new album only ____ed with each song; by the end of the album, it was her favorite CD yet."

Augmented

to make larger; enlarge in size, number, strength, or extent; increase. "her cup size was ______ with the surgery"

Remonstrate

to make objections while pleading; to say or plead forcefully in protest, objection, or disapproval. "The mothers of the kidnapped victims _______d to the rogue government to release their children, claiming that the detention violated human rights."

Conciliat

to make peace with. "His opponents believed his gesture to be ______ory, yet as soon as they put down their weapons, he unsheathed a hidden sword."

Perus

to read very carefully. "Instead of _____ing important documents, people all too often rush to the bottom of the page and plaster their signature at the bottom."

Enervat

to sap a person of energy. "Dave found the professor's lecture so _____ing that not even a potent cup of joe could keep his eyes from drooping."

Ferret

to search for something persistently. "Ever the resourceful lexicographer, Fenton was able to _____ out the word origin of highly obscure GRE words."

mesmerize

to spellbind (hold the complete attention of someone as though by magic, fascinate). "The plot and the characters were so well developed that many viewers were ______d, unable to move their eyes from the screen for even a single second."

Exhort

to strongly urge on, encourage (for a positive action). "Nelson's parents ______ed him to study medicine, urging him to choose a respectable profession; unwilling, Nelson left home to become a graffiti artist." (syn w/goad)

Underwrite

to support financially; sign and accept liability under (an insurance policy), thus guaranteeing payment in case loss or damage occurs. "The latest symphony broadcast was made possible with the _______ing from various Arts & Humanities associations."

Cow

to use intimidation to make someone give in. "Do not be _______ed by a 3,000-word vocabulary list: turn that list into a deck of flashcards!"

Itinerant

traveling from place to place; hippies were____individuals, having no regular place to stay.

peripatetic

traveling on foot, or traveling from place to place, in particular working or based in various places for relatively short periods.

sharp, insightful, good judgement

trenchant,

Veracity

truthful.--"officials expressed doubts concerning the _____ of the story"

ineluctable

unavoidable; for those who smoke cigarettes, health costs are ___.

Disinterested

unbiased, neutral; The potential juror knew the defendant, and therefore could not serve on the jury, which must consist only of _____ members.

quandary

uncertainty, a predicament; steve certainly is in a ______: if he doesn't call Elaine, she will blame him for everything, but if he does call her, the evidence of where he currently is could cost him his job.

flux

uncertainty, instability; with fluctuating presidential polls, the winner of this year's election is still ____

qualm

uneasiness, w/reservations; while he could articulate no clear reason why Jody's plan would fail, he nevertheless felt ____s about committing any resources to it.

unscrupulous

unethical, unprincipled; in the courtroom, the lawyer was _____, using every manner of deceit and manipulation to secure a victory for himself. (syn w/reprobate)

inscrutable

unfathomable (i.e. incomprehensible) ; his speech was so dense and confusing that many in the audience found it _____

inauspicious

unfavorable or unfortunate; not conducive to success; unpromising..--"After an ____ ​start, ​Scotland went on to ​win the ​match.. Ozomatli released an album on the ____ date of sept. 11"

Betray

unintentionally reveal; be evidence of; As we age, our political leanings tend to become less pronounced; the once dyed-in-wool conservative ____ liberal leanings, and the staunch progressive may suddenly embrace conservative policies.

Catholic

universal; also implies wide-ranging or all-embracing. "Jonah's friends said that Jonah's taste in music was eclectic; Jonah was quick to point out that not only was his taste eclectic but it was also ___: he enjoyed music from countries as far-flung as Mali and Mongolia."

unconscionable

unreasonable or unethical; the lawyer's demands were so _____ that rather than pay an exorbitant sum or submit himself to any other inconveniences, the defendant decided to find a new lawyer.

unprepossess

unremarkable, not apparently impressive; world leaders coming to meet Gandhi would expect towering sage, and often would be surprised by the ________ing little man dressed only in a loincloth and shawl.

provincial

unsophisticated; Her enthusiasm about her high school team seemed ____ to her college classmates, all of whom were following a nationally ranked team. (Syn w/parochial)

nonplussed

unsure how to act; I was _____ when meeting parents

reticent

untalkative; when at the Tec, folks asked why i was so _____ (Syn w/tactiturn)

precocious

unusually advanced or mature in development, especially mental development. "I tell her she has a _______ gift that I've never seen anything quite like it."

confound

utterly confuse; though harry loved numbers he found calculus _______ing.

Equivocal

vague, ambiguous. in its more common form of this word, has a negative connotation. If a politician is ______ ing, he/she is not answering a question directly, but is beating around the bush. In the academic GRE sense, if a phenomenon is open to multiple interpretations it is________. Whether we can glean an artist's unconscious urges through his or her art remains _____ - that we can ever even really tap into another person's hidden motives remains in doubt.

prolixity

verbosity (using more words than needed); E. Said's books are great, but could be examples of writing that has too much ____

protean

versatile; Peter Sellers was truly a ___ actor-- in Dr. Strangelove he played 3 very different roles: a jingoist general, a sedate president and a deranged scientist.

unstinting

very generous; Helen is ____ with her time, often spending hours at the house of a sick friend.

munificent

very generous; Oscar de la hoya is known to be ____ to east LA.

besotted

very infatuated; even though her father didn't approave, juliet became ____ with the young romeo.

grim

very serious or gloomy; forbidding or uninviting, repellent, or sinister in character (as in, a ____ story). depressing or worrying to consider (as in, a _____ outlook). also, harsh/severe (as in, living in ___ conditions)

maunder

wander; Max liked to _____ down by the seaside and pick up whatever sea shells he would stumble upon.

Bellicose

warlike, and inclined to quarrel. "Known for their _______ ways, the Spartans were once the most feared people from Peloponnesus to Persia."

decorous

well-behaved, proper; those in campus crusade were _____, not calling any attention.

Laconic

when a person says very few words.--"his _____reply suggested a lack of interest in the topic";OPPOSITE OF VERBOSE

propitiate

win or regain the favor by doing something that pleases them, or placate or appease; The two sons, plying (ie work carefully) their angry father with cheesy neckties for Christmas, were hardly able to ______ him - the father already had a drawer full of ones he had never worn before or ever planned to.

guileless

without deceit; at first I though my niece was ____, but then I found myself buying her ice cream every time we passed a shop.

categorically

without exceptions or conditions; absolute; unqualified and unconditional: "the defendant _____ denied the accusations."

artless

without guile or deception; without effort or pretentiousness; natural and simple. Can also mean lacking knowledge, or skill; uncultured and ignorant; naive, innocent. "Her simple ___ charm won us over instantly"

Base

without moral principles; ignoble; we hope his motives are nothing so ____ as money...She was not so ___ as to begrudge the beggar the unwanted crumbs from her dinner plate.

quip

witty remark; in one of the most famous ______s about classical music, Mark Twain said: Wagner's music is better than it sounds.

Pyrrhic

won at too great a cost to have been worthwhile for the victor. George W. Bush's win in the 2000 election was in many ways a ______ victory: the circumstances of his win alienated close to half of America.

pine

yearn for; standing forlornly by the window, she ____d for her lost love. *associated w/broken heart

Ambivalent

you have mixed or conflicting emotions about something; Sam was ______ about studying for the GRE because it ate up a lot of his time, yet he learned many words and improved at reading comprehension.

highest level

zenith,