Unit 4-6 Completing the sentence, choosing the right word
His ___________ sense of superiority dominated his personality in much the same way as his beetling brow dominates his face.
Overweening
You may have many good traits, but I do not admire your _____________ for borrowing things and failing to return them.
Penchant
ubiquitous
Probably no complaint of young people is more __________ than "My parents don't understand me!"
The man is ______________ to have mob connections, but so far no one has actually substantiated the allegation.
Reputed
enervate
Scandal and corruption may so __________ an administration that it can no longer function effectively.
equity
Since she is a fair-minded woman, I'm sure she will present both sides of the controversy with admirable __________.
penchant
Someone with a pronounced __________ for saying the wrong thing might justly be described as a victim of "foot-in-mouth" disease.
Analysis will show that his "brilliant exposition" of how we can handle the pollution problem without cost to anyone is sheer __________.
Sophistry
There is quite a difference between the austere furnishings of my little apartment and the ____________ accommodations od a luxury hotel.
Sumptuous
sumptuous
The __________ banquet was a pleasant change of pace from the spartan fare to which I had become accustomed.
disarray
The affair of our city are in such __________ that the state may have to intervene to restore some semblance of order.
reputedly
The alert defense put up by our team completely neutralized our opponents' __________ unstoppable passing attack.
inane
The awkward pause in the conversation became even more painful when he interjected his __________ attempts at humor.
esoteric
The conversation between the computer programmers was so __________ that I wasn't sure whether they were speaking English.
The purpose of our ______________ was to draw in the safety so that Tom could get behind him to retrieve a long pass.
stratagem
abject
Only an _________ coward would stand idly by while a defenseless old woman was mugged in the street.
The _____________ that we observed here and there in the harbor bore mute testimony to the destructive power of the storm.
flotsam
People who are used to the unhurried atmosphere of a country town often find it hard to cope with the ____________ pace of big-city life.
frenetic
Though next to nothing is known about Homer, historians have been able to _________ a few odd facts about him from studying his works.
glean
I have yet to meet an adult who did not __________ about the taxes he or she had to pay.
grouse
Even critics of our penal system admit that as long as hardened criminals are ____________ they can't commit further crimes.
incarcerated
It is ________________ on all of us to do whatever we can to help our community overcome this crisis.
incumbent
It was pleasant to see the usually quiet and restrained Mr. Baxter in such a(n) ________________ and expansive mood.
jocular
Since I had only one year of high-school French, my attempts to speak that language on my trip to Paris were pretty _________.
ludicrous
Shakespeare's Timon of Athens is a disillusioned misanthrope who spends his time hurling ____________ barbs at the rest of mankind.
mordant
I regret that Nancy was ______________ by my unfavorable review of her short story, but I had to express my opinion honestly.
nettled
Despite all their highfalutin malarkey about helping the poor, I suspect that their interest in the project is purely _____________.
pecuniary
Most people regarded the government's attempt to avert a war by buying off the aggressor as not shameful but ____________.
pusillanimous
I get my best ideas while lying down; the _____________ position seems to stimulate my brain.
recumbent
mooted
"I vetoed that idea when it was first __________ years ago," the Governor said, "and I have never regretted my decision."
jocular
Do you really think that those __________ remarks are appropriate on such a solemn occasion?
grouse
During the 19th century, it was fashionable to spend a few weeks in the fall hunting __________, pheasants, and other game birds.
Music can also express a(n) ___________ of mood or feeling that would be difficult to put into words.
Nuance
exigencies
A born leader is someone who can rise to the __________ of any crisis that he or she may be confronted with.
figments
A true sign of intellectual maturity is the ability to distinguish the __________ of wishful thinking from reality.
effigy
According to voodoo belief, one can get rid of on enemy by making a tiny __________ of him and sticking it full of pins.
The passing years lessened her physical vigor but in no way diminished the __________ of her judgment.
Acuity
neophyte
After over 30 years in Congress, he retains the idealism of the ________ but has gained the practical wisdom of the veteran.
diatribe
All of a sudden, a strange young man rushed onto the speaker's platform and launched into a _________ against "big government."
consummate
All that I needed to __________ the most important deal of my career was her signature on the dotted line.
plenary
As he sat before the fire absentmindedly puffing on his pipe, Grandfather seemed the very epitome of _________ contentment.
derelicts
Bag ladies and other homeless __________ roam our streets in increasing numbers.
concord
Before the ceremony began, we all bowed our heads and prayed for unity, peace, and __________ among all nations.
ignominy
Cleopatra took her own life rather than suffer the __________ of being led through the streets of Rome in chains.
recumbent
Comforably __________ in the shade of the elm tree, I watched the members of the football team go through a long, hard workout.
The artist's sketch not only ____________ the model's appearance accurately, but also captured something of her personality.
Delineate
Beneath the man's cultivated manner and impeccable grooming there lurked the ___________ mind of a brutal sadist.
Depraved
I was so __________ by the oppressive heat and humidity of that awful afternoon that I could barely move.
Enervate
Most people I know are so busy dealing with the ordinary problems of life that they have no time for ________ philosophical speculation.
Esoteric
The phonograph is but one of the wonderful new devices that sprang from the _______ mind of Thomas Edison, our most prolific inventor.
Fecund
delineate
Few writers have J. D. Salinger's remarkable ability to __________ the emotions and aspirations of the average teenager.
During the eleven years of his "personal rule," King Charles I bypassed Parliament and ruled England by royal _________.
Fiat
"Your suspicion that I am constantly making fun of you behind your back is a mere __________ of your overheated brain," I replied.
Figment
The marathon not only brought in huge sums of money for Africa's starving masses, but also ___________ much sympathy for their plight.
Garnered
The ground in which these soldiers are buried was ___________ by the blood they shed on it.
Hallow
idiosyncratic
He means well, but we cannot tolerate his highly __________ behavior in an organization that depends on discipline and teamwork.
fecund
Her imagination is like a __________ field in which new ideas spring up like so many ripe ears of corn.
indictment
His disgraceful behavior since he left college is in itself a(n) __________ of the lax, overindulgent upbringing he received.
travesty
His extraordinary ability to __________ the works of popular writers is largely due to his keen eye for the ridiculous.
overweening
How I'd love to knock the wind out of the sails of that lout's __________ conceit!
complicity
How can I be accused of __________ in that plot when I did not even know the conspirators?
garner
I appreciate all those kind expressions of gratitude for my services, but I had hoped also to __________ some greenbacks.
bastions
I have always regarded our schools and colleges as citadels of learning and __________ against ignorance and superstition.
mordant
I noticed with approval that his __________ remarks were intended to deflate the pompous and unmask the hypocritical.
His constant use of the word "fabulous", even for quite ordinary subjects, is a(n) _____________ that I could do without.
Idiosyncrasy
He was a changed young man after he suffered the _______________of expulsion from West Point for conduct unbecoming a gentleman.
Ignominy
surveillance
Observers on the ground keep close ___________ on air traffic at a busy airport by means of various electronic devices, such as radar.
incumbents
Of the ten Congressional seats in our state, only one was won by a new member; all the other winners were __________.
incarcerated
In Victorian times, fashionable ladies __________ their waists in tight corsets to achieve a chic "hourglass" figure.
fiat
In a democracy, the government must rule by persuasion and consent - not by mere __________.
mundane
In that rarefied atmosphere, I was afraid to ask about anything quite so __________ as the location of the john.
flotsam
In the shelter, I saw for the first time people who'd been beaten and discouraged by life - the so-called derelicts and __________ of the great city.
nettle
It has been said that the only way to handle a __________, or any difficult problem, without being stung is to grasp it firmly and decisively.
acuity
It is only in superior mental powers, not in physical strength or __________ of the senses, that humans beings surpass other living things.
depraved
Like a true fanatic, he considers anyone who disagrees with him on any issue to be either feebleminded or __________.
May I interrupt this abstruse discussion and turn you attention to more __________ matters-like what's for dinner?
Mundane
motif
My studies have convinced me that the one dominant _________ in American history has been the expansion of democracy.
perspicacity
The historian had long been noted for the soundness of his scholarship and the __________ of his judgment.
atrophy
The huge influx of wealth that resulted from foreign conquests led in part to the physical and moral __________ of the Roman ruling class.
pecuniary
The only way we'll really be able to increase productivity is to offer our employees a few solid __________ incentives to work harder.
sylvan
The picture shows the three graces dancing in a forest clearing, while nymphs, satyrs, and other __________ creatures cavort among the trees.
ludicrous
There are few things in life as __________ as an unqualified person trying to assume the trappings of authority.
testy
Though I can sometimes be as ____________ as an irate wasp, I normally do not lose my temper very easily.
agnostic
Though the book was written by an avowed __________, it enjoyed a certain popularity with the faithful.
pusillanimous
To feel fear in difficult situations is natural, but to allow one's conduct to be governed by fear is __________.
intermittent
Today's forecast calls for variable cloudiness with _________ periods of rain.
nuances
Two synonyms are rarely exactly the same because __________ of tone or applicability make each of the words unique.
American-style fast-food shops have gained such popularity all over the world that they are now truly ___________.
Ubiquitous
glean
We were able to __________ only a few shreds of useful information from his long, pretentious speech.
frenetic
We were fascinated by the __________ scene on the floor of the stock exchange as brokers struggled to keep up with sudden price changes.
hallowed
We will never abandon a cause that has been __________ by the achievements and sacrifices of so many noble people.
indubitable
What qualities will he have to fall back on when his __________ charm and good looks begin to wear thin?
strategems
What we need to cope with this crisis is not cute __________ but a bold, realistic plan and the courage to carry it out
sophistry
Your language is indeed clever and amusing, but your argument is nothing but a piece of outright __________.
Almost every case of muscle or tissue ___________ is the result of disease, prolonged disuse, or changes in cell nutrition.
atrophy
The high ground east of the river formed a natural __________, which we decided to defend with all forces at our disposal.
bastion
Peace is not just the absence of war but a positive state of ____________ among the nations of the world.
concord
As soon as he struck the opening chords of the selection, we realized that we were listening to a(n) ______________ master of the piano.
consummate
The defeated army fled in such ______________ that before long it had become little more than a uniformed mob.
disarray
The ____________ of my present financial situation demand that I curtail all unnecessary expenses for at least a month.
exigencies
