Magoosh Basic Word List 7/7

cosmopolitan

adjective: comprising many cultures; global in reach and outlook Synonyms : ecumenical , general , oecumenical , universal , world-wide , worldwide There are few cities in the world as diverse and cosmopolitan as New York.

complementary

adjective: enhancing each other's qualities (for two things or more). Synonyms : complemental , completing The head waiter was careful to tell the amateur diners that red wine was complementary with beef, each bringing out subtle taste notes in the other.

abysmal

adjective: extremely bad Synonyms : abyssal , unfathomable Coach Ramsey took his newest player off the field after watching a few painful minutes of her abysmal performance.

decimation

noun: destroying or killing a large part of the population The decimation after atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki is incomprehensible.

constraint

noun: something that limits or restricts Synonyms : restraint We don't have many resources, so we'll have to work with some very tight constraints.

qualm

noun: uneasiness about the fitness of an action Synonyms : misgiving , scruple While he could articulate no clear reason why Harkner's plan would fail, he neverless felt qualms about committing any resources to it.

morph

verb: To undergo dramatic change in a seamless and barely noticeable fashion. The earnestness of the daytime talk shows of the 1970's has morphed into something far more sensational and vulgar: today guests actually standup and threaten to take swings at one another.

enumerate

verb: determine the number or amount of Synonyms : count , number , numerate The survey enumerates the number of happy workers and the number of unhappy workers. verb: specify individually, one by one Synonyms : itemise , itemize , recite I sat and listened as she enumerated all of the things she did not like about the past three months.

compound

verb: make more intense, stronger, or more marked Synonyms : deepen , heighten , intensify Her headache was compounded by the construction crew outside, which had six jackhammers going at the same time. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

hamper

verb: prevent the progress or free movement of Synonyms : cramp , halter , strangle As the rain water began to collect in pools on the highway, it began to hamper the flow of traffic. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

carping

adjective: persistently petty and unjustified criticism Synonyms : faultfinding What seemed like incessant nagging and carping about my behavior from my mother turned out to be wise and useful advice that has served me well.

obliging

adjective: showing a cheerful willingness to do favors for others Synonyms : complaisant Even after all his success, I found him to be accommodating and obliging, sharing with me his "secret tips" on how to gain wealth and make friends.

champion

verb: to fight for a cause Synonyms : defend Martin Luther King Jr. championed civil rights fiercely throughout his short life. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

evasive

adjective: avoiding or escaping from difficulty or danger or commitment His responses were clearly evasive; he obviously did not want to take on any responsibility or any new work. adjective: deliberately vague or ambiguous Every time I call the bank, I receive the same evasive answers about our mortgage and never get a clear response.

chivalrous

adjective: being attentive to women like an ideal knight Synonyms : gallant , knightly Marco's chivalrous ways, like opening doors and pulling out chairs, was much appreciated by his date.

discreet

adjective: careful to protect one's speech or actions in order to avoid offense or gain an advantage The professor thought that he was discreet, subtly wiping the stain off of his shirt, but as soon as he stepped off the podium a member of the audience pointed out the large ketchup stain.

staid

adjective: characterized by dignity and propriety Synonyms : sedate Frank came from a staid environment, so he was shocked that his college roommate sold narcotics.

laborious

adjective: characterized by effort to the point of exhaustion; especially physical effort Synonyms : arduous , backbreaking , grueling , gruelling , hard , heavy , operose , punishing , toilsome The most laborious job I've had was working 20 hours a day as a fisherman in King Salmon, Alaska.

convivial

adjective: describing a lively atmosphere The wedding reception was convivial; friends who hadn't seen each other for ages drank and ate together before heading to the dance floor.

creditable

adjective: deserving of praise but not that amazing Critics agreed the movie was creditable, but few gave it more than three out of five stars.

cumbersome

adjective: difficult to handle or use especially because of size or weight Synonyms : cumbrous Only ten years ago, being an avid reader and a traveler meant carrying a cumbersome backpack stuffed with books--these days we need only an e-reader.

excruciating

adjective: extremely painful Synonyms : agonising , agonizing , harrowing , torturesome , torturing , torturous After the boulder rolled a couple of feet, pinning my friend's arm, he experienced excruciating pain.

malodorous

adjective: having an unpleasant smell Synonyms : ill-smelling , malodourous , stinky , unpleasant-smelling Some thermally active fountains spew sulfur fumes--the air around them is sometimes so malodorous that many have to plug their noses.

boorish

adjective: ill-mannered and coarse or contemptible in behavior or appearance Synonyms : loutish , neandertal , neanderthal , oafish , swinish Bukowski was known for being a boorish drunk and alienating close friends and family.

dilapidated

adjective: in terrible condition Synonyms : bedraggled , broken-down , derelict , ramshackle , tatterdemalion , tumble-down The main house has been restored but the gazebo is still dilapidated and unuseable.

sordid

adjective: involving ignoble actions and motives; arousing moral distaste and contempt; foul and run-down and repulsive Synonyms : seamy , seedy , sleazy , squalid,flyblown The nightly news simply announced that the senator had had an affair, but the tabloid published all the sordid details of the interaction. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

antiquated

adjective: old-fashioned; belonging to an earlier period in time Synonyms : antediluvian , archaic Aunt Betty had antiquated notions about marriage, believing that a man should court a woman for at least a year before receiving a kiss.

futile

adjective: producing no result or effect; unproductive of success Synonyms : ineffectual , otiose , unavailing,bootless , fruitless , sleeveless , vain 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 futile.

paradoxical

adjective: seemingly contradictory but nonetheless possibly true Synonyms : self-contradictory That light could be both a particle and a wave seems paradoxical, but nonetheless, it is true.

colossal

adjective: so great in size or force or extent as to elicit awe Synonyms : prodigious , stupendous Few appreciate the colossal scale of the sun: if hollow, it could contain a million Earths.

provisional

adjective: under terms not final or fully worked out or agreed upon Synonyms : probationary , provisionary , tentative Until the corporate office hands down a definitive decision on use of the extra offices, we will share their use in a provisional arrangement.

inarticulate

adjective: without or deprived of the use of speech or words Synonyms : unarticulate Although a brilliant economist, Professor Black was completely inarticulate, a terrible lecturer.

amply

adverb: more than is adequate Synonyms : fully The boat was amply supplied for its year at sea - no man would go hungry or thirst.

miscreant

noun: a person who breaks the law Synonyms : reprobate "Come back you miscreant!" yelled the woman who just had her purse stolen.

misogynist

noun: a person who dislikes women in particular Synonyms : woman hater Many have accused Hemingway of being a quiet misogynist, but recently unearthed letters argue against this belief.

perquisite

noun: a right reserved exclusively by a particular person or group (especially a hereditary or official right) Synonyms : exclusive right , prerogative , privilege Even as the dishwasher at the French restaurant, Josh quickly learned that he had the perquisite of being able to eat terrific food for half the price diners would pay.

aphorism

noun: a short instructive saying about a general truth Synonyms : apophthegm , apothegm Nietzsche was known for using aphorisms, sometimes encapsulating a complex philosophical thought in a mere sentence.

inkling

noun: a slight suggestion or vague understanding Synonyms : glimmer , glimmering , intimation Lynne speaks four Romance languages, but she doesn't have an inkling about how East Asian languages are structured.

resignation

noun: the acceptance of something unpleasant that can't be avoided Synonyms : surrender Since Jack could not think of a convincing reason why he had to miss the seminar, he attended it with a sense of resignation. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

dispatch

noun: the property of being prompt and efficient Synonyms : despatch , expedition , expeditiousness She finished her thesis with dispatch, amazing her advisors who couldn't believe she hadn't written 60 scholarly pages so quickly. verb: dispose of rapidly and without delay and efficiently As soon as the angry peasants stormed the castle, they caught the king and swiftly dispatched him. This word has other definitions but these are the most important ones to study

relegate

verb: assign to a lower position Synonyms : break , bump , demote , kick downstairs When Dexter was unable to fulfill his basic duties, instead of firing him, the boss relegated him to kitchen cleanup.

differentiate

verb: be a distinctive feature, attribute, or trait (sometimes in positive sense) Synonyms : distinguish , mark Mozart's long melodic lines differentiate his compositions from other works of late 18th century music. verb: evolve so as to lead to a new species or develop in a way most suited to the environment Synonyms : specialise , specialize , speciate Animals on Madagascar differentiated from other similar animal species due to many years of isolation on the island.

vanquish

verb: come out better in a competition, race, or conflict Synonyms : beat , beat out , crush , shell , trounce For years, Argentina would dominate in World Cup qualifying matches, only to be vanquished by one of the European countries during the late stages of the tournament.

vie

verb: compete for something Synonyms : compete , contend While the other teams in the division actively vie for the championship, this team seems content simply to go through the motions of playing.

debunk

verb: expose as false ideas and claims, especially while ridiculing Synonyms : expose Richard Dawkins tries to debunk religious belief, but his ridicule tends to push people away from his points rather than convince them.

besiege

verb: harass, as with questions or requests; cause to feel distressed or worried Synonyms : beleaguer , circumvent , hem in , surround After discovering a priceless artifact in her backyard, Jane was besieged by phone calls, emails, and reporters all trying to buy, hold or see the rare piece of history.

stymie

verb: hinder or prevent the progress or accomplishment of Synonyms : block , blockade , embarrass , hinder , obstruct , stymy The engineers found their plans stymied at every turn and were ultimately able to make almost no progress on the project.

snub

verb: refuse to acknowledge; reject outright and bluntly Synonyms :cut , disregard , ignore, rebuff , repel Wheeler was completely qualified for the committee, but the board snubbed him, choosing an obviously lesser qualified candidate instead.

balk

verb: refuse to comply Synonyms : baulk , jib , resist The students were willing to clean up the broken glass, but when the teacher asked them to mop the entire floor, they balked, citing reasons why they needed to leave.

deliberate

verb: think about carefully; weigh the pros and cons of an issue Synonyms : consider , debate , moot , turn over Emergency situations such as this call for immediate action and leave no room to deliberate over options. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study