Toefl

deprecate (v) , deprecation (n) , deprecatingly (adv)

To ... is defined as to show disapproval about something or someone or to belittle someone.(Grandpa's tendency to ... the children's friends was a frequent source of family strife)

boor (n)

a crude, offensive, ill-mannered person, churl, clown, swab, plug-ugly(I can't invite a ... like him to dinner! He'd offend the other guests.)

conclave (n)

a private or secret meeting.(The double agent had a ... with the spy he was supposed to be observing.)

dogma (n)

a system of principles or beliefs, a prescribed doctrine, conviction.(These new findings challenge the current ... in the field.)

cornucopia (n) , cornucopian (adj)

abundance; a horn of plenty.(The book includes a ... of wonderful stories.)

desultory (adj) , desultorily (v) , desultoriness (n)

aimless, haphazard; moving from one subject to another without logical connection .(Ichabod's ... ramblings worsened as his disease progressed.)

droll (adj) , drolly (adv) ,drollness (n)

amusing in an odd or whimsical way.humorous(This is a wonderful, ... story—the children will love it!)

enclave (n)

an enclosed territory surrounded by another country, or a group of people of a different culture or religion.(The country of Lesotho is an ... of South Africa.)

eccentric (adj) , eccentrically (adv)

anomalous, bizarre, irregular , cranky, crazy, curious, odd, erratic(She's become more ... over the years.)

decorum (n)

appropriateness of behavior, propriety; decency in manners and conduct.(When questions concerning ... arise, I always refer toEmily Post.)

dilatory (adj) , dilatorily (adv) , dilatoriness (n)

crawling, creeping, dallying, dawdling , slow or late in doing something; intended to delay, especially to gain time.procrastinatinga. Miguel's ... approach to getting himself up and dressed was his own small act of passive resistance to having to work on a holiday.b. The lawyer used various ... tactics, hoping that his opponent would get tired of waiting for a trial and drop the case.

dissemble (v) , dissemblance (n)

pretend, profess, simulate ,to disguise or conceal one's true feelings or motives behind a false appearance.a. Tom needed to ... his goal of taking his boss's job by acting supportive of his boss's planned job change. b. When the police questioned her about the crime, she ...d innocence.

contentious (adj) , contentiously (adv) , contentiousness

quarrelsome, competitive, quick to fight. 2. controversial, causing contention.(With two ... candidates on hand, it was sure to be a lively debate.)

blatant (adj) , blatantly (adv)

rude, shameless, sassy , very obvious and offensive(He showed a ... disregard for the safety of other drivers.)

derisive (adj) , derisively (adv) , derisiveness (n)

scornful, expressing ridicule; mocking, jeering.(In order to promote freedom of expression, ... comments were forbidden in the classroom.)

eke (v) , Archaic (adv)

to get or supplement with great effort or strain; to earn or accomplishlaboriously.(Working two jobs enabled Quincy to ... out a living wage for hisfamily.)

desecrate (v) , desecrater (n)

to violate the sacredness of, to profane.defile, pollute, soil(Someone ...d the local cemetery by spray-painting graffiti on tombstones.)

eminent (adj) , eminently (adv), eminence (n)

towering above or more prominent than others, lofty; standing above others in quality, reputation, etc.; istinguished.noteworthy, famous. a. Vaclav Havel was an ... author before being elected president of the Czech Republic.b. many ... surgeons are on the hospital's staff

dither (v-n)

v. 1. to hesitate, be indecisive and uncertain. 2. to shake orquiver.n. a very nervous, confused, or excited state.(v. During a crisis, it is important to have a leader who will not ....)

diffuse (v- adj) , diffusely (adv) , diffuseness (n)

v. 1. to spread throughout, disperse, extend. 2. to soften, makeless brilliant. adj. 1. spread out, scattered, not concentrated. 2. wordy, verbose.a. The perfume she sprayed ...d throughout her bedroom. b. The red dye quickly became ...d through the water, turning it a very pale pink.

demur - remonstrate (v) ,demurrable - remonstrative(adj) , remonstratively (adv) , remonstrator (n)

v. protest, ... , to raise objections.adj. modest and shy, or pretending to be so.(Polly hated to ..., but she didn't think adding ten cloves of garlic to the recipe would taste good.)

draconian (adj)

very harsh, extremely severe , brutal, cruel, savage .(The editorial criticizes the ... measures being taken to control the spread of the disease.)

tact (n)

( takt) cleverness, ingenuity, skill , ( takt) ability to say the right thing(By the use of ..., Janet was able to calm her jealous* husband.)

stigmatize (v) , stigma (n)

(To mark with a visible feature that makes other people think, perhaps incorrectly, that someone or something is wrong)Cadbury's beard and tattoos ...d him as a bad match forWall Street, so he couldn't find work as a financial analyst

staunch (v - adj) , staunchly (adv) , staunchness (n)

(also stanch) stopping the flow of something. adj. firm and steadfast, unswerving; firm and constant in principle or loyalty.(I have always been a ... believer in the power of positive thinking.)

folklore (n) , folkloric (adj) , tradition (n) ,traditionless - Traditional (adj)

... myths of a people transmitted orally(Through ..., archaeologists have learned about the migrationof Native Americans in North America.)

sangfroid (n) - composure (n), composed (adj)

..., especially in dangerous or difficult circumstances.calm, self-assurance. a. The company's president managed to keep his ... during his speech even when the TelePrompTer broke down, leaving him without a script.b. I wish I had Jane's ... when I find myself in a confrontational situation.

propitious (adj) - auspicious (adjective) , propitiously (adv).

..., presenting favorable circumstances. showing or suggesting that future success is likely , promising good fortunea. These are ... omens and foretell a good journey.b. The news that a team of British climbers had reached the summit of Everest seemed an ... sign for the reign of newly crowned Queen Elizabeth II.

incontrovertible - indisputable (adj) , incontrovertibly - indisputably (adv)

..., undeniable.irrefutable, impossible to question.a. The fact that Sheila's fingerprints were the only ones on the murder weapon made her guilt seem ....b. ... facts that left the jury with no choice but to convict

disconcert (v) , disconcerting (adj) , disconcertingly (adv)

1- to throw into confusion 2-: to disturb the composure of a. News of his criminal past has ...ed even his admirers.b. When the hallway bells began to ring halfway through her lecture, the speaker was ...ed and didn't know what to do.

liaison (n)

1. a channel or means of connection or communication between two groups; one who maintains such communication.2. a close relationship or link, especially one that is secretive or adulterous.(I have been elected to be the ... between the union members and management.)

rubric (n)

1. a class or category. 2. a heading, title, or note of explanationor direction. (I would put this under the ... of "quackery," not "alternativemedicine.")

blight (n) , blighted (adj)

1. a disease that makes plants dry up and die , 2. something that causes harm or damage like a disease . 3.a damaged condition.( They still do not know what caused the ... that destroyed half of the trees in the orchard.)

rogue (n - adj)

1. a dishonest, unprincipled person. 2. a pleasantly mischievousperson. 3. a vicious and solitary animal living apart from the herd. (Yesterday, that ... hid all of my cooking utensils; today he's switched everything around in the cupboards!)

juggernaut (n)

1. a massive, overwhelmingly powerful and unstoppableforce that seems to crush everything in its path. 2. Juggernaut, title for the Hindu god Krishna.(A shroud of fear covered Eastern Europe as the ... of communism spread from nation to nation.)

nexus (n)

1. a means of connection, a link or tie between a series of things. 2. a connected series or group. 3. the core or center.(The ... between the lobbyists and the recent policy changes is clear.)

solecism (n) , solecistic (adj) , solecistically (adv)

1. a mistake in the use of language. 2. violation of good manners or etiquette, impropriety. ( Frank's ... caused his debate team much embarrassment.)

proxy (n)

1. a person or agent authorized to represent or act for another. 2. a document authorizing this substitution. (The president appointed a ... to handle business matters during his absence.)

phoenix (n)

1. a person or thing of unmatched beauty or excellence. 2. a person or thing that has become renewed or restored after suffering calamity or apparent annihilation .(The ... is often used to symbolize something that is indomitable or immortal. )

infidel ( n - adj )

1. a person with no religious beliefs. 2. a nonbeliever, one who does not accept a particular religion, doctrine, or system of beliefs.(Because he did not subscribe to the beliefs of the party, the members considered him an .... )

rendezvous (n - v)

1. a prearranged meeting at a certain time and place. 2. a place where people meet, especially a popular gathering place. v. tobring or come together at a certain place, to meet at a .... a. We will ... with the 82nd Airborne at dawn.b. Our secret ... turned out to be not so secret.)

repartee (n)

1. a quick, witty reply. 2. the ability to make witty replies. ( He wasn't expecting such a sharp ... from someone who was normally so quiet. )

queue (n) , cue (n)

1. a signal, such as a word or action, given to prompt or remindsomeone of something; a hint or suggestion. 2. a line of waiting people or vehicles; .(When the timer buzzed, Sonia realized that it was a ... to takethe hamburgers off the grill.)

epiphany (n) , epiphanic (adj)

1. a sudden, intuitive realization of the essence or meaning of something, a perceptive revelation. 2. a manifestation of the divine. 3. Epiphany, a Christian feast on the twelfth day after Christmas celebrating the divine manifestation of Jesus to the Magi.(As I listened to Professor Lane's lecture, I had a sudden ... that I was in the wrong major.)

oeuvre (n)

1. a work of art. 2. the total lifework of a writer, artist, composer,etc. (Constanta's latest ... is an avant-garde symphony featuring a cow bell solo.)

buoyant (Adj) , buoyantly (adv)

1. able to float. 2. light-hearted, cheerful , blithe, blithesome, bright.(The actors were ... as they prepared for the evening's performance.)

piquant (adj) , piquantly (adv) , piquancy (n)

1. agreeably pungent, sharp or tart in taste. 2. pleasantly stimulating or provocative. (The spicy shrimp salad is wonderfully ....)

reprisal (n)

1. an act of retaliation for an injury with the intent of inflicting at least as much harm in return. 2. the practice of using political ormilitary force without actually resorting to war. (The president promised a swift ... for the attack.)

surfeit (n - v)

1. an excessive amount or overabundance; glut. 2. the state ofbeing or eating until excessively full. v. to feed or fill to excess, satiety, or disgust; overindulge. (In some countries, the leaders and a select few enjoy a ... of wealth while most of the population lives in squalor.)

poignant (adj) , poignantly (adv) , poignancy (n)

1. arousing emotion, deeply moving, touching. 2. keenly distressing; piercing or incisive. (They captured the ... reunion on film.)

impudent (adj) , impudently (adv) , insolent (adj) , insolent (adv) , insolence (n)

1. boldly showing a lack of respect.2. shamelessly forward, immodest. exhibiting boldness; ...; arroganta. Insolent behavior toward an officer in the armed forces will result in a court martial.b. Thumbing his nose at the principal was an ... act.

frugal (adj) , frugally (adv) , frugality (n)

1. careful and economical, sparing, thrifty. 2. costing little.a. My grandparents survived the Great Depression by being very ....b. With our last few dollars, we bought a ... dinner: a loaf of bread and a piece of cheese.

bane - trite (n)

1. cause of trouble, misery, distress, or harm. 2. poison.(The ... of the oak tree is the Asian beetle.)

incendiary (adj) , incendiarism (adv)

1. causing or capable of causing fire; burning readily. 2. of or involving arson. 3. tending to incite or inflame, inflammatory.(Fire marshals checked for ... devices in the theater after they received an anonymous warning.)

vehement (adj) , vehemently (adv) , vehemence (n)

1. characterized by extreme intensity of emotion or forcefulness of expression or conviction. 2. marked by great force, vigor, or energy. (The senator was ... in her denial of any wrongdoing and maintained her innocence throughout the investigation)

furtive (adj) , furtively (adv) , furtiveness (n)

1. characterized by stealth or secrecy, surreptitious. 2. done in a quiet and secret way to avoid being noticed,underhanded; secret; a. Although photographing paintings was prohibited in the museum, the tourist ...ly snapped a picture.b. Harriet's ... glance told me I had better keep quiet about what I had just seen.

impetuous (adj) , impetuously (adv) , impetuosity (n)

1. characterized by sudden, forceful energy or emotion; impulsive, unduly hasty and without thought. 2. marked by violent force.a. It was an ... decision to run off to Las Vegas and get married after a one-week courtship.b. Ben's resignation was an ... act; he did it without thinking, and he soon regretted it.

puerile (adj) , puerilely (adv)

1. childish, immature. 2. suitable only for children, belonging to or of childhood. (Andrew is a remarkably successful businessman for someone so .... )

sanguine (adj) , sanguinely (adv) , sanguineness (n)

1. confidently cheerful, optimistic.hopeful;a. I'm not ... about our team's chances this year.b. Sanguine about Wall Street, Alfredo invested heavily.

salient (adj) , saliently (adv) , salience (n)

1. conspicuous, prominent, highly noticeable; drawing attention through a striking quality. 2. springing up or jutting out. (Jill's most ... feature is her stunning auburn hair.)

untoward (adj) , untowardly (adv)

1. contrary to one's best interest or welfare; inconvenient, troublesome, adverse. 2. improper, unseemly, perverse. (Jackson's ... remarks made Amelia very uncomfortable.)

tumultuous (adj) , tumultuously (adv) , tumultuousness (n)

1. creating an uproar, disorderly, noisy. 2. a state of confusion, turbulence, or agitation, tumult. (It was another ... day for the stock market, and fluctuating prices wrought havoc for investors.)

quotidian (adj - n)

1. daily. 2. commonplace, pedestrian. (Prudence took her ... dose of medicine.)

rakish (adj) , rakishly (adv) , rakishness (n)

1. debonair, smartly dressed or mannered, jaunty in appearance or manner. 2. unconventional and disreputable; dissolute ordebauched. (The ... young woman charmed everyone at the table.)

truculent (adj) , truculently (adv) , truculence (n)

1. defiantly aggressive. 2. fierce, violent. 3. bitterly expressing opposition. hostile, belligerent. a. Hitler's ... behavior in demanding more territory for Germany made it clear that war was inevitable.b. The outspoken congresswoman gave a ... speech arguing against the proposal.

sordid - squalid (adj) , sordidly - squalidly (adv) , sordidness - squalidness (n)

1. dirty, wretched, .... 2. morally degraded. (This ... establishment should be shut down immediately)

surreptitious (adj) , surreptitiously (adv)

1. done, made, or obtained through stealthy, clandestine, or fraudulent means. 2. done in secret.a. Ian's ... manner makes me believe his support for you is spurious and that he has a hidden agenda.b. Many FBI agents believe the apartment houses a ... drug-dealing business.

malleable (adj) , malleably (dv) , malleability (n)

1. easily molded or pressed into shape. 2. easily controlled or influenced. 3. easily adapting to changing circumstances.a. A child's personality is ... and deeply influenced by the things her parents say and do.b. Gold is a very useful metal because it is so ....

florid (adj) , floridly (adv) , floridity - floridness (n)

1. elaborate, ornate. 2. (of complexion) ruddy, rosy.rosy, garnished, flowery, fancy; reddish. a. The grand ballroom was decorated in a ... style. Years of heavy drinking had given him a ... complexion.(b. gave a ... speech in honor of the queen's visit.

enormity (n)

1. excessive wickedness. 2. a monstrous offense or evil act, atrocity.atrociousness, atrocity, badness, depravity(We were shocked at the ... of the crime.)

opprobrious (adj) ,opprobriously (adv) ,opprobriousness (n)

1. expressing contempt or reproach; scornful, abusive. 2. bringing shame or disgrace. contemptuous, insulted(It was inappropriate to make such ... remarks in front of everybody.)

sententious (adj), sententiously(adv) ,sententiousness (n)

1. expressing oneself tersely, pithy. 2. full of maxims and proverbs offered in a self-righteous manner. (I was looking for your honest opinion, not a ... reply.)

virulent (adj) , virulently (adv)

1. extremely poisonous, injurious or infectious. 2. bitterly hostile or hateful, acrimonious. (They say that the pen is mightier than the sword; indeed, words can be every bit as ... as the sting of a scorpion )

precipitous (adj) , precipitously (adv), precipitousness (n)

1. extremely steep, dropping sharply. 2. hasty,rash, foolhardy. (Driving through the state park, we spotted a grizzly bear on a ... cliff and wondered if he would fall.)

steadfast (adj) , steadfastly (adv) , steadfastness (n)

1. firmly fixed or unchanging, resolute. 2. firmly loyal and constant, unswerving. (The captain held a ... course despite the rough seas.)

benign (adj) , benignly (adv)

1. gentle, mild, kind; having a beneficial or favorable natureor influence. 2. not harmful or malignant.a. The ... personality of the professor made him a favorite on campus.b. around campus he's known as a real character, but one whose eccentricities are entirely ...

pungent (adj) , pungently (adv) , pungency (n)

1. having a strong, sharp taste or smell. 2. penetrating, caustic, stinging.( I love the ... taste of a good, strong curry.)

hermetic

1. having an airtight closure. 2. protected from outsideinfluences.(wrote ... poetry whose sole intended readership was himself)

pristine (adj) , pristinely (adv)

1. in its original and unspoiled condition, unadulterated. 2. clean, pure, free from contamination. (We were awed by the beauty of the ... forest in northern Canada.)

impervious (adj) , imperviously (adv) , imperviousness (n)

1. incapable of being penetrated. 2. not able to be influenced or affected. immune ,impenetrable, impermeable, tight(Hadley is such a diehard libertarian that he is ... to any attempts to change his beliefs.)

disingenuous (adj) , disingenuously (adv) , disingenuousness (n)

1. insincere, calculating; not straightforward or frank. 2. falsely pretending to be unaware.(Carl's ... comments were not taken seriously by anyone in the room.)

inchoate (adj) , inchoately (adv) , inchoateness (n)

1. just begun; in an initial or early stage of development,incipient. 2. not yet fully formed, undeveloped, incomplete.(... feelings of affection for a man whom she had, up till now, thought of as only a friend)

paltry (adj) , paltrily (adv) , paltriness (n)

1. lacking in importance or worth, insignificant; contemptiblysmall in amount. 2. wretched or contemptible, pitiful.miserable .(Walton couldn't believe the billionaire offered such a ... reward for the return of his lost dog.)

lax (adj) , laxly (adv) , laxness (n)

1. lacking in rigor or strictness; lenient. 2. not taut or rigid; flaccid,slack.(The university has been ... about enforcing these rules.)

ignoble (adj) , ignobly (adv) , ignobleness (n)

1. lacking nobility in character or purpose, dishonorable. 2. not of the nobility, common.(Mark was an ... successor to such a wellrespected leader, and many members of the organization resigned)

feckless (adj) , fecklessly (adv) ,fecklessness (n)

1. lacking purpose or vitality; feeble, weak. 2. incompetentand ineffective, careless.(a well-intentioned but ... response to the rise in school violence)

gauche (adj) , gauchely (adv) , gaucheness (n)

1. lacking social graces or polish; without tact. 2. clumsy or awkward.(My little brother is so ... that it's embarrassing to be with him in public.)

indolent (adj) , indolently (adv) , indolence (n)

1. lazy, lethargic, inclined to avoid labor. 2. causing little or no pain; slow to grow or heal. disliking activity; habitually lazya. The fact is, said the character in the novel, I don't like to exert myself; I have a naturally ... disposition.b. The construction foreman was hesitant to hire Earl because of his reputation of being ....

mercurial - volatile (adj) , mercurially (adv) , mercurialness - volatility (n)

1. liable to change moods suddenly. 2. lively, changeable, explosive;.a. The stock market has been quite ... this year.b. Bert's family was fearful of his ... moods.

boisterous (adj) , boisterously (adv) , boisterousness (n)

1. loud, noisy, and lacking restraint, raucous. 2. stormy and rough.(A large and ... crowd attended the concert.)

recondite (adj) , reconditely (adv) , reconditeness (n)

1. not easily understood, obscure, abstruse. 2. dealing with abstruse or profound matters.vague, ambiguous(He loves the challenge of grasping a ... subject.)

inept (adj) , ineptly (adv) , ineptness (n)

1. not suitable, inappropriate. 2. absurd, foolish. 3. incompetent,bungling and clumsy.lacking in fitness or aptitude; incompetenta. The ... lawyer was fired when his client found out he had not graduated from law school.b. Trying to carry all her suitcases at once was an ... way for Amanda to save time.

noisome (adj) , noisomely (adv)

1. offensive, foul, especially in odor; putrid. 2. harmful,noxious.(What a ... odor is coming from that garbage can!)

peremptory (adj) , peremptorily (adv) , peremptoriness (n)

1. offensively self-assured, dictatorial. 2. commanding, imperative, not allowing contradiction .3. putting an end to debate or action.(The mother's ... tone ended the children's bickering.)

tangential (adj) , tangentially (adv), tangent (n)

1. only superficially relevant; of no substantive connection. 2. of or relating to a .... touching lightly; only slightly connected or related. a. Having enrolled in a class on African-American history, the students found the teacher's stories about his travels in South America only of ... interest.b. Rudy's thesis paper contained ... statements, not relevant facts.

mundane (adj) , mundanely (adv) , mundanity (n)

1. ordinary, commonplace, dull. 2. worldly, secular, not spiritual.a. The president has little time for ... matters.b. Mundane details bore me.

trenchant (adj) , trenchantly (adv) , trenchancy (n)

1. penetrating, forceful, effective. 2. extremely perceptive,incisive. 3. clear-cut, sharply defined. (It was a ... argument, and it forced me to change my mind about the issue.)

opulent (adj) , opulently (adv) , opulence (n)

1. possessing great wealth, affluent. 2. abundant, luxurious. rich, lavisha. Lee is very wealthy, but he does not live an ... lifestyle.b. The mansion of newspaper tycoon Hearst is famous forits ... decor.

reprieve (n - v)

1. postponement or cancellation of punishment, especially of the death sentence. 2. temporary relief from danger or discomfort.(The court granted him a ... at the last moment because of DNA evidence that absolved him.)

overweening (adj) , overweeningly (adv)

1. presumptuously arrogant, overbearing. 2. excessive, immoderate. (I quit because I couldn't stand to work for such an ...boss.)

obtrusive (adj), obtrusively (adv), obtrusion(n), obtrude (v)

1. prominent, undesirably noticeable. 2. projecting, thrusting out. 3. tending to push one's self or one's ideas upon others, forward,intrusive. a. Thankfully, Minsun survived the accident, but she was left with several ... scars.b. Philip should sing more softly; his bass is so ... that the other singers can barely be heard.

propinquity (n)

1. proximity, nearness. 2. affinity, similarity in nature. (The ... of these two elements make them difficult to tell apart.)

rigmarole (n)

1. rambling, confusing, incoherent talk. 2. a complicated, petty procedure.(We had to go through a great deal of ... to get this approved.)

prodigal (adj) , prodigally (adv) , prodigality (n)

1. recklessly wasteful or extravagant, especially with money. 2. given in great abundance, lavish or profuse. (His ... actions led to his financial ruin.)

profligate (adj) , profligately (adv) , profligacy (n)

1. recklessly wasteful or extravagant, prodigal. 2. lacking moral restraint, dissolute. (The ... man quickly depleted his fortune.)

vis-à-vis (adj - adv)

1. referring or directing attention to. 2. face to face with or opposite to. adv. face to face. (After a few minutes of pandemonium, the lights came back on, and Suki suddenly found herself ...-...-... with the man of her dreams)

repose (n - v)

1. resting or being at rest. 2. calmness, tranquility, peace of mind. (The wail of a police siren disturbed my ....)

specious (adj) , speciously (adv) , speciousness (n)

1. seemingly plausible but false. 2. deceptively pleasing in appearance. (Vinnie did not fool me with his ... argument)

epitome (n)

1. something or someone that embodies a particular quality or characteristic, a representative example or a typical model. 2. a briefsummary or abstract.(Einstein is the ... of true genius )

nemesis (n)

1. source of harm or ruin, the cause of one's misery or downfall; bane. 2. agent of retribution or vengeance. an unbeatable rival; person or thing that punishesa. Roger can't beat me in chess because I'm his ....b. Acting as Jean Valjean's ..., Javert pursued him relentlessly

jargon (n - v) , jargonistic (dj)

1. specialized or technical language of a specific trade or group. 2. nonsensical or meaningless talk.(The technical manual was full of a lot of computer ....)

voluble (adj) , volubly (adv) , volubility (n)

1. talking a great deal and with great ease; language marked by great fluency; rapid, nimble speech. 2. turning or rotating easily onan axis. (Your new spokesperson is very ... and clearly comfortable speaking in front of large audiences.)

machination (n)

1. the act of plotting or devising. 2. a crafty or cunning scheme devised to achieve a sinister end.(Macbeth's ...s failed to bring him the glory he coveted and brought him only tragedy instead.)

elite (n - adj) , elitist (adj)

1. the best or most skilled members of a social group or class. , A-list, aristocracy 2. a person or group regarded as superior.(the winners of this science award represent the ... of our high schools)

quintessence (n) , quintessential (adj)

1. the essence of a substance. 2. the perfect example or embodiment of something. (Maura is the ... of kindness.)

façade (n)

1. the face or front of a building. 2. an artificial or deceptive front, especially one intended to hide something unpleasant(Antoine's stoicism is just a ...; he is really a deeply emotional person.)

semantics (n)

1. the study of meaning in language. 2. the meaning, connotation, or interpretation of words, symbols, or other forms. 3. the study of relationships between signs or symbols and their meanings.(He claims it's an issue of ..., but the matter is not open to interpretation.)

mendacity (n)

1. the tendency to be dishonest or untruthful. 2. a falsehood or lie.(you need to overcome this deplorable ..., or no one will ever believe anything you say)

sodden (adj) , soddenly (adv)

1. thoroughly saturated, soaked. 2. expressionless or dull,unimaginative. (Caught in an unexpected rainstorm, I was ... by the time I reached the bus stop.)

concede (v) , concededly (adv)

1. to acknowledge or admit as true, proper, etc. (often with reluctance); to yield, surrender. 2. to grant as a right or privilege. (The leader ...d the right to vote to all her country's inhabitants.)

vex (v), vexation (n)

1. to annoy, irritate. 2. to cause worry to. a. I was completely ...ed by his puerile behavior.b. Unproven for generations, Fermat's last theorem was one of the most famous, and most ...ing, of all mathematical puzzles.

solicit (v) , solicitation (n) , solicitant (adj)

1. to ask for earnestly, petition. 2. to seek to obtain by persuasionor formal application. 3. to approach with an offer for paid services.(The organization is ...ing new memberships.)

purport (v - n)

1. to be intended to seem, to have the appearance of being. 2. propose or intend. (The letter ...s to express your opinion on the matter.)

broach (v) , broacher (n)

1. to bring up, introduce, in order to begin a discussion of.2. to tap or pierce, as in to draw off liquid.(It was hard for Sarah to ... the subject of her mother's weight gain.)

mince (v - n)

1. to cut into very small pieces. 2. to walk or speak affectedly, aswith studied refinement. 3. to say something more delicately or indirectly for the sake of politeness or decorum.(Please don't ... your words—just tell me what you want to say.)

ensconce (v)

1. to fix or settle firmly and securely. 2. to place or hide securely, conceal.(Once the spy was comfortably ...d in his new identity, hebegan his secret mission.)

forswear (v)

1. to give up, renounce. 2. to deny under oath. abnegate, abjure(He foreswore cigarettes as his New Year's resolution)

mar (v)

1. to impair or damage, make defective or imperfect. 2. to spoil theperfection or integrity of.tarnish,distort, deform(A large scar ...red his face.)

stultify (v) , stultification (n)

1. to impair or make ineffective, cripple. 2. to make (someone) look foolish or incompetent. (Of course I'm angry! You stultified me at that meeting!)

fulminate (v) , fulmination (n)

1. to issue a thunderous verbal attack, berate.2. to explode or detonate.(The Senator liked to ... when other legislators questioned her ideology.)

immolate (v) , immolation (n)

1. to kill, as a sacrifice. 2. to kill (oneself) by fire.3. to destroy (one thing for another).(In order for the plants to grow, I had to ... the weeds.)

languish (v) , languishment (n) , languishingly (adv)

1. to lose vigor or strength; to become languid, feeble,weak. 2. to exist or continue in a miserable or neglected state.(Lucinda ...ed in despair when Sven told her he'd fallen in love with another woman.)

roil (v)

1. to make a liquid cloudy or muddy. 2. to stir up or agitate.3. to anger or annoy. (The crowd was ...ed by the speaker's insensitive remarks.)

petrify (v)

1. to make hard or stiff like a stone. 2. to stun or paralyze with fear, astonishment, or dread. (I was petrified when I heard the door open in the middle of the night)

obfuscate (v) , obfuscation (n) , obfuscatory (adj)

1. to make obscure or unclear, to muddle or makedifficult to understand. 2. to dim or darken. (Instead of clarifying the matter, Walter only ...d it further.)

meander (v) , meandrous (adj) , meanderingly (adv)

1. to move on a winding or turning course. 2. to wander about, move aimlessly or without a fixed direction or course.(I ...ed through the park for hours, trying to figure out how I could have made such an egregious mistake.)

subvert (v)

1. to overthrow. 2. to ruin, destroy completely. 3. to undermine. (She quietly ...ed his authority by sharing internal information with outside agents.)

proscribe (v)

1. to prohibit, forbid; to banish or outlaw. 2 to denounce or condemn. (The king ...d the worship of idols in his kingdom.)

tout (v - n)

1. to promote or praise highly and energetically, especially withthe goal of getting a customer, vote, etc. 2. to solicit (customers, votes, etc.) in an especially brazen or persistent manner.(Cy was ...ing the merits of the referendum as he solicited support for Tuesday's vote.)

slake (v)

1. to satisfy, quench. 2. to reduce the intensity of, moderate, allay.(The deer ...d its thirst at the river.)

dissipate (v) , dissipation (n) , dissipative (adj)

1. to separate and scatter completely; to disperse to thepoint of disappearing, or nearly so. 2. to be extravagant and wasteful, especially in the pursuit of pleasure; squander.a. The morning sun ...d the fog.b. The windows and doors were opened, allowing the smoke that had filled the room to ....

winnow (v - n)

1. to separate the grain from the chaff by using the wind or other current of air to blow the chaff away. 2. to separate the good from thebad; to examine or sift through to remove undesirable elements.(We have ...ed the list of applicants down to five highly qualified candidates.)

oscillate - vacillate (v)

1. to swing back and forth or side to side in a steady,uninterrupted rhythm. 2. to waver, as between two conflicting options or opinions; .... to waver back and fortha. If you ..., the broker said, the opportunity will disappear.b. He who ...s is lost, the proverb says.

undermine (v)

1. to weaken or injure, especially by wearing away at the foundation. 2. to destroy in an underhanded way.(She tried to ... my authority by complaining about me to my boss.)

pellucid (adj) , pellucidly (adv) , pellucidity (n)

1. translucent, able to be seen through with clarity. 2. (e.g., of writing) very clear, easy to understand.transparenta. The water in the mountain stream was cold and .... b. Thanks to the professor's ... explanation, I finally understand relativity theory..

blasé (adj)

1. uninterested or showing a lack of excitement or interest in something especially because it is very familiar( Quincy has traveled so much that he speaks of exotic places such as Borneo in a totally ... manner.)

unctuous (adj) , unctuously (adv) , unctuosity (n)

1. unpleasantly and excessively or insincerely earnest or ingratiating. 2. containing or having the quality of oil or ointment; greasy, slippery, suave. (I left without test driving the car because the salesperson wasso ... that I couldn't trust him)

raucous (adj) , raucously (adv) , raucousness (n)

1. unpleasantly loud and harsh. 2. boisterous, disorderly,disturbing the peace. (The ... music kept us awake all night.)

tenuous (adj) , tenuously (adv) , tenuousness (n)

1. unsubstantial, flimsy. 2. having little substance or validity.(He could demonstrate only a ... claim to ownership.)

exigent (adj) , exigently (adv) .

1. urgent, requiring immediate action or attention, critical.2. requiring much effort or precision, demanding.(The late-night call on Paul's cell phone concerned matters of an ... nature.)

lucid (adj) , lucidly (adv) , lucidity (n)

1. very clear, easy to understand, intelligible. 2. sane or rational.easily understood; clear; mentally sounda. Professor White's explanations are always commendably ....b. I have never heard a ... explanation of Einstein's theory.

lilliputian (adj-n)

1. very small, tiny. 2. trivial or petty.(My troubles are ... compared to hers, and I am thankful that I do not have such major issues in my life.)

élan (n)

1. vivacity, enthusiasm, vigor. 2. distinctive style or flair.(The dancer performed with great ....)

dross-drossiness (n) , drossy (adj)

1. waste product, sludge. 2. something worthless, commonplace,or trivial.(His editor has a talent for turning literary ... into gold.)

replete (adj)

1. well stocked or abundantly supplied. 2. full, gorged.a. The house was ... with expensive antiques.b. Graham's book is ... with wonderful stories about the famous people she has known.

turpitude (n)

1. wickedness. 2. a corrupt or depraved act. (Such ... deserves the most severe punishment)

raze (n)

: an area of activity, interest, or knowledge ; a country that is ruled by a king or queen.to completely destroy; demolish. a. The old Coliseum building will soon be ...d to make room for a new hotel.b. new discoveries in the realm of medicine .

scandal (n) , scandalize (v), scandalous (adj)

A case of wrongdoing that hurts someone's reputation(In the Watergate ..., some of the president's top advisors were revealed to be criminals)

nucleus (n) , nuclear (adj)

A central or essential part around which other parts aregathered; a core(The ... of many European cities is the town square.)

rite (n)

A ceremony meant to achieve a certain purpose(Many cultures have fertility ...s that supposedly make it morelikely for women to bear children.)

bond (n - v)

A close connection(Some researchers say that there is an especially strong emotional... between twins.)

inference (n) , infer (v)

A conclusion drawn from evidence(Inspector Dowd's ... that Ms. Miller was South African wasbased on her accent.)

phantom (n)

A dimly visible form, usually thought to be the spirit of a dead person, a sunken ship, etc.(Many visitors reported seeing a ... who appeared around thelake.)

descendant - descent (n) , descend (v)

A direct relative in a later generation (such as one's son, daughter, or grandchild ,go or come down from a higher place to a lower levela. Billy Sobieski claimed to be a ... of Jan Sobieski, a former king of Polandb. The pilot, thinking his plane was in peril,* ...ed quickly.

dimension (n) , dimensional (adj)

A direction or surface along which something can be measured; an aspect(The three ...s of physical objects are length, width, anddepth.)

coalition (n)

A group of several different groups or countries that are working together to achieve a certain goal.(Several local churches, mosques, synagogues, and temples formeda ... to promote understanding among people of differentreligions.)

verdict (n)

A judgment in a court case ,decision of a jury; judgmenta. The jury returned a ... of guilty for the traitor.*b. We were cautioned* not to base our ... on prejudice.*

context (n) , contextualize (v), contextual (adj)

A larger environment that something fits into(In the ... of Soviet Russia, public art had to be about the triumphof communism and its leaders.)

roster (n)

A list, especially of names(Two of the names on the ... were misspelled)

saga (n)

A long story about important events long ago(Many American families tell ...s about their ancestors' arrival inthe United States.)

scar (n - v)

A mark on the skin left after a wound has healed; a lasting signof damage, either mental or physical(The surgery was successful, but it left a large ... across herabdomen.)

connotation (n) , connote (v)

A meaning implied, not stated directly(When my boss says,"Thank you," the ... is that she's donetalking and I should leave.)

misconception (n), misconceive (v)

A mistaken belief , a mistaken idea. a. Columbus sailed west under the ... that he would reach the shores of Asia that way.b. A common ... about rabbits is that they are a kind ofrodent.

trend (n - v) , trendy (adj)

A movement in one direction or a widespread change in fashion(The ... among some young men is to wear their caps with thebill off to one side)

paradigm (n)

A pattern or model; a set of assumptions(The usual ... for economic growth in developed countriesdoes not apply to some poor nations)

peer (n)

A person who is one's social equal(He was respected and admired by his ...s.)

reservoir (n) , reserve (v)

A place where a liquid is collected and stored(Cult members threatened to poison the town's water ....)

incentive (n)

A possible benefit that motivates a person to do a certain thing(This city's willingness to support its public schools gave us an... to move here with our two young children.)

surveillance (n)

A process of watching something or someone for a long time, usually because the person is suspected of something(Police ... of one suspected car thief resulted in the arrestof a whole gang of carjackers.)

spectrum

A range of different things, usually colors(Bart's colorful designs include every color of the ..., fromdeep blue to vibrant red.)

consequence (n) , consequent (adj), consequently (adv)

A result, often one much later in time than the cause(One ... of global warming may be the flooding of lowlying islands.)

skit (n)

A short, informal play(Marnie and Chris spent a long time practicing their ... for theschool show.)

inflation (n) , inflate (v), inflationary (adj)

A situation in which prices for many items rise quite fast(During the rapid ... of the 1970s, prices for food and fuelsometimes rose 20 percent in a single month.)

cartel (n)

A small group controlling a certain area of business(The world's major oil producers formed a ... to control the priceand supply of petroleum.)

clique (n) , cliquish (adj)

A small group of friends who are unfriendly to people outsidethe group(High-schoolers form ...s to gain security and acceptance.)

eruption (n) , erupt (v)

A sudden, often violent, outburst(The ... of Mount St. Helens in 1980 caused 57 deaths andimmeasurable change to the face of the mountain.)

longitude (n) , longitudinal (adj), longitudinally (adv)

A system of imaginary lines running from north to south along the Earth's surface, where each line is numbered from 0º to 180° west or east(The prime meridian, a line running through Greenwich, England, ismarked as 0° ....)

conquest (n) , conquer (v)

A takeover by force or continued effort(The first recorded ... of Mt. Everest was by Tensing Norgayand Sir Edmund Hilary.)

realism - realist (n) , realistic (adj)

A technique that tries to picture something as it really looks(Realism was popular among seventeenth-century Flemish painterslike Rembrandt van Rijn.)

commodity (n)

A thing that can be bought and sold, such as grain, oil,or wood (Tulip bulbs were one of the most valuable commodities inseventeenth-century Holland.)

vestige (n), vestigial (adj)

A visible trace that something once existed ; a trace or remainder. a. Today's tiny Sherwood Forest is the last ... ofa woodland that once covered most of England.b. The wilted flowers were the only ... of their romantic weekend.

perspective (n)

A way of seeing from a particular location; a way of thinking about something(From my ..., the entire town can be seen through a set oflarge windows.)

devotion - devotee (n) , devote (v)

A willingness to keep supporting someone you admire(Grant showed great ... to his wife, supporting her during herlong illness.)

entrepreneurial (adj) , entrepreneur (n)

Able to create business opportunities from a wide variety of circumstances(Many engineers of the 1970s made great computers, but only a fewwere ... enough to see the business possibilities in thenew machines.)

allegedly (adv) , allege (v), allegation (n)

According to what people say , to state without proof(The chief financial officer of the company ... took companymoney for his personal use.)

symbolic (adj),symbolically (adv), symbolize (v), symbol (n)

Acting as a sign for some other thing or idea(Since the 1970s, yellow ribbons have been ... of hope thatsomeone will return from a dangerous situation.)

intermediary (n)

Acting as an agent between people or things(The plaintiff's lawyer suggested that they hire an ... tohelp them discuss their case.)

invasive (adj) , invade (v), invasion - invader (n)

Aggressively entering into someone else's territory(Surgery with a laser is less ... than surgery with a knife orscalpel.)

violation (n) , violate (v)

An action that breaks a law or agreement; mistreatment of something that deserves respect(The army's testing of new weapons was a ... of the cease-fire agreement.)

prognosis (n)

An educated guess of how something will develop, especiallya disease(The room fell silent when the doctor gave Senator Grebe a grim... of months of treatment.)

affection (n) , affectionate (adj)

An emotional closeness or warmth(I show ... for my girlfriend by spending time with her, not byspending money on her.)

humiliation (n) , humiliate (v)

An event that causes someone to feel that she or he haslost the respect of others(Losing the chess tournament was a great ... for Marie, andshe never played chess again.)

vanity (n) , vain (adj)

An excessive concern for one's appearance , arrogance,a. Josephine is quite ... about her beauty.b. To be perfectly frank, I do not see what she has to be ... about.

simulation (n) , simulate (v)

An imitation or representation(To test car safety, automobile makers study crash ...s.)

proliferation (n) , proliferate (v)

An increase in the number of something and in the number of places it can be found(The ... of fast-food restaurants has made it harder forAmericans to eat healthy lunches.)

flood (n - v)

An overflowing of water; an excessive amount(The constant rain and poor drainage system caused a ... in town. The political party sent out a ... of letters criticizing theiropponents.)

vein (n)

Any of the tubes that form a branching system, especially thosethat carry blood to the hearta. A ... of lunacy* seemed to run in the family.b. Explorations disclosed* the rich ... of copper in the mountain.

ritually (adv) , ritual (adj) , ritual (n)

As part of a traditional ceremony or habit(The children ... kissed their parents on the cheek before bed.)

exponentially (adv) , exponential (adj), exponent (n)

At a very fast rate(In Turkey, the value of the lira has decreased ... in thelast several decades.)

contamination (n) , contaminant (n) , contaminate (v)

Being made less clean by a germ or hazardous substance , to make impure. a. Chemicals dumped in a nearby forest had seeped into the soil and ...d the local water supply.b. The ... in the river came from the factory located justupstream .

agnostic (adj- n) , agnosticism (n)

Believing that humans cannot know whether there is a god(His devoutly Christian parents had problems with his ... beliefs)

obnoxious (adj) , obnoxiously (adv)

Bothersome; doing small things that others don't like(My ... neighbor keeps talking to me while I'm trying toread in my backyard.)

sibling (n)

Brother or sister(My ...s and I got together to buy our parents a gift for theiranniversary.)

intuitively (adv) , intuitive (adj) , intuition (n)

By means of a natural sense about things that are hard to observe , known directly, without apparent thought or effort. a. An experienced chess player sometimes has an ... sense of the best move to make, even if she can't explain it.b. Many mothers know ... when something is wrong with theirchildren.

fatal - fatally (adj) , fatality (n)

Causing death or disaster(The soldier was ...ly wounded in the battle.)

prejudiced (adj) , prejudice (v), prejudice (n)

Causing to judge prematurely and unfairly , an opinion formed without taking time and care to judge fairly; to harm or injurea. Many consumers are ... against commercial goods made in third-world countriesb.The witness's weird* behavior ... Nancy's case.

adolescent (adj) , adolescent - adolescence (n)

Characteristic of a teenager; not fully grown upa. In policy meetings, George refuses to reason with anyone and justscowls in an ... way.b. Our annual rock festival attracts* thousands of ...s.

distinctly - distinct (adj) , distinction (n)

Clearly(I ... remember saying that we would meet at noon.)

reconciliation (n) reconcile (v), reconciliatory (adj)

Coming back together peacefully after having been enemies .to make consistent or harmonious. a. Roosevelt's greatness as a leader can be seen in his ability to reconcile the demands and values of the varied groups thatsupported him.b. South Africa avoided a bloodbath after apartheid by setting up a Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

extinction (n) , extinct (adj)

Complete disappearance; the end of existence(Human beings have caused the ... of many other species.)

regulate (v) , regulation (n), regulatory (adj)

Control according to a set of rules(Trading on the New York Stock Exchange is ...d by officials of the exchange and by federal law.)

enterprising (adj) , enterprise (adv)

Creative in thinking of ways to make money(Immigrants are often among the most ... members of society,partly because anyone brave enough to make an overseas move is likely to be a risk-taker.)

cumbersome (adj)

Difficult to wear or carry because of weight or shape , heavy, ponderous, hulking(To make it to the top of the mountain before dark, the hikersdumped their ... tent.)

shame (n) , shame (v), shameful - ashamed (adj), shamefully (adv)

Dishonor because one has done something wrong(Feeling deep ... because of their son's crimes, the Ford familymoved to a different town.)

cynically (adv) , cynical (adj) , cynic - cynicism (n)

Disrespectfully; emphasizing the weaknesses of otherwise respected things(Employees of the Roadways Department ... referred to theirboss as "the banker" because he took so many bribes.)

reciprocity (n) , reciprocate (v), reciprocal (adj)

Doing as much for another as he or she has done for you .to make a return for something. If you'll baby-sit for my kids tonight,a. I'll ... by taking care of yours tomorrow.b. Dan was giving a lot of attention to Kelly, but he felt no ... in their relationship.

fringe (n) , fringy (adj)

Edge; in social contexts, parts of society that look or act very different from most people(Punk music got its start at the ... of London's rock music culture.)

villainy - villain (n) , villainous (adj)

Exceptional badness, as demonstrated by many serious evil deeds, a very wicked persona. A typical* moving picture ... gets killed at the end.b. Fred was not a natural criminal, but he learned all kinds of ...while being jailed for a minor crime.

hedonistic (adj) , hedonist - hedonism (n)

Excessively interested in seeking pleasurea. Suddenly wealthy, Allen fell into a ... life of parties, expensive dinners, and heavy drinking.b. Having inherited great wealth, he chose to live the life of a ..., traveling the world in luxury.

gala (adj - n)

Expensive, elaborately arranged, and full of celebration(A college graduation party should be a ... affair, not a backyardbarbecue.)

luxury (n) , luxuriate (v), luxurious (adj)

Extreme comfort, beyond what anyone needs(Automakers try to give their cars an image of ... by includingextras like heated seats and satellite tracking systems.)

charismatic (adj) , charismatically (adv) , charisma (n)

Extremely attractive and charming(Because of the sparkle in his eye and his confident style, John F.Kennedy was a ... leader.)

catastrophic (adj) , catastrophically (adv) , catastrophe (n)

Extremely harmful; causing financial or physical ruin(The architect died in a ... elevator accident)

despondent (adj)

Extremely sad and without hope for the future(After his girlfriend left him, Johnson was ... and wouldn'ttalk to anyone.)

grotesque (adj)

Extremely unattractive, in a way that catches a lot of attention.(Spending $3.5 million to redecorate the governor's house is a... misuse of public money.)

sentiment - sentimentality (n) , sentimental (adj)

Feelings; opinion based on feelings(I share your ...s about air travel, but I disagree that cars aresafer.)

per capita (adv - adj)

For each person(Research shows we're likely to sell 15 light bulbs per capita peryear in medium-sized cities.)

divination (n) , divine (v)

Foretelling the future by finding patterns in physical objects , the art of predicting the future.a. In ancient Greece, people wanting to know their fate would visit the priests at Delphi, who were supposedly skilled at ....b. In Turkey, women offer ... by reading the dregs from a coffee cup.

Orwellian (adj)

Frightening and overcontrolled by a government that interferes in nearly every aspect of personal life .(Biometric devices like eye-scanners allow an ... level of government knowledge about everyone's location.)

aggregate (adj - v-n )

Gathered into or amounting to a whole .(It is impossible to judge last year's performance without knowingthe ... sales numbers.)

milieu (n)

General environment or setting. medium , or surroundings(The ... at the writer's retreat is designed to inspire creativity)

bribery (n) , bribe (v -n)

Giving money or other gifts to a government official or other person in authority in order to get special privileges(Bribery of police officers is common in countries where policesalaries are very low.)

despise (v)

Hate very much , scorn(Tom grew to ... his greedy and unfriendly boss.)

pious (adj) , piously (adv) , piousness (n), piety (n)

Having or exhibiting religious reverence(Sometimes she was so ... that the rest of us felt like heathens.)

self-perpetuating (adj) , self-perpetuation (n)

Having the power to renew one... for an indefinite period of time(It is difficult to escape from a lie,as they are often ...-...)

infinitesimal (adj) , infinitesimally (adv)

Immeasurably small(The number of contaminants in the water was ..., so thewater was safe to drink)

certifiably (adv), certifiable (adj), certify (v), certification -certificate (n)

In a manner that is officially recognized(He couldn't be institutionalized until he was declared ...insane.)

subtly (adv) , subtle (adj), subtlety (n)

In a quiet, hard-to-notice way(By ... changing the soft drink's formula, we improved its tasteand made production cheaper.)

deviant (adj) , deviant - deviation (n), deviate (v)

In a style that is not normal and is offensive to many , to depart from a standard or norm. a. Having agreed upon a spending budget for the company, we mustn't ... from it; if we do, we may run out of money soon.b. The artist based his reputation on creating ... works of art that disgusted most of the public.

hypocritically (adv) , hypocritical (adj) , hypocrite - *hypocrisy (n)

In a way that accuses other people of weaknesses that the speaker also possesses , * a false pretense of virtue.a. Henry spent $2,500 on a new suit and then ... accusedme of spending too much on clothes..*b. When the sexual misconduct of the television preacher was exposed, his followers were shocked at his hypocrisy.

esthetically

In a way that relates to beauty or appearance(The outside of the office building is ... pleasing, but the inside is dark and unpleasant)

in the trenches (adv)

In the middle of the hardest fighting or work(With their unrealistic view of this war, our generals don't knowwhat things are like out in the trenches)

exotic (adj) , exotically (adv) , exoticism (n)

Interesting or unusual because of coming from a farawayplace(I walked into the restaurant and smelled the ... aromas ofMalaysian spices.)

improvisation (n) , improvise (v), improvisational (adj)

Inventing a solution to an unexpected problem(Boy Scouts take pride in their ... when faced with troubleduring a camping trip.)

abduction (n) , abduct (v)

Kidnapping(Pirates got many crew members by ..., snatching unluckycitizens from seaport towns.)

artillery (n)

Large guns that shoot powerful shells; army units that handle such guns(An ... barrage broke down the city's thick walls within seconds.)

bulk (n) , bulky (adj)

Largeness and a heavy appearance , taking up much spacea. The ... of Kevin's athletic body was too great for one small chair,so he sat on a bench.b. Charley and Morty removed the ...y package from the car.

residual (adj), residue (n)

Left behind after most of a thing has gone(In the airplane, agents found ... traces of heroin)

allegiance (n)

Loyalty(My ... to my country is based on respect for its principles.)

diminish (v)

Make something smaller or weaker; become smaller or weakera. The excessive* heat ...ed as the sun went down.b.The Protestant Reformation ...ed the power of the RomanCatholic Pope.

subsidy (n) , subsidize (v)

Money given by a government or other organization to supportan activity(Federal subsidies to grain farmers have helped them stay in business despite three years of bad weather.)

migration (n) , migrant (n), migrate (v),migratory (adj)

Movement from one place to another by a group of peopleor animals(The ... of farm workers from one state to the next dependsprimarily on the harvest.)

capricious (adj) , capriciously (adv) , caprice (n)

Moving unpredictably from one thing to another , unpredictable, willful, whimsical. a. The pop star has changed her image so many times that each new transformation now appears ... rather than purposeful.)b. Your college studies will go on too long if you make ...jumps from one major to another.

adjacent (ad) , adjacency (n)

Next to(Even though the villages are ... to each other, their residentsspeak different languages.)

abstract (adj) , abstraction (n)

Not concrete and realistic; not obviously related to everydayexperience(Abstract painting became popular partly because early photographywas very realistic.)

amateurish (adj) , amateurishly (adv) , amateur (n)

Not good enough to be the work of professionals .a. The ... cross-country runner wanted to be in the Olympics.b. Whoever painted this room did an ... job, with all sorts ofuneven edges

marginal (adj) , marginally (adv)

Not very significant or effective(Our new advertising campaign had only ... success, raisingsales by a mere 3 percent.)

solar (adj)

Of, or relating to, the sunThe ancient society kept time with a ... calendar)

intentionally (adv) , intentional (adj) , intent - intention (n) intend (v)

On purpose, not by accident(Danny ... lost his last golf ball because he was tired ofplaying.)

sole (adj) , solely (adv)

Only(Many people have wanted to invest in Harry's publishing business,but he remains the ... owner.)

juxtapose (v) , juxtaposition (n)

Place next to one another , to put side by side. a. It was strange to see the actor Charlton Heston and musician Bob Dylan ...d at the awards ceremony.b. If you ... these two similar flowers, you can see clear differences between them.

accuracy (n) ,accurate (adj), accurately (adv)

Precision; exactness(The research department checks all our articles for ... of facts before we print them.)

expeditiously (adv) , expeditious (adj) , expedite (v), expedition (n)

Quickly and efficiently, to execute promptly; speed upa. The company's large number of orders were ...d when the shipping clerk decided to use an airborne delivery company.b. Using carrier pigeons, the military commanders exchanged messages ....

manipulation (n) , manipulate (v) , manipulative (adj)

Quietly moving , handle or treat skillfullya. Bob's ... of the boss's feelings led to his promotion.b. Scientists must know how to ... their microscopes.*

phonetic (adj) , phonetically (adv) , phonetics (n)

Related to the sounds in a language(Children learning to write often make up ... spellings, basedon the way a word sounds.)

astrological (adj), astrologically (adv), astrology - astrologer (n)

Related to the study of the position of stars, the sun, and the planets in the belief that they influence earthly events(Every day, Mona read her ... forecast in the newspaper,and she was careful if the horoscope predicted trouble.)

ecclesiastical (adj) , ecclesiastically (adv), ecclesiastic (n)

Relating to a church(He was looking specifically for a university where he could study... history.)

paternal

Relating to a father(My mother's parents have both died, but my ... grandparentsare still alive.)

ancestral (adj) , ancestor - ancestry (n)

Relating to family members from earlier generations(Sweden is my ... homeland, from which my greatgrandfatheremigrated in 1922.)

psychic (adj) , psychically (adv) , psychic (n)

Relating to the supposed ability of the human mind to sense things that cannot be observed(The governor's assistant claimed to have unique ... abilitiesenabling him to read people's minds.)

kin - kinship (n)

Relatives(Even though my uncle didn't really like me, he was ...d to me because we were ....)

parochial (adj)

Restricted in outlook; relating to the local parish(Marla moved from her rural community to get away from its... thinking.)

emission (n) , emit (v)

Sending out from a small space into the general environment;a substance discharged into the air(The Environmental Protection Agency regulates the ... ofpollutants into the air.)

discretely (adv) , discrete (adj)

Separately; distinctly(In order to understand how the engine worked, each componentneeded to be studied ....)

delinquency - delinquent (n) , delinquent (adj)

Serious misbehavior; not doing what one should do , an offender; criminal; behind timea. The youthful ... tried to avoid* going to jail.b. Because of his laziness and ..., Lefty was an unreliablefriend.

famine (n)

Severe hunger; a drastic food shortagea. Famine in Africa caused the death of one tenth of the population.*b. There has been a ... of good writing in the last decade.*.

candidate - candidacy (n)

Someone who wants to be chosen, especially in an election,for a positiona. In most U.S. elections, there are only two major-party ...s for president.b. Derek Jeter is a ... for baseball's Hall of Fame.

relic (n)

Something left from a long-ago culture, time period, or person(Relics of the war can still be found in the sand dunes along thisshore.)

reward (n-v)

Something one gets for having done well(The greatest ... of being a parent is to see your child make awise decision.)

constraint (n) , constrain (v)

Something that restricts thought or action(The ...s of military life kept Eileen from seeing Private Morris more than once a month.)

inscription (n) , inscribe (v)

Something written into a piece of rock or metal(The ... on my ring says "August 1," because that was theday of our wedding.)

solidarity (n)

Standing together despite pressure to move apart(Many student groups declared ... with the Latino StudentAssociation in their effort to get a Spanish-speaking principal.)

piracy - pirate (n), pirate (v)

Stealing a ship or taking the ship's cargo; the unlawful copyingof books, CDs, etc.(The software company constantly battled ....)

parsimonious (adj), parsimoniously (adv)

Stingy, cheapa. The millionaire resented being called ....b. Parsimonious all his life, Miller left all his wealth to the Red Cross.

cease (v) , cessation (n), ceaseless (adj)

Stopa. Cease trying to do more than you can.b.The lightning continued even after the thunder had ...d.

rigor (n) , rigorous (adj)

Strictness; difficult situations that come from following rules strictly(The wrestler followed his diet with ....)

prevailing (adj) , prevail (v), prevalence (n)

Strongest or most common(The ... attitude among our neighbors is to be friendly butnot too friendly.)

anesthesia (n) , anesthetic (n - adj)

Techniques for reducing sensation and feeling, especiallyto control pain(The Civil War was the first American war when ... waswidely used in surgery on soldiers.)

cremation (n) , cremate (v)

The act of burning the dead(Cremation is particularly common in Japan, where land for burial isvery limited.)

curriculum (n)

The courses of study offered by an educational institution(The teachers met to design a new ... for the IntensiveEnglish Program.)

cast (n - v)

The group of actors in a play, movie, television show, etc.(Some viewers mistakenly start thinking that a TV show's ... members are really the characters they play.)

photosynthesis (n) , photosynthesize (v)

The process by which green plants make their own food by combining water, salts, and carbon dioxide in the presence of light.Oxygen is a by-product of the process of ....

combustion (n) , combust (v), combustible (adj)

The process of burning(When air quality is poor, ... of materials in a fireplace isprohibited.)

status quo (n)

The systems and conditions that exist now(Let's just maintain the status quo until we can think of a better way.)

forensics (n) , forensic (adj)

The use of science and technology to investigate facts in criminal cases(Advances in the study of ... have made it much easier toidentify criminals from very small traces of evidence.)

equity (n)

The value of one's share in an investment(Barnard's ... in the business was one-third, or about $350,000.)

inheritance (n) , inherit (v)

Things passed down to you from your ancestors(My ... from my grandmother included her favoritenecklace.)

haggle (v)

To argue back and forth about a price(The customer and the shopkeeper ...d over the silver plate formore than an hour.)

assail (v) , assault - assailant (n)

To attack or criticize forcefully(With DNA evidence from the crime scene, the defense lawyer...ed the police for falsely arresting his client.)

tolerate (v) , toleration - tolerance (n), * tolerant (adj)

To avoid getting upset about something, * accepting, enduring.a. My math teacher ...s a lot of talking in her class, but my history teacher tells us to be quiet.b. * San Franciscans have a tolerant attitude about lifestyles: "Live and let live" seems to be their motto.

corrode (v) , corrosion (n) , * corrosive (adj)

To be slowly weakened by chemical reactions, * eating away, gnawing, or destroying. a.* Years of poverty and hard work had a corrosive effect on her beauty.b.Sitting in salt water, the old coins ...d and became very easy to break .

fossilize (v) , fossilization - fossil (n)

To become preserved in clay or stone or ash after death, so that a natural record is left of the original organism; to become rigid and stuck in old ways(The dinosaur eggs had ...d over thousands of years)

shrink (v) , shrinkage (n), shrinkable (adj)

To become reduced in size, amount, or value(If you dry your clothing on the "high heat" setting, they may ....)

inaugurate (v) , inauguration (n), inaugural (adj)

To bring into public office; to start formally(The U.S. president is elected in November but is not ...duntil the following January.)

accumulate (v) , accumulation (n) , * cumulative (adj)

To build up a large amount of something , * made up of successive additions. a. Smallpox was eliminated only through the cumulative efforts of several generations of doctors and scientists.b. Over several generations, the Hardington family ...d vastwealth by buying and selling land.

invoke (v) , invocation (n)

To call on for support(In many religions, believers ... their god by holding out theirhands.)

apprehend (v) , apprehension (n)

To capture(The police ...ed the robbery suspect as he tried to get on abus to Chicago.)

contest (v - n)

To challenge(Dave Roper, who narrowly lost the mayor's race, ...ed the results, demanding a recount of the votes.)

amend (v) , amendment (n)

To change for the better(The residents voted to ... their neighborhood policy on fences.)

fluctuate (v) , fluctuation (n)

To change often, from one condition to another(Earth's climate ...s between warm periods and cold periods.)

intervene (v) , intervention (n)

To come between(A good mediator ...s only as much as necessary to settle adispute between other parties)

collide (v) , collision (n)

To come together with great or violent force(As usual, their holiday was ruined when their in-laws' views on politics ...d with their own.)

contemplate (v) , contemplation (n), contemplative (adj)

To consider thoughtfully(If you ... each step for so long, we will never complete this project on time)

haunt (n - v)

To continually appear (in the form of a ghost) in the same place or to the same person.(The pictures of children dying in war have ...ed me for a longtime)

convict (v - n) , conviction (n)

To decide that someone is guilty of a crime(Dean was ...ed of assault after the jury saw a video of himstriking another man.)

evolve (v), evolution (n), evolutionist (n)

To develop; to come forth(Modern-day sharks ...d from their ancestor Eryops, which livedmore than 200 million years ago.)

vanish (v)

To disappear suddenlya. Even in California the sun will sometimes ... behind a cloud.b. Not even a powerful witch can make a jealous* lover ....

inhibit (v) , inhibition (n)

To discourage or to slow down(This lotion will ... the itching caused by mosquito bites.)

be inclined to (v) , incline (n), inclination (n)

To favor an opinion or a course of action(He couldn't say which candidate he favored, but he had alwaysbeen ...d to vote Republican.)

decipher (v)

To figure out the meaning, even though it is written in a code or an unknown language(The Rosetta Stone helped archaeologists ... ancient Egyptianwriting.)

devise (v), device (n)

To find a way to make an object or a plan, think out; plan; inventa. The burglars ...d a scheme for entering the bank at night.b. I would like to ... a method for keeping my toes from becoming numb* while I am ice skating.

poll (v - n)

To find out a small group's opinion so that you can guess whata much larger group thinks(The newspaper ...ed 500 registered voters and found that only 27percent were in favor of expanding the city zoo.)

coerce (v) , coercion (n), coercive (adj)

To force; to restrain or dominate by forcea. Policemen were stationed along the parade route to ... the crowd and keep order.b. A criminal's confession is not usable in court if the police ...him or her into giving it.

compensate (v) , compensation (n), compensatory (adj)

To give an employee money or other things in exchange for the work he or she does(My pay doesn't properly ... me for my efforts, but myother benefits, like health insurance, fill in the gap.)

rebel (v - n) , rebellion (n)

To go against an established system or authority(The people of Ghurdia ...led against the dictator and set up anew government)

plunge (v - n)

To go down suddenly; to decrease by a great amount in ashort time(He jumped off the diving board and ...d into the pool.)

smuggle (v) , smuggler - smuggling (n)

To illegally bring things into a country(The pirate Ben Dewar ...d guns to British and Indian fightersin North America.)

inject (v) , injection (n)

To insert a liquid by means of a syringe(The doctor used a needle to ... the medicine slowly into her arm.)

oppress (v) , oppression (n)

To keep down by force; to weigh heavily on(Factory management ...ed workers through intimidation.)

persevere (adj) , persist (v), perseverance(n)

To keep going, despite obstacles or discouragement; to maintain a purposea. The hikers ...d despite the bad weather and the icy trail.b. Although several of her teammates dropped out of the marathon, Laura ...d.

retain (v) , retainer (n), retention (n)

To keep or hold(The rain fell so heavily that the banks of the river could not ...all the water.)

abandon (v) , abandonment (n)

To leave; to give up(To save their lives, the sailors had to ... the sinking ship.)

integrally - integrity - integral (n) ,integrate (v), integral (adj)

To lie over part of something; to have elements in common , honesty, uprightness; soundness, completeness. "Honest Abe" a. Lincoln is considered a model of political ....b. Writing and spelling are taught ... as part of the readingprogram.

overlap (v - n)

To lie over part of something; to have elements in common(One of the two assistants will likely get fired, since most of their duties)in the office ....

hypothesize (v) , hypothesis (n), hypothetical (adj)

To make a guess, the correctness of which will eventuallybe investigated systematically .(Scientists ... that planets capable of supporting life existbeyond our solar system, but they have not yet seen any.)

impoverish (v) , impoverishment (n)

To make a person or group poor(The collapse of the steel industry ...ed several counties ineastern Ohio.)

annex (v - n) , annexation (n)

To make something (usually land) part of another unit(Bardstown grew by ...ing several farms at the north edge oftown.)

impair (v) , impairment (n)

To make something less effective than usual(The snow ...ed John's ability to hear anyone's footsteps.)

domesticate (v) , domestic (adj)

To make something suitable for being in a home(The Barnes family hoped to ... the tiger, but their neighbors were skeptical.)

ascertain (v)

To make sure of(The police failed to ... that the man they arrested was theGregory Brown they were really looking for.)

implement (v) , implement (n), implementation (n)

To make use of; to carry out(Not until after the new software was installed could we ...the new filing system.)

denote (v) , denotation (n)

To mean something clearly and directly(An "X"next to a name on this list ...s a person who has beenchosen for the soccer team.)

shuttle (v - n)

To move back and forth often between two places(The small jet ...s between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore nearlyevery two hours)

circulate (v) , circulation (n)

To move throughout an area or group; ,go around; go from place to place or person to persona. The gossip ...d quickly through the small town.b. My father ...d among the guests at the party and made them feel comfortable.

seep (v)

To pass slowly for a long time, as a liquid or gas might(As the containers rusted, the toxic waste ...ed into the ground.)

exalt (v) , exaltation (n)

To praise or honor(He would often ... the virtues of his new wife.)

detain (v) , detention - detainee (n)

To prevent someone, for a relatively short time, from going on their way(The police ...ed at least 20 men for questioning, but chargednone of them with a crime)

safeguard (v)

To protect(A burglar-alarm system ...s our house when we go away on vacation.)

mobilize (v) , mobilization (n)

To put members of a group into motion(After a terrible storm, the governor ...d the National Guardto rescue victims.)

degrade (v) , degradation (n), degradable (adj)

To reduce in value or strength(The roads in cold or wet areas of the United States ... fasterthan those in warm, sunny regions.)

meditate (v) , meditation (n)

To reflect; to think quietly and deeply for a long time(Every morning, the monks ...d for three hours in completesilence.)

resist (v) , resistance (n), resistant (adj)

To refuse to give in to a strong force or desire(Although many native nations ...ed, the U.S. government eventually took over almost all Indian land.)

associate (v - n) , association (n)

To regularly spend time together(Carol doesn't ... with people who smoke)

unleash (v)

To release a thing or an emotion(When they saw the strange man on their property, they ...edtheir dogs.)

accuse (v) , accusation (n)

To say that someone did something wrong (e.g., committed a crime)(Jordan was ...d of using a stolen credit card to buy about $300worth of electronic equipment.)

implant (v) , implantation (n)

To set in firmly; to insert in the body surgically(The actress had cheek ...s to make her face look fuller.)

trigger (v - n)

To set off or initiate(I was certain any mention of politics would ... a big argument.)

depict (v) , depiction (n)

To show in pictures , represent by drawing or painting; describea. The artist and the author both tried to ... the sunset's beauty.b. Mr. Salinger ...ed the juvenile* character with great accuracy.*

condemn (v) , condemnation (n)

To speak out against something in very strong terms(Religious radicals ...ed the government for allowing alcoholto be sold in restaurants.)

advocate (v - n)

To speak out in favor of something(Some environmentalists ... removing large dams from theColumbia River.)

fortify (v) , fortification (n)

To strengthen , become stronger(The high-priced drink had extra vitamins and minerals to ...the body.)

implicate (v) , implication (n)

To suggest that someone was involved in a crime or other wrong behavior(No group claimed responsibility for the bombing, but the type ofexplosive used ...s the Heartland Freedom Militia)

fertilize (v) , fertilizer (n), fertilization (n)

To supply with nourishment for plants by adding helpfulsubstances to the soil(This farm ...s tomatoes more than any other crop.)

exploit (v) , exploitation (n), exploitive (adj)

To take advantage of; to treat inconsiderately in order to profit(The company tried to ... the low interest rates to expand operations.)

seize (v) , seizure (n)

To take something against its owner's will(Federal agents can ... private homes and other property possibly used in the production or sale of illegal drugs.)

confide (v) , confidence - confidant (n), confidential (adj)

To tell very personal things , someone entrusted with another's secrets. a. No one knew about Janee's engagement except Sarah, her ....b. Teenagers are more willing to ... in a friend than in a parent.

dispose of (v) disposal (n), disposable (adj)

To throw away; to get rid of; to kill(She disposed of her unwanted possessions before moving.The tyrant cruelly disposed of all his enemies.)

deify (v) , deity (n)

To worship as a god(When people ... the leader of their country, the leader is able toabuse power more easily.)

de facto (adj - adv) .

Truly doing a job, even if not officially(Popular support established the Citizens Party as the de factogovernment.)

illiterate (adj - n) , illiteracy (n)

Unable to read(In many villages nearly everyone was ... and unschooled, andthe few who could read held great power.)

incompetent (adj) , incompetently (adv) , incompetence (n)

Unskilled; lacking the ability to perform a task(Because we hired an ... builder to replace our roof, wenow have leaks everywhere)

merit (n - v) , meritorious (adj)

Value; success based on one's work, not on luck(Pay raises at our company are based on ..., as determined by acommittee of managers.)

hilarious (adj) , hilarity (n)

Very funny(In my opinion, the most ... character on television was BasilFawlty.)

precipitation (n)

Water that falls to the Earth's surface(In the Pacific Northwest, the high level of ... ensures rich,green plant life.)

decrepit (adj)

Weakened or worn out because of age, illness, or excessive use(The once-beautiful building was now dirty, ..., and roofless.)

affluence (n) , affluent (adj)

Wealth and the style of life that goes with it ,rich; a. Some parents think that children are living in an ... society with too many games and toys.b. Mohadzir grew up amid ..., which poorly prepared him forhis grad student days in crowded apartments with no servants.

industrious (adj) , industriously (adv) , industriousness (n)

Willing to work hard(The Dutch settlements in Ottawa County were founded by ... farmers who objected to frivolous behavior such as dancing.)

consciously - conscious (adj) , consciousness (n)

With awareness of one's actions(He may have hurt her feelings, but he never would have done so....)

implicitly (adv) , implicit (adj)

Without being stated; unquestioningly ,understood without being openly expressed; implieda. By joining the competition, she agreed ... to the rules.b. Although most clubs had no rules excluding blacks and Jews, many had an ... that no blacks or Jews would be allowed to join.

secular (adj)

Worldly rather than spiritual; not related to religion(Few private schools in the United States are ....)

tenet (n)

a belief, opinion, doctrine or principle held to be true by a person,group, or organization. (This pamphlet describes the ...s of Amnesty International)

rancor (n) , rancorous (adj) , rancorously (adv)

a bitter feeling of ill will, long-lasting resentment. expressing bitter hostility. a. Many Americans are disgusted by recent political campaigns, which seem more ...ous than ever before.b.Greg is full of ... towards his brother, and this causes tension at family gatherings.

reptile (n - adj)

a cold blooded animal that creeps or crawls; snakes, lizards, turtles, alligators, and crocodilesa. The lizard is a ... with a very slender* body.b. Reptiles are kept in the museum's large hall.

non sequitur (n)

a conclusion that does not logically follow from the evidence.(Marcus's argument started off strong, but it degenerated into aseries of non sequiturs.)

gestalt (n - v)

a configuration or pattern of elements so unified as a whole that it cannot be described merely as a sum of its parts.(Rock is a ...ist who left the Gestalt circle and came up with his own theory.)

imbroglio (n)

a confused or difficult situation, usually involving a disagreement or misunderstanding.(In Shakespeare's comedies, there is often an ... caused by a case of mistaken identity.)

critique (n - v)

a critical evaluation. (The editor gave a detailed ... of the manuscript, explaining its strengths and its weaknesses.)

venture (n - v)

a daring undertaking; an attempt to make money by taking business risks; to dare; to expose to riska. Ulysses was a man who would not reject* any ..., nomatter how dangerous.b. Medics ... their lives to save wounded soldiers.

corpse (n)

a dead body, usually of a persona. When given all the data* on the ..., the professor was ableto solve the murder.b. The ... was laid to rest in the vacant* coffin

discrepancy (n), discrepant (adjective).

a difference or variance between two or more things. (The discrepancies between the two witnesses' stories show that one of them must be lying.)

debate (n - v)

a discussion in which reasons for and against something are brought outa. The ... between the two candidates was heated.b. Debate in the U.S. Senate lasted for five days.

diversion (n), divert (v)

a distraction or pastime. (During the two hours he spent in the doctor's waiting room, his hand-held computer game was a welcome ....)

consternation (n)

a feeling of deep, incapacitating horror or dismay.shock, amazementa. Much to her parents' ..., she had decided to not go to college..b. When a voice in the back of the church shouted out, "I know why they should not be married!" the entire gathering was thrown into ....

euphoria (n) , euphoric (adj) , euphorically (adv)

a feeling of extreme happiness and well-being; elation.a. elation. One often feels ... during the earliest days of a new love affair.b. When falling in love, it is not uncommon to experience feelings of ....

malaise (n)

a feeling of illness or unease.not being healthy or happy .(After several tests, Wella finally learned the cause of her ...: She was allergic to her new Siamese cat.)

oxymoron (n)

a figure of speech containing a seemingly contradictorycombination of expressions, such as friendly fire. (The term nonworking mother is a contemptible ....)

questionnaire (n)

a form or a document that contains a series of questions to be answered(Users were involved in the design of a ... developed for one study)

eulogy (n)

a formal speech or piece of writing in praise of someone or something. a speech or writing of high praisea. The ... the student delivered at his teacher's funeral brought tears to the eyes of the mourners.b. He delivered a moving ... at his father's funeral.

hiatus (n) , hiatal (adj)

a gap or opening; an interruption or break .(steam was rising from an ... in the ground)

debacle (n)

a great disaster or complete failure , a sudden disaster or collapse(a sudden disaster or collapse)

multitude (n)

a great number; a crowd , plenty, great numbera. A ... of letters kept pouring in to the movie idol.*b. The fleeing* culprit* was pursued* by a fierce* ....

conundrum (n) , enigma (n)

a hard riddle, a puzzling question or problem.a. Alex's logic professor gave the class a ... to work on over the weekend.b. The question of why an all-powerful, all-loving God allows evil to exist is a ... many philosophers have pondered.

hoard (v - n)

a large amount of something valuable that is kept hidden ,reservoir, store .(keeps a ... of empty yogurt containers in his basement workshop for storing whatnots)

legion (n)

a large group of soldiers.(Legions of people came to see him perform.)

demagogue (n-v) , demagoguery (n)

a leader who plays to peoples' emotions and uses prejudices to gain power.a. The dictator was widely regarded as an infamous ....b. Senator Joseph McCarthy was labeled a ... who used the paranoia of the anti-Communist 1950s as a way of seizing fame and power in Washington.

pundit (n)

a learned person or scholar; one who is an authority on a subject. someone who offers opinions in an authoritative style. a. The Sunday afternoon talk shows are filled with ...s, each with his or her own theory about this week's political news.b. The journalist consulted several legal ...s before drafting the article.

mortgage (n - v)

a loan taken to purchase property and guaranteed by the same property.(He will have to take out a ... in order to buy the house.)

deduction (n), deduce (v)

a logical conclusion, especially a specific conclusion based on general principles. (Based on what is known about the effects of greenhouse gases on atmospheric temperature, scientists have made several ...s about the likelihood of global warming.)

tirade (n)

a long, angry, often highly critical speech; a violent denunciationor condemnation. (Since Andre was known for his temper, his ... did not surprise his roommate.)

bachelor - bachelorhood - bachelorship (n)

a man who has not marrieda. My brother took an oath* to remain a ....b. In the movie, the married man was mistaken for a ....

mélange (n)

a mixture or assortment.blend.(The eclectic ... of people at the party made for a scintillating evening.)

brawl (n - v)

a noisy quarrel or fight , quarrel, tiff, scuffle, altercationa. The journalist* covered all the details of the ... in the park.b. Larry dreaded* a ... with his father over finding a job.

guffaw (n)

a noisy, coarse burst of laughter.horselaugh, roar, hee-haw(Michael let out quite a ... when Jamal told him the outlandish joke.)

epicurean (adj-n )

a person devoted to the pursuit of pleasure and luxury, especially the enjoyment of good food and comfort .(While on vacation at a posh resort hotel, Joan became a true ....)

supplicant (n -adj)

a person who asks humbly for something; one who beseeches or entreats. (The ...s begged for forgiveness.)

chauvinist (n)

a person who believes in the superiority of his or her own kind; an extreme nationalist.(Though common in the early days of the women's movement, male ...s are pretty rare today.)

superintendent (n)

a person who directs or manages a place, department, organization, etc; a high rank in a police department or a person who has this rank; a person who is in charge of cleaning, maintaining, and repairing a building(the office of the ... of parks issues camping permits)

censor (v) ,censorial (adj)

a person who examines books, movies, letters, etc., and removes things that are considered to be offensive, immoral, harmful to society, etca. Some governments, national and local, ... books.b. . Any mention of the former prime minister was outlawed* by the....)

reactionary (n -adj)

a person who favors political conservativism; one who is opposed to progress or liberalism. (It should be an interesting marriage: he's a ... and she's as liberal as they come)

parvenu (n - adj)

a person who has suddenly risen to a higher social or economic status but has not been socially accepted by others in that class; anupstart.(the kind of trophy house that a ... buys to prove to people, and to himself, that he has indeed arrived)

chiropractor (n)

a person who treats ailments by massage and manipulation of the vertebrae and other forms of therapy on the theory* that disease results from interference with the normal functioning of the nervous systema. . Mrs. Lehrer confirmed* that a ... had been treating her.b. The ... recommended hot baths between treatments.

oath (n)

a promise that something is true; a curse .(In court, the witness took an ... that he would tell the whole truth.)

adage (n)

a proverb , saying, ..., aphorisma. We often find out that the ... "haste makes waste" is true.b. Parents often teach their children by reciting ...s, such as, "a stitch in time saves nine."

vigil (n)

a quiet gathering, usually during normal sleeping hours.(kept ... at their ailing son's bedside the entire time he was in the hospital)

incursion (n) , incursive (adj)

a raid or temporary invasion of someone else's territory;the act of entering or running into a territory or domain. (There was an ... on the western border of their country.)

recidivism (n) , recidivist (adj)

a relapse or backslide, especially into antisocial or criminal behavior after conviction and punishment.( Allowing prisoners to earn their GED or a college degree has been shown to greatly reduce ....)

detour (n - v)

a roundabout way , convolution, gyration, coilinga. Pop was uneasy* about taking the ... in this strange town.b. In order to evade* city traffic, Anthony took a ....

precept (n)

a rule establishing standards of conduct. (The headmaster reviewed the ...s of the school with the students)

fugitive (n - adj)

a runaway , absconder , someone trying to escape.a. Paul was a ... from the slums, abandoned* by all his friends.b. The ...s from the unsuccessful revolution were captured.

lottery (n)

a scheme for distributing prizes by lot or chancea. The merit* of a ... is that everyone has an equal chance.b. We thought that a ... was an absurd* way of deciding whoshould be the team captain.

schism (n)

a separation or division into factions because of a difference in belief or opinion. (The ... between the two parties was forgotten as they united around a common cause.)

vessel (n)

a ship; a hollow container; tube containing body fluida. The Girl Scouts were permitted a glimpse* of the ... beingbuilt when they toured the Navy Yard.b. My father burst a blood ... when he got the bill from thegarage.

verse (n - v)

a short division of a chapter in the Quran or Bible ; a single line or a group of lines of poetrya. ( Several ...s of a religious nature were contained in the document.*)

glimpse (n - v)

a short, quick view , look(This morning we caught our first ... of the beautiful shoreline.)

siege (n)

a situation in which soldiers or police officers surround a city, building, etc., in order to try to take control of it.(The castle was built to withstand a ....)

trifle (adv - n - v)

a small amount; little bit; something of little valuea. I ate a ... for dinner rather than a vast* meal.b. Walter spends only a ... of his time in studying French.

morsel (n - v)

a small bite; mouthful; tiny amounta. Suzanne was reluctant* to try even a ... of the lobster.b. If you had a ... of intelligence, you would be uneasy,* too.

capsule (n)

a small case or coveringa. The small ... contained notes the spy had written after themeeting.b. A new, untested medicine was detected* in the ... by thepolice scientists

philistine (n -adj)

a smug, ignorant person; someone who is uncultured and commonplace. (Richards thinks he is cosmopolitan, but he's really just a ....)

camaraderie (n)

a spirit of friendship. ..., intimacy, nearness(Spending long days and nights together onthe road, the members of a traveling theater group develop a strong sense of ...).

criterion (n)

a standard on which a judgment may be based; a measurea. Tasty food is the ... for a popular fast-food restaurantb. Professional organizations usually determine the major ... for membership.

xenophobia (n)

a strong dislike, distrust, or fear of foreigners.(Many atrocities have been committed because of ....)

sophomore (n)

a student in the second year of high school or college(She's a ... in high school.)

quid pro quo (n)

a thing given in return for something; an equal exchange or substitution.reparation, indemnification, remuneration, restitution(I won't agree to any deal that isn't quid pro quo—it must be a win-win arrangement.)

scintilla (n) , scintillant (adj)

a trace or particle; minute amount, iota. (She has not one ... of doubt about his guilt)

ambush (n - v)

a trap in which soldiers or other enemies hide to make a surprise attack , snarea. The ... became a tragedy* for those who attempted itbecause they were all killed.b. General Taylor raved* about the ingenious* ... he planned.

platitude (n) , platitudinous (adj) , platitudinous (adv)

a trite or banal statement, especially one uttered as if it were new. (Matthew offered me several ...s but no real advice.)

peccadillo (n)

a trivial offense, a small sin or fault. (Don't make such a big deal out of a little ....)

pauper (adj - n)

a very poor person , indigent, needy, destitutea. The fire that destroyed his factory made Mr. Bloomson a ....b. The richest man is a ... if he has no friends.

tragedy (n)

a very sad or terrible happening; a sad playa. It was a ... that some pioneers* were killed on their waywest.b. Harry's enormous* jealousy* led to the ... in their family.

iota (n)

a very small amount; the smallest possible quantity.(there's not an ... of doubt regarding the defendant's guilt)

miscreant (n - adj)

a villain, criminal; evil person. (The ... had eluded the police for months, but today he was finally captured.)

pedantic (adj) , pedantically (adv)

a walker adj. marked by a narrow, tiresome focus on or display of learning, especially of rules or trivial matters. ( Her lessons were so ... that I found I was easily bored.)

pedestrian (adj) , pedestrianism (n)

a walker. adj. commonplace, trite; unremarkable, unimaginative, dull. a. After driving a bus all day, Norris liked to be a ... andtake long, casual* walks in the evening.b. The police say it is urgent* that ...s stay on the sidewalk .

sulphur (n - v)

a yellow chemical element that has a strong, unpleasant odor when it is burned and that is used in making paper, gunpowder, medicine, etc.

dearth (n)

a. there was a ... of usable firewood at the campsiteb. the ... of salesclerks at the shoe store annoyed us

adaptable (adj), adapt (verb), adaptation (noun).

able to be changed to be suitable for a new purpose. (Some scientists say that the mammals outlived the dinosaurs because they were more ... to a changing climate.)

arable (adj - n)

able to be cultivated for growing crops. (Rocky New England has relatively little ... farmland.)

audible (adj) , audibly (adv) , audibility (n)

able to be hearda. From across the room, the teacher's voice was barely ....b. Commands from Ann's drill sergeant were always easily ....

visible (adj) , visibly (adv)

able to be seen , apparent, visionala. The ship was barely ... through the dense fog.b. Before the stars are ..., the sky has to become quite dark.

abide (v)

accept and follow out; remain faithful to; dwell; endurea. The team decided unanimously* to ... by the captain's ruling.b. My mother cannot ... dirt and vermin.*

acquainted (adj)

accustom, familiarize, initiate, introduce, orient, orientateThis class is designed to acquaint students with the region's most important writers.

inured (v)

accustomed to, adapted .(Trisha had become ... to her boss's criticism, and it no longer bothered her.)

repetition (n)

act of doing or saying again , recurrence, duplicationa. After a ... of his costly mistake, Jerry was fired from his job.b. Any ... of such unruly* behavior will be punished.

drastic (adj), drastically (adv)

acting with force or violence* , violent, fierce, severe, vehementa. The police took ... measures to end the crime wave.b. In the interests of justice,* ... action must be taken.

rash (adj - n)

adj . something done or said too fast , too hasty or carelessn. a breaking out with many small red spots on the skin;a. Poison ivy causes a ....b. It is ... to threaten an action you cannot carry out.

occult (adj -n - v)

adj. 1. secret, hidden, concealed. 2. involving the realm of the supernatural. 3. beyond ordinary understanding, incomprehensible. (The embezzler was good at keeping his financial records ... from the authorities. )

narcissism (n)

admiration or worship of oneself; excessive interest in one's own personal features.self-involvement, selfishness.(Some critics say that movie stars are guilty of ....)

acknowledge (v) , acknowledgeable (adj)

admit to be true , confess 1. District Attorney Hogan got the man to ... that he hadlied in court.2. "I hate living alone," the bachelor* ...d.

jealous (adj) , jealously (adv)

afraid that the one you love might prefer someone else; wanting what someone else has .(Although my neighbor just bought a new car, I am not ... ofhim.)

consent (v -n)

agree; give permission or approvala. My teacher ...ed to let our class leave early.b. David would not ... to our plan.

conformity (n), conform (verb), conformist (adjective).

agreement with or adherence to custom or rule. obedience(In my high school,... was the rule: everyone dressed the same, talked the same, and listened to the same music.)

solitary ( adj - n)

alone; single; only , isolated, privatea. Sid's ... manner kept him from making new friendships.c. The convict went into a rage* when he was placed in a ...cell.

surplus (adj - n)

amount over and above what is needed; excess, extraa. The bank keeps a large ... of money in reserve.b. Surplus wheat, cotton, and soybeans are shipped abroad.*

lieutenant (n)

an assistant to another, more powerful person : a person who represents and works for someone else(She has her best ...s working on a proposal.)

adversary (n)

an enemy or opponent. (When the former Soviet Union became an American ally, the United States had lost a major ....)

outlaw (v - n)

an exile; an outcast; a criminal; to declare unlawfula. Congress has ...ed the sale of certain drugs.b. The best-known ... of the American West was Jesse James.

reprobate (n -v - adj)

an immoral or unprincipled person; one without scruples. (Edgar deemed himself a ..., a criminal, and a traitor in his written confession.)

coup (v - n)

an impressive victory or achievement that usually is difficult or unexpected .(It was a major ... when they got the Vice President to appear on their show for an interview)

wasp (n)

an insect with a slender* body and powerful stinga. When the ...s descended* on the picnic, we ran in all directions.b.The piercing* sting of a ... can be very painful.

epidemic (n - adj)

an outbreak of a disease that spreads rapidly* so that many people have it at the same time; widespreada. All of the schools in the city were closed during the ....b. The depiction* ofviolence* in the movies has reached ...proportions.

pariah (n)

an outcast, a rejected and despised person. outcast; person who is shunned by othersa. Labeled a ... by his colleagues, Davis resigned from the company.b. For falsifying his stories, the reporter became a ....

plethora (n)

an overabundance, extreme excess. (There was a ... of food at the reception.)

imprecation (n) , imprecatory (adj)

anathema, ban, execration, curse, malediction . damn, execration(In the book I'm reading, the gypsy queen levies an ... on the lead character.)

primeval (adj) , primevally (adv)

ancient, original, belonging to the earliest ages. (The ... art found in the caves was discovered by accident)

ire (n) , irefully (adv) ,

anger, wrath.fret, resentment, ..., pique .(I was filled with ... when Vladimir tried to take credit for mywork.)

torrent (n)

any violent, rushing stream; flooda. A massive* rain was coming down in ...s.b. In the debate,* a ... of questions was asked.

obstacle (n)

anything that gets in the way or hinders; impediment; obstructiona. Ignorance* is an ... to progress.b. Prejudice* is often an ... to harmony* among people.

bait (n - v)

anything, especially food, used to attract fish or other animals so that they may be caught; anything used to tempt or attract a person to begin something he or she does not wish to do; to put ... on (a hook) or in (a trap); torment by unkind or annoying remarksa. The secret of successful trout fishing is finding the right ....

felicitous (adj) , felicitously (adv) , felicity (n)

apt, suitably expressed, apropos., marked by good fortune. delightful(a ... accompaniment to dinner is provided by a harpist on weekends at the restaurant)

posthumous (adj), posthumously (adv)

arising or occurring after one's deatha. The ... award was presented to Hartley's widow.b. Melville's last novel was published ...ly.

seditious (adj) , seditiously (adv) , seditiousness (n)

arousing to insurrection or rebellion; engaging in or promoting sedition -conduct or language which incites resistance or oppositionto lawful authority.(Toby's ... behavior nearly started a riot at the town meeting.)

ersatz (n)

artificial, bogus, dummy, imitation, factitious, fake, false(like everything else the restaurant served, the whipped cream on the dessert was ...)

succor (n - v)

assistance or relief in time of difficulty or distress. v. to provideassistance or relief in time of difficulty or distress. (The Red Cross and other relief organizations provide ... to the needy during natural disasters.)

cognizant (adj), cognizance (n)

aware, mindful. (Cognizant of the fact that it was getting late, the master of ceremonies cut short the last speech.)

misfortune (n) , calamity (n)

bad luck , catastrophe , disaster , serious troublea. Failure in one test should not be regarded as a ....b. I had the ... of working for a greedy* man

surly (adj) , surlily (adv) , surliness (n)

bad-tempered, gruff, or unfriendly in a way that suggests menace. (Emily received a ... greeting from the normally cheerful receptionist)

crux (n)

basis, foundation, base , the central or critical point or feature(The ... of the trial was her whereabouts at the time of the burglary.)

excel (v)

be better than; do better thana. Because he was so small, Larry could not ... in sports.b. At least Hannah had the security* of knowing that she ...led inswimming.

perish (v)

be destroyed; die , endear, checkmatea. Unless the plant gets water for its roots to absorb,* it will ....b. Custer and all his men ...ed at the Little Big Horn.

qualify (v) , qualifiable (adj) , qualifyingly (adv)

become fit; show that you are able( I am trying to ... for the job that is now vacant.*)

dwindle (v)

become smaller and smaller; shrinka. Our supply of unpolluted* water has ...d.b. With no visible* signs of their ship, hopes for the men's safety...d with each passing hour.

commence (v)

begin; start , DÉBUTER, INITIALISER, ENTAMERa. Graduation will ... at ten o'clock.b. Bella hesitated* before commencing her speech.

pivotal (adj) , pivotally (adv)

being of vital importance, crucial. (We are at a ... point in the negotiations and must proceed very carefully; the wrong move now could ruin everything. )

par excellence (adj)

being the best or truest of its kind, quintessential; having the highest degree of excellence, beyond comparison. (Bob Hope was an entertainer par excellence. )

subliminal (adj) , subliminally (adv)

below the threshold of consciousness. (Subliminal advertising is devious but effective)

wager (n - v)

beta. I lost a small ... on the Super Bowl.b. After winning the ..., Tex treated everyone to free drinks.

tendentious (adj), tendentiously (adv), tendentiousness (n)

biased, not impartial, partisan; supporting a particular cause or position. (The ... proposal caused an uproar on the Senate floor.)

massive (adj) , massively (adv)

big and heavy; large and solid; bulkya. The boss asked some employees* to lift the ... box.b. From lifting weights, Willie had developed ... arm muscles.

insouciant (adj) , insouciantly (adv) , insouciance (n)

blithely unconcerned or carefree; nonchalant,indifferent.(Julian's ... attitude about his finances will get him in troublesomeday.)

pamphlet (n)

booklet, manual, handbook(...s about common safety precautions that we all can put into use)

ennui (n)

boredom and listlessness resulting from something tediousor uninteresting.(The tour guide's façade of enthusiasm could not hide his ....)

éclat (n)

bourgeois,glory, radiance, magnificence or conspicuous success; great acclaim or applause .(Even the ruinous deceit of the envious Salieri could not impede the dazzling ... of the young and gifted Mozart)

valiant (adj), valiantly (adv), valiance (n)

brave; courageous , gritty, stout, dauntlessa. Robin Hood was ... and faced his opponents* without fear.b. The ... paratroopers led the invasion.

gallant (adj) , gallantly (adv)

brave; showing respect for women .a. The pilot swore a ... oath* to save his buddy.b. Many ... knights entered the contest to win the princess

valor (n)

bravery; couragea. The ... of the Vietnam veterans deserves the highestcommendation.*b. No one will dispute* the ... ofWashington's men at Valley Forge.

effrontery (n)

brazen boldness, impudence, insolence ,impertinence, sauce , shameless . a. The sports world was shocked when a pro basketball player had the ... to choke his head coach during a practice session.b. the little squirt had the ... to deny eating any cookies, even with the crumbs still on his lips.

laconic - succinct (adj) , laconically - succinctly(adv) .

brief and to the point; terse, concise, often to the point of being curt or brusque.(Zse's ... reply made it clear that he did not want to discuss the matter any further.)

vignette (n)

brief description or depiction, especially a short literary sketch or scene or ornamental sketch in a book. (The film is a series of interrelated ...s rather than one continuous narrative.)

revive (v) , revivability (n) , revivable (adj)

bring back or come back to life or consciousness , enliven, inspirit, renovate, restore, resurrecta. There is a movement to ... old plays for modern audiences.b. The nurses tried to ... the heart attack victim.

prosecute (v) , prosecutable (adj)

bring before a court; follow up; carry ona. Drunken drivers should be ...d.b. The general ...d the war with vigor.*

catalytic (adj), catalyze (v)

bringing about, causing, or producing some result. (The conditions for revolution existed in America by 1765; the disputes about taxation that arose later were the ... events that sparked the rebellion.)

expansive (adj)

broad and large; speaking openly and freely. (The actor's ranch is located on an ... tract of land in Texas. Over dinner, she became ... in describing her dreams for the future.)

ebullient (adj) , ebulliently (adv) , ebullience (n)

bubbling over with enthusiasm, exuberant ,zealous, keen, passionate , eager(The ... children were waiting to stick their hands into the grab bag and pull out a toy.)

scorch (v - n)

burn slightly; dry up; criticize sharplya. The hot iron ...ed the tablecloth.b. Farmers reported that their wheat was being ...ed by thefierce* rays of the sun.

equanimity (n)

calmness of temperament, eventemperedness; patience and composure, especially under stressful circumstances.(The hostage negotiator's ... during the stand-off was remarkable)

reckless (adj) , recklessly (adv)

careless; heedless; wild , neglecteda. We must not ignore* ... drivers; we must take them off theroad.b. The ... smoker ignited* the entire forest.

ostracize (v) , ostracism (n)

cast out from a group or from society. to exclude from a group.a. Kendall was ...d after he repeatedly stole from his friends .b. In Biblical times, those who suffered from the disease of leprosy were ...d and forced to live alone.

torment (n - v), tormentingly (adv)

cause very great pain to; worry or annoy very much; cause of verygreat pain; very great paina. Persistent* headaches ...ed him.b. The illustrations* in our history text show the ...s suffered by the victims of the French Revolution.

divisive (adj)

causing disagreement or disunity. (Throughout history, race has been the most ... issue in American society.)

lethal (adj)

causing or able to cause death , deadly, fatal, ..., deathly(a potentially ... dose of a drug)

awesome (adj) , awesomely (adv)

causing or showing great fear, wonder, or respecta. The towering mountains, covered with snow, are an ...sight.b. The atom bomb is an ... achievement for mankind.

ineluctable (adj) , ineluctably (adv) , ineluctability (n)

certain, inevitable; not to be avoided or overcome.(The ... outcome of the two-person race was that there would be one winner and one loser.)

undoubtedly (adv) , undoubted (adj)

certainly; beyond doubta. Ray's team ... had the best debators* in our county.b. The pilgrims ... assembled* to travel to Rometogether.

ventilate (v), ventilative (adj)

change the air in; purify by fresh air; discuss openlya. We ...d the kitchen by opening the windows.b. The lungs ... the blood.

frenetic (adj)

chaotic, frantic. messy(The floor of the stock exchange, filled with traders shouting and gesturing, is a scene of ... activity)

egalitarian (adj) , egalitarianism (n)

characterized by or affirming the principle of equal political, social, civil, and economic rights for all persons.(... policies for the redistribution of wealth)

craven (adj) , cravenly (adv) ,cravenness (n)

chicken,having or showing a complete lack of courage: very cowardly(a ... refusal to deliver the unwelcome news personally)

opt (v)

choose or favor; selecta. If you give me an ice cream choice, I'll ... for chocolate.b. Our cheerleaders plan to ... for new sweaters.

vindicate (v)

clear; acquit; exonerate , absolve;to confirm, justify, or defend.a. The lawyer asked the jury to ... his client.b. "Now I feel ...d," the freed man declared.

sophistry (n)

clever but faulty reasoning; a plausible but invalid argument intended to deceive by appearing sound.(I was amused by his ..., but knew he had a little more research to do before he presented his argument to the distinguished scholars in his field.)

churlish (adj) , churlishly (adv) , churlishness (n)

clownish, classless , ill-mannered, boorish, rude , rough, crude(It would be ... not to congratulate him.)

maladroit (adj) , maladroitly (adv) , maladroitness (n)

clumsy, bungling, inept. awkward, wooden(The ... waiter broke a dozen plates and spilled coffee on two customers.)

awkward (adj) , awkwardly (adv)

clumsy; not well-suited to use; not easily managed; embarrassinga. The handle of this bulky* suitcase has an ... shape.c. Slow down because this is an ... corner to turn.

brutal (adj) , brutally (adv)

coarse and savage; like a brute; cruela. Dozens of employees* quit the job because the boss was ...to them.b. The ... track coach persisted* in making the team work out allmorning under the hot sun.

coeval (adj) , coevally (adv)

coetaneous, contemporary, coexistent, of the same time period(The poet Ben Jonson was ... to Shakespeare.)

approach (n -v)

come near or nearer toa. The lawyers in the trial were often asked to ... the bench.b. Her beau kissed Sylvia when he ...ed her.

emerge (v)

come out; come up; come into viewa. When the fight was over, the underdog* ...d the winner.b. What ...d from the bottle was a blend* of fruit juices.

malapropism (n) , malapropian (dj)

comical misuse of words, especially thosethat are similar in sound.(His ...s may make us laugh, but they won't win our vote.)

nascent (adj) , nascency (n)

coming into existence, emerging(one of the leading figures in the ... civil-rights movement)

laudable (adj)

commendable , worthy of praise (you showed ... restraint in dealing with that ridiculously demanding customer)

fatuous (adj) , fatuously (adv) , fatuousness (n)

complacently stupid; feeble-minded ridiculous, silly, absurd, daft .(ignoring the avalanche warnings, the ... skiers continued on their course)

querulous (adj) , querulously (adv) ,querulousness (n)

complaining, peevish, discontented. whining.a. He's a cantankerous and ... old man, but I love him .b. The nursing home attendant needed a lot of patience to care for the three ..., unpleasant residents on his floor.

collusion (n) , collusive (adj) , collusively (adv)

complicity, connivance or conspiracy for an illegal or immoral (there was ... between the two companies to fix prices)

terse (adj) , tersely (adv) , terseness (n)

concise, using no unnecessary words, succinct. brief; to the pointa. Al's ... report endeared him to the company president.b. The ... statement by the bridegroom was "I do."

denounce (v) , denouncement (n)

condemn in public; express strong disapproval of , , deprecate, disapprove, reprove, censurea. The father ...d his son for lying to the district attorney.b. Some people ... the government for probing* into theirprivate lives.

clandestine (Adj) , clandestinely (adv) , clandestinity (n)

conducted in secrecy; kept or done in private, cautious, chary, careful , secret; undercover , surreptitious.a. Romeo and Juliet had a ... meeting under her balcony because their parents did not approve of their romance.b. James Bond has a series of ... affairs with beautiful women in most of the James Bond films.

daze (n) , dazedly (adv)

confusea. The severity* of the blow ...d the fighter and led to his defeat.b. Dazed by the flashlight, Maria blundered* down the steps.

bewildered (adj)

confused completely; puzzled , confounded , perplexeda. The lawyer was ... by his client's* lack* of interest in the case.b. His partner's weird* actions left Jack ....

circumspect (adj) , circumspectly (adv) , circumspection (n)

conscious, aware, sentient, mindful, wise .(The prison guard was ... when he learned that some of the prisoners were planning an escape.)

ponder (v)

consider carefully, contemplate, consider, meditate, think, speculatea. Not wishing to act hastily,* the governor ...ed the problemfor days.b. The villagers, faced with a famine,* ...ed their next move.

heterogeneous (adj), heterogeneously (adv), heterogeneity (n)

consisting of dissimilar ingredients; mixeda. Teaching a ... group of skiers, beginners, and intermediates in one class, for example, is extremely difficult.b. The entomologist's ... collection of insects, featuring both flying and crawling insects, was on display at the museum.

egregious (adj) , vegregiously (adv), egregiousness (n)

conspicuously and outrageously bad or offensive; flagrant.obvious, conspicuous.a. After her ... accounting error cost the company thousands of dollars, Enid was fired.b. It's hard to imagine how the editor could allow such an ... error to appear.

utensil (n)

container or tool used for practical purposesa. Several ...s were untidily* tossed about the kitchen.b. Edward's baggage* contained all the ...s he would need on the camping trip.

scurvy (adj) , scurvily (adv) , scurviness (n)

contemptible, mean. (That ... knave has ruined my plans again.)

pugnacious (adj) , pugnaciously (adv) , pugnacity (n)

contentious, quarrelsome, eager to fight, belligerent. combative, bellicose, truculent; ready to fight. a. Ty Cobb, the ... outfielder for the Detroit Tigers, got into more than his fair share of brawls, both on and off the field.b. Don't be so ...—I don't want to fight.

dichotomy (n) , dichotomous (adj) , dichotomously (adv)

contradiction, incongruity, paradox , division into two usually contradictory parts or kinds.(When the teacher broached the subject of politics, there was a predictable ... among the students.

polemical (adj) , polemically (adv)

controversial, argumentative. (The analyst presented a highly ... view of the economic situation )

cogent (adj) , cogently (adv) , cogency (n)

convincing, persuasive, compelling belief . forceful and convincinga.Ella's ... arguments helped the debate team win the state championship.b. The committee members were won over to the project by the ... arguments of the chairman.

fecund (adj) , fecundity (n)

cornucopian, fat, fertile, fructuous, fruitful, lush, luxuriant, productive, prolific, rich(The ... soil in the valley was able to sustain the growing community. )

mettlesome (adj)

courageous, high-spirited , gritty, stout, dauntless(Alice's ... attitude was infectious and inspired us all to press on.)

tribunal (n)

court of law, court of justice, assize, judgement(He will be sentenced for his war crimes by an international ....)

upholstery (n)

coverings and cushions for furniturea. Our old sofa was given new velvet ....b. The Browns' ... was so new that we were wary* about visiting them with the children.

lunatic (n - adj)

crazy person; insane; extremely foolisha. Only a ... would willingly descend* into the monster's cave.b. My roommate has some ... ideas about changing the world

culprit (n)

criminal, offender, person guilty of a fault or crimea. Who is the ... who has eaten all the strawberries?b. The police caught the ... with the stolen articles in his car.

tyrant (n)

cruel or unjust ruler; cruel master; absolute rulera. Some ...s of Greek cities were mild and fair rulers.b. The ... demanded loyalty* and obedience* from his subjects.

wail (v - n)

cry loud and long because of grief or paina. When tragedy* struck, the old people began to ....b. In some countries the women are expected to ... loudly aftertheir husbands die.

devious (adj), deviously (adv)

cunning; deceptive; roundabout, tricky.a. Since reindeer cannot be steered when pulling a sled, they will always take a ... route to the driver's destination.b. It was difficult to determine the truth of the witness' contradictory statements because of his ... manner.

panacea (n)

cure-all; remedy for everythinga. Researchers are close to finding a ... for asthma.b. We cannot give up the search for a ... for Middle East peace.

extant (adj)

currently in existence.( Of the seven ancient "Wonders of the World," only the pyramids of Egypt are still ....)

dismal (adj) , dismally (adv)

dark and depressinga. When the weather is so ..., I sometimes stay in bed all day.b. I am unaccustomed* to this ... climate

gloomy (adj) , gloomily (adv)

dark; dim; in lOW spiritSa. My cousin was ... because his best friend had moved away.b. jones Beach is not so beautiful on a ... day.

pernicious (adj) , perniciously (adv) , perniciousness (n)

deadly, harmful, very destructive. mortal(Nancy's opponent started a ... rumor that destroyed her chances of winning).

moot (adj - v)

debatable, undecided. (Although this is a ... issue, it is one that is often debated among certain circles.)

appoint (v)

decide on; set a time or place; choose for a position; equip or furnisha. The library was ...ed as the best place for the urgent*meeting.b. Though Mr. Thompson was ...ed to a high position, hedid not neglect* his old friends.

penalize (v) , penalization (n)

declare punishable by law or rule; set a penalty fora. . We were ...d for not following tradition.*b. Mrs. Robins ...d us for doing the math problem in ink.

pensive (adj) , pensively (adv) , pensiveness (n)

deeply thoughtful, especially in a serious or melancholy manner. thoughtful; thinking seriouslya. In a ... mood, Picasso started to paint his masterpiece.b. "A penny for your thoughts," Clara said to her ... husband.

aegis (n)

defense; sponsorship, a shield , armora. In Greek mythology Apollo, the god of the sun, carried an ... that provoked fear in his opponents.b. Freedom of speech is sheltered by the ... of the Constitution's first amendment.

inimitable (adj) , inimitably (adv) , inimitably (n)

defying imitation, unmatchable .(His performance on the tennis court was ..., and he won three championships. )

procrastinate (v) , procrastination (n)

delay , temporize , postponea. We were warned not to ... about doing the term paper.b. Jerry is quite forceful but his kid brother loves to ....

belated (adj)

delayed past the proper time. (She called her mother on January 5 to offer her a ... "Happy New Year.")

foppish (adj), fop (n)

describing a man who is foolishly vain about his dress or appearance.(The ... character of the 1890s wore bright-colored spats and a top hat; in the 1980s, he wore fancy suspenders and a shirt with a contrasting collar.)

culpable (adj) , culpably (adv) , culpability (n)

deserving blame or censure for being or doing something wrong or harmful; blameworthy, guilty.able to be blameda. Since the company treasurer was out of the country at the time the money was stolen, he was not ....b. He's more ... than the others because he's old enough to know better.

reprehensible (adj) reprehensibly (adv), reprehensibility - reprehension (n), reprehend (v)

deserving criticism / rebuke or censure.a. The reprehensible behavior of the neighborhood bully angered everyone on the block.b. Although the athlete's misdeeds were reprehensible, not all fans agree that he deserves to be excluded from the Baseball Hall of Fame.

disparity (n), disparate (adj)

difference in quality or kind. inequality, difference, variance(There is often a ... between the kind of high-quality television people say they want and the low-brow programs they actually watch.)

unearth (v)

dig up; discover; find outa. The digging of the scientists ...ed a buried city.b. A plot to defraud* the investors was ...ed by the F.B.I.

quandary (n)

dilemma; condition of doubt , deadlock, predicament, stalematea. When he had to choose a new car, my father was in a ....b. Eloise admitted to being in a ... over a new hairstyle.

sedulous (adj) , sedulously (adv) , sedulousness (n)

diligent, persevering, hard working. laborious, assiduous, persevering(After years of ... research, the researchers discovered a cure.)

dispute ( n - v)

disagree; oppose; try to win; a debate or disagreementa. Our patriotic* soldiers ...d every inch of ground during thebattle.b. The losing team ...d the contest up until the final* minute ofplay.

dismissal (n)

discharge, lay off(numerous ...s from the company during the economic slump)

ignominious (adj),ignominiously (adv) ,ignominiousness (n)

discreditable, disgraceful, dishonorable, disreputable, infamous notorious, opprobrious, shameful(The evidence of plagiarism brought an ... end to what had been a notable career for the talented young author)

disabuse (v)

disillusion, disenchant, undeceive , correct a false impression or erroneous belief.(Natalie needed to ... Chin of his belief that she was in love with him.)

recalcitrant (adj) , recalcitrantly (adv) , recalcitrance (n)

disobedient, unruly, refusing to obey authority.rebellious(The ... child was sent to the principal's office for the third time in a week.)

benevolent (adj), benevolently (adv)

disposed to doing good; generous; charitablea. The ... heat of the sun is used to supply large parts of the worldwide solar power.b. Mother Theresa's ... work in Third World nations made her famous.

sacrilegious (adj) , sacrilegiously (adv),sacrilegiousness (n)

disrespectful or irreverent towards something regarded as sacred. (Her book was criticized by the church for being ....)

harrowing (adj) , harrowingly (adv) ,

distressing, creating great stress or torment. (The turbulent flight proved to be a ... experience for Jane.)

abolish (v) , abolishment (n)

do away with completely; put an end toa. The death penalty has recently* been ...ed in our state.c. My school has ...ed final exams altogether.

obedient (adj), obediently (adv)

doing what one is told.; willing to obeya. The ... dog came when his master beckoned.*b. Obedient to his father's wishes, Guy did not explore* any further.

perfunctory (adj) , perfunctorily (adv) , perfunctoriness (n)

done out of a sense of duty or routine but without much care or interest; superficial, unenthusiastic, routine, or mechanical.a. We were not satisfied with his ... work; we felt a more thorough job could have been done.b. When the play opened, the actors sparkled, but by the thousandth night their performance had become ....

recent (adj) , recently (adv)

done, made, or occurring not long agoa. At a ... meeting, the Board of Education provided theevidence* we had been asking for.b. Bessie liked the old silent movies better than the more ... ones

dubious (adj), dubiety (n)

doubtful, uncertain. (Despite the chairman's attempts to convince the committee members that his plan would succeed, most of them remained ...)

eclectic (adj), eclecticism (n)

drawn from many sources; varied, heterogeneous. (The Mellon family art collection is an ... one, including works ranging from ancient Greek sculptures to modern paintings.)

narcotic (adj - n)

drug that produces drowsiness, sleep, dullness, or an insensible condition, and lessens pain by dulling the nervesa. Opium is a powerful ....b. We do not have adequate* knowledge of the ... properties of these substances.

onus (n), * onerous (adj) - burden (n - v)

duty or responsibility of doing something; task, .... obligation1) It was Clark's idea, so the ... is on him to show us that it will work) .*2) The hero Hercules was ordered to clean the Augean Stables, one of several onerous tasks known as "the labors of Hercules."a. The ... of the country's safety is in the hands of the president.b. Irma found the enormous* box too much of a ....

venal (adj) , venally (adv)

easily bribed or corrupted; unprincipled. (The ... judge was removed and disbarred.)

amenable (adj) , amenably (adv) ,amenability (n)

easily managed or controlled; obedient, docile. (In the novel Brave New World, the World Controllers use hypnosis and a "happiness drug" to make everyone tractable.)

obvious (adj) , obviously (adv)

easily seen or understood; clear to the eye or mind; not to be doubted; plaina. It was ... that the lumberjack was tired after his day's work.b. The fact that Darcy was a popular* boy was ... to all.

facile (adj), facilitate (v), facility (n)

easy; shallow or superficial. perfunctory(The one-minute political commercial favors a candidate with ... opinions rather than serious, thoughtful solutions.)

devour (v)

eat hungrily; absorb* completely; take in greedily*a. It was a horrid* sight to see the lion ... the lamb.b. My aunt ...s four or five mystery books each week

resonant (adj) , resonantly (adv)

echoing, resounding. (The new announcer at the stadium has a wonderfully ... voice.)

efficacious (adj) , efficaciously(adv) , efficacy (n)

effectual, efficient, fruitful, operative, potent , acting effectively. able to produce a desired effect.a. Margaret's ... approach to her job in the collections department made her a favorite with the CFOb. Though thousands of people today are taking herbal supplements to treat depression, researchers have not yet proved them ....

flexible (adj) , flexibly (adv) , flexibility (n)

elastic, resilient, supple, malleable, pliablea. The toy was ..., and the baby could bend it easily.b. Remaining ..., Nick listened to arguments from both sides.

urbane - urban (adj) , urbanely (adv) , urbaneness (n)

elegant, highly refined in manners, extremely tactful and polite.of or having to do with cities or towns .a. Many businesses open offices in ... areas.b. Christopher thinks he's so ..., but he's really quite pedestrian.

genteel (adj) , genteelly (adv) , genteelness (n)

elegantly polite, well bred, refined. stylish(The ... host made sure that each entrée was cooked to each guest's specifications.)

desolate (adj), desolation (n)

empty, lifeless, and deserted; hopeless, gloomy. (Robinson Crusoe was shipwrecked and had to learn to survive alone on a ... island. The murder of her husband left Mary Lincoln ....)

vacuous - (adj) , vacuously (adv) - inane (adj - n)

empty, purposeless; senseless, stupid, .... a.He had a ... expression on his face.b. I quickly tired of their ... comments.

vacant (adj) , vacantly (adv) , vacantness (n)

empty; not filled . unoccupieda. Someone is planning to build a house on that ... lot.b. I put my coat on that ... seat.

edifying(adj)

enlightening or uplifting with the aim of improving intellectual or moral development; instructing, improving(His ... speech challenged the audience to devote more time to charitable causes.)

elusive (adj) , elusively (adv) , elusiveness (n)

evasive,tending to evade; hard to understand or definea. Despite years of research by famous specialists, the cure for cancer has proved to be ....b. the giant squid is one of the ocean's most ... inhabitants.

vicious (adj) , viciously (adv), viciousness (n)

evi I; wicked; savage , sinistera. Liza was unpopular* because she was ... to people she hadjust met.b. The ... editor* published false stories about people hedisliked.

malevolent (adj), malevolently (adv) , * malevolence (n)

evil , spiteful, malicious , * hatred, ill will.a. Warren's ... behavior was attributed to his illness.b. Dickens' portrayal of the ... Uriah Heep is a masterpiece.c*.Critics say that Iago, the villain in Shakespeare's Othello, seems to exhibit malevolence with no real cause.

sinister (adj) , sinisterly (adv)

evil; wicked; dishonest; frighteninga. The ... plot to cheat the widow was uncovered by the police.b. When the bank guard spied the ...-looking customer, he drew his gun.

egoism (n), egoistic (adj)

excessive concern with oneself; conceit. ego, arrogance, vanity, pride(Robert's ... was so great that all he could talk about was the importance—and the brilliance—of his own opinions)

garish (adj) , garishly (adv) , garishness (n)

excessively bright or over-decorated, gaudy; tastelessly showy.flamboyant, flaring, flashy .(Though Susan thought Las Vegas was ..., Emily thought it was perfectly beautiful. )

lugubrious (adj) , lugubriously (adv) , lugubriousness (n)

excessively dismal or mournful, often exaggeratedly or ridiculouslyso.(Irina's ... tears made me believe that her sadness was just a façade.)

rapacious - voracious (adj) , rapaciouslwary -voraciously(adv) , rapacity - voracity(n)

excessively greedy and grasping (especially for money); ..., plundering. (The ... general ordered his soldiers to pillage the town.)

obsequious (adj), obsequiously (adv), * servile (adj) , servilely (adv) , servility (n)

excessively or ingratiatingly compliant or submissive; attentive in a servile or ingratiating manner, fawning. * like a slave or servant; submissive. a.* The tycoon demanded that his underlings behave in a servile manner, agreeing quickly with everything he said.b.The ... manner of the butler made it clear that he resented his position.

eradicate (v) , eradication - eradicator (n) ,eradicative - eradicable (adj)

excise, root, uproot, extirpate , abolish, to annihilate , to destroy completely. a. American society has failed to ... racism, although some of its worst effects have been reduced.b. The exterminator said he would ... the vermin from the house.

elated (adj), elate (verb), elation (noun).

excited and happy; exultant. (When the Green Bay Packers' last, desperate pass was dropped, the ... fans of the Denver Broncos began to celebrate.)

empirical (adj) , empirically (adv), empiricism (n)

existential, experiential, experimental, based on observation or experience rather than theory.a. They collected plenty of ... data from their experiments.b. Although many people believe in ESP, scientists have found no ... evidence of its existence.

effusive (adj) , effusively (adv) , effusion (n)

expressing emotions in an unrestrained or excessive way; profuse, overflowing, gushy. touchy-freely .a. They offered ... thanks for our help.b. Sally Field gave an ... acceptance speech in which she marveled, "You like me! You really like me!"

fulsome (adj) , fulsomely (adv) , fulsomeness (n)

expressing something (such as praise or thanks) in a very enthusiastic or emotional way (Her new coworker's ... attention bothered Kathryn.)

plaintive

expressing sorrow; mournful, melancholy. Janice's(... voice made me decide to stay and comfort her longer.)

quixotic (adj) , quixotically (adv)

extravagantly chivalrous and unselfish; romantically idealistic, impractical. (His ... ways charmed all the women at the dance.)

adulation (noun), adulate (verb), adulatory (adjective).

extreme admiration. (Few young actors have received greater ... than did Marlon Brando after his performance in A Streetcar Named Desire.)

obesity (n)

extreme fatnessa. Obesity is considered* a serious disease.b. The salesman tactfully* referred* to Jack's ... as "stoutness."

penury (n), * penurious (adj)

extreme poverty, destitution. indigence; * extremely frugal; stingy.a. After ten years of ..., it's good to be financially secure again.b. Haunted by memories of poverty, he lived in penurious fashion, driving a twelve-year-old car and wearing only the cheapest clothes.

punctilious (adj) , punctiliously (adv) , punctilio (n)

extremely attentive to detail, very meticulous and precise. very concerned about proper forms of behavior and manners.a. A ... dresser like James would rather skip the party altogether than wear the wrong color tie.b. One of the reasons he excels as an editor is because he is so ....

avid (adj), avidly (adv), avidity (n)

extremely eager, enthusiastica. The candidate was accused of having an ... desire for personal power.b. High school English teachers encourage their students to be ... readers.

indispensable (adj), indispensably (adv)

extremely important and necessary.(fully aware that he was an ... assistant, he decided that it was high time that he be paid what he was worth)

pertinacious (adj) , pertinaciously (adv)

extremely stubborn or persistent; holding firmly to a belief, purpose, or course of action. (The ... journalist finally uncovered the truth about the factory's illegal disposal of toxins.)

hesitate (v), hesitatingly (adv)

fail to act quickly; be undecideda. Nora ...d to accept the challenge.*b. When he got to the robbers' vicinity,* he ...d before going on.

slander (n - v)

false oral statement designed to damage a person's reputationa. Those who have tried to ... the actor have paid for it in court.b. Calling jackson a communist was a cruel ....

affected (adj) , affect (verb), affectation (noun).

false, artificial. *.influenced(At one time, Japanese women were taught to speak in an ... high-pitched voice, which was thought girlishly attractive.)

spurious (adj) , spuriously (adv) , spuriousness (n)

false, counterfeit, not genuine or authentic(Ian's surreptitious manner makes me believe his support for you is ... and that he has a hidden agenda.)

rabid (adj), rabidly (adv)

fanatical; furious; infected with rabiesa. The ... fans caused a riot when their soccer team lost.b. Clyde and Cleo are ... antique enthusiasts.

defect (n -v)

fault; that which is wrong , disorder, flaw, deficiency, troublea. My Chevrolet was sent back to the factory because of a steering....b. His theory* of the formation of our world was tilled with ...s.

timorous (adj) , timorously (adv) , timorousness(n)

fearful, timid, afraid.a. The stray dog was ..., and it took a great deal of coaxing to get him to come near the car.b. The cowardly lion approached the throne of the wizard with a ... look on his face.

intrepid (adj) , intrepidly (adv) intrepidly (n)

fearless, brave, undaunted.bold .a.Trapeze artists in the circus perform ... maneuvers high above the circus floor.b. Hunger had made the caveman ..., and he faced the mammoth without fear.

resent (v)

feel injured and angered at (something)a. Bertha ...ed the way her boyfriend treated her.b. The earthquake victim ...ed the poor emergency care.

irresolute (adj) , irresolutely (adv) , irresolution (n) .

feeling or showing uncertainty; hesitant, indecisive.(Sandra is still ..., so if you talk to her, you might help her make up her mind.)

antiseptic (adj)

fighting infection; extremely clean.(A wound should be washed with an ... solution. The all-white offices were bare and almost ... in their starkness.)

metaphor (n), metaphoric (adj), metaphorically (adv)

figure of speech in which different things are compared without using the words as or likea. He'?'battleship husband" sailed into the room is a ....b. Good authors often use ...s in their prose.

simile (n)

figure of speech using as or like in which two different things are compared a. The poet's strength was in his creation of memorable ...s.b. To say that a joke is as old as the hills is to use a tired ....

gleam (n) , gleamy (adj)

flash or beam of lighta. A ... of light shone through the prison window.b. My grandmother gets a ... in her eyes when she sees the twins.

soar (v - n)

fly upward or at a great height; aspirea. We watched the ...ing eagle skim* over the mountain peak.b. An ordinary man cannot comprehend* such ...ing ambition.

pursue (v)

follow; proceed alonga. We ...d the bicycle thief until he vanished* from our vision.*b. Ernie rowed up the river, pursuing it to its source.*

temerity (n).

foolish disregard of danger; brashness, audacity. boldness, rashness, excessive daring. a. Only someone who didn't understand the danger would have the temerity to try to climb Everest without a guide.b. This is no time for temerity; we must move cautiously to avoid any further damage.

prohibit (v)

forbid by law or authoritya. Elvin's manager ...ed him from appearing on television.b. Many homeowners ... others from walking on their property.

aggressive (adj), aggression (n)

forceful, energetic, and attacking. (A football player needs a more ... style of play than a soccer player.)

duress (n)

forcible restraint: coercion ,compulsion or restraint.a. During World War II, American prisoners of war in Bataan were marched 55 miles under ....b. After arguing violently with the referee, the basketball coach was escorted out of the area under ....

lethargy (n)

forgetfulness; drowsy indifferencea. We could not arouse Irwin from his state of ....b. After a big meal, I sometimes give in to ....

oligarchy (n) , oligarchic (adj)

form of government in which the power is in the hands of a select few.( The small governing body calls itself a democracy, but it isclearly an ...)

ephemeral (adj) , ephemerally (adv) ,ephemerality (n)

fragile, flighty, transient, evanescent, lasting only a very short time , quickly disappearing; transient.a. Summer always seems so ...; before you know it, it's time to go back to school again.b. Stardom in pop music is ...; most of the top acts of ten years ago are forgotten today.

incense (n-v) , incensement (n)

fragrant material that gives off scents when burned. (in·'sens)v. to make (someone) angry. (Marcel's criticism ...d his coworker.)

impeccable (adj) , impeccably (adv)

free from fault or blame; flawlessa. Although we had studied French for only one year, our pronunciation was ....b. After driving a bus for 40 years without an accident, the driver received an award for ... service.

frank (adj - v)

free in expressing one's real thoughts, opinions, or feelings; not hiding what is in one's mind(Never underestimate* the value of being ... with one another.)

amicable (adj)

friendly, peaceable. (Although they agreed to divorce, their settlement was ... and they remained friends afterward.)

fervent - fervid (adjective), fervor (noun).

full of intense feeling; ardent, zealous. (In the days just after his religious conversion, his piety was at its most ....)

assemble (v)

gather together; bring togethera. The rioters ...d outside the White House.b. I am going to ... a model of a spacecraft.

tawdry (adj) , tawdrily (adv) ,tawdriness (n)

gaudy or showy but without any real value; flashy and tasteless.( I've never seen such a ... outfit as the three-tiered taffeta prom gown that the music singer wore to the awards ceremony!)

meretricious (adj) , meretriciously (adv) , meretriciously (n)

gaudy, tawdry; showily attractive but false or insincere.(With its casinos and attractions, some people consider Las Vegas the most ... city in the country.)

consensus (n)

general agreement among a group.a. The decision was made by ....b. Among Quakers, voting traditionally is not used; instead, discussion continues until the entire group forms a ....

charity (n)

generous giving to the poor; institutions for helping the sick,the poor, or the helpless; kindness in judging people's faultsa. A free hospital is a noble ....b. The entire community is the beneficiary* of Henry's ....

gargantuan (adj)

gigantic, huge , astronomical, enormous, massive, tremendous, immense, formidable .huge, colossal. a. The building of the Great Wall of China was one of the most ... projects ever undertaken.b. It was a ... supermarket for such a small town.

heed (n - v)

give careful attention to; take notice of; careful attentiona. I demand that you ... what I say.b. Florence pays no ... to what the signs say.

elapse (v)

glide, terminate, pass away(There is nothing, though, to stop people in these categories from going along again when that time ...s .)

saturnine (adj) , saturninely (adv)

gloomy, dark, sullen. (The ... child sulked for hours.)

morose (adj) , morosely (adv) , moroseness (n)

gloomy, sullen, melancholy. a. My daughter has been ... ever since our dog ran away.b. After Chuck's girlfriend dumped him, he lay around the house for a couple of days, feeling ....

depart (v)

go away; leave; turn away (from); change; diea. We arrived in the village in the morning and ...ed that night.b. Stan was vague* about ...ing from his usual manner ofchoosing a partner.

pierce (v) , piercingly (adv)

go into; go through; penetrate * , perforate, puncha. My sister is debating* whether or not to get her ears ...d.b. I tried to ignore* his bad violin playing, but the sound waspiercing.

explore (v)

go over carefully; look into closely; examinea. Lawyer Spence ...d the essential* reasons for the crime.b. The weather bureau ...d the effects of the rainy weather.

radical (adj - n)

going to the root; fundamental;extreme; person with extreme opinionsa. The tendency* to be vicious* and cruel is a ... fault.b. We observe that the interest in ... views is beginning tosubside.*

majestic (adj), majestically (adv)

grand; noble; dignified; kinglya. The lion is the most ... creature of the jungle.b. In Greek mythology,* Mt. Olympus was the ... home ofthe gods.

blasphemy (n)

great disrespect shown to God or to something holy .(If you committed ... during the Inquisition, youwould be tortured and killed.)

mirth (n)

great merriment, joyous laughter. (The joyous wedding celebration filled the reception hall with ... throughout the evening.)

distress (n - v)

great pain or sorrow; misfortune; dangerous or difficult situation; to cause pain or make unhappya. The family was in great ... over the accident that maimed*Kenny.b. My teacher was ...ed by tbe dismal performance of our classon the final* examination.

exorbitant (adj) , exorbitantly (adv)

greatly exceeding the bounds of what is normal or reasonable; inordinate and excessive.(Three thousand dollars is an ... amount to pay for a scarf.)

mourn (v)

grieve; feel or show sorrow fora. Sandra did not cease* to ... for john Lennon.b. The entire city ...ed for the people lost in the calamity.*

endemic (adj) , endemically (adv) , endemicity (n)

growing or existing in a certain place or region, common in a particular area or field (the fish is not an ... species of the lake, and it is rapidly devouring the native trout population)

inveterate (adj) , inveterately (adv) , inveteracy (n)

habitual; deep rooted, firmly established .a. I am an ... pacifist and am unlikely to change my mind.b. It's very difficult for an ... gambler to give up the pastime.

taciturn (adj) , taciturnly (adv) , taciturnity (n)

habitually , silent; reserved; uncommunicativea. Taciturn President Coolidge was a man of few words.b. Cindy is a great talker, the least ... person I know.

laissez-faire (adj - n)

hands-off; noninterference by the government in business and economic affairs.(Raheeb's ...-... management style is not onlypopular with our employees but also very successful—employee satisfaction is high and profits are up for the third quarter in a row.)

flaccid (adj) , flaccidly (Adv) , flaccidity (n)

hanging loose or wrinkled; weak, flabby, not firm.(The skin of cadavers becomes ... in a matter of hours.)

fortuitous (adj) , fortuitously (adv)

happening by chance , having or showing good lucka. His presence there was entirely ....b. Although the mayor claimed credit for the falling crime rate, it was really caused by several ... trends.

casual (adj - n)

happening by chance; not planned or expected; notcalling attention to itselfa. As the villain* stole the money from the blind man, he walkedaway in a ... manner.b. The bartender made a ... remark about the brawl* in thebackroom.

frequent (adj - v)

happening often; occurring repeatedlya. We made ... visits to the hospital to see our grandfather.b. On ... occasions Sam fell asleep in class.

innocuous (adj), innocuously (adv)

harmless , unhurt , inoffensive.a. You can add a cool green color to foods safely by using the ... coloring in spinach.b. People who keep snakes as pets wonder why so many of their friends tend to fear one of the most ... animals.

cursory (adj) , cursorily (adv) ,cursoriness (n)

hasty and superficial , shallow , done or made quicklya. During the ... inspection of the restaurant kitchen, the inspector did not find any violations of the rules for cleanliness.b. Although I should have proofread the essay carefully, I only had time to give it a ... review. .

enmity (n)

hatred, hostility, ill will. antagonism, quarrel(Long-standing ..., like that between the Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland, is difficult to overcome.)

supercilious (adj), superciliously (adv), superciliousness (n)

haughty, scornful, disdainful. ..., overbearing, insolent(Sunil's ... attitude and sarcastic remarks annoy me greatly)

stationary (adj)

having a fixed station or place; standing still; not moving; notchanging in size, number or activitya. A factory engine is ....b. The population* of our town has been ... for a decade.*

shrill (adj -v -n), shrilly (adv)

having a high pitch; high and sharp in sound; piercinga. Despite* their small size, crickets make very ... noises.b. The ... whistle of the policeman was warning enough for thefugitive* to stop in his tracks.

condescending (adj), condescension (n)

having an attitude of superiority toward another; patronizing.("What a cute little car!" she remarked in a ... style. "I suppose it's the nicest one someone like you could afford!")

ingenious (adj) , ingeniously (adv) , ingenuity (n)

having great mental ability; showing cleverness and originality.a. Bernie devised* an ... plan to cheat on his income tax.b. The master spy had an ... way of passing secrets to the agent.

resplendent (adj), resplendently (adv), resplendence(n)

having great splendor or beauty; brilliant.glowing, shining. a. In late December, midtown New York is ... with holiday lights and decorations.b. Sanjay stood for a long time on the deck, watching a ... sunset over the mountains.

omniscient (adj) , omnisciently (adv)

having infinite knowledge; knowing all things (In a story with an ... narrator, we can hear the thoughts and feelings of all of the characters. )

impecunious (adj) , impecuniously (adv) ,impecuniosity (n)

having little or no money; poor, penniless.beggared,broke, destitute(Many ... immigrants to the United States eventually are able to make comfortable lives for themselves.)

unique (adj - n)

having no like or equal; being the only one of its kinda. Going to Africa was a ... experience for us.b. The inventor developed a ... method of making ice cream.

sublime (adj) , sublimely (adv) ,sublimeness (n)

having noble or majestic qualities; inspiring awe, adoration,or reverence; lofty, supreme. (Beethoven's music is simply ...)

erudite (adj) , eruditely(adv)

having or showing great learning; profoundly educated, scholarly.(The scholarly work of nonfiction was obviously written by an ... young man.)

sympathetic (adj), sympathetically (adv)

having or showing kind feelings toward others; approving; enjoying the same things and getting along well togethera. Judge Cruz was ... to the lawyer's plea* for mercy.b. We were all ... to Suzanne over her recent* misfortune.*

sagacious (adj) , sagaciously (adv) , sagacity (n)

having or showing sound judgment; perceptive,discerning, wise. a. Only a leader as ... as Nelson Mandela could have united South Africa so successfully and peacefully.b. My ... uncle always gives me good, sound advice.

coeducational (adj - n), coeducational (adv)

having to do with educating both sexes in the same schoola. There has been a massive* shift to ... schools.b. In choosing a college, Ned leans toward schools that are....

bigamy (n)

having two wives or two husbands at the same timea. Some people look upon ... as double trouble.b. Mr. Winkle, looking at his wife, thought bigam}' was one crime he would never be guilty of.

omnipotent (adj) , omnipotently (adv)

having unlimited or universal power or force. all-powerfula. In his tiny country, the king was ....b. The successful police chief was ... in our town.

victorious (adj) , victoriously (adv)

having won a victory; conqueringa. Playing in New Jersey, the Jets were ... two years in a row.b. Our girls' volleyball squad was ... over a taller team.

hinder (v)

hold back; make hard to doa. Deep mud ...ed travel in urban* centers.b. The storm ...ed the pursuit* of the fleeing* prisoners.

refrain (v - n)

hold backa. Refrain from making hasty* promises.b. Milo could not ... from laughing at the jest.*

dogmatic (adj), dogmatism (n)

holding firmly to a particular set of beliefs with little or no basis.(Believers in Marxist doctrine tend to be ..., ignoring evidence that contradicts their beliefs.)

embrace (v - n) - embracement (n), embraceable (adj)

hug one another; a huga. After having been rivals* for years, the two men ...d.b. The young girl was bewildered* when the stranger ...d her.

colossal (adj) , colossally (adv)

huge, large, massive, enormous(So ... was the output that blackburn was the greatest weaving town in the world.)

facetious (adj) , facetiously (adv) .

humorous and witty, cleverly amusing; jocular,sportive.(Jude's ... reply angered his teacher but made his classmates laugh.)

spouse (n)

husband or wifea. When a husband prospers* in his business, his ... benefitsalso.b. "May I bring my ... to the office party?" Dorinda asked.

sanctimonious (adj), sanctimoniously (adv), sanctimony (n)

hypocritically pious or devout; excessively self-righteous. showing false or excessive piety. a. The ... prayers of the TV preacher were interspersed with requests that the viewers send him money.b. The thief's ... remark that "a fool and his money are soon parted" only made the jury more eager to convict him.

empathy (n), empathetic (adj)

imaginative sharing of the feelings, thoughts, or experiences ofanother. (It's easy for a parent to have ... for the sorrow of another parent whose child has died.)

cryptic (adj) , cryptically (adv) , inscrutable (adj) , inscrutably (adv) , inscrutability (n)

impenetrable, having a hidden or secret meaning, mysterious; hidden, secret, occult. baffling, unfathomable, incapable of beingunderstood.(Jimmy was confused by the ... note he found written on the refrigerator.)

unanimous (adj) , unanimously (adv), unanimously (n)

in complete agreementa. The class was ... in wanting to eliminate* study halls.b. The Senate, by a ... vote, decided to decrease* taxes.

wholesale (n - adj - adv)

in large quantity; less than retail in pricea. The ... price of milk is six cents a quart lower than retail.b. Many people were angered by the ... slaughter of birds.

dejected (adj), dejectedly (adv)

in low spirits; sad , depressed, gloomya. His biography* related* that Edison was not ... by failure.b. The defeated candidate* felt ... and scowled* when askedfor an interview.

despite (prep - n)

in spite ofa. The player continued in the game ... his injuries.b. Despite being shy, Ted signed up to audition on American Idol.

quiescent (adj) , quiescently (adv) , quiescence (n)

inactive, quiet, at rest; dormant, latent. (The volcano is ... at the moment, but who knows when it will erupt again.)

implacable (adj) , implacably (adv) , implacability (n)

incapable of being placated or appeased; inexorable.unyielding.(an ... judge who knew in his bones that the cover-up extended to the highest levels of government)

colloquial (adj)

informal in language; conversational. (Some expressions from Shakespeare, such as the use of thou and thee, sound formal today but were ... English in Shakespeare's time.)

vaccinate (v - n)

inoculate with vaccine as a protection against smallpox and other diseasesa. There has been a radical* decline in polio since doctors began to ... children with the Salk vaccine.b. Numerous* examples persist* of people who have neglected* to have their infants ...d.

microscope (n)

instrument with a lens for making objects larger so that one can seethings more clearlya. The students used a ... to see the miniature* insect.b. When young Oprah's birthday came around, her uncle gave her a ....grateful

didactic (adj)

intended to teach, instructive. (The children's TV show Sesame Street is designed to be both entertaining and ....)

molest (v)

interfere with and trouble; disturba. My neighbor was ...ed when walking home from the subway.b. The gang did a thorough* job of ...ing the people in the park.

involute (adj - n ) , involutely (adv)

intricate, complex, sophisticated, convoluted(The tax reform committee faces an extremely ... problem if it wants to distribute the tax burden equally)

irascible (adj) , irascibly (adv) , irascibility (n)

irritable, easily aroused to anger, hot tempered , crusty, testy(Her ... temperament caused many problems with the staff at the office.)

abrasive (adj) , abrasion (n)

irritating, grinding, rough. (The manager's rude, ... way of criticizing the workers was bad for morale.)

jest (n - v)

joke; fun; mockery; thing to be laughed at; to joke; poke funa. Though he spoke in ..., Mark was undoubtedly* giving us amessage.b. Do not ... about matters of morality.*

justice (n)

just conduct; fair dealinga. Daniel Webster abandoned* any hope for ... once he sawthe jury.b. Our pledge* to the flag refers to "liberty and ... for all."

insist (v)

keep firmly to some demand, statement, or positiona. Mother ...s that we do our homework before we start sending e-mails.b. She ...ed that Sal was not jealous* of his twin brother.

warden (n)

keeper; guard; person in charge of a prisona. The ... found himself facing two hundred defiant* prisoners.b. A cautious* ... always has to anticipate* the possibility ofan escape.

homicide (n)

killing of one human being by another; murdera. It took a crafty* person to get away with that ....b. News of the ... quickly circulated* through our vicinity.*

monarch (n)

king or queen; rulera. There are few modern nations that are governed by ...s.b. . Men sometimes believe that they are ...s in their own homes.

savoir faire (n)

knowledge of the right thing to do or say in a social situation; graceful tact. (Adele's savoir faire makes her the quintessential hostess.)

dissonance (n) , dissonant (adj)

lack of music harmony; lack of agreement between ideas. a. Most modern music is characterized by ..., which many listeners find hard to enjoy.b. There is a noticeable ... between two common beliefs of most conservatives: their faith in unfettered free markets and their preference for traditional social values.

bereft (adj)

lacking or deprived of something. (Bereft of parental love, orphans sometimes grow up insecure.)

jejune (adj) , jejunely (dv) , jejuneness (n)

lacking substance, meager; hence: (a) lacking in interest orsignificance; insipid or dull (b) lacking in maturity, childish (c) lacking nutritional value.(She made ... remarks about life and art.)

copious (adj) , copiously (adv) , copiousness (n)

large in number or quantity; abundant, plentiful. profuse, lavish(She sat in the front row and took ... notes during the lecture.)

transient (adj) , transiently (adv) , transience (n)

lasting only a very short time; fleeting, passing quickly. a. Their relationship was ... but profound.b. Long-term visitors to this hotel pay at a different rate than ... guests who stay for just a day or two.

shiftless (adj) , shiftlessly (adv) , shiftlessness (n)

lazy and inefficient; lacking ambition, initiative, or purpose.(My ... roommate has failed all of his classes.)

tendency (n)

leaning; movement in a certain directiona. My algebra teacher has a ... to forget the students' names.b. The ... in all human beings is to try to survive.*

mythology (n)

legends or stories that usually attempt to explain something in naturea. The story of Proserpina and Ceres explaining the seasons is typical* of Greek ....b. From a study of ... we can conclude* that the ancientswere concerned with the wonders of nature

recline (v) , reclination (n)

lie down; stretch out; lean backa. Richard likes to ... in front of the television set.b. My dog's greatest pleasure is to ... by the warm fireplace.

inhabit (v)

live in or occupy a placea. Eskimos ... the frigid* part of Alaska.b. Because Sidney qualified,* he was allowed to ... the vacant*apartment.

survive (v)

live longer than; remain alive aftera. It was uncertain whether we would ... the torrent* of rain.b. Some people believe that only the strongest should ....

drought (n)

long period of dry weather; lack of rain; lack of water; drynessa. Because of the ..., some farmers began to migrate* to morefertile* regions.b. In time of ..., the crops become scorched.*

patriotic (adj), patriotically (adv)

loving one's country; showing love and loyal support for one's countrya. It is ... to accept your responsibilities to your country.b. The ... attitude of the captive* led him to refuse to cooperatewith the enemy.

debased (adj), debase (v)

lowered in quality, character, or esteem. (The quality of TV journalism has been ... by the many new tabloid-style talk shows.)

lubricate (v), lubrication (n) , lubricative (adj)

make (machinery) smooth and easy to work by putting on oil, grease,or a similar substancea. The bulky* wheels of a railroad train must be ...d each week.b. When an engine is ...d, it works much better.

reform (n -v)

make better; improve by removing faults , repair,redress, remedya. After the prison riot, the council decided to ... the correctional system.b. Brad ...ed when he saw that breaking the law was hurting people other than himself.

pacify (v), pacifiable (adj)

make calm; quiet down; bring peace toa. This toy should ... that screaming baby.b. Soldiers were sent to ... the countryside.

alter (v) , alterable (adj)

make different; change; varya. I ...ed my typical* lunch and had a steak instead.b. Dorothy agreed to ... my dress if I would reveal* its cost to her.

nourish (v)

make or keep alive and well, with food; feed develop an attitudea. A diet of ...ing food is served to every hospital patient.b. It was easy to detect* that the skinny boy was not well ...ed.

deceive(v), deceiver (n), deceivable (adj), deceivingly (adv)

make someone believe as true something that is false;misleada. Atlas was ...d about the burden* he had to carry.b. Virginia cried when she learned that her best friend had ...dher.

utilize (v) , utilization (n) , utilizable (adj)

make use ofa. No one seems willing to ... this vacant* house.b. Does your mother ... leftovers in her cooking?

conciliatory (adj), conciliate (verb), conciliation (noun).

making or willing to make concessions to reconcile, soothe, or comfort; mollifying, appeasing , seeking agreement, compromise, or re... a. As a ... gesture, the union leaders agreed to postpone a strike and to continue negotiations with management.b. Abraham Lincoln made ... gestures toward the South at the end of the Civil War .

decadent (adj - n), decadently (adv)

marked by decay or declinea. A large amount of money was donated by the philanthropist, who hoped to have the ... opera house restored.b. The rooms in the house we rented were old, worn out, dark, and dusty; there was a ... air about them.

matrimony (n)

married life; ceremony of marriagea. Though ... is a holy state, our local governments stillcollect a fee for the marriage license.b. Because of lack of money, the sweetness of their ...turned sour.

signify (v), signifiable (adj)

mean; be a sign of; make known by signs, words, or actions; have importancea. "Oh!" signifies surprise.b. A gift of such value signifies more than a casual* relationship.

precaution (n) , precautionary (adj)

measures taken beforehand; foresighta. Detectives used ... before entering the bomb's vicinity.*b. We must take every ... not to pollute* the air.

carnivorous (adj), carnivore (n)

meat-eating. sarcophagous( The long, dagger-like teeth of the Tyrannosaurus make it obvious that this was a ... dinosaur.)

officious (adj) , officiously (adv) , officiousness (n)

meddlesome, bossy; eagerly offering unnecessary or unwanted advice. ( My ... Aunt Midge is coming to the party, so be prepared forlots of questions and advice.)

dulcet (adj) , dulcetly (adv)

melodious, harmonious, sweet-sounding., rhythmic, congruous, in agreement .(The chamber orchestra's ... tunes were a perfect ending to a great evening.)

jocund (adj) , jocundly (av) , jocundity (n)

merry, cheerful; sprightly and lighthearted.( Alexi's ... nature makes it a pleasure to be near her.)

jolly (n - adj - adv)

merry; full of funa. The ... old man, an admitted bigamist,* had forgotten tomention his first wife to his new spouse.*b. When the ... laughter subsided,* the pirates began the seriousbusiness of dividing the gold.

deleterious (adj)

mischievous, harmful, hurtful, baleful(About thirty years ago, scientists proved that working with asbestos could be ... to one's health, producing cancer and other diseases)

malfeasance (n) , malfeasant (adj)

misconduct or wrongdoing, especially by a public official; improper professional conduct.(The city comptroller was found guilty of ... and was removed from office.)

disconsolate (adj), disconsolately (adv), disconsolation (n)

miserable, wretched, unfortunate , sad, dejected, disappointed , inconsolable, hopelessly unhappy.(The ... look on Peter's face revealed that the letter contained bad news.)

hazy (adj) , hazily (adv) , haziness (n)

misty; smoky; unclear , foggy , vaporous, nebulous, sloppya. The vicinity* of London is known to be ....b. Factories that pollute* the air create ... weather conditions

blend (v - n)

mix together thoroughly; a mixturea. The colors of the rainbow ... into one another.b. A careful ... of fine products will result in delicious food.

potpourri (n)

mixture; medleya. The composer performed a ... of his hits.b. A ... of Faulkner's stories was a welcome gift.

demure (adj)

modest or shy. (The ... heroines of Victorian fiction have given way to today's stronger, more opinionated, and more independent female characters.)

humid (adj) , humidly (adv)

moist; dampa. It was so ... in our classroom that we wished the school wouldbuy an air conditioner.b. New Yorkers usually complain in the summer of the ... air.

vapor (n - v) , vaporlike (adj)

moisture in the air that can be seen; fog; mista. Scientists have devised* methods for trapping ... in bottlesso they can study its makeup.b. He has gathered data* on the amount of ... rising from theswamp.

wobble (n - v)

move unsteadily from side to sidea. Little Perry thrust* his feet into the oversized shoes and ...dover to the table.b. A baby ...s when it begins to walk alone.

weird (adj - v)

mysterious; unearthlya. She looked ... with that horrible makeup on her face.b. Becky had a ... feeling after swallowing the pills.

iconoclast - iconoclasm (n) , iconoclastic (adj)

n. 1. a person who attacks and seeks to overthrowtraditional ideas, beliefs, or institutions. 2. someone who opposes and destroys idols used in worship.a. Using words as weapons, the well-spoken ... challengedpolitical hypocrisy and fanaticism wherever she found it.b. The comedian enjoys his reputation as an ..., though people in power often resent his satirical jabs.

sanction (n - v)

n. 1. official authorization or approval. 2. a penalty imposed to coerce another to comply or conform. v. 1. to approve or permit;to give official authorization or approval for, ratify. (The city council has ...ed our request to turn the empty lot into a community garden.)

disdain (v-n), disdainful (adj) - contempt (v) - contemptuous(n), contemptible(adj), contemptuously(adv)

n. a feeling or showing of haughty ... or scorn; a stateof being despised. v. 1. to regard with haughty ... or scorn, despise. 2. to consider or reject a. I was humiliated by the way Angelica ...ed every idea I proposed at that meeting.b. The millionaire was disliked by many people because she treated "little people" with such ...

debut (n-v)

n. a first appearance in or presentation to the public. v. tomake a first appearance in public.(n. Irina's Carnegie Hall ... received rave reviews.)

harangue (n-v)

n. a long, often scolding or bombastic speech; a tirade. v. to speak in a pompous maner; to declaim.(Members of the audience began to get restless during the senator's political ....)

harbinger (n-v)

n. a person, thing, or event that foreshadows or indicateswhat is to come; a forerunner or precursor. (The arrival of the robins is a ... of spring.)

expedient (n-adj) , expediently (adv) .

n. a short-lived means to an end. adj. 1. appropriate for a purpose, suitable for a means to an end. 2. serving to promote one's own interests rather than principle.(A quick divorce was an ... end to the couple's two-month marriage.)

toil (n-v)

n. exhausting labor or effort; difficult or laborious work. v. to worklaboriously, move with difficultya. The feeble* old man ...ed up the hill.b. Despite* all his ..., Fred never succeeded in reaching his goal.

plague (n - v)

n. is a widespread disease that is deadly; v. to cause constant worry or distress to (someone)a. The country was hit by a ... of natural disasters that year.b. Crime ...s the inner city.

dissent (n - v)

n. opposition, objection, disagreement, dissension, contrapositionv. oppose, disagree, object, negative.(The Supreme Court, with two justices ...ing, ruled that the law was constitutional.)

cope (v - n)

n. overcome, beat, ..., conquer, vanquish, ride . v. to deal with and attempt to overcome problems and difficultie(committed their nefarious deeds under the dark ... of night)

hegemony (n) , hegemonic (adj)

n. predominant influence or leadership, especially of one government over others.(The ... of his country borders on imperialism.)

dupe (n-v) , dupable (adj)

n. someone who is easily deceived, gullible. v. to deceive, trick.(Charlene was ...d into buying this lemon of a car by a slick-talking salesman.)

derivative (adj-n),derivatively(adv), derive (v), derivation (n)

n. something that is ...d or made by .... adj. ...d from another source, unoriginal .a. The word "atomic" is a ... of the word "atom."b. When a person first writes poetry, her poems are apt to be ... of whatever poetry she most enjoys reading.

gerrymander (n-v)

n. the act of ...ing. v. to divide an area into voting districts so as to give one party an unfair advantage.(The election was rigged by ...ing that gave unfair advantage to the incumbent.)

ebb (v-n)

n. the return of the tide to the sea. v. 1. to flow back or recede, as thetide. 2. to fall back, decline.crumble, decay(I hope Mark's anger has ...ed; I am eager for a reconciliation.)

harass (v)

nag, fret, grill, pester.a. She was constantly ...ed by the other students.b. He claims that he is being unfairly ...ed by the police.

credulous (adj) , credulously (adv) ,* credulity(n)

naive, simple, unsophisticated, artless, silly , * willingness to believe, even with little evidence. a. Con artists fool people by taking advantage of their credulity.b. Few people are ... enough to believe such nonsense.

nominate (v), nominator (n)

name as a candidate for office; appoint to an officea. Three times Bryant was ...d for office but he was neverelected.b. The president ...d him for Secretary of State.

derelict (adj), dereliction (n)

neglecting one's duty. abandoned, deserted(The train crash was blamed on a switch man who was ..., having fallen asleep while on duty.)

penultimate (adj) , penultimately (adv)

next to last. (There's a real surprise for the audience in the ... scene.)

obsolete (adj) , obsolescence (n)

no longer in use; worn out , neglected, abandoneda. The government is auctioning ... computers.b. It seems that typewriters are now considered ....

tumult (n)

noise; uproar; violent* disturbance or disordera. The sailors' voices were too feeble* to be heard above the ...of the stormb. The dreaded* cry of aFire!" caused a ... in the theater.

obstreperous (adj) , obstreperously (adv)

noisily and stubbornly defiant; aggressively boisterous, unruly. (The ... child refused to go to bed.)

fracas (n)

noisy quarrel; brawl , fight, brawla. Because there is so much pushing and shoving in professional ice hockey games, they rarely end without a ....b. A ... took place between the two students after they bumped against each other on the stairs.

indifference (n), ind)fferent (adj/

nonchalance, carelessness, apathy, lack of interest, care, or attentiona. Allen's ... to his schoolwork worried his parents.b. It was a matter of ... to Bernie whether the story circulating* about his engagement was true or not.

indomitable (adj) , indomitably (adv) , indomitability (n)

not able to be vanquished or overcome,unconquerable; not easily discouraged or subdued. unable to be conquered or controlleda.The ... spirit of the Olympic athletes was inspirational..b. The world admired the ... spirit of Nelson Mandela; he remained courageous despite years of imprisonment.

extrinsic (adj)

not an innate part or aspect of something; external. outer, exterior(The high price of old baseball cards is due to ... factors, such as the nostalgia felt by baseball fans for the stars of their youth, rather than the inherent beauty or value of the cardsthemselves.)

idle (adj - v -n)

not doing anything; not busy; lazy; without any good reasonor cause; to waste (time)a. Any attempt to study was abandoned* by the student, who ...daway the morning.b. The ... hours of a holiday frequently* provide the best time to takestock.

indefatigable (adj) , indefatigably (adv) , indefatigability (n)

not easily exhausted or fatigued; tireless. (The volunteers were ...;they worked until every piece of trash was removed from the beach)

unstable (adj) , unstably (adv)

not firmly fixed; easily moved or overthrowna. Some ... people may panic* when they find themselves in trouble.b. Cathy's balance became ... because she was very weary.*

unforeseen (adj)

not known beforehand; unexpected , sudden, fortuitousa. We had some ... problems with the new engine.b. The divers faced ... trouble in their search for the wreck..

untidy (adj)

not neat; not in order , messy, disheveled, scrubbya. The bachelor's* quarters* were most ....b. . Finding the house in such an ... condition baffled* us.

covert (adj - n) , covertly (adv)

not openly shown; secret; clandestinea. The lioness placed her kittens in a ... cave to keep them safe.b. Before introducing herself to the charming-looking man at the party, the young woman glanced at him ...ly

impassive (adj) , impassively (adv) , impassivity (n)

not showing or feeling emotion or pain.apathetic, cold-blooded, (It was hard to know what she was feeling by looking at the ... expression on her face.)

flippant (adj) , flippantly (adv)

not showing proper seriousness; disrespectful, saucy.rude .(He made a ... response to a serious question.)

undernourished (n)

not sufficiently feda. The ... child was so feeble* he could hardly walk.b. An infant who drinks enough milk will not be ....

atypical (adj)

not typical; unusual. thumping, odd, irregular, eccentric, anomalous(In The Razor's Edge, Bill Murray, best known as a comic actor, gave an ... dramatic performance.)

temperate (adj) ,* temperance (n)

not very hot and not very cold; moderate ,* moderation or restraint in feelings and behavior. *a. Most professional athletes practice temperance in their personal habits; too much eating or drinking, they know, can harm their performance.b. The United States is mostly in the North Temperate Zonec. All students received the appeal* to be ... and not to jump to conclusions* in judging the new grading system.

flagrant (adj), flagrancy (n)

obviously wrong; offensive. (Nixon was forced to resign the presidency after a series of ... crimes against the U.S. Constitution.)

incumbent (n - adj) , incumbency (n)

occupant , someone who occupies an office or position.a. The City Council voted to provide an adequate salary for the mayor, so that the ... could live comfortably.b. It is generally believed that in a congressional election ...s have a significant advantage over their opponent.

vocation (n)

occupation; business; profession; trade , careera. Red Smith's ... was as a journalist* for the Times.b. Hiroko's ... turned into his life's career.

coincide (v), coincidence (n), coincidental (adj), coincidentally (adv)

occupy the same place in space; occupy the same time; correspond exactly; agreea. If these triangles were placed one on top of the other, they would....b. My verdict* on the film ...s with Adele's.

municipal (adj), municipally (adv)

of a city or state; having something to do in the affairs of a city or towna. The state police assisted the ... police in putting down the riot.b. There was only a mediocre* turnout for the ... elections.

totalitarian (adj)

of a form of government in which those in control neither recognize nor tolerate rival parties or loyalties, demanding total submission of the individual to the needs of the state. (The ... regime fell quickly when the people revolted.)

masculine (adj - n)

of man; malea. The boy became more ... as he got older.b. It is undeniable* that his beard makes him look ....

simian (adj - n)

of or like an ape or monkey. (Scientists have studied humans' ... ancestors.)

feminine (adj) , femininely (adv)

of women or girlsa. When my sister wants to look ... she changes fromdungarees into a dress.b. Aunt Sarah can always be counted on to give the ...viewpoint.

pecuniary (adj) , pecuniarily (adv)

of, relating to, or involving money.financial, fiscal, monetary(Rosen was relieved to learn that his penalty would be ... only and that he would not have to spend any time in jail.)

umbrage (n)

offense, resentment. insult, affront(I took great ... at your suggestion that I twisted the truth)

neutral (adj - n)

on neither side of a quarrel or wara. Switzerland was a ... country in World War II.b. Adolph did not reject* the idea but remained ... about it.

addictive (adj), addict (v), addict - addiction (n)

one who cannot break away from a habit or practicea. Because he was a heroin ..., it was essential* for Carlos toget the drug each day.b. Marcia became flabby* because she was ...ed to ice creamsodas.

skeptic (n - adj)

one who doubts consistently; one who is hard to convincea. I couldn't convince Uncle Henry, a born ....b. Ruth is ...al about Sid's promise.

pioneer (n - adj)

one who goes first or prepares a way for othersa. My grandfather was a ... in selling wholesale* products.b. England was a ... in building large vessels* for tourists.

misanthrope (n)

one who hates or distrusts humankind. (Pay no mind to his criticism; he's a real ..., and no one can do anything right in his eyes )

libertine (n - adj)

one who lives or acts in an immoral or irresponsible way; one who acts according to his or her own impulses and desires and isunrestrained by conventions or morals (They claim to be avant-garde, but in my opinion, they're just a bunch of ...s )

commuter (n)

one who travels regularly, especially over a considerable distance, between home and worka. The average ... would welcome a chance to live in thevicinity* of his or her work.b. Have your ...'s ticket verified* by the conductor.

incognito (adv - adj)

one's identity concealed; in disguise or under an assumed character or identity.(The star was traveling ..., hoping to find some measure of privacy on her vacation.)

defiant (adj) , defiantly (adv)

openly resisting; challenging* , bold, daring, audacious, brave a. "I refuse to be manipulated,"* the ... young woman toldher father.b. Defiant of everyone, the addict* refused to be helped.

hubris (n) , hubristic (adj) , hubristically (adv)

overbearing pride or presumption , a great or foolish amount of pride or confidence .(In the Greek tragedy Oedipus Rex, Oedipus's ... leads to his downfall)

imperious (adj) , imperiously (adv) , imperiousness (n)

overbearing, bossy, domineering , haughty , arrogant .(an ... little boy who liked to tell the other scouts what to do)

cloying (adj)

overly sweet or sentimental. (The deathbed scenes in the novels of Dickens are famously ...: as Oscar Wilde said, "One would need a heart of stone toread the death of Little Nell without laughing.")

pallor (n)

paleness, lack of color. (The fever subsided, but her ... remained for several weeks.)

utopia (n) , utopian (adj)

paradise; a place where everything is perfect ; an imaginary, perfect societya. The reformers hoped to set up a ... in Arizona.b. Those who founded the Oneida community dreamed that it could be a kind of ...—a prosperous state with complete freedom and harmony.

forbearance (n)

patience, willingness to wait, tolerance , forgiveness .(He showed great ... in his dealings with them.)

petulant (adj) , petulantly (adv)

peevish; unreasonably or easily irritated or annoyed.(The pouting and sulking child could only be described as ...)

gregarious (adj) , gregariously (dv) , gregariousness (n)

people or animals that are very social and enjoy being in , tending to form a group with others of the same kind.(Alan used to be so diffident, but now he's as ... as can be and is usually the life of the party.)

underdog (n)

person having the worst of any struggle; one who is expected to losea. Minority* groups complain about being the ...s in this century.*b. I always feel sorry for the ... in a street fight.

occupant (n)

person in possession of a house, office, or positiona. A feeble* old woman was the only ... of the shack.b. The will disclosed* that the ... of the estate was penniless.

traitor (n)

person who betrays his or her country, a friend, duty, etc.a. No villain* is worse than a ... who betrays* his country.b. Do not call him a ... unless you can verify* the charge.

atheist (n) , atheistic (adj)

person who denies the existence of Goda. The ... is quite different from the agnostic, who is not sure whether there is a God.b. He argued that his scientific training made it impossible for him tobe anything but an ....

volunteer (n - v) , voluntary (n)

person who enters any service of his or her own free will; to offer one's servicesa. The draft has been abolished* and replaced by a ... army.b. Terry did not hesitate* to ... for the most difficult jobs.

heir (n)

person who has a right to someone's property after that onedies; person who inherits anythinga. Though Mr. Sloane is the ... to a gold mine, he lives like a miser.*b. The monarch* died before he could name an ... to the throne.

debtor (n)

person who owes something to anothera. If I borrow a dollar from you, I am your ....b. As a ... who had received many favors from the banker,Mr. Mertz was reluctant* to testify against him.

beneficiary (n)

person who receives benefit , carpetbaggera. I was the ... of $8,000 when my grandfather died.b. When the paintings were sold, the millionaire's niece was the ...

egotist (n), egotistic (adj), egotistically (adv)

person who talks too much about himself; a conceited persona. Because ...s are always talking about their own lives, their friends become bored in their company.b. The egoist's e-mail address was "the greatest.com."

sycophant (n) , sycophantic (adj) ,sycophantically (adv)

person who tries to win the favor of influential or powerful people through flattery; a fawning parasite. (Omar realized that one of the drawbacks of his celebrity was that he would always be surrounded by ...s)

rival (n - v - adj)

person who wants and tries to get the same thing as another; one who tries to equal or do better than anothera. The boxer devised* an attack that would help him to be victorious*over his young ....b. Sherry didn't like to compete* because she always thought her... would win.

vandal (adj - n)

person who willfully or ignorantly destroys or damages beautiful thingsa. Adolescent* ...s wrecked the cafeteria.b. The ...s deliberately* ripped the paintings from the wall.

clergy (n)

persons prepared for religious work; ...men as a groupa. We try never to hinder* the ... as they perform their sacred*tasks.b. Friar Tuck was a member of the ... who loved a jolly* jest.*

ballot (n - v)

piece of paper used in voting; the whole number of votes cast; the method of secret voting; to vote or decide by using ...sa. Clyde, confident* of victory, dropped his ... into the box.b. After we counted the ...s a second time, Leo's victory was confirmed.*

devout (adj)

pious, religious, prayerful, holy. It is his ... wish to help people in need.b. ... Red Sox fans never lost faith during the long World Series drought

condolence (n), condole (v)

pity for someone else's sorrow or loss; sympathy. (After the sudden death of the doctor, thousands of messages of ... were sent to her family.)

morgue (n)

place where bodies of unknown persons found dead are kept; the reference library of a newspaper officea. There is a slender* chance that we can identifY* the body in the ....b. Bodies in the ... are preserved* by low temperatures.

wharf (n - v)

platform built on the shore or out from the shore beside which ships can load or unload a. We watched the exhausted* laborers unloading the cargo on the ....b. The lawyer insisted* that his client* was never seen near the ... where the crime had taken place.

venom (n)

poison that is produced by an animal ; a very strong feeling of anger or hatred , malice, grudge, spite, rancor.(He spewed ... against his rival.)

indigent (adj - n), indigently (adv)

poor; impoverished, destitutea. The ... population in the United States has benefited from the liberal welfare laws.b. During the nineteenth century each town or parish was responsible for its own disabled and ... citizens.

potential |(n - adj)

possibility* as opposed to actuality; capability of coming into being or actiona. Mark has the potential of being completely rehabilitated.*b. The coach felt his team had the potential to reach the finals.*

transparent (adj), transparently (adv)

pour boiling liquid over; burn with hot liquid or steam; heat almost to the boiling pointa. Do not neglect* to scald the dishes before drying them.b. By being hasty,* Stella scalded her hand.

vision (n - v)

power of seeing; sense of sight(The glasses that Irma bought corrected her nearsighted ....)

pragmatic (adj) , pragmatically (adv)

practical, matter-of-fact; favoring utility. (Because we don't have money or time to waste, I think we should take the most ... approach.)

commend (v), commendable (adj) , commendably (adv)

praise; hand over for safekeepinga. Everyone ...ed the mayor's thrifty* suggestion.b. Florence ...ed the baby to her aunt's care

prognosticate (v), prognostication (n)

predict , foretella. The thunder and lightning ...d a huge storm.b. Judging from his stock market losses, my uncle can't ... too well.

latent (adj) , latently (adv) , latency (n)

present or in existence but not active or evident.dormant. hidden. a. Although he had committed only a single act of violence, the psychiatrist who examined him said he had probably always had a ... tendency toward violence.b. he has a ... talent for acting that he hasn't had a chance to express yet

deprive (v)

prevent, block, stop, ban or take away from by forcea. The poor man was ...d of a variety* of things that moneycould buy.b. Living in a rural* area, Betsy was ...d of concerts and plays.

captive (n - adj)

prisoner a. The major was grateful* to be released after having been held ... for two years.b. Until the sheriff got them out, the two boys were held ... in the barn.

salutary (adj) , salutarily (adv) , salutariness (n)

producing a beneficial or wholesome effect; remedial.(To promote better health, I've decided to move to a more ... climate)

prolific (adj), prolifically (adv)

producing much; fertile , profitablea. The ... author produced three best-sellers last year.b. We adopted the ... eat's entire litter.

lucrative (adj) , lucratively (adv) , lucrativeness (n)

profitable, producing much money.gainful, remunerative, productive.a. The business that had been so ... was now bankrupt.b. Edna's investment in real estate was happily ....

pledge (n - v)

promise , word, troth, plighta. Before the grand jury, the sinister* gangster ...d to tell thewhole truth.b. Monte was reluctant* to ... his loyalty* to his new girlfriend.

verify (v)

prove to be true; confirm*a. A "yes man" is an employee* who will ... everything the bosssays.b. The data* I turned in were verified by the clerks in our office.

thrust (v - n)

push with forcea. Once the jet engine was ignited,* it ... the rocket from the ground.b. He had adequate* strength to ... himself through the locked door.

quench (v), quenchable (adj)

put an end to; drown or put outa. Foam will ... an oil fire.b. Only iced tea will ... my thirst on such a hot day.

observant (adj) , observantly (adv)

quick to notice; watchful , alert, vigilant, springy, awakea. We were ... of the conflict* between the husband andhis wife.b. Because Cato was ..., he was able to reveal* the thiefsname.

hasty (adj) , hastily (adv)

quick; hurried; not well thought out , rash, precipitate, quick.a. A ... glance* convinced him that he was being followed.b. Rather than make a ... decision, Mr. Torres rejected* the offer.

soothe (v)

quiet; calm; comfort , mitigate, alleviatea. With an embrace,* the mother ...d the hurt child.b. Heat ...s some aches; cold ...s others.

elevate (v)

raise; lift upa. Private Carbo was ...d to higher rank for his valor.*b. Reading a variety* of good books ...s the mind.

militant (adj - n), militantly (adv), militancy (n)

ready to fight; warlikea. We are ... in defense of our freedom.b. Phil's ... posture in the schoolyard kept the bullies away.

veritable (adj) , veritably (adv)

real, true, genuine. actual, authentic (Einstein was a ... genius)

maverick (n)

rebel, nonconformist, one who acts independently.(Madonna has always been a ... in the music industry.)

vicinity (n)

region near a place; neighborhooda. Living in the ... of New York, Jeremy was near man museums.b. The torrent* of rain fell only in our ....

quarter (v - n)

region; section; (...s) a place to live; to provide a place to livea. The large family was unaccustomed* to such small ...s.b. Ellen moved to the French Quarter of our city.

pension (n - v)

regular payment that is not wages; to make such a paymenta. Pensions are often paid because of long service, special merit,* or injuries received.b. The ... is calculated* on the basis of your last year's income.

aesthetic (adj), aestheticism (n)

relating to art or beauty. (Mapplethorpe's photos may be attacked on moral grounds, but no one questions their ... value—they are beautiful.)

consolation (n), console (v)

relief or comfort in sorrow or suffering. (Although we miss our dog very much, it is a ... to know that she died quickly, without suffering.)

alleviate (v), alleviation (n)

relieve; lessen; make more bearable , relieve, mitigatea. Pharmaceutical manufacturers are always seeking new drugs to ... pain.b. After a death in a family, counselors may be able to ... the sorrow of the deceased's relatives.

rue (n - v) - regret (n - v)

remorse, repentance, compunction, contritiona. I ... the day I agreed to this stupid plan..b. She has no ...s about leaving him (n).

miniature (adj - n)

represented on a small scalea. The young boy wanted a ... sports car for his birthday.b. Instead of buying a massive* dog, Teddy got a ... poodle.

berate (v)

reprove, rebuke, scold, To say insulting and disrespectful things , to scold or criticize harshly.a. The teacher lost his job because he cruelly ...d students whomade mistakes.b. The judge angrily ...d the two lawyers for their unprofessional behavior.

plea (n)

request; appeal; that which is asked of another , argument, casea. The employees* turned in a ... to their boss for higher pay.b. The president's ... to release the captives* was denied by theenemy.

uneasy (adj) , uneasily (adv)

restless; disturbed; anxious , troubled, confuseda. Mrs. Spinner was ... about letting her son play in thevicinity* of the railroad tracks.b. The treasurer was ... about the company's budget.*

rehabilitate (v)

restore to good condition; make over in a new form; restore to former standing, rank, reputation, etc.a. The old house was ...d at enormous* expense.b. The former crimina completely ...d himself and wasrespected by all.

mature (adj - adv) , maturity - maturation (adv)

ripe; the process of becoming fully grown or developeda. I could tell that Mitch was ... from the way he persisted* inhis work.b. Only through ... study habits can a person hope to gainknowledge.*

jeopardize (v), jeopardy (n)

risk; to put in danger.a. Soldiers ... their lives in war.b. Mr. Marcos revised* his opinion of police officers after two ofthem had ...d their lives to save his drowning child.

flee (v)

run away; go quicklya. The ...ing outlaws* were pursued* by the police.b. One could clearly see the clouds ...ing before the wind.

sardonic (adj) , sardonically (adv) , sardonicism (n)

sarcastic, mocking scornfully.( I was hurt by his ... reply.)

fierce (adj) , fiercely (adv)

savage; wild , violenta. Barry was so ...ly angry that he thrust* his hand through theglass.b. He took one look at his ... opponent* and ran.

vitriolic (adj)

savagely hostile or bitter, caustic. Showing an extreme, hateful anger(Her ... attack on her opponent was so hostile that it may cost her the election.)

thrifty (adj), thriftily (adv)

saving; careful in spending; thriving ,frugal, economicala. By being ..., Miss Benson managed to get along on her small income.b. A ... person knows that squandering* money can lead to financial* calamity.*

paucity (n)

scarcity, smallness of supply or quantity. shortage; scarcenessa. There was no ... of courage in the Marine group.b. The critics referred to the ... of dancing talent in the show.

probe (v -n)

search into; examine thoroughly; investigatea. The lawyer ...d the man's mind to see if he was innocent.b. After probing the scientist's theory,* we proved it was correct.

plausible (adj), plausibly (adv), plausibility (n)

seemingly true; apparently believable , probable, crediblea. I'll admit that Cabot's alibi was ....b. The scientist's ... theory collapsed under serious scrutiny.

stoical (adj) , stoically (adv)

seemingly unaffected by pleasure or pain; indifferent, impassive. (Michael was ..., but underneath, he is every bit as emotional as we are.)

rarely (adv)

seldom; not oftena. You ... hear adults raving* about a movie they just saw.b. People are ... frank* with each other.

complacent (adj) , complacently (adv), competency (n)

self-satisfied, unconcerned.nonchalant .unconcerned , smug.a. Renee was ... even when she learned that her coworkers were trying to get her fired.b. How can you be ... about such a menace?*

transmit (v) , transmittable (n) , transmittable (adj)

send over; pass on; pass along; let througha. Garcia's message was ...ted to the appropriate* people.b. Scientists can now ... messages from space vessels* to earth.

ignite (v) , ignitable (adj)

set on fire ,light, kindlea. Spark plugs ... in an automobile engine.b. One match can ... an entire forest.

quota (n)

share of a total due from or to a particular state, district, person, etc.a. The company revealed* a ... of jobs reserved for collegestudents.b. There was a ... placed on the number of people who couldmigrate* here from China.

cliché (n)

shibboleth ,an expression that has become overly familiar or commonplacea. Most television programs have become cliched, following worn-out formulas.b.a speech filled with ...s about "finding your way" and "keeping the faith"

sneer (v - n), sneeringly (adv)

show scorn or contempt by looks or words;a scornful look or remarka. "Wipe that ... off your face!" the dean told the delinquent.*b. When offered a dime as a tip, the taxi driver ...ed at his rider.

senile (adj), senilely(adv), senility (n)

showing a loss of mental ability (such as memory) in old age(Her mother is becoming ....)

precocious (adj), precociously (adv), precocity (n)

showing advanced development at an early agea. The literal meaning of ... is half-baked.b. Since Lulu was so ..., she was skipped twice at school.

judicious (adj), judiciously (adv)

showing good judgment , wise mana. A ... investment brought Carlos considerable profit.b. King Solomon is said to have made a ... decision.

eloquent (adj) , eloquently (adv)

showing the ability to use language clearly and effectively,clearly showing feeling or meaning ,articulate,silver-tongued,well-spoken(an ... writer and speaker, Elizabeth Cady Stanton was one of the founders of the women's rights movement)

pretentious (adj) , pretentiously (adv) , pretentiousness (n)

showy, pompous, putting on airs. a. Hannah thinks that being ... will make people like her, but she is sorely mistaken.b. For an ordinary shoe salesman to call himself a "Personal Foot Apparel Consultant" seems awfully ....

diffident (adj) , diffidently (adv), diffidence (n)

shy, timid, coy, embarrassed, sheepish , lacking self-confidence . hesitant, reserved.a. Someone with a ... personality should pursue a career that involves little public contact.b.She was ... about stating her opinion.

threat (n)

sign or cause of possible evil or harma. There is always the horrid* ... that my job will be abolished.*b. It is absurd* to think that a tiny bug could be a ... to a person.

beckon (v)

signal by a motion of the hand or head; attract , inveigle, tempta. Jack ...ed to me to follow him.b. The delicious smell of fresh bread ...ed the hungry boy.

ludicrous (adj), ludicrously (adv)

silly; absurd , farcical, ridiculous, outlandish; see absurd, funny a. Teachers hear many flimsy excuses but Andre's was truly ....b. "I find your proposal to be ...," Rosita's boss declared

subside (v), subsidence (n)

sink to a lower level; grow lessa. After the excessive* rains stopped, the flood waters ...d.b. The waves ...d when the winds ceased* to blow.

harmony (n)

situation of getting on well together or going well together; sweet ormusical sound , congruencea. We hoped the incident would not disrupt* the ... that existed between the brothers.b. We responded* to the ... of the song by humming along.

incredulous (adj) , incredulously (adv)

skeptical, unwilling to believe.mistrustful, .(She listened to his explanation with an ... smile)

crafty (adj) , craftily (adv)

skillful in deceiving others; sly; tricky , cunning, foxy, maliciousa. His ... mind prepared a comprehensive* plan to defraud* hispartners.b. The Indians did not fall for the ... ambush.*

svelte (adj) , sveltely (adv)

slender and graceful, suave. (The ... actress offered a toast to her guests.)

phlegmatic (adj), phlegmatically (adv)

slow to respond; not easily exciteda. Ben's ... behavior irritated his wife no end.b. Because Darryl was generally ..., we were surprised by his lively response.

vermin (n)

small animals that are troublesome or destructive; fleas, bedbugs, lice, rats, and mice are ...a. We should try to eliminate* all ... from our house.b. Some reptiles* eat ... as their food.

keg (n)

small barrel, usually holding less than ten gallonsa. The corner saloon uses numerous* ...s of beer on a Saturdaynight.b. "Get a ... of nails," the carpenter shouted at me.

wad (v- n)

small, soft mass; to roll or crush into a small massa. To decrease* the effects of the pressure, the diver put ...s of cotton in his ears.b. The officer challenged* George to explain the ... of fifty dollars which he had in his pocket.

minority (n)

smaller number or part; less than halfa. Only a small ... of the neighborhood didn't want a new park.b. Native Americans are a ... group in the United States.

arbiter (n)

someone able to settle dispute; a judge or referee. (The public is the ultimate ... of commercial value: It decides what sells and what doesn't.)

prudent - prudential (adj), prudently (adv), prudence (n)

someone who has good judgment and is careful and practical. wise, cautious, and practical. a. A ... investor will avoid putting all of her money into any single investment.b. You made a ... choice.

emissary (n)

someone who represents another.(In an effort to close the construction deal, the former CEO was sent as an ... to China to negotiate a contract.)

poseur (n)

someone who takes on airs to impress others; a phony.a person who pretends to be what he or she is not : an affected or insincere person ( My first impression of the arrogant newcomer told me that he was a ...; I just had a hunch that he wasn't what he seemed to be.)

amplify (n) , anomalous (adj)

something different or irregular. (The tiny planet Pluto, orbiting next to the giants Jupiter, Saturn, and Neptune, has long appeared to be an anomaly.)

hardship (n)

something that is hard to bear; difficultya. The fighter had to face many ...s before he becamechampion.b. Abe Lincoln was able to overcome one ... after another.

ostensible (adj) , ostensibly (adv)

something that seems to be true but it may not be true. pretended.apparent; on the surface; professeda. The ... reason for the investment was to help the airline.b. Ostensibly, Alec took the job to gain experience.

emollient (n - adj)

something that softens or soothes. (She used a hand cream as an ... on her dry, work-roughened hands.)

contrite (adj), contrition (n)

sorry for past misdeeds. regretful(The public is often willing to forgive celebrities who are involved in some scandal, as long as they appear ....)

penitent (adj - n) , penitently (adv)

sorry for wrongdoing and willing to make amends ,feeling sorry for past crimes or sins.a. In the principal's office, the ... sophomore confessed.b. The parole board sensed that Evans was ... and gave him a break.

mellifluous (adj) , mellifluously (adv) , mellifluousness (n)

sounding sweet and flowing; honeyed .(Her ... voice floated in through the windows and made everyone smile)

mumble (v - n), mumblingly (adv)

speak indistinctlya. Ricky ...d his awkward* apology.*b. This speech course will encourage* you to stop mumbling and to speak more distinctly.

utter (adj - v), utterly (adv)

speak; make known; express , say, tella. When Violet accidentally stepped on the nail, she ...ed a sharpcry of pain.b. Seth was surprised when he was told that he had ...ed Joan'sname in his sleep.

circumlocution (n)

speaking in a roundabout way; wordiness. redundancy, verbosity, prolixity, periphrasis(Legal documents often contain ...s which make them difficult to understand)

squander (v)

spend foolishly; waste , inseminatea. Do not ... your money by buying what you cannot use.b. Because Freddy ...ed his time watching television, he could not catch up on his homework.

contagious (adj), contagiously (adv)

spreading by contact, easily spreading from one to anothera. Scarlet fever is ....b. I find that yawning is often ....

oblivion (n), oblivious (adj), obliviousness (noun).

state of being forgotten; unaware of what is going on , forgetfulness, ...ness, Lethe, amnesia; unconscious.a. His once-famous novel has now sunk into ....b. Ella rescued that song from ....c. Karen practiced her oboe with complete concentration, ... to the noise and activity around her.

explicit (adj) , explicitly (adv) , explicitness (n)

stated clearly and fully; straightforward, exact.(The terms of the rental agreement were ... in the document.)

paradox (n)

statement that seems to contradict itself , mystery, enigma, ambiguitya. Calling the coward the bravest man in the room is a ....b. It was ...ical for the weakest team to be leading the league.

linger (v) , lingering (adj) , lingeringly (adv)

stay on; go slowly as if unwilling to leave , slop, dawdlea. The odor didn't vanish,* but ...ed on for weeks.b. Some traditions* ... on long after they have lost their meanings.

miserly (adj)

stingy; like a miser, mean, niggardly, tighta. Being ... with our natural resources will help us to live longer on this earth.b. A ... person rarely* has any friends.

legend (n)

story coming from the past, which many people have believed; what is written on a coin or below a picturea. Stories about King Arthur and his knights are popular* ...s.b. ... has exaggerated* the size of Paul Bunyan.

penchant (n)

strong liking or inclination (for something).( Consuela has a ... for wearing the latest fashions.)

obdurate (adj) , obdurately (adv) , obduracy (n)

stubborn and inflexible; hardhearted, not easily moved to pity. a. I doubt he'll change his mind; he's the most ... person I know.b. Despite the many pleas he received, the governor was ... in his refusal to grant clemency to the convicted murderer.

refractory (adj) , refractorily (adv) , refractoriness (n)

stubborn, unmanageable, resisting control or discipline.(Elena is a counselor for ... children in an alternative school setting.)

obtuse (adj) , obtusely (adv) , obtusity (n)

stupid and slow to understand. 2. blunt, not sharp or pointed. ( Please don't be so ...; you know what I mean. )

valid (adj) , validly (adv)

supported by facts or authority; sound; truea. The witness neglected* to give ... answers to the judge'squestions.b. Rita had ... reasons for denouncing* her father's way of life.

corroborating (adj), corroborate (verb), corroboration (n).

supporting with evidence; confirming. emphasize, assert, assure, affirm,(A passerby who hadwitnessed the crime gave ... testimony about the presence of the accused person.)

mortal (adj - n)

sure to die sometime; pertaining to man; deadly; pertaining to or causing deatha. The two monarchs* were ... enemies..b. His rash* venture* brought him to a ... illness.

absorb (v), absorbability (n) , absorbable (adj)

take in or suck up (liquids); interest greatly.a. The sponge ...ed the beer which had leaked from the keg.*b. Our bodies must ... those things which will nourish* them.

defraud (v) , defraudation (n)

take money, rights, etc., away by cheating ,deceive, fool, betraya. My aunt saved thousands of dollars by ...ing the government.b. By ...ing his friend, Dexter ruined a family tradition* of honesty.

protean (adj)

taking many forms, changeable; variable, versatile.( In Native American mythology, the coyote is often called the "shape shifter" because he is such a ... character.)

rave (adj - v - n)

talk wildlya. Shortly after taking the drug, the addict* began to ... and foam at the mouth.b. Speedy ...d that his car had the capacity* to reach 120 miles per hour.

garrulous - loquacious (adj) garrulously - loquaciously (adv) , garrulity - loquaciousness(n)

talkative, gossipy, talking, babbling , chatty , wordya. The talk show host could not seem to stop the ... guest from telling one uninteresting story after another.b. He became more ... after drinking a couple of beers.

reticent (adj) , reticently (adv)

tending to keep one's thoughts and feelings to oneself; reserved, untalkative, silent. (Annette is very ..., so don't expect her to tell you much about herself.)

horrid (adj) , horridly (adv)

terrible; frightful ,, horrible, shocking, outrageous, atrociousa. Janey avoided* staring at the ... man's face.b. It is simply ... the way cars pollute* the air we breathe.

fiction (n) , fictional (adj) , fictionally (adv)

that which is imagined or made upa. The story that the president had died was ....b. Marge enjoys reading works of ... rather than true stories.

convergence (n), converge (v)

the act of coming together in unity or similarity. grouping.(A remarkable example of evolutionary ... can be seen in the shark and the dolphin, two seacreatures that developed from different origins to become very similar in form.)

countenance (n-v)

the appearance of a person's face : a person's expression .(n.As she walked down the aisle, Julia's ... was absolutelyradiant.)

verisimilitude (n)

the appearance of being true or real. (The movie aims for complete ... and has painstakingly recreated the details of everyday life in the 1920s.)

perjury (n) , perjurious (adj) , perjuriously (adv)

the deliberate willful giving of false, misleading, or incomplete testimony while under oath. lying under oatha. Carole's attorney cautioned her about committing ....b. Facing ... charges, Monte confessed tearfully.

acme (n)

the highest point of something , summit .(the ... of their basketball season was their hard-won victory over last year's state champs)

majority (n)

the larger number; greater part; more than halfa. A ... of votes was needed for the bill to pass.b. The ... of people prefer to pay wholesale* prices for meat.

debris (n)

the pieces that are left after something has been destroyed .a.After the earthquake, rescuers began digging through the ... in search of survivors.b.Everything was covered by dust and ....

fragility (n), fragile (adj)

the quality of being easy to break; delicacy, weakness. (Because of their ..., few stained glass windows from the early Middle Ages have survived.)

denouement (n)

the resolution or clearing up of the plot at the end of a narrative; the outcome or solution of an often complex series of events.(The students sat at the edge of their seats as they listened to the ... ofthe story.)

morality (n)

the right or wrong of an action; virtue; a set of rules or principles of conducta. The editor* spoke on the ... of "bugging" the quarters* of a political opponent.*b. We rarely consider* the ... of our daily actions, though that should occupy* a high position in our thinking.

zeitgeist (n)

the spirit of the times; the general intellectual and moral outlook or attitude characteristic of a particular generation or period of time.(The revolutionary ... of the sixties and seventies is in sharp contrast to the conservative ... of the fifties)

ethos (n)

the spirit, attitude, disposition or beliefs characteristic of a community, epoch, region, etc.(The ... of their group included a commitment to pacifism.

nadir (n)

the very bottom, the lowest point.(The relationship between the two countries reached a ... in the 1920s.)

proletariat (n)

the working class, those who do manual labor to earn a living. (The ...s demanded fewer hours and better wages.)

biography (n)

the written story of a person's life; the part of literature that consists of biographiesa. Our teacher recommended* the ... of the architect* FrankLloyd Wright.b. The ... of Malcolm X is a popular* book in our school.

yolk (n)

the yellow part in the center of an egg.(Yolks of eggs being formed at the bottom of the window.)

idol (n)

thing, usually an image, that is worshiped; a person or thing that is loved very mucha. This small metal ... illustrates* the art of ancient Rome.b. Scientists are still trying to identify* this ... found in the ruins.

comprehensive (adj) , comprehensively (adv)

thorough, overall, universal , including much; covering completelya. After a ... exam, my doctor said I was in good condition.b. Mrs. Silver wanted us to do a ... study of Edgar Allan Poe.

menace (n) , menacingly (adv)

threata. lrv's lack* of respect made him a ... to his parents.b. The torrents* of rain were a ... to the farmer's crops.

weary (adj - v) , wearily (adv)

tireda. I am ... of debating* the same topic* all day.b.Let me rest my ... bones here before the march commences.*

acclimate (v), acclimation (n)

to adapt, to adjusta. It is difficult for the human body to ... to abrupt changes in temperature.b. Dogs and cats usually ... easily to living in a home with small children.

concur (v)

to agree with someone or something ,compound, jibe .(We ... that more money should be spent on education.)

irk (v) - pique (v - n )

to annoy, irritate, vex. (Being a teenager means being continually ...ed by your parents—and vice versa.)

fraternize (v), fraternization (n)

to associate with on friendly terms. (Although baseball players aren't supposed to ... with their opponents, players from opposing teams often chat before games.)

expiate (v), expiation (n)

to atone for. purge.(The president's apology to the survivors of the notoriousTuskegee experiments was his attempt to ... the nation's guilt over their mistreatment.)

impugn (v) , impugnation (n), impugnable (adj)

to attack as false or questionable; to contradict or call into question.(The editorial ...ed the senator's reelection platform and set thetone for the upcoming debate.)

impute (v) , imputation (n) , imputative (adj)

to attribute to a cause or source, ascribe, credit. accredit, put downa. Doctors ... the reduction in cancer deaths to the nationwide decrease in cigarette smoking.b. Although Sarah's comments embarrassed me, I don't ... any ill will to her; I think she didn't realize what she was saying.

denigrate (v) , denigration (n) , denigratory (adj)

to blacken the reputation of, disparage, defame.bad-mouth, belittlea. No one is trying to ... the importance of a good education. We all know that it is crucial for success.b. The firm's new president tried to explain his plans for improving the company without seeming to ... the work of his predecessor.

mediate (v - adj), mediation (n)

to bring about a settlement; resolve differencesa. When my sister and I quarrel, Mom steps in to ....b. The mediator's ruling was seen as favorable to management.

discredit (v - n)

to cause disbelief in the accuracy of some statement or the reliabilityof a person. vilification, denigration, ..., calumny, smearing, malediction(Although many people still believe in UFOs, among scientists the reports of alien encounters" have been thoroughly ...ed.)

coalesce (v) , coalescence (n) , coalescent (adj)

to combine and form a whole; to join together, fuse.associate, unite(a group of young reformers who gradually ...d into a political movement)

vie (v)

to compete with or contend; to strive for superiority or victory. (The two scientists were vying to be the first to find concrete evidence of extraterrestrial life.)

consummate (v - adj), consummation (n).

to complete, finish, or perfect.(The deal was ...d with a handshake and the payment of the agreed-upon fee.)

deign (v)

to condescend,to do something that you think you should not have to do because you are too important(Would you ... to spare a dime for a poor old beggar like me?)

deliberate (adj - v)

to consider carefully; intended; done on purpose; slow and careful, as though allowing time to decide what to doa. Rico's excuse was a ... lie.b. My grandfather walks with ... steps.

connive (v)

to conspire; to cooperate secretly to perform a wrong acta. It was revealed that foreign spies ...d with criminals to gather information about atomic weapons.b. In planning the bank robbery, the thieves ...d with the drivers of the armored truck to drive away after they made their delivery.

gainsay (v) m, gainsayer (n)

to contradict, disaffirm, disallow, disavow, disclaim, disconfirm, disown, deny, negate, negative, refute, reject, repudiate , oppose(Petra would gainsay all accusations made against her.)

proselytize (v)

to convert or seek to convert someone to another religion, belief, doctrine or cause.(After a few minutes, it became clear to Hannah that the purpose of the meeting was really to ... as many attendees as possible.)

emend (v), emendation (n)

to correct. rectify, mend (Before the letter is mailed, please ... the two spelling errors.)

decry (v)

to criticize or condemn. (Cigarette ads aimed at youngsters have led many to ... the marketing tactics of the tobacco industry.)

vituperate (v) , vituperator (n) , vituperative (adj) , vituperatively (adv)

to criticize or rebuke harshly or abusively; to censure severely, berate. (After being ...d by her boss for something that wasn'teven her fault, Jin handed in her letter of resignation)

delude (v) , deludingly (adv)

to deceive, make someone believe something that is wrong. fool(Nicole ...d Maria when she claimed to forgive her.)

circumscribe (v) , circumscription (n)

to define by a limit or boundary. (Originally, the role of the executive branch of government was clearly ...d, but that role has greatly expanded over time.)

regale (v)

to delight or entertain with a splendid feast or pleasant amusement. (The king ...d his guests until the early morning hours.)

disenfranchise (v) , disenfranchisement (n)

to deprive of the rights of citizenship, especially the right to vote. deprive of a privilege, right, or power .(They ...d poor people by making property ownership a requirement for registering to vote.)

decimate (v) , decimation (n)

to destroy a large number of (plants, animals, people, etc.)(Budget cuts have ...d public services in small towns.)

deter (v) , deterrence (adj - n)

to discourage from acting. prevent, block, stop, ban(The best way to ... crime is to insure that criminals will receive swift and certain punishment.)

dissuade (v) , dissuader (n)

to discourage from or persuade against a course of action.inhibit.(Our warnings did not ... them.)

flout (v) , flouter (n) , floutingly (adv)

to disobey openly and scornfully; to reject, mock, go against (asin a tradition or convention).(Despite repeated warnings, they have continued to ... the law.)

mete (v - n)

to distribute, allot, apportion. (The punishments were ...d out fairly to everyone involved in the plot.)

quail (v - n)

to draw back in fear, flinch, cower. (Mona ...ed as soon as the vicious dog entered the room.)

delineate (v) , delineation (n) , delineative (adj)

to draw or outline, sketch; to portray, depict, describe.a. The survey will clearly ... where their property ends.b. Naturalists had long suspected the fact of evolution, but Darwin was the first to ... a process—natural selection—throughwhich evolution could occur.

detract (v) , detractor (n)

to draw or reduce from; to remove part of something, diminish.someone who belittles or disparages. a.The singer has many ...ors who consider his music boring, inane, and sentimental.b. Unfortunately, Helen's slovenly appearance ...ed from the impact of her otherwise brilliant presentation.

quaff (v)

to drink hurriedly or heartily; to swallow in large draughts. (He quickly ...ed three glasses of water. )

enthrall (v)

to enchant or charm. fascinate, seduce(When the Swedish singer Jenny Lind toured America in the nineteenth century, audiences were ...ed by her beauty and talent.)

quell (v)

to end or stop (something) usually by using force ;to calm or reduce (something, such as fear or worry), to quiet, to suppress. a. It took a huge number of police to ... the rioting.b. the principal held up her hand to ... the students so they could hear the urgent announcement

condone (v), condonable (adj)

to excuse; pardon; overlooka. Public school authorities do not ... the use of force by the teacher.b. Because the basketball star led the team to a championship, many of his social shortcomings were ...d.

debunk (v)

to expose as false or worthless. expose, deflate, demystify(The magician loves to ... psychics, mediums, clairvoyants, and others who claim supernatural powers.)

exult (v)

to feel or show great happiness ; to say (something) in a very excited and happy way a. "That was the best meal I've ever had!" he ...ed.b. the winners of the Super Bowl spent the next week ...ing in their victory

pillage (v - n)

to forcibly rob of goods, especially in time of war; to plunder.(The barbarians ...d the village before destroying it with fire.)

extricate (v), extricable (adj)

to free from a difficult or complicated situation. (Much of the humor in the TV show I Love Lucy comes in watching Lucy try to ... herself from the problems she creates by fibbing or trickery.)

exculpate (v) , exculpation (n), exculpable (adj) , exculpatory (adv)

to free from blame, to clear from a charge of guilt.a. When Anthony admitted to the crime, it served to ... Marcus.b. When someone else confessed to the crime, the previous suspect was ...d.

exonerate (v), exoneration (noun)

to free from blame. (Although he was suspected at first of being involved in the bombing, later evidence ...d him.)

absolve (v), absolution (n)

to free from guilt, to exonerate. (The criminal jury ...d the man of the murder of his ex-wife.)

purge (v - n)

to free from impurities, especially to rid of that which is undesirableor harmful; to make or become clean, pure.(After Leon writes a draft, he ...s the text of unnecessary words to make it more succinct.)

discomfit (v), discomfiture (n)

to frustrate, thwart, or embarrass.(Discomfited by the interviewer's unexpected question, Peter could only stammer in reply.)

circumvent (v)

to get around. (When Jerry was caught speeding, he tried to ... the law by offering the police officer some money.)

delegate (v), delegate (n)

to give authority or responsibility. (The president ...d the vice president to represent the administration at the peace talks.)

extol (v)

to greatly praise. (At the party convention, speaker after speaker rose to ... their candidate for the presidency.)

stymie (v - n) , thwart (v -n - adj)

to hinder, obstruct, ...; to prevent the accomplishment of something. blocka. If you ... Andre, you do it at your risk.b. The inmates' attempt to escape was ...ed by an alert guard.

disregard (v - n)

to ignore, to neglect.( If you don't write a will, when you die, your survivors may ... your wishes about how your property should be handled.)

exhort (v)

to incite by argument or advice, urge stronglya. The candidate ...ed members of his party to be certain to vote for him on election day.b. In his speech, the president ...ed citizens to ask what they could do for their country.

surmise (v - n)

to infer based upon insufficient evidence; to guess, conjecture.( After finding dirty footprints in her apartment, Lakisha ...d that someone had stolen her misplaced jewelry.)

inveigle (v) , inveiglement (n)

to influence or persuade through gentle coaxing or flattery; to entice.(Vanessa ...d her way into a promotion that should have gone to Maxon.)

daunt (v) , daunter (n) , dauntingly (adv)

to intimidate, to make afraid or discouraged , dispirit, frustrate, unman, unnerve .(His austere manner ...ed the small children.)

exasperate (v)

to irritate or annoy. (Because she was trying to study, Sharon was ...d by the yelling of her neighbors' children.)

emigrate (v), emigrant - emigration (noun).

to leave one place or country to settle elsewhere. (Millions of Irish ...d to the New World in the wake of the great Irish famines of the 1840s.)

grovel (v) , groveler (n)

to lie or creep with one's face to the ground in a servile, humble,or fearful manner.(Panji, if you want your boss to treat you with respect, you've got to stop ...ing and stand up for yourself.)

glance (v -n )

to look at quickly; a quick looka. The observant* driver ...d at the accident at the side of theroad.b. I took one ... at the wretched* animal and turned away.

reconnoiter (v)

to make a preliminary inspection or survey of,especially to gather military information or prepare for military operations.(An expedition ...ed the coast to find out the exact location of enemy forces.)

gesticulate (v)

to make gestures especially when speakinga. Englishmen think that French people speak louder and ... more than English people.b. The candidate for the United States Senate ...d violently with his hands and arms in order to add passion to his remarks.

hallow (v)

to make holy, consecrate , bless, sacralize, sanctify(The religious leader ...ed the new worship hall.)

nullify (v)

to make null (without legal force), invalidate. 2. to counteractor neutralize the effect of. (The opponents wanted to ... the bill before it became a law.)

obviate (v)

to make unnecessary, get rid of. avoid, avert, evade(Hiring Magdalena would ... the need to hire a music tutor, for she is also a classical pianist. )

exacerbate (v) , exacerbation (n)

to make worse; to increase the severity, violence, or bitterness of. to make more violent, bitter, or severea. The pain in the pitcher's sore elbow was ...d when he pitched a full game after only one day's rest.b. His angry comments have ...d tensions in the negotiation process.

lament (v - n)

to mourn; express griefa. The national ... for the dead leader was genuine.b. A loud ... was heard when the grades were posted.

diverge (v), divergence (noun), divergent (adjective).

to move in different directions. (Frost's poem "The Road Less Traveled" tells of the choice he made when "Two roads ...d in a yellow wood.")

undulate (v - adj)

to move in waves or in a wavelike fashion, fluctuate.(The curtains ...d in the breeze.)

cajole (v), cajolement (n)

to persuade with flattery; to coaxa. In order to convince his girlfriend to marry him, the man ...d her by using sweet words and soft tones.b. The candidate for mayor, a skillful speaker, ...d the voters to vote for him.

malinger (v)

to pretend to be injured or ill in order to avoid work.a. Stop ...ing and give me a hand with this job.b. During the labor dispute, hundreds of employees ...ed, forcing the company to slow production and costing it millions in profits.

forestall (v) , forestallment (n)

to prevent by taking action first, preempt.(His comments were meant to ... criticism of his proposal.)

engender (v)

to produce, give rise to, bring into existence.to cause.a. Countless disagreements over the proper use of national forests have ...ed feelings of hostility between ranchers and environmentalistsb. Professor Sorenson's support worked to ... Samantha's desire to pursue a PhD.

interdict (n-v) , interdictory- interdictive (adj), interdiction (n)

to prohibit, forbid.prevent, block, stop, ban .(Carlos argued that the agriculture department should ... plans to produce genetically modified foods.)

incarcerate (v - n)

to put in prisona. After the jury pronounced the defendant guilty, the judge determined that the defendant should be ...d for ten years.b. The bank robbers ...d the bank manager and the hostages in the large vault while they made their escape.

peruse (v), perusal (n)

to read carefully, to examine or study.a. "I'd like you to ... these documents tonight," my boss said.b. After I ... the chapter, I'll deal with the questions.

imbibe (v)

to receive into the mind and retain; drinka. The more cigarettes the inmates smoked, the more they wanted to ... brandy and soda.b. The heat of the sun's rays was ...d by the sunbathers.

extenuate (v) , extenuation (n) , extenuating (adj)

to reduce the strength or lessen the seriousness of,mitigate, alleviate, soften ,to try to partially excuse.to make less serious.a. Karen's guilt is ...d by the fact that she was only twelve when she committed the theft.b.The man's desperation ...d his actions.

revere (v), reverence (noun), reverent (adjective).

to regard with ...nce or awe; to venerate, hold in highest respect or estimation. to admire deeply, to honor. a. Millions of people around the world ...d Mother Teresa for her saintly generosity.b. When you look at Judith's work, it's easy to see which painter she ...s most; every painting is an homage to Cezanne.

depose (v)

to remove from office, especially from a throne.isolate(Iran was formerly ruled by a monarch called the Shah, who was ...d in 1976.)

distill (v) , distillation - distillery (n)

to remove one liquid from a mixture of liquids by boiling; to get something valuable from a confusing mix of ideas(The forest peoples of Southeast Asia ... an alcoholic drink calledarak from a paste of palm berries.)

rescind (v) , rescindable (adj)

to repeal or cancel; to void or annul.a. General Moore tried to ... his order but it was too late.b. Congress plans to ... the unworkable new tax code.

upbraid (v)

to reprove, reproach sharply, condemn; admonish. (The child was ...ed for misbehaving during the ceremony.)

divulge (v)

to reveal. uncover, expose, disclose(The people who count the votes for the Oscar® awards are understrict orders not to ... the names of the winners.)

expropriate (v), expropriation (n)

to seize ownership of. (When the Communists came to power inChina, they ...d most businesses and turned them over to government appointed managers.)

usurp (v) ,* usurper (n) , usurpingly (adv)

to seize, or take possession of, by force and without right; towrongfully take over. someone who takes a place or possession without the right to do so.*a. Kennedy's most devoted followers tended to regard later presidents as ...ers, holding the office they felt he or his brothers should have held.b. After the king's half-brother ...ed the throne, he executed the king and queen and imprisoned the prince, who was the rightful heir to the throne.

hone (v-n)

to sharpen; to perfect, make more effective.(By practicing creating spreadsheets, I ...d my computer skills.)

truncate (v - adj)

to shorten or terminate by (or as if by) cutting the top or end off.a. The glitch in the software program ...d the lines of a very important document I was typing.b. The manuscript of the play appeared ...d; the last pageended in the middle of a scene, halfway through the first act.

abridge (v), abridgment (n)

to shorten, to reduce. (The Bill of Rights is designed to prevent Congress from abridging the rights of Americans.)

curtail (v)

to shorten. abbreviate(Because of the military emergence, all soldiers on leave wereordered to ... their absences and return to duty.)

incriminate (v), incrimination (n), incriminating (adj)

to show evidence of involvement in a crimea. When faced with the fear of being sent to jail, criminals will sometimes offer evidence that will ... their associates.b. Because the detectives believed a murder had been committed, they searched the house for ... information.

evince (v) , evincible (adj) , evincive (adv)

to show or demonstrate clearly; to make evident.prove.(the teenager caught shoplifting seemed to ... no remorse)

disparage (v) , disparagement (n), disparaging (adj) , disparagingly (adv)

to speak of in a slighting or derogatory way, belittle.diminisha. Comedians often ... politicians as part of their comedic routines.b. Many political ads today both praise their own candidate and ... his or her opponent.

pervade (v), pervasive (adj), permeate (v), permeation (n)

to spread everywhere ; to be diffused , present throughout. to pass through or penetrate .a. Art and music ... every aspect of their lives.b. Little by little, the smell of gas from the broken pipe ...d the house.

purloin (v)

to steal , pinch, thieve, rob, sneak. (The thief ...ed a sculpture worth thousands of dollars.)

embezzle (v) , embezzlement (n)

to steal money or property that has been entrusted to your care. purloin, snitch, snatch.(The church treasurer was found to have ...d thousands of dollars by writing phony checks on the church bank account.)

oust (v)

to take the place of (someone or something).(Large national banks are ...ing local banks in many communities.)

espouse (v)

to take up as a cause; to adopt. (No politician in American today will openly ... racism, although some behave and speak in racially prejudiced ways.)

inculcate (v) , inculcation (n)

to teach and impress by frequent instruction or repetition;to indoctrinate, instill. imbue, infuse, ingrain(My parents worked hard to ... in me a deep sense of responsibility to others.)

prevaricate (v)

to tell lies, to stray from or evade the truth.( Quit prevaricating and tell me what really happened.)

emulate (v) ,emulation (n) , emulative (adj).

to try to equal or excel, especially by imitation.mimic,pattern, simulate , to copy or imitatea. The basketball player admired his coach so much that he ...d his manner of speaking, walking, and dressingb. She grew up emulating her sports heroes.

digress (V) , digression (noun), digressive (adjective).

to turn aside, deviate; to stray from the main subject in writing or speaking. to wander from the main path or the main topic.a. The members of the debating team were warned that they would lose the debate if they continued to ... from the proposed subject.b. Her argument ...ed from the main problem she had about her friend's spending habits.

equivocate (v) , equivocation (n)

to use unclear or ambiguous language in order to mislead or conceal the truth. fudge, hedge, pussyfoot, tergiversate, waffle .(Raj tried to ... when explaining why he came home after his curfew.)

enervate (v) , enervation (n) , enervatingly (adv)

to weaken, deprive of strength or vitality; to make feeble or impotent.to reduce the energy or strength of someone or something. a. The stress of the operation left her feeling ...d for about two weeks.b. Stephanie's cutting remarks managed to ... Hasaan.

expunge

to wipe or rub out, delete; to eliminate completely, annihilate.(The movie contains scenes of explicit violence.)

collaborate (v), collaboration (n), collaborative (adj).

to work together. participate, cope, unite(To create a truly successful movie, the director, writers, actors, and many others must ... closely.)

myriad (adj - n )

too numerous to be counted; innumerable. n. an indefinitely large number; an immense number, vast amount.(To the refugees from Somalia, the ... choices in the American supermarket were overwhelming )

preoccupied (adj)

took up all the attentiona. Getting to school in time for the test ... Judy's mind.b. Charity* cases ... Mrs. Reynaldo's attention.

guile (n)

treacherous cunning; shrewd, crafty deceit , artfulness, caginess(The most infamous pirates displayed tremendous ...)

perfidious (adj) , perfidiously (adv), perfidy (n)

treacherous, dishonest; violating good faith, disloyal.disloyal, treacherous. a. Although he was one of the most talented generals of the American Revolution, Benedict Arnold is remembered today as a ... betrayer of his country.b. The ... knight betrayed his king.

snub (v - adj)

treat coldly, scornfully, or with contempt; cold treatmenta. Darryl later apologized* to Sally for ...bing her at the dance.b. I considered* it a rude ... when I was not invited to the party.

hoax (n - v)

trick, ploy, ruse, deception, fraud.(a skilled forger who ...ed the art world into believing that the paintings were long-lost Vermeers)

fractious

troublesome, unruly. stubborn, tenacious(Members of the British Parliament are often ..., shouting insults and sarcastic questions during debates.)

compete (v)

try hard to get something wanted by others; be a rivala. The former champion was challenged* to ... for the tennistitle.b. The runner was reluctant* to ... in front of his parents forthe first time.

whirling (v)

turning or swinging round and round; spinninga. The space vessel* was ... around before it landed on earth.b. As they tried to lift the bulky* piano, the movers went ... across the living room.

convoluted (adj), convolute (verb), convolution (noun).

twisting, complicated, intricate.coiled(Tax law has become so ... that it's easy for people to accidentally violate it.)

disclose (v), disclosure (n)

uncover; make known ,detect, reveal, exposea. The lifting of the curtain ...d a beautiful winter scene.b. This letter ...s the source* of his fortune.

carping (adj), carp (n - v)

unfairly or excessively critical; querulous. faultfinding, nagging(The newspaper is famous for its demanding critics, but none is harder to please than the ... McNamera, said to have single-handedly destroyed many acting careers.)

morbid (adj), morbidly (adv)

unhealthy; pertaining to disease; gruesomea. Doctor Grill spared us the ... details.b. Poe's poem, "The Raven," strikes me as totally ....

prosaic (adj) , prosaically (adv) , prosaicness (n)

unimaginative, ordinary, dull. a.The ... novel was rejected by the publisher.b. "Paul's Case" tells the story of a boy who longs to escape from the ... life of a clerk into a world of wealth, glamour, and beauty.

unify (v)

unite; make or form into onea. The novel* traces the developments that unified the family.b. After the Civil War our country became unified more strongly.

hapless (adj) , haplessly (adv) , haplessness (n)

unlucky, unfortunate , ill-fated, ill-starred, jinxed, luckless.(The ... circumstances of her journey resulted in lost luggage, missed connections, and a very late arrival)

intractable - unruly (adj) , intractably (adv) , intractability (n)

unmanageable, ..., stubborn.(The young colt was ..., and training had to be cancelled temporarily.)

noxious (adj) , noxiously (adv) ,noxiousness (n)

unpleasant and harmful, unwholesome. (The ... smell drove everyone from the room. )

strident (adj) , stridently (adv) , stridence (n)

unpleasantly loud and harsh; grating, shrill, discordant.(When he heard the ... tone of his mother's voice, Oscar knew he was in big trouble.)

panic (v - n) , panicky (adj) , panically (adv)

unreasoning fear; fear spreading through a group of people sothat they lose control of themselves , scare, terrora. The leader of the lost group appealed* to them not to ....b. The source* of ... in the crowd was a man with a gun.

magnanimous (adj) , magnanimously (adv)

unselfish; generousa. Bertha's ... act won praise from the community.b. In a ... ruling, judge Dicker released the sick convict.

diminutive (adj), diminution (n)

unusually small, tiny. (Children are fond of Shetland ponies because their ... size makes them easy to ride.)

Intransigent (adj) , intransigently (adv) , intransigence (n)

unwilling to compromise, stubborna.he has remained intransigent, refusing all suggestions for improvement of the process.b. Despite the mediator's attempts to suggest a fair solution, the two parties were intransigent, forcing a showdown.

futile (adj) , futilely (adv) ,futileness (n)

useless, producing no result; hopeless, vain.abortive, barren .(My mother would never let me attend the party; arguing with her was ....)

verbose (adj) , verbosely (adv) , verbosity (n)

using more words than necessary; wordy, long-winded.a. The judge cautioned the witness about giving ... replies.b. By being ..., Jon had huge phone bills.

customary (adj)

usual , habitual, accustomeda. It was ... for wealthy Romans to recline* while they were dining.b. The traitor* rejected* the ... blindfold for the execution.

typical (adj) , typically (adv) , typicality (n)

usual; of a kind .a. The sinister* character in the movie wore a ... costume, adark shirt, loud tie, and tight jacket.b. The horse ran its ... race, a slow start and a slower finish,and my uncle lost his wager.

importune (adj -v) , importunely (adv) , importuner (n)

v. 1. to ask incessantly, make incessant requests. 2. to beg persistently and urgently.

gird

v. 1. to encircle or bind with a belt or band. 2. to encompass, surround. 3. to prepare for action, especially military confrontation. 4. to sneer at, mock, gibe.(The negotiations had failed, and the soldiers ...ed for battle.)

fetter (n-v)

v. 1. to shackle, put in chains. 2. to impede or restrict. n. a chain for your feet or anything that is restraining .(v. The presence of two security guards ...ed their plans to get backstage. )

garner (v - n)

v. to gather and store up; to amass, acquire , accumulate, amass, assemble,collect, congregate , gather, group .(Whitney ...ed enough money to buy a used car )

evanescent (adj) , evanescently (adv)

vanishing or tending to vanish like vapor; transitory, fleeting.(The subject of the poem is the ... nature of young love.)

sundry (adj - n)

various, miscellaneous. diverse, varied(The ... items in her backpack reveal a great deal about her personality.)

cautious (adj) , cautiously (adv) , cautiousness (n)

very careful; never taking chancesa. Be ... when you choose your opponent.*b. Good authors are ... not to exaggerate* when they write.

frigid (adj) , frigidly (n)

very cold , lukewarm, listless, tepida. It was a great hardship* for the men to live through the ...winter at Valley Forge.b. Inside the butcher's freezer the temperature was ....

flamboyant (adj)

very colorful, showy, or elaborate.( At Mardi Gras, partygoers compete to show off the most wild and ... outfits.)

wrath (n)

very great anger; ragea. Anticipating* Father's ..., we tried to give him the news slowly.b. There is no rage* like the ... of an angry bear.

numerous (adj) , numerously (adv)

very many; several ,many, mucha. Critics review ... movies every week.b. The debater* used ... documents* to back up his statements.

medieval (adj)

very old : too old to be useful or acceptable(They're using a computer system that seems positively ... by today's standards.)

rapid (adj) , rapidly (adv), rapidity (n)

very quick; swifta. We took a ... walk around the camp before breakfast.b. If you work ...ly you can complete the test in twenty minutes .

minutiae (n)

very small details; trivial or trifling matters.(His attention to the ... of the process enabled him to make his great discovery)

elliptical (adj)

very terse or concise in writing or speech; difficult to understand.(Rather than speak plainly, she hinted at her meaning through a series of nods, gestures, and ... half-sentences.)

wretched (adj) , wretchedly (adv)

very unsatisfactory; miserable , poor, helpless, paltrya. I feel ... after a night when I've scarcely* slept.b. Toby had ... luck at the gambling tables.

multifarious (adj) , multifariously (adv) , multifariousness (n)

very varied, greatly diversified; having many aspects. (The job requires the ability to handle ... tasks.)

rage (v -n)

violent anger; something that arouses intense but brief enthusiasma. Joan's bad manners sent her mother into a ....b. In a fit of ..., Francine broke the valuable glass.

tempest (n - v)

violent* storm with much wind; a violent disturbancea. The ... drove the ship on the rocks.b. Following the weather report of the approaching* ..., wewere prompted* to seek immediate shelter.

roam (v - n)

wander; go about with no special plan or aim , hang arounda. In the days of the Wild West, outlaws* ...ed the country.b. A variety* of animals once ...ed our land.

nomad (n)

wanderer , migrant, vagabond; see traveler.a. Having lived in six different states, you might call us ...s.b. The ...ic tribe constantly searched for fresh water.

feeble (adj) , feebly (adv)

weaka. We heard a ... cry from the exhausted* child.b. The ... old man collapsed* on the sidewalk.

drench (v - n)

wet thoroughly; soaka. A heavy rain ...ed the campus,* and the students had to dryout their wet clothing.b. The ...ing rains resumed* after only one day of sunshine.

nefarious

wicked; sinful; evil , treacherousa. The ... deeds of the serial killer shocked the nation.b. Mr. Hyde committed a string of ... murders.

feral (adj)

wild. brutal, cruel, savage, atrocious(The garbage dump was inhabited by a pack of ... dogs, whichhad escaped from their owners and become completely wild.)

exuberant (adj) , exuberance (n)

wildly joyous and enthusiastic. (As the final seconds of the game ticked away, the fans of the winning team began an ... celebration.)

circuitous (adj)

winding or indirect. (We drove to the cottage by a ... route so we could see as much of the surrounding countryside as possible.)

sinuous (adj) , sinuously (adv)

winding, undulating, serpentine. (It is dangerous to drive fast on such a ... road.)

provident (adj) , providently (adv)

wisely providing for future needs; frugal, economical.(Because my parents were so ..., I didn't have to struggle to pay for college.)

jagged (adj) , jaggedly (adv)

with sharp points ~ticking out; unevenly cut or torna. Being reckless,* Rudy didn't watch out forth~ ... steel.b. It's an enormous* job to smooth the ... edge of a fence.

uneventful (adj) , uneventfully (adv)

without important or striking happeningsa. After the variety* of bewildering* experiences at the start of our trip, we were happy that the rest of the journey was ....b. Our annual* class outing proved quite ....

numb (adj) , numbly (adv) , numbness (n)

without the power of feeling; deadeneda. My fingers quickly became ... in the frigid* room.b. A ... feeling came over Mr. Massey as he read the telegram.

parole (n - v)

word of honor; conditional freedom; to free (a prisoner) under certain conditionsa. The judge ...d the juvenile* offenders on condition that theyreport to him every three months.b. The fugitive* gave his ... not to try to escape again.

sacred (adj)

worthy of respect; holya. Her ... medal had to be sold because the family was inurgent* need of money.b. It was revealed* by the journalist* that the ... temple hadbeen torn down.

exemplary (adj), exemplar (noun), exemplify (verb).

worthy to serve as a model. typical, idealistic(The Baldrige Award is given to a company with ... standards of excellence in products and service.)

nostalgia (n), nostalgic (adj), nostalgically (adv)

yearning for the past , remorse, wistfulness, sentimentality; see homesickness, loneliness.a. A wave of ... swept over us at Thanksgiving time.b. Giving in to ..., Susan wept for the days of her youth.

fervor (n)

zeal, ardor, intense emotion , mettle , enthusiasm .(The ... of the fans in the stands helped propel the team to victory. )