Set2.vocab from Magoosh

"audacious," "brazen," and "foolhardy"

"Foolhardy" means reckless. It's a negative word, without question. It is used to describe fools, after all. "Audacious" means bold, which is more positive . (It can be negative, depending on the context, but it isn't necessarily so). A "foolhardy" person takes foolish chances for no good reason. An "audacious" person is brave, possibly even inspired. "Brazen" is more similar to "audacious."

dictum of the language

"You are what you eat" is a dictum, and so is a law requiring you to curb your dog. A dictum is a formal pronouncement, a rule, or a statement that expresses a truth universally acknowledged. Dictum dates from the 16th Century. It descended from a Latin word that means "something said." In contemporary use, it means more like "something that is officially said." If the principal of your school issues a dictum declaring "no jeans in school," it's time to go shopping

dash

"dashed ambitions and hopes". destroy or break dash and crash have the same meanings. He dashed the plate into smithereens against the wall. But war now drove the missionary away, as throughout his life war was ever to dash his fondest dreams and ever to drive him back.

Indeed

'Indeed 'is used to add emphasis to a preceding statement. Chris has lost three foosball games in a row. Indeed it has been three months since he has won two consecutive games. The old GRE is one of the most challenging standardized tests. Indeed, few people ever attained a perfect score

cobbled togather

, the word 'architecture' connotes a grandeur typically associated with the Old World "modest" structures, especially those not obviously inspired by neoclassicalism, are often thought to be cobbled together haphazardly instead of following some prescribed architectural idiom. cobbled togather: To put together clumsily; bungle: cobbled a plan together at the last minute.

Derelict

-derelict- abandoned. Christ I still remember with fear when the dog handler used to get the probationers on night shift to hide for them in derelict bulidings or woodland. Even if a person has abandoned his responsibilities, you can say that he is derelict in his duties. But don't call a lost child derelict — unless, he has neglected his chores .As an adjective, derelict describes something that is rundown, neglected, or in deplorable condition, but the word can also mean "negligent in duty." The politician was so busy using his office for personal gain that he was derelict in his duty to the people who voted for him; he hadn't been present at a vote in months. As a noun, a derelict means a homeless person.

forsake

A knack for " prevarication", it can be argued, allows one access to a whole range of careers, many of which require one to forsake direct, honest speech. To forsake another person is to leave them entirely, usually in a moment of need. Forsake may mean simply giving something up, such as a way of life or a homeland, for something better or more appropriate. But it is often a mean word, suggesting leaving something or someone behind when they need you to stay. One way to remember the meaning of this verb — to abandon or desert — is to remember this little sentence: "For heaven's sake, don't leave me, or heaven is lost!" Lose the heaven, and you have forsake.

"all but"

All but This construction means very nearly, almost. The castaway had all but given up on escaping the desert island, when he looked up and saw a helicopter. A perfect GRE score will all but guarantee admission into some institute of higher learning.

Inimitable

And no genial glass of punch with the Inimitable could end without talk of childhood, whose vulnerabilities and sensitivities he described better than anyone and whose hurts and neglects he could with preternatural acuity see eating away within the mature man.

arch, puckish

Arch is mischievous. Likewise, puckish means playful, mischievous. Inaugural: first, initial History has known few as " puckish, arch" as the Irish wit Oscar Wilde: on his inaugural trip to America, when asked by customs officials if he had anything to declare, Wilde replied: "The only thing I have to declare is genius"

connotes

As used in the passage, the word "dissimulation" connotes a sense of deception

At once X and Y

At once X and Y This is a funny construction. It is intended to show that two totally different qualities are present at the same time or in the same thing. His life story was at once sad and inspiring—he had come from the most impoverished background, yet he found away to become wealthy. At once pioneering and derivative, her research draws on others' work while expanding the theoretical domain.

meted out

Because the defendant expressed very little "remorse" for his heinous crime, the judge meted out (measure) a(n) "harsh"sentence.

belabor

Belabor means to go at something with everything you've got. When you say, "Don't belabor or agonize over the decision," it means, "Move on." Belabor is made up of the Latin roots be and labor meaning "to exert one's strength upon." You can belabor a point by using excessive detail, or you could belabor the obvious by stating over and over what everyone already knows. Belaboring can be a physical attack as well. A person can belabor or beat the living daylights out of you with a club.

Brio, cumbrously

Brio connotes a sense of liveliness and vigorous movement For all the orchestra's brio, the conductor moved "cumbrously , ponderously", his baton moving about in labored strokes.

humdrum, banal, spartan, austere

But they're boring for different reasons. "Banal" and "humdrum" are both repetitive and unoriginal. There's no change and no excitement. spartan=austere=lacking decoration, boring but in different way A spartan existence is kind of like being a monk. Your room is bare, you live simply and eat sparingly, and your sheets are probably scratchy. In ancient Greece, there were two great city states: Athens and Sparta. Athens had the artists, the good food, the great parties. Sparta had the warriors — the guys who went to bed early and drilled all day. They lived in bare rooms and didn't get sick days or time off. A spartan life is a life of discipline and self-denial. Some people like it like that. Go figure.

armoires, rococo

Compared to the rococo(stylistic, art) flourishes typical of Thomas Chippendale's creations, Matthew Taylor's armoires ( a large cabinet, originally used for storing weapons) were positively ________.

Loath Loathe

Confusion between loath ("unwilling or reluctant") and loathe ("to hate") is a growing trend For-profit education institutions have been loath to put out that kind of information. Love it or loathe it, there's no denying that the holiday season is upon us.

Ramshackle

Derelict , in deplorable condition Is your house in terrible condition? Does the roof leak? Is it half tumbling down? Congratulations! It's ramshackle — in other words, in terrible condition and barely holding together. Sometimes it can imply a certain cute picturesque quality. Buildings, places, and even some objects such as cars can be considered ramshackle.

indefensible, untenable, unimpeachable

Despite the concerted efforts of her supporters, the mayor's actions were clearly "untenable" , rendering even the most impassioned(strong emotions) pleas (request) superfluous(unnecessary). unimpeachable: cannot be criticized, perfect If you and your friends launch into singing "Old MacDonald" loudly together, in the middle of the public library, you will all have made a concerted, or cooperative, effort to annoy lots of people. Concerted is often used to describe a group effort to achieve a particular goal. As you may have guessed, concerted comes from the word concert. While a concert can be defined as "a group of musicians playing cooperatively," concert can also designate other types of cooperative behavior. If a group of people do anything together — from singing an annoying song to throwing library books at agreed-upon targets — they are acting in concert, or in a concerted manner

sabotage, lifted of, Chafe

Destroy,~~sab boot (shoe) se destroy karna A successful space shuttle launch is "contingent upon" such a great number of factors--any of which can sabotage a lift-off--that spectators should not chafe at the slightest sign of delay. lift-off, take off , launched chafe: "shafee" ula name daal dena, annoy or irritate

disenchantments, enchant

Disenchantment is the feeling that comes from being let down or disillusioned by someone or something. The disenchantment of young voters can have a strong effect on an election's outcome. When you confess your disenchantment with school, it means you've been feeling disappointed by your classes lately — you may have had high expectations or started out the school year loving every class and admiring your teachers. Losing unrealistic expectations or beliefs results in disenchantment. The noun comes from disenchant, "cause to be disappointed," rooted in dis-, "do the opposite of," and enchant, "charm or cast a spell on."

But for

Except for, were it not for. For example, But for the afternoon shower, it was a perfect day, or But for the children, they would have gotten a divorce long ago.

Exhaustive

Exhaustive means performed comprehensively and completely. When you recruit a new employee (or spouse), you undertake an exhaustive search for the best talent. When you are exhaustive about something, you are testing all possibilities or considering all elements. If you want to become an attorney you will need an exhaustive knowledge of the leather bound books in the law library. When you exhaust something, you use it up entirely, so something exhaustive is complete. After your exhaustive tour of Rome, you're exhausted

unfeigned delight

Feign means to fake, or pretend, so unfeigned means sincere. If you greet a friend with unfeigned joy, she'll know you are happy to see herfeigned is a unfeigned is a delightful word, pertaining as it often does to young, innocent, and trusting people--the ones who cannot hide their feelings. Who wants fake laughs when you can have unfeigned laughter? Or fake tears when unfeigned sorrow is so much more affecting?

found, hack, bare fangs

Found: judged,deemed If good taste has "found" the vampire genre tired and trite, the entertainment industry surely is not listening: for every bloodsucker baring fangs there is a hack baring some script. hack-If you call someone a hack, you mean they're not great at what they do — especially writing. A mediocre writer is called a hack. Once upon a time hack was short for "an ordinary horse," and now it's an insult for writers. No one wants to be a hack! bare fangs: Exposed to view; undisguised:

posterity , approbation, insofar

He displaces his hope onto the future, the posterity whose judgement he will never know. The approbation of the living is thus meaningful to a writer only insofar as he can convince himself that it is a proxy for the Approbation of the past or the future Posterity is a noun meaning "future generations." These people of the future could be your children and great-great grandchildren, or any people who are born after you. If you save something "for posterity," you're hoping that years later people will appreciate it, like a time capsule you bury in the yard. The word comes from the Latin word for "post, after." It's also related to the word posterior, which means "behind, to come after in time." In legal terms, posterity refers to the offspring of a person and it often has to do with inheriting property and who is entitled to do so Approbation is an official, important-sounding, and somewhat old-fashioned word for approval or praise. A princess, for example, might only consider marrying a prince that is met with her father's, the King's, approbation. How is it possible that approbation means approval when probation is a form of being in trouble in school? Remember that probation is a testing period, to see if you can be good. Approbation means it's all good. Or you can remember this rhyme: "Filled with approbation, the audience gave a standing ovation. Insofar, doing something to a certain degree or extent. You might accuse your boss of treating her employees well only insofar that it improves her business, or decide that math is only interesting to you insofar as it seems useful in daily life

heinous, persona

Heinous, adjective - extremely wicked, deeply criminal -Any crime, however heinous, is in principle to be blamed on antecedent conditions acting through the accused's physiology, heredity and environment, said Dawkins. persona: aspect of a person character that they show to other people which they don't have.

exuberance, heretofore, grumble, brake the mold

Heretofore: Up to the present time; before this; previously. grumble: a low pitched sound having complain break the mold: There is no body like you. The exuberance of Karevolotski's narrator breaks the mold in Russian literature, which heretofore has featured a(n) ______________ protagonist, who, grumbling about myriad perceived injustices, braces himself against an oppressive world.

elusive pray, slueth, dissimulation

I like to think of the essays as a kind of thriller; with Myself, the elusive prey, and Montaigne, the sleuth, locked in a battle of equals who were too close for dissimulation and too smart for satisfaction Things that are elusive are hard to find, pin down, or remember. They slip right out of your grasp.Ever try to catch a mouse? It's not easy, because mice are quick and elusive — they're tough to catch. Rabbits are speedy, so they're elusive too. Also, things that are tough to understand or describe are elusive — like the concepts of love a the concepts of love and beauty. If you had an idea and then forgot it, the idea is elusive: it slipped away. Anything you can't get hold of, with your hands or with your brain, is elusive. The noun dissimulation describes the act of faking your true feelings. Your dissimulation of happiness might fool strangers but your close friends can tell it's all an act.Mr. Kermiche turns out to have been practicing the art of taqiyya, or dissimulation, explicitly counseled by the Islamic State to fool the enemy

nonplussed

If a conversation with someone leaves you scratching your head and wondering what point they were trying to make, you are nonplussed: bewildered, puzzled, often speechless. Interestingly, there is no word plussed. You can only be nonplussed. People are nonplussed when they're astounded, exasperated, or at a loss. "I'm nonplussed," you say when your mother tells you she's marrying her 25-year-old personal trainer. "I'm nonplussed," you say when your boss fires you, even though he tells you you're the best employee he's ever had. Since so many things are confusing and odd, there's a lot in life that can leave you nonplussed

Loath

If you are loath to do something, you really don't want to do it. If you are reluctant to go swimming, people will say you are loath to swim, but if they are really mean — they may throw you in anyway.

Loathe

If you loathe someone or something, you hate them very much. You might not choose to eat raw carrots if you dislike them, but if you loathe them, you might have a hard time even having them on your plate.

tenable, untenable

If your teacher says your position on the benefits of abolishing homework is not tenable, she means it is not based in fact. To be tenable is to be evidence-based and well-founded If something is untenable, you can't defend it or justify it. If your disagreement with your teacher puts you in an untenable position, you better just admit you made a mistake and get on with it. you can use the adjective untenable to describe any situation, position, or theory that simply can't be defended. Untenable is a great word to use when you want to criticize something, whether it's a flawed system or a referee's bad call.

ostracized, heresy, reversion

In conservative scientific circles, embracing an unorthodox theory, especially one that is backed up by little empirical evidence, is tantamount to "heresy"; indeed, any scientist who does so may be "ostracized"(excluded from the group) . reversion: go to previous belief A heresy is a belief that doesn't agree with the official tenets of a particular religion; heresy is the maintaining of such contrary beliefs. Heresy can be used figuratively: to disagree with the school committee's decisions is considered pure heresy by the faculty. You'll often come across this word in a religious context — the Latin root haeresis, "school of thought or sect," was used by Christian writers to mean "unorthodox sect or belief." This comes from the Greek hairesis, "a taking or choosing," from hairein, "to choose." A person who chooses to believe in heresies is called a heretic.

nonplussed, dizzying rate, confer

In the last few decades, technological progress has proceeded at such a dizzying rate that, beyond the obvious advantages a given technology confers on the user, the non-specialist becomes "non-plussed, confused, bewildered" when pressed to explain how anything really works. dizzying rate: Increased rate. confer: Bestow; Grant, can also be conference

Inciting

Inciting ( stir up for action) , usually negative, it gives an incentive for action. Usually it is used in a negative context. Radical and intolerant teachings can incite hatred in those who listen. And if a government restricts its people too much, it can incite unrest and rebellion in the population. The document admits that the U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq and the subsequent sectarian policies of the U.S.-backed Iraqi government incited extremism

seclude , fanatics

Isolate not alone, To set or keep apart, as from social contact with others, -Athenian gentlemen may lock her in the remotest part of the home, Catholic theologians seclude her behind convent doors, and Moslem fanatics hide her behind the head-to-toe veil, but intimacy with her is as unavoidable as it is essential.

smothering, harzard, fomentig, squelch

Managers who categorically squelch insights from low-tiered employees run the obvious hazard of "smothering" creativity; conversely, these very same managers are more likely to "unquestioningly embrace" any ideas that flow down from the top brass. Smothering: suppressing, squelch Hazard: risk, imperil Fomenting: promote the growth of

chasten

Means to give a little punishment, a tap on the wrist. If students are caught writing graffiti on the bathroom wall, you can expect them to "be chastened" by both the school and their parents. Chasten is related to the word chastise, meaning "to punish severely." Or censure severely for correction. This is a classic example of deliberate capital flight and capital destruction, a tactic used by monopolistic finance capital frequently to "chasten" any government that appears to be intruding into the sacred practices of "free market" capitalism.

incendiary, unfairly tarnished in

No less incendiary ( controversial issue, inflammatory remarks) amongst the populace than many other "hot button" issues of the day, "fracking"—or hydraulic fracturing of the earth's surface to acquire gas, a practice that mostly takes place in remote parts of the country—has been (i) "absent from" the national dialogue come election time, perhaps because voters are typically "don't care" environmental problems that do not occur in their own backyards, so to speak. unfairly tarnished in: to diminish or destroy the purity of; stain; reputation of someone

prevaricate, cower, bristle

Notwithstanding her tendency to "prevaricate" when journalists' questions blatantly pried into her personal life, the senator always spoke directly and candidly on issues relating to her public role. prevaricate: lie

amphibian and reptiles

Reptiles include alligators, crocodiles, turtles, and snakes. Amphibians include salamanders, toads, and frogs. One difference between the two is the structure of their outer skin. Reptiles are covered with scales, shields, or plates, and their toes have claws

round up

Round up: summary or collar ( as in courier seek out and bring together --round bna lo sab school ki ground mein The police rounded up the two possible suspects. The elder Bundy drew national attention after his sympathizers pointed weapons at agents rounding up his cattle on public land.

sedate

Sedate means to be calm, but if a doctor sedates you it means you've been administered a tranquilizing drug. Most surgeries require some form of sedation, but to be sedate in day-to-day life means composed, quiet, and serene. Not necessarily unconscious. e.g. The traveller noticed also, that in that great multitude of every age, from the white-headed patriarch of three-score and ten to the toddling infant, each one, even among the blacks, bore himself with a still and hushed gravity, while their looks, without being austere, wore an expression sedate and solemn

bashful and Chast, Prating

Someone who is friendly but shy is bashful. You are bashful when you meet celebrity or govt official or even any good looking person Chast, chastisement Prating: talking immensely , While it may be interesting to listen about other people vacations when they prate about them until wee hours. I love when I hear Those senators cheer, And prate how they hate States talking straight Out of their rear

afoul

Surely more "equitable" than his predecessor, Malcolm nonetheless should not be expected to display unbounded magnanimity, especially to those subordinates whose actions clearly run afoul of propriety. afoul (conflict, clash): If something goes afoul, it goes badly wrong. When a prank falls afoul of the law, it crosses the line from just a joke to something much more serious. Use the adjective afoul to describe things that conflict or clash. If a politician goes afoul of the rules about using taxpayer money for person items, she's bound to pay for it in votes. Likewise, a party guest might accidentally go afoul of the etiquette about how much candy to grab from a fallen piñata

primitive, Entomologists

That the great success of the ponerines is achieved despite their primitive social organization presents Entomologists with what is known as ponerine paradox. When we talk about "primitive man", we're usually talking about cavemen and other people who existed before the advent of table manners, but if your uncle speaks grunts and chews with his mouth open, you could describe him as primitive too.Primitive is related to the word prime, and the root of both words is primus, which is Latin for "first." Since the phrase "primitive man" refers to the world's first people An entomologist is a specific type of zoologist, or animal scientist. While other zoologists might focus on mammals or reptiles, entomologists are fascinated with the most prolific organisms on earth — insects. Some entomologists classify and study species, while others are certified to be pest control experts, helping people battle bugs like cockroaches and termites in their homes. The Greek word entomon, or "insect," is at the root of entomologist.

voodoo, inception, all but

The computer modeling of weather has, since its inception, been fraught with difficulties, yet the fact that it has only had to improve on what, to some, amounts to nothing more than voodoo science made its ______________ all but assured. voodoo: black magic inception:start all but, almost, very nearly. "the subject was all but forgotten"

offset

The costs of activity at temperatures beyond those Optimal for performance are offset by the advantages Gained by maximizing social interactions that ultimately Impact individual fitness Offset: compensating factor. let's talk turkey. The Duke's lack of height was offset by his enormous wig. Even without shoes, he towered above most people, because his wig alone was five feet tall. The cost of the wig—close to $10,000—was easily offset by its quality: it was worth every cent. The inconvenience of the blizzard was offset by the joy of not having to go to school or work—or even get out of bed. The joy was what you might call an offset

nothing if not

The judge's closing remarks were nothing if not exhaustive; not only did he belabor his every point, but he underscored each utterance with the pounding of the gavel (stick). Nothing if not: clearly" or "above all else." [X] is nothing if not [y]" means that if [y] is not a good description of [X], then nothing could be. [Y] is the best possible description. "Canada is nothing if not beautiful" then we are saying "if Canada isn't beautiful, then it isn't anything at all." But it's understood that Canada does have other properties; for example, it's large and full of maple trees. So the purpose of setting up the comparison is to say that Canada is beautiful, and its beauty is more notable than, anything else about it.

unseemly, devolve

The marriage between the duke and the duchess was a(n) "unseemly, sordid" affair, one that quickly devolved into public altercations ( fights) operatic in scope. (E) unseemly means inappropriate in terms of behavior (F) sordid describes details behavior that is disgraceful and scandalous. While slightly stronger than unseemly, both words create synonymous sentences

undergirds

The recent discovery of the existence of a far greater number of planets than had previously been thought only "indirectly, obliquely" undergirds the argument for intelligent lifeforms; such an argument depends on more than a mere tally of planets, for only those planets that can form a viable atmosphere can host the conditions necessary for life undergirds: indirectly support, obliquely

idiom, ground breaking, unprecedented, spate

The recent spate of quality television dramas—while clearly indebted to the cinematic idiom of the 1970's—represents a(n) "ground breaking", "unprecedented" achievement: never before has any video medium been called on to sustain a narrative for 100 plus hours. spate: a flood or inundation. idiom:a distinct style or character, in music, art, etc. groundbreaking: that has not happen before, as unprecedent.

warrant, prestige

The view usually does not understand them, but the connotations of prestige associated with these languages are enough to warrant their use. warrant, an acceptable reason for doing something (Usually negative), reasonable, when the teenager's sneaking in late again warrants a stricter curfew. The U.S. economy appears strong enough to warrant significantly higher interest rates, Richmond Federal Reserve Bank President Jeffrey Lacker said on Friday. While no systematic studies of Zika's effects in Africa have been conducted yet, concerning circumstantial evidence from West Africa warrants careful follow-up prestige is a high standing, People, cars, schools, clubs, banks--all can be said to have prestige. Star in a blockbuster movie? Your prestige level just shot up. Get caught shoplifting? A prestige killer. When something has prestige it is said to be prestigious. Often this is applied to colleges--"After earning straight As and lettering in three Varsity sports, Vivian had her choice among prestigious universities." To remember this word think about pres- — people or things with prestige often are covered by the press

underpinnings

They insist above all on presenting only the mathematical results, the logical underpinnings of which are unclear, and rarely do they provide the reader with any semblance of a proof. underpinnings ( support, corroborate) Semblance is all about illusion. Cramming all of your dirty clothes into the closet gives the semblance, or false appearance, that you've done your laundry — but the stench might give you away. Semblance "resemble," and it is a noun for things that look one way on the outside but are very different on the inside. A popular combination is to say that a person or place has the "semblance of order," when, underneath, everything is out of control.

Notwithstanding

This is a fancy way—and a cumbersome one—of saying 'despite.' Notwithstanding his laudable effort, he was unable to ever bowl more than 100. The rebel group, notwithstanding earnest entreaties from the international community, continued to hold the besieged city. Indeed, it sacrificed its own members to do so.

for every bloodsucker baring fangs there is a hack baring some script.

This is a figure of speech: when you say, "for every X there is a Y", that means that there are a lot of both Xs and Ys. In this sentence, it's saying that there are a lot of vampires ("bloodsucker baring fangs") and a lot of bad scriptwriters ("a hack baring some script"). Here's an example of the "For every X there is a Y" structure: For every pair of shoes she buys, there is a purse that she needs to buy too, to match.. This sentence is describing a woman who buys a lot of shoes, and every time she buys shoes, she also buys a purse that matches it. It's a pretty silly sentence :) but it implies that she buys a lot of shoes, and also a lot of purses. Knowing all this, in summary: People do not like vampire movies, but the entertainment industry keeps on making them-- there are a lot of scripts for vampire movies. This points to the fact that the opinion-forming part is already over, since the sentence makes it very clear that the opinion has already been passed but that the entertainment industry responded incorrectly. That's why found/deemed is a better fit that anticipated/discovered.

By no means

This word pops up often in Text Completions and Sentence Equivalence questions. It is GRE's way of saying 'not at all.' He was by no means partial to her cause, yet he heard her out before railing against her beliefs. The Internet by no means augurs the end of face-to-face interactions but simply provides another medium for communication.

discursively

To me, the real work being done by this paragraph is in the way it settles the reader into the novel's discursively shaped world, begins to evoke a particular kind of relationship between narrator and character If people accuse you of rambling from topic to topic in your speech or writing, they may say you have a discursive style — with changes in subject that are hard to follow. But it's okay because unicorns are shiny

trumpeted , vociferous

Traditionally "vociferous" in their criticism of the hazards of nuclear power—which are undeniably pressing—many environmental groups failed to cite any viable energy alternatives; still, these very groups often "trumpeted" the success of "green technologies," innovations that, until very recently, were able to provide only a fraction of the power required to sustain a populace. vociferous: outspoken trumpeted: to proclaim loudly ( as in Donlund trump)

mishmash, motif. wrung(wring)

True, to the classically trained ear, Haydn's early works can often seem "hackneyed (banal, common place, not fleshy or genuine) ", a mishmash of motifs from which anything fresh has been wrung dry by subsequent composers—to the ears of Haydn's contemporaries, however, Haydn's music was "refreshingly novel (genuine)". mishmash: a confused mess; hodgepodge; jumble. motif: a dominate idea or subject (motive) wrung: to twist forcibly: He wrung the chicken's neck.

pristine

Untouched,like a virgin While the dense brush can make for tough going, the state park features a wilderness that is virtually "pristine"; some will gladly trade their comfort for a chance to behold fauna few others ever have.

unvarnished, preeminent

Unvarnished: clear preeminent: superior Parson Weems, George Washington's preeminent biographer during the president's life, is responsible for spreading many of the ____________ we today accept as the unvarnished truth.

Veneer

Veneer: A deceptive, superficial show; a façade: a veneer of friendliness. --phineer sanp. Despite its "veneer" of pearly-toothed smiles and amicable handshakes, the world of politics is one of constant "" in which everyone is always jockeying for a more estimable position. jockey: try all possible ways to get advantage over other.

former

When something or someone has changed, we can refer to them as former. For example, Mr. Smith's ex-wife could be known as the former Mrs. Smith. We could consider almost anything as former, as long as it comes first, before something else. A good way to remember the meaning of former is to consider that it comes from the Old English forma, which means "first," and that both former and first begin with "f But anyone who has watched her eulogy to her former husband Sonny Bono has seen that she has a gift for moving audiences

devolve

You've probably heard that organisms evolve over time. Well, life is complicated, and sometimes things devolve instead — to devolve is to get worse instead of better. The de- in devolve is a clue to its meaning. When things devolve, they deteriorate, degenerate, fall apart, go to the dogs, and generally end up worse. When a classroom gets loud and rowdy, a teacher might say the class has devolved. There is another, less negative, meaning of devolve. You can devolve responsibilities: for example, the U.S. government could devolve a certain responsibility to the states. The non-negative meaning of devolve is kind of like passing things on in a will. If I devolve something to you, you inherit it.

Implicate, Involve, Entangle

bring into intimate and incriminating connection ~~involved in complication and crimes --They surely should not be able to have her claim against them dismissed on the ground that her secret status might implicate sensitive information. men are said to be implicated when they are only under suspicion, or have taken but a small share in a transaction; they are said to be involved when they are deeply concerned. In this sense implicate is always used of persons; involve may be used of persons or things; both words being always metaphorically employed. Entangle is used either literally or metaphorically, and signifies to involve so that extrication is a matter of extreme difficulty.

bristle

bristle (brister): Republicans, meanwhile, bristle with anger as they attempt to defend against the flood of new information.

covet, steer clear of, obnoxious, mulled over

covet: to want something very much specially sth belong to someone else. ( he wants to wet her skirt) Steer clear of: avoid a person mull over: To think about; to consider; to ruminate about; as, mull it over and decide in the morning. ( mull lagana dukandar se) Obnoxious: extremely unpleasant, objectionable iss mein nukas hain ---Movie marketing works in a highly predictable, and obnoxious, fashion: the more we are "assaulted (attack)" with images of intergalactic battles, or pouty(annoyed) )heroine hoping to regain her lost love, the greater likelihood that the movie is one best steer clear of.

cower

cringe in fear To cower is to shrink in fear. Whether they live in the country or city, any mouse will cower when a huge, hungry cat approaches. When you cower, you're not just afraid. You're so terrified that your whole body cringes, crouches, and shrinks in on itself to hide from the source of your fear. Victims of a school bully cower whenever he comes near. They're in no rush to have their lunch money stolen again, or to get another wedgie, so they cower to avoid being seen. Although a coward might cower in fear, the two words aren't related

crony and chum

crony: a close friend or companion; chum. A crony (rhymes with "pony") is a buddy, a close confidant you spend time with and trust. Your boss might make everyone at work angry if she keeps only giving raises to her cronies. While a crony is basically just a good pal or sidekick, the word sometimes has a negative connotation — that you and your crony are up to no good together. It also implies the idea of cronyism, or unfairly giving friends jobs or promotions they're not qualified for. Crony capitalism refers to doing that in an economic way, like people in government giving tax breaks to their friends

gloating

deriving pleasure from another's misfortune If you gloat, you express great satisfaction at the misfortune of others. If your team scores a big win, it would be better not to gloat. Be happy for your win, but don't laugh at their loss. Gloat seems have come from a Germanic word meaning "to stare." Somehow people may have gotten the sense that whoever was doing the staring was also taking a deep and unwholesome pleasure in whatever he or she was seeing. Think about people staring and pointing and laughing. Sometimes you gloat when someone has rejected the help you have offered. If your little sister won't listen to your advice on how to improve her essay and then comes home with a bad grade, it will be very hard not to gloat and say "I told you so."

entails, immersed

entail: cause, consequence will be acheived. if you do something. Entail means what something involves. "The job entailed us standing in the snow for hours dressed as giant, human hot dogs. It entailed far too much humiliation to justify the $3.55 an hour we were paid." The word entail is connected to the idea of preconditions. If you want something, you better figure out what it entails. If we want to see the movie at 9 o'clock, that will entail us waiting in the lobby another hour. If we want to stay out of trouble with our moms, that will entail us calling them and letting them know we're going to be later than we said immerse: doobna, absorb Because reading on the Web entails quickly scanning and sorting through a deluge of information, many wonder if our level of engagement with the text has been irreparably compromised or if the ability to read closely and carefully is one that can be "restored" if we simply spend more time immersed in a book.

misgivings

expressing doubts, painful expectation If you have misgivings about something, it means you're worried that it's not a good idea. Trying to fall asleep the night before a test, you might have misgivings about having studied so little. Misgivings arefeelings of doubt you experience about something before you do it. As you get closer to the time you actually get on the airplane, you might begin to have misgivings about traveling far away to go to college, or you might have misgivings about joining the army to pay for your education. Jen makes a persuasive case, despite her misgivings, and when a more famous name comes along, a quick shot registers Jen's necessarily unspoken disappointment.

scuttling off, grumble to, heckler, spinelessness

heckler: to interrupt a speaker at public place scuttling off: run with a short steps spinelessness: coward The heckler , hiding amongst the amorphous crowd, is the epitome of "spinelessness " - as soon as he has been identified, he goes , head down, grumbling to ( complain about) himself.

hissing and booing, execerate

hissing: hiss ( a snake hiss), showing disapproval, contempt, booing: show disapproval execrate: curse , hate The stage of daytime talk shows has become our Roman coliseum - the audience, hissing and booing, "execrate" the "culprit," who is forced to justify some unseemly behavior.

Hobnob

hobnob: An informal chat. --"Husain's bare feet always symbolized his connection to the people of his country and kept him grounded in its ethos, even as he rose from his very humble origins to hobnob with the rich and powerful," said photographer Ram Rahman, in New York, whose parents were friends of the artist To hobnob is to spend time or hang out with someone, especially at a social event. When you're invited to a fancy benefit party at a museum, you might get to hobnob with socialites and minor celebrities. When you hobnob, you mingle or pal around with fancy folks. People who work in book publishing occasionally get to hobnob with writers, and if you get a job on a movie set, you may have a chance to hobnob with movie stars

spotty

inconsistent or uneven Scratch is also uneven Muree has uneven spots. Billions of dollars have been spent and progress has been made—but progress has been slow and spotty. The governments historically have a spotty record of using state-directed money to generate business success

to be smitten

is to be infatuated with, marked by foolish or unreasoning fondness While I watched in smitten disbelief, he began furiously licking whatever salty ankle-sweat he found there -- his whole 12 oz. body thrashing back and forth with the adorable joy of a pup who hasn't figured out yet how to wag his tail without knocking himself over.

brash

means rude, bold

Muckrake

muckrake: verb - explore and expose misconduct and scandals concerning public figures. -Irrespective of the director's stated intent to not muckrake he inadvertently does, while straddling a fine line, also inadvertently serving the company's interest, by structuring a grand apologia and cautionary note to the future

otherwordly

not natural From the day he entered the league, Rodriguez was distinguished by his otherworldly power and prowess.

nothing but

only; just. Jane drinks nothing but milk. Dave buys nothing but expensive clothes.

remove the onus for, behoove, " treacherous waters of anonymity", coddled in

onus: burden or duty treacherous waters of anonymity: unknown to difficulty coddled in: treat gentally with care. behoove:incumbent on With university lecture halls rivaling small-concert venues in terms of the number of those in attendance, it behoove incoming freshmen--most long coddled in an intimate learning environment--to become adept at navigating the treacherous waters of anonymity.

tactical

or relating to tactics --Joel Hardin is widely respected as an accomplished tracker and tracking instructor, but he openly disdains the term tactical tracking, disputing the need for tactical considerations on a follow-up and openly mocking instructors from other schools of thought.

pastoral, summon

pastoral: relates to the countryside summon: To call forth; evoke: "He summoned up a smile, though it seemed to take all his strength" Unlike many poets, who are inspired by "pastoral" settings, Harrison relied on urban backdrops to summon his muse. To summon is to formally call for the presence of someone. If, as soccer team captain, you find that your team members are an hour late for the big game, you might need to summon them — and fast. Summon can also mean "gather up," as one might summon one's courage" before that big game. Summon is also occasionally used in reference to the supernatural, as when one tries to call forth a spirit or ghost. If you think the team needs additional help on the field, you might try to summon some supernatural backup.

Plucky

plucky: not easily give up, brave---The plucky election campaign has managed to "round up" support from the most unlikely corners--even typically derelict voters are eyeing the voting booth with more than indifference

schmooze

schmooze: an informal conversation with smile, hobnob As for the skill set required to "schmooze" a room of execs, it's not really that different from trying to convince a jury of twelve that your client's "story" is the one they should vote for. When you schmooze at a party, you chat with many different people. Being able to schmooze casually and confidently is a good quality in a hostess or a politician

beleaguer, skirmish

skirmish: fight, altercation (skirt+miss inclined to fight) beleaguered: surrounded ( by league) The skirmish between the two beleaguered armies occurred "spasmodically, sporadically" with each side taking much needed rest during the respites. A skirmish is a small fight — more a dust-up than a full-out battle — and it can refer to a physical fight or just a battle of words. It is definitely confrontational, though

spurned

spurned means rejected, snubbed If you reject your mother's offer to buy you a pair of lederhosen with a snort and eye roll, you are spurning her generosity. To spurn means to reject with disdain. She spurned all his flattery and proposals, and so he walked off embarrassed and sad.

stultified

stultified means limited in growth He professed to have veered from the "old, foul road" down which language must drag itself, but is it not possible that what he was turning from was precisely his love of language, a luxury that his ascetic soul felt obliged to spurn? Her potential unrealized, Martha was ultimately a victim of her environment, "hampered and stultified" by those around her who insisted that she forsake her artistic dreams for a routine, but predictable life.

To cavil , grovel

to cavil at means to criticize petty things (--quibble) If your only cavil to your family's trip to Disney World is that you don't like airline food, you're not representing the anti-Mickey side of the argument very well. A cavil is a small or petty objection. Cavil is not a word that comes up all that often. You can replace it with the more commonly used word quibble and still have the same meaning. If you cavil over a restaurant bill, you argue about the minute, unimportant details of who owes what -- like whether your portion of the bill is $10.00 or $10.50.

rile someone up

to get someone excited and angry. He yelled at them and riled them up. They left quite angry. He riles up everyone he talks to.

grovel

to grovel means to act extremely submissive towards To grovel is to beg like a hungry dog. You don't have to be a canine though; you might grovel for a better grade (please don't). --adeal please grow well. If you grovel you risk getting the opposite of what you want, because people (like teachers) don't like people down at their feet begging for something. But if you cheat on your date, you may have to grovel to get him or her back. Grovel also means to crawl around on your belly — you could grovel on gravel, but that might really hurt

topical

topical means relevant, related to particular topic. When some information or news is current and of immediate interest, we say it is topical. This might be a news story or a bit of gossip, or just a subject that is of current importance. If it's "now," it's topical. There are several meanings of the word topical, but one clue can help you remember them all: that inside word "top." You often hear newscasters refer to the "top" stories of the day—they're current, and that makes them topical. That same little word "top" can help you remember the medical meaning of topical: pertaining to the surface of the skin. A cream applied to the "top" of your skin is a topical medication. Remember that clue, and you'll be "tops" too Anything topical is now a week old, and I'm out of the loop ... or on the outskirts waving frantically. It's those attributes, more than the clever writing or topical satire that made the episode such a pleasure to watch.

travail, tribulation, have ever been

travail: use of physical or mental energy; hard work --The travel writer must invite "travail, tribulations" ; few, if any travelogues, "have ever been" inspired by a languorous afternoon poolside. have ever been: hardly or not at all Tribulation is suffering or trouble, usually resulting from oppression. It is An experience that tests one's endurance, patience, or faith The tribulations of a coal miner include a dangerous work environment, lung disease from black dust and a cramped, dark work space

tantalizing

unfulfilled desire, A tantalizing paradox in the field of number theory—especially for the neophyte—is that even one with little training can pose a legitimate question that can baffle a seasoned expert. The word tantalize comes from a Greek story about a guy named Tantalus who was so evil that the gods of the underworld came up with a special punishment just for him (they were really good at that). They put him in a pool of water that drained away every time he bent down to drink. There was also a tree above his head that whisked away its juicy apples every time he tried to pick one. So, it only makes sense that to tantalize someone is to torture them with what they cannot have.

valor, arrogance

valor - the qualities of a hero or heroine; exceptional or heroic courage when facing danger (especially in battle) arrogance: haughtiness, overbearing pride evidenced by a superior manner toward inferiors But eye-rolling arrogance toward those who support a given idea is not reasoned critique - and religious discourse is filled with examples of people on all sides who allow dismissive arrogance* to cloud their judgment

Semicolon and a Colon?

you use a semicolon to join things of equal weight, whereas you can use a colon to join things of equal or unequal weight. This is definitely a tough one! First off, the semicolons are used to separate the pairings of words into a list. For example, the sentence groups "bashful and insolent," but because these are separated by a comma, to keep them as a pair in our larger list, we need to use semicolons.