Verbal Advantage All

39. GENESIS (JEN-i-sis)

A coming into being, beginning. Synonyms: origin, birth, creation.

7. TIRADE (TY-rayd or ty-RAYD)

A long-drawn-out speech, especially a vehement and abusive one. Additional useful words: protracted, drawn out to great length (see Level 3, Word 25); vituperative, full of harsh, abusive language; censorious, tending to censor, to blame or condemn.

47. PARAGON (PAR-uh-gahn)

A model of excellence, perfect example.

33. RETORT (ri-TORT)

A quick reply, especially one that is cutting or witty. Synonym: rejoinder.

38. RENAISSANCE (ren-uh-SAHNS orREN-uh-sahns)

A revival, renewal of life or vigor. Synonyms: rebirth, resurgence

36. OMNIPOTENT (ahm-NIP-uh-tint)

All-powerful, almighty, having unlimited power or authority. Etymology tip: The element omni- means "all," as in omnidirectional, omnipresent, and omniscient (ahm-NISH-int), all-knowing.

10. ALLEGATION (AL-uh-GAY-shin)

An assertion or declaration, especially one made without proof. In law, an allegation is an assertion. of what one intends to prove.

27. SUPPOSITION (SUHP-uh-ZISH-un)

An assumption, theory, hypothesis, conjecture.

50. PRETEXT (PREE-tekst)

An excuse, ostensible reason or motive, professed purpose; specifically, an excuse or false reason given to hide the true reason or purpose.

20. ALOOF (uh-LOOF)

Apart, at a distance, removed, withdrawn, not wishing to speak or associate with others. Synonyms: unsympathetic, unapproachable, standoffish, indifferent.

2. OSTENSIBLE (ah-STEN-suh-buul)

Apparent, appearing or seeming to be true, professed or declared as true without being demonstrated or proved. Synonyms: plausible, specious.

5. CANDOR (KAN-dur)

Frankness, openness, sincere expression. Synonyms: straightforwardness, outspokenness, forthrightness, ingenuousness (in-JENyoo-us-nis). Corresponding adjective: candid, frank, open, sincere. Synonyms of candid include forthright and ingenuous.

48. INVIOLABLE (in-VY'l-uh-buul)

Secure; safe from assault, infringement, or destruction. Synonyms: sacred, untouchable, unassailable, incorruptible. Etymology tip: Inviolable combines the prefix in-, not, the suffix -able, and the verb to violate, and means literally "not able to be violated."

17. COMPLACENT (kum-PLAY-sint)

Self-satisfied, smug, overly pleased with oneself. Usage tip: Take care to distinguish between complacent and complaisant, which is pronounced kum-PLAY-zint and means inclined to please, gracious, obliging, courteous, affable, and urbane (Level l, Word 45).

48. ANALOGOUS (uh-NAL-uh-gus)

Similar, alike in certain ways, corresponding partially, sharing some aspects of form, function, or content. Synonyms: akin, comparable. Related word: analogy, a partial similarity, likeness, or resemblance that allows for a comparison between things.

7. ADEPT (uh-DEPT)

Skilled, handy. Synonyms: clever, able, deft, expert, dexterous, proficient, adroit. Corresponding noun: adept (AD-ept), a highly skilled person, an expert.

8. SATURATED (SACH-uh-ray-tid)

Soaked, drenched, thoroughly wet, full of moisture. Synonyms: steeped, permeated, impregnated, imbued, sodden. Corresponding noun: saturation.

30. LEGACY (LEG-uh-see)

Something handed down from the past. Synonyms: inheritance, bequest.

49. COMMODIOUS (kuh-MOH-dee-us)

Spacious, having plenty of room, comfortably convenient. Synonyms: ample, capacious (kuh-PAY-shus). Related words: commode, accommodate, accommodations.

46. JARGON (JAHR-gun)

Specialized and often pretentious language; unnecessarily complex phraseology; speech or writing that is highly technical and difficult to understand; specifically, obscure language or a private vocabulary used and understood only by members of a particular group or profession.

35. FRUGAL (FROG-gul)

Spending carefully and wisely; also, involving little expense, not wasteful or lavish. Synonyms: thrifty, economical, provident, parsimonious.

34. OBSTINATE (AHB-sti-nit)

Stubborn, inflexible, unwilling to give in or compromise, not yielding to argument or persuasion. Synonyms: hidebound, intractable, intransigent, adamant (Level 1, Word 15). Pronunciation tip: Obstinate is sometimes mispronounced as if it were spelled obstinant. Take care to spell obstinate correctly and pronounce it AHB-sti-nit.

10. CONGENIAL (kun-JEE-nee-ul)

Sympathetic, agreeable, having the same taste, nature, or temperament. Synonyms: compatible, kindred, harmonious. Antonyms: alien, dissident, incongruous (in-KAHNG-groo-us).

31. TRANSIENT (TRAN-shint)

Temporary, passing away with time, lasting or staying only a short while, momentary, fleeting, short-lived. Synonyms: transitory, evanescent, ephemeral (Level 4, Word 12), fugitive, fugacious. Antonyms: permanent, timeless, eternal, everlasting. Pronunciation tip: Pronounce transient in two syllables, with the same sh sound as in ancient. Also, in the words short-lived and long-lived, the second half, -lived, does not come from the verb to live but from the noun life plus the suffix -ed. Therefore the preferred pronunciation for the I is long, as in the adjective alive.

17. VANGUARD (VAN-gard)

The forefront of an action or movement, leading position or persons in a movement.

18. ACME (AK-mee)

The peak, highest point, especially the point of culmination, the highest possible point in the development or progress of something. Synonyms: summit, zenith. Corresponding adjective: acmatic.

16. TENUOUS (TEN-yoo-us)

Thin, slender, slight, flimsy, weak, not dense or substantial, lacking a strong basis, having little substance or strength.

24. SANCTION (SANGK-shin, be sure to pronounce the C)

To approve, allow, permit, authorize, certify, ratify.

45. ALLOCATE (AL-uh-kayt or AL-oh-kayt)

To assign, designate, earmark, set aside for a specific purpose.

47. PRUDENT (PROO-dint)

(1) Cautious, careful, planning wisely, exercising sound judgment in practical matters. Synonyms: discreet, circumspect (Level 3, Word 21). (2) Spending carefully, using one's resources wisely. Synonyms: thrifty, economical, frugal (Level 2, Word 35). Related words: provide, provident (Level 4, Word 1).

49. DIURNAL (dy-URN-'l)

(1) Daily, recurring each day, performed or happening in the course of a day. (2) Active during the day, as opposed to nocturnal, active at night.

12. BENIGN (buh-NYN, rhymes with a sign)

(1) Kindly, good-natured, gracious, mild, having or showing a gentle disposition. (2) Favorable, positive, propitious. (3) Of the weather or climate, healthful, beneficial, wholesome, salubrious. (4) In medicine: mild, not deadly, or severe.

43. CLEMENT (KLEM-int)

(1) Mild, calm, tranquil, moderate, temperate, not severe or extreme. (2) Merciful, lenient, inclined to pardon or forgive. Corresponding noun: clemency.

18. CONCUR (kun-KUR)

(1) To agree, be in accord with, unite in opinion. (2) To act together, combine in having an effect. (3) To happen together, occur at the same time, coincide. Etymology tip: One meaning of the Latin prefix con- is "together." By derivation, that which concurs happens together, acts together, or is together in opinion.

40. WARRANT (WAH-rint or WAR-int)

(1) To justify, give good reason for, authorize, sanction. (2) To guarantee, promise, give formal assurance of. Related word: unwarranted, without good reason or authorization, unjustifiable.

46. RECONCILE (REK-un-syl or rek-un-SYL)

(1) To make friendly again, restore friendly relations between, settle, resolve, bring into harmony or agreement. (2) To bring into agreement, make consistent. (3) To resign oneself to accept something undesirable.

33. REPUDIATE (ri-PYOO-dee-ayt)

(1) To reject, cast off, disown, renounce, refuse to accept as one's own. (2) To reject as false, deny the authority of, refuse to accept as true.

28. ARBITRARY (AHR-bi-trair-ee)

(1) Unreasoned; based on personal feelings or preferences rather than on reason, logic, or law; making discretionary judgments or decisions that may or may not be fair or reasonable. (2) Determined or arrived at in a random or illogical manner. (3) Exercising unrestrained or absolute power. Related words: Arbiter and arbitrator both mean a judge or umpire who makes a final decision or resolves a dispute.

25. REASONABLE (PUR-suh-nuh-buul)

Attractive, pleasing in appearance. Synonyms: handsome, comely, fair, presentable. Usage tip: Avoid using personable to mean having nice personality. Sociable, affable, and amiable already suggest people who are friendly, pleasant, and approachable. An awkward or unbecoming person, no matter how friendly and pleasant, cannot correctly be personable. Reserve personable either for someone who is attractive in appearance or attractive both in appearance and personality.

21. CREED (KREED, rhymes with seed)

Belief, professed faith or opinion, especially a system of religious belief. Synonyms: doctrine, dogma, credo (KREE-doh or KRAY-doh). Related words: incredible, credible, credulous. Credulous means willing to accept something as true without questioning. Credulous and gullible are synonymous.

32. PLIANT (PLY-int)

Bending easily, flexible. Synonyms: adaptable, workable, pliable, supple.

23. CARNAL (KAHR-nul)

Bodily, pertaining to the flesh as opposed to the spirit. Synonyms: sensual, corporeal. Usage tip: Carnal is used of basic physical appetities.

29. MALLEABLE (MAL-ee-uh-buul or MAL-yuhbuul)

Capable of being shaped, able to be molded or manipulated. Synonyms: adaptable, impressionable, tractable. Antonyms: inflexible, unyielding, stubborn, adamant, obstinate, intransigent.

22. TAWDRY (TAW-dree)

Cheap and showy, gaudy, garish, sleazy. Etymology: Tawdry comes from the phrase "tawdry lace," a corruption of "Saint Audreylace," an inferior type of lace sold at Saint Audrey's fair in England.

28. UNEQUIVOCAL (UHN-i-KWIV-uh-kul)

Clear and direct, definite, straightforward, certain; having a single, obvious meaning; capable of being interpreted in only one way. Antonyms: equivocal, ambiguous (Level 2, Word 25). Pronunciation tip: Many people mispronounce (and misspell) unequivocal as unequivocable. Unequivocal ends with -vocal, not -vocable. Take care to pronounce the word in five syllables: un-e-qui-vo-cal.

19. DEFUNCT (di-FUNGKT or dee-FUNGKT)

Dead, extinct, obsolete; no longer in existence, effect, operation, or use.

41. CANTANKEROUS (kan-TANGK-uh-rus)

Difficult to deal with, disagreeable, argumentative, quick to quarrel or to exhibit ill will. Synonyms: contentious, malicious, irascible (i-RAS-uh-buul).

42. FLIPPANT (FLIP-int)

Disrespectful in a frivolous way, treating something serious in a trivial manner. Synonyms: cheeky, fresh, thoughtless, impertinent. Antonyms: solemn, sober, sedate, grave.

19. PRECOCIOUSNESS (pruh-KOH-shus-nis)

Early development or maturity, especially in mental ability. Antonym: retardation. Corresponding adjective: precocious.

11. GULLIBLE (GUHL-uh-buul)

Easily deceived, fooled, or cheated. Synonym: credulous. Related words: gull and dupe, which both mean to fool, cheat, deceive, take advantage of.

4. UNCANNY (uhn-KAN-ee)

Eerie, strange, weird, mysterious.

13. PERIPHERAL (puh-RIF-uh-rul)

External, outer, lying at or forming the outside or boundary of something; hence, not essential, irrelevant.

26. RESOLUTE (REZ-uh-loot)

Firmly determined or settled, resolved, having a set opinion or purpose. Synonyms: steadfast, unwavering, persevering. Antonyms: irresolute, unsteady, vacillating. Corresponding verb: resolve, to decide, determine, settle once and for all.

6. MOROSE (muh-ROHS)

Gloomy, moody, glum, grumpy, ill-tempered, depressed. Synonyms: sullen, dolorous, lugubrious, saturnine. Antonyms: optimistic, jovial, sanguine. Corresponding noun: moroseness. Additional useful word: misanthropy, hatred of humankind.

40. AVARICIOUS (AV-uh-RISH-us)

Greedy, money-grubbing, miserly, consumed with a selfish desire to accumulate money or property. Synonyms: covetous, mercenary (Level 3, Word 14). Corresponding noun: avarice, greed, an inordinate desire for wealth.

34. IMPETUOUS (im-PETCH-oo-us)

Hasty, rash, overeager; acting in a sudden, vigorous, emotional way, with little thought. Synonyms: impulsive. Antonyms: prudent (Level 1, Word 47), discreet, circumspect (Level 3, Word 21).

15. ANIMOSITY (AN-i-MAH-si-tee)

Ill will, hostility, antagonism, strong dislike or hatred. Synonyms: malice, aversion, malevolence, antipathy, rancor, enmity.

23. PEEVISH (as spelled, PEE-vish)

Irritable, cross, complaining, fretful, ill-humored and impatient, difficult to please, full of complaints. Corresponding noun: peeve, something that irritates or annoys.

6. CLANDESTINE (klan-DES-tin)

Kept secret, done in secrecy, especially for an evil, immoral, or illegal purpose. Synonyms: private, concealed, covert, underhand, sly, stealthy, furtive, surreptitious. Pronunciation tip: Avoid the recent variants klanDES-tyn, klan-DES-teen, KLAN-destyn, and KLAN-des-teen. The traditional and preferred pronunciation is klan-DES-tin.

29. MONOTONOUS (muh-NAH-tub-nus)

Lacking variety, tediously uniform, unvarying and dull; literally, having one continuous sound or tone. Etymology tip: The prefix mono- means "one, single," as in the related words monogamy, monocle, and monogram.

35. LACERATE (LAS-ur-ayt)

Literally, to tear, cut roughly, rend, mangle. Figuratively, to wound, afflict, cause pain.

50. PROXIMITY (prahk-SIM-i-tee)

Nearness, closeness, the state of being in the vicinity of something. Usage tip: Avoid using the common phrase "close proximity." It's a redundancy. Proximity means closeness; therefore "close proximity" means "close closeness." Drop close and let proximity do its work alone.

12. BLATANT (BLAY-tint)

Noisy, disagreeably or offensively loud, boisterous, clamorous; also, sticking out in a glaring way, obtrusive, flagrant.

31. MANIFOLD (MAN-i-fohld)

Numerous and varied, consisting of many kinds, containing many elements, features, or characteristics. Synonyms: multifarious, multitudinous.

16. SPORADIC (spor-RAD-ik)

Occasional, infrequent, irregular, not constant, happening from time to time, occurring in scattered or random way. Antonyms: constant, incessant, unremitting.

36. INCONGRUOUS (in-KAHNG-groo-us)

Out of place, inappropriate, inconsistent, unsuitable, lacking harmony of parts or agreement in character. Related words: congruous and congruent, which both mean coming together harmoniously, fitting in consistently.

4. POIGNANT (POYN-yint)

Piercing, sharp, penetrating; specifically, piercing or penetrating to the senses, to the emotions, or to the intellect. Synonyms: biting, cutting, keen, acute. Related words (from the Latin pungere, to pierce or prick): puncture; pungent, piercing to the smell or taste; expunge, to punch out, erase, delete.

45. URBANE (ur-BAYN)

Polished, sophisticated, suave, cosmopolitan. Related word: urban, pertaining to or living in a city. Urbane suggests the polished sophistication of a city dweller.

9. PRAGMATIC (prag-MAT-ik)

Practical, having to do with actual practice, concerned with everyday affairs as opposed to theory or speculation.

44. LUCRATIVE (LOO-kruh-tiv)

Profitable, producing wealth, money-making, financially productive, remunerative. Related word: lucre (LOO-kur), money, profit, especially tainted money, ill-gotten gains (as in the cliché "filthy lucre").

41. CURSORY (KUR-suh-ree or KUR-sur-ee)

Quick, hasty, not methodical, done rapidly with little attention to detail, passing quickly over or through something that deserves closer examination. Synonyms: hurried, haphazard, slapdash, superficial. Antonyms: thorough, careful, scrupulous, exhaustive, prolonged, protracted. Related words (from the Latin currere, to run): course, curriculum, courier.

13. OBLIGATORY (uh-BLIG-uh-tor-ee)

Required, necessary, binding, mandatory. Antonyms: optional, voluntary.

27. MOLLIFY (MAH-li-fy)

To calm, soothe, soften in feeling or tone, make less harsh or severe. Synonyms: pacify, appease, assuage (Level 2, Word 37). Related word: emollient (adjective), softening, soothing, mollifying; (noun) a softening or soothing agent.

38. CORROBORATE (kuh-RAHB-uh-rayt)

To confirm, support, make more certain or believable, strengthen by providing additional evidence or proof. Synonyms: authenticate, verify, substantiate.

43. SUBJUGATE (SUHB-juh-gayt)

To conquer, defeat, vanquish, overwhelm completely, bring under rigid control, make submissive, dominate, enslave. Corresponding noun: subjugation.

39. EMBELLISH (em-BEL-ish)

To decorate, dress up, adorn, enhance with ornamentation, make more beautiful, elegant, or interesting. Corresponding noun: embellishment, an ornament, decoration.

20. ABET (uh-BET)

To encourage, support, help, aid, promote, assist in achieving a purpose (either good or evil). Usage tip: Abet is often used to mean assist in wrongdoing, as in the legal cliché "to aid and abet," but abet may also be used favorably to mean assist in achieving a good purpose.

2. DELEGATE (DEL-uh-gayt)

To entrust with authority or power, deliver to another's care or management, hand over to an agent or representative.

8. RECUR (ri-KUR or nee-KUR)

To happen again, occur again, especially at intervals or after some lapse of time. N.B. This discussion explains the distinction between the verbs recur and reoccur.

32. NETTLE (NET'l)

To irritate, annoy, vex, harass, pester, provoke.

14. REBUFF (ri-BUF or ree-BUF)

To refuse bluntly, reject sharply, turn down abruptly, snub, spurn. Corresponding noun: rebuff, an abrupt refusal or rejection.

37. ASSUAGE (uh-SWAYJ)

To relieve, ease, make less severe or intense; also, to satisfy, appease, make content. Synonyms: allay, mollify (Level 2, Word 27), mitigate. Pronunciation tip: Don't pronounce the G in assuage like the G in garage or the Z in azure. In assuage, the A is long (as in day) and the G is pronounced like J: uh-SWAYJ.

22. WAIVE (like wave)

To relinquish voluntarily, give up, forgo; also, to postpone, defer, or dispense with.

PARAPHRASE

To restate, put what someone else has expressed into different words.

1. ADVOCATE (AD-vuh-kayt)

To support, plead for, be in favor of, defend by argument; especially, to speak or write in favor or in defense of a person or cause. Synonyms: champion, endorse, espouse. Corresponding noun: advocate, a supporter or defender of a cause, a champion, or a person who speaks for another. Related words (from the Latin vocare, to call, summon): vocation; avocation; vocational; vocal; convoke, to call together; convocation, the act of calling together, or a group that has been summoned; evoke, to call out, call forth; and evocative, calling forth a response, especially an emotional one.

3. DIGRESS (di-GRES or dy-GRES)

To wander, stray from the point, ramble, deviate, go off in another direction. Corresponding noun: digression. Related words: ingress, the place you walk in, the entrance; egress, the place you walk out, the exit. Additional useful word: archaic (ar-KAY-ik), old-fashioned.

42. VACILLATE (VAS-i-layt)

To waver, fluctuate, be indecisive, show uncertainty, hesitate in making up one's mind.

44. WRY (like rye, rhymes with why)

Twisted, crooked, lopsided, askew, distorted in an odd, amusing way.

25. AMBIGUOUS (am-BIG-yoo-us)

Uncertain, unclear, doubtful, dubious, questionable, puzzling, having an obscure or indefinite meaning. Synonyms: enigmatic, cryptic, equivocal. Antonyms: distinct, apparent, evident, conspicuous, manifest.

5. NEBULOUS (NEB-yuu-lus)

Unclear, vague, obscure, hazy, indefinite, indistinct. Related word: nebula, a cloudy mass of dust or gas visible between stars in space (plural, nebulae).

3. UNPRECEDENTED (uhn-PRES-uh-den-tid)

Unheard-of, novel, new, having no precedent or parallel, having no prior example or justification.

14. NEGLIGIBLE (NEG-li-juh-buul)

Unimportant, trifling, of little consequence. Synonyms: trivial, insignificant

11. CAPRICIOUS (kuh-PRISH-us)

Unpredictable, tending to change abruptly for no apparent or logical reason. Synonyms: flighty, changeable, impulsive, fickle, erratic, whimsical, volatile, mercurial. Antonyms: stable, reliable, unwavering, steadfast, abiding. Corresponding noun: caprice, a sudden change of mind or change in the emotions. Pronunciation tip: caprice is pronounced kuhPREES; capricious should rhyme with delicious.

9. TACIT (TAS-it)

Unspoken, silent, implied or understood without words, done or made in silence, not expressed or declared openly. Related word: taciturn (Level 3, Word 2).

37. UNSCRUPULOUS (uhn-SKROO-pyoo-lus)

Untrustworthy, dishonorable, deceitful, corrupt, lacking integrity or moral principles. Related words: scruple, something that causes hesitation or doubt in determining what is appropriate and proper; scrupulous, having scruples-hence, taking pains to do something exactly right.

15. ADAMANT (AD-uh-mint)

Unyielding, immovable, inflexible, refusing to give in. Synonyms: unshakable, unrelenting, implacable.

24. ARDUOUS (AHR-joo-us)

Very difficult, hard to achieve or accomplish, requiring great effort. Synonyms: strenuous, laborious, toilsome.

26. SPENDTHRIFT (pronounced as spelled, stress on spend)

Wasteful, spending extravagantly or foolishly, squandering one's resources. Synonyms: improvident, prodigal, profligate

30. VERBOSE (vur-BOHS)

Wordy, having too many words, long-winded, full of verbiage. Synonyms: garrulous (Level 4, Word 8), loquacious, voluble (Level 5, Word 1), prolix(Level 9, Word 1). Corresponding noun: verbosity. Related words (from the Latin verbum, word): verbal; verbatim, expressed in precisely the same words; verbiage, an excess or overabundance of words. Additional useful word: proffer, to put forward for acceptance, present as a gift. Pronunciation tip: Carriage and marriage have two syllables, but verbiage and foliage have three. Don't say VUR-bij and FOH-lij (or FOY-lij). Take care to pronounce these words in three syllables: VUR-bee-ij and FOH-lee-ij. .

21. HAGGARD (HAG-urd)

Worn out, tired, drawn; wild-eyed and wasted, as from exhaustion, illness, or grief. Synonyms: gaunt, emaciated.