Level H Unit 15 Choosing the Right Word

In his farewell address, President Dwight D. Eisenhower ___ the necessity to beware of the rise of the "military-industrial complex"

adumbrated

Many historians believe those apparently minor incidents ___ the great revolutionary uprising that occurred a few years later

adumbrated

The ___ of the actor's career was probably when he had the opportunity to play King Lear on the London stage

apotheosis

In a democracy we have no need to disguise the human failings of our leaders; we can respect them without ___ them

apotheosizing

The monk is a famous ___ who sometimes appears publicly to oppose wars

ascetic

Unlike the Athenians, who delighted in luxury, the Spartans espoused the virtue of ___ simplicity

ascetic

The author found it ironic that the novel he had tossed off in his youth as a mere ___ came to be viewed as his masterpiece

bauble

___ by high-pressure sales talk, I bought a car that I did not need, could not afford, and did not even know how to drive

beguiled

Even the innate talents of a Mozart or an Einstein cannot ___ unless the environment is favorable to their growth

burgeon

They make an excellent team because his deftness in handling people effectively ___ her remarkable executive abilities

complement

A full and glowing moon and two shooting stars were the perfect ___ to a romantic dinner for two alongside the river

complements

The situation was rapidly becoming intolerable because some of the club members were not merely uncooperative but positively ___

contumacious

You are too young to understand how the trials of life can transform a happy-go-lucky youth into a solitary ___

curmudgeon

You have written a(n) ___ novel with a wealth of authentic documentation, but you have forgotten to entertain your readers

didactic

What disappointed me was not so much your failure to complete the job but your ___ efforts to avoid all responsibility for the debacle

disingenuous

The aim of the new biography was to ___ its subject of charges that previous biographers had wrongfully pressed against him

exculpate

When you have been guilty of rude conduct, do not try to minimize your guilt by referring to the incident as a mere ___

faux pas

I must say that I agree with their ___ against those who deface our public buildings with unsightly graffiti

fulminations

The ancient photograph showed my grandmother in her native Russian village, sporting a ___ jacket to protect her against the harsh autumn wind

fustian

The candidates underrate the electorate if they think they can win votes with that kind of antiquated ___

fustian

When I asked him if he could dance, he looked at me with supreme ___ and asked, "Could Caruso sing?"

hauteur

Because you are usually a rather boisterous person, I was surprised by your ___ behavior at the party

inhibited

The speaker referred scornfully to the "hysterical ___ of the ecologists," but I believe they are warning us of real dangers

jeremiads

Your tactics prove that you are not just an ___ but someone with a ruthless disregard for others

opportunist

What is the basis for your statement that advertising costs account for an ___ part of the retail price of many products?

unconscionable