Magoosh Basic Word List 5/7

goad

verb: urge on with unpleasant comments Synonyms : prick,needle Doug did not want to enter the race, but Jim, through a steady stream of taunts, goaded him into signing up for it.

serene

adjective: calm and peaceful Synonyms : tranquil , unagitated I'd never seen him so serene; usually, he was a knot of stress and anxiety from hours of trading on the stock exchange.

steadfast

adjective: marked by firm determination or resolution; not shakable Synonyms : firm , steady , stiff , unbendable , unfaltering , unshakable , unwavering A good captain needs to be steadfast, continuing to hold the wheel and stay the course even during the most violent storm.

placid

adjective: not easily irritated Synonyms : equable , even-tempered , good-tempered Doug is normally placid, so we were all shocked to see him yelling at the television when the Mets lost the game.

unseemly

adjective: not in keeping with accepted standards of what is right or proper in polite society Synonyms : indecent , indecorous , unbecoming , uncomely , untoward He acted in an unseemly manner, insulting the hostess and then speaking ill of her deceased husband.

leery

adjective: openly distrustful and unwilling to confide Synonyms : mistrustful , suspicious , untrusting , wary Without checking his references and talking to previous employers, I am leery of hiring the candidate.

brusquely

adverb: in a blunt, direct manner Synonyms : bluffly , bluntly , flat out , roundly Not one for social pleasantries, the Chief of Staff would brusquely ask his subordinates anything he wanted, even coffee.

foible

noun: a behavioral attribute that is distinctive and peculiar to an individual Synonyms : idiosyncrasy , mannerism When their new roommate sat staring at an oak tree for an hour, Marcia thought it indicated a mental problem, but Jeff assured her it was a harmless foible.

ploy

noun: a clever plan to turn a situation to one's advantage Synonyms : gambit,stratagem Dennis arranged an elaborate ploy, involving 14 different people lying for him in different situations, so that it could appear that he was meeting Mary completely by chance at the wedding reception.

collusion

noun: agreement on a secret plot Synonyms : connivance Many have argued that Lee Harvey Oswald, JFK's assassin, was in collusion with other criminals; others maintain that Oswald was a lone gunman.

presumption

noun: an assumption that is taken for granted Synonyms : given , precondition When Mr. Baker found out the family car was gone, he acted under the presumption that his rebellious son had taken the car, calling his son's phone and yelling at him; only later did Mr. Baker realize that Mrs. Baker had simply gone out to get her nails done. noun: audacious (even arrogant) behavior that you have no right to The new neighbor quickly gained a reputation for her presumption; she had invited herself to several neighbors' homes, often stopping over at inopportune times and asking for a drink.

eke

verb: To live off meager resources, to scrape by Stranded in a cabin over the winter, Terry was able to eke out an existence on canned food.

tout

verb: advertize in strongly positive terms; show off Synonyms : blow , bluster , boast , brag , gas , gasconade , shoot a line , swash , vaunt At the conference, the CEO touted the extraordinary success of his company's Research & Development division.

exemplify

verb: be characteristic of Synonyms : represent Lincoln exemplified the best of not only America, but also the potential greatness that exists within each person. verb: clarify by giving an example of Synonyms : illustrate , instance Please present some case studies that exemplify the results that you claim in your paper.

elude

verb: escape understanding Synonyms : bilk , evade Even a basic understanding of physics can elude most high schools students.

tarnish

verb: make dirty or spotty, as by exposure to air; also used metaphorically Synonyms : defile , maculate , stain , sully Pete Rose was one of the best baseball players of his generation, but his involvement with gambling on baseball games has tarnished his image in the eyes of many.

squander

verb: spend thoughtlessly; waste time, money, or an opportunity Synonyms : blow , waste,consume , ware Fearing his money would be squandered by his family, he gave all of it to charity when he died.

conniving

verb: taking part in immoral and unethical plots The queen was so conniving that, with the help of the prince, she tried to overthrow the king.

exasperate

verb: to irritate intensely Synonyms : aggravate , exacerbate , exacerbate , worsen, incense , infuriate As a child, I exasperated my mother with strings of never-ending questions.

diligent

adjective: characterized by care and perseverance in carrying out tasks Synonyms : persevering Michael was a diligent gardener, never leaving a leaf on the ground and regularly watering each plant.

impending

adjective: close in time; about to occur Synonyms : at hand , close at hand , imminent , impendent The impending doom of our world has been a discussed and debated for 2000 years - maybe even longer.

complacent

adjective: contented to a fault with oneself or one's actions Synonyms : self-complacent , self-satisfied After the water polo team won their sixth championship, they became complacent and didn't even make it to the playoffs the next year.

peevish

adjective: easily irritated or annoyed Synonyms : cranky , fractious , irritable , nettlesome , peckish , pettish , petulant , scratchy , techy , testy , tetchy Our office manager is peevish, so the rest of us tip-toe around him, hoping not to set off another one of his fits.

derogative

adjective: expressed as worthless or in negative terms Synonyms : derogatory , disparaging Never before have we seen a debate between two political candidates that was so derogative and filthy.

unprecedented

adjective: having never been done or known before; novel When America first created its national parks, the idea of setting aside the most beautiful land in a country was unprecedented in the history of mankind.

convoluted

adjective: highly complex or intricate Synonyms : byzantine , involved , knotty , tangled , tortuous Instead of solving the math problem in three simple steps, Kumar used a convoluted solution requiring fifteen steps.

impregnable

adjective: immune to attack; incapable of being tampered with Synonyms : inviolable , secure , strong , unassailable , unattackable As a child, Amy would build pillow castles and pretend they were impregnable fotresses.

rash

adjective: marked by defiant disregard for danger or consequences; imprudently incurring risk Synonyms : foolhardy , heady , reckless Although Bruce was able to make the delivery in time with a nightime motorcycle ride in the rain, Susan criticized his actions as rash. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

smug

adjective: marked by excessive complacency or self-satisfaction Synonyms : self-satisfied When Phil was dating the model, he had a smug attitude that annoyed his buddies.

destitute

adjective: poor enough to need help from others Synonyms : impoverished , indigent , necessitous , needy , poverty-stricken Jean Valjean, is at first destitute, but through the grace of a priest, he makes something of his life. adjective: completely wanting or lacking (usually "destitute of") Synonyms : barren , devoid , free , innocent Now that the mine is closed, the town is destitute of any economic activity.

pastoral

adjective: relating to the countryside in a pleasant sense Synonyms : arcadian , bucolic Those who imagine America's countryside as a pastoral region are often disappointed to learn that much of rural U.S. is filled with cornfields extending as far as the eye can see.

obstinate

adjective: resistant to guidance or discipline; stubbornly persistent Synonyms : cussed , obdurate , unrepentant, contrary , perverse , wayward The coach suggested improvements Sarah might make on the balance beam, but she remained obstinate, unwilling to modify any of the habits that made her successful in the past.

aphoristic

adjective: something that is concise and instructive of a general truth or principle Sometimes I can't stand Nathan because he tries to impress everyone by being aphoristic, but he just states the obvious.

taxing

adjective: use to the limit; exhaust Synonyms : burdensome , onerous The hike to the summit of Mt. Whitney was so taxing that I could barely speak or stand up. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

malevolent

adjective: wishing or appearing to wish evil to others; arising from intense ill will or hatred Synonyms : evil , malefic , malign Villians are known for their malevolent nature, oftentimes inflicting cruetly on others just for enjoyment.

savvy

noun: a perceptive understanding Synonyms : apprehension , discernment , understanding Although a great CEO, he did not have the political savvy to win the election. verb: get the meaning of something Synonyms : apprehend , compass , comprehend , dig , get the picture , grasp , grok The student savvies the meaning of astrophysics with little effort. adjective: well-informed or perceptive With his savvy business partner, the company was able to turn a profit within a year.

maxim

noun: a short saying expressing a general truth Synonyms : axiom Johnson initially suggests that the secret to business can be summarized in a single maxim but then requires a 300-page book to explain exactly what he means.

enmity

noun: a state of deep-seated ill-will Synonyms : antagonism , hostility Charles rude remark toward Sarah yesterday was due to his illness, not due to any real enmity toward Sarah.

quip

noun: a witty saying or remark Synonyms : epigram,crack , sally , wisecrack In one of the most famous quips about classical music, Mark Twain said: "Wagner's music is better than it sounds." verb: to make a witty remark, to say in jest Synonyms : gag When a old English teacher criticized Churchill for ending a sentence with a preposition, he quipped, "This is the kind of criticism up with which we will not put!"

reservation

noun: an unstated doubt that prevents you from accepting something wholeheartedly Synonyms : arriere pensee , mental reservation I was initially excited by the idea of a trip to Washington, D.C. but now that I have read about the high crime statistics there, I have some reservations. This word has other definitions but this is the most important one to study

tact

noun: consideration in dealing with others and avoiding giving offense Synonyms : tactfulness In a tremendous display of tact, Shelly was able to maintain a strong friendship with Marcia, even though Marcia's husband, Frank, confessed to finding Shelley more attractive than Marcia.

discord

noun: lack of agreement or harmony Synonyms : strife Despite all their talented players, the team was filled with discord--some players refused to talk to others--and lost most of their games.

credulity

noun: tendency to believe readily Virginia's wide-eyed credulity as a five-year old was replaced by suspicion after she learned that Santa Claus didn't really exist.

candidness

noun: the quality of being honest and straightforward in attitude and speech Synonyms : candor , candour , directness , forthrightness , frankness Although I was unhappy that the relationship ended, I appreciated her candidness about why she was ready to move on from the relationship.

travail

noun: use of physical or mental energy; hard work; agony or anguish Synonyms : effort , elbow grease , exertion , sweat While they experienced nothing but travails in refinishing the kitchen, they completed the master bedroom in less than a weekend.

perturb

verb: disturb in mind or cause to be worried or alarmed Synonyms : cark , disorder , disquiet , distract , trouble , unhinge Now that Henry is recovering from a major illnesses, he no longer lets the little trivialities, such as late mail, perturb him.

irk

verb: irritate or vex Synonyms : gall My little sister has a way of irking and annoying me like no other person.

embellish

verb: make more attractive by adding ornament, colour, etc.; make more beautiful Synonyms : adorn , beautify , decorate , grace , ornament , fancify , prettify McCartney would write relatively straightforward lyrics, and Lennon would embellish them with puns and poetic images.

devolve

verb: pass on or delegate to another Synonyms : degenerate , deteriorate , drop The company was full of managers known for devolving tasks to lower management, but never doing much work themselves. verb: grow worse (usually "devolve into") The dialogue between the two academics devolved into a downright bitter argument.

retract

verb: pull inward or towards a center; formally reject or disavow a formerly held belief, usually under pressure Synonyms : draw in,abjure , forswear , recant , resile Email is wonderfully efficient, but once something awkward or damaging has been sent, there is no way to retract it.