1100 Words 1-46 with Sentences

belittle

Although Ralph can't play, he doesn't hesitate to ---------the efforts of our football team.

Complacent

Although Tom received an "A" on his midterm exam, Professor Donovan warned him not to become ------ since the work in the second term would be harder.

prohibition

Although a New Jersey high school principal placed a----- on boys wearing their hair long, one student fought in the courts and won his case.

euphemism

An illustration of the tendency toward ________ is the change (reflecting the political concerns of the day) in the accepted appellation of poor countries from the unambiguous poor, to undeveloped, to underdeveloped, to less developed, to developing.

conjugal

Arguments over money have often led to ______ havoc.

fretful

Around income tax time ------ faces are ubiquitous.

vapid

As a concomitant* to his belligerent* and vituperative* antipathy* toward his government, he became an expatriate,* but he found it a--------- life.

depict

As a perspicacious* newspaper reporter, he felt it incumbent* upon him to ______ the abortive* coup as a reprehensible* act.

detriment

A settlement that causes ______ to neither side is imperative.*

diffidence

As a result of the strength of his opposition to the Vietnam War Senator Eugene McCarthy overcame his ________ and ran against President Lyndon Johnson for the Democratic nomination for president.

prelude

As a------- to his performance, the bullfighter vowed to do penance* for his sins.

florid

As he grew older, the novelist eschewed the ______, ostentatious style of his youth in favor of a more direct and sparse style.

magnanimous

A somber* examination of those indigent* families, bereft* of hope, sunken in apathy,* should motivate* us to be more------ in our attempts to improve their lot.

ethos

A special management committee was asked to investigate business ______

blunt

A string of caustic* epithets* was directed at the recruit by his _____ _ sergeant.

artless

A successful television program can be built around the ______ comments of very young children.

confidante

A teenage boy's father should be his true _____ _

coterie

A -------of bridge players made our clubroom their permanent habitat.*

efficacy

A cardinal rule of medicine is that the ________ of a treatment should be measured against the seriousness of its side effects.

matron

A clever salesman will always ask a ______ if her mother is at home.

galvanize

A dictator will use any pretext to------ his people into aggressive actions.

diverge

A famous line in American poetry is from Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken": Two roads ________ in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by ....

covet

A favorite parable* has to do with teaching the lesson that one should not ______ that which belongs to someone else.

spate

A few years ago there was a------- of science-fiction films about awesome monsters causing pandemonium on our planet, but after a surfeit* of that genre, their popularity began to wane.

Tranquil

A firecracker terminated the ----- climate of the neighborhood.

Abeyance

A good judge must hold his or her judgement in ___ until all the facts in a case have been presented.

component

A good motion picture producer should be skilled in all the manifold*______ of film-making.

paramount

A good politician seeks the----- issue in his community.

precipitate

A quarrel was--------- among the relatives after they heard the terms of the reprehensible* will.

Concomitant

A rebuttal of the argument that homo sapiens' higher cognitive functions could not be the result solely of evolution is that such abilities arose as _________ of language; which gave early hominids a tremendous advantage over other species.

gregarious

A recent anthropological theory is that human beings are _______ creatures that are comfortable living in groups of around 150 individuals.

prestigious

A salient* feature of the-------- company's success was its fair treatment of employees.

permeate

A terrible odor that was impossible to expunge the skunk handler's clothing.

eventuate

A thorough investigation ______ in a comprehensive report.

singular

A viable* peace was brought about as a result of the diplomat's _____ _ contribution.

incredulous

After I had perused* the Yankee lineup, I was ______ about their chances of winning.

Burgeon

After WWII, the increased speed of industrialization and the ________ world population resulted in such an increase in pollution that it began to be recognized by some people as a threat to the human habitat, Earth.

decade

After a ______ of connubial* acrimony,* the couple decided to consult with a marriage counselor.

superficial

After a------- examination of the injured motorist, the doctor said that hospitalization was imperative.

fruitless

After a--------- attempt to wrest* control of the government, the traitors were incarcerated.*

peruse

After being admonished* by his father, he began to--------- the want ads daily.

repent

After every election we-------- , in a belated* criticism, the apathy* and complacency* of so many people who failed to vote.

expunge

After having made the rash* statements, the senator wished that he could ______ them from the record.

debris

After her house had burned to the ground, Mrs. Wiley searched through the ______ for her valuable jewelry.

lassitude

After playing with his progeny* in the enervating* sun, he staggered back to his room where he was overcome with _____ _

Coquette

After she had played the part of a _______ in the college play, Pam's boyfriend felt that he needed to remind her that real life was quite different from theater.

voracious

After skiing, I find that I have a--------- appetite.

revert

After taking the drug, she began to ----- to the days of her childhood.

fray

After the ----- the feuding families agreed to patch up their differences.

acute

After the catastrophe,* there was an ______ need for emergency housing.

eulogy

After the death of Abraham Lincoln, many _______ of him appeared in newspapers throughout America

lassitude

After the frenzy* that accompanied the burning of the effigy, they were all acutely* aware of a feeling of _____ _

wan

After the tension, his normally ruddy face was ______ and tired.

ominous

After the weatherman had seen the --------clouds, he prognosticated* rain.

liquidation

After the------ of the gang leader, a mammoth* conflict arose among his ambitious lieutenants who aspired* to be boss.

vestige

After therapy*, there remained hardly a ______ of his phobia*.

inhibition

After two drinks the usually phlegmatic* dentist lost all his _____ _

subterranean

After two years of confinement in a----- dungeon, the prisoner was thin and wan.

labyrinth

After wandering through the-------- , the young hero came face to face with the dragon who was indigenous to the caves.

Cosmology

Albert Einstein downplayed the strength of the ecidence of quantum theory because a universe governed by laws that are inconsistent in their application was not congruent with his personal _________.

privation

Albert Schweitzer endured considerable ------- as a jungle doctor.

estimable

Alistair Cooke's book Six Men contains character studies of ________ modern figures including H. L. Mencken, Humphrey Bogart, and Adlai Stevenson.

elusive

All his life he found happiness ______ , but wealth easy to come by.

importune

Although Eddie was not sanguine* about his chances, he continued to ______ his boss for a winter vacation.

Complaisant

Although France and Germany have a close relationship, neither would consider the other a ------- ally.

fecund

Although Jim was _______ at work and always met his daily goals, he rarely left his favorite chair at home.

remuneration

Derek Jeter's ______ from the New York Yankees made him a millionaire many times over.

sullen

Despite all attempts to mollify* her, she remained ---------about the levity* caused by her slovenly raiment.*

capitulate

Despite tenacious* resistance, they were ousted* from the strong point and had to ______ to the enemy.

inviolable

Despite the inexorable* torture, 007 kept the------ secret of the labyrinth* leading to the underground headquarters.

discreet

Despite the plethora of offers to write her life story, the recently divorced movie queen kept a -----------silence.

Blandishment

Despite the salesperson's ________, Donna did not buy the car.

Adamant

Despite widespread opposition to his plan, the political party's leader is ____ that the party must move to the center to appeal to moderate voters.

Materialism

Disciples of _____ may know the price of everything but the value of nothing.

Daunt

Do not let the difficultly of learning the 800 words in Essential Words for the GRE _______ you.

Scion

As the ______ of a family of wealthy bankers, Rothschild never had to face the vicissitudes of life.

deploy

As the audience watched the master ______ his chess pieces, they applauded his virtuosity.*

Centrifugal

As the empire expanded, there was an ever-increasing ________ stress as remote colonies sought autonomy.

impromptu

As the music reached a frenetic* tempo, the audience lost all decorum* and broke into--------- dancing.

proximity

As the scion* of an affluent* family, he was often in-------- to opulence.*

modify

Because Phil refused to ______ his philosophy, the directors were forced to invalidate* his appointment.

appellation

Because he was the scion* of the richest family on our block, Lenny was given the ______ of "Rockefeller."

expedient

Because she had committed only a venial* offense, he thought it-------- to abjure* a severe punishment.

nebulous

Because the contract offer was a ______ one, the union leaders balked* at it.

fallacious

Because the inspector had given only cursory• attention to the reports, I surmised* that his conclusion would be _____ _

sanguine

Because the malignancy* had gone unchecked, the surgeons were not ______ about the patient's chances.

lax

Because the watchman was ______ , thievery was rampant* at the warehouse.

interrogate

Before they began to------ the criminal, they had to admonish* him that his testimony might be used to incarcerate him.

mercenary

Behind the facade* of ostensible* benevolence* there was a ______ streak.

remote

Ben's reprehensible table manners led his fraternity brothers to seat him in a ------ corner of a dining room.

succumb

Besieged by the debts, the corporation finally had to -------- to bankruptcy.

venial

Betty's childish fabrications were judged----- sins, although they mortified* her mother.

avid

Bill Clinton is an ______ reader of mystery stories.

Disciple

Billy the Vampire is the only extant ______ of Count Dracula.

emulate

Bionics uses technology to ________ nature, but sometimes a similar process occurs in reverse, in which scientists use technology as a heuristic tool to better understand natural processes.

Boorish

Bob apologized for his ____ behavior at the party, saying he hadn't realized that it was such a formal occasion.

contemptuous

Bob felt------ of his best friend after he saw him cheating during an exam.

Astringent

Bob tends to nick himself when he shaves, so he uses an _______ aftershave to stop the bleeding.

manifold

Burdened by her ------responsibilities, the young executive was precluded* from enjoying her new wealth.

urbane

By embellishing* her work with ______ humor, the sophisticated playwright succeeded on Broadway.

besiege

By running up a white flag, the ------ troops indicated their desire to withdraw from the fray.

incipient

By telling the truth, we stopped the------ rumor from spreading.

formidable

By the middle of the nineteenth century the United States had become a _______ economic and military power.

insurrection

By way of an _____, the lower class overthrew the selfish aristocrats.

motivate

Complacent people are difficult to ______ to altruistic* actions.

Carping

Cost-benefit analysis owes much of its origin to utilitarian thought; despite the _______ of critics that such analysis is based on faulty premises, the technique has proved useful in many areas.

rife

Criticism of the author was----- among the coterie* of intellectuals who used to praise him.

solicit

Daily the volunteers went out to------ funds for the indigent* families.

Avocation

Dan became so proficient at his ________ - computer programming - that he is thinking of giving up his job as a teacher to do it full time.

fabricate

Dave's metamorphosis* from an honest person to one who could _____ _ an alibi so adroitly* was amazing.

levity

Dean Flanigan admonished* us for our ______ at the graduation exercises.

Austere

Deism is an ______ belief that reflects the predominant philosophy of the Age of Enlightenment: a universe symmetrical and governed by rationality.

tolerate

Dentists appreciate patients who can -------pain.

nonentity

He was a precocious* youngster, but he soon reached the nadir* of his career, lost all of his prestige*, and became a _____ _

volition

He was a tenacious* competitor, and at his own ______ he placed his title in jeopardy* on many occasions.

dormant

He was appalled* at the apathy* concerning the important issue that had remained ______ for so long a time.

incapacitated

He was ashamed to admit that a pesky* skin rash ______ him for weeks at a time.

quandary

He was in a------ about which selection from his extensive repertoire* it would be feasible* to perform for the children.

stupor

He was in such a----- as a result of the accident that this precluded* his hearing my condolence.

grotesque

He was made up in the most ______ way for his role as a man from outer space.

replenish

He was reticent* about emulating* those who, after eating almost to satiety rushed to-------- the food on their plates

comely

He was reticent* about revealing his clandestine* meetings with a _____ _ young girl counselor at this camp.

fastidious

He was so------- about table manners that he lost his equanimity* when his son reached for the bread.

pariah

He was stigmatized* as a----- when he had the audacity* to boast of his nefarious and sordid* career printing bogus money.

munificent

He was surprised by the-------- gratuity* given by the usually parsimonious* termagant.*

inebriated

He was usually sedate, but when------ he became hostile.

unmitigated

He wasn't exactly an ______ liar; he merely embellished* the truth a little.

Antipathy

Heathcliff, the protagonist of Emily Bronte's novel Wurthering Heights, feels great _____ for Edgar Linton, The man who marries the woman he loves.

pretext

Her -------of being tired did not fool us for an instant.

antipathy

Her ------towards men was based on rather nebulous events that she construed"' to prove that they were all perfidious.

prevarication

Her constant----- made her a pariah* to her friends.

wary

Her father warned her to be------ of adding the encumbrance* of a steady boyfriend as this would attenuate* her chances of finishing college.

repertoire

Her virtuosity* was demonstrated by the works she performed from her ____ _

sophistry

Her------- made use of every glib* artifice.

strident

Her------- voice added to the bedlam.

nascent

His beard was in its ______ state; it would soon be a hirsute* masterpiece.

tacit

His egregious behavior brought a------- reproach to his mother's eyes.

penury

His fortune fluctuated* between ______ and wealth.

compound

His gloom was now-------- by the failing mark on his geometry test.

obese

His insatiable* hunger for sweets soon made him _____ _

denote

His levity* at such a serious moment------ a lack of feeling.

irascible

His profligate• son made the parsimonious• old crank even more _____ _.

laconic

His speech was usually rambling, but this time I found it brief and _____ _

innate

His------ cunning allowed him to see through the spy's subterfuge.

demeanor

His------- was atypical*; usually phlegmatic*, he was belligerent and garrulous* during the broadcast.

yen

His-------- for imbibing and romping with girls worked to his detriment.

senile

Far from being ______ , the old woman was considered the sage of the neighborhood.

austere

Far from being ostentatious,* she was considered the acme* of fashion because of her----- manner of dress.

fraught

Fear permeated the crippled airplane as the passengers realized that their situation was ---------with danger.

malevolent

He had no qualms* about opposing the clique• who insidiously* exerted a ______ influence on the president.

condescend

He had such disdain* for us, he would not ______ to speak before our group.

bogus

He had the audacity* to try to foist* a ______ dollar on me.

tenacious

He held on to his antiquated* beliefs with a ______ obsession.*

malleable

He ingratiated* himself into their confidence, and the ______ crowd was shaped into a subjugated* mass.

occult

He looked for a propitious moment to exhibit his-------- abilities.

nadir

He looked upon the last-place finish of his team with equanimity;* from this ______ the only place to go was up.

vehemently

He objected------ to a vote taking place in the absence of a quorum.*

retort

He refused to ______ to the rash* question about his propensity* for imbibing.*

pique

He showed his------- by slamming the door.

gratuity

He took umbrage* when I offered a----- to augment* his small salary.

Antecedent

Historical factors, such as the increased emphasis on the individual, the invention of printing, and the rise of the bourgeoisie, contributed to make the Reformation, which had its _______ in the reform movement within the Roman Catholic Church, into a much broader phenomenon that created powerful churches that grew to rival the original church.

megalomania

Hitler's ______ was a veneer* for-his insecurity and feelings of inferiority.

geniality

Hosts of television talk shows are generally people who possess a great deal of _______.

vituperation

How easy it is to heap ______ upon someone at the nadir* of his career.

asinine

How------ of the boy to fabricate* that bizarre* story!

egotist

However, we should not be surprised that an award winner is an _____ _ about his or her performance.

extant

Hundreds of ------copies of Shakespeare's signature came from the same prolific forger.

loathe

I ---------spinach but I love other green vegetables.

abhor

I -------some one who is constantly changing channels with a remote while I'm trying to read in the same room.

sanction

I cannot ______ your lax* attitude towards the imminent* threat of a conflagration.*

voluble

I could not doze in the chair because of the------- barber.

enigma

I could not solve the ______ of why an altruistic* person should exhibit such cupidity.*

penchant

I do not wish to deprecate* your ______ for cowboy music, but I find it banal.*

scoff

I don't understand modem art, but I neither loathe* nor --------at it.

aspire

I had a premonition* that Eli would ______ to the position of captain.

repress

I had to ______ my desire to interject* my criticism during the debate.

declaim

I knew that my father would---- against Mother's choice of ostentatious fabrics.

interminable

I listened to the boring lecture for what seemed an-------- fifty minutes.

gesticulate

I often marvel as I watch the traffic officer ______ at the onrushing cars.

dismantle

I plan to ______ the stereo set and clean all the components.

defamatory

I resent your --------remark that depicts me as a culprit.

admonish

I suspect that my father will------ me for coming home late.

umbrage

I was flabbergasted* when he took ______ at my whimsical* remarks.

demur

I will have to----- even if I receive a bona fide* invitation to run for the G.O. council.

vertigo

I would never have the temerity* to walk across the steel girders high up on a new building: an onset of------ would surely follow.

proffer

I'd like to------ my belated* congratulations on your 25 years of married serenity.

perspicacious

Senator Thorpe was------ enough to realize that the scurrilous* charge would have little effect upon the voters.

Cosmos

Shakespeare embodies the incredible confidence and vitality of Renaissance artists and writers, depicting the entire ______, not intimidated by its vastness.

glib

Sharon's parents were not satisfied by her ____ explanation of why she had not been able to study for the exam.

lugubrious

She advocated* ______ music as appropriate background for the funeral scene.

inclement

She blamed her absence from the game on the ----------weather, but we knew that was sour grapes.*

grimace

She could not abjure* a-------- when she saw the disheveled figure.

phobia

She could not countenance* the sight of a lethal* weapon; it was tantamount to a------ with her.

initiate

She could not imagine how she was going to get him to------- a conversation about marriage.

intrinsic

She coveted* the antiquated* locket even though it had only an ______ value.

begrudge

She did not------ paying the pittance* extra for a better coat.

exultation

She was filled with----- when she learned her SAT score was near the maximum.

garrulous

She was usually so ______ , we considered anything under a five minute speech as a cryptic* remark.

dogmatic

Since every case is unique, jurists must not be ________ in applying precedents to make their decision, but instead must base their decision on a combination of such precedents and the facts of the case at hand.

rudimentary

Since my grasp of algebra is------- , I cannot solve the problem.

felon

Since the boss learned that Bob associated with a known ______ , he fired him.

incoherent

Since the patient's speech was garbled* and------- , we could only conjecture* as to his message.

loath

Since we felt that the ruling was arbitrary,* we were ______ to obey it.

flora

Singapore's Botanical Gardens contain an extensive collection of the _______ of Southeast Asia.

Defunct

Skeptics have been prognosticating that Moore's law, which says computer processing power doubles every 18 months, will soon become _______, but the ingenuity of engineers, coupled with commercial incentives, has so far succeeded in preventing the law from being invalidated.

originate

Some bad habits ______ in adolescence and continue throughout a person's life.

Autonomous

Some biologists have theorized that our belief in our ability to act as _______ agents is in conformity with the theory of evolution because it gives us a sense of meaning and purpose in our lives that helps us to survive.

Buttress

Some critics of the American legal system argue that the requirement of proving guilt "beyond a reasonable doubt" is too difficult a criterion to use, and _______ their case by citing the fact that objective studies suggest that only a very small number of criminals are successfully prosecuted.

gossamer

Some experts in NASA believe that what they call a gigantic "_______ spacecraft" could be constructed in space using extremely lightweight materials.

Anachronism

Some experts regard the retirement age of 65 as an _____ at a time when people in the developed world have much longer life expectancies than previously.

bulwark

Some feel that the United States should be a------- to the inchoate democracies around the world.

propensity

Some girls have a ------- for swarthy* men who wear gaudy* clothes.

salubrious

Some maintain that the ascetic* leads a ______ life.

Atavism

Some modern political theorists reject nationalism as a tribal ________.

dissident

Some of the most notorious concentration camps in history were the Gulag camps used by the Soviet Union to control ________.

Complement

Some people envision chess developing into a game played at the highest levels between teams of humans and computers, each ------- the other and providing investigators with insight into

empirical

Some people erroneously cite the theory of relativity as support for ethical relativism, whereas in reality the former is a scientific theory, while the latter is a moral issue, and thus by its nature is not subject to ________ verification.

Anodyne

Some people use alcohol as an _______ to numb their emotional pain.

dissolution

Some philosophers maintain that the ________ of the body does not mean the destruction of the mind.

sally

Some prisoners planned a disturbance while others would ------ toward the gate.

Abstemious

Some research suggests that people with an _____ lifestyle tend to live longer than people who indulge their appetites.

controversial

Some school principals attempt to repress• the publication of _____ _ editorials.

Analogous

The idea of evolution in nature is sometimes misconstrued and applied by ______ to other areas in which there is scant evidence for its existence; a notable example of this is Social Darwinism, in which it is argued that society is like nature, and thus people, like animals, are competing for survival , with those who are genetically superior at surviving and reproducing.

au courant

Styles are such transient* things that what is ______ today, is archaic* tomorrow.

belated

The ingrate* refused to accept Cindy's----- gift.

document

The insurance company asked Debbie to ________ her claim with letters from the doctors who treated her for her condition.

Appropriate

The invading army ________ supplies from the houses of the local people.

penitent

The inveterate gambler became ______ and contrite when faced with the results of his reprehensible behavior.

vitiate

The irrelevant* evidence seemed to ______ the prosecutor's case and precluded* a conviction.

expatriate

The itinerant* poet, living abroad for twenty years, was a voluntary _____ _

Avarice

Successful investment bankers are sometimes accused of _______; their defenders, however, say that they are simply very good at what they do and should be rewarded accordingly.

lethal

The jockey received a ______ kick from the fractious* horse.

harrowing

The journey "inward" to explore the unconscious mind has been described as more ________ than the most dangerous voyage to explore the Earth.

elucidate

The judge ordered the censor to------- his reasons for removing passages from the book in such a capricious* manner.

desultory

The jury had difficulty following the witnesses' ________ testimony.

castigate

The kindly foreman was too reticent to openly ______ the clumsy new worker.

sporadic

The lackluster* battle was punctuated by ______ mortar fire.

stereotype

The laconic* Clint Eastwood was a ______ of the strong, silent Western hero.

Covet

The latest model cell phone is designed to make people _______ it so much that they go out and buy it even though their present phone is perfectly adequate.

Conciliatory

The leader of the country made ______ statements assuring the world that his country did not intend to acquire nuclear weapons.

veneer

The lieutenant confessed to a ______ of ignorance in order to properly evaluate* his corporal's resourcefuh1ess. *

explicate

The literature exam requires students to _______ three poems they studied in class and one they have not studied.

bagatelle

The little boy tried to wheedle* a larger allowance from his father by the caustic* observations that it was a mere----- when compared to the allowances of his friends.

preclude

The manager was distraught* when he realized that the sluggers sickness would _____ a World Series victory.

emit

The mayor issued a diatribe* against companies whose smokestacks _____ _ poisonous fumes.

terse

The mayor made a------ statement in which he rebuked* his election opponent for making a contemptuous* accusation.

prognosticate

The mayor refused to------ as to his margin of victory in the election.

vindicate

The mayor tried to ______ his actions that had been called capricious* and irrational* by critics.

canard

The mayor vehemently* denied there was any antipathy* between the governor and himself and blamed this-------- on their political opponents.

laceration

The medic reached into his kit to find a bandage for the ugly _____ _

fortuitous

The meeting was a-------- one, but the jealous husband construed* it as prearranged and clandestine.*

Salvation

The megalomaniac believed that he alone had the answer to mankind's ______.

encomium

The modest prodigy* treated the fervid*------- that followed his performance as though they were a mere bagatelle.

Abstinence

The monk's vow of ____ includes all intoxicating substances.

trivial

The most ______ defects may have a deleterious* effect upon the efficacy* of that new process.

Codification

The most influential ------ of civil law was the Napoleonic Code in France, which became the paradigm for law in the non-English-speaking countries of Europe arid had a generally civilizing

halcyon

The movie evokes the _______ years immediately after World War II when America was at peace and the economy was booming.

entreaty

The murderer made a(n)------- to the governor for a pardon.

dirge

The music critic described the movement of the symphony portraying the hero's last days as "____like."

obviate

The necessity for preparing sandwiches was------ when the picnic was postponed.

fatuous

The new employee wanted to gain favor with his boss, and his obsequious desires led to the most------- behavior.

extirpate

The new federal prosecutor promised voters that he would _______ corruption in the state.

site

The newly married couple selected the------ for their new home with meticulous* care.

disinterested

The newspaper reporter looked for _________ witnesses to the events so that she could get an objective account of what had happened.

lurid

The newspaper switched from mundane* coverage to-------- reporting.

disheveled

The nondescript, indolent• beggar was in a ______ condition.

Compendium

The Mozart ------: A Guide to Mozart's Life and Music by H. C. Robbins London is a convenient reference for finding information about the life and music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

discredit

The candidate's attempt to _______ his opponent by spreading damaging rumors about him failed.

bereft

The catastrophe* left him ______ of all his possessions.

Ascetic

The cave of the ________ lacked the opulence and lush decoration of his former mansion.

Chasten

The child's behavior improved after she had been ________ by punishment.

gambol

The children _______ on the lawn while their parents ate lunch.

precocious

The children in Shakespeare's plays are so ______ that they all sound like grandparents.

opprobrium

The coach heaped ______ upon the fledgling* ball player.

roster

The coach knew he would have to add experienced players to the _____ _ to compensate* for the spate* of freshmen on the team.

fledgling

The coach said that some of the team's _______ would play in Saturday's game.

derogatory

The columnist was ordered to recant* her ______ statements.

Caustic

The columnist's _______ comments on government policy did not win her any friends among government officials.

Ambrosia

The combination of flavors in the Moroccan baked eggplant was pure _______.

facetious

The comedian's _______ comments about prominent politicians kept the audience amused.

essay

The composer began work on a sonata, a form she had not previously ________.

duress

The confession was signed under------ , the attorney claimed.

succulent

The connoisseur* of fine foods declared the restaurant the ultimate in the preparation of ---------meat dishes.

profuse

The connoisseur* was able to glean* a worthwhile painting from the _____ _ variety of poor ones at the exhibit.

exact

The conquering rulers _______ a tax of 10% from every adult male in the country.

intrepid

The corporal received the Silver Star for his ______ deeds in combat.

derivative

The drug morphine—considered by doctors to be one of the most effective analgesics—is the principal ________ of opium, which is the juice in the unripe seed pods of the opium poppy.

palliate

The drugs could only ______ the symptoms, not provide the cure.

desiccate

The dry desert air caused the bodies of the dead animals to ________ quickly.

Amulet

The early Christian Church forbade the use of _______, which had become common in the Roman Empire at the time the Christian Church began to develop.

extrapolation

The economist's _________ suggests that the economy will grow by 4% next year.

perceive

The eminent scientist------- difficulties in putting the invention into practice.

virtuosity

The eminent* artist, famous for his------ , was admired by classicists and beatniks alike.

impresario

The eminent*-------- brought many cultural spectacles to our shores.

internecine

The emissary* from the president tried to allay* the fears that a deleterious* ______ feud was inevitable within the party.

extraneous

The encyclopedia editors worked hard to cut out _______ material so that readers could find information easily on a given subject.

prodigious

The enemy made a ______ effort to repress* the uprising.

imbue

The entire performance was ______ with sparkle and élan.

harbinger

The excellent soup was a -------- of the delicious meal to follow.

sojourn

The expatriate"' decided to make his----- in France a permanent one in order to give up his nomadic* way of life.

subterfuge

The experienced teacher realized that Ricky's stomachache was merely a ______ to keep him from taking the French test.

extrinsic

The experiment is designed to exclude factors that are _______ to the phenomenon.

incontrovertible

The expert's-------- testimony corroborated* the police report.

fetish

The explorers saw the golden statue and thought of how much money it would bring them. But their lives would be in danger if they moved it because it was a powerful ______ to the natives.

parable

The expression, "Sour grapes,*" is the gist* of a famous ------- about a fox who couldn't get what he wanted.

Bard

The great _____ of English literature have all been masters of the techniques of verse.

complacent

The guard was so----- about the danger of escape that he gave the prisoner only a cursory* inspection.

deplorable

The hometown fans thought the umpire's decision was ------.

satiety

The host exhorted* his guests to eat to _____ _

wince

The hostile* rebuke* made the usually phlegmatic* boy _____ _

vigil

The hunter maintained a discreet* and wary*------ as he waited for the propitious* moment to bag his quarry*.

stagnant

The iconoclast• has the propensity* for reproaching* those who feel complacent• with leading a ---------existence.

Allure

The idea of a clockwork universe is very _____to some people because it explains how the universe was created, yet allows human beings to live in it without believing in supernatural intervention.

diffuse (v) (adj)

The idea of equality and liberty ________ through society after the French Revolution.

diversity

The omnipotent* dictator employed all of his rhetoric* to vilify* those who would be brash* enough to suggest that a----- of opinions should be expressed.

evanescent

The optimist knows that the vicissitudes• of life are ______ , and she always looks on the sanguine• side of things.

grandiloquent

The orator abandoned __________ phrases and instead uses simple and direct language.

tortuous

The other drivers were nettled* about the ease with which our car ascended* the ______ road.

laudable

The paradox is that Javert's inexorable* pursuit of Jean Valjean was both ______ and despicable.

Conundrum

The paradoxical statement: "This statement is false" presents us with a _________.

cajole

The parakeet refused to be-------- into entering her cage.

contort

The paroxysm of coughing served to---- her body until she could gain a respite.

augment

The parsimonious octogenarian* sought to ______ his wealth by removing it from its cache* and placing it in a bank.

culminate

The party will------ with the award for the most original costume.

homily

The pastor's _______ have been published in an anthology.

Captious

The pedantic and ________ critic seems incapable of appreciating the merits of even the most highly regarded books.

gestation

The period of _______ in the female is ninety days, after which she produces.

Causal

The philosopher Plato believed there is a _______ relationship between income inequality, on the one hand, and political discontent and crime, on the other hand.

mundane

The philosopher dealt with spiritual things, ignoring the ______ ones.

dichotomy

The philosopher is a dualist who argues that there is a ________ between the mind and physical phenomena.

Congenial

The physicist Freeman Dyson has expressed his awe at how _______ the universe is to intelligent life and consciousness.

inveigh

The pickets agreed to-------- against the law that curtailed their freedom.

desist

The pickets promulgated* a warning that they would not------- in their efforts to enhance* their standard of living.

expiate

The pilgrims undertook their long journey to _______ their sins.

jettison

The pilot decided it would be imprudent to ------- his fuel over the populated area.

errant

The pitcher's ______ fastball struck the batter on the shoulder.

unabated

The plague continued -----, and the hapless* Friar John was unable to deliver the note to Romeo.

glower

The police officers turned to ______ at the suspect who had killed one of their own.

placard

The police posted a ______ asking all citizens to desist* from looting.

fracas

The police were called in to break up a _______ that had erupted in the bar.

emollient

The politician's speech is filled with ________ phrases to make his message more palatable.

Conscript

The position of NOW (The National Organization for Women) is that having male-only _________ violates the principle of gender equality.

Bolster

The president has visited the state several times to ________ his sagging popularity there.

forbearance

The president warned that great courage and _______ would be required to see the war through to a successful conclusion.

exponent

The president's wife is an _______ of healthy nutrition for young people.

encomium

The prime minister asked her speechwriter to compose an ________ for the retiring general

Debauchery

The prince lived a life of ________ until he discovered a spiritual dimension to life.

Clique

The principal of the high school is concerned that one _______ of students is dominating the student council.

emaciated

The prisoner was ________ after being fed only bread and water for three months.

atrophy

The prodigy* allowed his musical talent to ______ as he redirected his career.

venerable

The prodigy* revered* the ______ master.

Anomalous

The psychologist discounted the _ behavior of the soldier, saying it was merely a short-term effect of the stress of battle.

aspirant

The publisher scoffed* at the reports that he was an ______ for the job of Secretary of State.

mendacious

The publisher's------ claims led to a myriad* of law suits.

hallowed

The questioning of scientific and religious orthodoxy by scientists such as Charles Lyell and Charles Darwin led to stupendous advances in both geology and biology, as these fields freed themselves from the fetters of _______, but fallacious, assumptions about the age and development of the Earth and life.

livid

The rabid* baseball fan lost his equanimity* and became ______ when the star pitcher became pugnacious and was removed from the game.

restrictive

The rebel's innate* hatred of ______ decrees led him to crave* freedom all the more.

exacerbate

The release of carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels has increased the amount of this gas in the atmosphere, ________ the naturally occurring "greenhouse effect" that has predominated in Earth's recent past

exculpate

The report ________ the FBI of any wrongdoing in its handling of the investigation.

chicanery

The reporter divulged* the blatant------ involved in the awarding of the contract.

substantiate

The reporter wanted to elicit* the pertinent* facts from the reticent• witness so he could------- the charge of moral turpitude* against the high city official.

glean

The reporters could not ______ anything from her servants.

reverberating

The rescue team heard the miner's voice --------through the caves.

hyperbole

The rhetoric* soared into flagrant* ______

Capricious

The rule of law is regarded by many historians as one of humanity's great achievements because since its inception citizens are no longer subject to ________ decisions and penalties of rulers.

chimerical

The scheme sounded ______ , but we were indoctrinated* to believe that it could work.

eugenics

The science fiction novel describes a military ________ program designed to create a race of "super-soldiers'' possessing intelligence, strength, and other qualities far in advance of the ordinary person.

peregrination

The sedentary* twin was content to follow his brother's ______ on a map.

fulminate

The senator _______ against what he termed "foreign meddling in America's business."

fetter

The senator inveighed* against the policy because he felt it would ______ our Air Force.

imminent

The senator loathed* it when people said that an atomic war was _____ _

filibuster

The senator threatened that his _______ would include a full reading of his eight-volume autobiography.

poignant

The sermon was-------- enough to bring tears to the brash* delinquent's eyes.

vigilant

The shootings at Columbine High School made educators much more--------.

implore

The sick child's mother------ the doctor to come immediately.

repugnant

The sight of the corpse was------ to the squeamish* onlookers.

distraught

The soldiers were ______ to learn that their furloughs had been canceled.

symptomatic

The sordid* rioting was ______ of the problems facing the large cities.

Artless

The source of the meaning of ______ as guileless is the poet John Dryden, who wrote of William Shakespeare in 1672 "Such artless beauty lies in Shakespeare's wit..."

Bucolic

The south end of Toronto's beautiful High Park is a ________ expanse of land that is perfect for anyone wanting a quiet walk.

diatribe

The speaker launched into a ________ against what he called "the evils of technology."

equanimity

The speaker lost his------- and began to use invective* when the audience started to laugh.

imperturbable

The speaker remained------ while his audience shouted caustic* comments about his mendacious* activities.

clandestine

The spies thought their meeting was a------ one, but a throng of F.B.I. agents gathered outside the building.

Codify

The state legislature voted to------ regulations governing banking fraud.

obsessed

The stockbroker was ______ with the idea of becoming a painter.

sinister

The stool pigeon, the detective's confidant, told him about the ------- plot.

gouge

The store is able to ______ its customers because it is the only store in the area that carries that particular line of merchandise.

resourceful

The store owner was ______ enough to run a sale the day after his building had been razed* by the flames.

embellish

The story he had been told was so powerful that the writer felt no need to ________ it.

fatuous

The student could not understand why no one took seriously his ______ comments.

Anarchic

The student of mythology speculated that Dionysos was created as a projection of the pleasure-loving, _____ aspect of human nature.

evince

The student's response to the teacher's question ________ his ignorance of the subject.

Contention

The study's _______ is that obesity is America's biggest health problem.

malignant

The surgeon finally located the ------ tumor that had afflicted his patient for many months.

Arduous

The task of writing a research paper is _______, but if it is broken down into logical steps it becomes less daunting.

badger

The teacher continually ______ the pupil for the missing assignments.

absurd

The teacher felt like laughing after he heard Sally's------- excuse for not having done her homework.

froward

The teacher had no choice but to send the _______ child to the vice-principal for disciplining.

disjointed

The technique of telling a story through a ________ narrative is a technique best left to masters of the modern novel such as James Joyce and William Faulkner.

Convex

The term for a lens with one _____ and one concave side is "_______-concave."

Beneficent

The theologian discussed the question of why a _________ and omnipotent God allows bad things to happen to good people.

automatons

The time is approaching when human workers may be replaced by _____ _

pittance

The tip he had been offered was a mere ______ , and the taxi driver threw it on the ground in disdain.

paragon

The town planners looked upon their utopia* as a ______ for other communities.

anathema

The traitor's name was--------- in his father's domicile.*

jeopardize

The trapeze artist was squeamish about having to ______ his life.

congenial

The tree in front of my house has the dubious* honor of being the spot voted the most------- by the dogs of the neighborhood.

sedentary

The typist shook off the fetters of her------ life and joined a mountain climbing expedition.

adamant

The umpire was ______ about his decision to call the runner out.

Adulterate

The unscrupulous company sells an ______ versions of the drug, and doesn't inform consumers that they are getting a less efficacious drug than they think they are getting.

naive

The urbane* gentleman was flabbergasted* by the fervid* interest in wrestling shown by the------- young girl.

Oust

The ushers moved with alacrity to ----- the disorderly patrons.

prolific

The usually ______ novelist was frustrated* by her failure to come up with a good plot.

epicure

The variations were rung on fish, potatoes and clams in a way to pamper _______.

vexatious

The-------- buzzing of the mosquitoes as they surged* about our heads nearly drove us insane.

cessation

The--------- of the bombing in Iraq was urged by the Pope.

delineation

Then he gave an incisive*------ of his fulsome* opponents as an antiquated* group, complacent* about the noisome* conditions in a moribund* city.

innocuous

There appears to be no such thing as an ______ heresy*.

Contiguous

There are 48 ___________ states in the USA.

concomitant

There are many ______ dangers to obesity.

revere

There are not many people in this world whom one can _____ _

dormant

There is a considerable body of evidence showing that many diseases, such as ulcers, asthma, and hypertension have a large psychological component; the working hypothesis is that they represent manifestations of ________ emotional disturbances.

precedent

There is no ______ for voting when there is no quorum.

expository

There is no one model of _______ prose that a student can emulate, since each piece of good writing is unique.

sedate

There is something absurd* about a well-dressed, ______ man throwing snowballs.

pathetic

There is something------ about a great athlete who continues to compete long after he has been bereft• of his talents.

facetious

There is something------- about an egotist* who has the temerity* to begin a speech with, "In all humillty...*"

prodigy

There is universal* wonder when some----- appears on the stage to perform at the age of 4 or 5.

redress

There seems to be no way to------- a grievance against at omnipotent* ruler.

stunt

There seems to be voluminous* evidence that the mother's smoking will ______ the baby's growth.

pandemonium

There was ______ as the presidential nominee entered the convention site.

euphoria

There was ________ in the professor's house after it was learned that she had received the Nobel Prize for Chemistry.

Deference

There was a movement to condemn slavery among some of the writers of the Declaration of Independence, but despite many misgivings, the proposal was dropped in _______ to the objections of a number of people.

taut

There was a------- international situation caused by the proximity* of unidentified submarines to our coasts.

ignominious

There was bedlam* as the favored team went down to ______ defeat at the hands of the underdog.

phenomenon

There was no paucity* of witnesses to describe the--------- of the flying saucer.

raucous

There were------ complaints about the inordinate* number of fatal* accidents caused by inebriated* drivers.

inure

These children have become _____ to violence.

equanimity

These turbulent times require a leader who does not go into a capricious* pique, but rather one who faces acrimonious* criticism with _____ _

foist

They are dubious of such an artist and accuse him of trying to _____ _ as a work of art a rudimentary* exercise.

trend

They could not follow the ______ of his ideas, but his verbal dexterity* galvanized* the gullible* listeners.

paltry

They exacerbated* a------- difference of opinion into a prodigious* conflict.

artifice

They furtively* employed every kind of ------to be able to meet.

legerdemain

They were engrossed* as an ill man was "cured" before their eyes: some of the more urbane said it was _____ _

impetuous

They were so moved by the idyllic* setting, they exchanged surreptitious, ______ kisses.

vivacious

They were struck by the anomaly* of one twin who was phlegmatic* while the other was _____ _

frenetic

They were vigilant* in order that their surreptitious* meetings would not be discovered, and it often required------- changes of plans to preclude* exposure.

deter

This did not------ her from getting into a deplorable* situation due to her rash* and perverse• actions.

pall

Those conditions were not conducive to a felicitous evening as the dance would soon ------for the lack of feminine companionship.

Supplication

Through _____, the fraternity head hoped to end the strife among the members.

cache

Through a fortuitous* remark, the ______ of the art thieves was discovered.

inadvertent

Through an ______ error, the guided missile sped out of control.

equable

Throughout the crisis the president remained _______.

masticate

To aid in digestion, you must ______ each piece of meat one dozen times.

wistful

To be candid,* there is little to be------- about in the "good old days."

ingratiate

Under the aegis* of a zealous* campaign manager, the candidate was able to ______ herself into the hearts of the public.

zenith

Under the aegis• of an adroit* master, he reached the ______ of his career.

tainted

Unsanitary conditions in the bottling factory caused hundreds of cases of soda to be ______ by dirt and foreign objects. The health department refused to allow the soda to be sold.

bristle

Upon seeing the snake, the cat began to --------with fear.

Obsequious

Uriah Heep's __________ manner nettled all but the most gullible.

decapitate

We do not ______ criminals because of our aversion* to such repugnant* punishments.

infraction

We do not condone* or tolerate* an------- of even the most trivial kind.

vilify

We feel so sanctimonious* when we----- the character of a felon*.

carnage

We found it impossible to mollify* the irate owner of three prize cats as he viewed the ______ caused by our large dog.

unctuous

We had to wince* as we watched the newcomer try to wheedle* and ingratiate* himself into the teacher's favor in the most----- manner.

expedite

We hoped that the arbiter• would ______ the solution to the fracas• that had been so elusive for a long time.

promulgate

We implored• the faculty advisor to ______ the requirements for the presidency of the club.

delude

We must not allow fulsome* praise to ______ us about our actual abilities.

edifice

We originally planned on a skyscraper but had to settle for a truncated*--------.

irrational

We ought to expect some-------- behavior from a senile* person.

propriety

We question the------ of making fun of obese people.

amnesty

We recognized the dictator's ______ as an obvious feint* that would be withdrawn after Christmas.

stipulate

We repudiated* the contract because it did not ______ a cost of living bonus.

debilitate

We should be prudent in our play or work during very hot weather, because the sun has the power to enervate and------- those that scoff* at its effects.

sanctimonious

We should eschew* our--------- facade;* away with pretext!*

acrimonious

We tried to ignore her------ comments, but that took considerable restraint.

cupidity

We warned him that his reprehensible*------ would eventuate* in a loss of all his friends.

jubilant

We were ______ when our indolent* cousin got a job.

asperity

We were amazed at the display of ______ from our normally phlegmatic* neighbor.

Blase

We were amazed by John's ______ attitude toward school; he seems to have made it a rule never to open a book.

passe

We wish for halcyon* days when the warlike solutions will have become-------.

remiss

We would be------ if we overlooked the importance of the Internet to the interchange of ideas and information.

omnipotent

We would scoff* at anyone calling himself _____ _

ersatz

We're encouraged to look for the real deal, and not the _______ bloom of pretension.

raconteur

Well known as a(n) -------, he was never chagrined* when asked to tell a story from his large repertoire.*

whimsical

What one person finds------- the other may find asinine.*

potent

When Ben's muscles began to atrophy, • the doctor initiated* therapy* with a ______ new drug.

reprimand

When Ed arrived late, he knew that the grocer would ______ him.

evaluate

When I asked the English teacher to------ my plan for the term paper, her incisive comments were very helpful.

perverse

When I correct my kid brother's math errors. he is ______ enough to insist that he is right.

euphony

When I read the poet's works, I was moved by the melodious _______ of her words.

mollify

When Mother is in a pique* about some infraction* of a rule, it takes all of our dexterity* to-------- her.

sanctuary

When Richard III violated the ----- of the church to seize the princes, he exceeded his jurisdiction.

potential

When destitution* grips an area, there is excellent ______ for trouble.

execrable

When folk artists such as Bob Dylan began to use rock instruments, many folk music traditionalists considered it an ________ travesty.

Contentious

When genetic engineering began in the 1970s, there was a _________, and sometimes acrimonious, debate among scientists themselves about its dangers.

incarnadine

When grandma pinched Allison's cheeks, they became ________.

jostle

When he attempted to------- the old lady, she struck him with her umbrella.

tenable

When he found his sinecure* was no longer ______ , he felt it a propitious* time to resign.

sultry

When he learned that the movie was to be replete* with ______ scenes, the cautious banker refused to underwrite• its cost.

squeamish

When his--------- partner complained about a lack of ethics,* the businessman laughed at his innocence.

fauna

When humans introduce ______ from one habitat into another habitat, the ecological balance is upset

maim

When it seemed that Reggie would ______ his opponent, we broke up the fight.

underwrite

When our rivals agreed to------ the cost of our trip, a myriad* of suspicions began to form in my mind.

forswear

When she became a U.S. citizen, Julia _______ allegiance to all other countries and pledged to defend the United States if called upon to do so.

fiasco

In an acrimonious letter, her father described the project as a complete-----.

exult

When the College Board scores were promulgated,* my sister had good cause to------.

thwart

In an attempt to ------ the voracious ants, he surrounded his house with a moat of burning oil.

inordinate

In an attempt to show how assiduous• he was, the executive spent an ______ amount of time on his report.

fractious

In an effort to unify their divided party, its leaders decided to first placate the party's most _______ elements.

Amalgamate

In early 1999, six municipalities were _____ into an enlarged city of Toronto, Canada.

inquest

In every case of death, sorcery was suspected, so an _____ was held, at which the detective asked each relative who they thought the murderer was.

enunciate

In everyday speech the sounds of many words are not ________ clearly.

effrontery

In her essay the student had the ________ to argue that school is largely a waste of time.

Beatify

In the year 2000 Pope John Paul II traveled to Fatima in Portugal to _____ two of the three children who said they saw the appearance of the Virgin Mary there in 1917.

guise

In the------- of maintaining national unity under military rule, there was a paucity* of even innocuous dissent.

frugality

In these days of credit card and installment plan buying, _______ seems to have become a rarely practiced virtue.

solace

In trying to offer------ to the pilot's wife, the reporter inadvertently* made the situation worse.

abjure

In vain, the entire family tried to importune him to------- gambling.

elapse

Inadvertently,* Emma had allowed two months to ______ before paying her rent.

Ascend

Inexorably, the determined climber began to-----.

vulnerable

It appears that many computers are ______ to "viruses" that can cause great damage.

Affected

It has been argued that the emphasis on so-called "proper English" leads to unnatural and ______ speech.

artifact

It has been suggested that the man who builds a better mousetrap will find the world beating a path to his door to possess this _____ _

milieu

It is Incongruous* to find an abstemious* person In a------- of avarice* and affluence*.

taboo

It is ______ for certain South Seas islanders to eat some foods before they many.

incumbent

It is ______ on us to be zealous* in combatting the deleterious* effects of drugs.

inevitable

It is ______ that children question what their elders accept as tradition

encumbrance

It is amazing how lithe* football players can be, despite the ______ of the safety features of their uniforms.

audacity

It is common to hear people disparage* those who paint in the modern genre: they speak about the------- of the artist who submits a high white canvas with a black border as a serious work.

invective

It is difficult t.o keep ______ out of our discussion about the enemy.

jocose (jocular)

It is difficult to be------ in the presence of so many doleful* people.

allay

It is difficult to------- the concern of parents about how susceptible* their children are and how easily they succumb* to drugs.

truncate

It is frustrating* to have one's lengthy remarks printed in-------- form.

constrict

It is imprudent for a youngster to ______ her circle of friends so that there is no opportunity to meet new people.

malign

It is most common to ______ the wealthy for their avarice.*

clique

It is not long before a young star has a ______ around him who sporadically* get their names into the newspapers.

rabid

It is not prudent to malign* or castigate, • or be derogatory• in any way toward a ----------political adherent.

ilk

It is often fruitless* to argue with racists, bigots*, and others of that _____ _

tantalize

It is reprehensible* to------- a young child with the promise of a reward for being good when you have no intention of giving it.

unsavory

It is reprehensible,* but it doesn't require much gossip to give a person a(n) ______ reputation.

atypical

It is the ______ fisherman who does not embellish* the story about the fish that got away.

disgruntled

It is the prevalent• mood for youngsters to be ______ with the world situation.

elicit

It isn't easy---- to answers from a sleepy class on Monday morning.

lithe

It was a pleasure to watch the ______ body of the ballet dancer as she performed the most difficult steps.

stigmatize

It was an asinine* thing to do-to ______ his opponent as a bigot* and thus exacerbate* an already bitter campaign.

doddering

It was deplorable* for us to see her ______ around the house with the aid of a cane.

callow

It was deplorable* the way the capricious* girl led the-------- youth on a merry chase.

rash

It was exceedingly---------- of the lightweight to insult the belligerent longshoreman.

adverse

It was excruciatingly* painful for the actors to read the ______ reviews that their performances had received.

aegis

It was fortuitous* that at the last moment the mayor offered the ______ of his office in finding a solution to the problem.

negligible

It was fortuitous* that the accident occurred when there were _____ _ numbers of children in the buses.

noisome

It was inevitable* that they discover the hidden body by its-------- aroma.

concoct

It was necessary for the interloper* to------- a convincing story in order to gain access* to the exhibit.

Opulence

It was not until the wreckers began to dismantle the old edifice that they discovered its real _______________.

conjecture

It was sheer ______ on the detective's part but it led to the arrest of the vexatious counterfeiters.

manifest

It was------ that an arbiter* would be needed because neither side would capitulate* to a plan foisted* on them by the other side.

unconscionable

It was------ to Abraham Lincoln to keep a book he had borrowed without making tenacious efforts to return it.

enhance

It will------- your enjoyment of an opera if you know what the plot is about in advance.

bizarre

It would be rather------- for a young man to come to school wearing a dress.

feasible

It's ______ to build an electric auto, but wouldn't you need a terribly long extension cord?

extemporaneous

J enjoyed the speaker's ____________ remarks more than her prepared speech, because they gave me insight into her personality that helped me understand the decisions she made during her time as a federal judge.

Callous

Jim's terrible experiences in the war have made him ______ about the suffering of others.

balk

Jimmy was a lawbreaker, but he would ______ at the idea of carrying a lethal* weapon.

Condone

Mahatma Ghandi believed in the principle of ahimsa and refused to ______ violence of any kind, even if used in a just cause.

Castigation

Many British writers recall with loathing the _________ they received at school.

Amenity

Many ______ considered normal and necessary by people in developed countries, such as indoor plumbing, were luxuries only a few generations ago.

escalation

Many derogatory* statements were heard from those who were opposed to further ______ of the conflict.

Appease

Many historians have criticized British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain for trying to ______ Adolf Hitler in the 1930s.

panacea

Many people hoped that the United Nations would be----- the for the problems of our time.

disparate

Many technological projects are interdisciplinary, requiring a knowledge of fields as ________ as physics and biology.

wane

Many virulent diseases are now on the _____ _

nutritive

Mothers should be vigilant* that their children's food has the proper _____ _ value.

tangible

Mr. Dixon belittled* our request for --------proof of his loyalty.

pedagogue

Mr. Ford is proud to be called a teacher, but he demurs at the title of---------.

capricious

When the acrimonious* discussion about his------- actions had attenuated, he was able to vindicate his conduct.

premonition

When the black cat crossed her path, Ellen had a ---------- of disaster.

extortion

When the business manager was accused of ______ , his colleagues sought to oust him from the firm.

recant

When the clergyman refused to------ , his superiors were so nettled* that they relegated* him to an isolated parish in Alaska.

disdain

When the curtain came down, the critic's face registered the ______ she felt for the lackluster play.

dubious

When the duplicity* was revealed, the jury became ______ about Ed's innocence.

indict

When the grand jury refused to------ him, the mobster was exonerated.*

intractable

When the hyperactive child did not take his sedative, he was _____.

romp

When the intercity competition began, our team was supposed to _____ _ over our hapless rivals.

flabbergasted

When the judge exonerated* the charlatan, • we were all _____ _

exonerate

When the jury began to deliberate, they were prepared to --------the culprit.*

rampant

When the plague was------ on the island. Dr. Arrowsmith's wife died.

viable

When the schism in the company was healed, a ______ arrangement was worked out.

plethora

When the teacher asked why the homework had not been done, he was greeted by --------a of incredible alibis.

octogenarian

When the teenager announced her engagement to the------- , the public suspected it to be a publicity stunt.

relegate

When they tried to--------- the star to a minor role she was furious.

candor

When we cannot speak with------ , we utilize euphemisms.*

discern

When we could ------the city lights, we knew we were safe at last.

Bona fide

When we saw the hundreds of _______ petitions, we realized that the number of people who supported the candidate was legion.

advent

With the----- of mandatory safety inspections, some of the more decrepit* automobiles have been eradicated.

blatant

With-------- discourtesy the reporters continued to harass* the bereaved family.

dexterity

With-------- he thwarted* the pugnacious and belligerent adversary.

gradation

Within the woodpecker family, there is a ______ of drilling ability

gaunt

Women strive for the slender and au courant* ______ look.

cover

Woodrow Wilson stated that he found--------agreements to be reprehensible.*

universal

Would relations between countries be simpler if a ______ language were spoken rather than hundreds of separate ones?

Argot

Writers of crime fiction often use the ____ of criminals and detectives to create a realistic atmosphere.

intimidate

Y2K concerns of the January 1, 2000 problems with computers failed to______ our company.

Ascetic

Muslin ________ consider the internal battle against human passions a greater jihad than the struggle against infidels.

spontaneous

My English teacher admonished* me: "I realize that the speech was to be ______ , but it was not supposed to be incoherent• or fraught* with fallacious statements."

adversary

My ______ became disgruntled* because my arguments were so cogent.

adroit

My nephew is quite------- at making model airplanes.

mastiff

My nervous neighbor bought a pugnacious• ______ to frighten burglars.

irate

My uncle was------- when the drunken driver swerved in front of us.

Abate

NASA announced that it would delay the launch of the manned spacecraft until the radiation from the solar flares ___.

desuetude

NASA is considering a plan to refurbish booster rockets from the Apollo Program that have fallen into ________.

eclectic

Neo-Platonism—an ________ third-century synthesis of Platonic. Pythagorean, Aristotelian, Stoic, and Jewish philosophy— was an essentially mystical belief that a person can achieve spiritual emancipation through union of the soul with the ultimate source of existence.

gainsay

No one can _______ the fact that she put great effort into the project.

peremptory

No one had the temerity* to disobey the officer's ______ order.

scrutinize

No sooner did the lawyer ______ the extortion* note than she called the police.

paradox

One of the great-------- of American life is that though minority groups have suffered injustices, nowhere in the world have so many varied groups lived together so harmoniously.

hirsute

One of the most obvious differences between humans and closely related species such as chimpanzees is that the latter are _______, while the former have relatively little hair.

dross

One of the ways the ______ among blogs on the Internet are filtered out from the worthwhile ones is through links good blogs provide to other good blogs.

bigot

One politician, a notorious------ , hopes to get support as a presidential candidate on the basis of his prejudices and intolerance.

inane

Orville Wright was criticized for his ---------desire to fly.

heterogeneous

Our algebra class is a ______ one in which bright students are juxtaposed* with slower ones.

tussle

Our conscience must always----- against our yearning* for what we know is taboo.

incisive

Our editor castigated* the proposal with his ---------- commentary.

flamboyant

Our theatrical pages were inundated* with press releases from the _____ _ producer.

distend

People in an advanced stage of starvation often have ________ bellies.

shibboleth

People often try to compensate* for their deplorable* lack of culture by repeating the ______ , "I know what I like."

expatriate

People seeking asylum in another country are sometimes ________.

curtail

Publication of the lurid* magazine was ______ by the district attorney.

Delineate

Quantum theory led to the formulation of the uncertainty principle, which was ___________ in 1937 by Werner Heisenberg.

turbulent

" ------- atmosphere in angry senate chamber"

Calumny

"Be thou chaste as ice, as pure as snow, thou shalt not escape _______."

dupe

"In friendship, as well as in love, the mind is often ______ by the heart." (Philip Dormer Stanhope)

flout

"Many motorists ------- traffic laws, study reveal."

dissemble

"Miss," the prosecutor said, "I believe you are ________. I want you to tell me the whole truth about what happened that night."

epithet

A bitter quarrel was precipitated* when both politicians hurled vile _____ _ at each other.

maudlin

A good barometer* of the reunion's success was the number of ______ songs that the alumni sang.

accommodate

A quarrel was precipitated* when the dietician refused to ______ the patient's special needs.

impecunious

A titled but _______ family.

impeccable

Although basically frugal, his taste in clothing is _____ _

mandate

As a prelude* to his victory speech, the mayor announced that he considered the large vote to be a-------- from the people.

recoil

As the snake prepared to strike, the girls--------- in horror.

Destitution

As the traveler followed the tortuous path up the Kentucky mountain, he was sickened by the ________, which he saw.

superfluous

Because he was an itinerant* worker, he had to disdain* carrying _____ _ equipment.

entomology

Considering that there are approximately 925,000 species of insects (more than all other species combined), ________ is a vast field of study.

Bifurcate

Contemporary physicists generally _______ their discipline into two parts- classical physics and modern physics.

enervate

During World War II Russian commanders counted on the bitter cold to ________ German soldiers invading their country.

surmise

Edna had------- that she would be charged a nominal* sum and so she was outraged when she got the bill.

interloper

Electric eyes, watchdogs, and other nuances• were there to keep out an ____ _

equanimity

Emergency room doctors and nurses are trained to maintain their ________ when treating patients.

finesse

Engineers decided that the problem could be _______ by using lighter materials.

esoteric

Epidemiologists, using ________ statistical analyses, field investigations, and complex laboratory techniques, investigate the cause of a disease, its distribution (geographic, ecological and ethnic), method of spread, and measures for preventing or controlling it

reviled

Ezra Pound, the expatriate* poet, was ______ for his pro-Fascist remarks.

temerity

For having the---- to declaim* against the majority leader, the freshman senator was given the worst committee assignments.

Bacchanalian

For some people NYE is an occasion for _________ revelry.

eruption

Fred had been known for his gentle ways, so his friends were stunned by the ______ of angry words that issued from him.

erudite

Frederick Copleston, author of the nine-volume History of Philosophy, was undoubtedly one of the most _______ people who ever lived.

engender

Freudians believe that the traumatic events of infancy often ________ repression that creates neuroses.

supine

From a ------ position, the hunter emitted* the animal's mating call.

turpitude

From any facet* of his life, the acme* of moral ______ was reached by Adolph Hitler.

vogue

Good manners are always in _____ _

largess

He felt it would be ignominious* for him to accept any ______ from the charlatan* whose Machiavellian* schemes had made him affluent.

servile

He found his------ position a degrading* one and could not accept it with equanimity.

prerogative

He gave his adversary* the dubious* ______ of choosing the weapon by which he was to meet his inevitable* end.

belligerent

His ______ manner caused him to lose one friend after another.

fervid

His appeal for action threw his adherents• into a frenzy.

frail

His awesome* mental dexterity* compensated* for his ______ physical condition.

facade

His face wore the most doleful* _____ _

propagate

I must Inveigh* against your attempt to------- the belief that your political system will result In a panacea* for all problems.

delve

If we------ below and behind the rhetoric* and invective, we may discover the profound* reasons for the ferment* in our land.

imbibe

If you ______ , don't drive!

ameliorate

If you heap opprobrium* on an impious* child, it probably will not _____ _ the conditions that led to the rebelliousness.

ostentatious

In an ______ display of histrionics* the star refused to perform.

Dearth

In his book The Affluent Society, published in 1958, the economist J. K. Galbraith pointed out that in America affluence is located disproportionately in the private sector, leaving a _______ of resources available for the public sector.

stentorian

In his customary--------- tones, the sergeant reprimanded* those who thought the army was a haven for incompetents.

commodious

In his sumptuous house he had a------ den in which he kept an array* of trophies as incontrovertible* evidence of his skill.

haven

In inclement weather our barn is a ______ for many animals.

discretion

In nineteenth-century Britain gentlemen were expected to behave with ________.

perpetrate

In order to----- the swindle, the jaunty* confidence man adopted an amorous approach toward the wealthy widow.

Craven

In the Hindu epic poem the Bhagavad-Gita, Lord Krishna warns the hero, who is reluctant to fight, that refusing to fight would be a ________ act.

Commensurately

In the United States, malpractice suits have raised the cost of medicine because doctors must pay more for insurance, and thus increase their fees -------.

imprudent

It is considered ______ to give your computer code word to anyone not fully known to you.

usurp

It is during a period of ferment* that a dictator can------- power.

cynic

It is easy to become a ------when the same adults who inveigh* most vehemently* against the uncouth* actions that they say permeate* our youth drink to satiety* and behave fatuously.*

profound

It is easy to construe a superficial* remark to be a -------- one.

rationalize

It is pathetic* the way some citizens------ their apathy* during election years.

allege

It is symptomatic* of some newspapers that an----- criminal is regarded in print as guilty.

terminate

It seems incongruous to ------ his employment just when he was so successful.

callous

It takes a-------- person to watch with equanimity* as a gullible,* naive* girl falls for the line of a loathsome* boy.

obloquy

John Wilkes Booth's egregious act remains an infamous _____ _

Ambivalence

John felt some _____ about getting married before finishing college.

consummate

Johnny Cochran, the famous and controversial* lawyer, gave _____ _attention to the preparation of every case.

lampoon

Jonathan Swift was never reticent• to ______ the egotist in order to bring him down with alacrity.*

asset

Judge Davis hoped to be an------- in his wife's campaigns for political office.

incompatibility

Judge Felder commented with asperity upon the wife's charge of _____ _

antithesis

Len, the gregarious twin, was the ______ of Lon, the reticent one.

discrete

Like the physicist, the abstract artist strives to identify the ______ elements of reality and to understand how they interact

prevalent

Long hair among boys is so ______ today, there is no longer a prohibition against it in most schools.

endemic

Malaria, once ________ to the area, has now been largely eradicated.

technology

Man may be freed from backbreaking labor by the products of scientific----------.

intrinsic

Man sets the price of gold; it has no ------value.

repulse

Management is sure to-------- any request for increased remuneration.

rebuke

Many a husband has been given a ------for having imbibed* too fully at an office party.

Cant

Many of the beat artists of the 1950s reacted against what they regarded as the _______ of bourgeois society.

awesome

Many of those who witnessed tl1e first atomic explosion reported that it was an _____ sight.

Cantankerous

Many of us have in our mind the stereotype of the ________ old man who is constantly complaining about something or other.

fetid

Many people find the smell of Limburger cheese _____.

anthropologist

Margaret Mead, the famous------- , fascinated thousands of readers with her studies of South Seas islanders.

Artifact

Marxists contend that appreciation of art has declined because capitalism has trained people to perceive human ______ as commodities, and has alienated people from nature, their true humanity, and their creations.

acknowledge

Monte refused to----- the extrinsic* pressures that were causing him to do poorly in his sophomore year.

founder

Most attempts to create advanced new technology by government fat _______, probably because of the difficulty in anticipating changes in fluid world of high technology.

fabricate

Most fishermen can------ a story about the size of the one that got away.

bizarre

Most of us scoff" at and belittle* ______ behavior.

steeped

My cousin is so------ in schoolwork that his friends call him a bookworm.

brash

My mother liked the salesman's------- personality, but he irritated most people.

astute

My neighbor was --------enough to discern* the adverse* features of the mortgage.

Apprise

Nadine Cohoda's biography of the blues singer Dinah Washington keeps the reader _______ of the racism black Americans had to endure.

Bombastic

Nearly lost in the senator's long, _____ speech were several sensible ideas.

obliterate

No matter how one tries to delete material from a computer, it is almost impossible to------- it.

impede

Nothing could------- the bigot from his vitriolic* verbal attack.

flag

Noticing that the students' attention was _______, the professor gave them a short break.

Cognizant

O.Henry's "The Gift of the Magi" is a simple evocation of a young couple's love for one another, a story in which a husband and wife in straitened circumstances each sacrifices to buy a Christmas present for the other, not ------- of what the other is doing.

impasse

Obstruction had brought even them into an ______, since their financial requirements had not been met.

bliss

Oh, what------ could be seen in the eyes of the ardent• couple as they announced their engagement!

Assuage

On November 21, 1864, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln wrote the following in a letter to Mrs. Bixby of Boston, who has lost five sons in battle: "I pray that our Heavenly Father may ________ the anguish of your bereavement and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the alter of freedom."

Apathetic

One criticism of the welfare state is that it makes people overly reliant on government, with the result that democracy is gradually weakened as citizens take a more ______ and detached view of politics.

Convivial

One of the jobs of an ambassador is to provide a _________ atmosphere for diplomats to meet.

Credence

One of the lessons in Aesop's fable "The Shepherd Boy and the Wolf" is that if a person "cries wolf" too many times without real danger being present (that is, raises too man false alarms) people will be less likely to give ________ to future alarms raised by the person.

Contend

One of the most famous philosophers to argue for ethical relativism was the German Friedrich Nietzsche, who _________ that the rightness of a particular action is dependent on the circumstances of the time and culture in which it occurs.

amicable

Our------- relations with Latin America are an asset* to hemispheric trade.

Clamor

Over the past 12 years or so the voices _______ for better protection of the Earth's rain forests have increase dramatically.

flagrant

Parking in front of a hydrant is a------ violation of the city's law.

Bedizen

Paul went to the costume party ________ as a 17th C. French aristocrat.

blase

People have become so ______ about the once thrilling, now mundane* flights into space.

scurry

Poe's hero watched the rats--------- across his inert* body.

Allure

Political groups in the US often lobby Congress to use the ____ of America's vast market as an incentive for countries to pursue policies in accordance with American policies.

complicity

Proceeding on the premise* that the broker was guilty of------- in the swindle, the detective followed him surreptitiously.*

libel

Publishers of newspapers and magazines augment their staff with lawyers to represent them when they are sued for ____ _

disparate

Regardless of how------ their crimes were, all the prisoners were freed by the general amnesty.

Accrue

Regulating the growth of large companies when they begin to become monopolistic is a difficult task for government in a capitalist country; if it limits monopolies too much, the nation's firms could become less competitive than foreign companies that enjoy the advantages ____ from greater monopolies.

enunciate

Reporters were expecting the candidate to ______ his policy on the escalation of the war.

decorum

Repress* your uncouth* manners and act with ______ at the party.

Champion

Robin Hood is famous for _______ the underdogs of England.

fractious

Roger's ______ behavior compounded* the bad relationship he had already had with his partner.

Abdicate

Romulus Augustus, the last Western Roman emperor, was forced to ____ the throne in 476 A.D., and the Germanic chieftain Odovacar became the de facto ruler of Italy.

Nirvana

Rosalie found solace in the conviction that one day mankind would reach Shangri-La, Utopia, _______.

Decadence

Rumors of Rome's _________ were rife among the barbarian tribes

Jurisdiction

Saying that he was beyond his ------, Judge Klein refused to rule on the case.

drudgery

She does her homework on Fridays to save herself from the ______ of having to do it during the weekend.

mien

She had a ------of humility, but it was only a facade.

construe

She hoped that we would not------ her decision to run for office as a thirst for power.

imprecation

She hurled her ______ at anyone who might be listening.

staunch

She is such a------ friend, my reprehensible* actions do not cause a schism between us.

slovenly

She loathed* doing menial* tasks, and she did them in a------- manner.

copious

She lost her decorum* and wept------- tears at the poignant* story.

integral

She seemed to be an unimportant member of the president's entourage* but actually she played an---------- role in White House affairs.

gist

She tried to get the------ of her message into a 25-word telegram.

cursory

Sherlock Holmes took a ______ glance at the cryptic* message and decoded it instantly.

anomaly

Siamese twins are considered a birth _____ _

itinerant

Signs were posted in the lobby to prevent------- beggars and others of that ilk* from entering.

introspective

Since Alice is so gregarious it surprised me to learn that she is also an _____ girl.

pugnacious

Since everyone can outpunch my cousin, he cannot afford to be _____ _

Arrest

Temporary ______ of the patient's respiration made it easier for the doctor to perform surgery on him.

Coda

The ----- of the Danish composer Per Norgard's Sixth Symphony seems to return to the serene sounds of the opening.

fledgling

The ----- poet lived a frugal life.

ardent

The ------baseball fan went to every home game.

progeny

The Bantu chief and all his ______ were noted for their valor.*

landmark

The Battle of Midway was a---- victory in the U.S. campaign for ultimate victory over the Japanese in World War II.

maladjusted

The Bureau of Child Guidance has been the salvation* for some _____ _ children.

Cataclysm

The French Revolution of 1789 was a ________ whose effects are still felt today.

Conscript

The French writer Andre Breton was ______ into the artillery and had to put his medical studies in abeyance for the duration of WWI.

Audacious

The German army commander Erwin Rommel was known as the "Desert Fox" as a result of his _______ surprise attacks on Allied forces in WWII.

feint

The Germans were duped* by the Allies'--------toward the south, leaving the way open for the Normandy invasion.

felicitous

The Gettysburg Address is full of _______ phrases such as "government of the people, by the people, and for the people."

facilitate

The Internet—together with the availability of relatively inexpensive personal computers—has greatly _______ the ability of ordinary people to conveniently exchange information with one another and with large computer systems.

fresco

The Italian Renaissance was the greatest period of ______ painting, as seen in the work of artists such as Michelangelo, Raphael and Giotto.

ignoble

The Jacob had _______ feelings of intense strife.

Apogee

The Ottoman Empire reached its ________ in the 17th C, when it controlled a territory running from Budapest to North Africa.

efficacy

The ______ of new drugs cannot be determined without a plethora* of evidence.

indolent

The ______ person goes to great lengths to eschew* work.

connoisseur

The ______ scoffs* at the dilettante,* who has only a veneer* of knowledge.

hoary

The ______ tree has been living in the field for over two centuries.

Aggregate

The ______ wealth of a country includes private as well as public resources and possessions.

dilettante

The ______ will scoff* at those who admit that they know very little about modern art.

ebullient

The _______ candidate for president appeared before his supporters to announce that he had won in a landslide.

garrulous

The _______ houseguest made it difficult for us to get much work done on the project.

fulsome

The actor was embarrassed by the _______ praise he received after winning the Academy Award for best actor.

gamut

The actress ran the ______ of emotions in a poignant* performance that thrilled the audience.

Fulsome

The actress received ________ compliments from her friends but trenchant criticism form the reviewers.

disparage

The affluent store owner------ the efforts of his small competitor, saying that he could always tolerate that kind of rivalry.

habitat

The alcoholic was found supine* in his favorite --------Ryan's Bar.

Defame

The ancient Greek philosopher Socrates was _______ as a teacher who corrupted the morals of his students.

exacerbate

The arrest of the spy did much to ------- relations between the two countries.

Connoisseur

The art _________ selected works by Van Gogh, Rembrandt, and Picasso for the exhibition.

Covetous

The astronomer is ________ of the time that his colleague gets for research using the Hubble Space Telescope.

extraneous

The astute* voter is not susceptible* to the many ______ shibboleths* that saturate* a politician's speech.

hostile

The audience became extremely ______ when the bigot began to attack minority groups.

Arabesque

The ballerina stunned the audience with her perfectly executed ________.

egregious

The bank teller's ______ error was difficult to correct.

impunity

The border guards allowed the doctor to cross the frontier with _____ _

fawning

The boss has a reputation for hiring _______ employees.

grovel

The boss wants someone who can contribute intellectual capital, not ______ at his feet.

Belie

The boxer's childlike face _______ the ferocity with which he can attack opponents in the ring.

compatible

The boy and girl discovered they had many ______ interests.

husband

The boy was tired so he chose to ______ his remaining strength.

virile

The boys struck------- poses to attract the girls on the beach.

reprehensible

The brash student was forced to apologize for her ------- conduct.

disabuse

The chairman of the Federal Reserve used his testimony before Congress to _______ his audience of the idea that the business cycle had been eliminated by the unprecedented period of prosperity.

distrait

The chairperson became ______ because his secretary was not sitting in her usual position on his right.

glib

The charlatan was able to wheedle* money out of the naive audience with a ______ talk on the medicine that would expunge pain.

wheedle

The child tried to ______ from her mother the place where the cookies had been cached.*

vulnerable

The egotist* is------- to slights and insults.

plaintiff

The egregious calumny* of the defendant worked to the advantage of the--------.

coerce

The elusive fugitive was--------- by his attorney into surrendering.

malnutrition

The emaciated prisoners were obviously suffering from advanced -------.

Admonish

The judge _____ the jury to discount testimony that had been ruled inadmissible.

coup

The necessity for executing the leaders of the abortive* ______ was obviated* when they committed suicide.

digression

The novel Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig contains many fascinating ________ from the main story that discuss topics such as Platonic philosophy.

emissary

The obscure* country, an aspirant for membership in the United Nations, sent a(n)-------.

deluge

The office was ______ with requests for his autograph as the girls became cognizant* of his identity.

etymology

The origin of the word "barbarian" reflects the ethnocentrism of the ancient Greeks; its ________ is that it comes (through Latin and French words) from the Greek word barbaros, meaning non-Greek, foreign.

heterodox

The orthodox view among scientists is that the ancestors of the great apes and humans evolved solely in Africa; however, recently a competing, _______ view has arisen theorizing that they also may have evolved in Euroasia.

criterion

The platitude, "I know what I like," is often used to rationalize* our lack of a ______ for things about which we are dubious.

incongruous

The play was so ______ that it seemed to be the work of several authors.

ineffectual

The play was so blatantly* bad that the impresario* fired its ______ director.

Burnish

The poet T.S. Elliot ______ his reputation as one of the master poets of the 20th C. with Four Quarters, four long poems published between 1936 and 1942.

fetter

The poet William Blake believed that each person creates "mind-forged manacles, "_______ his or her natural instincts and spirit

recondite

The poet's ______ language precluded* any understanding of her theme.

raiment

The potpourri* of au courant* fashionable ______ includes the fatuous and the discreet.

hoax

The practical joker had the temerity* to perpetrate• a ______ upon the Dean of Boys.

skirmish

The precocious boy enjoyed an intellectual --------with his elders.

array

The president faced an imposing ----of reporters.

attenuated

The strength of her appeal was ______ by the flamboyant* embellishments* for which many had a strong aversion.*

Concoct

The various human cultures have ______ a great many explanations to describe the beginning of the Earth, life, and humanity.

havoc

The virulent plague caused------- among the populace.

entourage

The visiting dictator's ubiquitous• ______ of bodyguards disturbed our tranquil* city.

respite

The voluble insurance salesman gave my father no --------.

dupe

The wealthy --------consented to buy the often-sold Brooklyn Bridge.

abrogate

The wealthy uncle decided to _____ his inane4' nephew's sinecure.

abound

The western plains used to-------- with bison before those animals were slaughtered by settlers.

redolent

The------ scent that came from the bakery created in Eloise a sense of nostalgia* for her grandmother's bread.

brigand

They captured the ______ , and he was incarcerated* for a mandatory* period.

charlatan

They could discern* that the faith healer was a _____ _

perfidious

They made an effigy of their-------- enemy.

iniquity

Those who are complacent* about any------ in our society should be wary* of the unsavory* consequences for all.

falter

Though he knew well the danger involved, the knight did not------ as he entered the dragon's cave.

disparage

Though sometimes ________ as merely an intellectual game, philosophy provides us with a method for inquiring systematically into problems that arise in areas such as medicine, science, and technology.

ambiguous

To those who could understand every nuance* of the cryptic* message, there was nothing-------- about it.

guady

Today, the trend* is to more and more------ dress.

Abscission

Two scientists, Alan G. Williams and Thomas G. Whitham, have hypothesized that premature leaf ___ is an adaptive plant response to herbivorous attack.

affluent

Under duress from the tax officer, the beggar admitted that he was truly------.

timorous

Under duress* the normally ______ husband was coerced* into demanding a raise.

divulge

Under the Geneva Conventions, prisoners of war cannot be tortured and forced to _______ information.

extant

Unfortunately for Bible scholars, there are no ______ writings of Jesus Christ.

parsimonious

Unless my boss modifies his ______ attitude, a fractious picket line is going to be erected.

Convoluted

Unraveling the ________ genetic code is one of the great achievements of modern science.

forthwith

Upon seeing the show, he called the TV company ------- to protest.

scurrilous

Vigilant* censors protect the public from listening to ______ language on television.

nefarious

We were distraught* upon hearing the venom* spewed* forth by the _____ _ bigot.

puny

We were surprised by the------- resistance put up by the voracious* tiger to its capture.

gauche

What is considered _______ in one culture might not be considered gauche in another culture; for example, burping is considered rude in America but is acceptable in China.

diatribe

When a large expenditure is imminent,* my father goes into a long _____ _ on the need for economy.

disingenuous

When a person starts a sentence, "I don't mean to appear ________," one might be tempted to suspect that the person is being just that.

Aberrant

When a person's behavior becomes ___, his or her peers may become concerned that the individual is becoming a deviant.

Decorum

When addressing the nation, the president generally has an air of ________.

surfeit

When can we expect a respite* from the----- of TV commercials?

condolence

When my neighbor's dog was run over, we sent a ______ card.

martinet

When one enlists in the army, one expects to be under the aegis* of a _____ _.

decrepit

When released from incarceration,* he was gaunt* and _____ _

subservient

While his demeanor* remained imperturbable,* there was latent* anger at the ignominious* and-------- role he had to play.

ferment

With each generation it becomes the vogue* for the youth to be in a state of _____ _

feral

_____ dogs returning to an untamed state after domestication sometimes form packs, becoming a threat to humans.

Apathy

_____ was high in the election because there was no major controversy or issue to arouse voter interest.

Alchemy

_____ was the forerunner of the modern science of chemistry.

doleful

______ expressions abounded* throughout headquarters on the night of the election.

duplicity

______ is the stock in trade of all adroit* counterspies.

Canon

______ of aesthetic taste vary over the years; theRococo period, for example, valued ornate art.

gustatory

adj. affecting the sense of taste

paroxysm

in a ----- of rage, the tenant stormed out of the landlord's office

overt

--------- acts of violence by the prisoner jeopardized* his parole.

mammoth

---------- placards* announced the opening of the new movie.

compensatory

-------education may help minority groups to cope* with their plight.*

dearth

In the potpourri* of restaurants there is no ______ of succulent dishes.

interject

Most viewers hate it when a commercial is ______ into a suspense drama.

annals

The------- of sports are replete• with the names of great black athletes.

serenity

The------- of the countryside was shattered by the explosion.

fracas

The------- started when he besmirched* my good name.

inter

We decided to _____ my son's dead bird near the apple tree.

heinous

"The most------ thing I have done," he said in a stentorian* voice, " is eradicate* the untruth that my party is not compatible* with progress."

legion

"The number of my followers is---- , " said the flamboyant* politician.

pragmatic

"You can't argue with success," was his------ reply to derogatory* remarks about a movie star who had only superficial* talent as an actor.

stymie

"Cause of cancer continues to------doctors."

effigy

"Coach of losing team hanged in-------."

cognizant

"F.B.I. ------ of clandestine gangland meeting."

derive

A pragmatic* philosopher ______ the theory that we have noses in order to hold up our eyeglasses.

omnivorous

------ eaters find the dietary laws in some hotels to be too restrictive.

frugal

------ shoppers occasionally badger supermarket managers for bargains.

engrossed

-------- in his crossword puzzle, he failed to notice the paucity* of customers in the restaurant.

exploit

Advertisers spend large sums to------- the lucrative* teenage market.

throng

A howling------- of teenage girls surrounded the rap artists.

fusion

A hydrogen bomb requires tremendous heat to trigger the _______ reaction, which is provided by the detonation of a fission bomb.

amorous

A landmark* in the history of ______ drama is Romeo and Juliet.

epistemology

A major question in __________ is whether the mind can ever gain objective knowledge, limited as it is by its narrow range of sense experience.

sage

A man may be a------- everywhere, but at home he's called a "square" by his youngsters.

domicile

A man's ______ is his castle.

exorcise

A modern parallel to the shaman is the psychiatrist, who helps the patient _______ personal demons and guides him toward mental wholeness.

schism

A pernicious ______ developed between the two sisters.

effervescence

A person who believes himself to be physically unattractive might develop an _________ personality as a compensation for his perceived deficiency.

Abscond

A warrant is out for the arrest of a person believed to have ___ with three million dollars.

potpourri

A------ of today's musical hits sounds more like cacophony* than harmony.

tinge

A---------- of garlic is all that's necessary in most recipes.

Circuitous

According to Hindu philosophy, some souls take a _______ path through many births to reach God.

Denigrate

According to a recent biography of Napoleon Bonaparte, the famous leader felt a need to ________ women.

Alleviate

According to some commentators, one of the weaknesses of capitalism is that, although it is very efficient at increasing absolute wealth, it is not as successful at _____ relative poverty.

Churlish

According to the chivalric code, a knight was never supposed to be _____, especially toward noble ladies, to whom he was supposed to be unfailingly gentle and courteous.

premise

Acting on the ______ that there were no burglars around, the police became quite lax.

elegy

Adonais is a pastoral ______ written by Percy Bysshe Shelley in the spring of 1821 after he learned of the death of his friend and fellow poet John Keats.

devout

Although he was a ______ adherent* of the party, he remained aloof* during the vitriolic* primary campaign.

tyro

Although he was erudite* about a copious number of things, he was a naive, callow*------ when it came to relating to girls.

accomplice

Although he was judged as a minor ______ , the driver had actually played an integral* part in planning the crime.

cryptic

Although his remarks appeared-------- at first, we began to see how really pertinent* they were.

Categorical

Although incest is _______ forbidden by every state, recent evidence that marriage between cousins is no more likely to produce abnormal offspring than "normal" marriages may allow the constitutionality of bans on marriage between cousins to be challenged.

enhance

Although it is widely believed that the primary objective of the researchers developing the Internet was to secure the American nuclear missile system, in fact their main goal was to foster science by ________ the ability of technology to disseminate information among scientists.

quarry

Although it seemed inane, they sought their--------- in the midst of rustic* surroundings that were not its natural habitat.

paucity

Although it was a creative writing class. the teacher complained about the ______ of talent there.

aloof

Although many people say this is a propitious• time to invest in the stock market, there is a tenable argument for remaining ------

menial

Although she did not find it congenial,* we cajoled* our daughter into doing some of the------- tasks around the house.

Converge

Although the People's Republic of China and India are rivals in many ways, in certain areas their interests ______.

nettle

Although the comic's quips* seemed to be mild, they began to ______ the nightclub's owner.

puissant

Although the debater's rebuttal was------- , it was totally irrelevant.*

nostalgia

Although the former farm girl pretended to be urbane*, a feeling of _____ _always came over her when she heard country music.

analogous

Although the lawyer acknowledged* that the two cases were hardly _____ _he still felt that he had a good precedent on his side.

garbled

Although the message was -------- its salient* points were clear enough.

fervor

American soldiers were welcomed back to the United States with ______ after the end of World War U.

mentor

Amidst the adulation"' of the throng, the film star, in all humility,* credited her ______ as the one most responsible.

Catalyst

Among the ________ of the Romantic movement were the libertarian ideals of the French Revolution.

infallible

An ______ sign of spring is the blooming of the crocus.

ruminate

An anomaly* of our modern technology* is that the more we need to know, the less time we have to _____ _

gerrymander

An argument against the practice of ____________ is that it tends to make it difficult for the party that is out of power to regain power.

Cadge

An enduring image of the Great Depression in America is the out-of-work man ________ money with the line, "Hey, mister, can you spare a dime for a cup of coffee?"

homeostasis

An example of _________ in mammals is the regulation of glucose levels in the blood, which is done mainly by the liver and insulin secreted by the pancreas.

attest

An expert was summoned to -------to the authenticity of the Rembrandts found in the Nazi cache* of stolen masterpieces.

Analgesic

Aspirin (the trademark of the drug acetylsalicylic acid) is a powerful ______ that was introduced in 1899 and is still one of the most effective medicines available to alleviate pain, fever, and inflammation.

propinquity

Astronauts are alert to the ______ of sudden accidents.

exigency

Astronauts must be prepared for ________ such as damage to their spacecraft's life support system

Centripetal

Astronomers calculate that the ________ force exerted by the Earth;s gravity on the Moon will keep the Moon in orbit around the Earth for billions of years.

Celestial

Astronomers make use of the Doppler effect to measure the velocities and distance from Earth of stars and other ______ objects.

propitious

At a ______ moment the flamboyant movie star made her grand entrance.

rhetoric

At a time that requires tangible• proposals, all he offers is unconscionable--------.

latent

At the age of 42, the artist first became cognizant* of his ______ genius.

fallow

At the beginning of each school year the teacher looks out at the new students and thinks of a ______ field, ready to be cultivated.

dregs

At the bottom of the beautiful wine bottle, only the------- remained.

gregarious

At the party, the------ hostess scurried* from group to group, making friends and influencing people.

tantamount

At the zenith* of his career, he was -------to a final arbiter* on matters of economic policy.

acme

At the---- of his power, the dictator was obsessed* with the belief that those who dissented* were trying to usurp* his position.

expurgate

At times, the producer must----- some of the things said by these children because they are too candid.*

bigot

Attacked by the irate* crowd, the------- asked the police for sanctuary.

Archeology

Carbon- 14 dating is of great use in ________ because it can determine the age of specimens as old as 35,000 years, but it is of less use in geology because most of the processes studied in this field occurred millions of years ago.

inherent

Certain mice have an ______ alertness that enables them to conquer the researchers' labyrinths.

Surge

Chicago put its heaviest players up front, but they were helpless as the Giants' line ---- toward them.

unkempt

Children think mothers are asinine* to get upset about------- rooms.

afflict

Citizens of several Kentucky mountain communities are ------- by the worst poverty in the nation.

idyllic

City dwellers often yearn for the ______ life in the country.

pecuniary

Clarence Day deemed* that ______ matters are best handled by men.

venom

Clym Yeobright's mother succumbed* to the------ of a snake bite.

abstemious

Coach Fischer issued a fiat that required that his players be _____ _

extrinsic

Collectors avidly* sought the rare coin for its ______ value.

Codified

Common law is a system of laws that originated in England; it is based on court decisions and on customs rather than on ------ written laws.

condone

Do you expect me to-------- that reprehensible* act with such celerity?*

effrontery

Do you have the----- to take that supercilious* and facetious* attitude toward something as sinister* as this?

exhort

Doctors -------obese individuals to go on diets.

inveterate

Doctors agree that it is imperative that ______ smokers give up that imprudent* habit.

perpetuate

Don Ricardo hoped that his son would -----the family business, but Manuel was too involved with chimerical* schemes to want to run a restaurant.

neutralize

Dr. Meyers prescribed medication to------- the acid condition that had incapacitated* my uncle.

impugn

During "The People vs. OJ" trial, many people ______ the jury's verdict.

deterrent

During the Cold War, the United States maintained a large number of nuclear weapons as a ________ to aggression by the Soviet Union and its allies.

Conscription

During the War of 1912, American political leaders considered national ________ to augment state militias, but Daniel Webster successfully argued before Congress that such a measure would be unconstitutional and thus the proposal was rejected.

platitude

During the most sultry* days of summer, one often hears the ______ , "Is it hot enough for you?"

pertinent

During the trial the astute• lawyer was able to elicit* the ______ information from the key witness.

halcyon

During the turbulent* days of the war, they wished for the----- days of earlier times.

virulent

Europe's population was afflicted* by a ______ plague known as the Black Death.

appalled

Each long holiday weekend we are------- at the carnage* on our highways.

strife

Each spouse said that the other was culpable* for their conjugal* _____ _

lucrative

Each year the contracts offered to star sports figures become more _____

Daunting

Earning a Ph.D. is a ________ task, but it can be done.

Default

Economists have pointed out the danger of using government money to help banks in danger of ________ on a loan.

Clairvoyant

Edgar Cayce was a famous _________ who some people believe was able to go into a trance during which he was in touch with a spiritual realm.

perfunctory

Edith gave only ______ attention to the new millennium, skipping our New Year's Eve party.

facet

Edna recalled with nostalgia* many------- of her school days.

cacophony

Electronic music is considered nothing more or less than-------- by many.

germane

Epithets* are not ______ when motivating* a child to a task.

tradition

Eskimos have a(n) ______ of rubbing noses to show affection.

susceptible

Ethan Frome soon learned that his querulous* wife was-------- to a variety of ailments.

diminutive

Europeans drive------- cars because their narrow roads and high prices for gasoline are not conducive to or compatible* with our large ones.

docile

Even the most------ person may become fractious when he gets only a pittance for his hard labor.

corroborate

Even the swindler's nefarious* accomplice refused to------ his alibi.

charisma

Even those who were not fans of the movie star candidly* admit the _____ _ that surrounded him.

inundate

Even though his boat was almost ______ . the skipper was loath* to radio for help.

excoriate

Even though she was piqued* at his indolent• manner, it was pathetic* to listen to her-------- him in public.

divulge

Even under duress, he was adamant* and would not-------- the secret.

reticent

Even under repeated questioning, the witness remained _____ _

pesky

Every time his accountant called with----- pecuniary* problems, Ben was very blunt* with him.

embellish

Every time the irate* motorist told about the accident he had a tendency to______ the story.

expatiate

Every year the book club invites a famous author to come to _______ on the art of writing.

Confound

Everyone but astrophysicists seems to be ______ by the question, "What happened before the Big Bang?"

gullible

Explaining that the bookkeeper was merely a ______ dupe,* the judge freed him from complicity* in the crime.

assiduous

Florence Nightingale was a paragon• of mercy in her ______ care for the wounded soldiers.

Penance

Following a lengthy diatribe against mendacity, the priest imposed__________ upon the sinner.

raze

Following the revolution, the people ______ the subterranean dungeons of the dictator.

Bovine

Following the slow-moving group of students up the long path to the school's entrance, the word "______" popped into the English teacher's mind.

nominal

For allowing his ferocious mastiff* to appear on a commercial, the trainer was paid a ______ sum.

spew

From each candidate's headquarters acrimonious charges would _____ _ forth daily.

ultimate

Gaining better housing for all was the------ goal of the zealous reformer.

trenchant

General Fox submitted a ______ report on the enemy's latent* strength.

Bawdy

Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales is the story of a group of Christian pilgrims who entertain on another with stories, ranging from the holy to the ______, on their journey to Canterbury Cathedral.

fissure

Geologists measure the width of the _______ regularly to monitor movement of the Earth's plates in the area.

monolithic

George Orwell's 1984 depict a frightening ------- government.

hegemony

Germany was united under Prussian _______ after 1871.

mortify

Good sportsmanship requires that one not------ a defeated adversary.*

quip

Hamlet remembered that Yorick was always ready with a lusty _____ _

phlegmatic

Harriet's egregious• error disturbed even her ______ employer.

degrade

Harry held the fallacious* belief that the menial* job would------ him in the eyes of his friends.

celerity

He accepted the lucrative* position with _____ _

heresy

He accused the leader of the opposition of political-------, and the mob was exhorted* to burn his effigy.

rift

He alluded* to the------ caused in the school by the plethora* of hirsute* boys who ignored the criterion* for appearance.

gusto

He began to eat the food served at the sumptuous feast with _____ _

flay

He castigated* his opponents and went to great lengths to-------- them with accusations of megalomania.

succinct

He could say the most vitriolic* things in a ______ way.

refute

He did not waste time trying to------ an irrelevant and tortuous argument.

curry

He discreetly* tried to------ favor with his employer.

qualm

He had a serious----- about hunting for the nearly extinct* quarry.*

imperceptible

He had always appeared virile, so that the----- decline toward senility* went unnoticed until he succumbed* and began to use a cane.

concur

If I can get my parents to------- , I'll join the Peace Corps.

mortality

If a miner were to ponder* over the high------ rate in his occupation, he might want to quit.

accost

If a surly panhandler should ______ you, keep on walking.

harass

If anonymous telephone callers ------ you, the phone company will give you an unlisted number.

Demographer

If many governments in the world had not taken steps to promote birth control among their citizens, ___________ say the world would now have a much greater population than it does.

catastrophic

If the draconian* regulations are to continue unabated, they will have ______ results.

persevere

If we ______ , we can overcome many of our inhibitions.

alleviate

If we cannot-------- the harmful effects entirely, at least we can attenuate* them.

countenance

If we want to live in a salubrious* milieu,* we can not------- the noisome* fumes that are deleterious* to health.

juxtapose

If we were to ______ our philosophies, your materialism• would conflict with my idealism.

cliche

If you juxtaposes one------ with another, you often get completely opposite lessons about life.

impious

In the milieu of city street life it is not atypical• to hear ______ comments about authority.

ephemeral

Impressionist painters such as Claude Monet share with the Romantics an affinity for nature, but the Impressionists took a more scientific interest in it, attempting to accurately depict ________ phenomena such as the play of light on water.

Allay

Improvements in antivirus software have _____ many people's fears of having their computers "infected" with malicious software.

exhort

In 1943 U.S. General George S. Patton _______ American troops about to invade Hitler's Europe, saying that victory was assured because American soldiers were more virile and courageous than their German counterparts.

effete

In 1969, U.S. Vice President Spiro T. Agnew denounced people protesting against the Vietnam War: "A spirit of national masochism prevails, encouraged by an ______ corps of impudent snobs who characterize themselves as intellectuals."

Elysian

In Book VI of Virgil's Aeneid, the hero Aeneas descends to the Underworld where he meets the soul of his dead father, Anchises, in the ________ fields and learns from him the future of the Roman race.

Apex

In English literature, classicism reached its ________ in the poetry of Alexander Pope and the other Augustans.

guise

In Greek mythology, the god Zeus often appeared to mortal women to whom he was attracted in strange _______: as a swan, he made love to Leda of Sparta, with other women he took on the form of a shower of gold, or a bull, or thunder and lightning.

utopia

In Lost Horizon a character recoiled* at the idea of living in a _____ _

factotum

In Shakespeare's play Twelfth Night, the character Malvolio aspires to become more than merely a _______ in the house of Lady Olivia.

diaphanous

In World War II, many soldiers went to war with ________ dreams of glory, but found instead horror and death.

frenzy

In a ______ , the teenager overturned every drawer while searching for the car keys.

discordant

In a pluralistic society there exists a cacophony of ________ voices, each shouting to be heard.

Metamorphosis

In a remarkable __________, her lugubrious mood changed to one of levity.

furtive

In a------- manner she removed her shoes and tiptoed up to her room.

caustic

In a--------- article, the drama critic slaughtered the hapless actors.

imperative

In the nuclear age it has become ______ for the nations of the world to learn to live in peace.

factitious

In the office he played------ the role of a martinet, while at home he was filled with compassion.

Consecrate

In his Gettysburg Address, President Lincoln said of the soldiers who died in the Battle of Gettysburg in July, 1863: "We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who have gave their lives that that nation might live...But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate - we cannot _________- we cannot hallow- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have _________ it, far above our poor power to add or detract."

Asperity

In his autobiography Gerald Trywhitt, the British writer,, composer, artist, and aesthete, recounts a humorous incident: "Many years later, when I was sketching in Rome, a grim-looking Englishwoman came up to me and said with some ______, 'I see you are painting MY view.'"

distill

In his book Men of Ideas: Some Creators of Contemporary Philosophy, Bryan Magee manages to ______ the essence of leading thinkers such as W.V. Quine, John Searle, Iris Murdoch, and Noam Chomsky.

flout

In his book Poetic Meter and Poetic Form the distinguished literary critic Paul Fussel discusses the dangers poets face when they _______ poetic conventions.

doggerel

In his book Poetic Meter and Poetic Form, the literary critic Paul Fussell quotes this bit of _______ from a U.S. Army latrine during World War El. "Soldiers who wish to be a hero Are practically zero. But those who wish to be civilians, Jesus, they run into millions."

candid

In my ______ opinion he is a sanctimonious fool.

Coagulate

In normal individuals, blood begins to ______ about 10 seconds after a wound is sustained, thus preventing further bleeding.

nullify

In order to --------the height advantage of his adversary, he abjured* smoking and did an inordinate amount of exercise until he was the acme of litheness and dexterity.

foment

In order to ______ trouble, they fabricated* a deplorable* and blatant* untruth.

Indoctrinate

In order to _______ the captive, his jailers repeatedly reviled capitalism while praising communism.

Nurture

In order to ________ good will, the management will do anything to accommodate its guests' needs.

therapy

In order to complete the ______ , the doctor said a trip to a warm, dry climate was mandatory.

comprehensive

In order to get the job, you had to go through the drudgery of filling out a ten-page ______ questionnaire.

ascertain

In order to------- the relationship between his girlfriend and his brother, he kept a wary* and discreet* vigil.

quell

In order to------- the riot, the police sallied* forth with tear gas.

dissonance

In psychology, the term "cognitive _________" refers to a conflict resulting from inconsistency between one's beliefs and one's actions.

nuance

In reading the satires of Jonathan Swift, one must be vigilant in order to catch each-------.

Contrite

In sentencing the convicted man to a life sentence, the judge took into consideration the fact that he did not seem to be at all ______ about his crime.

insidious

In some ------way the glib* salesman played upon my repressed* desires and sold me a gaudy* sports car.

flux

In some cultures time is conceptualized as a ______ moving in one direction.

futility

In spite of his efforts to cajole* the girl, she remained aloof, and the _____ _ of his efforts made him lugubrious.

Accretion

In the 1960's, the American geophysicist Harry Hess conceived the idea of sea-floor spreading, a process in which the new crust in the ocean is continually generated by igneous processes at the crests of the mid-oceanic ridges, causing a steady ____ of the crust.

Behemoth

In the 1980s and 1990s, the trend in American business was toward increased privatization of government industries (such as power generation_, partly because it was believed that private industry is more efficient and and partly because foreign private companies were becoming commercial ______, outstripping government-owned companies in competitiveness.

prudent

In the bedlam* that followed it was not------ to appear too apathetic*.

spurious

In the conflagration* that followed, no one questioned whether the original charge had been _____ _

nomadic

In the desert, ______ tribes wander back and forth, enduring much privation.

retrospect

In the future we will, in -------, regard today's bizarre* behavior as quite ordinary.

Ponder

In the hospital, the alcoholic had time to ________ over the need to be abstemious.

Contumacious

In the late 18th C., Great Britain tried unsuccessfully to put down the uprising against their rule by ___________ Americans, leading eventually to the establishment of a separate nation.

deride

Innovation often requires challenges to orthodox thinking; for example, in the late 1960s, scientists from the U.S. Department of Defense's Advanced Research Projects Agency presented their idea of a vast network of computers to leading scientists from IBM and AT&T—companies with innumerable research breakthroughs to their credit—and were ______ as impractical visionaries.

grouse

Instead of _______ about the policy, do something about it: write to your congressional representative.

dismiss

Investigators ________ the man's account of a visit to another planet aboard an alien spacecraft as the product of an overactive imagination.

neurotic

Irritability is one of the salient* features of a ______ personality.

antiquated

Is it banal* to say that good manners are------- in our milieu?*

corpulent

Is there any veracity* in the platitude* that ______ men are jocose?*

hoard

Isn't it a pity we can't ______ the ideal days of autumn?

cope

Just how our club's president is able to---- with so many disparate* personalities is something I'll never understand.

Ameliorate

Knowing they could not stop the spread of a contagion in a few days, health authorities worked to inhibit its spread and to ______ its effects by issuing warnings to the public and initiating immunization programs.

unwieldy

Kyra was so disgruntled* about having to move the -----piano, she procrastinated* for days.

Desultory

Larry's compositions proceed in a _________ manner despite the supplication of his English teacher.

Aesthetic

Members of the English _______ movement, such as Oscar Wilde, were proponents of the doctrine of art for art's sake, which is the belief that art cannot and should not be useful for any purpose other than that of creating beauty.

banal

Men believe that women's conversation is filled with ______ comments concerning clothing or food.

genre

Modern abstract painting is a highly lucrative* _____ _

Attenuate

Modern digital radio equipment allows even signals that have been greatly ________ to be transmitted by one station and received by another station.

euthanasia

Modern medicine's ability to prolong life has raised ethical questions, such as "Is ________ ever morally justifiable?''

indiscriminate

Modern warfare often results in the ______ killing of combatants and innocent civilians alike.

fidelity

Monks joining the Franciscan Order pledge _______ to the ideals and rules of the Order.

Abject

Most members of the Religious Society of Friends (commonly known as the Quakers or Friends) ___ the use of violence to settle disputes between nations.

Antediluvian

Most of our knowledge of _____ times has been built up as a result of one of humanity's grandest collaborative endeavors- the gathering, identification, dating and categorization of fossils as they are discovered.

reticent

Most politicians are ------when asked to divulge their ambitions.

Canard

Most politicians do not want to be associated with the old _______ that big government in Washington can solve all of America's problems.

herbivorous

Most researchers now believe that the common ancestor of apes and humans was a strongly _________ animal

ford

On South Africa's border, Zimbabwe migrants have to _______ crocodile-infested rivers.

interregnum

On his death there was an obscure _____ of five months, which ended by the election of Liuva.

felicitous

On that------ occasion the amount of money he spent was irrelevant.*

eschew

Once he sought the limelight, but now he ______ all interviews.

Aggrandize

Once of the concerns of the framers of the U.S. Constitution was that one branch of government would try to _____ itself at the expense of the others.

access

Once the druggist had been duped* into opening the store, the addict gained _____ to the pep pills.

myriad

Once the hoax had been concocted*, a------- of problems arose.

culpable

Once the incontrovertible* evidence was offered, the servant was held ______ in the theft of the jewels.

malady

Once the virulent* ______ had run its course. my temperature dropped.

fiat

One cannot govern by------- , the sedentary* mayor quickly learned: it is necessary to get out and meet the citizens if you want their cooperation.

voluminous

One has to be amazed at the----- amount of information that can be stored on a computer chip.

requisite

One mortifying*-------- for the position was that he would have to work for one year under the aegis* of a fatuous egotist.

idiosyncrasy

One of his little ______ was always preferring to be in the car first.

salient

One of the ______ features of her poetry is a dependence upon euphemisms.*

frieze

One of the best-known ______, on the outer wall of the Parthenon in Athens, is a 525-foot depiction of the Panathenaic procession honoring Athena.

Apothegm

One of the best-known political _________ was written by the British historian Lord Acton: "Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely."

guileless

One of the charms of the novel is that the ______ hero manages to defeat the scheming villain.

Coalesce

President John F. Kennedy said that Americans must be vigilant that the interests of business and the military do not ------ and thus undermine those of society as a whole.

Cartography

Satellites in Earth's orbit take pictures of topography that have greatly aided ________.

histrionics

Saying that he would not tolerate* her -------- the director fired the temperamental actress.

hermetic

Scholars have traced many of the _______ traditions of ancient Greece to Egypt.

Alloy

Scientists formulate ______ to create properties that are not possessed by natural metals or other substances.

longevity

Scientists have placed the ______ of the planet earth unbelievably into the future.

inert

Seeing the ______ player, the manager dashed out onto the field.

evocative

Somerset Maugham's short stories are often ________ of exotic places such as Pago-Pago and Gibraltar.

obscure

Space telescopes are making our ______ planets ever clearer.

lackluster

Speaking in a monotone, the politician was booed for his-------- address.

Adjunct

Speed walking, cross country running, and marathons are normally regarded as ____ of track and field athletics since races in these sports are not normally held on a track.

ubiquitous

Sprinting all over the court, the ------- referee called one foul after another.

Continence

St. Augustine's famous line, "Give me chastity and _______, but not just now" is sometimes used to highlight the ides that action is desirable at some point, but not at present.

Broach

Steve's boss knew that she couldn't put off warning him about his poor performance and decided to ____ the subject the next time she saw him.

inanimate

Stones are----- objects that have no life of their own.

sordid

Stories of their-------- youth poured forth from the unhappy felons.

saturate

Television in the new century was----- with the rebirth of the old quiz shows.

inexorable

Television sleuths are ______ in their pursuit of lawbreakers.

emaciated

The ------- residents of the Warsaw Ghetto managed to win several skirmishes from the Nazis.

iconoclast

The -------was in favor of jettisoning* one of the traditions that had become an intrinsic* part of his life.

saga

The -----of a lone man confronting* the turbulent* oceans in a small boat is an exploit* we find laudable.*

Ardor

The 20th C. American poet Wallace Stevens said, "It is the unknown that excited the _______ of scholars, who, in the known alone, would shrivel up with boredom."

Canon

The 60-volume Great Books of the Western World is an attempt to gather the central ________ of Western civilization into one collection.

insatiable

The American consumer appears to have an------ need for new products.

Anarchy

The American philosopher Robert Nozick does not advocate ______; rather, he argues for the merits of a minimal state that would not violate the natural rights of individuals.

Compunction

The American psychiatrist Frank Pittman said, "Men who have been raised violently have every reason to believe it is appropriate for them to control others through violence; they feel no ________ over being violent to women, children, and one another."

Covert

The CIA gathers information about foreign intelligence through many means, including ______ ones.

Approbation

The Congressional Medal of honor is the highest __________ an American soldier can receive.

divest

The candidate for secretary of defense pledged to _______ himself of the shares he held in defense-related companies.

besmirch

The candidate tired to ______ his opponent's record.

Aspersion

The Republic of Singapore is a young democracy, and its leaders often respond strongly to journalists and others who cast _______ on their integrity.

elicit

The Socratic method is designed to ______ responses that guide the student toward understanding.

flourish

The Sophists often gave interminable speeches full of rhetorical _______.

Asylum

The Stoic, accused of seeking ______ in the consolations of philosophy, rebutted this charge, saying that Stoicism is simply the most prudent and realistic philosophy to follow.

arbiter

The Supreme Court is our ultimate* ______ of legality.

Demur

The Supreme Court's decision was not unanimous; one justice ______, saying that the majority decision use specious reasoning.

epitome

The Taj Mahal in India is said to be the------ of grace as an edifice.

Cornucopia

The U>S> economy has produced a _____________ of employment opportunities.

Denizen

The US Census Bureau has the responsibility of collecting information about the _________ of the US.

genocide

The United Nations has outlawed ______ as the ultimate* crime, which must be eradicated.*

deride

The Wright brothers didn't become distraught* when a skeptic would _____ _ their work.

Banal

The Writer has a gift for making even the most ______ observation seem important and original.

Abysmal

The ____ failure of the free market system in Russia has led some people to argue that the planned economy of the Soviet Union, while not perfect, was better suited to Russia's history and culture than Western-style capitalism.

Brazen

The ____ student irritated his teacher by saying that he could learn more from a day spent "surfing" the World Wide Web than a day spent in school.

eminent

The ______ author received the Nobel Prize for literature.

hapless

The ______ contest winner was unable to locate the lucky ticket.

cumulative

The ______ effect of the summer's sultry* weather was to shorten everyone's temper.

vitriolic

The ______ language used by critics of the new play tended to obliterate* its good qualities.

erudite

The ______ man was more than merely bilingual; he spoke five languages.

meticulous

The ______ musician had nothing but disdain* for his disorganized friends.

pungent

The ______ odor of burning leaves marks the autumn season.

Credo

The ______ of Google is "Don't be evil."

pinnacle

The ______ of fame and success is often a transient* stage.

culprit

The ______ was caught with his fingers in the cookie jar.

etiology

The _______ of mental illness is complex because of the diversity of factors—social, biological, genetic, and psychological—that contribute to many disorders.

Cardinal

The _______ rule of any weight-loss diet must be limiting the intake of calories.

Lush

The _______ stage setting drew applause from the theater buffs.

doctrinaire

The ________ Marxists say that capitalism is merely a temporary phenomenon on the road to socialism.

Assiduous

The ________ people of Hong Kong live in a territory with one of the highest per capita incomes in the world.

Copious

The _________ rainfall was welcomed by farmers in the parched land.

conducive

The bedlam* in the study hall was not------ to good work habits.

egoism

The beginning of philosophy has been described as a moving away from ________ to an understanding of the larger world.

fallacious

The belief of the Nazis that they could create a "master race" was based on the _______ premise that some races are inherently superior to others.

cogent

The best debator makes the most------- presentation.

bias

The bigot's* ______ precipitated* a fistfight.

dulcet

The blase devotee of the opera was awakened from his ennui* by the ______ tones of the new soprano.

infamous

The bombing of Pearl Harbor was referred to as an--------- deed.

discrepancy

The book studies the __________ in values and outlook between men who fought in the war, whether voluntarily or not, and those who remained civilians.

Denouement

The book tells the story of what was for Europe a rather embarrassing _________ to the Crusades.

equivocate

The businessperson has earned a reputation as someone who never ________ and can be trusted to do exactly what he promises.

potentate

The callous*------- kept an imperturbable* mien* when requested to alleviate the unconscionable* conditions existing in his land.

sumptuous

The------- feast was prepared with impeccable* care.

eradicate

The criminal tried to------ all of the witnesses to the bizarre* murder.

egotistical

The critics accused the writer of being ________ since she wrote only about herself.

realm

The cruel king would not allow the prince to enter his--------- , restricting him to the forest, which abounded* with wild animals.

Collage

The cubist Juan Gris is noted for his use of ------ to create trompe l'oeil effects the illusion of photographic reality.

fluctuate

The current trend* in the stock market is for stocks to ______ in a sporadic* fashion.

deprecate

The cynic* will------ the motives of anyone who tries to ameliorate the iniquities in our society.

Caste

The dalits, formerly known as untouchables, are at the bottom of the thousands of _________ that make up Indian society.

hieroglyphics

The deciphering of _________ on the Rosetta Stone in 1822 was a great step forward in understanding _________.

irrelevant

The defendant was alleged* to have been an army deserter, but the judge said that was----- to the case.

somber

The deleterious results of his irate outburst put the previously jocose* audience in a --------mood.

nondescript

The detective had little to go on because of the ______ nature of the criminal.

facile

The detective interrogated the adamant prisoner in such a ______ way that he confessed after giving incontrovertible evidence.

implacable

The detective was ---- in his search for the murder weapon.

fiat

The dictator rules almost entirely by ____.

subjugate

The dictator used duplicity* in order to----- his rivals.

pernicious

The dictator's------- rules failed to intimidate* the leaders of the underground.

extinct

The dinosaur is an ______ species.

cant

The diplomat was astute* enough to see through the----- of the Machiavellian* ambassador.

sinecure

The director was ousted* from his ______ when he angered the mayor.

Appellation

The discovery of the bones of a person with the ____ Kennewick Man in the state of Washington in 1996 has raised important questions about who the earliest people to populate America were.

adherent

The disgruntled* ______ switched his loyalty to the opposition party.

Cacophonous

The dissonant harmonies of the great jazz pianist and composer Thelonious Monk might seem _______ to some listeners, but to many jazz aficionados they are sublime.

abortive

The divers made an------ attempt to rescue the dog from the murky* waters.

elixir

The doctor said that her prescription would help to alleviate my condition but that I could not expect it to be an ______.

reputed

The drug is ______ to have a salubrious• effect on nascent* conditions of this type.

apathy

The feeling of----- was so prevalent during the election campaign that the candidates hardly bothered to make speeches.

Affinity

The female students in the class felt an _______ for the ancient Greek playwright Euripides because he sympathized with women, slaves and other despised members of society.

aversion

The female------- to mice is considered absurd• by boys.

pensive

The fervid* marriage proposal made the shy girl _____ _

buff

The firemen did not have to cajole* the enthusiastic------ into helping them extinguish the blaze.

ennui

The fledgling* pianist knew that his mentor* would take umbrage* at his yawning during the lesson, but the feeling of -------was overwhelming.

dispersed

The fluffy seeds of the milkweed are ______ by the wind.

Alacrity

The football coach was pleased to see the team get to work on the task of improving its tackling skills with _____.

replete

The football game was ______ with excitement and great plays.

harangue

The football team sat silently listening to their coach's half-time _______ about poor tackling, dropped passes, and lost opportunities to score.

indigenous

The forest was replete with the kind of wildlife that is ______ to Mrica.

debacle

The fortuitous* appearance of a relief column permitted an adroit* escape from the imminent* _____ _

zealous

The fund raiser was so ______ that he solicited* money from a Salvation Army Santa Claus.

Ambiguous

The gender of the Mahayana Buddhist deity Avalokitesuara, the god of infinite mercy, is _____ in both China and Japan, where the god is sometimes called a goddess.

repudiate

The general attempted to --------the testimony of the lieutenant, claiming that the young officer was not an authority on low level bombing.

invalidate

The general was sure to------ the court-martial's decision once he learned of the flagrant* bias* of the presiding officer.

advocate

The general was sure to------- that we give the enemy no respite* from the bombings.

dissent

The gist* of his ominous* suggestion was that we ______ from the majority opinion.

deleterious

The gist* of the report was that smoking will have a ______ effect on health.

Conjugal

The goal of the Bennett sisters in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice is to find a suitable man to marry with whom they can live in ________ happiness.

Cosmic

The gods of ancient Greece were concerned not only with __________ events, but also with the ordinary events of everyday life.

altruistic

The good-hearted doctor went Into the jungle purely for------- reasons.

foment

The government accused the newspaper of _______ unrest in the country.

forestall

The government took steps to _______ an economic downturn by increasing government spending.

Banter

The governor engaged in some _______ with reporters before getting to the serious business of the news conference.

Chicanery

The governor ordered an audit to investigate alleged financial ________.

alacrity

The waiter moved with----- because he perceived* they were big tippers.

frustrate

The warden ______ the prisoners' attempt to escape by adding more guards.

barometer

The warmth of Mr. Smythe's greeting each morning may be construed* as an excellent-------- of his health.

connubial

The widow grew maudlin* as she reminisced about her former------- bliss.

tremulous

The widow's ______ hands revealed her nervousness.

bedlam

The winning team's dressing room was a scene of _____ _

emulate

The wish to ______ a great person is laudable.

calumny

The woman was noted for her vituperative* ______ against her innocuous,* although senile,* neighbor.

euphemism

The word "expired" is a----- for "died."

valor

The word "surrender" is anathema• to people of _____ _

ethnocentric

The words "primitive'' and "savage" reflect an ________ bias in Western culture that regards societies that do not have Western science and technology as inferior because they have not achieved as much material success as Western societies.

Convention

The work of French artist Henri Rousseau demonstrates a neivete that many people find more attractive than the sophistication of highly complex works that make use of all the _________ of their genre.

Caucus

The workers formed an informal _______ to discuss their difficulties.

Cozen

The writer H. L. Mencken pointed out that a common strategy of politicians is to ________ the people by exaggerating the seriousness of a problem and then offering a solution that, conveniently, only they can provide.

Cloister

The writer cloistered herself in a country house to finish her novel.

detraction

The writer responded in a letter to the critic's long list of ________ about his book.

Apposite

The writer searched two dictionaries and a thesaurus before finding the perfectly _______ word he was looking for.

Ascetic

The writer's _______ lifestyle helped her to concentrate on finishing her novel.

Carnal

The yogi's goal is the achieve nirvana through, among other things, the overcoming of _______ desires.

inchoate

The young couple was disappointed to see the ______ state of their new house.

Defer

The young lawyer ________ to the view of the senior partner in the law firm.

transient

The young lover was susceptible* to---- feelings of jealousy when he saw his sweetheart dancing with his best friend.

discomfit

The young man was ________ being the only male in the play.

Compliant

The young negotiator is trying to learn the skill of being open to proposals by the other side without seeming too _______.

Amenable

The young writer is _____ to suggestions for improving her prose style to make it more interesting.

plight

The----- of the refugees who wandered about in a desultory* fashion moved us to tears.

murky

The----- quality of the artist's latest painting is the antithesis* of her former style.

indigent

The------ client was surprised when she was accosted by her social worker in the elegant restaurant.

rustic

The------ life is supposed to be a tranquil* one.

vicissitudes

The------ of life in the Medical Corps are not for the squeamish.

obsolescence

The------- built into many products could be regarded as a flagrant* insult toward the duped* consumer.

arbitrary

To my mind the decision was unreasonable and --------.

technology

To our consternation, modern----- has made feasible* a spate of lethal* devices that could lead to the inadvertent destruction of the world.

futile

To some non-philosophers, the discipline seems frivolous and ______ because it produces no tangible benefits.

consternation

To the ______ of the sergeant, there was a paucity* of volunteers for the dangerous mission.

fatal

To the consternation* of the distraught* parents they learned their son was accused of using the lethal* weapon on that---- --occasion.

chagrin

To the------ of many taxpayers, some citizens seem to cheat the government with impunity.*

Demotic

Walt Whitman is considered by many to be a quintessentially American poet, a poet who celebrated the flory of the ordinary person; one critic praised him as a poet who was able to "make the _______ sing."

Avuncular

Walter Cronkite, who was the anchorman of CBS News during much of the 1970s and 1980s, had an ________ manner that made him one of America's most trusted personalities.

humility

We all expect ______ from the actors and actresses who win the Academy Awards.

compassion

We all felt deep ------for the innocent progeny, who were bereft* of their parents who had succumbed* during the conflagration.

benevolent

We all have moments when we vacillate* between selfish and ______ desires.

procrastinate

We all tend to------ when faced with an unsavory* task.

vacillate

We are all familiar with the cliche* that he who--------- is lost.

lethargic

We are all susceptible* to a ______ feeling after a heavy meal.

disseminate

We are quick to------ calumny,* but reticent* about things that may be construed* as compliments.

Machiavellian

We are ready to rationalize*------ activities on the part of our side if they are to the detriment• of our adversary.

histrionic

Whenever the star of the movie does not get her way on the set, she flies into a ________.

rail

While all disgruntled* men may------- against malevolent or Machiavellian* leaders, democracy offers a way to ameliorate iniquities through the ballot.

disseminate

While belief in reincarnation appeared as doctrine first in India and was ________ throughout Asia by Buddhism, it is interesting that it was accepted by the most influential philosophy of the West, Platonism, and by some important early Christian thinkers, such as the theologian Origen.

burgeon

While some moribund* economies atrophied* after World War II, others ______ under the salubrious* effects of loans from the U.S.

repose

While the palace guards were in -----, the rebels' coup began in earnest.

ostensible

While the------ enemy was the opposition leader, the main purpose of this rash* behavior was the eradication* of all opponents.

homogenous

While they started out as individuals, they became a ______ group whom he could motivate as he willed.

callous

Who can be------- about the presence of many indigent* families in close proximity* to affluence?*

conflagration

Who could imagine a more bizarre* story than the one having to do with a cow causing the------ in Chicago?

avarice

Who is not vulnerable* to some measure of ______ ?

deem

Whom do you------- to be the bulwark* of the Republican party?

crave

Why did Silas Marner ______ wealth and practice cupidity*?

confront

Why do we refuse to------ the unsavory* problems of our times In a candid* and incisive• way?

termagant

Why do you remain docile* while that ______ besmirches, maligns* and belittles* you?

excruciating

With --------slowness, the minute hand inched its way around the clock.

profligate

With a singular* disregard for his family, the ______ husband spent his salary on alcohol.

surreptitious

With a-------- movement, the meticulous• bookkeeper emptied the ash tray.

archaic

With all candor, I cannot wish for a return to the -------- times when a moribund* society provided an opulent existence for some, but a loathe some"' life for the majority.

indifference

With complete------ toward his personal safety, Lt. Regan openly challenged the puissant forces of the enemy.

jaunty

With his cap set at a------ angle, the amicable* sailor strutted down the street.

cumbersome

With rancor* he faced the ______ job of transporting the voluminous* records to his new office.

moribund

With the expansion of the supermarket, the small, local grocery store is in a ______ state.

wrest

With the help of his brothers he was able to ______ the leadership of the company from his partner.

Aver

Yogis ______ that everyone has a guru, whether it be a person, God, or the experiences of the world, that helps him or her practice the yoga that is in accordance with his or her nature, and assists on the path toward enlightenment.

allude

You can be sure the candidate will ______ to the moribund* state of our economy and offer his panacea.*

whet

You cannot------ his desire for the theater with dubious histrionics.

hirsute

You may have discerned* that it is no longer the latest vogue* among boys to permit their faces to become _____ _

reproach

You should not condone• his sordid* behavior; rather, ______ him for his fractious manner.

rue

You will------- that display of histrionics• when I asked you to help.

evince

Youngsters often do not ______ any curiosity about the lives of their parents or grandparents.

extol

Youngsters scoff* when their elders------ the halcyon days of long ago.

nepotism

Your efforts to ingratiate* yourself into your boss's favor are nullified* by the unmitigated*--------- manifest* in this firm.

Demographic

___________ trends in many European countries indicate that in the next generation there will be relatively fewer working people to support retired people.

goad

_______ by his friends into trying out for the football team as a walk-on, Jeff went on to become an ail-American linebacker.

Beatification

_______ is the second and next to last step on the path to sainthood.

gullible

_______ members of the audience believed the young performer's claim that he had composed "Hey, Jude."

Concave

________ lenses are used in glasses to compensate for myopia (nearsightedness).

discerning

________ movie critics have praised the work of producer Stanley Kubrick, who produced such excellent films as 2001, Dr. Strangelove, A Clockwork Orange, and Lolita.

Chivalry

________ was rooted in Christian values, and the knight was bound to be loyal to Christian ideals; the Crusades enhanced this idea, as knights vowed to uphold Christianity against heathens.

existential

________ writers such as Jean-Paul Sartre have argued that human beings are free, but that this freedom entails a burden of responsibility that makes them anxious.

Demography

_________ makes use of the knowledge of other fields such as geography and statistics.

Apropos

_________ of nothing, the speaker declared that the purpose of life is to love.

Axiomatic

`In 19th C geology, uniformitarianism was the antithesis of catastophism, asserting that it was _________ that natural law and processes do not fundamentally change, and that what we observe now is essentially the same as what occurred in the past.