Lesson 14

prodigious

(adj.) immense; extraordinary in bulk, size, or degree huge She is very proud of her son who has a ____________ talent for playing the guitar.

respite

a period of relief or rest break Gardening is the perfect hobby for those who need ______ from hectic city life.

portent

a sign or forewarning warning The thunder was a _____ of an approaching storm.

sordid

dirty mean The con artist had a _______ motive for being nice to the wealthy old man.

interminable

endless unending As he listened to one _____ speech after another, the reporter felt his eyes grow heavy.

surfeited

fed or supplied to excess glutted Janet made use of the _____ of holiday lights by decorating all the trees in her front yard.

avarice

greed cupidity Mr. Krab's ______ for money caused him to work his employees to the bone for little pay.

Parody

humorous imitation travesty The most popular movie at the theater is a ___that makes fun of an unforgettable sports film.

edifying

instructing and improving spiritually or morally tutor

desultory

jumping from one thing to another; disconnected At the party, the unfriendly boy made _____ conversation with a few of the other children.

espousing

marrying, giving one's loyalty; adopting or embracing a cause adopt Although the reviews were rather harsh, Emma had the grace to ______ the criticism and try to improve her performance.

cryptic

mysterious confusing My husband's _____ comment left me confused.

apocryphal

of doubtful origin or authenticity, not genuine false The old man often shared _______ ghost stories with anyone who would listen.

peripheral

on the edge, not important outer Despite the loss of a few _______ functions, the airplane will still be able to land safely.

hedonist

one who believes that pleasure is the sole aim in life pleasure seeker My neighbor is a ______ who likes to party all night.

profane

showing contempt toward sacred things lay When the coach heard the referee's call against his team, he began to yell _________ words.

animosity

strong dislike; bitter hostility hostility During the match, the ______ between the two wrestlers was obvious.

indefatigable

tireless untiring After losing her son in a car accident, April became an ___________ promoter of teen driver training.

equivocate

to attempt to lie palter The crooked salesman went out of his way to equivocate the sales terms to the elderly couple.

coalesce

to fuse or unite combine Local high school principals have agreed to _____ around new approaches for college preparation.

adulterate

to make impure spoil The restaurant was fined for trying to ______ the beef with cheap meats

collabrate

to work together unite In order for the team to perform a complex task, all members must collaborate with each other.

trifling

unimportant or trivial insignificant With a million dollar price tag, the diamond ring is far from a ________ item.

naive

unsophisticated natural While I may be a little _______, I do not believe in a giant rabbit that brings treats to kids on Easter Sunday.

dissipation

wasteful spending, squandering dissolution While a stove-top gets extremely hot after use, the __________ of the heat into the air will eventually help it cool down again.