SAT+Vocabulary+Words+and+Definitions

AP English Language and Composition Vocabulary List A abjure  (v.) to reject, renounce (To prove his honesty, the president //abjured //the evil policies of his wicked predecessor.)
 * Page 1 (abjure-cogent)**

abrogate  (v.) to abolish, usually by authority (The Bill of Rights assures that the government cannot //abrogate //our right to a free press.)

acerbic  (adj.) biting, bitter in tone or taste (Jill became extremely //acerbic //and began to cruelly make fun of all her friends.)

acrimony  (n.) bitterness, discord (Though they vowed that no girl would ever come between them, Biff and Trevor could not keep //acrimony //from overwhelming their friendship after they both fell in love with the lovely Teresa.)

acumen <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (n.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">keen insight (Because of his mathematical //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">acumen //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">, Larry was able to figure out in minutes problems that took other students hours.)

adumbrate <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (v.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">to sketch out in a vague way (The coach //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">adumbrated //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">a game plan, but none of the players knew precisely what to do.)

alacrity <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (n.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">eagerness, speed (For some reason, Chuck loved to help his mother whenever he could, so when his mother asked him to set the table, he did so with //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">alacrity //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">.)

anathema <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (n.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">a cursed, detested person (I never want to see that murderer. He is an //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">anathema //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">to me.)

antipathy <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (n.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">a strong dislike, repugnance (I know you love me, but because you are a liar and a thief, I feel nothing but //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">antipathy //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">for you.)

approbation <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (n.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">praise (The crowd welcomed the heroes with //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">approbation //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">.)

arrogate <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (v.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">to take without justification (The king //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">arrogated //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">the right to order executions to himself exclusively.)

ascetic <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">practicing restraint as a means of self-discipline, usually religious (The priest lives an //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">ascetic //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">life devoid of television, savory foods, and other pleasures.)

aspersion <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (n.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">a curse, expression of ill-will (The rival politicians repeatedly cast //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">aspersions //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">on each others’ integrity.)

assiduous <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">hard-working, diligent (The construction workers erected the skyscraper during two years of //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">assiduous //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">labor.)

B blandish <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (v.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">to coax by using flattery (Rachel’s assistant tried to //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">blandish //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">her into accepting the deal.)

boon <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (n.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">a gift or blessing (The good weather has been a //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">boon //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">for many businesses located near the beach.)

brusque <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">short, abrupt, dismissive (The captain’s //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">brusque //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">manner offended the passengers.)

buffet 1. //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">(v.) //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">to strike with force (The strong winds //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">buffeted //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">the ships, threatening to capsize them.)

2. //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">(n.) //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">an arrangement of food set out on a table (Rather than sitting around a table, the guests took food from our //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">buffet //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">and ate standing up.)

burnish <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (v.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">to polish, shine (His mother asked him to //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">burnish //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">the silverware before setting the table.)

buttress 1. //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">(v.) //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">to support, hold up (The column //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">buttresses //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">the roof above the statue.)

2. //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">(n.) //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">something that offers support (The //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">buttress //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">supports the roof above the statues.)

C cacophony <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (n.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">tremendous noise, disharmonious sound (The elementary school orchestra created a //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">cacophony //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">at the recital.)

cajole <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (v.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">to urge, coax (Fred’s buddies //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">cajoled //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">him into attending the bachelor party.)

calumny <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (n.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">an attempt to spoil someone else’s reputation by spreading lies (The local official’s //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">calumny //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">ended up ruining his opponent’s prospect of winning the election.)

capricious <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">subject to whim, fickle (The young girl’s //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">capricious //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">tendencies made it difficult for her to focus on achieving her goals.)

clemency <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (n.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">mercy (After he forgot their anniversary, Martin could only beg Maria for //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">clemency //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">.)

cogent <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">intellectually convincing (Irene’s arguments in favor of abstinence were so //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">cogent //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">that I could not resist them.) <span style="font-family: Calibri,Calibri;">

<span style="font-family: Calibri,Calibri;">**__Page 2 (concomitant- evanescent)__**
concomitant <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">accompanying in a subordinate fashion (His dislike of hard work carried with it a //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">concomitant //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">lack of funds.)

conflagration <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (n.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">great fire (The //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">conflagration //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">consumed the entire building.)

contrite <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">penitent, eager to be forgiven (Blake’s //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">contrite //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">behavior made it impossible to stay angry at him.)

conundrum <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (n.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">puzzle, problem (Interpreting Jane’s behavior was a constant //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">conundrum //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">.)

credulity <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (n.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">readiness to believe (His //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">credulity //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">made him an easy target for con men.)

cupidity <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (n.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">greed, strong desire (His //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">cupidity //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">made him enter the abandoned gold mine despite the obvious dangers.)

cursory <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">brief to the point of being superficial (Late for the meeting, she cast a //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">cursory //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">glance at the agenda.)

D decry <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (v.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">to criticize openly (The kind video rental clerk //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">decried //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">the policy of charging customers late fees.)

defile <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (v.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">to make unclean, impure (She //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">defiled //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">the calm of the religious building by playing her banjo.)

deleterious <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">harmful (She experienced the //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">deleterious //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">effects of running a marathon without stretching her muscles enough beforehand.)

demure <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">quiet, modest, reserved (Though everyone else at the party was dancing and going crazy, she remained //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">demure //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">.)

deprecate <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (v.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">to belittle, depreciate (Always over-modest, he //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">deprecated //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">his contribution to the local charity.)

deride <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (v.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">to laugh at mockingly, scorn (The bullies //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">derided //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">the foreign student’s accent.)

desecrate <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (v.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">to violate the sacredness of a thing or place (They feared that the construction of a golf course would //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">desecrate //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">the preserved wilderness.)

desiccated <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">dried up, dehydrated (The skin of the //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">desiccated //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">mummy looked like old paper.)

diaphanous <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">light, airy, transparent (Sunlight poured in through the //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">diaphanous //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">curtains, brightening the room.)

diffident <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">shy, quiet, modest (While eating dinner with the adults, the //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">diffident //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">youth did not speak for fear of seeming presumptuous.)

discursive <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">rambling, lacking order (The professor’s //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">discursive //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">lectures seemed to be about every subject except the one initially described.)

dissemble <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (v.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">to conceal, fake (Not wanting to appear heartlessly greedy, she //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">dissembled //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">and hid her intention to sell her ailing father’s stamp collection.)

dither <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (v.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">to be indecisive (Not wanting to offend either friend, he //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">dithered //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">about which of the two birthday parties he should attend.)

E ebullient <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">extremely lively, enthusiastic (She became //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">ebullient //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">upon receiving an acceptance letter from her first-choice college.)

effrontery <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (n.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">impudence, nerve, insolence (When I told my aunt that she was boring, my mother scolded me for my //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">effrontery //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">.)

effulgent <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">radiant, splendorous (The golden palace was //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">effulgent //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">.)

egregious <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">extremely bad (The student who threw sloppy joes across the cafeteria was punished for his //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">egregious //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">behavior.)

enervate <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (v.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">to weaken, exhaust (Writing these sentences //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">enervates //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">me so much that I will have to take a nap after I finish.)

ephemeral <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">short-lived, fleeting (She promised she’d love me forever, but her "forever" was only //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">ephemeral //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">: she left me after one week.)

eschew <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (v.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">to shun, avoid (George hates the color green so much that he //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">eschews //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">all green food.)

evanescent <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">fleeting, momentary (My joy at getting promoted was //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">evanescent //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">because I discovered that I would have to work much longer hours in a less friendly office.)


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evince <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (v.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">to show, reveal (Christopher’s hand-wringing and nail-biting //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">evince //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">how nervous he is about the upcoming English test.)

exculpate <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (v.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">to free from guilt or blame, exonerate (My discovery of the ring behind the dresser //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">exculpated //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">me from the charge of having stolen it.)

execrable <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">loathsome, detestable (Her pudding is so //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">execrable //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">that it makes me sick.)

exigent <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">urgent, critical (The patient has an //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">exigent //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">need for medication, or else he will lose his sight.)

expiate <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (v.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">to make amends for, atone (To //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">expiate //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">my selfishness, I gave all my profits to charity.)

expunge <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (v.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">to obliterate, eradicate (Fearful of an IRS investigation, Paul tried to //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">expunge //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">all incriminating evidence from his tax files.)

extant <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">existing, not destroyed or lost (My mother’s //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">extant //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">love letters to my father are in the attic trunk.)

extol <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (v.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">to praise, revere (Violet //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">extolled //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">the virtues of a vegetarian diet to her meat-loving brother.)

F fallacious <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">incorrect, misleading (Emily offered me cigarettes on the //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">fallacious //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">assumption that I smoked.)

fastidious <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">meticulous, demanding, having high and often unattainable standards (Mark is so //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">fastidious //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">that he is never able to finish a project because it always seems imperfect to him.)

fatuous <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">silly, foolish (He considers himself a serious poet, but in truth, he only writes //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">fatuous //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">limericks.)

fecund <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">fruitful, fertile (The //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">fecund //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">tree bore enough apples to last us through the entire season.)

feral <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">wild, savage (That beast looks so //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">feral //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">that I would fear being alone with it.)

fetid <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">having a foul odor (I can tell from the //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">fetid //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">smell in your refrigerator that your milk has spoiled.)

florid <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">flowery, ornate (The writer’s //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">florid //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">prose belongs on a sentimental Hallmark card.)

fractious <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">troublesome or irritable (Although the child insisted he wasn’t tired, his //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">fractious //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">behavior—especially his decision to crush his cheese and crackers all over the floor—convinced everyone present that it was time to put him to bed.)

G garrulous <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">talkative, wordy (Some talk-show hosts are so //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">garrulous //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">that their guests can’t get a word in edgewise.)

grandiloquence <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (n.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">lofty, pompous language (The student thought her //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">grandiloquence //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">would make her sound smart, but neither the class nor the teacher bought it.)

gregarious <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">drawn to the company of others, sociable (Well, if you’re not //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">gregarious //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">, I don’t know why you would want to go to a singles party!)

H hackneyed <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">unoriginal, trite (A girl can only hear "I love you" so many times before it begins to sound //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">hackneyed //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">and meaningless.)

hapless <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">unlucky (My poor, //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">hapless //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">family never seems to pick a sunny week to go on vacation.)

harangue 1. //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">(n.) //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">a ranting speech (Everyone had heard the teacher’s //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">harangue //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">about gum chewing in class before.)

2. //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">(v.) //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">to give such a speech (But this time the teacher //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">harangued //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">the class about the importance of brushing your teeth after chewing gum.)

hegemony <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (n.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">domination over others (Britain’s //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">hegemony //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">over its colonies was threatened once nationalist sentiment began to spread around the world.)

I iconoclast <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (n.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">one who attacks common beliefs or institutions (Jane goes to one protest after another, but she seems to be an //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">iconoclast //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">rather than an activist with a progressive agenda.)

ignominious <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">humiliating, disgracing (It was really //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">ignominious //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">to be kicked out of the dorm for having an illegal gas stove in my room.)

impassive <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">stoic, not susceptible to suffering (Stop being so //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">impassive //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">; it’s healthy to cry every now and then.)


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imperious <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">commanding, domineering (The //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">imperious //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">nature of your manner led me to dislike you at once.)

impertinent <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">rude, insolent (Most of your comments are so //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">impertinent //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">that I don’t wish to dignify them with an answer.)

impervious <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">impenetrable, incapable of being affected (Because of their thick layer of fur, many seals are almost //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">impervious //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">to the cold.)

impetuous <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">rash; hastily done (Hilda’s hasty slaying of the king was an //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">impetuous //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">, thoughtless action.)

impinge 1. //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">(v.) //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">to impact, affect, make an impression (The hail //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">impinged //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">the roof, leaving large dents.)

2. //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">(v.) //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">to encroach, infringe (I apologize for //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">impinging //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">upon you like this, but I really need to use your bathroom. Now.)

implacable <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">incapable of being appeased or mitigated (Watch out: Once you shun Grandma’s cooking, she is totally //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">implacable //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">.)

impudent <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">casually rude, insolent, impertinent (The //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">impudent //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">young man looked the princess up and down and told her she was hot even though she hadn’t asked him.)

inchoate <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">unformed or formless, in a beginning stage (The country’s government is still //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">inchoate //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">and, because it has no great tradition, quite unstable.)

incontrovertible <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">indisputable (Only stubborn Tina would attempt to disprove the //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">incontrovertible //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">laws of physics.)

indefatigable <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">incapable of defeat, failure, decay (Even after traveling 62 miles, the //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">indefatigable //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">runner kept on moving.)

ineffable <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">unspeakable, incapable of being expressed through words (It is said that the experience of playing with a dolphin is //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">ineffable //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">and can only be understood through direct encounter.)

inexorable <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">incapable of being persuaded or placated (Although I begged for hours, Mom was //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">inexorable //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">and refused to let me stay out all night after the prom.)

ingenuous <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">not devious; innocent and candid (He must have writers, but his speeches seem so //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">ingenuous //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">it’s hard to believe he’s not speaking from his own heart.)

inimical <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">hostile (I don’t see how I could ever work for a company that was so cold and //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">inimical //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">to me during my interviews.)

iniquity <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (n.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">wickedness or sin ("Your //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">iniquity //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">," said the priest to the practical jokester, "will be forgiven.")

insidious <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">appealing but imperceptibly harmful, seductive (Lisa’s //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">insidious //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">chocolate cake tastes so good but makes you feel so sick later on!)

intransigent <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">refusing to compromise, often on an extreme opinion (The //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">intransigent //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">child said he would have 12 scoops of ice cream or he would bang his head against the wall until his mother fainted from fear.)

inure <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (v.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">to cause someone or something to become accustomed to a situation (Twenty years in the salt mines //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">inured //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">the man to the discomforts of dirt and grime.)

invective <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (n.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">an angry verbal attack (My mother’s irrational //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">invective //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">against the way I dress only made me decide to dye my hair green.)

inveterate <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">stubbornly established by habit (I’m the first to admit that I’m an //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">inveterate //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">coffee drinker—I drink four cups a day.)

J jubilant <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">extremely joyful, happy (The crowd was //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">jubilant //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">when the firefighter carried the woman from the flaming building.)

juxtaposition <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (n.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">the act of placing two things next to each other for implicit comparison (The interior designer admired my //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">juxtaposition //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">of the yellow couch and green table.)

L laconic <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">terse in speech or writing (The author’s //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">laconic //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">style has won him many followers who dislike wordiness.)

languid <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">sluggish from fatigue or weakness (In the summer months, the great heat makes people //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">languid //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">and lazy.)

largess <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (n.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">the generous giving of lavish gifts (My boss demonstrated great //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">largess //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">by giving me a new car.)


 * __Page 5 (latent-neophyte)__**

latent <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">hidden, but capable of being exposed (Sigmund’s dream represented his //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">latent //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">paranoid obsession with other people’s shoes.)

legerdemain <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (n.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">deception, slight-of-hand (Smuggling the French plants through customs by claiming that they were fake was a remarkable bit of //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">legerdemain //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">.)

licentious <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">displaying a lack of moral or legal restraints (Marilee has always been fascinated by the //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">licentious //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">private lives of politicians.)

limpid <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">clear, transparent (Mr. Johnson’s //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">limpid //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">writing style greatly pleased readers who disliked complicated novels.)

M maelstrom <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (n.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">a destructive whirlpool which rapidly sucks in objects (Little did the explorers know that as they turned the next bend of the calm river a vicious //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">maelstrom //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">would catch their boat.)

magnanimous <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">noble, generous (Although I had already broken most of her dishes, Jacqueline was //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">magnanimous //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">enough to continue letting me use them.)

malediction <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (n.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">a curse (When I was arrested for speeding, I screamed //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">maledictions //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">against the policeman and the entire police department.)

malevolent <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">wanting harm to befall others (The //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">malevolent //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">old man sat in the park all day, tripping unsuspecting passersby with his cane.)

manifold <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">diverse, varied (The popularity of Dante’s //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">Inferno //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">is partly due to the fact that the work allows for //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">manifold //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">interpretations.)

maudlin <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">weakly sentimental (Although many people enjoy romantic comedies, I usually find them //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">maudlin //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">and shallow.)

mawkish <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">characterized by sick sentimentality (Although some nineteenth- century critics viewed Dickens’s writing as //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">mawkish //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">, contemporary readers have found great emotional depth in his works.)

mendacious <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">having a lying, false character (The //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">mendacious //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">content of the tabloid magazines is at least entertaining.)

mercurial <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">characterized by rapid change or temperamentality (Though he was widely respected for his mathematical proofs, the //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">mercurial //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">genius was impossible to live with.)

modicum <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (n.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">a small amount of something (Refusing to display even a //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">modicum //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">of sensitivity, Henrietta announced her boss’s affair in front of the entire office.)

morass <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (n.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">a wet swampy bog; figuratively, something that traps and confuses (When Theresa lost her job, she could not get out of her financial //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">morass //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">.)

multifarious <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">having great diversity or variety (This Swiss Army knife has //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">multifarious //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">functions and capabilities. Among other things, it can act as a knife, a saw, a toothpick, and a slingshot.)

munificence <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (n.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">generosity in giving (The royal family’s //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">munificence //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">made everyone else in their country rich.)

myriad <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">consisting of a very great number (It was difficult to decide what to do Friday night because the city presented us with //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">myriad //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">possibilities for fun.)

N nadir <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (n.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">the lowest point of something (My day was boring, but the //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">nadir //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">came when I accidentally spilled a bowl of spaghetti on my head.)

nascent <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">in the process of being born or coming into existence (Unfortunately, my brilliant paper was only in its //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">nascent //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">form on the morning that it was due.)

nefarious <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">heinously villainous (Although Dr. Meanman’s //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">nefarious //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">plot to melt the polar icecaps was terrifying, it was so impractical that nobody really worried about it.)

neophyte <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (n.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">someone who is young or inexperienced (As a //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">neophyte //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">in the literary world, Malik had trouble finding a publisher for his first novel.)


 * __Page 6 (obeurate-perspicacity)__**

O obdurate <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">unyielding to persuasion or moral influences (The //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">obdurate //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">old man refused to take pity on the kittens.)

obfuscate <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (v.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">to render incomprehensible (The detective did not want to answer the newspaperman’s questions, so he //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">obfuscated //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">the truth.)

oblique <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">diverging from a straight line or course, not straightforward (Martin’s //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">oblique //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">language confused those who listened to him.)

obsequious <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">excessively compliant or submissive (Mark acted like Janet’s servant, obeying her every request in an //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">obsequious //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">manner.)

obstreperous <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">noisy, unruly (Billy’s //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">obstreperous //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">behavior prompted the librarian to ask him to leave the reading room.)

obtuse <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">lacking quickness of sensibility or intellect (Political opponents warned that the prime minister’s //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">obtuse //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">approach to foreign policy would embroil the nation in mindless war.)

odious <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">instilling hatred or intense displeasure (Mark was assigned the //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">odious //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">task of cleaning the cat’s litter box.)

officious <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">offering one’s services when they are neither wanted nor needed (Brenda resented Allan’s //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">officious //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">behavior when he selected colors that might best improve her artwork.)

opulent <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">characterized by rich abundance verging on ostentation (The //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">opulent //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">furnishings of the dictator’s private compound contrasted harshly with the meager accommodations of her subjects.)

ostensible <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">appearing as such, seemingly (Jack’s //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">ostensible //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">reason for driving was that airfare was too expensive, but in reality, he was afraid of flying.)

P palliate <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (v.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">to reduce the severity of (The doctor trusted that the new medication would //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">palliate //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">her patient’s discomfort.)

pallid <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">lacking color (Dr. Van Helsing feared that Lucy’s //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">pallid //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">complexion was due to an unexplained loss of blood.)

panacea <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (n.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">a remedy for all ills or difficulties (Doctors wish there was a single //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">panacea //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">for every disease, but sadly there is not.)

paragon <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (n.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">a model of excellence or perfection (The mythical Helen of Troy was considered a //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">paragon //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">of female beauty.)

pariah <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (n.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">an outcast (Following the discovery of his plagiarism, Professor Hurley was made a //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">pariah //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">in all academic circles.)

parsimony <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (n.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">frugality, stinginess (Many relatives believed that my aunt’s wealth resulted from her //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">parsimony //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">.)

pathos <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (n.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">an emotion of sympathy (Martha filled with //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">pathos //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">upon discovering the scrawny, shivering kitten at her door.)

paucity <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">small in quantity (Gilbert lamented the //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">paucity //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">of twentieth-century literature courses available at the college.)

pejorative <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">derogatory, uncomplimentary (The evening’s headline news covered an international scandal caused by a //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">pejorative //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">statement the famous senator had made in reference to a foreign leader.)

pellucid <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">easily intelligible, clear (Wishing his book to be //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">pellucid //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">to the common man, Albert Camus avoided using complicated grammar when composing //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">The Stranger //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">.)

penurious <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">miserly, stingy (Stella complained that her husband’s //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">penurious //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">ways made it impossible to live the lifestyle she felt she deserved.)

perfidious <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">disloyal, unfaithful (After the official was caught selling government secrets to enemy agents, he was executed for his //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">perfidious //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">ways.)

perfunctory <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">showing little interest or enthusiasm (The radio broadcaster announced the news of the massacre in a surprisingly //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">perfunctory //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">manner.)

pernicious <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">extremely destructive or harmful (The new government feared that the Communist sympathizers would have a //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">pernicious //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">influence on the nation’s stability.)

perspicacity <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">shrewdness, perceptiveness (The detective was too humble to acknowledge that his //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">perspicacity //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">was the reason for his professional success.)


 * __Page 7 (pertinacious-quixotic)__**

pertinacious <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">stubbornly persistent (Harry’s parents were frustrated with his //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">pertinacious //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">insistence that a monster lived in his closet. Then they opened the closet door and were eaten.)

petulance <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (n.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">rudeness, irritability (The nanny resigned after she could no longer tolerate the child’s //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">petulance //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">.)

pithy <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">concisely meaningful (My father’s long-winded explanation was a stark contrast to his usually //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">pithy //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">statements.)

platitude <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (n.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">an uninspired remark, cliché (After reading over her paper, Helene concluded that what she thought were profound insights were actually just //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">platitudes //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">.)

plethora <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (n.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">an abundance, excess (The wedding banquet included a //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">plethora //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">of oysters piled almost three feet high.)

polemic <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (n.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">an aggressive argument against a specific opinion (My brother launched into a //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">polemic //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">against my arguments that capitalism was an unjust economic system.)

portent <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (n.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">an omen (When a black cat crossed my sister’s path while she was walking to school, she took it as a //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">portent //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">that she would do badly on her spelling test.)

precocious <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">advanced, developing ahead of time (Derek was so academically //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">precocious //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">that by the time he was 10 years old, he was already in the ninth grade.)

prescient <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">to have foreknowledge of events (Questioning the fortune cookie’s prediction, Ray went in search of the old hermit who was rumored to be //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">prescient //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">.)

primeval <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">original, ancient (The first primates to walk on two legs, called //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">Australopithecus, //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">were the //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">primeval //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">descendants of modern man.)

probity <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (n.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">virtue, integrity (Because he was never viewed as a man of great //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">probity //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">, no one was surprised by Mr. Samson’s immoral behavior.)

proclivity <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (n.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">a strong inclination toward something (In a sick twist of fate, Harold’s childhood //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">proclivity //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">for torturing small animals grew into a desire to become a surgeon.)

promulgate <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (v.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">to proclaim, make known (The film professor //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">promulgated //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">that both in terms of sex appeal and political intrigue, Sean Connery’s James Bond was superior to Roger Moore’s.)

propensity <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (n.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">an inclination, preference (Dermit has a //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">propensity //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">for dangerous activities such as bungee jumping.)

propitious <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">favorable (The dark storm clouds visible on the horizon suggested that the weather would not be //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">propitious //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">for sailing.)

prosaic <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">plain, lacking liveliness (Heather’s //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">prosaic //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">recital of the poem bored the audience.)

proscribe <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (v.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">to condemn, outlaw (The town council voted to //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">proscribe //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">the sale of alcohol on weekends.)

protean <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">able to change shape; displaying great variety (Among Nigel’s //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">protean //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">talents was his ability to touch the tip of his nose with his tongue.)

prurient <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">eliciting or possessing an extraordinary interest in sex (David’s mother was shocked by the discovery of //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">prurient //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">reading material hidden beneath her son’s mattress.)

puerile <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">juvenile, immature (The judge demanded order after the lawyer’s //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">puerile //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">attempt to object by stomping his feet on the courtroom floor.)

pugnacious <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">quarrelsome, combative (Aaron’s //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">pugnacious //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">nature led him to start several barroom brawls each month.)

pulchritude <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (n.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">physical beauty (Several of Shakespeare’s sonnets explore the //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">pulchritude //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">of a lovely young man.)

punctilious <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">eager to follow rules or conventions ( //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">Punctilious //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">Bobby, hall monitor extraordinaire, insisted that his peers follow the rules.)

Q quagmire <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (n.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">a difficult situation (We’d all like to avoid the kind of military //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">quagmire //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">characterized by the Vietnam War.)

querulous <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">whiny, complaining (If deprived of his pacifier, young Brendan becomes //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">querulous //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">.)

quixotic <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">idealistic, impractical (Edward entertained a //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">quixotic //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">desire to fall in love at first sight in a laundromat.)


 * __Page 8 rancor-spurious__**

R rancor <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (n.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">deep, bitter resentment (When Eileen challenged me to a fight, I could see the //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">rancor //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">in her eyes.)

rebuke <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (v.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">to scold, criticize (When the cops showed up at Sarah’s party, they //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">rebuked //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">her for disturbing the peace.)

recalcitrant <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">defiant, unapologetic (Even when scolded, the //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">recalcitrant //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">young girl simply stomped her foot and refused to finish her lima beans.)

rectitude <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (n.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">uprightness, extreme morality (The priest’s //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">rectitude //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">gave him the moral authority to counsel his parishioners.)

replete <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">full, abundant (The unedited version was //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">replete //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">with naughty words.)

reprobate <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">evil, unprincipled (The //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">reprobate //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">criminal sat sneering in the cell.)

reprove <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (v.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">to scold, rebuke (Lara //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">reproved //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">her son for sticking each and every one of his fingers into the strawberry pie.)

repudiate <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (v.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">to reject, refuse to accept (Kwame made a strong case for an extension of his curfew, but his mother //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">repudiated //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">it with a few biting words.)

rescind <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (v.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">to take back, repeal (The company //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">rescinded //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">its offer of employment after discovering that Jane’s resume was full of lies.)

restive <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">resistant, stubborn, impatient (The //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">restive //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">audience pelted the band with mud and yelled nasty comments.)

ribald <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">coarsely, crudely humorous (While some giggled at the //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">ribald //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">joke involving a parson’s daughter, most sighed and rolled their eyes.)

rife <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">abundant (Surprisingly, the famous novelist’s writing was //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">rife //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">with spelling errors.)

ruse <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (n.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">a trick (Oliver concocted an elaborate //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">ruse //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">for sneaking out of the house to meet his girlfriend while simultaneously giving his mother the impression that he was asleep in bed.)

S sacrosanct <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">holy, something that should not be criticized (In the United States, the Constitution is often thought of as a //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">sacrosanct //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">document.)

sagacity <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (n.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">shrewdness, soundness of perspective (With remarkable //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">sagacity //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">, the wise old man predicted and thwarted his children’s plan to ship him off to a nursing home.)

salient <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">significant, conspicuous (One of the //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">salient //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">differences between Alison and Nancy is that Alison is a foot taller.)

sanctimonious <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">giving a hypocritical appearance of piety (The //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">sanctimonious //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">Bertrand delivered stern lectures on the Ten Commandments to anyone who would listen, but thought nothing of stealing cars to make some cash on the side.)

sanguine <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">optimistic, cheery (Polly reacted to any bad news with a //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">sanguine //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">smile and the chirpy cry, "When life hands you lemons, make lemonade!")

scurrilous <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">vulgar, coarse (When Bruno heard the //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">scurrilous //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">accusation being made about him, he could not believe it because he always tried to be nice to everyone.)

serendipity <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (n.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">luck, finding good things without looking for them (In an amazing bit of //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">serendipity //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">, penniless Paula found a $20 bill in the subway station.)

servile <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">subservient (The //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">servile //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">porter crept around the hotel lobby, bowing and quaking before the guests.)

solicitous <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">concerned, attentive (Jim, laid up in bed with a nasty virus, enjoyed the //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">solicitous //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">attentions of his mother, who brought him soup and extra blankets.)

solipsistic <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">believing that oneself is all that exists (Colette’s //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">solipsistic //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">attitude completely ignored the plight of the homeless people on the street.)

somnolent <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">sleepy, drowsy (The //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">somnolent //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">student kept falling asleep and waking up with a jerk.)

spurious <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">false but designed to seem plausible (Using a //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">spurious //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">argument, John convinced the others that he had won the board game on a technicality.)


 * __Page 9 (staid-upbraid)__**

staid <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">sedate, serious, self-restrained (The //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">staid //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">butler never changed his expression no matter what happened.)

stolid <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">expressing little sensibility, unemotional (Charles’s //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">stolid //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">reaction to his wife’s funeral differed from the passion he showed at the time of her death.)

stupefy <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (v.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">to astonish, make insensible (Veronica’s audacity and ungratefulness //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">stupefied //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">her best friend, Heather.)

surfeit <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (n.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">an overabundant supply or indulgence (After partaking of the //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">surfeit //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">of tacos and tamales at the All-You-Can-Eat Taco Tamale Lunch Special, Beth felt rather sick.)

surmise <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (v.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">to infer with little evidence (After speaking to only one of the students, the teacher was able to //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">surmise //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">what had caused the fight.)

surreptitious <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">stealthy (The //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">surreptitious //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">CIA agents were able to get in and out of the house without anyone noticing.)

sycophant <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (n.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">one who flatters for self-gain (Some see the people in the cabinet as the president’s closest advisors, but others see them as //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">sycophants //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">.)

T tacit <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">expressed without words (I interpreted my parents’ refusal to talk as a //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">tacit //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">acceptance of my request.)

taciturn <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">not inclined to talk (Though Jane never seems to stop talking, her brother is quite //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">taciturn //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">.)

tantamount <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">equivalent in value or significance (When it comes to sports, fearing your opponent is //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">tantamount //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">to losing.)

temerity <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (n.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">audacity, recklessness (Tom and Huck entered the scary cave armed with nothing but their own //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">temerity //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">.)

tenuous <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">having little substance or strength (Your argument is very //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">tenuous //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">, since it relies so much on speculation and hearsay.)

timorous <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">timid, fearful (When dealing with the unknown, //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">timorous //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">Tallulah almost always broke into tears.)

torpid <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">lethargic, dormant, lacking motion (The //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">torpid //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">whale floated, wallowing in the water for hours.)

tractable <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">easily controlled (The horse was so //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">tractable //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">, Myra didn’t even need a bridle.)

transient <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">passing through briefly; passing into and out of existence (Because virtually everyone in Palm Beach is a tourist, the population of the town is quite //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">transient //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">.)

transmute <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (v.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">to change or alter in form (Ancient alchemists believed that it was possible to //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">transmute //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">lead into gold.)

trenchant <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">effective, articulate, clear-cut (The directions that accompanied my new cell phone were //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">trenchant //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">and easy to follow.)

truculent <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">ready to fight, cruel (This club doesn’t really attract the dangerous types, so why was that bouncer being so //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">truculent //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">?)

turgid <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">swollen, excessively embellished in style or language (The haughty writer did not realize how we all really felt about his //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">turgid //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">prose.)

turpitude <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (n.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">depravity, moral corruption (Sir Marcus’s chivalry often contrasted with the //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">turpitude //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">he exhibited with the ladies at the tavern.)

U ubiquitous <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">existing everywhere, widespread (It seems that everyone in the United States has a television. The technology is //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">ubiquitous //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">here.)

umbrage <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (n.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">resentment, offense (He called me a lily-livered coward, and I took //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">umbrage //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">at the insult.)

unctuous <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">smooth or greasy in texture, appearance, manner (The //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">unctuous //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">receptionist seemed untrustworthy, as if she was only being helpful because she thought we might give her a big tip.)

undulate <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (v.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">to move in waves (As the storm began to brew, the placid ocean began to //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">undulate //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">to an increasing degree.)

upbraid <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (v.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">to criticize or scold severely (The last thing Lindsay wanted was for Lisa to //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">upbraid //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">her again about missing the rent payment.) <span style="font-family: Calibri,Calibri;">


 * __Page 10 (usurp-zephyr)__**

usurp <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (v.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">to seize by force, take possession of without right (The rogue army general tried to //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">usurp //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">control of the government, but he failed because most of the army backed the legally elected president.)

V vacillate <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (v.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">to fluctuate, hesitate (I prefer a definite answer, but my boss kept //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">vacillating //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">between the distinct options available to us.)

vacuous <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">lack of content or ideas, stupid (Beyoncé realized that the lyrics she had just penned were completely //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">vacuous //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">and tried to add more substance.)

vapid <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">lacking liveliness, dull (The professor’s comments about the poem were surprisingly //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">vapid //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">and dull.)

variegated <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">diversified, distinctly marked (Each wire in the engineering exam was //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">variegated //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">by color so that the students could figure out which one was which.)

venerate <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (v.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">to regard with respect or to honor (The tribute to John Lennon sought to //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">venerate //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">his music, his words, and his legend.)

veracity <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (n.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">truthfulness, accuracy (With several agencies regulating the reports, it was difficult for Latifah to argue against its //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">veracity //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">.)

verdant <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">green in tint or color (The //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">verdant //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">leaves on the trees made the world look emerald.)

vex <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (v.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">to confuse or annoy (My little brother //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">vexes //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">me by poking me in the ribs for hours on end.)

vicarious <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">experiencing through another (All of my lame friends learned to be social through //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">vicarious //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">involvement in my amazing experiences.)

vicissitude <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (n.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">event that occurs by chance (The //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">vicissitudes //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">of daily life prevent me from predicting what might happen from one day to the next.)

vilify <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (v.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">to lower in importance, defame (After the Watergate scandal, almost any story written about President Nixon sought to //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">vilify //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">him and criticize his behavior.)

viscous <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">not free flowing, syrupy (The //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">viscous //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">syrup took three minutes to pour out of the bottle.)

vitriolic <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">having a caustic quality (When angry, the woman would spew //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">vitriolic //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">insults.)

vituperate <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (v.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">to berate (Jack ran away as soon as his father found out, knowing he would be //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">vituperated //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">for his unseemly behavior.)

W wanton <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">undisciplined, lewd, lustful (Vicky’s //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">wanton //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">demeanor often made the frat guys next door very excited.)

winsome <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">charming, pleasing (After such a long, frustrating day, I was grateful for Chris’s //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">winsome //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">attitude and childish naivete.)

wistful <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">full of yearning; musingly sad (Since her pet rabbit died, Edda missed it terribly and was //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">wistful //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">all day long.)

wizened <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (adj.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">dry, shrunken, wrinkled (Agatha’s grandmother, Stephanie, had the most //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">wizened //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">countenance, full of leathery wrinkles.)

Z zenith <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (n.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">the highest point, culminating point (I was too nice to tell Nelly that she had reached the absolute //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">zenith //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">of her career with that one hit of hers.)

zephyr <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;"> (n.) <span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">a gentle breeze (If not for the //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">zephyrs //<span style="font-family: Georgia,Georgia;">that were blowing and cooling us, our room would’ve been unbearably hot.)