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82 Cards in this Set

  • Front
  • Back
bolster
to support; to prop up; reinforce
IS NOT: undermine; weaken
bolster
The debaters amassed file boxes of evidence to _____ their arguments.
bolstered
The presence of giant footprints _____ the argument that Sasquatch was in the area.
bombastic
pompous in speech and manner; pretentious and long-winded; using inflated language but with little meaning
IS NOT: simple and straightforward; unpretentious
bombastic
Puffed up with self-importance, the ______ lecturer attempted to impress the audience with his polysyllabic vocabulary.
bombastic
The ranting of the radio talk-show host was mostly _____, his boasting and outrageous claims had no basis in fact.
catalyst
something or someone that brings about a change in something else; substance that initiates or speeds up a chemical reaction without itself being affected
IS NOT: inhibitor, anti-catalyst
catalyst
In 1969, the IRA split into two factions: the "officials," who advocated a unified Ireland but disavowed terrorist activities, and the "provisionals," who argued that terrorism was a necessary _____ to bring about unification.
catalyst
The imposition of harsh taxes was the _____ that finally brought on the revolution.
cacophony
harsh, jarring noise; discordant; unpleasant-sounding; grating; strident
IS NOT: euphonious; mellifluous; pleasant-sounding; harmonious
cacophonous
Sharon shuddered to hear the _____ sounds made by the junior high school orchestra class as they struggled to get in tune.
chicanery
the use of trickery to achieve political, financial or legal purpose; deception by means of craft or guile;trickery or deceive someone; deception; fraud; evasion
IS NOT: aboveboard behavior; honesty
chicanery
Lincoln was called "Honest Abe" in recognition of his integrity; Nixon was called "Tricky Dick" in recognition of his ________.
chicanery
Dishonest used car sales people often use ________ to sell their beat-up old cars.
cogent
convincing and well reasoned; well-argued; powerfully persuasive
IS NOT: unpersuasive; poorly reasoned; unsound
cogent
Clear and persuasive, Stevenson was a writer of originality and power, whose essays at their best are _______ and perceptive renderings of aspects of the human condition.
cogent
Swayed by the _______ arguments of the defense, the jury had no choice but to acquit the defendant.
convoluted
intricate and complicated; highly complex, even devious; involved; coiled around
IS NOT: straightforward; uncomplicated
convoluted
His argument was so _______ that few of us could follow its twists and turns.
convoluted
Although many people bought "A Brief History of Time", few could follow its _________ ideas and theories.
desiccate
to dry out thoroughly; dry up; preserve by removing moisture; dehydrate
IS NOT: moisten; hydrate; drench
desiccate
The long drought _______ the marshlands, leaving the once moist soil parched and dry.
desiccate
After a few weeks of lying on the desert's baking sands, the cow's carcass became completely _________.
disabuse
to free from error; to set right; undeceive
IS NOT: mislead; deceive; hoodwink; dupe
disabuse
Galileo's observations _________ scholars of the notion that the sun revolved around the earth.
disabuse
On her return from Turkey, Lady Mary Montagu did her best to _______ English minds of their prejudiced notions of Turkish cruelty, luxury, and sensuality.
desultory
jumping from one thing to another; disconnected; aimless; haphazard; unfocused; disappointing in performance
IS NOT: methodical; deliberate; assiduous
desultory
In prison Malcom X set himself the task of reading straight through the dictionary; to him, reading was purposeful, not _________.
desultory
Diane had a ______ academic record; she had changed majors 12 times in three years.
diatribe
an abusive, condemnatory speech; bitter, accusing criticism; tirade; sharp verbal attack; harangue
IS NOT: praise, encomium
diatribe
Infuriated by what he considered unfair attacks in the press, the candidate delivered a lengthy ________ against biased reporting.
diatribe
The trucker bellowed a _________ at the driver who had cut him off.
dirge
a funeral hymn or mournful speech; lament (usually musical); funeral song or tune
IS NOT: paean (joyful song of praise)
dirge
Walt Whitman's "Drum-Taps", published in 1865, included a moving _______ commemorating the death of the martyred Abraham Lincoln.
dirge
Melville wrote a poem "A _____ for James McPherson" for the funeral of a Union general who was killed in 1864.
dissemble
to present a false appearance; to disguise one's real intentions or character; feign; dissimulate
IS NOT: behave honestly; be sincere
dissemble
The villain could _______ to the police no longer-he admitted the deed and tore up the floor to reveal the body of the old man.
dissemble
Bond realized that the only way he could fool his captors was to ________, to pretend he was still unconscious.
monotony
lack of variation; tedious repitition
monotony
The _______ of the sound of the dripping faucet almost drove the research assistant crazy.
monotony
The brief storm was a relief from the ___________ of the hot summer afternoon.
mitigate
to soften; to lessen; to cause to become less harsh
mitigate
A judge may ________ a sentence if she decides that a person committed a crime out of need.
mitigate
Emergency funds are being provide to help _______ the effects of the disaster.
opprobrium
something that brings public disgrace
opprobrium
After the scheme to embezzle the elderly was made public, the treasurer resigned in utter ____________.
opprobrium
They are going ahead with the plan despite public __________.
loquacious
talkative
loquacious
She was naturally ___________ which was a problem in situations in which listening was more important than talking.
loquacious
Though our daughter barely says a word to us these days, put a cell phone in her hand and you'll see how _______ she can be!
naive
lacking experience, wisdom or judgement
naive
Having never traveled before, the elementary school students were more _______ than their high school counterparts on the field trip.
misanthrope
a person who hates or distrusts people
misanthrope
The character Scrooge in A Christmas Carol is such a _________ that even the sight of children singing makes him angry.
laud
to give praise; to glorify
laud
Parades and fireworks were staged to ______ the success of the rebels.
laud
He was an actor in his lifetime received all the _______ and honor that the theater world could bestow.
venerate
to respect deeply; reverence; awe
venerate
In a traditional Confucian society, the young ___________ their elders, deferring tot he elders' wisdom and experience.
venerate
In Tibet today, the common people still retain their _________ for their traditional spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.
taciturn
silent; not talkative
taciturn
The clerk's _______ nature earned him the nickname "Silent Bob."
erratic
wandering and unpredictable
erratic
The plot seemed predictable until it suddenly took a series of _________ turns that surprised the audience.
fanatical
acting excessively enthusiastic; filled with extreme, unquestioned devotion
fanatical
The stormtroopers were _________ in their devotion to the emperor, readily sacrificing their lives for him.
fervid
intensely emotional; feverish
fervid
The fans of Maria Callas were unusually _________, doing anything to catch a glimpse of the great opera singer.
guile
deceit or trickery
guile
Since he was not fast enough to catch the roadrunner on foot, the coyote resorted to ______ in an effort to trap his enemy.
paradox
a contradiction or dilemma
paradox
It is a _________ that those most in need of medical attention are often those least able to obtain it.
vex
to annoy
vexed
The old man who loved his peace and quiet was _______ by his neighbors loud music.
zeal
passion; excitement
zeal
She brought her typical _____ to the project, sparking enthusiasm in the other team members.
transitory
temporary, lasting a brief time
transitory
The reporter lived a ________ life, staying in one place only long enough to cover the current story.
vacillate
to sway physically; to be indecisive
vacillated
The customer held up the line as he ________ between ordering chocolate chip or rocky road ice cream.
verbose
wordy
verbose
The professor's answer was so _________ that his student forgot what the original question had been.