Gre Vocab - Word Smart

Front 1

wend (v)

Back 1

to go, proceed, walk

We wended our way through the market, buying vegetables for dinner.
As Fritz wended his long way home from work, he thought again about moving closer to town.

Front 2

welter (v.)

Back 2

to writhe, to toss about, to be in turmoil

The lake weltered in the storm, tossing the boat up on huge waves.

Front 3

welter (n.)

Back 3

a state of turmoil or chaotic jumble

He'd searched through the welter of papers on his desk for the contract but couldn't find it.

Front 4

waft (n.)

Back 4

a light breeze, a puff

I must not have been holding on to the kite string very tightly, because just a single, gentle waft of air was enough to send it floating away over the rooftops.

Front 5

waft (v.)

Back 5

to send floating through the air or over water.

The ant wafted down the creek on a leaf raft.

Front 6

volatile (adj.)

Back 6

readily changing to a vapor; changeable, fickle, explosive

It was a volatile situation, with both parties to the negotiations changing their positions frequently, and each threatening to walk out if the other side didn't agree to the terms.

Front 7

vituperate (v.)

Back 7

to use harsh condemnatory language; abuse or censure severely

Don't you vituperate me, missy, when you know you're every bit as much to blame.
After they had spent most of the day vituperating each other in the harshest terms possible, it was a little strange to see them settle their differences so easily and walk off in arm to get lunch.

Front 8

vitiate (v.)

Back 8

to reduce the value of, debase, spoil, make ineffective

His failure to live up to his end of the deal vitiated the entire agreement as far as I was concerned.
The usefulness of the experimental results was vitiated by the lack of a control group against which to measure them.

Front 9

viscous (adj.)

Back 9

thick, sticky

The viscous cold medicine was designed to coat the throat, but its stickiness made it very unpleasant to swallow.

Pitcher plants, among other carnivorous plants, catch their prey in viscous fluids in which the insects get stuck.

Front 10

virulent (adj.)

Back 10

extremely harmful or poisonous, bitterly hostile or antagonistic

The strain of flue virus that year was particularly virulent and caused a national health crisis.

Front 11

vilify (v.)

Back 11

to defame, characterize harshly

The animal rights activist vilified the manufacturers of fur coats for cruelty to animals.
Although the politicians were vilified in the press for their role in the scandal, they received no official sanction.

Front 12

vigilant (adj.)

Back 12

alertly watchful

Dr. Becker is vigilant about my interaction with boys in the program.

Front 13

veritable (adj.)

Back 13

authentic, real, genuine

The most fierce experiences come when I let go of some last fearful reserve and permit a VERITABLE turbine of energy to unleash itself up my spine.

Front 14

verisimilitude (n.)

Back 14

appearing true or real

The verisimilitude of the wax figures was uncanny; they looked as if they would start to move and speak at any minute.

Front 15

veracity (n.)

Back 15

truthfulness, honesty

I would never have doubted your veracity if you hadn't had your fingers crossed.

Front 16

venerate (v.)

Back 16

to revere (respect deeply)

The members of the boy band were venerated by their young fans, whose parents failed to understand the appeal at all.

Front 17

venal (adj.)

Back 17

capable of being bought or bribed, mercenary

The presence of the venal juror who accepted a bribe resulted in an acquittal.

Front 18

venality

Back 18

the use of position for personal gain
Rampant venality in city politics eroded everyone's trust in the system.

Front 19

vaunt (v.)

Back 19

to brag or boast

Fred has a tendency to vaunt his own achievements, even though his friends remind him that it is often more effective to wait for other people to point out when one has done a good job.

Front 20

variegated (adj.)

Back 20

multicolored, characterized by a variety of patches of different color.

The variegated fields of wildflowers in the springtime seemed like they contained every oclor we'd ever seen.

Front 21

usury (n.)

Back 21

charging an exorbitant or illegal rate of interest

Hannah, whenever she got her credit card statements, railed against what she claimed was usury on the part of the banks to anyone who would listen.
Making dinner every night this week in exchange for just one bite of your ice cream seems a little like usury to me.

Front 22

urbane (adj.)

Back 22

sophisticated, refined, elegant

He was particularly proud of his urbane manners, since it was important to him that no one guesses he grew up in a trailer.

Front 23

upbraid (v.)

Back 23

to scold, censure, rebuke, chastise

Nathan was thoroughly upbraided for having gone over his boss' head with a proposal.

Front 24

unfeigned (adj.)

Back 24

genuine, not false or hypocritical

Constance's surprise when everyone jumped out and said "happy birthday" seemed completely unfeigned, which was amazing since I thought at least three people had inadvertently told her about the surprise party.

Front 25

undulate (v.)

Back 25

to move in a wavelike fashion, fluctuate
The small snake undulated over the twigs in the yard, seeming to flow over them in a way that was unlike the movement of any other animal.

Front 26

umbrage (n.)

Back 26

offense, resentment

I decided not to take umbrage at his insults because I know he was just trying to get a response, and ignoring him would be the most satisfying revenge.

Front 27

ubiquitous (adj.)

Back 27

existing everywhere at the same time, constantly encountered, widespread
Those motorola razor phones are ubiquitous these days.

Front 28

untenable (adj.)

Back 28

indefensible, not viable, inhabitable
The president realized he was in an untenable position when even his own cabinet disagreed with him.
Barry was unsure why his girlfriend was arguing that their long distance relationship was untenable when they'd been making it work for two years already.

Front 29

untoward (adj)

Back 29

troublesome, unruly, unseemly, adverse
I was always impressed that Shelly managed to remain upbeat under even the most untoward situations.
There was a rumor going around that something untoward had occurred in the principal's office the night before.

Front 30

truculent (adj.)

Back 30

fierce, scathing, eager to fight
Yun Cee's truculent personality makes it hard to have even a simple conversation with her.

Front 31

tumid (adj.)

Back 31

swollen
The river, tumid from the spring rains, overflowed its banks and flooded the surrounding fields.
After getting drunk the night before, I woke up with a tumid face.

Front 32

turbid (adj.)

Back 32

muddy, having sediment stirred up, clouded to the point of being opaque, in a state of turmoil
The coffee was so turbid from the grounds that seeped through the filter that it looked like mud.
Grace's mind was so turbid with anxieties over how she was going to handle the next day that she couldn't sleep all night.

Front 33

turgid (adj.)

Back 33

swollen, bloated, pompous, excessively ornate
Her turgid prose would have been difficult to take in any context, but it was particularly ill suited to a computer how-to book.

Front 34

turpitude (n.)

Back 34

depravity, baseness
BEcause he had been caught stealing from the orphanage's fund, he was immediately dismissed on the grounds of moral turpitude.
Claiming that shopping malls were marketplaces of turpitude, Ms. Snow declared that the morally correct thing to do was to shop exclusively by mail.

Front 35

tyro (n.)

Back 35

novice, beginner in learning
I constantly feel like I am a tyro in Economics...and life.

Front 36

trenchant (adj.)

Back 36

sharply perceptive, keen, penetrating, biting, clear cut

His trenchant criticism of the report revealed the fundamentally flawed premise on which it was based.
Eric could always be counted on to perform the trenchant analysis that would unearth what had gone wrong in the project thus far.

Front 37

torrid (adj.)

Back 37

scorching, ardent, passionate, hurried

Chris was so engrossed in the torrid love affair unfolding in the novel that he didn't even notice that he had missed his bus stop.

Front 38

tortuous (adj.)

Back 38

winding, twisting, excessively complicated.

It was unsafe to drive faster than ten miles an hour on the tortuous road down the mountain because the turns were so sharp, so most people chose to walk or bicycle down instead.

Front 39

tout (v.)

Back 39

to publicly praise or promote

When the beautiful model went on television touting the health benefits of pickle juice, pickle sales quadrupled overnight.

Front 40

travesty (n.)

Back 40

mockery, caricature, parody

The defendant argued that the proceedings were a travesty of a trial since he did not have a lawyer representing him.

Front 41

travesty (v.)

Back 41

to imitate in such a way as to ridicule

I travestied Rubin's accent by saying he came from a town called "boe-toe-ga."

Front 42

tractable (adj.)

Back 42

docile, obedient, easily led

The magician was looking for a tractable young assistant who would be willing to follow directions such as "get in the box so I can saw you in half."

Front 43

transient (adj.)

Back 43

fleeting, passing quickly, brief

The last four years of college were so transient...I hope graduate school is the same.

Front 44

tenuous (adj.)

Back 44

having little substance or strength, flimsy, weak

Tyler's grasp on mathematics has always been somewhat tenuous; he understands addition fairly well, but subtraction poses some challenges.

Front 45

timorous (adj.)

Back 45

timid, fearful, diffident

Mice are supposed to be timorous, but the one living behind the fridge seems very bold and completely unafraid of me.

My Korean personality is a little timorous in comparison to my American one.

Front 46

torpid (adj.)

Back 46

lethargic, sluggish, dormant

We were torpid with exhaustion and could barely move after walking fifteen miles back to camp.
The spring semester left me in a torpid state--not a good way to start off AEASP.

Front 47

torque (n.)

Back 47

a force that causes rotation

Gary was having a difficult time generating enough torque to get the wheel to spin on its own.

Front 48

tendentious (adj.)

Back 48

biased, showing marked tendencies

It was difficult to determine what was objective fact and what was tendentious opinion, because all the research published thus far had been paid for by one side of the other.

Front 49

tender (v.)

Back 49

to offer formally

We refused the terms of the truce the other side tendered, because they wanted us to surrender our water balloons first.

Front 50

toady (n.)

Back 50

sycophant, flatterer, yes-man

Lewis could always rely on his trusty toady to tell him what he wanted to hear, even if it didn't match up to reality in any way.
Adrian is a bit of a toady when it comes to women.

Front 51

tenacity (n.)

Back 51

the quality of adherence or persistence to something valued

His tenacity in seeking public office was remarkable; he sought election fifteen different times and even though he never won, he never gave up.

I think I used to have tenacity when it came to studying mathematics in high school.

Front 52

tawdry (adj.)

Back 52

cheap, gaudy, showy, tacky, indecent

The Korean street markets have a tawdry feel to them.

Front 53

tautology (n.)

Back 53

a repetition, a redundancy, a circular argument

"There can be no such thing as obscenity in art because art is not obscene" is a tautology.
His argument was tautological because he never introduced any support for his claim, he just kept repeating it over and over.

Front 54

tamp (v.)

Back 54

to plug, to drive in or down by a series of blows

The old man had a very specific ritual for tamping the tobacco into his pipe, and he repeated it all day long even though he never actually lit the pipe.
After placing the saplings in the holes and filling them in with soil, we tamped down the ground around each tree.

Front 55

taciturn (adj.)

Back 55

not talkative, silent

I seem to get extremely taciturn when I'm regularly working out.

Front 56

tacit (adj.)

Back 56

implied, not explicitly stated.

There is a tacit understanding amongst the team members that Felix will be allowed to play, because everyone likes him, even though he can't hit the ball.

Front 57

table (v.)

Back 57

to remove (as a parliamentary motion) from consideration

Unsurprisingly, the council tabled the students' motion to reduce the school day by half for the fifth year in a row.
Because the meeting had already gone two hours longer than scheduled, the remaining agenda items had to be tabled until the next month.

Front 58

supine (adj.)

Back 58

inactive, lying on one's back, apathetic, mentally or morally slack

We spent hours supine on the floor looking up at the glow-in-the-dark stars we had pasted on the ceiling.

Front 59

supplant (v.)

Back 59

to take the place of, supersede

I was quickly supplanted in my girlfriend's affections by her new beau, and a month later she didn't even remember my name.

Front 60

suppliant (adj.)

Back 60

asking humbly, beseeching

The suppliant expression on the boy's face would have melted anyone's will to refuse him what he wanted.

Front 61

supplicant (n.)

Back 61

a beggar, one who prays or begs for something

A long line of supplicants awaited the magistrate each Thursday, which is when he heard petitions for assistance from the very poor.

Front 62

surfeit (v)

Back 62

to feed or supply in excess

Crystal and I always surfeit ourselves whenever we see each other.

Front 63

sycophant (n.)

Back 63

someone who tries to flatter or please for personal gain, parasite

The young basketball player has an entourage of sycophants, all hoping to gain his favor and receive expensive gifts when he became rich.

Front 64

subpoena (n.)

Back 64

a court order requiring appearance and/or testimony

You could have knocked me over with a feather when my next-door neighbor, the sweet little old grandmother, was subpoenaed to appear in a federal racketeering case.

Front 65

succor (n.)

Back 65

assistance, relief in time of distress

The town's inhabitants sought succor in the emergency shelters during and after the hurricane.

Front 66

sundry (adj.)

Back 66

various, miscellaneous, separate

Of the sundry items for sale, the young boy was most interested in the elaborate water pistol.

Front 67

supercilious (adj.)

Back 67

disdainful, arrogant, haughty, characterized by haughty scorn

I was extremely surprised when he told me he had initially taken my shyness for superciliousness; luckily he later changed his mind and realized I wasn't stuck-up after all.

Front 68

superfluous (adj.)

Back 68

exceeding what is sufficient or necessary

The admonition only to eat one of the cupcakes was superfluous; no one would have wanted a second.

Front 69

stoic (adj.)

Back 69

indifferent to or unaffected by pleasure or pain, steadfast

Lorelei's stoic indifference to the pain of her dislocated shoulder was disconcerting; it was impossible to tell anything was wrong from the expression on ther frace.

Front 70

striated (adj.)

Back 70

striped, grooved, or banded

It was initially a bit strange to drive over the grooves on the roads where the asphalt had been striated to provide better traction when it rained.

Front 71

strut (n.)

Back 71

structural support used to brace a framework

When one of the struts supporting the wing of the old seaplane broke, we thought we were going to be swimming home.

Front 72

stymie (v.)

Back 72

to block, thwart

His plans to become a professional race car driver were stymied when he failed his driving test for the third time.

Front 73

stint (v.)

Back 73

to restrain, be sparing or frugal

I hate to stint on dessert, so I always save room for at least two portions.`

Front 74

stupefy (v)

Back 74

to stun, baffle, or amaze

Stupefied by the blow to his head, Scott just kept bumping into more and more things, getting more and more dazed.

Front 75

stygian (adj.)

Back 75

gloomy, dark

The stygian murk of the cave wasn't all that inviting, especially when bats started flying out of it.

Front 76

squander (v.)

Back 76

to waste by spending or using irresponsibly

I would hate to see you squander your talents by making vacuum cleaner bags for the rest of your life instead of the art you really want to create.

Front 77

stanch (v.)

Back 77

to stop the flow of a fluid

The flow of blood from the cut was so slight that half a tissue was all that was needed to stanch it.

Front 78

steep (v.)

Back 78

to saturate or completely soak

Her plan was to spend three months in Paris and come back steeped in French culture, but all she ended up with was a fuchsia beret from the souvenir shop.

Front 79

spurious (adj.)

Back 79

lacking authenticity or validity, false, counterfeit

His spurious claim that he had found the fountain of youth was soon proven to be the fraud everyone had suspected.

Front 80

squalid (adj.)

Back 80

The squalid living conditions the migrant laborers were forced to endure were simply inhuman; no one should have to live like that.

Front 81

static (adj.)

Back 81

not moving, active or in motion; at rest

She couldn't stay static for more than five minutes at a time before she started bouncing off the walls again.

Front 82

soporific (adj.)

Back 82

causing drowsiness, tending to induce sleep

The economics professor's lectures were an amazing soporific; five minutes listening to him would cure any case of insomnia.

Front 83

sordid (adj.)

Back 83

characterized by filth, grime, or squalor, foul

The sordid tale of deceit and betrayal in the criminal underworld became an immediate bestseller.

Front 84

sparse (adj.)

Back 84

thin, not dense, arranged at widely spaced intervals

Her approval, though sparsely given, made me feel I had accomplished something important.

Front 85

specious (adj.)

Back 85

seeming true, but actually false, misleadingly attractive

The specious "get rich quick" promises of pyramid schemes have suckered countless people over the years.

Front 86

spendthrift (n.)

Back 86

one who spends money wastefully

Olivia was an incorrigible spendthrift; she bought things she would never use and didn't even particularly like.

Front 87

splenetic (adj.)

Back 87

bad-tempered, irritable

Her boss became splenetic whenever anyone asked him about a raise; nothing seemed to irritate him more.

Front 88

sporadic (adj.)

Back 88

occurring only occasionally, or in scattered instances

We said grace only before Christmas and Thanksgiving dinner and went to church SPORADICALLY.

Front 89

sodden (adj.)

Back 89

soaked or drenched, unimaginative, dull

The soil is too sodden to plant anything in it yet.
Sodden with drink and sleep, he could barely form a sentence.

Front 90

solvent (adj.)

Back 90

able to meet financial obligations

I was solvent for the first time in years, and to celebrate my solvency I went gambling and lost all my money, at which point I had once again become insolvent and had to borrow rent money from my parents again.

Front 91

sophistry (n.)

Back 91

fallacious reasoning; plausible but faulty logic.

I'm such a sucker for sophistry; I can never see through the convincing surface to the false logic underneath.

Front 92

sophomoric (adj.)

Back 92

exhibiting immaturity, lack of judgment, pretentious

You may call my humor sophomoric, but you laughed at all my jokes, so either I'm funny or you're as immature as I am.

Front 93

seine (n.)

Back 93

a large net hung out and dragged in to catch fish

The fisherman were extremely surprised when they caught a mermaid in their seine.

Front 94

sere (adj.)

Back 94

withered, arid

Even the sere vegetation at the edge of the desert sent forth new shoots when the brief rains came.

Front 95

seminal (adj.)

Back 95

like a seed, constituting a source originative

He wrote the seminal text on robotics; people still study it sixty years later.

Front 96

shard (n.)

Back 96

a piece of broken pottery or glass, any small piece or part

He tried to collect the shards of his dignity after his pants fell down in the middle of his speech.

Front 97

simper (v.)

Back 97

to smirk, to say something with a silly, coy smile

He simpered some feeble attempt at an apology that no one believed.

Front 98

sinecure (n.)

Back 98

position requiring little or no work and usually providing an income

The job was hardly a sinecure; not only was there a ton of work, but there was also no job security.

Front 99

singular (adj.)

Back 99

exceptional, unusual, odd

He was singularly ill suited to ballet since he had two left feet.

Front 100

sinuous (adj.)

Back 100

winding, curving, moving lithely, devious

We were mesmerized by the sinuous weaving of the cobra as the snake charmer sang to it.

Front 101

sanguine (adj.)

Back 101

cheerful, confident, optimistic

she was so sanguine of success that she booked the honeymoon suite before she had even proposed.

Front 102

sap (v.)

Back 102

to enervate or weaken the vitality of

Her energy was sapped by the wasting fever; every day she felt a little weaker.

Front 103

saturnine (adj.)

Back 103

gloomy, dark, sullen, morose

The saturnine principal scared the students with his dark glares, but really he was a pretty nice guy underneath the brooding exterior.

Front 104

scurvy (adj.)

Back 104

contemptible, despicable

He felt a little guilty about the scurvy trick he had pulled on his friend to get her to loan him a hundred dollars by saying he needed it to visit his dying mother.

Front 105

sedulous (adj.)

Back 105

diligent, persistent, hard-working

His sedulous efforts to organize the conference were rewarded when the entire event went off perfectly.

Front 106

sagacious (adj.)

Back 106

having sound judgment, perceptive, wise

His sagacious remarks gave me new insight into the problem I had been struggling with for days.

Front 107

salacious (adj.)

Back 107

appealing to or causing sexual desire, bawdy

Magazines containing salacious material are kept behind the counter in the bookstore, so you'll have to ask the clerk if you want to see them.

Front 108

salient (adj.)

Back 108

prominent, protruding, conspicuous, highly relevant

The salient fact that I had failed to notice at first was that my ride had left me stranded at the club with no way to get home.

Front 109

salubrious (adj.)

Back 109

promoting health or well-being

His was not the most salubrious of lifestyles, since he lived on donuts and two hours of sleep a night.

Front 110

salutary (adj.)

Back 110

remedial, wholesome, causing improvement

The physical therapy she had undergone was having a salutary effect on her knees; she could almost walk without discomfort now.

Front 111

sanctimony (n.)

Back 111

self-righteousness, pretended piety

His sanctimony was laughable, since he was the most self-absorbed, ruthless jerk I'd ever met.

Front 112

sanction (n.)

Back 112

authoritative permission or approval; a penalty intended to enforce compliance

(two meanings: approval and penalty)
1. Without the sanction of the planning commission, we cannot proceed with the renovation.
2. Sanctions were one of the tools used by the international community to pressure South Africa into ending its practice of apartheid.

Front 113

rescind (v.)

Back 113

to invalidate, repeal, retract

The headmaster rescinded his recent dress code decree when he realized he just couldn't take looking at that many penny loafers every day.

Front 114

resolute (adj.)

Back 114

adamant, steadfast, determined

Dave was pretty resolute about not going to grad school and going to law school instead.

Front 115

reticent (adj.)

Back 115

quiet, reserved, reluctant to express thoughts and feelings

She was reticent about the party, but we suspected she had had more fun than she was letting on.

Front 116

reverent (adj.)

Back 116

marked by, feeling, or expressing a feeling of profound awe and respect.

As much as she appreciated the compliment, the teacher was a little freaked out by her students' reverent attitude toward her, especially when they started wearing robes and calling her high priestess.

Front 117

rubric (n.)

Back 117

authoritative rule, heading, title, or category

The rubric used to score the writing samples emphasizes structure over content.

Front 118

rue (v.)

Back 118

regret, feel remorse

I rued not staying that extra weekend at Cambridge and going to the TFA conference instead.

Front 119

relegate (v.)

Back 119

to forcibly assign, especially to a lower place or position

As the youngest member of the troupe, I was relegated to the back end of the dancing donkey costume.

Front 120

remonstrate (v.)

Back 120

to protest, object

Dr. Cook would not allow me to remonstrate against applying for a UK scholarship.

Front 121

renege (v.)

Back 121

to fail to honor a commitment, go back on a promise

I feel like I have a bad habit of reneging often.

Front 122

rent (v.)

Back 122

torn, split apart, pierced as by a sound

The doll was rent limb from limb as the boys fought over it; each combatant was left holding an arm or a leg.

Front 123

repine (v.)

Back 123

to feel or express dejection or discontent, long for

I got sick of all her repining for her former beau; she was the one who dumped him, after all.

Front 124

repudiate (v.)

Back 124

to refuse to have anything to do with, disown

David threatened to repudiate his daughter if she got any more tattoos or had any more body parts pierced, but she knew he was just bluffing.

Front 125

recondite (adj.)

Back 125

hidden, concealed, difficult to understand, obscure

While it makes perfect sense to physicists, quantum mechanics has always been recondite knowledge to me.

Front 126

reconnoiter (v.)

Back 126

to engage in reconnaissance, make a preliminary inspection of

We sent Bob to reconnoiter the party when we first arrived, in order to see who was in the other rooms.

Front 127

recumbent (adj.)

Back 127

leaning, resting, prone

I was so comfortable recumbent on the picnic blanket that I didn't even stand up when it started raining.

Front 128

redolent (adj.)

Back 128

fragrant, suggestive or evocative

The dorm rooms were redolent with a fragrance of stale beer and cold pizza that brought me back to my college days.

Front 129

redoubtable (adj.)

Back 129

awe-inspiring; worthy of honor

There are many folk songs and stories about the legend of the redoubtable John Henry, who beat the steam drill in a tunneling contest in 1872.

Front 130

refulgent (adj.)

Back 130

radiant, shiny; brilliant

The refulgent gleam of the motorcycle's chrome was his pride and joy.

Front 131

regale (v.)

Back 131

to delight or entertain, feast

The visiting dignitaries were regaled with a lavish meal and an elaborate dance and musical performance.

Front 132

rail (v.)

Back 132

to complain about bitterly

He railed against the injustice of having not won the lottery yet again.

Front 133

ramify (v.)

Back 133

to be divided or subdivided, branch out

Instead of being resolved, the dispute merely ramified as more and more people got involved.

Front 134

rancorous (adj.)

Back 134

characterized by bitter, long-lasting resentment

The rancorous feud between the two sides of the family had been going on for years and had grown completely out of proportion to the missing casserole dish that had started the feud.

Front 135

rapacious (adj.)

Back 135

voracious, greedy, plundering, subsisting on prey

The rapacious moths ate huge holes in every single one of my socks.

Front 136

rebus (n.)

Back 136

riddle, a representation of words by pictures or symbols that sound like the words

Pictures of bees, eyes, and ewes are commonly used in a rebus to symbolize the words "be," "I," and "you" respectively.

Front 137

recalcitrant (adj.)

Back 137

obstinately defiant of authority or guidance, difficult to manage.
In an episode of “The Simpsons” about the animated family’s trip to Toronto shortly after the Canadian currency’s collapse in 2002, Homer Simpson won over a recalcitrant security guard by waving a single American dollar bill in his face.

Front 138

recant (v.)

Back 138

to retract, especially a previously held belief.

After swallowing the first two, Trina recanted her earlier boast that she could swallow twenty dead worms.

Front 139

querulous (adj.)

Back 139

prone to complaining or grumbling, quarrelsome

Her querulous demand to know every five minutes whether we were there yet started to get on my nerves

Front 140

quiescence (n.)

Back 140

stillness, motionlessness, quality of being at rest

The volcano's quiescence was only temporary; it could erupt at any time.

Front 141

quixotic (adj.)

Back 141

foolishly impractical, marked by lofty romantic ideals

His quixotic plan to build a house out of twinkies came to a predictable end when he act most of his building materials.

Front 142

quotidian (adj.)

Back 142

occurring or recurring daily, commonplace

Whenever possible, Anita tried to sleep through her quotidian train commute home.

Front 143

puerile (adj.)

Back 143

childish, immature

His puerile humor prominently featured fart jokes.

Front 144

pugnacious (adj.)

Back 144

contentious, quarrelsome, given to fighting, belligerent

That pug is extremely pugnacious, biting people's ankles for no reason at all.

Front 145

punctilious (adj.)

Back 145

precise, paying attention to trivialities, especially in regard to etiquette

Although his punctilious obsession with etiquette is usually very annoying, it is always handy when royalty comes to dine.

Front 146

pundit (n.)

Back 146

an authority on a subject, one who gives opinions

The pundits disagreed about what the recently released statistics meant for the prospect of economic recovery.

Front 147

pungent (adj.)

Back 147

characterized by a strong, sharp smell or taste, penetrating, to the point.

The pungent aroma of cinnamon and cloves filled the little tea shop.

Front 148

pusillanimous (adj.)

Back 148

cowardly, craven

His pusillanimous refusal to agree to the duel turned out to be wise, if cowardly; his challenger was later revealed to be an Olympic biathlete, and therefore a very good shot.

Front 149

putrefy (v.)

Back 149

to rot, decay and give off a foul odor, become gangrenous

The doctors were forced to amputate the leg in order to prevent putrefaction.

Front 150

quaff (v.)

Back 150

to drink deeply

The medicine tasted so foul that I had to hold my nose and quaff it all in one gulp.

Front 151

quail (v.)

Back 151

to shrink back in fear, lose courage

I quailed at the thought of jumping out of a plane as soon as I looked down, which was probably a little late to be having second thoughts.

Front 152

qualify (v.)

Back 152

to limit

Although she was careful to qualify any claims she made about the implications of her discovery, it was clear her research signaled a major breakthrough in the search for a cure.

Front 153

prolix (adj.)

Back 153

long-winded, verbose

Dr. Knabb is known for his prolixity--I'm glad Wilko warned me about it beforehand.

Front 154

propinquity (adj.)

Back 154

nearness in time or place, affinity of nature, kinship

His propinquity to the object of his affections made him blush.

Front 155

propitiate (v.)

Back 155

to appease, conciliate

The prime minister sent the emperor a propitiatory gift in order to appease his anger over the diplomatic blunder.

Front 156

propitious (adj.)

Back 156

auspicious, favorable

They took the clearing of the sky as a propitious omen that the storm was passing.

Front 157

prosaic (adj.)

Back 157

dull, unimaginative

I was surprised that he should offer so prosaic an account of his travels in Spain; it was out of character given his usually poetic descriptions.

Front 158

proscribe (v.)

Back 158

to outlaw or prohibit

Attempts to proscribe swimming in the old quarry were unsuccessful; people continued to do it despite the new rules.

Front 159

provident (adj.)

Back 159

frugal, looking to the future

His provident financial planning allowed him to buy a small tropical island when he retired.

Front 160

prize (v.)

Back 160

to pry, press or force with a lever

Although I tried to prize the information out of him, Arthur refused to reveal his biscuit recipe.

Front 161

probity (adj.)

Back 161

adherence to highest principles, uprightness

Because the chieftain was known for his probity and the soundness of his judgment, people came from miles around to ask him to hear their disputes.

Front 162

proclivity (n.)

Back 162

a natural predisposition or inclination

His proclivity for napping through movies made his desire to be a movie reviewer a little strange.

Front 163

prodigal (adj.)

Back 163

recklessly wasteful, extravagant, profuse, lavish

Linda was prodigal with her singing abilities, performing only in karaoke bars.

Front 164

prodigious (adj.)

Back 164

abundant in size, force, or extent; extraordinary

The prodigious weight of my backpack made me fall over backwards.

Front 165

profligate (adj.)

Back 165

excessively wasteful; recklessly extravagant

The profligate ruler emptied the country's treasury to build his many mansions.

Front 166

profuse (adj.)

Back 166

given or coming forth abundantly, extravagant

Her profuse gratitude for my having saved her cat became a little excessive with the fourth sweater she knitted for me.

Front 167

proliferate (v.)

Back 167

to grow or increase swiftly and abundantly

The proliferation of weeds in the yard suggested it might be time to consider some gardening.

Front 168

prolific (adj.)

Back 168

producing large volumes or amounts, productive

She was a prolific writer, churning out 100 pages a week.

Front 169

predilection (n.)

Back 169

a disposition in favor of something, preference

Harold's predilection for dating older women meant he didn't need to worry as much about getting his driver's license.

Front 170

preempt (v.)

Back 170

to replace, to supersede, to appropriate

My friends preempted my birthday plans by throwing me a surprise party.

Front 171

preen (v.)

Back 171

to dress up, primp, groom oneself with elaborate care; in animals, to clean fur or feathers

She was so busy preening and posing for the cameras that she didn't pay enough attention to where the edge of the pool was.

Front 172

prescience (n.)

Back 172

knowing of events prior to their occurring

I wish I had had the prescience to know it was going to rain today, I would have brought a raincoat.

Front 173

presumptuous (adj.)

Back 173

overstepping bounds, as of propriety or courtesy; taking liberties

I thought it was a little presumptous of Lewis to bring his pajamas and toothbrush with him on our first date.

Front 174

pristine (adj.)

Back 174

pure, uncorrupted, clean

Adrian likes to keep his books in pristine condition.

Front 175

polemical (adj.)

Back 175

controversial, argumentative

His polemical attack on the president's foreign policy was carefully designed to force him into a public debate on the subject.

Front 176

prate (v.)

Back 176

chatter, bubble

The toddler prated on happily to himself though no one else had any idea what he was saying.

Front 177

prattle (v.)

Back 177

to babble meaninglessly; to talk in an empty and idle manner

I can prattle away to God about all my feelings and my problems all the livelong day, but when it comes time to descend into silence and listen...well, that's a different story.

Front 178

precarious (adj.)

Back 178

uncertain, risky, dangerous

The house was perched precariously on the edge of the cliff, vulnerable to any mudslide.

Front 179

precept (n.)

Back 179

rule establishing standards of conduct, a doctrine that is taught

One of the precepts of our criminal justice system is that one is assumed innocent until proven guilty.

Front 180

precipitate (adj.)

Back 180

acting with excessive haste or impulse

The captain was forced to take precipitate action when the storm arrived earlier than he had expected.

Front 181

plastic (adj.)

Back 181

moldable, pliable, not rigid

The supervillain's secret brain control ray rendered its victim's mind plastic and easily bendable to his evil plans.

Front 182

platitude (n.)

Back 182

a superficial or trite remark, especially one offered as meaningful

Since Laura loved to say things that seemed profound initially but turned out to be banal once considered, she was a perfect candidate for writing the platitudes that o in greeting cards.

Front 183

pluck (n.)

Back 183

courage, spunk, fortitude

The audience was impressed by the gymnast's pluck in continuing her routine even after she fell of the balance beam.

Front 184

plumb (v.)

Back 184

to measure the depth (as with a plumb line), to examine critically

It was the exploratory ship's task to plumb the depth of a section of the Pacific Ocean.

Front 185

plummet (v.)

Back 185

to plunge or drop straight down

One by one the ostriches plummeted to the ground when they remembered that they couldn't fly.

Front 186

poignant (adj.)

Back 186

distressing, pertinent, touching, stimulating, emotional

The poignant final scene between the main character and his pet penguin that was mortally wounded trying to save his owner moved the audience to tears.

Front 187

piquant (adj.)

Back 187

agreeably pungent, spicy, stimulating

The piquant gumbo was a welcome change after days of bland hospital food.

Front 188

pique (n.)

Back 188

resentment, feeling of irritation due to hurt pride

In a fit of pique, Chelsea threw her boyfriend's bowling ball out of the fourth-story window onto his car.

Front 189

pirate (v.)

Back 189

to use or reproduce illegally

Dad always has pirated Chinese DVDs in the house.

Front 190

pith (n.)

Back 190

the essential or central part.

The pith of his argument seemed to be that he should get a bigger allowance, though it took him an hour to get to the point.

Front 191

pithy

Back 191

precise and brief

The pithy synopsis of the novel distilled all 1,500 pages into two very concise paragraphs

Front 192

placate (v.)

Back 192

to appease, calm by making concessions

Although my boyfriend seemed somewhat placated after I sent him flowers every day for a week, I suspected he was still a little cranky that I had forgotten our anniversary.

Front 193

plaintive (adj.)

Back 193

mournful, melancholy, sorrowful

The plaintive strains of the bagpipe made everyone feel as mournful as it sounded.

Front 194

plangent (adj.)

Back 194

pounding, thundering, resounding

The plangent bells could be heard all over town as they chimed the hour.

Front 195

petulant (adj.)

Back 195

impatient, irritable

I don't want to seem like a petulant little child.

Front 196

philistine (n.)

Back 196

a crass individual guided by material rather than intellectual or artistic values

The author claimed that his many critics were just philistines, who obviously lacked any taste since they didn't appreciate his writing.

Front 197

phlegmatic (adj.)

Back 197

calm, sluggish, unemotional, stoic

His phlegmatic response to the question revealed nothing of what he was feeling, if he was feeling anything at all.

Front 198

picaresque (adj.)

Back 198

involving clever rogues or adventurers

Huck Finn is sometimes described as a picaresque hero, since the novel follows his roguish adventures.

Front 199

pied (adj.)

Back 199

multi-colored, usually in blotches

The jester wore a pied coat of many bright colors.

Front 200

pillory (v.)

Back 200

to punish, hold up to public scorn

The politician was pilloried in the press for his inability to spell potato.

Front 201

pine (v.)

Back 201

to yearn intensely, to languish, to lose vigor

I pined for sunshine all winter until I couldn't stand it any more and had to go buy a sun lamp.

Front 202

pious (adj.)

Back 202

extremely reverent or devout

Cleo was so pious that she went to church at least one a day.

Front 203

peripatetic (adj.)

Back 203

itinerant, traveling, nomadic

As a peripatetic salesman, Frank spent most of his time in his car.

Front 204

pernicious (adj.)

Back 204

extremely harmful, potentially causing death

The effect of her pernicious sarcasm could be felt at ten paces.

Front 205

personable (adj.)

Back 205

pleasing in appearance, attractive

She was quite personable until she revealed that she was a vampire in need of a nightly feeding.

Front 206

perspicacious (adj.)

Back 206

acutely perceptive, having keen discernment

It was quite surprising that his teachers described Kyle as a perspicacious student, since he slept through most of their classes; he must have demonstrated great insight in the papers he wrote.

Front 207

peruse (v.)

Back 207

to examine with great care

She perused the shelves for the book, checking each title one by one.

Front 208

pervade (v.)

Back 208

to permeate throughout

I was pervaded with fear when the stairs creaked in the middle of the night; even the hair on the back of my neck stood up.

Front 209

petrous (adj.)

Back 209

like a rock, hard, stony

I wasn't surprised that my petrous cake wasn't a big hit, but it did make an excellent doorstop, if I do say so myself.

Front 210

petrify

Back 210

to make hard or rocklike, to paralyze with fear
1. The pores of the wood had been replaced by minerals from the bog in which it was buried, leaving the wood petrified.
2. We were petrified by the dark shape moving toward us; we couldn't even run away because we were frozen with fear.

Front 211

pedestrian (adj.)

Back 211

commonplace, trite, unremarkable

The movie's plot was pedestrian, despite the director's brave decision to cast a badger in the role of the hero.

Front 212

penchant (n.)

Back 212

strong inclination, a liking

My penchant for fine wines and expensive cars rather exceeds my ability to pay for them.

Front 213

penurious (adj.)

Back 213

penny-pinching; excessively thrifty; ungenerous

My penurious boss makes us bring toilet paper from home in order to save the company money.

Front 214

penury

Back 214

extreme poverty, destitution or lack of resources

Albert's state of penury was sufficiently far advanced that he was forced to recycle his coffee grounds each morning.

Front 215

peremptory (adj.)

Back 215

admitting of no contradiction, putting an end to further debate, haughty, imperious

Her peremptory tone made it clear that there would be no further discussion of the matter.

Front 216

perennial (adj.)

Back 216

recurrent through the year or many years, happening repeatedly

The students' perennial complaint was that they had too much homework; the faculty's perennial response was that they should be happy they didn't have more.

Front 217

perfidy (n.)

Back 217

intentional breach of faith, treachery

I couldn't believe my campaign manager's perfidy in voting for my opponent.

Front 218

perfunctory (adj.)

Back 218

cursory, done without care or interest

Hilda's perfunctory approach to cleaning left dust bunnies the size of small horses in the corners and under the bed.

Front 219

parry (v.)

Back 219

to block, evade or ward off, as a blow

Press secretaries are skilled at parrying reporters' questions; they can make it seem as if they are answering the question without actually providing any information.

Front 220

parsimonious (adj.)

Back 220

cheap, miserly

He was so parsimonious that he wouldn't even share the free coupons that came in the mail.

Front 221

paucity (adj.)

Back 221

scarcity, a lacking of

Carl was very self-conscious about the paucity of hair on his head, so he always wore a hat to cover his large bald spot.

Front 222

peccadillo (n.)

Back 222

a slight offense, literally, a minor sin

Using the wrong fork was merely a peccadillo, but dumping the tureen of soup over the host's head was a major gaffe.

Front 223

pedagogy (n.)

Back 223

the art or profession of training, teaching, or instructing.

All his training in pedagogy in school hadn't completely prepared Carlos for dealing with thirty manic third graders

Front 224

pedantic (adj.)

Back 224

ostentatious display of learning, excessive attention to minutiae and formal rules, unimaginative

The bureaucrat's pedantic obsession with rules and regulations ensured that nothing was ever accomplished.

Front 225

paean (n.)

Back 225

a song or expression of praise and thanksgiving

The celebratory bonfire was a paean to victory.

Front 226

palliate (v.)

Back 226

to make something appear less serious, gloss over, mitigate

His attempts to palliate the significance of his plagiarism only made it worse; he would have been better off just owning up to it rather than trying to diminish its importance.

Front 227

panegyric (n.)

Back 227

formal expression of praise

Thomas spent months preparing a panegyric to his grandfather for his ninetieth birthday.

Front 228

paradigm (n.)

Back 228

something that serves as a model, example, or pattern; the framework of assumptions and understandings shared by a group or discipline that shares its worldview.

She is a paradigm of studiousness; she spends all of her time studying in the library.

Front 229

pariah (n.)

Back 229

an outcast, a rejected and despised person

Eating a pound of garlic before bed is likely to make one a pariah the next day.

Front 230

officious (adj.)

Back 230

meddlesome, pushy in offering one's services where they are unwanted

Our well-intended but officious host kept refilling our plates and glasses before we had a chance to take more than a bite or two.

Front 231

onerous (adj.)

Back 231

troubling, burdensome

Every spring I dread the onerous task of filing my income tax return.

Front 232

opprobrium (n.)

Back 232

disgrace, contempt, scorn

Louis Armstrong smoked marijuana because it made his body feel good, and I don't think he ever quite understood the opprobrium that was attached to it.

Front 233

ossified (adj.)

Back 233

changed into bone; made rigidly conventional and unreceptive to change

The department had so ossified over time that no new ideas were ever introduced; its ossification was so advanced that it had become nothing more than a rigid bureaucracy.

Front 234

ostensible (adj.)

Back 234

seeming, appearing as such, professed

Even when they are ostensibly written for children, many cartoons are actually more entertaining for adults.

Front 235

ostentatious (adj.)

Back 235

characterized by or given to pretentiousness

His house was a shrine to ostentation; it had fourteen bathrooms with gold bathtubs.

Front 236

overweening (adj.)

Back 236

presumptuously arrogant, overbearing, immoderate

His overweening arrogance made everyone want to smack him, which was the only way he got to be the center of attention that he imagined he should be.

Front 237

obsequious (adj.)

Back 237

exhibiting a fawning attentiveness; subservient

His obsequious fawning over Brandy made him seem more like her pet than her peer.

Front 238

obstinate (adj.)

Back 238

stubborn; hardheaded; uncompromising

He couldn't get the obstinate oxen to move, no matter how much he coaxed.

Front 239

obstreperous (adj.)

Back 239

noisy, loudly stubborn, boisterous

Their obstreperous clamor to see their idol didn't quiet down even after he came on stage.

Front 240

obtain (v.)

Back 240

to be established, accepted, or customary, prevail

The proper conditions for the summit will only obtain if all parties agree to certain terms.

Front 241

obtuse (adj.)

Back 241

lacking sharpness of intellect, not clear or precise in thought or expression.

Her approach was so obtuse that it took me twenty minutes to figure out she was asking me out.

Front 242

obviate (v.)

Back 242

to anticipate and make unnecessary

The successful outcome of the most recent experiments obviated the need for any additional testing.

Front 243

occlude (v.)

Back 243

to obstruct or block

The path had become occluded by years of underbrush growing over the trail.

Front 244

occult (adj.)

Back 244

hidden, concealed, beyond comprehension

The occult mysteries of humankind's purpose on earth have yet to be fully solved despite the best efforts of scientists, philosophers and theologians.

Front 245

occult (v.)

Back 245

to hide

The beam of light from the ranger's station was occulted every time we walked behind a tree

Front 246

noisome (adj.)

Back 246

offensive, especially to one's sense of smell, fetid

The noisome miasma rising from the swamp was the result of a chemical spill.

Front 247

nonplussed (adj.)

Back 247

baffled, in a quandary, at a loss for what to say, do, or think

Ernest was a little nonplussed when Gertrude told him that she loved him but she wasn't in love with him, which is admittedly pretty confusing.

Front 248

nostrum (n.)

Back 248

cure-all, placebo, questionable remedy

Any nostrum that claims to cure both a hangover and bunions is either a miracle or a fraud.

Front 249

noxious (adj.)

Back 249

harmful; injurious

The school had to be evacuated when the noxious gas leak was discovered.

Front 250

obdurate (adj.)

Back 250

unyielding, hardhearted, inflexible

Completely unwilling to acknowledge that we might be lost, Anthony was obdurate in his insistence that we were going the right way.

Front 251

obfuscate (v.)

Back 251

to deliberately obscure, to make confusing

Magic tricks are based on the art of obfuscation; making an audience believe that it sees something other than what is actually occurring.

Front 252

nadir (n.)

Back 252

low point, perigee

Being presented with the "Nice Try" award for finishing in last place was definitely the nadir of my professional pinochle career.

Front 253

nascent (adj.)

Back 253

coming into being; in early developmental stages

I could alway tell when Richard had a nascent plan developing, because he got this faraway devious look in his eyes.

Front 254

natty (adj.)

Back 254

trimly neat and tidy, dapper

My grandmother is always complaining that there are no more natty dressers; she just doesn't think that baggy jeans and sneakers can compete with the zoot suit of her adolescence.

Front 255

nebulous (adj.)

Back 255

vague, cloudy, lacking clearly defined form

Unfortunately, we were so excited about the prospect of discovering buried treasure that we hadn't noticed how nebulous Hannah's plan was for finding it.

Front 256

neologism (n.)

Back 256

a new word, expression, or usage; the creation or use of new words or senses

My least favorite neologisms are nouns that have been made into verbs, as in "our team has been tasked with..."

Front 257

neophyte (n.)

Back 257

a recent convert; a beginner; novice

As a neophyte at archery, I was just happy I didn't put out anyone's eye my first few times.

Front 258

nexus (n.)

Back 258

a connection, tie, or link; center or focus

Although many people have studied the nexus between rehabilitation programs for prisoners and rates of recidivism, no one has been able to draw any universally accepted conclusions about the relationship.

Front 259

nice (adj.)

Back 259

exacting, extremely or even excessively precise; done with delicacy or skill

The distinction he drew between the two findings was so nice that most of his listeners weren't even sure it was there.

Front 260

mitigate (v.)

Back 260

to make or become less severe or intense, moderate

Turning on the heater mitigated the extreme cold in the living room; why didn't we think of that earlier?

Front 261

mollify (v.)

Back 261

to calm or soothe, reduce in emotional intensity

After stepping on her tail, I tried to mollify the cat by scratching her head and giving her some milk.

Front 262

morose (adj.)

Back 262

sad, sullen, melancholy

I knew from the morose expression on his face that it would be a bad idea to ask Kent how he did in the competition.

Front 263

multifarious (adj.)

Back 263

varied, motley, greatly diversified

There was no way she could keep up with all her multifarious business interests, so she hired hundreds of personal assistants to keep track of everything for her.

Front 264

mundane (adj.)

Back 264

of the world, typical of or concerned with the ordinary

Todd was always complaining that he shouldn't have to deal with all the mundane details of life, from eating and sleeping to cooking and cleaning, because he was going to be a famous rock star very soon.

Front 265

mettlesome (adj.)

Back 265

courageous, high spirited

The mettlesome doctor risked his own life to try to save the wounded soldiers on both sides.

Front 266

militate (v.)

Back 266

to have weight or bearing on, to argue (against)

The president's advisors warned him that the volatility of the situation militated against any rash action.

Front 267

milk (v.)

Back 267

to exploit, to squeeze every last ounce of

I milked my sprained ankle for as much sympathy as I could; pretty soon I had people cooking me dinner and cleaning my house.

Front 268

minatory (adj.)

Back 268

menacing, threatening

His minatory attitude is just a front; he's really a big softie inside.

Front 269

mince (v.)

Back 269

pronounce or speak affectedly or too carefully, euphemize, take tiny steps, tiptoe

Don't mince words with me; just come right out and tell me exactly what you think.

Front 270

misanthrope (n.)

Back 270

one who hates humankind

I am a misanthrope on Monday mornings, but the rest of the week I like people well enough.

Front 271

misogynist (n.)

Back 271

one who hates women

The professor had a reputation for being a misogynist, which explained why none of the women wanted to work with him.

Front 272

martial (adj.)

Back 272

associated with war and the armed forces

When civil war broke out, the military imposed martial law for the duration of the conflict.

Front 273

maunder (v.)

Back 273

to talk or move aimlessly, mutter

After we maundered about for over three hours I started to suspect that our guide didn't have the slightest idea where he was going.

Front 274

maverick (n.)

Back 274

an independent individual who does not go along with a group or party.

Always the maverick, Lola insisted on going right whenever everyone else went left.

Front 275

mellifluous (adj.)

Back 275

sweetly flowing, usually used to describe words or sounds

The mellifluous sound of her voice lulled me to sleep, though this wasn't what she had in mind since she was trying to chastise me.

Front 276

mendacity (n.)

Back 276

the condition of being untruthful, dishonesty

Pinocchio was never able to hide his mendacity; whenever he lied his nose grew longer.

Front 277

mendicant (n.)

Back 277

a beggar, supplicant

Mendicant orders are religious organizations, such as the Franciscans, that have been renounced all material wealth and survive by begging.

Front 278

mercurial (adj.)

Back 278

characterized by rapid and unpredictable change in mood

Lucia's mercurial personality kept things interesting; one minute she was all sunshine and joy and the next minute she thought everything was miserable.

Front 279

meretricious (adj.)

Back 279

tawdry, pretentious, attractive but false, showy, having to do with prostitution.

His meretricious argument had all the false allure of a low-rent Vegas nightclub: showy on the outside, but seedy and desperate on the inside.

Front 280

lucid (adj.)

Back 280

intelligible, sound, clear

The lucid water in the tidepool allowed us to see the bottom clearly.

Front 281

lumber (v.)

Back 281

to move heavily and clumsily or with a rumbling sound

The truck lumbered about like a drunken dinosaur.

Front 282

luminous (adj.)

Back 282

characterized by brightness and the emission of light, enlightened, clear

The luminous stars and full moon made it as bright as if it were the middle of the day.

Front 283

magnanimity (n.)

Back 283

the quality of being generously noble in mind and heart, especially in forgiving

He was magnanimous to a fault; he would give his last penny to anyone who asked for it.

Front 284

malevolent (adj.)

Back 284

having or showing often vicious ill will, spite, or hatred

The malevolent villain was so mean that she didn't even like puppies or flowers; now that's mean!

Front 285

malinger (v.)

Back 285

to feign illness so as to avoid work

Her boss suspected her of malingering until she brought a note from her doctor.

Front 286

malleable (adj.)

Back 286

capable of being shaped or formed, easily influenced

I wouldn't put too much importance on his agreement with your argument; he's so malleable that he's likely to agree with the next person he meets as well.

Front 287

laud (v.)

Back 287

to praise highly

His first novel was so universally lauded that it seemed almost impossible that his second book could live up to the expectations.

Front 288

libertine (n.)

Back 288

someone unrestrained by morality or convention or leading a dissolute life

We discovered that she was quite the libertine when it was revealed that she was having affairs on three different continents at the same time.

Front 289

limn (v.)

Back 289

to draw, outline in detail

The painter limned the old man's face in such exquisite and expressive lines that it almost looked as if he might open his mouth and speak.

Front 290

limpid (adj.)

Back 290

transparent, serene, clear and simple in style, untroubled

The article's limpid style was such a welcome break from the dense and convoluted theoretical stuff I'd been reading for days; in other words, its limpidity was a relief.

Front 291

list (v.)

Back 291

to tilt or lean to one side

The ship listed to one side after running aground on a rock and filling partially with water.

Front 292

loquacious (adj.)

Back 292

extremely talkative

It seems like, even when I'm feeling antisocial, I tend to be quite loquacious in social settings.

Front 293

itinerate (v.)

Back 293

to travel from place to place

After years of itinerating, never staying in one place for more than a couple months, he finally settled down and bought a house.

Front 294

jejune (adj.)

Back 294

vapid, uninteresting; childish, immature; lacking nutrition
The jejune lecture on various ways to wash clothes had us half-asleep after ten minutes.

After surviving on a jejune diet of saltines and ginger ale during my illness, I was ready for a more nutritious meal.
His jejune response to our questions revealed how young he was despite his apparent age.

Front 295

jibe (v.)

Back 295

to agree, to be in accord

Since the accounts of the evening's events didn't jibe, we knew that at least one of them wasn't telling the full truth.

Front 296

jocose (adj.)

Back 296

given to joking; humorous

The jocose man could always be counted on for some levity, but it was almost impossible to get him to stop joking even for a minute.

Front 297

kinetic (adj.)

Back 297

having to do with motion; lively; active

A kinetic personality is a lively, active, moving personality.
Our new public relations hire has a kinetic personality.

Front 298

labile (adj.)

Back 298

readily open to change, unstable

He was so emotionally labile that he could be crying one minute and laughing the next.

Front 299

lachrymose (adj.)

Back 299

causing tears, tearful, showing sorrow

His lachrymose apology didn't move me; he was going to have to do a lot more than shed a few tears before I was ready to forgive him.

Front 300

laconic (adj.)

Back 300

using few words; terse

We took her "good" as high praise indeed, since that was more than our laconic band teacher usually said in a whole week.

Front 301

lassitude (n.)

Back 301

listlessness, languor, weariness

Those two push-ups I attempted filled me with lassitude for the rest of the day.

Front 302

intractable (adj.)

Back 302

not easily managed or directed, stubborn, obstinate

He was the most intractable child I have ever met; nothing I tried would get him to brush his teeth or go to bed.

Front 303

intransigent (adj.)

Back 303

refusing to compromise

He was an intransigent supporter of the tax cut, refusing to compromise even the slightest bit.

Front 304

inveterate (adj.)

Back 304

deep rooted, ingrained, habitual

Tim was such an inveterate liar that he lied even when he thought he was telling the truth.

Front 305

irascible (adj.)

Back 305

easily angered; prone to temperamental outbursts

For some reason, whenever I'm with my family I turn into an irascible person.

Front 306

insensible (adj.)

Back 306

unconscious, unresponsive, unaware, unaffected, numb

He lay insensible on the field after being hit in the head by the baseball.

Front 307

insipid (adj.)

Back 307

without taste or flavor, lacking in spirit, dull

That insipid stew is in desperate need of some hot sauce.

Front 308

insouciant (adj.)

Back 308

unconcerned, carefree, nonchalant

Her insouciant attitude toward her schoolwork meant that she rarely turned in her papers or bothered to study for a test.

Front 309

insular (adj.)

Back 309

parochial, narrow-minded, like an island

The insularity of his upbringing was reflected in the narrow-mindedness of his views.

Front 310

interdict (v.)

Back 310

prohibit, forbid, ban, halt

Although Prohibition attempted to interdict the sale of alcohol, it was never entirely successful.

Front 311

intimate (v.)

Back 311

to imply, suggest or insinuate

I can't believe Adrian intimated that I wanted to have a long-distance relationship with him.

Front 312

intimation (n.)

Back 312

a hint

Her intimations that I might get the job only made me more nervous.

Front 313

inherent (adj.)

Back 313

ingrained within one's nature, intrinsic, firmly established, essential

His inherent skill at spatial relations reasoning was revealed when he solved the Rubik's cube puzzle at the age of two.

Front 314

inimical (adj.)

Back 314

damaging, harmful, injurious, hostile, unfriendly

He seemed inimical to my overtures of friendship, refusing even to talk to me.

Front 315

inimitable (adj.)

Back 315

one of a kind, peerless

His inimitable feats of daring on the trapeze were so audacious that no one else even tried to imitate them.

Front 316

iniquity (n.)

Back 316

wickedness, gross injustice

The iniquity of the judgment was so blatant that there was immediate worldwide protest of its unfairness.

Front 317

innervate (v.)

Back 317

to supply with nerves, energize

Innervate is usually used to describe a physiological process, as in the fibers that innervate the facial muscles, but it can also be used metaphorically.

Front 318

innocuous (adj.)

Back 318

harmless, causing no damage

At least her practical jokes are innocuous, even if they are annoying.

Front 319

inscrutable (adj.)

Back 319

incapable of being discovered or understood, mysterious

Her expression was inscrutable; I couldn't tell whether she liked the present or not.

Front 320

indefatigable (adj.)

Back 320

not easily exhaustible, tireless, dogged

Although I tried to convince myself I was indefatigable, I started to suspect I would have to be carried the last few miles of the hike.

Front 321

indifferent (adj.)

Back 321

having no interest or concern, apathetic; showing no bias or prejudice

Her reputation as an indifferent judge made all sides trust her; it was her indifference that made the two parties agree to accept her judgment as final.

Front 322

indolent (adj.)

Back 322

lazy, listless, torpid

Alex was so indolent that he hired other people to wash his hands for him.

Front 323

ineluctable (adj.)

Back 323

certain, inevitable

George refused to accept the ineluctable reality of death, so he planned to have himself frozen.

Front 324

inert (adj.)

Back 324

unmoving, lethargic, sluggish, not reactive chemically

Helium and argon are two of the inert gases, which do not react with much of anything.

Swamjii demanded enthusiasm, commitment, self-control. He was always scolding people for being jad, the Hindi word for "INERT."

Front 325

infelicitous (adj.)

Back 325

unfortunate; inappropriate

In Thai culture it is considered infelicitous to touch someone's head, and it is also inappropriate to use your foot to point at a person.

Front 326

ingenuous (adj.)

Back 326

artless, frank and candid, lacking in sophistication

His ingenuous question revealed how naive he was, but his ingenuousness was actually refreshing in this group of cynical, scheming old men.

Front 327

disingenuous (adj.)

Back 327

lacking in candor, calculating, duplicitous

I suspected that his sudden interest in my research was disingenuous; he really just wanted an invitation to the party I was hosting.

Front 328

impugn (v.)

Back 328

attack or assail verbally, censure, execrate, deny

Although the paper impugned his motives for resigning, claiming that he did it to hide his misdeeds, most people still believed he did it for virtuous reasons.

Front 329

impunity (n.)

Back 329

immunity from punishment, penalty or harm

Barry the bully was able to terrorize the schoolyard with impunity because he was always able to look completely innocent whenever any authority figures were around

Front 330

impute (v.)

Back 330

to attribute to a cause or source, ascribe, assign as a characteristic

The mechanic imputed my car's failure to start to the absence of any gasoline in the tank.

Front 331

inchoate (adj.)

Back 331

in an initial stage, not fully formed

Drat, our plan for world domination is still inchoate; how will we finalize it before the deadline tomorrow?

Front 332

incipient (adj.)

Back 332

beginning to come into being or to become apparent

I could sense the dull throbbing in my head that was the sign of an incipient headache; I knew it was only a matter of times before it had developed into a full-fledged migraine.

Front 333

impassive (adj.)

Back 333

revealing no emotion or sensibility

The guards at Buckingham Palace are required to be completely impassive; they can't show any emotion whatsoever.

Front 334

impecunious (adj.)

Back 334

lacking funds; without money

The impecunious actor was so desperate for money that he had to sacrifice his artistic principles and work as a mime for a few months.

Front 335

imperious (adj.)

Back 335

commanding, masterful, arrogant, domineering, haughty

Her imperious manner was extremely annoying to her employees, who thought her arrogance was unfounded since she wasn't even that bright.

Front 336

imperturbable (adj.)

Back 336

marked by extreme calm, impassivity and steadiness

We were in awe of the teacher's ability to remain imperturbable while chaos erupted in the classroom; even with twenty kindergartners running amuck, she managed to stay calm.

Front 337

impetuous (adj.)

Back 337

hastily or rashly energetic, impulsive and vehement

We regretted our impetuous decision to spend our vacation in Greenland when we realized we hadn't packed any warm clothing.

I felt Christian's impetuous actions were such a turnoff.

Front 338

implacable (adj.)

Back 338

not capable of being appeased or significantly changed.

Her anger over her partner's betrayal was implacable; nothing anyone said or did would appease her.

Front 339

importune (v.)

Back 339

to ask incessantly, beg, nag

Jerry's constant importuning for time off worked in a way; he had plenty of time off once he was fired for nagging his boss about a vacation.

Front 340

iconoclast (n.)

Back 340

one who attacks or undermines traditional conventions or institutions.

Becker might think Greg Price is an iconoclast, but I think he is just a fool.

Front 341

idolatrous (adj.)

Back 341

given to intense or excessive devotion to something

Jim's family realized his love of football was truly idolatrous when they discovered the Raiders shrine in his closet.

Front 342

idyll (n.)

Back 342

a carefree, light-hearted pastoral or romantic episode or experience; a literary or musical piece describing such

The smell of the ocean always made me nostalgic for our summer idyll on the coast two years ago.

Front 343

idyllic (adj.)

Back 343

simple or carefree

Our once-idyllic house became a nightmare when the family of kazoo players moved in next door.

Front 344

ignominious (adj.)

Back 344

shameful, dishonorable, ignoble, undignified, disgraceful

It was an ignominious, though deserved, end to tall his boasting when the wheels fell off his car halfway through the race.

Front 345

imbroglio (n.)

Back 345

difficult or embarrassing situation

We could see a public relations imbroglio developing before our eyes when the food fight started in the senior citizens' home right as the mayor began his speech.

Front 346

imminent (adj.)

Back 346

about to happen; impending

Alfred had a hunch that his luck was going to improve shortly and that good fortune was imminent; little did he know, though, that it would show up in the form of a pink poodle.

Front 347

immutable (adj.)

Back 347

not capable of change

Her position on the matter was immutable; no reasoning could convince her that Elvis was not alive and well and working at the car wash down the street.

Front 348

hermetic (adj.)

Back 348

airtight, impervious to outside influence

The tomb's hermetic seal allowed its content to be perfectly preserved for thousands of years.

Front 349

heterodox (adj.)

Back 349

unorthodox, heretical, iconoclastic

Einstein's heterodox theories changed our fundamental understanding of time and space forever.

Front 350

hirsute (adj.)

Back 350

hairy, shaggy

If he hadn't been so hirsute, the werewolf might have escaped detection forever and settled down into a nice, quiet life in the suburbs.

Front 351

homily (n.)

Back 351

a sermon or morally instructive lecture, a platitude

The subject of the minister's homilies ranged from the importance of compassion to the virtues of brushing one's teeth three times a day.

Front 352

hubris (n.)

Back 352

arrogant presumption or pride

Icarus was destroyed by the sun god, who melted the wax in Icarus' wings as punishment for his hubris in daring to fly so close to the sun.

Front 353

hyperbole (n.)

Back 353

an exaggerated statement, often used as a figure of speech

I should have realized she was using hyperbole when she promised me the moon and stars; that way I wouldn't have been disappointed when I only got the moon.

Front 354

hackneyed (adj.)

Back 354

rendered trite or commonplace by frequent usage

Every hackneyed phrase began as something other than a cliche; it only ended up on the greeting card circuit because enough people repeated it over and over.

Front 355

halcyon (adj.)

Back 355

calm and peaceful, prosperous

I always hated it when the halcyon days of summer were interrupted by the start of school in the fall.

Front 356

hallow (v.)

Back 356

to set apart as holy

The site for the new church was set aside and hallowed in a special ceremony.

Front 357

harangue (v.)

Back 357

to deliver a loud, pompous speech or tirade

After having been harangued for hours about the superiority of his methods, we should be forgiven for laughing when his demonstration failed.

Front 358

harrow (v.)

Back 358

to distress, create stress or torment

The sadistic professor loved to harrow his students with harrowing tales of the upcoming final exam that no student in the school's history had ever passed.

Front 359

hedonism (n.)

Back 359

devotion to pleasurable pursuits, especially to the pleasures of the senses

He had to give up his hedonistic lifestyle once he had a full-time job; it was just too hard to get up in the morning after a long night of partying.

Front 360

hegemony (n.)

Back 360

the consistent dominance or influence of one group, state, or ideology over others

It has been argued that the United States has achieved global hegemony in the post-Cold War era.

Front 361

heretical (adj.)

Back 361

violating accepted dogma or convention, unorthodox

The once heretical notion that computers would become more than calculating machines or toys is now so obvious that it's hard to remember when we ever thought differently.

Front 362

gossamer (adj.)

Back 362

delicate, insubstantial or tenuous; insincere

The kite was made out of a gossamer substance that seemed hardly substantial enough to let it survive even the lightest of breezes.

Front 363

grandiloquence (n.)

Back 363

pompous speech or expression

His grandiloquence made him an easy target for ridicule once we all figured out he didn't even know most of the big words he used.

Front 364

grouse (v.)

Back 364

to complain or grumble

Although I always grouse about my roommates and their tendency to eat all the food and leave dirty dishes and laundry lying around, I still wouldn't trade them for anything in the world.

Front 365

guile (n.)

Back 365

trickery, duplicity, cunning

The wily con man used guile to part us from our money, but at least we ended up with this lovely snake oil.

Front 366

guileless (adj.)

Back 366

free from guile, naive

His guileless answers convinced everyone of his complete innocence and he was acquitted of any wrongdoing.

Front 367

beguile (v.)

Back 367

to deceive by guile, or to charm

She beguiled us all by batting her lashes, right before she picked our pockets.

Front 368

guy (n.)

Back 368

a rope or cord attached to something as a brace or guide

We were all nervous that the guy for the pulley would give way, but the platform stayed intact, so it must have been fine.

Front 369

furtive (adj.)

Back 369

marked by stealth; covert; surreptitious

The dog's furtive attempts to steal food from the table while no one was looking were thwarted when a whole turkey came crashing to the floor.

Front 370

gainsay (v.)

Back 370

to deny, dispute, contradict, oppose

It is difficult to gainsay the critics when every new movie the director makes is a flop.

Front 371

gambol (v.)

Back 371

to skip about playfully, frolic

Gamboling in the meadow, the lambs were the very embodiment of playful innocence.

Front 372

garner (v.)

Back 372

to gather and save, store up, acquire

Lester was the class clown, always playing practical jokes in an obvious attempt to garner attention.

Front 373

garrulous (adj.)

Back 373

pointlessly talkative, talking too much

My garrulous neighbor is very sweet, so I try not to act too impatient when she tells me yet another long meandering story.

Front 374

gauche (adj.)

Back 374

crude, awkward, tasteless

His gauche comment about their host made everyone around him uncomfortable.

Front 375

germane (adj.)

Back 375

relevant to the subject at hand; appropriate in subject matter

Although his stories were seldom germane to the topic at hand, it was impossible not to enjoy his entertaining tangents.

Front 376

glib (adj.)

Back 376

marked by ease or informality; nonchalant; lacking in depth; superficial

Laurence glibly dismissed his critics' attacks, refusing to take them all seriously.

Although everyone had thought he was virtually guaranteed the position, his glib attitude during the interview made the director think he didn't care and cost him the job.

Front 377

forestall (v.)

Back 377

to act in a way to hinder, exclude or prevent an action; to circumvent or thwart

The famous actress was trying to forestall aging by undergoing ever more bizarre therapies and cosmetic surgeries.

Front 378

forswear (v.)

Back 378

to renounce, disallow, repudiate

Even though she forswore all other vices, Gina knew she wouldn't be able to give up smoking cigars.

Front 379

fortuitous (adj.)

Back 379

happening by fortunate accident or chance

The movie's reliance on the heroine's fortuitous meeting with her long lost brother in order to provide a happy ending displeased many critics.

Front 380

fracas (n.)

Back 380

noisy fight or quarrel, brawl.

The fracas that started between the two cab drivers gradually grew until it included most of the bystanders as well and turned into a small riot.

Front 381

fractious (adj.)

Back 381

quarrelsome, rebellious, unruly, cranky

The party's fractious internal politics made it difficult for it to gain influence, since all its members' time was spent quarreling.

Front 382

froward (adj.)

Back 382

intractable, not willing to yield or comply, stubbornly disobedient

No matter how much I pleaded and prodded, my froward mule refused to take a single step.

Front 383

fulminate (v.)

Back 383

to attack loudly or denounce

Since he had been fulminating against corporate misconduct for years, his enemies were gleeful to uncover evidence of the million-dollar payoff he received from the state's largest company.

Front 384

filigree (n.)

Back 384

an ornamental work, especially of delicate lacelike patterns resembling such a pattern.

The decorative filigree of its design disguised the wrought iron fence's practical purpose.

Front 385

filigree (v.)

Back 385

to adorn

The brooch was filigreed with a delicate pattern of vines and grapes

Front 386

flag (v.)

Back 386

to sag or droop, to become spiritless, to decline

The fans' spirits flagged when the opposing team intercepted the ball in the last few minutes of the game and scored.

Front 387

flip (adj.)

Back 387

sarcastic, impertinent

His flip remarks were intended to keep anyone from realizing how much he actually cared.

Front 388

florid (adj.)

Back 388

flushed with color, ruddy, ornate

Glen always became a little florid when he drank; his face became bright red.

Front 389

flout (v.)

Back 389

to demonstrate contempt for

Gertrude's reputation for flouting the rules was so well known that she was no longer able to get away with anything at all.

Front 390

foment (v.)

Back 390

to stir up, incite, rouse

Although they accused Kayla of fomenting the protest, she had actually been the one trying to calm everyone down.

Front 391

forbearance (n.)

Back 391

patience, willingness to wait

Lacy hoped that her professor's reputation for forbearance was well founded and that she would get an extension on her paper.

Front 392

ford (v.)

Back 392

to wade across the shallow part of a river or stream

I may have lost my shirt and my pants while trying to ford the river, but at least I still had my hat when I got to the other side.

Front 393

fell (n.)

Back 393

a barren or stony hill; an animal's hide

The cabin stood isolated on the wind-swept fell.

Front 394

fervent (adj.)

Back 394

greatly emotional or zealous

The most difficult challenge was to not stir up the intellect during meditation, for any thoughts of the mind--even the most FERVENT prayers--will extinguish the fire of God.

Front 395

fetid (adj.)

Back 395

stinking, having a heavy bad smell

We were never able to determine exactly what the fetid green substance we found in the refrigerator was; no one was willing to get close enough to that horrible smell to investigate.

Front 396

fetter (v.)

Back 396

to shackle, put in chains, restrain

Fran was fettered in her attempts to find the hotel by her inability to speak French.

Front 397

fallacy (n.)

Back 397

an invalid or incorrect notion; a mistaken belief

Unfortunately, the fallacies of diet programs promising effortless weight loss continue to find plenty of people willing to be fooled.

Front 398

fallow (adj.)

Back 398

untilled, inactive, dormant

The farmer hoped that leaving the field fallow for a season would mean that next year he could grow a bumper crop of Brussel sprouts.

Front 399

fatuous (adj.)

Back 399

silly, inanely foolish

We suspected that the fatuous grin on Amy's face was evidence of a chocolate chip cookie overdose; she had eaten so many that she had become completely goofy.
(connotation of smugness)
The politician's fatuous remarks revealed that he was not only pompous, but also not very bright.

Front 400

fawn (v.)

Back 400

to flatter or praise excessively

Hector used to think it would be great to be a rock start and have groupies fawning all over him; he changed his mind the first time the fans tore all his clothes off.

Front 401

feckless (adj.)

Back 401

ineffectual; irresponsible

My feckless brother managed to get himself grounded again, proving one more time that I am the more responsible sibling.

Front 402

felicitous (adj.)

Back 402

apt; suitably expressed, well chosen, apropos; delightful

She can always be counted on for the most felicitous remark; she has something appropriate for every occasion.

Front 403

exigent (adj.)

Back 403

urgent; pressing; requiring immediate action or attention.

It seems like all of Dr. Cook's work is exigent...except for the fact that she does not respond to me immediately.

Front 404

exonerate (v.)

Back 404

to remove blame

Kim was exonerated of having taken her sister's shoes when the missing boots were discovered under a pile of dirty laundry.

Front 405

expatiate (v.)

Back 405

discuss or write about at length; to range freely

His ability to expatiate on such a variety of subjects without notes made watching him speak something like taking a trip without a map; the journey set its own course.

Front 406

expiate (v.)

Back 406

to atone or make amends for

He feared that nothing could expiate the insensitivity of his comments.

Front 407

expurgate (v.)

Back 407

to remove obscenity, purify, censor

The expurgated version of the novel was incredibly boring; it turned out that the parts the censors removed had been the only interesting ones.

Front 408

extant (adj.)

Back 408

existing, not destroyed or lost

There are forty-eight copies of the Gutenberg Bible extant today.

Front 409

extemporaneous (adj.)

Back 409

improvised; done without preparation

Her extemporaneous remarks at the reception demonstrated that her speechwriter must largely be responsible for her reputation for eloquence.

Front 410

extirpate (v.)

Back 410

to destroy, exterminate, cut out, pull out by the roots

The dodo bird was extirpated by a combination of hunting by humans and predation by non-native animals.

Front 411

exacerbate (v.)

Back 411

to make worse or more severe

My mother insisted that going outside with wet hair would only exacerbate my cold, and she was probably right since now I have pneumonia.

Front 412

exact (v.)

Back 412

to demand, call for, require, take

Celebrities often complain that fame exacts a heavy price in loss of privacy, but their fans don't seem to care much, perhaps thinking that this is a reasonable exchange for the money and glory.

Front 413

excoriate (v.)

Back 413

to censure scathingly, to upbraid

The editorial excoriated those artists who attended the event instead of observing the boycott called for by human rights groups.

Front 414

exculpate (v.)

Back 414

to exonerate; to clear from blame

Far from exculpating him as he had hoped, the new evidence only served to convince the jury of his guilt.

Front 415

exemplar (n.)

Back 415

typical or standard specimen; paradigm; model

We were excited to find the perfect exemplar of the species of beetle we had studied in school; it conformed to the description in the guidebook in every way.

Front 416

exhort (v.)

Back 416

to incite, to make urgent appeals

At the last second I realized that he was waving his arms frantically to exhort me to look down before I fell off the cliff.

Front 417

eschew (v.)

Back 417

to shun or avoid

Daniel was unwilling to eschew her company even though I reminded him of how many times she had stood him up in the past.

Front 418

esoteric (adj.)

Back 418

intended for or understood by a small, specific group

Even though most of the sect's practices were well-documented by anthropologists, some of its most esoteric rites had never been witnessed by outsiders.

To understand what that experience was, what happened in there, brings up a topic rather esoteric and wild--namely, the subject of kundalini shakti.

Front 419

essay (v.)

Back 419

to test or try; attempt, experiment

It was incredible to watch Valerie essay her first steps after her long convalescence; we were so proud of how hard she had worked at her rehabilitation.

Front 420

estimable (adj.)

Back 420

worthy, formidable

Despite his estimable efforts, Alvin was unable to finish his spinach; it really was an impressive attempt though.

Front 421

eulogy (n.)

Back 421

a speech honoring the dead.

It was impossible for Sonya to conceal her grief at the funeral; she started weeping during the delivery of the eulogy.

Front 422

evanescent (adj.)

Back 422

tending to disappear like vapor; vanishing

All trace of the evanescent first snow vanished as soon as the midday sun appeared.

Front 423

evince (v.)

Back 423

to show clearly, to indicate

The expression on Jane's face evinced what she thought of the proposal; it's amazing how clearly "you must be kidding" can be communicated without speaking a word.

Front 424

episodic (adj.)

Back 424

loosely connected, not flowing logically, occurring at intervals

The episodic structure of the novel mirrored the main character's fragmented experience of events during the war.

Front 425

epithet (n.)

Back 425

disparaging word or phrase

The epithets he flung in drunken anger came back to haunt him the next morning when everyone refused to talk to him.

Front 426

epitome (n.)

Back 426

embodiment, quintessence

Pete may not necessarily be the epitome of the man I want.

Front 427

equanimity (n.)

Back 427

composure, self-possession

Liam strove unsuccessfully for equanimity in the face of the massive and unprovoked tickle attack.

Front 428

equivocate (v.)

Back 428

to use ambiguous language with a deceptive intent

She argued that the company was guilty of equivocating when it claimed it could "teach you to type in one hour or less" because it was unclear whether they meant they guaranteed you would be able to hit a single key or type fifty words a minute at the end of the hour.

Front 429

errant (adj.)

Back 429

traveling, itinerant, peripatetic

Travels with Charley is Steinbeck's account of his errant journey across America with his French poodle, Charley.

Front 430

erudite (adj.)

Back 430

very learned; scholarly

I wonder if one of the English translations of my name is erudite--my mom did say I was very studious and a philosopher.

Front 431

enigmatic (adj.)

Back 431

mysterious; obscure; difficult to understand

Some archaeologists speculate that the enigmatic markings on the cave wall may be the earliest known human representations of religious worship.

Front 432

ennui (n.)

Back 432

dissatisfaction and restlessness resulting from boredom or apathy.

Serena's claim that a rousing game of Go Fish would cure us of our ennui left us somewhat skeptical.

Front 433

enormity (n.)

Back 433

excessive wickedness; evilness

The enormity of the terrorist act stunned and outraged the world.

Front 434

ephemeral (adj.)

Back 434

brief; fleeting, short-lived

My ephemeral first romance lasted precisely as long as summer camp did.

Front 435

epicure (n.)

Back 435

one devoted to sensual pleasure, particularly in food and drink; gourmand, sybarite

After watching too many cooking shows, Larry became such an epicure that he lost his ability to appreciate the gustatory pleasures of a frozen pizza.

Front 436

emollient (adj.)

Back 436

soothing, especially to the skin; making less harsh; mollifying

Oatmeal's emollient qualities when added to bath water make it an effective aid in soothing the discomfort of poison oak.

Front 437

encomium (n.)

Back 437

growing and enthusiastic praise; panegyric, tribute, eulogy

The recently released tribute album was created as an encomium to the singer many considered the grandfather of soul music.

Front 438

endemic (adj.)

Back 438

characterized of or often found in particular locality, region, or people; restricted to or peculiar to that region; indigenous

Some pundits argues that the corruption endemic to politics today is responsible for the public apathy evident in record low voter turnouts.

Front 439

enervate (v.)

Back 439

to weaken, to reduce in vitality

I was so enervated by last Spring's courseload that it impacted my performance at AEASP.

Front 440

engender (v.)

Back 440

to cause, produce, give rise to

Technical manuals, ostensibly designed to make things easier, can sometimes engender even more confusion than they prevent.

Front 441

ostensibly (adv)

Back 441

seeming or stated to be real or true, when this is perhaps not the case

Troops were sent in, ostensibly to protect the civilian population.

Front 442

eclectic (adj.)

Back 442

composed of elements drawn from various sources

It was easy to get a sense of Alison's eclectic taste from looking at her music collection, which contained everything from Mahler to Metallica.

Front 443

edifying (adj.)

Back 443

enlightening, informative

The lecture we attended on the consequences of globalization was highly edifying, but what I learned only made me want to know more.

Front 444

effrontery (n.)

Back 444

extreme boldness; presumptuousness

The effrontery of her demand astonished everyone; no one had ever dared ask the head of the department to explain his reasoning before.

Front 445

effusive (adj.)

Back 445

gushing; excessively demonstrative

Her effusive good wishes seemed a bit forced; it was hard to believe she was no longer bitter about having had her own grant proposal turned down.

Front 446

egress (n.)

Back 446

exit

Egress can either be a noun, meaning an exit or going out, or a verb, meaning to exit or emerge. Ingress is the opposite of Egress.

The dancer's egress from the stage brought the audience to its feet in a standing ovation.
Although the egress was clearly marked with a big green sign saying, "EXIT," I still had trouble locating it because I had lost my glasses by the time I was ready to leave.

Front 447

elegy (n.)

Back 447

a mournful poem, especially one lamenting the dead; any mournful writing or piece of music

His elegy for the long-lost carefree days of his youth was moving, if somewhat cliched.

Front 448

dross (n.)

Back 448

slag, waste or foreign matter, impurity, surface scum

We discarded the dross that had formed at the top of the cider during the fermentation process.

Front 449

dulcet (adj.)

Back 449

melodious, harmonious, mellifluous

The fact that I thought her voice a dulcet wonder shows you how infatuated I was; most people thought she sounded like a sick moose.

Front 450

dynamo (n.)

Back 450

generator; forceful, energetic person

Courtney was truly the dynamo of the group; without her we'd probably still be sitting on the couch instead of being three days into our road trip.

Front 451

ebullience (adj.)

Back 451

the quality of lively or enthusiastic expression of thoughts and feelings

Allen's love of birds was clear from the ebullience with which he described them.

Front 452

disparage (v.)

Back 452

to slight or belittle

I don't think you have any right to disparage his attempts until you have tried riding the mechanical bull yourself.

WHY DO YOU ALWAYS TRY TO DISPARAGE YOURSELF?

Front 453

disparate (adj.)

Back 453

fundamentally distinct or dissimilar

I found it amazing that two people with such disparate tastes could decorate a house together.

Front 454

dissemble (v.)

Back 454

to disguise or conceal; to mislead

Dissembling on your grad school application is an absolute no-no.

Pete dissembled me into thinking he wanted to maintain a long-distance relationship.

Front 455

dissolution (n.)

Back 455

disintegration, looseness in morals

The dissolution of the warlord's power left a power vacuum in its wake that many minor chieftains competed to fill.

Front 456

dissolute (adj.)

Back 456

licentious, libertine

His dissolute indulgence in every form of hedonism horrified his morally consertative colleagues.

Front 457

distrait (v.)

Back 457

distracted; absent-minded, especially due to anxiety

When he kept forgetting what he was talking about during dinner, it became clear that he was distrait, and was no doubt preoccupied with the meeting planned for the next day.

Front 458

divulge (v.)

Back 458

to disclose something secret

People at Olive Garden tend to divulge information like it's their hobby.

Front 459

doggerel (n.)

Back 459

trivial, poorly constructed verse

For some reason, I could always remember the bit of doggerel I read on the bathroom wall, though I had long since forgotten all the exquisite poetry I read in my classes in college.

Front 460

dogmatic (adj.)

Back 460

authoritatively and or arrogantly assertive of principles, which often cannot be proved; stubbornly opinionated

One of the things that bugs me about KJ so much is his dogmatic views on everything--including the dynamics between men and women.

Front 461

din (n.)

Back 461

loud sustained noise

The din of the faulty muffler drowned out all the other noises that would have confirmed the very poor odds of my car making it another five miles.

Front 462

disabuse (v.)

Back 462

to undeceive; to set right

I'm glad Adrian and I talked on the phone to disabuse any notion of me having stronger feelings for him.

Front 463

discomfit (v.)

Back 463

to defeat, put down

The enemy's superior planning and resources discomfited us. They defeated us easily, despite our hopes of discomfiting their attack.

Front 464

discordant (adj.)

Back 464

conflicting; dissonant or harsh in sound

Because the group had been fractured by discord for so long, it was surprising, to say the least, to watch them put aside their discordant views and begin to get along as if they had never disagreed.

Front 465

discretion (n.)

Back 465

cautious reserve in speech; ability to make responsible decisions

The matchmaker's discretion was the key to her remarkable success; her clients knew she would not reveal their identities inappropriately.

Front 466

disinterested (adj.)

Back 466

free from self-interest; unbiased

We need a disinterested party to arbitrate the property dispute, since each of the participants had too much at stake to remain unbiased.

Front 467

diatribe (n.)

Back 467

a harsh denunciation

What started out as seemingly normal discussion about what to have for lunch, rapidly and somewhat bizarrely turned into a diatribe about the difficulty of finding a decent pickle.

Front 468

didactic (adj.)

Back 468

intended to teach or instruct

Rachel's attempt to hide the activity's didactic intent by wrapping it in the guise of a fun game didn't fool the third graders for a minute; they could always smell something educational a mile off.

Front 469

die (n.)

Back 469

a tool used for shaping

When coins are made by hand, a die is usually used to press the design on each coin.

Front 470

diffident (adj.)

Back 470

reserved, shy, unassuming; lacking in self-confidence

He was a diffident reader of his own poetry, and which sometimes kept his audience from recognizing the real power of his writing.

Front 471

digress (v.)

Back 471

to stray from the point; to go off on a tangent

My aunt's tendency to digress is legendary; she can get so far off topic that no one can remember the starting point, but the journey is always fascinating.

Front 472

dilatory (adj.)

Back 472

causing delay, procrastinating

His dilatory habits were a source of exasperation for his boss, who never knew whether something would be finished on time or not.

Front 473

dilettante (n.)

Back 473

one with an amateurish or superficial interest in the arts or a branch of knowledge

I hope that I am not simply a dilettante when it comes to pilates or martial arts, and that I will continue to pursue higher learning in the future.

Front 474

derision (n.)

Back 474

scorn, ridicule, contemptuous treatment

Her derision was all the more painful because I suspected that her review of my performance was accurate.

Front 475

derivative (adj.)

Back 475

unoriginal, obtained from another source

Some people claim that there is nothing new under the sun, and that all contemporary art is therefore derivate of work that came before it.

Front 476

desiccate (v.)

Back 476

to dry out or dehydrate; to make dry or dull

His skin was so desiccated by sun exposure that it looked like parchment.

Front 477

desuetude (n.)

Back 477

disuse

After sitting abandoned for years, the house's desuetude came to an end when the county bought it and turned it into a teen center.

Front 478

desultory (adj.)

Back 478

random; thoughtless; marked by a lack of plan or purpose.

His desultory efforts in studying for the test were immediately obvious to his teacher as soon as she began to score his exam.

Front 479

detraction (n.)

Back 479

slandering, verbal attack, aspersion

Apparently, the mayor's campaign of detraction backfired, since a record number of people voted for his opponent, many of them citing the vitriol of the mayor's attacks as the reason they voted against him.

Front 480

diaphanous (adj.)

Back 480

transparent, gauzy

Her diaphanous gown left little to the imagination.

Front 481

demur (v.)

Back 481

to question or oppose

I hesitated to demur with the professor, until he said something factually inaccurate, at which point I felt I had to speak up.

Front 482

denigrate (v.)

Back 482

blacken, belittle, sully, defame, disparage

Though some might have denigrated our efforts at cooking breakfast, which consisted of cold eggs, bitter coffee and burnt toast, our mother was very appreciative of our attempt and bravely ate all of it.

Front 483

denouement (n.)

Back 483

an outcome or solution; the unraveling of a plot

The denouement seemed completely contrived; the happy ending didn't fit with the tone of the entire rest of the movie.

Front 484

deprecate (v.)

Back 484

to disparage or belittle

You can deprecate his work all you want but it won't affect my opinion; I don't care if his writing is sometimes amateurish, I still like it.

Front 485

self-deprecating

Back 485

to belittle yourself or your accomplishments

If I could only stop being self-deprecating maybe I will be more successful and happy.

Front 486

depredate (v.)

Back 486

to plunder, pillage, ravage or destroy; to exploit in a predatory manner

The pirates depredated every ship that came through the straits for two years, until no captain was willing to risk that route and the port town became deserted.

Front 487

depredations (n.)

Back 487

attacks, ravages

Ten years of the dictator's depredations had left the country a wasteland.

Front 488

damp (v.)

Back 488

to diminish the intensity or check something, such as a sound or feeling.

Her hopes were damped when she checked the mailbox and there was still no letter for the fourth day in a row.

Front 489

daunt (v.)

Back 489

to intimidate or dismay

At first, the protagonist of the fairy tale was daunted by the task given to him; he didn't know how he would ever sort the grains of wheat and barley until the ants arrived to help him.

Front 490

dearth (n.)

Back 490

smallness of quantity or number; scarcity; lack

The dearth of snow this winter increases the likelihood of a drought next summer.

Front 491

debacle (n.)

Back 491

rout, fiasco, complete failure

Trying to avoid a debacle, the candidate decided to withdraw from the race shortly before election day.

Front 492

decorum (n.)

Back 492

politeness or appropriateness of conduct or behavior

For some reason, the British seem to be able to maintain the utmost decorum in any situation.

Front 493

corrigible (adj.)

Back 493

capable of being set right, correctable, reparable

My poor performance over the summer at Duke is corrigible if I do well in my econ courses this fall.

Front 494

countenance (v.)

Back 494

to approve of or tolerate

I was willing to countenance any level of bickering and dispute as long as everyone agreed with me in the end.

Front 495

cozen (v.)

Back 495

to deceive, beguile, hoodwink

The corrupt televangelist cozened millions of dollars out of his viewers by convincing them that he would perform miracles to make them all win the lottery.

Front 496

craven (adj.)

Back 496

contemptibly fainthearted, pusillanimous, lacking any courage

His craven cowardice in refusing to admit his mistake meant that a completely innocent person was punished.

Front 497

credulous (adj.)

Back 497

tending to believe too readily; gullible

That scultpure in the lobby was so obviously a fake that it would convince only the most credulous person; after all, the "gold" left something that looked suspiciously like paint on our fingers when we touched the sculpture.

Front 498

culpable (adj.)

Back 498

deserving blame

I am somewhat culpable for my own lack of time--I spend too much time trying to waste time with friends as opposed to using time efficiently.

Front 499

consequential (adj.)

Back 499

pompous, self-important

Although he thought himself a respected and well-liked man, his consequential air was intensely annoying to hose around him. He seemed to think he was the best thing since sliced bread.

Front 500

contemn (v.)

Back 500

to scorn or despise

I contemn their attempts to curry favor; nothing is more contemptible than a sycophant.

Front 501

contentious (adj.)

Back 501

argumentative; quarrelsome; causing controversy or disagreement

The judges' contentious decision of the title bout led some to claim that undue influence had been exerted in deciding the outcome of the fight.

Front 502

contiguous (adj.)

Back 502

sharing a border; touching; adjacent

The contiguous United States include all the states except Hawaii and Alaska, since they are the only ones that don't share at least one border with another state.

Front 503

contrite (adj.)

Back 503

regretful; penitent; seeking forgiveness

David's contrite words were long overdue; if he had made his apologies last week, his sister would have been a lot more willing to accept them.

Front 504

convention (n.)

Back 504

a generally agreed-upon practice or attitude

The convention of wearing a bridal veil was apparently begun by the Romans, who thought the veil would protect the bride from evil spirits.

Front 505

coalesce (v.)

Back 505

to come together; to fuse or unite

It took a major internal crisis for the rival factions to coalesce around a single goal.

Front 506

coda (n.)

Back 506

concluding section to a musical or literary piece, something that concludes or completes.

The presentation of the lifetime achievement award was a fitting coda both to the evening and to his years of work with the organization.

Front 507

cogent (adj.)

Back 507

appealing forcibly to the mind or reason; convincing

I'll only let you borrow the Ferrari if you can give me a cogent reason for why you need to drive more than one hundred miles per hour.

Front 508

color (v.)

Back 508

to change as if by dyeing, influence, distort or gloss over

Knowing that he had lied about his previous experience colored our evaluation of his application.

Front 509

commensurate (adj.)

Back 509

matching, corresponding, or proportionate in degree, size, amount or other property

Only if the team won the national championship would the fans feel the team's performance was commensurate with its potential.

Front 510

complaisance (n.)

Back 510

the willingness to comply with the wishes of others

When I'm sitting in front of Dr. Cook I act so complaisant, but when I go back home the complaisance slowly vanishes.

Front 511

connoisseur (n.)

Back 511

an informed and astute judge in matters of taste; expert

Did you know that some people call themselves connoisseurs of water?

Front 512

chary (adj.)

Back 512

wary; cautious; sparing

Claudette was chary with her praise lest it go to Fredrick's head.

Front 513

chasten (v.)

Back 513

to chastise or correct; subdue

The "time out" seems to have become a common parental means of chastening younger children somewhat similar to being forced to sit in the corner wearing a dunce cap, but without the element of public humiliation.

Front 514

chastened (adj.)

Back 514

corrected, punished, or humbled

Rita was chastened by the effect her thoughtlessness had on those around her, and she resolved to consider her actions more carefully in the future.

Front 515

chauvinist (n.)

Back 515

one blindly devoted to a group of which one is a member

She was such a party chauvinist; her blind devotion made her refuse to acknoweldge the changes underway that would lead to the party's downfall.

Front 516

chicanery (n.)

Back 516

trickery or subterfuge

Bernard's reputation for legal chicanery made judges and prosecutors distrust him, but his clients had a hard time seeing past his successes.

Front 517

chimera (n.)

Back 517

an illusion; originally, an imaginary fire-breathing she-monster

Walter Mitty's life was a series of chimeras; the fantastic daydreams in which he starred were completely real to him.

Front 518

chimerical (adj.)

Back 518

illusory or improbable

The fantastic successes of some internet start-ups turned out to be chimerical once the tech boom ended.

Front 519

churlish (adj.)

Back 519

boorish, vulgar, loutish; difficult and intractable

Underneath Mr. Oleander's churlish exterior, there's a nice guy hiding somewhere; it's just hard to tell because he is so rude most of the time.

Front 520

capricious (adj.)

Back 520

inclined to change one's mind impulsively, erratic, unpredictable

Lee's capricious behavior this weekend shouldn't have come as much of a shock; it's not as if he's usually all that stable and predictable.

Front 521

cardinal (adj.)

Back 521

of basic importance or consequence; primary

His cardinal error was in failing to bribe his sister; otherwise his parents might never have found out about the party and grounded him.

Front 522

caret (n.)

Back 522

an insertion mark (^) used by editors and proofreaders

The manuscript was littered with carets indicating all the missing letters the proofreaders had found.

Front 523

castigation (n.)

Back 523

severe criticism or punishment

Harriet's expression as she slunk out of the room indicated that the castigation she had received was even worse than expected, and that we were probably in for a similar tongue-lashing.

Front 524

catalyst (n.)

Back 524

a substance that accelerates the rate of a chemical reaction without itself changing; a person or thing that causes change

Enzymes are common biological catalysts which regulate the speed of many critical processes in the human body.

Front 525

caustic (adj.)

Back 525

burning or stinging; causing corrosion

Even washing her hands repeatedly couldn't stop the stinging of the caustic bleach she had used on her clothes.

The next morning in meditation, all my CAUSTIC old hateful thoughts come up again.

Front 526

censure (v.)

Back 526

to criticize severely; to officially rebuke (v.)
a judgment involving condemnation; the act of blaming or condemning (n.)

1. The committee's censure not only failed to stop the gallery from holding the exhibition, but its outspoken disapproval helped to draw even more people than might otherwise have come to the opening.
2.) The chairman's misdeeds were only made public and held up to censure once it became certain that the board members could not be implicated.

Front 527

canon (n.)

Back 527

an established set of principles or code of laws, often religious in nature

She was forever violating the canons of polite conversation by asking questions that were far too personal for the circumstances.

Front 528

byzantine (adj.)

Back 528

labrynthine, complex

I can't stand playing cards with Max because he makes up such byzantine rules that even he can't keep track of them.

Front 529

cacophony (n.)

Back 529

harsh, jarring, discordant sound; dissonance

The cacophony coming from the construction site next door made it impossible to concentrate on the test.

Front 530

cadge (v.)

Back 530

to sponge, beg, or mooch

He was always cadging change from me, which added up to a lot of money over time, so eventually I presented him with a loan statement and started charging interest.

Front 531

cajole (v.)

Back 531

to inveigle, coax, wheedle, sweet-talk

Even though I resolve not to give in, my dog is always able to cajole an extra dog biscuit out of my just by looking at me with his big brown eyes.

Front 532

calumniate (v.)

Back 532

to slander, make a false accusation

Tom calumniated his rival by accusing him of having been unfaithful, but it backfired because when the truth came out, Tom ended up looking petty and deceitful.

Front 533

canon (n.)

Back 533

an established set of principles or code of laws, often religious in nature

She was forever violating the canons of polite conversation by asking questions that were far too personal for the circumstances.

Front 534

bolster (v.)

Back 534

to provide support or reinforcement

He hoped his frequent references to legal theory would bolster his argument, but all they did was make him seem pompous.

Front 535

bombastic (adj.)

Back 535

pompous, grandiloquent

The self-important leader's speech was so bombastic that even his most loyal followers were rolling their eyes,k and no one else could even figure out what he was talking about.

Front 536

boor (n.)

Back 536

a rude or insensitive person; lout; yokel

Although she was usually very sweet and considerate, she became downright boorish when she was drunk.

Front 537

broach (v.)

Back 537

to bring up, announce, begin to talk about

To broach the subject of her truly hideous brooch would have been impolitic. There's no way I could have managed to say anything nice about it.

Front 538

brook (v.)

Back 538

to tolerate, endure, countenance

Our drill sergeant made it very clear she would brook no insubordination; even any quiet grumbling would be grounds for endless pushups.

Front 539

bucolic (adj.)

Back 539

rustic and pastoral; characteristic of rural areas and their inhabitants

Their plans for a life of bucolic tranquility were rudely shattered when they discovered the rolling fields pictured in the brochure for their new house were really part of a busy golf course.

Front 540

burgeon (v.)

Back 540

to grow rapidly or flourish

When the wildflowers burgeon in April and May we know that spring has truly arrived.

Front 541

burnish (v.)

Back 541

to polish, rub to a shine

Be careful about burnishing certain old lamps; you never know which one is going to have a genie in it, and history shows that those three wishes lead to no good.

Front 542

bedizen (v.)

Back 542

to adorn, especially in a cheap, showy manner; festoon, caparison

The speakeasy was bedizened with every manner of tawdry decoration.

Front 543

belie (v.)

Back 543

to give a false impression of, to misrepresent

Carlos' disapproving countenance was belied by the twinkle in his eye, making it hard to believe that he was angry at all.

Front 544

bellicose (adj.)

Back 544

belligerent, pugnacious, warlike

The bully's bellicose demeanor hid a tender side, but he was too busy getting into fights to reveal it.

Front 545

bent (n.)

Back 545

leaning, inclination, proclivity, tendency

Puck was notorious for his mischievous bent; wherever there was trouble to be stirred up, he was certain to be found.

Front 546

blandish (v.)

Back 546

to coax with flattery, toady or fawn

The minister was famous for his ability to blandish his way from obscurity to vicarious power; it seemed as if every ruler was receptive to bootlicking.

Front 547

blithe (adj.)

Back 547

carefree, merry

Stephanie's blithe disregard for what her peers might think made her the perfect hero for a clever yet moving coming-of-age teen movie.

Front 548

boisterous (adj.)

Back 548

loud, noisy, rough, lacking restraint

After a while, our neighbors became reconciled to our boisterous weekend gatherings, even joining us on occassion; the rest of the time they were probably wearing earplugs.

Front 549

avarice (n.)

Back 549

greed, especially for wealth

Her avarice for power was matched only by her lust for money; even when she had more money than she could ever spend in a lifetime, she schemed to still get more.

Front 550

aver (v.)

Back 550

to state as a fact; to confirm or support

Although Michelle averred that she would never be late again, her friends remained understandably skeptical.

Front 551

axiom (n.)

Back 551

a universally recognized principle; a generally accepted or common saying

It is an axiom of the American legal system that one is innocent until proven guilty

Front 552

axiomatic (adj.)

Back 552

taken as a given; possessing self-evident truth

In this society, we take it as axiomatic that individual merit rather than family name should be the basis for success in life.

Front 553

baleful (adj.)

Back 553

sinister, pernicious, ominous (look, glare, glance, and others)

The basilisk is a notoriously cranky, albeit mythical, creature whose baleful glare is fatal.

Front 554

bane (adj.)

Back 554

cause of injury, source of harm; source of persistent frustration

Even for those who recognize that smoking is far more of a bane than a benefit, quitting can be a struggle.

Front 555

beatify (v.)

Back 555

to bless, make happy, or ascribe a virtue to; to regard as saintly

My only interaction with others will be to smile beatifically at them from within my self-contained world of stillness and piety.

Front 556

august (adj.)

Back 556

majestic, venerable

The august presence of the pharaohs endures through the millennia, embodied in their massive tombs.

Front 557

auspice (n.)

Back 557

1. protection or support, patronage
2. a sign or portent

1. As long as we were working under the auspices of the local authorities, the villagers were extremely cooperative; once we headed out on our own, however, we found that no one wanted to talk to us.
2. Since the auspices seemed good, we decided to go ahead and buy thirty lottery tickets.

Front 558

auspicious (adj.)

Back 558

favorable, propitious, successful, prosperous

The sold-out opening night and standing ovation from the audience provided an auspicious beginning for the play's run on Broadway.

Front 559

austere (adj.)

Back 559

without adornment; bare; severely simple; ascetic

Whereas, if you just go to one of her Ashrams and discipline yourself to keep to the AUSTERE schedule of practices, you will sometimes find that it is easier to communicate with your teacher from within these private meditations than to push your way through crowds of eager students and get a word in edgewise in person.

Front 560

aspersion (n.)

Back 560

an act of defamation or maligning

Pete resented the aspersions cast by his opponent, who called Pete a low-down, no good snake who didn't eat his vegetables.

Front 561

assiduous (adj.)

Back 561

diligent, hard-working

Pedro's assiduous preservation of every fragment of the document that had survived eventually allowed him to reconstruct whole stanzas of the poem.

Front 562

assuage (v.)

Back 562

to ease or lessen; to appease or pacify

Convincing her that it was all the rage in Paris helped assuage Christine's fears about painting her walls chartreuse.

Front 563

astringent (adj.)

Back 563

having a tightening effect on living tissue; harsh; severe

Although she hadn't intended to be quite so harsh, Kayla's astringent remarks apparently made the board drop the proposal altogether.

Front 564

attenuate (v.)

Back 564

to rarefy, weaken or make thinner, lessen

I could feel all this old pain of lost love and past mistakes attenuating before my eyes, diminishing at last through the famous healing powers of time, patience and the grace of God.

Front 565

audacious (adj.)

Back 565

daring and fearless; recklessly bold

Liz is an audacious mountain climber who goes where few of her competitors dare to follow.

Front 566

augury (n.)

Back 566

omen, portrait, the reading of omens.

Augury in ancient Rome and other societies was performed largely by interpreting the flight of birds.

Front 567

archaic(adj.)

Back 567

outdated; associated with an earlier, perhaps more primitive time

The archaic instruments used in the village clinic shocked the visiting physicians.

Front 568

arduous (adj.)

Back 568

strenuous, taxing, requiring significant effort.

This is what the Gurugita does. It burns away the ego, turns you into pure ash. It's supposed to be ARDUOUS, Liz.

Front 569

arrant (adj.)

Back 569

impudent; in every way, being completely such, barefaced, utter

Don Juan's arrant philandering made him a legend. He seemed to have had the ability to turn many of his admirers into arrant fools.

Front 570

arrest (v.)

Back 570

to suspend; to engage

Sometime I think my brother's emotional development was arrested at a young age; he often acts like a five year old.

Front 571

artless (adj.)

Back 571

completely without guile; natural; without artificiality

Her artless portrayal of the young ingenue charmed the critics, who all commented on her fresh, unaffected performance.

Front 572

ascetic (n.)

Back 572

one who practices rigid self-denial, especially as an act of religious devotion.

A true ascetic would be able to resist eating those chocolate eclairs, which is why I know I'm not an ascetic.

Front 573

ascetic (adj.)

Back 573

austere or stark

His ascetic lifestyle was indistinguishable from that of a monk.

Front 574

asperity (n.)

Back 574

severity, rigor; roughness, harshness, acrimony, irritability

The asperity of her response to his pleas for leniency suggested that there was no chance she would be ending his detention any time in the next three months.

Front 575

apposite (adj.)

Back 575

appropriate, pertinent, relevant, apropos

His choice of songs for the opening ceremony was entirely apposite; everyone agreed that it was perfectly suited to the event.

Front 576

apprise (v.)

Back 576

to give notice to, inform

The officer apprised Chris of his rights before questioning him.

Front 577

approbation (n.)

Back 577

an expression of approval or praise

The judges expressed their approbation of Stephen's performance by awarding him the gold medal.

Front 578

appropriate (v.)

Back 578

to take for one's own use, confiscate

Even though he appropriated each of the elements of his design from others, the way in which he combined them was uniquely his own.

Front 579

arabesque (n.)

Back 579

complex, ornate design

A beautiful arabesque of fruits and flowers surrounded the central pattern of the print.

Front 580

arcane (adj.)

Back 580

mysterious, abstruse, esoteric, knowable only to initiates

Elizabeth was a font of arcane knowledge; she could tell you not only the names of the pets of every cabinet member of every administration, but also how many gumballs are produced annually.

Front 581

antithetical (adj.)

Back 581

diametrically opposed, as in antithesis

I couldn't help but feel that he always deliberately expressed a position antithetical to mine, as if he enjoyed playing devil's advocate even more than he cared about expressing what he really thought.

Front 582

apocryphal (adj.)

Back 582

of dubious authenticity or origin; spurious

Most people believe that stories of alien abduction are apocryphal, but what if there really is a big government conspiracy and all those stories are true?

Front 583

apogee (n.)

Back 583

farthest or highest point, culmination; zenith

No one could have foreseen that receiving the Pulitzer Prize at the age of eighteen would be the apogee of his career, and that nothing he produced afterward would achieve any kind of critical success.

Front 584

perigee

Back 584

the lowest or closest point, the nadir

The moon is at apogee when it is at its farthest point away from the earth in its orbit; it is at perigee when it is closest to earth.

Front 585

apostate (n.)

Back 585

one who abandons long-held religious or political convictions, a betrayer of a cause

Jordan was an apostate of modern culture; he renounced all the trappings of modern life that he used to love, and went to live in a cave.

Front 586

apotheosis (n.)

Back 586

deification, glorification to godliness, the perfect example

She is the apotheosis of nurturing motherhood; she makes soup for sick friends, nurses wounded birds, and listens to everyone's problems.

Front 587

ameliorate (v.)

Back 587

to make better or more tolerable

Jonas was sure that nothing could ameliorate the taste of beets; brussel sprouts, on the other hand, could be made quite palatable with the introduction of plenty of butter.

Front 588

amenable (adj.)

Back 588

agreeable; responsive to suggestion

If you're amenable, let's go for a walk before lunch.

Front 589

anachronism (n.)

Back 589

something or someone out of place in terms of historical or chronological context.

The wristwatch worn by one of the characters in the period movie set in Rome in 25 B.C. was just one of the many anachronisms that spoiled the movie's credibility.

Front 590

anathema (n.)

Back 590

a solemn or ecclesiastical (religious) curse; accursed or thoroughly loathed person or thing

He was an anathema to his entire town once it was revealed that he had been a secret police informant.

Front 591

anodyne (adj.)

Back 591

soothing

Don't you agree that nothing is quite so anodyne as a long soak in a bubble bath?

Front 592

anomaly (n.)

Back 592

deviation from the normal order, form, or rule; abnormality

Pickles for sale in a tire store would be an anomaly; tires for sale in a pickle store would be equally weird.

Front 593

antipathy (n.)

Back 593

aversion, dislike

Sam very clearly expresses his antipathy toward certain breakfast foods in the Dr. Seuss classic, Green Eggs and Ham.

Front 594

aesthetic (adj.)

Back 594

dealing with, appreciative of, or responsive to art or the beautiful

Many people say they see no aesthetic value in some modern artwork, claiming the pieces look like a kindergartner's finger painting.

Front 595

aggrandize (v.)

Back 595

to increase in intensity, power, or prestige; to make appear greater

Michael's attempts to aggrandize his achievements produced the exact opposite effect; everyone ended up thinking he had accomplished less than he really had. In other words, he would have been better off without the self-aggrandizing.

Front 596

alacrity (n.)

Back 596

eager and enthusiastic willingness

Amy responded to the invitation to join the planning committee with alacrity, and even volunteered to take on additional responsibilities.

Front 597

alchemy (n.)

Back 597

a medieval science aimed at the transmutation of metals, especially base metals into gold; any magical or wonderful transformation

Although alchemy's goal of turning lead into gold may seem crazy now, the alchemical sciences were the precursors to our modern chemistry.

Front 598

alloy (v.)

Back 598

to commingle; to debase by mixing with something inferior

Alloying the punch with prune juice turned out not to be such a good idea after all.

Front 599

amalgamate (v.)

Back 599

to combine several elements into a whole

In order to write a good personal statement, you must amalgamate your past successes with your future goals.

Front 600

acumen (n.)

Back 600

quick, keen, or accurate knowledge or insight

Her acumen in anticipating her opponent's strategy is legendary; it's what makes her so hard to beat.

Front 601

admonish (v.)

Back 601

to reprove; to express warning or disapproval

How many times has your roommate admonished you to put the toilet seat down?

Front 602

adroit (adj.)

Back 602

adept, dexterous

Although her adroit handling of the situation minimized the damage, nothing could really save the conference after the room flooded.

Front 603

maladroit (adj.)

Back 603

clumsy or bungling

Jerry Lewis was able to make a career out of playing maladroit characters.

Front 604

adulation (n.)

Back 604

excessive praise; intense adoration

Leif Garrett was the object of much adolescent adulation.

Front 605

adulterate (v.)

Back 605

to reduce purity by combining with inferior ingredients

In an effort to determine why he house's foundation was crumbling, the inspectors tested the concrete to see if it had been improperly adulterated when it was mixed.

Front 606

adumbrate (v.)

Back 606

to foreshadow vaguely, intimate, suggest or outline sketchily.

The possibilities for further cooperation between the two parties were adumbrated at the first, private meeting, but nothing was finalized until much later.

Front 607

abate (v.)

Back 607

to lessen in intensity or degree

We realized with great relief that the storm had abated before breaking through the sea wall.

Front 608

aberrant (adj.)

Back 608

deviating from the norm

Jim's aberrant behavior at the dance raised some eyebrows; he was certainly the only one who spent the night walking (and dancing)on his hands

Front 609

abjure (v.)

Back 609

to promise publicly that you will give up or reject a belief or a way of behaving; renounce
Barack Obama abjured that he will give up smoking for the sake of the presidential candidacy.

Front 610

abrogate (v.)

Back 610

to abolish or annul by authority; put down.

The court ruling abrogated the defendant's rights to any profit from the sale of the house.

Front 611

abscission (n.)

Back 611

the act of cutting off or removing

Dr. Carter recommended an immediate abscission of the abscess in order to minimize any further infection.

Front 612

abscond (v.)

Back 612

to depart clandestinely; to steal off and hide

Doug was left penniless when the two con men absconded with his life savings.

Front 613

accolade (n.)

Back 613

an expression of praise; an award

The diva received her accolades graciously, blowing kisses to her adoring fans.

Front 614

accretion (n.)

Back 614

growth, increase by successive addition, building up

The accretion of dirt has changed the color of the kitchen floor from white to brown, which is pretty disgusting.

Front 615

acerbic (adj.)

Back 615

having a sour or bitter taste or character

Dorothy Parker was famous for her wit, which could be quite acerbic; Parker could be devastating when she wanted to be.

Front 616

smolder

Back 616

(v.) burn without flame; be liable to break out at any moment.
Regan and Stockman, who were permitted to attend the meetings but were not allowed to take seats at the conference table or to vote, would sit along the wall and smolder.

Front 617

gambit (n.)

Back 617

opening in chess in which a piece is sacrificed.
Reagan's opening gambit, in his first budget, was to propose a $2.3 billion reduction in Social Security outlays.

Front 618

virtuoso (adj.)

Back 618

highly skilled artist
The comission he built was a virtuoso demonstration of how to get things done in Washington.

Front 619

quell (v.)

Back 619

to extinguish, put down, quiet
The financial world, as we'd hoped, noted that the Fed had begun acting to quell inflation.

Front 620

resuscitate (v.)

Back 620

to revive
The resuscitation process can take many days, and the risk is that in the meantime the entire financial system will stall, and the economy will suffer a crippling shock.

Front 621

harrowing (adj.)

Back 621

agonizing; distressing; traumatic
My most harrowing conversations were with financiers and bankers I'd known for years, major players from very large companies around the country, whose voices were tightened by fear.

Front 622

lambaste (v.)

Back 622

to beat; thrash verbally or physically
Then he cut loose and lambasted me and the Fed for not being responsive to the real needs of the country, and expressed whatever other angry thoughts came into his head.

Front 623

insidious (adj.)

Back 623

treacherous, stealthy; sly
Big deficits have an insidious effect. When the government overspends, it must borrow to balance its books. It borrows by selling treasury securities, which siphons away capital that could otherwise be invested in the private economy.

Front 624

anemia (n.)

Back 624

condition in which blood lacks red corpuscles.
Worse still, the recovery, which began in early 1991, was unusually slow and anemic.

Front 625

impasse (n)

Back 625

predicament from which there is no escape
The impasse on monetary policy made it hard for Nick and me to remain friends; though we continued to cooperate professionally, he canceled our weekly breakfasts, and our socializing came to an end.

Front 626

palliate (v.)

Back 626

to ease pain; make less severe or offensive
I volunteered my strongly held view that indexing is only a palliative that, in the longer run, is likely to cause even more serious problems.

Front 627

impetus (n)

Back 627

moving force; incentive; stimulus
...it embodied a key difference between a centrally planned society and a capitalist one: here there was no creative destruction, no impetus to build better tools.

Front 628

impetuous (adj.)

Back 628

violent; hasty; rash
Though he was subordinate to Gorbachev, his popularity coupled with his impetuousness made him a magnet for attention--like Krushchev in an earlier era, he seemed to personify his country's unnerving contradictions.