Gre Vocabulary

Front 1

abate (verb)

Back 1

to lessen in intensity or degree

Synonyms: decrease

Hint 1

Although she filed her tax returns late, Mary hoped the IRS would abate the penalties.

Front 2

aberrant (adjective)

Back 2

deviating from the norm

Synonyms: abnormal, deviant, anomalous

Hint 2

The child is usually well-mannered; sticking out her tongue was aberrant behavior.

Front 3

abjure (verb)

Back 3

to renounce or reject solemnly

Synonyms: recant

Hint 3

I had no choice but to abjure my allegiance to the organization after the chairman appointed his underqualified friends to the board.

Front 4

abrogate (verb)

Back 4

repeal; revoke

Synonyms: annul

Hint 4

Activists launched a statewide campaign to abrogate the death penalty.

Front 5

abstemious (adjective)

Back 5

eating and drinking in moderation

Synonyms: self-restrained

Hint 5

Studies have shown that abstemious people live longer, but I love cheesecake too much to moderate my intake.

Front 6

acerbic (adjective)

Back 6

having a sour or bitter taste or character

Synonyms: acrid

Hint 6

The child was so adorable that even the acerbic old man had to smile.

Front 7

accolade (noun)

Back 7

an expression of praise

Synonyms: kudos

Hint 7

The speeches at Sue's retirement dinner were filled with accolades for her achievements.

Front 8

acumen (noun)

Back 8

quick, keen, or accurate knowledge or insight

Synonyms: shrewdness, perspicacity

Hint 8

Her business acumen led her to invest in new companies just before they launched successful products.

Front 9

admonish (verb)

Back 9

to reprove; to express warning or disapproval

Synonyms: caution

Hint 9

Adam admonished his son for tracking mud into the house.

Front 10

adroit (adjective)

Back 10

adept; dexterous

Synonyms: skillful

Hint 10

The adroit watchmaker carefully repaired my grandmother's shattered pocket watch.

Front 11

adulation (noun)

Back 11

excessive praise; intense adoration

Synonyms: idolization

Hint 11

The young girl's adulation of the pop singer irritated her older brothers.

Front 12

adulterate (verb)

Back 12

to reduce purity by combining with inferior ingredients

Synonyms: taint; debase

Hint 12

Some people believe that cream and sugar adulterate coffee.

Front 13

aesthetic (adjective)

Back 13

dealing with, appreciative of, or responsive to art or beauty

Synonyms: artistic

Hint 13

Elena enjoys the aesthetic qualifies of great works of literature.

Front 14

aggrandize (verb)

Back 14

to increase in intensity, power, or prestige

Synonyms: strengthen, exalt

Hint 14

The Romans aggrandized their influence through the use of military tactics.

Front 15

alacrity (noun)

Back 15

eager and enthusiastic willingness

Synonyms: eagerness, enthusiasm, readiness

Hint 15

The alacrity with which students headed for the door when the bell rang was a sure indication that the class was boring.

Front 16

alchemy (noun)

Back 16

a medieval science aimed at the transmutation of metals, especially base metals, into gold

Synonyms: sorcery

Hint 16

Although alchemy never produced its intended results, it led to advances in industries like metal refining and manufacturing.

Front 17

amalgamate (verb)

Back 17

to combine several elements into a whole

Synonyms: unite

Hint 17

The law allows two or more small companies to amalgamate into one large corporation.

Front 18

amenable (adjective)

Back 18

agreeable; responsive to suggestion

Synonyms: acquiescent

Hint 18

Even investment banks, which traditionally resist restraints, are now amenable to some regulations.

Front 19

anachronistic (adjective)

Back 19

out of place in terms of historical or chronological context

Synonyms: misplaced

Hint 19

The movie, set in ancient Rome, was criticized for its use of exploding projectiles, wine glasses, and other anachronistic props.

Front 20

anathema (noun)

Back 20

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

Synonyms: detested thing

Hint 20

When the soccer player's bribery scandal came to light, the signed jersey the fan once had treasured became anathema to him.

Front 21

anomaly (noun)

Back 21

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

Synonyms: abnormality, aberration, peculiarity

Hint 21

It was an anomaly that I got a D on that quiz, because my grades are usually excellent.

Front 22

antipathy (noun)

Back 22

aversion; dislike

Synonyms: abhorrence

Hint 22

I know my antipathy toward lawyers isn't fair, but I can't help thinking the worst of every one I meet.

Front 23

antithetical (adjective)

Back 23

diametrically opposed; as in antithesis

Synonyms: opposite

Hint 23

She quit her position as press secretary when she realized that her views on civil rights were antithetical to the senator's.

Front 24

apocryphal (adjective)

Back 24

of dubious authenticity or origin; spurious

Synonyms: questionable

Hint 24

The apocryphal story about the origins of the school mascot is clearly a legend.

Front 25

apogee (noun)

Back 25

farthest or highest point; culmination; zenith

Synonyms: summit

Hint 25

Winning the Pulitzer Prize was an affirmation that the journalist was at the apogee of her career.

Front 26

apostate (noun)

Back 26

one who abandons long-held religious or political convictions

Synonyms: defector

Hint 26

The senator was branded an apostate after he switched political parties midterm.

Front 27

apotheosis (noun)

Back 27

deification; supreme example

Synonyms: glorification

Hint 27

With the face that launched a thousand ships, Helen of Troy was said to be the apotheosis of female beauty.

Front 28

apposite (adjective)

Back 28

appropriate; pertinent; relevant

Synonyms: suitable

Hint 28

The lawyer argued that the witness's testimony was apposite to the case.

Front 29

apprise (verb)

Back 29

to give notice to; to inform

Synonyms: notify

Hint 29

Be sure to apprise the security officers that you will be visiting the site so they don't think you are a trespasser.

Front 30

approbation (noun)

Back 30

an expression of approval or praise

Synonyms: admiration, esteem

Hint 30

The civil rights leader's most recent speech to her supporters was received with great approbation.

Front 31

arabesque (noun)

Back 31

a complex, ornate design; also a dance position

Synonyms: ornamentation

Hint 31

The highly valuable picture frame was covered with arabesques, including gold-leaf animals, plants, and fruits.

Front 32

arcane (adjective)

Back 32

mysterious; esoteric

Synonyms: inscrutable

Hint 32

Arcane vocabulary words are a source of great frustration for many GRE test-takers.

Front 33

archaic (adjective)

Back 33

outdated; associated with an earlier, perhaps more primitive time

Synonyms: antiquated

Hint 33

In the current age of cell phones, many are treating landline telephones as archaic forms of technology.

Front 34

artless (adjective)

Back 34

completely without guile; unsophisticated

Synonyms: naive

Hint 34

A few unscrupulous people took advantage of the artless owner of the antique shop.

Front 35

ascetic (noun)

Back 35

someone practicing self-denial

Synonyms: Spartan

Hint 35

The ascetic tried to convince others that there was virtue in the denial of worldly goods.

Front 36

aspersion (noun)

Back 36

an act of defamation or maligning

Synonyms: slander

Hint 36

The hot-headed candidate cast aspersions on his opponent's honesty.

Front 37

assay (verb)

Back 37

to put to a test

Synonyms: assess

Hint 37

Her ability to quickly assay a situation and find a solution is what makes her a great manager and troubleshooter.

Front 38

assiduous (adjective)

Back 38

diligent; hard-working

Synonyms: devoted

Hint 38

The Internet has made research so easy that the gap between the assiduous student and the lackadaisical student is harder to discern.

Front 39

assuage (verb)

Back 39

to ease or lessen; to appease or pacify

Synonyms: alleviate, allay, soothe

Hint 39

Shining a flashlight under the bed helped to assuage the child's fears of a monster lurking there.

Front 40

astringent (adjective)

Back 40

biting; severe

Synonyms: harsh

Hint 40

After hearing the director's astringent criticism of his performance, the actor stormed out of the theater.

Front 41

atrophy (verb)

Back 41

to waste away or deteriorate

Synonyms: wither

Hint 41

Kate's leg has been in a cast for weeks, and her muscles are starting to atrophy from lack of use.

Front 42

attenuate (verb)

Back 42

to weaken or make thinner

Synonyms: rarefy

Hint 42

Economic hardships have attenuated the value of the dollar, making it much more expensive for Americans to travel in Europe.

Front 43

audacious (verb)

Back 43

daring and fearless; recklessly bold

Synonyms: impudent, foolhardy

Hint 43

The candidatemade the audacious claim that his rival had mismanaged public funds.

Front 44

augury (noun)

Back 44

omen; portent

Synonyms: indication

Hint 44

The smooth test-run of the new software was a favorable augury of the product's success.

Front 45

auspices (noun)

Back 45

protection or support

Synonyms: patronage

Hint 45

Since my project falls under the auspices of the Department of Homeland Security, I no longer have to wait in airport lines.

Front 46

auspicious (adjective)

Back 46

favorable

Synonyms: propitious

Hint 46

The cost of failure is too great, so we must wait for the most auspicious moment to strike.

Front 47

avarice (noun)

Back 47

greed, especially for wealth

Synonyms: acquisitiveness

Hint 47

The investor's avarice led her to make risky moves to increase her already sizable fortune.

Front 48

aver (verb)

Back 48

to state as a fact; to confirm or support

Synonyms: assert, affirm

Hint 48

The court records show that the witness averred that she saw the defendent at the scene of the crime.

Front 49

baleful (adjective)

Back 49

sinister; ominous

Synonyms: threatening

Hint 49

The set director created a baleful scene of a dark, dirty alley on a rainy night.

Front 50

beatify (verb)

Back 50

to bless, make happy, or ascribe a virtue to

Synonyms: exalt

Hint 50

Inductions into the Hall of Fame are ways to beatify the greatest players of the game.

Front 51

behemoth (noun)

Back 51

something enormous; a gigantic creature

Synonyms: leviathan

Hint 51

That huge shopping mall is a behemoth that ruins the charm of the historical waterfront.

Front 52

beleaguer (verb)

Back 52

to beset; to besiege

Synonyms: harass

Hint 52

Within a week of starting the job, she was beleaguered by complaints from clients and employees about the company's bad service.

Front 53

belie (verb)

Back 53

to give a false impression of

Synonyms: contradict

Hint 53

The lack of school funding belies the government's claim of making education reform a top priority.

Front 54

bellicose (adjective)

Back 54

belligerent; warlike

Synonyms: hostile

Hint 54

The bellicose voices in the Senate grab the headlines, but fortunately the diplomatic voices are more likely to grab the votes.

Front 55

boisterous (adjective)

Back 55

loud; noisy; lacking restraint

Synonyms: raucous

Hint 55

Children are boisterous by nature, but experienced teachers can calm an entire class down in a matter of seconds.

Front 56

bolster (verb)

Back 56

to provide support

Synonyms: reinforce

Hint 56

Bob convinced me he was right only after he bolstered his argument with facts and data.

Front 57

bombast (noun)

Back 57

self-important or pompous
writing or speech

Synonyms: bluster

Hint 57

The CEO's toast at the launch party was quickly turning into bombast.

Front 58

boor (noun)

Back 58

a rude or insensitive person

Synonyms: churl

Hint 58

Many people have called him a boor; his genius leaves him with little patience for social niceties.

Front 59

burgeon (verb)

Back 59

to grow rapidly or flourish

Synonyms: increase

Hint 59

The researcher was pleased to discover that the wolf population burgeoned only two years after the area was turned into a reserve.

Front 60

burnish (verb)

Back 60

to make smooth; to rub to a shine

Synonyms: polish

Hint 60

A few more big sales will burnish my reputation and position me well for my next salary review.

Front 61

byzantine (adjective)

Back 61

labyrinthine; complex

Synonyms: intricate

Hint 61

In our department, byzantine filing systems are a form of job security since we are the only ones who can find key documents.

Front 62

cabal (noun)

Back 62

a scheme or plot; a group of plotters

Synonyms: coterie

Hint 62

The stock price of a healthy company is not likely to drop that dramatically unless a cabal of investors decides to sell the stock short.

Front 63

cachinnate (verb)

Back 63

to laugh loudly

Synonyms: guffaw

Hint 63

The mad scientist began to cachinnate after he thought of a brilliant plan to capture the hero.

Front 64

cacophony (noun)

Back 64

harsh, jarring, discordant sound; dissonance

Synonyms: inharmony

Hint 64

Gerald can't sleep because of the cacophony of car alarms going off each night.

Front 65

cajole (verb)

Back 65

to inveigle; to coax through flattery

Synonyms: wheedle

Hint 65

The director had to cajole the vain actor into wearing the chicken suit.

Front 66

calumniate (verb)

Back 66

to slander

Synonyms: smear

Hint 66

Tight political races can become very dirty in their final days, with each candidate trying to calumniate the other.

Front 67

calumny (noun)

Back 67

slander

Synonyms: defamation

Hint 67

Othello believed the calumny that his wife was cheating on him, setting in motion Shakespeare's tragedy.

Front 68

canon (noun)

Back 68

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

Synonyms: rules

Hint 68

The priest encouraged the parishioners to adhere to the canons of the church.

Front 69

capricious (adjective)

Back 69

inclined to change one's mind impulsively or unpredictably

Synonyms: whimsical, erratic, fickle

Hint 69

At first the child wanted tacos, but now she wants banana pudding; she cannot help her capricious appetite

Front 70

captious (adjective)

Back 70

calculated to confuse or entrap in argument

Synonyms: tricky

Hint 70

Watch out for captious questions during the cross-examination; the opposing counsel is a master at entrapping witnesses on the stand.

Front 71

castigate (verb)

Back 71

severely criticize or punish

Synonyms: chastise

Hint 71

The teacher castigated the student for arriving late to class.

Front 72

catalyst (noun)

Back 72

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

Synonyms: accelerator, impetus

Hint 72

We hope the new ambassador will be a catalyst for reviving peace discussions.

Front 73

caustic (adjective)

Back 73

burning or stinging, causing corrosion

Synonyms: sarcastic

Hint 73

We were reminded to wear gloves when handling the caustic chemicals.

Front 74

celerity (noun)

Back 74

speed

Synonyms: haste

Hint 74

The celerity with which she accepted the terms indicated that we had perhaps offered too much.

Front 75

censure (verb)

Back 75

to criticize severely; to officially rebuke

Synonyms: chastise, denounce, reprimand

Hint 75

When the senator was caught buying a boat with taxpayer dollars, many members of his party publicly censured him.

Front 76

chary (adjective)

Back 76

wary; cautious, sparing

Synonyms: careful

Hint 76

Chuck was chary about lending money to his brother, who has always mismanaged his bank accounts.

Front 77

chasten (verb)

Back 77

to restrain or correct

Synonyms: reprove

Hint 77

We all hoped that joining the army would chasten his wild behavior.

Front 78

chauvinist (noun)

Back 78

a blindly devoted patriot

Synonyms: jingoist

Hint 78

Giovanni is a chauvinist about his grandmother's cooking and complains constantly whenever he eats at an Italian restaurant.

Front 79

chicanery (noun)

Back 79

trickery or subterfuge

Synonyms: ruse, sham, deception

Hint 79

Enron's financial chicanery included creating fake businesses in order to boost profit.

Front 80

chimera (noun)

Back 80

an illusion; originally, an imaginary fire-breathing monster

Synonyms: delusion

Hint 80

Your vision of running New York City entirely on solar power is a chimera.

Front 81

churlish (adjective)

Back 81

vulgar; difficult and intractable

Synonyms: boorish

Hint 81

As I am far from a morning person, my loud nieces are likely to find me churlish before eight o'clock.

Front 82

coalesce (verb)

Back 82

to come together or unite

Synonyms: fuse

Hint 82

Suddenly, all the different ideas coalesced into one perfect story and the rest of the script practically wrote itself.

Front 83

coda (noun)

Back 83

concluding section of a musical or literary piece

Synonyms: conclusion

Hint 83

At the end of the movie, a coda described what happened to each of the characters later in life.

Front 84

cogent (adjective)

Back 84

appealing forcibly to the mind or reason; convincing

Synonyms: persuasive

Hint 84

Corrine's cogent argument made a lot of sense to me, so I switched my vote.

Front 85

commensurate (adjective)

Back 85

matching; corresponding in degree, size, or amount

Synonyms: proportionate

Hint 85

Many job listings don't give a specific salary, but state that it will be commensurate with experience.

Front 86

complaisance (noun)

Back 86

the willingness to comply with the wishes of others

Synonyms: agreeableness

Hint 86

The child showed her complaisance by wearing the dress her mother chose.

Front 87

connoisseur (noun)

Back 87

an informed and astute judge in matters of taste; expert

Synonyms: aficionado, enthusiast, specialist

Hint 87

Derek is such a chocolate connoisseur that he has chocolates shipped to him from Belgium and Switzerland.

Front 88

contiguous (adjective)

Back 88

sharing a border; touching; adjacent

Synonyms: bordering

Hint 88

We offer free shipping to any of the forty-eight contiguous states in the United States.

Front 89

contrite (adjective)

Back 89

regretful, penitent; seeking forgiveness

Synonyms: apologetic

Hint 89

The judge looked favorably on the defendant's contrite plea for leniency.

Front 90

convention (noun)

Back 90

a generally agreed-upon practice or attitude

Synonyms: custom

Hint 90

Flouting convention, the bride wore a brilliant red suit while her bridesmaids were dressed in white.

Front 91

corrigible (adjective)

Back 91

capable of being set right; correctable

Synonyms: reformable

Hint 91

The earlier the intervention, the more corrigible the condition; if left too long, it can't be fixed.

Front 92

cosset (verb)

Back 92

to coddle

Synonyms: pamper

Hint 92

He was selfish child and was cosseted by his parents, so he never learned to share or to compromise.

Front 93

countenance (verb)

Back 93

to approve of or tolerate

Synonyms: sanction

Hint 93

The judge was quite a disciplinarian and would not countenance any stunts in his courtroom.

Front 94

cozen (verb)

Back 94

to deceive, beguile, or hoodwink

Synonyms: mislead

Hint 94

A common Internet scam attempts to cozen people into revealing their bank account details.

Front 95

craven (adjective)

Back 95

contemptibly fainthearted; lacking any courage

Synonyms: cowardly

Hint 95

Despite all his military training, he feared he was craven by nature and would turn and run in battle.

Front 96

credulous (adjective)

Back 96

tending to believe too readily

Synonyms: gullible

Hint 96

The con artist easily deceived his credulous victims.

Front 97

dearth (noun)

Back 97

smallness of quantity or number; scarcity; a lack

Synonyms: deficiency

Hint 97

Given the dearth of food in her pantry, Rebecca considered having her pet rabbit for dinner.

Front 98

debacle (noun)

Back 98

rout; fiasco; complete failure

Synonyms: breakdown

Hint 98

Our date was a debacle; not only did I forget her name and spill wine on her, but we ran into my ex-girlfriend, who told me I had ruined her life.

Front 99

decorum (noun)

Back 99

polite or appropriate conduct or behavior

Synonyms: propriety

Hint 99

There are coursed available in which one can learn the proper decorum for job interviews, such as shaking hands firmly and looking your interviewer in the eye.

Front 100

decorous (adjective)

Back 100

correct; formal; marked by decorum

Synonyms: proper

Hint 100

I don't trust such decorous behavior; people who rely so heavily on politeness probably have something to hide.

Front 101

denigrate (verb)

Back 101

to belittle; to defame

Synonyms: disparage

Hint 101

Some tried to denigrate the hometown hero with stories of his questionable private life, but most citizens still idolized him.

Front 102

denizen (noun)

Back 102

inhabitant; one who frequents a place

Synonyms: resident

Hint 102

The denizens of that artists' studio are a tight-knit group who don't welcome strangers.

Front 103

denouement (noun)

Back 103

an outcome or solution; the unraveling of a plot

Synonyms: resolution

Hint 103

The story lacks both a conflict and a denouement; it's just a description of a day in the life of the main character.

Front 104

demur (verb)

Back 104

to question or oppose

Synonyms: object

Hint 104

Concerned about the budget deficit, I had to demur at the candidate's position on lowering taxes.

Front 105

deposition (noun)

Back 105

official testimony

Synonyms: statement

Hint 105

The deposition states that the defendant was at home on the night in question, but I know that's not the whole story.

Front 106

derivative (adjective)

Back 106

unoriginal; obtained from another source

Synonyms: adapted

Hint 106

Until she developed her own style, her early paintings were derivative; their reliance on other artists' work was obvious.

Front 107

desecrate (verb)

Back 107

to violate the sanctity of

Synonyms: defile

Hint 107

When folding a national flag, you should not desecrate it by letting it drag on the ground.

Front 108

didactic (adjective)

Back 108

intended to teach or instruct

Synonyms: pedagogic

Hint 108

A didactic lecture is far more effective when it is interactive.

Front 109

diffident (adjective)

Back 109

reserved; shy; lacking in self-confidence

Synonyms: timid

Hint 109

He is too diffident to be a good teacher, which is a shame because he possesses a boundless knowledge of the subject.

Front 110

dilatory (adjective)

Back 110

causing delay

Synonyms: dallying

Hint 110

I realized later that the students' dilatory interruptions were a plot to get to the end of class before I had time to assign the homework.

Front 111

dilettante (noun)

Back 111

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

Synonyms: amateur

Hint 111

These advanced cheese-tasting courses are meant for connoisseurs; dilettantes should take the beginners' class.

Front 112

discordant (adjective)

Back 112

conflicting; dissonant or harsh in sound

Synonyms: cacophonous, inharmious, jarring

Hint 112

The sound of the opera singer's voice over the accordion was quite discordant.

Front 113

discretion (noun)

Back 113

cautious reserve in speech; ability to make responsible decisions

Synonyms: carefulness

Hint 113

Daniel edited his article with discretion and double-checked all the facts and quotes.

Front 114

disinterested (adjective)

Back 114

unbiased, neutral, or free from personal motive

Synonyms: dispassionate

Hint 114

Seamus and his landlord turned to a disinterested third party to resolve their dispute
over the security deposit.

Front 115

disparage (verb)

Back 115

to slight or belittle

Synonyms: demean

Hint 115

The bully disparaged the classmate for her mismatched socks and outdated clothes.

Front 116

divulge (verb)

Back 116

to disclose something secret

Synonyms: reveal

Hint 116

CIA agents may not divulge any information related to the jobs, even to their family members.

Front 117

dogmatic (adjective)

Back 117

stubbornly opinionated

Synonyms: adamant

Hint 117

Nancy is dogmatic about food and insists that lemon makes everything taste better.

Front 118

dormant (adjective)

Back 118

inactive; in abeyance

Synonyms: latent

Hint 118

The separatist group, which had been dormant after the arrest of a top leader, struck last night for the first time in five years.

Front 119

dynamo (noun)

Back 119

generator; forceful, energetic person

Synonyms: live wire

Hint 119

The visionary dynamo had no problems finding investors for her start-up.

Front 120

din (noun)

Back 120

loud, sustained sounds

Synonyms: noise

Hint 120

The din in the train station rendered cell phone conversation futile, but fortunately texting saved the day.

Front 121

descry (verb)

Back 121

to observe or discern

Synonyms: detect

Hint 121

The astute editor could descry a misspelling or factual error before the rest of us could even finish the sentence.

Front 122

dross (noun)

Back 122

slag; worthless matter; impurity

Synonyms: waste

Hint 122

Meditation is a good technique for purging the dross of your everyday thoughts.

Front 123

dulcet (adjective)

Back 123

melodious; pleasant-sounding

Synonyms: harmonious

Hint 123

The dulcet tones of her voice lulled the baby to sleep.

Front 124

discomfit (verb)

Back 124

to embarass or perplex

Synonyms: disconcert

Hint 124

The students discomfited me with sharp questions, a sign that I wasn't prepared enough for class.

Front 125

desuetude (noun)

Back 125

the state of not being used

Synonyms: disuse

Hint 125

VCRs fell into desuetude as more people started buying DVD players.

Front 126

diatribe (noun)

Back 126

a harsh denunciation

Synonyms: fulmination

Hint 126

My failure to turn off the light led to my father's diatribe on saving electricity.

Front 127

doggerel (noun)

Back 127

trivial or poorly constructed verse

Synonyms: limerick

Hint 127

Amid the doggerel on the bathroom walls, there is occasionally one piece of poetry that's quite clever.

Front 128

dirge (noun)

Back 128

a song or poem of grief

Synonyms: lament

Hint 128

At the funeral, Claudia sang a dirge she had composed in honor of her grandmother.

Front 129

derision (noun)

Back 129

scorn; ridicule; contemptuous
treatment

Synonyms: mockery, contempt

Hint 129

The regional manager was held in derision by the entire board for botching his annual presentation.

Front 130

detraction (noun)

Back 130

slandering, verbal attack; aspersion

Synonyms: disparagement

Hint 130

The company's representatives responded quickly to the whistleblower's detraction and hoped to deflect any bad press about the faulty product.

Front 131

diaphanous (adjective)

Back 131

transparent; gauzy

Synonyms: translucent

Hint 131

The celebrity's diaphanous dress was the talk of the town the next day.

Front 132

desiccate (verb)

Back 132

to dry out; to make dull or dry

Synonyms: dehydrate

Hint 132

When you desiccate fresh herbs, they keep longer, but lose some of their flavor.

Front 133

distention (noun)

Back 133

the state or act of extending or being swollen out of shape

Synonyms: swelling

Hint 133

After eating the large holiday meal, I could barely hide the distention of my belly.

Front 134

dissemble (verb)

Back 134

to disguise or conceal; to mislead

Synonyms: camouflage

Hint 134

The celebrity wore a wig and glasses to dissemble her appearance and avoid prying photographers.

Front 135

desultory (adjective)

Back 135

random; disconnected

Synonyms: haphazard

Hint 135

The patient's desultory speech pattern was a sign she was still under the anesthetic.

Front 136

deprecate (verb)

Back 136

to disparage or put down

Synonyms: belittle

Hint 136

Annie has low self-esteem and always deprecates herself despite her many accomplishments.

Front 137

discursive (adjective)

Back 137

digressive; passing from one topic to another

Synonyms: rambling

Hint 137

It took the discursive professor two class sections to get through the same material that it took the succinct professor to get through in one.

Front 138

disparate (adjective)

Back 138

fundamentally distinct or dissimilar

Synonyms: incongruent, contrasting, unlike

Hint 138

After the controversial proposition passed, there were disparate reactions.

Front 139

eclectic (adjective)

Back 139

culled from many sources

Synonyms: varied

Hint 139

One has to be well-verse in dozens of topics to appreciate the writer's eclectic references.

Front 140

errant (adjective)

Back 140

wandering; straying

Synonyms: roving

Hint 140

No amount of hair gel can tame the errant strands at the top of my head.

Front 141

exculpate (verb)

Back 141

exonerate; to clear of blame

Synonyms: absolve, pardon, acquit

Hint 141

It took centuries for the church to officially exculpate Galileo for stating that the Earth revolved around the Sun.

Front 142

esoteric (adjective)

Back 142

intended for or understood by a small, specific group

Synonyms: obscure

Hint 142

Janice's thesis on deconstructing syntax and meter of Old Norse poetry is esoteric.

Front 143

epitome (noun)

Back 143

embodiment or quintessence

Synonyms: representation

Hint 143

He's the epitome of a used car salesman: slicked-back hair, toothy smile, and unctuous manner.

Front 144

epithet (noun)

Back 144

disparaging or descriptive word or phrase

Synonyms: slur

Hint 144

An old man yelled epithets at the kids who were vandalizing a wall.

Front 145

equanimity (noun)

Back 145

composure; self-possession

Synonyms: calmness

Hint 145

My mother took the news of the stolen car with surprising equanimity.

Front 146

expurgate (verb)

Back 146

to remove obscenity, especially from a book

Synonyms: censor

Hint 146

The expurgated edition of the story is more suitable for children.

Front 147

estimable (adjective)

Back 147

worthy; formidable

Synonyms: admirable

Hint 147

All great heroes, in order to be great heroes, must have equally estimable foes.

Front 148

eccentric (adjective)

Back 148

departing from norms or conventions

Synonyms: unconventional, aberrant, peculiar

Hint 148

The new physics professor quickly became known for flinging marbles around the room, throwing things off the roof, and other eccentric teaching methods.

Front 149

encomium (noun)

Back 149

glowing and enthusiastic praise

Synonyms: tribute

Hint 149

The young actress received encomiums from theater critics for her stunning debut.

Front 150

egress (noun)

Back 150

a path to go out; the right to go out

Synonyms: exit

Hint 150

As a result of a tragic fire in a garment factory in 1911, factories and other places of business now must have at least two means of egress.

Front 151

enormity (noun)

Back 151

excessive wickedness; evil

Synonyms: outrage

Hint 151

Genocide is such an enormity that one wonders if its perpetrators are as human as you or I.

Front 152

effusive (adjective)

Back 152

gushing; excessively demonstrate

Synonyms: profuse

Hint 152

It was hard not to feel welcomed by such an effusive greeting.

Front 153

extirpate (verb)

Back 153

to destroy; to exterminate; to cut out

Synonyms: abolish

Hint 153

After their break-up, she extirpated his face from every photo in the album.

Front 154

effrontery (noun)

Back 154

boldness; impudence; arrogance

Synonyms: presumptuousnss

Hint 154

The effrontery of the CEOs who insist on bonuses during the recession is not ingratiating them to the public.

Front 155

erudite (adjective)

Back 155

learned

Synonyms: scholarly

Hint 155

Social policy advocates, political strategists, and economists often call on the erudite professor for advice.

Front 156

exonerate (verb)

Back 156

to remove blame

Synonyms: acquit

Hint 156

Velma insists that she did not commit the crime and that DNA evidence will exonerate her.

Front 157

episodic (adjective)

Back 157

loosely connected; sporadic

Synonyms: occasional

Hint 157

The comic's episodic narrative was entertaining, though hard to follow.

Front 158

endemic (adjective)

Back 158

characteristic of or often found in a particular locality, region, or people

Synonyms: native, indigenous

Hint 158

The destruction of plant and animal habitats is endemic to population growth.

Front 159

evince (verb)

Back 159

to show clearly

Synonyms: manifest

Hint 159

I told the bully I was not afraid, but my knocking knees evinced otherwise.

Front 160

ebullience (noun)

Back 160

the quality of lively or enthusiastic expression of thoughts and feelings

Synonyms: effervescence

Hint 160

Edna can hardly contain her ebullience when she talks about her new puppy.

Front 161

empirical (adjective)

Back 161

based on observation or experiment

Synonyms: observed

Hint 161

The researchers spent four years gathering empirical data for their study on obsessive-compulsive behaviors.

Front 162

emollient (adjective)

Back 162

soothing, especially to the skin; making less harsh

Synonyms: softening

Hint 162

The emollient properties of aloe make it a popular additive to moisturizers.

Front 163

eloquent (adjective)

Back 163

well-spoken; expressive

Synonyms: articulate, persuasive, fluent

Hint 163

The author of the book sounded eloquent when he read his work, but he mumbled and stuttered during the Q and A session.

Front 164

effluvia (noun)

Back 164

outflow in a stream of particles; a noxious odor or vapor

Synonyms: emanations

Hint 164

The effluvia that emerged when we unclogged our shower drain was as disturbing as it was smelly.

Front 165

exemplar (noun)

Back 165

typical or standard specimen; model

Synonyms: archetype

Hint 165

"Candy Girl" is an exemplar of the Jackson 5's best work.

Front 166

ennui (noun)

Back 166

dissatifaction or restlessness resulting from boredom or apathy

Synonyms: boredom, languor, tedium

Hint 166

At least a dozen students became victims of ennui during the torturous economics lecture.

Front 167

enervate (verb)

Back 167

to weaken; to reduce in vitality

Synonyms: debilitate, sap

Hint 167

Working a double shift at the restaurant enervated me.

Front 168

exigent (adjective)

Back 168

urgent; pressing; requiring immediate action or attention.

Synonyms: crucial, dire, imperative

Hint 168

I've already missed two payments, so writing a check to the gas company is my most exigent priority.

Front 169

edifying (adjective)

Back 169

enlightening

Synonyms: instructive

Hint 169

Spending the holidays with his family was edifying; I now know the source of many of his quirks and fears.

Front 170

equivocate (verb)

Back 170

to use ambiguous language with a deceptive intent

Synonyms: prevaricate, vacillate, quibble

Hint 170

When asked by employees about cuts to benefits, the CEO equivocated and steered the discussion to a different topic.

Front 171

exacerbate (verb)

Back 171

to make worse or more severe

Synonyms: aggravate, intensify

Hint 171

Scratching an insect bite will only exacerbate the itch.

Front 172

eschew (verb)

Back 172

to avoid

Synonyms: shun

Hint 172

In order to reduce his cholesterol, my father must eschew foods high in saturated fat and sodium.

Front 173

enigmatic (adjective)

Back 173

mysterious; obscure; difficult to understand

Synonyms: cryptic

Hint 173

Historians have long debated the meaning of the Mona Lisa's enigmatic smile.

Front 174

epicure (noun)

Back 174

one devoted to sensual pleasure, particularly food and drink

Synonyms: gourmet

Hint 174

Always trust an epicure's restaurant recommendations.

Front 175

ephemeral (adjective)

Back 175

fleeting; short-lived

Synonyms: brief

Hint 175

The bump to his ego lasted far longer than his ephemeral brush with fame.

Front 176

elegy (noun)

Back 176

a mournful poem, especially one lamenting the dead

Synonyms: lament

Hint 176

After Lincoln's assassination, Walt Whitman wrote an elegy that is now considered one of his finest poems.

Front 177

engender (verb)

Back 177

to cause; to give rise to

Synonyms: propagate

Hint 177

The president's policies have engendered arguments within the party.

Front 178

evanescent (adjective)

Back 178

tending to disappear like vapor; vanishing

Synonyms: ephemeral

Hint 178

Despite the evanescent nature of fashion, the classic look of blue jeans and a T-shirt will never go out of style.

Front 179

excoriate (verb)

Back 179

to censure scathingly

Synonyms: upbraid

Hint 179

The radio host excoriated the caller for defending the unpopular politician.

Front 180

exegesis (noun)

Back 180

critical examination; explication

Synonyms: interpretation

Hint 180

The exegesis of the ancient Rosetta Stone has contributed much to our understanding of hieroglyphic writing.

Front 181

fallacy (noun)

Back 181

an invalid or incorrect notion; a mistaken belief

Synonyms: misconception

Hint 181

Scientists have exposed the fallacy that certain cigarettes are safe.

Front 182

fallow (adjective)

Back 182

unseeded; inactive; dormant

Synonyms: unproductive

Hint 182

My creativity has lain fallow this winter; I haven't written anything in months.

Front 183

fatuous (adjective)

Back 183

silly; foolish

Synonyms: inane

Hint 183

Critics claim that fatuous reality shows have eroded standards of taste and quality in the public realm.

Front 184

fawn (verb)

Back 184

to flatter or praise excessively

Synonyms: adulate

Hint 184

The star's fans were fawning over his great new look.

Front 185

feckless (adjective)

Back 185

ineffectual; irresponsible

Synonyms: incompetent

Hint 185

The feckless chief inspector always solved the crime despite his ignorance and uselessness.

Front 186

felicitous (adjective)

Back 186

apt; suitably expressed; well chosen

Synonyms: appropriate

Hint 186

The felicitous arrival of the pizza put my grumbling stomach at ease.

Front 187

fetid (adjective)

Back 187

stinking; smelly

Synonyms: malodorous

Hint 187

I needed gloves, bleach, and a mask to clean the fetid refridgerator.

Front 188

fetter (verb)

Back 188

to shackle; to put in chains

Synonyms: restrain

Hint 188

My understanding of the argument was fettered by my lack of fluency in the language.

Front 189

fervent (adjective)

Back 189

greatly emotional or zealous

Synonyms: ardent

Hint 189

Fred sent a fervent letter to his senator expressing his strong opposition to the bill.

Front 190

filibuster (noun)

Back 190

intentional obstruction, especially using prolonged speechmaking to delay legislative action

Synonyms: delay, impediment, hindrance

Hint 190

The senators decided that a filibuster was their only remaining option to block the other party's legislation.

Front 191

filigree (noun)

Back 191

an ornamental work, especially of delicate, lace-like patterns

Synonyms: ornamentation

Hint 191

I appreciate the work that goes into making filigree jewelry, but I prefer a simpler modern style.

Front 192

florid (adjective)

Back 192

flowery; ornate; ruddy

Synonyms: flowery

Hint 192

The lyrics to the song were positively florid; every other word was about hearts or love.

Front 193

flout (verb)

Back 193

to demonstrate contempt for, as in a rule or convention

Synonyms: defy

Hint 193

Fabio flouts the class rules by speaking out of turn and interrupting students.

Front 194

foment (verb)

Back 194

to incite; to rouse

Synonyms: instigate

Hint 194

Elvis's rock music was said to foment impure thoughts and rebelliousness in his young audience.

Front 195

forbearance (noun)

Back 195

patience; willingness to wait

Synonyms: tolerance

Hint 195

His forbearance in not replying to the extremely sarcastic waiter was commendable.

Front 196

forestall (verb)

Back 196

to hinder; to avert

Synonyms: prevent

Hint 196

In order to forestall his creditors, Jack put his utility bills on a new credit card, thereby exacerbating the problem.

Front 197

forswear (verb)

Back 197

to renounce; repudiate

Synonyms: disavow

Hint 197

I forswear Twinkies, Ding Dongs, and other junk food promise to maintain a healthier diet.

Front 198

fortuitous (adjective)

Back 198

happening by fortunate accident or chance

Synonyms: lucky

Hint 198

It was fortuitous that I missed the bus and ended up running into an old friend on the street.

Front 199

founder (verb)

Back 199

to sink; to fail completely

Synonyms: stumble

Hint 199

I had a great business plan and product, but my company foundered because I couldn't attract investors.

Front 200

furtive (adjective)

Back 200

marked by stealth; covert; surreptitious

Synonyms: shifty

Hint 200

Jack shot a furtive glance at the celebrity who sat at the next table.

Front 201

fracas (noun)

Back 201

noisy quarrel; brawl

Synonyms: donnybrook

Hint 201

The fracas outside of the nightclub caused the manager to call the police.

Front 202

fractious (adjective)

Back 202

quarrelsome; unruly

Synonyms: irritable

Hint 202

What appeared to outsiders as a fractious department was actually an open and democratic team in which all opinions were heard and debated.

Front 203

frieze (noun)

Back 203

a semi-sculptural, raised-surface strip of ornamental facade on a building

Synonyms: decorative band

Hint 203

It is ironic that a frieze depicting the Roman conquest, enslavement, and plundering of Corinth adorns the courthouse.

Front 204

gainsay (verb)

Back 204

to deny; to oppose

Synonyms: contradict

Hint 204

After I easily won the Pac-Man tournament, my competitors could no longer gainsay my video-game dominance.

Front 205

gambol (verb)

Back 205

to skip about playfully

Synonyms: frolic

Hint 205

After months in their winter den, the polar bear cubs finally emerged and gamboled in the snow.

Front 206

garner (verb)

Back 206

to gather and save; to store up

Synonyms: amass

Hint 206

The talented actor continued to garner accolades despite his brushes with the law.

Front 207

garrulous (adjective)

Back 207

pointlessly talkative; talking too much

Synonyms: loquacious

Hint 207

I just wanted the garrulous waiter to stop rambling and take my order.

Front 208

gauche (adjective)

Back 208

crude; awkward

Synonyms: tactless

Hint 208

Asking how much the property cost at the housewarming party was gauche.

Front 209

germane (adjective)

Back 209

relevant to the subject at hand; appropriate in subject matter

Synonyms: applicable

Hint 209

Greg could have cut out several sentences from his essay that were not germane to his thesis statement.

Front 210

glib (adjective)

Back 210

marked by ease or informality; nonchalant; lacking in depth

Synonyms: superficial

Hint 210

Your glib response to my question lets me know that you don't take me seriously.

Front 211

gossamer (adjective)

Back 211

delicate; insubstantial or tenuous

Synonyms: diaphanous

Hint 211

Light filtered in through the gossamer curtains.

Front 212

grandiloquence (noun)

Back 212

pompous speech or expression

Synonyms: bombast

Hint 212

The nominee ended up losing votes because his grandiloquence annoyed his audience at every campaign speech.

Front 213

gratuitous (adjective)

Back 213

unnecessary; uncalled for

Synonyms: unprovoked

Hint 213

Constructive comments will help me improve, but gratuitous criticism just makes me defensive.

Front 214

gregarious (adjective)

Back 214

sociable; outgoing; enjoying the company of other people

Synonyms: affable

Hint 214

The gregarious employees liked to get together after work.

Front 215

guile (noun)

Back 215

artfulness; trickery; duplicity

Synonyms: deceit

Hint 215

Pulling off slight-of-hand tricks successfully requires dexterity and guile.

Front 216

hackneyed (adjective)

Back 216

rendered trite or commonplace by frequent usage

Synonyms: banal

Hint 216

"You win some, you lose some" is an example of a hackneyed saying.

Front 217

halcyon (adjective)

Back 217

calm and peaceful

Synonyms: serene

Hint 217

I'm looking forward to a halcyon vacation on a secluded beach.

Front 218

hallowed (adjective)

Back 218

holy; consecrated

Synonyms: revered

Hint 218

Strawberry Fields in Central Park is hallowed ground for fans of John Lennon.

Front 219

harangue (verb)

Back 219

to deliver a pompous speech or tirade

Synonyms: hassle

Hint 219

Sonny harangued his brother for returning the car with no gas.

Front 220

harbinger (noun)

Back 220

something that signals what is to come

Synonyms: forerunner

Hint 220

The Grim Reaper, with his cloak and scythe, is a harbinger of death

Front 221

harrow (verb)

Back 221

to distress; to cause agony to

Synonyms: torment

Hint 221

The child's uncontrollable outbursts at home harrowed his parents.

Front 222

hedonism (noun)

Back 222

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

Synonyms: debauchery, indulgence

Hint 222

Monks lead a quiet, ascetic life devoid of hedonism.

Front 223

hegemony (noun)

Back 223

the consistent dominance of one state or ideology over others

Synonyms: predominance, leadership

Hint 223

At its height, the Roman Empire exercised hegemony over the entire Mediterranean area.

Front 224

heretical (adjective)

Back 224

dissenting from established dogma

Synonyms: unorthodox

Hint 224

Some might find it heretical to put celery in a grilled-cheese sandwich, but I recommend trying it before passing judgement.

Front 225

hermetic (adjective)

Back 225

sealed; airtight

Synonyms: impervious

Hint 225

When you buy a bottle of medicine, check the hermetic seal to make sure it is not broken.

Front 226

heterodox (adjective)

Back 226

unorthodox; iconoclastic

Synonyms: heretical

Hint 226

The heterodox dessert combined bits of bacon and chocolate.

Front 227

homily (noun)

Back 227

a sermon or morally instructive lecture

Synonyms: admonition

Hint 227

The priest's homily encourage people to be generous toward their enemies.

Front 228

hubris (noun)

Back 228

arrogant presumption or pride

Synonyms: conceit

Hint 228

The governor's hubris was in appointing his son to lead the commission.

Front 229

iconoclast (noun)

Back 229

one who attacks or undermines traditional conventions or institutions

Synonyms: radical, rebel

Hint 229

Socrates was put on trial and accused of being an iconoclast on matters of politics and religion.

Front 230

iconoclastic (adjective)

Back 230

attacking cherished beliefs

Synonyms: irreverent

Hint 230

The controversial artist's iconoclastic work both stunned and impressed critics.

Front 231

idolatrous (adjective)

Back 231

given to intense or excessive devotion to something

Synonyms: committed

Hint 231

My son's idolatrous adoration of his grandmother is overwhelming; I think he loves her more than me!

Front 232

idyll (noun)

Back 232

a carefree, lighthearted pastoral or romantic episode

Synonyms: carefree scene

Hint 232

Often while riding the subway to her monotonous job, she daydreamed of a tropical idyll.

Front 233

ignominious (adjective)

Back 233

shameful; undignified

Synonyms: humiliating

Hint 233

The senator's corruption scandal cast an ignominious shadow over his career.

Front 234

imbroglio (noun)

Back 234

difficult or bitter situation

Synonyms: entanglement, disagreement

Hint 234

The governor was caught in an imbroglio over misappropriated funds.

Front 235

imminent (adjective)

Back 235

about to happen

Synonyms: impending

Hint 235

The police have identified a suspect and an arrest is imminent.

Front 236

immutable (adjective)

Back 236

not capable of change

Synonyms: permanent

Hint 236

Gravity is an immutable law of nature.

Front 237

impassive (adjective)

Back 237

revealing no emotion

Synonyms: apathetic, imperturbable

Hint 237

The defendant looked surprisingly impassive after the judge sentenced him to life in prison.

Front 238

impecunious (adjective)

Back 238

lacking funds; without money

Synonyms: destitute

Hint 238

The impecunious author survived on the generosity of her friends until she sold her first manuscript.

Front 239

imperious (adjective)

Back 239

commanding; arrogant; haughty

Synonyms: domineering

Hint 239

Writers and photographers feared the editor-in-chief because of her imperious attitude.

Front 240

intractable (adjective)

Back 240

not easily managed or directed

Synonyms: stubborn, obstinate

Hint 240

The financial crisis has created intractable problems for the new government in power.

Front 241

imperturbable (adjective)

Back 241

marked by extreme calm, impassivity, and steadiness

Synonyms: unflappable

Hint 241

After an hour of meditation, Ivan is imperturbable and nothing will faze him.

Front 242

impetuous (adjective)

Back 242

hastily or rashly energetic; impulsive and vehement

Synonyms: reckless

Hint 242

Teenagers often make impetuous decisions that they later regret.

Front 243

implacable (adjective)

Back 243

not capable of being appeased or significantly changed

Synonyms: uncompromising

Hint 243

Sadly, Irina is an implacable pessimist and will never see the brighter side of any situation.

Front 244

importune (verb)

Back 244

to ask incessantly; to beg; to nag

Synonyms: exhort

Hint 244

The actor importuned the director to give him a bigger part in the play.

Front 245

impugn (verb)

Back 245

to challenge; to call into question

Synonyms: discredit

Hint 245

The candidate impugned his opponent's flawless record in office.

Front 246

impunity (noun)

Back 246

immunity from punishment or penalty

Synonyms: exemption

Hint 246

I was granted impunity for my repeated absences from work due to serious medical problems.

Front 247

inchoate (adjective)

Back 247

in an initial stage; not fully formed

Synonyms: rudimentary, amorphous

Hint 247

The more experience engineers sent his original, inchoate proposal back for revision.

Front 248

incipient (adjective)

Back 248

beginning to come into being or to become apparent

Synonyms: developing

Hint 248

Fortunately, the doctor detected the patient's incipient tumor during a routine check-up.

Front 249

indefatigable (adjective)

Back 249

dogged; tireless

Synonyms: unflagging

Hint 249

The shark's indefatigable pursuit of the seal was eventually rewarded.

Front 250

indifferent (adjective)

Back 250

having no interest or concern; showing no bias or prejudice

Synonyms: disinterested

Hint 250

Some buyers are indifferent to shipping costs and will order items online with no regard for the extra charges.

Front 251

indolent (adjective)

Back 251

lazy; listless

Synonyms: lethargic

Hint 251

The fat, indolent cat didn't even stir when the mouse skittered across the kitchen.

Front 252

ineptitude (noun)

Back 252

incompetence

Synonyms: incapacity

Hint 252

The ineptitude of the new assistant was maddening; he forgot to take meeting minutes and misplaced the packages he was supposed to send out.

Front 253

inert (adjective)

Back 253

unmoving; lethargic; sluggish

Synonyms: motionless

Hint 253

The overweight dog is inert and refuses to go for a walk.

Front 254

infelicitous (adjective)

Back 254

unfortunate; inappropriate

Synonyms: malapropos, ill-chosen

Hint 254

An uncomfortable silence fell over the dinner table after one of the guests made an infelicitous comment to the hostess.

Front 255

ingenuous (adjective)

Back 255

artless; frank and candid; lacking in sophistication; naive

Synonyms: guileless, innocent, trusting

Hint 255

Her fears about childbirth seemed ingenuous to the women at the baby shower.

Front 256

inherent (adjective)

Back 256

ingrained within one's nature

Synonyms: intrinsic

Hint 256

Even though lumpectomies are common, there are still dangers inherent to any surgery.

Front 257

inimical (adjective)

Back 257

damaging, harmful, or injurious; hostile, adverse, or unfriendly

Synonyms: deleterious

Hint 257

It has been proven that asbestos has inimical effects on respiratory health.

Front 258

iniquity (noun)

Back 258

gross injustice; wickedness

Synonyms: sin

Hint 258

The iniquity of the government bailouts angers me; large corporations are being saved, while public schools are struggling for funding.

Front 259

innocuous (adjective)

Back 259

harmless; causing no damage

Synonyms: inoffensive

Hint 259

The movie is innocuous entertainment suitable for all ages.

Front 260

inscrutable (adjective)

Back 260

incapable of being discovered or understood

Synonyms: unfathomable

Hint 260

The secrets of the inscrutable Sphinx are likely to remain undiscovered forever.

Front 261

insensible (adjective)

Back 261

unconscious; unresponsive

Synonyms: indifferent

Hint 261

The boxer dropped his defenses just long enough for his opponent to land a right hook that left him insensible on the canvas for a few minutes.

Front 262

insipid (adjective)

Back 262

without taste or flavor; lacking in spirit

Synonyms: bland

Hint 262

Without any seasoning or sauce, chicken can often be insipid and dry.

Front 263

insouciant (adjective)

Back 263

unconcerned; carefree; heedless

Synonyms: nonchalant

Hint 263

The insouciant cyclist sang along with his headphones as he wove in and out of the busy downtown traffic.

Front 264

insular (adjective)

Back 264

provincial; narrow-minded

Synonyms: isolated

Hint 264

The board was so insular in its thinking that its members were shocked to hear criticisms of its policies from stockholders.

Front 265

intransigent (adjective)

Back 265

refusing to compromise

Synonyms: inflexible

Hint 265

Otto's intransigent stance made an out-of-court settlement unlikely.

Front 266

intrepid (adjective)

Back 266

steadfast and courageous

Synonyms: fearless

Hint 266

The intrepid eater will try any regional dish whenever she travels.

Front 267

inured (adjective)

Back 267

accustomed to accepting something undesirable

Synonyms: numbed, habituated, hardened

Hint 267

The explorer was inured to the cold wind; she no longer noticed her chapped skin.

Front 268

inveigle (verb)

Back 268

to obtain by deception or flattery

Synonyms: manipulate

Hint 268

The salesperson inveigled the woman to buy the outlandish and expensive hat.

Front 269

irascible (adjective)

Back 269

easily angered; prone to temperamental outbursts

Synonyms: touchy, testy, irritable

Hint 269

The hot-headed coach frequently shouted irascible comments at the referees.

Front 270

itinerant (adjective)

Back 270

traveling from place to place

Synonyms: roving

Hint 270

Long before newspapers, telephones, and the Internet, itinerant salesmen were once valuable sources of news.

Front 271

jejune (adjective)

Back 271

vapid; uninteresting; immature

Synonyms: childish

Hint 271

Critics slammed the author's first novel for being jejune; hopefully her second will be more mature.

Front 272

jettison (verb)

Back 272

to throw overboard

Synonyms: discard

Hint 272

The CEO of the failing company jettisoned the entire product development department and hired a new team.

Front 273

jibe (verb)

Back 273

to agree; to be in accord

Synonyms: conform

Hint 273

Despite our very different backgrounds, Richard's political views jibe rather closely with my own.

Front 274

jocular (adjective)

Back 274

humorous; joking

Synonyms: jesting

Hint 274

His jocular attitude and hilarious take on things made him a pleasure to work with.

Front 275

kinetic (adjective)

Back 275

characterized by motion

Synonyms: dynamic

Hint 275

The kinetic choreography had audience members gasping during the performance.

Front 276

laconic (adjective)

Back 276

using few words

Synonyms: terse

Hint 276

The exhausted babysitter's laconic response was simply, "No."

Front 277

lambaste (verb)

Back 277

to excoriate; to berate

Synonyms: scold

Hint 277

The coach lambasted his players at halftime for their bad attitude, bad decisions, and exceptionally bad performance.

Front 278

laud (verb)

Back 278

to praise highly

Synonyms: acclaim, extol

Hint 278

The sea-weary crew lauded the captain's decision to stay in port for an extra day.

Front 279

libertine (noun)

Back 279

someone unrestrained by morality or convention

Synonyms: swinger

Hint 279

Libertines challenge society's understanding of morality and sexuality.

Front 280

limn (verb)

Back 280

to draw; to outline in detail

Synonyms: describe

Hint 280

The artist limned the Parisian market scene so perfectly that I could imagine myself in the painting.

Front 281

limpid (adjective)

Back 281

transparent; serene; untroubled

Synonyms: clear

Hint 281

I looked into my ailing grandmother's limpid eyes and understood that she was at peace with her life.

Front 282

lissome (adjective)

Back 282

supple; graceful

Synonyms: lithe

Hint 282

The ballerina's lissome form does not come easily; she spends hours practicing every day.

Front 283

loquacious (adjective)

Back 283

extremely talkative

Synonyms: garrulous

Hint 283

My aunt is annoyingly loquacious; she speaks at great length about minor occurrences in her life.

Front 284

lubricious (adjective)

Back 284

lewd; wanton; slippery

Synonyms: salacious

Hint 284

The lubricious stare from that strange man in the park left me disgusted.

Front 285

luminous (adjective)

Back 285

characterized by brightness and the emission of light

Synonyms: brilliant, radiant

Hint 285

Sirius is considered the most luminous star in the northern sky.

Front 286

crestfallen (adjective)

Back 286

dejected; disappointed

Synonyms: discouraged

Hint 286

She interviewed for the position three times and was crestfallen when the job was finally offered to another candidate.

Front 287

curmudgeon (noun)

Back 287

an irritable, ill-tempered person

Synonyms: complainer

Hint 287

My neighbor is an old curmudgeon who complains loudly whenever anyone makes a sound.

Front 288

cursory (adjective)

Back 288

hasty; done with little attention

Synonyms: hurried

Hint 288

The producer took a cursory look at the script, then tossed it in the trash.

Front 289

cynicism (noun)

Back 289

an attitude or quality of belief that all people are motivated by selfishness

Synonyms: distrust, pessimism

Hint 289

People driven by cynicism are often skeptical of others' generosity.

Front 290

daunt (verb)

Back 290

to cow or dismay

Synonyms: discourage

Hint 290

The size of the workload alone is likely to daunt even the most dedicated students.

Front 291

maculate (adjective)

Back 291

marked with spots or blotches; impure

Synonyms: stained

Hint 291

After the unruly holiday feast, we all laughed over the maculate tablecloth.

Front 292

magnamimous (adjective)

Back 292

generous and noble in mind and heart, especially in forgiving

Synonyms: altruistic, beneficent, high-minded

Hint 292

Giving the employees Fridays off during the summer was a magnamimous gesture.

Front 293

malevolent (adjective)

Back 293

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

Synonyms: evil

Hint 293

Once the intruder revealed his gun, it was clear that he had malevolent intentions.

Front 294

malinger (verb)

Back 294

to feign illness to avoid work

Synonyms: dodge

Hint 294

She malingered so often that when she actually fell ill, sh had used up all of her sick days.

Front 295

malleable (adjective)

Back 295

capable of being shaped or formed; tractable

Synonyms: pliable

Hint 295

Mabel kneaded the malleable clay into a work of art.

Front 296

martial (adjective)

Back 296

associated with war and the armed forces

Synonyms: military, soldierly

Hint 296

During the riots, the National Guard was called in to enforce martial law.

Front 297

maverick (noun)

Back 297

an independent individual who does not go along with a group

Synonyms: nonconformist

Hint 297

The candidate was once considered a maverick, but now most people agree that he just follows the party line.

Front 298

mellifluous (adjective)

Back 298

sweetly flowing, often used to described a voice

Synonyms: smooth

Hint 298

The grandmother's mellifluous voice soothed the crying child.

Front 299

mendacity (noun)

Back 299

the condition of being untruthful

Synonyms: dishonesty

Hint 299

When his lies became public, Will lost many friends because of his mendacity.

Front 300

meretricious (adjective)

Back 300

flashy; gaudy

Synonyms: tawdry

Hint 300

The meretricious stretch limousine looked out of place in the church parking lot.

Front 301

mercurial (adjective)

Back 301

characterized by rapid and unpredictable change in mood

Synonyms: inconstant

Hint 301

You can never tell what mod the director will be in because of his mercurial personality.

Front 302

mendicant (noun)

Back 302

beggar; supplicant

Synonyms: pauper

Hint 302

The humble mendicant spent his days collecting money to help others.

Front 303

meticulous (adjective)

Back 303

characterized by extreme care and precision; attentive to detail

Synonyms: conscientious

Hint 303

Maury is a meticulous editor who will find every last typo and mistake.

Front 304

mettle (noun)

Back 304

strength of spirit; courage

Synonyms: fortitude

Hint 304

The weeks of physical competition tested his mettle in unforeseen ways.

Front 305

minatory (adjective)

Back 305

menacing; threatening

Synonyms: intimidating

Hint 305

The territorial dog gave a minatory look at the mail carrier.

Front 306

misanthrope (noun)

Back 306

one who hates all other humans

Synonyms: cynic

Hint 306

The movie is about an adorable young child who wins the heart of a misanthrope.

Front 307

misogynist (noun)

Back 307

one who hates women

Synonyms: sexist

Hint 307

Sometimes I wonder if my boss is a misogynist because none of the female employees get promotions.

Front 308

mitigate (verb)

Back 308

to make or become less severe or intense; to moderate

Synonyms: lessen

Hint 308

Aspirin can mitigate pain.

Front 309

mollify (verb)

Back 309

to calm or soothe; to reduce in emotional intensity

Synonyms: pacify

Hint 309

Marlena tried to mollify her angry neighbor by offering to pay for the broken window.

Front 310

morose (adjective)

Back 310

sad; sullen

Synonyms: melancholy

Hint 310

Alan's morose attitude made him an unpopular dinner guest.

Front 311

mundane (adjective)

Back 311

of the world; typical of or concerned with the ordinary

Synonyms: commonplace, everyday, banal

Hint 311

You might think that an office is too mundane a setting for a comedy, but popular TV shows prove otherwise.

Front 312

munificence (noun)

Back 312

generosity

Synonyms: bounteousness

Hint 312

I respect Bill Gates for his munificence; he has funded much of the research to combat malaria in developing countries.

Front 313

nadir (noun)

Back 313

low point

Synonyms: rock bottom

Hint 313

At my emotional nadir, I considered some drastic options to relieve my pain.

Front 314

nascent (adjective)

Back 314

coming into being; in early developmental stages

Synonyms: emerging, embryonic, burgeoning

Hint 314

My novel is still in its nascent form, so I'm hesitant to describe the plot.

Front 315

natty (adjective)

Back 315

trimly neat and tidy

Synonyms: dapper

Hint 315

The natty young man always wore a well-pressed suit to the office.

Front 316

nebulous (adjective)

Back 316

vague; cloudy; lacking clearly defined form

Synonyms: hazy, unformulated, unclear

Hint 316

My plans for tomorrow are nebulous, but I'll contact you later to work out the details.

Front 317

nefarious (adjective)

Back 317

wicked

Synonyms: sinful

Hint 317

Some of the most nefarious criminals in the world are held in that maximum-security prison.

Front 318

neologism (noun)

Back 318

a new word, expression, or usage

Synonyms: coinage (of a word or phrase)

Hint 318

Many neologisms arise from technology, including "spam," "mouse," and "Internet."

Front 319

neophyte (noun)

Back 319

a recent convert; a beginner

Synonyms: tyro, novice

Hint 319

The freshman senator is a neophyte to the conventions of Capitol Hill.

Front 320

nexus (noun)

Back 320

a connection; tie or link

Synonyms: core

Hint 320

Greenwich Village became a nexus for artists and writers during the 1920s.

Front 321

noisome (adjective)

Back 321

offensive, especially to one's sense of smell

Synonyms: foul

Hint 321

We took out the garbage, but the noisome stench remained.

Front 322

nonplussed (verb)

Back 322

baffled; at a loss for what to say or do

Synonyms: bewildered

Hint 322

When I first saw that I had the winning lottery numbers I was nonplussed, but I soon recovered and went on a shopping spree.

Front 323

nostrum (noun)

Back 323

panacea; questionable remedy

Synonyms: cure-all

Hint 323

Chocolate chip cookies were an effective nostrum for the crying child.

Front 324

noxious (adjective)

Back 324

harmful; injurious

Synonyms: toxic, poisonous, deleterious

Hint 324

I think my old car is leaking noxious gases because whenever I drive it, I get a headache.

Front 325

nugatory (adjective)

Back 325

trifling; inconsequential

Synonyms: piddling

Hint 325

Our meeting was derailed because we discussed nugatory details instead of matters of substance.

Front 326

obdurate (adjective)

Back 326

unyielding; hardhearted

Synonyms: intractable

Hint 326

The obdurate ruler would not change his policies, even to ease the suffering of his people.

Front 327

obfuscate (verb)

Back 327

to deliberately obscure; to make confusing

Synonyms: confound

Hint 327

The politician obfuscated the truth about his corruption by accusing his opponent of having an affair.

Front 328

obloquy (noun)

Back 328

sharp criticism; abusively detractive language

Synonyms: calumny

Hint 328

After the judge was arrested for accepting bribes, she became the target of public obloquy.

Front 329

obsequious (adjective)

Back 329

exhibiting a fawning attentiveness

Synonyms: kowtowing

Hint 329

Roger thought fawning over the boss would help him get promoted, but his obsequious behavior annoyed his co-workers.

Front 330

obstinate (adjective)

Back 330

stubborn; hardhearted

Synonyms: uncompromising

Hint 330

Otto was obstinate and refused to compromise even on trivial issues.

Front 331

obstreperous (adjective)

Back 331

noisy; defiant

Synonyms: unruly

Hint 331

The obstreperous child ran down the aisles of the movie theater and disrupted audience members.

Front 332

obtuse (adjective)

Back 332

lacking sharpness of intellect; not clear or precise in thought or expression

Synonyms: thickheaded, simple-minded, dull-witted

Hint 332

My father is obtuse when it comes to computers; he doesn't even know how to turn one on.

Front 333

obviate (verb)

Back 333

to anticipate and make unnecessary

Synonyms: intervene, preclude, avert

Hint 333

Streaming movie online obviates the need to go to a video store.

Front 334

occlude (verb)

Back 334

to obstruct or block

Synonyms: clog, congest

Hint 334

The last mile of the trail was occluded by overgrown brush and fallen trees.

Front 335

odious (adjective)

Back 335

evoking intense aversion or dislike

Synonyms: repugnant

Hint 335

Rotting eggs cause an odious smell.

Front 336

officious (adjective)

Back 336

meddlesome; pushy in one's services

Synonyms: intrusive

Hint 336

My neighbor is extremely officious; she keeps offering to set me up with her nephew.

Front 337

ombudsman (noun)

Back 337

a person who investigates citizens' complaints

Synonyms: mediator

Hint 337

The newspaper's ombudsman fielded phone calls from readers who complained about factual errors in the front-page story.

Front 338

onerous (adjective)

Back 338

troubling; burdensome

Synonyms: arduous, grueling, laborious

Hint 338

Shoveling out the stables is a more onerous task than feeding the chickens.

Front 339

opaque (adjective)

Back 339

impenetrable by light; not reflecting light

Synonyms: turbid

Hint 339

The opaque curtains prevent the early morning light from waking me up.

Front 340

opprobrium (noun)

Back 340

disgrace; contempt

Synonyms: scorn

Hint 340

Allegations of steroid use brought such opprobrium that the athlete lost several sponsors.

Front 341

ossified (adjective)

Back 341

tending to become more rigid; conventional; turned into bone

Synonyms: hardened

Hint 341

At what point is it no longer possible to change the ossified opinions of someone from an older generation?

Front 342

ostensible (adjective)

Back 342

seeming; appearing as such

Synonyms: outward

Hint 342

The ostensible purpose of college is for children to learn about different academic areas, but what they really learn are life skills and responsibility.

Front 343

ostentatious (adjective)

Back 343

characterized by or given to pretentiousness

Synonyms: showy

Hint 343

The economic downturn is causing some wealthy people to curtail their ostentatious lifestyles.

Front 344

overweening (adjective)

Back 344

presumptuously arrogant; overbearing

Synonyms: excessive

Hint 344

The overweening pride of the celebrity is unbearable; he showed up at the restaurant with an entourage and expected to be seated immediately.

Front 345

palliate (verb)

Back 345

to make something appear less serious; to make less severe

Front 346

panegyric (noun)

Back 346

formal praise

Front 347

pariah (noun)

Back 347

an outcast; rejected and despised person

Front 348

parody (noun)

Back 348

a humorous imitation intended for ridicule or comic effect, especially in literature and art

Front 349

parsimonious (adjective)

Back 349

cheap; miserly

Front 350

partisan (adjective)

Back 350

biased or prejudiced

Front 351

paucity (noun)

Back 351

scarcity

Front 352

peccadillo (noun)

Back 352

a slight offense; literally, a minor sin

Front 353

pecuniary (adjective)

Back 353

having to do with money

Front 354

pedagogy (noun)

Back 354

the art or profession of training, teaching, or instructing

Front 355

pedantic (adjective)

Back 355

the parading of learning; excessive attention to minutiae and formal rules

Front 356

pellucid (adjective)

Back 356

transparent; easy to understood

Front 357

penchant (noun)

Back 357

strong inclination; a liking

Front 358

penury (noun)

Back 358

poverty; destitution

Front 359

perennial (adjective)

Back 359

recurrent throughout the year or over many years; happening repeatedly or continually

Front 360

perfunctory (adjective)

Back 360

done without care or interest; done merely as duty

Front 361

perigee (noun)

Back 361

the point nearest the earth in an orbit of a baby

Front 362

peripatetic (adjective)

Back 362

intinerant; traveling on foot

Front 363

personable (adjective)

Back 363

pleasing in appearance or personality

Front 364

peruse (verb)

Back 364

to examine with great care

Front 365

pervasive (adjective)

Back 365

having the tendency to permeate or spread throughout

Front 366

petulant (adjective)

Back 366

ill-tempered; irritable

Front 367

phlegmatic (adjective)

Back 367

calm; sluggish; unemotional

Front 368

pine (verb)

Back 368

to yearn intensely; to languish; to lose vigor

Front 369

pirate (verb)

Back 369

to illegally use or reproduce

Front 370

pith (noun)

Back 370

the essential or central part

Front 371

pithy (adjective)

Back 371

precise and brief

Front 372

placate (verb)

Back 372

to appease; to calm by making concessions

Front 373

platitude (noun)

Back 373

a superficial remark, especially one offered as meaningful

Front 374

plethora (noun)

Back 374

an overbundance; a surplus

Front 375

plummet (verb)

Back 375

to plunge or drop straight down

Front 376

polemical (adjective)

Back 376

controversial; argumentative

Front 377

pragmatic (adjective)

Back 377

practical rather than idealistic

Front 378

prattle (verb)

Back 378

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

Front 379

preen (verb)

Back 379

to dress up; to primp; to groom oneself with elaborate care

Front 380

prescience (noun)

Back 380

knowing of events prior to their occurring

Front 381

presumptuous (adjective)

Back 381

overstepping due bounds (as of propriety or courtesy); taking liberties

Front 382

prevaricate (verb)

Back 382

to deliberately avoid the truth; mislead

Front 383

pristine (adjective)

Back 383

pure; uncorrupted; clean

Front 384

probity (noun)

Back 384

adherence to highest principles; uprightness

Front 385

proclivity (noun)

Back 385

a natural predisposition or inclination

Front 386

prodigal (adjective)

Back 386

recklessly wasteful; extravagant

Front 387

prodigious (adjective)

Back 387

abundance in size, force, or extent; extraordinary

Front 388

profligate (adjective)

Back 388

excessively wasteful; recklessly extravagant

Front 389

profuse (adjective)

Back 389

given or coming forth in great abundance

Front 390

proliferate (verb)

Back 390

to grow or increase swiftly and abundantly

Front 391

propensity (noun)

Back 391

a natural inclination or tendency

Front 392

prosaic (adjective)

Back 392

dull; unimaginative

Front 393

protracted (adjective)

Back 393

extended in time

Front 394

prowess (noun)

Back 394

superior skill or daring

Front 395

pugnacious (adjective)

Back 395

contentious; quarrelsome; given to fighting

Front 396

pundit (noun)

Back 396

an authority on a subject; one who gives opinions

Front 397

pungent (adjective)

Back 397

characterized by a strong, sharp smell or taste

Front 398

pusillanimous (adjective)

Back 398

cowardly; craven

Front 399

putrefy (verb)

Back 399

to rot; to decay and give off a foul odor

Front 400

quaff (verb)

Back 400

to drink deeply

Front 401

quagmire (noun)

Back 401

a situation that is difficult to get out of

Front 402

quash (verb)

Back 402

to quell; to put an end to forcibly

Front 403

querulous (adjective)

Back 403

prone to complaining or grumbling; quarrelsome

Front 404

query (noun)

Back 404

question; inquiry; doubt in the mind; reservation

Front 405

quixotic (adjective)

Back 405

foolishly impractical; marked by lofty romantic ideals

Front 406

quotidian (adjective)

Back 406

occurring or recurring daily, commonplace

Front 407

raffish (adjective)

Back 407

unconventional and slightly disreputable; carefree; vulgar

Synonyms: rakish

Hint 407

Though he was raffish, there was something about his careless style that was refreshing in the stuffy boardroom.

Front 408

rancorous (adjective)

Back 408

characterized by bitter, long-lasting resentment

Synonyms: acrimonious

Hint 408

The rancorous feud between the rival families lasted decades.

Front 409

rankle (verb)

Back 409

to irritate; to cause resentment

Synonyms: irk

Hint 409

The critic's mixed review of the book rankled the author for days.

Front 410

rarefy (verb)

Back 410

to make or become thin or less dense

Synonyms: refine, purify

Hint 410

It is hard for climbers to breathe the rarefied air at the top of Mount Everest without oxygen masks.

Front 411

recalcitrant (adjective)

Back 411

obstinately resistant to authority; difficult to manage

Synonyms: defiant, rebellious

Hint 411

Boot camps are sometimes used as a last resort to deal with recalcitrant teenagers.

Front 412

recondite (adjective)

Back 412

hidden; concealed; difficult to understand; obscure

Synonyms: abstruse, esoteric

Hint 412

The recondite speech of the guest lecturer left audience members confused and bored.

Front 413

reconnoiter (verb)

Back 413

to engage in reconnaissance

Synonyms: investigate

Hint 413

The captain sent soldiers to reconnoiter the region for signs of enemy activity.

Front 414

redolence (noun)

Back 414

the state of being fragrant, suggestive, or evocative

Synonyms: fragrance

Hint 414

The redolence of dried leaves always brings me back to the colorful falls of my childhood in New England.

Front 415

redress (verb)

Back 415

to set something right; to make amends for

Synonyms: rectify

Hint 415

The waitress redressed her mistake by offering the diners a free dessert.

Front 416

refulgent (adjective)

Back 416

radiant; shining; brilliant

Synonyms: luminous, resplendent

Hint 416

At night, Las Vegas is a refulgent sight against the dark and vast desert sky.

Front 417

refute (verb)

Back 417

to disprove; to successfully argue against

Synonyms: rebut, counter

Hint 417

His claim to be the child's father was refuted by DNA evidence.

Front 418

regale (verb)

Back 418

to delight or entertain

Synonyms: amuse

Hint 418

I could regale you with stories from the family reunion, but let's just say I'm glad that I live on the other side of the country.

Front 419

relegate (verb)

Back 419

to forcibly assign, especially to a lower place or position

Synonyms: demote, downgrade, consign

Hint 419

When we moved into a smaller house, my art studio was relegated to the basement.

Front 420

renege (verb)

Back 420

to fail to honor a commitment; to break a promise

Synonyms: withdraw

Hint 420

Roommate contracts are important in case one party reneges on the agreed financial contributions to the household.

Front 421

repartee (noun)

Back 421

witty conversation

Synonyms: banter

Hint 421

Few contemporary films have the same clever repartee between the lead characters as those screwball comedies of the 1930s.

Front 422

reprehensible (adjective)

Back 422

worthy of blame or censure

Synonyms: shameful

Hint 422

The principal suspended the student for his reprehensible behavior at school.

Front 423

repudiate (verb)

Back 423

to refuse to have anything to do with; to disown

Synonyms: abandon, deny

Hint 423

Galileo was forced to repudiate his heliocentric findings before the church tribunal.

Front 424

rescind (verb)

Back 424

to invalidate; to repeal; to retract

Synonyms: void, annul

Hint 424

Once he realized he had given his troops the wrong target, the captain rescinded his order to attack.

Front 425

reverent (adjective)

Back 425

marked by, feeling, or expressing profound awe and respect

Synonyms: respectful

Hint 425

The entire audience settled into a reverent silence when the Dalai Lama began to speak.

Front 426

rhetoric (noun)

Back 426

the art or study of effective use of language for communication and persuasion

Synonyms: elocution

Hint 426

Clearly the lawyer was skilled at the art of rhetoric; her closing arguments were lucid and moving.

Front 427

risible (adjective)

Back 427

causing laughter; laughable

Synonyms: ludicrous

Hint 427

The teenager was embarrassed by his mother's blond highlights, her use of slang, her constant texting, and other risible attempts to seem younger.

Front 428

rue (verb)

Back 428

to regret; to feel remorse or sorrow for

Synonyms: lament

Hint 428

That mouse will rue the day it ever skittered into my kitchen.

Front 429

sagacious (adjective)

Back 429

having sound judgement; perceptive

Synonyms: wise

Hint 429

Though he was not an expert, Jorge's sagacious observations made him a valuable member of the team.

Front 430

salacious (adjective)

Back 430

lascivious; lustful; obscene

Synonyms: lewd

Hint 430

Let's be honest: the more salacious the gossip, the more we love it.

Front 431

salient (adjective)

Back 431

prominent; relevant

Synonyms: conspicuous

Hint 431

Perhaps the most salient features of the great white shark are its rows of razor sharp teeth.

Front 432

salubrious (adjective)

Back 432

promoting health or well-being

Synonyms: healthful

Hint 432

I hope the salubrious climate of the Bahamas will soothe my stress.

Front 433

salutary (adjective)

Back 433

wholesome; favorable to health

Synonyms: salubrious

Hint 433

Salutary exercises such as stretching can keep tendonitis from getting worse.

Front 434

sanction (noun)

Back 434

authoritative permission or approval

Synonyms: countenance

Hint 434

City officials granted a sanction to the nonprofit organization, which is organizing a marathon to raise money for cancer research.

Front 435

sanguine (adjective)

Back 435

cheerful; confident; optimistic

Synonyms: upbeat

Hint 435

Ana's sanguine disposition is infectious; everyone cheers up whenever she enters the room.

Front 436

saturnine (adjective)

Back 436

gloomy; dark; sullen

Synonyms: melancholy

Hint 436

The saturnine look on her face indicated that things had not gone well at the hospital.

Front 437

schism (noun)

Back 437

a split into factions

Synonyms: division

Hint 437

Arguments over reading choices caused a schism in my book club; now we have separate fiction and nonfiction groups.

Front 438

sedulous (adjective)

Back 438

diligent; persisten; hard-working

Synonyms: assiduous

Hint 438

With sedulous concentration, the chess player managed to defeat the reigning champion.

Front 439

shard (noun)

Back 439

a piece of broken pottery or glass

Synonyms: fragment

Hint 439

I still found shards of glass in the car weeks after the windshield was repaired.

Front 440

sidereal (adjective)

Back 440

astral; relating to stars or constellations

Synonyms: stellar

Hint 440

The girl loved to learn about constellations, galaxies, novas, and all things sidereal.

Front 441

sinecure (noun)

Back 441

a job that pays a salary but requires little work

Synonyms: cushy job

Hint 441

A sinecure was given to the CEO's son and now he spends most of his days browsing the Internet.

Front 442

sinuous (adjective)

Back 442

winding; undulating

Synonyms: serpentine

Hint 442

A chill ran down my spine when I glimpsed a sinuous shape weave through underbrush.

Front 443

slake (verb)

Back 443

to satisfy or quench

Synonyms: abate

Hint 443

How could any vampire resist slaking his thirst at the sight of such a long, porcelain neck?

Front 444

sodden (adjective)

Back 444

soaked or drenched

Synonyms: saturated

Hint 444

My shirt was sodden with rain and mud after we played soccer during the downpour.

Front 445

solicitous (adjective)

Back 445

concerned and attentive; eager

Synonyms: ardent, considerate, desirous

Hint 445

Our neighborhood made solicitous inquiries about our family after my grandmother passed away.

Front 446

solvent (adjective)

Back 446

able to meet financial obligations; able to dissolve another substance

Synonyms: sound

Hint 446

It was impossible for Stephen to remain solvent after he lost his job.

Front 447

sophistry (noun)

Back 447

fallacious reasoning; faulty logic

Synonyms: casuistry

Hint 447

The subtlety of his sophistry made him a dangerous con man.

Front 448

soporific (adjective)

Back 448

causing drowsiness; tending to induce sleep

Synonyms: tranquilizing

Hint 448

The professor's lecture was so soporific that I had to pinch myself to stay awake.

Front 449

sparse (adjective)

Back 449

thin; no dense; arranged at widely space intervals

Synonyms: scarce; sporadic

Hint 449

Vegetation is sparse in the Arctic, especially during the winter when the region receives little sunlight for plants to flourish.

Front 450

specious (adjective)

Back 450

seemingly true, but actually being fallacious; misleadingly attractive

Syonyms: deceptive

Hint 450

Consumers should be wary of specious advertisements that endorse faulty products.

Front 451

spendthrift (noun)

Back 451

one who spends money wastefully

Synonyms: squanderer

Hint 451

Before he lost his job, he was a spendthrift who squandered his paycheck on champagne, caviar, and other luxury items.

Front 452

sporadic (adjective)

Back 452

occurring only occasionally, or in scattered instances

Synonyms: intermittent, irregular, desultory

Hint 452

Sporadic fire drills kept dorm residents prepared for a real emergency.

Front 453

spurious (adjective)

Back 453

lacking authenticity or validity; false; counterfeit

Synonyms: illegitimate, phony

Hint 453

The painting sold as a da Vinci was later discovered to be spurious-the work of a 19th-century forger.

Front 454

static (adjective)

Back 454

not moving, active, or in motion; at rest

Synonyms: inert, stagnant, immobile

Hint 454

Although the student intensely reviews her notes, her test scores have been static.

Front 455

stentorian (adjective)

Back 455

extremely loud and powerful

Synonyms: booming

Hint 455

The sergeant's stentorian voice and physical size made disobedience unthinkable.

Front 456

stupefy (verb)

Back 456

to stun, baffle, or amaze

Synonyms: astonish, bewilder, astound

Hint 456

The magician aimed to stupefy his audience with his amazing stunts and illusions.

Front 457

stygian (adjective)

Back 457

gloomy; dark

Synonyms: infernal

Hint 457

The moonless night and the suffocating humidity created a stygian backdrop for the murder.

Front 458

subpoena (noun)

Back 458

a court order requiring appearance and/or testimony

Synonyms: summons, decree

Hint 458

The witness was served with a subpoena, so he had to appear in court the following week.

Front 459

subtle (adjective)

Back 459

not obvious; elusive; difficult to discern

Synonyms: inconspicuous, indirect

Hint 459

Crime scene investigators are trained to notice subtle clues left by perpetrators.

Front 460

succinct (adjective)

Back 460

brief; concise

Synonyms: terse

Hint 460

Please keep acceptance speeches succinct so that all the winners get a chance to speak.

Front 461

superfluous (adjective)

Back 461

exceeding what is sufficient or necessary

Synonyms: excessive, lavish

Hint 461

Even after I cut out all the superfluous details, my research paper was still longer than the recommended page limit.

Front 462

surfeit (noun)

Back 462

excess; overindulgence

Synonyms: overabundance, surplus

Hint 462

The surfeit of food at the banquet caused more than a few stomachaches that evening.

Front 463

sybarite (noun)

Back 463

a person who leads a life of pleasure and luxury

Synonyms: hedonist

Hint 463

After winning the lottery, Justin quit his grueling job, and he is now living as a sybarite on a boat in the Caribbean.

Front 464

sycophant (noun)

Back 464

someone who tries to get ahead through flattery and fawning

Synonyms: toady

Hint 464

The sycophants who served on the royal court always let the queen win every croquet match.

Front 465

tacit (adjective)

Back 465

implied; not explicitly stated

Synonyms: implicit, unspoken

Hint 465

My presentation to the investors went well and a tacit agreement was made to proceed with my business plan.

Front 466

taciturn (adjective)

Back 466

uncommunicative; silent

Synonyms: reserved

Hint 466

The taciturn grandfather hardly said a word at the wedding and sat silently all evening.

Front 467

tenacious (adjective)

Back 467

adhering to or persisting in something valued

Synonyms: adamant, persevering

Hint 467

My grandfather's tenacious grip on old habits keeps him away from new experiences.

Front 468

tenuous (adjective)

Back 468

having little substance or strength; flimsy; weak

Synonyms: shaky, feeble

Hint 468

The poor grades from the final exam demonstrated that the students had nothing more than a tenuous understanding of the material.

Front 469

terse (adjective)

Back 469

brief and concise in wording

Synonyms: succinct, laconic

Hint 469

My mother left me a terse message after I broke my curfew: "Home. Now"

Front 470

tirade (noun)

Back 470

a long and extremely critical speech; a harsh denunciation

Synonyms: censure, harangue

Hint 470

After several employees arrived at work after ten o' clock, the boss went on a tirade about punctuality.

Front 471

timorous (adjective)

Back 471

timid; fearful

Synonyms: apprehensive

Hint 471

After the earthquake, our dog was so timorous that he refused to leave his spot under the kitchen table.

Front 472

toady (noun)

Back 472

sycophant; flatterer

Synonyms: flunky

Hint 472

The spineless toady in my department strokes the president's ego in order to get a promotion.

Front 473

tortuous (adjective)

Back 473

winding; twisting; excessively complicated

Synonyms: meandering, circuitous

Hint 473

The tortuous path through the redwoods twists around dozens of tree trunks.

Front 474

tout (verb)

Back 474

to publicly praise or promote

Synonyms: laud, herald, acclaim

Hint 474

Javier's parents always tout his achievements to their coworkers and friends.

Front 475

transient (adjective)

Back 475

fleeting; passing quickly; brief

Synonyms: temporary, momentary

Hint 475

Anti-flammatory medication can provide transient relief for arthritis but does not cure the condition.

Front 476

trenchant (adjective)

Back 476

sharply perceptive; keen; penetrating

Synonyms: incisive

Hint 476

To become a world-class chess player, one must have both a trenchant strategy and an understanding of human nature.

Front 477

truculent (adjective)

Back 477

fierce and cruel; eager to fight

Synonyms: brutal, vitriolic, belligerent

Hint 477

My neighbor's truculent dog has attacked and chased several kids on the block.

Front 478

truncate (verb)

Back 478

to cut off abruptly

Synonyms: shorten

Hint 478

Carmen's road trip was supposed to last for two weeks, but she had to truncate her trip when she got sick.

Front 479

tyro (noun)

Back 479

novice; greenhorn; rank amateur

Synonyms: beginner

Hint 479

The tyro was unable to stand on top of the surfboard and balance, even on calm waters.

Front 480

unfeigned (adjective)

Back 480

genuine; not false or hypocritical

Synonyms: honest, sincere

Hint 480

I could not tell if his apology was unfeigned since he was smiling the entire time.

Front 481

untenable (adjective)

Back 481

indefensible; not viable; uninhabitable

Synonyms: flawed, illogical

Hint 481

The captain ordered soldiers to pull out the untenable situation.

Front 482

untrammeled (adjective)

Back 482

not hampered or impeded

Synonyms: unrestrained

Hint 482

Sometimes I miss the untrammeled life of my college years, before I had a mortgage, a job, and a family to support.

Front 483

urbane (adjective)

Back 483

sophisticated; refined; elegant

Synonyms: cultivated

Hint 483

The author maintained an urbane tone even in her personal letters.

Front 484

vacillate (verb)

Back 484

to move indecisively between one course of action or opinion and another

Synonyms: waver

Hint 484

Ashley vacillated between the two job offers; one offered a higher salary and the other offered better benefits.

Front 485

vagary (noun)

Back 485

unpredictable action

Synonyms: caprice

Hint 485

Some investors prefer the relative stability of bonds to the vagaries of the stock market.

Front 486

variegated (adjective)

Back 486

multicolored; characterized by a variety of patches of different color

Synonyms: diversified

Hint 486

As she flew across the country for the first time, the child marveled at the variegated landscape below.

Front 487

venal (adjective)

Back 487

capable of being bought or bribed

Synonyms: corruptible

Hint 487

He avoided spending a night in jail because he was able to pay off the venal police officer.

Front 488

venerate (verb)

Back 488

to revere; to worship

Synonyms: idolize

Hint 488

The whole family venerates Grandma Sue because she is so generous, patient, and loving.

Front 489

verisimilitude (noun)

Back 489

appearance of truth or reality

Synonyms: authenticity

Hint 489

Some video games have achieved such verisimilitude that they are now being used to train pilots and soldiers.

Front 490

vexation (noun)

Back 490

annoyance; irritation

Synonyms: aggravation

Hint 490

My brother's pranks on the whole family are a source of vexation, not amusement.

Front 491

vigilant (adjective)

Back 491

alertly watchful

Synonyms: wary, attentive

Hint 491

The new parents were vigilant over their baby and stayed up all night when she got sick.

Front 492

viscous (adjective)

Back 492

thick; sticky

Synonyms: gelatinous

Hint 492

The viscous batter clung to the sides of the bowl.

Front 493

vituperate (verb)

Back 493

to use harsh, condemnatory language; to abuse severely

Synonyms: berate, rebuke

Hint 493

I want to vituperate the company for violating pollution laws, especially since it markets itself as being ecologically conscious.

Front 494

volatile (adjective)

Back 494

readily changing to a vapor; changeable; fickle

Synonyms: explosive, mercurial

Hint 494

The price of the volatile stock rose and fell sharply throughout the day.

Front 495

voracious (adjective)

Back 495

having an insatiable appetite for an activity or pursuit

Synonyms: avid, ravenous, rapacious

Hint 495

He is a voracious reader; he finishes two books each week.

Front 496

waft (verb)

Back 496

to cause to move as if by a light breeze

Synonyms: drift

Hint 496

The smell of freshly baked apple pie wafted into my bedroom and my mouth began to water.

Front 497

waver (verb)

Back 497

to move to and fro; to sway; to be unsettled in opinion

Synonyms: vacillate, falter, hesitate

Hint 497

At the ice cream shop, the child wavered between mint chocolate chip and fudge vanilla swirl.

Front 498

wend (verb)

Back 498

to go; to proceed

Synonyms: meander

Hint 498

I had to wend my way through the crowds so I could get up close to the stage.

Front 499

zealous (adjective)

Back 499

fervent; ardent; impassioned

Synonyms: fanatical, passionate

Hint 499

Andy is a zealot fan of the show; he always stays home on Friday nights to watch it and has yet to miss an episode.