Verbal Advantage 4

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1. PROVIDENT (PRAH-vi-dint)

Back 1

Thrifty, economical, saving or providing for future needs.
Synonyms: prudent (Level l, Word 47), frugal (Level 2, Word 35).
Related word: provide.

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2. IMPUTE (im-PYOOT)

Back 2

To charge or attribute, especially with a fault or misconduct, lay the responsibility orblame upon, ascribe, assign.
Usage tip: The verb to credit has a favorable connotation. The verbs to assign and to
ascribe are neutral. The verb to impute often has a negative connotation: "We usuallyascribe good, but impute evil" (Samuel Johnson).
Corresponding noun: imputation, a charge or accusation.

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3. ASTUTE (uh-ST(Y)OOT)

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Shrewd, clever, perceptive, discerning, acute, keenly aware, quick-witted.
Synonyms: sagacious, perspicacious, sapient (SAY-pee-int).

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4. NEOPHYTE (NEE-uh-fyt)

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A beginner, novice, amateur, tyro, specifically, a new member of or convert to a religion.N.B. This discussion distinguishes the words tyro, amateur, dilettante, novice, andneophyte.

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5. ENIGMA (i-NIG-muh)

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A mystery, puzzle, riddle, perplexing problem, something or someone hard to understandor explain, anything baffling, inexplicable, or inscrutable.

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6. CREDENCE (KREE-dins)

Back 6

Belief, acceptance, especially belief in a published report or acceptance of another'sopinion or testimony.
Related words: credence, creed, credible, and credulous all come from the Latincredere, to believe.
Usage tip: Credence is often used with the verbs to give or lend.

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7. VENERATE (VEN-uh-rayt)

Back 7

To respect deeply, revere, regard with awe and adoration.
Corresponding adjective: venerable, worthy of veneration, of being venerated.Venerable is often used of something or someone old or long-established.

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8. GARRULOUS (GAR-uh-lus, also GAR-yuh-lus)

Back 8

Talkative, especially in a rambling, annoying, pointless, or long-winded way.
Synonyms: verbose (Level 2, Word 30), loquacious, voluble (Level 5, Word 1), andprolix (Level 9, Word 1).
Antonyms: reserved, reticent, taciturn (Level 3, Word 2), laconic (Level 3, Word 18).
Etymology: Garrulous comes from the Latin garrire, to chatter, babble, talk in arambling and tiresome way (literally, "to chatter like a jaybird").

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9. TRENCHANT (TREN-chent)

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Keen, penetrating, vigorously effective, sharp and to the point.
Synonyms: forceful, acute, incisive.

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10. AUTONOMOUS (aw-TAHN-uh-mus)

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Independent, self-governing, not under the control of something or someone else.
Etymology and related words: The Greek autos, self, is the source of the Englishcombining form auto-, self, which appears in many words, including autobiography,autograph, automobile, automatic, and autocracy, rule by one self or one personhence,dictatorship, tyranny, despotism.

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11. PANACEA (PAN-uh-SEE-uh)

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A cure-all, universal antidote, remedy for all diseases and difficulties.
Etymology and related words: The English prefix pan- (from Greek), means "all." Thisprefix appears in front of a number of useful English words, including panorama,pantheism, and pantheon.
Usage tip: The common expression "a panacea for all ills" is redundant. Panacea byitself means a cure for all ills, a universal remedy.

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12. EPHEMERAL (e-FEM-ur-ul)

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Short-lived, passing, fleeting, lasting for a short time.
Synonyms: transitory, evanescent, fugitive, fugacious. For more on these words, reviewthe discussion of transient (Level 2, Word 31).
Usage tip: The common expression "daily journal" is redundant, for by derivationjournal (from the French jour, day) means something written or published each day.

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13. ONEROUS (AHN-ur-us)

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Burdensome, troublesome, oppressive, hard to bear, difficult to accomplish or endure.
Related word: onus (OH-nus, rhymes with bonus), a burden, obligation, especially adisagreeable responsibility.

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14. LAITY (LAY-i-tee)

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Nonprofessionals, laypeople collectively, all the people outside of a given profession orspecialized field, specifically, all who do not belong to the clergy, religious worshipers ingeneral.
Corresponding adjective: lay, nonprofessional, not belonging to a particular profession,specifically, not a member of the clergy.

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15. PUNGENT (PUN-jint)

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Sharp, penetrating, biting, acrid, caustic.
Etymology and usage: Pungent comes from the same Latin source as poignant andexpunge-the Latin pungere, to pierce, prick. Pungent may refer to that which is sharp tothe sense of taste or smell or to that which penetrates the mind or emotions.

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16. PROSAIC (proh-ZAY-ik)

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Dull, ordinary, uninteresting, unimaginative.
Synonyms: commonplace, humdrum, tedious, dry, stale, mediocre, matter-of-fact,insipid, pedestrian, vapid, jejune (Level 10, Word 1).

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17. CHARLATAN (SHAR-luh-tin)

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A fake, quack, impostor, fraud, humbug, specifically, a person who pretends to have aspecial skill or knowledge.N.B. This discussion distinguishes the words charlatan and mountebank, which areclose in meaning.
Memory aid: In The Wizard of Oz, the Wizard is a classic example of a charlatan.

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18. PERFUNCTORY (pur-FUNGK-tuh-ree)

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Mechanical, routine, listless, done merely as a duty, performed in an indifferent,halfhearted, superficial, and often careless way, without interest or enthusiasm.

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19. MORASS (muh-RAS or maw-RAS)

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Literally, a swamp, marsh, bog, figuratively, some-thing that traps, confines, or confuses,a sticky situation or troublesome state of affairs.

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20. SOPHISTRY (SAH-fis-tree)

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Deceptive reasoning, subtle and misleading argument.
Related word: sophisticated.
Corresponding adjective: sophistic or sophistical

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21. PROLIFIC (proh-LIF-ik)

Back 21

Fruitful, fertile, productive.
Antonyms: unproductive, barren, sterile, impotent, effete.

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22. MUNDANE (muhn-DAYN)

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Of the world, worldly, earthly, material as distinguished from spiritual.
Synonyms: terrestrial, temporal, secular, sublunary (suhb-LOO-nuh-ree).
Antonyms: lofty, heavenly, sublime, celestial, ethereal, extraterrestrial.
Usage tip: Some usage experts object to the use of mundane as a synonym of ordinary,humdrum, commonplace, banal, unimaginative, and prosaic. In strict usage, mundane isreserved for things that are worldly as opposed to heavenly, material as opposed tospiritual, secular as opposed to religious.

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23. MYRIAD (MIR-ee-id)

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Countless, innumerable, infinite, consisting of a great or indefinite number.
Corresponding noun: myriad, a great or indefinite number.

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24. DISSIDENT (DIS-uh-dint)

Back 24

Disagreeing, disaffected, dissenting, nonconformist.
Etymology: Dissident comes from the Latin dis-, apart, and sedere, to sit, and byderivation means to sit apart, hence, to withdraw one's approval or belief, disagree.
Corresponding noun: dissident, a person who disagrees with a prevailing opinion,method, or doctrine.

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25. LAUDABLE (LAW-duh-buul)

Back 25

Praiseworthy, commendable, worthy of approval or admiration.
Synonyms: meritorious, estimable.
Antonyms: contemptible, deplorable, ignominious.
Corresponding verb: laud, to praise, commend, extol (ek-STOHL).

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26. INIMITABLE (in-IM-i-tuh-buul)

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Unable to be imitated, copied, or reproduced, beyond compare.
Synonyms: matchless, unrivaled, peerless, unparalleled, surpassing.
Etymology tip: The prefix in- often means "in" or "into," as in the words inhale, tobreathe in, ingrain, to rub in, fix in the mind, and ingress, the way in, the entrance.However, it is just as often privative (PRIV-uh-tiv), meaning it deprives or takes awaythe meaning of the word to which it is affixed. Like the prefix un-, the prefix in- oftenmeans "not," as in the words informal, not formal, inaudible, not audible, unable to beheard, and injustice, something that is not fair or just. Inimitable combines this privativeprefix in- with the somewhat unusual word imitable, able to be imitated, to mean "notable to be imitated."

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27. JADED (JAY-did)

Back 27

Worn out, tired, fatigued, weary, exhausted.
Related words and usage tip: One meaning of the noun jade is a worn-out or brokendownhorse, a nag. The verb to jade means to be or become like a worn-out or brokendownhorse. The adjective jaded means like that broken-down horse, specifically, wornout from overwork or overindulgence.

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28. MYOPIC (my-AHP-ik)

Back 28

Short-sighted, not able to see the long-range picture, having a narrow or circumscribedview, lacking discernment, foresight, or perspective.
Synonyms: narrowminded, purblind, obtuse.N.B. This discussion distinguishes the adjectives purblind, obtuse, and myopic.
Antonyms: broadminded, liberal, tolerant, catholic, latitudinarian
Corresponding noun: myopia (my-OH-pee-uh), nearsightedness.

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29. DEMONSTRABLE (di-MAHN-struh-buul)

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(1) Capable of being demonstrated, able to be proved.
(2) Obvious, apparent, self-evident.
Corresponding verb: demonstrate.

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30. CALLOW (KAL-oh)

Back 30

Immature, inexperienced, unsophisticated, green, naive, lacking experience in andknowledge of the world.N.B. Callow was formerly used of very young birds to mean without feathers, unfledged.Today callow and the word fledgling are used of persons, behavior, or things that areimmature or inexperienced. A fledgling is a young bird that has just acquired its feathersand is learning to fly. From that original sense fledgling has come to refer either to ayoung and inexperienced person or to some thing that is just getting off the ground, as afledgling enterprise.Callow suggests an immaturity or inexperience manifested by a lack of sophistication.Because callow means immature, it sometimes also suggests childishness or foolishness.Synonyms of callow in this unfavorable sense include juvenile, sophomoric, and puerile(PYOOR-ul or PYOO-ur-ul).

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31. ACQUIESCE (ak-wee-ES)

Back 31

To agree without protest, accept without argument or resistance, give in quietly.
Synonyms: consent, comply, submit, assent, accede.N.B. This discussion distinguishes the verbs to assent, accede, and acquiesce.
Corresponding noun: acquiescence (AK-wee-ES-ins), passive agreement, quietacceptance.
Usage tip: Acquiesce is sometimes followed by the preposition in, as to acquiesce in adecision.

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32. PONTIFICATE (pahn-TIF-i-kayt)

Back 32

To speak in a pompous and overbearing way, make pretentious or categorical statements,express one's opinion as though it were an official, authoritative decree.
Corresponding noun: pontification (pahn-TIF-iKAY-shin).
Related words: pontiff, the Roman Catholic pope, also known as the Bishop of Rome.The pontiff issues official decrees on church doctrine called papal bulls. To these decreesthe pontiff affixes a seal called a bulla (BUUL-uh).
Additional useful word: dogmatic (dawg-MATik), means opinionated, dictatorial,expressing an opinion as if it were fact.

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33. DELETERIOUS (DEL-i-TEER-ee-us)

Back 33

Harmful, destructive, injurious, detrimental, especially, harmful to health or well-being.
Synonyms: ruinous, noxious, pernicious, malignant.
Antonyms: healthful, advantageous, wholesome, salutary (SAL-yuh-ter-ee).

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34. AMBIVALENT

Back 34

Uncertain, indecisive, having conflicting feelings or desires, simultaneously drawn inopposite directions, attracted to and repulsed by something at the same time.
Corresponding noun: ambivalence, a state of uncertainty or indecisiveness.
Etymology tip and related words: One meaning of the combining form ambi- is "both,"as in the words ambidextrous, skilled with both hands, and ambivert, a person who isboth introverted, innerdirected, and extroverted, outer-directed. The word ambivalentcombines ambi-, both, with the Latin valere, to be strong, to mean literally "havingstrong feelings both ways", hence, uncertain, indecisive.

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35. PENSIVE (rhymes with intensive)

Back 35

Thoughtful, absorbed in thought, especially in a deep, dreamy, or melancholy way.
Synonyms: reflective, meditative, wistful, contemplative (kuhn-TEM-pluh-tiv).N.B. This discussion distinguishes the words pensive, contemplative, and wistful.
Etymology: Pensive comes ultimately from the Latin pensare, to ponder, consider, weighin the mind. When you are pensive, you are thinking deeply about something, ponderingit, weighing it in your mind.
Corresponding noun: pensiveness.

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36. IMPROMPTU (im-PRAHMP-t(y)oo)

Back 36

Made up or done on the spur of the moment, uttered or performed without preparation,improvised for the occasion.
Synonyms: offhand, spontaneous, extemporaneous (see extemporize, Level 3, Word 15).
Usage: Impromptu may apply either to spontaneous expression or activity: an impromptuspeech, an impromptu party

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37. CONJECTURE (kuhn-JEK-chur)

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To guess, especially, to make an educated guess, to form an opinion or make a judgmentbased on insufficient evidence.
Synonyms: suppose, imagine, suspect, presume.N.B. This discussion distinguishes the verbs to guess, speculate, surmise, andconjecture, all of which mean to form an opinion or reach a conclusion based uponuncertain or insufficient evidence.
Corresponding noun: conjecture, an educated guess, an assumption or conclusion basedon insufficient evidence.

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38. SURREPTITIOUS (SUH- or SUR-rip-TISH-us)

Back 38

Stealthy, characterized by secrecy and caution, done, made, obtained, or enjoyed in asecret and often sly or shifty manner, so as to avoid notice.
Synonyms: crafty, furtive, covert, underhand, clandestine (Level 2, Word 6).N.B. This discussion distinguishes the adjectives stealthy, furtive, clandestine, covert,and surreptitious, all of which mean secret, hidden from the knowledge or view ofothers.
Antonyms: evident, unconcealed, overt, aboveboard, manifest.
Etymology and usage: Surreptitious comes from the Latin verb surripere, to snatch,pilfer, take away or withdraw secretly. By derivation surreptitious means snatched whileno one is looking, and in modern usage the word combines the deliberate, cautioussecrecy suggested by stealthy with the crafty, evasive secrecy suggested by furtive.
Pronunciation tip: The traditional pronunciation of covert is KUH-vurt (like cover witha t at the end). Until the 1960s, KUH-vurt was the only pronunciation recognized bydictionaries. Since then the variant KOH-vurt has become so popular that severaldictionaries now list it first. Dictionaries still list KUH-vurt and many older educatedspeakers prefer it out of respect for the word's tradition, which dates back to the 14thcentury. Another popular variant, koh-VURT, is often not listed at all (and is bestavoided).Those who preferto say KOH-vurt are not wrong, that pronunciation is now fullystandard (meaning "acceptable"). On the other hand, if you are not afraid to distinguishyourself as a cultivated speaker at the risk of raising a few eyebrows, then consider usingthe traditional pronunciation, KUH-vurt.

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39. EXEMPLARY (eg-ZEM-pluh-ree)

Back 39

Worthy of imitation, praiseworthy, commendable, serving as a model of excellence,appropriateness, or correctness.
Synonyms: ideal, admirable, meritorious, estimable, laudable (Level 4, Word 25).
Antonyms: shameful, disreputable, contemptible, deplorable, ignominious, odious,heinous (HAY-nus).
Etymology: Exemplary comes from the same Latin source as the word example. Byderivation, something exemplary sets an example, and is therefore worthy of imitation.

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40. IMPECCABLE (im-PEK-uh-buul)

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(1) Perfect, faultless, flawless, free from faults or imperfections.
(2) Unable to do wrong, incapable of sin.
Synonyms: unimpeachable, irreproachable.
Antonyms: reprehensible, censurable, culpable.N.B. This discussion distinguishes the words impeccable, immaculate, and infallible.
Etymology: Impeccable combines the privative prefix in-, meaning "not," with the Latinpeccare, to make a mistake, do wrong, blunder, sin. By derivation, impeccable means notable to make a mistake, incapable of sinning or doing wrong, hence, perfect, faultless.N.B. When the prefix in- is attached to a word beginning with the letter B, P, or M, the N
changes to an M: imbalanced means not balanced, impossible means not possible, andimmutable means not mutable, not changeable, fixed. When the prefix inappears before a
word beginning with L or R, the N changes to an L or an R: illogical means not logical,irreproachable means not reproachable, without fault or blame. These alterations in thespelling of the prefix in- have occurred to make these and dozens of other analogouswords easier to pronounce.
Additional useful words: fallible (FAL-i-buul), capable of error or likely to be wrong,macula (MAK-yuh-luh), a spot or stain, specifically a blemish on the skin or a sunspot,maculate (MAKyuh-lit), stained, blemished, impure, corrupt, peccadillo (PEK-uh-DILoh),a small sin, minor fault or flaw, peccant (PEK-int), guilty, sinful, culpable, andpeccable (PEK-uh-buul), liable to sin or do wrong.

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41. ATTEST (uh-TEST)

Back 41

(1) To affirm to be true, genuine, or correct, certify or authenticate officially, stand asproof or evidence of.
(2) To bear witness to, give testimony.
Etymology and related words: Attest comes from the Latin ad, to, and testari, to bearwitness, and ultimately from testis, a witness, the source also of the words testify,testimony, testimonial, testator (TES-tay-tur), a person who has made a valid will, andintestate (in-TES-tayt), not having made a legal will.

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42. COPIOUS (KOH-pee-us)

Back 42

Abundant, plentiful, large in amount or number.
Synonyms: ample, bountiful, profuse.
Antonyms: scanty, meager, sparse, paltry.
Etymology and related word: Copious comes from the Latin copia, abundance, plenty,the source also of the English word cornucopia, a horn of plenty, hence, any overflowingstock or supply.

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43. FALLACIOUS (fuh-LAY-shus)

Back 43

False, misleading, deceptive, invalid, based on a fallacy.
Synonyms: erroneous, spurious, untenable, illusory, sophistical.
Related words: A fallacy is a false or misleading idea or statement, an argument thatviolates the laws of reasoning. Sophistry (Level 4, Word 20) refers to reasoning thatdeliberately uses fallacies (misleading arguments) to confuse or deceive.
Etymology: Fallacy and fallacious come from the Latin fallere, to deceive, lead astray.

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44. STOIC (STOH-ik)

Back 44

Showing no feelings, unemotional, unaffected by pleasure or pain, bearing pain orsuffering without complaint.
Synonyms: impassive, dispassionate, indifferent, apathetic, placid, languid, phlegmatic,imperturbable.
Antonyms: ardent, vehement, zealous, fervid, fervent (Level 3, Word 24).
Corresponding noun: stoicism, indifference to pleasure or pain.
Etymology: Stoic and stoicism come from the Greek stoa, a porch or covered walkway -specifically, the famous Painted Porch in ancient Athens where the philosophical doctrineof Stoicism was born.

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45. RECRIMINATION (ri-KRIM-i-NAY-shin)

Back 45

A countercharge or counter accusation.
Etymology: Recrimination combines the prefix re-, which means "back" or "again," withthe Latin verb criminari, to accuse, bring a charge against, and means literally to accusein return, accuse again.
Corresponding noun: recriminate, to bring a countercharge against, denounce in return.
Corresponding adjective: recriminative or recriminatory.

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46. AFFINITY (uh-FIN-i-tee)

Back 46

(1) Close resemblance or relationship, a strong likeness, similarity, or connection.
Synonyms: kinship, correspondence, compatibility, consanguinity.
(2) A natural attraction to, or liking for, a person or thing.
Synonyms: penchant (Level 3, Word 9), propensity, proclivity.

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47. VOLATILE (VAHL-uh-tuul)

Back 47

(1) Changeable, unstable, inconstant, likely to change or shift rapidly and unpredictably.
Synonyms: fickle, flighty, capricious (Level 1, Word 11), erratic, protean, mercurial.
Antonyms: stable, fixed, steadfast, invariable, immutable, quiescent (Level 3, Word 22).N.B. Volatile, which entered English in the early 1600s, has a volatile history, full of
many shifts and changes in meaning. The word may also mean:(a) evaporating quickly, easily vaporized,(b) fleeting, vanishing swiftly, transient, ephemeral,(c) lighthearted, lively and carefree, whimsical, prone to flights of fancy,(d) explosive, likely to erupt into violence.
Etymology and related word: Volatile comes from the Latin volare, to fly, and itsoriginal meaning was "flying" or "having the power to fly." Today volatile is rarely usedin this sense, and instead we have the word volant (VOH-lint), from the same Latinvolare, to fly. Volant means flying, able to fly, or quick, nimble, agile.
Memory and usage tip: Remember that in all of its senses volatile describes that whichcan swiftly fly away from one condition or mood into another.
Corresponding noun: volatility.
Pronunciation tip: The pronunciation VAH-luh-tyl (-tyl like tile) is British.

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48. SQUALID (SKWAH-lid)

Back 48

Dirty and run-down as a result of poverty or neglect, foul or filthy from lack of care,wretched, miserable, degraded.
Synonyms: seedy, unkempt, dilapidated, slovenly (see also abject, Level 5, Word 50).
Antonyms: unsullied, immaculate, pristine.
Corresponding noun: squalor, filthiness, foulness, degradation, a wretched, miserablecondition resulting from poverty or neglect.N.B. This discussion distinguishes between the adjectives squalid and sordid.

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49. EXPEDITE (EKS-puh-dyt)

Back 49

To speed up, hasten, facilitate, accelerate the progress of, handle or perform quickly andefficiently.
Antonyms: delay, postpone, hinder, retard, slacken, protract (Level 3, Word 25).
Etymology: Expedite comes from the Latin verb expedire, to set free, disentangle, getready for action.

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50. ABJECT (AB-jekt or ab-JEKT)

Back 50

Degraded, brought low in condition or status, hence, lacking self-respect, contemptible,wretched.
Synonyms: debased, despicable, ignoble, groveling, servile, squalid (Level 4, Word 48).
Antonyms: noble, dignified, lofty, majestic, eminent, illustrious.
Corresponding noun: abjection, a degraded, wretched, contemptible state.
Etymology: In Middle English abject meant "outcast." The word comes ultimately fromthe Latin ab, meaning "away" or "off," and the verb jacere, to throw, and means literally"thrown away, cast off."