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20 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
- 3rd side (hint)
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affable
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(adj.) courteous and pleasant, sociable, easy to speak to
S: genial,amicable, agreeable, cordial A: surly, cantankerous, dour, inhospitable |
We spent a pleasant afternoon with our ________ neighbors.
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aggrandize
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(v.) to increase in greatness, power, or wealth; to build up or intensify; to make appear greater
S: augment, amplify, enhance, exalt A: reduce, decrease, diminish |
John D. Rockefeller worked to ________ his empire by purchasing oil wells, refineries, and pipelines.
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amorphous
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(adj.) shapeless, without definite form; of no particular type or character; without organization, unity, or cohesion
S: formless, unstructured, nebulous, inchoate A: definite, well-defined, clear-cut |
The __________ body of the amoeba was fascinating to watch under the microscope.
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aura
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(n.) that which surrounds (as an atmosphere); a distinctive air or personal quality
S: ambience, atmosphere |
What people thought was her ________ of mystery was actually a mask for her shyness.
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contraband
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(n.) illegal traffic, smuggled goods; (adj.) illegal, prohibited
S: (adj.) illicit, bootleg, unlawful A: (adj.) legal, lawful, licit |
Three jeweled combs from the 17th century were among the ________ seized by the police.
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erudite
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(adj.) scholarly, learned, bookish, pedantic
S: profoundly educated, well-read A: ignorant, uneducated, illiterate |
For my paper, I would like to find an ________ history of the subject written in a clear and unbiased manner.
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gossamer
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(adj.) thin, light, delicate, insubstantial; (n.) a very thin, light cloth
S: (adj.) filmy, diaphanous, sheer, airy, feathery, cauzy A: (adj.) thick, dense, solid, massive |
Ghosts are often depicted in literature as wearing ________ clothing that makes them seem all the more ethereal.
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infer
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(v.) to find out by reasoning; to arrive at a conclusion on the basis of thought; to hint, suggest, imply
S: gather, deduce, presume, guess, speculate |
I can ________ nothing from his odd behavior.
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inscrutable
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(adj.) incapable of being understood; impossible to see though physically
S: impenetrable, incomprehensible, enigmatic A: comprehensible, intelligible, penetrable |
I could not tell by her ________ smile whether she was pleased or only amused with me.
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insular
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(adj.) relating to, characteristic of, or situated on an island; narrow or isolated in outlook or experience
S: narrow-minded, parochial, provincial A: catholic, cosmopolitan, liberal |
You seem too sophisticated to hold such ________ opinions.
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irrevocable
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(adj.) incapable of being changed or called back
S: irreversible, unrecallable, unalterable A: reversible, changeable |
We tend to think of court verdicts as ________, but they are often overturned by higher courts.
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propensity
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(n.) a natural inclination or predilection toward
S: natural bent, proclivity, penchant A: natural incapacity or inability |
Mikey showed a strong ________ for turning on his my space as soon as he woke up in the morning.
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querulous
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(adj.) peevish, complaining, fretful
S: petulant, touchy, cranky, irritable A: uncomplaining, stoical, serene, placid |
Some flight attendants dread a ________ airline passenger more than they do rough weather.
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remonstrate
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(v.) to argue or plead with someone against something, protest against, object to
S: reason against, expostulate |
Slowly, carefully, keeping his voice down, he argued with the caller as one might ________ with a child.
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repudiate
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(v.) to disown, reject, or deny the validity of
S: disavow, abjure, renounce A: avow, affirm, aver, avouch |
He was forced to ________ a statement he had made before he'd had all the information.
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resilient
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(adj.) able to return to an original shape or form; able to recover quickly
S: springy, elastic, buoyant, bouncy A: rigid, stiff, inflexible, unyielding |
The development of lightweight, ________ plastics revolutionized the design of many durable goods.
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reverberate
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(v.) to re-echo, resound; to reflect or be reflected repeatedly
S: rumble, thunder, boom, echo |
From the construction site, the noise of bulldozers and dump trucks ________ across the valley
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scurrilous
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(adj.) coursely abusive, vulgar or low (especially in language), foul-mouthed
S: obscene, filthy, abusive, vituperative A: decorous, seemly, tasteful, dignified |
His new CD was rated R because of the scurrilous content.
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sedulous
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(adj.) persistent, showing industry and determination
S: assiduous, tireless, indefatigable A: lackadaisical, listless, indolent, otiose |
No one could say that he was lazy, for he was a careful, ________ copier of other people's work.
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sleazy
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(adj.) thin or flimsy in texture; cheap; shoddy or inferior in quality or character; ethically low, mean, or disreputable
S: inferior, cheesy, tawdry, tatty A: superior, first-rate, quality, sturdy |
The old lady made her clothes at home in order to avoid the ________ goods sold in the general store.
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