GMAT Vocabulary List

MovieHONG
Abaft (adv.) on or toward the rear of a ship the passengers moved abaft of the ship so as to escape the fire in the front of the ship. abandon (v.; n) to leave behind; to give something up; freedom; enthusiasm; impetuosit After failing for several ears! he abandoned his dream of starting a grocer business. "uc embar#ed on her new adventure with abandon. Abase (v.) to degrade; humiliate; disgrace the mother$s public reprimand abased the girl. %he insecure father! after failing to achieve his own life&long goals! abased his children whenever the failed. Abbreviate (v.) to shorten; compress; diminish His vacation to 'apan was abbreviated when he ac(uired an illness treatable onl in the )nited *tates. Abdicate (v.) to re+ect! renounce! or abandon ,ue to his poor pa ment record! it ma be necessar to abdicate our relationship with the client. Aberrant (ad+.) abnormal; stra ing from the normal or usual path the aberrant flight pattern of the airplane alarmed the air traffic controllers. His aberrant behavior led his friends to worr the divorce had ta#en its toll.

Abe ance (n.) a state of temporar suspension or inactivit since the power failure! the town has been in abe ance. Abhor (v.) to hate - the wa her +aw tensed when he wal#ed in! it is eas to see that she abhors him. %he dog abhorred cats! chasing and growling at them whenever he had the opportunit . Ab+ect (ad+.) of the worst or lowest degree %he Hardeman lived in ab+ect povert ! with barel a roof over their heads. Ab+ure (v.) to give up the losing team ma ab+ure to the team that is winning. Abnegation (n.) a denial %he woman$s abnegation of her loss was apparent when she began to laugh. abominate (v.) to loathe; to hate .andall abominated all the traffic he encountered on ever morning commute. /lease do not abominate the guilt person until ou hear the complete e0planation. abridge (v.) to shorten; to limit %he editor abridged the stor to ma#e the boo# easier to digest. abrogate (v.) to cancel b authorit %he +udge would not abrogate the law.

abrupt (ad+.) happening or ending une0pectedl %he abrupt end to their marriage was a shoc# to ever one. abscond (v.) to go awa hastil or secretl ; to hide %he newl wed couple will abscond from the reception to leave on the hone moon. absolve (v.) to forgive; to ac(uit %he +udge will absolve the person of all charges. After feuding for man ears! the brothers absolved each other for the man arguments the had. abstemious (ad+.) sparing in use of food or drin#s 1f we become stranded in the snow storm! we will have to be abstemious with our food suppl . 1n man abstemious cultures the people are so thin due to the belief that too much ta#en into the bod leads to contamination of the soul. abstinence (n.) the act or process of voluntaril refraining from an action or practice; self& control; chastit 1n preparation for the Ol mpic games! the athletes practiced abstinence from red meat and +un# food! adhering instead to a menu of pasta and produce. abstruse (ad+.) hard to understand; deep; recondite %he topic was so abstruse the student was forced to stop reading. %he concept was too abstruse for the average student to grasp. ab smal (ad+.) ver deep %he ab smal waters contained little plant life.

accede (v.) to compl with; to consent to 2ith defeat imminent! the rebel arm acceded to hash out a peace treat . acclaim (n.) loud approval; applause 3dward Albee$s brilliantl written -roadwa revival of A ,elicate -alance received wide acclaim. accolade (n.) approving or praising mention; a sign of approval or respect .ich accolades were bestowed on the returning hero. Accolades flowed into her dressing room following the opening&night triumph. accomplice (n.) co&conspirator; partner; partner&in&crime %he ban# robber$s accomplice drove the get& awa car. accretion (n.)growth b addition; a growing together b parts 2ith the accretion of the new members! the club doubled its original si4e. %he addition of the new departments accounts for the accretion of the compan . accrue (v.) a natural growth; a periodic increase Over the course of her college career! she managed to accrue a great deal of #nowledge. %he savings were able to accrue a si4able amount of interest each ear. ,uring his man ears of collecting stamps! he was able to accrue a large collection of valuable items. acerbic (ad+.) tasting sour; harsh in language or temper %oo much -a "eaf will ma#e the eggplant acerbic. %he bab $s mouth puc#ered when she was given the acerbic medicine. %he columnist$s acerbic comments about the 5irst "ad drew a strong denunciation from the /resident.

ac(uiesce (v.) to agree without protest %he group ac(uiesced to the new regulations even though the were opposed to them. After a hard&fought battle! the retailers finall ac(uiesced to the draft regulations. acrid (ad+.) sharp; bitter; foul smelling Although the soup is a health food choice! it is so acrid not man people choose to eat it. %he fire at the plastics factor caused an acrid odor to be emitted throughout the surrounding neighborhood. acrimon (n.) sharpness or bitterness in language or manner. %he acrimon of her response was shoc#ing. adage (n.) an old sa ing now accepted as being truthful %he adage 6do unto others as ou wish them to do unto ou6 is still widel practiced. adamant (ad+.) not ielding! firm After ta#ing an adamant stand to sell the house! the man called the real estate agenc . %he girl$s parents were adamant about not allowing her to go on a dangerous bac#pac#ing trip. addled (ad+.) rotten %he egg will become addled if it is left unrefrigerated. adept (ad+.) s#illed; practiced %he s#illed craftsman was (uite adept at creating beautiful vases and candleholders.

ad+ure (v.) solemnl ordered %he +urors were ad+ured b the +udge to ma#e a fair decision. adroit (ad+.) e0pert or s#illful %he repair was not difficult for the adroit craftsman. %he driver$s adroit driving avoided a serious accident. adulation (n.) praise in e0cess %he adulation was in response to the heroic feat. %he adulation given to the movie star was sic#ening. adulterate (v.) to corrupt! debase! or ma#e impure %he dumping of chemicals will adulterate the pureness of the la#e. adversar (n.) an enem ; foe %he peace treat united two countries that were historicall great adversaries. adverse (ad+.) negative; hostile; antagonistic; inimical 7ontrar to the s#i resort$s e0pectations! the warm weather generated adverse conditions for a profitable wee#end. advocate (v.; n.) to plead in favor of; supporter; defender Amnest 1nternational advocates the cause for human rights. Martin "uther 8ing! 'r. was a great advocate of civil rights. aesthetic (ad+.) of beaut ; pertaining to taste in art and beaut *he found that her aesthetic sense and that of the artist were at odds. His review made one wonder what #ind of aesthetic taste the critic had.

affable (ad+.) friendl ; amiable; good&natured Her affable pupp loved to pla with children. affiliate (v.) to connect or associate with; to accept as a member %he hi#ing club affiliated with the bird&watching club. affinit (n.) a connection; similarit of structure %here is a strong emotional affinit between the two siblings. 1t turns out that the elements bear a strong affinit to each other. aggrandi4e (v.) to ma#e more powerful %he #ing wanted to aggrandi4e himself and his #ingdom. aghast (ad+.) astonished; ama4ed; horrified; terrified; appalled *toc#holders were aghast at the compan $s revelation. %he landlord was aghast at his water bill. agrarian (ad+.) of the land Man agrarian people are poor. alacrit (n.) eager readiness or speed %he manager was so impressed b the wor#er$s alacrit ; he suggested a promotion. On the first da of her new +ob! the recent college graduate was able to leave earl after completing all of her tas#s with alacrit . alchemist (n.) a person who studies chemistr %he alchemist$s laborator was full of bottles and tubes of strange loo#ing li(uids.

alchem (n.) an m sterious change of substance or nature %he magician used alchem to change the powder into a li(uid allegor (n.) a s mbolic description %he boo# contained man allegories on .ussian histor . alleviate (v.) to lessen or ma#e easier %he airport$s monorail alleviates vehicular traffic. allocate (v.) set aside; designate; assign %here have been front row seats allocated to the performer$s famil . %he farmer allocated three acres of his fields to corn. allude (v.) to refer indirectl to something %he stor alludes to part of the author$s life. 2ithout stating that the defendant was an e0&convict! the prosecutor alluded to the fact b mentioning his length of unemplo ment. allure (v.; n.) to attract; entice; attraction; temptation; glamour %he romantic oung man allured the beautiful woman b preparing a wonderful dinner. *ingapore$s allure is its bustling econom . allusion (n.) an indirect reference (often literar ); a hint %he mention of the pet sna#e was an allusion to the man$s snea# wa s. 1n modern pla s allusions are often made to ancient drama. aloof (ad+.) distant in interest; reserved; cool 3ven though the new cowor#er was aloof! we attempted to be friendl .

%he calm defendant remained aloof when he was wrongl accused of fabricating his stor . altercation (n.) controvers ; dispute A serious altercation caused the marriage to end in a bitter divorce. altruism (n.) unselfish devotion to the welfare of others After the organi4ation aided the catastrophe victims! it was given an award for altruism. *he displa ed such altruism b giving up all of her belongings and +oining a peace corps in Africa. altruistic (ad+.) unselfish %he altruistic volunteer donated much time and energ in an effort to raise funds for the children$s hospital. amalgam (n.) a mi0ture or combination (often of metals) %he art displa was an amalgam of modern and traditional pieces. %hat ring is made from an amalgam of minerals; if it were pure gold it would never hold its shape. amalgamate (v.) to mi0! merge! combine 1f the econom does not grow! the business ma need to amalgamate with a rival compan . %he three presidents decided to amalgamate their businesses to build one strong compan . amass (v.) to collect together; accumulate Over the ears the sailor has amassed man replicas of boats. %he women amassed a huge collection of priceless diamonds and pearls.

ambiguous (ad+.) not clear; uncertain; vague %he ambiguous law did not ma#e a clear distinction between the new and old land boundar . ambivalent (ad+.) undecided %he ambivalent +ur could not reach a unanimous verdict. ameliorate (v.) to improve or ma#e better A consistent routine of e0ercise has shown to ameliorate health. 2e can ameliorate the flooding problem b changing the grading. amendment (n.) a positive change %he amendment in his wa s showed there was still reason for hope. amiable (ad+.) friendl %he newcomer pic#ed the most amiable person to sit ne0t to during the meeting. amiss (ad+.; adv.) wrong; awr ; wrongl ; in a defective manner *eeing that his anora# was gone! he #new something was amiss . 1ts new muffler aside! the car was behaving amiss. amit (n.) friendl relations %he amit between the two bordering nations put the populations at ease. amorphous (ad+.) with no shape; unorgani4ed; having no determinate form %he amorphous gel seeped through the crac#s. %he amorphous group (uic#l got lost. %he scientist could not determine the se0 of the amorphous organism.

amorti4e (v.) to put mone into a fund at fi0ed intervals %he couple was able to amorti4e their mortgage sooner than the thought. anachronism (n.) something out of place in time (e.g.! an airplane in 9:;<) %he editor recogni4ed an anachronism in the manuscript where the character from the 9=>>s boarded an airplane. He reali4ed that the film about cavemen contained an anachronism when he saw a +et cut across the hori4on during a hunting scene. analog (n.) similarit ; correlation; parallelism %he teacher used an analog to describe the similarities between the two boo#s. 7omparing the newl discovered virus with one found long ago! the scientist made an analog between the two organisms. anaph la0is (n.) an allergic reaction %he bo $s severe anaph la0is to a series of medications made writing prescriptions a tric# proposition. anarchist (n.) one who believes that a formal government is unnecessar %he ell from the crowd came from the anarchist protesting the government. %he anarchist attempted to overthrow the established democratic government of the new nation and reinstate chaos and disarra . anchorage (n.) something that can be relied on 8nowing the neighbors were right ne0t door was an anchorage for the elderl woman. anecdote (n.) a short account of happenings %he spea#er told an anecdote about how he lost his shoes when he was oung.

animosit (n.) a feeling of hatred or ill will Animosit grew between the two feuding families. anoint (v.) to crown; ordain; A member of the monarch was anointed b the #ing. anomal (n.) an oddit ! inconsistenc ; a deviation from the norm An anomal e0isted when the report listed one statistic! and the spo#eswoman reported another. 1n a par#ing lot full of -uic#s! 7hev s! and /l mouths! the 'aguar was an anomal . anon mous (ad+.) nameless; unidentified Not wishing to be identified b the police! he remained anon mous b returning the mone he had stolen b sending it through the mail. antagonism (n.) hostilit ; opposition %he antagonism was created b a misunderstanding. %he rebellious clan captured a hostage to displa antagonism to the new peace treat . antipath (n.) a strong disli#e or repugnance Her antipath for large crowds convinced her to decline the invitation to the cit . %he vegetarian had an antipath toward meat. apath (n.) lac# of emotion or interest He showed apath when his relative was in+ured. %he disheartened peasants e0pressed apath toward the new law which promised new hope and prosperit for all.

apocal ptic (ad+.) pertaining to a discover or new revelation *cience&fiction movies seem to relish apocal ptic visions. apocr phal (ad+.) counterfeit; of doubtful authorship or authenticit %he man who said he was a doctor was trul apocr phal. appease (v.) to satisf ; to calm A mil# bottle usuall appeases a cr ing bab . apposite (ad+.) suitable; apt; relevant ,iscussion of povert was apposite to the curriculum! so the professor allowed it. 2ithout reenacting the entire scenario! the situation can be understood if apposite information is given. apprehensive (ad+.) fearful; aware; conscious %he nervous child was apprehensive about beginning a new school ear. approbator (ad+.) approving or sanctioning %he +udge showed his acceptance in his approbator remar#. arable (ad+.) suitable (as land) for plowing 2hen the land was deemed arable the farmer decided to plow. arbiter (n.) one who is authori4ed to +udge or decide %he decision of who would represent the people was made b the arbiter. arbitrar (ad+.) based on one$s preference or +udgment

.ic# admitted his decision had been arbitrar ! as he claimed no e0pertise on the matter. arcane (ad+.) obscure; secret; m sterious 2ith an arcane e0pression! the oung bo left the famil wondering what sort of mischief he had committed. %he wi4ard$s description of his magic was purposefull arcane so that others would be unable to cop it. archet pe (n.) original pattern or model; protot pe %his man was the archet pe for scores of fictional characters. %he scientist was careful with the archet pe of her invention so that once manufacturing began! it would be eas to reproduce it. ardent (ad+.) with passionate or intense feelings %he fans$ ardent love of the game #ept them returning to watch the terrible team. arduous (ad+.) laborious! difficult; strenuous 7ompleting the plans for the new building proved to be an arduous affair. -uilding a house is arduous wor#! but the result is well worth the labor. arid (ad+.) e0tremel dr ! parched; barren! unimaginative %he terrain was so arid that not one species of plant could survive. %heir thirst became worse due to the arid condition of the desert. aromatic (ad+.) having a smell which is sweet or spic %he aromatic smell coming from the oven made the man$s mouth water. arrogant (ad+.) acting superior to others; conceited

After purchasing his new! e0pensive sports car! the arrogant doctor refused to allow an one to ride with him to the countr club. arrogate (v.) to claim or demand undul %he teenager arrogated that he should be able to use his parent$s car whenever he desired. articulate (v.; ad+.) to utter clearl and distinctl ; clear! distinct; e0pressed with clarit ; s#illful with words 1t$s even more important to articulate our words when ou$re on the phone. ?ou didn$t have to vote for him to agree that Adlai *tevenson was articulate. A salesperson must be articulate when spea#ing to a customer. artifice (n.) s#ill in a craft %he artifice of glass&ma#ing ta#es man

ears of practice.

ascetic (n.; ad+.) one who leads a simple life of self&denial; rigorousl abstinent %he monaster is filled with ascetics who have devoted their lives to religion. %he nuns lead an ascetic life devoted to the "ord. aseptic (ad+.) germ free 1t is necessar for an operating room to be aseptic. as#ance (adv.) a sidewa s glance of disapproval %he loo# as#ance proved the guard suspected some wrongdoing. asperit (n.) harshness %he man used asperit to frighten the girl out of going. %he asperit of the winter had most ever bod earning for spring.

aspersion (n.) slanderous statement; a damaging or derogator criticism %he aspersion damaged the credibilit of the organi4ation. He blamed the loss of his +ob on an aspersion stated b his co&wor#er to his superior. aspirant (n.) a person who goes after high goals %he aspirant would not settle for assistant director&&onl the top +ob was good enough. assa (n.) to determine the (ualit of a substance. Have the soil assa ed. assess (v.) to estimate the value of *he assessed the possible rewards to see if the pro+ect was worth her time and effort. assiduous (ad+.) carefull attentive; industrious 1t is necessar to be assiduous if a person wishes to ma#e the most of his time at wor#. He en+o s having assiduous emplo ees because he can e0plain a procedure once and have it performed correctl ever time. assuage (v.) to relieve; ease; ma#e less severe Medication should assuage the pain. %he medication helped assuage the pain of the wound. astringent (n.; ad+.) a substance that contracts bodil tissues; causing contraction; tightening; stern! austere After the operation an astringent was used on his s#in so that the stretched area would return to normal.

%he downturn in sales caused the 73O to impose astringent measures. Her astringent remar#s at the podium would not soon be forgotten. astute (ad+.) cunning; sl ; craft %he astute law er$s (uestioning convinced the +ur of the defendant$s guilt. atroph (v.; n.) to waste awa ! as from lac# of use; to wither; failure to grow A few months after he lost his abilit to wal#! his legs began to atroph . %he atroph of the muscles was due to the in+ur . attenuate (v.) to thin out; to wea#en 2ater is commonl used to attenuate strong chemicals. %he chemist attenuated the solution b adding water. at pical (ad+.) something that is abnormal %he at pical behavior of the wild animal alarmed the hunters. audacious (ad+.) fearless; bold %he audacious soldier went into battle without a shield. augment (v.) to increase or add to; to ma#e larger %he needed more soup so the augmented the recipe. %he were able to augment their savings over a period of time. august (ad+.) to be imposing or magnificent %he palace was august in gold and cr stal. auspicious (ad+.) being of a good omen; successful

1t was auspicious that the sun shone on the first da of the trip. %he campaign had an auspicious start! foreshadowing the future. austere (ad+.) having a stern loo#; having strict self&discipline %he old woman alwa s has an austere loo# about her. %he austere teacher assigned five pages of homewor# each da . authentic (ad+.) real; genuine; trustworth An authentic diamond will cut glass. authoritarian (n.; ad+.) acting as a dictator; demanding obedience %he authoritarian made all of the rules but did none of the wor#. 5idel 7astro is reluctant to give up his authoritarian rule. autocrac (n.) an absolute monarch ; government where one person holds power %he autocrac was headed b a demanding man. *he was e0tremel power&hungr and therefore wanted her government to be an autocrac . autocrat (n.) an absolute ruler %he autocrat in charge of the government was a man of power and prestige. %he autocrat made ever decision and divided the tas#s among his subordinates. avarice (n.) inordinate desire for gaining and possessing wealth %he man$s avarice for mone #ept him at wor# through the evenings and wee#ends. %he avarice of the president led to his downfall. aver (v.) to affirm as true %he witness was able to aver the identit of the defendant.

awr (ad+; adv.) croo#ed(l ); uneven(l ); wrong; as#ew Hearing the e0plosion in the laborator ! the scientist reali4ed the e0periment had gone awr . a4ure (ad+.) the clear blue color of the s# %he a4ure s# made the picnic da perfect. baleful (ad+.) harmful! malign! detrimental After she was fired! she reali4ed it was a baleful move to point the blame at her superior. %he strange li(uid could be baleful if ingested. banal (ad+.) trite; without freshness or originalit Attending parties became trite after a few wee#s. 1t was a banal suggestion to have the annual picnic in the par#! since that was where it had been for the past five ears. baneful (ad+.) deadl or causing distress! death Not wearing a seat belt could be baneful. baro(ue (ad+.) e0travagant; ornate; embellished %he baro(ue artwor# was made up of intricate details which #ept the museum& goers enthralled. %he baro(ue furnishings did not fit in the plain! modest home. bastion (n.) a fortified place or strong defense %he strength of the bastion saved the soldiers inside of it.

batten (v.) to gain %he team could onl batten b drafting the top pla er. bauble (n.) a show et useless thing %he woman had man baubles on her boo#shelf. beget (v.) to bring into being %he #ing wished to beget a new heir. beholden (ad+.) indebted to %he children were beholden to their parents for the car loan. behoove (v.) to be advantageous; to be necessar 1t will behoove the students to bu their te0tboo#s earl . belittle (v.) to ma#e small; to thin# lightl of %he uns mpathetic friend belittled her friend$s problems and spo#e of her own as the most important. bellicose (ad+.) (uarrelsome; warli#e %he bellicose guest would not be invited bac# again. bemuse (v.) to preoccup in thought %he girl was bemused b her troubles. benefactor (n.) one who helps others; a donor An anon mous benefactor donated @9>!>>> to the children$s hospital.

beneficent (ad+.) conferring benefits; #indl ; doing good He is a beneficent person! alwa s ta#ing in stra animals and tal#ing to people who need someone to listen. A beneficent donation helped the organi4ation meet its goal. benevolent (ad+.) #ind; generous %he professor proved a tough (uestioner! but a benevolent grader. %he benevolent gentleman volunteered his services. benign (ad+.) mild; harmless A lamb is a benign animal! especiall when compared with a lion. berate (v.) scold; reprove; reproach; critici4e %he child was berated b her parents for brea#ing the china. bereft (v.; ad+.) to be deprived of; to be in a sad manner; hurt b someone$s death %he loss of his +ob will leave the man bereft of man lu0uries. %he widower was bereft for man ears after his wife$s death. beseech (v.) to as# earnestl %he soldiers beseeched the civilians for help. besmirch (v.) to dirt or discolor %he soot from the chimne will besmirch clean curtains. bestial (ad+.) having the (ualities of a beast; brutal %he bestial emplo er made his emplo ees wor# in an unheated room.

betroth (v.) to promise or pledge in marriage %he man betrothed his daughter to the prince. biased (ad+.) pre+udiced; influenced; not neutral %he vegetarian had a biased opinion regarding what should be ordered for dinner. biennial (ad+.; n.) happening ever two ears; a plant which blooms ever two ears %he biennial +ournal$s influence seemed onl magnified b its infre(uent publication. *he has lived here for four ears and has seen the biennials bloom twice. bilateral (ad+.) pertaining to or affecting both sides or two sides; having two sides A bilateral decision was made so that both partners reaped e(ual benefits from the same amount of wor#. %he brain is a bilateral organ! consisting of a left and right hemisphere. blasphemous (ad+.) irreligious; awa from acceptable standards; spea#ing ill of using profane language %he upper&class parents thought that it was blasphemous for their son to marr a waitress. His blasphemous outburst was heard throughout the room. blatant (ad+.) obvious; unmista#able; crude; vulgar %he blatant foul was reason for e+ection. %he defendant was blatant in his testimon . blighted (ad+.) causing frustration or destruction %he blighted tornado left onl one building standing in its wa#e.

blithe (ad+.) happ ; cheer ; merr ; a cheerful disposition %he wedding was a blithe celebration. %he blithe child was a pleasant surprise. bode (v.) to foretell something %he storm bode that we would not reach our destination. bombast (n.) pompous speech; pretentious words After he delivered his bombast at the podium! he arrogantl left the meeting. %he presenter ended his bombast with a prediction of his future success. bombastic (ad+.) pompous; word ; turgid %he bombastic woman tal#s a lot about herself. boor (n.) a rude person %he boor was not invited to the part ! but he came an wa . breadth (n.) the distance from one side to another %he table cloth was too small to cover the breadth of the table. brevit (n.) briefness; shortness On %op :> AM radio! brevit was the coin of the realm. brindled (ad+.) mi0ed with a dar#er color 1n order to get matching paint we made a brindled mi0ture. broach (v.) to introduce into conversation -roaching the touch sub+ect was difficult.

brus(ue (ad+.) abrupt in manner or speech His brus(ue answer was neither acceptable nor polite. bucolic (ad+.) having to do with shepherds or the countr %he bucolic setting inspired the artist. bumptious (ad+.) arrogant He was bumptious in manner as he approached the podium to accept his anticipated award. bungler (n.) a clums person %he one who bro#e the cr stal vase was a true bungler. burgeon (v.) to grow or develop (uic#l %he tumor appeared to burgeon more (uic#l than normal. After the first punch was thrown! the dispute burgeoned into a brawl. burles(ue (v.; n.) to imitate in a non&serious manner; a comical imitation His stump speeches were so hac#ne ed! he seemed to be burles(uing of his role as a congressman. George -urns was considered one of the great practitioners of burles(ue. burl (ad+.) strong; bul# ; stoc# %he lumber+ac# was a burl man. burnish (v.) to polish b rubbing %he vase needed to be burnished to restore its beaut .

cabal (n.) a group of persons +oined b a secret %he ver idea that there could be a cabal cast suspicion on the whole operation. cache (n.) stoc#pile; store; heap; hiding place for goods %he town #ept a cache of salt on hand to melt winter$s snow off the roads. 30tra food is #ept in the cache under the pantr . %he cache for his +ewelr was hidden under the bed. cacophonous (ad+.) sounding +arring %he cacophonous sound from the bending metal sent shivers up our spines. cacophon (n.) a harsh! inharmonious collection of sounds; dissonance %he beautiful harmon of the s mphon was well en+o ed after the cacophon coming from the stage as the orchestra warmed up. %he amateur band created more cacophon than beautiful sound. ca+ole (v.) to coa0 with insincere tal# %o ca+ole the disgruntled emplo ee! the manager coa0ed him with lies and sweet tal#. %he salesman will ca+ole the couple into bu ing the stereo. calamit (n.) disaster %he fire in the apartment building was a great calamit . caliber (n.) (ualit %he caliber of talent at the show was e0cellent. callow (ad+.) being oung or immature

2ith the callow remar# the oung man demonstrated his age. Although the girl could be considered an adult! the action was ver callow. calumn (n.) slander 1 felt it necessar to spea# against the calumn of the man$s good reputation. canard (n.) a false statement or rumor %he canard was reported in a scandalous tabloid. candid (ad+.) honest; truthful; sincere /eople trust her because she$s so candid. cant (n.) insincere or h pocritical statements of high ideals; the +argon of a particular group or occupations %he theater ma+ors had difficult understanding the cant of the computer scientists. %he remar#s b the doctor were cant and meant onl for his associates. caprice (n.) a sudden! unpredictable or whimsical change %he caprice with which the couple approached the change of plans was evidence to their oung age. %he #ing ruled b caprice as much as law. capricious (ad+.) changeable; fic#le %he capricious bride&to&be has a different church in mind for her wedding ever few da s. captious (ad+.) disposed to find fault A captious attitude often causes difficulties in a relationship.

carte blanche (n.) unlimited authorit %he designer was given carte blanche to create a new line for the fall. cascade (n; v.) waterfall; pour; rush; fall %he hi#ers stopped along the path to ta#e in the beaut of the rushing cascade. %he water cascaded down the roc#s into the pool. He too# a photograph of the lovel cascade. %he drapes formed a cascade down the window. castigate (v.) to punish through public criticism %he ma or castigated the police chief for the rash of robberies. catacl sm (n.) an e0treme natural force %he earth(ua#e has been the first catacl sm in five ears. catal st (n.) an thing which creates a situation in which change can occur %he low pressure s stem was the catal st for the nor$easter. catharsis (n.) a purging or relieving of the bod or soul He e0perienced a total catharsis after the priest absolved his sins. Admitting his guilt served as a catharsis for the man. caustic (ad+.) eating awa at; sarcastic words %he caustic chemicals are dangerous. %he girl harmed her mother with her caustic remar#s. His caustic sense of humor doesn$t go over so well when people don$t #now what the $re in for.

cavil (v.) to bic#er %he children are constantl caviling. censor (v.) to e0amine and delete ob+ectionable material %he children were allowed to watch the adult movie onl after it had been censored. censure (n.; v.) a disapproval; an e0pression of disapproval; to critici4e or disapprove of His remar#s drew the censure of his emplo ers. A censure of the new show upset the directors. Her parents censured her idea of dropping out of school. ceremonious (ad+.) ver formal or proper %he blac#&tie dinner was highl ceremonious. cessation (n.)ceasing; a stopping %he cessation of a bad habit is often difficult to sustain. chafe (v.) to anno ! to irritate; to wear awa or ma#e sore b rubbing His constant teasing chafed her. He doesn$t wear pure wool sweaters because the usuall chafe his s#in. chaffing (n.) banter; teasing %he #ing was used to his +esters good&natured chaffing. chagrin (n.) a feeling of embarrassment due to failure or disappointment %o the chagrin of the inventor! the machine did not wor#. *he turned red&faced with chagrin when she learned that her son had been caught shoplifting.

charisma (n.) appeal; magnetism; presence *he has such charisma that ever one li#es her the first time the meet her. charlatan (n.) a person who pretends to have #nowledge; an impostor; fa#e %he charlatan deceived the townspeople. 1t was finall discovered that the charlatan sitting on the throne was not the real #ing. char (ad+.) cautious; being sparing in giving -e char when driving at night. %he char man had few friends. chaste (ad+.) virtuous; free of obscenit -ecause the woman believed in being chaste! she would not let her date into the house. chastise (v.) to punish; discipline; admonish %he dean chastised the first& ear student for cheating on the e0am. cherish (v.) to feel love for %he bride vowed to cherish the groom for life. chicaner (n.) tric#er or deception %he swindler was trained in chicaner . A news broadcast is no place for chicaner . chimera (n.) an impossible fanc /erhaps he saw a fl ing saucer! but perhaps it was onl a chimera.

choleric (ad+.) cran# ; cantan#erous; easil moved to feeling displeasure %he choleric man was continuall upset b his neighbors. .oll becomes choleric when his views are challenged. chortle (v.) to ma#e a gleeful! chuc#ling sound %he chortles emanating from the audience indicated it wouldn$t be as tough a crowd as the stand&up comic had e0pected. churlishness (n.) crude or surl behavior; behavior of a peasant %he fraternit $s churlishness ran afoul of the dean$s office. %he churlishness of the teenager caused his emplo er to lose faith in him. circumlocution (n.) a roundabout or indirect wa of spea#ing; not to the point %he man$s speech contained so much circumlocution that 1 was unsure of the point he was tr ing to ma#e. %he child made a long speech using circumlocution to avoid stating that it was she who had #noc#ed over the lamp. circumlocutor (ad+.) being too long! as in a description or e0pression; a roundabout! indirect! or ungainl wa of e0pressing something 1t was a circumlocutor documentar that could have been cut to half its running time to sa twice as much. circumspect (ad+.) considering all circumstances A circumspect decision must be made when so man people are involved. citadel (n.) a fortress set up high to defend a cit A citadel sat on the hill to protect the cit below.

clandestine (ad+.) secret %he clandestine plan must be #ept between the two of usA clemenc (n.) merc toward an offender; mildness %he governor granted the prisoner clemenc . %he weather$s clemenc made for a perfect picnic. cloture (n.) a parliamentar procedure to end debate and begin to vote 7loture was declared as the parliamentarians readied to register their votes. clo ing (ad+.) too sugar ; too sentimental or flattering After ears of marriage the husband still gave clo ing gifts to his wife. 7omplimenting her on her weight loss! clothing and hairst le was a clo ing wa to begin as#ing for a raise. coagulate (v.) to become a semisolid! soft mass; to clot %he li(uid will coagulate and close the tube if left standing. coalesce (v.) to grow together %he bride and groom coalesced their funds to increase their collateral. At the end of the conference the five groups coalesced in one room. coda (n.) in music! a concluding passage - the end of the coda! 1 was read to burst with e0citement over the thrilling performance. %he audience #new that the concerto was about to end when the heard the orchestra begin pla ing the coda.

coddle (v.) to treat with tenderness A bab needs to be coddled. codif (v.) to organi4e laws or rules into a s stematic collection %he laws were codified b those whom the affected. %he intern codified all the cit $s laws into a computeri4ed filing s stem. coffer (n.) a chest where mone or valuables are #ept %he coffer that contained the +ewels was stolen. cogent (ad+.) to the point; clear; convincing in its clarit and presentation %he law er ma#es compelling and cogent presentations! which evidentl help him win ;B percent of his cases. He made a short! cogent speech which his audience easil understood. cogitate (v.) to thin# hard; ponder; meditate 1t is necessar to cogitate on decisions which affect life goals. %he room was (uiet while ever student cogitated during the calculus e0am. cognate (ad+.; n.) having the same famil ; a person related through ancestr 3nglish and German are cognate languages. %he woman was a cognate to the ro al famil . cognitive (ad+.) possessing the power to thin# or meditate; meditative; capable of perception 7ognitive thought ma#es humans adaptable to a (uic#l changing environment. Once the toddler was able to solve pu44les! it was obvious that her cognitive abilities were developing. cogni4ant (ad+.) aware of; perceptive

*he became alarmed when she was cogni4ant of the man following her. 1t was critical to establish whether the defendant was cogni4ant of his rights. coherent (ad+.) stic#ing together; connected; logical; consistent %he course was a success due to its coherent information. 1f he couldn$t ma#e a coherent speech! how could he run for officeC cohesion (n.) the act of holding together %he cohesion of the group increased as friendships were formed. %he cohesion of different molecules forms different substances. cohort (n.) a group; band %he cohort of teens gathered at the athletic field. collaborate (v.) to wor# together; cooperate %he two builders collaborated to get the house finished. collo(uial (ad+.) having to do with conversation; informal speech %he collo(uial reference indicated the free spirit of the group. 2hen ou listen to the difference between spo#en collo(uial conversation and written wor#! ou reali4e how good an ear a novelist must have to write authentic dialogue. collusion (n.) secret agreement for an illegal purpose %he authorit discovered a collusion between the director and treasurer. comeliness (n.) beaut ; attractiveness in appearance or behavior %he comeliness of the woman attracted ever one$s attention.

commiserate (v.) to show s mpath for %he hurricane victims commiserated about the loss of their homes. commodious (ad+.) spacious and convenient; room %he new home was so commodious that man new pieces of furniture needed to be purchased. communal (ad+.) shared or common ownership %he communal nature of the pro+ect made ever one pitch in to help. compatible (ad+.) in agreement with; harmonious 2hen repairing an automobile! it is necessar to use parts compatible with that ma#e and model. complacent (ad+.) content; self&satisfied; smug %he 73O worries regularl that his firm$s winning wa s will ma#e it complacent. %he candidate was so complacent with his poll numbers that he virtuall stopped campaigning. complaisance (n.) the (ualit of being agreeable or eager to please %he complaisance of the new assistant made it eas for the managers to give him a lot of wor# without worr ing that he ma complain. compliant (ad+.) compl ing; obe ing; ielding 7ompliant actions should be reinforced. %he slave was compliant with ever order to avoid being whipped. comport (v.) fitting in 1t was eas to comport to the new group of emplo ees.

comprehensive (ad+.) all&inclusive; complete; thorough 1t$s the onl health facilit around to offer comprehensive care. compromise (v.) to settle b mutual ad+ustment "abor leaders and the automa#ers compromised b agreeing to a starting wage of @9B an hour in e0change for concessions on health&care premiums. concede (v.) to ac#nowledge; admit; to surrender; to abandon one$s position After much wrangling! the conceded that the minister had a point. *atisfied with the recount! the ma or conceded graciousl . conceit (n.) an e0aggerated personal opinion %he man$s belief that he was the best pla er on the team was pure conceit. conciliation (n.) an attempt to ma#e friendl or placate %he attempt at conciliation conciliator (ad+.) to reconcile %he diplomat sought to ta#e a conciliator approach to #eep the tal#s going. concise (ad+.) in few words; brief; condensed %he concise instructions were printed on two pages rather than the customar five. conclave (n.) an private meeting or closed assembl %he conclave was to meet in the e0ecutive suite.

condescend (v.) to come down from one$s position or dignit %he arrogant! rich man was usuall condescending towards his servants. condone (v.) to overloo#; to forgive %he loving and forgiving mother condoned her son$s life of crime 1 will condone our actions of negligence. confluence (n.) a thing which is +oined together Great cities often lie at the confluence of great rivers. confound (v.) to lump together! causing confusion; to damn %he problem confounded our abilit to solve it. 7onfound ou! ou scoundrelA conglomeration (n.) a collection or mi0ture of various things %he conglomeration is made up of four different interest groups. %he soup was a conglomeration of meats and vegetables. con+oin (v.) to combine %he classes will con+oin to do the pla . con+ure (v.) to call upon or appeal to; to cause to be! appear! come %he smell of the dinner con+ured images of childhood. %he magician con+ured a rabbit out of a hat. connivance (n.) secret cooperation in wrongdoing 2ith the guard$s connivance! the convict was able to ma#e his escape.

connoisseur (n.) e0pert; authorit (usuall refers to a wine or food e0pert) %he allowed her to choose the wine for dinner since she was the connoisseur. connotative (ad+.) containing associated meanings in addition to the primar one Along with the primar meaning of the word! there were two connotative meanings. %he connotative meaning of their music was spelled out in the video. consecrate (v.) to declare sacred; to dedicate 2e will consecrate the pact during the ceremon . %he par# was consecrated to the memor of the missing soldier. conse(uential (ad+.) following as an effect; important His long illness and conse(uential absence set him behind in his homewor#. %he decision to move the compan will be conse(uential to its success. consort (n.; v.) a companion! spouse; to associate An elderl woman was see#ing a consort. %he waited until dar# to consort under the moonlight. conspicuous (ad+.) eas to see; noticeable %he diligent and hardwor#ing editor thought the obvious mista#e was conspicuous. consternation (n.) ama4ement or terror that causes confusion %he loo# of consternation on the child$s face caused her father to panic. constrain (v.) to force! compel; to restrain 1t ma be necessar to constrain the wild animal if it approaches the town.

%he student was constrained to remain in her seat until the teacher gave her permission to leave. consummation (n.) the completion; finish 5ollowing the consummation of final e0ams! most of the students graduated. contemporar (ad+.) living or happening at the same time; modern 7ontemporar furniture will clash with our traditional sectional. contempt (n.) scorn; disrespect %he greed ! selfish ban#er was often discussed with great contempt. contentious (ad+.) (uarrelsome %he contentious student was as#ed to leave the classroom. %he hate his contentious behavior because ever suggestion the give ends in a fight. contest (v.) to attempt to disprove or invalidate 1 will attempt to contest the criminal charges against me. contiguous (ad+.) touching; or ad+oining and close! but not touching %here are man contiguous buildings in the cit because there is no e0cess land to allow space between them. contravene (v.) to act contrar to; to oppose or contradict %he stor of the accused contravened the stor of the witness. %he )nited Nations held that the 3astern 3uropean nation had contravened the treat .

contrite (ad+.) regretful; sorrowful; having repentance .egretting his decision not to attend college! the contrite man did not lead a ver happ life. A contrite heart has fi0ed its wrongs. contumacious (ad+.) resisting authorit %he man was put in +ail for contumacious actions. contusion (n.) a bruise; an in+ur where the s#in is not bro#en %he man was fortunate to receive onl contusions from the crash. conundrum (n.) a pu44le or riddle 1 spent two hours tr ing to figure out the conundrum. %he legend sa s that to enter the secret passagewa ! one must answer the ancient conundrum. conventional (ad+.) traditional; common; routine %he bride wanted a conventional wedding ceremon ! complete with white dresses! man flowers! and a grand reception part . 7onventional telephones are giving wa to videophones. converge (v.) to move toward one point (oppositeD diverge) 1t was obvious that an accident was going to occur as the onloo#ers watched the two cars converge. %he two roads converge at the corner. convivialit (n.) a fondness for festiveness or +ovialit His convivialit ma#es him a welcome guest at an social gathering.

convo#e (v.) a call to assemble %he teacher convo#ed her students in the auditorium to help prepare them for the pla . copious (ad+.) abundant; in great (uantities Her copious notes touched on ever sub+ect presented in the lecture. corpulence (n.) obesit %he corpulence of the man #ept him from fitting into the seat. correlate (v.) to bring into mutual relation %he service man was as#ed to correlate the two computer demonstration pamphlets. corroborate (v.) to confirm the validit %he witness must corroborate the prisoner$s stor if she is to be set free. coterie (n.) a cli(ue; a group who meet fre(uentl ! usuall sociall A special aspect of campus life is +oining a coterie. 3ver da after school she +oins her coterie on the pla ground and the go out for a soda. covenant (n.) a binding and solemn agreement 2ith the e0change of vows! the covenant was complete. covetous (ad+.) greed ; ver desirous "onnie! covetous of education! went to almost ever lecture at the universit . 7ovetous of her neighbor$s pool! she did ever thing she could to ma#e things unpleasant..

cower (v.) to huddle and tremble %he lost dog cowered near the tree. %he tellers cowered in the corner as the bandit ransac#ed the ban#. co (ad+.) modest; bashful; pretending sh ness to attract Her co manners attracted the man. He$s not reall that sh ! he$s +ust being co . crass (ad+.) stupid or dull; insensitive; materialistic %o ma#e light of someone$s wea#ness is crass. %he made their mone the old&fashioned wa ! but still the were accused of being crass. M respect for the man was lowered when he made the crass remar#. craven (n.; ad+.) coward; ab+ect person; cowardl 2hile man fought for their rights! the craven sat sha#ing! off in a corner somewhere. 7raven men will not stand up for what the believe in. culpable (ad+.) deserving blame; guilt %he convicted criminal still denies that he is culpable for the robber . curb (n.) a restraint or framewor# A curb was put up along the street to help drainage. curmudgeon (n.) an ill&tempered person %he curmudgeon as#ed the children not to pla near the house. cursor (ad+.) hast ; slight

%he detective$s cursor e0amination of the crime scene caused him to overloo# the lesser clues. c nic (n.) one who believes that others are motivated entirel b selfishness. %he c nic felt that the hero saved the man to become famous. dais (n.) a raised platform at one end of a room %he dais was lowered to ma#e the spea#er loo# taller. dall (v.) to loiter; to waste time /lease do not dall or we will miss our appointment. dan# (ad+.) damp and chill %he cellar became ver dan# during the winter time. dauntless (ad+.) fearless; not discouraged %he dauntless ranger scaled the mountain to complete the rescue. dearth (n.) scarcit ; shortage A series of coincidental resignations left the firm with a dearth of talent. %he dearth of the coverage forced him to loo# for a new insurance agent. debacle (n.) disaster; collapse; a rout %he *ecurities and 30change 7ommission and the stoc# e0changes implemented numerous safeguards to head off another debacle on 2all *treet. debase (v.) to ma#e lower in (ualit %he 5rench are concerned that 65ranglais!6 a blending of 3nglish and 5rench! will debase their language.

debaucher (n.) indulgence in one$s appetites %he preacher decried debaucher and urged charit . debilitate (v.) to enfeeble; to wear out %he phlebitis debilitated him to the point where he was unable even to wal#. %he illness will debilitate the muscles in his legs. debonair (ad+.) having an affable manner; carefree; genial Opening the door for another is a debonair action. decadence (n.) a decline in morals or art *ome believe the decadence of Nero$s rule led to the fall of the empire. deciduous (ad+.) shedding; temporar 2hen the leaves began to fall from the tree we learned that it was deciduous. decisiveness (n.) an act of being firm or determined ,ecisiveness is one of the #e (ualities of a successful e0ecutive. decorous (ad+.) showing decorum; propriet ! good taste %his movie provides decorous refuge from the violence and ma hem that permeates the latest crop of Holl wood films. %he decorous suit was made of fine material. decr (v.) to denounce or condemn openl %he pastor decried all forms of discrimination against an minorit group. defamation (n.) to harm a name or reputation; to slander

%he carpenter felt that the notoriousness of his former partner brought defamation to his construction business. deference (n.) a ielding of opinion; courteous respect for %o avoid a confrontation! the man showed deference to his friend. %he deference shown to the elderl woman$s opinion was heartwarming. deferential (ad+.) ielding to the opinion of another After debating students living in the *i0th 2ard for months! the ma or$s deferential statements indicated that he had come to some understanding with them. defunct (ad+.) no longer living or e0isting %he man lost a large sum of mone when the compan went defunct. deign (v.) condescend; stoop He said he wouldn$t deign to dignif her statement with a response. 5ired from his +ob as a programmer anal st! 'oe vowed he would never deign to mop floors&even if he were down to his last penn . deleterious (ad+.) harmful; hurtful; no0ious ,eleterious fumes escaped from the overturned truc#. deliberate (v.; ad+.) to consider carefull ; weigh in the mind; intentional %he +ur deliberated for three da s before reaching a verdict. %he brother$s deliberate attempt to get his sibling blamed for his mista#e was obvious to all. delineate (v.) to outline; to describe *he delineated her plan so that ever one would have a basic understanding of it.

deli(uesce (v.) to dissolve %he snow deli(uesced when the temperature rose. delusion (n.) a false belief or opinion %he historian suffered from the delusion that he was Napoleon. demise (n.) ceasing to e0ist as in death %he demise of Gimbels followed ears of decline. demur (v.; n.) to ob+ect; ob+ection; misgiving *he hated animals! so when the sub+ect of bu ing a cat came up! she demurred. *he said es! but he detected a demur in her voice. *he was nominated to sit on the committee! but she demurred. %he council president called for a vote! and hearing no demur! as#ed for a count b the cler#. denigrate (v.) to defame! to blac#en or sull ; to belittle After finding out her evil secret! he announced it to the council and denigrated her in public. Her attempt to denigrate the man$s name was not successful. denounce (v.) to spea# out against; condemn A student rall was called to denounce the use of drugs on campus. depict (v.) to portra ; describe %he mural depicts the life of a t pical urban dweller. deplete (v.) to reduce; to empt ! e0haust Having to pa the entire bill will deplete the famil $s savings.

deposition (n.) a removal from office or power; a testimon 5ailing to act lawfull could result in his deposition. *he met with her law er this morning to review her deposition. depravit (n.) moral corruption; badness ,rugs and mone caused depravit throughout the once decorous communit . %he depravit of the old man was bound to land him in +ail one da . deprecate (v.) to e0press disapproval of; to protest against %he environmentalists deprecated the paper companies for cutting down ancient forests. %he organi4ation will deprecate the opening of the sewage plant. depredation (n.) a plundering or la ing waste %he pharaoh$s once rich tomb was empt after centuries of depredation from grave robbers. deride (v.) to laugh at with contempt; to moc# No matter what he said! he was derided. 1t is impolite to deride someone even if ou disli#e him. derision (n.) the act of moc#ing; ridicule! moc#er A da of derision from the boss left the emplo ee feeling depressed. 7onstant derision from classmates made him (uit school. derisive (ad+.) showing disrespect or scorn for %he derisive comment was aimed at the man$s life long enem .

derogator (ad+.) belittling; uncomplimentar He was upset because his annual review was full of derogator comments. descant (v.) length tal#ing or writing %he man will descant on the sub+ect if ou give him too much spea#ing time. desecrate (v.) to profane; violate the sanctit of %he teenagers$ attempt to desecrate the church disturbed the communit . desist (v.) to stop or cease %he +udge ordered the man to desist from calling his e0&wife in the middle of the night. desolate (ad+.) to be left alone or made lonel ,riving down the desolate road had 8elvin worried that he wouldn$t reach a gas station in time. despoil (v.) to ta#e ever thing; plunder %he Huns despoiled village after village. despotism (n.) t rann ; absolute power or influence %he ruler$s despotism went uncontested for E> ears. destitute (ad+.) poor; povert &stric#en One -angladeshi ban# ma#es loans to destitute citi4ens so that the ma overcome their povert . Man of the cit $s sections are destitute.

desultor (ad+.) moving in a random! directionless manner %he thefts were occurring in a desultor manner ma#ing them difficult to trac#. detached (ad+.) separated; not interested; standing alone ,etached from modern conveniences! the islanders live a simple! unhurried life. deter (v.) to prevent; to discourage; hinder He deterred the rabbits b putting down garlic around the garden. determinate (ad+.) distinct limits %he new laws were ver determinate as far as what was allowed and what was not allowed. devoid (ad+.) lac#ing; empt %he interplanetar probe indicated that the planet was devoid of an atmosphere. de0terous (ad+.) s#illful! (uic# mentall or ph sicall %he de0terous g mnast was the epitome of grace on the balance beam. diatribe (n.) a bitter or abusive speech ,uring the divorce hearings she delivered a diatribe full of the emotion pushing her awa from her husband. %he diatribe was directed towards a disrespectful supervisor. dichotom (n.) a division into two parts or #inds %he dichotom within the part threatens to split it. %he dichotom between church and state renders school pra er unconstitutional.

dictum (n.) a formal statement of either fact or opinion 7omputer programmers have a dictumD garbage in! garbage out. didactic (ad+.) instructive; dogmatic; preach Our teacher$s didactic techni(ue boosted our scores. %he didactic activist was not one to be swa ed. diffidence (n.) a hesitation in asserting oneself A sh person ma have great diffidence when forced with a problem. diffident (ad+.) timid; lac#ing self&confidence %he director is loo#ing for a self&assured actor! not a diffident one. Her diffident sister couldn$t wor# up the courage to as# for the sale. diffuse (ad+.) spread out; verbose (word ); not focused %he to s were discovered in a diffuse manner after the birthda part . His monologue was so diffuse that all his points were lost. digress (v.) stra from the sub+ect; wander from topic 1t is important to not digress from the plan of action. dilettante (n.) an admirer of the fine arts; a dabbler %hough she pla ed the piano occasionall ! she was more of a dilettante. diligence (n.) hard wor# An thing can be accomplished with diligence and commitment. diminutive (ad+.; n.) smaller than average; a small person; a word! e0pressing smallness!

formed when a suffi0 is added %he lived in a diminutive house. %he diminutive woman could not see over the counter. din (n.) a noise which is loud and continuous %he din of the +ac#hammers reverberated throughout the concrete can on. dint (n.) strength %he dint of the bridge could hold truc#s weighing man tons. dirge (n.) a h mn for a funeral; a song or poem e0pressing lament %he mourners sang a traditional 1rish dirge . disapprobation (n.) disapproval Her disapprobation of her daughter$s fiancF$ divided the famil . disarra (n.) (state of) disorder %he thief left the house in disarra . disavow (v.) to den ; to refuse to ac#nowledge %he actor has disavowed the rumor. discerning (ad+.) distinguishing one thing from another; having good +udgment He has a discerning e e for #nowing the original from the cop . -eing discerning about a customer$s character is a #e (ualification for a loan officer. discomfit (v.) to frustrate the e0pectations of %he close game discomfited the number one pla er.

discord (n.) disagreement; lac# of harmon %here was discord amidst the +ur ! and therefore a decision could not be made. discourse (v.) to converse; to communicate in an orderl fashion %he scientists discoursed on a conference call for +ust five minutes but were able to solve three ma+or problems. %he interviewee discoursed so fluentl ! she was hired on the spot. discreet (ad+.) showing good +udgment in conduct; prudent 2e confided our secret in Mar because we #new she$d be discreet. discrete (ad+.) separate; individuall distinct; composed of distinct parts %here were four discrete aspects to the architecture of the home. %he citi4ens committee maintained that road widening and drainage were hardl discrete issues. discriminate (v.) distinguish; demonstrate bias -eing a chef! he discriminated carefull among ingredients. .eeling from the fact that senior managers had been caught on tape ma#ing offensive remar#s! the 73O said he would not tolerate an of his firm$s emplo ees discriminating against an one for an reason. disdain (n.; v.) intense disli#e; loo# down upon; scorn *he showed great disdain toward an one who did not agree with her. *he disdains the ver ground ou wal# upon. disentangle (v.) to free from confusion 2e need to disentangle ourselves from the di44 ing variet of choices.

disheartened (ad+.) discouraged; depressed After failing the e0am! the student became disheartened and wondered if he would ever graduate. disingenuous (ad+.) not fran# or candid; deceivingl simple (oppositeD ingenious) %he director used a disingenuous remar# to ma#e his point to the student. He alwa s gives a (uic#! disingenuous response; ou never get a straight answer. disinterested (ad+.) neutral; unbiased (alternate meaning; uninterested) A disinterested person was needed to serve as arbitrator of the argument. He never ta#es sides; he$s alwa s disinterested. disparage (v.) to belittle; undervalue; to discredit After she fired him she reali4ed that she had disparaged the value of his assistance. %he law er will attempt to disparage the testimon of the witness. disparate (ad+.) une(ual; dissimilar; different %he came from disparate bac#grounds! one a real estate magnate! the other a custodian. %he disparate numbers of pla ers made the game a sure blowout. disparit (n.) difference in form! character! or degree %here is a great disparit between a light snac# and a great feast. dispassionate (ad+.) lac# of feeling; impartial *he was a ver emotional person and could not wor# with such a dispassionate emplo er.

disperse (v.) to scatter; separate %he pilots dispersed the food drops over a wide area of devastation. %ear gas was used to disperse the crowd. disputatious (ad+.) argumentative; inclined to disputes His disputatious strea# eventuall wore down his fellow parliament members. %he child was so disputatious he needed to be removed from the room. dissemble (v.) to pretend; to feign; to conceal b pretense %he man dissembled his assets shamelessl to avoid pa ing alimon . Agent >>G has a marvelous abilit to dissemble his real intentions. disseminate (v.) to circulate; scatter He was hired to disseminate newspapers to ever one in the town. %he preacher traveled across the countr to disseminate his message. dissent (v.) to disagree; differ in opinion %he agreed that something had to be done! but dissented on how to do it. dissonance (n.) musical discord; a mingling of inharmonious sounds; nonmusical; disagreement; lac# of harmon Much twentieth&centur music is not li#ed b classical music lovers because of the dissonance it holds and the harmonies it lac#s. %he dissonance of his composition ma#es for some rough listening. dissonant (ad+.) not in harmon ; in disagreement ,espite several intense rehearsals! the voices of the choir members continued to be dissonant. %he dissonant nature of the man$s temperament made the woman fearful to approach him with the new idea.

distant (ad+.) having separations or being reserved .olonda$s friends have become more distant in recent ears. distention (n.) inflation or e0tension %he bulge in the carpet was caused b the distention of the wood underneath. dither (v.; n.) to act indecisivel ; a confused condition *he dithered ever time she had to ma#e a decision. Having to ta#e two tests in one da left the student in a dither. diverge (v.) separate! split %he path diverges at the old barn! one for# leading to the house! and the other leading to the pond. %he wide! long river diverged into two distinct separate rivers! never again to +oin. diverse (ad+.) different; varied %he course offerings were so diverse 1 had a tough time choosing. divestiture (n.) being stripped 2hen it was found the team cheated! there was a divestiture of their crown. docile (ad+.) manageable; obedient; gentle 2e needed to choose a docile pet because we hadn$t the patience for a lot of training. document (n.; v.) official paper containing information; to support; substantiate; verif %he needed a written document to prove that the transaction occurred. 5acing an audit! she had to document all her client contacts.

doggerel (n.) verse characteri4ed b forced rh me and meter 7ontrar to its appearance! doggerel can contain some weight messages. dogma (n.) a collection of beliefs %he dogma of the village was based on superstition. dogmatic (ad+.) stubborn; biased; opinionated %heir dogmatic declaration clarified their position. %he dogmatic statement had not et been proven b science. %he student$s dogmatic presentation anno ed his classmates as well as his instructor. dormant (ad+.) as if asleep %he animals la dormant until the spring thaw. doting (ad+.) e0cessivel fond of 2ith great +o ! the doting father held the toddler. dought (ad+.) brave and strong %he dought fireman saved the woman$s life. dowd (ad+.) shabb in appearance %he dowd girl had no buttons on her coat and the threads were falling apart. dubious (ad+.) doubtful; uncertain; s#eptical; suspicious Man people are dubious about the possibilit of intelligent life on other planets. %he new information was dubious enough to re&open the case.

duplicit (n.) deception *he forgave his duplicit but divorced him an wa . duress (n.) imprisonment; the use of threats His duress was supposed to last 9>&9= ears. %he policewoman put the man under duress in order to get a confession. %he "abor ,epartment inspector needed to establish whether the plant wor#ers had been held under duress. earth (ad+.) unrefined %he earth &loo#ing table was bare. ebullience (n.) an overflowing of high spirits; effervescence *he emanated ebullience as she s#ipped and sang down the hallwa after learning of her promotion. eccentric (ad+.) odd; peculiar; strange /eople li#e to tal# with the eccentric artist since he has such different views on ever da sub+ects. 2earing pol#a dot pants and a nec#lace made of rec cled bottle tops is considered eccentric. ecclesiastic (ad+.) pertaining or relating to a church 3cclesiastic obligations include attending mass. eclectic (ad+.) pic#ing from various possibilities; made up of material from various sources ?ou have eclectic taste. %he eclectic collection of furniture did not match.

economical (ad+.) not wasteful; thrift 2ith her economical sense she was able to save the compan thousands of dollars. edifice (n.) a large building %he edifice rose <> stories and spanned two bloc#s. edif (v.) to build or establish; to instruct and improve the mind According to their schedule! the construction compan will edif the foundation of the building in one wee#. %he teachers wor#ed to edif their students through lessons and discussion. educe (v.) to draw out; to infer from information -ecause she is so dour! 1 was forced to educe a response. 1 educe from the report that the e0periment was a success. efface (v.) to erase; to ma#e inconspicuous Hiding in the woods! the soldier was effaced b his camouflage uniform. effeminate (ad+.) having (ualities attributed to a woman; delicate A high&pitched laugh made the man seem effeminate. effervescence (n.) liveliness; spirit; enthusiasm; bubbliness Her effervescence was contagious; she made ever one around her happ . %he effervescence of champagne is what ma#es it different from wine. effig (n.) the image or li#eness of a person ,emonstrators carried effigies of the dictator the wanted overthrown.

effluvium (n.) an outflow of vapor of invisible particles; a no0ious odor %he effluvium from the e0haust had a bad smell. 1t was difficult to determine from where the effluvium issued. effronter (n.) arrogance %he effronter of the oung man was offensive. effusive (ad+.) pouring out or forth; overflowing %he effusive currents rush through the bro#en dam. egocentric (ad+.) self&centered! viewing ever thing in relation to oneself %he egocentric professor could not accept the students$ opinions as valid. egress (n.) a wa out; e0it %he doorwa provided an egress from the chamber. elaboration (n.) act of clarif ing; adding details %he ma or called for an elaboration on the ordinance$s first draft. eleg (n.) a poem of lament and praise for the dead )pon conclusion of the eleg ! the cas#et was closed. ellipsis (n.) omission of words that would ma#e the meaning clear %he accidental ellipsis confused all those who heard the speech. elo(uence (n.) the abilit to spea# well %he spea#er$s elo(uence was attributed to his articulate manner of spea#ing.

elucidate (v.) to ma#e clear; to e0plain 1n the paper$s conclusion! its purpose was elucidated in one sentence. elusive (ad+.) hard to catch 3ven the e0perienced! old fisherman admitted that the trout in the river were (uite elusive. emanate (v.) to emit Happiness emanates from the loving home. embar#ation (v.) to engage or invest in %he embar#ation into self&emplo ment was a new start for the woman. embellish (v.) to improve b adding details Adding beads to a garment will embellish it. eminence (n.) a loft place; superiorit After toiling in the shadows for ears! at last she achieved eminence. %he eminence of the institution can be seen in the impact of its research. emollient (ad+.) softening or soothing to the s#in; having power to soften or rela0 living tissues 2hen hands become dr ! it ma be necessar to soothe them with an emollient lotion. emulate (v.) to tr to e(ual or e0cel %he neoph te teacher was hoping to emulate her mentor.

enamored (ad+.) filled with love and desire %he oung couple are enamored with each other. encomium (n.) formal e0pression of high praise %he sitcom actress gave her co&stars a long encomium as she accepted her 3mm . encroach (v.) to trespass or intrude 1t is unlawful to encroach on another$s private propert . encumber (v.) to hold bac#; to hinder; to burden! load down %he review of the ethic$s committee encumbered the deal from being finali4ed. A brace will encumber the girl$s movement. endemic (ad+.) native to a particular area; constantl present in a particular countr or localit %he endemic fauna was of great interest to the anthropologist. A fast&paced st le is endemic to those who live in New ?or# 7it . endorse (v.) support; to approve of; recommend %he entire communit endorsed the politician who promised lower ta0es and a better school s stem. enervate (v.) to wea#en; to deprive of nerve or strength %he sic#ness enervates its victims until the can no longer get out of bed. enfeeble (v.) to ma#e wea# %he illness will enfeeble an one who catches it.

enfranchised (v.) to free from obligation; to admit to citi4enship %he pla er was enfranchised when the deal was called off. %he recent immigrants were enfranchised when the too# their oath to their new countr . engender (v.) to bring about; beget; to bring forth %he group attempted to engender changes to the law. enhance (v.) to improve; compliment; ma#e more attractive %he new fuel enhanced the performance of the roc#et$s engines. enigma (n.) m ster ; secret; perple0it %o all of the searchers! the missing child$s location remained a great enigma. enigmatic (ad+.) baffling %he enigmatic murder plagued the detective. ennui (n.) boredom; apath 3nnui set in when the children reali4ed the had alread pla ed with all the to s. eon (n.) an indefinitel long period of time %he star ma have e0isted for eons. ephemeral (ad+.) ver short&lived; lasting onl a short time "iving alone gave him an ephemeral happiness! soon to be replaced with utter loneliness.

epicure (n.) a person who has good taste in food and drin# As an epicure! "ance is choos about the restaurants he visits. epigram (n.) a witt or satirical poem or statement %he poet wrote an epigram about the upcoming election. epilogue (n.) closing section of a pla or novel providing further comment. %he epilogue told us the destin of the characters. epiphan (n.) an appearance of a supernatural being %he man bowed to the epiphan . epitaph (n.) an inscription on a monument; in honor or memor of a dead person %he epitaph described the actions of a brave man. epitome (n.) model; t pification; representation %he woman chosen to lead the dancers was the epitome of true grace. e(uanimit (n.) the (ualit of remaining calm and undisturbed 3(uanimit can be reached when stress is removed from life. e(uino0 (n.) precise time when da and night is of e(ual length On the e(uino0 we had twelve hours of night and da . e(uivocal (ad+.) doubtful; uncertain *cientific evidence was needed before the e(uivocal h pothesis was accepted b the doubting researchers.

e(uivocations (n.) a purposel misleading statement %he e(uivocations b the man sent the search team loo#ing in the wrong direction. eradication (n.) the act of annihilating! destro ing! or erasing *ome have theori4ed that the eradication of the dinosaurs was due to a radical change in climate. errant (ad+.) roving in search of adventure %he oung man set out across countr on an errant e0pedition. erratic (ad+.) unpredictable; irregular His erratic behavior was attributed to the shoc#ing news he had received. %he #itten$s erratic behavior was attributed to the owner$s cruel method of disciplining his pet. erroneous (ad+.) untrue; inaccurate; not correct %he reporter$s erroneous stor was corrected b a new article that stated the truth. erudite (ad+.) having a wide #nowledge ac(uired through reading %he woman was so erudite! she could recite points on most an sub+ect. eschew (v.) to shun; to avoid 3schew the traffic and ou ma arrive on time. esoteric (ad+.) understood b onl a chosen few; confidential %he esoteric language was onl #nown b the select group. 2e have had a number of esoteric conversations.

estimable (ad+.) deserving respect %he estimable hero was given a parade. ethereal (ad+.) ver light; air ; heavenl ; not earthl %he ethereal (ualit of the music had a h pnotic effect. %he dancer wore an ethereal outfit which made her loo# li#e an angel. ethnic (ad+.) pertaining to races or peoples and their origin classification! or characteristics 3thnic foods from five continents were set up on the table. eulog (n.) words of praise! especiall for the dead %he eulog was a remembrance of the good things the man accomplished in his lifetime. euphemism (n.) the use of a word or phrase in place of one that is distasteful %he announcer used a euphemism when he wanted to complain. euphon (n.) pleasant combination of sounds %he gentl singing birds created a beautiful euphon . %he euphon created b the orchestra was due to ears of practice. evanescent (ad+.) vanishing (uic#l ; dissipating li#e a vapor %he evanescent mirage could onl be seen at a certain angle. evasion (n.) the avoiding of a dut %he compan was charged with ta0 evasion! as the did not pa all that the owed.

evo#e (v.) to call forth; provo#e *eeing her onl daughter get married evo#ed tears of happiness from the mother. Announcement of the results evo#ed a cheer from the crowd. e0culpate (v.) to free from guilt %he therap session will e0culpate the man from his guilt feelings. e0ecute (v.) to put to death; #ill; to carr out; fulfill %he evil! murderous man was e0ecuted for #illing several innocent children. 1 e0pected him to e0ecute m orders immediatel . e0emplar (ad+.) serving as an e0ample; outstanding %he honor student$s e0emplar behavior made him a role model to the ounger children. 3mplo ees of the month are chosen for their e0emplar service to the firm. e0haustive (ad+.) thorough; complete 1t too# an e0haustive effort! using man construction wor#ers! to complete the new home b the deadline. e0hume (v.) to unearth; to reveal %he scientists e0humed the bod from the grave to test the bod $s ,NA. %he ne0t episode will e0hume the real betra er. e0igent (ad+.) a situation calling for immediate attention; needing more than is reasonable %he e0igent re(uest for more assistance was answered (uic#l . %he ban# seemed to feel that another e0tension on their loan pa ment was too e0igent a re(uest to honor.

e0onerate (v.) to declare or prove blameless Hopefull ! the +udge will e0onerate ou of an wrongdoing. e0orbitant (ad+.) going be ond what is reasonable; e0cessive /a ing hundreds of dollars for the dress is an e0orbitant amount. e0otic (ad+.) unusual; stri#ing; foreign Man people as#ed the name of her e0otic perfume. %he menu of authentic %ur#ish cuisine seemed e0otic to them! considering the were onl accustomed to American food. e0pedient (ad+.) convenient in obtaining a result; guided b self&interest %he ma or chose the more e0pedient path rather than the more correct one. %here is no e0pedient method a teenager will not resort to in order to get the #e s to a car of their own. e0pedite (v.) to hasten the action of 2e can e0pedite the ban# transaction if we tell them it is an emergenc . e0plicit (ad+.) specific; definite %he e0plicit recipe gave directions for ma#ing a ver complicated dessert. e0position (n.) setting forth facts %he e0position b the witness substantiated the stor given b the prisoner. e0punge (v.) to blot out; to delete -leach ma be used to e0punge the stain.

e0tant (ad+.) e0isting; refers especiall to boo#s or documents *ome of m ancestor$s letters remain e0tant. e0tempori4e (v.) to improvise; to ma#e it up as ou go along 1t was necessar for the musician to e0tempori4e when his music fell off the stand. e0tol (v.) to give great praise %he father will e0tol the success of his son to ever one he meets. e0traneous (ad+.) irrelevant; not related; not essential ,uring the long! boring lecture! most people agreed that much of the information was e0traneous. e0tricable (ad+.) capable of being disentangled %he #nots were complicated! but e0tricable. e0ultation (n.) the act of re+oicing 30ultation was evident b the part ing and revelr . facetious (ad+.) +o#ing in an aw#ward or improper manner His facetious sarcasm was inappropriate during his first staff meeting. facilitate (v.) ma#e easier; simplif %he new ramp b the door$s entrance facilitated access to the building for those in wheelchairs. facsimile (n.) cop ; reproduction; replica %he facsimile of the elaborate painting was indistinguishable from the original.

faction (n.) a number of people in an organi4ation wor#ing for a common cause against the main bod A faction of the student bod supported the president$s view. fallacious (ad+.) misleading A used car salesman provided fallacious information that caused the naive man to purchase the old! bro#en car. fallible (ad+.) liable to be mista#en or erroneous - not differentiating themselves from the popular band! the group was especiall fallible. fanatic (n.) enthusiast; e0tremist %he terrorist group was comprised of fanatics who wanted to destro those who disagreed with them. fastidious (ad+.) difficult to please; daint %he fastidious girl would not accept an offers as suitable. %he woman was e0tremel fastidious! as evident in her occasional fainting spells. fathom (v.; n.) to understand; a nautical unit of depth 1t was difficult to fathom the reason for closing the institution. %he submarine cruised at 9G fathoms below the surface. fatuous (ad+.) lac#ing in seriousness; vain and sill %he fatuous pran# was meant to add comed to the situation. His fatuous personalit demands that he stop in front of ever mirror.

fealt (n.) lo alt %he baron was given land in e0change for his fealt to the #ing. feasible (ad+.) reasonable; practical 1ncreased e0ercise is a feasible means of weight loss. fecund (ad+.) productive %he construction crew had a fecund da and were able to leave earl . feign (v.) pretend 1t is not uncommon for a child to feign illness in order to sta home from school. feint (v.; n.) to pretend to throw a punch! as in bo0ing; a fa#e show intended to deceive %he fighter feinted a left hoo# +ust before he went for the #noc#out. ferment (v.) to e0cite or agitate %he rall cr was meant to ferment and confuse the opponent. ferret (v.; n.) to force out of hiding; to search for; a small! weasel&li#e mammal %he police will ferret the fugitive out of his hiding place. 1 spent the morning ferreting for m #e s 1 have a pet ferret. fervent (ad+.) passionate; intense %he have a fervent relationship that #eeps them together ever minute of ever da . fervid (ad+.) intensel hot; fervent; impassioned

Her fervid s#in alerted the doctor to her fever. %he fervid sermon of the preacher swa ed his congregation. fervor (n.) passion; intensit of feeling %he crowd was full of fervor as the candidate entered the hall. fester (v.) to become more and more virulent and fi0ed His anger festered until no one could change his mind. fetid (ad+.) having a smell of deca %he fetid smell led us to believe something was deca ing in the basement. fetish (n.) an thing to which one gives e0cessive devotion %he cla figure of a fertilit goddess was a fetish from an ancient civili4ation. fetter (n.) a chain to bind the feet A fetter #ept the dog chained to the fence. fic#le (ad+.) changeable; unpredictable He is (uite fic#le; +ust because he wants something toda does not mean he will want it tomorrow. -ecause the man was fic#le he could not be trusted to ma#e a competent decision. fidelit (n.) faithfulness; honest His fidelit was proven when he turned in the lost mone . figment (n.) something made up in the mind %he unicorn on the hill was a figment of his imagination.

finesse (n.) the abilit to handle situations with s#ill and diplomac %he e0ecutor with the most finesse was chosen to meet with the diplomats. finite (ad+.) measurable; limited; not everlasting 1t was discovered decades ago that the universe is not finite; it has un#nown limits which cannot be measured. %he finite amount of stored food will soon run out. fissure (n.) a cleft or crac# %he earth(ua#e caused a fissure which split the cliff face. flaccid (ad+.) lac#ing firmness %he old dog$s flaccid tail refused to wag. flag (v.) to become wea#; to send a message %he smaller animal flagged before the larger one. flagrant (ad+.) glaringl wrong %he flagrant foul was apparent to ever one. flambo ant (ad+.) being too show or ornate %he flambo ant nature of the couple was evident in their loud clothing. fledgling (n.; ad+.) ine0perienced person; beginner %he fledgling mountain climber needed assistance from the more e0perienced mountaineers. %he course was not recommended for fledgling s#iers.

flinch (v.) wince; drawbac#; retreat %he older brother made his ounger sister flinch when he +o#ingl tried to punch her arm. flippant (ad+.) tal#ative; disrespectful %he oungsters were flippant in the restaurant. %he teacher became upset with the flippant answer from the student. flout (v.) to moc# or +eer ,o not flout an opponent if ou believe in fair pla . fluenc (n.) abilit to write easil and e0pressivel %he child$s fluenc in *panish and 3nglish was remar#able. %he immigrant ac(uired a fluenc in 3nglish after stud ing for onl two months. flu0 (n.) a flow; a continual change 2ith the flu0 of new students into the school! space was limited. foist (v.) to falsel identif as real %he smuggler tried to foist the cut glass as a priceless gem. fora (v.) to raid for spoils! plunder %he soldiers were told not to fora the town. forbearance (n.) patience; self&restraint He e0hibited remar#able forbearance when confronted with the mischievous children.

forensic (ad+.) pertaining to legal or public argument %he forensic s(uad dealt with the legal investigation. formidable (ad+.) something which causes dread or fear %he formidable team caused wea# #nees in the opponents. fortitude (n.) firm courage; strength 1t is necessar to have fortitude to complete the hi#e. fortuitous (ad+.) happening accidentall 5inding the mone under the bush was fortuitous. foster (v.) encourage; nurture; support A good practice routine fosters success. After the severe storm the gardener fostered man of his plants bac# to health. fractious (ad+.) rebellious; apt to (uarrel 5ractious siblings aggravate their parents. fraught (ad+.) loaded; charged %he comment was fraught with sarcasm. frenetic (ad+.) fren4ied A frenetic call was made from the crime scene. fret (v.) to ma#e rough or disturb %he pet will fret the floor if he continues to scratch.

frivolit (ad+.) giddiness; lac# of seriousness %he hard&wor#ing students deserved wee#end gatherings filled with frivolit . froward (ad+.) not willing to ield or compl with what is reasonable %he e0ecutive had to deal with a froward peer who was becoming increasingl difficult. frugalit (n.) thrift; economical use or e0penditure His frugalit limited him to purchasing the item for which he had a coupon. /reparing to save mone to send their daughter to college! the parents practiced e0treme frugalit for several ears. fulminate (v.) to blame! denunciate 1t is impolite to fulminate someone for our mista#es. *enator *ha fulminated against her opponent$s double&standard on campaign finance reform. fulsome (ad+.) disgusting due to e0cess %he man became obese when he indulged in fulsome eating. fundamental (ad+.) basic; necessar *helter is one of the fundamental needs of human e0istence. furtive (ad+.) secretive; sl %he detective had much difficult finding the furtive criminal. fustian (n.) pompous tal# or writing %he fustian b the professor made him appear arrogant.

futile (ad+.) worthless; unprofitable 1t was a futile decision to invest in that compan since the never made an mone . gaffe (n.) a blunder 7alling the woman b the wrong name was a huge gaffe. gainsa (v.) to spea# against; to contradict; to den 2ith *enator -ow#er the onl one to gainsa it! the bill passed overwhelmingl . galvani4e (v.) to stimulate as if b electric shoc#; startle; e0cite %he pep rall will galvani4e the team. gamut (n.) a complete range; an complete musical scale %he woman$s wardrobe runs the gamut from +eans to suits. His first composition covered the entire gamut of the ma+or scale. garbled (ad+.) mi0ed up; distorted or confused %he interference on the phone line caused the data to become garbled on the computer screen. garish (ad+.) gaud ! show %he gold fi0tures seemed garish. garner (v.) to gather up and store; to collect %he s(uirrels garnered nuts for the winter. garrulous (ad+.) e0tremel tal#ative or word

No one wanted to spea# with the garrulous man for fear of being stuc# in a long! one&sided conversation. gauche (ad+.) aw#ward; lac#ing social grace )nfortunatel ! the girl was too gauche to fit into high societ . gauntlet (n.) a protective glove %he gauntlet saved the man$s hand from being burned in the fire. generic (ad+.) common; general; universal 2hile generic drugs are often a better value! it alwa s a good idea to consult our doctor before purchasing them. genial (ad+.) contributing to life; amiable 8e 2est$s genial climate is among its man attractive aspects. Her genial personalit made her a favorite part guest. genre (ad+.) designating a t pe of film or boo# %he genre of the boo# is historical fiction. germane (ad+.) pertinent; related; to the point Her essa contained germane information! relevant to the new 7onstitutional amendment. gerr mander (v.) to gain advantage b manipulating unfairl %o gerr mander during negotiations is considered unfair. gibber (v.) to rapidl spea# unintelligibl

%he did not want him to represent their position in front of the committee since he was prone to gibbering when spea#ing in front of an audience. glib (ad+.) smooth and slipper ; spea#ing or spo#en in a smooth manner %he salesman was so glib that the customers failed to notice the defects in the stereo. gloat (v.) brag; glor over *he gloated over the fact that she received the highest score on the e0am! anno ing her classmates to no end. glutton (n.) overeater %he glutton ate 9< hot dogs gnarled (ad+.) full of #nots; twisted %he raven perched in the gnarled branches of the ancient tree. goad (n.; v.) a driving impulse; to push into action His goad urged him to pursue the ob+ect of his affection. %hin#ing about mone will goad him into getting a +ob. gourmand (n.) one who eats eagerl A gourmand ma eat several servings of an entree. grandiose (ad+.) magnificent; flambo ant His grandiose idea was to rent a plane to fl to "as Hegas for the night. gravit (n.) seriousness %he gravit of the incident was sufficient to involve the police and the 5-1.

gregarious (ad+.) fond of the compan of others Gregarious people ma find those +obs with human contact more en+o able than +obs that isolate them from the public. guffaw (n.) boisterous laughter A comedian$s success is assured when the audience gives forth a guffaw following his +o#es. guile (n.) sl ness; deceit - using his guile! the gambler almost alwa s won at the card table. guise (n.) appearance %he undercover detective! under the guise of friendship! offered to help the drug runner ma#e a connection. gullible (ad+.) easil fooled Gullible people are vulnerable to practical +o#es. hac#ne ed (ad+.) commonplace; trite 'ust when ou thought nec#ties were becoming a hac#ne ed gift item! along comes the Grateful ,ead collection. Have a nice da has become something of a hac#ne ed e0pression. haggard (ad+.) untamed; having a worn loo# %he lawn in front of the abandoned house added to its haggard loo#. He loo#ed as haggard as ou would e0pect a new father of (uadruplets to loo#. 'ust b loo#ing at her haggard features! ou can tell she has not slept for man hours.

halc on (ad+.) tran(uil; happ %he old man fondl remembered his halc on da s growing up on the farm. hamper (v.) interfere with; hinder %he roadbloc# hampered their progress! but the #new a shortcut. hapha4ard (ad+.) disorgani4ed; random He constantl misplaced important documents because of his hapha4ard wa of running his office. hapless (ad+.) unluc# ; unfortunate %he hapless team could not win a game. harangue (n; v.) a length ! heartfelt speech; to tal# or write e0citedl 2e sat patientl and listened to her harangue. 2hen he finall stopped his haranguing! 1 responded calml . harbor (n.; v.) a place of safet or shelter; to give shelter or to protect. 2e stood at the doc# as the ship sailed into the harbor. %he peasants were e0ecuted for harboring #nown rebels. %he rabbits used the shed as a harbor from the raging storm. Her decision to harbor a #nown criminal was an unwise one. harmonious (ad+.) having proportionate and orderl parts %he challenge for the new conductor was to mold his musicians$ talents into a harmonious orchestra. haught (ad+.) proud of oneself and scornful of others

%he haught wa s she displa ed her wor# turned off her peers. %he haught girl displa ed her wor# as if she were the most pri4ed artist. hedonistic (ad+.) living for pleasure %he group was #nown for its hedonistic rituals. Hot tubs! good food! and a plethora of leisure time were the hallmar#s of this hedonistic societ . heed (v.) obe ; ield to 1f the peasant heeds the #ing$s commands! she will be able to #eep her land. heft (ad+.) heav or powerful %he unabridged dictionar ma#es for a heft boo#. heres (n.) opinion contrar to popular belief 1n this town it is considered heres to want par#ing spaces to have meters. heretic (n.) one who holds opinion contrar to that which is generall accepted -ecause he believed the world was round! man people considered 7olumbus to be a heretic. hiatus (n.) interval; brea#; period of rest *ummer vacation provided a much&needed hiatus for the students. -etween graduation and the first da of his new +ob! %im too# a three&month hiatus in the 7aribbean. hierarch (n.) a s stem of persons or things arranged according to ran# 1 was put at the bottom of the hierarch while 'ane was put at the top.

hoar (ad+.) whitened b age %he paint had a hoar appearance! as if it were applied decades ago. homage (n.) honor; respect %he police officers paid homage to their fallen colleague with a ceremon that celebrated her life. homeostasis (n.) maintenance of stabilit 8nowing the seriousness of the operation! the surgeons were concerned about restoring the patient to homeostasis. homil (n.) solemn moral tal#; sermon %he preacher gave a moving homil to the gathered crowd. hone (n.; v.) something used to sharpen; to sharpen; to long or earn for He ran the #nife over the hone for hours to get a ra4or&sharp edge. %he apprenticeship will give her the opportunit to hone her s#ills. %he traveler hones for his homeland. hubris (n.) arrogance *ome thin# it was hubris that brought the president to the point of impeachment. humilit (n.) lac# of pride; modest 5ull of humilit ! she accepted the award but gave all the credit to her mentor. h brid (n.) an thing of mi0ed origin %he flower was a h brid of three different flowers.

h perbole (n.) an e0aggeration! not to be ta#en seriousl %he full moon was almost blinding in its brightness! he said with a measure of h perbole. h pocritical (ad+.) two&faced; deceptive His constituents believed that the governor was h pocritical for calling for a moratorium on 6negative6 campaigning while continuing to air some of the most vicious ads ever produced against his opponent. Most of his constituents believed the governor was h pocritical for calling his opponent a 6mud&slinging hac#6 when his own campaign had slung more than its share of dirt. h pothetical (ad+.) assumed; uncertain; con+ectural A h pothetical situation was set up so we could practice our responses. %he professor was good at using h pothetical situations to illustrate complicated theories. iconoclast (n.) one who smashes revered images; an attac#er of cherished beliefs Niet4che$s attac#s on government! religion! and custom made him an iconoclast of grand dimension. %he iconoclast spo#e against the traditions of the holida . ideolog (n.) speculation; representative wa of thin#ing His ideolog proved to be fault . %he ideolog of business can be found in the new boo#. He +oined the religious group because he agreed with their ideolog . idios ncras (n.) an personal peculiarit ! mannerism Her tendenc to bite her lip is an idios ncras .

id ll (n.) a written piece of wor# describing a peaceful rural scene .eading the id ll made me thin# of the famil farm. igneous (ad+.) having the nature of fire; volcanic 2hen the sun shone upon it! the material too# on an igneous (ualit . ignoble (ad+.) ordinar ; dishonorable; %he #ing was adamant about #eeping his son from wedding an ignoble serf. 7onsciousl l ing to someone is ignoble. 1t was ignoble to disgrace the famil in front of all of the townspeople. ignominious (ad+.) contemptible; disgraced; degrading %he behavior was so ignominious he was ashamed to be associated with it. *he left him because of his ignominious treatment of her. illuminate (v.) ma#e understandable 1 as#ed a classmate to illuminate the professor$s far&ranging lecture for me. illusive (ad+.) deceiving! misleading 1t was as illusive as a mirage. illusor (ad+.) unreal; false; deceptive He was proven guilt when his alibi was found to be illusor . imbue (v.) to soa# or stain; permeate %he wound will imbue the shirt in blood. %he new da imbued him with a sense of optimism.

immaculate (ad+.) perfectl clean; correct; pure An immaculate house is free of dust or clutter. imminent (ad+.) li#el to happen without dela %he storm clouds warned of the imminent downpour. immune (ad+.) e0empt from or protected against something ,oesn$t ever bod wish to be immune from the common coldC immutable (ad+.) unchangeable; permanent %he ties that bind alumni to their universit are immutable . %he man$s immutable schedule soon became boring. impale (v.) pierce through with! or stic# on; something pointed %he #night was impaled b the sharp lance. impartial (ad+.) unbiased; fair 30asperated b charges to the contrar ! the +udge reiterated that he had bent over bac#wards to be impartial in a case that crac#led with emotion. impasse (n.) a situation that has no solution or escape %he wor#ers and administration were at an impasse in their negotiations. impassive (ad+.) showing no emotion 3ven when his father died he gave an impassive response and wal#ed out tearless. Her e0pected announcement was met b an impassive facial e0pression.

impecunious (ad+.) poor; having no mone %he Great ,epression made famil after famil impecunious. impede (v.) to stop the progress of; obstruct %he rain impeded the wor# on the building. impenitent (ad+.) without regret! shame! or remorse 1t was obvious after his impenitent remar# to the press that the defendant felt no remorse for his crime. imperious (ad+.) arrogant; urgent Her imperious manner cost her her two best friends. 1t was imperious that the message reach the police chief. imperturbable (ad+.) calm; not easil e0cited %he imperturbable 2est /oint graduate made a fine negotiator. impervious (ad+.) impenetrable; not allowing an thing to pass through; unaffected %he vest that the policeman wears is impervious to bullets. %he child was impervious to the actions of the adult. impetuous (ad+.) moving with great force; done with little thought %he impetuous movement too# the art communit b storm. %he impetuous teenager spent her mone without considering what she needed the new purchase for. ,agmar came to regret his impetuous actions! once he reali4ed what he$d done. %he pirate$s men boarded the ship with impetuous matter&of&factness. impiet (n.) irreverence toward God; lac# of respect

%he bishop condemned the impiet of the celebrit $s assertions. 1mpiet is evident in the wa man people commit rude actions. implacable (ad+.) unwilling to be pacified or appeased %he bab was so implacable a warm bottle would not settle her. %he two ear old was an implacable child; he cried no matter what his parents did to comfort him. implement (v.; n.) to carr into effect; something used in a given activit 1n case of emergenc implement the evacuation plan immediatel . %he rac# is an implement of torture. implication (n.) suggestion; inference An implication was made that there might be tric#er involved. implicit (ad+.) understood but not plainl stated; without doubt %he child$s anger was implicit. 1mplicit trust must be earned. impolitic (ad+.) unwise; imprudent 1f ou are planning to invest our mone ! impolitic decisions ma be costl . imprecate (v.) to pra for evil; to invo#e a curse A witch ma imprecate an enem with a curse of bad luc#. impromptu (ad+.) without preparation Her impromptu speech was well&received! giving her new confidence in her abilit to spea# off the cuff.

improvident (ad+.) not providing for the future An improvident person ma end up destitute in latter life. impudent (ad+.) disrespectful and shameless 1mpudent actions caused him to be unpopular. impugn (v.) to attac# with words; to (uestion the truthfulness or integrit %he defense law er impugned the witness$s testimon ! which set bac# the prosecution$s case. 1f 1 believe the man is a fraud 1 will impugn his comments. imputation (n.) to charge! to attribute a fault or misconduct to another %he imputation of guilt was made b the +udge. inadvertent (ad+.) not on purpose; unintentional 1t was an inadvertent error! to be sure! but nonetheless a mista#e that re(uired correction. inanimate (ad+.) to be dull or spiritless; not animated! not endowed with life %he bo nagged his father for a real pupp ! not some inanimate stuffed animal. inarticulate (ad+.) speechless; unable to spea# clearl He was so inarticulate that he had trouble ma#ing himself understood. inaudible (ad+.) not able to be heard %he signals were inaudible when the fans began to cheer. incessant (ad+.) constant and unending

%he mother gave in to the child after her incessant cr ing. 1ncessant rain caused the river to flood over its ban#s. inchoate (ad+.) not et full formed; rudimentar %he inchoate building appeared as if it would be a fast&food restaurant. %he outline of the thesis was the inchoate form of a ver comple0 theor . incidental (ad+.) e0traneous; une0pected %he defense law er argued that the whereabouts of the defendant$s snea#ers were onl incidental to the commission of the crime. incisive (ad+.) getting to the heart of things; to the point His incisive (uestioning helped settle the matter (uic#l . inclined (ad+.) apt to; li#el ; angled %he man$s ear for music indicated he was inclined toward learning an instrument. %he hillside was inclined +ust enough to ma#e for a fairl serious climb. incognito (ad+.) unidentified; disguised; concealed %he federal 2itness /rotection /rogram ma#es its charges permanentl incognito. incoherent (ad+.) illogical; rambling; dis+ointed 5ollowing the accident! the woman went into shoc# and became incoherent as medics struggled to understand her. incommodious (ad+.) inconvenient %he incommodious illness caused her to miss an important interview. incompatible (ad+.) disagreeing; disharmonious not compatible

-eing incompatible with each other! children were assigned to sit on opposite sides of the room. incompetence (n.) failing to meet necessar re(uirements %he alleged incompetence of the construction crew would later become the sub+ect of a class&action suit. inconclusive (ad+.) not final or of a definite result %he results being inconclusive! the doctors continued to loo# for a cause of the illness. incorporeal (ad+.) not consisting of matter %he apparition appeared to be incorporeal. incorrigible (ad+.) not capable of correction or improvement %he mischievous bo was an incorrigible practical +o#er. incredulous (ad+.) s#eptical %he incredulous loo# on his face led me to believe he was not convinced of its importance. %he reporter was incredulous on hearing the computer e0ecutive$s )5O account. inculcate (v.) to impress upon the mind! as b insistent urging 1 will inculcate the directions if people are unsure of them. incursion (n.) an entr into! especiall when not desired %he incursion b enem forces left the countr shoc#ed.

indecipherable (ad+.) illegible %he scribbling on the paper is indecipherable. indelible (ad+.) that which cannot be blotted out or erased %he photograph of Neil Armstrong setting foot on the moon made an indelible impression on all who saw it. indemnif (v.) to insure against or pa for loss or damage 1t is important to indemnif our valuables with a reliable insurance compan . indict (v.) charge with a crime %he grand +ur indicted her and her husband for embe44lement and si0 other lesser counts. indifferent (ad+.) unconcerned %here he la ! indifferent to all the e0citement around him. indigence (n.) the condition of being poor %he famil $s indigence was evident b the run&down house the lived in. indigenous (ad+.) native to a region; inborn or innate %hese plants are indigenous to all of the western states. /iranha are indigenous to the tropics. indignant (ad+.) e0pressing anger to an in+ustice He was indignant over the wa he was treated. indolent (ad+.) la4 ; inactive

1f we find him goofing off one more time! we won$t be able to escape the fact that he$s indolent. An indolent student slept all da . indomitable (ad+.) not easil discouraged or defeated %he underdog candidate had an indomitable spirit. indubitabl (ad+.) un(uestionabl ; surel %he officer was best indubitabl the candidate for captain. indulgent (ad+.) lenient; patient; permissive He has indulgent tendencies to eat chocolate when he is happ . ineluctable (ad+.) something inevitable %he were prepared for the ineluctable disaster. inept (ad+.) incompetent; clums *he would rather update the budget boo# herself! since her assistant is so inept. inert (ad+.) not reacting chemicall ; inactive 1nert gases li#e #r pton and argon can enhance window insulation. inevitable (ad+.) sure to happen; unavoidable A confrontation between the disagreeing neighbors seemed inevitable. infamous (ad+.) having a bad reputation; notorious After producing machines that developed man problems! the production compan became infamous for poor manufacturing. %he infamous gang was #nown for robber .

infam (n.) a bad reputation %he town had onl ;I residents! so all it too# was one bad apple to bring infam on the whole place. infer (v.) form an opinion; conclude 5rom the broad outline he supplied it was eas to infer that the applicant #new a great deal about trains. ingenious (ad+.) clever! resourceful His ingenious idea made it possible to double production at no e0tra cost. ingenue (n.) an unworldl oung woman As an ingenue! 7or# had no e0perience outside of her small town. ingenuous (ad+.) noble; honorable; candid; also naive! simple! artless! without guile %he ingenuous doctor had a great bedside manner! especiall when it came to la ing out the full implications of an illness. ingratiate (v.) to bring into one$s good graces %he man was hoping to ingratiate himself with his wife b bu ing a bou(uet of flowers and cand . ingratitude (n.) ungratefulness 2hen she failed to send a than#& ou card! her friend too# it as a sign of ingratitude . inherent (ad+.) part of the essential character; intrinsic A constant smile is inherent in pageant competitors. %he inherent desire to do well is present throughout the famil .

inimical (ad+.) hostile! unfriendl %he chess pla er directed an inimical stare at his opponent to #noc# him off his game. ini(uitous (ad+.) wic#ed; un+ust %he verbal abuse towards the man was trul ini(uitous. initiate (v.; n.) begin; admit into a group; a person who is in the process of being admitted into a group He initiated the dinner discussion b as#ing his father to borrow the car. As an initiate to the 30plorers! George was e0pected to have a taste for the outdoor life. innate (ad+.) natural; inborn Her talent is wondrousD it hardl matters whether it$s innate or ac(uired. A lion$s hunting s#ills are innate. innocuous (ad+.) harmless; dull; innocent %he remar# was rude but innocuous. He couldn$t bear to sit through another innocuous lecture. %he teens engaged in an innocuous game of touch football. innovate (v.) introduce a change; depart from the old *he innovated a new product for the home construction mar#et. innuendo (n.) an indirect remar#; insinuation %he student made an innuendo referring to the professor. %he office was rife with innuendo that a ta#eover was in the wor#s.

in(uisitive (ad+.) eager to as# (uestions in order to learn An in(uisitive oungster is li#el to become a wise adult. insinuate (v.) to wor# into graduall and indirectl He will insinuate his need for a vacation b sa ing how tired he has been latel . insipid (ad+.) uninteresting! boring flat! dull Man people left the insipid movie before it was finished. ,eclaring the offerings insipid! the critic grudgingl awarded the restaurant one star. insolvent (ad+.) unable to pa debts %he insolvent state of his ban# account #ept him from writing an chec#s. instigate (v.) start; provo#e 1t was uncertain to the police as to which part instigated the riot. insubordinate (ad+.) disobedient to authorit %he bo $s insubordinate behavior was a constant source of tension between the school and his parents. insular (ad+.) having the characteristics of an island; narrow&minded! provincial After wal#ing along the entire perimeter and seeing that the spit of land was actuall insular! we reali4ed it was time to build a boat. His insular approach to education ma#es him a pariah among liberals. insularit (n.) having the characteristics of an island %he insularit of the countr made it a great place to build a resort.

intangible (ad+.) incapable of being touched; immaterial 1ntangible though it ma be! sometimes +ust #nowing that the wor# ou do helps others is reward enough. intercede (v.) to plead on behalf of another; mediate %he superpowers were called on to intercede in the tal#s between the two warring nations. intermittent (ad+.) periodic; occasional "uc#il ! the snow was onl intermittent! so the accumulation was slight. %he intermittent blin#ing light was distracting. intractable (ad+.) stubborn! obstinate; not easil taught or disciplined 3ver teacher in the school became frustrated with the intractable student and sent him to the principal$s office. An intractable pet can be ver frustrating.. intransigent (ad+.) uncompromising 2ith intransigent values! no amount of arguing could change her mind. %he baseball owners and pla ers remained intransigent! so a deal was never struc#. intrepid (ad+.) fearless! bold %he intrepid photographer flew on some of the fiercest bombing raids of the war. Her intrepid actions deserved a medal. inundate (v.) to flood; to overwhelm with a large amount of %he bro#en water main inundated the business district with water. *urfing the 1nternet can inundate ou with informationD %hat$s wh a web browser comes in hand .

inured (ad+.) accustomed to pain -ee#eepers eventuall become inured to bee stings. inveterate (ad+.) a practice settled on over a long period of time %he inveterate induction ceremon bespo#e one of the school$s great traditions. invo#e (v.) as# for; call upon %he parishioners invo#ed divine help for their troubles. iota (n.) a ver small piece %here wasn$t one iota of evidence to suggest a conspirac . irascible (ad+.) prone to anger %he irascible teenager was #nown to cause fights when upset. 8nowing that the #ing was irascible! the servants decided not to tell him about the bro#en cr stal. ironic (ad+.) contradictor ! inconsistent; sarcastic 1s it not ironic that Americans will toss out leftover 5rench fries while people around the globe continue to starveC irrational (ad+.) not logical 1t would be irrational to climb Mt. 3verest without some ver warm clothing. irreparable (ad+.) that which cannot be repaired or regained %he damage to the house after the flood was irreparable. %he head&on collision left the car irreparable.

irreproachable (ad+.) without blame or faults %he honest of the priest made him irreproachable. itinerar (n.) travel plan; schedule; course %heir trip$s itinerar was disrupted b an une0pected snow storm. +aded (ad+.) worn&out A person ma become +aded if forced to wor# too man hours. +argon (n.) incoherent speech; speciali4ed vocabular in certain fields %he conversation was nothing but +argon! but then the spea#ers were nothing but cartoon characters who speciali4e in an oddl bracing form of gibberish. %he engineers$ +argon is indecipherable to a la person. +eopard (n.) danger; peril %he campers reali4ed the were in potential +eopard when the bears surrounded their camp. +ester (n.) a person emplo ed to amuse %he +ester tried all of his tric#s to get the girl to laugh. +ettison (v.) to throw overboard goods to lighten a vehicle; to discard %o raise the balloon above the storm clouds! the had to +ettison the ballast. +ocund (ad+.) happ ! cheerful! genial! ga %he pupp #ept a smile on the +ocund bo $s face. %he +ocund atmosphere was due to the team$s victor in the pla offs.

+ollit (n.) being fun or +oll %he +ollit of the crowd was seen in the cheering and laughing. +ovial (ad+.) cheer ; +oll ; pla ful *he was a +ovial person! alwa s pleasant and fun to be with. +udicious (ad+.) to have or show sound +udgment -ecause the elder was +udicious! the tough decisions were left to him. /utting mone awa for a rain da is a +udicious decision. +uncture (n.) critical point; meeting 2hen the gas changed into a li(uid! the sensed that the $d come to a critical +uncture in their e0perimentation. +u0tapose (v.) place side&b &side %he author decided to +u0tapose the two sentences since the each strengthened the meaning of the other. #en (v.; n.) to recogni4e; one$s understanding 1t was difficult to #en e0actl what she had in mind. M #en of the situation proved to be incorrect. #indle (v.) ignite; arouse -eing around children #indled her interest in educational ps cholog . #inship (n.) famil relationship; affinit "iving in close pro0imit increased the #inship of the famil .

#ith (n.) relatives and ac(uaintances Our #ith will meet at the famil reunion. #naver (n.) a dishonest act An act of #naver is cause for loss of trust. %he teacher refused to have #naver in his classroom. #nead (v.) mi0; massage After mi0ing the ingredients! the #neaded the dough and set it aside to rise. #nott (ad+.) to be pu44ling or hard to e0plain %he m ster was #nott . lab rinth (n.) ma4e -e careful not to get lost in the lab rinth of vegetation. lacerate (v.) to tear or mangle; to wound or hurt *harp #nives ma lacerate the s#in of an unsuspecting user. Her re+ection will lacerate m self&esteem. laconic (ad+.) sparing of words; terse! pith After a laconic introduction the program began. %he people en+o ed the public addresses of the laconic (ueen. laggard (n.; ad+.) a person who has fallen behind; moving slowl %he laggard child was lost in the crowd. %he train was laggard. An thing can happen in a swim meetD "ast ear$s leader can become this ear$s laggard.

lambaste (v.) to scold or beat harshl 1f the bo bro#e the lamp his father will surel lambaste him. lambent (ad+.) traveling gentl over surface; flic#ering %he lambent flame lit the dar# room as the bree4e wafted in. lament (v.; n.) to mourn or grieve; e0pression of grief or sorrow %he bo is lamenting the loss of his pet. /edro$s onl lament was that his wife didn$t outlive him. languid (ad+.) lac#ing vitalit ; indifferent %he languid student was alwa s late to class. 1 have studied so much that 1 have grown languid to the sub+ect. ,uring her illness she was so languid she could not leave her bed. larcen (n.) theft; stealing After robbing the li(uor store! she was found guilt of larcen . lascivious (ad+.) indecent; immoral; involves lust He said it was a harmless pin&up poster! but his mother called it lascivious. 8nown as a s#irt&chaser! his lascivious wa s seemed to all but preclude a stable marriage. lassitude (n.) a state of being tired or listless "assitude was evident in the nurses who had been wor#ing for <: hours straight. %en da s of continual wor# caused a feeling of lassitude for the wor#er. latenc (n.) a period of inactivit

1ts latenc was small solace for the girl who feared that the cancer would re& emerge fiercer than ever. laud (v.) praise He lauded his daughter for winning the troph . la0 (ad+.) careless; irresponsible *he was la0 in ever thing she did and therefore could not be trusted with important tas#s. lecherous (ad+.) impure in thought and act %he lecherous Humbert Humbert is Nabo#ov$s protagonist in "olita! a novel that spar#ed great controvers because of Humbert$s romantic attachment to a oung girl. %he lecherous man lur#ed on the corner. lethargic (ad+.) la4 ; passive 5eeling ver lethargic! he watched television or slept the whole da . levee (n.) a landing on the edge of a river or field %he swimmer came ashore on the levee. levit (n.) lac# of seriousness; instabilit %he levit with which he faced the destruction hampered the rescue effort. "evit characteri4ed the first months of his administration. "evit is a necessar trait for a comedian. lewd (ad+.) lustful; wic#ed %he comment was so lewd it could not be repeated in front of children.

liaison (n.) connection; lin# %he student council served as a liaison between the facult and the student bod . liberalism (n.) believing in personal freedom (favoring reform or progress) 1f ou believe in liberalism! the 5irst Amendment is sacrosanct. libertine (n.) one who indulges his desires without restraint 5or the libertine! missing his child$s birthda was not as significant as missing a football game. licentious (ad+.) morall lac#ing in restraint %he people of *odom and Gomorra were #nown for their licentious lifest le. ligneous (ad+.) having the composition of wood %he ligneous material appeared to be pure maple. limber (ad+.) fle0ible; pliant %he dancers must be limber to do their ballet steps. lithe (ad+.) easil bent; pliable; supple 1t is best to use a lithe material when constructing a curved ob+ect. A g mnast needs to be lithe in order to do a split. litigate (v.) to involve a lawsuit A number of the state attorne s&general are litigating against the tobacco companies. livid (ad+.) discolored! as if bruised; e0tremel angr ; furious

After the fall! her arm was livid. *he became livid when she heard the news. 2hen she found out she had been robbed! the woman was livid. loiter (v.) to spend time aimlessl Man teenagers loiter around the mall when there is nothing else to do. lo(uacious (ad+.) ver tal#ative; garrulous *he was having difficult ending the conversation with her lo(uacious neighbor. %he staff #new the meeting would be long because the administrator was in a lo(uacious mood. lucent (ad+.) shining; translucent %he flowing garment gave the woman a lucent (ualit when standing in the spotlight. lucid (ad+.) shin ; clear minded He chose a shimmering! lucid fabric for his curtains. 2hen lucid! the man spo#e of vivid memories. lucrative (ad+.) profitable; gainful *he entered the pharmaceutical industr in the belief that it would be lucrative.
brJ (ad+.) full of sorrow; mournful %he man$s lugubrious heart #ept him from en+o ing the special occasion.

luminous (ad+.) emitting light; shining; also enlightened or intelligent %he luminous (ualit of the precious stone made it loo# li#e a fallen star. %he found their wa through the dar#ness b heading toward the luminous ob+ect in the distance.

lunge (v.) to move suddenl %he owl will lunge at its pre in order to ta#e it off guard. lurid (ad+.) glowing through ha4e; shoc#ing! sensational A lurid sun shone upon them as the watched the sun set on the beach. %he tabloid speciali4ed in lurid stories about celebrities$ indiscretions. lustrous (ad+.) bright; radiant; shining *urrounded b rubies! the lustrous diamond loo#ed magnificent. lu0uriant (ad+.) to grow with energ and in great abundance %he lu0uriant flowers grew in ever available space. macerate (v.) to soften b steeping in li(uid 1t was necessar to macerate the food before the elderl man could eat it. %he placed her foot in the solvent to macerate the cement she had stepped in. maculate (ad+.; v.) spotted! blotched; hence defiled! impure (oppositeD immaculate); to stain! spot! defile %he maculate rug could not be cleaned. Grape +uice maculated the carpet. magnanimit (n.; ad+.) a (ualit of nobleness of mind! disdain of meanness or revenge; forgiving; unselfish -eing full of magnanimit he as#ed the thief onl for an apolog and set him free. %he magnanimous store owner did not press charges once an apolog was given. %he magnanimit of the professor overcame the rage of the student. malediction (n.) putting a curse on someone; tal#ing negativel about another

2ith the threat of a malediction! the man left the fortuneteller$s house. Never having a nice word to sa about an one! her conversations are full of malediction. malefactor (n.) an evil person %he malefactor ordered ever one to wor# over the holida s. %he prison contains malefactors of all ages. malevolent (ad+.) wishing evil (oppositeD benevolent) %he man threatened his opponent with threats and malevolent words. *he had malevolent feelings toward her sister. malicious (ad+.) spiteful; vindictive %he malicious emplo ee slashed her tires for revenge. malign (v.; ad+.) to spea# evil of; having an evil disposition toward others (oppositeD benign) 1n her statement to the +udge she maligned her soon&to&be e0&husband. *he had such a malign personalit that no one even tried to approach her! mostl out of fear. malinger (v.) to pretend to be ill in order to escape wor# He will malinger on 5rida so he can go to the movies. %he soldier will malinger to avoid fighting. malleable (ad+.) eas to shape or bend; pliable %he malleable material was formed into a ) shape. %he sculptor uses malleable substances to create comple0 masterpieces. mandate (n.) order; charge

%he new manager wrote a mandate declaring that smo#ing was now prohibited in the office. manifest (v.; ad+.) to show clearl ; to appear; obvious! clear %he image should manifest itself as the building when the fog lifts. 2hen the missing document suddenl manifested! the search for the person that buried it began. America$s manifest destin was to ac(uire all of the land between the /acific and Atlantic Oceans. mar (v.) damage %he statue was marred b the ravages of time. marauder (n.) plunderer or raider %he marauder had been traveling for two months searching for the large stash. materialism (n.) the belief that ever thing in the universe is e0plained in terms of matter; the belief that worldl possessions are the be&all and end&all in life *piritualists will tell ou that materialism is onl half the stor . *ome said that the prince$s profligac gave materialism a bad name. maudlin (ad+.) foolishl and tearfull sentimental %he maudlin affair consisted of three speeches in honor of the benefactor. maveric# (n.) a person who does not conform to the norm %he maveric# drove a large truc# as others were purchasing compact cars. meander (v.; ad+.) wind! wander; winding! wandering aimlessl %he stream meanders through the valle .

-ecause we too# a long! meandering wal#! we arrived home well after dar#. %he meandered through the woods for the afternoon. melanchol (n.) depression; gloom %he funeral parlor was filled with the melanchol of mourning. mellifluous (ad+.) having a sweet sound %he flute had a beautifull mellifluous sound. melodious (ad+.) pleasing to hear %he melodious sounds of the band attracted man onloo#ers. menagerie (n.) a place to #eep or a collection of wild or strange animals "ittle . an couldn$t wait to visit the 4oo to see the menagerie of wild boars. mendacious (ad+.) not truthful; l ing %he couple was swindled out of their life$s savings b the mendacious con men. mentor (n.) teacher; wise and faithful advisor Alan consulted his mentor when he needed critical advice. mercenar (ad+.; n.) wor#ing or done for pa ment onl ; hired (soldier) "ila was suspicious that 'oe had +umped at the chance onl for mercenar reasons. A mercenar was hired for a hundred dollars a month! good mone in those da s even if ou had to fight a war to get it. mercurial (ad+.) (uic#! changeable! fic#le %he mercurial outh changed outfits si0 times before deciding what to wear.

meretricious (ad+.) deceptive beaut & alluring b attractive appearance A cubic 4irconia is a meretricious wa of impressing others. mesmeri4e (v.) h pnoti4e %he swa ing motion of the swing mesmeri4ed the bab into a deep sleep. metamorphosis (n.) change of form A metamorphosis caused the caterpillar to become a beautiful butterfl . meticulous (ad+.) e0acting; precise %he lab technicians must be meticulous in their measurements to obtain e0act results. mettle (n.) spirit! courage! ardor He proved he had the mettle to ma#e it through basic training. mien (n.) appearance! being or manner Her mien was t picall one of distress! especiall after the mishap. mimicr (n.) imitation %he comedian$s mimicr of the president$s gestures had the audience rolling in the aisles. minator (ad+.) threatening %he minator stance of the dog warned the thief of an attac#. minute (ad+.) e0tremel small! tin

-eing on a sodium&restricted diet! he uses onl a minute amount of salt in his dishes. mire (v.) to cause to get stuc# in wet! sogg ground %he car became mired in the mud. misanthrope (n.) a person who distrusts ever thing; a hater of man#ind After the man swindled all of the woman$s savings! she became a misanthrope. %he misanthrope lived alone in the forest. miscreant (ad+.; n.) evil; an evil person; villain Her miscreant actions shoc#ed and surprised her famil . %he miscreant thought nothing of ta#ing others$ mone and belongings. miser (n.) penn pincher! sting person %he miser made no donations and loved counting his mone ever night. mite (n.) a ver small sum of mone ; ver small creature %he mite the pa me is hardl worth the aggravation. %he baseball team was made up of such small children the were nic#named the 6Mites6. mitigate (v.) alleviate; lessen; soothe *he tried to mitigate the loss of his pet b bu ing him a #itten. %he law er will attempt to mitigate the sentence probation. modulate (v.) to regulate or ad+ust; to var the pitch He modulated the color #nob on the television set until the picture was perfect. A trained singer #nows how to modulate her voice to the desired pitches.

mollif (v.) to soften; to ma#e less intense 2e used our hands to mollif the sound of our giggling. molten (ad+.) melted *teel becomes molten after heating it to thousands of degrees. moot (ad+.) sub+ect to or open for discussion or debate %he discussion of e0tending the girl$s curfew was a moot point. mordant (ad+.) cutting; sarcastic Her mordant remar# made me feel un(ualified and useless. morose (ad+.) mood ! despondent He was ver morose over the death of his pet. After the team lost the fans were morose. motif (n.) theme Although the college students lived in Alas#a! the decided on a tropical motif for their dorm room. %he decorations include a rose motif. motilit (n.) spontaneous motion %he motilit of the car caused the driver to lunge for the bra#e. mundane (ad+.) ordinar ; commonplace %he small town was ver mundane. Going food shopping soon became mundane! losing all of its e0citement.

munificent (ad+.) giving generousl %he civic group made a munificent donation to the homeless shelter. muse (v.) to thin# or spea# meditativel 1 e0pect 1$ll have to muse on that (uestion for a while. m riad (n.) a large number -u ing an old house often necessitates fi0ing a m riad of problems. Ga4ing up on the clear! dar# midnight s# ! the astronomer saw a m riad of stars. narcissistic (ad+.) egotistical; self&centered; self&love! e0cessive interest in ones appearance! comfort! abilities! etc. %he narcissistic actor was difficult to get along with. nascent (ad+.) starting to grow or develop %he nascent rage of in&line s#ating began on the 2est 7oast. nautical (ad+.) of the sea; having to do with sailors! ships! or navigation %he coastal New 3ngland town had a charming nautical influence. nebulous (ad+.) unclear or vague %he ten page directions were a collection of nebulous words and figures. nefarious (ad+.) morall bad; wic#ed %he nefarious criminal was the scourge of the local police force. nefariousness (ad+.) being villainous or wic#ed %he nefariousness of the ruler was apparent when he hoarded all of the food.

negligence (n.) carelessness Negligence contributed to the accidentD *he was traveling too fast for the ic conditions. nemesis (n.) a person who inflicts +ust punishment; retribution; a rival %he criminal was #illed b his nemesis! the brother of the man he murdered. %he football team pla s its nemesis on *aturda . neologism (n.) giving a new meaning to an old word -ad is a neologism for good. neoph te (n.) beginner; newcomer 7ritics applauded the neoph te$s success and speculated how much better he would get with age and e0perience. %he neoph te dancer was overcome b the fast tempo and e0otic rh thms. nettle (v.) anno ; irritate %he ounger brother nettled his older sister until she slapped him. %he bo will nettle the father into agreeing. neutral (ad+.) impartial; unbiased %he mother remained neutral regarding the argument between her two children. ne0us (n.) a connection %he ne0us between the shuttle and the space station was successful. noisome (ad+.) harmful to health; having a foul odor %he noisome food was the cause of their illness. %he famil was forced from the home b a noisome odor.

nostalgic (ad+.) longing for the past; filled with bittersweet memories *he loved her new life! but became nostalgic when she met with her old friends. nostrum (n.) a (uestionable remed for difficulties %he doctor$s prescription was so unusual that it could be seen as a nostrum. %he nostrum of pine leaves and water did not seem to cure the illness. notorious (ad+.) infamous; renowned; having an unfavorable connotation ,iscovering that her new neighbor was notorious for thiever ! she decided to purchase an alarm s stem for her home. %he criminal had a notorious reputation. novel (ad+.) new 1t was a novel idea for the roc# group to pla classical music. no0ious (ad+.) harmful to one$s health %he no0ious fumes caused the person to become ill. nugator (ad+.) trifling; futile; insignificant -ecause the problem was nugator it was not addressed immediatel . nullif (v.) cancel; invalidate ,rin#ing alcohol e0cessivel will nullif the positive benefits of eating well and e0ercising dail . oaf (n.) a clums ! dumb person %he waiter has been called an oaf ever since he dropped the tra .

obdurate (ad+.) stubborn %he obdurate child refused to go to school. %he obdurate oungster refused to eat the -russels sprouts. obeisance (n.) a gesture of respect or reverence As an obeisance! the man too# off his hat as the funeral procession drove past him. obfuscate (v.) to dar#en! confuse! bewilder %he lunar eclipse will obfuscate the light of the sun. ob+ective (ad+.; n.) open&minded; impartial; goal 1t$s hard to set aside our biases and be ob+ective. %he law student decided that her primar ob+ective after graduation was to pass the -ar e0amination. ob+urgate (v.) to chide vehementl %he girls disli#ed those bo s who ob+urgated the group. obligator (ad+.) mandator ; necessar ; legall or morall binding 1n order to provide a reliable source of revenue for the government! it is obligator for each citi4en to pa ta0es. obliterate (v.) destro completel /oaching nearl obliterated the world$s whale population. oblo(u (n.) widespread condemnation or abuse; disgrace or infam resulting from this. %he child suffered (uite an oblo(u at the hands of his classmates. "aw ers must face fre(uent oblo(u with their reputation as 6ambulance chasers.6

obscure (ad+.) not easil understood; dar# %he orchestra en+o s performing obscure American wor#s! hoping to bring them to a wider audience. obse(uious (ad+.) servilel attentive; fawning %he man$s attraction to the woman would be obvious if his obse(uious behavior could be noted. %he princess onl seemed to encourage the obse(uious behavior of her court to enhance her own feeling of superiorit . obsolete (ad+.) out of date; pass$ 7omputers have made man formerl manual tas#s obsolete. obstinate (ad+.) stubborn Her father would not allow her to sta out past midnight; she thought he was obstinate because he would not change his mind. obtrude (v.) to force oneself or one$s ideas upon another; to thrust forward; to e+ect %he in(uisitive cowor#er obtrudes into the conversation often. obtuse (ad+.) dull; greater than ;>K but less than 9I>K; slow to understand or perceive %he man was so obtuse! he even made the dog awn. %he te0tboo# problem as#s the reader to solve for the obtuse angle. He$s obtuse when it comes to abstract art. obviate (v.) to ma#e unnecessar %he invention of cars has obviated the use of horse and carriage. A cure for the common cold would obviate the need for shelf after shelf of cold remedies.

occult (ad+.) hidden; be ond human understanding; m stical; m sterious %he occult meaning of the message was one of disli#e for the authorities. *ome spend ears pursuing the occult! onl to find themselves no closer to the answer. .elating to the occult world means entering a new realm. odious (ad+.) hateful; disgusting Having to chaperone her brother was an odious chore for the girl. odium (n.) a hate; the disgrace from a hateful action Odium could be felt for the man who destro ed the school. oligarch (n.) form of government in which the supreme power is placed in the hands of a small! e0clusive group. %he oligarch too# control after the #ing was overthrown. ominous (ad+.) threatening *eeing ominous clouds on the hori4on! the street fair organi4ers decided to fold up their tent and go home. omniscient (ad+.) having #nowledge of all things %he future can be told b the omniscient woman. opalescent (ad+.) iridescent Her new nail polish was opalescent ma#ing her finger tips loo# li#e pearls. opa(ue (ad+.) dull; cloud ; non&transparent Not having been washed for ears! the once beautiful windows of the Hictorian

home became opa(ue. %he chose an opa(ue shade of green for their bathroom walls. opprobrious (ad+.) abusive Nobod li#ed wor#ing for him because he was so opprobrious. optimist (n.) person who hopes for the best; sees the good side He$s ever the optimist! alwa s seeing the glass as half full. opulence (n.) wealth; fortune A :>&room mansion on B= wooded acres is onl the most visible sign of her opulence. ornate (ad+.) elaborate; lavish; decorated %he courthouse was framed b ornate frie4es. orthodo0 (ad+.) traditional; accepted %he gifted child$s parents concluded that orthodo0 methods of education would not do their son an good! so the decided to teach him at home. oscillate (v.) to move bac# and forth; to have a wavering opinion %he oscillating sprin#ler s stem covered the entire lawn. %he couple often oscillates between going out and sta ing home. ossif (v.) to turn to bone; to harden Over time! the plant matter has ossified. %he tablet will ossif when left in the sun.

ostensible (ad+.) apparent %he ostensible reason for choosing the girl was for her beaut . ostentatious (ad+.) being show *ure he$d won the lotter ! but coming to wor# in a stretch limo seemed a bit ostentatious . ostraci4e (v.) to e0clude %he students tend to ostraci4e the children the disli#e from their games. oust (v.) drive out; e+ect %he dictator was ousted in a coup detat. p (ad+.) moc#ing; c nical He has a wr sense of humor which sometimes hurts people$s feelings. paean (n.) a song of praise or triumph A paean was written in honor of the victorious warrior. pagan (ad+.) pol theistic Moses! distraught over some of his people$s continuing pagan wa s! smashed the stone tablets bearing the %en 7ommandments. painsta#ing (ad+.) thorough! careful! precise Helga$s painsta#ing research paid off with a top grade on her essa . palatial (ad+.) large and ornate! li#e a palace %he new palatial home contained two pools and an indoor trac# for +ogging.

palindrome (n.) a word or phrase which reads the same bac#wards and forwards -ob! 6,ad!6 and 6Madam6 are e0amples of palindromes. palliate (v.) to alleviate or ease pain but not cure; to ma#e appear less serious %he medication will help palliate the pain. %he law er attempted to palliate the offense to the +ur . pallid (ad+.) pale in color %he visitor left the hospital room with a pallid face. pallor (n.) lac# of facial color %he more vivid the testimon grew! the more the witness seemed to ta#e on a ghostl pallor. palpable (ad+.) touchable; clear! obvious %he palpable decision was to discontinue the use of drugs. On a flight that had included a sudden =!>>>&foot drop! the passengers$ relief upon landing was palpable . paneg ric (n.) high praise )pon his retirement! he received a great paneg ric from man of his associates. His paneg ric to his opponent stood in sharp contrast to the harsh tenor of the campaign. paradigm (n.) model! protot pe; pattern %he machine could no longer be produced after the paradigm was destro ed. %he Massachusetts gubernatorial race was considered a paradigm of campaign civilit .

parado0 (n.) a tenet seemingl contradictor or false! but actuall true %he parado0 seemed so unli#el though it was true. At first blush! the compan $s results were a parado0D *ales were down! et profits were up. parapet (n.) a wall for protection; a low wall or railing %he parapet protected the #ingdom from the raging arm . %he parapet #ept the child from falling into the river. paraphernalia (n.) e(uipment; accessories *he loo#ed guilt since the drug paraphernalia was found in her apartment. pariah (n.) an outcast %he pariah of the group sat b himself under the tree. parit (n.) state of being the same in power! value! or ran# 2hen the ounger brother was promoted to co&president with the elder son! it established parit between the two. parle (v.) to spea# with another; to discourse 1 will parle the information to the appropriate person. parochial (ad+.) religious; narrow&minded ,evout 7hristians! the 7hesterfields enrolled their children in a parochial school. Governor 8ean urged .epublicans to rise above parochial interests and be the part of inclusion. parod (n.) a piece of wor# imitating another in a satirical manner; a poor imitation

%he pla was a parod of the /rince and /rincess$s marital difficulties. )ghA %his is a parod of a fashionable dressA parr (v.) to avoid; to ward off 1 disli#e tal#ing to the woman so 1 will attempt to parr her b duc#ing around the corner. parse (v.) to separate (a sentence) into parts and describe the function of each An 3nglish teacher ma as# a student to parse a sentence. parsimonious (ad+.) ver frugal; unwilling to spend %he owner was so parsimonious he refused to purchase new curtains when the old ones fell off the window. %he parsimonious individual argued that twent &five cents was much too e0pensive for a pac# of gum. parsimon (n.) to be unreasonabl careful when spending %he parsimon of the wealth woman was uncalled for. partisan (n.; ad+.) supporter; follower; biased; one&sided %he union president is a partisan of minimum&wage legislation. A partisan for the incumbent ma or will not support the challenger. passive (ad+.) submissive; unassertive He is so passive that others wal# all over him. paucit (n.) scarcit %he described feast was actuall a buffet with a paucit of food.

pavilion (n.) a large tent or covered area! usuall used for entertainment %he wedding pavilion was not onl beautifull decorated! but also served as welcome protection from a sudden downpour. peccadillo (n.) a slight fault or offense %he child was embarrassed when he was caught committing the peccadillo of eating chocolate before dinner. pecuniar (ad+.) pertaining to mone %he retiring emplo ee was delighted when he received a pecuniar gift. pedagogue (n.) a teacher *eeing the wa she wor#ed with children there was no doubt she was a true pedagogue. pedantic (ad+.) emphasi4ing minutiae or form in scholarship or teaching /rofessor 'ones$s lectures were so pedantic that his students sometimes had a tough time understanding the big picture. 1t is important to understand pedantic terminolog before beginning a lecture. pedestrian (ad+.) mediocre; ordinar 2e e0pected the meal to be e0ceptional! but it was +ust pedestrian. pe+orative (ad+.) ma#ing things worse %he pe+orative comment deepened the disli#e between the two families. pellucid (ad+.) transparent %he pellucid material was not an ade(uate shield from the sun.

penchant (n.) a li#ing for 1 have a penchant for all flavors of ice cream. penitent (ad+.) feeling sorr for what one has done %he burglar e0pressed his penitent feelings during his confession. pensive (ad+.) reflective; contemplative *he was in a pensive mood! +ust wanting to be alone to thin#. M hours alone are often more pensive than the time 1 spend with friends. %he pensive mood was bro#en b a witt +o#e. penurious (ad+.) sting ! miserl %he penurious man had millions of dollars! but lived in a cottage to save mone . 7harles ,ic#ens$ *crooge is the most penurious character in an of his tales. perceptive (ad+.) full of insight; aware %he perceptive detective discovered that the murder weapon was hidden in a safe under the floor. percussion (n.) stri#ing one ob+ect against another %he loud percussion of the hunter$s gunshot startled the birds. perdition (n.) ruination %he perdition of the building was caused b the strong (ua#e. peremptor (ad+.) barring future action; that cannot be denied! changed! etc. %he peremptor means of defense was satisfactor to #eep out the intruders. %he wildcat stri#e was a peremptor move on the part of the wor#ers.

perfidious (ad+.) faithless; treacherous %he trust between the business associates was bro#en after the perfidious actions b one of the partners. perfunctor (ad+.) done in a routine! mechanical wa ! without interest 7hange in career is a good cure for someone who has become bored with their occupation and is currentl performing their duties in a perfunctor fashion. %he girl will not improve unless she changes her perfunctor attitude. peripheral (ad+.) marginal; outer %hose are peripheral problems; let$s loo# at the central challenge. %he peripheral shrubs were used to create a fence&li#e bloc#ade. He thought he was m best friend! when in fact! he was a peripheral ac(uaintance. per+ur (n.) the practice of l ing %he alread sensational trial of a star athlete turned all the more so when it turned out that a police detective had committed per+ur . " ing while on the witness stand is per+ur . permeable (ad+.) porous; allowing to pass through -ecause the material was permeable! the water was able to drain. pernicious (ad+.) dangerous; harmful *tanding oil combined with a fresh rain on the asphalt can have a pernicious impact on a driver$s control of the road. %he pernicious fire engulfed four bloc#s of homes. perpetual (ad+.) never ceasing; continuous /erpetual pain #eeps the woman from wal#ing.

per(uisite (n.) e0tra pa ment; a tip After wor#ing overtime! 1 had enough mone to ma#e a per(uisite on m loan. pertinent (ad+.) related to the matter at hand ,uring a trial ever one should concentrate on the same sub+ect! stating onl pertinent information. peruse (v.) to read carefull ; to stud A vast ma+orit of time was spent perusing the possible solution to the dilemma. pervade (v.) to occup the whole of Her perfume was so strong that it pervaded the whole room. pervasive (ad+.) spreading throughout %he home was filled with the pervasive aroma of ba#ing bread. pessimism (n.) seeing onl the gloom side; hopelessness After endless ears of drought! pessimism grew in the hearts of even the most dedicated farmer. pett (ad+.) unimportant; of subordinate standing 2ith all of the crime in the world! stealing bubble gum is considered pett theft. petulant (ad+.) peevish; cran# ; rude %he long illness put the bo in a petulant mood. %he tone of his voice and the things that he sa s become (uite petulant when he has not gotten enough sleep.

phenomenon (n.) e0ceptional person; unusual occurrence Not for nothing do the call ?an#ee *tadium 6%he House that .uth -uilt6&the -abe was a phenomenon. %he northern lights are a rare phenomenon for those not living near the Arctic 7ircle. philanthrop (n.) charit ; unselfishness After ears of donating time and mone to the children$s hospital! Mrs. 3lderwood was commended for her philanthrop . phlegmatic (ad+.) without emotion or interest; sluggish and dull %he pla wright had hoped his stor would ta#e theatergoers on an emotional roller coaster! but on opening night the +ust sat there! stonefaced and phlegmatic. %he phlegmatic child rarel went outside to pla . phobia (n.) morbid fear 5ear of heights is a not uncommon phobia. pied (ad+.) colored! blotched together %he e0treme heat caused the colors to become pied. pinioned (ad+.) bound fast %he two rafts were pinioned b steel wire. pious (ad+.) religious; devout; dedicated %he religious couple believed that their pious method of worship would bring them eternal life. %he statues of the saints have pious s mbolism. Man people thin# of this land as pious territor .

pi(ue (n.; v.) resentment at being slighted; to provo#e -eing passed over for the promotion aroused his pi(ue. %he more he pi(ued her! the redder she grew. pith (ad+.) terse and full of meaning 7olumnist 2illiam *afire! a former presidential speech writer! has a wa with words that often ields pith comments. pittance (n.) a small amount %he reward mone was onl a pittance compared to the mone lost. %he little girl received a pittance ever wee# for #eeping her room clean. placate (v.) to appease or pacif %he entire famil attempted to placate the stubborn child. 2ith a soothing voice and the promise of a +uic stea#! the trainer placated the escaped lion so that he wouldn$t hurt an one. placid (ad+.) undisturbed and calm %he placid la#e$s water was completel motionless. plaintive (ad+.) being mournful or sad His wife$s death made *am plaintive. platonic (ad+.) idealistic or impractical; not amorous or sensual %he platonic advice of the doctor was to sta awa from all odors. Our relationship is platonic now! but 1 hope it will someda be otherwise. plausible (ad+.) probable; feasible After wee#s of tr ing to determine what or who was raiding the chic#en coop! the

farmer came up with a plausible e0planation. After scrimping and saving for a decade! it was now plausible to send his daughter to college. plenar (ad+.) full; entire; complete A plenar class of students staged the protest. plethora (n.) a superabundance %here was a plethora of food at the ro al feast. plumb (ad+.; v.) perfectl straight down; to solve %he two walls met plumb at the corner. 1 was able to plumb the riddle in a few seconds. polemic (ad+.) controversial %he polemic decision caused a stir in the communit . polemicist (n.) a person s#illed in argument %he polemicist could debate an case s#illfull . pommel (n.) the rounded! upward&pro+ecting front of a saddle %he woman was so nervous about being on the horse she would not let go of the pommel. ponderous (ad+.) unwield from weight; dull or labored %he ponderous piano posed a serious challenge to having it pulled up to the 9Bth floor. As if being grain wasn$t bad enough! the film$s ponderous stor made it tough to get through.

portend (v.) to be an omen of; signif %he distant roll of thunder portends of an oncoming storm. potable (ad+.; n.) drin#able; a beverage that is drin#able %he li(uid was not potable! but rather poisonous. *ea water isn$t potable. potent (ad+.) having great power or ph sical strength He too# ver potent medication and felt better immediatel . pragmatic (ad+.) matter&of&fact; practical *ince the were saving mone to bu a new home! the pragmatic married couple decided not to go on an e0pensive vacation. A pragmatic solution to the car$s continual repairs would be to purchase a new car. prate (v.) tal#ing foolishl ; chatter 1t is not uncommon for people to prate when the become nervous about spea#ing to a superior. prattle (n.; v.) childish babble; to babble while spea#ing 1$ve listened to his prattle for far too long. %he toddler does more prattling than tal#ing. precarious (ad+.) depending upon another; ris# ! uncertain %he precarious plans fell through when the second couple changed their plans. M position in the negotiations was precarious at best.

precept (n.) a rule or direction of moral conduct %he organi4ation believed their members should abide b certain precepts. precipitate (v.; ad+.) to cause to happen; happening (uic#l A rude comment ma precipitate an argument. %he precipitating flood caught the village off&guard. preclude (v.) inhibit; ma#e impossible A health diet and lifest le will not preclude ou from getting ill! although it improves our immune s stem. 30ercise ma help to preclude heart disease. precocious (ad+.) developed or matured earlier than usual %he precocious eight ear&old wanted to read the romance novel. predecessor (n.) one who has occupied an office before another Although her predecessor did not accomplish an goals that would help the poor! the new ma or was confident that she could finall help those in need. prefator (ad+.) coming before %he prefator comments informed the audience of what was to come. premise (n.) the basis for an argument %he prosecutor claimed that the defense law er$s premise was sha# ! and thus his whole argument was suspect. preponderate (ad+.) to outweigh; to be superior in amount! weight! etc. His positive (ualities are the preponderate ones over his occasional rudeness.

presage (n.) an omen; a foreshadowing characteristic %he considered the rainbow at their wedding a presage for a happ life. -right sun in the morning was a good presage that it was going to be a good da . prescience (n.) #nowing about something before it happens %he morning of the big game 1 had a prescience that we would win. prescriptive (ad+.) done b custom; unbending At the heart of the Australian aborigines$ prescriptive coming&of&age rite for men is a wal#about. prevalent (ad+.) generall occurring .ain is usuall more prevalent than snow during April. prevaricate (v.) to spea# e(uivocall or evasivel ! i.e.! to lie %he ma or$s desperate attempt to prevaricate about the scandal was transparent to the voters. His mother #new no one else could have done it! but the child foolishl prevaricated about the stain on the rug. pristine (ad+.) primitive! pure! uncorrupted %he pristine la#e had not been marred b pollution. *he had such a pristine loo# about her! ou would have thought she was an angel. priv (ad+.) private; confidential He was one of a handful of people priv to the news of the pending merger. Onl the woman$s best friend was priv to her secret.

probit (n.) honest %he oung man$s probit was reassuring to the fearful parent. problematic (ad+.) being hard to deal with; unsolved situation %he constant s(uea# of the door was problematic. %he tense political struggle remains problematic. prodigal (ad+.) wasteful; lavish %he actor$s prodigal lifest le ultimatel led to his undoing. *pending his rent mone on our birthda present was more than generous! it was prodigal. %he prodigal gift b the poor woman was trul a thoughtful gesture. prodigious (ad+.) wonderful; enormous %he prodigious festivities lasted until the wee hours of the morning. %he 3mpire *tate -uilding re(uired a prodigious amount of steel to erect. profound (ad+.) deep; #nowledgeable; thorough 1t was with profound regret and sorrow that the famil had to leave their homeland for a more prosperous countr . profusion (n.) great wastefulness; a large abundance of %he profusion of the food&fight was unforgivable considering the worldwide hunger problem. %he profusion of uneaten food was sent to the shelter. %he wet winter brought about a profusion of mos(uitoes. progen (n.) children; offspring 1t is through his progen that his name shall live on. %he princes were the progen of ro alt .

program (n.) the parts of entertainment; a plan for dealing with a matter; coded instructions %he free&form music program on *unda nights is virtuall uni(ue in commercial radio. %he program for better health is to eat more vegetables and fruits. %he store$s computer program allows sale information to prompt at the register for certain items at certain hours. proliferate (v.) to reproduce (uic#l Gerbils are #nown to proliferate (uic#l . prolific (ad+.) fruitful %he merger resulted in a prolific business which became an asset to the communit . promontor (n.) a piece of land +utting into a bod of water %he boat hit the roc# promontor ! splitting the bow. propagate (v.) to reproduce or multipl .abbits and gerbils are said to propagate (uic#l . propensit (n.) a natural tendenc towards; bias 1 have a propensit to tal# too fast. *he has a propensit to hire men over women. propin(uit (n.) closeness in time or place; closeness of relationship %he propin(uit of the disasters put the communit in chaos. %he propin(uit of the two stories was the basis of the teacher$s lesson.

propitiate (v.) to win the goodwill of 1f 1 tr m best 1 will hopefull propitiate m new supervisor. prosaic (ad+.) tiresome; ordinar He wanted to do something new; he was tired of the prosaic activities his parents suggested each da . %he onl entertainment would be a prosaic game of cards. prosel ti4e (v.) to convert from one belief or religion to another %he preacher often attempts to prosel ti4e wa ward travelers. protocol (n.) an original draft or record of a document %he protocol was given to the president once it was completed. proverbial (ad+.) well&#nown because it is commonl referred to 8ing *olomon$s proverbial wisdom has been admired through the ages. provident (ad+.) prudent; economical 1t was provident! in his opinion! to wait and bu the new car when he was financiall secure. provincial (ad+.) regional; unsophisticated After living in the cit for five ears! he found that his famil bac# home on the farm was too provincial for his cultured wa s. proviso (n.) A clause stating a condition or stipulation %he governor began the conference with a proviso stating the disastrous results of the flood.

provocative (ad+.) tempting; irritating 1n the movie .oger .abbit! the animated 'essica .abbit demurs when she$s told she$s provocative! sa ing that she$s onl drawn that wa . %he ).*. considered the invasion of 8uwait a provocative action. provo#e (v.) to stir action or feeling; arouse - calling him names! he was provo#ing a fight. (uaff (v.) drin#ing deepl A dog will (uaff if he becomes overheated. (uagmire (n.) marsh land %he vehicle became stuc# in the (uagmire. (uaint (ad+.) old&fashioned; unusual; odd One of the best (ualities of the bed&and&brea#fast was its (uaint setting in the charming 3nglish village. (ualified (ad+.) e0perienced! indefinite *he was well (ualified for the +ob after wor#ing the field for ten ears. (ualm (n.) sudden feeling of uneasiness or doubt His (ualms about fl ing disappeared once the plane landed softl . (uandar (n.) dilemma 'oe and 3li4abeth were caught in a (uandar D *hould the spend %han#sgiving with his parents or hersC )nable to ma#e a firm decision! 1$ve been in this (uandar for wee#s. 2hen the car bro#e down the commuter was left in a (uandar .

(uarantine (n.) isolation of a person or persons to prevent the spread of disease %o be sure the didn$t bring an contagions bac# to 3arth! the astronauts were put under (uarantine when the returned. (uiescence (n.) state of being at rest or without motion After a tough da on the shipping doc#! one needs (uiescence. A period of (uiescence is useful to calm the nerves. (uiescent (ad+.) inactive! at rest 3ver one deserves a da off and should remain (uiescent on *unda s. %he -ible sa s that the "ord created the 3arth in si0 da s and on the seventh He was (uiescent. (uintessence (n.) the pure essence of an thing %his stor is the (uintessence of American fiction. (uir# (n.) peculiar behavior; startling twist Nobod $s perfect&we all have our (uir#s. Our vacation went smoothl save for one (uir#&a hurricane that came barreling into the coastline as we were preparing to head home. %he plot of that movie had so man (uir#s that it became ver hard to follow. Alwa s needing to put the left shoe on first is a peculiar (uir#. (ui0otic (ad+.) foolishl idealistic; romanticall idealistic; e0travagantl chivalrous He was popular with the ladies due to his (ui0otic charm. *he had a (ui0otic view of the world! believing that humans need never suffer. rabid (ad+.; n.) furious; with e0treme anger; a disease affecting animals %he insult made him rabid.

,iscovering that the dog was rabid! the mail carrier #new he$d have to get a shot. He$s been a rabid sports fan for as long as 1 have #nown him. raconteur (n.) a person s#illed at telling stories Our entertainment was a raconteur who told a stor of tal#ing animals. ramification (n.) the arrangement of branches; conse(uence One of the ramifications of driving fast is getting a speeding tic#et. rampant (ad+.) growing unchec#ed; widespread *ocial unrest was rampant because of the lac# of food available to the people. rampart (n.; v.) a defense; to defend %he ramparts where beginning to crumble. rancid (ad+.) having a bad odor "eft out too long! the meat turned rancid. rancor (n.) strong ill will; enmit Her rancor for the man was evident in her hateful e0pression. *ure the had their disagreements! but there was no rancor between them. rant (v.) to spea# in a loud! pompous manner; rave He disputed the bill with the shipper! ranting that he was dealing with thieves. rapacious (ad+.) using force to ta#e .apacious actions were needed to ta#e the gun from the intruder. ratif (v.) to ma#e valid; confirm

%he *enate ratified the new law that would prohibit companies from discriminating according to race in their hiring practices. Hunters were called in to raref the deer population. rationali4e (v.) to offer reasons for; account for on rational grounds His daughter attempted to rationali4e wh she had dropped out of college! but she could not give an good reasons. raucous (ad+.) disagreeable to the sense of hearing; harsh; hoarse %he raucous protesters sta ed on the street corner all night! shouting their disdain for the whale #illers. ra4e (v.) to scrape or shave off; to obliterate or tear down completel %he plow will ra4e the ice from the road surface. 1t must be time to give the cat a manicure; she ra4ed m s#in last night. %he will ra4e the old "as Hegas hotel to ma#e room for a @<.= billion gambling palace. realm (n.) an area; sphere of activit 1n the realm of health care! the issue of who pa s and how is never far from the surface. %he bounding islands were added to the realm of the #ingdom. rebuff (n.) a blunt refusal to offered help %he rebuff of her aid plan came as a shoc#. rebuttal (n.) refutation %he law er$s rebuttal to the +udge$s sentencing was to present more evidence to the case.

recalcitrant (ad+.) stubbornl rebellious %he bo became recalcitrant when the curfew was enforced. %he recalcitrant outh d ed her hair purple! dropped out of school! and generall wor#ed hard at doing whatever others did not want her to do. recession (n.) withdrawal; economic downturn Oscar$s gum recession left him with sensitive teeth. *oaring unemplo ment in the nation$s industrial belt triggered recession. recidivism (n.) habitual or chronic relapse of criminal or antisocial offenses 3ven after intense therap the parolee e0perienced several episodes of recidivism! and was eventuall sent bac# to prison. reciprocal (ad+.) mutual; having the same relationship to each other Hernando$s membership in the /icture of Health 5itness 7enter gives him reciprocal privileges at <:= health clubs around the ).*. Although his first child was adopted! she had a reciprocal relationship with her father. recluse (ad+.; n.) solitar ; a person who lives secluded His recluse life seems to ma#e him happ . Howard Hughes! among the most famous and enigmatic figures of the <>th centur ! ultimatel retreated to a life as a recluse. recondite (ad+.) hard to understand; concealed %he students were dumbfounded b the recondite topic. Man scientific theories are recondite! and therefore not #nown at all b the general public. rectif (v.) correct

%he service manager rectified the shipping mista#e b refunding the customer$s mone . recumbent (ad+.) resting %he recumbent pupp stirred. recusant (ad+.) disobedient of authorit .ecusant inmates ma be denied privileges. redolent (ad+.) sweet&smelling; having the odor of a particular thing %he redolent aroma of the pie tempted ever one. %he restaurant was redolent with the smell of spices. redundant (ad+.) word ; repetitive; unnecessar to the meaning %he redundant lecture of the professor repeated the lesson in the te0t. Her comments were both redundant and sarcastic. 2ith millions of transactions at sta#e! the ban# built a redundant processing center on a separate power grid. refurbish (v.) to ma#e new; renovate %he Newsomes are refurbishing their old colonial home with the help of an interior designer. refute (v.) challenge; disprove He refuted the proposal! deeming it unfair regal (ad+.) ro al; grand %he regal home was lavishl decorated and furnished with 3uropean anti(ues. %he well&bred woman behaves in a regal manner.

reiterate (v.) to repeat again .ose found that she had to reiterate almost ever thing! leading her to fear her husband was going deaf. 1f ou did not hear me the first time! 1 will reiterate the directions for ou. relegate (v.) banish; put to a lower position 2ith 1nternal Affairs launching an investigation into charges that Officer 2ic#er had harassed a suspect! he was relegated to des# dut . relevant (ad+.) of concern; significant As#ing applicants about their general health is relevant since much of the +ob re(uires ph sical strength. relin(uish (v.) to let go; abandon House *pea#er 'im 2right had to relin(uish his position after an ethics investigation undermined his authorit . remonstrate (v.) to protest or ob+ect to %he population will remonstrate against the new ta0es. remorse (n.) guilt; sorrow %he prosecutor argued that the defendant had shown no remorse for his actions. renascence (n.) a new life; rebirth %he renascence of the band resulted in a new recording contract. rend (v.) to rip or pull from; to split with violence; to disturb with a sharp noise %he #idnapper rent the newborn bab from the arms of its mother as she was leaving the hospital.

A frea#ish water spout rent the fishing boat in half. 3ver morning! the =D:G local out of New -runswic# rends the dawn$s silence with its air horn. render (v.) deliver; provide %he ?or#ville 5irst Aid *(uad was first on the scene to render assistance. renegade (n.) a person who abandons something! as a religion! cause or movement; a traitor -enedict Arnold remains one of the most notorious renegades in American histor . repast (n.) food that is eaten %he repast consisted of cheese! wine! and bread replete (ad+.) well supplied %he #itchen came replete with food and utensils. replica (n.) cop ; representation; reproduction %he e(uine sculpture was a replica of a .emington. reprehend (v.) to reprimand; to find fault with 5inding the need to reprehend the student$s actions! she gave her detention. reproach (v.) to blame and thus ma#e feel ashamed; to rebu#e %he ma+or reproached his troops for not following orders. reprobate (v.) to condemn; to re+ect %he teacher will reprobate the actions of the delin(uent student. His assertions were reprobated as inappropriate.

reproof (n.) a rebu#e 5or all his hard wor#! all he got was a reproof of his efforts. repudiate (v.) to disown; to den support for; re+ect; cancel %he man will repudiate all claims that he was involved in the deal. Although his part supported the bill! this senator repudiated it. %he offer was repudiated because of its cost. repugnant (ad+.) inconsistent; resistance %he repugnant actions of the man made others lose trust in him. ,espite their efforts to convince her! she remained repugnant. resignation (n.) (uitting; submission He submitted his resignation because he found a new +ob. ?ou could see the resignation on his faceD %hings +ust weren$t wor#ing out as he$d e0pected. resilient (ad+.) fle0ible; capable of withstanding stress %he elderl man attributed his resilient health to a good diet and fre(uent e0ercise. resolution (n.) proposal; promise; determination 5ormer ).*. *enator George Mitchell +ourne ed to 1reland to help bring about a peaceful resolution to ears of strife. resonant (ad+.) resounding; re&echoing -eautiful resonant music escaped from the cathedral$s windows. respite (n.) recess; rest period

%he wor#ers tal#ed and dran# coffee during the respite. %he team was given a respite from the long practice schedule. resplendent (ad+.) da44ling and shining Her new diamond was resplendent in the sunshine. resurgent (ad+.) rising or tending to rise again A resurgent wave of enthusiasm erupted from the once (uiet crowd. reticent (ad+.) silent; reserved; sh %he reticent girl pla ed with her building bloc#s while the other children pla ed tag. 1t was difficult to get the reticent bo to +oin the conversation. retract (v.) to draw or ta#e bac# Once ou sa something! it$s hard to retract. retroaction (n.) a reverse action %he retroaction of the car sent those standing behind it fleeing. %he bill$s retroaction stood to save ta0pa ers an average of @=>> a head. reverent (ad+.) respectful; feeling or showing deep love! respect! or awe %he congregation was ver reverent of its spiritual leader. reverie (n.) the condition of being unaware of one$s surroundings! trance; dream thin#ing or imagining! especiall of agreeable things As their anniversar neared! "isa fell into a reverie as she recalled all the good times she and .oscoe had had. After spending the morning in reverie! 1 decided to wor# in the afternoon.

revile (v.) to be abusive in speech 1t is not appropriate for a teacher to revile a student. rhapsodi4e (v.) to spea# or write in a ver enthusiastic manner Hearing the general rhapsodi4e about his time as a plebe sent a wave of recognition through the academ grads. rhetorical (ad+.) having to do with verbal communication; artificial elo(uence 1n posing a rhetorical (uestion! he hoped to get people thin#ing. %he perception that Gar Hart was spouting rhetorical flourishes enabled fellow ,emocrat 2alter Mondale to score debate points b as#ing! 62here$s the beefC6 ribald (ad+.) vulgar +o#ing or moc#ing *ome people find the comedian$s ribald act offensive. %he ribald stor proved an embarrassment to its audience. rigor (n.) severit *he critici4ed the planning board$s vote with rigor. rivet (v.) to secure; to hold firml ! as in e es 2e can rivet the boat to the doc#. *he could not loo# awa from the morbid scene; she was riveted to it. roseate (ad+.) rose&colored %he roseate sunset faded into the s# . rout (n.; v.) a nois or disorderl crowd; a retreat or terrible defeat; to dig up %he rout #ept the police bus all morning with crowd control.

%he *carlet 8nights beat the 5ighting 1rish in a rout! =B&9:. 1 need to rout the bac# ard in order to put in the pipes. rudimentar (ad+.) elementar Adding two plus two is a rudimentar activit . ruffian (n.) tough person or a hoodlum 7ontrar to popular opinion! ruffians are nothing new in the cit . ruminate (v.) to consider carefull %he doctor will ruminate on his diagnosis. 5acing a tough decision! he decided to ruminate before ma#ing his thoughts #nown. rummage (v.) search thoroughl ,etermined to find his college earboo#! he rummaged through ever bo0 in the garage. rustic (ad+.) plain and unsophisticated; homel ; of or living in the countr %he president en+o ed spending wee#ends at 7amp ,avid! a rustic retreat in the 7atoctin Mountains of Mar land. saga (n.) a legend; an long stor of adventure or heroic deed %he saga of 8ing Arthur and his court has been told for generations. sagacious (ad+.) wise Man of her friends came to her with their problems because she gave sagacious advice. %he old man gave sagacious advice.

salient (ad+.) noticeable; prominent 2hat$s salient about the report is its documentation of utter despair in the heartland of the richest nation on 3arth. His most salient feature is his nose. His salient bruise will alert his mother to the altercation. salubrious (ad+.) promoting good health *alubrious food helps maintain an ideal weight. 30ercising fre(uentl and eating health foods are salubrious habits. salutator (ad+.) of or containing greetings %wo messengers were sent to the new neighbors with a salutator letter. salvage (v.) rescue from loss %he famil tried to salvage their belongings after their home was destro ed b a tornado. sanction (v.; n.) an act of giving authoritative permission; to give encouragement; a bloc#ade %he government has sanctioned the meetings as a worth cause. He did more than tolerate her actions! he sanctioned them. -efore committing troops to war! the president wanted to give the sanctions a chance to wor#. sanguine (ad+.) optimistic; cheerful; red 3ven when victor seemed impossible! the general remained sanguine. %he dress was sanguine with a bright green border stripe. 2ith a sanguine nod the interviewee entered the office.

sapid (ad+.) having a pleasant taste ?ellow and blue icing covered the sapid pastr . sarcasm (n.) ironic; bitter humor designed to wound %he teacher did not appreciate the student$s sarcasm and gave him detention. sardonic (ad+.) having a sarcastic (ualit H.". Menc#en was #nown for his sardonic writings on political figures. satire (n.) a novel or pla that uses humor or iron to e0pose foll %he new pla was a satire that e0posed the /resident$s inabilit to lead the countr . saturate (v.) soa# thoroughl ; drench *he saturated the sponge with soap water before she began washing the car. saturnine (ad+.) gloom ! sluggish %he never&ending rain put ever one in a saturnine mood. saunter (v.) to wal# at a leisurel pace; stroll %he loving couple sauntered down the wooded path. savant (n.) one who is intelligent %he savant accepted his award of e0cellence. savor (v.) to receive pleasure from; to en+o with appreciation; dwell on with delight After several months without a da off! she savored ever minute of her wee#&long vacation.

scant (ad+.) inade(uate; sparse %he malnutrition was caused b the scant amount of health food eaten each da . schism (n.) a division in an organi4ed group 2hen the group could not decide on a plan of action! a schism occurred. scourge (v.) to whip severel %he trainer will scourge the animal if it attac#s someone. scrupulous (ad+.) honorable; e0act After finding a purse with valuable items inside! the scrupulous Mr. /rendergast returned ever thing to its owner. A scrupulous cleaning was conducted before the famil moved. scrutini4e (v.) e0amine closel ; stud After allowing his son to borrow the famil car! the father scrutini4ed ever section for dents. scurrilous (ad+.) vulgarit %he scurrilous language made the mother twinge. sectarian (ad+.) to be narrow minded or limited A sectarian precluded him from listening to the other side. sedentar (ad+.) characteri4ed b sitting; remaining in one localit %he sedentar child had not moved after two hours. %he old woman who never left her home town has led a sedentar life.

sedition (n.) a revolt %he sedition b the guards ended with their being e0ecuted for treason. sedulous (ad+.) wor#ing diligentl ; persistent %he sedulous habits of the team will surel conclude in victor . Onl the most sedulous salespeople will succeed. seethe (v.) to be violentl disturbed - the time 1 arrived! she was seething with anger. He seethed at the prospect of losing the business to his conniving uncle. se(uester (v.) to separate or segregate %he +ur was se(uestered at the local inn. serendipit (n.) an apparent aptitude for ma#ing fortunate discoveries accidentall *erendipit seemed to follow the luc# winner where ever he went. serrated (ad+.) having a saw&toothed edge 2hile camping! the famil used a serrated band saw to cut firewood. servile (ad+.) slavish; groveling He #new the both possessed e(ual abilities! and et he was alwa s treated as a servile underling. His servile leadership forced her to ta#e over. %he servile nurse did ever thing the doctor told her to do. shad (ad+.) a character of (uestionable honest A shad person would not be trusted with a sensitive secret.

shoal (n.) a large group or crowd *hoals of grain were stored in the barn. shodd (ad+.) of inferior (ualit ; cheap %he state$s attorne said man homes! as the were built with shodd materials! were bound to +ust blow apart even in winds of B> or G> miles per hour. %he shodd homes were blown over in the storm. sinuous (ad+.) full of curves; twisting and turning *inuous mountain roads at night present e0tra danger at night when it$s harder to see the road$s edge. s#eptic (n.) doubter 3ven after seeing evidence that his competitor$s new engine wor#ed! the engineer remained a s#eptic that it was mar#etable. s#ul# (v.) to move secretl ! implies sinister %he thief s#ul#ed around the neighborhood hoping to find his ne0t target. %he found the bo s#ul#ing in the bushes. %he woman attempted to s#ul# awa from cleaning the house b hiring a cleaning service. slander (v.) defame; maliciousl misrepresent Orville said he$d been slandered! and he as#ed the court who would&or could& give him his name bac#. sloth (n.) disinclination to action or labor 3mplo ers want to guard against hiring sloths as new emplo ees.

slothful (ad+.) la4 %he slothful actions of the pla er led to his benching. slovenl (adv.) slopp His mother&in&law did not approve of his slovenl manner. sodden (ad+.) sogg ; dull in action as if from alcohol %he flowers were sodden after the rain. %he sodden reaction of the man caused the accident. so+ourn (v.) to sta temporaril %he famil will so+ourn at their summer home. %he guest remained onl for a so+ourn; she was going to leave in the afternoon. solace (n.) hope; comfort during a time of grief 2hen her father passed awa ! she found solace amongst her friends and famil . solemnit (n.) a deep! reverent feeling often associated with religious occasions %he church service was full of solemnit . %he solemnit of the funeral procession stood in star# contrast to the oung children splashing with delight in a nearb pool. solicit (v.) as#; see# %he +obless man solicited emplo ment from man factories before he was able to find wor#. solilo(u (n.) a tal# one has with oneself (esp. on stage) 1magine %.*. 3liot$s poem %he 2aste "and performed on stage as a #ind of

solilo(u A %he solilo(u b the man standing alone on the cliff sent a message of regret. solubilit (n.) that can be solved; that can be dissolved %he solubilit of sugar causes it to disappear when put in water. somber (ad+.) dar# and depressing; gloom %he sad stor had put ever one in a somber mood. soporific (ad+.) causing sleep %he soporific medication should not be ta#en when ou need to drive. sordid (ad+.) filth ; base; vile %he sordid gutters needed to be cleaned after the long! rain autumn. %he criminals thought patterns were so sordid that he was not granted parole. sovereign (ad+.) superior %he power was given to the sovereign warrior. specious (ad+.) plausible! but deceptive; apparentl ! but not actuall ! true %he +ur forewoman said the +ur saw through the defense law er$s specious argument and convicted his client on the weight of the evidence. 1 was unsure of the meaning of the specious statement. spelun#er (n.) one who studies caves %he spelun#er made a startling discover in the old mine. spendthrift (n.) a person who spends mone e0travagantl %he spendthrift bought two new nec#laces and three pairs of shoes.

splenetic (ad+.) mar#ed b hostilit %he splenetic warriors advanced with no thought of what the were destro ing. sporadic (ad+.) rarel occurring or appearing; intermittent 1n the desert there is usuall onl sporadic rainfall. spurious (ad+.) not genuine! false; bogus *purious claims b the importer hid the fact that prison labor had been used in the garments$ fabrication. %he newspaper was notorious for spurious information. spurn (v.; n.) to push awa ; a strong re+ection %he woman spurned the advances of her suitor! sa ing she wasn$t read for a commitment. )nluc# enough to be the ninth telemar#eter to call 'ane that evening! he caught her spurn. s(ualid (ad+.) filth ; wretched (from s(ualor) %he lac# of sanitation piping caused s(ualid conditions. He ma#es good mone ! but 1 would never want to wor# in those s(ualid crawl spaces. stagnant (ad+.) motionless! uncirculating %he stagnant water in the puddle became infested with mos(uitoes. staid (ad+.) mar#ed b self&control %he horse was staid as it entered the stable.

stamina (n.) endurance An bod who can finish the New ?or# Marathon has lots of stamina. stanch (v.) to stop or chec# the flow of; staunch 1t is necessar to stanch the bleeding from the wound as soon as possible. stan4a (n.) group of lines in a poem having a definite pattern %he poet uses an odd simile in the second stan4a of the poem. static (ad+.) inactive; changeless %he view while riding in the train across the endless! flat landscape remained static for da s. %he static water of the la#e reflected the image of the trees. steadfast (ad+.) lo al %he secret service agents are steadfast to their oath to protect the president. stigma (n.) a mar# of disgrace %he 656 on his transcript is a stigma on his record. stigmati4e (v.) to characteri4e or ma#e as disgraceful %he gross error will stigmati4e the wor#er as careless. stipend (n.) pa ment for wor# done *he receives a monthl stipend for her help with the pro+ect. %he ban# will pa the woman a stipend of a hundred dollars a wee#. stoic (ad+.) detached; unruffled; calm; austere indifference to +o ! grief! pleasure! or pain

%he soldier had been in wee# after wee# of fierce battle; nonetheless! he remained stoic. 2ith stoic obedience the child sat (uietl on the chair. sto#e (v.) to feed fuel to; especiall a fire 2ith the last embers d ing! he sto#ed the fire one more time. stolid (ad+.) showing little emotion 2ith a stolid e0pression! the man wal#ed awa from the confrontation. striated (ad+.) having lines or grooves %he striated road was read for traffic. stridenc (n.) harshness or shrillness sound %he stridenc of the whistle hurt the dog$s ears. strident (ad+.) crea#ing; harsh! grating Her strident voice hampered her chances of getting the announcer position. stupor (n.) a stunned or bewildered condition He was in a stupor after being hit on the head. st mie (v.) to hinder or obstruct "arge amounts of snowfall will st mie the rescue effort. suave (ad+.) effortlessl gracious *he was a suave negotiator! alwa s getting what she wanted without an one feeling the $d lost an thing. %he elegant woman entered the room with a suave wal#.

sub+ugate (v.) to dominate or enslave %he bull will attempt to sub+ugate the remainder of the class. %he ro al famil sub+ugated the peasants! ma#ing them perform hard labor. subliminal (ad+.) below the level of consciousness 7ritics of advertising sa that it$s loaded with subliminal messages. subsidiar (ad+.) giving a service; being in a subordinate position %he function of the subsidiar was to oversee the ban#$s commercial loans. He ac#nowledged the importance of the issue! but called it subsidiar to a host of other concerns. substantive (ad+.) e0isting independentl of others; a large (uantit %he onl compan not ac(uired in the merger retained its substantive e0istence. A substantive amount of mone will be needed to fund the pro+ect. subsume (v.) to include within a larger group %he A5" was subsumed b the N5" in the 9;B>s. subtlet (n.) propensit of understatement; so slight as to be barel noticeable %here was no subtlet in the protest; each person carried a sign and elled for civil rights. 2ith great subtlet we slipped awa from the boring part . succinct (ad+.) clearl stated; characteri4ed b conciseness %he speech was succinct et emotional. )suall ! the most succinct definition is the right one. Articles in )*A %oda are so succinct that some observers nic#named the newspaper 6Mc/aper.6

succor (n.) aid; assistance *uccor was given to the fire victim in the form of clothes and temporar shelter. succumb (v.) give in; ield; collapse 2hen dieting! it is difficult not to succumb to temptation. suffuse (v.) to overspread %he rain will suffuse the spilled sand around the patio. sumptuous (ad+.) involving great e0pense A sumptuous spread of meats! vegetables! soups and breads was prepared for the guests. sunder (v.) brea#; split in two %he 7ivil 2ar threatened to sunder the )nited *tates. Management see#s to sunder the wor#ers$ connections to the union. sundr (ad+.) various; miscellaneous; separate; distinct %his store sells man sundr novelt items. *undr items ma be purchased as a single item. superficial (ad+.) on the surface! narrow minded; lac#ing depth %he victim had two stab wounds! but luc#il were onl superficial. superfluous (ad+.) unnecessar ; e0tra Although the designer considered the piece superfluous! the woman wanted the e0tra chair in her bedroom. Onl the first sentence is necessar ; all of these details are superfluous. After the finished their seven&course meal! a large dessert seemed superfluous.

superlative (ad+.) of the highest #ind or degree %he Golden Gate -ridge is a superlative e0ample of civil engineering. supplant (v.) to ta#e the place of 7an ou supplant m position if 1 cannot pla C suppliant (ad+.) as#ing earnestl and submissivel Her suppliant re(uest of wanting to #now the name of the man was met with a laugh. suppress (v.) to bring to an end; hold bac# %he illegal aliens were suppressed b the border patrol. surfeit (v.; n.) e0cessivel indulging; overindulgence %he teenagers were warned not to surfeit at the part . %he result of her surfeit was a wee# of regret. surmise (n; v) a guess; to guess 2as m surmise correctC 1 surmise that we will not He surmised how the pla would end before the second act began. surpass (v.) go be ond; out do After recovering from a serious illness! the bo surpassed the doctor$s e0pectations b leaving the hospital two da s earl . surreptitious (ad+.) done secretl %he surreptitious maneuvers gave the advancing arm an advantage.

susceptible (ad+.) easil imposed; inclined *he gets an annual flu shot since she is susceptible to becoming ill. swathe (v.) to wrap around something; envelop *oft blan#ets swathe the new born bab . s cophant (n.) flatterer .odolfo honed his s#ills as a s cophant! hoping it would get him into * lvia$s good graces. %he s cophant is #nown for attending man parties. s llogism (n.) reasoning in order from general to particular %he s llogism went from fish to guppies. s mmetr (n.) correspondence of parts; harmon %he roman columns give the building a s mmetr . s nthetic (ad+.) not real! rather artificial %he s nthetic s#in was made of a thin rubber. table (n.) a s stematic list of details %he train schedule was set up as a table. tacit (ad+.) not voiced or e0pressed %he National *ecurit Agenc aide argued! in effect! that he had received the president$s tacit approval for the arms&for&hostages deal.

taciturn (ad+.) inclined to silence; spea#ing little; dour! stern %he man was so taciturn it was forgotten that he was there. tantali4e (v.) to tempt; to torment %he desserts were tantali4ing! but he was on a diet. tarr (v.) to go or move slowl ; dela *he tarried too long! and therefore missed her train. taut (ad+.) stretched tightl %he #new a fish was biting! because the line suddenl became taut. tawdr (ad+.) tastelessl ornamented %he shop was full of tawdr +ewelr . tedious (ad+.) wearisome! tiresome 7leaning the house is a tedious chore for some people. 2ith so man new safet precautions instituted! fl ing has become a tedious affair. teem (v.) to be stoc#ed to overflowing; to pour out; to empt %he new plant seemed to be teeming with insects. 1t is healthier to teem the grease from the broth before serving it. temerit (n.) foolhardiness %emerit can result in traged if the activit is dangerous. temper (v.) to moderate! as b mingling with something else; to bring to the proper condition b treatment

*he drew a hot bath! but then reali4ed she$d have to temper it with a little cool water or end up scalded. %he craftsman tempered the steel before being able to twist it to form a table leg. temperament (n.) one$s customar frame of mind %he girl$s temperament is usuall ver calm. tenacious (ad+.) holding; persistent 2ith a tenacious grip! the man was finall able to pull the nail from the wall. After his tenacious pleas! she finall conceded. His hold on his dreams is as tenacious as an one 1 #now. tenet (n.) a principle accepted as authoritative %he tenets of socialism were e0plained in the boo#. tensile (ad+.) undergoing or e0erting tension %he pipeline was capable of fle0ing to withstand the tremendous tensile strain that might accompan an seismic movement. tentative (ad+.) not confirmed; indefinite Not #nowing if he$d be able to get the da s off! Al went ahead an wa and made tentative vacation plans with his pal. tenuous (ad+.) thin! slim! delicate; wea# %he hurricane force winds ripped the tenuous branches from the tree. %he spectators panic#ed as the watched the cement bloc# dangle from one tenuous piece of twine. tepid (ad+.) lac#ing warmth! interest! enthusiasm; lu#ewarm %he tepid bath water was perfect for rela0ing after a long da .

termagant (n.) a constantl (uarrelsome woman Agreement with the termagant was an impossibilit . terrestrial (ad+.) pertaining to the earth ,eer are terrestrial animals; fish are a(uatic. terse (ad+.) concise; abrupt *he believed in getting to the point! so she alwa s gave terse answers. %he terse speech contained onl the essential comments. tether (n.) the range or limit of one$s abilities; rope or chain used to #eep a boat from drifting or an animal from wandering M tether of pla ing bas#etball is shooting air balls. %he bulldog was tethered to his doghouse. thrall (n.) a slave %he wor#er was treated li#e a thrall! having to wor# man hours of overtime. thrift (ad+.) frugal! careful with mone -eing thrift ! the woman would not purchase the item without a coupon. %he thrift couple saved mone b ta#ing the bus to wor#. throe (n.) spasm or pang; agon A particularl violent throe #noc#ed her off her feet. %he wounded soldier s(uirmed in throes of agon . thwart (v.) prevent from accomplishing a purpose; frustrate %heir attempt to ta#e over the countr was thwarted b the palace guard.

timbre (n.) the (ualit of sound which distinguishes one from another %he timbre of guitar music is different from that of piano music. timorous (ad+.) lac#ing courage; timid %he timorous child hid behind his parents. Hillar came to accept him as a timorous soul who needed succor. torpid (ad+.) being dormant; slow! sluggish 2hen we came upon the hibernating bear! it was in a torpid state. A torpid animal does not act with energ . %he old! torpid dog spent most of his time sleeping. tortuous (ad+.) full of twists and turns; not straight forward; possibl deceitful %he suspect confessed after becoming confused b the tortuous (uestioning of the captain. to0ic (ad+.) poisonous 1t$s best to store cleansing solutions out of children$s reach because of their to0ic contents. tractable (ad+.) easil managed (oppositeD intractable) %he boat was so lightweight it was tractable b one person. Having a tractable staff made her +ob a lot easier. traduce (v.) to defame or slander His actions traduced his reputation. tran(uillit (n.) peace; stillness; harmon

%he tran(uillit of the tropical island was reflected in its calm blue waters and warm sunn climate. transmutation (n.) a changed form *omewhere in the networ#$s entertainment division! the show underwent a transmutation from a half&hour sitcom into an hour&long drama. transmute (v.) to transform ,ecorators transmute ordinar homes into interesting showcases. transpire (v.) to ta#e place; come about 2ith all that$s transpired toda ! 1$m e0hausted. traumatic (ad+.) causing a violent in+ur 1t was a traumatic accident! leaving the driver with a bro#en vertebra! a smashed wrist! and a concussion. travail (n.) ver hard wor#; intense pain or agon %he farmer was tired after the travail of plowing the fields. %he analgesic finall ended her travail. tre# (v.) to ma#e a +ourne %he had to tre# through the dense forest to reach the nearest village. trenchant (ad+.) cutting; #een or incisive words 2ithout a trenchant tool! the would have to brea# the branches rather than cut them. %he trenchant words hurt the man deepl .

trepidation (n.) apprehension; uneasiness Her long absence caused more than a little trepidation. 2ith great trepidation! the bo entered the water for the first time. tribunal (n.) the seat of +udge %he tribunal heard the case of the burglar . tribute (n.) e0pression of admiration Her performance was a tribute to her retiring teacher. trite (ad+.) commonplace; overused %he committee was loo#ing for something new! not the same trite ideas. 3ating tomato salads became trite after their e0cessive popularit . trivial (ad+.) unimportant; small; worthless Although her mother felt otherwise! she considered her dish washing chore trivial. troth (n.) belief; faith; fidelit %he couple pledged troth to each other through their vows. truculent (ad+.) fierce! savage! cruel %ruculent fighting bro#e out in the war&torn countr . %he truculent beast approached the crowd with wild e es and sharpened claws. truncate (v.) to shorten b cutting 2ith the football game running over! the show scheduled to follow it had to be truncated.

tumid (ad+.) swollen; pompous %he tumid river washed awa the homes built on the shore. After he earned his high&school diploma! he became insufferabl tumid. %he tumid balloon floated! but the empt one did not. tumult (n.) a nois commotion; disturbance %he tumult was caused b two bo s wanting the same to . After the tumult! 1 found it difficult to resume m studies. turbid (ad+.) thic# and dense; cloud %he turbid green waters of the la#e prevented them from seeing the bottom. turbulence (n.) condition of being ph sicall agitated; disturbance 3ver one on the plane had to fasten their seat belts as the plane entered an area of turbulence. turmoil (n.) unrest; agitation -efore the countr recovered after the war! the e0perienced a time of great turmoil. turpitude (n.) vileness %he turpitude of the action caused a rage among the people. tutelage (n.) the condition of being under a guardian or a tutor -eing under the tutelage of a master musician is a great honor. t coon (n.) wealth leader %he business t coon prepared to bu his fifteenth compan .

t rann (n.) absolute power; autocrac %he people were upset because the had no voice in the government that the #ing ran as a t rann . ubi(uitous (ad+.) omnipresent; present ever where A ubi(uitous spirit followed the man wherever he went. 2ater ma seem ubi(uitous! until a drought comes along. ulterior (ad+.) buried; concealed; undisclosed *he was usuall ver selfish! so when she came bearing gifts he suspected that she had ulterior motives. M ulterior concerns are more important than m immediate ones. %he man$s ulterior motive was to sp on the lab! though he said he wanted a +ob. umbrage (n.) offense or resentment %he candidate too# umbrage at the remar# of his opponent. unallo ed (ad+.) pure! of high (ualit An unallo ed chain is of greater value than a piece of costume +ewelr . uncann (ad+.) of a strange nature; weird %hat two people could be so ali#e was uncann . uncouth (ad+.) uncultured; crude %he social club would not accept an uncouth individual. undermine (v.) to wea#en; often through subtle means %he attempts to undermine the merger were unsuccessful. %he supervisor undermined the director$s power and began controlling the staff.

une(uivocal (ad+.) clear and unambiguous %he =>&> vote against the bill was an une(uivocal statement against the measure. His response was une(uivocal! which seemed unusual for a politician. unfeigned (ad+.) genuine; real; sincere Her unfeigned reaction of surprise meant she had not e0pected the part . ungainl (ad+.) clums and unattractive %he ungainl man #noc#ed over the plant stand. uniform (ad+.) never changing! alwa s with the same standard %he marching band moved in uniform across the field. /atrons of fast&food chains sa the li#e the idea of a uniform menu wherever the go. uni(ue (ad+.) without e(ual; incomparable %he +eweler assured him that the dubloon was uni(ue! as it was part of the long lost treasure of the Atocha. universal (ad+.) concerning ever one; e0isting ever where /ollution does not affect +ust one countr or state& it$s a universal problem. unobtrusive (ad+.) out of the wa ; remaining (uietl in the bac#ground %he sh man found an unobtrusive seat in the far corner of the room. 1t was eas to miss the unobtrusive pla(ue above the fireplace. unprecedented (ad+.) unheard of; e0ceptional 2ee#s of intense heat created unprecedented power demands! which the utilities were hard pressed to meet.

unpretentious (ad+.) simple; plain; modest He was an unpretentious farmerD An old 'ohn ,eere and a beat&up 5ord pic#&up were all he needed to get the +ob done. unrul (ad+.) not submitting to discipline; disobedient %he unrul bo s had to be removed from the concert hall. untoward (ad+.) improper; unfortunate As#ing guests to bring their own food would be an untoward re(uest. All of their friends e0pressed s mpath about their untoward separation. unwonted (ad+.) rare %he unwonted raise would be the onl one received for a few ears. %he changed migrator habits of the 7anada geese! though unwonted! is unwanted because of the mess the ma#e. upshot (n.) the final act or result %he upshot of the debate was that the bill would be released to the floor. urbane (ad+.) cultured; suave %he gala concert and dinner dance was attended b the most urbane individuals. %he 3nglish businessman was described b his peers as witt and urbane. usurpation (n.) art of ta#ing something for oneself; sei4ure ,uring the war! the usurpation of the countr forced an entirel new culture on the natives. usur (n.) the lending of mone with an e0cessivel high interest rate An interest rate E> points above the prime rate would be considered usur in the

)nited *tates. "oan shar#s fre(uentl practice usur ! but their debtors usuall have little choice but to #eep (uiet and pa up. utopia (n.) imaginar land with perfect social and political s stems Holtaire wrote of a utopia where the streets were paved with gold. waft (v.) move gentl b wind or bree4e %he smo#e wafted out of the chimne . waive (v.) to give up; to put off until later 1 will waive m rights to have a law er present because 1 don$t thin# 1 need one. As hard as he tried! he could onl waive his responsibilit for so long. wan (ad+.) lac#ing color; sic#l pale Her face became wan at the sight of blood. wane (v.) to graduall become less; to grow dim After time! interest in the show will wane and it will no longer be as popular. %he full moon waned until it was nothing but a sliver in the s# . wanton (ad+.) unmanageable; un+ustifiabl malicious M wanton hunger must be satiated. 2ith wanton aggression! the arm attac#ed the defenseless village. 1t is hard to lose weight when one has a wanton desire for sweets. warrant (v.) +ustif ; authori4e %he police official warranted the arrest of the suspect once enough proof had been found.

welter (n.) a confused mass; turmoil 2hen the emergenc alarm sounded! a welter of shivering office wor#ers formed in the street as people evacuated the site. %he welter moved from street to street to escape the fire. wheedle (v.) to influence or persuade %he croo# ma attempt to wheedle the mone from the ban#. He tried hard to wheedle his father into bu ing him a car. whet (v.) to sharpen b rubbing; to stimulate -efore carving the tur#e ! ou must whet the blade. %he smell of coo#ing food has whet m appetite. %he smell of dinner coo#ing whetted her appetite. whimsical (ad+.) fanciful; amusing *trolling down ,isne 2orld$s Main *treet is bound to put child and grown&up ali#e in a whimsical mood. wil (ad+.) concealing; sl %he wil e0planation was meant to confuse the investigator. winsome (ad+.) charming; sweetl attractive His winsome words moved the crowd to love him even more. wither (v.) wilt; shrivel; humiliate; cut down %he plant withered slowl since it received little light and little water. wi4ened (ad+.) shriveled; withered %he wi4ened face of the old man was covered b his hat.

wooden (ad+.) to be e0pressionless or dull %he wooden e0pression of the man made him loo# li#e a statue. wor#ada (ad+.) commonplace %he wor#ada meal was not e0citing to the world class chef. wrath (n.) violent or unrestrained anger; fur ,o not trespass on his propert or ou will have to deal with his wrath. wrea# (v.) to give vent; to inflict %he dragon will wrea# havoc upon the countr side. wrest (v.) to pull or force awa b a violent twisting %he warriors wrest the power from the #ing. wretched (ad+.) miserable or unhapp ; causing distress -rought up in an orphanage! Annie led a wretched e0istence. %he continual rain made for a wretched vacation. wr (ad+.) moc#ing; c nical He has a wr sense of humor which sometimes hurts people$s feelings. 0enophobia (n.) fear of foreigners Lenophobia #ept the townspeople from encouraging an immigrants to move into the neighborhood. o#e (n.) harness; collar; bond %he +oc#e led her horse b the o#e around its nec# and face.

ore (n.) former period of time 2hen he sees his childhood friends! the spea# about the da s of ore. 4ealot (n.) believer; enthusiast; fan %he 4ealot followed whatever rules the cult leader set. 4enith (n.) point directl overhead in the s# ; highest point %he astronomer pointed her telescope straight up toward the 4enith. %he -roncos seemed to be at the 4enith of their power +ust as their rivals on the turf were flagging. %he sun will reach its 4enith at noon. %he 4enith of her career occurred during her time as chairperson. 4eph r (n.) a gentle wind; bree4e 1t was a beautiful da ! with a 4eph r blowing in from the sea. %he 4eph r blew the boat slowl across the la#e.