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Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Word List 10
Group 1
Bellicose
war-like; aggressive
Consummate
complete; total; supremely good
Elusive
hard to pin down
Gregarious
extroverted; sociable; outgoing
Jaundiced
cynical; pessimistic
Nettle
annoy
Phenomenon
an event or happening (plural: phenomena)
Recuperate
get better after illness
Superlative
extremely good; the best
Whet
sharpen
Group 2
Belligerent
aggressive; ready to fight
Contemporary
living or happening at the same time
Emaciated
very thin; withered
Gritty
coarse; granular
Jaunt
short pleasure trip
Niggardly
miserly; stingy
Philanthropy
charity; love of mankind
Red tape
formalities; paperwork; official procedure
Surly
grumpy; rude
Whimsical
capricious; changeable
Group 3
Bemoan
complain about
Contrite
sorry
Emancipate
set free
Guffaw
sudden loud laughter
Jeopardize
put at risk; endanger
Nomadic
wandering from place to place
Philistine
uncultured person
Redolent
smelling of; giving off odors
Surreptitious
secret; sneaky; stealthy
Willful
stubborn
Group 4
Benevolent
kindly
Contrition
sorrow and repentance
Embezzle
defraud; steal
Guile
cunning; craftiness
Jingoistic
extremely patriotic; nationalistic
Nonchalance
an appearance of indifference; calm and composed
Phlegmatic
calm; imperturbable
Redress
put right something that was wrong
Surreptitiously
secretly; furtively; stealthily
Wily
cunning
Group 5
Benign
kindly; harmless
Contumacious
stubborn
Embroil
involve in hostility or argument
Guileless
frank; straightforward; honest
Jocular
in a joking manner
Nondescript
having no special features; dull and ordinary
Pillage
plunder
Redundant
unnecessary; superfluous
Susceptible
vulnerable
Wispy
flimsy; frail; delicate
Group 6
Benignity
compassion; gentleness; fondness
Contusion
a bruise
Emerge
come out; appear
Gullibility
unwariness; trustfulness; being easily fooled
Jollity
gaiety; happiness
Nonentity
a person of no importance; not famous
Pinnacle
topmost point
Referendum
public vote
Suspect
doubtful
Wistful
melancholy; pensive; expressing a longing for
Group 7
Bequeath
leave something in one's will to be given after one's death
Conundrum
a puzzle
Emulate
to imitate something admired
Gullible
easily fooled
Jubilant
ecstatic; delighted; rejoicing
Nostalgia
longing for the past
Pious
very religious
Refute
disprove
Sybarite
lover of luxury
Zany
crazy; wacky
Group 8
Berate
scold; criticize
Conventional
usual; customary; common
Endorse
give support or approval to
Gustatory
concerned with the sense of taste
Judicious
correct in judgment; wise
Notoriety
infamy; known for wrong doing
Pivotal
of central importance
Regale
entertain
Sycophant
bootlicker; flatterer
Zeal
enthusiasm
Group 9
Beret
type of cap
Corpulent
fat
Endurance
staying power; patience; stamina
Hackneyed
common and over-used
Jurisprudence
science or study of law
Novel
new; unusual
Placate
pacify; soothe; calm
Relegate
dismiss to a lower position
Taciturn
quiet; saying little
Zealot
fanatic
Group 10
Bestial
behaving like a beast; brutal
Corrugated
highly folded
Enduring
lasting
Hallowed
worshipped; consecrated
Juxtapose
place next to
Novice
a beginner; tyro
Placebo
harmless medicine with no effect; dummy medicine
Remorse
regret; sorrow; contrition
Tactile
concerned with the sense of touch
Zenith
summit
Bellicose
war-like; aggressive
Consummate
complete; total; supremely good
Elusive
hard to pin down
Gregarious
extroverted; sociable; outgoing
Jaundiced
cynical; pessimistic
Nettle
annoy
Phenomenon
an event or happening (plural: phenomena)
Recuperate
get better after illness
Superlative
extremely good; the best
Whet
sharpen
Group 2
Belligerent
aggressive; ready to fight
Contemporary
living or happening at the same time
Emaciated
very thin; withered
Gritty
coarse; granular
Jaunt
short pleasure trip
Niggardly
miserly; stingy
Philanthropy
charity; love of mankind
Red tape
formalities; paperwork; official procedure
Surly
grumpy; rude
Whimsical
capricious; changeable
Group 3
Bemoan
complain about
Contrite
sorry
Emancipate
set free
Guffaw
sudden loud laughter
Jeopardize
put at risk; endanger
Nomadic
wandering from place to place
Philistine
uncultured person
Redolent
smelling of; giving off odors
Surreptitious
secret; sneaky; stealthy
Willful
stubborn
Group 4
Benevolent
kindly
Contrition
sorrow and repentance
Embezzle
defraud; steal
Guile
cunning; craftiness
Jingoistic
extremely patriotic; nationalistic
Nonchalance
an appearance of indifference; calm and composed
Phlegmatic
calm; imperturbable
Redress
put right something that was wrong
Surreptitiously
secretly; furtively; stealthily
Wily
cunning
Group 5
Benign
kindly; harmless
Contumacious
stubborn
Embroil
involve in hostility or argument
Guileless
frank; straightforward; honest
Jocular
in a joking manner
Nondescript
having no special features; dull and ordinary
Pillage
plunder
Redundant
unnecessary; superfluous
Susceptible
vulnerable
Wispy
flimsy; frail; delicate
Group 6
Benignity
compassion; gentleness; fondness
Contusion
a bruise
Emerge
come out; appear
Gullibility
unwariness; trustfulness; being easily fooled
Jollity
gaiety; happiness
Nonentity
a person of no importance; not famous
Pinnacle
topmost point
Referendum
public vote
Suspect
doubtful
Wistful
melancholy; pensive; expressing a longing for
Group 7
Bequeath
leave something in one's will to be given after one's death
Conundrum
a puzzle
Emulate
to imitate something admired
Gullible
easily fooled
Jubilant
ecstatic; delighted; rejoicing
Nostalgia
longing for the past
Pious
very religious
Refute
disprove
Sybarite
lover of luxury
Zany
crazy; wacky
Group 8
Berate
scold; criticize
Conventional
usual; customary; common
Endorse
give support or approval to
Gustatory
concerned with the sense of taste
Judicious
correct in judgment; wise
Notoriety
infamy; known for wrong doing
Pivotal
of central importance
Regale
entertain
Sycophant
bootlicker; flatterer
Zeal
enthusiasm
Group 9
Beret
type of cap
Corpulent
fat
Endurance
staying power; patience; stamina
Hackneyed
common and over-used
Jurisprudence
science or study of law
Novel
new; unusual
Placate
pacify; soothe; calm
Relegate
dismiss to a lower position
Taciturn
quiet; saying little
Zealot
fanatic
Group 10
Bestial
behaving like a beast; brutal
Corrugated
highly folded
Enduring
lasting
Hallowed
worshipped; consecrated
Juxtapose
place next to
Novice
a beginner; tyro
Placebo
harmless medicine with no effect; dummy medicine
Remorse
regret; sorrow; contrition
Tactile
concerned with the sense of touch
Zenith
summit
Word List 09
Group 1
Bane
troublesome influence
Condone
tacitly support; overlook
Eclectic
taking things from different sources
Genre
a category; type
Irascible
easily angered
Mundane
ordinary; worldly
Perpetuated
caused to continue
Rancor
resentment; animosity; bad feeling
Strut
swagger; show off
Voluble
talkative
Group 2
Bard
poet
Condoning
overlooking; disregarding; ignoring
Edifice
building; structure; construction
Germane
relevant
Ire
anger [irate (a) = very angry]
Munificent
generous; charitable
Perpetuity
eternity
Rant
use bombastic language
Stupefying
astonishing; shocking; stunning into silence
Voluminous
very large; spacious
Group 3
Bastion
fortress; stronghold
Conflagration
big fire
Efface
wipe out; remove all trace of
Germinal
just growing; not developed; immature
Irksome
annoying; infuriating
Mutinous
very rebellious
Personable
attractive
Ratify
approve; consent
Subpoena
summons to court
Voracious
ravenous
Group 4
Befuddle
confuse
Confound
confuse
Effigy
a model of a person
Gibbering
making meaningless noises
Ironic
satiric; unexpected
Myriad
in large numbers
Perspicacious
insightful; sharp; wise
Raucous
rough and unpleasant (of sounds)
Substantiate
give supporting evidence
Waive
surrender; give up
Group 5
Begrudge
resent
Congeal
to solidify
Effusive
gushing; demonstrative
Glacial
hostile; unfriendly; cold; icy
Irrational
unreasonable; absurd
Navigable
suitable for sailing
Perspicacity
insight
Raze
destroy; demolish; tear down
Subterfuge
a trick
Wane
grow less
Group 6
Beguile
mislead; lure
Congenital
present from birth
Egalitarianism
belief in equality
Goad
prod; urge
Irreproachable
cannot be criticized; perfect
Nebulous
vague
Pertinent
relevant
Rebuttal
denial
Subtle
not obvious
Wary
hesitant; cautious
Group 7
Belabor
explain in unnecessary detail
Connoisseur
person with refined taste and good judgment
Egregious
outstandingly, obviously bad
Grate (v)
1. to annoy; aggravate; vex; 2. shred
Irrevocable
cannot be cancelled; unchangeable
Nefarious
wicked; immoral; disreputable
Peruse
read carefully
Recant
disclaim; retract statement
Subversive
rebellious; revolutionary
Wax
to increase; to grow
Group 8
Beleaguer
besiege; attack
Consecrate
dedicate
Egress
exit
Gratis
free of charge; without payment
Itinerant
nomadic; wandering from place to place
Negate
cancel; deny
Pervasive
spreading everywhere
Recapitulate
summarize
Succinct
concise
Waylay
accost; stop; approach; hinder
Group 9
Belie
contradict
Consensus
general agreement
Eloquent
fluent and persuasive in speech
Gratuitous
unwarranted
Jaded
tired; bored; worn out
Negligence
carelessness
Petrify
1. terrify; 2. turn to stone
Receptacle
container; vessel; holder
Suffragist
someone who campaigns for voting rights
Weighty
serious
Group 10
Belittle
to demean
Conspicuous
easily seen; prominent
Elucidate
make clear
Gravity
seriousness
Jargon
specialized language used by experts
Neologism
newly coined word
Petulant
sulky; peevish
Recluse
someone who cuts himself off from life
Supercilious
proud and haughty
Whelp
young dog
Bane
troublesome influence
Condone
tacitly support; overlook
Eclectic
taking things from different sources
Genre
a category; type
Irascible
easily angered
Mundane
ordinary; worldly
Perpetuated
caused to continue
Rancor
resentment; animosity; bad feeling
Strut
swagger; show off
Voluble
talkative
Group 2
Bard
poet
Condoning
overlooking; disregarding; ignoring
Edifice
building; structure; construction
Germane
relevant
Ire
anger [irate (a) = very angry]
Munificent
generous; charitable
Perpetuity
eternity
Rant
use bombastic language
Stupefying
astonishing; shocking; stunning into silence
Voluminous
very large; spacious
Group 3
Bastion
fortress; stronghold
Conflagration
big fire
Efface
wipe out; remove all trace of
Germinal
just growing; not developed; immature
Irksome
annoying; infuriating
Mutinous
very rebellious
Personable
attractive
Ratify
approve; consent
Subpoena
summons to court
Voracious
ravenous
Group 4
Befuddle
confuse
Confound
confuse
Effigy
a model of a person
Gibbering
making meaningless noises
Ironic
satiric; unexpected
Myriad
in large numbers
Perspicacious
insightful; sharp; wise
Raucous
rough and unpleasant (of sounds)
Substantiate
give supporting evidence
Waive
surrender; give up
Group 5
Begrudge
resent
Congeal
to solidify
Effusive
gushing; demonstrative
Glacial
hostile; unfriendly; cold; icy
Irrational
unreasonable; absurd
Navigable
suitable for sailing
Perspicacity
insight
Raze
destroy; demolish; tear down
Subterfuge
a trick
Wane
grow less
Group 6
Beguile
mislead; lure
Congenital
present from birth
Egalitarianism
belief in equality
Goad
prod; urge
Irreproachable
cannot be criticized; perfect
Nebulous
vague
Pertinent
relevant
Rebuttal
denial
Subtle
not obvious
Wary
hesitant; cautious
Group 7
Belabor
explain in unnecessary detail
Connoisseur
person with refined taste and good judgment
Egregious
outstandingly, obviously bad
Grate (v)
1. to annoy; aggravate; vex; 2. shred
Irrevocable
cannot be cancelled; unchangeable
Nefarious
wicked; immoral; disreputable
Peruse
read carefully
Recant
disclaim; retract statement
Subversive
rebellious; revolutionary
Wax
to increase; to grow
Group 8
Beleaguer
besiege; attack
Consecrate
dedicate
Egress
exit
Gratis
free of charge; without payment
Itinerant
nomadic; wandering from place to place
Negate
cancel; deny
Pervasive
spreading everywhere
Recapitulate
summarize
Succinct
concise
Waylay
accost; stop; approach; hinder
Group 9
Belie
contradict
Consensus
general agreement
Eloquent
fluent and persuasive in speech
Gratuitous
unwarranted
Jaded
tired; bored; worn out
Negligence
carelessness
Petrify
1. terrify; 2. turn to stone
Receptacle
container; vessel; holder
Suffragist
someone who campaigns for voting rights
Weighty
serious
Group 10
Belittle
to demean
Conspicuous
easily seen; prominent
Elucidate
make clear
Gravity
seriousness
Jargon
specialized language used by experts
Neologism
newly coined word
Petulant
sulky; peevish
Recluse
someone who cuts himself off from life
Supercilious
proud and haughty
Whelp
young dog
Word List 08
Group 1
Atheist
person who does not believe in God
Colloquial
local and informal (used of language)
Dotard
foolish old man
Furrow
groove
Instigator
troublemaker; person who entices others to do something
Misnomer
wrong name
Percipient
perceptive; insightful
Quaff
drink down quickly
Staunch
loyal; faithful; dependable
Vilification
blackening someone's name
Group 2
Atrophy
waste away from lack of use
Collusion
plotting and planning
Drawl
speak slowly with words running together
Furtive
hidden and secret
Insurgent
a rebel
Misogynist
hater of women
Perdition
damnation
Quagmire
marsh; bog
Stereotype
fixed image
Vindicate
prove right; remove blame
Group 3
Attenuate
weaken
Commandeer
take possession of
Drivel
nonsense
Futile
useless; hopeless
Interminable
never-ending
Misrepresentation
deliberately deceiving
Peremptory
in a commanding manner
Quaint
picturesque
Stevedore
dockworker
Virtuoso
an accomplished musician
Group 4
Augment
increase; make bigger
Complacent
self-satisfied; smug
Droll
dryly amusing
Galleon
ancient type of sailing ship
Intermittent
sporadic; irregular
Mitigate
lessen; make less severe
Perfidy
treachery
Quandary
dilemma; puzzle
Stifle
suppress
Virulent
dangerous; harmful
Group 5
Auspicious
favorable; promising to turn out well
Compliant
easy to control; submissive
Drone
1. monotonous noise (n); 2. to speak with no emotion (v); 3.male bee
Gambol
frolic; leap; bound
Intransigence
stubbornness
Modicum
small amount
Perfunctory
superficial; cursory
Quarantine
isolation to prevent the spread of disease
Stoic
known for fortitude; indifferent to pleasure or pain
Vital
essential; alive; important
Group 6
Austere
severely plain
Concatenate
link together
Dubious
doubtful
Garble
distort; confuse; muddle
Intransigent
stubborn; unyielding
Momentous
very important
Peripatetic
nomadic; moving from place to place
Quarry
1. something that is hunted; 2. mine for stone
Stoke
add fuel to; strengthen
Vitriolic
corrosive; strongly attacking
Group 7
Aversion
a dislike of
Concatenation
linking into chains
Dupe
to fool someone
Garish
gaudy
Intrepid
brave
Monotonous
dull; unvarying
Peripheral
on the edge; not important
Querulous
always complaining
Stolid
impassive; dull; indifferent
Vivacity
liveliness; animation
Group 8
Balk
hinder and prevent; hesitate over
Conciliate
to bring together; end a dispute
Dynamic
lively; vibrant; energetic
Garner
gather; collect
Inveterate
habitual
Moratorium
temporary prohibition or halt to activity
Perjury
telling lies under oath
Quirk
oddity
Stratagem
plot; plan; trick
Vivify
enliven
Group 9
Banal
common; dull
Concise
stated in few words
Ebullient
very lively; cheerful; jovial; happy
Garrulous
talkative
Invidious
arousing envy
Moribund
on the point of death
Pernicious
destructive; harmful
Ramble
wander aimlessly
Strident
loud and harsh
Vociferous
noisy; loud in speech
Group 10
Banality
ordinariness; dullness
Condescend
talk down to
Eccentric
unusual; quirky; odd
Gaunt
emaciated; bony and angular
Inviolable
cannot be invaded
Morose
gloomy; bad tempered
Persnickety
fastidious; fussy
Ramifications
branches; subdivisions of a complex system; outcomes
Stringent
strict or severe
Volatile
dangerously unstable; evaporates easily
Atheist
person who does not believe in God
Colloquial
local and informal (used of language)
Dotard
foolish old man
Furrow
groove
Instigator
troublemaker; person who entices others to do something
Misnomer
wrong name
Percipient
perceptive; insightful
Quaff
drink down quickly
Staunch
loyal; faithful; dependable
Vilification
blackening someone's name
Group 2
Atrophy
waste away from lack of use
Collusion
plotting and planning
Drawl
speak slowly with words running together
Furtive
hidden and secret
Insurgent
a rebel
Misogynist
hater of women
Perdition
damnation
Quagmire
marsh; bog
Stereotype
fixed image
Vindicate
prove right; remove blame
Group 3
Attenuate
weaken
Commandeer
take possession of
Drivel
nonsense
Futile
useless; hopeless
Interminable
never-ending
Misrepresentation
deliberately deceiving
Peremptory
in a commanding manner
Quaint
picturesque
Stevedore
dockworker
Virtuoso
an accomplished musician
Group 4
Augment
increase; make bigger
Complacent
self-satisfied; smug
Droll
dryly amusing
Galleon
ancient type of sailing ship
Intermittent
sporadic; irregular
Mitigate
lessen; make less severe
Perfidy
treachery
Quandary
dilemma; puzzle
Stifle
suppress
Virulent
dangerous; harmful
Group 5
Auspicious
favorable; promising to turn out well
Compliant
easy to control; submissive
Drone
1. monotonous noise (n); 2. to speak with no emotion (v); 3.male bee
Gambol
frolic; leap; bound
Intransigence
stubbornness
Modicum
small amount
Perfunctory
superficial; cursory
Quarantine
isolation to prevent the spread of disease
Stoic
known for fortitude; indifferent to pleasure or pain
Vital
essential; alive; important
Group 6
Austere
severely plain
Concatenate
link together
Dubious
doubtful
Garble
distort; confuse; muddle
Intransigent
stubborn; unyielding
Momentous
very important
Peripatetic
nomadic; moving from place to place
Quarry
1. something that is hunted; 2. mine for stone
Stoke
add fuel to; strengthen
Vitriolic
corrosive; strongly attacking
Group 7
Aversion
a dislike of
Concatenation
linking into chains
Dupe
to fool someone
Garish
gaudy
Intrepid
brave
Monotonous
dull; unvarying
Peripheral
on the edge; not important
Querulous
always complaining
Stolid
impassive; dull; indifferent
Vivacity
liveliness; animation
Group 8
Balk
hinder and prevent; hesitate over
Conciliate
to bring together; end a dispute
Dynamic
lively; vibrant; energetic
Garner
gather; collect
Inveterate
habitual
Moratorium
temporary prohibition or halt to activity
Perjury
telling lies under oath
Quirk
oddity
Stratagem
plot; plan; trick
Vivify
enliven
Group 9
Banal
common; dull
Concise
stated in few words
Ebullient
very lively; cheerful; jovial; happy
Garrulous
talkative
Invidious
arousing envy
Moribund
on the point of death
Pernicious
destructive; harmful
Ramble
wander aimlessly
Strident
loud and harsh
Vociferous
noisy; loud in speech
Group 10
Banality
ordinariness; dullness
Condescend
talk down to
Eccentric
unusual; quirky; odd
Gaunt
emaciated; bony and angular
Inviolable
cannot be invaded
Morose
gloomy; bad tempered
Persnickety
fastidious; fussy
Ramifications
branches; subdivisions of a complex system; outcomes
Stringent
strict or severe
Volatile
dangerously unstable; evaporates easily
Word List 07
Group 1
Archetype
classic example of
Clemency
mercy
Disinterested
unbiased
Flout
defy; reject
Ingénue
naïve, unsophisticated person
Mendacious
given to lying
Paucity
shortage
Protean
changeable
Sophomoric
juvenile; immature
Venal
corrupt; can be bribed
Group 2
Archives
collections of old records; place of storage of old documents
Cliché
overused expression; something unoriginal
Disparage
criticize; belittle
Flustered
worked-up; not calm
Ingrate
ungrateful person
Mercenary
concerned only with money
Peccadillo
minor weakness; trivial offence
Protégé
person under protection of, or guided by another
Soporific
inducing sleep
Veneer
surface coating
Group 3
Articulate
clear; lucid; eloquent
Clientele
customers
Disparity
an inequality
Fly-by-night
unreliable; disreputable
Inimical
hostile
Mercurial
volatile; changeable
Pedant
person who insists on strict adherence to rules or narrow learning
Protocol
procedure; code of behavior
Sparse
spare; bare; meager
Venerate
revere; worship
Group 4
Artifice
deception; trickery
Coalesce
come together; merge
Dispassionate
neutral; objective
Forensic
concerned with argument or debate (esp. for legal evidence)
Innate
inherited; inborn
Merge
come together
Pedestrian
common; mundane; banal
Provincial
unsophisticated; narrow-minded
Specious
false
Venial
minor; unimportant
Group 5
Artisan
craftsman
Coddle
pamper; fuss over; indulge
Disseminating
circulating; broadcasting; spreading (information)
Fortitude
bravery
Innocuous
harmless; inoffensive
Metaphorically
symbolically; figuratively
Peerless
without equal
Prudent
cautious; wise
Speckled
spotted; freckled; dotted
Veracity
truthfulness
Group 6
Ascetic
without luxuries; severely simple
Coercion
force
Diurnal
active in daytime
Fortuitous
happening by chance
Innovate
create; introduce something new
Meticulous
very careful; painstaking
Pejorative
derogatory
Puerile
childish
Sporadic
not continuous; intermittent
Verbose
talkative; long-winded; rambling
Group 7
Assiduous
thorough; diligent
Cogent
lucid; well argued
Divert
1. entertain; 2. distract; 3. cause a detour
Fractious
irritable; difficult to control
Inscrutable
mysterious; impenetrable
Mettle
courage; bravery; valor
Pellucid
transparently clear
Punctilious
paying attention to small details
Spurious
false
Verbosity
using too many words
Group 8
Assuage
to calm
Cogitate
think over something; ponder
Docile
gentle and easily lead
Fraudulent
fake; false
Insentient
unfeeling
Milieu
environment
Pensive
in a thoughtful mood; thinking deeply
Purloin
steal
Stagnant
still; not moving
Vertigo
dizziness
Group 9
Astute
perceptive; sharp-witted
Collage
picture made from fragments of other pictures
Dogmatic
having stubbornly held opinions
Frivolous
not serious
Insipid
dull; bland; boring
Mire
swamp; muddy ground
Penury
poverty
Pusillanimous
cowardly
Staid
dull; sober; serious
Vestigial
not developed
Group 10
Asylum
place of refuge or safety
Collate
arrange in order
Dolt
stupid person
Frugal
economical; not wasting anything
Instigate
to start; provoke
Misanthrope
hater of the rest of mankind
Perceptive
observant
Pyromania
compulsion to start fires
Stanza
section of a poem
Vignette
small sketch
Archetype
classic example of
Clemency
mercy
Disinterested
unbiased
Flout
defy; reject
Ingénue
naïve, unsophisticated person
Mendacious
given to lying
Paucity
shortage
Protean
changeable
Sophomoric
juvenile; immature
Venal
corrupt; can be bribed
Group 2
Archives
collections of old records; place of storage of old documents
Cliché
overused expression; something unoriginal
Disparage
criticize; belittle
Flustered
worked-up; not calm
Ingrate
ungrateful person
Mercenary
concerned only with money
Peccadillo
minor weakness; trivial offence
Protégé
person under protection of, or guided by another
Soporific
inducing sleep
Veneer
surface coating
Group 3
Articulate
clear; lucid; eloquent
Clientele
customers
Disparity
an inequality
Fly-by-night
unreliable; disreputable
Inimical
hostile
Mercurial
volatile; changeable
Pedant
person who insists on strict adherence to rules or narrow learning
Protocol
procedure; code of behavior
Sparse
spare; bare; meager
Venerate
revere; worship
Group 4
Artifice
deception; trickery
Coalesce
come together; merge
Dispassionate
neutral; objective
Forensic
concerned with argument or debate (esp. for legal evidence)
Innate
inherited; inborn
Merge
come together
Pedestrian
common; mundane; banal
Provincial
unsophisticated; narrow-minded
Specious
false
Venial
minor; unimportant
Group 5
Artisan
craftsman
Coddle
pamper; fuss over; indulge
Disseminating
circulating; broadcasting; spreading (information)
Fortitude
bravery
Innocuous
harmless; inoffensive
Metaphorically
symbolically; figuratively
Peerless
without equal
Prudent
cautious; wise
Speckled
spotted; freckled; dotted
Veracity
truthfulness
Group 6
Ascetic
without luxuries; severely simple
Coercion
force
Diurnal
active in daytime
Fortuitous
happening by chance
Innovate
create; introduce something new
Meticulous
very careful; painstaking
Pejorative
derogatory
Puerile
childish
Sporadic
not continuous; intermittent
Verbose
talkative; long-winded; rambling
Group 7
Assiduous
thorough; diligent
Cogent
lucid; well argued
Divert
1. entertain; 2. distract; 3. cause a detour
Fractious
irritable; difficult to control
Inscrutable
mysterious; impenetrable
Mettle
courage; bravery; valor
Pellucid
transparently clear
Punctilious
paying attention to small details
Spurious
false
Verbosity
using too many words
Group 8
Assuage
to calm
Cogitate
think over something; ponder
Docile
gentle and easily lead
Fraudulent
fake; false
Insentient
unfeeling
Milieu
environment
Pensive
in a thoughtful mood; thinking deeply
Purloin
steal
Stagnant
still; not moving
Vertigo
dizziness
Group 9
Astute
perceptive; sharp-witted
Collage
picture made from fragments of other pictures
Dogmatic
having stubbornly held opinions
Frivolous
not serious
Insipid
dull; bland; boring
Mire
swamp; muddy ground
Penury
poverty
Pusillanimous
cowardly
Staid
dull; sober; serious
Vestigial
not developed
Group 10
Asylum
place of refuge or safety
Collate
arrange in order
Dolt
stupid person
Frugal
economical; not wasting anything
Instigate
to start; provoke
Misanthrope
hater of the rest of mankind
Perceptive
observant
Pyromania
compulsion to start fires
Stanza
section of a poem
Vignette
small sketch
Word List 06
Group 1
Antiquated
outdated; old fashioned
Choleric
easily angered
Diorama
model of a scene
Fecund
fertile
Inebriation
drunkenness; intoxication
Marshal
to gather together
Parity
equality
Profound
having deep meaning
Servile
overly submissive; groveling
Usurp
take someone's position (usually by force)
Group 2
Apathetic
indifferent; uninterested; lethargic
Chronicler
person who records historical information
Dirge
mournful song
Felicitous
apt
Ineffable
cannot be expressed in words
Marsupial
pouched mammal (like a kangaroo)
Parochial
narrow-minded; concerned only with local matters
Profundity
depth
Skeptical
doubting; not gullible
Utilitarian
useful
Group 3
Apathy
lack of interest or emotion
Circuitous
indirect
Disapprobation
disapproval
Fervor
passion; enthusiasm
Inept
incompetent; unskilled; useless
Martinet
person who believes in strict discipline
Parody
a mockery; imitation for ridicule; spoof
Proletarian
member of the working class
Skirmish
minor battle
Utopian
a believer in an ideal world
Group 4
Apocryphal
of doubtful origin
Circumlocution
using too many words; long-windedness
Discern
to distinguish one thing from another
Fickle
unpredictable; whimsical; easily swayed
Inertia
inactivity; lethargy
Masochist
person who intentionally inflicts pain on himself
Parry
ward off; avoid
Prolific
producing a lot
Sluggard
slow-moving; lethargic person
Vacillate
waver; hesitate
Group 5
Appease
pacify; soothe; calm down; make peace with
Circumscribe
limit
Discord
disagreement
Finesse
skill
Inevitable
cannot be avoided
Matriarchy
society governed by women
Parsimonious
economical; frugal; thrifty
Proponents
promoters; supporters
Smelt
refine an ore
Vacuous
empty; silly; meaningless
Group 6
Apprehensive
worried; fearful
Circumspect
cautious; considering all sides
Discordancy
cacophony; harshness; jarring
Fitful
not continuous; stopping and starting
Inexorable
relentless
Maverick
a loner
Parsimony
stinginess; frugality; cost-cutting
Prosaic
dull; boring; ordinary
Smorgasbord
a Swedish buffet of cold dishes
Vagrant
person wandering without a home
Group 7
Arable
can be cultivated
Circumvent
avoid
Discrepancy
something which does not match up; inconsistency
Flagrant
clearly wrong
Inexpedient
not advisable
Meager
in short supply
Partisan
biased; one-sided; committed to one group
Proscribe
forbid
Solace
comfort for grief
Vapid
dull; uninspiring
Group 8
Arbitrary
random; for no definite reason
Clairvoyant
psychic; mystic
Discriminate
to make a clear distinction; see the difference
Flamboyant
showy; ornate
Infallible
perfect; flawless; cannot make mistakes
Meander
wander from side to side
Pathos
evoking sadness or pity
Prosody
study of versification
Solicit
to ask for; seek
Variegated
multicolored; speckled
Group 9
Arcane
obscure; known only to a few people
Clamor
shout; scream
Discursiveness
long windedness; indirectness
Flaunt
show off; display in a showy manner
Infamous
famous for something bad
Mellow
soft; melodious; ripe
Patron
one who give support (usually financial)
Prostration
1. lying face down; 2. be overcome with extreme weakness
Somnambulist
sleepwalker
Vehemence
violence; fervor; forcefulness
Group 10
Archaic
ancient; outdated; old fashioned
Clandestine
secret; covert; stealthy
Disdain
contempt; strong dislike
Flippant
making jokes about serious matters
Infer
deduce; conclude
Menagerie
collection of animals
Patronize
condescend to; behave in an arrogant manner towards
Protagonist
main character in film, book, play etc.
Soothsayer
fortuneteller
Vehement
forceful
Antiquated
outdated; old fashioned
Choleric
easily angered
Diorama
model of a scene
Fecund
fertile
Inebriation
drunkenness; intoxication
Marshal
to gather together
Parity
equality
Profound
having deep meaning
Servile
overly submissive; groveling
Usurp
take someone's position (usually by force)
Group 2
Apathetic
indifferent; uninterested; lethargic
Chronicler
person who records historical information
Dirge
mournful song
Felicitous
apt
Ineffable
cannot be expressed in words
Marsupial
pouched mammal (like a kangaroo)
Parochial
narrow-minded; concerned only with local matters
Profundity
depth
Skeptical
doubting; not gullible
Utilitarian
useful
Group 3
Apathy
lack of interest or emotion
Circuitous
indirect
Disapprobation
disapproval
Fervor
passion; enthusiasm
Inept
incompetent; unskilled; useless
Martinet
person who believes in strict discipline
Parody
a mockery; imitation for ridicule; spoof
Proletarian
member of the working class
Skirmish
minor battle
Utopian
a believer in an ideal world
Group 4
Apocryphal
of doubtful origin
Circumlocution
using too many words; long-windedness
Discern
to distinguish one thing from another
Fickle
unpredictable; whimsical; easily swayed
Inertia
inactivity; lethargy
Masochist
person who intentionally inflicts pain on himself
Parry
ward off; avoid
Prolific
producing a lot
Sluggard
slow-moving; lethargic person
Vacillate
waver; hesitate
Group 5
Appease
pacify; soothe; calm down; make peace with
Circumscribe
limit
Discord
disagreement
Finesse
skill
Inevitable
cannot be avoided
Matriarchy
society governed by women
Parsimonious
economical; frugal; thrifty
Proponents
promoters; supporters
Smelt
refine an ore
Vacuous
empty; silly; meaningless
Group 6
Apprehensive
worried; fearful
Circumspect
cautious; considering all sides
Discordancy
cacophony; harshness; jarring
Fitful
not continuous; stopping and starting
Inexorable
relentless
Maverick
a loner
Parsimony
stinginess; frugality; cost-cutting
Prosaic
dull; boring; ordinary
Smorgasbord
a Swedish buffet of cold dishes
Vagrant
person wandering without a home
Group 7
Arable
can be cultivated
Circumvent
avoid
Discrepancy
something which does not match up; inconsistency
Flagrant
clearly wrong
Inexpedient
not advisable
Meager
in short supply
Partisan
biased; one-sided; committed to one group
Proscribe
forbid
Solace
comfort for grief
Vapid
dull; uninspiring
Group 8
Arbitrary
random; for no definite reason
Clairvoyant
psychic; mystic
Discriminate
to make a clear distinction; see the difference
Flamboyant
showy; ornate
Infallible
perfect; flawless; cannot make mistakes
Meander
wander from side to side
Pathos
evoking sadness or pity
Prosody
study of versification
Solicit
to ask for; seek
Variegated
multicolored; speckled
Group 9
Arcane
obscure; known only to a few people
Clamor
shout; scream
Discursiveness
long windedness; indirectness
Flaunt
show off; display in a showy manner
Infamous
famous for something bad
Mellow
soft; melodious; ripe
Patron
one who give support (usually financial)
Prostration
1. lying face down; 2. be overcome with extreme weakness
Somnambulist
sleepwalker
Vehemence
violence; fervor; forcefulness
Group 10
Archaic
ancient; outdated; old fashioned
Clandestine
secret; covert; stealthy
Disdain
contempt; strong dislike
Flippant
making jokes about serious matters
Infer
deduce; conclude
Menagerie
collection of animals
Patronize
condescend to; behave in an arrogant manner towards
Protagonist
main character in film, book, play etc.
Soothsayer
fortuneteller
Vehement
forceful
Word List 05
Group 1
Anecdote
a brief amusing story
Celerity
speed
Dexterous
skilful with hands
Extraneous
irrelevant
Incoherent
not clear
Maladroit
clumsy; unskillful
Pallid
pale
Presumptuous
assuming too much; arrogant
Scrupulous
careful; diligent; painstaking
Unequivocal
clear; obvious
Group 2
Animosity
hatred; antagonism
Censorious
disapproving; critical
Dichotomy
a division into two parts
Extrapolate
extend; predict on the basis of known data
Incongruous
not fitting in; out of place
Malady
illness
Palpable
easily felt; easily perceived
Pretentious
pompous; self-important
Scrutinize
examine carefully
Unfetter
set free
Group 3
Annex (n)
a building which is an addition to an existing building
Censure
blame
Didactic
intended to teach; instructive
Extrinsic
irrelevant; on the outside
Inconsequential
unimportant; insignificant; negligible
Malediction
a curse
Panacea
remedy for all ills
Prevaricate
speak misleadingly and evasively
Scuttle
sink
Unfrock
to remove a priest from his position
Group 4
Annex (v)
take possession of; seize; capture
Cerebral
intellectual
Diffident
lacking confidence
Fallacious
false
Inconspicuous
not easily seen; subtle; not noticeable
Malefactor
a wrong-doer
Paradigm
1. example; 2. model; 3. way of looking at things
Pristine
unspoiled
Seminary
an institution in which priests are trained
Unprecedented
never having happened before
Group 5
Anomaly
something which does not fit in a pattern; irregularity
Certitude
certainty
Digress
wander off the subject
Falter
hesitate; waver
Indelible
cannot be wiped out
Malinger
deliberately avoid work; shirk
Paradox
apparently contradictory statement
Proclivity
tendency towards
Sensuous
appealing to the senses
Unscathed
unharmed; intact; without a scratch
Group 6
Antagonism
hostility; strong opposition
Charlatan
trickster who claims knowledge he doesn't have
Dike
dam; embankment
Fanatical
obsessive; fixated
Indifferent
1. neutral; 2. not outstanding
Malingerer
person who deliberately tries to avoid work
Paragon
a perfect example
Procrastinate
delay; put off
Sentinel
guard; sentry
Unwitting
not deliberate; unconscious
Group 7
Antagonistic
opposed; hostile; aggressive
Chary
wary of; cautious about; reluctant to give
Dilatory
slow; falling behind with one's work
Fanaticism
passion; excessive devotion
Indigenous
native to a particular area
Malleable
flexible; can be shaped
Paramount
of supreme importance
Prodigal
wasteful; extravagant
Sequester
isolate
Upbraid
scold; tell off; reprimand
Group 8
Antediluvian
outdated; prehistoric; very old-fashioned
Chastises
punishes
Dilemma
puzzling situation
Fastidious
overly particular; finicky
Indolence
laziness
Mallet
1. wooden hammer; 2. stick used for polo
Parasite
1. scrounger; 2. animal which takes digested food from another
Prodigious
very large
Serendipity
fortunate coincidence; unsought discovery
Uproarious
hilarious; hysterical; very funny
Group 9
Anthology
a book which is a collection of poems or stories
Chicanery
trickery
Dilettante
person who dabbles in a subject without serious study
Fatuous
silly; foolish
Inductee
novice; beginner
Manipulatable
influencable; controllable
Parched
dried up
Profane
unholy
Serene
calm; peaceful
Upshot
outcome
Group 10
Anthropocentrism
putting man at the center of one's philosophy
Chimerical
changeable; unstable
Diligent
hard-working
Feasible
possible and practicable
Indulgent
pampering; satisfying desires
Marred
damaged; spoiled
Pariah
an outcast from society
Profanity
swearing; cursing
Serrated
jagged; saw-like
Urbane
sophisticated; suave
Word List 04
Group 1
Ambivalence
lack of clarity; wavering; being undecided
Cantankerous
bad-tempered; quarrelsome
Derogatory
uncomplimentary
Exemplify
to serve as a good example
Impecunious
having no money
Lucid
clear
Ornate
highly decorated
Precipice
steep slope
Salubrious
health-giving
Truant
shirker; someone absent without permission
Group 2
Ambulatory
able to walk around (used of hospital patients)
Capacious
spacious
Desecrate
to damage or pollute a holy place
Exhaustive
complete and thorough
Impious
wicked; profane
Ludicrous
ridiculous; silly
Orthodox
conventional
Precipitous
done in a hurry
Salutary
something which teaches you a lesson; beneficial
Truncate
cut short
Group 3
Ameliorate
make better
Capitulate
surrender; give in to
Desecration
spoiling something holy
Exonerates
acquits; absolves; removes blame
Impoverished
destitute; poor
Lukewarm
1. unenthusiastic; 2. neither hot nor cold
Ossify
1. turn to bone; 2. become fixed and rigid
Preclude
prevent or make impossible
Sanctimonious
hypocritically holy
Tumult
uproar; noise
Group 4
Amelioration
improvement
Carping
constant criticism
Desist
stop; discontinue; cease
Exorcism
getting free/rid of; eliminating (especially demons)
Impromptu
unrehearsed; spontaneous
Lummox
clumsy person
Ostentatious
showy
Precocious
developing early
Sanction
give approval to
Turpitude
depravity
Group 5
Amiable
friendly
Cartographer
person who makes maps
Despondent
having no hope; miserable
Expatriate
refugee; emigrant; someone living away from his own country
Inadvertent
not intentional
Luscious
juicy; moist; succulent
Oust
push out of a position
Predecessor
one who came before
Sanguinary
bloodthirsty; bloody
Tyro
novice; beginner
Group 6
Amity
friendship
Castigate
scold strongly
Destitution
hardship; poverty; misery
Expedient
convenient; practical
Incantation
chant; invocation; prayer
Lynch
assassinate; kill; illegal hanging
Overt
obvious; not hidden
Predicament
dilemma; difficult situation
Sanguine
optimistic; cheerful
Ubiquitous
found everywhere; omnipresent
Group 7
Amorphous
lacking in shape
Catharsis
purging of pent-up emotions
Deter
put off; prevent
Expedite
make faster
Incarceration
putting in prison
Machinations
plots and plans
Overwrought
worked up; in an emotional state
Preeminent
famous; outstanding
Sardonic
mocking
Unalloyed
undiluted; total
Group 8
Analgesic
medicine to combat pain
Caucus
type of private political meeting
Deteriorate
worsen; decline
Exposition
clear explanation
Incessant
without stopping
Maelstrom
whirlpool; storm in the ocean
Palatable
good to eat; agreeable
Prerogative
right or privilege
Savant
person with knowledge
Unctuous
oily; using excessive flattery
Group 9
Analogous
comparable
Caustic
burning
Detrimental
harmful
Extol
praise
Incipient
just beginning
Magnanimous
generous; big-hearted
Palisade
fence made of posts
Prescient
having fore-knowledge
Scale
to climb
Undermined
damaged; attacked
Group 10
Anarchy
chaos; lack of government
Cavalcade
procession of vehicles
Devoured
greedily eaten/consumed
Extradite
deport from one country back to the home country
Inclination
tendency; a leaning toward
Magnate
powerful businessman
Palliative
a remedy that improves but doesn't cure
Presentiment
a feeling that something might happen
Scapegoat
person on whom blame is placed for faults of others
Underscore
emphasize
Ambivalence
lack of clarity; wavering; being undecided
Cantankerous
bad-tempered; quarrelsome
Derogatory
uncomplimentary
Exemplify
to serve as a good example
Impecunious
having no money
Lucid
clear
Ornate
highly decorated
Precipice
steep slope
Salubrious
health-giving
Truant
shirker; someone absent without permission
Group 2
Ambulatory
able to walk around (used of hospital patients)
Capacious
spacious
Desecrate
to damage or pollute a holy place
Exhaustive
complete and thorough
Impious
wicked; profane
Ludicrous
ridiculous; silly
Orthodox
conventional
Precipitous
done in a hurry
Salutary
something which teaches you a lesson; beneficial
Truncate
cut short
Group 3
Ameliorate
make better
Capitulate
surrender; give in to
Desecration
spoiling something holy
Exonerates
acquits; absolves; removes blame
Impoverished
destitute; poor
Lukewarm
1. unenthusiastic; 2. neither hot nor cold
Ossify
1. turn to bone; 2. become fixed and rigid
Preclude
prevent or make impossible
Sanctimonious
hypocritically holy
Tumult
uproar; noise
Group 4
Amelioration
improvement
Carping
constant criticism
Desist
stop; discontinue; cease
Exorcism
getting free/rid of; eliminating (especially demons)
Impromptu
unrehearsed; spontaneous
Lummox
clumsy person
Ostentatious
showy
Precocious
developing early
Sanction
give approval to
Turpitude
depravity
Group 5
Amiable
friendly
Cartographer
person who makes maps
Despondent
having no hope; miserable
Expatriate
refugee; emigrant; someone living away from his own country
Inadvertent
not intentional
Luscious
juicy; moist; succulent
Oust
push out of a position
Predecessor
one who came before
Sanguinary
bloodthirsty; bloody
Tyro
novice; beginner
Group 6
Amity
friendship
Castigate
scold strongly
Destitution
hardship; poverty; misery
Expedient
convenient; practical
Incantation
chant; invocation; prayer
Lynch
assassinate; kill; illegal hanging
Overt
obvious; not hidden
Predicament
dilemma; difficult situation
Sanguine
optimistic; cheerful
Ubiquitous
found everywhere; omnipresent
Group 7
Amorphous
lacking in shape
Catharsis
purging of pent-up emotions
Deter
put off; prevent
Expedite
make faster
Incarceration
putting in prison
Machinations
plots and plans
Overwrought
worked up; in an emotional state
Preeminent
famous; outstanding
Sardonic
mocking
Unalloyed
undiluted; total
Group 8
Analgesic
medicine to combat pain
Caucus
type of private political meeting
Deteriorate
worsen; decline
Exposition
clear explanation
Incessant
without stopping
Maelstrom
whirlpool; storm in the ocean
Palatable
good to eat; agreeable
Prerogative
right or privilege
Savant
person with knowledge
Unctuous
oily; using excessive flattery
Group 9
Analogous
comparable
Caustic
burning
Detrimental
harmful
Extol
praise
Incipient
just beginning
Magnanimous
generous; big-hearted
Palisade
fence made of posts
Prescient
having fore-knowledge
Scale
to climb
Undermined
damaged; attacked
Group 10
Anarchy
chaos; lack of government
Cavalcade
procession of vehicles
Devoured
greedily eaten/consumed
Extradite
deport from one country back to the home country
Inclination
tendency; a leaning toward
Magnate
powerful businessman
Palliative
a remedy that improves but doesn't cure
Presentiment
a feeling that something might happen
Scapegoat
person on whom blame is placed for faults of others
Underscore
emphasize
Monday, July 5, 2010
Word List 03
Group 1
Alacrity
eagerness; enthusiasm; quickness
Burgeon
grow; flourish; put forth new shoots
Deleterious
harmful
Euphemism
a polite phrase to cover something unpleasant
Hypocritical
insincere
Lethargic
tired; without energy
Ogle
stare at; observe in an obvious manner
Postulate
hypothesize; propose
Robust
strong; healthy; tough
Tractable
obedient; dutiful; polite
Group 2
Alchemy
medieval chemistry; attempt to change base metal into gold
Burnish
polish
Deliberate
to think over deeply
Euphony
pleasant sounds
Iconoclast
person who opposes orthodoxy
Levity
flippancy; joking about serious matters
Olfactory
concerned with the sense of smell
Potable
suitable for drinking
Rotund
round
Tranquil
peaceful
Group 3
Alibi
an excuse that shows someone was not at a crime scene
Buttress
strengthen; support
Delineation
demarcation; explanation; definition; outlining
Evacuate
vacate; empty; abandon
Idiosyncrasy
a personal peculiarity; something unique to an individual
Libertarian
someone who opposes tyranny
Ominous
threatening
Potent
powerful; compelling; strong
Ruminate
think over something; ponder
Transcribe
copy
Group 4
Allay
to lessen
Byline
the line that tells you who wrote an article
Demur
hesitate; refuse
Exacerbate
make worse
Ignominious
shameful
Liniment
soothing lotion
Omnipotent
all-powerful
Pragmatic
practical
Ruse
trick; stratagem
Transgress
go astray; disobey; commit a sin
Group 5
Alleviate
make less severe
Cacophony
discordant loud noises
Denounce
condemn; speak out against
Exasperated
frustrated; annoyed
Ignominy
shame [ignominious (a) = shameful]
Lithe
flexible; supple
Omniscient
all-knowing
Pragmatist
practical person; one who is concerned with usefulness
Saccharin
falsely sweet
Transient
short-lived; ephemeral
Group 6
Aloof
distant; detached; cold
Cajole
coax
Deplete
use up; lessen
Exceptionable
very bad (something which we should object to)
Illuminate
to light up or make clear
Livid
very angry
Onerous
burdensome; hard to undertake
Preamble
introductory material
Sacrosanct
very holy; inviolable
Traverse
to move across
Group 7
Altruism
putting others first; being self-sacrificing
Caldron
huge cooking pot
Deplore
regret
Exculpate
free someone from blame; pardon; acquit
Illusory
deceptive; false; misleading
Lobbyist
person who tries to persuade someone to support a particular cause
Onus
burden
Precarious
unstable; risky
Sagacious
wise
Trepidation
fear
Group 8
Amass
accumulate
Callow
immature
Depravity
moral corruption
Execrable
very, very bad
Immoderate
excessive; extreme
Lofty
snooty; arrogant; haughty
Opaque
does not let light through
Precedent
a previous occurrence used as a guide
Sage
a wise person
Trinket
something of little value; knick-knack
Group 9
Ambiguity
uncertainty; vagueness
Candid
frank; honest
Deprecate
criticize; denounce
Exegesis
scholarly explanation or interpretation
Immutable
unchanging; permanent
Longevity
long life
Opulent
wealthy; rich; magnificent
Precept
guiding principle
Salacious
lecherous; erotic
Trite
unoriginal; dull
Group 10
Ambiguous
unclear in meaning; can be interpreted in different ways
Candor
frankness; openness
Deride
ridicule; make fun of; mock
Exemplary
outstandingly good; setting a fine example
Impartial
unbiased; neutral
Loquacious
talkative
Ordain
1. destine; 2. confer holy orders on a priest
Precinct
district of a city
Sallow
yellowish
Trivial
unimportant
Alacrity
eagerness; enthusiasm; quickness
Burgeon
grow; flourish; put forth new shoots
Deleterious
harmful
Euphemism
a polite phrase to cover something unpleasant
Hypocritical
insincere
Lethargic
tired; without energy
Ogle
stare at; observe in an obvious manner
Postulate
hypothesize; propose
Robust
strong; healthy; tough
Tractable
obedient; dutiful; polite
Group 2
Alchemy
medieval chemistry; attempt to change base metal into gold
Burnish
polish
Deliberate
to think over deeply
Euphony
pleasant sounds
Iconoclast
person who opposes orthodoxy
Levity
flippancy; joking about serious matters
Olfactory
concerned with the sense of smell
Potable
suitable for drinking
Rotund
round
Tranquil
peaceful
Group 3
Alibi
an excuse that shows someone was not at a crime scene
Buttress
strengthen; support
Delineation
demarcation; explanation; definition; outlining
Evacuate
vacate; empty; abandon
Idiosyncrasy
a personal peculiarity; something unique to an individual
Libertarian
someone who opposes tyranny
Ominous
threatening
Potent
powerful; compelling; strong
Ruminate
think over something; ponder
Transcribe
copy
Group 4
Allay
to lessen
Byline
the line that tells you who wrote an article
Demur
hesitate; refuse
Exacerbate
make worse
Ignominious
shameful
Liniment
soothing lotion
Omnipotent
all-powerful
Pragmatic
practical
Ruse
trick; stratagem
Transgress
go astray; disobey; commit a sin
Group 5
Alleviate
make less severe
Cacophony
discordant loud noises
Denounce
condemn; speak out against
Exasperated
frustrated; annoyed
Ignominy
shame [ignominious (a) = shameful]
Lithe
flexible; supple
Omniscient
all-knowing
Pragmatist
practical person; one who is concerned with usefulness
Saccharin
falsely sweet
Transient
short-lived; ephemeral
Group 6
Aloof
distant; detached; cold
Cajole
coax
Deplete
use up; lessen
Exceptionable
very bad (something which we should object to)
Illuminate
to light up or make clear
Livid
very angry
Onerous
burdensome; hard to undertake
Preamble
introductory material
Sacrosanct
very holy; inviolable
Traverse
to move across
Group 7
Altruism
putting others first; being self-sacrificing
Caldron
huge cooking pot
Deplore
regret
Exculpate
free someone from blame; pardon; acquit
Illusory
deceptive; false; misleading
Lobbyist
person who tries to persuade someone to support a particular cause
Onus
burden
Precarious
unstable; risky
Sagacious
wise
Trepidation
fear
Group 8
Amass
accumulate
Callow
immature
Depravity
moral corruption
Execrable
very, very bad
Immoderate
excessive; extreme
Lofty
snooty; arrogant; haughty
Opaque
does not let light through
Precedent
a previous occurrence used as a guide
Sage
a wise person
Trinket
something of little value; knick-knack
Group 9
Ambiguity
uncertainty; vagueness
Candid
frank; honest
Deprecate
criticize; denounce
Exegesis
scholarly explanation or interpretation
Immutable
unchanging; permanent
Longevity
long life
Opulent
wealthy; rich; magnificent
Precept
guiding principle
Salacious
lecherous; erotic
Trite
unoriginal; dull
Group 10
Ambiguous
unclear in meaning; can be interpreted in different ways
Candor
frankness; openness
Deride
ridicule; make fun of; mock
Exemplary
outstandingly good; setting a fine example
Impartial
unbiased; neutral
Loquacious
talkative
Ordain
1. destine; 2. confer holy orders on a priest
Precinct
district of a city
Sallow
yellowish
Trivial
unimportant
Word List 02
Group 1
Acrid
sharp; pungent (used of smells and tastes)
Boorish
ill-mannered
Cynical
believing that people act only out of selfish motives
Epistle
a letter (form of communication)
Heresy
against orthodox opinion
Lance
spear; spike; javelin
Obscure
difficult to understand; partially hidden
Poignant
deeply moving; strongly affecting the emotions
Respite
a break; intermission
Terse
concise; to the point
Group 2
Acrophobia
fear of heights
Bourgeois
middle class
Debility
weakness; incapacity
Epistolary
concerned with letters; through correspondence
Hiatus
interruption; pause
Languid
tired; slow
Obscured
hidden; covered; buried
Poised
calm; collected; self-possessed
Resplendent
shining; glowing
Therapeutic
medicinal; curative
Group 3
Acuity
sharpness (mental or visual)
Braggart
someone who boasts
Debunking
exposing false claims or myths
Epitomized
typified; characterized; personified
Hidebound
rigid in opinions
Languish
decay; fade away; get weaker
Obsequious
servile; submissive
Polemical
causing debate or argument
Restorative
a tonic
Thwart
prevent; frustrate
Group 4
Adamant
forceful; inflexible
Brawny
muscular
Decathlon
an athletic competition with ten events
Equivocate
speak ambiguously; avoid telling the truth
Hieroglyphics
1. picture writing; 2. writing which is difficult to read or enigmatic
Larceny
theft; robbery; stealing
Obsession
a dominating concern
Ponderous
weighty; slow and heavy
Retention
preservation; withholding
Timorous
cowardly; fearful
Group 5
Adroit
skilful
Brevity
being brief
Decorum
dignified, correct behavior [decorous (a)]
Err
make a mistake
Hinder
obstruct
Largess
generosity
Obsolete
no longer valid
Pontificate
speak pompously or dogmatically
Reticent
restrained; holding something back; uncommunicative
Tirade
stream of verbal abuse
Group 6
Adulation
strong admiration; worship
Bristle
to show irritation
Decoy
lure; trap; trick
Erratic
wandering; irregular
Histrionic
theatrical; exaggerated
Laud
praise
Obstreperous
noisy and boisterous
Portend
foretell
Retraction
withdrawal; cancellation of a statement
Titter
giggle quietly
Group 7
Adversity
hardship
Broach
start to discuss; approach
Deference
respect
Esoteric
obscure and difficult to understand
Hoary
old
Lavish
on a grand scale; wasteful
Obtuse
mentally dull
Portent
a warning sign; omen
Revere
worship
Tome
large book
Group 8
Advocate
support
Brusque
blunt; abrupt
Defoliate
cause leaves to fall off
Espouse
promote; take up; support
Hone
sharpen; increase; whet
Lax
careless; not strict
Obviate
avoid; make unnecessary
Poseur
someone who puts on an act
Riddled
full of (usually full of holes)
Torpid
inactive; lazy; stagnant
Group 9
Aesthetic
concerning art or beauty
Bulwark
fortification; barricade; wall
Defunct
no longer in existence
Etymology
the study of word origins
Hyperbole
grossly exaggerated speech
Legend
1. key to map; 2. myth or story
Odious
hateful
Posterity
future generations
Rife
common
Torpor
dormancy; sluggishness; inactivity
Group 10
Affable
friendly; social; easygoing
Bureaucracy
officialdom
Degradation
deprivation; poverty; debasement
Eulogy
praise
Hypochondriac
a person obsessed with health; having imaginary illnesses
Legion
in large numbers
Officious
domineering; intrusive; meddlesome
Posthumous
after death
Rigor
thoroughness
Totter
walk unsteadily
Acrid
sharp; pungent (used of smells and tastes)
Boorish
ill-mannered
Cynical
believing that people act only out of selfish motives
Epistle
a letter (form of communication)
Heresy
against orthodox opinion
Lance
spear; spike; javelin
Obscure
difficult to understand; partially hidden
Poignant
deeply moving; strongly affecting the emotions
Respite
a break; intermission
Terse
concise; to the point
Group 2
Acrophobia
fear of heights
Bourgeois
middle class
Debility
weakness; incapacity
Epistolary
concerned with letters; through correspondence
Hiatus
interruption; pause
Languid
tired; slow
Obscured
hidden; covered; buried
Poised
calm; collected; self-possessed
Resplendent
shining; glowing
Therapeutic
medicinal; curative
Group 3
Acuity
sharpness (mental or visual)
Braggart
someone who boasts
Debunking
exposing false claims or myths
Epitomized
typified; characterized; personified
Hidebound
rigid in opinions
Languish
decay; fade away; get weaker
Obsequious
servile; submissive
Polemical
causing debate or argument
Restorative
a tonic
Thwart
prevent; frustrate
Group 4
Adamant
forceful; inflexible
Brawny
muscular
Decathlon
an athletic competition with ten events
Equivocate
speak ambiguously; avoid telling the truth
Hieroglyphics
1. picture writing; 2. writing which is difficult to read or enigmatic
Larceny
theft; robbery; stealing
Obsession
a dominating concern
Ponderous
weighty; slow and heavy
Retention
preservation; withholding
Timorous
cowardly; fearful
Group 5
Adroit
skilful
Brevity
being brief
Decorum
dignified, correct behavior [decorous (a)]
Err
make a mistake
Hinder
obstruct
Largess
generosity
Obsolete
no longer valid
Pontificate
speak pompously or dogmatically
Reticent
restrained; holding something back; uncommunicative
Tirade
stream of verbal abuse
Group 6
Adulation
strong admiration; worship
Bristle
to show irritation
Decoy
lure; trap; trick
Erratic
wandering; irregular
Histrionic
theatrical; exaggerated
Laud
praise
Obstreperous
noisy and boisterous
Portend
foretell
Retraction
withdrawal; cancellation of a statement
Titter
giggle quietly
Group 7
Adversity
hardship
Broach
start to discuss; approach
Deference
respect
Esoteric
obscure and difficult to understand
Hoary
old
Lavish
on a grand scale; wasteful
Obtuse
mentally dull
Portent
a warning sign; omen
Revere
worship
Tome
large book
Group 8
Advocate
support
Brusque
blunt; abrupt
Defoliate
cause leaves to fall off
Espouse
promote; take up; support
Hone
sharpen; increase; whet
Lax
careless; not strict
Obviate
avoid; make unnecessary
Poseur
someone who puts on an act
Riddled
full of (usually full of holes)
Torpid
inactive; lazy; stagnant
Group 9
Aesthetic
concerning art or beauty
Bulwark
fortification; barricade; wall
Defunct
no longer in existence
Etymology
the study of word origins
Hyperbole
grossly exaggerated speech
Legend
1. key to map; 2. myth or story
Odious
hateful
Posterity
future generations
Rife
common
Torpor
dormancy; sluggishness; inactivity
Group 10
Affable
friendly; social; easygoing
Bureaucracy
officialdom
Degradation
deprivation; poverty; debasement
Eulogy
praise
Hypochondriac
a person obsessed with health; having imaginary illnesses
Legion
in large numbers
Officious
domineering; intrusive; meddlesome
Posthumous
after death
Rigor
thoroughness
Totter
walk unsteadily
Word List 01
Group 1
Abhor
hate
Bigot
narrow-minded, prejudiced person
Counterfeit
fake; false
Enfranchise
give voting rights
Hamper
hinder; obstruct
Kindle
to start a fire
Noxious
harmful; poisonous; lethal
Placid
calm; peaceful
Remuneration
payment for work done
Talisman
lucky charm
Group 2
Abrasive
rough; coarse; harsh
Bilk
cheat; defraud
Covert
hidden; undercover
Engender
cause
Hangar
storage area (like garage) for a plane
Knotty
complex; difficult to solve
Nuance
something subtle; a fine shade of meaning
Plagiarism
taking credit for someone else's writing or ideas
Renown
fame
Tangent
going off the main subject
Group 3
Abasement
humiliation; degradation
Billowing
swelling; fluttering; waving
Cower
recoil in fear or servility; shrink away from
Enhance
improve; make better or clearer
Harangue
noisy, attacking speech
Labyrinth
a maze
Nullify
to counter; make unimportant
Plaintiff
petitioner (in court of law)
Replete
full
Tangible
can be touched
Group 4
Abrogate
cancel; deny; repeal
Blasphemy
speech which offends religious sentiments
Credible
believable
Enigma
puzzle; mystery
Harbingers
indicators; bringers of warnings
Labyrinthine
complicated; highly convoluted
Nuzzle
cuddle; snuggle
Plaudit
statement giving strong praise
Reprehensible
shameful; very bad
Tardy
slow; late; overdue; delayed
Group 5
Absolution
forgiveness; pardon; release
Blatant
obvious
Creditable
praiseworthy
Ensconce
establish firmly in a position
Hasten
hurry; accelerate; rush
Laceration
a cut
Obdurate
stubborn
Plausible
can be believed; reasonable
Reprieve
a respite; postponement of a sentence
Tawdry
of little value; gaudy
Group 6
Abstain
desist; go without; withdraw
Blighted
damaged; destroyed; ruined
Credulous
gullible; ready to believe anything
Enshroud
cover
Haughtiness
arrogance; pride
Lachrymose
tearful; sad
Obfuscate
deliberately make something difficult to understand
Plethora
an excess
Repudiate
shun; eschew
Tedium
boredom
Group 7
Abstemious
self denying; refraining from indulging
Blithe
free-spirited; carefree
Crepuscular
active at dawn and dusk
Enunciation
clear pronunciation; accent; articulation
Headstrong
stubborn; willful
Lackluster
dull; monotonous; bland
Objective
unbiased; not subjective
Pliable
flexible; not stubborn
Rescind
retract; repeal
Temper
to moderate; soften
Group 8
Abstruse
difficult to understand; obscure
Blunderbuss
1. ancient weapon (type of gun); 2. a clumsy person
Cringe
recoil; flinch; shy away
Envenom
to cause bitterness and bad feeling
Hedonism
self indulgence; pleasure-seeking
Laconic
using few words; brief; to the point
Oblique
indirect; slanting
Plumage
feathers of a bird
Resignation
acceptance of fate
Tenacious
stubborn; resolute; holding firm to a purpose
Group 9
Accolade
tribute; honor; praise
Bolster
support; prop up
Cryptic
puzzling; enigmatic
Ephemeral
short-lived
Hedonist
a pleasure seeker
Lamentation
expression of regret or sorrow
Obliterate
destroy; demolish; eradicate
Plummet
fall suddenly and steeply
Resolution
determination
Tentative
not certain
Group 10
Acquiesce
to agree to; give in to
Bombast
arrogant, pompous language
Curtail
cut short
Epicure
someone who appreciates good food and drink
Heed
listen to
Lampoon
ridicule; spoof
Oblivious
totally unaware
Podium
raised platform
Resonant
echoing
Tenuous
flimsy; not solid
Abhor
hate
Bigot
narrow-minded, prejudiced person
Counterfeit
fake; false
Enfranchise
give voting rights
Hamper
hinder; obstruct
Kindle
to start a fire
Noxious
harmful; poisonous; lethal
Placid
calm; peaceful
Remuneration
payment for work done
Talisman
lucky charm
Group 2
Abrasive
rough; coarse; harsh
Bilk
cheat; defraud
Covert
hidden; undercover
Engender
cause
Hangar
storage area (like garage) for a plane
Knotty
complex; difficult to solve
Nuance
something subtle; a fine shade of meaning
Plagiarism
taking credit for someone else's writing or ideas
Renown
fame
Tangent
going off the main subject
Group 3
Abasement
humiliation; degradation
Billowing
swelling; fluttering; waving
Cower
recoil in fear or servility; shrink away from
Enhance
improve; make better or clearer
Harangue
noisy, attacking speech
Labyrinth
a maze
Nullify
to counter; make unimportant
Plaintiff
petitioner (in court of law)
Replete
full
Tangible
can be touched
Group 4
Abrogate
cancel; deny; repeal
Blasphemy
speech which offends religious sentiments
Credible
believable
Enigma
puzzle; mystery
Harbingers
indicators; bringers of warnings
Labyrinthine
complicated; highly convoluted
Nuzzle
cuddle; snuggle
Plaudit
statement giving strong praise
Reprehensible
shameful; very bad
Tardy
slow; late; overdue; delayed
Group 5
Absolution
forgiveness; pardon; release
Blatant
obvious
Creditable
praiseworthy
Ensconce
establish firmly in a position
Hasten
hurry; accelerate; rush
Laceration
a cut
Obdurate
stubborn
Plausible
can be believed; reasonable
Reprieve
a respite; postponement of a sentence
Tawdry
of little value; gaudy
Group 6
Abstain
desist; go without; withdraw
Blighted
damaged; destroyed; ruined
Credulous
gullible; ready to believe anything
Enshroud
cover
Haughtiness
arrogance; pride
Lachrymose
tearful; sad
Obfuscate
deliberately make something difficult to understand
Plethora
an excess
Repudiate
shun; eschew
Tedium
boredom
Group 7
Abstemious
self denying; refraining from indulging
Blithe
free-spirited; carefree
Crepuscular
active at dawn and dusk
Enunciation
clear pronunciation; accent; articulation
Headstrong
stubborn; willful
Lackluster
dull; monotonous; bland
Objective
unbiased; not subjective
Pliable
flexible; not stubborn
Rescind
retract; repeal
Temper
to moderate; soften
Group 8
Abstruse
difficult to understand; obscure
Blunderbuss
1. ancient weapon (type of gun); 2. a clumsy person
Cringe
recoil; flinch; shy away
Envenom
to cause bitterness and bad feeling
Hedonism
self indulgence; pleasure-seeking
Laconic
using few words; brief; to the point
Oblique
indirect; slanting
Plumage
feathers of a bird
Resignation
acceptance of fate
Tenacious
stubborn; resolute; holding firm to a purpose
Group 9
Accolade
tribute; honor; praise
Bolster
support; prop up
Cryptic
puzzling; enigmatic
Ephemeral
short-lived
Hedonist
a pleasure seeker
Lamentation
expression of regret or sorrow
Obliterate
destroy; demolish; eradicate
Plummet
fall suddenly and steeply
Resolution
determination
Tentative
not certain
Group 10
Acquiesce
to agree to; give in to
Bombast
arrogant, pompous language
Curtail
cut short
Epicure
someone who appreciates good food and drink
Heed
listen to
Lampoon
ridicule; spoof
Oblivious
totally unaware
Podium
raised platform
Resonant
echoing
Tenuous
flimsy; not solid
Sentence Completion Practice Test 10
1. The explorer was unable to ____ his thirst at the stream since an enraged Grizzly bear barred the way.
A. assuage
B. parch
C. savor
D. describe
E. attenuate
2. Iodine deficiency is ____ in these remote mountain regions; however, it is no longer ____ in the lowlands where iodized salt is available.
A. recorded - unusual
B. rare - sporadic
C. eradicated - common
D. endemic - prevalent
E. diagnosed - controlled
3. Unlike the ancient Greeks, we are interested in a person's ____ , the things that make each person different from the general.
A. qualities
B. idiosyncracies
C. failures
D. stereotypes
E. humanity
4. Johnson was such an outstanding orator, that his contempories were too dazzled by his ____ to question his fundamental philosophy.
A. persona
B. guile
C. enthusiasm
D. thinking
E. rhetoric
5. Moths are nocturnal pollinators, visiting scented flower during the hours of darkness, whereas the butterflies are ____ , attracted to bright flowers in the daytime.
A. diurnal
B. quotidian
C. colorful
D. ephemeral
E. brilliant
6. The Victorian middle class woman was ____ by restraints, obligations and ____ that prevented her from achieving economic independence.
A. hampered - aspirations
B. emancipated - strictures
C. fettered - responsibilities
D. ensnared - possibilities
E. surrounded - freedoms
7. Even after a century of ____ investigation, the relation of the solar cycle to terrestrial weather remains ____ .
A. meticulous - apparent
B. cursory - clear
C. sedulous - pertinent
D. extensive - enigmatic
E. scientific - unobscured
8. There is great unevenness in his later plays; there are moments of the greatest ____ in the midst of great ____.
A. lucidity - enlightenment
B. frivolity - triteness
C. insight - banality
D. obscurity - ambivalence
E. profundity - wisdom
9. According to Hume, it is not logic that determines what we say and do; if we decide to help a person in need, we do so because of our ____ not our ____
A. consciousness - emotions
B. duty - rights
C. feelings - reason
D. beliefs - convictions
E. concern - kindness
10. In the earliest moments of the Universe conditions of almost inconceivable ____ raged through the swelling cosmos; yet this great ____ managed to produce only the simplest of atoms.
A. tumult - cataclysm
B. tranquillity - upheaval
C. violence - complexity
D. turbulence - conglomeration
E. chaos - inertia
11. The assumption that chlorofluorocarbons would be ____ in the environment because they were chemically inert, was challenged by the demonstration of a potential threat to the ozone layer.
A. deleterious
B. innocuous
C. persistent
D. noxious
E. durable
12. The Rio Gila is part of a ____ of rivers and cultures as significant as the ____ of the Tigris and the Euphrates.
A. disparity - conjunction
B. intermingling - dichotomy
C. juxtaposition - divergence
D. conglomeration - diaspora
E. convergence - confluence
A. assuage
B. parch
C. savor
D. describe
E. attenuate
2. Iodine deficiency is ____ in these remote mountain regions; however, it is no longer ____ in the lowlands where iodized salt is available.
A. recorded - unusual
B. rare - sporadic
C. eradicated - common
D. endemic - prevalent
E. diagnosed - controlled
3. Unlike the ancient Greeks, we are interested in a person's ____ , the things that make each person different from the general.
A. qualities
B. idiosyncracies
C. failures
D. stereotypes
E. humanity
4. Johnson was such an outstanding orator, that his contempories were too dazzled by his ____ to question his fundamental philosophy.
A. persona
B. guile
C. enthusiasm
D. thinking
E. rhetoric
5. Moths are nocturnal pollinators, visiting scented flower during the hours of darkness, whereas the butterflies are ____ , attracted to bright flowers in the daytime.
A. diurnal
B. quotidian
C. colorful
D. ephemeral
E. brilliant
6. The Victorian middle class woman was ____ by restraints, obligations and ____ that prevented her from achieving economic independence.
A. hampered - aspirations
B. emancipated - strictures
C. fettered - responsibilities
D. ensnared - possibilities
E. surrounded - freedoms
7. Even after a century of ____ investigation, the relation of the solar cycle to terrestrial weather remains ____ .
A. meticulous - apparent
B. cursory - clear
C. sedulous - pertinent
D. extensive - enigmatic
E. scientific - unobscured
8. There is great unevenness in his later plays; there are moments of the greatest ____ in the midst of great ____.
A. lucidity - enlightenment
B. frivolity - triteness
C. insight - banality
D. obscurity - ambivalence
E. profundity - wisdom
9. According to Hume, it is not logic that determines what we say and do; if we decide to help a person in need, we do so because of our ____ not our ____
A. consciousness - emotions
B. duty - rights
C. feelings - reason
D. beliefs - convictions
E. concern - kindness
10. In the earliest moments of the Universe conditions of almost inconceivable ____ raged through the swelling cosmos; yet this great ____ managed to produce only the simplest of atoms.
A. tumult - cataclysm
B. tranquillity - upheaval
C. violence - complexity
D. turbulence - conglomeration
E. chaos - inertia
11. The assumption that chlorofluorocarbons would be ____ in the environment because they were chemically inert, was challenged by the demonstration of a potential threat to the ozone layer.
A. deleterious
B. innocuous
C. persistent
D. noxious
E. durable
12. The Rio Gila is part of a ____ of rivers and cultures as significant as the ____ of the Tigris and the Euphrates.
A. disparity - conjunction
B. intermingling - dichotomy
C. juxtaposition - divergence
D. conglomeration - diaspora
E. convergence - confluence
Sentence Completion Practice Test 09
1. His one vice was gluttony and so it is not surprising that as he aged he became increasingly ____ .
A. emaciated
B. despondent
C. corpulent
D. carping
E. lithe
2. Our once thriving High School Nature Club is now ____ ; the progams have had to be cancelled due to lack of support.
A. defunct
B. extant
C. resurgent
D. burgeoning
E. renovated
3. Having been chief accountant for so many years, Ms. George felt herself to be ____ and was unwilling to ____ control of the department after the merger.
A. slighted - truncate
B. irreplaceable - assume
C. insubordinate - retain
D. decisive - continue
E. indispensable - relinquish
4. Because Elaine's father was a field entomologist who trekked over the continent studying insect infestations, and insisted on taking his young family with him, Elaine and her brother had a(n) ____ childhood.
A. idyllic
B. itinerant
C. sedentary
D. propitious
E. equable
5. Frederica was ____ when her supervisor took only a ___ look at her essay over which she had taken so much care.
A. exultant - superficial
B. vexed - studious
C. disappointed - cursory
D. pleased - patronizing
E. relieved - perfunctory
6. When he was young he ____ ideas of becoming a doctor; however, he was ____ by his father who wanted him to join the family business.
A. harbored - backed
B. entertained - dissuaded
C. produced - critical
D. repudiated - deterred
E. eschewed - encouraged
7. Literary criticism has in recent years become increasingly ____ ; it is almost impossible for the non-literary person to understand its analyses.
A. abstruse
B. accessible
C. colloquial
D. wide-ranging
E. professional
8. The alchemists, though they are often supposed to have been ____ or confidence tricksters, were actually skilful technologists.
A. empiricists
B. polemicists
C. pragmatists
D. theorists
E. charlatans
9. Bullock carts and hand pumps seem ____ in a village whose skyline is dominated by telephone cables and satellite dishes.
A. anachronisms
B. exigencies
C. diversions
D. provocations
E. portents
10. A ____ child, she was soon bored in class; she already knew more mathematics than her junior school teachers.
A. obdurate
B. querulous
C. precocious
D. recalcitrant
E. contemporary
11. Stuart reveled in ____; he would never seek ____ until all possibilities for debate had been exhausted.
A. altercation - clarification
B. polemics - conciliation
C. ambiguities - consolation
D. asceticism - indulgence
E. digressions - direction
12. Turner claimed to paint what he saw; yet no painter ever departed further from close ____ or took more ____ with subjects.
A. imitation - liberties
B. observation - care
C. definition - vagaries
D. imagination - pains
E. resemblance - trouble
A. emaciated
B. despondent
C. corpulent
D. carping
E. lithe
2. Our once thriving High School Nature Club is now ____ ; the progams have had to be cancelled due to lack of support.
A. defunct
B. extant
C. resurgent
D. burgeoning
E. renovated
3. Having been chief accountant for so many years, Ms. George felt herself to be ____ and was unwilling to ____ control of the department after the merger.
A. slighted - truncate
B. irreplaceable - assume
C. insubordinate - retain
D. decisive - continue
E. indispensable - relinquish
4. Because Elaine's father was a field entomologist who trekked over the continent studying insect infestations, and insisted on taking his young family with him, Elaine and her brother had a(n) ____ childhood.
A. idyllic
B. itinerant
C. sedentary
D. propitious
E. equable
5. Frederica was ____ when her supervisor took only a ___ look at her essay over which she had taken so much care.
A. exultant - superficial
B. vexed - studious
C. disappointed - cursory
D. pleased - patronizing
E. relieved - perfunctory
6. When he was young he ____ ideas of becoming a doctor; however, he was ____ by his father who wanted him to join the family business.
A. harbored - backed
B. entertained - dissuaded
C. produced - critical
D. repudiated - deterred
E. eschewed - encouraged
7. Literary criticism has in recent years become increasingly ____ ; it is almost impossible for the non-literary person to understand its analyses.
A. abstruse
B. accessible
C. colloquial
D. wide-ranging
E. professional
8. The alchemists, though they are often supposed to have been ____ or confidence tricksters, were actually skilful technologists.
A. empiricists
B. polemicists
C. pragmatists
D. theorists
E. charlatans
9. Bullock carts and hand pumps seem ____ in a village whose skyline is dominated by telephone cables and satellite dishes.
A. anachronisms
B. exigencies
C. diversions
D. provocations
E. portents
10. A ____ child, she was soon bored in class; she already knew more mathematics than her junior school teachers.
A. obdurate
B. querulous
C. precocious
D. recalcitrant
E. contemporary
11. Stuart reveled in ____; he would never seek ____ until all possibilities for debate had been exhausted.
A. altercation - clarification
B. polemics - conciliation
C. ambiguities - consolation
D. asceticism - indulgence
E. digressions - direction
12. Turner claimed to paint what he saw; yet no painter ever departed further from close ____ or took more ____ with subjects.
A. imitation - liberties
B. observation - care
C. definition - vagaries
D. imagination - pains
E. resemblance - trouble
Sentence Completion Practice Test 08
1. The success of the business venture ____ his expectations; he never thought that the firm would prosper.
A. confirmed
B. belied
C. nullified
D. fulfilled
E. ratified
2. For centuries there was no ___ between their descendents; in fact ____ strife continued until modern times.
A. peace - internecine
B. hostility - intermittent
C. malevolence - intense
D. amity - contrived
E. difference - feudal
3. The journalist ____ the efforts of the drug squad to control drug peddling, claiming that they had actually ____ the problem.
A. commended - increased
B. lauded - intensified
C. decried - solved
D. deprecated - exacerbated
E. noted - caused
4. Since the Romans failed to ____ the tribes in Northern Britain, they built a wall to ____ the tribes.
A. conquer - alienate
B. impress - intimidate
C. subjugate - exclude
D. pacify - enrage
E. neutralize - barricade
5. The professor became increasingly ____ in later years, flying into a rage whenever he was opposed.
A. taciturn
B. voluble
C. subdued
D. contrite
E. irascible
6. Although the deep sea has a typically ____ fauna, near vents in the sea bed where warm water emerges live remarkable densities of invertebrates and fish.
A. verdant
B. unique
C. lush
D. pallid
E. sparse
7. Their bantering talk seemed ____, but in fact it masked an underlying ____ .
A. hostile - antipathy
B. amicable - antagonism
C. jovial - assumptions
D. exasperating - frustrations
E. friendly - geniality
8. The new nomenclature was so ____ that many chemists preferred to revert to the older trivial names that were at least shorter.
A. succinct
B. cumbersome
C. irrational
D. facile
E. systematic
9. Even though the auditors ____ the accountant, his reputation was ____ by the allegations of fraud.
A. vindicated - enhanced
B. indicted - blemished
C. betrayed - ruined
D. exonerated - tarnished
E. cleared - condoned
10. Many so-called social playwrights are distinctly ____ ; rather than allowing the members of the audience to form their own opinions, these writers force a viewpoint on the viewer.
A. conciliatory
B. prolific
C. iconoclastic
D. didactic
E. contumacious
11. The archaeologist, viewing the fragmentary remains of the ancient city, reflected on the ____ of human ____ .
A. impermanence - endeavour
B. transience - thought
C. dearth - aspirations
D. futility - humility
E. durability - constructs
12. He was normally entirely ____ , but in the embarrassing situation in which he found himself he felt compelled to ____.
A. equable - evade
B. considerate - concede
C. forthright - prevaricate
D. mendacious - equivocate
E. amenable - capitulate
A. confirmed
B. belied
C. nullified
D. fulfilled
E. ratified
2. For centuries there was no ___ between their descendents; in fact ____ strife continued until modern times.
A. peace - internecine
B. hostility - intermittent
C. malevolence - intense
D. amity - contrived
E. difference - feudal
3. The journalist ____ the efforts of the drug squad to control drug peddling, claiming that they had actually ____ the problem.
A. commended - increased
B. lauded - intensified
C. decried - solved
D. deprecated - exacerbated
E. noted - caused
4. Since the Romans failed to ____ the tribes in Northern Britain, they built a wall to ____ the tribes.
A. conquer - alienate
B. impress - intimidate
C. subjugate - exclude
D. pacify - enrage
E. neutralize - barricade
5. The professor became increasingly ____ in later years, flying into a rage whenever he was opposed.
A. taciturn
B. voluble
C. subdued
D. contrite
E. irascible
6. Although the deep sea has a typically ____ fauna, near vents in the sea bed where warm water emerges live remarkable densities of invertebrates and fish.
A. verdant
B. unique
C. lush
D. pallid
E. sparse
7. Their bantering talk seemed ____, but in fact it masked an underlying ____ .
A. hostile - antipathy
B. amicable - antagonism
C. jovial - assumptions
D. exasperating - frustrations
E. friendly - geniality
8. The new nomenclature was so ____ that many chemists preferred to revert to the older trivial names that were at least shorter.
A. succinct
B. cumbersome
C. irrational
D. facile
E. systematic
9. Even though the auditors ____ the accountant, his reputation was ____ by the allegations of fraud.
A. vindicated - enhanced
B. indicted - blemished
C. betrayed - ruined
D. exonerated - tarnished
E. cleared - condoned
10. Many so-called social playwrights are distinctly ____ ; rather than allowing the members of the audience to form their own opinions, these writers force a viewpoint on the viewer.
A. conciliatory
B. prolific
C. iconoclastic
D. didactic
E. contumacious
11. The archaeologist, viewing the fragmentary remains of the ancient city, reflected on the ____ of human ____ .
A. impermanence - endeavour
B. transience - thought
C. dearth - aspirations
D. futility - humility
E. durability - constructs
12. He was normally entirely ____ , but in the embarrassing situation in which he found himself he felt compelled to ____.
A. equable - evade
B. considerate - concede
C. forthright - prevaricate
D. mendacious - equivocate
E. amenable - capitulate
Sentence Completion Practice Test 07
1. The candidate _____ when asked why he had left his last job; he did not want to admit that he had been ____ .
A. demurred - promoted
B. confided - banned
C. dissembled - dismissed
D. rejoiced - wrong
E. hesitated - lauded
2. Tennyson was a well-loved poet; no other poet since has been so ____ .
A. lionized
B. attacked
C. decried
D. poetical
E. abhorred
3. The parliamentary session degenerated into ____ with politicians hurling ____ at each other and refusing to come to order.
A. mayhem - banter
B. disarray - pleasantries
C. tranquillity - invectives
D. chaos - aphorisms
E. anarchy - insults
4. The admiral ____ his order to attack when he saw the white flag raised by the enemy sailors; he was relieved that he could bring an end to the ____ .
A. reiterated - hostilities
B. countermanded - fighting
C. commandeered - truce
D. renounced - hiatus
E. confirmed - aggression
5. In a fit of ____ she threw out the valuable statue simply because it had belonged to her ex-husband.
A. pique
B. goodwill
C. contrition
D. pedantry
E. prudence
6. Many 17th century buildings that are still in existence have been so ____ by successive owners that the original layout is no longer ____ .
A. preserved - visible
B. modified - apparent
C. decimated - enshrouded
D. salvaged - required
E. neglected - appropriate
7. Since ancient times sculpture has been considered the ____ of men; women sculptors have, until recently, consistently met with ____.
A. right - acceptance
B. domain - approbation
C. domicile - ridicule
D. realm - condolence
E. prerogative - opposition
8. ____ action at this time would be inadvisable; we have not yet accumulated sufficient expertise to warrant anything other than a ____ approach.
A. precipitate - cautious
B. hesitant - wary
C. vacillating - circuitous
D. decisive - firm
E. ponderous - direct
9. Many biologists have attempted to ____ the conditions on earth before life evolved in order to answer questions about the ____ of biological molecules.
A. mimic - fitness
B. standardize - shapes
C. replicate - reactions
D. simulate - origin
E. ameliorate - evolution
10. Harding was unable to ____ the results of the survey; although entirely unexpected, the figures were obtained by a market research firm with an ____ reputation.
A. accept - peerless
B. discount - impeccable
C. fault - mediocre
D. counter - unenviable
E. believe - fine
11. The quantum theory was initially regarded as absurd, unnatural and ____ with common sense.
A. consanguineous
B. discernible
C. incompatible
D. decipherable
E. consistent
12. Do not be fooled by her ____ manner; her superficial ____ belies her worldliness.
A. ingenuous - proficiency
B. worldly - simplicity
C. unsophisticated - naiveté
D. gregarious - isolation
E. off-hand - serious
A. demurred - promoted
B. confided - banned
C. dissembled - dismissed
D. rejoiced - wrong
E. hesitated - lauded
2. Tennyson was a well-loved poet; no other poet since has been so ____ .
A. lionized
B. attacked
C. decried
D. poetical
E. abhorred
3. The parliamentary session degenerated into ____ with politicians hurling ____ at each other and refusing to come to order.
A. mayhem - banter
B. disarray - pleasantries
C. tranquillity - invectives
D. chaos - aphorisms
E. anarchy - insults
4. The admiral ____ his order to attack when he saw the white flag raised by the enemy sailors; he was relieved that he could bring an end to the ____ .
A. reiterated - hostilities
B. countermanded - fighting
C. commandeered - truce
D. renounced - hiatus
E. confirmed - aggression
5. In a fit of ____ she threw out the valuable statue simply because it had belonged to her ex-husband.
A. pique
B. goodwill
C. contrition
D. pedantry
E. prudence
6. Many 17th century buildings that are still in existence have been so ____ by successive owners that the original layout is no longer ____ .
A. preserved - visible
B. modified - apparent
C. decimated - enshrouded
D. salvaged - required
E. neglected - appropriate
7. Since ancient times sculpture has been considered the ____ of men; women sculptors have, until recently, consistently met with ____.
A. right - acceptance
B. domain - approbation
C. domicile - ridicule
D. realm - condolence
E. prerogative - opposition
8. ____ action at this time would be inadvisable; we have not yet accumulated sufficient expertise to warrant anything other than a ____ approach.
A. precipitate - cautious
B. hesitant - wary
C. vacillating - circuitous
D. decisive - firm
E. ponderous - direct
9. Many biologists have attempted to ____ the conditions on earth before life evolved in order to answer questions about the ____ of biological molecules.
A. mimic - fitness
B. standardize - shapes
C. replicate - reactions
D. simulate - origin
E. ameliorate - evolution
10. Harding was unable to ____ the results of the survey; although entirely unexpected, the figures were obtained by a market research firm with an ____ reputation.
A. accept - peerless
B. discount - impeccable
C. fault - mediocre
D. counter - unenviable
E. believe - fine
11. The quantum theory was initially regarded as absurd, unnatural and ____ with common sense.
A. consanguineous
B. discernible
C. incompatible
D. decipherable
E. consistent
12. Do not be fooled by her ____ manner; her superficial ____ belies her worldliness.
A. ingenuous - proficiency
B. worldly - simplicity
C. unsophisticated - naiveté
D. gregarious - isolation
E. off-hand - serious
Sentence Completion Practice Test 06
1. The crew of the air balloon ____ the sand bags to help the balloon rise over the hill.
A. capsized
B. jettisoned
C. salvaged
D. augmented
E. enumerated
2. We were not fooled by his ____ arguments; his plan was obviously ____ .
A. cogent - brilliant
B. hackneyed - banal
C. convoluted - labyrinthine
D. specious - untenable
E. lucid - intelligible
3. Hawkins is ____ in his field; no other contemporary scientist commands the same respect.
A. disparaged
B. ignominious
C. obsolete
D. anachronistic
E. preeminent
4. The model paraded in front of the celebrities with ____ ; it was impossible to tell that this was her first assignment.
A. panache
B. opprobrium
C. shame
D. trepidation
E. terror
5. The term lead pencil is a ____ ; pencils are filled with graphite not lead.
A. misnomer
B. misdemeanor
C. peccadillo
D. euphemism
E. metaphor
6. The ____ weather forced us to stay indoors.
A. enticing
B. glorious
C. restorative
D. inclement
E. congenial
7. It will be hard to ____ Leonid now that you have so ____ him.
A. pacify - soothed
B. mollify - incensed
C. antagonize - irritated
D. anger - ruffled
E. subdue - subjugated
8. The lectures on quantum physics were invariably ____ ; the lecturer ____ his ill-prepared material in a manner guaranteed to send even the most ardent student to sleep.
A. stimulating - delivered
B. pedestrian - enthused about
C. soporific - droned
D. scintillating - intoned
E. stimulating - delivered
9. Edward was understandably upset that he had lost the position, but he was ____ by the conviction that he had done nothing to ____ the dismissal.
A. consoled - merit
B. warmed - avoid
C. comforted - mar
D. miffed - delay
E. saddened - earn
10. Elinor ____ to counteract her negative feelings, but only succeeded in ____ them.
A. tried - allaying
B. hoped - mitigating
C. desired - ameliorating
D. hesitated - deprecating
E. endeavoured - intensifying
11. She was roundly condemned for her ____ ; she betrayed the woman to whom she owed her success.
A. truculence
B. perfidy
C. serendipity
D. pragmatism
E. discernment
12. The progress of the disease is ____ ; it spreads stealthily without any symptoms in the early stages.
A. dramatic
B. acute
C. blatant
D. insidious
E. inexorable
A. capsized
B. jettisoned
C. salvaged
D. augmented
E. enumerated
2. We were not fooled by his ____ arguments; his plan was obviously ____ .
A. cogent - brilliant
B. hackneyed - banal
C. convoluted - labyrinthine
D. specious - untenable
E. lucid - intelligible
3. Hawkins is ____ in his field; no other contemporary scientist commands the same respect.
A. disparaged
B. ignominious
C. obsolete
D. anachronistic
E. preeminent
4. The model paraded in front of the celebrities with ____ ; it was impossible to tell that this was her first assignment.
A. panache
B. opprobrium
C. shame
D. trepidation
E. terror
5. The term lead pencil is a ____ ; pencils are filled with graphite not lead.
A. misnomer
B. misdemeanor
C. peccadillo
D. euphemism
E. metaphor
6. The ____ weather forced us to stay indoors.
A. enticing
B. glorious
C. restorative
D. inclement
E. congenial
7. It will be hard to ____ Leonid now that you have so ____ him.
A. pacify - soothed
B. mollify - incensed
C. antagonize - irritated
D. anger - ruffled
E. subdue - subjugated
8. The lectures on quantum physics were invariably ____ ; the lecturer ____ his ill-prepared material in a manner guaranteed to send even the most ardent student to sleep.
A. stimulating - delivered
B. pedestrian - enthused about
C. soporific - droned
D. scintillating - intoned
E. stimulating - delivered
9. Edward was understandably upset that he had lost the position, but he was ____ by the conviction that he had done nothing to ____ the dismissal.
A. consoled - merit
B. warmed - avoid
C. comforted - mar
D. miffed - delay
E. saddened - earn
10. Elinor ____ to counteract her negative feelings, but only succeeded in ____ them.
A. tried - allaying
B. hoped - mitigating
C. desired - ameliorating
D. hesitated - deprecating
E. endeavoured - intensifying
11. She was roundly condemned for her ____ ; she betrayed the woman to whom she owed her success.
A. truculence
B. perfidy
C. serendipity
D. pragmatism
E. discernment
12. The progress of the disease is ____ ; it spreads stealthily without any symptoms in the early stages.
A. dramatic
B. acute
C. blatant
D. insidious
E. inexorable
Sentence Completion Practice Test 05
1. To reach Simonville, the traveller needs to drive with extreme caution along the ____ curves of the mountain road that climbs ____ to the summit.
A. serpentine - steeply
B. jagged - steadily
C. gentle - precipitously
D. shady - steadily
E. hair-raising - languidly
2. The cricket match seemed ____ to our guests; they were used to watching sports in which the action is over in a couple of hours at the most.
A. unintelligible
B. inconsequential
C. interminable
D. implausible
E. evanescent
3. Our present accountant is most ____ ; unlike the previous _____ incumbent, he has never made a mistake in all the years that he has worked for the firm.
A. unorthodox - heretical
B. dependable - assiduous
C. punctilious - painstaking
D. asinine - diligent
E. meticulous - unreliable
4. The refugee's poor grasp of English is hardly an _____ problem; she can attend classes and improve within a matter of months.
A. implausible
B. insuperable
C. inconsequential
D. evocative
E. injudicious
5. We appreciated his ____ summary of the situation; he wasted no words yet delineated his position most ____ .
A. comprehensive : inadequately
B. succinct : direfully
C. cogent : persuasively
D. verbose : concisely
E. grandiloquent : eloquently
6. His musical tastes are certainly ____ ; he has recordings ranging from classical piano performances to rock concerts, jazz and even Chinese opera.
A. antediluvian
B. eclectic
C. harmonious
D. sonorous
E. dazzling
7. I cannot conclude this preface without ____ that an early and untimely death should have prevented Persius from giving a more finished appearance to his works.
A. rejoicing
B. lamenting
C. affirming
D. commenting
E. mentioning
8. Before his marriage the Duke had led an austere existence and now regarded the affectionate, somewhat ____ behavior of his young wife as simply ____ .
A. restrained - despicable
B. childish - elevating
C. playful - sublime
D. frivolous - puerile
E. unpleasant - delightful
9. Wilson ____ that human beings inherit a tendency to feel an affinity and awe for other living things, in the same way that we are ____ to be inquisitive or to protect our young at all costs.
A. argues - encouraged
B. maintains - trained
C. contends - predisposed
D. fears - taught
E. demurs - genetically programmed
10. The pond was a place of reek and corruption, of ____ smells and of oxygen-starved fish breathing through laboring gills.
A. fragrant
B. evocative
C. dolorous
D. resonant
E. fetid
11. There have been great ____ since his time, but few others have felt so strongly the ____ of human existence.
A. pessimists - futility
B. skeptics - exaltation
C. heretics - sagacity
D. optimists - tremulousness
E. cynics - joy
12. While war has never been absent from the ____ of man, there have been periods in History which appear remarkably ____.
A. archives - ambivalent
B. posterity - serene
C. mind - desultory
D. annals - pacific
E. life - belligerent
A. serpentine - steeply
B. jagged - steadily
C. gentle - precipitously
D. shady - steadily
E. hair-raising - languidly
2. The cricket match seemed ____ to our guests; they were used to watching sports in which the action is over in a couple of hours at the most.
A. unintelligible
B. inconsequential
C. interminable
D. implausible
E. evanescent
3. Our present accountant is most ____ ; unlike the previous _____ incumbent, he has never made a mistake in all the years that he has worked for the firm.
A. unorthodox - heretical
B. dependable - assiduous
C. punctilious - painstaking
D. asinine - diligent
E. meticulous - unreliable
4. The refugee's poor grasp of English is hardly an _____ problem; she can attend classes and improve within a matter of months.
A. implausible
B. insuperable
C. inconsequential
D. evocative
E. injudicious
5. We appreciated his ____ summary of the situation; he wasted no words yet delineated his position most ____ .
A. comprehensive : inadequately
B. succinct : direfully
C. cogent : persuasively
D. verbose : concisely
E. grandiloquent : eloquently
6. His musical tastes are certainly ____ ; he has recordings ranging from classical piano performances to rock concerts, jazz and even Chinese opera.
A. antediluvian
B. eclectic
C. harmonious
D. sonorous
E. dazzling
7. I cannot conclude this preface without ____ that an early and untimely death should have prevented Persius from giving a more finished appearance to his works.
A. rejoicing
B. lamenting
C. affirming
D. commenting
E. mentioning
8. Before his marriage the Duke had led an austere existence and now regarded the affectionate, somewhat ____ behavior of his young wife as simply ____ .
A. restrained - despicable
B. childish - elevating
C. playful - sublime
D. frivolous - puerile
E. unpleasant - delightful
9. Wilson ____ that human beings inherit a tendency to feel an affinity and awe for other living things, in the same way that we are ____ to be inquisitive or to protect our young at all costs.
A. argues - encouraged
B. maintains - trained
C. contends - predisposed
D. fears - taught
E. demurs - genetically programmed
10. The pond was a place of reek and corruption, of ____ smells and of oxygen-starved fish breathing through laboring gills.
A. fragrant
B. evocative
C. dolorous
D. resonant
E. fetid
11. There have been great ____ since his time, but few others have felt so strongly the ____ of human existence.
A. pessimists - futility
B. skeptics - exaltation
C. heretics - sagacity
D. optimists - tremulousness
E. cynics - joy
12. While war has never been absent from the ____ of man, there have been periods in History which appear remarkably ____.
A. archives - ambivalent
B. posterity - serene
C. mind - desultory
D. annals - pacific
E. life - belligerent
Sentence Completion Practice Test 05
1. To reach Simonville, the traveller needs to drive with extreme caution along the ____ curves of the mountain road that climbs ____ to the summit.
A. serpentine - steeply
B. jagged - steadily
C. gentle - precipitously
D. shady - steadily
E. hair-raising - languidly
2. The cricket match seemed ____ to our guests; they were used to watching sports in which the action is over in a couple of hours at the most.
A. unintelligible
B. inconsequential
C. interminable
D. implausible
E. evanescent
3. Our present accountant is most ____ ; unlike the previous _____ incumbent, he has never made a mistake in all the years that he has worked for the firm.
A. unorthodox - heretical
B. dependable - assiduous
C. punctilious - painstaking
D. asinine - diligent
E. meticulous - unreliable
4. The refugee's poor grasp of English is hardly an _____ problem; she can attend classes and improve within a matter of months.
A. implausible
B. insuperable
C. inconsequential
D. evocative
E. injudicious
5. We appreciated his ____ summary of the situation; he wasted no words yet delineated his position most ____ .
A. comprehensive : inadequately
B. succinct : direfully
C. cogent : persuasively
D. verbose : concisely
E. grandiloquent : eloquently
6. His musical tastes are certainly ____ ; he has recordings ranging from classical piano performances to rock concerts, jazz and even Chinese opera.
A. antediluvian
B. eclectic
C. harmonious
D. sonorous
E. dazzling
7. I cannot conclude this preface without ____ that an early and untimely death should have prevented Persius from giving a more finished appearance to his works.
A. rejoicing
B. lamenting
C. affirming
D. commenting
E. mentioning
8. Before his marriage the Duke had led an austere existence and now regarded the affectionate, somewhat ____ behavior of his young wife as simply ____ .
A. restrained - despicable
B. childish - elevating
C. playful - sublime
D. frivolous - puerile
E. unpleasant - delightful
9. Wilson ____ that human beings inherit a tendency to feel an affinity and awe for other living things, in the same way that we are ____ to be inquisitive or to protect our young at all costs.
A. argues - encouraged
B. maintains - trained
C. contends - predisposed
D. fears - taught
E. demurs - genetically programmed
10. The pond was a place of reek and corruption, of ____ smells and of oxygen-starved fish breathing through laboring gills.
A. fragrant
B. evocative
C. dolorous
D. resonant
E. fetid
11. There have been great ____ since his time, but few others have felt so strongly the ____ of human existence.
A. pessimists - futility
B. skeptics - exaltation
C. heretics - sagacity
D. optimists - tremulousness
E. cynics - joy
12. While war has never been absent from the ____ of man, there have been periods in History which appear remarkably ____.
A. archives - ambivalent
B. posterity - serene
C. mind - desultory
D. annals - pacific
E. life - belligerent
A. serpentine - steeply
B. jagged - steadily
C. gentle - precipitously
D. shady - steadily
E. hair-raising - languidly
2. The cricket match seemed ____ to our guests; they were used to watching sports in which the action is over in a couple of hours at the most.
A. unintelligible
B. inconsequential
C. interminable
D. implausible
E. evanescent
3. Our present accountant is most ____ ; unlike the previous _____ incumbent, he has never made a mistake in all the years that he has worked for the firm.
A. unorthodox - heretical
B. dependable - assiduous
C. punctilious - painstaking
D. asinine - diligent
E. meticulous - unreliable
4. The refugee's poor grasp of English is hardly an _____ problem; she can attend classes and improve within a matter of months.
A. implausible
B. insuperable
C. inconsequential
D. evocative
E. injudicious
5. We appreciated his ____ summary of the situation; he wasted no words yet delineated his position most ____ .
A. comprehensive : inadequately
B. succinct : direfully
C. cogent : persuasively
D. verbose : concisely
E. grandiloquent : eloquently
6. His musical tastes are certainly ____ ; he has recordings ranging from classical piano performances to rock concerts, jazz and even Chinese opera.
A. antediluvian
B. eclectic
C. harmonious
D. sonorous
E. dazzling
7. I cannot conclude this preface without ____ that an early and untimely death should have prevented Persius from giving a more finished appearance to his works.
A. rejoicing
B. lamenting
C. affirming
D. commenting
E. mentioning
8. Before his marriage the Duke had led an austere existence and now regarded the affectionate, somewhat ____ behavior of his young wife as simply ____ .
A. restrained - despicable
B. childish - elevating
C. playful - sublime
D. frivolous - puerile
E. unpleasant - delightful
9. Wilson ____ that human beings inherit a tendency to feel an affinity and awe for other living things, in the same way that we are ____ to be inquisitive or to protect our young at all costs.
A. argues - encouraged
B. maintains - trained
C. contends - predisposed
D. fears - taught
E. demurs - genetically programmed
10. The pond was a place of reek and corruption, of ____ smells and of oxygen-starved fish breathing through laboring gills.
A. fragrant
B. evocative
C. dolorous
D. resonant
E. fetid
11. There have been great ____ since his time, but few others have felt so strongly the ____ of human existence.
A. pessimists - futility
B. skeptics - exaltation
C. heretics - sagacity
D. optimists - tremulousness
E. cynics - joy
12. While war has never been absent from the ____ of man, there have been periods in History which appear remarkably ____.
A. archives - ambivalent
B. posterity - serene
C. mind - desultory
D. annals - pacific
E. life - belligerent
Sentence Completion Practice Test 04
1. Scrooge, in the famous novel by Dickens, was a ____ ; he hated the rest of mankind.
A. misanthrope
B. hypochondriac
C. philanthropist
D. hedonist
E. sybarite
2. A businessman must widen his horizons; a ____ attitude will get you nowhere in this age of global communications.
A. moderate
B. petrified
C. parochial
D. diversified
E. comprehensive
3. Our bookshelves at home display a range of books on wide-ranging subjects and in many languages, reflecting the ____ tastes of our family members.
A. anomalous
B. limited
C. arcane
D. furtive
E. eclectic
4. Plastic bags are ____ symbols of consumer society; they are found wherever you travel.
A. rare
B. ephemeral
C. ubiquitous
D. fleeting
E. covert
5. Dr. Stuart needs to ____ his argument with more experimental data; as it stands his thesis is ____ .
A. support - profound
B. bolster - acceptable
C. refine - satisfactory
D. buttress - inadequate
E. define - succinct
6. After an initially warm reception by most reviewers and continued ____ by conservative thinkers, Bloom's work came under heavy fire.
A. criticism
B. endorsement
C. denigration
D. counterattack
E. refutation
7. Through the 19th Century, the classics of Western Civilization were considered to be the ____ of wisdom and culture, and an ____ person - by definition- knew them well.
A. foundation - average
B. epitome - uneducated
C. cornerstone - obtuse
D. font - ecclesiastical
E. repository - educated
8. In this biography we are given a glimpse of the young man ____ pursuing the path of the poet despite ____ and rejection slips.
A. doggedly - disappointment
B. tirelessly - encouragement
C. sporadically - awards
D. successfully - acclaim
E. unsuccessfully - failure
9. All European countries are seeking to diminish the check upon individual ____ which state examinations with their ____ growth have bought in their train.
A. rights - liberating
B. liberties - empowering
C. spontaneity - tyrannous
D. foibles - inevitable
E. creativity - soporific
10. In keeping with his own ____ in international diplomacy, Churchill proposed a personal meeting of heads of government, but the effort was doomed to failure, as the temper of the times
was ____ .
A. ideas - pluralistic
B. predilections - inimical
C. aversions - hostile
D. impulses - amicable
E. maxims - salacious
11. The wall and floor decorations created by Indian housewives are usually ____ , remaining hours, days, or at most, weeks before being worn off by human activity or weather and replaced by new ____ .
A. perennial - drawings
B. ephemeral - designs
C. trivial - purchases
D. impermanent - furnishings
E. innovative - pictures
12. The subtle shades of meaning, and still subtler echoes of association, make language an instrument which scarcely anything short of genius can wield with ____ and ____ .
A. confidence - aloofness
B. definiteness - certainty
C. sincerity - hope
D. conservatism - alacrity
E. eloquence - ruthlessness
A. misanthrope
B. hypochondriac
C. philanthropist
D. hedonist
E. sybarite
2. A businessman must widen his horizons; a ____ attitude will get you nowhere in this age of global communications.
A. moderate
B. petrified
C. parochial
D. diversified
E. comprehensive
3. Our bookshelves at home display a range of books on wide-ranging subjects and in many languages, reflecting the ____ tastes of our family members.
A. anomalous
B. limited
C. arcane
D. furtive
E. eclectic
4. Plastic bags are ____ symbols of consumer society; they are found wherever you travel.
A. rare
B. ephemeral
C. ubiquitous
D. fleeting
E. covert
5. Dr. Stuart needs to ____ his argument with more experimental data; as it stands his thesis is ____ .
A. support - profound
B. bolster - acceptable
C. refine - satisfactory
D. buttress - inadequate
E. define - succinct
6. After an initially warm reception by most reviewers and continued ____ by conservative thinkers, Bloom's work came under heavy fire.
A. criticism
B. endorsement
C. denigration
D. counterattack
E. refutation
7. Through the 19th Century, the classics of Western Civilization were considered to be the ____ of wisdom and culture, and an ____ person - by definition- knew them well.
A. foundation - average
B. epitome - uneducated
C. cornerstone - obtuse
D. font - ecclesiastical
E. repository - educated
8. In this biography we are given a glimpse of the young man ____ pursuing the path of the poet despite ____ and rejection slips.
A. doggedly - disappointment
B. tirelessly - encouragement
C. sporadically - awards
D. successfully - acclaim
E. unsuccessfully - failure
9. All European countries are seeking to diminish the check upon individual ____ which state examinations with their ____ growth have bought in their train.
A. rights - liberating
B. liberties - empowering
C. spontaneity - tyrannous
D. foibles - inevitable
E. creativity - soporific
10. In keeping with his own ____ in international diplomacy, Churchill proposed a personal meeting of heads of government, but the effort was doomed to failure, as the temper of the times
was ____ .
A. ideas - pluralistic
B. predilections - inimical
C. aversions - hostile
D. impulses - amicable
E. maxims - salacious
11. The wall and floor decorations created by Indian housewives are usually ____ , remaining hours, days, or at most, weeks before being worn off by human activity or weather and replaced by new ____ .
A. perennial - drawings
B. ephemeral - designs
C. trivial - purchases
D. impermanent - furnishings
E. innovative - pictures
12. The subtle shades of meaning, and still subtler echoes of association, make language an instrument which scarcely anything short of genius can wield with ____ and ____ .
A. confidence - aloofness
B. definiteness - certainty
C. sincerity - hope
D. conservatism - alacrity
E. eloquence - ruthlessness
Sentence Completion Practice Test 03
1. He was treated like a ____ and cast out from his community.
A. ascetic
B. prodigy
C. prodigal
D. pariah
E. tyro
2. The teacher accused me of ____ because my essay was so similar to that of another student.
A. procrastination
B. plagiarism
C. celerity
D. confusion
E. decorum
3. We live in a ____ age; everyone thinks that maximizing pleasure is the point of life.
A. ubiquitous
B. propitious
C. sporadic
D. corrupt
E. hedonistic
4. Thankfully the disease has gone into ____ ; it may not recur for many years.
A. treatment
B. sequestration
C. quarantine
D. remission
E. oblivion
5. People from all over the world are sent by their doctors to breathe the pure, ____ air in this mountain region.
A. invigorating
B. soporific
C. debilitating
D. insalubrious
E. aromatic
6. As were many colonial administrators, Gregory was ____ in his knowledge of the grammar of the local language, though his accent was ____ .
A. deficient - poor
B. competent - adequate
C. faultless - awful
D. well-versed - effective
E. erratic - eccentric
7. Though Adam Bede is presented to us by the author as ____ fiction, there are none of the life-like meanderings of the story of Amos Barton.
A. realistic
B. romantic
C. imaginative
D. educational
E. entertaining
8. There is a general ____ in the United States that our ethics are declining and that out moral standards are ____ .
A. feeling - normalizing
B. idea - futile
C. optimism - improving
D. complaint - deteriorating
E. outlook - escalating
9. Homo sapiens, the proud splitter of the atom, inventor of the electronic computer, ____ of the genetic code may be humbled by a lowly ____ of the sewers and soils - the microbe.
A. designer - inhabitant
B. discoverer - rodent
C. writer - organism
D. decipherer - denizen
E. author - purifier
10. After centuries of obscurity, this philosopher's thesis is enjoying a surprising ____ .
A. dismissal
B. remission
C. decimation
D. longevity
E. renaissance
11. The threat of war, far from ____ , lay heavily in the air, and the villagers, while ____ going about their normal activities, were unable to shake off the feeling of impending catastrophe.
A. receding - ostensibly
B. diminishing - contentedly
C. increasing - apparently
D. escalating - joyfully
E. subsiding - felicitously
12. Although alarmed by the ____ , Professor Symes had no reason to doubt the ____ of his student's results, for this student was nothing if not reliable.
A. conclusions - folly
B. deductions - impudence
C. implications - veracity
D. errors - truth
E. inferences - invalidity
A. ascetic
B. prodigy
C. prodigal
D. pariah
E. tyro
2. The teacher accused me of ____ because my essay was so similar to that of another student.
A. procrastination
B. plagiarism
C. celerity
D. confusion
E. decorum
3. We live in a ____ age; everyone thinks that maximizing pleasure is the point of life.
A. ubiquitous
B. propitious
C. sporadic
D. corrupt
E. hedonistic
4. Thankfully the disease has gone into ____ ; it may not recur for many years.
A. treatment
B. sequestration
C. quarantine
D. remission
E. oblivion
5. People from all over the world are sent by their doctors to breathe the pure, ____ air in this mountain region.
A. invigorating
B. soporific
C. debilitating
D. insalubrious
E. aromatic
6. As were many colonial administrators, Gregory was ____ in his knowledge of the grammar of the local language, though his accent was ____ .
A. deficient - poor
B. competent - adequate
C. faultless - awful
D. well-versed - effective
E. erratic - eccentric
7. Though Adam Bede is presented to us by the author as ____ fiction, there are none of the life-like meanderings of the story of Amos Barton.
A. realistic
B. romantic
C. imaginative
D. educational
E. entertaining
8. There is a general ____ in the United States that our ethics are declining and that out moral standards are ____ .
A. feeling - normalizing
B. idea - futile
C. optimism - improving
D. complaint - deteriorating
E. outlook - escalating
9. Homo sapiens, the proud splitter of the atom, inventor of the electronic computer, ____ of the genetic code may be humbled by a lowly ____ of the sewers and soils - the microbe.
A. designer - inhabitant
B. discoverer - rodent
C. writer - organism
D. decipherer - denizen
E. author - purifier
10. After centuries of obscurity, this philosopher's thesis is enjoying a surprising ____ .
A. dismissal
B. remission
C. decimation
D. longevity
E. renaissance
11. The threat of war, far from ____ , lay heavily in the air, and the villagers, while ____ going about their normal activities, were unable to shake off the feeling of impending catastrophe.
A. receding - ostensibly
B. diminishing - contentedly
C. increasing - apparently
D. escalating - joyfully
E. subsiding - felicitously
12. Although alarmed by the ____ , Professor Symes had no reason to doubt the ____ of his student's results, for this student was nothing if not reliable.
A. conclusions - folly
B. deductions - impudence
C. implications - veracity
D. errors - truth
E. inferences - invalidity
Sentence Completion Practice Test 02
1. Unwilling to admit that they had been in error, the researchers tried to ____ their case with more data obtained from dubious sources.
A. ascertain
B. buttress
C. refute
D. absolve
E. dispute
2. Archaeology is a poor profession; only ____ sums are available for excavating sites and even more ____ amounts for preserving the excavations.
A. paltry - meager
B. miniscule - substantial
C. average - augmented
D. judicious - penurious
E. modest - generous
3. The student was extremely foolhardy; he had the ____ to question the senior professor's judgment.
A. wisdom
B. temerity
C. interest
D. trepidation
E. condescension
4. The formerly ____ waters of the lake have been polluted so that the fish are no longer visible from the surface.
A. muddy
B. tranquil
C. stagnant
D. pellucid
E. rancid
5. After the accident, the nerves to her arm were damaged and so the muscles ____ through disuse.
A. atrophied
B. contracted
C. elongated
D. invigorated
E. dwindled
6. Some critics maintain that Tennyson's poetry is uneven, ranging from the ____ to the ____.
A. sublime - elevated
B. trite - inspired
C. vacuous - inane
D. succinct - laconic
E. sonorous - voluble
7. After grafting there is a ____ of lymphocytes in the lymph glands; the newly produced lymphocytes then move in to attack the foreign tissue.
A. diminution
B. proliferation
C. obliteration
D. paucity
E. attraction
8. One ____ the new scheme is that it might actually ____ just those applicants that it was intended to encourage.
A. highlight of - stimulate
B. feature of - attract
C. problem with - induce
D. attraction of - intimidate
E. drawback of - daunt
9. Corruption is ____ in our society; the integrity of even senior officials is ____ .
A. growing - unquestioned
B. endangered - disputed
C. pervasive - intact
D. rare - corrupted
E. rife - suspect
10. In their day to day decision making, many senior managers do not follow the rational model favored by orthodox management experts, but rather rely on intuitive processes that often appear ____ and ____.
A. cerebral - considered
B. heretical - judgmental
C. conscientious - logical
D. irrational - iconoclastic
E. capricious - deliberate
11. His characteristically ____ views on examination methods at university level have aroused ____ in those who want to introduce innovative and flexible patterns of assessment.
A. hidebound - antagonism
B. moderate - anger
C. reactionary - admiration
D. rigid - support
E. accommodating - annoyance
12. Our grandfather was an entertaining ____; he used to ____ us with marvelous anecdotes that we, in our childlike simplicity, accepted unquestioningly.
A. rascal - bore
B. orator - intimidate
C. raconteur - regale
D. curmudgeon - surprise
E. tyrant - stupefy
A. ascertain
B. buttress
C. refute
D. absolve
E. dispute
2. Archaeology is a poor profession; only ____ sums are available for excavating sites and even more ____ amounts for preserving the excavations.
A. paltry - meager
B. miniscule - substantial
C. average - augmented
D. judicious - penurious
E. modest - generous
3. The student was extremely foolhardy; he had the ____ to question the senior professor's judgment.
A. wisdom
B. temerity
C. interest
D. trepidation
E. condescension
4. The formerly ____ waters of the lake have been polluted so that the fish are no longer visible from the surface.
A. muddy
B. tranquil
C. stagnant
D. pellucid
E. rancid
5. After the accident, the nerves to her arm were damaged and so the muscles ____ through disuse.
A. atrophied
B. contracted
C. elongated
D. invigorated
E. dwindled
6. Some critics maintain that Tennyson's poetry is uneven, ranging from the ____ to the ____.
A. sublime - elevated
B. trite - inspired
C. vacuous - inane
D. succinct - laconic
E. sonorous - voluble
7. After grafting there is a ____ of lymphocytes in the lymph glands; the newly produced lymphocytes then move in to attack the foreign tissue.
A. diminution
B. proliferation
C. obliteration
D. paucity
E. attraction
8. One ____ the new scheme is that it might actually ____ just those applicants that it was intended to encourage.
A. highlight of - stimulate
B. feature of - attract
C. problem with - induce
D. attraction of - intimidate
E. drawback of - daunt
9. Corruption is ____ in our society; the integrity of even senior officials is ____ .
A. growing - unquestioned
B. endangered - disputed
C. pervasive - intact
D. rare - corrupted
E. rife - suspect
10. In their day to day decision making, many senior managers do not follow the rational model favored by orthodox management experts, but rather rely on intuitive processes that often appear ____ and ____.
A. cerebral - considered
B. heretical - judgmental
C. conscientious - logical
D. irrational - iconoclastic
E. capricious - deliberate
11. His characteristically ____ views on examination methods at university level have aroused ____ in those who want to introduce innovative and flexible patterns of assessment.
A. hidebound - antagonism
B. moderate - anger
C. reactionary - admiration
D. rigid - support
E. accommodating - annoyance
12. Our grandfather was an entertaining ____; he used to ____ us with marvelous anecdotes that we, in our childlike simplicity, accepted unquestioningly.
A. rascal - bore
B. orator - intimidate
C. raconteur - regale
D. curmudgeon - surprise
E. tyrant - stupefy
Sentence Completion Practice Test 01
1. Today Wegener's theory is ____ ; however, he died an outsider treated with ____ by the scientific establishment.
A. unsupported - approval
B. dismissed - contempt
C. accepted - approbation
D. unchallenged - disdain
E. unrivalled - reverence
2. The revolution in art has not lost its steam; it ____ on as fiercely as ever.
A. trudges
B. meanders
C. edges
D. ambles
E. rages
3. Each occupation has its own ____ ; bankers, lawyers and computer professionals, for example, all use among themselves language which outsiders have difficulty following.
A. merits
B. disadvantages
C. rewards
D. jargon
E. problems
4. ____ by nature, Jones spoke very little even to his own family members.
A. garrulous
B. equivocal
C. taciturn
D. arrogant
E. gregarious
5. Biological clocks are of such ____ adaptive value to living organisms, that we would expect most organisms to ____ them.
A. clear - avoid
B. meager - evolve
C. significant - eschew
D. obvious - possess
E. ambivalent - develop
6. The peasants were the least ____ of all people, bound by tradition and ____ by superstitions.
A. free - fettered
B. enfranchised - rejected
C. enthralled - tied
D. pinioned - limited
E. conventional - encumbered
7. Many people at that time believed that spices help preserve food; however, Hall found that many marketed spices were ____ bacteria, moulds and yeasts.
A. devoid of
B. teeming with
C. improved by
D. destroyed by
E. active against
8. If there is nothing to absorb the energy of sound waves, they travel on ____ , but their intensity ____ as they travel further from their source.
A. erratically - mitigates
B. eternally - alleviates
C. forever - increases
D. steadily - stabilizes
E. indefinitely - diminishes
9. The two artists differed markedly in their temperaments; Palmer was reserved and courteous, Frazer ____ and boastful.
A. phlegmatic
B. choleric
C. constrained
D. tractable
E. stoic
10. The intellectual flexibility inherent in a multicultural nation has been ____ in classrooms where emphasis on British-American literature has not reflected the cultural ____ of our country.
A. eradicated - unanimity
B. encouraged - aspirations
C. stifled - diversity
D. thwarted - uniformity
E. inculcated - divide
11. The conclusion of his argument, while ____ , is far from ____ .
A. stimulating - interesting
B. worthwhile - valueless
C. esoteric - obscure
D. germane - relevant
E. abstruse - incomprehensible
12. In the Middle Ages, the ____ of the great cathedrals did not enter into the architects' plans; almost invariably a cathedral was positioned haphazardly in ____ surroundings.
A. situation - incongruous
B. location - apt
C. ambience - salubrious
D. durability - convenient
E. majesty - grandiose
A. unsupported - approval
B. dismissed - contempt
C. accepted - approbation
D. unchallenged - disdain
E. unrivalled - reverence
2. The revolution in art has not lost its steam; it ____ on as fiercely as ever.
A. trudges
B. meanders
C. edges
D. ambles
E. rages
3. Each occupation has its own ____ ; bankers, lawyers and computer professionals, for example, all use among themselves language which outsiders have difficulty following.
A. merits
B. disadvantages
C. rewards
D. jargon
E. problems
4. ____ by nature, Jones spoke very little even to his own family members.
A. garrulous
B. equivocal
C. taciturn
D. arrogant
E. gregarious
5. Biological clocks are of such ____ adaptive value to living organisms, that we would expect most organisms to ____ them.
A. clear - avoid
B. meager - evolve
C. significant - eschew
D. obvious - possess
E. ambivalent - develop
6. The peasants were the least ____ of all people, bound by tradition and ____ by superstitions.
A. free - fettered
B. enfranchised - rejected
C. enthralled - tied
D. pinioned - limited
E. conventional - encumbered
7. Many people at that time believed that spices help preserve food; however, Hall found that many marketed spices were ____ bacteria, moulds and yeasts.
A. devoid of
B. teeming with
C. improved by
D. destroyed by
E. active against
8. If there is nothing to absorb the energy of sound waves, they travel on ____ , but their intensity ____ as they travel further from their source.
A. erratically - mitigates
B. eternally - alleviates
C. forever - increases
D. steadily - stabilizes
E. indefinitely - diminishes
9. The two artists differed markedly in their temperaments; Palmer was reserved and courteous, Frazer ____ and boastful.
A. phlegmatic
B. choleric
C. constrained
D. tractable
E. stoic
10. The intellectual flexibility inherent in a multicultural nation has been ____ in classrooms where emphasis on British-American literature has not reflected the cultural ____ of our country.
A. eradicated - unanimity
B. encouraged - aspirations
C. stifled - diversity
D. thwarted - uniformity
E. inculcated - divide
11. The conclusion of his argument, while ____ , is far from ____ .
A. stimulating - interesting
B. worthwhile - valueless
C. esoteric - obscure
D. germane - relevant
E. abstruse - incomprehensible
12. In the Middle Ages, the ____ of the great cathedrals did not enter into the architects' plans; almost invariably a cathedral was positioned haphazardly in ____ surroundings.
A. situation - incongruous
B. location - apt
C. ambience - salubrious
D. durability - convenient
E. majesty - grandiose
Analogy Test
ANGLE : DEGREE
area : square inch
milk : quart
society : classes
letter : alphabet
time : minutes
Ans : A
CONFIRMED : INVETERATE
knowledge : supposed
financial : bankrupt
immature : callow
credible : incredible
careful: punishing
Ans :B
LULLABY : BARCAROLE
birth : marriage
night : morning
cradle : gondola
song : poem
carol : sonneteer
Ans :C
ZOOLOGY : ANIMALS
ecology : pollution
botany : plants
chemistry : atoms
history : people
mathematics : geometry
Ans :A
DORY : VAN
dairy : cow
fish : vehicle
freighter : caisson
runners : wheels
danish : Dutch
Ans : C
PARQUET : WOOD
color : painting
mosaic : glass
potpourri : medley
collage : tapestry
linoleum : marble
Ans : B
SAW : CARPENTER
Scissors : tailor
Wagon : farmer
Brush : painter
Typewriter : author
Trowel : bricklayer
Ans : A
LURK : WAIT
boost : elevate
deplete : drain
abscond : depart
bilk : cheat
topple : stabilize
Ans : C
ALCHEMY : SCIENCE
nostrum : remedy
sideshow : carnival
ploy : tactic
forgery : imitation
burlesque : comedy
Ans : A
NEEDLE : KNIT
bait : fish
match : fire
loom : weave
soap : wash
bed : sleep
Ans : C
PARENTHESIS : EXPLANATION
ellipsis : omission
asterisk : exaggeration
synopsis : affectation
apostrophe : annotation
synthesis : interpolation
Ans : A
CENSUS : POPULATION
manifest : debts
roster : audience
itinerary : journeys
inventory : merchandise
state : incumbents
Ans : D
STANZA : POEM
mimicry : pantomime
duet : chorus
act : opera
rhyme : verse
pirouette : ballet
Ans : C
EXHORT : SUGGEST
conspire : plan
tamper : adjust
crave : accept
goad : direct
instruct : teach
Ans : D
SAND PAPER : ABRASIVE
gasoline : refined
grativity : irritant
polish : floors
acrylic : emulsion
oil : lubricant.
Ans :E
DIAPHANOUS : CACOPHONOUS
translucent : transparent
transparent : noisy
sheer : opaque
harmonious : discordant
twofold : multiple.
Ans :B
INFANCY : SENILITY
january : October
incipient : critical
day : night
conclusion : climax
dawn : dusk.
Ans :E
RIG : CONTEST
solve : conundrum
predict : race
repudiate : thesis
gerrymander : district
incriminate : evidence
Ans :D
ARBORETUM : TREES
aviary : birds
greenhouse : garden
museum : painters
grove : forest
zoo : range
Ans :D
MENDICANT : IMPECUNIOUS
hat : askew
liar : poor
complainer : petulant
critic : quizzical
philanthrophist : prodigal.
Ans :C
RELAPSE : CONVALESCENCE
dissonance : harmony
feudalism : industrialization
repetition : monotony
impasse : debate
recidivism : rehavbilitation.
Ans :E
BOUQUET : FLOWERS
corn : husk
woodpile : logs
forest : thicket
mist : fog
drift : snow.
Ans :B
TRIANGLE : QUADRILATERAL
rectangle : octagon
cone : cube
pentagon : hexagon
plane : solid
regular : symmetrical.
Ans :C
SARTORIAL : TAILOR
thespian : designer
rhetorical : questioner
pictorial : musician
histrionic : singer
terpsichorear : dancer.
Ans :E
NECROMANCY : GHOSTS
magic : legerdemain
alchemy : gold
sorcery : spirits
fortune_telling : gypsies
romance : stories.
Ans :C
DRUM : TYMPANI
piano : orchestra
cornet : percussion
stick : baton
violin : viola
oboe : woodwind.
Ans :E
EXTROVERT : RETICENT
reprobate : humility
strategist : decisiveness
zealot : loyalty
maverick : conformity
renegade : ambition.
Ans :D
HYGROMETER : BAROMETER
snow : rain
humidity : pressure
water : mercury
temperature : weather
forecast : rain.
Ans :B
EXEMPTION : EXCLUSIONS
discharge : elimination
debarment : prevention
immunity : isolation
forgive : condone
enclosure : open.
Ans :C
FEBRILE : ILLNESS
classic : cultivation
delusional : insanity
eccentric : discrimination
tenacious : astonishment
juvenile : maturity.
Ans :B
DISAPPROBATION : CONDEMN
calumny : eulogise
enigma : enlighter
fallacy : diseminate
exhortation : urge
solvency : deploy.
Ans :D
GEM : TURQUOISE
lettuce : green
pear : orange
stone : magnetta
vine : cherry
flower : violet.
Ans :E
WINE : GRAPES
liquor : intoxicating
whiskey : hops
champagne : raisins
vodka : potatoes
vineyard : winery.
Ans :D
DEBATE : FORENSIC
concerto : harmonizing
drama : histrionic
opera : spoken
argument : domestic
novel : original.
Ans :B
NOISOME : GARBAGE
heavy : metal
warmth : snow
fragrant : incense
liquid : perfume
loud : music.
Ans :C
CONDUIT : WATER
behaviour : liquid
electricity : television
artery : blood
wire : sound
pump : oil.
Ans :C
BIZARRE : EXOTIC
wild : tame
lively : livid
stage : dancer
commonplace : routine
ordinary : exceptional.
Ans :D
ENTREPRENEUR : LABORER
mediator : conflict
capitalism : communism
profits : wages
arbitrator : capitalist
moonlighting : worker.
Ans :C
ANTIMACASSAR : SOFA
picture : frame
rug : floor
pillow : bed
door : window
table : chair.
Ans :B
NOTABLE : NOTORIOUS
heinous : atrocious
philandering : pleasant
philanthropic : miserly
nefarious : secret
philanthropic : benevolent.
Ans :E
BABBLE : TALK
though : blank
look : espy
wink : eye
leer : ogle
simper : smile.
Ans :E
ALCOVE : RECESS
column : entrance
foundation : building
dome : roof
turret : chimney
foyer : ballroom
Ans :C
FIRM : INTRANSIGHT
faithful : resolute
improvident : industrious
vague : inattentive
concerned : obsessed
malleable : tractable
Ans :D
EPAULET : SHOULDER
medal : chest
decoration : uniform
knapsack : back
sword : scabbard
sash : window
Ans :A
ANACHRONISM : CHRONOLOGY
tradition : custom
variations : incongruity
fallacy : logic
archetype : paradigm
debauchery : appetites
Ans :C
DETRITUS : GLACIERS
thaw : cold
snow : icebergs
sediment : bottom
silt : rivers
dregs : society
Ans :D
OUTSKIRTS : TOWN
water : goblet
margin : page
rung : ladder
hangar : airplane
trunk : tree
Ans :B
EQUIVOCATE : COMMITMENT
collaborate : falsification
fabricate : explanation
procrastinate : action
expostulate : confusion
implicate : exposition
Ans :C
MORPHINE : SEDATES
oil : smears
bandage : protects
drug : addicts
liquor : sedates
medicine : soothes
Ans :D
STICKLER : APPROXIMATION
Lluggard : indolence
connoisseur : anachronism
scientist : theorizing
leader : guidance
purist : adulteration
Ans :E
LOOM : WEAVE
couch : sleep
needle : knit
soap : wash
machine : stitch
bail : fish
Ans :B
SUBPOENA : WITNESS
hire : laborer
tax : worker
elect : officer
suborn : judge
conscript : soldier
Ans :E
INVINCIBLE : SUBDUED
expensive : bought
inconsistent : expressed
bolted : separated
impervious : damaged
imprudent : enacted
Ans :D
BURLESQUE : PLAY
operetta : symphony
limerick : sonnet
doggerel : verse
table : narration
sketch : drawing
Ans :C
GROW : BURGEON
flourish : thrive
transport : enrapture
beat : palpitate
evolve : multiply
wrot : decay
Ans :C
HOAX : DECEIVE
gimmick : wheedle
filibuster : delay
boast : cajole
lottery : disburse
scandal : vilify
Ans :B
BODY GUARD : PERSON
teacher : pupil
mayor : city
police officer : traffic
soldier : country
secretary : office
Ans :D
MUFFLE : SOUND
conceal : secret
assuage : grief
maul : object
extract : flavor
endure : agony
Ans :B
CENSORSHIP : INFORMATION
cultivation : erosion
philanthropy : generosity
frugality : constraint
sampling : measurement
sanitation : disease
Ans :E
DUPLICATE : ALTER
greet : ignore
exchange : return
shake : stabilize
stretch : shrink
eradicate : implicate
Ans :D
HYPOTHESIS : EXPERIMENTATION
reality : fantasy
opinion : debate
film : camera
predication : conclusion
science : success
Ans :B
TANGO : DANCE
stanza : line
tonality : instrumentation
arabesque : theme
rhyme : pattern
elegy : poem
Ans :E
CHRONOMETER : SUNDIAL
measurement : visibility
chronology : analogy
computer : abacus
watch : ray
reduction : enlargement
Ans :C
FOOTBALL : GRIDIRON
wrestling : mat
court : tennis
bowling : floor
rugby : arena
baseball : diamond
Ans :E
EXPURGATE : PASSAGE
abridge : text
filter : water
irritate : wound
burn : book
cancel : plan
Ans :B
IMPECUNIOUS : HOVEL
progress : prosper
mendicant : evasion
prosperity : poverty
mendacious : cringe
affluent : mansion
Ans :E
APIARY : BEE
museum : painting
dam : water
arboretum : tree
forum : speech
planetarium : star
Ans :C
BULLET : BARREL
fame : films
train : track
idea : brain
plane : clouds
water : boat
Ans :B
VINDICATE : REPREHENSIBLE.
sad : sorrow
bitter : sad
mild : serious
solid : porous
vivid : obsequious.
Ans :C
TERMAGANT : SHREW
virago : harpy
anteater : mouse
supporter : nag
single : married
male : female.
Ans :A
APOSTATE : RELIGION
traitor : country
renegade : Indian
loyal : faith
vital : church
diloyal : colonies.
Ans :A
PLEBISCITE : UKASE
lack : abundance
vote : musical instrument
cancel : construct
public : ruler
written : oral
Ans :D
DEBATER : LARYNGITIS
pedestrian : lameness
actor : aplause
doctor : diagnosis
swimmer : wet
writer : paper
Ans :A
INKBLOT : EYECHART
oculist : ophthalmologist
blotter : spectacles
psychiatrist : optometrist
physician : specialist
blurs : letters
Ans :C
LIGNEOUS : WOOD
cellular : microbe
nautical : water
igneous : rock
osseous : bone
fossilized : plant
Ans :D
SHRINE : PILGRIM
defeat : loser
peak : climber
rescue : danger
election : contestant
direction : driver.
Ans :B
RIVAL : COMPETITION
litigant : morality
maverick : co-operation
mentor : praise
sycophant : flattery
medicant : confusion.
Ans :D
SPIKE : TACK
bullet : wound
knife : cut
arrow : bow
spear : dart
pin : needle
Ans :D
INIQUITOUS : DISOBEDIENT
adult : child
hostile : cool
quiescent : lethargic
inflammable : flammable
inequitable : equitable
Ans :B
BALEFUL : MENACE
brusque : retort
competent : achievement
placid : boredom
flirtatious : affection
solicitous : concern
Ans :E
ALACRITY : APATHETIC
compliance : deft
temerity : timid
despotism : arrogant
candor : bungling
tenacity : eager
Ans :B
FIRE : STORM
whale : minnow
speech : shout
plant : flower
wind : temperature
tornado : hurricane
Ans :E
COLLUSION : CONSPIRATORS
identification : arbitrators
co-operation : partners
conclusion : messengers
revision : corespondents
attribution : interpreters
Ans :B
LIQUEFY : PETRIFY
cash in : strengthen
insolvent : bankrupt
water : stone
soften : frighten
solvent : rich
Ans :C
AMBULATORY : BEDRIDDEN
strong : weak
wheelchair : bed
free : confined
healthy : sick
broken : arm
Ans :C
CYNOSURE : BRILLIANT
word : common
student : attentive
rock : large
magnet : attractive
map : legible
Ans :D
area : square inch
milk : quart
society : classes
letter : alphabet
time : minutes
Ans : A
CONFIRMED : INVETERATE
knowledge : supposed
financial : bankrupt
immature : callow
credible : incredible
careful: punishing
Ans :B
LULLABY : BARCAROLE
birth : marriage
night : morning
cradle : gondola
song : poem
carol : sonneteer
Ans :C
ZOOLOGY : ANIMALS
ecology : pollution
botany : plants
chemistry : atoms
history : people
mathematics : geometry
Ans :A
DORY : VAN
dairy : cow
fish : vehicle
freighter : caisson
runners : wheels
danish : Dutch
Ans : C
PARQUET : WOOD
color : painting
mosaic : glass
potpourri : medley
collage : tapestry
linoleum : marble
Ans : B
SAW : CARPENTER
Scissors : tailor
Wagon : farmer
Brush : painter
Typewriter : author
Trowel : bricklayer
Ans : A
LURK : WAIT
boost : elevate
deplete : drain
abscond : depart
bilk : cheat
topple : stabilize
Ans : C
ALCHEMY : SCIENCE
nostrum : remedy
sideshow : carnival
ploy : tactic
forgery : imitation
burlesque : comedy
Ans : A
NEEDLE : KNIT
bait : fish
match : fire
loom : weave
soap : wash
bed : sleep
Ans : C
PARENTHESIS : EXPLANATION
ellipsis : omission
asterisk : exaggeration
synopsis : affectation
apostrophe : annotation
synthesis : interpolation
Ans : A
CENSUS : POPULATION
manifest : debts
roster : audience
itinerary : journeys
inventory : merchandise
state : incumbents
Ans : D
STANZA : POEM
mimicry : pantomime
duet : chorus
act : opera
rhyme : verse
pirouette : ballet
Ans : C
EXHORT : SUGGEST
conspire : plan
tamper : adjust
crave : accept
goad : direct
instruct : teach
Ans : D
SAND PAPER : ABRASIVE
gasoline : refined
grativity : irritant
polish : floors
acrylic : emulsion
oil : lubricant.
Ans :E
DIAPHANOUS : CACOPHONOUS
translucent : transparent
transparent : noisy
sheer : opaque
harmonious : discordant
twofold : multiple.
Ans :B
INFANCY : SENILITY
january : October
incipient : critical
day : night
conclusion : climax
dawn : dusk.
Ans :E
RIG : CONTEST
solve : conundrum
predict : race
repudiate : thesis
gerrymander : district
incriminate : evidence
Ans :D
ARBORETUM : TREES
aviary : birds
greenhouse : garden
museum : painters
grove : forest
zoo : range
Ans :D
MENDICANT : IMPECUNIOUS
hat : askew
liar : poor
complainer : petulant
critic : quizzical
philanthrophist : prodigal.
Ans :C
RELAPSE : CONVALESCENCE
dissonance : harmony
feudalism : industrialization
repetition : monotony
impasse : debate
recidivism : rehavbilitation.
Ans :E
BOUQUET : FLOWERS
corn : husk
woodpile : logs
forest : thicket
mist : fog
drift : snow.
Ans :B
TRIANGLE : QUADRILATERAL
rectangle : octagon
cone : cube
pentagon : hexagon
plane : solid
regular : symmetrical.
Ans :C
SARTORIAL : TAILOR
thespian : designer
rhetorical : questioner
pictorial : musician
histrionic : singer
terpsichorear : dancer.
Ans :E
NECROMANCY : GHOSTS
magic : legerdemain
alchemy : gold
sorcery : spirits
fortune_telling : gypsies
romance : stories.
Ans :C
DRUM : TYMPANI
piano : orchestra
cornet : percussion
stick : baton
violin : viola
oboe : woodwind.
Ans :E
EXTROVERT : RETICENT
reprobate : humility
strategist : decisiveness
zealot : loyalty
maverick : conformity
renegade : ambition.
Ans :D
HYGROMETER : BAROMETER
snow : rain
humidity : pressure
water : mercury
temperature : weather
forecast : rain.
Ans :B
EXEMPTION : EXCLUSIONS
discharge : elimination
debarment : prevention
immunity : isolation
forgive : condone
enclosure : open.
Ans :C
FEBRILE : ILLNESS
classic : cultivation
delusional : insanity
eccentric : discrimination
tenacious : astonishment
juvenile : maturity.
Ans :B
DISAPPROBATION : CONDEMN
calumny : eulogise
enigma : enlighter
fallacy : diseminate
exhortation : urge
solvency : deploy.
Ans :D
GEM : TURQUOISE
lettuce : green
pear : orange
stone : magnetta
vine : cherry
flower : violet.
Ans :E
WINE : GRAPES
liquor : intoxicating
whiskey : hops
champagne : raisins
vodka : potatoes
vineyard : winery.
Ans :D
DEBATE : FORENSIC
concerto : harmonizing
drama : histrionic
opera : spoken
argument : domestic
novel : original.
Ans :B
NOISOME : GARBAGE
heavy : metal
warmth : snow
fragrant : incense
liquid : perfume
loud : music.
Ans :C
CONDUIT : WATER
behaviour : liquid
electricity : television
artery : blood
wire : sound
pump : oil.
Ans :C
BIZARRE : EXOTIC
wild : tame
lively : livid
stage : dancer
commonplace : routine
ordinary : exceptional.
Ans :D
ENTREPRENEUR : LABORER
mediator : conflict
capitalism : communism
profits : wages
arbitrator : capitalist
moonlighting : worker.
Ans :C
ANTIMACASSAR : SOFA
picture : frame
rug : floor
pillow : bed
door : window
table : chair.
Ans :B
NOTABLE : NOTORIOUS
heinous : atrocious
philandering : pleasant
philanthropic : miserly
nefarious : secret
philanthropic : benevolent.
Ans :E
BABBLE : TALK
though : blank
look : espy
wink : eye
leer : ogle
simper : smile.
Ans :E
ALCOVE : RECESS
column : entrance
foundation : building
dome : roof
turret : chimney
foyer : ballroom
Ans :C
FIRM : INTRANSIGHT
faithful : resolute
improvident : industrious
vague : inattentive
concerned : obsessed
malleable : tractable
Ans :D
EPAULET : SHOULDER
medal : chest
decoration : uniform
knapsack : back
sword : scabbard
sash : window
Ans :A
ANACHRONISM : CHRONOLOGY
tradition : custom
variations : incongruity
fallacy : logic
archetype : paradigm
debauchery : appetites
Ans :C
DETRITUS : GLACIERS
thaw : cold
snow : icebergs
sediment : bottom
silt : rivers
dregs : society
Ans :D
OUTSKIRTS : TOWN
water : goblet
margin : page
rung : ladder
hangar : airplane
trunk : tree
Ans :B
EQUIVOCATE : COMMITMENT
collaborate : falsification
fabricate : explanation
procrastinate : action
expostulate : confusion
implicate : exposition
Ans :C
MORPHINE : SEDATES
oil : smears
bandage : protects
drug : addicts
liquor : sedates
medicine : soothes
Ans :D
STICKLER : APPROXIMATION
Lluggard : indolence
connoisseur : anachronism
scientist : theorizing
leader : guidance
purist : adulteration
Ans :E
LOOM : WEAVE
couch : sleep
needle : knit
soap : wash
machine : stitch
bail : fish
Ans :B
SUBPOENA : WITNESS
hire : laborer
tax : worker
elect : officer
suborn : judge
conscript : soldier
Ans :E
INVINCIBLE : SUBDUED
expensive : bought
inconsistent : expressed
bolted : separated
impervious : damaged
imprudent : enacted
Ans :D
BURLESQUE : PLAY
operetta : symphony
limerick : sonnet
doggerel : verse
table : narration
sketch : drawing
Ans :C
GROW : BURGEON
flourish : thrive
transport : enrapture
beat : palpitate
evolve : multiply
wrot : decay
Ans :C
HOAX : DECEIVE
gimmick : wheedle
filibuster : delay
boast : cajole
lottery : disburse
scandal : vilify
Ans :B
BODY GUARD : PERSON
teacher : pupil
mayor : city
police officer : traffic
soldier : country
secretary : office
Ans :D
MUFFLE : SOUND
conceal : secret
assuage : grief
maul : object
extract : flavor
endure : agony
Ans :B
CENSORSHIP : INFORMATION
cultivation : erosion
philanthropy : generosity
frugality : constraint
sampling : measurement
sanitation : disease
Ans :E
DUPLICATE : ALTER
greet : ignore
exchange : return
shake : stabilize
stretch : shrink
eradicate : implicate
Ans :D
HYPOTHESIS : EXPERIMENTATION
reality : fantasy
opinion : debate
film : camera
predication : conclusion
science : success
Ans :B
TANGO : DANCE
stanza : line
tonality : instrumentation
arabesque : theme
rhyme : pattern
elegy : poem
Ans :E
CHRONOMETER : SUNDIAL
measurement : visibility
chronology : analogy
computer : abacus
watch : ray
reduction : enlargement
Ans :C
FOOTBALL : GRIDIRON
wrestling : mat
court : tennis
bowling : floor
rugby : arena
baseball : diamond
Ans :E
EXPURGATE : PASSAGE
abridge : text
filter : water
irritate : wound
burn : book
cancel : plan
Ans :B
IMPECUNIOUS : HOVEL
progress : prosper
mendicant : evasion
prosperity : poverty
mendacious : cringe
affluent : mansion
Ans :E
APIARY : BEE
museum : painting
dam : water
arboretum : tree
forum : speech
planetarium : star
Ans :C
BULLET : BARREL
fame : films
train : track
idea : brain
plane : clouds
water : boat
Ans :B
VINDICATE : REPREHENSIBLE.
sad : sorrow
bitter : sad
mild : serious
solid : porous
vivid : obsequious.
Ans :C
TERMAGANT : SHREW
virago : harpy
anteater : mouse
supporter : nag
single : married
male : female.
Ans :A
APOSTATE : RELIGION
traitor : country
renegade : Indian
loyal : faith
vital : church
diloyal : colonies.
Ans :A
PLEBISCITE : UKASE
lack : abundance
vote : musical instrument
cancel : construct
public : ruler
written : oral
Ans :D
DEBATER : LARYNGITIS
pedestrian : lameness
actor : aplause
doctor : diagnosis
swimmer : wet
writer : paper
Ans :A
INKBLOT : EYECHART
oculist : ophthalmologist
blotter : spectacles
psychiatrist : optometrist
physician : specialist
blurs : letters
Ans :C
LIGNEOUS : WOOD
cellular : microbe
nautical : water
igneous : rock
osseous : bone
fossilized : plant
Ans :D
SHRINE : PILGRIM
defeat : loser
peak : climber
rescue : danger
election : contestant
direction : driver.
Ans :B
RIVAL : COMPETITION
litigant : morality
maverick : co-operation
mentor : praise
sycophant : flattery
medicant : confusion.
Ans :D
SPIKE : TACK
bullet : wound
knife : cut
arrow : bow
spear : dart
pin : needle
Ans :D
INIQUITOUS : DISOBEDIENT
adult : child
hostile : cool
quiescent : lethargic
inflammable : flammable
inequitable : equitable
Ans :B
BALEFUL : MENACE
brusque : retort
competent : achievement
placid : boredom
flirtatious : affection
solicitous : concern
Ans :E
ALACRITY : APATHETIC
compliance : deft
temerity : timid
despotism : arrogant
candor : bungling
tenacity : eager
Ans :B
FIRE : STORM
whale : minnow
speech : shout
plant : flower
wind : temperature
tornado : hurricane
Ans :E
COLLUSION : CONSPIRATORS
identification : arbitrators
co-operation : partners
conclusion : messengers
revision : corespondents
attribution : interpreters
Ans :B
LIQUEFY : PETRIFY
cash in : strengthen
insolvent : bankrupt
water : stone
soften : frighten
solvent : rich
Ans :C
AMBULATORY : BEDRIDDEN
strong : weak
wheelchair : bed
free : confined
healthy : sick
broken : arm
Ans :C
CYNOSURE : BRILLIANT
word : common
student : attentive
rock : large
magnet : attractive
map : legible
Ans :D
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