Terms : Hide Images
| 181153443 | Accost | To approach and speak to first; to confront in a challenging or aggressive way "The nobleman was ____ by beggars on his way to the castle." | 0 | |
| 181153444 | Arrogate | To claim or take without right "The ambitious noblemen will put the young king under house arrest and ____ royal privileges to themselves." | 1 | |
| 181153445 | Articulate | To pronounce distinctly; to express well in words; to connect by a joint or joints "Few people can ___ their emotions during times of stress." "The most ___ student in the class was chosen to mediate the debate." | 2 | |
| 181153446 | Askance | With suspicion, distrust, or disapproval "The English teacher looked ____ at the suggestion that students read compendiums of Dickens's novels." | 3 | |
| 181153447 | Asperity | Roughness, severity; bitterness or tartness "The ___ of the drama critic's statements undermined the young actor's confidence." | 4 | |
| 181153448 | Bastion | A fortified place, stronghold "Contrary to popular belief, the military is not always a ____ of political conservatism." | 5 | |
| 181153449 | Brackish | Having a salty taste and unpleasant to drink "The shipwrecked passengers adrift on the lifeboat became ill after drinking ____ water." | 6 | |
| 181153450 | Bucolic | Characteristic of the countryside, rural; relating to shepherds and cowherds, pastoral "The Elizabethans who wrote of shepherds in ideal country settings were imitating the Greek ____ poets." | 7 | |
| 181153451 | Burnish | To make smooth or glossy by rubbing, polish "The hotel manager ordered the waiters to ____ all the brass candlesticks before the formal banquet." "The ____ on the metal frame had faded with age and neglect." | 8 | |
| 181153452 | Calumniate | To slander; to accuse falsely and maliciously "Not only did the artist's enemy seek to discredit her while she was alive but tried to ____ her memory as well." | 9 | |
| 181153453 | Canard | A false rumor, fabricated story "The tabloid journalist was responsible for spreading the _____ about the candidates mental health." | 10 | |
| 181153454 | Carping | Tending to find fault, especially in a petty, nasty, or hairsplitting way "The trainee resigned after a week rather than put up with the ____ complaints of the sales manager." "Most artists choose to ignore the _____ of critics and simply go on with their work." | 11 | |
| 181153455 | Celerity | Swiftness, rapidity of motion or action "Although the heavy snowfall was not expected, the highway department responded with suprising ____." | 12 | |
| 181153456 | Conciliate | To overcome the distrust of, win over; to appease, pacify; to reconcile, make consistent "Because of the weakness of our army, we had to try to ____ the enemy." | 13 | |
| 181153457 | Concord | A state of agreement, harmony, unanimity; a treaty, pact, covenant "A spirit of _____ was restored when the company compensated its employees." | 14 | |
| 181153458 | Consummate | Complete or perfect in the highest degree; to bring to a state of completion or perfection "The lawyers could not ____ the settlement until the two parties met face to face." "Michelangelo's paintings on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican are works of ____ artistry." | 15 | |
| 181153459 | Countermand | To cancel or reverse one order or command with another that is contrar to the first "Today's directive clearly ____ all previous instructions on how to exit the building in case of fire." | 16 | |
| 181153460 | Coup | A highly successful stroke, masterstroke, tour de force, act, plan, or stratagem; a sudden takeover of power or leadership "The suprise ____ by high ranking military officers toppled the weak government in a matter of hours." | 17 | |
| 181153461 | Decry | To condemn, express strong disapproval; to officially depreciate "Every arm of government and every educational institution should ____ bigotry in all its forms." | 18 | |
| 181153462 | Defunct | No longer in existence or functioning, dead "I could find no forwarding address or phone number for the ____ organization." | 19 | |
| 181153463 | Deign | To think it appropriate or suitable to one's diginity to do something; to condescend "The enlisted men were suprised that the four-star general ___ to speak to them as he toured the camp." | 20 | |
| 181153464 | Depraved | Marked by evil and corruption; devoid of moral principles "Oscar Wilde's novel The Picture of Dorian Gray is about a ______ man whose portrait reveals his wickedness." | 21 | |
| 181153465 | Dilettante | A dabbler in the arts; one who engages in an activity in an amateruish, trifling way "Many people dismissed the poster artists of the 1960's as mere ____ with nothing serious to say about life or art." | 22 | |
| 181153466 | Disarray | Disorder, confusion "The burgled apartement was in a state of ____." | 23 | |
| 181153467 | Discomfit | To frustrate, thwart, or defeat; to confuse, perplex, or embarass "The general tried to ___ his enemies by repeatedely beginning an advance and then pulling back." | 24 | |
| 181153468 | Dissidence | A difference of opinion; discontent "When the commanding officer announced that all leave was cancelled, there was widespread ____ in the ranks." | 25 | |
| 181153469 | Distraught | Very much agitated or upset as a result of emotion or mental conflict "The workforce became ____ in the wake of the 1929 stock market crash." | 26 | |
| 181153470 | Ebullient | Overflowing with enthusiasm and excitement; boiling, bubbling "After a string of very favorable reviews, the dance company was in an ____ mood for weeks." | 27 | |
| 181153471 | Eclectic | Drawn from different sources; one whose beliefs are drawn from various sources "Stanford White developed an ____ style of architecture that made use of classic and modern elements." "The critics accused the composer of being a mere ____ with no original style of her own." | 28 | |
| 181153472 | Efficacy | The power to produce a desired result "The pharmaceutical company has done extensive research to prove the ____ of the new druge they are marketing." | 29 | |
| 181153473 | Epicurean | Devoted to the pursuit of pleasure, fond of good food, comfort, and ease; with discriminating tastes "The chef took an ____ delight in presenting the most delicious dishes to his demanding clientele." "Even the most fervent ___ should not expect fine dining in a poor, war-torn country." | 30 | |
| 181153474 | Esoteric | Intended for or understood by only a select few, private, secret "The fraternity developed a set of ____ rites that had to be performed by anyone seeking membership." | 31 | |
| 181153475 | Espouse | To take up and support; to become attached to, adopt; to marry "To appeal to the large number of dissatisfied voters, the candidate ____ a strong program of reform." | 32 | |
| 181153476 | Ethereal | Light, airy, delicate; highly refined; suggesting what is heavenly "The Renaissance painter Fra Angelico captured the _____ beauty of angels in his famous frescoes." | 33 | |
| 181153477 | Eulogy | A formal statement of commendation; high praise "The best friend and longetime partner of the deceased delivered the ____ at the funeral." | 34 | |
| 181153478 | Euphemism | A mnild or inoffensive expression used in place of a harsh or unpleasant one; a subsitute "Common ____ for die include the expression pass away and go to the other side." | 35 | |
| 181153479 | Evince | To display clearly, to make evident, to provoke "The crowd did not ____ any signs of panic but moved in an orderly fashion to the nearest exits." | 36 | |
| 181153480 | Fatuous | Stupid or foolish in a self-satisfied way "In order to discredit the candidate, the columnist quoted some of his more ____, self-serving remarks." | 37 | |
| 181153481 | Feckless | Lacking in spirit and strength; ineffective, weak; irresponsible, unreliable "Although a ____ youth, he eventually matured into a hard-working and responsible citizen." | 38 | |
| 181153482 | Flaccid | Limp, not firm; lacking vigor or effectiveness "Because the injured bodybuilder had not worked out for weeks, his muscles grew _____." | 39 | |
| 181153483 | Flotsam | Floating debris; homeless, impoverished people "After the two ships collided, the survivors clung to various pieces of ____ and hoped for rescue." | 40 | |
| 181153484 | Forgo | To do without, abstain from, give up "One of the best, if not the easiest, ways to lose weight is to ____ dessert." | 41 | |
| 181153485 | Fraught | Full or loaded with; accompanied by "Even with the most advanced equpiment, expeditions to the top of Mt. Everest are still _____ with danger." | 42 | |
| 181153486 | Gambit | In chess, an opening move that involves risk or sacrifice of a minor piece in order to gain a later advantage; an opening move of this type "Asking an interesting stranger about his or her job is a popular party ____." | 43 | |
| 181153487 | Glean | To gather bit by bit; to gather small quantities of grain left in a field by the reapers "By means of painstaking investigation, the detectives will eventually ____ the truth." | 44 | |
| 181153488 | Histrionic | Pertaining to actors and their techniques; theatrical; artificial; melodramatic "Upon receiving his award, the young actor gave a ____ speech." | 45 | |
| 181153489 | Idiosyncrasy | A peculiarity that serves to distinguish or identify. "The fact that the plurals of some nouns are formed irregulary is an ____ of English grammar." | 46 | |
| 181153490 | Illusory | Misleading, deceptive; lacking in or not based on reality "Police state tactics provide an ____ sense of security in an unjust society." | 47 | |
| 181153491 | Impeccable | Faultless, beyond criticism or blame "We always consulted my grandmother about what to wear because she had _____ taste in clothing." | 48 | |
| 181153492 | Impecunious | Having little or no money "In my present ___ state, I will not be able to pay for dinner." | 49 | |
| 181153493 | Imperturbable | Not easily excited; emotionally steady "The witness reamined ____ throughout the grueling cross-examination." | 50 | |
| 181153494 | Importune | To trouble with demands; to beg for insistently "My bankrupt uncle ____ my father for a loan." | 51 | |
| 181153495 | Incarcerate | To imprision, confine, jail "They will ____ the convicted felon at the state penitentiary." | 52 | |
| 181153496 | Incendiary | Deliberately setting or causing fires; designed to start fires; tending to stir up strife or rebellion "The arsonist planted an ____ device in the basement of the store." | 53 | |
| 181153497 | Incongruous | Not in keeping, unsuitable, in compatible "Abraham Lincoln, the backwoods lawyer, and Mary Todd, the rich socialite, seemed an ____ couple." | 54 | |
| 181153498 | Insatiable | So great or demanding as not to be satisfied "People with an ____ appetite for gossip often do not have compelling stories of their own." | 55 | |
| 181153499 | Jocular | Humorous, jesting, jolly, joking "After receiving the news that she was ahead in the polls, the candidate was in a delightfully ____ mood." | 56 | |
| 181153500 | Largesse | Generosity in giving; lavish or bountiful contributions "The university was the fortunate beneficiary of the ____ of many of its graduates." | 57 | |
| 181153501 | Macabre | Grisly, gruesome; horrible, distressing; having death as a subject "The continuing popularity of horror movies suggests that one way to score at the box office is to exploit the ____." | 58 | |
| 181153502 | Machination | A crafty, scheming, or underhanded action designed to accomplish some end "Shakespeare's Othello was the victim not only of lago's evil ____ but also of his own jealous nature." | 59 | |
| 181153503 | Mandate | An authoritative command, formal order, authorization "The peacekeepers were sent into the war-torn country under a UN _____ to protect minority populations." | 60 | |
| 181153504 | Minutiae | Small or trivial details, trifling matters "Because the researcher was too concerened with ____, she was unlikely to make an original discovery." | 61 | |
| 181153505 | Mordant | Biting or caustic in thought, manner, or style; sharply or bitterly harsh "The actor was upset by the _____ criticism of the gossip columnist who seemed out to ruin his reputation." | 62 | |
| 181153506 | Murky | Dark and gloomy, obscure; lacking in clarity and precision "Many visitors have claimed to see a mysterious creature in the ___ waters of Loch Ness in Scotland." | 63 | |
| 181153507 | Mutable | Open to or capable of change "Most people would agree that one's priniciples and moral values should not be as ___ as fashion." | 64 | |
| 181153508 | Myopic | Nearsighted; lacking a broad, realistic view of a situation; lacking foresight or discernment "The ____ foreign policy of the last administration has led to serious problems with our allies." | 65 | |
| 181153509 | Nettle | A prickly or stinging plant; to arouse displeasure, impatience, or anger; to vex or irritate severely "The principal was ____ by the student's disrespectful behavior." "If you are pricked by a ____, aloe cream will soothe and reduce the sting." | 66 | |
| 181153510 | Onerous | Burdensome; involving hardship or difficulty "Informing patients of bad news is an ____ duty that every doctor has to perform." | 67 | |
| 181153511 | Oscillate | To swing back and forth with a steady rhythm; to fluctuate or waver "The terrified narrator in Poe's story The Pit and the Pendulum watches the dreaded instrument ____ as it slowly moves toward him." | 68 | |
| 181153512 | Paroxysm | A sudden outburst; a spasm, convulsion "The childreen greeted the clown with a ____ of laughter when he began making his funny faces." | 69 | |
| 181153513 | Pejorative | Tending to make worse; expressing disapproval or disparagement, derogatory, deprecatory, belittling "The lawyer was accused of making a _____ remark when referring to the defendant's background." | 70 | |
| 181153514 | Peremptory | Having the nature of a command that leaves no opportunity for debate, denial, or refusal; offensively self-assured, dictatorial; determined, resolute "The board members resented the director's ___ tone of voice." | 71 | |
| 181153515 | Perfunctory | Done in a superficial or halfhearted manner; without interest or enthusiasm "The police made a _____ search for the missing handbag, but they really did not expect to find it." | 72 | |
| 181153516 | Pertinacious | Very persistent; holding firmly to a course of action or a set of beliefs; hard to get rid of, refusing to be put off or denied "The defense attorney was as ____ as a bulldog in his cross-examination of the witness." | 73 | |
| 181153517 | Picayune | Of little value or importance, paltry, measly; concerned with trifling matters, small-minded "A supervisor who fusses about every ____ fault of the workers will lower morale and productivity." | 74 | |
| 181153518 | Pittance | A woefully meager allowance, wage, or portion "In comparision to the overwhelming need for food and medicine, the shipment was a mere ____." | 75 | |
| 181153519 | Plaintive | Expressive of sorrow or woe, melancholy "The recently widowed man spoke of his loneliness in a ____ tone of voice." | 76 | |
| 181153520 | Primordial | Developed or created at the very beginning; going back to the most ancient times or earliest stage; fundamental, basic "The ___ stages of most civilizations are founded on common needs met by common goals." | 77 | |
| 181153521 | Propinquity | Nearness i nplace or time; kinship "The ____ of the two cities has created a greater metropolitan area that in effect is one city." | 78 | |
| 181153522 | Pusillanimous | Contemptibly cowardly or mean- spirited "It is often said that bullies, when tested, are the most ____ people of all." | 79 | |
| 181153523 | Rebuff | To snub; to repel, drive away "The old man ___ his neighbors by refusing all offers of friendship." | 80 | |
| 181153524 | Reputed | According to reputation or general belief; having widespread acceptance and good reuptation "Although he is the ____ head of a crime syndicate, he has never spent time in jail." | 81 | |
| 181153525 | Restive | Restless, hard to manage, balky "The ____ horse had not been taken out of the stable for five days." | 82 | |
| 181153526 | Rudiments | The parts of any subject or discipline that are learned first; the earliest stages of anything "At a very young age, the girl learned the ____ of chess from her father, a professional player." | 83 | |
| 181153527 | Slough | To cast off, discard; to get rid of something objectionable or unnecessary; to plod through as if through mud; a state of depression "The advancing line of tanks became bogged down in a _______." | 84 | |
| 181153528 | Subsist | To have existence; to remain alive, manage to make a living or maintain life; to persist or continue "Peasants in the nineteenth-century Ireland were able to ____ almost exclusively on potatoes." | 85 | |
| 181153529 | Substantiate | To establish by evidence, prove; to give concrete or substantial form to "The prospector was unable to ____ his claim to the land where the gold was found." | 86 | |
| 181153530 | Sumptuous | Costly, rich, magnificent "The ____ feast honoring the king's birthday was followed by musical entertainment." | 87 | |
| 181153531 | Suppliant | Asking humbly and earnestly, one who makes a request humbly and earnestly, a petionior, suitor "He made a ____ address to the parole board." | 88 | |
| 181153532 | Talisman | An object that serves as a charm or is believed to confer magical powers, an amulet, fetish "Most people do not believe that rabbit's feet and other ____ actually bring good luck." | 89 | |
| 181153533 | Tenable | Capable of being held or defended "The researchers put forth a _____ theory, but their conclusions would be reviewed carefully by others." | 90 | |
| 181153534 | Testy | Easily irritated; characterized by impatience and exasperation "The lawyer's ____ remarks during cross-examination probably affected her credibility with the jury." | 91 | |
| 181153535 | Travesty | A grotesque or grossly inferior imitation; a disguise especially clothing of the opposite sex; to ridicule by imitating in a broad or burlesque fashion "Instead of modernizing Shakespeare's 'Twelfth Night', they made a _____ of it." | 92 | |
| 181153536 | Utopian | Founded upon or involving a visionary view of an ideal world; impractical "A number of American religious groups like the Shakers have built seperate communities based on _____ schemes." | 93 | |
| 181153537 | Vacillate | To swing indecisively from one idea or course of action to another "Someone who ____ in a crisis should not be in a position of leadership." | 94 | |
| 181153538 | Verbiage | Language that is too wordy or inflated in proportion to the sense or content, wordiness; a manner of expression "The contract was full of meaningless ____ that seemed designed to confuse the lay person." | 95 | |
| 181153539 | Visionary | Not practical, lacking in realism; having the nature of a fantasy or dream "Ideas that were once considered _____ often become widely accepted over time." | 96 | |
| 181153540 | Vituperative | Harshly abusive, severely scolding "That ___ speech in which she blamed others for her own mistakes may have cost her the election." | 97 | |
| 181153541 | Winnow | To get rid of something unwanted, delete; to sift through to obtain what is desirable; to remove the chaff from the wheat by blowing air on it; to blow on, fan "Spelling and grammar software programs are designed to help writers ____ inaccuracies from their documents." | 98 | |
| 181153542 | Wizened | Dry, shrunken, and wrinkled "The _____ old woman walked with the aid of a cane." | 99 |
