| Question |
Answer |
| bastion |
stronghold; something seen as a source of protection; Ex. the last bastion of male chauvinism |
| growl |
low, guttural, menacing sound (as of a dog) |
| maverick |
rebel; nonconformist (in a group) |
| lethargic |
drowsy; dull; N. lethargy: state of sluggishness and inactivity |
| paraphernalia |
equipment; odds and ends used in a particular activity; personal belongings; Ex. photographic paraphernalia; CF. married woman's property exclusive of her dowry |
| mores |
conventions; moral standards; moral customs |
| timidity |
lack of self-confidence or courage |
| understate |
state with less truth than seems warranted by the facts; Ex. He understated the seriousness of the crime; N. understatement; OP. overstate |
| protocol |
diplomatic etiquette; ceremony and etiquette observed by diplomats; first copy of a treaty before its ratification; Ex. Protocol demands that the queen meet him at the airport. |
| braid |
plait; interweave strands or lengths of; make by weaving strands together; N: braided segment (as of hair) |
| acquiesce |
assent; agree passively; comply without protest |
| favoritism |
display of partiality toward a favored person |
| wake |
trail of ship or other object through water; path of something that has gone before; Ex. hunger followed in the wake of the war |
| draught |
current of air (through a room or to a fire); act of pulling roads; act of swallowing liquid or amount of liquid swallowed at a time |
| betoken |
signify; indicate; be a sign of |
| aviary |
enclosure for birds; large cage |
| waggish |
humorous; mischievous; tricky |
| adapt |
make or become suitable for a specific use; alter; modify; adjust; N. adaptation: act of adapting; composition recast into a new form; Ex. The play is an adaption of a short novel. |
| bugaboo |
bugbear; object of baseless terror |
| foliage |
masses of leaves; CF. defoliate |
| satellite |
small body revolving around a larger one |
| bungle |
mismanage; blunder; botch; blow; spoil by clumsy behavior |
| reinstate |
restore to a previous condition or position |
| mnemonic |
pertaining to memory; assisting the memory; N: device, such as as formula or rhyme, used as a mnemonic aid |
| conscript |
draftee; person forced into military service; V. |
| contend |
struggle; compete; assert earnestly; state strongly |
| functional |
made for practical use only (without decoration); functioning; Ex. functional modern furniture; CF. functionalism |
| punctilious |
minutely attentive (perhaps too much so) to fine points; stressing niceties of conduct or form; N. punctilio, punctiliousness: careful attention payed to every small exact detail |
| imbecility |
weakness of mind; state of being an imbecile; N. imbecile: stupid person; fool |
| rebuke |
scold harshly; criticize severely |
| facile |
easily accomplished; ready or fluent; superficial; not deep; Ex. facile solution to a complex problem; N. facility: ability to do something easily and well; ease in doing resulting from skill or aptitude; something that facilitates an action; amenity; |
| hardy |
(of people or animals) sturdy; robust; (of plants) able to stand inclement(stormy) weather |
| penury |
extreme poverty; stinginess; ADJ. penurious: very poor; stingy |
| venal |
capable of being bribed; corrupt; CF. vernal |
| flit |
fly; fly or move lightly or quickly; dart lightly; pass swiftly by; Ex. a bee flitting from flower to flower |
| magnate |
person of prominence or influence; powerful or influential person (in business or industry); Ex. oil magnate |
| botch |
mismanage; blow |
| citadel |
fortress |
| libidinous |
lustful |
| mendicant |
beggar; ADJ: living as a beggar |
| oaf |
stupid awkward person; CF. elf |
| voyeur |
Peeping Tom; person who derives sexual gratification from observing the sexual acts of others |
| docile |
obedient; easily managed; submissive |
| vitiate |
spoil the effect of; make inoperative; corrupt morally |
| narrative |
related to telling a story; N: narrated account; story; V. narrate: tell (a story); CF. narration |
| derision |
ridicule; ADJ. derisive; CF. derisory |
| cupidity |
greed (for wealth); CF. cupid; CF. Cupid |
| savory |
pleasant in taste; tasty; pleasing, attractive, or agreeable; Ex. savory reputation |
| rank |
offensive in odor or flavor |
| quisling |
traitor who aids invaders; CF. Vidkun Quisling |
| tact |
skill or sensitivity in dealing with people without causing offence |
| fallacious |
false; based on a fallacy; misleading; N. fallacy: false idea or notion; false reasoning; Ex. popular fallacy; Ex. fallacy of the argument |
| trim |
make neat or tidy by clipping; reduce by removing what is unnecessary; ornament; decorate (round the edges); Ex. trim the cost; Ex. jacket trimmed with fur; N. ADJ: tidy; in good order |
| compartment |
one of the parts into which an enclosed space is divided |
| squander |
waste; spend foolishly |
| colloquy |
informal discussion; conversation |
| refurbish |
renovate; make clean, bright, or fresh (make new) again; make bright by polishing; Ex. refurbish an old theater; CF. furbish: polish |
| desolate |
make desolate; forsake; abandon and desert |
| fumble |
move the fingers and hands awkwardly (in search of something); mishandle or drop a ball that is in play; bungle; botch; spoil by mishandling; N. |
| misapprehension |
error; misunderstanding; V. misapprehend |
| ameliorate |
improve |
| isthmus |
narrow neck of land connecting two larger bodies of land |
| skulduggery(skullduggery) |
dishonest behavior or action; Ex. skulduggery in the election |
| celibate |
abstaining from sexual intercourse; unmarried; N. celibacy |
| odium |
detestation; quality of being odious; hatefulness; disrepute (resulting from hateful conduct) |
| deserts |
what someone deserves |
| nugatory |
worthless; futile |
| rendition |
rendering; translation; artistic interpretation of a song, etc |
| incursion |
temporary invasion; CF. excursion: short journey |
| terrestrial |
on or relating to the earth |
| stigma |
token of disgrace; brand; V. stigmatize: mark with a stigma; characterize as disgraceful |
| gross |
total; fragrant; clearly wrong; (of people's behavior) coarse; corpulent; Ex. gross insolence/behavior; V: earn as a total amount; N: 12 dozens |
| doctrine |
teachings in general; particular principle (religious, legal, etc.) taught; dogma; tenet; ADJ. doctrinal |
| misnomer |
wrong or improper name; incorrect designation |
| proliferate |
grow rapidly (in numbers); spread; multiply; N. proliferation |
| hindsight |
understanding the nature of an event after it has actually happened |
| lucid |
easily understood; clear; intelligible; N. lucidity |
| impenetrable |
not able to be pierced or entered; beyond understanding; impossible to understand; Ex. impenetrable mystery |
| ghastly |
horrible; terrifying; resembling ghosts; CF. aghast |
| tremulous |
trembling; wavering |
| garish |
overbright in color; unpleasantly bright; gaudy |
| euphony |
sweet sound; ADJ. euphonious |
| pithy |
concise and meaningful; substantial; meaty |
| girth |
distance around something; circumference |
| lap |
take in food or drink with one's tongue; splash gently; Ex. waves lapping the shore; N: front area from the waist to the knees of a seated person |
| asteroid |
small planet |
| adulation |
flattery; admiration that is more than is necessary or deserved |
| array |
marshal; draw up in order; arrange in order; clothe splendidly; adorn; N: fine clothes; ordered group; Ex. in battle array |
| redoubtable |
formidable; causing fear |
| approbation |
approval |
| attrition |
rubbing away by friction; gradual decrease in numbers or strength; reduction in the work force without firing employees; wearing away of opposition by means of harassment; Ex. a war of attrition |
| secession |
withdrawal; V. secede: withdraw formally from membership |
| poignancy |
quality of being deeply moving; keenness of emotion; ADJ. poignant: touching; deeply moving; (of sorrow, grief, etc.) painful; keenly distressing to the mind; Ex. poignant memory/anxiety; CF. prick |
| fodder |
coarse food for cattle, horses, etc.; feed for livestock; CF. food |
| regale |
entertain |
| warren |
tunnels in which rabbits live; overcrowded living area; crowded conditions in which people live |
| distant |
reserved or aloof; cold in manner; Ex. distant greeting; ADV. distantly |
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