| Question |
Answer |
| Aberrant |
deviating from what is normal or expected |
| Abeyance |
temporary suppression or suspension |
| Abscond |
to leave secretly |
| Abstain |
to choose not to do something |
| Abstemious |
moderate in appetite |
| Abyss |
an extemely deep hole |
| Accretion |
a growth in size; an increase in amount |
| Acidulous |
sour in taste or manner |
| Acme |
highest point; summit; the highest level or degree attainable |
| Adulterate |
to make impure |
| Advocate |
to speak in favor of |
| Aerie |
a nest built high in the air; an elevated often secluded, dwelling |
| Aesthetic |
concerning the appreciation of beauty |
| Affected |
phony; artificial |
| Aggrandize |
to increase in power, influence and reputation |
| Alacrity |
speed or quickness |
| Alleviate |
to make more bearable |
| Amalgamate |
to combine; to mix together |
| Ambiguous |
doubtful or uncertain; can be interpreted several ways |
| Ameliorate |
to make better; to improve |
| Amortize |
to diminish by installment payments |
| Amulet |
ornament worn as a charm against evil spirits |
| Anachronism |
something out of place in time |
| Analgesia |
a lessening of pain without loss of consciousness |
| Analogous |
similar or alike in some way; equivalent to |
| Anodyne |
something that calms or soothes pain |
| Anomaly |
deviation from what is normal |
| Antagonize |
to annoy or provoke to anger |
| Antipathy |
extreme dislike |
| Apathy |
lack of interest or emotion |
| Apocryphal |
of questionalbe authority or authenticity |
| Apostate |
one who renounces a religious faith |
| Approbation |
approval and praise |
| Arbitrary |
determined by chance or impulse |
| Arbitrate |
to judge a dispute between two opposing parties |
| Archaic |
ancient; old-fashioned |
| Ardor |
intense and passionate feeling |
| Arrogate |
to claim without justification; to claim for oneself without right |
| Articulate |
able to speak clearly and expressively |
| Assail |
to attack; assault |
| Assuage |
to make something unpleasant less severe |
| Attenuate |
to reduce in force or degree; weaken |
| Abjure |
to reject; abandon formally |
| Audacious |
fearless and daring |
| Augury |
prophecy; prediction of events |
| August |
dignified; grandiose |
| Austere |
severe or stern in appearance; undecorated |
| Axiom |
premise; postulate; self-evident truth |
| Banal |
predictable; cliched; boring |
| Belfry |
bell tower; room in which a bell is hung |
| Cabal |
a secret group seeking to overturn something |
| Burnish |
to polish |
| Burgeon |
to grow and flourish |
| Boor |
crude person, one lacking manners or taste |
| Bonhomie |
good-natured geniality; atmosphere of good cheer |
| Bombastic |
pompous in speech and manner |
| Bolster |
to support; prop up |
| Blithe |
joyful, cheerful, or without appropriate thought |
| Blight |
to afflict; destroy |
| Bilk |
to cheat; defraud |
| Bifurcate |
to divide into two parts |
| Bevy |
group |
| Calumny |
a false and malicious accusation; misrepresentation |
| Canard |
a lie |
| Candid |
impartial and honest in speech |
| Capricious |
changing one's mind quickly and often |
| Cartography |
science or art of making maps |
| Castigate |
to punish or criticize harshly |
| Catalyst |
something that brings about a change in something else |
| Catholic |
universal; broad and comprehensive |
| Caustic |
biting in wit |
| Chaos |
great disorder or confused situation |
| Chauvinist |
someone prejudiced in favor of a group to which he or she belongs |
| Chicanery |
deception by means of craft or guile |
| Circumspect |
cautious; aware of potential consequences |
| Cloying |
sickly sweet; excessive |
| Coalesce |
to grow together to form a single whole |
| Coffer |
strongbox; large chest for money |
| Cogent |
convincing and well-reasoned |
| Collusion |
collaboration; complicity; conspiracy |
| Condone |
to overlook, pardon, or disregard |
| Connoisseur |
a person with expert knowledge or discriminating taste |
| Contrite |
deeply sorrowful and repentant for a wrong |
| Contumacious |
rebellious |
| Convoluted |
intricate and complicated |
| Corroborate |
to support with evidence |
| Cosset |
to pamper; treat with great care |
| Coterie |
an intimate group of persons with a similar purpose |
| Craven |
lacking courage |
| Credulous |
too trusting; gullible |
| Crescendo |
steadily increasing in volume or force |
| Cupidity |
greed; strong desire |
| Curmudgeon |
cranky person, usually old |
| Debutante |
young woman making debut in high society |
| Declivity |
downward slope |
| Decorous |
proper; tasteful; socially correct |
| Decorum |
appropriateness of behavior or conduct; propriety |
| Deface |
to mar the appearance of; vandalize |
| Deference |
respect; courtest |
| Deleterious |
subtly or unexpectedly harmful |
Ch.18 LTI-MA 509
