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PowerPlusIII
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| factious | <u>adj. - causing disagreement<br><br></u> The <i>factious</i> sailors refused to sail any further into the storm.<br><br> syn: belligerent; contentious<br> ant: cooperative; united |
| ignoble | <u>adj. - dishonorable; shameful<br><br></u> Cheating on an exam is an <i>ignoble</i> way to get good grades.<br><br> syn: despicable; base<br> ant: noble; glorious |
| boor | <u>n. - a shield, protection</u><br><br> The <i>boor</i> grabbed handfuls of hors d'oeuvres and walked around while he ate them. <br><br> syn: buffoon; clown<br> ant: sophisticate |
| aegis | <u>n. - a shield; protection</u><br><br> The life of the witness is under the <i>aegis</i> of the witness protection program.<br><br> syn: backing |
| perspicacity | <u>n. - keenness of judgment</u><br><br> The old hermit still had the <i>perspicacity</i> to haggle with the automotive dealer.<br><br> syn: perceptiveness<br> ant: stupidity; ignorance |
| fervent | <u>adj. - eager; earnest</u><br><br> We made a <i>fervent</i> attempt to capture the stallion, but he was too quick for us.<br><br> syn: burning; passionate<br> ant: apathetic |
| rectify | <u>v. - to correct; to make right</u><br><br> JoAnne tried to <i>rectify</i> her poor relationship with her son by spending more time with him.<br><br> syn: remedy; resolve |
| enervate | <u>v. - to weaken</u><br><br> The record temperature <i>enervated</i> the farmhands before noon.<br><br> syn: devitalize; exhaust<br> ant: energize; strengthen |
| besiege | <u>v. - to overwhelm; to surround and attack</u><br><br> People jumped from the ground and brushed themselves off as ants <i>besieged</i> the picnic. |
| ephemeral | <u>adj. - lasting only a brief time; short-lived</u><br><br> The gardener experienced <i>ephemeral</i> fame the year she grew a half-ton pumpkin.<br><br> syn: transient; fleeting<br> ant: permanent |
| altruism | <u>n. - a concern for others; generosity</u><br><br> A person with <i>altruism</i> will ususally stop and help a stranded motorist.<br><br> syn: unselfishness; magnanimity<br> ant: selfishness; egoism |
| carrion | <u>n. - decaying flesh</u><br><br> The <i>carrion</i> along the desert highway was a feast for the vultures. |
| erotic | <u>adj. - pertaining to sexual love</u><br><br> The museum staff canceled the exhibition when it saw the <i>erotic</i> sculptures. |
| amorphous | <u>adj. - shapeless, formless, vague</u><br><br> What began as an <i>amorphous</i> idea in Steven's dream turned into a revolutionary way to power automobiles. |
| opulent | <u>adj. - rich, luxurious; wealthy</u><br><br> Despite the stock market crash, the wealthy family continued its <i>opulent</i> lifestyle. |
| impotent | <u>adj. - powerless, lacking strength</u><br><br> Without the gun, he felt <i>impotent</i>.<br><br> syn: ineffective; helpless<br> ant: potent; powerful |
| antithesis | <u>n. - an exact opposite; an opposite extreme</u><br><br> Love is the <i>antithesis</i> of hate.<br><br> syn: converse<br> ant: same |
| maelstrom | <u>n. - whirlpool; turbulence; agitated state of mind</u><br><br> His emotions were like a <i>maelstrom</i>, and he couldn't decide what course to follow. |
| emendation | <u>n. - a correction</u><br><br> The last edition of the book contains many <i>emendations</i>.<br><br> syn: improvement; amendment |
| chagrin | <u>n. - embarrassment; a complete loss of courage</u><br><br> Joanne had never felt such <i>chagrin</i> as when she fell into the mud puddle in front of her finace's family. |
| bauble | <u>n. - a showy but useless thing</u><br><br> John had to find some kind of <i>bauble</i> to give Mary for Christmas.<br><br> syn: trinket |
| diaphanous | <u>adj. - very sheer and light</u><br><br> The <i>diaphanous</i> gown was beautiful, but Gloria wasn't sure she had the nerve to wear it.<br><br> syn: transparent; gossamer<br> ant: opaque |
| labyrinth | <u>n. - a complicated network of winding passages; a maze</u><br><br> The mice were made to run through a <i>labyrinth</i> in order to reach their food. |
| gloat | <u>v. - to look at or think about with great satisfaction</u><br><br> The track team <i>gloated</i> over their latest victory.<br><br> syn: revel; crow |
| impediment | <u>n. a barrier, obstruction</u><br><br> The supervisor wouldn't be an <i>impediment</i> to her advancement.<br><br> syn: obstacle; hindrance<br> ant: aid |
| bestial | <u>adj. - savage; brutal</u><br><br> He took a <i>bestial</i> delight in tormenting the captive slave.<br><br> syn: brutish; vile; cruel<br> ant: humane; kind |
| effete | <u>adj. - worn out; barren</u><br><br> Although worn down by age and a life of hard work, the man was far from <i>effete</i>.<br><br> syn: exhausted; spent and sterile<br> ant: vital; vigorous |
| shard | <u>n. - a fragment</u><br><br> The doctor pulled a <i>shard</i> of glass from the girl's arm. |
| bland | <u>adj. - mild; tasteless; dull</u><br><br> His <i>bland</i> manner had a calming effect on the children.<br><br> syn: smooth; agreeable<br> ant: exciting; thrilling |
| nihilism | <u>n. - a total rejection of established law</u><br><br> <i>Nihilism</i> rejects established laws and order, but it offers nothing in their place. |
| pedestrian | <u>adj. - ordinary or dull</u><br><br> The crowd responded to the <i>pedestrian</i> speech with yawns.<br><br> syn: commonplace; mediocre<br> ant: imaginative; compelling |
| bona fide | <u>adj. - in good faith</u><br><br> We made a <i>bona fide</i> offer for the property.<br><br> syn: legitimate; genuine<br> ant: fraudulent; phony |
| adventitious | <u>adj. accidental; nonessential</u><br><br> The scientists admitted that the breakthrough was an <i>adventitious</i> result of the study.<br><br> syn: incidental |
| fecund | <u>adj. - fertile, productive</u><br><br> The <i>fecund</i> soil produced a record number of tomatoes this year.<br><br> syn: prolific<br> ant: sterile |
| deviate | <u>v. - to turn aside from a course; to stray<br><br></u> Sometimes it's better to <i>deviate</i> from the truth than to hurt someone's feelings.<br><br> syn: digress |
| obfuscate | <u>v. - to confuse; to bewilder</u><br><br> The Realtor tried to <i>obfuscate</i> the issue, and it was working, because the confused buyer did not know if he was coming or going.<br><br> syn: muddle; obscure<br> ant: clarify; elucidate |
| impale | <u>v. - to pierce with a sharp stake through the body</u><br><br> The natives used sharp sticks to <i>impale</i> fish in the tide pools. |
| extenuate | <u>v. - to lesson seriousness by providing partial excuses</u><br><br> The jury believes that the thief's situation <i>extenuates</i> the crime of stealing food. |
| parochial | <u>adj. - local; narrow; limited</u><br><br> Because he had never traveled outside his own town, Jim had a very <i>parochial</i> view of life.<br><br> syn: provincial; narrow-minded<br> ant: universal; catholic |
| glower | <u>v. - to stare angrily</u><br><br> The boy <i>glowered</i> at his mother when she corrected his manners.<br><br> syn: frown; scowl<br> ant: grin |
| edify | <u>v. - improve someone morally</u><br><br> The sermon was meant to <i>edify</i> the congregation. |
| ambiguous | <u>adj. - open to more than one interpretation</u><br><br> The candidate's <i>ambiguous</i> comments tended to confuse the issue even more.<br><br> syn: unclear; uncertain; vague<br> ant: explicit; definite |
| cataclysm | <u>n. - a violent change</u><br><br> The earthquake in Mexico was a <i>cataclysm</i> which no one could have foreseen.<br><br> syn: disaster; catastrophic<br> ant: triumph; boon |
| optimum | <u>adj. - best; most favorable; ideal</u><br><br> The pilot was waiting for <i>optimum</i> conditions before setting out on the dangerous flight. |
| importune | <u>v. - to ask persistently; to beg</u><br><br> John <i>importuned</i> his father, but could not get the car keys.<br><br> syn: appeal; badger |
Created by:
Shanree
Popular English Vocabulary sets