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8/12/2019 GRE Flashcards

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Abase verb

(uh bays)

Abate verb

(uh bayt)

Abdicate verb

(aab duh kayt)

Aberrantadj

(uh ber unt)

Abeyancenoun

(uh bay uhns)

Abjure verb

(aab jur)

Abscond verb

(aab skahnd)

*



to humble; disgrace

My intention was not to abase the comedian.

Synonyms: demean, humiliate

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to give up a position, right, or power

With the angry mob clamoring outside the palace,the king abdicated his throne and ed.

Synonyms: cede; relinquish; resign; quit; yield

to reduce in amount, degree, or severity

As the hurricane’s force abated , the winds droppedand the sea became calm.

Synonyms: ebb; lapse; let up; moderate; relent;slacken; subside; wane

temporary suppression or suspension

e baseball game was held in abeyance while itcontinued to rain.

Synonyms: deferral; delay; dormancy; postponement; remission

deviating rom what is normal or expected

Since he had been a steady, cheerful worker formany years, his fellow postal workers did notexpect his aberrant burst of rage.

Synonyms: abnormal; anomalous; deviant;divergent; errant; irregular

to leave secretly

e patron absconded from the restaurant withoutpaying his bill by sneaking out the back door.

Synonyms: decamp; escape; ee

to reject; abandon ormally

e spy abjured his allegiance to the United Stateswhen he defected to Russia.

Synonyms: forswear; recall; recant; retract;take back



Abstain verb

(uhb stayn)

Abstemiousadj

(aab stee me uhs)

Abyssnoun

(uh bihs)

Accretionnoun

(uh kree shuhn)

Acidulousadj

(uh si juh luhs)

Acmenoun

(aak mee)

Adulterate verb

(uh duhl tuhr ayt)

Advocate verb

(aad vuh kayt)



moderate in appetite

Because Alyce is a vegetarian, she was only able toeat an abstemious meal at the Texas Steakhouse.

Synonyms: abstinent; continent; self-restraining;

sober; temperate

to choose not to do something

Before the medical procedure, you must abstain from eating.

Synonyms: forbear; refrain; withhold

a growth in size; an increase in amount

e committee’s strong fund-raising effortsresulted in an accretion in scholarship money.

Synonyms: accumulation; buildup

an extremely deep hole

e submarine dove into the abyss to chart thepreviously unseen depths.

Synonyms: chasm; void

highest point; summit; the highest level ordegree attainable

Just when he reached the acme of his power,the dictator was overthrown.

Synonyms: apex; peak; summit

sour in taste or manner

e acidulous taste of the spoiled milk made theyoung boy’s lips pucker.

Synonyms: acerbic; acetous; biting; piquant; pungent; tart

to speak in avor o

e vegetarian advocated a diet containingno meat.

Synonyms: back; champion; support

to make impure

e restaurateur made his ketchup last longerby adulterating it with water.

Synonyms: debase; doctor; load



Aerienoun

(ayr ee) (eer ee)

Aestheticadj

(ehs theh tihk)

Affectedadj

(uh fehk tihd)

Aggrandize verb

(uh graan diez) (aa gruhn diez)

Alacrity noun

(uh laak crih tee)

Alleviate verb

(uh lee vee ayt)

Amalgamate verb

(uh maal guh mayt)

Ambiguousadj

(aam bihg yoo uhs)



concerning the appreciation o beauty

e aesthetic movement regarded the pursuit ofbeauty to be the only true purpose of art.

Synonyms: artistic; tasteful

a nest built high in the air; an elevated, ofensecluded, dwelling

Perched high among the trees, the eagle’s aerie was lled with eggs.

Synonyms: perch; stronghold

to increase in power, inuence, and reputation

e supervisor sought to aggrandize himself by

claiming that the achievements of his staff wereactually his own.

Synonyms: amplify; apotheosize; augment; dignify;elevate; enlarge; ennoble; exalt; glorify; magnify;swell; upli ; wax

phony; articial

e affected hairdresser spouted French phrases,though she had never been to France.

Synonyms: insincere; pretentious; put-on

to make more bearable

Taking aspirin helps to alleviate a headache.

Synonyms: allay; assuage; comfort; ease; lessen;lighten; mitigate; palliate; relieve

speed or quickness

e restaurant won a reputation for ne servicesince the wait staff responded to their clients’requests with alacrity .

Synonyms: celerity; dispatch; haste; swi ness

doubt ul or uncertain; can be interpretedseveral ways

e directions he gave were so ambiguous that wedisagreed on which way to turn.

Synonyms: cloudy; doubtful; dubious; equivocal;indeterminate; nebulous; obscure; unclear; vague

to combine; to mix together

Giant Industries amalgamated with MegaProducts to form Giant-Mega ProductsIncorporated.

Synonyms: admix; blend; coalesce; combine;commingle; commix; compound; fuse; intermingle;intermix; merge; mingle; mix; unite



Ameliorate verb

(uh meel yuhr ayt)

Amortize verb

(uh mohr tiez)

Amuletnoun

(aam yoo liht)

Anachronismnoun

(uh naak ruh nih suhm)

Analgesianoun

(aah nuhl jee zhuh)

Analogousadj

(uh naal uh guhs)

Anodynenoun

(aah nuh dien)

Anomaly noun

(uh nahm uh lee)



to diminish by installment payments

While college students are notorious foraccumulating credit card debt, they are not aswell known for amortizing it.

Synonyms: conviviality

to make better; to improve

e doctor was able to ameliorate the patient’ssuffering using painkillers.

Synonyms: amend; better; improve; pacify; upgrade

something out o place in time

e aged hippie used anachronistic phraseslike “groovy” and “far out” that had not beenpopular for years.

Synonyms: archaism; incongruity

ornament worn as a charm against evil spirits

ough she claimed it was not because ofsuperstition, Vivian always wore an amulet around her neck.

Synonyms: fetish; talisman

similar or alike in some way; equivalent to

His mother argued that not going to college wasanalogous to throwing his life away.

Synonyms: alike; comparable; corresponding;equivalent; homogeneous; parallel; similar

a lessening o pain without loss o consciousness

A er having her appendix removed, Tatianawelcomed the analgesia that the painkillersprovided.

Synonyms: insentience; anodyne

deviation rom what is normal

Albino animals may display too great ananomaly in their coloring to attract normallycolored mates.

Synonyms: aberrant; aberration; abnormality;deviance; deviation; irregularity; preternaturalness

something that calms or soothes pain

e anodyne massage helped remove the knotsfrom the lawyer’s tense shoulders.

Synonyms: narcotic; nepenthe; opiate



Antagonize verb

(aan taa guh niez)

Antipathy noun

(aan tih puh thee)

Apathy noun

(aa pah thee)

Apocryphaladj

(uh pahk ruh fuhl)

Apostatenoun

(uh pahs tayt)

Approbationnoun

(aa pruh bay shuhn)

Arbitrary adj

(ahr bih trayr ee)

Arbitrate verb

(ahr bih trayt)



o questionable authority or authenticity

ere is no hard or authoritative evidence tosupport the apocryphal tales that link the Roswell,New Mexico, incident to a downed UFO.

Synonyms: disputed; doubtful; ctitious; fraudulent

extreme dislike

e antipathy between fans of the rival soccerteams made the game even more electrifyingto watch.

Synonyms: abhorrence; animosity; animus;antagonism; aversion; dislike; enmity; hatred;hostility; loathing; repellence; repugnance;repulsion; revulsion

to annoy or provoke to anger

e child discovered that he could antagonize thecat by pulling its tail.

Synonyms: clash; conict; incite; irritate; oppose;

pester; provoke; vex

lack o interest or emotion

e apathy of voters is so great that less thanhalf the people who are eligible to vote actuallybother to do so.Synonyms: coolness; disinterest; disregard;impassivity; indifference; insensibility; lassitude;lethargy; listlessness; phlegm; stolidity; unconcern;unresponsiveness

approval and praisee approbation that Jerry Lewis received inFrance included a medal from the Ministryof Culture.

Synonyms: acclaim; adulation; applause;commendation; compliments; exalt; extol; hail;kudos; praise

one who renounces a religious aith

So that he could divorce his wife, the kingscoffed at the church doctrines and declaredhimself an apostate .

Synonyms: defector; deserter; traitor

to judge a dispute between two opposing parties

Since the couple could not come to an agreement,a judge was forced to arbitrate their divorceproceedings.

Synonyms: adjudge; adjudicate; determine;intermediate; intervene; judge; moderate;referee; rule

determined by chance or impulse

When you lack the information to judge whatto do next, you will be forced to make anarbitrary decision.

Synonyms: changeable; erratic; indiscriminate;random; wayward



Archaicadj

(ahr kay ihk)

Ardornoun

(ahr duhr)

Arrogate verb

(aa ruh gayt)

Articulateadj

(ahr tih kyuh luht)

Assail verb

(uh sayl)

Assuage verb

(uh swayj) (uh swayzh) (uh swahzh)

Attenuate verb

(uh tehn yoo ayt)

Audaciousadj

(aw day shuhs)



to make something unpleasant less severe

Like many people, Philip Larkin used alcohol toassuage his sense of meaninglessness and despair.

Synonyms: allay; alleviate; appease; comfort;conciliate; ease; lighten; mitigate; mollify; pacify; palliate; placate; propitiate; relieve; soothe; sweeten

intense and passionate eeling

Bishop’s ardor for landscape was evident whenhe passionately described the beauty of the scenicHudson Valley.

Synonyms: devotion; enthusiasm; fervency;

fervidity; fervidness; fervor; re; passion; zeal;zealousness

ancient; old- ashioned

Her archaic Commodore computer could not runthe latest so ware.

Synonyms: ancient; antediluvian; antique; archaic;bygone; dated; dowdy; fusty; obsolete; old-

fashioned; outdated; outmoded; passé; prehistoric;stale; superannuated; superseded; vintage

able to speak clearly and expressively

She is extremely articulate when it comes toexpressing her pro-labor views; as a result,unions are among her strongest supporters.

Synonyms: eloquent; expressive; uent; lucid;silver-tongued; smooth-spoken

to claim without justication; to claim oronesel without right

Gretchen watched in astonishment as her bossarrogated the credit for her brilliant work onthe project.

Synonyms: appropriate; presume; take

to attack; assault

e foreign army will try to assail our bases, butthey will not be successful in their attack.

Synonyms: beset; strike; storm

earless and daring

e audacious peasant dared to insult the king’smother.

Synonyms: adventuresome; aggressive; assertive;bold; brave; courageous; daring; dauntless; doughty; fearless; gallant; game; heroic; intrepid; mettlesome; plucky; stout; stouthearted; unafraid; undaunted;valiant; valorous; venturesome; venturous

to reduce in orce or degree; weaken

e Bill of Rights attenuated the traditional powerof government to change laws at will.

Synonyms: debilitate; devitalize; dilute; enervate;enfeeble; rarefy; sap; thin; undermine; undo;unnerve; water; weaken



Augury noun

(aw gyuh ree) (aw guh ree)

Augustadj

(aw guhst)

Austereadj

(aw steer)

Axiomnoun

(aak see uhm)

Banaladj

(buh naal) (bay nuhl) (buh nahl)

Bel ry noun

(behl free)

Bevy noun

(beh vee)

Bi urcate verb

(bi fuhr kayt) (bi fuhr kayt)



premise; postulate; sel -evident truth

Halle lived her life based on the axioms hergrandmother had passed on to her.

Synonyms: adage; apothegm; aphorism; maxim;rule

dignied; grandiose

e august view of the Grand Teton summit tookmy breath away.

Synonyms: admirable; awesome; grand; majestic

prophecy; prediction o events

Troy hoped the rainbow was an augury of goodthings to come.

Synonyms: auspices; harbinger; omen; portent;

presage

severe or stern in appearance; undecorated

e lack of decoration makes Zen temples seemaustere to the untrained eye.

Synonyms: bleak; dour; grim; hard; harsh; severe

bell tower; room in which a bell is hung

e town was shocked when a bag of money wasfound stashed in the old belfry of the church.

Synonyms: spire; steeple

predictable; clichéd; boring His conversation consisted of banal phrases like“Have a nice day” or “Another day, another dollar.”

Synonyms: bland; bromidic; clichéd; commonplace; fatuous; hackneyed; innocuous; insipid; jejune;musty; platitudinous; prosaic; quotidian; shopworn;stale; stereotypic; threadbare; timeworn; tired; trite;vapid; worn-out

to divide into two parts

e large corporation just released a pressstatement announcing its plans to bifurcate.

Synonym: bisect

group

As predicted, a bevy of teenagers surrounded therock star’s limousine.

Synonyms: band; bunch; gang; pack; troop



Bombasticadj

(bahm baast ihk)

Bilk verb

(bihlk)

Blight verb(bliet)

Blitheadj

(blieth)

Bolster verb

(bohl stuhr)

Bonhomienoun

(bah nuh mee)

Boornoun

(bohr)

Burgeon verb

(buhr juhn)



to afflict; destroy

e farmers feared that the night’s frost wouldblight the potato crops entirely.

Synonyms: damage; plague

to cheat; de raud

When the greedy salesman realized that hiscustomer spoke poor French, he bilked the touristout of 20 euros.

Synonyms: beat; defraud; diddle; gyp; overreach

to support; prop up

e presence of giant footprints bolstered theargument that Bigfoot was in the area.

Synonyms: brace; buttress; crutch; prop; stay;support; sustain; underpinning; uphold

joy ul, cheer ul, or without appropriate thought

Summer nally came, and the blithe studentsspent their days at the beach.

Synonyms: carefree; lighthearted; merry

good-natured geniality; atmosphereo good cheer

e aspects of her job that Dana loved the mostwere the exible hours and the pleasant bonhomie in the office.

Synonyms: affability; camaraderie

pompous in speech and mannerMussolini’s speeches were mostly bombastic;his boasting and outrageous claims had no basisin fact.

Synonyms: bloated; declamatory; fustian; grandiloquent; grandiose; high-own;magniloquent; orotund; pretentious; rhetorical;self-important

to grow and ourish

Faulkner neither conrmed nor denied storiesabout himself, allowing rumor to burgeon whereit would.

Synonyms: bloom; ourish; prosper; thrive

crude person, one lacking manners or taste

“ at utter boor ruined my recital with hisconstant guffawing!” wailed the pianist.

Synonyms: clod; lout; oaf; vulgarian; yahoo



Burnish verb

(buhr nihsh)

Cabalnoun

(kuh bahl)

Cacophony noun

(kuh kah fuh nee)

Calumny noun

(kaa luhm nee)

Canardnoun

(kuh nard)

Candidadj

(kaan did)

Capriciousadj

(kuh pree shuhs) (kuh prih shuhs)

Cartography noun

(kahr tahg ruh fee)



a secret group seeking to overturn something

e boys on the street formed a cabal to keep girlsout of their tree house.

Synonyms: camp; circle; clan; clique; coterie; in-

group; maa; mob; ring

to polish

He burnished the silver coffee pot until it shonebrightly.

Synonyms: buff; luster; polish; scour

a alse and malicious accusation;misrepresentation

e unscrupulous politician used calumny tobring down his opponent in the senatorial race.

Synonyms: defamation; libel; slander

harsh, jarring noise

e junior high orchestra created an almostunbearable cacophony as they tried to tune theirinstruments.

Synonyms: chaos; clamor; din; discord; disharmony;noise

impartial and honest in speech

e observations of a child can be charming sincethey are candid and unpretentious.

Synonyms: direct; forthright; frank; honest; open;sincere; straight; straightforward; undisguised

a lie

at tabloid’s feature story about a goat givingbirth to a human child was clearly a canard .

Synonyms: falsehood; falsity; b; misrepresentation; prevarication; tale; untruth

science or art o making maps

Gail’s interest in cartography may stem from theextensive traveling she did as a child.

Synonyms: charting; surveying; topography

changing one’s mind quickly and ofen

Queen Elizabeth I was quite capricious; hercourtiers could never be sure which one wouldcatch her fancy.

Synonyms: arbitrary; chance; changeable;erratic; ckle; inconstant; mercurial; random;whimsical; willful



Castigate verb

(kaa stih gayt)

Catalystnoun

(kaa tuh lihst)

Catholicadj

(kaa thuh lihk) (kaa thlihk)

Causticadj

(kah stihk)

Chaosnoun

(kay ahs)

Chauvinistnoun

(shoh vuh nist)

Chicanery noun

(shih kayn ree) (shi kay nuh ree)

Circumspectadj

(suhr kuhm spehkt)



Cloying adj

(kloy ing)

Coalesce verb

(koh uh lehs)

Coffernoun

(kah fuhr)

Cogentadj

(koh juhnt)

Collusionnoun

(kuh loo zhuhn)

Condone verb

(kuhn dohn)

Connoisseurnoun

(kah nuh suhr)

Contriteadj

(kuhn triet)



to grow together to orm a single whole

e sun and planets eventually coalesced out of a vast cloud of gas and dust.

Synonyms: amalgamate; blend; coalesce; condense;

consolidate; fuse; unite

sickly sweet; excessive

When Enid and Jay rst started dating, theircloying affection towards one another o en madetheir friends ill.

Synonyms: excessive; fulsome

convincing and well-reasoned

Swayed by the cogent argument of the defense, the jury had no choice but to acquit the defendant.

Synonyms: convincing; persuasive; solid; sound;telling; valid

strongbox; large chest or money

e bulletproof glass of the coffer is what keepsthe crown jewels secure.

Synonyms: treasury; chest; exchequer; war chest

to overlook, pardon, or disregard

Some theorists believe that failing to prosecuteminor crimes is the same as condoning an airof lawlessness.

Synonyms: exculpate; excuse; pardon; remit

collaboration; complicity; conspiracy

It came to light that the police chief and the maahad a collusion in running the numbers racket.

Synonyms: connivance; intrigue; machination

deeply sorrow ul and repentant or a wrong

A er three residents were mugged in the lobbywhile the watchman was away from his post,he felt very contrite.

Synonyms: apologetic; regretful; remorsefu

a person with expert knowledgeor discriminating tastes

Dr. Crane was a connoisseur of ne food and wine,drinking and eating only the best.

Synonyms: authority; epicure; expert; gastronome; gourmet



Contumaciousadj

(kahn tuh may shuhs)

Convolutedadj

(kahn vuh loo tehd)

Corroborate verb

(kuh rahb uhr ayt)

Cosset verb

(kah suht)

Coterienoun

(koh tuh ree) (koh tuh ree)

Cravenadj

(kray vuhn)

Credulousadj

(kreh juh luhs)

Crescendonoun

(kruh shehn doh)



Cupidity noun

(kyoo pih dih tee)

Curmudgeonnoun

(kuhr muh juhn)

Debutantenoun

(dehb yoo tahnt)

Declivity noun

(dih klih vih tee)

Decorousadj

(deh kuhr uhs) (deh kohr uhs)

Decorumnoun

(deh kohr uhm)

De ace verb

(dih fays)

De erencenoun

(deh fuh ruhn(t)s) (def ruhn(t)s)



downward slope

Because the village was situated on the declivity of a hill, it never ooded.

Synonyms: decline; descent; grade; slant; tilt

cranky person, usually old

Ernesto was a notorious curmudgeon whosnapped at anyone who disturbed him forany reason.

Synonyms: crab; coot; grouch

greed; strong desire

e thief stared at the shining jewels with cupidity in his gleaming eyes.

Synonyms: avarice; covetousness; rapacity

young woman making debut in high society

e debutante spent hours dressing for her veryrst ball, hoping to catch the eye of an eligiblebachelor.

Synonyms: lady; maiden

appropriateness o behavior or conduct;propriety

e countess complained that the vulgarpeasants lacked the decorum appropriate for a visit to the palace.

Synonyms: correctness; decency; etiquette; manners;mores; propriety; seemliness

proper; taste ul; socially correcte countess trained her daughters in the nerpoints of decorous behavior, hoping they wouldmake a good impression when she presentedthem at Court.

Synonyms: appropriate; comme il faut; courteous; polite

respect; courtesy

e respectful young law clerk treated theSupreme Court justice with the utmost deference.

Synonyms: courtesy; homage; honor; obeisance;respect; reverence; veneration

to mar the appearance o ; vandalize

A er the wall was torn down, the students beganto deface the statues of Communist leaders ofthe former Eastern Bloc.

Synonyms: disgure; impair; spoil



Deleteriousadj

(dehl ih teer ee uhs)

Demagoguenoun

(deh muh gahg) (deh muh gawg)

Demur verb

(dih muhr)

Deride verb

(dih ried)

Desiccate verb

(deh sih kayt)

Desultory adj

(dehs uhl tohr ee) (dehz uhl tohr ee)

Diaphanousadj

(die aaf uh nuhs)

Diatribenoun

(die uh trieb)



a leader or rabble-rouser, usually appealingto emotion or prejudice

He began his career as a demagogue, giving eryspeeches at political rallies.

Synonyms: agitator; inciter; instigator

subtly or unexpectedly harm ul

If only we had known the clocks were defectivebefore putting them on the market, it wouldn’thave been quite so deleterious to our reputation.

Synonyms: adverse; inimical; injurious; hurtful

to speak o or treat with contempt; to mock

e awkward child was o en derided by his“cooler” peers.

Synonyms: gibe; jeer; mock; ridicule; scoff;sneer; taunt

to express doubts or objections

When scientic authorities claimed that all the

planets revolved around the Earth, Galileo, withhis superior understanding of the situation, wasforced to demur .

Synonyms: dissent; expostulate; kick; protest;remonstrate

jumping rom one thing to another;disconnected

Athena had a desultory academic record; she hadchanged majors 12 times in 3 years.

Synonyms: aimless; disconnected; erratic;haphazard; indiscriminate; objectless; purposeless;random; stray; unconsidered; unplanned

to dry out thoroughly

A er a few weeks lying on the desert’s bakingsands, the cow’s carcass became completelydesiccated .

Synonyms: dehydrate; dry; parch

an abusive, condemnatory speech

e trucker bellowed a diatribe at the driver whohad cut him off.

Synonyms: fulmination; harangue; invective; jeremiad; malediction; obloquy; tirade

allowing light to show through; delicate

ese diaphanous curtains do nothing to blockout the sunlight.

Synonyms: gauzy; sheer; tenuous; translucent;transparent



Dilate verb

(die layt) (die layt)

Dictumnoun

(dihk tuhm)

Diffidentadj

(dih h dint)

Dilatory adj

(dihl uh tohr ee)

Dilettantenoun

(dih luh tahnt)

Dirgenoun

(duhrj)

Disabuse verb

(dih suh byuze)

Discern verb

(dihs uhrn)



intended to delay

e congressman used dilatory measures to delaythe passage of the bill.

Synonyms: dragging; agging; laggard; lagging;slow; slow-footed; slow-going; slow-paced; tardy

lacking sel -condence

Steve’sdiffidence during the job interviewstemmed from his nervous nature and lack ofexperience in the eld.

Synonyms: backward; bashful; coy; demure;modest; retiring; self-effacing; shy; timid

authoritative statement

“You have time to lean, you have time to clean,”was the dictum our boss made us live by.

Synonyms: adage; apothegm; aphorism; decree;

edict

to make larger; expand

When you enter a darkened room, the pupils ofyour eyes dilate so as to let in more light.

Synonyms: amplify; develop; elaborate; enlarge;expand; expatiate

a uneral hymn or mourn ul speech

Melville wrote the poem “A Dirge for JamesMcPherson” for the funeral of a Union generalwho was killed in 1864.

Synonyms: elegy; lament

someone with an amateurish and supercialinterest in a topic

Jerry’s friends were such dilettantes they seemedto have new jobs and hobbies every week.

Synonyms: amateur; dabbler; supercial; tyro

to perceive or recognize

It is easy to discern the difference between butterand butter-avored topping.

Synonyms: catch; descry; detect; differentiate;discriminate; distinguish; espy; glimpse; know;separate; spot; spy; tell

to set right; ree rom error

Galileo’s observations disabused scholars of thenotion that the sun revolved around the Earth.

Synonyms: correct; undeceive



Distend verb

(dih stehnd)

Disparateadj

(dih spuh ruht) (di spar uht)

Dissemble verb

(dihs sehm buhl)

Dissonancenoun

(dihs uh nuhns)

Distaff noun

(dis taf)

Dither verb

(dihth uhr)

Diurnaladj

(die uhr nuhl)

Divine verb

(dih vien)



to present a alse appearance; to disguise one’sreal intentions or character

e villain could dissemble to the police nolonger—he admitted the deed and tore up theoor to reveal the stash of stolen money.

Synonyms: act; affect; assume; camouage; cloak;counterfeit; cover up; disguise; dissimulate; fake; feign;mask; masquerade; pose; pretend; put on; sham

undamentally different; entirely unlike

Although the twins are physically identical,their personalities are disparate .

Synonyms: different; dissimilar; divergent; diverse;

variant; various

the emale branch o a amily

e lazy husband refused to cook dinner forhis wife, joking that the duty belongs to thedistaff’s side.

Synonyms: maternal

a harsh and disagreeable combination,especially o sounds

Cognitive dissonance is the inner conictproduced when long-standing beliefs arecontradicted by new evidence.

Synonyms: clash; contention; discord; dissension;dissent; dissidence; friction; strife; variance

to act con usedly or without clear purpose

Ellen dithered around her apartment, uncertainhow to tackle the family crisis.

Synonyms: falter; hesitate; vacillate; waffle; waver

to swell, inate, or bloat

Her stomach was distended a er she gorged on thesix-course meal.

Synonyms: broaden; bulge

to oretell or know by inspiration

e fortune-teller divined from the pattern ofthe tea leaves that her customer would marryve times.

Synonyms: auger; foresee; intuit; predict; presage

existing during the day

Diurnal creatures tend to become inactive duringthe night.

Synonyms: daylight; daytime



Doctrinaireadj

(dahk truh nayr)

Dogmanoun

(dahg muh) (dawg muh)

Dogmaticadj

(dahg maat ihk) (dawg maat ihk)

Drolladj

(drohl)

Dupe verb

(doop)

Dyspepticadj

(dihs pehp tihk)

Ebullientadj

(ih byool yuhnt) (ih buhl yuhnt)

Eclecticadj

(ih klehk tihk) (eh klehk tihk)



Edi y verb

(eh duh e)

Efficacy noun

(eh h kuh see)

Effigy noun

(eh fuh jee)

Effrontery noun

(ih fruhnt uhr ee) (eh fruhnt uhr ee)

Elegy noun

(eh luh jee)

Eloquentadj

(ehl uh kwunt)

Embellish verb

(ehm behl ihsh)

Emulate verb

(ehm yuh layt)



effectiveness

e efficacy of penicillin was unsurpassed whenit was rst introduced, completely eliminatingalmost all bacterial infections.

Synonyms: dynamism; effectiveness; efficiency;

force; power; productiveness; prociency;strength; vigor

to instruct morally and spiritually

e guru was paid to edify the actress in the waysof Buddhism.

Synonyms: educate; enlighten; guide; teach

impudent boldness; audacity

e receptionist had the effrontery to laugh outloud when the CEO tripped over a computer wireand fell at on his face.

Synonyms: brashness; gall; nerve; presumption;temerity

stuffed doll; likeness o a person

In England, effigies of the historic rebel GuyFawkes are burned in commemoration of his life.

Synonyms: dummy; gure; image

persuasive and moving, especially in speech

e Gettysburg Address is moving not onlybecause of its lo y sentiments but because ofits eloquent words.

Synonyms: articulate; expressive; uent;meaningful; signicant; smooth-spoken

a sorrow ul poem or speech

ough omas Gray’s Elegy is about death andloss, it urges its readers to endure this life, and totrust in spirituality.

Synonyms: dirge; lament

to copy; to try to equal or excel

e graduate student sought to emulate hisprofessor in every way, copying not only howshe taught but also how she conducted herselfoutside of class.

Synonyms: ape; imitate; simulate

to add ornamental or ctitious details

Britt embellished her résumé, hoping to makethe lowly positions she had held seem moreimportant.

Synonyms: adorn; bedeck; elaborate; embroider;enhance; exaggerate



Encomiumnoun

(ehn koh me uhm)

Endemicadj

(ehn deh mihk)

Enervate verb

(ehn uhr vayt)

Engender verb

(ehn gehn duhr)

Enigmanoun

(ih nig muh)

Enumerate verb

(ih noo muhr ayt)

Ephemeraladj

(ih fehm uhr uhl)

Epicurenoun

(eh pih kyoor) (eh pih kyuhr)



belonging to a particular area; inherent

e health department determined that theoutbreak was endemic to the small village, sothey quarantined the inhabitants before the virus could spread.

Synonyms: indigenous; local; native

warm praise

Georgias’s “Encomium to Helen” was written as atribute to Helen of Troy.

Synonyms: citation; eulogy; panegyric; salutation;

tribute

to produce, cause, or bring about

His fear and hatred of clowns was engendered when he witnessed a bank robbery carried outby ve men wearing clown suits and make-up.

Synonyms: beget; generate; procreate; proliferate;reproduce; spawn

to reduce in strength

e guerrillas hoped that a series of surpriseattacks would enervate the regular army.

Synonyms: debilitate; enfeeble; sap; weaken

to count, list, or itemize

Before making his decision, Jacob asked the waiterto enumerate the different varieties of ice creamthat the restaurant carried.

Synonyms: catalog; index; tabulate

a puzzle; a mystery

Speaking in riddles and dressed in old robes,the artist gained a reputation as something ofan enigma.

Synonyms: conundrum; perplexity

person with rened taste in ood and wine

Niren is an epicure who always throws the mostsplendid dinner parties.

Synonyms: bon vivant; connoisseur; gastronome; gastronomist; gourmand; gourmet

lasting a short time

e lives of mayies seem ephemeral to us, sincethe ies’ average life span is a matter of hours.

Synonyms: evanescent; eeting; momentary;transient



Ersatzadj

(uhr sats) (uhr sats)

Equivocate verb

(ih kwihv uh kayt)

Erraticadj

(ih raat ihk)

Eruditeadj

(ehr yuh dite) (ehr uh dite)

Eschew verb

(ehs choo)

Esotericadj

(eh suh tehr ihk)

Estimableadj

(eh stuh muh buhl)

Ethosnoun

(ee thohs)



wandering and unpredictable

e plot seemed predictable until it suddenlytook a series of erratic turns that surprisedthe audience.

Synonyms: capricious; inconstant; irresolute;whimsical

to use expressions o double meaningin order to mislead

When faced with criticism of his policies, thepolitician equivocated and le all parties thinkinghe agreed with them.

Synonyms: ambiguous; evasive; waffling

learned; scholarly; bookish

e annual meeting of philosophy professors wasa gathering of the most erudite, well-publishedindividuals in the eld.

Synonyms: learned; scholastic; wise

ake

Edda, a fashion maven, knew instantly that herfriend’s new Kate Spade bag was really an ersatz version purchased on the street.

Synonyms: articial; dummy; false; imitation;mock; sham; simulated; spurious; substitute

known or understood only by a ew

Only a handful of experts are knowledgeableabout the esoteric world of particle physics.

Synonyms: abstruse; arcane; obscure

to shun; to avoid (as something wrong ordistaste ul)

e lmmaker eschewed articial light for heractors, resulting in a stark movie style.

Synonyms: avoid; bilk; elude; escape; evade;shun; shy

belie s or character o a group

It is the Boy Scouts’ethos that one should alwaysbe prepared.

Synonyms: culture; ethic; philosophy

admirable

Most people consider it estimable that MotherTeresa spent her life helping the poor of India.

Synonyms: admirable; commendable; creditable;honorable; laudable; meritorious; praiseworthy;respectable; venerable; worthy



Eulogy noun

(yoo luh jee)

Euphemismnoun

(yoo fum ih zuhm)

Euphony noun

(yoo fuh nee)

Exacerbate verb

(ihg zaas uhr bayt)

Exculpate verb

(ehk skuhl payt) (ihk skuhl payt)

Exigentadj

(ehk suh juhnt)

Exonerate verb

(ihg zahn uh rayt)

Explicitadj

(ehk splih siht)



to make worse

It is unwise to take aspirin to try to relieveheartburn since instead of providing relief it willonly exacerbate the problem.

Synonyms: aggravate; annoy; intensify; irritate; provoke

use o an inoffensive word or phrasein place o a more distaste ul one

e funeral director preferred to use theeuphemism “sleeping” instead of the word ‘dead’.

Synonym: nice-nellyism

speech in praise o someone

His best friend gave the eulogy , outlining his manyachievements and talents.

Synonyms: commend; extol; laud

pleasant, harmonious sound

To their loving parents, the children’s orchestraperformance sounded like euphony , although anoutside observer probably would have called ita cacophony of hideous sounds.

Synonyms: harmony; melody; music; sweetness

urgent; requiring immediate action

e patient was losing blood so rapidly that itwas exigent to stop the source of the bleeding.

Synonyms: critical; imperative; needed; urgent

to clear rom blame; prove innocent

e legal system is intended to convict those whoare guilty and exculpate those who are innocent.

Synonyms: absolve; acquit; clear; exonerate;vindicate

clearly stated or shown; orthright in expression

In Reading Comprehension, questions thatask directly about a detail in the passage aresometimes called Explicit Text questions.

Synonyms: candid; clear-cut; denite; denitive;express; frank; specic; straightforward;unambiguous; unequivocal

to clear o blame

e fugitive was exonerated when anothercriminal confessed to committing the crime.

Synonyms: absolve; acquit; clear; exculpate;vindicate



Exponentnoun

(ihk spoh nuhnt) (ehk spoh nuhnt)

Expurgate verb

(ehk spuhr gayt)

Fallow noun

(faa loh)

Fanaticaladj

(fuh nah tih kuhl)

Fatuousadj

(fah choo uhs)

Fawn verb(fahn)

Fecundadj

(fee kuhnd) (feh kuhnd)

Fervidadj

(fuhr vihd)



to censor

Government propagandists expurgated allnegative references to the dictator from the lm.

Synonyms: bowdlerize; cut; sanitize

one who champions or advocates

e vice president was an enthusiastic exponent ofcomputer technology.

Synonyms: representative; supporter

acting excessively enthusiastic; lled withextreme, unquestioned devotion

e storm troopers were fanatical in theirdevotion to the emperor, readily sacricing theirlives for him.

Synonyms: extremist; ery; frenzied; zealous

dormant; unused

is eld should lie fallow for a year so the soildoes not become completely depleted.

Synonyms: idle; inactive; unseeded

to grovel

e understudy fawned over the director in hopesof being cast in the part on a permanent basis.

Synonyms: bootlick; grovel; pander; toady

stupid; oolishly sel -satised

Ted’s fatuous comments always embarrassed hiskeen-witted wife at parties.

Synonyms: absurd; ludicrous; preposterous;ridiculous; silly

intensely emotional; everish

e fans of Maria Callas were particularly fervid ,doing anything to catch a glimpse of the greatopera singer.

Synonyms: burning; impassioned; passionate;vehement; zealous

ertile; ruit ul; productive

e fecund couple yielded a total of 20 children.

Synonyms: ourishing; prolic



Floridadj

(ohr ihd) (ahr ihd)

Fetidadj

(feh tihd)

Flag verb(aag)

Foment verb

(foh mehnt)

Ford verb

(fohrd)

Forestall verb

(fohr stahl)

Fortuitousadj

(fohr too ih tuhs)

Fractiousadj

(fraak shuhs)



to decline in vigor, strength, or interest

e marathon runner slowed down as hisstrength agged .

Synonyms: dwindle; ebb; slacken; subside; wane

oul-smelling; putrid

e fetid stench from the outhouse causedFrancesca to wrinkle her nose in disgust.

Synonyms: funky; malodorous; noisome; rank;

stinky

to arouse or incite

e rebels tried to foment revolution throughtheir attacks on the government.

Synonyms: agitate; impassion; iname; instigate;kindle

excessively decorated or embellished

e palace had been decorated in an excessively orid style; every surface had been carvedand gilded.

Synonyms: baroque; elaborate; amboyant; ornate;ostentatious; rococo

to prevent or delay; anticipate

e landlord forestalled T.J.’s attempt to avoidpaying the rent by waiting for him outsidehis door.

Synonyms: avert; deter; hinder; obviate; preclude

to cross a body o water by wading

Because of the recent torrential rains, the cowboyswere unable to ford the swollen river.

Synonyms: traverse; wade

unruly; rebellious

e general had a hard time maintainingdiscipline among his fractious troops.

Synonyms: contentious; cranky; peevish;quarrelsome

happening by chance; ortunate

It was fortuitous that he won the lotto just beforehe had to pay back his loans.

Synonyms: chance; fortunate; haphazard; lucky; propitious; prosperous



Glower verb

(glow uhr)

Gradationnoun

(gray day shuhn)

Gregariousadj

(greh gayr ee uhs)

Grievousadj

(gree vuhs)

Grovel verb

(grah vuhl)

Guilenoun

(gie uhl)

Gullibleadj

(guh luh buhl)

Haplessadj

(haap luhs)



Hegemony noun

(hih jeh muh nee)

Hermeticadj

(huhr meh tihk)

Heterogeneous

adj(heh tuh ruh jee nee uhs)

(he truh jee nyuhs)

Hoary adj

(hohr ee) (haw ree)

Homogeneousadj

(huh mah juhn uhs)

Husband verb

(huhz buhnd)

Hyperbolenoun

(hie puhr boh lee)

Iconoclastnoun

(ie kahn uh klaast)



one who opposes established belie s, customs,and institutions

His lack of regard for traditional beliefs soonestablished him as an iconoclast .

Synonyms: maverick; nonconformist; rebel;revolutionary

tightly sealed

e hermetic seal of the jar proved impossibleto break.

Synonyms: airtight; impervious; watertight

the domination o one state or group overits allies

When Germany claimed hegemony over Russia,Stalin was outraged.

Synonyms: authority; power

very old; whitish or gray rom age

e old man’s hoary beard contrasted starkly tothe new stubble of his teenage grandson.

Synonyms: ancient; antediluvian; antique;venerable; vintage

composed o unlike parts; different; diverse

e United Nations is by nature a heterogeneous body.

Synonyms: assorted; miscellaneous; mixed;motley; varied

to manage economically; to use sparingly

e cyclist paced herself at the start of the race,knowing that if she husbanded her resources she’dhave the strength to break out of the pack later on.

Synonym: conserve

o a similar kind

e class was fairly homogenous since almost allof the students were journalism majors.

Synonyms: consistent; standardized; uniform;unvarying

purpose ul exaggeration or effect

When the mayor claimed his town was one of theseven wonders of the world, outsiders classiedhis statement as a hyperbole.

Synonyms: embellishment; ination; magnication



Idiosyncrasy noun

(ih dee uh sihn kruh see)

Ignobleadj

(ihg noh buhl)

Imbue verb

(ihm byoo)

Impassenoun

(ihm paas) (ihm pass)

Impecuniousadj

(ihm pih kyoo nyuhs)(ihm pih kyoo nee uhs)

Imperturbableadj

(im puhr tuhr buh buhl)

Imperviousadj

(ihm puhr vee uhs)

Impetuousadj

(ihm peh choo uhs)(ihm pehch wuhs)



having low moral standards; not noble incharacter; mean

e photographer was paid a princely sum forthe picture of the self-proclaimed ethicist in theignoble act of pick-pocketing.

Synonyms: lowly; vulgar

peculiarity o temperament; eccentricity

His numerous idiosyncrasies included a fondnessfor wearing bright green shoes with mauve socks.

Synonyms: humor; oddity; quirk

blocked path; dilemma with no solution

e rock slide produced an impasse, so no onecould proceed further on the road.

Synonyms: cul-de-sac; deadlock; stalemate

to in use, dye, wet, or moisten

Marcia struggled to imbue her children withdecent values, a difficult task in this day and age.

Synonyms: charge; freight; impregnate; permeate; pervade

not capable o being disturbede counselor had so much experiencedealing with distraught children that shewas imperturbable , even when faced withthe wildest tantrums.

Synonyms: composed; dispassionate; impassive;serene; stoical

poor; having no money

A er the stock market crashed, many formermillionaires found themselves impecunious.

Synonyms: destitute; impoverished; indigent;needy; penniless

quick to act without thinking

It is not good for an investment broker to beimpetuous since much thought should be givento all the possible options.

Synonyms: impulsive; precipitate; rash; reckless;spontaneous

impossible to penetrate; incapable o beingaffected

A good raincoat will be impervious to moisture.

Synonyms: impregnable; resistant



Impiousadj

(ihm pee uhs)(ihm pie uhs)

Implacableadj

(ihm play kuh buhl)(ihm plaa kuh buhl)

Imprecationnoun

(ihm prih kay shuhn)

Impugn verb

(ihm pyoon)

Incarnadineadj

(in car nuh deen)

Inchoateadj

(ihn koh uht

Inculcate verb

(ihn kuhl kayt) (ihn kuhl kayt)

Indolentadj

(ihn duh luhnt)



unable to be calmed down or made peace ul

His rage at the betrayal was so great that heremained implacable for weeks.

Synonyms: inexorable; intransigent; irreconcilable;

relentless; remorseless; unforgiving; unrelenting

not devout in religion

e nun cut herself off from her impious familya er she entered the convent.

Synonyms: immoral; irreverent; profane

to call into question; to attack verbally

“How dare you impugn my motives?” protestedthe lawyer, on being accused of ambulancechasing.

Synonyms: challenge; dispute

a curse

Spouting violent imprecations, Hank searched forthe person who had vandalized his truck.

Synonym: damnation

not ully ormed; disorganized

e ideas expressed in Nietzsche’s mature workalso appear in an inchoate form in his earliestwriting.

Synonyms: amorphous; incoherent; incomplete;unorganized

blood-red in color

At his mother’s mention of his baby pictures,the shy boy’s cheeks turned incarnadine withembarrassment.

Synonyms: reddened; ruby; ruddy

habitually lazy or idle

Her indolent ways got her red from many jobs.

Synonyms: fainéant; languid; lethargic; slothful;sluggish

to teach; impress in the mind

Most parents inculcate their children with theirbeliefs and ideas instead of allowing their childrento develop their own values.

Synonyms: implant; indoctrinate; instill; preach



Inexorableadj

(ihn ehk suhr uh buhl)

Ingenuousadj

(ihn jehn yoo uhs)

Ingratenoun

(ihn grayt)

Ingratiate verb

(ihn gray shee ayt)

Inimicaladj

(ih nihm ih kuhl)

Iniquity noun

(ih nihk wih tee)

Innocuousadj

(ih nahk yoo uhs)

Inquestnoun

(ihn kwehst)



showing innocence or childlike simplicity

She was so ingenuous that her friends feared thather innocence and trustfulness would be exploitedwhen she visited the big city.

Synonyms: artless; guileless; innocent; naïve; simple;unaffected

inexible; unyielding

e inexorable force of the twister swept awaytheir house.

Synonyms: adamant; relentless; obdurate

to gain avor with another by deliberate effort;to seek to please somebody so as to gain anadvantage

e new intern tried to ingratiate herself withthe managers so that they might consider her fora future job.

Synonyms: curry favor; atter

ungrate ul person

When none of her relatives thanked her for thefruitcakes she had sent them, Audrey condemnedthem all as ingrates.

Synonyms: cad; churl

sin; evil act

“I promise to close every den of iniquity in thistown!” thundered the conservative new mayor.

Synonyms: enormity; immorality; injustice; vice;wickedness

hostile; un riendly

Even though a cease-re had been in placefor months, the two sides were still inimical toeach other.

Synonyms: adverse; antagonistic; dissident;recalcitrant

an investigation; an inquiry

e police chief ordered an inquest to determinewhat went wrong.

Synonyms: probe; quest; research

harmless

Some snakes are poisonous, but most species areinnocuous and pose no danger to humans.

Synonyms: benign; harmless; inoffensive; insipid



Insipidadj

(in sih pid)

Insurrectionnoun

(ihn suh rehk shuhn)

Inter verb

(ihn tuhr)

Interregnumnoun

(in tuh reg nuhm)

Intractableadj

(ihn traak tuh buhl)

Intransigentadj

(ihn traan suh juhnt)(ihn traan zuh juhnt)

Intrepidadj

(ihn treh pihd)

Inundate verb

(ih nuhn dayt)



to overwhelm; to cover with water

e tidal wave inundated Atlantis, which was lostbeneath the water.

Synonyms: deluge; drown; engulf; ood; submerge

rebellion

A er the emperor’s troops crushed theinsurrection , its leaders ed the country.

Synonyms: mutiny; revolt; revolution; uprising

lacking interest or avor

e critic claimed that the painting was insipid ,containing no interesting qualities at all.

Synonyms: banal; bland; dull; stale; vapid

period between reigns

When John F. Kennedy was shot, there was abrief interregnum before Lyndon B. Johnsonbecame president.

Synonyms: interval

to bury

A er giving the masses one last chance to paytheir respects, the leader’s body was interred .

Synonyms: entomb; inhume; sepulcher; sepulture;tomb

uncompromising; re using to be reconcilede professor was intransigent on the deadline,insisting that everyone turn the assignment in atthe same time.

Synonyms: implacable; inexorable; irreconcilable;obdurate; obstinate; remorseless; rigid; unbending;unrelenting; unyielding

not easily managed or manipulated

Intractable for hours, the wild horse eventuallyallowed the rider to mount.

Synonyms: stubborn; unruly

earless; resolutely courageous

Despite freezing winds, the intrepid hikercompleted his ascent.

Synonym: brave



abusive language

A stream of invectives poured from Mrs. Pratt’smouth as she watched the vandals smash herceramic frog.

Synonyms: denunciation; revilement; vituperation

to harden; accustom; become used to

Eventually, Hassad became inured to the sirensthat went off every night and could sleepthrough them.

Synonyms: condition; familiarize; habituate

envious, obnoxious, or offensive; likely topromote ill-will

It is cruel and invidious for parents to playfavorites with their children.

Synonyms: discriminatory; insulting; jaundiced;resentful

ceremony con erring authority

At Napoleon’s investiture, he grabbed the crownfrom the Pope’s hands and placed it on his headhimself.

Synonyms: inaugural; inauguration; induction;initiation; installation

wandering rom place to place; unsettled

e itinerant tomcat came back to the Johanssonhomestead every two months.

Synonyms: nomadic; vagrant

easily made angry

Attila the Hun’s irascible and violent nature madeall who dealt with him fear for their lives.

Synonyms: cantankerous; irritable; ornery; testy

to discard; to get rid o as unnecessary orencumbering

e sinking ship jettisoned its cargo in a desperateattempt to reduce its weight.

Synonyms: dump; eject

nonsensical talk; specialized language

You need to master technical jargon in order tocommunicate successfully with engineers.

Synonyms: argot; cant; dialect; idiom; slang



Jingoismnoun

(jing goh ihz uhm)

Jocularadj

(jahk yuh luhr)

Judiciousadj

(joo dih shuhs)

Juncturenoun

(juhnk chuhr)

Keenadj

(keen)

Kindle verb

(kihn duhl)

Kineticadj

(kih neh tihk)

Knellnoun(nehl)



play ul; humorous

e jocular old man entertained his grandchildrenfor hours.

Synonyms: amusing; comical

belligerent support o one’s country

e professor’s jingoism made it difficult forthe students to participate in an open politicaldiscussion.

Synonyms: chauvinism; nationalism

point o time, especially where two thingsare joined

At this juncture, I think it would be a good ideafor us to take a coffee break.

Synonyms: conuence; convergence; crisis;crossroads; moment

sensible; showing good judgment

e wise and distinguished judge was well knownfor having a judicious temperament.

Synonyms: circumspect; prudent; sagacious; sapient

to set re to or ignite; excite or inspire

With only damp wood to work with, Tilda hadgreat difficulty trying to kindle the camp re.

Synonyms: arouse; awaken; light; spark

having a sharp edge; intellectually sharp;perceptive

With her keen intelligence, she gured out thepuzzle in seconds at.

Synonyms: acute; canny; quick

sound o a uneral bell; omen o death or ailure

When the townspeople heard the knell fromthe church belfry, they knew that their mayorhad died.

Synonyms: chime; peal; toll

relating to motion; characterized by movement

e kinetic sculpture moved back and forth,startling the museum visitors.

Synonyms: active; dynamic; mobile



Laconicadj

(luh kah nihk)

Kudosnoun

(koo dohz)

Lachrymoseadj

(laak ruh mohs)

Lament verb

(luh mehnt)

Lampoon verb

(laam poon)

Languidadj

(laang gwihd)

Lapidary adj

(laa puh der ee)

Larceny noun

(laar suh nee)



tear ul

Marcella always became lachrymose when it wastime to bid her daughter good-bye.

Synonyms: teary; weeping

ame, glory, or honor

e actress happily accepted kudos from the pressfor her stunning performance in the lm.

Synonyms: acclaim; accolade; encomium; homage;

praise

to express sorrow; to grieve

e children continued to lament the death of thegoldsh weeks a er its demise.

Synonyms: bewail; deplore; grieve; mourn

using ew words

He was the classic laconic native of Maine; hetalked as if he were being charged for each word.

Synonyms: concise; curt; pithy; taciturn; terse

lacking energy; indifferent; slow

e languid cat cleaned its fur, ignoring the vicious, snarling dog chained a few feet awayfrom it.

Synonyms: fainéant; lackadaisical; listless;sluggish; weak

to ridicule with satire

e mayor hated being lampooned by the pressfor his efforts to improve people’s politeness.

Synonym: tease

thef o property

e crime of stealing a wallet can be categorizedas petty larceny .

Synonyms: burglary; robbery; stealing

relating to precious stones or the art ocutting them

Most lapidary work today is done with the useof motorized equipment.

Synonyms: exact; precise



Lavishadj

(laa vish)

Largessnoun

(laar jehs)

Lassitudenoun

(laas ih tood)

Latentadj

(lay tehnt)

Laud verb(lawd)

Leery adj

(lihr ree)

Legerdemainnoun

(lehj uhr duh mayn)

Lethargicadj

(luh thar jik)



Levity noun

(leh vih tee)

Liberaladj

(lihb uh ruhl) (lihb ruhl)

Libertinenoun

(lihb uhr teen)

Licentiousadj

(lie sehn shuhs)

Limpidadj

(lim pihd)

Lionize verb

(lie uhn iez)

Lissomeadj

(lihs uhm)

Listlessadj

(lihst lihs)



tolerant or broad-minded; generous or lavish

Cali’s liberal parents trusted her and allowed herto manage her own affairs to a large extent.

Synonyms: bounteous; latitudinarian; municent;

permissive; progressive

an inappropriate lack o seriousness; overlycasual

e joke added needed levity to the otherwiseserious meeting.

Synonyms: amusement; humor

immoral; unrestrained by society

Religious citizens were outraged by the licentious exploits of the free-spirited artists living in town.

Synonyms: lewd; wanton

a ree thinker, usually used disparagingly; onewithout moral restraint

e libertine took pleasure in gambling away hisfamily’s money.

Synonym: hedonist

to treat as a celebrity

A er the success of his novel, the author waslionized by the press.

Synonyms: feast; honor; ply; regale

clear; transparent

Fernando could see all the way to the bottomthrough the pond’s limpid water.

Synonyms: lucid; pellucid; serene

lacking energy and enthusiasm

Listless and depressed a er breaking up withhis girlfriend, Raj spent his days moping onthe couch.

Synonyms: fainéant; indolent; languid; lethargic;sluggish

easily exed; limber; agile

e lissome yoga instructor twisted herself intoshapes that her students could only dream of.

Synonyms: graceful; lithe; supple



Lividadj

(lih vihd)

Loquaciousadj

(loh kway shuhs)

Lucidadj

(loo sihd)

Lugubriousadj

(loo goo bree uhs)

Lumber verb

(luhm buhr)

Luminousadj

(loo muhn uhs)

Machinationnoun

(mahk uh nay shuhn)

Maelstromnoun

(mayl struhm)



Mendaciousadj

(mehn day shuhs)

Mendicantnoun

(mehn dih kuhnt)

Mercurialadj

(muhr kyoor ee uhl)

Meretriciousadj

(mehr ih trihsh uhs)

Metaphornoun

(meht uh fohr) (meht uh fuhr)

Meticulousadj

(mih tihk yuh luhs)

Militate verb

(mihl ih tayt)

Mirthnoun

(muhrth)



extremely care ul; astidious; painstaking

To nd all the clues at the crime scene, themeticulous investigators examined every inchof the area.

Synonyms: nicky; fussy; picky; precise; punctilious;scrupulous

beggar

“Please, sir, can you spare a dime?” begged themendicant as the businessman walked past.

Synonyms: panhandler; pauper

dishonest

So many of her stories were mendacious that Idecided she must be a pathological liar.

Synonyms: deceitful; false; lying; untruthful

gaudy; alsely attractive

e casino’s meretricious decor horried thecultivated interior designer.

Synonyms: ashy; insincere; loud; specious; tawdry

quick, shrewd, and unpredictable

Her mercurial personality made it difficult toguess how she would react to the bad news.

Synonyms: clever; cra y; volatile; whimsical

gure o speech comparing two different things

e metaphor “a sea of troubles” suggests a lotof troubles by comparing their number to the vastness of the sea.

Synonyms: allegory; analogy; simile; symbol

rivolity; gaiety; laughter

Vera’s hilarious jokes contributed to the generalmirth at the dinner party.

Synonyms: glee; hilarity; jollity; merriment

to operate against; work against

Lenin militated against the tsar for years before heoverthrew him and established the Soviet Union.

Synonyms: inuence; affect; change



Misanthropenoun

(mihs ahn throhp)

Missivenoun

(mihs ihv)

Mitigate verb

(miht ih gayt)

Molli y verb

(mahl uh e)

Molt verb

(muhlt)

Monasticadj

(muh naas tihk)

Monotony noun

(muh naht nee)

Moresnoun

(mawr ayz)



Nascentadj

(nay sehnt)

Multi ariousadj

(muhl tuh faar ee uhs)

Myopicadj

(mie ahp ihk) (mie oh pihk)

Nadirnoun

(nay dihr) (nay duhr)

Naïveadj

(nah eev)

Neologismnoun

(nee ah luh ji zuhm)

Neophytenoun

(nee oh et)

Nettle verb

(neh tuhl)



lacking oresight; having a narrow viewor short-range perspective

Not wanting to spend a lot of money up front,the myopic business owner would likely suffer theconsequences later.

Synonyms: short-sighted; unthinking

diverse

Ken opened the hotel room window, letting inthe multifarious noises of the great city.

Synonyms: assorted; indiscriminate; hetergeneous;legion; motley; multifold; multiform; multiplex; populous; varied

lacking sophistication or experience

Inexperienced writers o en are naïve and assumethat big words make them sound smarter.

Synonyms: artless; credulous; guileless; ingenuous;simple; unaffected; unsophisticated

lowest point

As Joey waited in line to audition for the diapercommercial, he realized he had reached the nadir of his acting career.

Synonyms: bottom; depth; pit

new word or expression

Aunt Mabel simply does not understand today’syouth; she is perplexed by their clothing, music,and neologisms.

Synonyms: slang; slip-of-the-tongue

starting to develop; coming into existence

e advertising campaign was still in a nascent stage, and nothing had been nalized yet.

Synonyms: embryonic; emerging; inchoate;incipient

to irritate

I don’t particularly like having blue hair—I justdo it to nettle my parents.

Synonyms: annoy; vex

novice; beginner

A relative neophyte at bowling, Rodolfo rolledall of his balls into the gutter.

Synonyms: apprentice; greenhorn; tyro



Noisomeadj

(noy suhm)

Nominaladj

(nah mihn uhl)

Nuancenoun

(noo ahns)

Numismaticsnoun

(nu miz maa tiks)

Obdurateadj

(ahb duhr uht)

Obliqueadj

(oh bleek)

Obsequiousadj

(uhb see kwee uhs)

Obstinateadj

(ahb stih nuht)



Ossi y verb

(ah sih e)

Ostensibleadj

(ah stehn sih buhl)

Ostentationnoun

(ah stehn tay shuhn)

Overwroughtadj

(oh vuhr rawt)

Palatialadj

(puh lay shuhl)

Palliate verb

(paa lee ayt)

Pallidadj

(paa lihd)

Panachenoun

(puh nahsh)



to make less serious; ease

e alleged crime was so vicious that the defenselawyer could not palliate it for the jury.

Synonyms: alleviate; assuage; extenuate; mitigate

apparent

e ostensible reason for his visit was to borrowa book, but he secretly wanted to chat with thelovely Wanda.

Synonyms: represented; supposed; surface

to change into bone; to become hardened or setin a rigidly conventional pattern

e forensics expert ascertained the body’s agebased on the degree to which the facial structurehad ossied .

Synonyms: solidify; indurate; petrify

agitated; overdone

e lawyer’s overwrought voice on the phonemade her clients worry about the outcome oftheir case.

Synonyms: elaborate; excited; nervous; ornate

excessive showiness

e ostentation of the Sun King’s court is evidentin the lavish decoration and luxuriousness of hispalace at Versailles.

Synonyms: conspicuousness; ashiness; pretentiousness; showiness

relating to a palace; magnicent

A er living in a cramped studio apartment foryears, Siobhan thought the modest one bedroomlooked downright palatial .

Synonyms: grand; stately

amboyance or dash in style and action; verve

Leah has such panache when planning parties,even when they’re last-minute affairs.

Synonym: air

lacking color or liveliness

e old drugstore’s pallid window could notcompete with Wal-Mart’s extravagant displaynext door.

Synonyms: ashen; blanched; ghostly; pale; wan



Panegyricnoun

(paan uh jeer ihk)

Panoply noun

(paa nuh plee)

Paradox noun

(par uh doks)

Paragonnoun

(par uh gohn)

Pare verb(payr)

Pariahnoun

(puh rie uh)

Parley noun

(par lee)

Parry verb

(paar ree)



Pastichenoun

(pah steesh)

Pathogenicadj

(paa thoh jehn ihk)

Peccadillonoun

(pehk uh dih loh)

Pedantnoun

(peh daant)

Pejorativenoun

(peh jaw ruh tihv)

Penury noun

(pehn yuh ree)

Peregrinate verb

(peh ruh gruh nayt)

Perdiousadj

(puhr h dee uhs)



an oppressive lack o resources (as money);severe poverty

Once a famous actor, he eventually died in penury and anonymity.

Synonyms: destitution; impoverishment

causing disease

Bina’s research on the origins of pathogenic microorganisms should help stop the spreadof disease.

Synonyms: infecting; noxious

piece o literature or music imitating other works

e playwright’s clever pastiche of the well-known children’s story had the audience rollingin the aisles.

Synonyms: medley; spoof

someone who shows off learning

e graduate instructor’s tedious and excessivecommentary on the subject soon gained her areputation as a pedant .

Synonyms: doctrinaire; nit-picker; pedagogue;scholar; schoolmaster; sophist

minor sin or offense

Gabriel tends to harp on his brother’s peccadilloes and never lets him live them down.

Synonyms: failing; fault; lapse; misstep

having bad connotations; disparaging

e teacher scolded Mark for his unduly pejorative comments about his classmate’spresentation.

Synonyms: belittling; dismissive; insulting

willing to betray one’s trust

e actress’s perdious companion revealed allof her intimate secrets to the gossip columnist.

Synonyms: disloyal; faithless; traitorous;treacherous

to wander rom place to place; to travel,especially on oot

Shivani enjoyed peregrinating the expansivegrounds of Central Park.

Synonyms: journey; traverse; trek



Permeate verb

(puhr mee ayt)

Per unctory adj

(pur fuhnk tuhr ee)

Peripateticadj

(peh ruh puh teh tihk)

Perspicaciousadj

(puhr spuh kay shuhs)

Pervade verb

(puhr vayd)

Phalanx noun

(fay laanks)

Philanthropy noun

(hl aan throh pee)

Philistinenoun

(hl uh steen)



shrewd, astute, or keen-witted

Inspector Poirot used his perspicacious mindto solve mysteries.

Synonyms: insightful; intelligent; sagacious

wandering rom place to place, especiallyon oot

Eleana’s peripatetic meanderings took her all overthe countryside in the summer months.

Synonyms: itinerant; nomadic; wayfaring

done in a routine way; indifferent

e machine-like teller processed thetransaction and gave the waiting customer a perfunctory smile.

Synonyms: apathetic; automatic; mechanical

to penetrate

is miraculous new cleaning uid is able to permeate stains and dissolve them in minutes!

Synonyms: imbue; infuse; pervade; suffuse

a compact or close-knit body o people,animals, or things

A phalanx of guards stood outside the primeminister’s home day and night.

Synonyms: legion; mass

to be present throughout; to permeate

Four spices—cumin, turmeric, coriander, andcayenne— pervade almost every Indian dish, andgive the cuisine its distinctive avor.

Synonyms: imbue; infuse; penetrate; permeate;suffuse

a person who is guided by materialism and isdisdain ul o intellectual or artistic values

e philistine never even glanced at the rare violinin his collection but instead kept an eye on its value and sold it at a prot.

Synonyms: boor; bourgeois; capitalist; clown;lout; materialist; vulgarian

charity; a desire or effort to promote goodness

e Metropolitan Museum of Art owes muchof its collection to the philanthropy of privatecollectors who willed their estates to the museum.

Synonyms: altruism; humanitarianism



Phlegmaticadj

(ehg maa tihk)

Pithy adj

(pih thee)

Placate verb

(play cayt)

Plasticadj

(plaa stihk)

Plebeianadj

(plee bee uhn)

Plethoranoun

(pleh thor uh)

Plucky adj

(pluh kee)

Polemicnoun

(puh leh mihk)



pro ound or substantial yet concise, succinct,and to the point

Martha’s pithy comments during the interviewmust have been impressive because she gotthe job.

Synonyms: brief; compact; laconic; terse

calm and unemotional in temperament

Although the bomb could go off at any moment,the phlegmatic demolition expert remained calmand unafraid.

Synonyms: apathetic; calm; emotionless; impassive;indifferent; passionless; unemotional

able to be molded, altered, or bent

e new material was very plastic and could beformed into products of vastly different shape.

Synonyms: adaptable; ductile; malleable; pliant

to soothe or paci y

e burglar tried to placate the snarling dog byreferring to it as a “nice doggy” and offering ita treat.

Synonyms: appease; conciliate; mollify

excess

Assuming that more was better, the defendantoffered the judge a plethora of excuses.

Synonyms: glut; overabundance; superuity; surfeit

crude or coarse; characteristic o commoners

A er ve weeks of rigorous studying, the graduatesettled in for a weekend of plebeian socializingand television watching.

Synonyms: conventional; unrened

controversy; argument; verbal attack

e candidate’s polemic against his opponent was vicious and small-minded rather than convincingand well-reasoned.

Synonyms: denunciation; refutation

courageous; spunky

e plucky young nurse dove into the foxhole,determined to help the wounded soldier.

Synonyms: brave; bold; gutsy



Politicadj

(pah lih tihk)

Polyglotnoun

(pah lee glaht)

Posit verb

(pah siht)

Potentatenoun

(poh tehn tayt)

Pragmaticadj

(praag maa tihk)

Prattlenoun

(praa tuhl)

Precipitate verb

(preh sih puh tayt)

Précisnoun

(pray see) (pray see)



a speaker o many languages

Ling’s extensive travels have helped her to becomea true polyglot .

Synonym: linguist

shrewd and practical in managing or dealingwith things; diplomatic

She was wise to curb her tongue and was able toexplain her problem to the judge in a respectfuland politicmanner.

Synonym: tactful

a monarch or ruler with great power

Alex was much kinder before he assumed the roleof potentate .

Synonyms: dominator; leader

to assume as real or conceded; propose as anexplanation

Before proving the math formula, we needed to posit that x and y were real numbers.

Synonym: suggest

meaningless, oolish talk

Her husband’s mindless prattle drove Heidiinsane; sometimes she wished he would justshut up.

Synonyms: babble; blather; chatter; drivel; gibberish

practical, as opposed to idealistic

While idealistic gamblers think they can get richby frequenting casinos, pragmatic gamblers realizethat the odds are heavily stacked against them.

Synonyms: rational; realistic

short summary o acts

Farah wrote a précis of her thesis on the epic poemto share with the class.

Synonym: summary

to throw violently or bring about abruptly;lacking deliberation

eirs was a precipitate marriage—they had onlyknown each other for two weeks before they wed.

Synonyms: abrupt; hasty; headlong; hurried;ill-considered; impetuous; impulsive; prompt;rash; reckless; sudden



Propitiate verb

(proh pih shee ayt)

Propriety noun

(pruh prie uh tee)

Prudencenoun

(proo dehns)

Puerileadj

(pyoo ruhl)

Pugilismnoun

(pyoo juhl ih suhm)

Pulchritudenoun

(puhl kruh tood)

Pungentadj

(puhn juhnt)

Pusillanimousadj

(pyoo suh laa nih muhs)



the quality o behaving in a proper manner;obeying rules and customs

e aristocracy maintained a high level of propriety , adhering to even the most minorsocial rules.

Synonyms: appropriateness; decency; decorum;modesty

to conciliate; to appease

Because their gods were angry and vengeful, theVikings propitiated them with many sacrices.

Synonyms: appease; conciliate; mollify; pacify;

placate

childish, immature, or silly

Olivia’s boyfriend’s puerile antics are reallyannoying; sometimes he acts like a ve-year-old!

Synonyms: infantile; jejune; juvenile

wisdom, caution, or restraint

e college student exhibited prudence byobtaining practical experience along with herstudies, which greatly strengthened her résumé.

Synonyms: astuteness; circumspection; discretion; frugality; judiciousness; providence; thri

beauty

e mortals gazed in admiration at Venus,stunned by her incredible pulchritude.

Synonyms: comeliness; gorgeousness;handsomeness; loveliness; prettiness

boxing

Pugilism has been defended as a positive outletfor aggressive impulses.

Synonyms: ghting; sparring

cowardly; without courage

e pusillanimous man would not enter the yardwhere the miniature poodle was barking.

Synonyms: cowardly; timid

sharp and irritating to the senses

e smoke from the burning tires was extremely pungent .

Synonyms: acrid; caustic; piquant; poignant;stinging



Querulousadj

(kwehr yoo luhs)

Quiescentadj

(kwie eh sihnt)

Quixoticadj

(kwihk sah tihk)

Quotidianadj

(kwo tih dee uhn)

Raconteurnoun

(raa cahn tuhr)

Rare y verb

(rayr uh e)

Redressnoun

(rih drehs)

Rejoindernoun

(rih joyn duhr)



Repastnoun

(rih paast)

Repleteadj

(rih pleet)

Reposenoun

(rih pohz)

Repudiate verb

(ree pyoo dee ayt)

Requite verb

(rih kwiet)

Restiveadj

(reh stihv)

Reticentadj

(reh tih suhnt)

Rhetoricnoun

(reh tuhr ihk)



abundantly supplied; complete

e gigantic supermarket was replete withconsumer products of every kind.

Synonyms: abounding; full

meal or mealtime

Ravi prepared a delicious repast of chicken tikkaand naan.

Synonyms: banquet; feast

to reject the validity o

e old woman’s claim that she was Russianroyalty was repudiated when DNA tests showedshe was of no relation to them.

Synonyms: deny; disavow; disclaim; disown;renounce

relaxation; leisure

A er working hard every day in the busy city,Mike nds his repose on weekends playing golfwith friends.

Synonyms: calmness; tranquility

impatient, uneasy, or restless

e passengers became restive a er having to waitin line for hours and began to shout complaints atthe airline staff.

Synonyms: agitated; anxious; fretful

to return or repay

anks for offering to lend me $1,000, but I knowI’ll never be able to requite your generosity.

Synonyms: compensate; reciprocate

effective writing or speaking

Lincoln’s talent for rhetoric was evident in hisbeautifully expressed Gettysburg Address.

Synonyms: eloquence; oratory

silent; reserved

Physically small and verbally reticent , JoanDidion o en went unnoticed by those she wasreporting upon.

Synonyms: cool; introverted; laconic; standoffish;taciturn; undemonstrative



Ribaldadj

(rih buhld)

Rococoadj

(ruh koh koh) (roh kuh koh)

Rusticadj

(ruh stihk)

Sacrosanctadj

(saa kroh saankt)

Sagaciousadj

(suh gay shuhs)

Salientadj

(say lee uhnt)

Salubriousadj

(suh loo bree uhs)

Sanguineadj

(saan gwuhn)



very highly ornamented; relating to an18th century artistic style o elaborateornamentation

e ornate furniture in the house remindedTatiana of the rococo style.

Synonyms: intricate; ornate

humorous in a vulgar way

e court jester’s ribald brand of humor delightedthe rather uncouth king.

Synonyms: coarse; gross; indelicate; lewd; obscene

extremely sacred; beyond criticism

Many people considered Mother Teresa to besacrosanct and would not tolerate any criticismof her.

Synonyms: holy; inviolable; off-limits

rural

e rustic cabin was an ideal setting for a vacationin the country.

Synonyms: bucolic; pastoral

prominent; o notable signicance

His most salient characteristic is his tendency todominate every conversation.

Synonyms: marked; noticeable; outstanding

shrewd; wise

Owls have a reputation for being sagacious,perhaps because of their big eyes, whichresemble glasses.

Synonyms: astute; judicious; perspicacious;sage; wise

ruddy; cheer ully optimistic

A sanguine person thinks the glass is half full,whereas a depressed person thinks it’s half empty.

Synonyms: condent; hopeful; positive; rosy;rubicund

health ul

Rundown and sickly, Rita hoped that the freshmountain air would have a salubrious effect onher health.

Synonyms: bracing; curative; medicinal;therapeutic; tonic



Sinecurenoun

(sien ih kyoor)

Sardonicadj

(sahr dah nihk)

Satiate verb

(say shee ayt)

Scintillanoun

(sihn tihl uh)

Seditionnoun

(sih dih shuhn)

Sentientadj

(sehn shuhnt)

Seraphicadj

(seh rah hk)

Slake verb

(slayk)



to satis y ully or overindulge

His desire for power was so great that nothingless than complete control of the country couldsatiate it.

Synonyms: cloy; glut; gorge; surfeit

cynical; scorn ully mocking

Isabella was offended by the sardonic way inwhich her date made fun of her ideas andopinions.

Synonyms: acerbic; caustic; sarcastic; satirical; snide

behavior that promotes rebellion or civildisorder against the state

Li was arrested for sedition a er he gave a eryspeech in the main square.

Synonyms: conspiracy; insurrection

trace amount

is poison is so powerful that no more than ascintilla of it is needed to kill a horse.

Synonyms: atom; iota; mote; spark; speck

angelic; sweet

Selena’sseraphic appearance belied her nasty,bitter personality.

Synonyms: cherubic; heavenly

aware; conscious; able to perceive

e anesthetic didn’t work, and I was still sentient when the dentist started drilling!

Synonyms: feeling; intelligent; thinking

to calm down or moderate

In order to slake his curiosity, Bryan nally took atour backstage at the theater.

Synonyms: moderate; quench; satisfy

a well-paying job or office that requires littleor no work

e corrupt mayor made sure to set up all hisrelatives in sinecures within the administration.



Stasisnoun

(stay sihs)

Sobriquetnoun

(soh brih keht)

Solecismnoun

(sah lih sishz uhm)

Soporicadj

(sahp uhr ihf ihk)

Spartanadj

(spahr tihn)

Speciousadj

(spee shuhs)

Sportiveadj

(spohr tihv)

Stentorianadj

(stehn tohr ee yehn)



grammatical mistake; blunder in speech

“I ain’t going with you,” she said, obviouslyunaware of her solecism.

Synonyms: blooper; faux pas; vulgarism

nickname

One of Ronald Reagan’s sobriquets was“ e Gipper.”

Synonyms: alias; pseudonym

highly sel -disciplined; rugal; austere

When he was in training, the athlete preferred tolive in a Spartan room, so he could shut out alldistractions.

Synonyms: restrained; simple

causing sleep or lethargy

e movie proved to be so soporic that soon loudsnores were heard throughout the cinema.

Synonyms: hypnotic; narcotic; slumberous;somnolent

rolicsome; play ul

e lakeside vacation meant more sportive opportunities for the kids than the wine tourthrough France.

Synonyms: frisky; merry

deceptively attractive; seemingly plausiblebut allacious

e student’s specious excuse for being latesounded legitimate, but was proved otherwisewhen his teacher called his home.

Synonyms: illusory; ostensible; plausible; sophistic;spurious

extremely loud

Cullen couldn’t hear her speaking over thestentorian din of the game on TV.

Synonyms: clamorous; noisy

a state o static balance or equilibrium;stagnation

e rusty, ivy-covered World War II tank hadobviously been in stasis for years.

Synonyms: inertia; standstill



Stratagemnoun

(straa tuh juhm)

Stigmanoun

(stihg mah)

Stolidadj

(stah lihd)

Sublimeadj

(suh bliem)

Sully verb

(suh lee)

Supplant verb

(suh plaant)

Sur eitnoun

(suhr ht)

Surly adj

(suhr lee)



unemotional; lacking sensitivity

e prisoner appeared stolid and unaffected bythe judge’s harsh sentence.

Synonyms: apathetic; impassive; indifferent;

phlegmatic; stoic; unconcerned

a mark o shame or discredit

In Te Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne was requiredto wear the letter A on her clothes as a publicstigma for her adultery.

Synonyms: blemish; blot; opprobrium; stain; taint

lofy or grand

e music was so sublime that it transformed therude surroundings into a special place.

Synonyms: august; exalted; glorious; grand;magnicent; majestic; noble; resplendent; superb

trick designed to deceive an enemy

e Trojan Horse must be one of the mostsuccessful military stratagems used throughouthistory.

Synonyms: artice; feint; maneuver; ruse; wile

to replace (another) by orce; to take the place o

e overthrow of the government meant a newleader to supplant the tyrannical former one.

Synonyms: displace; supersede

to tarnish; taint

With the help of a public relations rm, he wasable to restore his sullied reputation.

Synonyms: besmirch; dele

rude and bad-tempered

When asked to clean the windshield, the surly gas station attendant tossed a dirty rag at thecustomer and walked away.

Synonyms: gruff; grumpy; testy

excessive amount

Because of the surfeit of pigs, pork prices havenever been lower.

Synonyms: glut; plethora; repletion; superuity;surplus



Sybaritenoun

(sih buh riet)

Sycophantnoun

(sih kuh fuhnt)

Symbiosisnoun

(sihm bee oh sihs)

Syncopationnoun

(sihn cuh pay shun)

Tacitadj

(taa siht)

Taciturnadj

(taa sih tuhrn)

Talonnoun

(taa luhn)

Tangentialadj

(taan jehn shuhl)



a sel -serving atterer; yes-man

Dreading criticism, the actor surrounded himselfwith admirers and sycophants.

Synonyms: bootlicker; fawner; lickspittle; toady

a person devoted to pleasure and luxury

A conrmed sybarite, the nobleman fainted atthe thought of having to leave his palace and livein a small cottage.

Synonyms: hedonist; sensualist

temporary irregularity in musical rhythm

A jazz enthusiast will appreciate the use ofsyncopation in this musical genre.

cooperation; mutual help ulness

e rhino and the tick-eating bird live insymbiosis; the rhino gives the bird food in theform of ticks, and the bird rids the rhino ofparasites.

Synonyms: association; interdependence

silent; not talkative

e clerk’s taciturn nature earned him thenickname Silent Bob.

Synonyms: laconic; reticent

done without using words

Although not a word was said, everyone in theroom knew that a tacit agreement had been madeabout what course of action to take.

Synonyms: implicit; implied; undeclared; unsaid;unuttered

digressing; diverting

Your argument is interesting, but it’s tangential to the matter at hand, so I suggest we get back tothe point.

Synonyms: digressive; extraneous; inconsequential;irrelevant; peripheral

claw o an animal, especially a bird o prey

A vulture holds its prey in its talons while itdismembers it with its beak.

Synonyms: claw; nail



Tawdry adj

(taw dree)

Terrestrialadj

(tuh reh stree uhl)

Tiradenoun

(tie rayd)

Toady noun

(toh dee)

Tomenoun

(tohm)

Torpornoun

(tohr puhr)

Transitory adj

(trahn sih tohr ee)

Trenchantadj

(trehn chuhnt)



earthly; down-to-earth; commonplace

Many “extraterrestrial” objects turn out to beterrestrial in origin, as when ying saucers turnout to be normal airplanes.

Synonyms: earthbound; mundane; sublunary;tellurian; terrene

gaudy, cheap, or showy

e performer changed into her tawdry , spangledcostume and stepped out onto the stage to doher show.

Synonyms: ashy; loud; meretricious

one who atters in the hope o gaining avors

e king was surrounded by toadies who rushedto agree with whatever outrageous thing he said.

Synonyms: parasite; sycophant

long, harsh speech or verbal attack

Observers were shocked at the manager’s tirade over such a minor mistake.

Synonyms: diatribe; fulmination; harangue;obloquy; revilement; vilication

extreme mental and physical sluggishness

A er surgery, the patient’s torpor lasted severalhours until the anesthesia wore off.

Synonyms: apathy; languor

book, usually large and academic

e teacher was forced to refer to various tomes to nd the answer to the advanced student’squestion.

Synonyms: codex; volume

acute, sharp, or incisive; orce ul; effective

Tyrone’s trenchant observations in class made himthe professor’s favorite student.

Synonyms: biting; caustic; cutting; keen

temporary; lasting a brie time

e reporter lived a transitory life, staying in oneplace only long enough to cover the current story.

Synonyms: ephemeral; evanescent; eeting;impermanent; momentary



beginner; novice

An obvious tyro at salsa, Millicent received noinvitations to dance.

Synonyms: apprentice; edgling; greenhorn;

neophyte; tenderfoot

swollen as rom a uid; bloated

In the process of osmosis, water passes throughthe walls of turgid cells, ensuring that they nevercontain too much water.

Synonym: distended

unscrupulous; shockingly un air or unjust

A er she promised me the project, the fact thatshe gave it to someone else is unconscionable.

Synonyms: dishonorable; indefensible

offense; resentment

e businessman took umbrage at the securityguard’s accusation that he had shopli ed a packetof gum.

Synonyms: asperity; dudgeon; ire; pique; rancor

to scold sharply

e teacher upbraided the student for scrawlinggraffiti all over the walls of the school.

Synonyms: berate; chide; rebuke; reproach; tax

absolute; certain

e jury’s verdict was unequivocal : the organizedcrime boss would be locked up for life.

Synonyms: categorical; clear; explicit; express;unambiguous

to physically sway or to be indecisive

e customer held up the line as he vacillated between ordering chocolate-chip or rocky-roadice cream.

Synonyms: dither; falter; uctuate; oscillate; waver

the practice o lending money at exorbitant rates

e moneylender was convicted of usury when itwas discovered that he charged 50 percent intereston all his loans.

Synonym: loan-sharking



Variegatedadj

(vaar ee uh gayt ehd)

Venerableadj

(veh nehr uh buhl)

Venerate verb

(vehn uhr ayt)

Veracity noun

(vuhr aa sih tee)

Verboseadj

(vuhr bohs)

Verdantadj

(vuhr duhnt)

Vernaladj

(vuhr nuhl)

Vestigenoun

(veh stihj)



Vex verb

(vehks)

Vicissitudenoun

(vih sih sih tood)

Vimnoun

(vihm)

Viscousadj

(vih skuhs)

Vituperate verb

(vih too puhr ayt)

Volatileadj

(vah luh tuhl)

Volubleadj

(vahl yuh buhl)

Wanadj

(wahn)



a change or variation; ups and downs

Investors must be prepared for vicissitudesof thestock market.

Synonyms: inconstancy; mutability

to annoy; irritate; puzzle; con use

e old man who loved his peace and quiet wasvexed by his neighbor’s loud music.

Synonyms: annoy; bother; chafe; exasperate; irk;

nettle; peeve; provoke

thick and adhesive, like a slow-owing uid

Most viscous liquids, like oil or honey, becomeeven thicker as they are cooled down.

Synonyms: gelatinous; glutinous; thick

vitality and energy

e vim with which she worked so early in theday explained why she was so productive.

Synonyms: force; power

easily aroused or changeable; lively or explosive

His volatile personality made it difficult to predicthis reaction to anything.

Synonyms: capricious; erratic; ckle; inconsistent;inconstant; mercurial; temperamental

to abuse verbally; berate

Vituperating someone is never a constructive wayto effect change.

Synonyms: castigate; reproach; scold

sickly pale

e sick child had a wan face, in contrast to herrosy-cheeked sister.

Synonyms: ashen; sickly

talkative; speaking easily; glib

e voluble man and his reserved wife provedthe old saying that opposites attract.

Synonyms: loquacious; verbose



Wantonadj

(wahn tuhn)

Waver verb

(way vuhr)

Whimsicaladj

(wihm sih cuhl)

Wily adj

(wie lee)

Winsomeadj

(wihn suhm)

Wizenedadj

(wih zuhnd)

Wraithnoun

(rayth)

Xenophobianoun

(zee nuh foh bee uh)



to uctuate between choices

If you waver too long before making a decisionabout which testing site to register for, you maynot get your rst choice.

Synonyms: dither; falter; uctuate; oscillate;vacillate

undisciplined; unrestrained; reckless

e townspeople were outraged by the wanton display of disrespect when they discovered thestatue of the town founder covered in graffiti.

Synonyms: capricious; lewd; licentious

clever; deceptive

Yet again, the wily coyote managed to elude theranchers who wanted to capture it.

Synonyms: cra y; cunning; tricky

lightly acting in a anci ul or capriciousmanner; unpredictable

e ballet was whimsical , delighting thechildren with its imaginative characters andunpredictable sets.

Synonyms: capricious; erratic; ippant; frivolous

shriveled; withered; wrinkled

e wizened old man was told that the plasticsurgery necessary to make him look young againwould cost more money than he could imagine.

Synonyms: atrophied; desiccated; gnarled; wasted

charming; happily engaging

Lenore gave the doorman a winsome smile, and helet her pass to the front of the line.

Synonyms: attractive; delightful

a ear or hatred o oreigners or strangers

Countries in which xenophobia is prevalento en have more restrictive immigration policiesthan countries that are more open to foreigninuences.

Synonyms: bigotry; chauvinism; prejudice

a ghost or specter; a ghost o a living personseen just be ore his or her death

Gideon thought he saw a wraith late one night ashe sat vigil outside his great uncle’s bedroom door.

Synonyms: apparition; bogeyman; phantasm;shade; spirit



Yoke verb

(yohk)

Zealnoun

(zeehl)

Zealotnoun

(zeh luht)

Zenithnoun

(zee nihth)

Zephyrnoun

(zeh fuhr)

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