SAT Vocabulary Study Guide 2024, Exams of English Language

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SAT Vocabulary Study Guide 2024 abase ✔ (v.) to humiliate, degrade (After being overthrown and abased, the deposed leader offered to bow down to his conqueror.) abate ✔ (v.) to reduce, lessen (The rain poured down for a while, then abated.) abdicate ✔ (v.) to give up a position, usually one of leadership (When he realized that the revolutionaries would surely win, the king abdicated his throne.) abduct ✔ (v.) to kidnap, take by force (The evildoers abducted the fairy princess from her happy home.) aberration ✔ (n.) something that differs from the norm (In 1918, the Boston Red Sox won the World Series, but the success turned out to be an aberration, and the Red Sox have not won a World Series since.) abet ✔ (v.) to aid, help, encourage (The spy succeeded only because he had a friend on the inside to abet him.) abhor ✔ (v.) to hate, detest (Because he always wound up kicking himself in the head when he tried to play soccer, Oswald began to abhor the sport.) abide ✔ 1. (v.) to put up with (Though he did not agree with the decision, Chuck decided to abide by it.) 2. (v.) to remain (Despite the beating they've taken from the weather throughout the millennia, the mountains abide.) abject ✔ (adj.) wretched, pitiful (After losing all her money, falling into a puddle, and breaking her ankle, Eloise was abject.) abjure ✔ (v.) to reject, renounce (To prove his honesty, the President abjured the evil policies of his wicked predecessor.) abnegation ✔ (n.) denial of comfort to oneself (The holy man slept on the floor, took only cold showers, and generally followed other practices of abnegation.) abort ✔ (v.) to give up on a half-finished project or effort (After they ran out of food, the men, attempting to jump rope around the world, had to abort and go home.) abridge ✔ 1. (v.) to cut down, shorten (The publisher thought the dictionary was too long and abridged it.) 2. (adj.) shortened (Moby-Dick is such a long book that even the abridged version is longer than most normal books.) abrogate ✔ (v.) to abolish, usually by authority (The Bill of Rights assures that the government cannot abrogate our right to a free press.) abscond ✔ (v.) to sneak away and hide (In the confusion, the super-spy absconded into the night with the secret plans.) absolution ✔ (n.) freedom from blame, guilt, sin (Once all the facts were known, the jury gave Angela absolution by giving a verdict of not guilty.) abstain ✔ (v.) to freely choose not to commit an action (Everyone demanded that Angus put on the kilt, but he did not want to do it and abstained.) abstruse ✔ (adj.) hard to comprehend (Everyone else in the class understood geometry easily, but John found the subject abstruse.) accede ✔ (v.) to agree (When the class asked the teacher whether they could play baseball instead of learn grammar they expected him to refuse, but instead he acceded to their request.) accentuate ✔ (v.) to stress, highlight (Psychologists agree that those people who are happiest accentuate the positive in life.) accessible ✔ (adj.) obtainable, reachable (After studying with SparkNotes and getting a great score on the SAT, Marlena happily realized that her goal of getting into an Ivy-League college was accessible.) ✔ (adj.) somehow related to the air (We watched as the fighter planes conducted aerial maneuvers.) aesthetic ✔ (adj.) artistic, related to the appreciation of beauty (We hired Susan as our interior decorator because she has such a fine aesthetic sense.) affable ✔ (adj.) friendly, amiable (People like to be around George because he is so affable and good-natured.) affinity ✔ (n.)a spontaneous feeling of closeness (Jerry didn't know why, but he felt an incredible affinity for Kramer the first time they met.) affluent ✔ (adj.) rich, wealthy (Mrs. Grebelski was affluent, owning a huge house, three cars, and an island near Maine.) affront ✔ (n.) an insult (Bernardo was very touchy, and took any slight as an affront to his honor.) aggrandize ✔ (v.) to increase or make greater (Joseph always dropped the names of the famous people his father knew as a way to aggrandize his personal stature.) aggregate ✔ 1. (n.) a whole or total (The three branches of the U.S. Government form an aggregate much more powerful than its individual parts.) 2. (v.) to gather into a mass (The dictator tried to aggregate as many people into his army as he possibly could.) aggrieved ✔ (adj.) distressed, wronged, injured (The foreman mercilessly overworked his aggrieved employees.) agile ✔ (adj.) quick, nimble (The dogs were too slow to catch the agile rabbit.) agnostic (adj.) believing that the existence of God cannot be proven or disproven (Joey's parents are very religious, but he is agnostic.) agriculture ✔ (n.) farming (It was a huge step in the progress of civilization when tribes left hunting and gathering and began to develop more sustainable methods of obtaining food, such as agriculture.) aisle ✔ (n.) a passageway between rows of seats (Once we got inside the stadium we walked down the aisle to our seats.) alacrity ✔ (n.) eagerness, speed (For some reason, Chuck loved to help his mother whenever he could, so when his mother asked him to set the table he did so with alacrity.) alias ✔ (n.) a false name or identity (He snuck past the guards by using an alias and fake ID.) allay ✔ (v.) to soothe, ease (The chairman of the Federal Reserve gave a speech to try to allay investors' fears about an economic downturn.) allege ✔ (v.) to assert, usually without proof (The policeman had alleged that Marshall committed the crime, but after the investigation turned up no evidence, Marshall was set free.) alleviate ✔ (v.) to relieve, make more bearable (This drug will alleviate the symptoms of the terrible disease, but only for a while.) allocate ✔ (v.) to distribute, set aside (The Mayor allocated 30 percent of the funds for improving the town's schools.) aloof ✔ (adj.) reserved, distant (The scientist could sometimes seem aloof, as if he didn't care about his friends or family, but really he was just thinking about quantum mechanics.) altercation ✔ (n.) a dispute, fight (Jason and Lionel blamed one another for the car accident, leading to an altercation.) amalgamate ✔ (v.) to bring together, unite (Because of his great charisma, the presidential candidate was able to amalgamate all democrats and republicans under his banner.) ambiguous ✔ (adj.) uncertain, variably interpretable (Some people think Caesar married Cleopatra for her power, others believe he was charmed by her beauty. His actual reasons are ambiguous.) ambivalent ✔ (adj.) having opposing feelings (My feelings about Calvin are ambivalent because on one hand he is a loyal friend, but on the other, he is a cruel and vicious thief.) ameliorate ✔ (v.) to improve (The tense situation was ameliorated when Sam proposed a solution everyone could agree upon.) amenable ✔ (adj.) willing, compliant (Our father was amenable when we asked him to drive us to the farm so we could go apple picking.) amenity ✔ (n.) an item that increases comfort (Bill Gates's house is stocked with so many amenities, he never has to do anything for himself.) amiable ✔ (adj.) friendly (An amiable fellow, Harry got along with just about everyone.) amicable (adj.) friendly (Claudia and Jimmy got divorced, but amicably and without hard feelings.) amorous ✔ (adj.) showing love, particularly sexual (Whenever Albert saw Mariah wear her slinky red dress, he began to feel quite amorous.) amorphous ✔ (adj.) without definite shape or type (The effort was doomed from the start, because the reasons behind it were so amorphous and hard to pin down.) anachronistic ✔ (adj.) being out of correct chronological order (In this book you're writing, you say that the Pyramids were built after the Titanic sank, which is anachronistic.) analgesic ✔ (n.) something that reduces pain (Put this analgesic on the wound so that the poor man at least feels a little better.) analogous ✔ (adj.) similar to, so that an analogy can be drawn (Though they are unrelated genetically, the bone structure of whales and fish is quite analogous.) anarchist ✔ (n.) one who wants to eliminate all government (An anarchist, Carmine wanted to dissolve every government everywhere.) anathema ✔ (v.) to assess the worth or value of (A realtor will come over tonight to appraise our house.) apprehend ✔ 1. (v.) to seize, arrest (The criminal was apprehended at the scene.) 2. (v.) to perceive, understand, grasp (The student has trouble apprehending concepts in math and science.) approbation ✔ (n.) praise (The crowd welcomed the heroes with approbation.) appropriate ✔ (v.) to take, make use of (The government appropriated the farmer's land without justification.) aquatic ✔ (adj.) relating to water (The marine biologist studies starfish and other aquatic creatures.) arable ✔ (adj.) suitable for growing crops (The farmer purchased a plot of arable land on which he will grow corn and sprouts.) arbiter ✔ (n.) one who can resolve a dispute, make a decision (The divorce court judge will serve as the arbiter between the estranged husband and wife.) arbitrary ✔ (adj.) based on factors that appear random (The boy's decision to choose one college over another seems arbitrary.) arbitration ✔ (n.) the process or act of resolving a dispute (The employee sought official arbitration when he could not resolve a disagreement with his supervisor.) arboreal ✔ (adj.) of or relating to trees (Leaves, roots, and bark are a few arboreal traits.) arcane ✔ (adj.) obscure, secret, known only by a few (The professor is an expert in arcane Lithuanian literature.) archaic ✔ (adj.) of or relating to an earlier period in time, outdated (In a few select regions of Western Mongolian, an archaic Chinese dialect is still spoken.) archetypal ✔ (adj.) the most representative or typical example of something (Some believe George Washington, with his flowing white hair and commanding stature, was the archetypal politician.) ardor ✔ (n.) extreme vigor, energy, enthusiasm (The soldiers conveyed their ardor with impassioned battle cries.) arid ✔ (adj.) excessively dry (Little other than palm trees and cacti grow successfully in arid environments.) arrogate ✔ (v.) to take without justification (The king arrogated the right to order executions to himself exclusively.) artifact ✔ (n.) a remaining piece from an extinct culture or place (The scientists spent all day searching the cave for artifacts from the ancient Mayan civilization.) artisan ✔ (n.) a craftsman (The artisan uses wood to make walking sticks.) ascertain ✔ (v.) to perceive, learn (With a bit of research, the student ascertained that some plants can live for weeks without water.) ascetic ✔ (adj.) practicing restraint as a means of self-discipline, usually religious (The priest lives an ascetic life devoid of television, savory foods, and other pleasures.) ascribe ✔ (v.) to assign, credit, attribute to (Some ascribe the invention of fireworks and dynamite to the Chinese.) aspersion ✔ (n.) a curse, expression of ill-will (The rival politicians repeatedly cast aspersions on each others' integrity.) aspire ✔ (v.) to long for, aim toward (The young poet aspires to publish a book of verse someday.) assail ✔ (v.) to attack (At dawn, the war planes assailed the boats in the harbor.) assess ✔ (v.) to evaluate (A crew arrived to assess the damage after the crash.) assiduous ✔ (adj.) hard-working, diligent (The construction workers erected the skyscraper during two years of assiduous labor.) assuage ✔ (v.) to ease, pacify (The mother held the baby to assuage its fears.) astute ✔ (adj.) very clever, crafty (Much of Roger's success in politics results from his ability to provide astute answers to reporters' questions.) asylum ✔ 1. (n.) a place of refuge, protection, a sanctuary (For Thoreau, the forest served as an asylum from the pressures of urban life.) 2. (n.) an institution in which the insane are kept (Once diagnosed by a certified psychiatrist, the man was put in an asylum.) atone ✔ (v.) to repent, make amends (The man atoned for forgetting his wife's birthday by buying her five dozen roses.) atrophy ✔ (v.) to wither away, decay (If muscles do not receive enough blood, they will soon atrophy and die.) attain ✔ (v.) to achieve, arrive at (The athletes strived to attain their best times in competition.) attribute ✔ 1. (v.) to credit, assign (He attributes all of his success to his mother's undying encouragement.) 2. (n.) a facet or trait (Among the beetle's most peculiar attributes is its thorny protruding eyes.) atypical ✔ (adj.) not typical, unusual (Screaming and crying is atypical adult behavior.) audacious (adj.) excessively bold (The security guard was shocked by the fan's audacious ✔ attempt to offer him a bribe.) audible ✔ (adj.) able to be heard (The missing person's shouts were unfortunately not audible.) ✔ (v.) to coax by using flattery (Rachel's assistant tried to blandish her into accepting the deal.) blemish ✔ (n.) an imperfection, flaw (The dealer agreed to lower the price because of the many blemishes on the surface of the wooden furniture.) blight ✔ 1. (n.) a plague, disease (The potato blight destroyed the harvest and bankrupted many families.) 2. (n.) something that destroys hope (His bad morale is a blight upon this entire operation.) boisterous ✔ (adj.) loud and full of energy (The candidate won the vote after giving several boisterous speeches on television.) bombastic ✔ (adj.) excessively confident, pompous (The singer's bombastic performance disgusted the crowd.) boon ✔ (n.) a gift or blessing (The good weather has been a boon for many businesses located near the beach.) bourgeois ✔ (n.) a middle-class person, capitalist (Many businessmen receive criticism for their bourgeois approach to life.) brazen ✔ (adj.) excessively bold, brash (Critics condemned the novelist's brazen attempt to plagiarize Hemingway's story.) brusque ✔ (adj.) short, abrupt, dismissive (The captain's brusque manner offended the passengers.) buffet ✔ 1. (v.) to strike with force (The strong winds buffeted the ships, threatening to capsize them.) 2. (n.) an arrangement of food set out on a table (Rather than sitting around a table, the guests took food from our buffet and ate standing up.) burnish ✔ (v.) to polish, shine (His mother asked him to burnish the silverware before setting the table.) buttress ✔ 1. (v.) to support, hold up (The column buttresses the roof above the statue.) 2. (n.) something that offers support (The buttress supports the roof above the statues.) cacophony ✔ (n.) tremendous noise, disharmonious sound (The elementary school orchestra created a cacophony at the recital.) cadence ✔ (n.) a rhythm, progression of sound (The pianist used the foot pedal to emphasize the cadence of the sonata.) cajole ✔ (v.) to urge, coax (Fred's buddies cajoled him into attending the bachelor party.) calamity ✔ (n.) an event with disastrous consequences (The earthquake in San Francisco was a calamity worse than any other natural disaster in history.) calibrate ✔ (v.) to set, standardize (The mechanic calibrated the car's transmission to make the motor run most efficiently.) callous ✔ (adj.) harsh, cold, unfeeling (The murderer's callous lack of remorse shocked the jury.) calumny ✔ (n.) an attempt to spoil someone else's reputation by spreading lies (The local official's calumny ended up ruining his opponent's prospect of winning the election.) camaraderie ✔ (n.) brotherhood, jovial unity (Camaraderie among employees usually leads to success in business.) candor ✔ (n.) honesty, frankness (We were surprised by the candor of the mayor's speech because he is usually rather evasive.) canny ✔ (adj.) shrewd, careful (The canny runner hung at the back of the pack through much of the race to watch the other runners, and then sprinted past them at the end.) canvas ✔ 1. (n.) a piece of cloth on which an artist paints (Picasso liked to work on canvas rather than on bare cement.) 2. (v.) to cover, inspect (We canvassed the neighborhood looking for clues.) capacious ✔ (adj.) very spacious (The workers delighted in their new capacious office space.) capitulate ✔ (v.) to surrender (The army finally capitulated after fighting a long costly battle.) capricious ✔ (adj.) subject to whim, fickle (The young girl's capricious tendencies made it difficult for her to focus on achieving her goals.) captivate ✔ (v.) to get the attention of, hold (The fireworks captivated the young boy, who had never seen such things before.) carouse ✔ (v.) to party, celebrate (We caroused all night after getting married.) carp ✔ (v.) to annoy, pester (The husband divorced his wife after listening to her carping voice for decades.) catalog ✔ 1. (v.) to list, enter into a list (The judge cataloged the victim's injuries before calculating how much money he would award.) 2. (n.) a list or collection (We received a catalog from J. Crew that displayed all of their new items.) catalyze ✔ (v.) to charge, inspire (The president's speech catalyzed the nation and resuscitated the economy.) caucus ✔ (n.) a meeting usually held by people working toward the same goal (The ironworkers held a caucus to determine how much of a pay increase they would request.) caustic ✔ (adj.) bitter, biting, acidic (The politicians exchanged caustic insults for over an hour during the debate.) cavort ✔ (v.) to leap about, behave boisterously (The adults ate their dinners on the patio, while the children cavorted around the pool.) censure coalesce ✔ (v.) to fuse into a whole (Gordon's ensemble of thrift-shop garments coalesced into a surprisingly handsome outfit.) cobbler ✔ (n.) a person who makes or repairs shoes (I had my neighborhood cobbler replace my worn-out leather soles with new ones.) coerce ✔ (v.) to make somebody do something by force or threat (The court decided that Vanilla Ice did not have to honor the contract because he had been coerced into signing it.) cogent ✔ (adj.) intellectually convincing (Irene's arguments in favor of abstinence were so cogent that I could not resist them.) cognizant ✔ (adj.) aware, mindful (Jake avoided speaking to women in bars because he was cognizant of the fact that drinking impairs his judgment.) coherent ✔ (adj.) logically consistent, intelligible (Renee could not figure out what Monroe had seen because he was too distraught to deliver a coherent statement.) collateral ✔ 1. (adj.) secondary (Divorcing my wife had the collateral effect of making me poor, as she was the only one of us with a job or money.) 2. (n.) security for a debt (Jacob left his watch as collateral for the $500 loan.) colloquial ✔ (adj.) characteristic of informal conversation (Adam's essay on sexual response in primates was marked down because it contained too many colloquial expressions.) collusion ✔ (n.) secret agreement, conspiracy (The three law students worked in collusion to steal the final exam.) colossus ✔ (n.) a gigantic statue or thing (For 56 years, the ancient city of Rhodes featured a colossus standing astride its harbor.) combustion ✔ (n.) the act or process of burning (The unexpected combustion of the prosecution's evidence forced the judge to dismiss the case against Ramirez.) commendation ✔ (n.) a notice of approval or recognition (Jared received a commendation from Linda, his supervisor, for his stellar performance.) commensurate ✔ (adj.) corresponding in size or amount (Ahab selected a very long roll and proceeded to prepare a tuna salad sandwich commensurate with his enormous appetite.) commodious ✔ (adj.) roomy (Holden invited the three women to join him in the back seat of the taxicab, assuring them that the car was quite commodious.) compelling ✔ (adj.) forceful, demanding attention (Eliot's speech was so compelling that Lenore accepted his proposal on the spot.) compensate ✔ (v.) to make an appropriate payment for something (Reginald bought Sharona a new dress to compensate her for the one he'd spilled his ice cream on.) complacency ✔ (n.) self-satisfied ignorance of danger (Colin tried to shock his friends out of their complacency by painting a frightening picture of what might happen to them.) complement ✔ (v.) to complete, make perfect (Ann's scarf complements her blouse beautifully, making her seem fully dressed even though she isn't wearing a coat.) compliant ✔ (adj.) ready to adapt oneself to another's wishes (Sue had very strong opinions about what to do on a first date, and Ted was absolutely compliant.) complicit ✔ (adj.) being an accomplice in a wrongful act (By keeping her daughter's affair a secret, Maddie became complicit in it.) compliment ✔ (n.) an expression of esteem or approval (I blushed crimson when Emma gave me a compliment on my new haircut.) compound ✔ 1. (v.) to combine parts (The difficulty of finding a fire escape amid the smoke was compounded with the dangers posed by the panicking crowds.) 2. (n.) a combination of different parts (My attraction to Donna was a compound of curiosity about the unknown, physical desire, and intellectual admiration.) 3. (n.) a walled area containing a group of buildings (When the fighting started, Joseph rushed into the family compound because it was safe and well defended.) comprehensive ✔ (adj.) including everything (She sent me a comprehensive list of the ingredients needed to cook rabbit soufflé.) compress ✔ (v.) to apply pressure, squeeze together (Lynn compressed her lips into a frown.) compunction ✔ (n.) distress caused by feeling guilty (He felt compunction for the shabby way he'd treated her.) concede ✔ (v.) to accept as valid (Andrew had to concede that what his mother said about Diana made sense.) conciliatory ✔ (adj.) friendly, agreeable (I took Amanda's invitation to dinner as a very conciliatory gesture.) concise ✔ (adj.) brief and direct in expression (Gordon did not like to waste time, and his instructions to Brenda were nothing if not concise.) concoct ✔ (v.) to fabricate, make up (She concocted the most ridiculous story to explain her absence.) concomitant ✔ (adj.) accompanying in a subordinate fashion (His dislike of hard work carried with it a concomitant lack of funds.) concord ✔ (n.) harmonious agreement (Julie and Harold began the evening with a disagreement, but ended it in a state of perfect concord.) condolence ✔ (n.) an expression of sympathy in sorrow (Brian lamely offered his condolences on the loss of his sister's roommate's cat.) condone ✔ (v.) to pardon, deliberately overlook (He refused to condone his brother's crime.) conduit contravene ✔ (v.) to contradict, oppose, violate (Edwidge contravened his landlady's rule against overnight guests.) contrite ✔ (adj.) penitent, eager to be forgiven (Blake's contrite behavior made it impossible to stay angry at him.) contusion ✔ (n.) bruise, injury (The contusions on his face suggested he'd been in a fight.) conundrum ✔ (n.) puzzle, problem (Interpreting Jane's behavior was a constant conundrum.) convene ✔ (v.) to call together (Jason convened his entire extended family for a discussion.) convention ✔ 1. (n.) an assembly of people (The hotel was full because of the cattle- ranchers' convention.) 2. (n.) a rule, custom (The cattle-ranchers have a convention that you take off your boots before entering their houses.) convivial ✔ (adj.) characterized by feasting, drinking, merriment (The restaurant's convivial atmosphere put me immediately at ease.) convoluted ✔ (adj.) intricate, complicated (Grace's story was so convoluted that I couldn't follow it.) copious ✔ (adj.) profuse, abundant (Copious amounts of Snapple were imbibed in the cafeteria.) cordial ✔ (adj.) warm, affectionate (His cordial greeting melted my anger at once.) coronation ✔ (n.) the act of crowning (The new king's coronation occurred the day after his father's death.) corpulence ✔ (adj.)extreme fatness (Henry's corpulence did not make him any less attractive to his charming, svelte wife.) corroborate ✔ (v.) to support with evidence (Luke's seemingly outrageous claim was corroborated by witnesses.) corrosive ✔ (adj.) having the tendency to erode or eat away (The effect of the chemical was highly corrosive.) cosmopolitan ✔ (adj.) sophisticated, worldly (Lloyd's education and upbringing were cosmopolitan, so he felt right at home among the powerful and learned.) counteract ✔ (v.) to neutralize, make ineffective (The antidote counteracted the effect of the poison.) coup ✔ 1. (n.) a brilliant, unexpected act (Alexander pulled off an amazing coup when he got a date with Cynthia by purposely getting hit by her car.) 2. (n.) the overthrow of a government and assumption of authority (In their coup attempt, the army officers stormed the Parliament and took all the legislators hostage.) covet ✔ (v.) to desire enviously (I coveted Moses's house, wife, and car.) covert ✔ (adj.) secretly engaged in (Nerwin waged a covert campaign against his enemies, while outwardly appearing to remain friendly.) credulity ✔ (n.) readiness to believe (His credulity made him an easy target for con men.) crescendo ✔ (n.) a steady increase in intensity or volume (The crescendo of the brass instruments gave the piece a patriotic feel.) criteria ✔ (n.) standards by which something is judged (Among Mrs. Fields's criteria for good cookies are that they be moist and chewy.) culmination ✔ (n.) the climax toward which something progresses (The culmination of the couple's argument was the decision to divorce.) culpable ✔ (adj.) deserving blame (He was culpable of the crime, and was sentenced to perform community service for 75 years.) cultivate ✔ (v.) to nurture, improve, refine (At the library, she cultivated her interest in spy novels.) cumulative ✔ (adj.) increasing, building upon itself (The cumulative effect of hours spent in the sun was a deep tan.) cunning ✔ (adj.) sly, clever at being deceitful (The general devised a cunning plan to surprise the enemy.) cupidity ✔ (n.) greed, strong desire (His cupidity made him enter the abandoned gold mine despite the obvious dangers.) cursory ✔ (adj.) brief to the point of being superficial (Late for the meeting, she cast a cursory glance at the agenda.) curt ✔ (adj.) abruptly and rudely short (Her curt reply to my question made me realize that she was upset at me.) curtail ✔ (v.) to lessen, reduce (Since losing his job, he had to curtail his spending.) daunting ✔ (adj.) intimidating, causing one to lose courage (He kept delaying the daunting act of asking for a promotion.) dearth ✔ (n.) a lack, scarcity (An eager reader, she was dismayed by the dearth of classic books at the library.) debacle ✔ (n.) a disastrous failure, disruption (The elaborately designed fireworks show turned into a debacle when the fireworks started firing in random directions.) debase ✔ (v.) to lower the quality or esteem of something (The large raise that he gave himself debased his motives for running the charity.) debauch ✔ (v.) to belittle, depreciate (Always over-modest, he deprecated his contribution to the local charity.) derelict ✔ (adj.) abandoned, run-down (Even though it was dangerous, the children enjoyed going to the deserted lot and playing in the derelict house.) deride ✔ (v.) to laugh at mockingly, scorn (The bullies derided the foreign student's accent.) derivative ✔ (adj.) taken directly from a source, unoriginal (She was bored by his music because she felt that it was derivative and that she had heard it before.) desecrate ✔ (v.) to violate the sacredness of a thing or place (They feared that the construction of a golf course would desecrate the preserved wilderness.) desiccated ✔ (adj.) dried up, dehydrated (The skin of the desiccated mummy looked like old paper.) desolate ✔ (adj.) deserted, dreary, lifeless (She found the desolate landscape quite a contrast to the hustle and bustle of the overcrowded city.) despondent ✔ (adj.) feeling depressed, discouraged, hopeless (Having failed the first math test, the despondent child saw no use in studying for the next and failed that one too.) despot ✔ (n.) one who has total power and rules brutally (The despot issued a death sentence for anyone who disobeyed his laws.) destitute ✔ (adj.) impoverished, utterly lacking (The hurricane destroyed many homes and left many families destitute.) deter ✔ (v.) to discourage, prevent from doing (Bob's description of scary snakes couldn't deter Marcia from traveling in the rainforests.) devious ✔ (adj.) not straightforward, deceitful (Not wanting to be punished, the devious girl blamed the broken vase on the cat.) dialect ✔ (n.) a variation of a language (In the country's remote, mountainous regions, the inhabitants spoke a dialect that the country's other inhabitants had difficulty understanding.) diaphanous ✔ (adj.) light, airy, transparent (Sunlight poured in through the diaphanous curtains, brightening the room.) didactic ✔ 1. (adj.) intended to instruct (She wrote up a didactic document showing new employees how to handle the company's customers.) 2. (adj.) overly moralistic (His didactic style of teaching made it seem like he wanted to persuade his students not to understand history fully, but to understand it from only one point of view.) diffident ✔ (adj.) shy, quiet, modest (While eating dinner with the adults, the diffident youth did not speak for fear of seeming presumptuous.) diffuse ✔ 1. (v.) to scatter, thin out, break up (He diffused the tension in the room by making in a joke.) 2. (adj.) not concentrated, scattered, disorganized (In her writings, she tried unsuccessfully to make others understand her diffuse thoughts.) dilatory ✔ (adj.) tending to delay, causing delay (The general's dilatory strategy enabled the enemy to regroup.) diligent ✔ (adj.) showing care in doing one's work (The diligent researcher made sure to check her measurements multiple times.) diminutive ✔ (adj.) small or miniature (The bullies, tall and strong, picked on the diminutive child.) dirge ✔ (n.) a mournful song, especially for a funeral (The bagpipers played a dirge as the casket was carried to the cemetery.) disaffected ✔ (adj.) rebellious, resentful of authority (Dismayed by Bobby's poor behavior, the parents sent their disaffected son to a military academy to be disciplined.) disavow ✔ (v.) to deny knowledge of or responsibility for (Not wanting others to criticize her, she disavowed any involvement in the company's hiring scandal.) discern ✔ (v.) to perceive, detect (Though he hid his emotions, she discerned from his body language that he was angry.) disclose ✔ (v.) to reveal, make public (The CEO disclosed to the press that the company would have to fire several employees.) discomfit ✔ (v.) to thwart, baffle (The normally cheery and playful children's sudden misery discomfited the teacher.) discordant ✔ (adj.) not agreeing, not in harmony with (The girls' sobs were a discordant sound amid the general laughter that filled the restaurant.) discrepancy ✔ (n.) difference, failure of things to correspond (He was troubled by the discrepancy between what he remembered paying for the appliance and what his receipt showed he paid for it.) discretion ✔ (n.) the quality of being reserved in speech or action; good judgment (Not wanting her patient to get overly anxious, the doctor used discretion in deciding how much to tell the patient about his condition.) discursive ✔ (adj.) rambling, lacking order (The professor's discursive lectures seemed to be about every subject except the one initially described.) disdain ✔ 1. (v.) to scorn, hold in low esteem (Insecure about their jobs, the older employees disdained the recently hired ones, who were young and capable.) 2. (n.) scorn, low esteem (After learning of his immoral actions, Justine held Lawrence in disdain.) disgruntled ✔ (adj.) upset, not content (The child believed that his parents had unjustly grounded him, and remained disgruntled for a week.) disheartened ✔ (adj.) feeling a loss of spirit or morale (The team was disheartened after losing in the finals of the tournament.) disparage ✔ (n.) crafty dishonesty (His duplicity involved convincing his employees to let him lower their salaries and increase their stock options, and then to steal the money he saved and run the company into the ground.) duress ✔ (n.) hardship, threat (It was only under intense duress that he, who was normally against killing, fired his gun.) dynamic ✔ (adj.) actively changing (The parents found it hard to keep up with the dynamic music scene with which their children had become very familiar.) ebullient ✔ (adj.) extremely lively, enthusiastic (She became ebullient upon receiving an acceptance letter from her first-choice college.) eclectic ✔ (adj.) consisting of a diverse variety of elements (That bar attracts an eclectic crowd: lawyers, artists, circus clowns, and investment bankers.) ecstatic ✔ (adj.) intensely and overpoweringly happy (The couple was ecstatic when they learned that they had won the lottery.) edict ✔ (n.) an order, decree (The ruler issued an edict requiring all of his subjects to bow down before him.) efface ✔ (v.) to wipe out, obliterate, rub away (The husband was so angry at his wife for leaving him that he effaced all evidence of her presence; he threw out pictures of her and gave away all her belongings.) effervescent ✔ (adj.) bubbly, lively (My friend is so effervescent that she makes everyone smile.) efficacious ✔ (adj.) effective (My doctor promised me that the cold medicine was efficacious, but I'm still sniffling.) effrontery ✔ (n.) impudence, nerve, insolence (When I told my aunt that she was boring, my mother scolded me for my effrontery.) effulgent ✔ (adj.) radiant, splendorous (The golden palace was effulgent.) egregious ✔ (adj.) extremely bad (The student who threw sloppy joes across the cafeteria was punished for his egregious behavior.) elaborate ✔ (adj.) complex, detailed, intricate (Dan always beats me at chess because he develops such an elaborate game plan that I can never predict his next move.) elated ✔ (adj.) overjoyed, thrilled (When she found out she had won the lottery, the writer was elated.) elegy ✔ (n.) a speech given in honor of a dead person (At the funeral, the widow gave a moving elegy describing her love for her husband.) elicit ✔ (v.) to bring forth, draw out, evoke (Although I asked several times where the exit was, I elicited no response from the stone-faced policeman.) eloquent ✔ (adj.) expressive, articulate, moving (The priest gave such an eloquent sermon that most churchgoers were crying.) elucidate ✔ (v.) to clarify, explain (I didn't understand why my friend was so angry with me, so I asked Janine to elucidate her feelings.) elude ✔ (v.) to evade, escape (Despite an intense search, the robber continues to elude the police.) emaciated ✔ (adj.) very thin, enfeebled looking (My sister eats a lot of pastries and chocolate but still looks emaciated.) embellish ✔ 1. (v.) to decorate, adorn (My mom embellished the living room by adding lace curtains.) 2. (v.)to add details to, enhance (When Harry told me that he had "done stuff" on his vacation, I asked him to embellish upon his account.) embezzle ✔ (v.) to steal money by falsifying records (The accountant was fired for embezzling $10,000 of the company's funds.) emend ✔ (v.) to correct or revise a written text (If my sentence is incorrect, the editor will emend what I have written.) eminent ✔ 1. (adj.) distinguished, prominent, famous (Mr. Phillips is such an eminent scholar that every professor on campus has come to hear him lecture.) 2. (adj.) conspicuous (There is an eminent stain on that shirt.) emollient ✔ (adj.) soothing (This emollient cream makes my skin very smooth.) emote ✔ (v.) to express emotion (The director told the actor he had to emote, or else the audience would have no idea what his character was going through.) empathy ✔ (n.) sensitivity to another's feelings as if they were one's own (I feel such empathy for my sister when she's in pain that I cry too.) empirical ✔ 1. (adj.) based on observation or experience (The scientist gathered empirical data on the growth rate of dandelions by studying the dandelions behind his house.) 2. (adj.) capable of being proved or disproved by experiment (That all cats hate getting wet is an empirical statement: I can test it by bathing my cat, Trinket.) emulate ✔ (v.) to imitate (I idolize Britney Spears so much that I emulate everything she does: I wear her outfits, sing along to her songs, and date a boy named Justin.) enamor ✔ (v.) to fill with love, fascinate, usually used in passive form followed by "of" or "with" (I grew enamored of that boy when he quoted my favorite love poem.) encore ✔ (n.) the audience's demand for a repeat performance; also the artist's performance in response to that demand (At the end of the concert, all the fans yelled, "Encore! Encore!" but the band did not come out to play again.) encumber ✔ (v.) to weigh down, burden (At the airport, my friend was encumbered by her luggage, so I offered to carry two of her bags.) enervate ✔ (v.) to weaken, exhaust (Writing these sentences enervates me so much that I will have to take a nap after I finish.) exasperate ✔ (v.) to irritate, irk (George's endless complaints exasperated his roomate.) excavate ✔ (v.) to dig out of the ground and remove (The pharaoh's treasures were excavated by archeologists in Egypt.) exculpate ✔ (v.) to free from guilt or blame, exonerate (My discovery of the ring behind the dresser exculpated me from the charge of having stolen it.) excursion ✔ (n.) a trip or outing (After taking an excursion to the Bronx Zoo, I dreamed about pandas and monkeys.) execrable ✔ (adj.) loathsome, detestable (Her pudding is so execrable that it makes me sick.) exhort ✔ (v.) to urge, prod, spur (Henry exhorted his colleagues to join him in protesting against the university's hiring policies.) exigent ✔ (adj.) urgent, critical (The patient has an exigent need for medication, or else he will lose his sight.) exonerate ✔ (v.) to free from guilt or blame, exculpate (The true thief's confession exonerated the man who had been held in custody for the crime.) exorbitant ✔ (adj.) excessive (Her exorbitant praise made me blush and squirm in my seat.) expedient ✔ (adj.) advisable, advantageous, serving one's self-interest (In his bid for reelection, the governor made an expedient move by tabling all controversial legislation.) expiate ✔ (v.) to make amends for, atone (To expiate my selfishness, I gave all my profits to charity.) expunge ✔ (v.) to obliterate, eradicate (Fearful of an IRS investigation, Paul tried to expunge all incriminating evidence from his tax files.) expurgate ✔ (v.) to remove offensive or incorrect parts, usually of a book (The history editors expurgated from the text all disparaging and inflammatory comments about the Republican Party.) extant ✔ (adj.) existing, not destroyed or lost (My mother's extant love letters to my father are in the attic trunk.) extol ✔ (v.) to praise, revere (Violet extolled the virtues of a vegetarian diet to her meat- loving brother.) extraneous ✔ (adj.) irrelevant, extra, not necessary (Personal political ambitions should always remain extraneous to legislative policy, but, unfortunately, they rarely are.) extricate ✔ (v.) to disentangle (Instead of trying to mediate between my brother and sister, I extricated myself from the family tension entirely and left the house for the day.) exult ✔ (v.) to rejoice (When she found out she won the literature prize, Mary exulted by dancing and singing through the school's halls.) fabricate ✔ (v.) to make up, invent (When I arrived an hour late to class, I fabricated some excuse about my car breaking down on the way to school.) façade ✔ 1. (n.) the wall of a building (Meet me in front of the museum's main façade.) 2. (n.) a deceptive appearance or attitude (Despite my smiling façade, I am feeling melancholy.) facile ✔ 1. (adj.) easy, requiring little effort (This game is so facile that even a four-year- old can master it.) 2. (adj.) superficial, achieved with minimal thought or care, insincere (The business was in such shambles that any solution seemed facile at best; nothing could really helpit in the long-run.) fallacious ✔ (adj.) incorrect, misleading (Emily offered me cigarettes on the fallacious assumption that I smoked.) fastidious ✔ (adj.) meticulous, demanding, having high and often unattainable standards (Mark is so fastidious that he is never able to finish a project because it always seems imperfect to him.) fathom ✔ (v.) to understand, comprehend (I cannot fathom why you like that crabby and mean- spirited neighbor of ours.) fatuous ✔ (adj.) silly, foolish (He considers himself a serious poet, but in truth, he only writes fatuous limericks.) fecund ✔ (adj.) fruitful, fertile (The fecund tree bore enough apples to last us through the entire season.) felicitous ✔ 1. (adj.) well suited, apt (While his comments were idiotic and rambling, mine were felicitous and helpful.) 2. (adj.) delightful, pleasing (I spent a felicitous afternoon visiting old friends.) feral ✔ (adj.) wild, savage (That beast looks so feral that I would fear being alone with it.) fervent ✔ (adj.) ardent, passionate (The fervent protestors chained themselves to the building and shouted all night long.) fetid ✔ (adj.) having a foul odor (I can tell from the fetid smell in your refrigerator that your milk has spoiled.) fetter ✔ (v.) to chain, restrain (The dog was fettered to the parking meter.) fickle ✔ (adj.) shifting in character, inconstant (In Greek dramas, the fickle gods help Achilles one day, and then harm him the next.) fidelity ✔ (n.) loyalty, devotion (Guard dogs are known for the great fidelity they show toward their masters.) figurative ✔ (adj.) symbolic (Using figurative language, Jane likened the storm to an angry bull.) genial ✔ (adj.) friendly, affable (Although he's been known to behave like a real jerk, I would say that my brother is an overall genial guy.) gluttony ✔ (n.) overindulgence in food or drink (Ada's fried chicken tastes so divine, I don't know how anyone can call gluttony a sin.) goad ✔ (v.) to urge, spur, incite to action (Jim may think he's not going to fight Billy, but Billy will goad Jim on with insults until he throws a punch.) gourmand ✔ (n.) someone fond of eating and drinking (My parents, who used to eat little more than crackers and salad, have become real gourmands in their old age.) grandiloquence ✔ (n.) lofty, pompous language (The student thought her grandiloquence would make her sound smart, but neither the class nor the teacher bought it.) grandiose ✔ (adj.) on a magnificent or exaggerated scale (Margaret planned a grandiose party, replete with elephants, trapeze artists, and clowns.) gratuitous ✔ (adj.) uncalled for, unwarranted (Every morning the guy at the donut shop gives me a gratuitous helping of ketchup packets.) gregarious ✔ (adj.) drawn to the company of others, sociable (Well, if you're not gregarious, I don't know why you would want to go to a singles party!) grievous ✔ (adj.) injurious, hurtful; serious or grave in nature (Electrocuting the inmate without being sure of his guilt would be a truly grievous mistake.) guile ✔ (n.) deceitful, cunning, sly behavior (Because of his great guile, the politician was able to survive scandal after scandal.) hackneyed ✔ (adj.) unoriginal, trite (A girl can only hear "I love you" so many times before it begins to sound hackneyed and meaningless.) hallowed ✔ (adj.) revered, consecrated (In the hallowed corridors of the cathedral, the disturbed professor felt himself to be at peace.) hapless ✔ (adj.) unlucky (My poor, hapless family never seems to pick a sunny week to go on vacation.) harangue ✔ 1. (n.) a ranting speech (Everyone had heard the teacher's harangue about gum chewing in class before.) 2. (v.) to give such a speech (But this time the teacher harangued the class about the importance of brushing your teeth after chewing gum.) hardy ✔ (adj.) robust, capable of surviving through adverse conditions (I too would have expected the plants to be dead by mid-November, but apparently they're very hardy.) harrowing ✔ (adj.) greatly distressing, vexing (The car crash was a harrowing experience, but I have a feeling that the increase in my insurance premiums will be even more upsetting.) haughty ✔ (adj.) disdainfully proud (The superstar's haughty dismissal of her costars will backfire on her someday.) hedonist ✔ (n.) one who believes pleasure should be the primary pursuit of humans (Because he's such a hedonist, I knew Murray would appreciate the 11 cases of wine I bought him for his birthday.) hegemony ✔ (n.) domination over others (Britain's hegemony over its colonies was threatened once nationalist sentiment began to spread around the world.) heinous ✔ (adj.) shockingly wicked, repugnant (The killings were made all the more heinous by the fact that the murderer first tortured his victims for three days.) heterogeneous ✔ (adj.) varied, diverse in character (I hate having only one flavor so I always buy the swirled, or should I say heterogeneous, type of ice cream.) hiatus ✔ (n.) a break or gap in duration or continuity (The hiatus in service should last two or three months—until the cable lines are repaired .) hierarchy ✔ (n.) a system with ranked groups, usually according to social, economic, or professional class (Women found it very difficult to break into the upper ranks of the department's hierarchy.) hypocrisy ✔ (n.) pretending to believe what one does not (Once the politician began passing legislation that contradicted his campaign promises, his hypocrisy became apparent.) hypothetical ✔ (adj.) supposed or assumed true, but unproven (Even though it has been celebrated by seven major newspapers, that the drug will be a success when tested in humans is still hypothetical.) iconoclast ✔ (n.) one who attacks common beliefs or institutions (Jane goes to one protest after another, but she seems to be an iconoclast rather than an activist with a progressive agenda.) idiosyncratic ✔ (adj.) peculiar to one person; highly individualized (I know you had trouble with the last test, but because your mistakes were highly idiosyncratic, I'm going to deny your request that the class be given a new test.) idolatrous ✔ (adj.) excessively worshipping one object or person (Xena's idolatrous fawning over the band—following them on tour, starting their fan club, filming their documentary—is really beginning to get on my nerves.) ignominious ✔ (adj.) humiliating, disgracing (It was really ignominious to be kicked out of the dorm for having an illegal gas stove in my room.) illicit ✔ (adj.) forbidden, not permitted (The fourth-grader learned many illicit words from a pamphlet that was being passed around school.) immerse ✔ (v.) to absorb, deeply involve, engross (After breaking up with her boyfriend, Nancy decided to immerse herself in her work in order to avoid crying.) immutable ✔ (adj.) not changeable (The laws of physics are immutable and constant.) impassive ✔ (adj.) stoic, not susceptible to suffering (Stop being so impassive; it's healthy to cry every now and then.) ✔ (adj.) unformed or formless, in a beginning stage (The country's government is still inchoate and, because it has no great tradition, quite unstable.) incisive ✔ (adj.) clear, sharp, direct (The discussion wasn't going anywhere until her incisive comment allowed everyone to see what the true issues were.) inclination ✔ (n.) a tendency, propensity (Sarah has an inclination to see every foreign film she hears about, even when she's sure that she won't like it.) incontrovertible ✔ (adj.) indisputable (Only stubborn Tina would attempt to disprove the incontrovertible laws of physics.) incorrigible ✔ (adj.) incapable of correction, delinquent (You can buy Grandma nicotine gum all you want, but I think that after sixty-five years of smoking she's incorrigible.) increment ✔ (n.) an enlargement; the process of increasing(The workmen made the wall longer, increment by increment.) incumbent ✔ 1. (n.) one who holds an office (The incumbent senator is already serving his fifth term.) 2. (adj.) obligatory (It is incumbent upon this organization to offer aid to all who seek it.) indefatigable ✔ (adj.) incapable of defeat, failure, decay (Even after traveling 62 miles, the indefatigable runner kept on moving.) indigenous ✔ (adj.) originating in a region (Some fear that these plants, which are not indigenous to the region, may choke out the vegetation that is native to the area.) indigent ✔ (adj.) very poor, impoverished (I would rather donate money to help the indigent population than to the park sculpture fund.) indignation ✔ (n.) anger sparked by something unjust or unfair (I resigned from the sorority because of my indignation at its hazing of new members.) indolent ✔ (adj.) lazy (Why should my indolent children, who can't even pick themselves up off the couch to pour their own juice, be rewarded with a trip to the mall?) indomitable ✔ (adj.) not capable of being conquered (To be honest, Jim, my indomitable nature means I could never take orders from anyone, and especially not from a jerk like you.) induce ✔ (v.) to bring about, stimulate (Who knew that our decision to boycott school lunch would induce a huge riot?) ineffable ✔ (adj.) unspeakable, incapable of being expressed through words (It is said that the experience of playing with a dolphin is ineffable and can only be understood through direct encounter.) inept ✔ (adj.) not suitable or capable, unqualified (She proved how inept she was when she forgot three orders and spilled a beer in a customer's lap.) inexorable ✔ (adj.) incapable of being persuaded or placated (Although I begged for hours, Mom was inexorable and refused to let me stay out all night after the prom.) inextricable ✔ (adj.) hopelessly tangled or entangled (Unless I look at the solution manual, I have no way of solving this inextricable problem.) infamy ✔ (n.) notoriety, extreme ill repute (The infamy of his crime will not lessen as the decades pass.) infusion ✔ (n.) an injection of one substance into another; the permeation of one substance by another (The infusion of Eastern religion into Western philosophy created interesting new schools of thought.) ingenious ✔ (adj.) clever, resourceful (Her ingenious use of walnuts instead of the peanuts called for by the recipe was lauded by the other garden club members who found her cake delicious.) ingenuous ✔ (adj.) not devious; innocent and candid (He must have writers, but his speeches seem so ingenuous it's hard to believe he's not speaking from his own heart.) inhibit ✔ (v.) to prevent, restrain, stop (When I told you I needed the car last night, I certainly never meant to inhibit you from going out.) inimical ✔ (adj.) hostile, enemylike (I don't see how I could ever work for a company that was so cold and inimical to me during my interviews.) iniquity ✔ (n.) wickedness or sin ("Your iniquity," said the priest to the practical jokester, "will be forgiven.") injunction ✔ (n.) an order of official warning (After his house was toilet-papered for the fifth time, the mayor issued an injunction against anyone younger than 21 buying toilet paper.) innate ✔ (adj.) inborn, native, inherent (His incredible athletic talent is innate, he never trains, lifts weights, or practices.) innocuous ✔ (adj.) harmless, inoffensive (In spite of their innocuous appearance, these mushrooms are actually quite poisonous.) innovate ✔ (v.) to do something in an unprecedented way (Because of the stiff competition, the company knew it needed to pour a lot of energy into innovating new and better products.) innuendo ✔ (n.) an insinuation (During the debate, the politician made several innuendos about the sexual activities of his opponent.) inoculate ✔ (v.) to introduce a microorganism, serum, or vaccine into an organism in order to increase immunity to illness; to vaccinate (I've feared needles ever since I was inoculated against 37 diseases at age one; but I have also never been sick.) inquisitor ✔ (n.) one who inquires, especially in a hostile manner (The inquisitor was instructed to knock on every door in town in order to find the fugitive.) insatiable ✔ (adj.) incapable of being satisfied (My insatiable appetite for melons can be a real problem in the winter.) irreverence ✔ (n.) disrespect (The irreverence displayed by the band that marched through the chapel disturbed many churchgoers.) irrevocable ✔ (adj.) incapable of being taken back (The Bill of Rights is an irrevocable part of American law.) jubilant ✔ (adj.) extremely joyful, happy (The crowd was jubilant when the firefighter carried the woman from the flaming building.) judicious ✔ (adj.) having or exercising sound judgment (When the judicious king decided to compromise rather than send his army to its certain death, he was applauded.) juxtaposition ✔ (n.) the act of placing two things next to each other for implicit comparison (The interior designer admired my juxtaposition of the yellow couch and green table.) knell ✔ (n.) the solemn sound of a bell, often indicating a death (Echoing throughout our village, the funeral knell made the stormy day even more grim.) kudos ✔ (n.) praise for an achievement (After the performance, the reviewers gave the opera singer kudos for a job well done.) laceration ✔ (n.) a cut, tear (Because he fell off his bike into a rosebush, the paperboy's skin was covered with lacerations.) laconic ✔ (adj.) terse in speech or writing (The author's laconic style has won him many followers who dislike wordiness.) languid ✔ (adj.) sluggish from fatigue or weakness (In the summer months, the great heat makes people languid and lazy.) larceny ✔ (n.) obtaining another's property by theft or trickery (When my car was not where I had left it, I realized that I was a victim of larceny.) largess ✔ (n.) the generous giving of lavish gifts (My boss demonstrated great largess by giving me a new car.) latent ✔ (adj.) hidden, but capable of being exposed (Sigmund's dream represented his latent paranoid obsession with other people's shoes.) laudatory ✔ (adj.) expressing admiration or praise (Such laudatory comments are unusual from someone who is usually so reserved in his opinions.) lavish ✔ 1. (adj.) given without limits (Because they had worked very hard, the performers appreciated the critic's lavish praise.) 2. (v.) to give without limits (Because the performers had worked hard, they deserved the praise that the critic lavished on them.) legerdemain ✔ (n.) deception, slight-of-hand (Smuggling the French plants through customs by claiming that they were fake was a remarkable bit of legerdemain.) lenient ✔ (adj.) demonstrating tolerance or gentleness (Because Professor Oglethorpe allowed his students to choose their final grades, the other teachers believed that he was excessively lenient.) lethargic ✔ (adj.) in a state of sluggishness or apathy (When Jean Claude explained to his boss that he was lethargic and didn't feel like working that day, the boss fired him.) liability ✔ 1. (n.) something for which one is legally responsible, usually involving a disadvantage or risk (The bungee-jumping tower was a great liability for the owners of the carnival.) 2. (n.) a handicap, burden (Because she often lost her concentration and didn't play defense, Marcy was a liability to the team.) libertarian ✔ (adj.) advocating principles of liberty and free will (The dissatisfied subjects overthrew the monarch and replaced him with a libertarian ruler who respected their democratic principles.) licentious ✔ (adj.) displaying a lack of moral or legal restraints (Marilee has always been fascinated by the licentious private lives of politicians.) limpid ✔ (adj.) clear, transparent (Mr. Johnson's limpid writing style greatly pleased readers who disliked complicated novels.) linchpin ✔ (n.) something that holds separate parts together (The linchpin in the prosecution's case was the hair from the defendant's head, which was found at the scene of the crime.) lithe ✔ (adj.) graceful, flexible, supple (Although the dancers were all outstanding, Jae Sun's control of her lithe body was particularly impressive.) litigant ✔ (n.) someone engaged in a lawsuit (When the litigants began screaming at each other, Judge Koch ordered them to be silent.) lucid ✔ (adj.) clear, easily understandable (Because Guenevere's essay was so lucid, I only had to read it once to understand her reasoning.) luminous ✔ (adj.) brightly shining (The light of the luminous moon graced the shoulders of the beautiful maiden.) lurid ✔ (adj.) ghastly, sensational (Gideon's story, in which he described a character torturing his sister's dolls, was judged too lurid to be printed in the school's literary magazine.) maelstrom ✔ (n.) a destructive whirlpool which rapidly sucks in objects (Little did the explorers know that as they turned the next bend of the calm river a vicious maelstrom would catch their boat.) magnanimous ✔ (adj.) noble, generous (Although I had already broken most of her dishes, Jacqueline was magnanimous enough to continue letting me use them.) malediction ✔ (n.) a curse (When I was arrested for speeding, I screamed maledictions against the policeman and the entire police department.) malevolent ✔ (adj.) wanting harm to befall others (The malevolent old man sat in the park all day, tripping unsuspecting passersby with his cane.) morose ✔ (adj.) gloomy or sullen (Jason's morose nature made him very unpleasant to talk to.) multifarious ✔ (adj.) having great diversity or variety (This Swiss Army knife has multifarious functions and capabilities. Among other things, it can act as a knife, a saw, a toothpick, and a slingshot.) mundane ✔ (adj.) concerned with the world rather than with heaven, commonplace (He is more concerned with the mundane issues of day-to-day life than with spiritual topics.) munificence ✔ (n.) generosity in giving (The royal family's munificence made everyone else in their country rich.) mutable ✔ (adj.) able to change (Because fashion is so mutable, what is trendy today will look outdated in five years.) myriad ✔ (adj.) consisting of a very great number (It was difficult to decide what to do Friday night because the city presented us with myriad possibilities for fun.) nadir ✔ (n.) the lowest point of something (My day was boring, but the nadir came when I accidentally spilled a bowl of spaghetti on my head.) nascent ✔ (adj.) in the process of being born or coming into existence (Unfortunately, my brilliant paper was only in its nascent form on the morning that it was due.) nebulous ✔ (adj.) vaguely defined, cloudy (The transition between governments meant that who was actually in charge was a nebulous matter.) nefarious ✔ (adj.) heinously villainous (Although Dr. Meanman's nefarious plot to melt the polar icecaps was terrifying, it was so impractical that nobody really worried about it.) negligent ✔ (adj.) habitually careless, neglectful (Jessie's grandfather called me a negligent fool after I left the door to his apartment unlocked even though there had been a recent string of robberies.) neophyte ✔ (n.) someone who is young or inexperienced (As a neophyte in the literary world, Malik had trouble finding a publisher for his first novel.) nocturnal ✔ (adj.) relating to or occurring during the night (Jackie was a nocturnal person; she would study until dawn and sleep until the evening.) noisome ✔ (adj.) unpleasant, offensive, especially to the sense of smell (Nobody would enter the stalls until the horse's noisome leavings were taken away.) nomadic ✔ (adj.) wandering from place to place (In the first six months after college, Jose led a nomadic life, living in New York, California, and Idaho.) nominal ✔ (adj.) trifling, insignificant (Because he was moving the following week and needed to get rid of his furniture more than he needed money, Jordan sold everything for a nominal fee.) nonchalant ✔ (adj.) having a lack of concern, indifference (Although deep down she was very angry, Marsha acted in a nonchalant manner when she found out that her best friend had used her clothing without asking.) nondescript ✔ (adj.) lacking a distinctive character (I was surprised when I saw the movie star in person because she looked nondescript.) notorious ✔ (adj.) widely and unfavorably known (Jacob was notorious for always arriving late at parties.) novice ✔ (n.) a beginner, someone without training or experience (Because we were all novices at yoga, our instructor decided to begin with the basics.) noxious ✔ (adj.) harmful, unwholesome (Environmentalists showed that the noxious weeds were destroying the insects' natural habitats.) nuance ✔ (n.) a slight variation in meaning, tone, expression (The nuances of the poem were not obvious to the casual reader, but the professor was able to point them out.) nurture ✔ (v.) to assist the development of (Although Serena had never watered the plant, which was about to die, Javier was able to nurture it back to life.) obdurate ✔ (adj.) unyielding to persuasion or moral influences (The obdurate old man refused to take pity on the kittens.) obfuscate ✔ (v.) to render incomprehensible (The detective did want to answer the newspaperman's questions, so he obfuscated the truth.) oblique ✔ (adj.) diverging from a straight line or course, not straightforward (Martin's oblique language confused those who listened to him.) oblivious ✔ (adj.) lacking consciousness or awareness of something (Oblivious to the burning smell emanating from the kitchen, my father did not notice that the rolls in the oven were burned until much too late.) obscure ✔ (adj.) unclear, partially hidden (Because he was standing in the shadows, his features were obscure.) obsequious ✔ (adj.) excessively compliant or submissive (Mark acted like Janet's servant, obeying her every request in an obsequious manner.) obsolete ✔ (adj.) no longer used, out of date (With the inventions of tape decks and CDs, which both have better sound and are easier to use, eight-track players are now entirely obsolete.) obstinate ✔ (adj.) not yielding easily, stubborn (The obstinate child refused to leave the store until his mother bought him a candy bar.) obstreperous ✔ (adj.) noisy, unruly (Billy's obstreperous behavior prompted the librarian to ask him to leave the reading room.) obtuse ✔ (adj.) lacking quickness of sensibility or intellect (Political opponents warned that the prime minister's obtuse approach to foreign policy would embroil the nation in mindless war.) ✔ (adj.) greatest in importance, rank, character (It was paramount that the bomb squad disconnect the blue wire before removing the fuse.) pariah ✔ (n.) an outcast (Following the discovery of his plagiarism, Professor Hurley was made a pariah in all academic circles.) parody ✔ (n.) a satirical imitation (A hush fell over the classroom when the teacher returned to find Deborah acting out a parody of his teaching style.) parsimony ✔ (n.) frugality, stinginess (Many relatives believed that my aunt's wealth resulted from her parsimony.) partisan ✔ (n.) a follower, adherent (The king did not believe that his rival could round up enough partisans to overthrow the monarchy.) patent ✔ (adj.) readily seen or understood, clear (The reason for Jim's abdominal pain was made patent after the doctor performed a sonogram.) pathology ✔ (n.) a deviation from the normal (Dr. Hastings had difficulty identifying the precise nature of Brian's pathology.) pathos ✔ (n.) an emotion of sympathy (Martha filled with pathos upon discovering the scrawny, shivering kitten at her door.) paucity ✔ (adj.) small in quantity (Gilbert lamented the paucity of twentieth century literature courses available at the college.) pejorative ✔ (adj.) derogatory, uncomplimentary (The evening's headline news covered an international scandal caused by a pejorative statement the famous senator had made in reference to a foreign leader.) pellucid ✔ (adj.) easily intelligible, clear (Wishing his book to be pellucid to the common man, Albert Camus avoided using complicated grammar when composing The Stranger.) penchant ✔ (n.) a tendency, partiality, preference (Jill's dinner parties quickly became monotonous on account of her penchant for Mexican dishes.) penitent ✔ (adj.) remorseful, regretful (The jury's verdict may have been more lenient if the criminal had appeared penitent for his gruesome crimes.) penultimate ✔ (adj.) next to last (Having smoked the penultimate cigarette remaining in the pack, Cybil discarded the last cigarette and resolved to quit smoking.) penurious ✔ (adj.) miserly, stingy (Stella complained that her husband's penurious ways made it impossible to live the lifestyle she felt she deserved.) perfidious ✔ (adj.) disloyal, unfaithful (After the official was caught selling government secrets to enemy agents, he was executed for his perfidious ways.) perfunctory ✔ (adj.) showing little interest or enthusiasm (The radio broadcaster announced the news of the massacre in a surprisingly perfunctory manner.) permeate ✔ (v.) to spread throughout, saturate (Mrs. Huxtable was annoyed that the wet dog's odor had permeated the furniture's upholstery.) pernicious ✔ (adj.) extremely destructive or harmful (The new government feared that the Communist sympathizers would have a pernicious influence on the nation's stability.) perplex ✔ (v.) to confuse (Brad was perplexed by his girlfriend's suddenly distant manner.) perspicacity ✔ (adj.) shrewdness, perceptiveness (The detective was too humble to acknowledge that his perspicacity was the reason for his professional success.) pert ✔ (adj.) flippant, bold (My parents forgave Sandra's pert humor at the dinner table because it had been so long since they had last seen her.) pertinacious ✔ (adj.) stubbornly persistent (Harry's parents were frustrated with his pertinacious insistence that a monster lived in his closet. Then they opened the closet door and were eaten.) perusal ✔ (n.) a careful examination, review (The actor agreed to accept the role after a two- month perusal of the movie script.) pervasive ✔ (adj.) having the tendency to spread throughout (Stepping off the plane in Havana, I recognized the pervasive odor of sugar cane fields on fire.) petulance ✔ (n.) rudeness, irritability (The Nanny resigned after she could no longer tolerate the child's petulance.) philanthropic ✔ (adj.) charitable, giving (Many people felt that the billionaire's decision to donate her fortune to house the homeless was the ultimate philanthropic act.) phlegmatic ✔ (adj.) uninterested, unresponsive (Monique feared her dog was ill after the animal's phlegmatic response to his favorite chew toy.) pillage ✔ (v.) to seize or plunder, especially in war (Invading enemy soldiers pillaged the homes scattered along the country's border.) pinnacle ✔ (n.) the highest point (Book reviewers declared that the author's new novel was extraordinary and probably the pinnacle of Western literature.) pithy ✔ (adj.) concisely meaningful (My father's long-winded explanation was a stark contrast to his usually pithy statements.) pittance ✔ (n.) a very small amount, especially relating to money (Josh complained that he was paid a pittance for the great amount of work he did at the firm.) placate ✔ (v.) to ease the anger of, soothe (The man purchased a lollipop to placate his irritable son.) placid ✔ (adj.) calm, peaceful (The placid lake surface was as smooth as glass.) platitude ✔ (n.)an appearance or action intended to deceive (Though he actually wanted to use his parents' car to go on a date, Nick borrowed his parents' car under the pretense of attending a group study session.) primeval ✔ (adj.) original, ancient (The first primates to walk on two legs, called Australopithecus, were the primeval descendants of modern man.) privation ✔ (n.) lacking basic necessities (After decades of rule by an oppressive government that saw nothing wrong with stealing from its citizens, the recent drought only increased the people's privation.) probity ✔ (n.) virtue, integrity (Because he was never viewed as a man of great probity, no one was surprised by Mr. Samson's immoral behavior.) proclivity ✔ (n.) a strong inclination toward something (In a sick twist of fate, Harold's childhood proclivity for torturing small animals grew into a desire to become a surgeon.) procure ✔ (v.) to obtain, acquire (The FBI was unable to procure sufficient evidence to charge the gangster with racketeering.) profane ✔ (adj.) lewd, indecent (Jacob's profane act of dumping frogs in the holy water in the chapel at his boarding school resulted in his dismissal.) profligate ✔ (adj.) dissolute, extravagant (The profligate gambler loved to drink, spend money, steal, cheat, and hang out with prostitutes.) profuse ✔ (adj.) plentiful, abundant (The fans were profuse in their cheers for the star basketball player.) promulgate ✔ (v.) to proclaim, make known (The film professor promulgated that both in terms of sex appeal and political intrigue, Sean Connery's James Bond was superior to Roger Moore's.) propagate ✔ (v.) to multiply, spread out (Rumors of Paul McCartney's demise propagated like wildfire throughout the world.) propensity ✔ (n.) an inclination, preference (Dermit has a propensity for dangerous activities such as bungee jumping.) propitious ✔ (adj.) favorable (The dark storm clouds visible on the horizon suggested that the weather would not be propitious for sailing.) propriety ✔ (n.) the quality or state of being proper, decent (Erma's old-fashioned parents believed that her mini-skirt lacked the propriety expected of a "nice" girl.) prosaic ✔ (adj.) plain, lacking liveliness (Heather's prosaic recital of the poem bored the audience.) proscribe ✔ (v.) to condemn, outlaw (The town council voted to proscribe the sale of alcohol on weekends.) protean ✔ (adj.)able to change shape; displaying great variety (Among Nigel's protean talents was his ability to touch the tip of his nose with his tongue.) prowess ✔ (n.) extraordinary ability (The musician had never taken a guitar lesson in his life, making his prowess with the instrument even more incredible.) prudence ✔ (n.) cautious, circumspect (After losing a fortune in a stock market crash, my father vowed to practice greater prudence in future investments.) prurient ✔ (adj.) eliciting or possessing an extraordinary interest in sex (David's mother was shocked by the discovery of prurient reading material hidden beneath her son's mattress.) puerile ✔ (adj.) juvenile, immature (The judge demanded order after the lawyer's puerile attempt to object by stomping his feet on the courtroom floor.) pugnacious ✔ (adj.) quarrelsome, combative (Aaron's pugnacious nature led him to start several barroom brawls each month.) pulchritude ✔ (n.) physical beauty (Several of Shakespeare's sonnets explore the pulchritude of a lovely young man.) punctilious ✔ (adj.) eager to follow rules or conventions (Punctilious Bobby, hall monitor extraordinaire, insisted that his peers follow the rules.) pungent ✔ (adj.) having a pointed, sharp quality—often used to describe smells (The pungent odor in the classroom made Joseph lose his concentration during the test.) punitive ✔ (adj.) involving punishment (If caught smoking in the boys' room, the punitive result is immediate expulsion from school.) putrid ✔ (adj.) rotten, foul (Those rotten eggs smell putrid.) Q quagmire ✔ (n.) a difficult situation (We'd all like to avoid the kind of military quagmire characterized by the Vietnam War.) quaint ✔ (adj.) charmingly old-fashioned (Hilda was delighted by the quaint bonnets she saw in Amish country.) quandary ✔ (n.) a perplexed, unresolvable state (Carlos found himself in a quandary: should he choose mint chocolate chip or cookie dough?) quell ✔ (v.) to control or diffuse a potentially explosive situation (The skilled leader deftly quelled the rebellion.) querulous ✔ (adj.) whiny, complaining (If deprived of his pacifier, young Brendan becomes querulous.) quixotic ✔ (adj.) idealistic, impractical (Edward entertained a quixotic desire to fall in love at first sight in a laundromat.) quotidian ✔ (adj.) daily (Ambika's quotidian routines include drinking two cups of coffee in the morning.) remiss ✔ (adj.) negligent, failing to take care (The burglar gained entrance because the security guard, remiss in his duties, forgot to lock the door.) renovate ✔ 1. (v.) restore, return to original state (The renovated antique candelabra looked as good as new.) 2. (v.) to enlarge and make prettier, especially a house (After getting renovated, the house was twice as big and much more attractive.) renown ✔ (n.) honor, acclaim (The young writer earned international renown by winning the Pulitzer Prize.) renunciation ✔ (n.) to reject (Fiona's renunciation of red meat resulted in weight loss, but confused those people who thought she'd been a vegetarian for years.) repentant ✔ (adj.) penitent, sorry (The repentant Dennis apologized profusely for breaking his mother's vase.) replete ✔ (adj.) full, abundant (The unedited version was replete with naughty words.) repose ✔ (v.) to rest, lie down (The cat, after eating an entire can of tuna fish, reposed in the sun and took a long nap.) reprehensible ✔ (adj.) deserving rebuke (Jean's cruel and reprehensible attempt to dump her boyfriend on his birthday led to tears and recriminations.) reprieve ✔ (n.) a temporary delay of punishment (Because the governor woke up in a particularly good mood, he granted hundreds of reprieves to prisoners.) reproach ✔ (v.) to scold, disapprove (Brian reproached the customer for failing to rewind the video he had rented.) reprobate ✔ (adj.) evil, unprincipled (The reprobate criminal sat sneering in the cell.) reprove ✔ (v.) to scold, rebuke (Lara reproved her son for sticking each and every one of his fingers into the strawberry pie.) repudiate ✔ (v.) to reject, refuse to accept (Kwame made a strong case for an extension of his curfew, but his mother repudiated it with a few biting words.) repulse ✔ 1. (v.) to disgust (Antisocial Annie tried to repulse people by neglecting to brush her teeth.) 2. (v.) to push back (With a deft movement of her wrist and a punch to the stomach, Lacy repulsed Jack's attempt to kiss her.) reputable ✔ (adj.) of good reputation (After the most reputable critic in the industry gave the novel a glowing review, sales took off.) requisition ✔ (n.) a demand for goods, usually made by an authority (During the war, the government made a requisition of supplies.) rescind ✔ (v.) to take back, repeal (The company rescinded its offer of employment after discovering that Jane's resume was full of lies.) reservoir ✔ 1. (n.) reserves, large supply (Igor the Indomitable had quite a reservoir of strengh and could lift ten tons, even after running 700 miles, jumping over three mountains, and swimming across an ocean.) 2. (n.) a body of water used for storing water (After graduation, the more rebellious members of the senior class jumped into the town reservoir used for drinking water.) resilient ✔ (adj.) able to recover from misfortune; able to withstand adversity (The resilient ballplayer quickly recovered from his wrist injury.) resolute ✔ (adj.) firm, determined (With a resolute glint in her eye, Catherine announced that she was set on going to college in New York City even though she was a little frightened of tall buildings.) resolve ✔ 1. (v.) to find a solution (Sarah and Emma resolved their differences and shook hands.) 2. (v.) to firmly decide (Lady Macbeth resolved to whip her husband into shape.) respite ✔ (n.) a break, rest (Justin left the pub to gain a brief respite from the smoke and noise.) resplendent ✔ (adj.) shiny, glowing (The partygoers were resplendent in diamonds and fancy dress.) restitution ✔ (n.) restoration to the rightful owner (Many people feel that descendants of slaves should receive restitution for the sufferings of their ancestors.) restive ✔ (adj.) resistant, stubborn, impatient (The restive audience pelted the band with mud and yelled nasty comments.) retract ✔ (v.) withdraw (As the media worked itself into a frenzy, the publicist hurriedly retracted his client's sexist statement.) revel ✔ (v.) to enjoy intensely (Theodore reveled in his new status as Big Man on Campus.) revere ✔ (v.) to esteem, show deference, venerate (The doctor saved countless lives with his combination of expertise and kindness and became universally revered.) revoke ✔ (v.) to take back (After missing the curfew set by the court for eight nights in a row, Marcel's freedom of movement was revoked.) rhapsodize ✔ (v.) to engage in excessive enthusiasm (The critic rhapsodized about the movie, calling it an instant classic.) ribald ✔ (adj.) coarsely, crudely humorous (While some giggled at the ribald joke involving a parson's daughter, most sighed and rolled their eyes.) rife ✔ (adj.) abundant (Surprisingly, the famous novelist's writing was rife with spelling errors.) ruminate ✔ (v.) to contemplate, reflect (Terry liked to ruminate while sitting on the banks of the river, staring pensively into the water.) ✔ (adj.) lithe, serpentine (With the sinuous movements of her arms, the dancer mimicked the motion of a snake.) sobriety ✔ (n.) sedate, calm (Jason believed that maintaining his sobriety in times of crisis was the key to success in life.) solicitous ✔ (adj.) concerned, attentive (Jim, laid up in bed with a nasty virus, enjoyed the solicitous attentions of his mother, who brought him soup and extra blankets.) solipsistic ✔ (adj.) believing that oneself is all that exists (Colette's solipsistic attitude completely ignored the plight of the homeless people on the street.) soluble ✔ (adj.) able to dissolve (The plot of the spy film revolved around an untraceable and water-soluble poison.) solvent ✔ 1. (n.) a substance that can dissolve other substances (Water is sometimes called the universal solvent because almost all other substances can dissolve into it.) 2. (adj.) able to pay debts (Upon receiving an unexpected check from her aunt, Annabelle found herself suddenly solvent.) somnolent ✔ (adj.) sleepy, drowsy (The somnolent student kept falling asleep and waking up with a jerk.) sophomoric ✔ (adj.) immature, uninformed (The mature senior rolled her eyes at the sophomoric gross-out humor of the underclassman.) sovereign ✔ (adj.) having absolute authority in a certain realm (The sovereign queen, with steely resolve, ordered that the traitorous nobleman be killed.) speculative ✔ (adj.) not based in fact (Sadly, Tessa was convicted on merely speculative evidence.) spurious ✔ (adj.) false but designed to seem plausible (Using a spurious argument, John convinced the others that he had won the board game on a technicality.) stagnate ✔ (v.) to become or remain inactive, not develop, not flow (With no room for advancement, the waiter's career stagnated.) staid ✔ (adj.) sedate, serious, self-restrained (The staid butler never changed his expression no matter what happened.) stingy ✔ (adj.) not generous, not inclined to spend or give (Scrooge's stingy habits did not fit with the generous, giving spirit of Christmas.) stoic ✔ (adj.) unaffected by passion or feeling (Penelope's faithfulness to Odysseus required that she be stoic and put off her many suitors.) stolid ✔ (adj.) expressing little sensibility, unemotional (Charles's stolid reaction to his wife's funeral differed from the passion he showed at the time of her death.) strenuous ✔ (adj.) requiring tremendous energy or stamina (Running a marathon is quite a strenuous task. So is watching an entire Star Trek marathon.) strident ✔ (adj.) harsh, loud (A strident man, Captain Von Trapp yelled at his daughter and made her cry.) stupefy ✔ (v.) to astonish, make insensible (Veronica's audacity and ungratefulness stupefied her best friend, Heather.) subjugate ✔ (v.) to bring under control, subdue (The invading force captured and subjugated the natives of that place.) sublime ✔ (adj.) lofty, grand, exalted (The homeless man sadly pondered his former wealth and once sublime existence.) submissive ✔ (adj.) easily yielding to authority (In some cultures, wives are supposed to be submissive and support their husbands in all matters.) succinct ✔ (adj.) marked by compact precision (The governor's succinct speech energized the crowd while the mayor's rambled on and on.) superfluous ✔ (adj.) exceeding what is necessary (Tracy had already won the campaign so her constant flattery of others was superfluous.) surfeit ✔ (n.) an overabundant supply or indulgence (After partaking of the surfeit of tacos and tamales at the All-You-Can-Eat Taco Tamale Lunch Special, Beth felt rather sick.) surmise ✔ (v.) to infer with little evidence (After speaking to only one of the students, the teacher was able to surmise what had caused the fight.) surreptitious ✔ (adj.) stealthy (The surreptitious CIA agents were able to get in and out of the house without anyone noticing.) surrogate ✔ (n.) one acting in place of another (The surrogate carried the child to term for its biological parents.) swarthy ✔ (adj.) of dark color or complexion (When he got drunk, Robinson's white skin became rather swarthy.) sycophant ✔ (n.) one who flatters for self-gain (Some see the people in the cabinet as the president's closest advisors, but others see them as sycophants.) tacit ✔ (adj.) expressed without words (I interpreted my parents' refusal to talk as a tacit acceptance of my request.) taciturn ✔ (adj.) not inclined to talk (Though Jane never seems to stop talking, her brother is quite taciturn.) tangential ✔ (adj.) incidental, peripheral, divergent (I tried to discuss my salary, but the boss kept veering off into tangential topics.) tantamount ✔ (adj.) equivalent in value or significance (When it comes to sports, fearing your opponent is tantamount to losing.) tedious truncate ✔ (v.) to shorten by cutting off (After winning the derby, the jockey truncated the long speech he had planned and thanked only his mom and his horse.) turgid ✔ (adj.) swollen, excessively embellished in style or language (The haughty writer did not realize how we all really felt about his turgid prose.) turpitude ✔ (n.) depravity, moral corruption (Sir Marcus's chivalry often contrasted with the turpitude he exhibited with the ladies at the tavern.) ubiquitous ✔ (adj.) existing everywhere, widespread (It seems that everyone in the United States has a television. The technology is ubiquitous here.) umbrage ✔ (n.) resentment, offense (He called me a lily-livered coward, and I took umbrage at the insult.) uncanny ✔ (adj.) of supernatural character or origin (Luka had an uncanny ability to know exactly what other people were thinking. She also had an uncanny ability to shoot fireballs from her hands.) unctuous ✔ (adj.) smooth or greasy in texture, appearance, manner (The unctuous receptionist seemed untrustworthy, as if she was only being helpful because she thought we might give her a big tip.) undulate ✔ (v.) to move in waves (As the storm began to brew, the placid ocean began to undulate to an increasing degree.) upbraid ✔ (v.) to criticize or scold severely (The last thing Lindsay wanted was for Lisa to upbraid her again about missing the rent payment.) usurp ✔ (v.) to seize by force, take possession of without right (The rogue army general tried to usurp control of the government, but he failed because most of the army backed the legally elected president.) utilitarian ✔ (adj.) relating to or aiming at usefulness (The beautiful, fragile vase couldn't hold flowers or serve any other utilitarian purpose.) utopia ✔ (n.) an imaginary and remote place of perfection (Everyone in the world wants to live in a utopia, but no one can agree how to go about building one.) vacillate ✔ (v.) to fluctuate, hesitate (I prefer a definite answer, but my boss kept vacillating between the distinct options available to us.) vacuous ✔ (adj.) lack of content or ideas, stupid (Beyonce realized that the lyrics she had just penned were completely vacuous and tried to add more substance.) validate ✔ (v.) to confirm, support, corroborate (Yoko's chemistry lab partner was asleep during the experiment and could not validate the accuracy of her methods.) vapid ✔ (adj.) lacking liveliness, dull (The professor's comments about the poem were surprisingly vapid and dull.) variegated ✔ (adj.) diversified, distinctly marked (Each wire in the engineering exam was variegated by color so that the students could figure out which one was which.) vehemently ✔ (adv.) marked by intense force or emotion (The candidate vehemently opposed cutting back on Social Security funding.) veneer ✔ (n.) a superficial or deceptively attractive appearance, façade (Thanks to her Chanel makeup, Shannen was able to maintain a veneer of perfection that hid the flaws underneath.) venerable ✔ (adj.) deserving of respect because of age or achievement (The venerable Supreme Court justice had made several key rulings in landmark cases throughout the years.) venerate ✔ (v.) to regard with respect or to honor (The tribute to John Lennon sought to venerate his music, his words, and his legend.) veracity ✔ (n.) truthfulness, accuracy (With several agencies regulating the reports, it was difficult for Latifah to argue against its veracity.) verbose ✔ (adj.) wordy, impaired by wordiness (It took the verbose teacher two hours to explain the topic, while it should have taken only fifteen minutes.) verdant ✔ (adj.) green in tint or color (The verdant leaves on the trees made the world look emerald.) vestige ✔ (n.) a mark or trace of something lost or vanished (Do you know if the Mexican tortilla is a vestige of some form of Aztec corn-based flat bread?) vex ✔ (v.) to confuse or annoy (My little brother vexes me by poking me in the ribs for hours on end.) vicarious ✔ (adj.) experiencing through another (All of my lame friends learned to be social through vicarious involvement in my amazing experiences.) vicissitude ✔ (n.) event that occurs by chance (The vicissitudes of daily life prevent me from predicting what might happen from one day to the next.) vigilant ✔ (adj.) watchful, alert (The guards remained vigilant throughout the night, but the enemy never launched the expected attack.) vilify ✔ (v.) to lower in importance, defame (After the Watergate scandal, almost any story written about President Nixon sought to vilify him and criticize his behavior.) vindicate ✔ (v.) to avenge; to free from allegation; to set free (The attorney had no chance of vindicating the defendant with all of the strong evidence presented by the state.) vindictive ✔ (adj.) vengeful (The vindictive madman seeks to exact vengeance for any insult that he perceives is directed at him, no matter how small.) virtuoso