GRE&TOEFL

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1.

hone

9.

irrigation

the process of supplying water to land to grow crops

10.

shrine corridor

make perfect or complete

2.

a place of worship hallowed by association with some sacred thing or person

torpid

1.inactive, sluggish, dull, apathetic inert, lethargic, quiescent, sleepy, 2.dormant (v.) - to emphasize, to highlight adj 1. almost accurate or exact 2. inexact; rough; loose: only an approximate fit 3. much alike; almost the same 4. near; close together vb 5. ( usually foll by to ) to come or bring near or close; be almost the same (as)

11.

3. 4.

accentuate approximate

a long, narrow hallway

12.

ice sheet

5.

pinpoint ingenuity principal

v. to say exactly what the facts about something really are cleverness, inventiveness, resourcefulness Most important; main; leading, arch, big, capital, cardinal, central, chief, dominant, first, grand, great, greatest, highest, key, master, number one (also No. 1), numero uno, overbearing, overmastering, overriding, paramount, predominant, preeminent, premier, primal, primary, foremost, prior, sovereign (also sovran), supreme

6. 7.

another name for a continental glacier

13.

paleoecologist

person who finds and indentifies fossils to reconstruct the environment that hominids lived in

14.

glacial

8.

obsidian

devoid of warmth and cordiality

A usually black or banded, hard volcanic glass that displays shiny, curved surfaces when fractured and is formed by rapid cooling of lava

15.

flourish

22.

drought

a long period without rain v. to blossom; to grow vigorously; prosper;to be successful; to make dramatic, sweeping gestures
16. 17. 23.

frigid

paucity arid

an inadequate quantity, scarcity, dearth

24.

aloof, standoffish, distant, frosty, chilly, cool.stiff, chilling, icy,lacking a warm manner; unfriendly,

meteorology

the earth science dealing with phenomena of the atmosphere (especially weather) lacking sufficient water or rainfall,barren,
18. 19. 25.

moisture precipitation saturate tempest serene

balmy chilly

soothing, mild, pleasant, refreshing mildly cold or producing a sensation of cold; causing shivering; chill: a chilly breeze. 2. feeling cold; sensitive to cold: Her hands were chilly. 3. without warmth of feeling; cool: a chilly reply. 4. producing or likely to produce a feeling of fear; frightening: He told a chilly story of ghosts and murder. unpleasantly cool and humid
26.

A small amount of water or other liquid, often in the form of small drops. the falling to earth of any form of water (rain or snow or hail or sleet or mist) to soak thoroughly, fill to capacity; to satisfy fully a violent windstorm usually with snow, rain, or hail

27.

28.

29.

20. 21.

dank dew

(adj.) peaceful, calm; free of emotional upset; clear and free of storm; majestic, grand
30.

vintage voraciously abash

classic; of excellent quality and from a past era greedy, ravenous to destroy the self-confidence, poise, or selfpossession of; disconcert; make ashamed or embarrassed

31.

moisture from the air that forms drops on cool surfaces, water that has condensed on a cool surface overnight from water vapor in the air

32.

33. 34.

abate abdicate aberration abhor abject abnegate abortive abridge absolve geometry statue

decrease, weaken,subside. to step down from a position of power or responsibility n something not typical; a deviation from the standard;mental irregularity or disorder loathe, execrate; despise. Hate, detest, abominate utterly hopeless, miserable, humiliating, or wretched,debasing, degrading; miserable To deny oneself things; to reject; to renounce unsuccessful; fruitless to shorten; to condense; to forgive or free from blame; to free from sin; to free from an obligation the pure mathematics of points and lines and curves and surfaces

51. 52. 53.

stationary compensate planetarium

standing still; not moving adjust or make up for

35.

36.

37.

38. 39. 40. 41.

42.

an optical device for projecting images of celestial bodies and other astronomical phenomena onto the inner surface of a hemispherical dome
54.

43.

flutter

move back and forth very rapidly, to throw into nervous or tremulous excitement; cause mental agitation; confuse.

55.

impose

to set up, or to force something (or oneself) on others; to take unfair advantage of someone, to make an impression on the mind

56.

trial

an attempt or effort to do something. experiment.

a sculpture representing a human or animal

44. 45.

depict twist

represent, portray, describe, delineate V. wrench, wrest, yank, revolve, N. an unexpected event, revelation, or other development
57.

abstinent

abstaining; voluntarily not doing something, especially something pleasant that is bad for you or has a bad reputation revolt,to cause to feel extreme disgust difficult to penetrate extremely hopeless or wretched; bottomless an expression of approval, praise; a special award to approach and speak to first; to confront in a challenging or aggressive way having a sour or bitter taste or character,acrid acerbic criticism

58. 59. 60.

nauseate abstruse abysmal accolades accost acerbic

46.

twist someone's arm not so much as restless overcast

to persuade or coerce someone

47.

rather than uneasy, disturbed, agitated, excited, restive, fretful.

61.

48.

62.

49.

63.

64. 65. 66.

acquiesce acrimonious acumen

assent; agree passively; comply without protest marked by strong resentment or cynicism quickness, accuracy, and keenness of judgment or insight

cloudy, dark, gloomy, dismal

50.

preposterous

absurd; ridiculous; senseless; irrational

67.

corrode

82. 83. 84.

pettiness cataclysm foreshadow caricature

of little importance; trivial disaster, catastrophe to indicate or suggest beforehand; to give a warning of

85.

erode
68. 69.

verify habitat hibernate temperate frost

confirm, prove, certify, testify the type of environment in which an organism or group normally lives or occurs sleep during winter mild; moderate; restrained
86. 87.

70. 71. 72.

exaggerated portrait, cartoon contaminate noxious defile, pollute, taint, infect, poison, corrupt hurtful, unwholesome, unhealthy, nocuous, detrimental, deleterious. corruptive.
88.

nuisance adherent

an obnoxious or annoying person, thing, condition, practice, etc.

89.

the formation of frost or ice on a surface

73.

meadow

an area of level land where grass is grown and usually cut for hay
74. 75. 76. 77. 78.

tawdry profligate parsimonious pedestrian embryonic precocious disinterested

tastelessly showy excessively wasteful; recklessly extravagant stingy, miserly; meager, poor, small ordinary or dull undeveloped; rudimentary; N. embryo: organism in the early stage of development unusually advanced or talented at an early age impartial; unbiased candid, dispassionate, equal, equitable, evenhanded, fair, indifferent, just, nonpartisan, objective, square, unbiased, unprejudiced providing a general overview; summary; N. synopsis
91. 90.

supporter; follower, disciple, devotee, fan, partisan, admonish adroit gauche adulation aphorism instigate conspicuously pronounced to scold gently,rebuke, censure, upbraid; to warn skillful; dexterous; clever; shrewd; socially at ease, deft, apt, adept. maladroit,clumsy, inept; flattery a short pithy saying expressing a general truth; maxim to urge on; to stir up, provoke, start, incite obviously distinct; very noticeable;

92. 93. 94.

79.

80.

95. 96. 97.

81.

synoptic

98. 99. 100.

vicinity optical obscure

a surrounding or nearby region visual 1. doubtful, dubious. mysterious. 4. blurred, veiled. 6. undistinguished, unnoted, unknown. 7. secluded, inconspicuous, unnoticeable, unnoticed. 8. cloudy, dusky, somber. barely, thinly v. to resent another's success; to envy

123.

retinal

101. 102. 103. 104. 105. 106. 107. 108. 109. 110. 111. 112. 113.

sparsely begrudge booze sycophantic escalation verbose celestial disperse elaborate adroit preponderance ludicrous salivate etch solipsistic sectarian facetious disparage milieu satirist cavalier crust

Pertaining to the retina

124.

nucleus

any form of alcohol, especially beer flattering an increase, intensification wordy, very talkative of heaven or the spirit To scatter, spread far and wide complex, detailed, intricate proficient, adept, expert, apt predominance absurd; ridiculous,preposterous,farcical
125.

the core of an atom centaurs

produce saliva, be envious, desirous, eager for, or extremely happy about something engrave believing that oneself is all that exists relating to a religious faction or subgroup; narrow-minded; limited humorous,comical; jocose,jocular; flippant ridicule, discredit, mock, demean, denounce, derogate. the setting, surroundings, environment a humorist who uses ridicule and irony and sarcasm haughty, insolent, arrogant, contemptuous
126.

114. 115. 116.

117.

118.

119. 120.

half man, half horse anguish

121. 122.

torment, woe, agony, suffering the outer layer of the Earth

127. 128. 129.

sadism adulterous trepidation

enjoyment in being cruel describing marital infidelity fear, apprehension, trembling

130.

autopsy litany alibi snobbery roost sabbaticals cul-de-sac

the examination of a corpse to determine the cause of death any long, repetitive, or dull recital an excuse that shows someone was not at a crime scene behavior where one puts down others to perch or settle, especially for the night temporary leaves of absence from an organization, usually at reduced pay

150.

atheist

131. 132.

133. 134. 135.

136.

someone who denies the existence of god

151. 152.

supersede relinquish raise sb.'s hackles ostentatious

replace, take the place of give up; abandon; let go; release; surrender; cede infuriate

153.

blind alley; dead end

137.

154.

retort antiquarian backwater squalor irredeemably baleful blunder cessation upshot frolic scintillating roam warrant

to reply, especially in a quick, sharp, or witty way of or relating to persons who study or deal in antiques or antiquities stagnating or spiritless filth; degradation; sordidness Cannot be bought back or paid off; hopeless. harmful, malign, injurious, detrimental; evil, wicked; deadly,maleficent lapse, faux pas a bringing or coming to an end; a halt the conclusion; result; outcome,windup, play boisterously brilliantly clever wander, rove, gad, drift to justify or deserve
155.

138.

139. 140. 141. 142.

showy, flashy, pretentious, overdone sedition recrimination worn-out limousine Any speech or action that encourages rebellion,insurrection, mutiny,treason, a reply to one charge with a countercharge no longer fit for use

143. 144. 145. 146. 147. 148. 149.

156. 157. 158.

large luxurious car

159.

harness

168.

cosset

control, utilize,bestride, manage, exploit

160. 161. 162.

surmountable homily audacity

Conquerable a sermon, or a moralistic lecture boldness, daring, impudence,nerve, spunk, grit, temerity, foolhardiness.impertinence, brashness.
169.

to coddle, pamper,humor, favor, indulge, ascent

163.

grudge

rise, ascension, upward slope, acclivity, climb, rising, soar dislike, ill will, malice, spite,bitterness, rancor, malevolence, enmity, hatred. envy
164. 170.

flounder deplore simulation verifiable minor grazer alga

struggle and thrash about; proceed clumsily or falter regret; disapprove of an imitation of a possible situation provable lesser An animal that eats low growing grasses or plants

debilitate engulf

weaken, enfeeble, deplete, enervate, devitalize.

171. 172. 173. 174. 175.

165.

176.

to swallow up, overwhelm,devour, flood, inundate

166. 167.

seaweed
177.

insurgent bonhomie

rebel, rioter, revolter, agitator good natured, atmosphere of good cheer

repellent

a chemical substance that repels animals, driving away; disgusting; offensive; repulsive; unattractive; greatness of importance or size

178.

magnitude

179.

postulate

a proposition that is accepted as true in order to provide a basis for logical reasoning, hypothesize, propose profusion, plenty, copiousness, plenteousness a swamp or marsh, get stuck while doing something the branch of morphology that deals with the structure of animals a subtle difference in meaning or opinion or attitude customary; usual; done or caused by habit hesitate, fluctuate, be indecisive or irresolute,totter; stagger.waver; cautiousness respect,reverence

198.

bicker

180. 181.

abundance bog anatomy nuance habitual vacillate wariness veneration grandiose

182.

183.

disagree, squabble, argue, quarrel, haggle, dispute, spar, spat.

199.

184. 185.

dismember

186. 187. 188.

divide into pieces,disjoint, dissect, skeletonize, amputate

200.

novice connoisseur engaging opaque hypochondriacal

beginner, newcomer, tyro, freshman,neophyte,rookie,fledgling,greenhorn critic, aesthete., expert interesting, absorbing, fascinating, alluring,inviting, tempting murky, cloudy, muddy, hazy, foggy, dull, obtuse suffering from hypochondria;chronic and abnormal anxiety about imaginary symptoms and ailments living together in a herd or group; sociable, seeking the company of others sorrowful, plaintive, mournful, sad, lamenting cowardly, dastardly, recreant,contemptibly timid; pusillanimous. dastardly, fearful, timorous. lingerer; loiterer, someone who dislikes people in general belief on slight evidence; gullibility; naivete benign, friendly, favorable, polite. tender, clement, mild, gentle, pleasant; courteous; kindly,affable irritable, peevish, fretful, pettish, touchy. irascible contemptuous, scornful, insolent, jeering,haughty, contumelious. unconcern, indifference, apathy, lukewarmness

201. 202.

impressive; showy; magnificent

189.

prosaic electrify auspicious iconoclastic insipid propagate

ordinary, everyday; vapid, humdrum, tedious, tiresome, uninteresting. stir, rouse, dazzle promising success; propitious; opportune; favorable, fortunate, promising, timely attacking cherished traditions flat, dull, uninteresting,tasteless, bland.

203. 204.

190. 191.

205.

gregarious elegiac craven

192. 193. 194.

206. 207.

208. 209. 210. 211.

laggard misanthrope credulity gracious

produce, increase, breed, multiply,

195. 196. 197.

truculent digress confer

brutal, savage, belligerent, vitriolic turn aside; get off the main topic; deviate to consult; to present as a gift or honor

212.

petulant disdainful nonchalance

213.

214.

215. 216.

gloom diligent

dejection, despondency, sadness. industrious, assiduous, sedulous, energetic, indefatigable, untiring, tireless, unremitting. periodic, recurrent, sporadic, broken representing or constituting an original type after which other similar things are patterned excessive eating or drinking a collection containing a variety of sorts of things delicacy, weakness, fragility.susceptibility, suggestibility. flaw, defect. unable to adjust properly experimental in nature; uncertain, hesitant the distance between two corresponding parts of a wave Electromagnetic waves of frequencies lower than the red of visible light. continuous penetrable, pervious, sievelike, riddled.

229.

gorge

217. 218.

intermittent archetypal

219. 220.

gluttony assortment frailty maladaptive tentative wavelength infrared uninterrupted porous mineral

221.

the passage between the pharynx and the stomach, To eat or swallow greedily, glut, cram, fill.devour,bolt, gulp, gobble. a narrow passage between steep cliffs,defile, ravine, notch, gap,
230.

222. 223. 224.

225.

expediency regimented puritanical formality euphonious furrow indigenous cultivate exotic descent

a regard for what is advantageous or politic rather than for what is right strictly controlled morally rigorous and strict,rigidly austere the rigid observance of rules of convention or etiquette melodious, musical, harmonious, dulcet, sweet. ,tuneful plough autochthonous, aboriginal, natural,native till,train,refine foreign, unfamiliar a downward inclination or slope. decline, grade, declivity; slant. decrease, drop, plunge, lessening, contraction, downturn. derivation from an ancestor; lineage; extraction. ancestry, parentage, origin.

226. 227. 228.

231. 232. 233.

234.

235. 236. 237.

a naturally formed, inorganic solid with a crystalline structure

238. 239.

240. 241.

decent ancestor innate panorama intensity

proper antecedent,forefather, forbear, progenitor, primogenitor congenital,hereditary,inborn scene, vista, prospect. great energy, strength, concentration, vehemence a high or extreme degree

242. 243. 244.

245.

radiate

to emit rays, as of light or heat to project or glow with cheerfulness, joy

269.

oxide yield

any compound of oxygen with another element or a radical produce,furnish, supply, render, bear abandon, abdicate, waive, forgo, give in, comply, bow

270.

246.

transparent

clear, pellucid, limpid, crystalline. manifest; obvious

247. 248.

acoustic chafe

pertaining to sound or hearing to warm by rubbing to irritate; annoy, exasperate, vex, trouble, provoke.

271.

deposit

bank, save, store. lode, vein, pocket.

272.

heuristic

249. 250. 251. 252. 253.

dilute clutter diffuse thaw dialect

weaken, reduce, thin, cut mess, disorder, jumble. scatter,spread, disseminate; disperse melt, defrost, dissolve,fuse tongue,vernacular, jargon,cant, terminology, lingo,
274. 275. 273.

encouraging a person to learn, discover, understand, or solve problems on his or her own, as by experimenting, evaluating possible answers or solutions, or by trial and error to bring out; to call forth,educe; evoke to elicit the truth; to elicit a response with a question.

elicit

alumna aggregate

a female graduate a sum, mass, or assemblage of particulars; a total or gross amount assemble, amass, accumulate, gather.

254. 255. 256.

succinct aerolite equator peel sprout domesticate docile veiled thermal discreetly elevate

pithy, compendious, laconic,terse, meteorite An imaginary line around the middle of the earth strip, pare, skin spring, bud, burgeon, develop,germinate,pullulate, tame obedient, willing, compliant, receptive covered or concealed, muted or unclear,masked; disguised; hidden; obscure pertaining to heat; producing heat; warm cautiously, Tactfully, Prudently lift, hoist,advance, upgrade, dignify,exalt to raise to a higher intellectual or spiritual level:
283. 284. 281. 282. 280. 278. 279. 276. 277.

affluence reimburse contaminate infringe annul

abundance,profusion, recompense, remunerate, indemnify, redress, recoup,refund defile, pollute, taint, infect, poison, corrupt. break, disobey,trespass,contravene,breach.offend abolish; cancel; invalidate,nullify; rescind, repeal. to annul a marriage.

257. 258.

259. 260. 261.

262. 263. 264.

arbitration sue

mediation to institute a process in law against to woo or court. beg, petition, plead, pray. prove, confirm, verify, validate. pardon,forgive ,excuse,remit, By his silence, he seemed to condone their behavior.

substantiate condone

265.

instruct

to furnish with knowledge, teach; train; educate. tutor, coach; drill, discipline; indoctrinate; school,enlighten to furnish with orders or directions; direct; order; command,prescribe

266.

accord

grant; bestow,award harmony

267. 268.

assessment ore

appraisal; evaluation mineral,

285.

refrain

forbear, desist. "Restrain" is a transitive verb: it needs an object. Although "refrain" was once a synonym for "restrain" it is now an intransitive verb: it should not have an object. Here are examples of correct modern usage: "When I pass the doughnut shop I have to restrain myself" ("myself" is the object). "When I feel like throwing something at my boss, I usually refrain from doing so." You can't refrain yourself or anyone else.

298.

pertinacious

persevering,dogged. a pertinacious salesman from whom I could not escape.

299. 300.

credulous rapacious

tending to believe too readily; gullible

286.

restrain vanguard metabolism

bridle, suppress, constrain, restrict, circumscribe, confine, hinder, hamper. leading position The combination of chemical reactions through which an organism builds up or breaks down materials plain; clear; obvious,certain, direct, unmistakable. to find out definitely; learn with certainty or assurance; determine to ascertain the facts.
302.

287. 288.

greedy; plundering; avaricious,ravenous, voracious, grasping; preying.

301.

inhibit

289.

unequivocal ascertain

repress, discourage, obstruct,restrain, hinder, arrest, check suppress, curb prohibit; forbid

290.

pout

291.

untangle

disentangle; unsnarl. straighten out or clear up

292.

kaleidoscope

brood, mope, glower, scowl, sulk.

303.

discreet

prudent; circumspect. decorous a discreet silence.

304.

elated

ecstatic, elevated, enrapt, enraptured, entranced, euphoric, exhilarated, giddy, heady, intoxicated, rapt, rapturous, rhapsodic

a variegated colorful pattern or scene

293. 294. 295.

buffet oscillate erratic

slap, cuff, box, hit, sock, wallop. swing,fluctuate, waver eccentric; queer: erratic behavior. unpredictable, unstable, capricious

296. 297.

aquatic hind

growing or living in or on water at the back or rear,posterior

305.

sullen

314.

discard

black, bleak, cheerless, chill, Cimmerian, cloudy, cold, comfortless, dark, darkening, depressing, depressive, desolate, dire, disconsolate, dismal, drear, dreary, dreich [chiefly Scottish], elegiac (also elegiacal), forlorn, funereal, glum, godforsaken, gray (also grey), lonely, lonesome, lugubrious, miserable, morbid, morose, murky, plutonian, saturnine, sepulchral, solemn, somber (or sombre), gloomy, sunless, tenebrific, tenebrous, wretched
306.

cashier, cast (off), chuck, deep-six, ditch, dump, eighty-six (or 86), exorcise (also exorcize), fling (off or away), jettison, junk, lay by, lose, pitch, reject, scrap, shed, shuck (off), slough (off) also sluff (off), throw away, throw out, toss, unload, dispose of, set aside
315.

assiduous

active, busy, bustling, diligent, employed, engaged, hopping, industrious, laborious, occupied, sedulous, tied-up, working

316.

indigent

specious

beguiling, deceitful, deceiving, deluding, delusive, delusory, fallacious, false, misleading, deceptive shrewd, canny, clear-eyed, clear-sighted, hard-boiled, hardheaded, heady, knowing, savvy, sharp, sharp-witted, smart contemptuousness, despisement, despite, despitefulness, disdain, misprision, contempt acerb, acerbic, acid, acidic, acidulous, acrid, barbed, biting, caustic, corrosive, cutting, mordant, pungent, sardonic, satiric (or satirical), scalding, sarcastic, sharp, smartaleck, smart-alecky, smart-mouthed, snarky, tart applicable, apposite, apropos, germane, material, pointed, relative, relevant, to the point bottomless, boundless, endless, fathomless, horizonless, illimitable, immeasurable, immensurable, indefinite, limitless, measureless, unbounded, infinite, unlimited misrepresent, Her cruelty belied her kind words. angel, foregoer, forerunner, herald, outrider, precursor
318.

307.

astute

308.

scorn

309.

scathing

beggared, beggarly, broke, destitute, dirt-poor, down-and-out, famished, hard up, impecunious, impoverished, poor, necessitous, needful, needy, pauperized, penniless, penurious, povertystricken, skint [chiefly British], threadbare
317.

harbinger

310.

pertinent

311.

unfathomable

312.

belie

313.

tally

census, tale, count

austere

severe, authoritarian, flinty, hard, harsh, heavyhanded, ramrod, rigid, rigorous, stern, strict, tough

319.

conspicuous

arresting, bodacious, bold, brilliant, catchy, commanding, noticeable, dramatic, emphatic, eye-catching, flamboyant, grabby, kenspeckle [chiefly Scottish], marked, noisy, prominent, pronounced, remarkable, showy, splashy, striking dogged, insistent, patient, persevering, pertinacious, persistent antipodal, antipodean, contrary, contradictory, opposite, diametric (or diametrical), polar bad-mouth, belittle, cry down, denigrate, decry, depreciate, derogate, diminish, dis (also diss) [slang], discount, dismiss, disparage, kiss off, minimize, play down, poor-mouth, put down, run down, talk down, trash, trash-talk, vilipend, write off behold, catch, descry, see, distinguish, espy, eye, look (at), note, notice, observe, perceive, regard, remark, sight, spot, spy, view, witness aphoristic, apothegmatic, brief, capsule, compact, compendious, crisp, curt, elliptical (or elliptic), epigrammatic, laconic, monosyllabic, pithy, sententious, succinct, summary, telegraphic, concise, thumbnail circuitous, circumlocutory, diffuse, garrulous, logorrheic, long-winded, pleonastic, prolix, rambling, wordy, windy

330.

decry

bad-mouth, belittle, cry down, denigrate, deprecate, depreciate, derogate, diminish, dis (also diss) [slang], discount, dismiss, disparage, kiss off, minimize, play down, poormouth, put down, run down, talk down, trash, trash-talk, vilipend, write off, dump on blow, brag, bull [slang], crow, gasconade, swagger, vapor, boast boon, clubbable (also clubable), clubby, companionable, extroverted (also extraverted), convivial, outgoing, sociable, social avoid, dodge, duck, elude, eschew, evade, finesse, get around, scape, shake, shirk, shuffle (out of), escape, weasel (out of) backward, bashful, coy, demure, diffident, introverted, modest, recessive, retiring, selfeffacing, sheepish, shy,reclusive

320.

tenacious antithetical

331.

vaunt gregarious

321.

332.

322.

deprecate

333.

shun

334.

withdrawn

323.

discern

335.

armor

324.

terse

325.

verbose

326.

florid aegis (also egis), ammunition, defense, buckler, cover, guard, protection, safeguard, screen, security, shield, wall, ward
336.

rugged

cast-iron, hard, hard-bitten, hardened, inured, hardy, stout, strong, sturdy, tough, toughened, vigorous rugged individualism

bedizened, ornate, fussy, gingerbread, gingerbreaded, gingerbready, overdecorated, overwrought

327.

337.

brittle concave convex inordinate

brickle [dialect], crisp, crispy, crumbly, embrittled, flaky (also flakey), friable, short hollow, dented, depressed, dished, indented, recessed, sunken bulging, cambered, protruding, protrusive, protuberant baroque, devilish, exorbitant, extravagant, extreme, fancy, immoderate, excessive, insane, intolerable, lavish, overdue, overextravagant, overmuch, overweening, plethoric, steep, stiff, towering, unconscionable, undue, unmerciful

338.

equivocal

debatable, disputable, dodgy [chiefly British], doubtable, dubious, dubitable, doubtful, fishy, problematic (also problematical), queer, questionable, shady, shaky, suspect, suspicious cagey (also cagy), disinclined, dubious, indisposed, hesitant (also loth or loathe), reluctant, reticent She was loath to admit her mistakes.

339.

340.

328.

loath

329.

foolhardy

audacious, brash, daredevil, madcap, overbold, overconfident, reckless, temerarious

341.

candor

bluntness, candidness, directness, forthrightness, frankness, honesty, openheartedness, openness, outspokenness, plainness, plainspokenness, plumpness, straightforwardness, unguardedness, unreserve, unreservedness agitate, ail, alarm (also alarum), bother, concern, derail, discomfort, discompose, dismay, disturb, distemper, distract, distress, exercise, flurry, frazzle, freak (out), fuss, hagride, perturb, undo, unhinge, unsettle, upset, weird out, worry decadent, decayed, effete, overripe, washedup,regress opportune, seasonable, well-timed assumed, evident, apparent, ostensive, presumed, prima facie, putative, reputed, seeming, supposed amalgamate, combine, comingle, commingle, commix, composite, concrete, conflate, fuse, homogenize, immingle, immix, incorporate, integrate, interfuse, intermingle, intermix, meld, merge, mingle, mix appetite, hunger, emptiness, famishment, munchies, stomach cold storage, deep freeze, doldrums, dormancy, holding pattern, latency, moratorium, quiescence, suspended animation, abeyance, suspension prorogate, prorogue, recess, adjourn blow, bobble, boggle, bollix (up), boot, bugger (up), bumble, bungle, butcher, dub, flub, fluff, foozle, foul up, botch, goof (up), louse up, mangle, mess (up), muck up, muff, murder, screw up cliff-hanger, hair-raiser, suspenser, thriller assorted, miscellaneous, heterogeneous, indiscriminate, kitchen-sink, magpie, mixed, motley, patchwork, piebald, promiscuous, raggle-taggle, ragtag, varied disport, amuse, entertain, regale, solace remove the fuse of a bomb; reduce or eliminate a threat skin-deep, surface clean, decent, G-rated, chaste, modest, pure, vestal, virgin, virginal nacreous, opalescent, pearlescent appreciable, apprehensible, detectable, discernible (also discernable), distinguishable, perceptible, sensible

359.

muddy

miry, mucky, oozy, slimy, sludgy, slushy make turbid muddy thinking subdue, restrain, or overcome by affecting with a feeling of awe barbarian, barbaric, barbarous, savage, heathenish, natural, Neanderthal (or Neandertal), rude, uncivil, uncivilized, uncultivated, wild austere, authoritarian, flinty, hard, harsh, heavy-handed, ramrod, rigid, severe, stern, strict, tough attentive, considerate, kind, thoughtful I appreciated his solicitous inquiry about my health.

360.

overawe heathen

342.

disquiet

361.

362.

rigorous

343.

degenerate timeliness ostensible

363.

solicitous

344. 345.

364.

bombastic soporific

rhetorical, flatulent, fustian, gaseous, gassy, grandiloquent, oratorical, orotund, windy

346.

blend

365.

347.

belly suspenseful

348.

349. 350.

suspend fumble

drowsy, narcotic, opiate, sleepy, slumberous (or slumbrous), somniferous, somnolent, hypnotic
366. 367. 368.

irresolute moribund shrug off

hesitating, uncertain, unsure, indecisive dying, at death's door blink (at), brush (aside or off), condone, discount, disregard, forgive, gloss (over), gloze (over), ignore, overlook, overpass, paper over, pardon, pass over, remit, excuse, whitewash, wink (at) blench, cringe, quail, recoil, shrink, squinch, flinch augury, auspice, boding, foreboding, foreshadowing, portent, prefiguring, presage, straw in the wind An action taken to destroy something or to prevent it from working properly; to take such destructive action

351. 352.

nail-biter eclectic

353. 354.

divert defuse superficial immaculate iridescent palpable

369.

wince omen

370.

355. 356.

371.

sabotage

357. 358.

372.

blur

becloud, befog, cloud, fog, muddy, obfuscatebecloud, bedim, befog, blacken, blear, darken, dim, dislimn, fuzz (up), haze, mist, obscure, overcast, overcloud, overshadow, shadow, shroud argue, attest, authenticate, bear out, certify, confirm, substantiate, support, validate, verify, vindicate aspersing, blackening, calumniation, slander, character assassination, defamation, defaming, libel, libeling (or libelling), maligning, smearing, traducing, vilification, vilifying commensurable, proportional, proportionate boorish, clownish, classless, cloddish, loutish, uncouth baste, bawl out, berate, call down, scold, chastise, chew out, dress down, flay, hammer, jaw, keelhaul, lambaste (or lambast), lecture, rag, rail (at or against), rant (at), rate, ream (out), rebuke, reprimand, reproach, score, tongue-lash, upbraid alert, cautious, careful, circumspect, conservative, considerate, gingerly, guarded, heedful, safe, wary architecture, armature, cadre, frame, edifice, fabric, framework, framing, infrastructure, shell, skeleton, structure celerity, fastness, fleetness, haste, hurry, quickness, rapidity, rapidness, speediness, swiftness, speed absorb, assimilate, co-opt, embody, integrate articulate, clothe, phrase, express, formulate, put, say, state, word the comments were couched in strong terms

388. 389. 390.

elicit forage intruder submission unleash

educe, evoke, inspire, raise the act of searching for food and provisions break in, chime in, chip in [chiefly British], cut in, interpose, interrupt compliance, conformity, obedience, subordination to free from or as if from a leash to throw, shoot, or set in motion forcefully The editorial unleashed a torrent of angry responses.

373.

corroborate

391.

392.

374.

calumny

393.

spotty

375.

commensurate churlish castigate

376.

377.

aperiodic, casual, catchy, choppy, discontinuous, episodic (also episodical), erratic, intermittent, irregular, occasional, spasmodic, spastic, sporadic, fitful, unsteady
394.

378.

chary

numb boast braggart

asleep, benumbed, dead, insensitive, numbed, torpid, unfeeling glory, credit, crown jewel, honor, jewel, pride, treasure, trophy blower, blowhard, boaster, brag, braggadocio, bragger, cockalorum, cracker [chiefly dialect], gascon, gasconader, swaggerer, vaunter cormorant, gorger, gormandizer, gourmand, hog, overeater, pig, stuffer, swiller monarch, potentate, ruler, sovereign (also sovran) hallowed, holy, inviolable, sacrosanct, unassailable, untouchable arcane, mysterious, deep, enigmatic (also enigmatical), impenetrable, inscrutable, mystic, occult, uncanny drag (out), draw out, elongate, lengthen, outstretch, prolong, extend, stretch turn sharply,break, cut, sheer, veer, yaw, zag, zig referendum to absorb or become absorbed; to make or become similar,analogize, compare, bracket, equate, liken, absolve, acquit, clear, exonerate, vindicate

379.

configuration

395.

396.

380.

velocity

397.

glutton autocrat sacred cryptic

381.

incorporate couch

398.

382.

399.

400.

383. 384.

inhibitor offset

a substance that retards or stops an activity balance, canceler (or canceller), corrective, counter, counteraction, counterforce, counterpoise, counterweight, equipoise, neutralizer, counterbalance aperiodic, casual, catchy, choppy, discontinuous, episodic (also episodical), erratic, intermittent, irregular, occasional, spasmodic, spastic, fitful, spotty, unsteady refill, restock, refresh, restore tiresome and long; seemingly endless
401.

protract swerve plebiscite assimilate

402.

385.

sporadic

403. 404.

386. 387.

replenish interminable

405.

exculpate

406.

epitaph tycoon

A brief statement written on a tomb or gravestone baron, captain, czar (also tsar or tzar), king, lion, lord, mogul, monarch, Napoleon, prince, magnate acolyte, adherent, convert, follower, epigone, liege man, partisan (also partizan), pupil, votarist, votary reversed, transposed, reverse, converse, inverted;opposite; the opposite straying from main point,aside, tangent, divagation, excursion come back, gain, heal, mend, pull round [chiefly British], rally, recoup, recover, convalesce, snap back frequent lawbreaker

422.

incendiary

firebug, arsonist, torch a person who excites factions, quarrels, or sedition : agitator,demagogue (also demagog), exciter, firebrand, fomenter, incendiary, inciter, instigator, kindler, provocateur, rabble-rouser

407.

408.

disciple

423.

unnerve plethora dense minutia specimen uptake soluble

demoralize, emasculate, paralyze, undo, unman, unstring abundance, cornucopia, feast, plenitude, plentitude, plenty, superabundance, wealth compact, crowded, close, jam-packed, packed, serried, thick, tight a small, minor, or trivial detail sample, representative, type, example absorption capable of being dissolved answerable, explainable, explicable, resolvable, solvable

409.

inverse digression recuperation

424.

410.

425.

411.

426. 427. 428.

412. 413.

recidivist reticent sanguine

429.

close, closemouthed, dark, secretive, tightmouthed, uncommunicative confidently optimistic and cheerful
430.

414.

bloody, bloody-minded, homicidal, murdering, murderous, sanguinary, bloodthirsty, sanguineous

415.

arctic

insufferable impertinent

unbearable, insupportable, intolerable, unendurable, unsupportable arch, audacious, bold, bold-faced, brash, brassbound, brassy, brazen, brazen-faced, cheeky, cocksure, cocky, fresh, nervy, impudent, insolent, sassy, saucy, wise facetiousness, flightiness, flippancy, frivolousness, frothiness, levity, lightheadedness, light-mindedness, lightness, silliness baroque, devilish, exorbitant, extravagant, extreme, fancy, immoderate, inordinate, insane, intolerable, lavish, overdue, overextravagant, overmuch, overweening, plethoric, steep, stiff, towering, excessive, undue, unmerciful stain, soil, tarnish, smudge of no importance or relevance especially to a law case bodiless, ethereal, formless, incorporeal, insubstantial, nonmaterial, nonphysical, spiritual, unbodied, unsubstantial,

algid, cold, bitter, bone-chilling, chill, chilly, coldish, cool, coolish, freezing, frigid, frosty, gelid, glacial, ice-cold, icy, nipping, nippy, numbing, polar, shivery, snappy, wintry (also wintery) very small, tiny; a lowercase letter akin, alike, cognate, comparable, connate, correspondent, corresponding, ditto, like, matching, parallel, resemblant, resembling, similar, such, suchlike aye (also ay), consistently, constantly, continually, ever, forever, incessantly, always, night and day, perpetually, unfailingly cut out, displace, displant, relieve, substitute, supersede, replace cornucopian, fat, fertile, fructuous, fruitful, lush, luxuriant, productive, prolific, rich

431. 432.

miniscule analogous

416.

417.

frivolity

433.

invariably

418.

unconscionable

434.

supplant fecundity virus

435.

436.

419. 420.

smear immaterial

421.

inflammable

burnable, combustive, fiery, flammable, ignitable (also ignitible), combustible, touchy

package of nucleic acid wrapped in a protein coat that must use a host cell's machinery to reproduce itself

437.

encase

box (in), cage, closet, coop (up), corral, encage, enclose, envelop, fence (in), hedge, hem (in), house, immure, include, mew (up), pen, wall (in) Argus-eyed, attentive, awake, observant, open-eyed, tenty (also tentie) [Scottish], alert, watchful, wide-awake adverse, bad, baleful, baneful, damaging, dangerous, harmful, detrimental, evil, hurtful, ill, injurious, mischievous, nocuous, noxious, pernicious, prejudicial, wicked viewing the future with anxiety or alarm,capable of understanding or quick to do so ,having awareness or knowledge of something brash, graceless, ill-advised, imprudent, inadvisable, indelicate, injudicious, tactless, undiplomatic, unwise land, light, perch, roost, settle, touch down make free from germs, make incapable of reproduction

450.

subvert

abase, bastardize, canker, cheapen, corrupt, debauch, degrade, demean, demoralize, deprave, deteriorate, lessen, pervert, poison, profane, prostitute, debase, vitiate, warp chain, enchain, enfetter, fetter, gyve, handcuff, manacle, pinion, shackle, trammel fruit, get, issue, posterity, offspring, seed, spawn Their work is the progeny of many earlier studies.

438.

vigilant

451.

bind

439.

deleterious

452.

progeny

440.

apprehensive

453.

strain

lineage, ancestry inherited or inherent character, quality, or disposition <a strain of madness in the family>

441.

ill-advised

454.

versatile

changing or fluctuating readily : variable embracing a variety of subjects, fields, or skills adaptable, all-around (also all-round), protean, universal

442. 443.

alight sterilize arid

444.

455.

frugal intemperance capricious

economical, economizing, provident, scrimping, sparing, thrifty alcoholism, drunkenness, insobriety, intemperateness fickle, changeable, changeful, flickery, fluctuating, fluid, inconsistent, inconstant, mercurial, mutable, skittish, temperamental, uncertain, unpredictable, unsettled, unstable, unsteady, variable, volatile alert, careful, chary, circumspect, conservative, considerate, gingerly, guarded, heedful, safe, wary aberrant, aberrated, abnormal, exceptional, atypical, especial, exceeding, extraordinaire, extraordinary, freak, odd, peculiar, phenomenal, preternatural, rare, singular, uncommon, uncustomary, unique, unusual, unwonted cede, cough up, deliver, give up, hand over, lay down, surrender, render, turn in, turn over, yield excess, extra, redundant, supererogatory, spare, supernumerary, surplus ceaseless, continual, continued, continuing, continuous, nonstop, perpetual, running, unbroken, unceasing, uninterrupted, unremitting

456.

457.

boring, colorless, drab, dreary, drudging, dry, dull, dusty, flat, heavy, ho-hum, humdrum, jading, jejune, leaden, mindnumbing, monochromatic, monotonous, numbing, old, pedestrian, ponderous, slow, stale, stodgy, stuffy, stupid, tame, tedious, tiresome, tiring, uninteresting, wearisome, weary, wearying
445. 446. 447.

458.

cautious

459.

anomalous

flora ceramic woeful

all the plant life in a particular region baked clay, pottery aching, agonized, anguished, bemoaning, bewailing, bitter, deploring, doleful, dolesome, dolorous, funeral, grieving, heartbroken, lamentable, lugubrious, plaintive, plangent, regretful, rueful, sorrowful, sorry, wailing, weeping, mournful to limit or modify the meaning of accelerate, accumulate, appreciate, balloon, boom, build up, burgeon (also bourgeon), climb, enlarge, escalate, expand, gain, increase, multiply, mushroom, proliferate, rise, roll up, snowball, spread, swell, wax
462.

460.

relinquish

461.

superfluous incessant

448. 449.

qualify mount

463.

virtual

almost, for all practical purposes, being something in effect but not actually computer-generated, but real to the senses to gain or regain the favor or goodwill of,appease, assuage, conciliate, disarm, gentle, mollify, placate, pacify to buy back ,to change for the better, to atone for candid, disinterested, dispassionate, equal, equitable, fair, impartial, indifferent, just, nonpartisan, objective, square, unbiased, unprejudiced enlighten, educate, illume, illuminate, illumine, inspire, nurture depending on the will or pleasure of another,dependent on uncertain premises : dubious, characterized by a lack of security or stability that threatens with danger astute, canny, clear-eyed, clear-sighted, hardboiled, shrewd, heady, knowing, savvy, sharp, sharp-witted, smart burlesque, caricature, do, imitate, mock, mimic, send up, spoof, travesty baroque, byzantine, complicate, complicated, convoluted, daedal, elaborate, complex, involute, involved, knotty, labyrinthian, labyrinthine, sophisticated, tangled administer, apply, enforce, implement wisdom, insight, perception, perceptiveness, perceptivity, sagaciousness, sagacity, sageness, sapience fiddling, foolish, unimportant, incidental, inconsequential, inconsiderable, insignificant, little, Mickey Mouse, minor, minute, negligible, nugatory, slight, small, small-fry, trifling, trivial plot, compass, connive, conspire, contrive, intrigue, machinate, put up, scheme a person appointed to represent or act on behalf of others, substitute adversarial, adversary, antagonistic, antipathetic, inhospitable, hostile, jaundiced, mortal, negative, unfriendly, unsympathetic facilitative

479.

censor

bowdlerize, clean (up), expurgate, launder, red-pencil His report was heavily censored.

464.

propitiate

480.

reenact

to repeat the actions of (an earlier event or incident) The group reenacted a famous American Civil War battle.

465.

redeem evenhanded

466.

481.

idiosyncrasy

467.

edify precarious

crotchet, curiosity, eccentricity, erraticism, individualism, kink, mannerism, oddity, peculiarity, quiddity, quip, quirk, singularity, tic, trick, twist Her habit of using "like" in every sentence was just one of her idiosyncrasies.

468.

482.

refute

contradict, disaffirm, disallow, disavow, disclaim, disconfirm, disown, gainsay, negate, negative, deny, reject, repudiate But for every study that shows acid rain is damaging frogs, another one refutes it.

469.

hardheaded

470.

parody intricate

483.

sceptic deduce

chiefly British variant of skeptic, skeptical, skepticism conclude, decide, infer, derive, extrapolate, gather, judge, make out, reason, understand I can deduce from the simple observation of your behavior that you're trying to hide something from me

471.

484.

472. 473.

execute discernment

485.

detain

to hold or keep in or as if in custody, withhold,restrain He claimed he had been illegally detained.

474.

frivolous

486.

abeyance

cold storage, deep freeze, doldrums, dormancy, holding pattern, latency, moratorium, quiescence, suspended animation, suspense, suspension annihilate, cream, destroy, demolish, desolate, devastate, do in, extinguish, nuke, pull down, pulverize, raze, rub out, ruin, shatter, smash, tear down, total, vaporize, waste, wrack, wreck Budget cuts have decimated public services in small towns.

475.

collude surrogate inimical

487.

decimate

476.

477.

478.

conducive

488.

ravage

destroy, devastate, ruin, scourge the ravages of inflation

the claim that the state's long-standing antitax attitude is conducive to entrepreneurship

489.

penchant

affection, affinity, aptitude, bent, bias, bone, devices, disposition, genius, habitude, impulse, leaning, partiality, inclination, predilection, predisposition, proclivity, propensity, tendency, turn a penchant for sitting by the window and staring moodily off into space

497.

brook

abide, absorb, accept, bide [chiefly dialect], bear, countenance, endure, go, hack, handle, meet, pocket, stand, stick out, stomach, support, sustain, sweat out, take, tolerate, wear [British] I will not brook insults from my own employees.

490.

aversion

disgust, distaste, horror, loathing, nausea, repugnance, repulsion, revulsion They regarded war with aversion.

498.

intimate forbear

allude, imply, indicate, infer, insinuate, hint, suggest abjure, abstain (from), forgo (also forego), keep (from), refrain (from), withhold (from) He carefully forbore any mention of her name for fear of upsetting them.

499.

491.

evasive

tending or intended to evade : equivocal <evasive answers> elusive, fugitive, slippery having the same nature, disposition, or tastes ,existing or associated together harmoniously sociable, genial <a congenial host>
502. 500.

492.

congenial

emend quash engender

amend, debug, correct, rectify, red-pencil, reform, remedy to suppress or extinguish summarily and completely <quash a rebellion> beget, breed, bring, bring about, bring on, catalyze, cause, create, do, draw on, effectuate, effect, generate, induce, invoke, make, occasion, produce, prompt, result (in), spawn, translate (into), work, yield abet, brew, ferment, foment, incite, pick, provoke, raise, stir (up), whip (up) illiberal, narrow, Lilliputian, little, narrowminded, parochial, petty, picayune, provincial, sectarian, small, small-minded big, chivalrous, elevated, gallant, great, greathearted, high, high-minded, lofty, lordly, noble, natural, sublime She was too magnanimous to resent all the things others had said to her.

501.

She moved on, leaving behind the world of politics for the more congenial sphere of the arts
493.

transitory

brief, deciduous, ephemeral, evanescent, flash, fleeting, fugacious, fugitive, impermanent, passing, short-lived, temporary, transient, momentary the transitory nature of earthly pleasures

503.

instigate insular

504.

494.

immutable

fixed, hard-and-fast, inflexible, inalterable, incommutable, invariable, unalterable, unchangeable the immutable laws of nature

505.

magnanimous

495.

susceptible

endangered, exposed, open, sensitive, subject (to), liable, vulnerable some people are more susceptible to depression during the winter because of reduced exposure to sunlight

506.

bestow

give, contribute, donate, give away, present, volunteer The university bestowed on her an honorary degree.

496.

intransigence

bullheadedness, doggedness, hardheadedness, obstinacy, mulishness, obduracy, obdurateness, obstinateness, opinionatedness, pertinaciousness, pertinacity, pigheadedness, selfopinionatedness, self-will, stubbornness, willfulness

507. 508.

oblivion vanity

forgetfulness, nirvana, obliviousness amour propre, bighead, complacency, conceit, conceitedness, ego, egotism, pomposity, pompousness, pride, pridefulness, self-admiration, selfassumption, self-conceit, selfcongratulation, self-esteem, self-glory, selfimportance, self-love, self-opinion, selfsatisfaction, smugness, swelled head, swellheadedness, vaingloriousness, vainglory, vainness, complacence

509.

relegate

deport, displace, exile, expatriate, banish, transport The bill has been relegated to committee for discussion.

520.

borderline

being in an intermediate position or state : not fully classifiable as one thing or its opposite <a borderline state between waking and sleeping> In borderline cases like these, the best course of action is difficult to determine.

510.

consign prodigious

send, dispatch, pack (off), ship, shoot, transfer, transmit, transport amazing, astonishing, astounding, awesome, awful, eye-opening, fabulous, miraculous, portentous, marvelous, staggering, stunning, stupendous, sublime, surprising, wonderful, wondrous astronomical (also astronomic), Brobdingnagian, bumper, colossal, cosmic (also cosmical), cyclopean, elephantine, enormous, galactic, gargantuan, giant, gigantesque, gigantic, grand, herculean, heroic (also heroical), Himalayan, humongous (also humungous), immense, jumbo, king-size (or king-sized), leviathan, mammoth, massive, mega, mighty, monster, monstrous, monumental, mountainous, oceanic, pharaonic, planetary, prodigious, super, super-duper, supersize, supersized, titanic, huge, vast, vasty, walloping, whacking, whopping ample, capacious, spacious, roomy atomic, bitsy, bitty, infinitesimal, itty-bitty (or itsy-bitsy), little bitty, microminiature, microscopic (also microscopical), miniature, tiny, minute, teensy, teensy-weensy, teeny, teeny-weeny, wee, weeny (also weensy),petite, fiddling, foolish, frivolous, incidental, inconsequential, inconsiderable, insignificant, little, Mickey Mouse, minor, minute, negligible, nugatory, slight, small, small-fry, unimportant, trivial profuse, galore, gushing, lavish, riotous It was no surprise that spin was more copious than ever during the election campaign.

521.

rear

breed, foster, nourish, nurse, raise, bring up birds rearing their young

511.

522. 523.

optic denote

ocular, visual, optical to serve as an indication of : betoken <the swollen bellies that denote starvation> to serve as an arbitrary mark for <red flares denoting danger> mean, express, import, intend, signify, spell

512.

tremendous

524.

defiance

balkiness, contrariness, contumacy, disobedience, frowardness, insubordination, intractability, obstreperousness, rebellion, rebelliousness, recalcitrance, refractoriness, unruliness, waywardness, willfulness the place where something is situated or occurs : site, location a center of activity, attention, or concentration <in democracy the locus of power is in the people H. G. Rickover> axis, base, capital, central, core, cynosure, epicenter, eye, focus, ground zero, heart, hub, center, mecca, navel, nerve center, nexus, nucleus, omphalos, seat

525.

locus

513. 514.

commodious minuscule

515.

trifling

526.

manifold

divers, multifarious, myriad The benefits of this approach are manifold.

527.

cerebral

of or relating to the brain or the intellect a very cerebral jurist who has given much thought to what makes our nation's constitution work

516.

copious

528.

bind

517.

sparse

exiguous, hand-to-mouth, light, niggardly, poor, scant, scanty, scarce, skimp, skimpy, slender, slim, spare, sparing, meager, stingy beget, breed, bring, bring about, bring on, catalyze, cause, create, do, draw on, effectuate, engender, generate, effect, invoke, make, occasion, produce, prompt, result (in), spawn, translate (into), work, yield allocate, allow, apportion, assign, distribute, lot, allot

to combine or be taken up especially by chemical action <antibody binds to a specific antigen> butt, laughingstock, jest, joke, mark, mock, mockery, sport, target disbelief, nonbelief, unbelief The news of his death was met with expressions of incredulity.

529.

derision incredulity

518.

induce

530.

519.

ration

531.

synchronize

accompany, attend, coexist, concur, cooccur, coincide The dancers practiced until they synchronized their movements.

543.

discomfit

baffle, balk, beat, checkmate, frustrate, foil, thwart constant interruptions discomfited her in her attempt to finish the speech, and she finally gave up

532. 533.

jocular corroborative

clever, facetious, humorous, witty, smart argue, attest, authenticate, bear out, certify, confirm, substantiate, support, validate, verify, vindicate Studies that are wrong will be superseded by better studies with different results. Studies that are right will be corroborated by other good studies.
544.

delude

bamboozle, beguile, bluff, buffalo, burn, catch, con, cozen, deceive, dupe, fake out, fool, gaff, gammon, gull, have, have on [chiefly British], hoax, hoodwink, hornswoggle, humbug, juggle, misguide, misinform, mislead, snooker, snow, spoof, string along, sucker, suck in, take in, trick abase, chasten, cheapen, debase, degrade, demean, discredit, humble, dishonor, foul, humiliate, lower, shame, sink, smirch, take down He felt he had disgraced himself by failing at school.

545.

disgrace

534. 535.

approbation superfluous

approval, blessing, favor, imprimatur, OK excess, extra, redundant, supererogatory, spare, supernumerary, surplus cleared off all the superfluous stuff on his desk to make room for the new computer tantalize reclaim

546.

to torment or tease by showing something desirable while keeping it out of reach to recall from wrong or improper conduct : reform to make available for human use by changing natural conditions

536.

exigency

boiling point, breaking point, clutch, conjuncture, crisis, crossroad(s), crunch, crunch time, Dunkirk, emergency, extremity, flash point, head, juncture, tinderbox, zero hour a brilliant, sudden, and usually highly successful stroke or act an act of effusing unrestrained expression of words or feelings commonality, common denominator, similarity, correspondence, parallel, resemblance, similitude prevent, forestall, head off, help, obviate, preclude, stave off The diplomatic talks narrowly averted a war.

547.

537.

coup effusion congruity

548. 549.

arable outgrowth

fit for or used for the growing of crops a process or product of growing out <an outgrowth of hair> consequence, by-product <crime is often an outgrowth of poverty>

538.

539.

550.

arbiter

540.

avert

a person with power to decide a dispute, adjudicator, judge, arbitrator, referee, umpire The mayor will act as the final arbiter in any disputes between board members.

541.

nonplus

abash, confound, confuse, discomfit, disconcert, discountenance, faze, fluster, mortify, embarrass, rattle acerb, acerbic, acid, acidic, acidulous, acrid, barbed, biting, sarcastic, corrosive, cutting, mordant, pungent, sardonic, satiric (or satirical), scalding, scathing, sharp, smartaleck, smart-alecky, smart-mouthed, snarky, tart She wrote a caustic report about the decisions that led to the crisis.

551.

forfeit

damages, fine, forfeiture, mulct, penalty to lose or lose the right to especially by some error, offense, or crime He forfeited his right to a trial by jury.

542.

caustic

552.

divest

to deprive or dispossess especially of property, authority, or title dispossess, expropriate, oust

553.

regal debase

kingly, monarchal (or monarchial), princely, queenly, monarchical, royal abase, bastardize, canker, cheapen, corrupt, debauch, degrade, demean, demoralize, deprave, deteriorate, lessen, pervert, poison, profane, prostitute, subvert, vitiate, warp

554.

555.

heretical

dissentient, dissenting, dissident, heterodox, iconoclastic, maverick, nonconformist, nonorthodox, out-there, unconventional, unorthodox cut out, displace, displant, relieve, substitute, supersede, replace old traditions that were fading away and being supplanted by modern ways

568.

circumstantial

belonging to, consisting in, or dependent on circumstances <a circumstantial case> <circumstantial factors> pertinent but not essential : incidental The evidence is purely circumstantial.

556.

supplant

569. 570.

dislodge perfunctory

to force out of a secure or settled position apathetic, casual, complacent, disinterested, incurious, insensible, insouciant, nonchalant, indifferent, pococurante, unconcerned, uncurious, uninterested to give a false appearance of : induce as a false impression <feign death> act, affect, assume, bluff, counterfeit, dissemble, fake, pass (for), pretend, profess, put on, sham, simulate, make believe

557.

preeminent

arch, big, capital, cardinal, central, chief, dominant, first, grand, great, greatest, highest, key, leading, main, master, number one (also No. 1), numero uno, overbearing, overmastering, overriding, paramount, predominant, foremost, premier, primal, primary, principal, prior, sovereign (also sovran), supreme The poem is a preeminent example of his work.

571.

feign

558.

topple

overthrow <topple a dictator> slip, stumble, fall, trip, tumble

572.

successive pioneer carnage animosity

back-to-back, sequent, sequential, straight, succeeding, successional, consecutive colonial, colonist, colonizer, homesteader, frontiersman, settler,trailbalazer bloodbath, butchery, massacre, death, holocaust, slaughter enmity, animus, antagonism, antipathy, bad blood, bitterness, gall, grudge, hostility, jaundice, rancor We put aside our personal animosities so that we could work together.

559.

sabotage

destruction of an employer's property (as tools or materials) or the hindering of manufacturing by discontented workers bullheadedness, doggedness, hardheadedness, intransigence, mulishness, obduracy, obdurateness, obstinateness, opinionatedness, pertinaciousness, pertinacity, pigheadedness, self-opinionatedness, self-will, stubbornness, willfulness color, elaborate (on), embellish, exaggerate, hyperbolize, magnify, pad, stretch idleness, laziness, inertia, shiftlessness, sloth black, dark, evil, immoral, bad, nefarious, rotten, sinful, unethical, unlawful, unrighteous, unsavory, vicious, vile, villainous, wicked, wrong an impious act defilement, desecration, blasphemy, irreverence, profanation, sacrilege

573.

560.

obstinacy

574.

575.

561.

embroider indolence iniquitous

576.

562. 563.

attrition

corrosion, erosion, undermining, waste Attrition is high among social workers because of the difficult work and poor pay.

577. 578.

stiffen impair

harden, harshen, strengthen, toughen blemish, bloody, break, compromise, crab, cripple, cross (up), deface, disfigure, endamage, flaw, harm, hurt, damage, injure, mar, spoil, vitiate His memory was so impaired by age that he often forgot where he was.

564.

impiety

565. 566. 567.

trample hoard retrieve

champ, stamp, stomp, tramp, tromp cache, stash, stockpile, store get back, reacquire, recapture, reclaim, recollect, recoup, regain, repossess, retake, recover
579.

haphazard

aimless, arbitrary, catch-as-catch-can, desultory, erratic, random, helter-skelter, hit-or-miss, scattered, slapdash, stray We were given a haphazard tour of the city.

580.

spur

boost, encouragement, goad, impetus, incentive, incitation, incitement, instigation, momentum, motivation, provocation, impulse, stimulant, stimulus, yeast detached, disconnected, separate, free, freestanding, single, unattached, unconnected submit, capitulate, succumb, relent, defer to be fruitful or productive These apple trees yield plenty of fruit this year.

590.

reverberate

echo, reecho, resonate, resound, sound the sound of thunder reverberated from one end of the mountain pass to the other

581.

discrete yield

591.

clamor

howl, hubbub, hue and cry, hullabaloo, noise, outcry, roar, tumult, uproar, vociferation There is growing clamor for reform.

582.

592.

tangle

catch up, enmesh (also immesh), ensnare, ensnarl, entoil, entrap, mesh, net, snare, entangle, trap was at last tangled in the web of lies that he had told to everyone

583.

anecdotal

based on or consisting of reports or observations of usually unscientific observers <anecdotal evidence> cumshaw, bonus, donative, extra, gratuity, gravy, gravy train, lagniappe, perk, perquisite, throwin, tip Profits are distributed to shareholders as dividends.
593.

584.

dividend

adversity

misfortune, ill, knock, misadventure, mischance, mishap, tragedy He showed courage in the face of adversity.

594.

bereave

abate, deprive, divest, strip news of a death in the family bereaved them of the unmitigated joy that normally prevails at a wedding

585.

enigma

closed book, conundrum, mystery, headscratcher, mystification, puzzle, puzzlement, riddle, secret
595.

theatrical

Despite the enigma of the singularity, the big bang theory is unquestionably one of the most successful ideas in the history of science.
586.

dramatic, hammy, histrionic, melodramatic, stagy (or stagey) a politician who has a highly theatrical manner of speaking

rigor

adversity, asperity, hardness, hardship, difficulty

596.

gravity

strict precision : exactness <logical rigor> a scholar known for her intellectual rigor
587.

earnest, graveness, earnestness, intentness, serious-mindedness, seriousness, soberness, sobriety, solemnity, solemnness, staidness the hospital waiting room was filled with the kind of gravity that inevitably accompanies worry

perennial

ageless, continuing, dateless, enduring, eternal, everlasting, immortal, imperishable, lasting, ongoing, abiding, perpetual, timeless, undying The problem ... is inherent and perennial in any democracy, but it has been more severe in ours during the past quarter-century because of the near universal denigration of government, politics and politicians.
597.

poise

balance; especially : to hold or carry in equilibrium <carried a water jar poised on her head> to put into readiness :brace, forearm, nerve, fortify, psych (up), ready, steel, strengthen

588.

archetype

antecedent, ancestor, daddy, foregoer, forerunner, granddaddy (also grandaddy), precursor, predecessor, prototype He is the archetype of a successful businessman.

598.

intimidate

blackjack, bogart, browbeat, bulldoze, bully, bullyrag, cow, hector, mau-mau, strong-arm, pick on He tries to intimidate his opponents.

589.

captious

marked by an often ill-natured inclination to stress faults and raise objections <captious critics> critical, carping, caviling (or cavilling), faultfinding, hypercritical, judgmental, overcritical, rejective

599.

accord

check, agree, answer, chord, cohere, coincide, comport, conform, consist, correspond, dovetail, fit, go, harmonize, jibe, rhyme (also rime), sort, square, tally He was accorded certain favors because of his age.

600.

encourage

to give help or patronage to : foster <government grants designed to encourage conservation> avert, prevent, head off, help, obviate, preclude, stave off

610.

conversion

changeover, metamorphosis, transfiguration, transformation The company is undergoing a conversion to a new computer system.

601.

forestall

611.

rueful

He forestalled critics by offering a defense of the project.

602.

disregard

despise, scorn, flout Some students completely disregard the rules of the school.

aching, agonized, anguished, bemoaning, bewailing, bitter, deploring, doleful, dolesome, dolorous, funeral, grieving, heartbroken, lamentable, lugubrious, plaintive, plangent, regretful, mournful, sorrowful, sorry, wailing, weeping, woeful revengeful, vengeful redress, requite, retaliate, revenge, venge [archaic], get even (for) The brothers vowed to avenge the death of their father.

612. 613.

vindictive avenge

603.

whimsy

bee, caprice, crank, fancy, freak, humor, kink, maggot, megrim, notion, vagary, vagrancy, whim (also whimsey) clarify, clear (up), construe, demonstrate, demystify, explain, explicate, expound, get across, illuminate, illustrate, interpret, simplify, spell out, unriddle colored charts that really help to elucidate the points made in the text

604.

elucidate

614.

codify

assort, break down, categorize, class, classify, compartment, compartmentalize, digest, distinguish, distribute, grade, group, peg, place, range, rank, relegate, separate, sort, type demonstrate, prove, show, establish ancient, primal, early, primitive, primordial primeval forests slowly disappearing as the climate changed

605.

elusive

hard to comprehend or define,evasive, fugitive, slippery The truth may prove elusive.

615. 616.

substantiate primeval

606.

apparition

ghost, bogey (also bogie or bogy), familiar spirit, hant [dialect], haunt [chiefly dialect], materialization, phantasm (also fantasm), phantom, poltergeist, shade, shadow, specter (or spectre), spirit, spook, sprite, vision, visitant, wraith admixture, alloy, blend, amalgamation, cocktail, combination, composite, compound, conflation, emulsion, fusion, intermixture, meld, mix, mixture, synthesis a church that is an amalgam of traditional and modern architectural styles

617.

deviation

deflection, departure, detour, divergence, divagation, divergency, diversion Having juice instead of coffee was a deviation from his usual routine.

607.

amalgam

618.

hieroglyph

608.

stratagem

an artifice or trick in war for deceiving and outwitting the enemy artifice, device, dodge, fetch, flimflam, gambit, gimmick, jig, juggle, knack, play, ploy, scheme, shenanigan, sleight, trick, wile a writing system using picture symbols
619.

landlocked slippery

enclosed or nearly enclosed by land <a landlocked country> furtive, shady, shifty, sneaky, sly, sneaking, stealthy Fish are slippery to hold.

609.

appropriation

allocation, allotment, annuity, entitlement, grant, subsidy, subvention The economy has been weakened by the appropriation of the country's resources by corrupt officials.

620.

621.

revere

adore, deify, glorify, worship, reverence, venerate The family reveres old traditions.

622.

revile taunt

to criticize with harsh language, verbally abuse,vituperate,rail bait, hassle, haze, heckle, needle, ride, tease taunted the newly arrived immigrants about their broken English

632.

adamant

623.

624.

peevish

choleric, crabby, cranky, cross, crotchety, fiery, grouchy, grumpy, irascible, irritable, perverse, pettish, petulant, prickly, quick-tempered, raspy, ratty, short-tempered, snappish, snappy, snarky, snippety, snippy, stuffy, testy, waspish
633.

obstinate, adamantine, bullheaded, dogged, hard, hardened, hardheaded, hard-nosed, headstrong, immovable, implacable, inconvincible, inflexible, intransigent, mulish, obdurate, opinionated, ossified, pat, pertinacious, perverse, pigheaded, selfopinionated, self-willed, stiff-necked, stubborn, unbending, uncompromising, unrelenting, unyielding, willful (or wilful) We've tried to talk him into coming with us, but he's adamant about staying here.

625.

unworldly

aw-shucks, dewy, dewy-eyed, green, ingenuous, innocent, naf (or naif), primitive, simple, simpleminded, uncritical, unknowing, unsophisticated, unsuspecting, unsuspicious, unwary, naive, wide-eyed pass easily, succeed booby trap, catch, catch-22, gimmick, gotcha, hitch, joker, land mine, snag weaken, devitalize, enervate, enfeeble, etiolate, prostrate, sap, soften, tire, waste The virus debilitates the body's immune system.

exonerate

to relieve of a responsibility, obligation, or hardship absolve, acquit, clear, exculpate, vindicate

634.

acquaintance

cognizance, familiarity He seemed cold at first, but on closer acquaintance I realized that he was just shy.

626.

sail through pitfall debilitate

627.

635.

rift incipient

heck, chink, cleft, cranny, crevice, fissure, crack, split aborning, budding, inceptive, inchoate, nascent The project is still in its incipient stages.

628.

636.

637. 629.

freight exorbitant

burden, cargo, draft, load, haul, lading, loading, payload, weight baroque, devilish, excessive, extravagant, extreme, fancy, immoderate, inordinate, insane, intolerable, lavish, overdue, overextravagant, overmuch, overweening, plethoric, steep, stiff, towering, unconscionable, undue, unmerciful d They were charged exorbitant rates for phone calls. the action or process of detaching : separation disinterest, disinterestedness, equity, evenhandedness, fair-mindedness, fairness, impartiality, justice, neutralism, neutrality, nonpartisanship, objectiveness, objectivity

obviate

avert, forestall, head off, help, prevent, preclude, stave off The new medical treatment obviates the need for surgery.

630.

638.

reproach

dishonor, opprobrium, reflection, disgrace, scandal Accusations and reproaches from both parties made it difficult to pursue discussions.

639. 631.

detachment

prompt

beget, breed, bring, bring about, bring on, catalyze, cause, create, do, draw on, effectuate, engender, generate, induce, invoke, make, occasion, produce, effect, result (in), spawn, translate (into), work, yield to serve as the inciting cause of <evidence prompting an investigation>

640.

qualm

a sudden attack of illness, faintness, or nausea a feeling of uneasiness about a point especially of conscience or propriety

641.

monotony

humdrum, monotone, monotonousness, sameness The brief storm was a relief from the monotony of the hot summer afternoon.

654.

plethora

abundance, cornucopia, feast, plenitude, plentitude, plenty, superabundance, wealth A plethora of books have been written on the subject.

642. 643.

octogenarian savor

someone whose age is in the eighties to have experience of : taste to delight in : enjoy <savoring the moment> The team is still savoring its victory. to accustom to accept something undesirable <children inured to violence> to become of advantage <policies that inure to the benefit of employees>

655.

inoffensive imperturbable

anodyne, benign, hurtless, innocent, innocuous, harmless, safe, white unflappable, nerveless, unshakable the chef was absolutely imperturbable even when the kitchen caught on fire

656.

644.

inure

657.

bespeak

indicate, signify <her performance bespeaks considerable practice> Her newest album bespeaks a great talent for writing songs.

645.

condescension ovation extrapolate

voluntary descent from one's rank or dignity in relations with an inferior acclamation, cheer, cheering, applause, plaudit(s), rave(s), rclame conclude, decide, deduce, derive, infer, gather, judge, make out, reason, understand With such a small study it is impossible to extrapolate accurately.

658.

chivalrous

646.

big, noble, elevated, gallant, great, greathearted, high, high-minded, lofty, lordly, magnanimous, natural, sublime cut, adulterate, extend, lace, sophisticate, thin, water down, weaken diluting the quality of our products

659.

647.

dilute

660.

contrived

648.

waggish

arch, devilish, elvish, espigle, impish, knavish, leprechaunish, pixie (also pixy), pixieish, prankish, puckish, rascally, roguish, scampish, sly, tricksy, mischievous, wicked of or relating to the production of very low temperatures foretell, portend augur, bode (also forbode), promise

having an unnatural or false appearance or quality : artificial, labored <a contrived plot> affected, assumed, bogus, artificial, factitious, fake, false, feigned, forced, mechanical, mock, phony (also phoney), plastic, pretended, pseudo, put-on, sham, simulated, spurious, strained, unnatural

649.

cryogenic forebode

661.

clumsy

650.

lacking dexterity, nimbleness, or grace <clumsy fingers> awkward, butterfingered, cack-handed [British], graceless, ham-fisted, hamhanded, handless, heavy-handed, lefthanded, maladroit, unhandy, all thumbs

651.

disarray

chance-medley, confusion, disarrangement, chaos, dishevelment, disorder, disorderedness, disorderliness, disorganization, free-for-all, havoc, heck, hell, jumble, mare's nest, mess, messiness, misorder, muddle, muss, shambles, snake pit, tumble, welter distress, endangerment, harm's way, imperilment, danger, peril, risk, trouble cold storage, deep freeze, doldrums, dormancy, holding pattern, latency, abeyance, quiescence, suspended animation, suspense, suspension

662.

ludicrous

amusing or laughable through obvious absurdity, incongruity, exaggeration, or eccentricity antic, chucklesome, comedic, comic, comical, droll, farcical, hilarious, humoristic, humorous, hysterical (also hysteric), killing, laughable, funny, ridiculous, riotous, risible, screaming, sidesplitting, uproarious

652.

jeopardy moratorium

653.

663.

premeditated

The treaty calls for a nuclear testing moratorium.

characterized by fully conscious willful intent and a measure of forethought and planning <premeditated murder>

664.

evince

bespeak, betray, communicate, declare, demonstrate, display, show, expose, give away, manifest, reveal She evinced an interest in art at an early age.

673.

buttress convoluted

anchor, dependence, mainstay, pillar, reliance, standby involved, intricate <a convoluted argument> <a convoluted explanation that left the listeners even more confused than they were before> baroque, byzantine, complicate, complicated, complex, daedal, elaborate, intricate, involute, involved, knotty, labyrinthian, labyrinthine, sophisticated, tangled

674.

665.

rejoice

crow, delight, exuberate, glory, jubilate, joy, kvell, exult, triumph We all rejoiced over our friend's good luck.

666.

exclaim

blat, blurt (out), bolt, cry (out), ejaculate The children exclaimed with wonder when they saw the elephant.

675.

distort

667.

vestige

(1) : a trace, mark, or visible sign left by something (as an ancient city or a condition or practice) vanished or lost (2) : the smallest quantity or trace echo, ghost, relic, shadow, trace

to twist out of the true meaning or proportion <distorted the facts> Her face was distorted by pain. The story was distorted by the press. bend, color, cook, garble, falsify, fudge, misinterpret, misrelate, misrepresent, misstate, pervert, slant, twist, warp

668.

tailor

acclimate, acclimatize, accommodate, adjust, condition, conform, doctor, edit, fashion, fit, put, shape, suit, adapt I had my suit tailored.

676.

amorphous tepid bucolic placid

formless, shapeless, unformed, unshaped, unstructured halfhearted, lukewarm, uneager, unenthusiastic rural, country, pastoral, rustic (also rustical) collected, composed, cool, coolheaded, equal, level, limpid, peaceful, calm, possessed, recollected, sedate, self-composed, selfpossessed, serene, smooth, together, tranquil, undisturbed, unperturbed, unruffled, unshaken, untroubled, unworried a person with a sunny, placid disposition

677.

669.

tidy

adequately satisfactory : acceptable, fair <a tidy solution to their problem> methodical, precise <a tidy mind> antiseptic, bandbox, crisp, groomed, kempt, orderly, picked up, prim, shipshape, smug, snug, tidied, neat, trig, trim, uncluttered, well-groomed

678. 679.

670.

assertive

disposed to or characterized by bold or confident statements and behavior <an assertive leader> If you want people to listen to your opinions, you'll need to learn to be more assertive. ambitious, aggressive, enterprising, fierce, gogetting, high-pressure, in-your-face, militant, pushy, self-asserting, self-assertive
680.

devoid

bankrupt, bare, barren, bereft, destitute, void the so-called comedy is totally devoid of intelligence, originality, and even laughs

681.

disabuse

to free from error, fallacy, or misconception <let me disabuse you of your foolish notions about married life> disillusion, disenchant, undeceive

671.

conflate

to bring together : fuse confuse, confound, mistake, mix (up) be careful not to conflate gossip with real news
682.

unfeigned

672.

aggravate

irritate, annoy, bother, bug, burn (up), chafe, eat, exasperate, frost, gall, get, grate, gripe, hack (off), irk, itch, nark [British], nettle, peeve, persecute, pique, put out, rasp, rile, ruffle, spite, vex They're afraid that we might aggravate an already bad situation.

not feigned or hypocritical : genuine,heartfelt, sincere She looked at him with unfeigned admiration.

683.

rife

abounding, abundant, awash, flush, fraught, lousy, replete, swarming, teeming, thick, thronging a city government that is rife with malfeasance and corruption

691.

debunk

belie, confound, confute, disprove, disconfirm, discredit, falsify, rebut, refute, shoot down The article debunks the notion that life exists on Mars.

692.

bogus

684.

incongruous

amiss, graceless, improper, inapposite, inapt, inappropriate, incorrect, indecorous, inept, infelicitous, malapropos, perverse, unapt, unbecoming, unfit, unhappy, unseemly, unsuitable, untoward, wrong His outburst seemed incongruous to those who know him well.
693.

artificial, imitation, dummy, ersatz, factitious, fake, false, faux, imitative, man-made, mimic, mock, pretend, sham, simulated, substitute, synthetic The evidence was completely bogus.

obsolete

685.

fortuitous

occurring by chance fortunate, lucky <from a cost standpoint, the company's timing is fortuitous Business Week>

antiquated, archaic, dated, dmod, demoded, fossilized, kaput (also kaputt), medieval (also mediaeval), moribund, mossy, moth-eaten, neolithic, Noachian, outdated, outmoded, outof-date, outworn, pass, prehistoric (also prehistorical), rusty, Stone Age, superannuated false, inaccurate, incorrect, inexact, invalid, off, unsound, untrue, untruthful, wrong choosy (or choosey), dainty, delicate, demanding, finicky, fastidious, finical, finicking, fussbudgety, fussy, nice, old-maidish, particular, pernickety [chiefly British], persnickety, picky He has very exacting standards.

694.

erroneous exacting

686.

fastidious

choosy (or choosey), dainty, delicate, demanding, exacting, finicky, finical, finicking, fussbudgety, fussy, nice, oldmaidish, particular, pernickety [chiefly British], persnickety, picky She was too fastidious to do anything that might get her dirty.

695.

687.

didactic

sermonic, homiletic (or homiletical), moralistic, moralizing, preachy, sententious the poet's works became increasingly didactic after his religious conversion

696.

meticulous

marked by extreme or excessive care in the consideration or treatment of details <a meticulous researcher> careful, conscientious, fussy, loving, painstaking, scrupulous

688.

aside from

apart from, except, bar, barring, beside, besides, but, except for, excluding, exclusive of, other than, outside, outside of, save, saving aside from the C in geometry, he made all A's this term

697.

scathing

bitterly severe <a scathing condemnation> acerb, acerbic, acid, acidic, acidulous, acrid, barbed, biting, caustic, corrosive, cutting, mordant, pungent, sardonic, satiric (or satirical), scalding, sarcastic, sharp, smartaleck, smart-alecky, smart-mouthed, snarky, tart

689.

capricious

ickle, changeable, changeful, flickery, fluctuating, fluid, inconsistent, inconstant, mercurial, mutable, skittish, temperamental, uncertain, unpredictable, unsettled, unstable, unsteady, variable, volatile The court ruled that the punishment was arbitrary and capricious.

698.

thrift

frugality, husbandry, parsimony, pennypinching, providence, scrimping, skimping, economy Through hard work and thrift they sent all of their children to college.

690.

corroborate

argue, attest, authenticate, bear out, certify, confirm, substantiate, support, validate, verify, vindicate <my personal experience does not corroborate your faith in the essential goodness of people>

699.

stingy

cheap, chintzy, close, closefisted, mean, mingy, miserly, niggard, niggardly, parsimonious, penny-pinching, penurious, pinching, pinchpenny, spare, sparing, stinting, tight, tightfisted, uncharitable, ungenerous The company was too stingy to raise salaries.

700.

diffident

hesitant in acting or speaking through lack of self-confidence backward, bashful, coy, demure, shy, introverted, modest, recessive, retiring, selfeffacing, sheepish, withdrawn She was diffident about stating her opinion.

710.

prodigal

extravagant, high-rolling, profligate, spendthrift, squandering, thriftless, unthrifty, wasteful closemouthed, dumb, laconic, reserved, reticent, silent, tight-lipped, uncommunicative a taciturn man, he almost never initiates a conversation

711.

taciturn

701.

convoluted

baroque, byzantine, complicate, complicated, complex, daedal, elaborate, intricate, involute, involved, knotty, labyrinthian, labyrinthine, sophisticated, tangled a convoluted explanation that left the listeners even more confused than they were before

712.

voluble pellucid

characterized by ready or rapid speech : glib, fluent easy to understand crystal, crystal clear, crystalline, limpid, liquid, lucent, clear, see-through, transparent

713.

702.

disquiet

agitate, ail, alarm (also alarum), bother, concern, derail, discomfort, discompose, dismay, disturb, distemper, distract, distress, exercise, flurry, frazzle, freak (out), fuss, hagride, perturb, undo, unhinge, unsettle, upset, weird out, worry we were disquieted by the strange noises we heard outside our tent at night

714. 715.

adolescent onset

teenaged, underage, minor, young attack, assault <withstand the onset of the army> beginning, commencement <the onset of winter>

716.

pertinent

having a clear decisive relevance to the matter in hand applicable, apposite, apropos, germane, material, pointed, relative, relevant, to the point

703.

accede belie

acquiesce, agree, assent, come round, consent, subscribe to give a false impression of,misrepresent to show (something) to be false or wrong
717.

704.

discern

to recognize or identify as separate and distinct : discriminate <discern right from wrong> The reasons behind this sudden change are difficult to discern. behold, catch, descry, see, distinguish, espy, eye, look (at), note, notice, observe, perceive, regard, remark, sight, spot, spy, view, witness

705.

injudicious

brash, graceless, ill-advised, imprudent, inadvisable, indelicate, indiscreet, tactless, undiplomatic, unwise He made several injudicious comments to the press.

706.

penitence

contriteness, contrition, guilt, regret, remorse, remorsefulness, repentance, rue, self-reproach, shame not merciful or forbearing : hard, ruthless <an unsparing satire> <an unsparing critic> authoritarian, authoritative, autocratic (also autocratical), despotic, dictatorial, domineering, bossy, masterful, overbearing, peremptory, tyrannical (also tyrannic), tyrannous an imperious movie star who thinks she's some sort of goddess

718.

betray

to reveal unintentionally <betray one's true feelings> show, indicate

707.

unsparing imperious

719.

intact

708.

untouched especially by anything that harms or diminishes : entire, uninjured After 25 years, their friendship remained intact.

720.

discrete

consisting of distinct or unconnected elements detached, disconnected, separate, free, freestanding, single, unattached, unconnected

721.

economy

thrifty and efficient use of material resources We must learn to practice economy. frugality, husbandry, parsimony, pennypinching, providence, scrimping, skimping, thrift

709.

prolix

circuitous, circumlocutory, diffuse, garrulous, logorrheic, long-winded, pleonastic, wordy, rambling, verbose, windy The speech was unnecessarily prolix.

722.

enmesh

catch up, entangle (also immesh), ensnare, ensnarl, entoil, entrap, mesh, net, snare, tangle, trap deeply enmeshed in the plot

731.

adulation infuriate

worship, deification, hero worship, idolatry, idolization, worshipping (also worshiping) enrage, incense, inflame (also enflame), anger, ire, madden, outrage, rankle, rile, roil, steam up, tick off I was infuriated by his arrogance.

732.

723.

fervent

exhibiting or marked by great intensity of feeling : zealous <fervent prayers> ardent, blazing, burning, charged, demonstrative, emotional, fervid, feverish, fiery, flaming, glowing, hot-blooded, impassioned, incandescent, intense, passional, passionate, perfervid, red-hot, religious, superheated, torrid, vehement, warm, warm-blooded, on fire
733.

venerate

adore, deify, glorify, revere, reverence, worship She is venerated as a saint.

734.

consternation

amazement or dismay that hinders or throws into confusion The candidate caused consternation among his supporters by changing positions on a key issue.

724.

navet

artlessness, greenness, guilelessness, ingenuousness, innocence, naiveness, naivety (also navety) [chiefly British], naturalness, simplemindedness, simpleness, simplicity, unsophistication, unworldliness, viridity cold storage, deep freeze, doldrums, abeyance, holding pattern, latency, moratorium, quiescence, suspended animation, suspense, suspension

735.

pervasive

725.

dormancy

existing in or spreading through every part of something television's pervasive influence on our culture

736.

consummate

some volcanoes have eruptive cycles marked by long stretches of dormancy

726.

of the highest degree <consummate skill> <consummate cruelty> to make perfect Their happiness was consummated when their son was born.

gauge

a measurement (as of linear dimension) according to some standard or system The amount of money one makes is not the only gauge of one's success. The servant tried to gauge his master's mood.

737.

precipitate

to bring about especially abruptly <precipitate a scandal that would end with his expulsion John Cheever> to throw violently : hurl <the quandaries into which the release of nuclear energy has precipitated mankind A. B. Arons> to move or act with violent or unwise speed The budget problem was precipitated by many unexpected costs.

727.

negate

contradict, disaffirm, disallow, disavow, disclaim, disconfirm, disown, gainsay, deny, negative, refute, reject, repudiate The fact that she lied about her work experience negated the contract.

728.

proclivity

an inclination or predisposition toward something; especially : a strong inherent inclination toward something objectionable affection, affinity, aptitude, bent, bias, bone, devices, disposition, genius, habitude, impulse, leaning, partiality, penchant, predilection, predisposition, inclination, propensity, tendency, turn

738.

impostor

charlatan, fake, faker, fakir, fraud, hoaxer, humbug, mountebank, phony (also phoney), pretender, quack, quacksalver, ringer, sham the quality or state of being dainty : fineness fineness or subtle expressiveness of touch

739.

delicacy

729.

arcane

known or knowable only to the initiate

740.

euphemism

the expression so substituted using "eliminate" as a euphemism for "kill"

abstruse, profound, deep, esoteric, hermetic (also hermetical), recondite

730.

cant

secret jargon or slang

741.

circumlocution

the use of an unnecessarily large number of words to express an idea evasion in speech

749.

reconnaissance

a preliminary survey to gain information; especially : an exploratory military survey of enemy territory They did a reconnaissance of the enemy's position.

742.

enthrall

to hold in or reduce to slavery to hold spellbound : charm for years these master magicians have been enthralling audiences with their astounding illusions arrest, bedazzle, catch up, enchant, fascinate, grip, hypnotize, mesmerize, spellbind sedentary
750.

intact

compleat, comprehensive, entire, full, grand, complete, integral, perfect, plenary, total, whole After 25 years, their friendship remained intact.

751.

doing or requiring much sitting not physically active <a sedentary lifestyle> Editing the dictionary is a sedentary job.

743.

opium fickle

an addictive narcotic extracted from seed capsules of the opium poppy capricious, changeable, changeful, flickery, fluctuating, fluid, inconsistent, inconstant, mercurial, mutable, skittish, temperamental, uncertain, unpredictable, unsettled, unstable, unsteady, variable, volatile, up in the air He is a fickle lover. treacherous

744.

752.

disloyal, false, fickle, inconstant, perfidious, recreant, traitorous, faithless, unfaithful, untrue He was cruel, treacherous and unscrupulous. providing insecure footing or support <treacherous quicksand>My memory is treacherous.

745.

fanatic

marked by excessive enthusiasm and often intense uncritical devotion <they're fanatic about politics>
753.

flaccid

<because of her fanatical views, her friends know better than to discuss religion with her> extremist, extreme (or fanatical), rabid, radical, revolutionary, revolutionist, ultra
746.

not firm or stiff; also : lacking normal or youthful firmness <flaccid muscles> lacking vigor or force <flaccid leadership> droopy, limp, floppy, lank, yielding

754.

espouse

salient outmoded

standing out conspicuously : prominent; especially : of notable significance not being in style <outmoded computers that can be recycled> antiquated, archaic, dated, dmod, demoded, fossilized, kaput (also kaputt), medieval (also mediaeval), moribund, mossy, moth-eaten, neolithic, Noachian, outdated, obsolete, out-of-date, outworn, pass, prehistoric (also prehistorical), rusty, Stone Age, superannuated
755.

to take up and support as a cause : become attached to The new theory has been espoused by many leading physicists.

747.

imperious

authoritarian, authoritative, autocratic (also autocratical), despotic, dictatorial, domineering, bossy, masterful, overbearing, peremptory, tyrannical (also tyrannic), tyrannous intensely compelling : urgent <the imperious problems of the new age J. F. Kennedy>

756.

procure

748.

enamor

to cause to feel a strong or excessive interest or fascination usually used in the passive with of or with <baseball fans enamored of statistics>

The CIA believes the group is procuring weapons. acquire, attain, bag, bring in, capture, carry, come by, draw, gain, garner, get, knock down, land, make, obtain, earn, pull down, realize, reap, secure, win

757.

deign

to condescend reluctantly and with a strong sense of the affront to one's superiority that is involved I wouldn't deign to answer that absurd accusation

764.

denigrate

bad-mouth, belittle, cry down, decry, deprecate, depreciate, derogate, diminish, dis (also diss) [slang], discount, dismiss, disparage, kiss off, minimize, play down, poor-mouth, put down, run down, talk down, trash, trash-talk, vilipend, write off No one is trying to denigrate the importance of a good education. We all know that it is crucial for success.

758.

scruple

to show reluctance on grounds of conscience : hesitate a tabloid journalist who has never scrupled to reveal the most intimate details about the lives of celebrities balance, dither, falter, halt, hang back, hesitate, shilly-shally, stagger, teeter, vacillate, waver, wobble (also wabble)

765.

pristine

not spoiled, corrupted, or polluted (as by civilization) : pure <a pristine forest> fresh and clean as or as if new <used books in pristine condition> brand-new, mint, fresh, span-new, virgin, virginal

759.

feigned

affected, assumed, bogus, contrived, factitious, fake, false, artificial, forced, mechanical, mock, phony (also phoney), plastic, pretended, pseudo, put-on, sham, simulated, spurious, strained, unnatural the feigned applause that polite people give after a bad concert

766.

fabricate

invent, create,make, fashion, form, frame, manufacture, produce to make up for the purpose of deception <accused of fabricating evidence>

767.

resuscitate

760.

encumber

to impede or hamper the function or activity of : hinder <negotiations encumbered by a lack of trust> clog, cramp, embarrass, hamper, fetter, handcuff, handicap, hinder, hobble, hog-tie, hold back, hold up, impede, inhibit, interfere (with), manacle, obstruct, shackle, shortcircuit, stymie, tie up, trammel

to revive from apparent death or from unconsciousness; also : revitalize freshen, recharge, recreate, refresh, refreshen, regenerate, rejuvenate, repair, restore, renew, revitalize, revive, revivify she hopes to resuscitate the currently defunct charity organization

768.

flag jockey

761.

detrimental

adverse, bad, baleful, baneful, damaging, dangerous, deleterious, harmful, evil, hurtful, ill, injurious, mischievous, nocuous, noxious, pernicious, prejudicial, wicked there were serious concerns that the factory's waste was detrimental to the local environment

to decline in interest, attraction, or value <flagging stock prices> to deal shrewdly or fraudulently with There was a lot of political jockeying at the fund-raiser.

769.

770.

regiment

762.

ascendancy

ascendance (also ascendence), supremacy (also ascendency), dominance, domination, dominion, hegemony, imperium, predominance, predominancy, preeminence, reign, sovereignty (also sovranty) a book chronicling the ascendancy of fascism in Europe after World War I>\

to organize rigidly especially for the sake of regulation or control <regiment an entire country> She criticized the way the school regiments its students by having strict rules.

771.

decorum

decency, form, propriety high standards of decorum are usually required when attending the opera

763.

resurrect

reanimate, recharge, regenerate, rejuvenate, rekindle, renew, revive, resuscitate, revitalize, revivify, rewake, rewaken The story is about a scientist who claimed that he could resurrect the dead.

772.

riveting

having the power to fix the attention : engrossing, fascinating <a riveting story> absorbing, arresting, consuming, engaging, engrossing, enthralling, fascinating, gripping, immersing, intriguing, involving, interesting

773. 774.

underrate contravene

underestimate, undervalue breach, break, violate, fracture, infringe, offend, traduce, transgress the unauthorized reproduction of the image contravenes copyright laws

782.

recede

to move back or away : withdraw to grow less or smaller : diminish, decrease the flood waters gradually receded

783.

lethargic

775.

grudging

done, given, or allowed unwillingly, reluctantly, or sparingly <grudging compliance> Her theories have begun to win grudging acceptance in the scientific community.

of, relating to, or characterized by laziness or lack of energy : feeling or affected by lethargy : sluggish You'll need to move your lure as slowly as possible to tempt the lethargic fish into feeding... dull, inert, inactive, quiescent, sleepy, sluggish, torpid

776.

errant

straying outside the proper path or bounds behaving wrongly <an errant child> bad, contrary, naughty, froward, misbehaving, mischievous aggrandize

784.

to make great or greater,exalt, canonize, deify, dignify, elevate, ennoble, enshrine, ensky, enthrone, glorify, magnify A country should not aggrandize itself at the expense of its neighbors.

777.

depraved

marked by corruption or evil; especially : perverted He acted with depraved indifference to human suffering. debased, debauched, decadent, degenerate, degraded, demoralized, corrupt, dissipated, dissolute, jackleg, libertine, loose, perverse, perverted, rakehell (or rakehelly), rakish, reprobate, sick, unclean, unwholesome, warped
785.

embellish

color, elaborate (on), embroider, exaggerate, hyperbolize, magnify, pad, stretch He embellished his speech with a few quotations.

786.

jeopardize

adventure, compromise, gamble (with), hazard, imperil, jeopard, endanger, menace, peril, risk, venture His health has been jeopardized by poor nutrition.

778.

allusion

the act of making an indirect reference to something : the act of alluding to something The lyrics contain biblical allusions.
787.

ferret haughty

779.

tout

ballyhoo, blow up, crack up, cry up, glorify, trumpet, tub-thump The company is running advertisements touting the drug's effectiveness.

to find and bring to light by searching usually used with out <ferret out the answers> blatantly and disdainfully proud He rejected their offer with a tone of haughty disdain. assumptive, bumptious, cavalier, chesty, arrogant, highfalutin (also hifalutin), highand-mighty, high-handed, high-hat, huffish, huffy, imperious, important, lofty, lordly, masterful, overweening, peremptory, pompous, presuming, presumptuous, pretentious, selfasserting, self-assertive, sniffy, stiff-necked, supercilious, superior, toplofty (also toploftical), uppish, uppity

788.

780.

crossfire

altercation, argle-bargle [chiefly British], argybargy [chiefly British], battle royal, bicker, brawl, contretemps, controversy, argument, disagreement, dispute, donnybrook, falling-out, fight, hassle, imbroglio, kickup, misunderstanding, quarrel, rhubarb, row, scrap, set-to, spat, squabble, tiff, wrangle viewers tune in to witness the weekly cross fire between the liberal and conservative commentators

789.

enmity

781.

tussle

to struggle roughly,grapple, rassle, scuffle, wrestle The two basketball players tussled for the ball.

animosity, animus, antagonism, antipathy, bad blood, bitterness, gall, grudge, hostility, jaundice, rancor We need to put aside old enmities for the sake of peace.

790.

garrulous

given to prosy, rambling, or tedious loquacity : pointlessly or annoyingly talkative He became more garrulous after drinking a couple of beers. blabby, chatty, conversational, gabby, talkative, loquacious, motormouthed, mouthy, talky

798.

preclude

avert, forestall, head off, help, obviate, prevent, stave off Bad weather precluded any further attempts to reach the summit.

799.

epitome

a typical or ideal example : embodiment <the British monarchy itself is the epitome of tradition Richard Joseph> the golden rule is often cited as the epitome of moral conduct: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you"

791.

excoriate

abuse, assail, bash, belabor, blast, castigate, attack, jump (on), lambaste (or lambast), potshot, savage, scathe, slam, trash, vituperate The candidates have publicly excoriated each other throughout the campaign. coarse

800.

crude or unrefined in taste, manners, or language Don't use such coarse language.

792.

bombast

pretentious inflated speech or writing you need less bombast and more substance in this speech on human rights bluster, brag, braggadocio, bull [slang], cockalorum, fanfaronade, gas, gasconade, grandiloquence, hot air, magniloquence, rant, rodomontade (also rhodomontade) urbane notably polite or polished in manner The dialogue is witty and urbane. debonair, smooth, sophisticated, svelte, suave
802.

801.

dissipation

wasteful expenditure He lived a life of dissipation.

793.

benign

of a gentle disposition : gracious <a benign teacher>

803.

squander

anodyne, harmless, hurtless, innocent, innocuous, inoffensive, safe, white

794.

to spend extravagantly or foolishly : dissipate, waste <squandered a fortune> He vowed not to squander this opportunity. blow, dissipate, fiddle away, fritter (away), lavish, lose, misspend, run through, spend, waste, throw away, trifle (away)

excel

beat, better, eclipse, exceed, surpass, outclass, outdistance, outdo, outgun, outmatch, outshine, outstrip, overtop, top, tower (over), transcend the special effects in this new sci-fi extravaganza excel any that we've seen previously

804.

vagrant

795.

emulate

to strive to equal or excel imitate; especially : to imitate by means of an emulator artists emulating the style of their teachers

having a fleeting, wayward, or inconstant quality <a vagrant impulse> ambulant, ambulatory, errant, fugitive, gallivanting (also galavanting), nomad, nomadic, perambulatory, peregrine, peripatetic, ranging, roaming, roving, vagabond, itinerant, wandering, wayfaring

796.

befuddle

addle, baffle, bamboozle, beat, befog, confuse, bemuse, bewilder, buffalo, confound, discombobulate, disorient, flummox, fox, fuddle, get, gravel, maze, muddle, muddy, mystify, perplex, pose, puzzle, vex most of the applicants were befuddled by the wording of one of the questions on the driving test

805.

implicate

to fold or twist together : enlace, entwine, intertwine [archaic], interlace, intertwist, interweave, inweave, lace, ply, twist, weave, wreathe, writhe to bring into intimate or incriminating connection <evidence that implicates him in the bombing>

797.

presage

augur, call, forecast, predict, foretell, prognosticate, prophesy, read, vaticinate Many investors are worried that the current slowdown could presage another recession.

806.

impel

to urge or drive forward or on by or as if by the exertion of strong moral pressure : force <felt impelled to correct the misconception> actuate, drive, move, propel, work

807.

intent

aim, ambition, aspiration, bourne (also bourn), design, dream, end, idea, ideal, goal, intention, mark, meaning, object, objective, plan, point, pretension, purpose, target, The intent of the law is to protect consumers.

814.

duplicate

to make a copy of <a cell duplicates itself when it divides> clone, copycat, copy, imitate, reduplicate, render, replicate, reproduce

815.

divulge

808.

venerable

calling forth respect through age, character, and attainments <a venerable jazz musician>; broadly : conveying an impression of aged goodness and benevolence <encouraged by the venerable doctor's headnodding> a venerable tradition that colleges have been maintaining for centuries hallowed, revered, reverend, sacred, venerated

bare, disclose, discover, reveal, expose, let on (about), spill, tell, unbosom, uncloak, uncover, unmask, we tried to make him divulge the name of the winner, but he wouldn't budge

816.

prudery demise

moralism, nice-nellyism, prudishness, puritanism check out, conk (out), croak [slang], decease, die, depart, drop, end, exit, expire, fall, flatline, go, kick in [slang], kick off [slang], pass (on), pass away, part, peg out [chiefly British], perish, pop off, step out, succumb not readily ruled, disciplined, or managed <an unruly crowd> balky, contrary, contumacious, defiant, froward, incompliant, insubordinate, intractable, obstreperous, rebel, rebellious, recalcitrant, recusant, refractory, restive, ungovernable, disobedient, untoward, wayward, willful (or wilful)

817.

809.

inopportune

inconvenient, unseasonable He always shows up at the most inopportune times.

818.

unruly

810.

despicable

deserving to be despised : so worthless or obnoxious as to rouse moral indignation <despicable behavior> cheap, cruddy, deplorable, contemptible, dirty, grubby, lame, lousy, mean, nasty, paltry, pitiable, pitiful, ratty, scabby, scummy, scurvy, sneaking, sorry, wretched

819.

interim

811.

adjunct

something joined or added to another thing but not essentially a part of it In "They ate heartily," the word heartily is an adjunct and in "We left at noon," the phrase at noon is an adjunct.

ad interim, impermanent, temporary, provisional, provisionary, provisory, shortterm putting up some students in local motels is obviously just an interim solution to the college's housing shortage

812.

derive

to take, receive, or obtain especially from a specified source Much of the book's appeal derives from the personality of its central character.

820.

resplendent

shining brilliantly : characterized by a glowing splendor <meadows resplendent with wildflowers Outdoor World> a bird with resplendent yellow feathers

813.

tacit

expressed or carried on without words or speech <the blush was a tacit answer Bram Stoker> implied or indicated (as by an act or by silence) but not actually expressed <tacit consent> <tacit admission of guilt> There was a tacit agreement that he would pay off the loan. implied, implicit, unexpressed, unspoken, unvoiced, wordless

821.

complacent

self-satisfied <a complacent smile> complaisant apathetic, casual, indifferent, disinterested, incurious, insensible, insouciant, nonchalant, perfunctory, pococurante, unconcerned, uncurious, uninterested The strong economy has made people complacent.

822.

supersede

cut out, displace, displant, relieve, substitute, replace, supplant Former stars were being superseded by younger actors.

830.

condone

blink (at), brush (aside or off), excuse, discount, disregard, forgive, gloss (over), gloze (over), ignore, overlook, overpass, paper over, pardon, pass over, remit, shrug off, whitewash, wink (at) a government that has been accused of condoning racism

823.

trenchant

vigorously effective and articulate <a trenchant analysis>; also : caustic <trenchant remarks> sharply perceptive : penetrating <a trenchant view of current conditions> cutting, edged, edgy, ground, honed, keen, sharpened, stropped, sharp, whetted
831.

perpetrate

to produce, perform, or execute (something likened to a crime) The men were planning to perpetrate a robbery.

832.

erode

to diminish or destroy by degrees: The shoreline has eroded badly.

824.

plaintive

aching, agonized, anguished, bemoaning, bewailing, bitter, deploring, doleful, dolesome, dolorous, funeral, grieving, heartbroken, lamentable, lugubrious, mournful, plangent, regretful, rueful, sorrowful, sorry, wailing, weeping, woeful We could hear the plaintive cry of a wounded animal in the woods.

833.

obsess

to haunt or excessively preoccupy the mind of <was obsessed with the idea> You need to stop obsessing and just deal with the problem.

834.

subsume

825.

tangential

touching lightly : incidental, peripheral <tangential involvement>; also : of little relevance <arguments tangential to the main point>
835.

to include or place within something larger or more comprehensive : encompass as a subordinate or component element <red, green, and yellow are subsumed under the term "color"> priority of importance <your safety takes precedence> his merchandise order takes precedence because we received it first

precedence

Their romance is tangential to the book's main plot.

826.

spurious

bogus, fake, false, forged, inauthentic, phony (also phoney), queer, sham, snide, counterfeit, unauthentic a spurious Picasso painting that wouldn't have fooled an art expert for a second

836.

crop

harvest <crop trout> to cut off short : trim <crop a photograph>The picture was cropped badly.

827.

devotion

religious fervor : piety the fact or state of being ardently dedicated and loyal <her devotion to the cause> She has cared for the poor with selfless devotion.

837.

intrepid

bold, courageous, dauntless, doughty, fearless, gallant, greathearted, gutsy, gutty, heroic (also heroical), brave, lionhearted, manful, stalwart, stout, stouthearted, undauntable, undaunted, valiant, valorous an intrepid explorer who probed parts of the rain forest never previously attempted

828.

assail

abuse, attack, bash, belabor, blast, castigate, excoriate, jump (on), lambaste (or lambast), potshot, savage, scathe, slam, trash, vituperate politicians assailed by the media

838.

alternate

occurring or succeeding by turns <a day of alternate sunshine and rain> constituting an alternative <took the alternate route home>

829.

berate

baste, bawl out, scold, call down, castigate, chastise, chew out, dress down, flay, hammer, jaw, keelhaul, lambaste (or lambast), lecture, rag, rail (at or against), rant (at), rate, ream (out), rebuke, reprimand, reproach, score, tongue-lash, upbraid there's no need to berate someone for making a mistake during the first day on the job

839.

extemporaneous

(1) : composed, performed, or uttered on the spur of the moment : impromptu <an extemporaneous comment> (2) : carefully prepared but delivered without notes or text ad hoc, ad-lib, down and dirty, extemporary, extempore, impromptu, improvisational, improvised, offhand, offhanded, off-the-cuff, snap, spur-ofthe-moment, unconsidered, unplanned, unpremeditated, unprepared, unrehearsed, unstudied

848.

frantic

emotionally out of control <frantic with anger and frustration> agitated, delirious, distracted, distrait, distraught, frenzied, hysterical (also hysteric), beside oneself They made a frantic search for the missing child.

849.

ameliorate

improve, amend, better, enhance, enrich, help, meliorate, perfect, refine, upgrade trying to ameliorate the suffering of people who have lost their jobs

840.

mundane

characterized by the practical, transitory, and ordinary : commonplace <the mundane concerns of day-to-day life> everyday, nitty-gritty, prosaic, terrestrial, workaday prayer and meditation helped her put her mundane worries aside

850. 851.

decimation intrusive

... busy, interfering, intruding, meddlesome, meddling, nosy (or nosey), obtrusive, officious, presuming, presumptuous, protrusive, prying, pushing, pushy, snoopy Intrusive reporters disturbed their privacy.

841.

stifle

choke, smother, strangle, suffocate Too many regulations stifle innovation.

852.

platitude

banality, bromide, chestnut, clich (also cliche), groaner, homily, commonplace, shibboleth, trope, truism His speech was filled with familiar platitudes about the value of hard work and dedication.

842.

conceal

bury, cache, hide, ensconce, secrete The editorial accused the government of concealing the truth.

853.

labyrinthine

843.

unfold

to open to the view : reveal; especially : to make clear by gradual disclosure and often by recital We'll have more news as events unfold.

of, relating to, or resembling a labyrinth : intricate, involved the labyrinthine politics of Central Europe left us totally befuddled baroque, byzantine, complicate, complicated, convoluted, daedal, elaborate, intricate, involute, involved, knotty, labyrinthian, complex, sophisticated, tangled

844. 845. 846.

incongruity quirky finicky

dichotomy, contradiction, paradox unusual; strange; odd; eccentric extremely or excessively particular, exacting, or meticulous in taste or standards <a finicky eater> choosy (or choosey), dainty, delicate, demanding, exacting, fastidious, finical, finicking, fussbudgety, fussy, nice, oldmaidish, particular, pernickety [chiefly British], persnickety, picky
854.

foil poignant

to prevent from attaining an end : defeat <always able to foil her enemies> affecting, emotional, impactful, impressive, moving, stirring, touching a poignant story of a love affair that ends in tragedy

855.

847.

enervate

to reduce the mental or moral vigor of a lifetime of working in dreary jobs had enervated his very soul castrate, damp, dampen, deaden, desiccate, devitalize, dehydrate, geld, lobotomize, petrify

856.

gallantry

bottle [British slang], bravery, courageousness, daring, daringness, dauntlessness, doughtiness, fearlessness, courage, greatheartedness, guts, gutsiness, hardihood, heart, heroism, intestinal fortitude, intrepidity, intrepidness, moxie, nerve, pecker [chiefly British], prowess, stoutness, valor, virtue Many women were charmed by his oldfashioned gallantry.

862.

culmination

acme, apex, apogee, capstone, climax, crescendo, crest, crown, height, head, high noon, high tide, high-water mark, meridian, ne plus ultra, noon, noontime, peak, pinnacle, sum, summit, tip-top, top, zenith to be about to occur for confirmed pessimists some disaster always seems to be impending

863.

impend

864.

perpetuate

857.

fatuous

complacently or inanely foolish : silly <a fatuous remark> airheaded, birdbrained, bonehead, boneheaded, brain-dead, brainless, bubbleheaded, chuckleheaded, dense, dim, dim-witted, doltish, dopey (also dopy), dorky [slang], dull, dumb, dunderheaded, emptyheaded, stupid, gormless [chiefly British], half-witted, knuckleheaded, lamebrain (or lamebrained), lunkheaded, mindless, oafish, obtuse, opaque, pinheaded, senseless, simple, slow, slow-witted, soft, softheaded, thick, thickheaded, thick-witted, unintelligent, unsmart, vacuous, weak-minded, witless
865.

to make perpetual or cause to last indefinitely <perpetuate the species> eternalize, immortalize

ossify stratagem

to become hardened or conventional and opposed to change artifice, device, dodge, fetch, flimflam, gambit, gimmick, jig, juggle, knack, play, ploy, scheme, shenanigan, sleight, trick, wile tried various stratagems to get the cat into the carrier, but the feisty feline was wise to them all

866.

867.

tractable

amenable, biddable, compliant, conformable, docile, law-abiding, submissive, obedient This new approach should make the problem more tractable.

858.

idolatry

adulation, deification, hero worship, worship, idolization, worshipping (also worshiping)

868.

overhaul

859.

confidential

private, secret <confidential information> entrusted with confidences behind-the-scenes, private, esoteric, hushed, hush-hush, inside, intimate, nonpublic, privy, secret

(1) : repair (2) : to renovate, remake, revise, or renew thoroughly Lawmakers are overhauling the welfare program.

869.

calibrate

to measure precisely; especially : to measure against a standard carefully calibrate the dosage of a medicine

860.

candid

free from bias, prejudice, or malice : fair <a candid observer> He was quite candid about his past. frank, direct, forthcoming, forthright, foursquare, freehearted, free-spoken, honest, open, openhearted, out-front, outspoken, plain, plainspoken, straight, straightforward, unguarded, unreserved, up-front
870.

ferocious

exhibiting or given to extreme fierceness and unrestrained violence and brutality <a ferocious predator> The competition among the students was ferocious. acute, almighty, blistering, deep, dreadful, excruciating, explosive, exquisite, fearful, fearsome, intense, fierce, frightful, furious, ghastly, hard, heavy, heavy-duty, hellacious, intensive, keen, profound, terrible, vehement, vicious, violent

861.

idiosyncrasy

a peculiarity of constitution or temperament : an individualizing characteristic or quality crotchet, curiosity, eccentricity, erraticism, individualism, kink, mannerism, oddity, peculiarity, quiddity, quip, quirk, singularity, tic, trick, twist

871.

ameliorate

to make better or more tolerable; improve, amend, better, enhance, enrich, help, meliorate, perfect, refine, upgrade trying to ameliorate the suffering of people who have lost their jobs This medicine should help ameliorate the pain.

878.

obsequious

characterized by or showing servile complaisance or deference; fawning: an obsequious bow. servilely compliant or deferential: obsequious servants. obedient; dutiful.

872.

eradicate

to do away with as completely as if by pulling up by the roots <programs to eradicate illiteracy> His ambition is to eradicate poverty in his community. abolish, black out, blot out, cancel, clean (up), efface, annihilate, erase, expunge, exterminate, extirpate, liquidate, obliterate, root (out), rub out, snuff (out), stamp (out), sweep (away), wipe out

879.

primitive

not derived : original, primary assumed as a basis; especially : axiomatic <primitive concepts> belonging to or characteristic of an early stage of development : crude, rudimentary <primitive technology> elemental, natural <our primitive feelings of vengeance John Mackwood> self-taught, untutored <primitive craftsmen>

873.

evoke

to bring to mind or recollection <this place evokes memories>elicit, educe, inspire, raise His photographs evoke the isolation and solitude of the desert.`
880.

instinctive

874.

flout

despise, disregard, scorn Despite repeated warnings, they have continued to flout the law.

prompted by natural instinct or propensity : arising spontaneously <an instinctive fear of innovation V. L. Parrington> the instinctive reaction of a mother is to protect her children automatic, instinctual, involuntary, kneejerk, mechanic, mechanical, robotic, spontaneous

875.

embody

to make concrete and perceptible they must embody their ideas in substantial institutions if they are to survive
881.

876.

cunning

dexterous or crafty in the use of special resources (as skill or knowledge) or in attaining an end <a cunning plotter> displaying keen insight <a cunning observation> prettily appealing : cute <a cunning little kitten> characterized by wiliness and trickery <cunning schemes>

transient

passing especially quickly into and out of existence : transitory <transient beauty> <had transient thoughts of suicide but never acted upon them> brief, deciduous, ephemeral, evanescent, flash, fleeting, fugacious, fugitive, impermanent, passing, short-lived, temporary, momentary, transitory

882.

complementary

877.

parable

a usually short fictitious story that illustrates a moral attitude or a religious principle;apologue, fable, allegory He told the children a parable about the importance of forgiveness.
883.

correlative, reciprocal, supplemental, supplementary My spouse and I have complementary goals.

dictate

to speak or act domineeringly : prescribe call, decree, command, direct, mandate, ordain, order Tradition dictates that the youngest member should go first.

884.

virtuosity

great technical skill (as in the practice of a fine art) Her virtuosity on the piano is amazing.

894.

valiant

possessing or acting with bravery or boldness : courageous <valiant soldiers> She died last year after a valiant battle with cancer. bold, courageous, dauntless, doughty, fearless, gallant, greathearted, gutsy, gutty, heroic (also heroical), intrepid, lionhearted, manful, stalwart, stout, stouthearted, undauntable, undaunted, brave, valorous

885.

alleviate

allay, help, assuage, ease, mitigate, mollify, palliate, relieve, soothe finding ways to alleviate stress

886.

ordeal

a severe trial or experience the hikers were finally rescued after a threeday ordeal in the wilderness breach

895.

887.

unscathed

wholly unharmed : not injured The administration was left relatively unscathed by the scandal.
896.

break, violate, contravene, fracture, infringe, offend, traduce, transgress<breach an agreement> The army breached the castle wall.

888.

revert

retrogress, return, regress He advocated reverting to old ways.

897.

surmise innocuous

a thought or idea based on scanty evidence : conjecture, guess, shot, supposition, anodyne, benign, hurtless, innocent, harmless, inoffensive, safe, white those innocuous lies we must tell every day if society is to remain civil

889.

petulant

characterized by temporary or capricious ill humor : peevish choleric, crabby, cranky, cross, crotchety, fiery, grouchy, grumpy, irascible, peevish, perverse, pettish, irritable, prickly, quicktempered, raspy, ratty, short-tempered, snappish, snappy, snarky, snippety, snippy, stuffy, testy, waspish a petulant and fussy man who is always blaming everyone else for his problems repudiate

898.

contradict, disaffirm, disallow, disavow, disclaim, disconfirm, disown, gainsay, negate, negative, refute, reject, deny a generation that has repudiated the values of the past

899.

remuneration

890.

modulate presumptuous

to adjust to or keep in proper measure or proportion : temper overstepping due bounds (as of propriety or courtesy) : taking liberties
900.

something that remunerates : recompense, pay,disbursement, giving, paying, remitment, remittance, payment She was given generous remunerations for her work.

891.

statute

it's a little presumptuous of you to assume that I'm your new best friend just because I invited you along
892.

a law enacted by the legislative branch of a government,act, bill, constitution, enactment, ordinance, law business practices that are prohibited by statute

valedictory

expressing or containing a farewell a valedictory address given by the college president upon his retirement He received a very warm valedictory for his long career.
901.

futile

893.

gloss

a surface luster or brightness : shine a deceptively attractive appearance <selfishness that had a gloss of humanitarianism about it> elate

abortive, barren, bootless, empty, fruitless, ineffective, ineffectual, inefficacious, otiose, profitless, unavailing, unproductive, unprofitable, unsuccessful, useless, vain, in vain, no dice, not worth the candle, of no avail All our efforts proved futile.

902.

elevate, enrapture, exhilarate, intoxicate, transport The discovery has elated researchers.

903.

martinet

a strict disciplinarian a person who stresses a rigid adherence to the details of forms and methods

909.

smug

highly self-satisfied It's OK to celebrate your success, but try not to be too smug about it. assured, biggety (or biggity) [Southern & Midland], bigheaded, complacent, consequential, egoistic (also egoistical), egotistic (or egotistical), important, overweening, pompous, prideful, proud, selfconceited, self-important, self-opinionated, self-satisfied, conceited, stuck-up, swellheaded, vain, vainglorious

904.

acolyte

one who attends or assists : follower, adherent, convert, disciple, epigone, liege man, partisan (also partizan), pupil, votarist, votary characterized by ungovernable excitement or frenzy : frantic <a maniacal mob> balmy, barmy [chiefly British], bats, batty, bedlam, bonkers, brainsick, bughouse [slang], certifiable, crackbrained, cracked, crackers, crackpot, cranky [dialect], crazed, crazy, cuckoo, daffy, daft, demented, deranged, fruity [slang], gaga, haywire, kooky (also kookie), loco [slang], loony (also looney), loony tunes (or looney tunes), lunatic, mad, insane (also maniac), mental, meshuga (or meshugge also meshugah or meshuggah), moonstruck, non compos mentis, nuts, nutty, psycho, psychotic, scatty [chiefly British], screwy, unbalanced, unhinged, unsound, wacko (also whacko), wacky (also whacky), wud [chiefly Scottish]

905.

maniacal

910.

fickle

capricious, changeable, changeful, flickery, fluctuating, fluid, inconsistent, inconstant, mercurial, mutable, skittish, temperamental, uncertain, unpredictable, unsettled, unstable, unsteady, variable, volatile, up in the air He blames poor sales on fickle consumers.

911.

hunch

a strong intuitive feeling concerning especially a future event or result "How did you know I'd be here?" "It was just a hunch."

906.

excess

undue or immoderate indulgence : intemperance; also : an act or instance of intemperance <prevent excesses and abuses by newly created local powers Albert Shanker> bellyful, fat, overabundance, overage, overflow, overkill, overmuch, overplus, oversupply, plethora, plus, redundancy, superabundance, superfluity, surfeit, surplus, surplusage

912.

reassure

to restore to confidence <felt reassured by their earnest promise to do better> Experts reassured the public that the accident wouldn't happen again.

913.

trepidation

a nervous or fearful feeling of uncertain agitation : apprehension <trepidation about starting a new job> alarm (also alarum), anxiety, dread, fearfulness, fright, horror, panic, scare, terror, fear

907.

sordid

bedraggled, befouled, begrimed, bemired, besmirched, black, blackened, cruddy, dingy, draggled, dusty, filthy, foul, grimy, grotty [chiefly British], grubby, grungy, mucky, muddy, nasty, smudged, smutty, soiled, dirty, stained, sullied, unclean, uncleanly He shared the sordid details of his past.

914.

endear majestic

to cause to become beloved or admired <her generosity has endeared her to the public> classy, courtly, fine, graceful, handsome, elegant, refined, stately, tasteful a majestic Egyptian pyramid that has enthralled travelers for aeons

915.

908.

cognizance

knowledge, awareness <had no cognizance of the situation> jurisdiction, responsibility

916.

apprise

advertence, advertency, awareness, attention, consciousness, ear, eye, heed, knowledge, mindfulness, note, notice, observance, observation

to give notice to : acquaint, advise, enlighten, brief, catch up, clear, clue (in), familiarize, fill in, hip, inform, instruct, tell, verse, wise (up) let me apprise you of the current situation

917.

withheld

to hold back from action : check forbear, refrain <withhold from commenting> decline, disallow, disapprove, negative, nix, refuse, reject, reprobate, deny

924.

vitriol

something felt to resemble vitriol especially in caustic quality; especially : virulence of feeling or of speech His speech was full of political vitriol. acidity, acidness, acridity, acridness, asperity, bile, bitterness, cattiness, corrosiveness, mordancy, tartness, virulence, virulency, acrimony

918.

scrupulous

having moral integrity : acting in strict regard for what is considered right or proper Less scrupulous companies find ways to evade the law.
925.

dispirit

conscionable, ethical, honest, honorable, just, moral, principled, conscientious punctiliously exact : painstaking The work requires scrupulous attention to detail.
919.

chill, daunt, demoralize, dishearten, dismay, discourage, frustrate, unman, unnerve dispirited by the overwhelming amount of information needed to write the report

926.

composure

abject

expressing or offered in a humble and often ingratiating spirit <abject flattery> <an abject apology> manner, form, mores, proprieties Her failure to respond to the invitation was a serious breach of etiquette.

920.

etiquette

a calmness or repose especially of mind, bearing, or appearance : aplomb, calmness, collectedness, composedness, equanimity, cool, coolness, countenance, equilibrium, imperturbability, placidity, repose, sangfroid, self-composedness, self-possession, serenity, tranquillity (or tranquility), tranquilness After the initial shock she regained her composure.

921.

quirk

a peculiar trait : idiosyncrasy

927.

contravene

crotchet, curiosity, eccentricity, erraticism, individualism, kink, mannerism, oddity, peculiarity, quiddity, quip, idiosyncrasy, singularity, tic, trick, twist
922.

to go or act contrary to : violate <contravene a law> The overcrowded dance club contravened safety regulations. breach, break, violate, fracture, infringe, offend, traduce, transgress

salutary

producing a beneficial effect : remedial <salutary influences> the low interest rates should have a salutary effect on business advantageous, benefic, beneficent, benignant, favorable, friendly, good, helpful, kindly, profitable, beneficial
928.

delimit

to fix or define the limits of Strict guidelines delimit his responsibilities. bound, circumscribe, define, limit, demarcate, demark, mark (off), terminate

923.

surly

menacing or threatening in appearance <surly weather> arrogant, imperious irritably sullen and churlish in mood or manner : crabbed She is always so surly; she never smiles at anyone.

929.

acquittal

a setting free from the charge of an offense by verdict, sentence, or other legal process The case resulted in acquittal of the defendant. clearing, exculpation, exoneration, vindication

930.

exorcise

cashier, cast (off), chuck, deep-six, ditch, dump, eighty-six (or 86), discard (also exorcize), fling (off or away), jettison, junk, lay by, lose, pitch, reject, scrap, shed, shuck (off), slough (off) also sluff (off), throw away, throw out, toss, unload The movie is about a priest who tries to exorcise demons from a young girl.

931.

surmount

to prevail over : overcome <surmount an obstacle> to get to the top of : climb best, conquer, defeat, dispatch, do down [British], get, get around, lick, master, overbear, overcome, overmatch, prevail (over), skunk, stop, subdue, beat, take, trim, triumph (over), upend, win (against), worst

937.

repugnant

incompatible, inconsistent exciting distaste or aversion <repugnant language> <a morally repugnant practice> technically speaking, it may not be a violation, but it is certainly repugnant to the spirit of the law abhorrent, abominable, appalling, awful, disgusting, distasteful, dreadful, evil, foul, fulsome, gross, hideous, horrendous, horrible, horrid, loathsome, nasty, nauseating, nauseous, noisome, noxious, obnoxious, obscene, odious, rancid, repellent (also repellant), offensive, repulsive, revolting, scandalous, shocking, sickening, ugly

932.

buttress

to furnish or shore up with a buttress; also : support, strengthen <arguments buttressed by solid facts> The treaty will buttress the cause of peace. bear, bolster, brace, support, carry, prop (up), shore (up), stay, sustain, undergird, underpin, uphold

938.

court

to seek to gain or achieve <court power> (1) : allure, tempt (2) : to act so as to invite or provoke He courted disaster by getting mixed up with criminal types.

933.

foible

a minor flaw or shortcoming in character or behavior : weakness <admired their teacher despite his foibles>
939.

anathema

demerit, dereliction, failing, fault, frailty, shortcoming, sin, vice, want, weakness
934.

a vigorous denunciation : curse, ban, execration, imprecation, malediction, malison, winze [Scottish] someone or something intensely disliked or loathed usually used as a predicate nominative <this notion was anathema to most of his countrymen S. J. Gould>

mores

the fixed morally binding customs of a particular group the mores of academic life as opposed to those of the business world

935.

clinical

involving direct observation of the patient analytical or coolly dispassionate Three hundred patients were involved in the clinical study.

940.

umbrage

a feeling of pique or resentment at some often fancied slight or insult <took umbrage at the speaker's remarks> dudgeon, huff, miff, offense (or offence), peeve, resentment, pique

936.

blatant

noisy especially in a vulgar or offensive manner : clamorous completely obvious, conspicuous, or obtrusive especially in a crass or offensive manner : brazen <blatant disregard for the rules>

941.

potshot

a shot taken from ambush or at a random or easy target,A sniper was on the roof taking potshots at passing cars. a critical remark made in a random or sporadic manner

942.

antedate

to date as of a time prior to that of execution dinosaurs antedate cavemen by millions of years antecede, precede, forego, predate, preexist

vociferous, caterwauling, clamant, clamorous, obstreperous, squawking, vociferant, vociferating, yawping (or yauping), yowling omit

943.

to leave out or leave unmentioned <omits one important detail>,fail, forget, neglect you must not omit mentioning the sources you used in researching your paper

944.

onerous

involving, imposing, or constituting a burden : troublesome <an onerous task> The government imposed onerous taxes on imports. itter, brutal, burdensome, cruel, excruciating, grievous, grim, hard, hardhanded, heavy, inhuman, murderous, harsh, oppressive, rough, rugged, searing, severe, stiff, tough, trying

953.

deterrent

serving to deter <a deterrent effect> relating to deterrence <a deterrent view of punishment>

954.

antidote

something that relieves, prevents, or counteracts For him, racing motorcycles is a great antidote to boredom. cure, corrective, curative, rectifier, remedy, therapeutic, therapy

945.

folly

absurdity, asininity, btise, fatuity, foolery, foppery, idiocy, imbecility, inanity, insanity, lunacy, stupidity the follies of the modern world

955. 956.

drab distort

a dull, lifeless, or faded appearance or quality to twist out of the true meaning or proportion <distorted the facts> to twist out of a natural, normal, or original shape or condition <a face distorted by pain>; also : to cause to be perceived unnaturally <the new lights distorted colors> pervert <distort justice> The loss of both her parents at an early age distorted her outlook on life. bend, color, cook, garble, falsify, fudge, misinterpret, misrelate, misrepresent, misstate, pervert, slant, twist, warp

946.

affect

have an effect upon, The amount of rain affects the growth of crops. to aim at to put on a pretense of : feign <affect indifference, though deeply hurt>,

947. 948.

rail spurn

criticize severely to reject with disdain or contempt : scorn fiercely independent, the elderly couple spurned all offers of financial help balk (at), deselect, disapprove, negative, nix, pass, pass up, refuse, reject, reprobate, repudiate, decline, throw out, throw over, turn down

957.

pertain

949.

placate

to soothe or mollify especially by concessions : appease The administration placated protesters by agreeing to consider their demands.
958.

(1) : to belong as a part, member, accessory, or product (2) : to belong as an attribute, feature, or function <the destruction pertaining to war> (3) : to belong as a duty or right <rights that pertain to fatherhood> appertain, belong

obsolescence

appease, assuage, conciliate, disarm, gentle, mollify, pacify, propitiate

950.

gouge

to subject to extortion or undue exaction : overcharge, soak, sting, surcharge They feel that they are being gouged by the oil companies.

the process of becoming obsolete or the condition of being nearly obsolete <the gradual obsolescence of machinery> <reduced to obsolescence> to work indelibly into the natural texture or mental or moral constitution,endue (or indue), imbue, inculcate, infuse (also engrain), inoculate, invest, steep, suffuse the journalism professor has long ingrained his students with a deep respect for their chosen profession the third-world privation he had witnessed forever ingrained itself upon the young doctor's memory

959.

ingrain

951.

precede

antecede, antedate, forego, predate, preexist The chairman preceded the meeting with a brief welcoming speech.

952.

steep

abrupt, bold, precipitous, sheer The store's prices are too steep for me.

960.

relieve

to set free from an obligation, condition, or restriction rob, deprive <relieved us of our belongings> allay, alleviate, assuage, ease, mitigate, mollify, palliate, help, soothe What's the best way to relieve stress?

966.

salvage

to rescue or save especially from wreckage or ruin He is trying to salvage his marriage.

967.

beleaguer

besiege, blockade, invest trouble, harass <beleaguered parents> <an economically beleaguered city>

961.

figment

something made up or contrived thus far, the invisible human being has been nothing more than a figment of fantasy writers chimera, conceit, daydream, delusion, dream, fancy, fantasy, hallucination, illusion, nonentity, phantasm (also fantasm), pipe dream, unreality, vision

968.

estrange

to remove from customary environment or associations to arouse especially mutual enmity or indifference in where there had formerly been love, affection, or friendliness : alienate

969.

emulate

to strive to equal or excel She grew up emulating her sports heroes. imitate; especially : to imitate by means of an emulator

962.

palatable

agreeable to the palate or taste agreeable or acceptable to the mind agreeable, all right, alright, copacetic (also copasetic or copesetic), ducky, fine, good, hunky-dory, jake [slang], OK (or okay), satisfactory
970.

contrition

the state of being contrite :contriteness, guilt, penitence, regret, remorse, remorsefulness, repentance, rue, self-reproach, shame Were her tears a true sign of contrition?

971.

certitude

the state of being or feeling certain believes with certitude that he is the best candidate for the job assurance, assuredness, certainty, confidence, cocksureness, conviction, doubtlessness, face, positiveness, satisfaction, sureness, surety

963.

demarcate

delimit to set apart : distinguish The bounardy between the countries must be clearly demarcated. bound, circumscribe, define, delimit, limit, demark, mark (off), terminate

972.

proprietary

964.

clannish

tending to associate only with a select group of similar background or status <a clannish community> The college faculty can be pretty clannish, so it's difficult to be an outsider there. close-knit, cliquey, cliquish

of, relating to, or characteristic of an owner or title holder <proprietary rights> used, made, or marketed by one having the exclusive legal right <a proprietary process> <proprietary software> privately owned and managed and run as a profit-making organization <a proprietary clinic> The journalist tried to get access to proprietary information.

965.

antiquated

outmoded or discredited by reason of age : being out of style or fashion <antiquated methods of farming> He has some pretty antiquated opinions about politics. obsolete, archaic, dated, dmod, demoded, fossilized, kaput (also kaputt), medieval (also mediaeval), moribund, mossy, moth-eaten, neolithic, Noachian, outdated, outmoded, outof-date, outworn, pass, prehistoric (also prehistorical), rusty, Stone Age, superannuated

973.

recant

to make an open confession of error Church officials asked the minister to recant. to withdraw or repudiate (a statement or belief) formally and publicly : abnegate, forswear (also foreswear), abjure, renege, renounce, repeal, repudiate, retract, take back, unsay, withdraw Witnesses threatened to recant their testimony when the court released their names to the paper.

982.

facade

the front of a building a false, superficial, or artificial appearance or effect I could sense the hostility lurking behind her polite facade.

983.

cumbersome

burdensome, troublesome,awkward, bunglesome, clumsy, clunky, cranky, cumbrous, ponderous, ungainly, unhandy, unwieldy The application process is cumbersome and time-consuming.

974.

banish

to require by authority to leave a country He was banished from the country. to clear away : dispel He tried to banish gloom from his thought. deport, displace, exile, expatriate, relegate, transport

984.

contrive

devise, plan <contrive ways of handling the situation> to bring about by stratagem or with difficulty : manage <he contrived to win their support> The prisoners contrived a way to escape. concoct, construct, invent, cook (up), devise, drum up, excogitate, fabricate, make up, manufacture, think (up), trump up, vamp (up)

975.

scourge

a cause of wide or great affliction The disease continues to be a scourge in the developing world.

976.

boon

advantage, aid, asset, benefit, help the couple's generous donation was a great boon to the charity's fund-raising campaign

985.

conjecture

guess, shot, supposition, surmise, shot in the dark Most of the book is conjecture, not fact.

977.

consolidate

to join together into one whole : unite to make firm or secure : strengthen merge <the two companies consolidated> center, compact, concenter, concentrate, centralize, polarize, unify, unite

986.

novice

abecedarian, apprentice, babe, colt, cub, fledgling, freshman, greenhorn, neophyte, newbie, newcomer, beginner, novitiate, punk, recruit, rook, rookie, tenderfoot, tyro, virgin to charge or entreat earnestly or solemnly (1) : to affect or effect by or as if by magic (2) : imagine, contrive often used with up <we conjure up our own metaphors for our own needs R. J. Kaufmann> (3) : to bring to mind <words that conjure pleasant images> often used with up <conjure up memories> a magician who conjures live doves from silk scarves

987.

conjure

978.

imposture

the act or practice of deceiving by means of an assumed character or name He was accused of imposture.

979.

mimicry

the action, practice, or art of mimicking I suggested "mimicry" as a method for improving pronunciation for a English as a second language student.

988.

oblique

neither perpendicular nor parallel : inclined not straightforward : indirect; also : obscure

980.

pungent

marked by a sharp incisive quality : caustic <a pungent critic> <pungent language> being sharp and to the point

989.

ascetic

practicing strict self-denial as a measure of personal and especially spiritual discipline austere in appearance, manner, or attitude

having an intense flavor or odor <a pungent chili>

981.

fortress

bastion, castle, citadel, fastness, fortification, fort, hold, redoubt, stronghold

990.

unpretentious

free from ostentation, elegance, or affectation : modest <unpretentious homes> <an unpretentious celebrity> a casual and unpretentious restaurant artless, genuine, honest, ingenuous, innocent, naive (or nave), natural, real, simple, sincere, true, unaffected, unpretending, guileless

998.

maddening

abrasive, aggravating, bothersome, carking, chafing, disturbing, exasperating, frustrating, galling, irksome, irritating, annoying, nettlesome, nettling, peeving, pesky, pestiferous, pestilent, pestilential, pesty, plaguey (also plaguy), rankling, rebarbative, riling, vexatious, vexing He has a maddening habit of interrupting other people.

991.

sumptuous

extremely costly, rich, luxurious, or magnificent <sumptuous banquets> <a sumptuous residence>; also : magnificent Babylonian, deluxe, lavish, Lucullan (also Lucullian), luxe, luxuriant, luxury, opulent, palace, palatial, plush, plushy, silken, luxurious

999.

enchanting

alluring, appealing, attractive, bewitching, captivating, charismatic, charming, elfin, fascinating, engaging, entrancing, fetching, glamorous (also glamourous), luring, magnetic, seductive visitors have long found the Highlands of Scotland to be an enchanting place

992.

sobriety

the quality or state of being sober earnest, graveness, gravity, intentness, serious-mindedness, seriousness, soberness, earnestness, solemnity, solemnness, staidness

1000.

relentless

showing or promising no abatement of severity, intensity, strength, or pace : unrelenting <relentless pressure> <a relentless campaign> Her relentless optimism held the team together. determined, dogged, grim, implacable, unyielding, unappeasable, unflinching, unrelenting

993.

teem

to become filled to overflowing : abound to be present in large quantity

994.

brim

to be or become full often to overflowing <eyes brimming with tears>

1001.

hasten

Her heart was brimming with happiness. The show brims with excitement.
995.

accelerate, bundle, fast-track, hurry, quicken, rush, speed (up), whisk His death was hastened by alcohol abuse.

untapped lax

not drawn upon or utilized <as yet untapped markets> not tense, firm, or rigid : slack deficient in firmness : not stringent <lax control> <a lax foreman>

1002.

beset

trouble, harass <inflation besets the economy> to set upon : assail <the settlers were beset by savages> he's been beset by a lack of self-confidence virtually his entire life agonize, anguish, bedevil, afflict, besiege, curse, excruciate, harrow, persecute, plague, rack, torment, torture

996.

997.

laconic

using or involving the use of a minimum of words : concise to the point of seeming rude or mysterious the sportscaster's color commentary tends to be laconic but very much to the point aphoristic, apothegmatic, brief, capsule, compact, compendious, crisp, curt, elliptical (or elliptic), epigrammatic, concise, monosyllabic, pithy, sententious, succinct, summary, telegraphic, terse, thumbnail

1003.

arcane

known or knowable only to the initiate : secret <arcane rites>; broadly : mysterious, obscure <arcane explanations> a theory filled with arcane details abstruse, profound, deep, esoteric, hermetic (also hermetical), recondite

1004.

defy

disobey, mock, rebel (against) The group has continued to defy all efforts to stop them.

1012.

platitude

the quality or state of being dull or insipid a banal, trite, or stale remark His speech was filled with familiar platitudes about the value of hard work and dedication. banality, bromide, chestnut, clich (also cliche), groaner, homily, commonplace, shibboleth, trope, truism

1005.

sanctuary

(1) : a place of refuge and protection (2) : a refuge for wildlife where predators are controlled and hunting is illegal The refugees found sanctuary when they crossed the border.

1006.

inveterate

bred-in-the-bone, habitual ,confirmed, deep, deep-rooted, deep-seated, entrenched (also intrenched), hard-core, rooted, settled his inveterate tendency to overlook the obvious

1013.

proponent

1007.

retire

to withdraw from action or danger : retreat to move back : recede to go to bed

1014.

one who argues in favor of something:advocate, advocator, apostle, backer, booster, champion, expounder, espouser, friend, gospeler (or gospeller), herald, hierophant, high priest, paladin, promoter, exponent, protagonist, supporter, true believer, tub-thumper, white knight marked by stubborn determination <a dogged competitor> <dogged devotion> a dogged pursuit of power persistent, insistent, patient, persevering, pertinacious, tenacious

dogged

1008.

inadvertent

unintentional <an inadvertent omission> casual, chance, fluky (also flukey), fortuitous, accidental, incidental, unintended, unintentional, unplanned, unpremeditated, unwitting

1015.

debut

a first appearance <made her singing debut> a formal entrance into society

1009.

schism

division, separation; also : discord, disharmony <a schism between political parties> The church was divided by schism. conflict, disaccord, discordance, discordancy, disharmony, dissension (also dissention), dissent, dissidence, dissonance, disunion, disunity, division, friction, infighting, inharmony, discord, strife, variance, war, warfare

1016.

motif

a usually recurring salient thematic element (as in the arts); especially : a dominant idea or central theme the motif of mute figures standing in lonely isolation is a recurrent one in the artist's works

1017.

brood

to think anxiously or gloomily about : ponder to sit quietly and thoughtfully : meditate to be in a state of depression He brooded over his mistake.

1010.

demur

to take exception : object often used with to or at

1018.

giddy

object, except, expostulate, kick, protest, remonstrate They demurred at the proposal.
1011.

birdbrained, ditzy (or ditsy), dizzy, featherbrained, flighty, frivolous, frothy, futile, goofy, harebrained, light-headed, lightminded, puerile, scatterbrained, silly, yeasty an oblique allusion : hint, insinuation; especially : a veiled or equivocal reflection on character or reputation His reputation has been damaged by innuendos about his drinking and gambling. imputation, insinuation

1019.

innuendo

fulsome

characterized by abundance : copious exceeding the bounds of good taste : overdone excessively complimentary or flattering : effusive

1020.

blunt

slow or deficient in feeling : insensitive obtuse in understanding or discernment : dull having an edge or point that is not sharp abrupt, bluff, brusque (also brusk), crusty, curt, downright, short, short-spoken, snippy, unceremonious He was blunt about needing more privacy.

1026.

spoilage

the act or process of spoiling; especially : the process of decay in foodstuffs The milk should be refrigerated to prevent spoilage. breakdown, decay, decomposition, festering, putrefaction, putrescence, rot, corruption

1027.

inexact

not rigorous and careful <an inexact thinker> not precisely correct or true : inaccurate <an inexact translation> approximate, approximative, ballpark, imprecise, inaccurate, loose, squishy

1021.

veiled

obscured as if by a veil : disguised <veiled threats> She looked at him with barely veiled contempt. The report makes veiled references to his criminal activities.
1028.

renowned

big-name, celebrated, famed, noted, notorious, prominent, famous, star, visible, well-known a restaurant renowned for its wine list

1022.

boisterous

hell-raising, knockabout, rambunctious, raucous, robustious, roisterous, rollicking, rowdy, rumbustious [chiefly British], wild and woolly the fans at the baseball game became particularly boisterous after the home run

1029.

misnomer

a use of a wrong or inappropriate name "International Airport" is something of a misnomer, since almost all the arriving and departing flights are local.

1023.

fallacious

illogical, illegitimate, inconsequent, inconsequential, invalid, irrational, nonrational, unreasonable, unreasoning, unsound, weak it's fallacious to say that something must exist because science hasn't proven its nonexistence

1030.

anomaly

aberration, abnormality, exception, oddity, oddment, rarity We couldn't explain the anomalies in the test results.

1031.

confrontation

1024.

evanescent

tending to vanish like vapor beauty that is as evanescent as a rainbow

1032.

ball game, battle, combat, competition, conflict, contest, contention, dogfight, duel, face-off, grapple, match, rivalry, strife, struggle, sweepstakes (also sweep-stake), tug-of-war, war, warfare having little substance or strength : flimsy, weak <tenuous influences> shaky <tenuous reasons>

tenuous

brief, deciduous, ephemeral, momentary, flash, fleeting, fugacious, fugitive, impermanent, passing, short-lived, temporary, transient, transitory
1025.

1033.

lucidity

predetermined

doom, fate, foredoom, foreordain, ordain, predestine, destine, preordain religious sects that believe that an individual's salvation has been predetermined by God

clearness of thought or style,clarity, explicitness, simplicity, lucidness, perspicuity, perspicuousness a presumed capacity to perceive the truth directly and instantaneously : clairvoyance

1034.

hardnosed

adamant, adamantine, bullheaded, dogged, hard, hardened, hardheaded, hard-nosed, headstrong, immovable, implacable, inconvincible, inflexible, intransigent, mulish, obdurate, opinionated, ossified, pat, pertinacious, perverse, pigheaded, selfopinionated, self-willed, stiff-necked, stubborn, unbending, uncompromising, unrelenting, unyielding, willful (or wilful) to make petition to : entreat to entice or lure especially into evil They are busy soliciting votes. The organization is soliciting new memberships.

1040.

reputed

having a good repute : reputable She was hired for her reputed talents as a manager. assumed, evident, ostensible, ostensive, presumed, prima facie, putative, apparent, seeming, supposed

1041.

annotate

1035.

solicit

to make or furnish critical or explanatory notes or comment He annotated the text at several places.

1042.

daunting

tending to overwhelm or intimidate <a daunting task> Few things are more daunting than having to speak in front of a large crowd. Shakespeare's plays can be daunting for a young reader.

1036.

eschew

to avoid habitually especially on moral or practical grounds : shun They now eschew the violence of their past. avoid, dodge, duck, elude, escape, evade, finesse, get around, scape, shake, shirk, shuffle (out of), shun, weasel (out of) vitriol

1043.

acidity, acidness, acridity, acridness, asperity, bile, bitterness, cattiness, corrosiveness, mordancy, tartness, virulence, virulency, acrimony His speech was full of political vitriol.

1037.

abnormal

aberrant, aberrated, exceptional, anomalous, atypical, especial, exceeding, extraordinaire, extraordinary, freak, odd, peculiar, phenomenal, preternatural, rare, singular, uncommon, uncustomary, unique, unusual, unwonted a completely abnormal school day, because half of the kids were out sick

1044.

authenticate

to prove or serve to prove the authenticity of a jeweler authenticated the diamond as real attest, certify, avouch, testify (to), vouch (for), witness

1038.

dismay

to cause to lose courage or resolution (as because of alarm or fear) upset, perturb Her choice of career dismays her parents. chill, daunt, demoralize, dishearten, discourage, dispirit, frustrate, unman, unnerve

1045.

imbue

to permeate or influence as if by dyeing <the spirit that imbues the new constitution> to tinge or dye deeply A feeling of optimism imbues her works. endue (or indue), infuse, inculcate, ingrain (also engrain), inoculate, invest, steep, suffuse

1039.

volume

a considerable quantity Huge volumes of park visitors come through every weekend. an increase in traffic volume

1046.

mutable

prone to change : inconstant the government's mutable economic policies a politician with very mutable positions on all the issues capricious, changeable, changeful, flickery, fluctuating, fluid, inconsistent, inconstant, mercurial, fickle, skittish, temperamental, uncertain, unpredictable, unsettled, unstable, unsteady, variable, volatile

1047.

headway

motion or rate of motion in a forward direction the ant was making little headway carrying a crumb that was about five times his size advancement, furtherance, going, advance, march, onrush, passage, process, procession, progress, progression

1054.

phlegmatic

having or showing a slow and stolid temperament affectless, apathetic, cold-blooded, emotionless, impassible, numb, passionless, impassive, stoic (or stoical), stolid, undemonstrative, unemotional Some people are phlegmatic, some highly strung. Some are anxious, others risk-seeking. Some are confident, others shy. Some are quiet, others loquacious. We call these differences personality ... Matt Ridley, Genome, 1999

1048.

shore up

to hold up or serve as a foundation for <a highway tunnel shored up by massive columns of concrete>bear, bolster, brace, buttress, carry, prop (up), shore (up), stay, sustain, undergird, underpin, uphold to provide evidence or information for (as a claim or idea) <used an avalanche of statistics to shore up his claim that the state's economy is in fine shape>back, bolster, buttress, corroborate, reinforce (also reenforce), shore (up), substantiate
1055.

composure

a calmness or repose especially of mind, bearing, or appearance : self-possession kept his composure in spite of the repeated provocations aplomb, calmness, collectedness, composedness, equanimity, cool, coolness, countenance, equilibrium, imperturbability, placidity, repose, sangfroid, selfcomposedness, self-possession, serenity, tranquillity (or tranquility), tranquilness

1049.

custodian

one that guards and protects or maintains; especially : one entrusted with guarding and keeping property or records or with custody or guardianship of prisoners or inmates caretaker, guardian, janitor, keeper, warden, watchman

1056.

auspicious

1050.

mute

inarticulate, speechless, voiceless They hugged each other in mute sympathy. I could see a mute plea for help in his eyes.

showing or suggesting that future success is likely : propitious <made an auspicious beginning> attended by good fortune : prosperous <an auspicious year> hopeful, bright, encouraging, fair, golden, heartening, likely, optimistic, promising, propitious, roseate, rose-colored, rosy, upbeat

1051.

selfassured mercurial

assured, secure, self-asserting, self-assured, self-confident characterized by rapid and unpredictable changeableness of mood <a mercurial temper> the boss's mood is so mercurial that we never know how he's going to react to anything capricious, changeable, changeful, flickery, fluctuating, fluid, inconsistent, inconstant, fickle, mutable, skittish, temperamental, uncertain, unpredictable, unsettled, unstable, unsteady, variable, volatile promulgate

1052.

1057.

to make (as a doctrine) known by open declaration : proclaim Her ideas have been widely promulgated on the Internet. The law was promulgated in April 1988. advertise, annunciate, blare, blaze, blazon, broadcast, declare, enunciate, flash, give out, herald, placard, post, proclaim, announce, publicize, publish, release, sound, trumpet

1053.

blithe

cheerful, blithesome, bright, buoyant, canty [British dialect], cheery, chipper, eupeptic, gay, gladsome, lightsome, sunny, upbeat, winsome lacking due thought or consideration : casual, heedless He showed blithe disregard for the rights of others.

1058.

atrophy

decrease in size or wasting away of a body part or tissue a wasting away or progressive decline The doctor is concerned about possible atrophy of the shoulder muscles.

1059.

succumb

to yield to superior strength or force or overpowering appeal or desire <succumb to temptation> They will pressure you, and you must try not to succumb. blink, bow, budge, capitulate, concede, give in, knuckle under, quit, relent, submit, yield, surrender

1066.

obsequious

characterized by or showing servile complaisance or deference; fawning: an obsequious bow. sycophantic, flattering

1067.

brazen

marked by contemptuous boldness <a brazen disregard for the rules> arch, audacious, bold, bold-faced, brash, brassbound, brassy, nervy, brazen-faced, cheeky, cocksure, cocky, fresh, impertinent, impudent, insolent, sassy, saucy, wise

1060.

infertile

barren, fruitless, impotent, sterile, unfruitful only parched, infertile fields remained after months of drought covet

1068.

1061.

disseminate

broadcast, circulate, spread, propagate The Internet allows us to disseminate information faster.

ache (for), desire, crave, desiderate, die (for), hanker (for or after), hunger (for), itch (for), jones (for) [slang], long (for), lust (for or after), pant (after), pine (for), repine (for), salivate (for), sigh (for), thirst (for), want, wish (for), yearn (for), yen (for) His religion warns against coveting material goods.

1062.

excuse

to make apology for to forgive entirely or disregard as of trivial import : regard as excusable <graciously excused his tardiness> to serve as excuse for : justify <nothing can excuse such neglect>

1069.

dismal

1063.

discursive

moving from topic to topic without order : rambling of or relating to discourse <discursive practices> the speaker's discursive style made it difficult to understand his point desultory, digressional, digressionary, digressive, excursive, leaping, maundering, meandering, rambling, wandering
1070.

black, bleak, cheerless, chill, Cimmerian, cloudy, cold, comfortless, dark, darkening, depressing, depressive, desolate, dire, disconsolate, gloomy, drear, dreary, dreich [chiefly Scottish], elegiac (also elegiacal), forlorn, funereal, glum, godforsaken, gray (also grey), lonely, lonesome, lugubrious, miserable, morbid, morose, murky, plutonian, saturnine, sepulchral, solemn, somber (or sombre), sullen, sunless, tenebrific, tenebrous, wretched to walk unsteadily : stumble to speak brokenly or weakly : stammer <her voice faltered> to hesitate in purpose or action : waver <he never faltered in his determination> to lose drive or effectiveness <the business was faltering>

falter

1064.

hedonism

the doctrine that pleasure or happiness is the sole or chief good in life carnality, debauchery, sensuality, sybaritism, voluptuousness

1071.

conciliate

appease to make compatible : reconcileaccommodate, attune, harmonize, conform, coordinate, key, reconcile The company's attempts to conciliate the strikers have failed. it will be hard to conciliate the views of labor and management regarding health benefits

1065.

unctuous

smooth and greasy in texture or appearance full of unction; especially : revealing or marked by a smug, ingratiating, and false earnestness or spirituality Profusely polite, especially unpleasantly so and insincerely earnest.

1072.

appalling

inspiring horror, dismay, or disgust <living under appalling conditions> abhorrent, abominable, offensive, awful, disgusting, distasteful, dreadful, evil, foul, fulsome, gross, hideous, horrendous, horrible, horrid, loathsome, nasty, nauseating, nauseous, noisome, noxious, obnoxious, obscene, odious, rancid, repellent (also repellant), repugnant, repulsive, revolting, scandalous, shocking, sickening, ugly

1078.

contemplate

to look at or view with continued attention; observe or study thoughtfully: to contemplate the stars. to consider thoroughly; think fully or deeply about: to contemplate a difficult problem. to have as a purpose; intend. to have in view as a future event: to contemplate buying a new car. chew over, cogitate, consider, ponder, debate, deliberate, entertain, eye, kick around, meditate, mull (over), perpend, pore (over), question, revolve, ruminate, study, think (about or over), turn, weigh, wrestle (with)

1073.

render

to cause to be or become : make The virus rendered the computer useless. Depression can render a person helpless. give up, yield

1074.

attune

to bring into harmony

1079.

uphold

to give support to He took an oath to uphold the Constitution. defend, justify, support, maintain

to make aware or responsive <attune businesses to changing trends> after years spent in academia, he's finding it difficult to attune himself to the corporate culture accommodate, harmonize, conciliate, conform, coordinate, key, reconcile
1075.

1080.

sketchy

of the nature of a sketch : roughly outlined wanting in completeness, clearness, or substance : slight, superficial <the details are sketchy> questionable, iffy <got into a sketchy situation> <a sketchy character> I have only a sketchy idea of how it works.

circumvent

to make a circuit around to manage to get around especially by ingenuity or stratagem We circumvented the problem by using a different program. He found a way to circumvent the law.
1081.

dissect

to separate into pieces : expose the several parts of (as an animal) for scientific examination to analyze and interpret minutely <dissect a problem> She dissected each point of his argument. anatomize, assay, break down, cut, deconstruct, analyze

1076.

vandalism

willful or malicious destruction or defacement of public or private property defacement, defacing, trashing, vandalization

1077.

prank

a mildly mischievous act He enjoys playing pranks on his friends.

1082.

improvise

antic, caper, capriccio, dido, escapade, frolic, gag, jest, knavery, monkeyshine(s), practical joke, rag [chiefly British], roguery, shavie [Scottish], shine(s), trick, waggery

to compose, recite, play, or sing extemporaneously to make or fabricate out of what is conveniently on hand <improvise a meal> Good jazz musicians know how to improvise.

1083.

reticent

inclined to be silent or uncommunicative in speech : reserved close, closemouthed, dark, secretive, tightmouthed, uncommunicative

1084.

equanimity

evenness of mind especially under stress <nothing could disturb his equanimity> right disposition : balance <physical equanimity> aplomb, calmness, collectedness, composedness, composure, cool, coolness, countenance, equilibrium, imperturbability, placidity, repose, sangfroid, selfcomposedness, self-possession, serenity, tranquillity (or tranquility), tranquilness

1090.

exasperation

aggravation, aggro [British], bother, botheration, bugbear, annoyance, frustration, hair shirt, hassle, headache, inconvenience, irk, irritant, nuisance, peeve, pest, rub, ruffle, thorn, trial, vexation add people who use cell phones inconsiderately to the list of daily exasperations

1091. 1092.

put up with emblematic

tolerate symbolic (also emblematical), representational, representative the dove is emblematic of the organization's mission to bring some peace to a troubled world

1085.

abjure

to renounce upon oath to reject solemnly to abstain from : avoid <abjure extravagance> a strict religious sect that abjures the luxuries, comforts, and conveniences of the modern world abnegate, forswear (also foreswear), recant, renege, renounce, repeal, repudiate, retract, take back, unsay, withdraw

1093.

indecorous

not decorous : conflicting with accepted standards of good conduct or good taste an indecorous joke for a solemn moment in the marriage ceremony amiss, graceless, improper, inapposite, inapt, incongruous, incorrect, inappropriate, inept, infelicitous, malapropos, perverse, unapt, unbecoming, unfit, unhappy, unseemly, unsuitable, untoward, wrong

1086.

bewail

to express deep sorrow for usually by wailing and lamentation Many people bewailed the changes to the historic building. bemoan, lament, deplore, grieve (for), mourn, wail (for)
1094.

opulent

amply or plentifully provided or fashioned often to the point of ostentation an opulent mansion filled with priceless art and antiques affluent, deep-pocketed, fat, fat-cat, flush, loaded, moneyed (also monied), rich, silkstocking, wealthy, well-endowed, wellfixed, well-heeled, well-off, well-to-do

1087.

predicament

condition, state; especially : a difficult, perplexing, or trying situation The governor has gotten himself into quite a predicament.

1088.

despair

Things look bad now, but don't despair. despond, lose heart

1095.

ramshackle

appearing ready to collapse : rickety carelessly or loosely constructed <a ramshackle plot> The movie's ramshackle plot is confusing and not believable.

1089.

protestation

the act of protesting : a solemn declaration or avowal affirmation, assertion, asseveration, avouchment, avowal, claim, declaration, insistence, profession the governor went on television to make a passionate protestation of his innocence in the bribery scandal

1096.

ungainly

having an awkward appearance hard to handle : unwieldy <an ungainly contraption> lacking in smoothness or dexterity : clumsy <ungainly movements> awkward, bunglesome, clumsy, clunky, cranky, cumbrous, ponderous, cumbersome, unhandy, unwieldy

1104.

pitiful

full of pity : compassionate exciting pitying contempt (as by meanness or inadequacy) I hate his pitiful act.

1105.

attest

certify, authenticate, avouch, testify (to), vouch (for), witness The certificate attests the authenticity of the painting.

1097.

blight

something that impairs or destroys a deteriorated condition <urban blight> blemish, blotch, defect, deformity, disfigurement, excrescence, excrescency, fault, flaw, imperfection, mar, mark, pockmark, scar

1106.

contend

battle, compete, face off, fight, race, rival, vie These people contend that they have earned the right to the land. to strive in debate : argue maintain, assert <contended that he was right>

1098.

tawdry

cheap and gaudy in appearance or quality; also : ignoble <a tawdry attempt to smear his opponent> a contract binding one person to work for another for a given period of time clone, copycat, copy, imitate, reduplicate, render, replicate, reproduce Unfortunately, the results of the first study could not be duplicated.

1107.

encapsulate

epitomize, summarize <encapsulate an era in an aphorism> can you encapsulate the president's speech in about a paragraph? abstract, boil down, brief, digest, summarize, epitomize, outline, recap, recapitulate, reprise, sum up, synopsize, wrap up

1099.

indenture duplicate

1100.

1101.

contiguous

next or near in time or sequence Connecticut and Massachusetts are contiguous states. abutting, adjoining, bordering, conterminous, adjacent, flanking, flush, fringing, joining, juxtaposed, neighboring, skirting, touching, verging

1108.

designate

to indicate and set apart for a specific purpose, office, or duty <designate a group to prepare a plan> to point out the location of <a marker designating the battle> the designated time for the meeting appoint, fix, name, set

1102.

inhale

to draw in by breathing She inhaled the fresh country air. to take in eagerly or greedily bolt, cram, devour, glut [archaic], gorge, gormandize, gulp, ingurgitate, gobble, raven, scarf, scoff, slop, wolf

1109.

intriguing

very interesting because of being unusual or not having an obvious answer The book is intriguingly titled, 'The Revenge of the Goldfish'.

1110.

unremitting

never slackening or stopping; unceasing; constant A poor farm couple, their six children and a set of grandparents live a life of unremitting chaos in a one-room house. constant, continuous, relentless, perpetual, continual, unbroken, incessant, diligent, unabated, unwavering, indefatigable, remorseless, assiduous, unceasing, sedulous, unwearied,

1103.

evocative

evoking or tending to evoke an especially emotional response <settings ... so evocative that they bring tears to the eyes Eric Malpass> He wrote a powerful and evocative biography. suggestive, reminiscent

1111.

insular

of, relating to, or resembling an island remote, detached, or aloof isolated or separated

1115.

discretion

the quality of having or showing discernment or good judgment : the quality of being discreet : circumspection; especially : cautious reserve in speech ability to make responsible decisions

narrow-minded, prejudiced, provincial, closed, limited, narrow, petty, parochial, blinkered, circumscribed, inward-looking, illiberal, parish-pump, The most remarkable thing has happened post September 11. The most insular nation in the world has put the blinkers on. TIMES, SUNDAY TIMES (2002)
1112.

He always uses care and discretion when dealing with others. discreetness, common sense, gumption [chiefly dialect], horse sense, levelheadedness, nous [chiefly British], policy, prudence, sense, sensibleness, wisdom, wit
1116.

border

to touch at the edge or boundary to lie on the border to approach the nature of a specified thing : verge bound, edge, frame, fringe, margin, rim, skirt

humdrum

arid, colorless, drab, dreary, drudging, dry, dull, dusty, flat, heavy, ho-hum, boring, jading, jejune, leaden, mind-numbing, monochromatic, monotonous, numbing, old, pedestrian, ponderous, slow, stale, stodgy, stuffy, stupid, tame, tedious, tiresome, tiring, uninteresting, wearisome, weary, wearying The humdrum , quotidian concerns of the workplace are wearisome; they chip slowly but resolutely away at one's soul. Alex George, LOVE YOU MADLY (2002)
1117.

ineptitude

the quality or state of being inept; especially : incompetence The team's poor play is being blamed on the ineptitude of the coaching staff. impotence, inadequacy, incapability, incapacity, incompetence, incompetency, inability, insufficiency, powerlessness

1113.

superfluous

excess, surplus, redundant, remaining, extra, spare, excessive, unnecessary, in excess needless, left over on your hands surplus to requirements, uncalled-for, unneeded residuary, supernumerary, superabundant, pleonastic, unrequired supererogatory, The warning not to stand on the glass floor is superfluous. GLASGOW HERALD (2002)

1118.

decline

to refuse to undertake, undergo, engage in, or comply with <decline battle> to refuse especially courteously <decline an invitation> I invited him, but he declined. balk (at), deselect, disapprove, negative, nix, pass, pass up, refuse, reject, reprobate, repudiate, spurn, throw out, throw over, turn down, turn one's back on

1114.

haphazard

= unsystematic, disorderly, disorganized, casual, careless, indiscriminate, aimless, slapdash, slipshod, hit or miss, unmethodical, = random, chance, accidental, arbitrary, fluky, aimless, arbitrary, catch-as-catch-can, desultory, erratic, random, helter-skelter, hitor-miss, scattered, slapdash, stray It would seem that nothing here is haphazard , or left to chance.
1119.

apropos

being both relevant and opportune <apropos comments> applicable, apposite, pertinent, germane, material, pointed, relative, relevant

1120.

exuberant

= high-spirited, spirited, enthusiastic, lively, excited, eager, sparkling, vigorous, cheerful, energetic, animated, upbeat, buoyant, exhilarated, elated, ebullient, chirpy, sprightly, vivacious, effervescent, full of life full of beans, zestful, = luxuriant, rich, lavish, abundant, lush, overflowing, plentiful, teeming, copious, profuse, superabundant, plenteous, = fulsome, excessive, exaggerated, lavish, overdone, superfluous, prodigal, effusive, restless, nervous, uneasy, impatient, agitated, unruly, edgy, jittery, recalcitrant, on edge, fractious, ill at ease, jumpy, fretful, fidgety, refractory, unquiet, antsy, At least 3,000 people were killed here, the capital of the politically restive Aceh province.

1127.

resurgence

a rising again into life, activity, or prominence <a resurgence of interest> There has been some resurgence in economic activity recently. reanimation, rebirth, regeneration, rejuvenation, rejuvenescence, renewal, revival, resurrection, resuscitation, revitalization, revivification

1128.

decelerate

brake, slow, retard, slacken she decelerated the car as we entered the school zone

1121.

restive

1129.

ruse

a wily subterfuge His act was just a clever ruse to get me to go out with him. trick, deception, ploy, hoax, device, manoeuvre, dodge, sham, artifice, blind, subterfuge, stratagem, wile, imposture,

1122.

belie

belied belied "belying" to show to be untrue; contradict Their actions belie their claim to be innocent. to misrepresent; disguise the nature of the report belied the real extent of the damage ; a tree whose delicate beauty belies its real toughness to fail to justify; disappoint
1130.

minute

very small : infinitesimal of small importance : trifling marked by close attention to details a minute examination of the evidence blow-by-blow, circumstantial, elaborate, full, detailed, particular, particularized, thorough

1123.

erstwhile

in the past : formerly, once, onetime there's now a store where erstwhile lay green and pleasant pastures seductive

1131.

tending to seduce : having alluring or tempting qualities <people always remarked on the cult leader's seductive personality alluring, appealing, attractive, bewitching, captivating, charismatic, charming, elfin, enchanting, engaging, entrancing, fetching, glamorous (also glamourous), luring, magnetic, fascinating

1124.

absent

not present or attending : missing not existing : lacking a gene that occurs in mammals but that is absent in birds

1125.

extant

currently or actually existing,alive, around, existent, existing, living one of the oldest buildings still extant
1132.

fleeting

1126.

capitulate

blink, bow, budge, yield, concede, give in, knuckle under, quit, relent, submit, succumb, surrender The teacher refused to capitulate: no calculators were to be used during the exam. The country still refuses to capitulate despite its weakening army and dwindling resources.

brief, deciduous, ephemeral, evanescent, flash, momentary, fugacious, fugitive, impermanent, passing, short-lived, temporary, transient, transitory I caught a fleeting glimpse of the comet.

1133.

chuckle

to laugh inwardly or quietly everyone dutifully chuckled at the professor's intended jokes

1134.

guffaw

a loud or boisterous burst of laughter I ask her if she was always funny and she tilts back her head and lets out an enormous guffaw.

1139.

incisive

impressively direct and decisive (as in manner or presentation) <an incisive analysis> <an incisive unsentimental writer> She's known for her incisive mind and quick wit. penetrating, sharp, keen, acute, piercing, trenchant, perspicacious,

1135.

audible

heard or capable of being heard Her voice was barely audible over the noise.

1136.

quaint

marked by skillful design unusual or different in character or appearance : odd;The writer talks about the quaint customs of the natives. pleasingly or strikingly old-fashioned or unfamiliar <a quaint phrase> bizarre, bizarro, cranky, crazy, curious, eccentric, erratic, far-out, funky, funny, kinky, kooky (also kookie), offbeat, offkilter, off-the-wall, outlandish, out-of-theway, outr, peculiar, odd, queer, queerish, quirky, remarkable, rum [chiefly British], screwy, spaced-out, strange, wacky (also whacky), way-out, weird, weirdo, wild
1140.

definite

= specific, exact, precise, clear, particular, express, determined, fixed, black-and-white, explicit, clear-cut, cut-and-dried, clearly defined = clear, explicit, black-and-white, clear-cut, unequivocal, unambiguous, guaranteed, cutand-dried, = noticeable, marked, clear, decided, striking, noted, particular, obvious, dramatic, considerable, remarkable, apparent, evident, distinct, notable, manifest, conspicuous, = certain, decided, sure, settled, convinced, positive, confident, assured, an act or instance of suppressing : the state of being suppressed the conscious intentional exclusion from consciousness of a thought or feeling continence, discipline, discretion, inhibition, refrainment, repression, reserve, restraint, self-command, self-control, self-restraint, constraint

1141.

suppression

1137.

astronomical

of or relating to astronomy <astronomical observations> enormously or inconceivably large or great <astronomical numbers> The cost of the office building was astronomical. huge (also astronomic), Brobdingnagian, bumper, colossal, cosmic (also cosmical), cyclopean, elephantine, enormous, galactic, gargantuan, giant, gigantesque, gigantic, grand, herculean, heroic (also heroical), Himalayan, humongous (also humungous), immense, jumbo, king-size (or king-sized), leviathan, mammoth, massive, mega, mighty, monster, monstrous, monumental, mountainous, oceanic, pharaonic, planetary, prodigious, super, super-duper, supersize, supersized, titanic, tremendous, vast, vasty, walloping, whacking, whopping
1142.

cursory

rapidly and often superficially performed or produced : hasty <a cursory glance> hasty, drive-by, flying, gadarene, headlong, helter-skelter, hurried, overhasty, pell-mell, precipitate, precipitous, rash, rushed

1143.

somatic

of, relating to, or affecting the body especially as distinguished from the germplasm or the psyche a somatic disorder that was once thought to be "all in the patient's head" animal, bodily, carnal, corporal, corporeal, fleshly, material, physical

1138.

necessitate

to make necessary : require force, compel Doing this will not only necessitate upfront investment, it will also help understand market requirements better.

1144.

figurative

expressing one thing in terms normally denoting another with which it may be regarded as analogous : metaphorical <figurative language> The phrase "know your ropes" means literally "to know a lot about ropes," while its figurative meaning is "to know a lot about how to do something." the figurative use of "allergy" to mean "a feeling of dislike" extended, figural, metaphoric (or metaphorical), tropical, tropological

1145.

denotation

meaning; especially : a direct specific meaning as distinct from an implied or associated idea The word has one literal denotation but several different connotations. The definition provides the word's denotation.

1146.

portentous

= pompous, solemn, ponderous, self-important, pontifical, = significant, alarming, sinister, ominous, important, threatening, crucial, forbidding, menacing, momentous, fateful, minatory, bodeful = remarkable, amazing, extraordinary, phenomenal, astounding, miraculous, prodigious, wondrous, awe-inspiring, the action of perturbing : the state of being perturbed a disturbance of motion, course, arrangement, or state of equilibrium; especially : a disturbance of the regular and usually elliptical course of motion of a celestial body that is produced by some force additional to that which causes its regular motion a perturbation in the planet's orbit

1147.

perturbation

1148.

reminiscence

recall to mind of a long-forgotten experience or fact we wondered whether she could trust her reminiscence of events that happened so long ago anamnesis, recall, recollection, remembrance, memory