Vocabulary

P

oration (n.) a speech delivered in a formal or ceremonious manner (The prime minister

was visibly shaken when the unruly parliament interrupted his oration about failed

domestic policies.)

ornate (adj.) highly elaborate, excessively decorated (The ornate styling of the new

model of luxury car could not compensate for the poor quality of its motor.)

orthodox (adj.) conventional, conforming to established protocol (The company’s

profits dwindled because the management pursued orthodox business policies that

were incompatible with new industrial trends.)

oscillate (v.) to sway from one side to the other (My uncle oscillated between buying a

station wagon to transport his family and buying a sports car to satisfy his boyhood

fantasies.)

ostensible (adj.) appearing as such, seemingly (Jack’s ostensible reason for driving was

that airfare was too expensive, but in reality, he was afraid of flying.)

ostentatious (adj.) excessively showy, glitzy (On the palace tour, the guide focused on

the ostentatious decorations and spoke little of the royal family’s history.)

ostracism (n.) exclusion from a group (Beth risked ostracism if her roommates

discovered her flatulence.)

P

pacific (adj.) soothing (The chemistry professor’s pacific demeanor helped the class

remain calm after the experiment exploded.)

palatable (adj.) agreeable to the taste or sensibilities (Despite the unpleasant smell, the

exotic cheese was quite palatable.)

palette (adj.) a range of colors or qualities (The palette of colors utilized in the painting

was equaled only by the range of intense emotions the piece evoked.)

palliate (v.) to reduce the severity of (The doctor trusted that the new medication

would palliate her patient’s discomfort.)

pallid (adj.) lacking color (Dr. Van Helsing feared that Lucy’s pallid complexion was

due to an unexplained loss of blood.)

panacea (n.) a remedy for all ills or difficulties (Doctors wish there was a single panacea

for every disease, but sadly there is not.)

paradigm (n.) an example that is a perfect pattern or model (Because the new SUV was

so popular, it became the paradigm upon which all others were modeled.)

P

paradox (n.) an apparently contradictory statement that is perhaps true (The diplomat

refused to acknowledge the paradox that negotiating a peace treaty would demand

more resources than waging war.)

paragon (n.) a model of excellence or perfection (The mythical Helen of Troy was

considered a paragon of female beauty.)

paramount (adj.) greatest in importance, rank, character (It was paramount that the

bomb squad disconnect the blue wire before removing the fuse.)

pariah (n.) an outcast (Following the discovery of his plagiarism, Professor Hurley was

made a pariah in all academic circles.)

parody (n.) a satirical imitation (A hush fell over the classroom when the teacher

returned to find Deborah acting out a parody of his teaching style.)

parsimony (n.) frugality, stinginess (Many relatives believed that my aunt’s wealth

resulted from her parsimony.)

partisan (n.) a follower, adherent (The king did not believe that his rival could round up

enough partisans to overthrow the monarchy.)

patent (adj.) readily seen or understood, clear (The reason for Jim’s abdominal pain

was made patent after the doctor performed a sonogram.)

pathology (n.) a deviation from the normal (Dr. Hastings had difficulty identifying the

precise nature of Brian’s pathology.)

pathos (n.) an emotion of sympathy (Martha filled with pathos upon discovering the

scrawny, shivering kitten at her door.)

paucity (adj.) small in quantity (Gilbert lamented the paucity of twentieth century

literature courses available at the college.)

pejorative (adj.) derogatory, uncomplimentary (The evening’s headline news covered

an international scandal caused by a pejorative statement the famous senator had

made in reference to a foreign leader.)

pellucid (adj.) easily intelligible, clear (Wishing his book to be pellucid to the common

man, Albert Camus avoided using complicated grammar when composing The

Stranger.)

penchant (n.) a tendency, partiality, preference (Jill’s dinner parties quickly became

monotonous on account of her penchant for Mexican dishes.)

penitent (adj.) remorseful, regretful (The jury’s verdict may have been more lenient if

the criminal had appeared penitent for his gruesome crimes.)

P

penultimate (adj.) next to last (Having smoked the penultimate cigarette remaining in

the pack, Cybil discarded the last cigarette and resolved to quit smoking.)

penurious (adj.) miserly, stingy (Stella complained that her husband’s penurious ways

made it impossible to live the lifestyle she felt she deserved.)

perfidious (adj.) disloyal, unfaithful (After the official was caught selling government

secrets to enemy agents, he was executed for his perfidious ways.)

perfunctory (adj.) showing little interest or enthusiasm (The radio broadcaster

announced the news of the massacre in a surprisingly perfunctory manner.)

permeate (v.) to spread throughout, saturate (Mrs. Huxtable was annoyed that the wet

dog’s odor had permeated the furniture’s upholstery.)

pernicious (adj.) extremely destructive or harmful (The new government feared that

the Communist sympathizers would have a pernicious influence on the nation’s

stability.)

perplex (v.) to confuse (Brad was perplexed by his girlfriend’s suddenly distant

manner.)

perspicacity (adj.) shrewdness, perceptiveness (The detective was too humble to

acknowledge that his perspicacity was the reason for his professional success.)

pert (adj.) flippant, bold (My parents forgave Sandra’s pert humor at the dinner table

because it had been so long since they had last seen her.)

pertinacious (adj.) stubbornly persistent (Harry’s parents were frustrated with his

pertinacious insistence that a monster lived in his closet. Then they opened the closet

door and were eaten.)

perusal (n.) a careful examination, review (The actor agreed to accept the role after a

two-month perusal of the movie script.)

pervasive (adj.) having the tendency to spread throughout (Stepping off the plane in

Havana, I recognized the pervasive odor of sugar cane fields on fire.)

petulance (n.) rudeness, irritability (The Nanny resigned after she could no longer

tolerate the child’s petulance.)

philanthropic (adj.) charitable, giving (Many people felt that the billionaire’s decision to

donate her fortune to house the homeless was the ultimate philanthropic act.)

phlegmatic (adj.) uninterested, unresponsive (Monique feared her dog was ill after the

animal’s phlegmatic response to his favorite chew toy.)

P

pillage (v.) to seize or plunder, especially in war (Invading enemy soldiers pillaged the

homes scattered along the country’s border.)

pinnacle (n.) the highest point (Book reviewers declared that the author’s

new novel was extraordinary and probably the pinnacle of

Western literature.)

pithy (adj.) concisely meaningful (My father’s long-winded explanation was a stark

contrast to his usually pithy statements.)

pittance (n.) a very small amount, especially relating to money (Josh complained that

he was paid a pittance for the great amount of work he did at the firm.)

placate (v.) to ease the anger of, soothe (The man purchased a lollipop to placate his

irritable son.)

placid (adj.) calm, peaceful (The placid lake surface was as smooth as glass.)

platitude (n.) an uninspired remark, cliché (After reading over her paper, Helene

concluded that what she thought were profound insights were actually

just platitudes.)

plaudits (n.) enthusiastic approval, applause (The controversial new film received

plaudits from even the harshest critics.)

plausible (adj.) believable, reasonable (He studied all the data and then came up with a

plausible theory that took all factors into account.)

plenitude (n.) an abundance (My grandmother was overwhelmed by the plenitude of

tomatoes her garden yielded this season.)

plethora (n.) an abundance, excess (The wedding banquet included a plethora of oysters

piled almost three feet high.)

pliable (adj.) flexible (Aircraft wings are designed to be somewhat pliable so they do not

break in heavy turbulence.)

poignant (adj.) deeply affecting, moving (My teacher actually cried after reading to us

the poignant final chapter of the novel.)

polemic (n.) an aggressive argument against a specific opinion (My brother

launched into a polemic against my arguments that capitalism was an unjust

economic system.)

portent (n.) an omen (When a black cat crossed my sister’s path while she was walking to

school, she took it as a portent that she would do badly on her spelling test.)

P

potable (adj.) suitable for drinking (During sea voyages it is essential that ships carry a

supply of potable water because salty ocean water makes anyone who drinks it sick.)

potentate (n.) one who has great power, a ruler (All the villagers stood along the town’s

main road to observe as the potentate’s procession headed towards

the capital.)

pragmatic (adj.) practical (The politician argued that while increased security measures

might not fit with the lofty ideals of the nation, they were a pragmatic necessity to

ensure everyone’s safety.)

precipice (n.) the face of a cliff, a steep or overhanging place (The mountain climber

hung from a precipice before finding a handhold and pulling himself up.)

preclude (v.) to prevent (My grandfather’s large and vicious guard dog precluded

anyone from entering the yard.)

precocious (adj.) advanced, developing ahead of time (Derek was so academically

precocious that by the time he was 10 years old, he was already in the ninth grade.)

predilection (n.) a preference or inclination for something (Francois has a predilection

for eating scrambled eggs with ketchup, though I prefer to eat eggs without any

condiments.)

preponderance (adj.) superiority in importance or quantity (Britain’s preponderance of

naval might secured the nation’s role as a military power.)

prepossessing (adj.) occupying the mind to the exclusion of other thoughts or feelings

(His prepossessing appearance made it impossible for me to think of anything else.)

presage (n.) an omen (When my uncle’s old war injury ached, he interpreted it as a

presage of bad weather approaching.)

prescient (adj.) to have foreknowledge of events (Questioning the fortune

cookie’s prediction, Ray went in search of the old hermit who was rumored to be

prescient.)

prescribe (v.) to lay down a rule (The duke prescribed that from this point further all of

the peasants living on his lands would have to pay higher taxes.)

presumptuous (adj.) disrespectfully bold (The princess grew angry after the

presumptuous noble tried to kiss her, even though he was far below her in social

status.)

P

pretense (n.)an appearance or action intended to deceive (Though he actually wanted

to use his parents’ car to go on a date, Nick borrowed his parents’ car under the

pretense of attending a group study session.)

primeval (adj.) original, ancient (The first primates to walk on two legs, called

Australopithecus, were the primeval descendants of modern man.)

privation (n.) lacking basic necessities (After decades of rule by an oppressive

government that saw nothing wrong with stealing from its citizens, the recent

drought only increased the people’s privation.)

probity (n.) virtue, integrity (Because he was never viewed as a man of great probity, no

one was surprised by Mr. Samson’s immoral behavior.)

proclivity (n.) a strong inclination toward something (In a sick twist of fate, Harold’s

childhood proclivity for torturing small animals grew into a desire to become a

surgeon.)

procure (v.) to obtain, acquire (The FBI was unable to procure sufficient evidence to

charge the gangster with racketeering.)

profane (adj.) lewd, indecent (Jacob’s profane act of dumping frogs in the holy water in

the chapel at his boarding school resulted in his dismissal.)

profligate (adj.) dissolute, extravagant (The profligate gambler loved to drink, spend

money, steal, cheat, and hang out with prostitutes.)

profuse (adj.) plentiful, abundant (The fans were profuse in their cheers for the star

basketball player.)

promulgate (v.) to proclaim, make known (The film professor promulgated that both in

terms of sex appeal and political intrigue, Sean Connery’s James Bond was superior

to Roger Moore’s.)

propagate (v.) to multiply, spread out (Rumors of Paul McCartney’s demise propagated

like wildfire throughout the world.)

propensity (n.) an inclination, preference (Dermit has a propensity for dangerous

activities such as bungee jumping.)

propitious (adj.) favorable (The dark storm clouds visible on the horizon suggested that

the weather would not be propitious for sailing.)

propriety (n.) the quality or state of being proper, decent (Erma’s old-fashioned parents

believed that her mini-skirt lacked the propriety expected of a “nice” girl.)

Q

prosaic (adj.) plain, lacking liveliness (Heather’s prosaic recital of the poem bored the

audience.)

proscribe (v.) to condemn, outlaw (The town council voted to proscribe the sale of

alcohol on weekends.)

protean (adj.)able to change shape; displaying great variety (Among Nigel’s protean

talents was his ability to touch the tip of his nose with his tongue.)

prowess (n.) extraordinary ability (The musician had never taken a guitar lesson in his

life, making his prowess with the instrument even more incredible.)

prudence (n.) cautious, circumspect (After losing a fortune in a stock market crash, my

father vowed to practice greater prudence in future investments.)

prurient (adj.) eliciting or possessing an extraordinary interest in sex (David’s mother

was shocked by the discovery of prurient reading material hidden beneath her son’s

mattress.)

puerile (adj.) juvenile, immature (The judge demanded order after the lawyer’s puerile

attempt to object by stomping his feet on the courtroom floor.)

pugnacious (adj.) quarrelsome, combative (Aaron’s pugnacious nature led him to start

several barroom brawls each month.)

pulchritude (n.) physical beauty (Several of Shakespeare’s sonnets explore the

pulchritude of a lovely young man.)

punctilious (adj.) eager to follow rules or conventions (Punctilious Bobby, hall monitor

extraordinaire, insisted that his peers follow the rules.)

pungent (adj.) having a pointed, sharp quality—often used to describe smells

(The pungent odor in the classroom made Joseph lose his concentration during the

test.)

punitive (adj.) involving punishment (If caught smoking in the boys’ room, the punitive

result is immediate expulsion from school.)

putrid (adj.) rotten, foul (Those rotten eggs smell putrid.)

Q

quagmire (n.) a difficult situation (We’d all like to avoid the kind of military quagmire

characterized by the Vietnam War.)

quaint (adj.) charmingly old-fashioned (Hilda was delighted by the quaint bonnets she

saw in Amish country.)

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quandary (n.) a perplexed, unresolvable state (Carlos found himself in a quandary:

should he choose mint chocolate chip or cookie dough?)

quell (v.) to control or diffuse a potentially explosive situation (The skilled leader

deftly quelled the rebellion.)

querulous (adj.) whiny, complaining (If deprived of his pacifier, young Brendan

becomes querulous.)

quixotic (adj.) idealistic, impractical (Edward entertained a quixotic desire to fall in

love at first sight in a laundromat.)

quotidian (adj.) daily (Ambika’s quotidian routines include drinking two cups of coffee

in the morning.)

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rail (v.) to scold, protest (The professor railed against the injustice of the college’s tenure

policy.)

rancid (adj.) having a terrible taste or smell (Rob was double-dog-dared to eat the

rancid egg salad sandwich.)

rancor (n.) deep, bitter resentment (When Eileen challenged me to a fight, I could see

the rancor in her eyes.)

rapport (n.) mutual understanding and harmony (When Margaret met her paramour,

they felt an instant rapport.)

rash (adj.) hasty, incautious (It’s best to think things over calmly and thoroughly, rather

than make rash decisions.)

raucous (adj.) loud, boisterous (Sarah’s neighbors called the cops when her house party

got too raucous.)

raze (v.) to demolish, level (The old tenement house was razed to make room for the

large chain store.)

rebuke (v.) to scold, criticize (When the cops showed up at Sarah’s party, they rebuked

her for disturbing the peace.)

recalcitrant (adj.) defiant, unapologetic (Even when scolded, the recalcitrant young girl

simply stomped her foot and refused to finish her lima beans.)

recapitulate (v.) to sum up, repeat (Before the final exam, the teacher recapitulated the

semester’s material.)

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reciprocate (v.) to give in return (When Steve gave Samantha a sweater for Christmas,

she reciprocated by giving him a kiss.)

reclusive (adj.) solitary, shunning society (Reclusive authors such as J.D. Salinger do

not relish media attention and sometimes even enjoy holing up in remote cabins in

the woods.)

reconcile 1. (v.) to return to harmony (The feuding neighbors finally reconciled when

one brought the other a delicious tuna noodle casserole.) 2. (v.) to make consistent

with existing ideas (Alou had to reconcile his skepticism about the existence of aliens

with the fact that he was looking at a flying saucer.)

rectitude (n.) uprightness, extreme morality (The priest’s rectitude gave him the moral

authority to counsel his parishioners.)

redoubtable 1. (adj.) formidable (The fortress looked redoubtable set against a stormy

sky.) 2. (adj.) commanding respect (The audience greeted the redoubtable speaker

with a standing ovation.)

refract (v.) to distort, change (The light was refracted as it passed through the prism.)

refurbish (v.) to restore, clean up (The dingy old chair, after being refurbished,

commanded the handsome price of $200.)

refute (v.) to prove wrong (Maria refuted the president’s argument as she yelled and

gesticulated at the TV.)

regurgitate 1. (v.) to vomit (Feeling sick, Chuck regurgitated his dinner.) 2. (v.) to

throw back exactly (Margaret rushed through the test, regurgitating all of the facts

she’d memorized an hour earlier.)

relegate 1. (v.) to assign to the proper place (At the astrology conference, Simon was

relegated to the Scorpio room.) 2. (v.) to assign to an inferior place (After spilling a

drink on a customer’s shirt, the waiter found himself relegated to the least lucrative

shift.)

relish (v.) to enjoy (Pete always relished his bedtime snack.)

remedial (adj.) intended to repair gaps in students’ basic knowledge (After his teacher

discovered he couldn’t read, Alex was forced to enroll in remedial English.)

remiss (adj.) negligent, failing to take care (The burglar gained entrance because the

security guard, remiss in his duties, forgot to lock the door.)

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renovate 1. (v.) restore, return to original state (The renovated antique candelabra

looked as good as new.) 2. (v.) to enlarge and make prettier, especially a house (After

getting renovated, the house was twice as big and much more attractive.)

renown (n.) honor, acclaim (The young writer earned international renown by winning

the Pulitzer Prize.)

renunciation (n.) to reject (Fiona’s renunciation of red meat resulted in weight loss, but

confused those people who thought she’d been a vegetarian for years.)

repentant (adj.) penitent, sorry (The repentant Dennis apologized profusely for

breaking his mother’s vase.)

replete (adj.) full, abundant (The unedited version was replete with naughty words.)

repose (v.) to rest, lie down (The cat, after eating an entire can of tuna fish, reposed in

the sun and took a long nap.)

reprehensible (adj.) deserving rebuke (Jean’s cruel and reprehensible attempt to dump

her boyfriend on his birthday led to tears and recriminations.)

reprieve (n.) a temporary delay of punishment (Because the governor woke up in a

particularly good mood, he granted hundreds of reprieves to prisoners.)

reproach (v.) to scold, disapprove (Brian reproached the customer for failing to rewind

the video he had rented.)

reprobate (adj.) evil, unprincipled (The reprobate criminal sat sneering in the cell.)

reprove (v.) to scold, rebuke (Lara reproved her son for sticking each and every one of

his fingers into the strawberry pie.)

repudiate (v.) to reject, refuse to accept (Kwame made a strong case for an extension of

his curfew, but his mother repudiated it with a few biting words.)

repulse 1. (v.) to disgust (Antisocial Annie tried to repulse people by neglecting to brush

her teeth.) 2. (v.) to push back (With a deft movement of her wrist and a punch to

the stomach, Lacy repulsed Jack’s attempt to kiss her.)

reputable (adj.) of good reputation (After the most reputable critic in the industry gave

the novel a glowing review, sales took off.)

requisition (n.) a demand for goods, usually made by an authority (During the war, the

government made a requisition of supplies.)

rescind (v.) to take back, repeal (The company rescinded its offer of employment after

discovering that Jane’s resume was full of lies.)

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reservoir 1. (n.) reserves, large supply (Igor the Indomitable had quite a reservoir of

strengh and could lift ten tons, even after running 700 miles, jumping over three

mountains, and swimming across an ocean.) 2. (n.) a body of water used for storing

water (After graduation, the more rebellious members of the senior class jumped

into the town reservoir used for drinking water.)

resilient (adj.) able to recover from misfortune; able to withstand adversity (The

resilient ballplayer quickly recovered from his wrist injury.)

resolute (adj.) firm, determined (With a resolute glint in her eye, Catherine announced

that she was set on going to college in New York City even though she was a little

frightened of tall buildings.)

resolve 1. (v.) to find a solution (Sarah and Emma resolved their differences and shook

hands.) 2. (v.) to firmly decide (Lady Macbeth resolved to whip her husband into

shape.)

respite (n.) a break, rest (Justin left the pub to gain a brief respite from the smoke and

noise.)

resplendent (adj.) shiny, glowing (The partygoers were resplendent in diamonds and

fancy dress.)

restitution (n.) restoration to the rightful owner (Many people feel that descendants of

slaves should receive restitution for the sufferings of their ancestors.)

restive (adj.) resistant, stubborn, impatient (The restive audience pelted the band with

mud and yelled nasty comments.)

retract (v.) withdraw (As the media worked itself into a frenzy, the publicist hurriedly

retracted his client’s sexist statement.)

revel (v.) to enjoy intensely (Theodore reveled in his new status as Big Man

on Campus.)

revere (v.) to esteem, show deference, venerate (The doctor saved countless lives with

his combination of expertise and kindness and became universally revered.)

revoke (v.) to take back (After missing the curfew set by the court for eight nights in a

row, Marcel’s freedom of movement was revoked.)

rhapsodize (v.) to engage in excessive enthusiasm (The critic rhapsodized about the

movie, calling it an instant classic.)

ribald (adj.) coarsely, crudely humorous (While some giggled at the ribald joke

involving a parson’s daughter, most sighed and rolled their eyes.)

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rife (adj.) abundant (Surprisingly, the famous novelist’s writing was rife with

spelling errors.)

ruminate (v.) to contemplate, reflect (Terry liked to ruminate while sitting on the banks

of the river, staring pensively into the water.)

ruse (n.) a trick (Oliver concocted an elaborate ruse for sneaking out of the house to

meet his girlfriend while simultaneously giving his mother the impression that he

was asleep in bed.)

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saccharine (adj.) sickeningly sweet (Tom’s saccharine manner, although intended to

make him popular, actually repelled his classmates.)

sacrosanct (adj.) holy, something that should not be criticized (In the United States,

the Constitution is often thought of as a sacrosanct document.)

sagacity (n.) shrewdness, soundness of perspective (With remarkable sagacity, the wise

old man predicted and thwarted his children’s plan to ship him off to a nursing

home.)

salient (adj.) significant, conspicuous (One of the salient differences between Alison

and Nancy is that Alison is a foot taller.)

salutation (n.) a greeting (Andrew regularly began letters with the bizarre salutation

“Ahoy ahoy.”)

salve (n.) a soothing balm (After Tony applied a salve to his brilliant red sunburn, he

soon felt a little better.)

sanctimonious (adj.) giving a hypocritical appearance of piety (The sanctimonious

Bertrand delivered stern lectures on the Ten Commandments to anyone who would

listen, but thought nothing of stealing cars to make some cash on the side.)

sanguine (adj.) optimistic, cheery (Polly reacted to any bad news with a sanguine smile

and the chirpy cry, “When life hands you lemons, make lemonade!”)

satiate (v.) to satisfy excessively (Satiated after eating far too much turkey and stuffing,

Liza lay on the couch watching football and suffering from

stomach pains.)

scathing (adj.) sharp, critical, hurtful (Two hours after breaking up with Russell,

Suzanne thought of the perfect scathing retort to his accusations.)

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scintillating (adj.) sparkling (The ice skater’s scintillating rhinestone costume nearly

blinded the judges.)

scrupulous (adj.) painstaking, careful (With scrupulous care, Sam cut a snowflake out of

white paper.)

scurrilous (adj.) vulgar, coarse (When Bruno heard the scurrilous accusation being

made about him, he could not believe it because he always tried to be nice to

everyone.)

sedentary (adj.) sitting, settled (The sedentary cat did little but loll in the sun.)

semaphore (n.) a visual signal (Anne and Diana communicated with a semaphore

involving candles and window shades.)

seminal (adj.) original, important, creating a field (Stephen Greenblatt’s essays on

Shakespeare proved to be seminal, because they initiated the critical schoolof New

Historicism.)

sensual (adj.) involving sensory gratification, usually related to sex (With a coy smile,

the guest on the blind-date show announced that he considered himself a very

sensual person.)

sensuous (adj.) involving sensory gratification (Paul found drinking Coke, with all the

little bubbles bursting on his tongue, a very sensuous experience.)

serendipity (n.) luck, finding good things without looking for them (In an amazing bit

of serendipity, penniless Paula found a $20 bill in the subway station.)

serene (adj.) calm, untroubled (Louise stood in front of the Mona Lisa, puzzling over

the famous woman’s serene smile.)

servile (adj.) subservient (The servile porter crept around the hotel lobby, bowing and

quaking before the guests.)

sinuous (adj.) lithe, serpentine (With the sinuous movements of her arms, the dancer

mimicked the motion of a snake.)

sobriety (n.) sedate, calm (Jason believed that maintaining his sobriety in times of crisis

was the key to success in life.)

solicitous (adj.) concerned, attentive (Jim, laid up in bed with a nasty virus,

enjoyed the solicitous attentions of his mother, who brought him soup and extra

blankets.)

solipsistic (adj.) believing that oneself is all that exists (Colette’s solipsistic attitude

completely ignored the plight of the homeless people on the street.)

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soluble (adj.) able to dissolve (The plot of the spy film revolved around an untraceable

and water-soluble poison.)

solvent 1. (n.) a substance that can dissolve other substances (Water is sometimes called

the universal solvent because almost all other substances can dissolve into it.) 2.

(adj.) able to pay debts (Upon receiving an unexpected check from her aunt,

Annabelle found herself suddenly solvent.)

somnolent (adj.) sleepy, drowsy (The somnolent student kept falling asleep and waking

up with a jerk.)

sophomoric (adj.) immature, uninformed (The mature senior rolled her eyes at the

sophomoric gross-out humor of the underclassman.)

sovereign (adj.) having absolute authority in a certain realm (The sovereign queen,

with steely resolve, ordered that the traitorous nobleman be killed.)

speculative (adj.) not based in fact (Sadly, Tessa was convicted on merely speculative

evidence.)

spurious (adj.) false but designed to seem plausible (Using a spurious argument, John

convinced the others that he had won the board game on a technicality.)

stagnate (v.) to become or remain inactive, not develop, not flow (With no room for

advancement, the waiter’s career stagnated.)

staid (adj.) sedate, serious, self-restrained (The staid butler never changed his

expression no matter what happened.)

stingy (adj.) not generous, not inclined to spend or give (Scrooge’s stingy habits did not

fit with the generous, giving spirit of Christmas.)

stoic (adj.) unaffected by passion or feeling (Penelope’s faithfulness to Odysseus

required that she be stoic and put off her many suitors.)

stolid (adj.) expressing little sensibility, unemotional (Charles’s stolid reaction to his

wife’s funeral differed from the passion he showed at the time of her death.)

strenuous (adj.) requiring tremendous energy or stamina (Running a marathon is quite

a strenuous task. So is watching an entire Star Trek marathon.)

strident (adj.) harsh, loud (A strident man, Captain Von Trapp yelled at his daughter

and made her cry.)

stupefy (v.) to astonish, make insensible (Veronica’s audacity and ungratefulness

stupefied her best friend, Heather.)

T

subjugate (v.) to bring under control, subdue (The invading force captured and

subjugated the natives of that place.)

sublime (adj.) lofty, grand, exalted (The homeless man sadly pondered his former

wealth and once sublime existence.)

submissive (adj.) easily yielding to authority (In some cultures, wives are supposed to

be submissive and support their husbands in all matters.)

succinct (adj.) marked by compact precision (The governor’s succinct speech energized

the crowd while the mayor’s rambled on and on.)

superfluous (adj.) exceeding what is necessary (Tracy had already won the campaign so

her constant flattery of others was superfluous.)

surfeit (n.) an overabundant supply or indulgence (After partaking of the surfeit of

tacos and tamales at the All-You-Can-Eat Taco Tamale Lunch Special, Beth felt

rather sick.)

surmise (v.) to infer with little evidence (After speaking to only one of the students, the

teacher was able to surmise what had caused the fight.)

surreptitious (adj.) stealthy (The surreptitious CIA agents were able to get in and out of

the house without anyone noticing.)

surrogate (n.) one acting in place of another (The surrogate carried the child to term for

its biological parents.)

swarthy (adj.) of dark color or complexion (When he got drunk, Robinson’s white skin

became rather swarthy.)

sycophant (n.) one who flatters for self-gain (Some see the people in the cabinet as the

president’s closest advisors, but others see them as sycophants.)

T

tacit (adj.) expressed without words (I interpreted my parents’ refusal to talk as a tacit

acceptance of my request.)

taciturn (adj.) not inclined to talk (Though Jane never seems to stop talking, her brother

is quite taciturn.)

tangential (adj.) incidental, peripheral, divergent (I tried to discuss my salary, but the

boss kept veering off into tangential topics.)

tantamount (adj.) equivalent in value or significance (When it comes to sports, fearing

your opponent is tantamount to losing.)

T

tedious (adj.) dull, boring (As time passed and the history professor continued to drone

on and on, the lecture became increasingly tedious.)

temerity (n.) audacity, recklessness (Tom and Huck entered the scary cave armed with

nothing but their own temerity.)

temperance (n.) moderation in action or thought (Maintaining temperance will ensure

that you are able to think rationally and objectively.)

tenable (adj.) able to be defended or maintained (The department heads tore

down the arguments in other people’s theses, but Johari’s work proved to be quite

tenable.)

tenuous (adj.) having little substance or strength (Your argument is very tenuous, since

it relies so much on speculation and hearsay.)

terrestrial (adj.) relating to the land (Elephants are terrestrial animals.)

timorous (adj.) timid, fearful (When dealing with the unknown, timorous Tallulah

almost always broke into tears.)

tirade (n.) a long speech marked by harsh or biting language (Every time Jessica was

late, her boyfriend went into a long tirade about punctuality.)

toady (n.) one who flatters in the hope of gaining favors (The other kids referred to the

teacher’s pet as the Tenth Grade Toady.)

tome (n.) a large book (In college, I used to carry around an anatomy book that was the

heaviest tome in my bag.)

torpid (adj.) lethargic, dormant, lacking motion (The torpid whale floated, wallowing

in the water for hours.)

torrid (adj.) giving off intense heat, passionate (I didn’t want to witness the neighbor’s

torrid affair through the window.)

tortuous (adj.) winding (The scary thing about driving in mountains are the narrow,

tortuous roads.)

tractable (adj.) easily controlled (The horse was so tractable, Myra didn’t even need a

bridle.)

tranquil (adj.) calm (There is a time of night when nothing moves and everything

is tranquil.)

transgress (v.) to violate, go over a limit (The criminal’s actions transgressed morality

and human decency.)

U

transient (adj.) passing through briefly; passing into and out of existence (Because

virtually everyone in Palm Beach is a tourist, the population of the town is quite

transient.)

transmute (v.) to change or alter in form (Ancient alchemists believed that it was

possible to transmute lead into gold.)

travesty (n.) a grossly inferior imitation (According to the school newspaper’s merciless

theater critic, Pacific Coast High’s rendition of the musical Oklahoma was a

travesty of the original.)

tremulous (adj.) fearful (I always feel a trifle tremulous when walking through

a graveyard.)

trenchant (adj.) effective, articulate, clear-cut (The directions that accompanied my new

cell phone were trenchant and easy to follow.)

trepidation (n.) fear, apprehension (Feeling great trepidation, Anya refused to jump into

the pool because she thought she saw a shark in it.)

trite (adj.) not original, overused (Keith thought of himself as being very learned, but

everyone else thought he was trite because his observations about the world were

always the same as David Letterman’s.)

truculent (adj.) ready to fight, cruel (This club doesn’t really attract the dangerous

types, so why was that bouncer being so truculent?)

truncate (v.) to shorten by cutting off (After winning the derby, the jockey truncated

the long speech he had planned and thanked only his mom and his horse.)

turgid (adj.) swollen, excessively embellished in style or language (The haughty writer

did not realize how we all really felt about his turgid prose.)

turpitude (n.) depravity, moral corruption (Sir Marcus’s chivalry often contrasted with

the turpitude he exhibited with the ladies at the tavern.)

U

ubiquitous (adj.) existing everywhere, widespread (It seems that everyone in the United

States has a television. The technology is ubiquitous here.)

umbrage (n.) resentment, offense (He called me a lily-livered coward, and I took

umbrage at the insult.)

V

uncanny (adj.) of supernatural character or origin (Luka had an uncanny ability to

know exactly what other people were thinking. She also had an uncanny ability to

shoot fireballs from her hands.)

unctuous (adj.) smooth or greasy in texture, appearance, manner (The unctuous

receptionist seemed untrustworthy, as if she was only being helpful because she

thought we might give her a big tip.)

undulate (v.) to move in waves (As the storm began to brew, the placid ocean began to

undulate to an increasing degree.)

upbraid (v.) to criticize or scold severely (The last thing Lindsay wanted was for Lisa to

upbraid her again about missing the rent payment.)

usurp (v.) to seize by force, take possession of without right (The rogue army general

tried to usurp control of the government, but he failed because most of the army

backed the legally elected president.)

utilitarian (adj.) relating to or aiming at usefulness (The beautiful, fragile vase couldn’t

hold flowers or serve any other utilitarian purpose.)

utopia (n.) an imaginary and remote place of perfection (Everyone in the world wants

to live in a utopia, but no one can agree how to go about building one.)

V

vacillate (v.) to fluctuate, hesitate (I prefer a definite answer, but my boss kept

vacillating between the distinct options available to us.)

vacuous (adj.) lack of content or ideas, stupid (Beyonce realized that the lyrics she had

just penned were completely vacuous and tried to add more substance.)

validate (v.) to confirm, support, corroborate (Yoko’s chemistry lab partner was asleep

during the experiment and could not validate the accuracy of her methods.)

vapid (adj.) lacking liveliness, dull (The professor’s comments about the poem were

surprisingly vapid and dull.)

variegated (adj.) diversified, distinctly marked (Each wire in the engineering exam was

variegated by color so that the students could figure out which one was which.)

vehemently (adv.) marked by intense force or emotion (The candidate vehemently

opposed cutting back on Social Security funding.)

V

veneer (n.) a superficial or deceptively attractive appearance, façade (Thanks to her

Chanel makeup, Shannen was able to maintain a veneer of perfection that hid the

flaws underneath.)

venerable (adj.) deserving of respect because of age or achievement (The venerable

Supreme Court justice had made several key rulings in landmark cases throughout

the years.)

venerate (v.) to regard with respect or to honor (The tribute to John Lennon sought to

venerate his music, his words, and his legend.)

veracity (n.) truthfulness, accuracy (With several agencies regulating the reports, it was

difficult for Latifah to argue against its veracity.)

verbose (adj.) wordy, impaired by wordiness (It took the verbose teacher two hours to

explain the topic, while it should have taken only fifteen minutes.)

verdant (adj.) green in tint or color (The verdant leaves on the trees made the world

look emerald.)

vestige (n.) a mark or trace of something lost or vanished (Do you know if the Mexican

tortilla is a vestige of some form of Aztec corn-based flat bread?)

vex (v.) to confuse or annoy (My little brother vexes me by poking me in the ribs for

hours on end.)

vicarious (adj.) experiencing through another (All of my lame friends learned to be

social through vicarious involvement in my amazing experiences.)

vicissitude (n.) event that occurs by chance (The vicissitudes of daily life prevent me

from predicting what might happen from one day to the next.)

vigilant (adj.) watchful, alert (The guards remained vigilant throughout the night, but

the enemy never launched the expected attack.)

vilify (v.) to lower in importance, defame (After the Watergate scandal, almost any story

written about President Nixon sought to vilify him and criticize his behavior.)

vindicate (v.) to avenge; to free from allegation; to set free (The attorney had no chance

of vindicating the defendant with all of the strong evidence presented by the state.)

vindictive (adj.) vengeful (The vindictive madman seeks to exact vengeance for any

insult that he perceives is directed at him, no matter how small.)

virtuoso (n.) one who excels in an art; a highly skilled musical performer (Even though

Lydia has studied piano for many years, she’s only average at it. She’s no virtuoso,

that’s for sure.)

W

viscous (adj.) not free flowing, syrupy (The viscous syrup took three minutes to pour

out of the bottle.)

vitriolic (adj.) having a caustic quality (When angry, the woman would spew vitriolic

insults.)

vituperate (v.) to berate (Jack ran away as soon as his father found out, knowing he

would be vituperated for his unseemly behavior.)

vivacious (adj.) lively, sprightly (The vivacious clown makes all of the children laugh

and giggle with his friendly antics.)

vocation (n.) the work in which someone is employed, profession (After growing tired

of the superficial world of high-fashion, Edwina decided to devote herself to a new

vocation: social work.)

vociferous (adj.) loud, boisterous (I’m tired of his vociferous whining so I’m breaking

up with him.)

W

wallow (v.) to roll oneself indolently; to become or remain helpless (My roommate

can’t get over her breakup with her boyfriend and now just wallows in self-pity.)

wane (v.) to decrease in size, dwindle (Don’t be so afraid of his wrath because his

influence with the president is already beginning to wane.)

wanton (adj.) undisciplined, lewd, lustful (Vicky’s wanton demeanor often made the

frat guys next door very excited.)

whimsical (adj.) fanciful, full of whims (The whimsical little girl liked to pretend that

she was an elvin princess.)

wily (adj.) crafty, sly (Though they were not the strongest of the Thundercats, wily Kit

and Kat were definitely the most clever and full of tricks.)

winsome (adj.) charming, pleasing (After such a long, frustrating day, I was grateful for

Chris’s winsome attitude and childish naivete.)

wistful (adj.) full of yearning; musingly sad (Since her pet rabbit died, Edda missed it

terribly and sat around wistful all day long.)

wizened (adj.) dry, shrunken, wrinkled (Agatha’s grandmother, Stephanie, had the

most wizened countenance, full of leathery wrinkles.)

wrath (n.) vengeful anger, punishment (Did you really want to incur her wrath when

she is known for inflicting the worst punishments legally possible?)

Y

Y

yoke (v.) to join, link (We yoked together the logs by tying a string around them.)

Z

zealous (adj.) fervent, filled with eagerness in pursuit of something (If he were any

more zealous about getting his promotion, he’d practically live at the office.)

zenith (n.) the highest point, culminating point (I was too nice to tell Nelly that she had

reached the absolute zenith of her career with that one hit of hers.)

zephyr (n.) a gentle breeze (If not for the zephyrs that were blowing and cooling us, our

room would’ve been unbearably hot.)