Word list 12
Group 1
Abysmal | very deep; very bad |
Approbation | approval [opp. disapprobation] |
Bent (n) | inclination; aptitude |
Cadge | get by begging |
Debacle | disaster |
Extemporize | speak without preparation or rehearsal [extemporaneous (a)] |
Incumbents | occupiers of a job or position |
Lambaste | attack verbally |
Noisome | disgusting |
Pastiche | work (usually artistic) which imitates, or is composed of parts taken from varied sources |
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Group 2
Arboreal | living in trees; concerned with trees |
Centrifuge | device to separate substances by spinning them at high speed |
Cloistered | isolated |
Disabuse | make someone aware of an error in thinking |
Engendering | causing; bringing into being [engender (v)] |
Intemperate | excessive; immoderate [intemperance (n)] |
Lugubrious | sad; gloomy |
Nonplussed | confused |
Pedagogy | science of education; teaching |
Satiate | satisfy; fill completely [satiable (a); satiation (n)] |
Slake | quench; satisfy |
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Group 3
Artless | without effort; without trickery; simple |
Comeliness | beauty; prettiness [comely (a)] |
Doff | take off (esp. of a hat) |
Don | put on (esp. of clothes) |
Erudition | learning; scholarly knowledge [erudite (a)] |
Plaintive | sad; mournful |
Suborn | bribe |
Tendentious | dogmatic; biased |
Tortuous | indirect; winding |
Verbiage | excessive or meaningless wordiness |
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Group 4
Atonement | making amends for sin or crime [atone (v)] |
Complaisance | flexibility; willingness to please [complaisant (a)] |
Daguerreotype | forerunner of the photograph |
Fawn | behave in a sycophantic way; grovel [fawning (a)] |
Gregariousness | sociability; liking for crowds [gregarious (a)] |
Nascent | emerging; newly formed |
Paean | praise; tribute (esp. in song) |
Reproof | scolding; criticism [reprove (v)] |
Scurvy | 1. disease due to lack of vitamin C; 2. contemptible; rascally |
Tutelary | serving as a guardian [tutelage (n)] |
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Group 5
Abscission | cutting; process causing leaves to fall off |
Contentious | causing argument [contention (n); contend (v)] |
Debilitating | weakening [debilitate (v)] |
Foible | quirk; minor weakness |
Importune | beg; solicit [importunate (a)] |
Pertain | be relevant to [pertinent (a)] |
Slew | glut; excess |
Toady | sycophant; flatterer |
Torrid | hot and steamy |
Veracious | true [veracity (n)] |
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Group 6
Asperity | using harsh or critical tone |
Blowhard | boastful person |
Disingenuous | crafty |
Evanescent | short-lived [evanescence (n)] |
Intangible | cannot be touched; abstract [intangibility (n)] |
Labile | changing rapidly; unstable |
Malapropism | use of similar sounding but incorrect word |
Posture (v) | to put on an act |
Proximate | immediate; nearest |
Pugnacious | aggressive, ready to fight [pugnacity (n)] |
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Group 7
Foreshadowed | indicated a future event [foreshadow (v)] |
Gaucherie | awkwardness [gauche (a)] |
Heterodox | unorthodox |
Inscrutability | quality of being difficult to comprehend [inscrutable (a)] |
Limerick | short amusing poem |
Mannered | stylized; pretentious |
Pluck (n) | courage |
Sedulous | persevering; eager and thorough |
Syllogism | type of logical reasoning |
Vicissitude | unexpected change in fortune or circumstances |
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Group 8
Acolyte | disciple; follower or attendant |
Admonitory | scolding [admonition (n)] |
Caprices | whimsies; fancies |
Cornucopia | symbol (horn filled with fruit etc.) denoting natural abundance |
Deferential | showing respect [deference (n); defer (v)] |
Intractability | stubbornness; resistance [intractable (a)] |
Luminary | eminent person |
Minion | underling; servant |
Undergird | support; strengthen |
Vitiate | weaken; sap energy |
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Group 9
Coterie | clique; small group with common interests |
Denigrate | decry; criticize; belittle |
Empirical | found by experiment or practice |
Gainsay | contradict |
Hyperbole | exaggeration [hyperbolic (a)] |
Modest | 1. bashful; unpretentious; 2. not excessive |
Prolixity | wordiness [prolix (a)] |
Rebus | puzzle in which pictures give clues |
Sere | withered; old |
Vulpine | like a fox [compare with bovine (cow-like); porcine (pig-like), etc.] |
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Group 10
Corroborate | give supporting evidence [corroboration (n)] |
Exacerbated | made worse [exacerbate (v); exacerbation (n)] |
Exact (v) | to demand; extort |
Faddish | whimsical; following a fashion |
Hapless | unlucky |
Misconstrue | put a wrong interpretation on something |
Perennial | long-lasting |
Rent | torn (past participle of the verb to rend) |
Shard | fragment of pottery |
Xenophobe | person afraid of foreigners |
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