Wordly Wise Test
Terms
undefined, object
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- asperity
- sharpness or harshness of manner
- bane
- a person or thing that destroys or causes harm
- buffoon
- a person who makes an attempt to be funny
- doleful
- mournful or full of sorrow
- extrovert
- a person whose attention is focused on others
- garish
- excessively bright and flashy
- hierarchy
- a system in which positions of power are ranked
- imbue
- to fill completely with a feeling or idea, to inspire
- instigate
- to stir up or urge on
- penchant
- a strong attraction or leaning
- rambunctious
- behaving in a wild and unruly manner
- repertoire
- list of pieces an actor or musician is ready to perfom, skills or accomplishments of a person or group
- rudiment
- basic principle or skill
- undermine
- to weaken or ruin by degrees
- unremitting
- not stopping or slowing down, constant
- adjudicate
- to hear and decide judicially
- centennial
- a one-hundredth anniversary or its celebration
- countenance
- a person's face or thier expression
- disgruntle
- to make dissatisfied or put in a bad mood
- equilibrium
- a state of balance
- expedite
- to speed up a process
- gird
- to encircle or surround
- gratuitous
- not called for, unnecessary
- illusory
- unreal or imagined
- implacable
- incapable of being soothed
- luminary
- source of light
- manifesto
- public statement explaining views of an individual or group
- mesmerize
- to fascinate or hypnotize
- precedent
- an act or statement that may serve as a justification for a later one
- spurious
- not genuine
- curtail
- to cut short or reduce
- discriminate
- to make clear distinctions, to treat in a less favorable way
- espoinage
- the act of spying
- inalienable
- not able to be taken or given away
- incarcerate
- to confine or put in prison
- indignity
- to insult one's pride, humiliating treatment
- indiscriminate
- not marked by careful distinctions
- infamous
- having a bad reputation, notorious
- intercede
- to act or plead on another's behalf
- malign
- to say negative and unfair things about
- perpetrate
- to commit as a crime
- rampant
- threateningly wild, without restraint
- rancor
- a deep, long-held feeling of hatred
- reparation
- a mending or repair
- smattering
- superifical, scattered knowledge
- accolade
- an expression of approval, merit
- adamant
- not yielding, firm
- adulate
- to flatter or admire excessively, to idolize
- altercation
- a loud and determined dispute, quarrel
- annals
- historical records or events
- assiduous
- diligent and persistant
- chary
- excersising caution
- clique
- small, exclusive group held together by a common interest
- decrepit
- worn-out with use or broken-down
- endow
- to provide with a quality or thing
- ephemeral
- lasting a very short time
- ingratiate
- to work to gain the favor of someone
- pantheon
- a group of people held in high esteem for their achievements
- perverse
- turned away from what is right
- tutelage
- instruction, protection, or guardianship
- acrimony
- biterness or sharpness of temper, manner, or speech
- affinity
- attraction for someone or something with which one feels a closeness
- ambivalent
- having mixed feelings about something or someone
- cessation
- a stopping, final or temporary
- emaciated
- thin or wasted away, from lack of nourishment
- enclave
- a distinct regionor community enclosed in a larger territory
- engender
- to bring into being, to produce
- exacerbate
- to make more severe, bitter, or violent
- illicit
- not allowed, improper, or unlawful
- indigenous
- naturally living or growing in a certain area
- inexorable
- not to be persuaded, stopped, or moved
- infatuated
- filled with excessive, shallow, or foolish love or desire
- insatiable
- never satisfied, greedy
- poignant
- painfully moving, affecting, or touching
- proselytize
- to convert someone to a faith, belief, or cause
- ameliorate
- to make better, to improve
- baleful
- expressing hatred or evil
- berate
- to criticize vigorously
- circumvent
- to avoid through craftiness
- compunction
- a feeling of uneasiness or anxiety caused by guilt
- condone
- to overlook or accept without punishment
- diminutive
- very small, tiny
- euphemism
- polite term used to avoid directly naming something considered offensive
- expendable
- able to be used up and then discarded
- heresy
- the expression of shocking or unacceptable views
- infirmity
- physical or mental weakness or defect
- profane
- to treat with scorn or irreverance
- recompense
- to pay or compensate
- repast
- food and drink
- servitude
- a lack of freedom
- castigate
- to punish by criticizing sharply
- colloquial
- characaterized by informal language
- epitaph
- the words carved on a tombstone
- exodus
- a mass departure
- inter
- to put in a grave
- lacerate
- to tear or cut roughly
- largesse
- the act of giving generously
- obituary
- a notice of someone's death
- omnivorous
- eating all kinds of food, taking in everything available
- permeate
- to spread throughout
- rendition
- an interpretation or translation
- resurgence
- a rising again to life, use, acceptance, or promincence
- stereotype
- a generalization used to characterize a person withough acknowledging individual differences
- stipend
- a regular and fixed amout of pay
- subservient
- serving or acting in a subordinate manner
- adjacent
- near or next to
- beset
- to surroud or to attack repeatedly
- cede
- to give up or transfer, especially by treaty or formal agreement
- circuitous
- roundabout or indirect
- desultory
- proceeding or carried out in an aimless or random way
- galvanize
- to excite or arouse action
- implement
- a tool or instrument
- inconsequential
- lacking importance or worth
- magnitude
- greatness of size, power, or influence
- materialize
- to become real or actual, to appear in physical form
- muster
- a gathering
- prohibitive
- serving to restrain action or discourage use of
- reminisce
- to think or talk about one's past
- vanguard
- the leading or forward position in a movement
- visionary
- a person who is given to ideas taht are not currently realistic, a dreamer
- cautionary
- offering or serving as a warning
- constrain
- to confine, inhibit, or hold back by force
- flotilla
- a fleet of boats
- gossamer
- thin, sheer fabric
- ignominious
- marked by, deserving, or causing shame or disgrace
- incur
- to bring upon oneself something undesireable
- liquidate
- to settle affiars of a business or to get rid of or destroy
- magnate
- an important, often wealthy person prominant in a large industry or business
- misnomer
- a name that does not fit
- onerous
- burdensome
- pandemonium
- state or place of consusion or uproar
- quixotic
- romantic and idealistic
- tenacious
- holding fast, persistant in adhering to something valued or habitual
- vestige
- a trace of something that was once present
- zephyr
- a light, gentle breeze
- attest
- to declare or be evidence of something ture
- axiom
- a statement or principle that requires no proof because the truth is obvious
- churlish
- lacking good manners, rude, impolite
- concoct
- to make up, prepare
- derivative
- something that grows out of or as a result of an earlier condition
- differentiate
- to see the difference, to distinguish
- disparge
- to criticize in a negative and disrespectful manner
- dissipate
- to break up and spread out so thinly as to disappear
- esoteric
- not gernally known or understood
- oflactory
- relating to smell
- plethora
- too great a number
- refurbish
- to make like new
- secrete
- to produce and give off
- vagary
- a departure from the normal
- volatile
- evaporating quickly
- agrarian
- having to do with farming
- burgeon
- to grow and expand rapidly
- cataclysm
- a sudden and violent change
- culinary
- having to do with cooking
- denigrate
- to attack the reputation of
- gourmet
- a person who likes fine food and is a good judge of its quality
- gradiloquent
- using lofty or pompous speech or expression
- hybrid
- the offspring of two animals or plants of different species, anything of mixed origin
- manifold
- having many different kinds, forms, or parts
- palatable
- acceptable of pleasing expecially to taste
- panacea
- something used to cure all ills or difficulties
- plebeian
- of or pertaining to the common people
- scourge
- something that causes great pain and suffering
- stalemate
- a halt in struggle because both sides are equally strong and neither side will give in
- temeperate
- mild, moderate
- aftermath
- a consequance or result
- aphorism
- a short statement or truth or principle
- catharsis
- a releasing of the emotions
- cohort
- a gropu that is moving or working together
- culpable
- deserving blame
- diabolical
- devilish
- enormity
- the state or quality of being immoderate, state of being huge
- gibe
- to utter taunting, sarcastic words
- innocuous
- harmless
- necessitate
- to require, make necessary
- odyssey
- a long and adventurous journey
- partisan
- a strong supporter or advocate
- posterity
- a person's descendants
- premeditated
- fully planned beforehand
- scurrilous
- vulgar
- adjunct
- something or someone joined or added to something else, but not essentially a part of it
- belie
- to give a false impression of
- carnage
- great destruction of life
- dilemma
- a problem that seems to have not satisfactory solution
- diverse
- differing from one another
- eradicate
- to get rid of
- flout
- to ignore in a disrespectful or scournful way
- foment
- to stir up, to rouse
- insurrection
- an open revolt against legal authority
- mandatory
- required
- mitigate
- to make or become less serious or severe
- pretext
- an effort to conceal the real intention or state of affairs
- singular
- denoting a single person or thing
- somnolent
- tending to cause sleepiness
- stalwart
- strong, sturdy
- aberration
- a departure from the norm or what is considered right
- antiquated
- grown old, out of date
- celestial
- of or relating to the skies or heavens
- certitude
- the state of being certain of the truth or rightness of something
- disburse
- to distribute something or pay out money
- galaxy
- a vast cluster of stars and other matter
- intractable
- hard to manage or control
- juncture
- a joining or coming together
- juxtapose
- to place side by side
- maelstrom
- a large violent whirlpool
- optimum
- best or most favorable
- pillory
- to expose to public scorn
- proliferate
- to grow, expand, or multiply at a rapid rate
- remiss
- negligent, careless
- titanic
- marked by great strength, size, or influence
- abominate
- to hate or loathe intensely
- abridge
- to shorten in duration or extent
- animosity
- intense ill will
- auspicious
- favorable, promising
- beleaguer
- to besiege, to surround
- confidant
- a person to whom secrets are told
- constituent
- one of the parts that make up a whole
- iniquitous
- unjust, wicked
- inure
- to adjust to and accept unpleasent or undesireable condtions
- inveigh
- to complain or protest strongly
- predecessor
- a person or thing that has held a position or office before another
- sabotage
- acts that intentionally damage, hinder, or seek to discredit
- sadistic
- taking pleasure in causing pain
- scathing
- harshly critical
- transpire
- to become apparent, to happen or occur
- aura
- a distinctive atomosphere or feeling that seems to surround someone or something
- banal
- lacking freshness
- bemuse
- to confuse or bewilder
- cognizant
- fully aware, taking notice
- conundrum
- a riddle whose answer is a play on words, puzzle
- evanescent
- short-lived, staying temporarily
- factotum
- a helper or assistant with a wide range of duties
- grandiose
- impressive becuase of size or scope
- induce
- to influence or persuade, to bring about
- intransigent
- refusing to compromise or change one's position on an issue
- laudatory
- full of praise
- panache
- dash or flamboyance in style or action
- picayune
- petty or insignificant
- predilection
- an inclination, preferance
- promontory
- a high point of land that juts out into water
- aggregate
- a group of things gathered in a whole
- allocate
- to set aside for a specific purpose
- augur
- to predict future events
- bastion
- a fortified area or position, something that is a source of strength
- decorum
- suitable or proper behavior or speech
- defunt
- no longer existing or functioning
- disarray
- a lack of order, confusion
- haylcon
- calm, peaceful, and happy
- homily
- a lecture on how to behave morally
- hyperbole
- extravagant exaggeration