1. hone

make perfect or complete

2. torpid 1.inactive, sluggish, dull, apathetic inert,lethargic, quiescent, sleepy, 2.dormant

3. accentuate (v.) - to emphasize, to highlight

4. approximate — adj1. almost accurate or exact2. inexact; rough; loose: only an approximatefit3. much alike; almost the same4. near; close together

— vb5. ( usually foll by to ) to come or bring near orclose; be almost the same (as)

5. pinpoint v. to say exactly what the facts about somethingreally are

6. ingenuity cleverness, inventiveness, resourcefulness

7. principal 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

8. obsidian

A usually black or banded, hard volcanic glassthat displays shiny, curved surfaces when

fractured and is formed by rapid cooling of lava

9. irrigation

the process of supplying water to land togrow crops

10. shrine a place of worship hallowed by associationwith some sacred thing or person

11. corridor

a long, narrow hallway

12. ice sheet

another name for a continental glacier

13. paleoecologist person who finds and indentifies fossils toreconstruct the environment that hominidslived in

14. glacial

devoid of warmth and cordiality

GRE&TOEFLStudy online at quizlet.com/_eukue

15. flourish

v. to blossom; to grow vigorously; prosper;to besuccessful; to make dramatic, sweeping gestures

16. paucity an inadequate quantity, scarcity, dearth

17. arid

lacking sufficient water or rainfall,barren,

18. balmy soothing, mild, pleasant, refreshing

19. chilly mildly cold or producing a sensation of cold;causing shivering; chill: a chilly breeze.2.feeling cold; sensitive to cold: Her hands werechilly.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 andmurder.

20. dank unpleasantly cool and humid

21. dew

moisture from the air that forms drops on coolsurfaces, water that has condensed on a cool surface

overnight from water vapor in the air

22. drought

a long period without rain

23. frigid aloof, standoffish, distant, frosty, chilly,cool.stiff, chilling, icy,lacking a warmmanner; unfriendly,

24. meteorology

the earth science dealing with phenomena ofthe atmosphere (especially weather)

25. moisture A small amount of water or other liquid, oftenin the form of small drops.

26. precipitation the falling to earth of any form of water (rainor snow or hail or sleet or mist)

27. saturate to soak thoroughly, fill to capacity; to satisfyfully

28. tempest a violent windstorm usually with snow, rain,or hail

29. serene

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

30. vintage classic; of excellent quality and from a pastera

31. voraciously greedy, ravenous

32. abash to destroy the self-confidence, poise, or self-possession of; disconcert; make ashamed orembarrassed

33. abate decrease, weaken,subside.

34. abdicate to step down from a position of power orresponsibility

35. aberration n something not typical; a deviation from thestandard;mental irregularity or disorder

36. abhor loathe, execrate; despise. Hate, detest,abominate

37. abject utterly hopeless, miserable, humiliating, orwretched,debasing, degrading; miserable

38. abnegate To deny oneself things; to reject; to renounce

39. abortive unsuccessful; fruitless

40. abridge to shorten; to condense;

41. absolve to forgive or free from blame; to free from sin;to free from an obligation

42. geometry the pure mathematics of points and lines andcurves and surfaces

43. statue

a sculpture representing a human or animal

44. depict represent, portray, describe, delineate

45. twist V. wrench, wrest, yank, revolve,

N. an unexpected event, revelation, or otherdevelopment

46. twistsomeone'sarm

to persuade or coerce someone

47. not so muchas

rather than

48. restless uneasy, disturbed, agitated, excited, restive,fretful.

49. overcast

cloudy, dark, gloomy, dismal

50. preposterous absurd; ridiculous; senseless; irrational

51. stationary standing still; not moving

52. compensate adjust or make up for

53. planetarium

an optical device for projecting images ofcelestial bodies and other astronomicalphenomena onto the inner surface of a

hemispherical dome

54. 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) onothers; to take unfair advantage of someone,

to make an impression on the mind

56. trial an attempt or effort to do something.

experiment.

57. abstinent abstaining; voluntarily not doing something,especially something pleasant that is bad foryou or has a bad reputation

58. nauseate revolt,to cause to feel extreme disgust

59. abstruse difficult to penetrate

60. abysmal extremely hopeless or wretched; bottomless

61. accolades an expression of approval, praise; a specialaward

62. accost to approach and speak to first; to confront in achallenging or aggressive way

63. acerbic having a sour or bitter taste or character,acrid

acerbic criticism

64. acquiesce assent; agree passively; comply without protest

65. acrimonious marked by strong resentment or cynicism

66. acumen quickness, accuracy, and keenness ofjudgment or insight

67. corrode

erode

68. verify confirm, prove, certify, testify

69. habitat the type of environment in which anorganism or group normally lives or occurs

70. hibernate sleep during winter

71. temperate mild; moderate; restrained

72. frost

the formation of frost or ice on a surface

73. meadow

an area of level land where grass is grownand usually cut for hay

74. tawdry tastelessly showy

75. profligate excessively wasteful; recklessly extravagant

76. parsimonious stingy, miserly; meager, poor, small

77. pedestrian ordinary or dull

78. embryonic undeveloped; rudimentary; N. embryo:organism in the early stage of development

79. precocious unusually advanced or talented at an earlyage

80. disinterested impartial; unbiased candid, dispassionate,equal, equitable, evenhanded, fair,indifferent, just, nonpartisan, objective,square, unbiased, unprejudiced

81. synoptic providing a general overview; summary; N.synopsis

82. pettiness of little importance; trivial

83. cataclysm disaster, catastrophe

84. foreshadow to indicate or suggest beforehand; to give awarning of

85. caricature

exaggerated portrait, cartoon

86. contaminate defile, pollute, taint, infect, poison, corrupt

87. noxious hurtful, unwholesome, unhealthy, nocuous,detrimental, deleterious.

corruptive.

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

89. adherent

supporter; follower, disciple, devotee, fan,partisan,

90. admonish to scold gently,rebuke, censure, upbraid; towarn

91. adroit skillful; dexterous; clever; shrewd; socially atease, deft, apt, adept.

92. gauche maladroit,clumsy, inept;

93. adulation flattery

94. aphorism a short pithy saying expressing a generaltruth; maxim

95. instigate to urge on; to stir up, provoke, start, incite

96. conspicuously obviously

97. pronounced distinct; very noticeable;

98. vicinity a surrounding or nearby region

99. optical visual

100. obscure 1. doubtful, dubious. mysterious. 4.blurred, veiled. 6. undistinguished,unnoted, unknown. 7. secluded,inconspicuous, unnoticeable, unnoticed.8. cloudy, dusky, somber.

101. sparsely barely, thinly

102. begrudge v. to resent another's success; to envy

103. booze any form of alcohol, especially beer

104. sycophantic flattering

105. escalation an increase, intensification

106. verbose wordy, very talkative

107. celestial of heaven or the spirit

108. disperse To scatter, spread far and wide

109. elaborate complex, detailed, intricate

110. adroit proficient, adept, expert, apt

111. preponderance predominance

112. ludicrous absurd; ridiculous,preposterous,farcical

113. salivate produce saliva, be envious, desirous, eagerfor, or extremely happy about something

114. etch engrave

115. solipsistic believing that oneself is all that exists

116. sectarian relating to a religious faction or subgroup;narrow-minded; limited

117. facetious humorous,comical; jocose,jocular;flippant

118. disparage ridicule, discredit, mock, demean,denounce, derogate.

119. milieu the setting, surroundings, environment

120. satirist a humorist who uses ridicule and ironyand sarcasm

121. cavalier haughty, insolent, arrogant, contemptuous

122. crust

the outer layer of the Earth

123. retinal

Pertaining to the retina

124. nucleus

the core of an atom

125. centaurs

half man, half horse

126. anguish

torment, woe, agony, suffering

127. sadism enjoyment in being cruel

128. adulterous describing marital infidelity

129. trepidation fear, apprehension, trembling

130. autopsy the examination of a corpse to determine thecause of death

131. litany any long, repetitive, or dull recital

132. alibi an excuse that shows someone was not at acrime scene

133. snobbery behavior where one puts down others

134. roost to perch or settle, especially for the night

135. sabbaticals temporary leaves of absence from anorganization, usually at reduced pay

136. cul-de-sac

blind alley; dead end

137. retort to reply, especially in a quick, sharp, or wittyway

138. antiquarian of or relating to persons who study or deal inantiques or antiquities

139. backwater stagnating or spiritless

140. squalor filth; degradation; sordidness

141. irredeemably Cannot be bought back or paid off; hopeless.

142. baleful harmful, malign, injurious, detrimental; evil,wicked; deadly,maleficent

143. blunder lapse, faux pas

144. cessation a bringing or coming to an end; a halt

145. upshot the conclusion; result; outcome,windup,

146. frolic play boisterously

147. scintillating brilliantly clever

148. roam wander, rove, gad, drift

149. warrant to justify or deserve

150. atheist

someone who denies the existence of god

151. supersede replace, take the place of

152. relinquish give up; abandon; let go; release; surrender;cede

153. raise sb.'shackles

infuriate

154. ostentatious

showy, flashy, pretentious, overdone

155. sedition Any speech or action that encouragesrebellion,insurrection, mutiny,treason,

156. recrimination a reply to one charge with a countercharge

157. worn-out no longer fit for use

158. limousine

large luxurious car

159. harness

control, utilize,bestride, manage, exploit

160. surmountable Conquerable

161. homily a sermon, or a moralistic lecture

162. audacity boldness, daring, impudence,nerve, spunk,grit, temerity, foolhardiness.impertinence,brashness.

163. grudge

dislike, ill will, malice, spite,bitterness,rancor, malevolence, enmity, hatred. envy

164. debilitate weaken, enfeeble, deplete, enervate,devitalize.

165. engulf

to swallow up, overwhelm,devour, flood,inundate

166. insurgent rebel, rioter, revolter, agitator

167. bonhomie good natured, atmosphere of good cheer

168. cosset

to coddle, pamper,humor, favor, indulge,

169. ascent

rise, ascension, upward slope, acclivity, climb,rising, soar

170. flounder struggle and thrash about; proceed clumsily orfalter

171. deplore regret; disapprove of

172. simulation an imitation of a possible situation

173. verifiable provable

174. minor lesser

175. grazer An animal that eats low growing grasses orplants

176. alga

seaweed

177. repellent a chemical substance that repels animals,driving away; disgusting; offensive; repulsive;unattractive;

178. magnitude greatness of importance or size

179. postulate a proposition that is accepted as true in orderto provide a basis for logical reasoning,hypothesize, propose

180. abundance profusion, plenty, copiousness, plenteousness

181. bog a swamp or marsh, get stuck while doingsomething

182. anatomy the branch of morphology that deals with thestructure of animals

183. nuance a subtle difference in meaning or opinion orattitude

184. habitual customary; usual; done or caused by habit

185. vacillate hesitate, fluctuate, be indecisive orirresolute,totter; stagger.waver;

186. wariness cautiousness

187. veneration respect,reverence

188. grandiose

impressive; showy; magnificent

189. prosaic ordinary, everyday; vapid, humdrum, tedious,tiresome, uninteresting.

190. electrify stir, rouse, dazzle

191. auspicious promising success; propitious; opportune;favorable, fortunate, promising, timely

192. iconoclastic attacking cherished traditions

193. insipid flat, dull, uninteresting,tasteless, bland.

194. propagate

produce, increase, breed, multiply,

195. truculent brutal, savage, belligerent, vitriolic

196. digress turn aside; get off the main topic; deviate

197. confer to consult; to present as a gift or honor

198. bicker

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

199. dismember

divide into pieces,disjoint, dissect, skeletonize,amputate

200. novice beginner, newcomer, tyro,freshman,neophyte,rookie,fledgling,greenhorn

201. connoisseur critic, aesthete., expert

202. engaging interesting, absorbing, fascinating,alluring,inviting, tempting

203. opaque murky, cloudy, muddy, hazy, foggy, dull, obtuse

204. hypochondriacal suffering from hypochondria;chronic andabnormal anxiety about imaginary symptomsand ailments

205. gregarious living together in a herd or group; sociable,seeking the company of others

206. elegiac sorrowful, plaintive, mournful, sad, lamenting

207. craven cowardly, dastardly, recreant,contemptiblytimid; pusillanimous. dastardly, fearful,timorous.

208. laggard lingerer; loiterer,

209. misanthrope someone who dislikes people in general

210. credulity belief on slight evidence; gullibility; naivete

211. gracious benign, friendly, favorable, polite. tender,clement, mild, gentle, pleasant; courteous;kindly,affable

212. petulant irritable, peevish, fretful, pettish, touchy.irascible

213. disdainful contemptuous, scornful, insolent,jeering,haughty, contumelious.

214. nonchalance unconcern, indifference, apathy,lukewarmness

215. gloom dejection, despondency, sadness.

216. diligent industrious, assiduous, sedulous, energetic,indefatigable, untiring, tireless,unremitting.

217. intermittent periodic, recurrent, sporadic, broken

218. archetypal representing or constituting an originaltype after which other similar things arepatterned

219. gluttony excessive eating or drinking

220. assortment a collection containing a variety of sorts ofthings

221. frailty delicacy, weakness, fragility.susceptibility,suggestibility. flaw, defect.

222. maladaptive unable to adjust properly

223. tentative experimental in nature; uncertain, hesitant

224. wavelength the distance between two correspondingparts of a wave

225. infrared Electromagnetic waves of frequencies lowerthan the red of visible light.

226. uninterrupted continuous

227. porous penetrable, pervious, sievelike, riddled.

228. mineral

a naturally formed, inorganic solid with acrystalline structure

229. gorge

the passage between the pharynx and thestomach,

To eat or swallow greedily, glut, cram,fill.devour,bolt, gulp, gobble.

a narrow passage between steep cliffs,defile,ravine, notch, gap,

230. expediency a regard for what is advantageous or politicrather than for what is right

231. regimented strictly controlled

232. puritanical morally rigorous and strict,rigidly austere

233. formality the rigid observance of rules of convention oretiquette

234. euphonious melodious, musical, harmonious, dulcet,sweet. ,tuneful

235. furrow plough

236. indigenous autochthonous, aboriginal, natural,native

237. cultivate till,train,refine

238. exotic foreign, unfamiliar

239. descent a downward inclination or slope. decline,grade, declivity; slant. decrease, drop, plunge,lessening, contraction, downturn.

derivation from an ancestor; lineage;extraction. ancestry, parentage, origin.

240. decent proper

241. ancestor antecedent,forefather, forbear, progenitor,primogenitor

242. innate congenital,hereditary,inborn

243. panorama scene, vista, prospect.

244. intensity great energy, strength, concentration,vehemence

a high or extreme degree

245. radiate to emit rays, as of light or heat

to project or glow with cheerfulness, joy

246. transparent clear, pellucid, limpid, crystalline.

manifest; obvious

247. acoustic pertaining to sound or hearing

248. chafe to warm by rubbing

to irritate; annoy, exasperate, vex, trouble,provoke.

249. dilute weaken, reduce, thin, cut

250. clutter mess, disorder, jumble.

251. diffuse scatter,spread, disseminate; disperse

252. thaw melt, defrost, dissolve,fuse

253. dialect tongue,vernacular,

jargon,cant, terminology, lingo,

254. succinct pithy, compendious, laconic,terse,

255. aerolite meteorite

256. equator An imaginary line around the middle of theearth

257. peel strip, pare, skin

258. sprout spring, bud, burgeon,develop,germinate,pullulate,

259. domesticate tame

260. docile obedient, willing, compliant, receptive

261. veiled covered or concealed, muted orunclear,masked; disguised; hidden; obscure

262. thermal pertaining to heat; producing heat; warm

263. discreetly cautiously, Tactfully, Prudently

264. elevate lift, hoist,advance, upgrade, dignify,exalt

to raise to a higher intellectual or spirituallevel:

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. assessment appraisal; evaluation

268. ore mineral,

269. oxide any compound of oxygen with anotherelement or a radical

270. yield produce,furnish, supply, render, bear

abandon, abdicate, waive, forgo, give in,comply, bow

271. deposit bank, save, store.

lode, vein, pocket.

272. heuristic encouraging a person to learn, discover,understand, or solve problems on his or herown, as by experimenting, evaluating possibleanswers or solutions, or by trial and error

273. elicit to bring out; to call forth,educe; evoke

to elicit the truth; to elicit a response with aquestion.

274. alumna a female graduate

275. aggregate a sum, mass, or assemblage of particulars; atotal or gross amount

assemble, amass, accumulate, gather.

276. affluence abundance,profusion,

277. reimburse recompense, remunerate, indemnify, redress,recoup,refund

278. contaminate defile, pollute, taint, infect, poison, corrupt.

279. infringe break,disobey,trespass,contravene,breach.offend

280. annul abolish; cancel; invalidate,nullify; rescind,repeal.

to annul a marriage.

281. arbitration mediation

282. sue to institute a process in law againstto woo or court.beg, petition, plead, pray.

283. substantiate prove, confirm, verify, validate.

284. condone pardon,forgive ,excuse,remit,

By his silence, he seemed to condone theirbehavior.

285. refrain forbear, desist.

"Restrain" is a transitive verb: it needs anobject. Although "refrain" was once asynonym for "restrain" it is now anintransitive verb: it should not have an object.Here are examples of correct modern usage:"When I pass the doughnut shop I have torestrain myself" ("myself" is the object)."When I feel like throwing something at myboss, I usually refrain from doing so." Youcan't refrain yourself or anyone else.

286. restrain bridle, suppress, constrain, restrict,circumscribe, confine, hinder, hamper.

287. vanguard leading position

288. metabolism The combination of chemical reactionsthrough which an organism builds up orbreaks down materials

289. unequivocal plain; clear; obvious,certain, direct,unmistakable.

290. ascertain to find out definitely; learn with certainty orassurance; determine

to ascertain the facts.

291. untangle disentangle; unsnarl.

straighten out or clear up

292. kaleidoscope

a variegated colorful pattern or scene

293. buffet slap, cuff, box, hit, sock, wallop.

294. oscillate swing,fluctuate, waver

295. erratic eccentric; queer: erratic behavior.

unpredictable, unstable, capricious

296. aquatic growing or living in or on water

297. hind at the back or rear,posterior

298. pertinacious persevering,dogged.

a pertinacious salesman from whom I couldnot escape.

299. credulous tending to believe too readily; gullible

300. rapacious

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

301. inhibit repress, discourage, obstruct,restrain, hinder,arrest, checksuppress, curb

prohibit; forbid

302. pout

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

305. sullen

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. specious beguiling, deceitful, deceiving, deluding,delusive, delusory, fallacious, false,misleading, deceptive

307. astute shrewd, canny, clear-eyed, clear-sighted,hard-boiled, hardheaded, heady, knowing,savvy, sharp, sharp-witted, smart

308. scorn contemptuousness, despisement, despite,despitefulness, disdain, misprision,contempt

309. scathing acerb, acerbic, acid, acidic, acidulous, acrid,barbed, biting, caustic, corrosive, cutting,mordant, pungent, sardonic, satiric (orsatirical), scalding, sarcastic, sharp, smart-aleck, smart-alecky, smart-mouthed,snarky, tart

310. pertinent applicable, apposite, apropos, germane,material, pointed, relative, relevant, to thepoint

311. unfathomable bottomless, boundless, endless, fathomless,horizonless, illimitable, immeasurable,immensurable, indefinite, limitless,measureless, unbounded, infinite, unlimited

312. belie misrepresent,

Her cruelty belied her kind words.

313. tally census, tale, count

314. discard

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) alsosluff (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

beggared, beggarly, broke, destitute, dirt-poor,down-and-out, famished, hard up, impecunious,impoverished, poor, necessitous, needful, needy,

pauperized, penniless, penurious, poverty-stricken, skint [chiefly British], threadbare

317. harbinger

angel, foregoer, forerunner, herald, outrider,precursor

318. austere severe, authoritarian, flinty, hard, harsh, heavy-handed, 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

320. tenacious dogged, insistent, patient, persevering,pertinacious, persistent

321. antithetical antipodal, antipodean, contrary,contradictory, opposite, diametric (ordiametrical), polar

322. deprecate 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

323. discern behold, catch, descry, see, distinguish, espy,eye, look (at), note, notice, observe, perceive,regard, remark, sight, spot, spy, view, witness

324. terse aphoristic, apothegmatic, brief, capsule,compact, compendious, crisp, curt, elliptical(or elliptic), epigrammatic, laconic,monosyllabic, pithy, sententious, succinct,summary, telegraphic, concise, thumbnail

325. verbose circuitous, circumlocutory, diffuse, garrulous,logorrheic, long-winded, pleonastic, prolix,rambling, wordy, windy

326. florid

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

overwrought

327. equivocal debatable, disputable, dodgy [chiefly British],doubtable, dubious, dubitable, doubtful, fishy,problematic (also problematical), queer,questionable, shady, shaky, suspect,suspicious

328. loath cagey (also cagy), disinclined, dubious,indisposed, hesitant (also loth or loathe),reluctant, reticent

She was loath to admit her mistakes.

329. foolhardy audacious, brash, daredevil, madcap,overbold, overconfident, reckless, temerarious

330. decry bad-mouth, belittle, cry down, denigrate,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, dump on

331. vaunt blow, brag, bull [slang], crow, gasconade,swagger, vapor, boast

332. gregarious boon, clubbable (also clubable), clubby,companionable, extroverted (also extraverted),convivial, outgoing, sociable, social

333. shun avoid, dodge, duck, elude, eschew, evade,finesse, get around, scape, shake, shirk, shuffle(out of), escape, weasel (out of)

334. withdrawn backward, bashful, coy, demure, diffident,introverted, modest, recessive, retiring, self-effacing, sheepish, shy,reclusive

335. armor

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

337. brittle brickle [dialect], crisp, crispy, crumbly,embrittled, flaky (also flakey), friable, short

338. concave hollow, dented, depressed, dished, indented,recessed, sunken

339. convex bulging, cambered, protruding, protrusive,protuberant

340. inordinate baroque, devilish, exorbitant, extravagant,extreme, fancy, immoderate, excessive, insane,intolerable, lavish, overdue, overextravagant,overmuch, overweening, plethoric, steep, stiff,towering, unconscionable, undue, unmerciful

341. candor bluntness, candidness, directness,forthrightness, frankness, honesty,openheartedness, openness, outspokenness,plainness, plainspokenness, plumpness,straightforwardness, unguardedness,unreserve, unreservedness

342. 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

343. degenerate decadent, decayed, effete, overripe, washed-up,regress

344. timeliness opportune, seasonable, well-timed

345. ostensible assumed, evident, apparent, ostensive,presumed, prima facie, putative, reputed,seeming, supposed

346. blend amalgamate, combine, comingle, commingle,commix, composite, concrete, conflate, fuse,homogenize, immingle, immix, incorporate,integrate, interfuse, intermingle, intermix,meld, merge, mingle, mix

347. belly appetite, hunger, emptiness, famishment,munchies, stomach

348. suspenseful cold storage, deep freeze, doldrums, dormancy,holding pattern, latency, moratorium,quiescence, suspended animation, abeyance,suspension

349. suspend prorogate, prorogue, recess, adjourn

350. fumble 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

351. nail-biter cliff-hanger, hair-raiser, suspenser, thriller

352. eclectic assorted, miscellaneous, heterogeneous,indiscriminate, kitchen-sink, magpie, mixed,motley, patchwork, piebald, promiscuous,raggle-taggle, ragtag, varied

353. divert disport, amuse, entertain, regale, solace

354. defuse remove the fuse of a bomb; reduce or eliminatea threat

355. superficial skin-deep, surface

356. immaculate clean, decent, G-rated, chaste, modest, pure,vestal, virgin, virginal

357. iridescent nacreous, opalescent, pearlescent

358. palpable appreciable, apprehensible, detectable,discernible (also discernable),distinguishable, perceptible, sensible

359. muddy miry, mucky, oozy, slimy, sludgy, slushymake turbidmuddy thinking

360. overawe subdue, restrain, or overcome by affecting with afeeling of awe

361. heathen barbarian, barbaric, barbarous, savage,heathenish, natural, Neanderthal (orNeandertal), rude, uncivil, uncivilized,uncultivated, wild

362. rigorous austere, authoritarian, flinty, hard, harsh,heavy-handed, ramrod, rigid, severe, stern,strict, tough

363. solicitous attentive, considerate, kind, thoughtful

I appreciated his solicitous inquiry about myhealth.

364. bombastic rhetorical, flatulent, fustian, gaseous, gassy,grandiloquent, oratorical, orotund, windy

365. soporific

drowsy, narcotic, opiate, sleepy, slumberous (orslumbrous), somniferous, somnolent, hypnotic

366. irresolute hesitating, uncertain, unsure, indecisive

367. moribund dying, at death's door

368. shrug off 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)

369. wince blench, cringe, quail, recoil, shrink, squinch,flinch

370. omen augury, auspice, boding, foreboding,foreshadowing, portent, prefiguring, presage,straw in the wind

371. sabotage An action taken to destroy something or toprevent it from working properly; to take suchdestructive action

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

373. corroborate argue, attest, authenticate, bear out, certify,confirm, substantiate, support, validate,verify, vindicate

374. calumny aspersing, blackening, calumniation,slander, character assassination,defamation, defaming, libel, libeling (orlibelling), maligning, smearing, traducing,vilification, vilifying

375. commensurate commensurable, proportional,proportionate

376. churlish boorish, clownish, classless, cloddish,loutish, uncouth

377. castigate baste, bawl out, berate, call down, scold,chastise, chew out, dress down, flay,hammer, jaw, keelhaul, lambaste (orlambast), lecture, rag, rail (at or against),rant (at), rate, ream (out), rebuke,reprimand, reproach, score, tongue-lash,upbraid

378. chary alert, cautious, careful, circumspect,conservative, considerate, gingerly,guarded, heedful, safe, wary

379. configuration architecture, armature, cadre, frame,edifice, fabric, framework, framing,infrastructure, shell, skeleton, structure

380. velocity celerity, fastness, fleetness, haste, hurry,quickness, rapidity, rapidness, speediness,swiftness, speed

381. incorporate absorb, assimilate, co-opt, embody,integrate

382. couch articulate, clothe, phrase, express,formulate, put, say, state, word

the comments were couched in strongterms

383. inhibitor a substance that retards or stops an activity

384. offset balance, canceler (or canceller), corrective,counter, counteraction, counterforce,counterpoise, counterweight, equipoise,neutralizer, counterbalance

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

386. replenish refill, restock, refresh, restore

387. interminable tiresome and long; seemingly endless

388. elicit educe, evoke, inspire, raise

389. forage the act of searching for food and provisions

390. intruder break in, chime in, chip in [chiefly British], cutin, interpose, interrupt

391. submission compliance, conformity, obedience,subordination

392. unleash to free from or as if from a leash

to throw, shoot, or set in motion forcefully The editorial unleashed a torrent of angryresponses.

393. spotty

aperiodic, casual, catchy, choppy,discontinuous, episodic (also episodical),erratic, intermittent, irregular, occasional,

spasmodic, spastic, sporadic, fitful, unsteady

394. numb asleep, benumbed, dead, insensitive, numbed,torpid, unfeeling

395. boast glory, credit, crown jewel, honor, jewel, pride,treasure, trophy

396. braggart blower, blowhard, boaster, brag, braggadocio,bragger, cockalorum, cracker [chiefly dialect],gascon, gasconader, swaggerer, vaunter

397. glutton cormorant, gorger, gormandizer, gourmand,hog, overeater, pig, stuffer, swiller

398. autocrat monarch, potentate, ruler, sovereign (alsosovran)

399. sacred hallowed, holy, inviolable, sacrosanct,unassailable, untouchable

400. cryptic arcane, mysterious, deep, enigmatic (alsoenigmatical), impenetrable, inscrutable,mystic, occult, uncanny

401. protract drag (out), draw out, elongate, lengthen,outstretch, prolong, extend, stretch

402. swerve turn sharply,break, cut, sheer, veer, yaw, zag,zig

403. plebiscite referendum

404. assimilate to absorb or become absorbed; to make orbecome similar,analogize, compare, bracket,equate, liken,

405. exculpate absolve, acquit, clear, exonerate, vindicate

406. epitaph A brief statement written on a tomb orgravestone

407. tycoon baron, captain, czar (also tsar or tzar),king, lion, lord, mogul, monarch,Napoleon, prince, magnate

408. disciple acolyte, adherent, convert, follower,epigone, liege man, partisan (alsopartizan), pupil, votarist, votary

409. inverse reversed, transposed, reverse, converse,inverted;opposite; the opposite

410. digression straying from main point,aside, tangent,divagation, excursion

411. recuperation come back, gain, heal, mend, pull round[chiefly British], rally, recoup, recover,convalesce, snap back

412. recidivist frequent lawbreaker

413. reticent close, closemouthed, dark, secretive, tight-mouthed, uncommunicative

414. sanguine confidently optimistic and cheerful

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

415. insufferable unbearable, insupportable, intolerable,unendurable, unsupportable

416. impertinent arch, audacious, bold, bold-faced, brash,brassbound, brassy, brazen, brazen-faced,cheeky, cocksure, cocky, fresh, nervy,impudent, insolent, sassy, saucy, wise

417. frivolity facetiousness, flightiness, flippancy,frivolousness, frothiness, levity, light-headedness, light-mindedness, lightness,silliness

418. unconscionable baroque, devilish, exorbitant, extravagant,extreme, fancy, immoderate, inordinate,insane, intolerable, lavish, overdue,overextravagant, overmuch, overweening,plethoric, steep, stiff, towering, excessive,undue, unmerciful

419. smear stain, soil, tarnish, smudge

420. immaterial of no importance or relevance especially toa law case

bodiless, ethereal, formless, incorporeal,insubstantial, nonmaterial, nonphysical,spiritual, unbodied, unsubstantial,

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

422. incendiary firebug, arsonist, torch

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

423. unnerve demoralize, emasculate, paralyze, undo,unman, unstring

424. plethora abundance, cornucopia, feast, plenitude,plentitude, plenty, superabundance, wealth

425. dense compact, crowded, close, jam-packed, packed,serried, thick, tight

426. minutia a small, minor, or trivial detail

427. specimen sample, representative, type, example

428. uptake absorption

429. soluble capable of being dissolved

answerable, explainable, explicable, resolvable,solvable

430. arctic 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 (alsowintery)

431. miniscule very small, tiny; a lowercase letter

432. analogous akin, alike, cognate, comparable, connate,correspondent, corresponding, ditto, like,matching, parallel, resemblant, resembling,similar, such, suchlike

433. invariably aye (also ay), consistently, constantly,continually, ever, forever, incessantly, always,night and day, perpetually, unfailingly

434. supplant cut out, displace, displant, relieve, substitute,supersede, replace

435. fecundity cornucopian, fat, fertile, fructuous, fruitful,lush, luxuriant, productive, prolific, rich

436. virus

package of nucleic acid wrapped in a proteincoat 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)

438. vigilant Argus-eyed, attentive, awake, observant,open-eyed, tenty (also tentie) [Scottish],alert, watchful, wide-awake

439. deleterious adverse, bad, baleful, baneful, damaging,dangerous, harmful, detrimental, evil,hurtful, ill, injurious, mischievous, nocuous,noxious, pernicious, prejudicial, wicked

440. apprehensive viewing the future with anxiety oralarm,capable of understanding or quick todo so ,having awareness or knowledge ofsomething

441. ill-advised brash, graceless, ill-advised, imprudent,inadvisable, indelicate, injudicious, tactless,undiplomatic, unwise

442. alight land, light, perch, roost, settle, touch down

443. sterilize make free from germs, make incapable ofreproduction

444. arid

boring, colorless, drab, dreary, drudging,dry, dull, dusty, flat, heavy, ho-hum,

humdrum, jading, jejune, leaden, mind-numbing, monochromatic, monotonous,

numbing, old, pedestrian, ponderous, slow,stale, stodgy, stuffy, stupid, tame, tedious,tiresome, tiring, uninteresting, wearisome,

weary, wearying

445. flora all the plant life in a particular region

446. ceramic baked clay, pottery

447. woeful aching, agonized, anguished, bemoaning,bewailing, bitter, deploring, doleful,dolesome, dolorous, funeral, grieving,heartbroken, lamentable, lugubrious,plaintive, plangent, regretful, rueful,sorrowful, sorry, wailing, weeping, mournful

448. qualify to limit or modify the meaning of

449. mount 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

450. subvert abase, bastardize, canker, cheapen, corrupt,debauch, degrade, demean, demoralize,deprave, deteriorate, lessen, pervert, poison,profane, prostitute, debase, vitiate, warp

451. bind chain, enchain, enfetter, fetter, gyve,handcuff, manacle, pinion, shackle,trammel

452. progeny fruit, get, issue, posterity, offspring, seed,spawn

Their work is the progeny of many earlierstudies.

453. strain lineage, ancestry

inherited or inherent character, quality, ordisposition <a strain of madness in thefamily>

454. versatile changing or fluctuating readily : variable

embracing a variety of subjects, fields, orskills

adaptable, all-around (also all-round),protean, universal

455. frugal economical, economizing, provident,scrimping, sparing, thrifty

456. intemperance alcoholism, drunkenness, insobriety,intemperateness

457. capricious fickle, changeable, changeful, flickery,fluctuating, fluid, inconsistent, inconstant,mercurial, mutable, skittish, temperamental,uncertain, unpredictable, unsettled,unstable, unsteady, variable, volatile

458. cautious alert, careful, chary, circumspect,conservative, considerate, gingerly, guarded,heedful, safe, wary

459. anomalous aberrant, aberrated, abnormal, exceptional,atypical, especial, exceeding, extraordinaire,extraordinary, freak, odd, peculiar,phenomenal, preternatural, rare, singular,uncommon, uncustomary, unique, unusual,unwonted

460. relinquish cede, cough up, deliver, give up, hand over,lay down, surrender, render, turn in, turnover, yield

461. superfluous excess, extra, redundant, supererogatory,spare, supernumerary, surplus

462. incessant ceaseless, continual, continued, continuing,continuous, nonstop, perpetual, running,unbroken, unceasing, uninterrupted,unremitting

463. virtual almost, for all practical purposes, beingsomething in effect but not actuallycomputer-generated, but real to the senses

464. propitiate to gain or regain the favor or goodwillof,appease, assuage, conciliate, disarm,gentle, mollify, placate, pacify

465. redeem to buy back ,to change for the better, to atonefor

466. evenhanded candid, disinterested, dispassionate, equal,equitable, fair, impartial, indifferent, just,nonpartisan, objective, square, unbiased,unprejudiced

467. edify enlighten, educate, illume, illuminate,illumine, inspire, nurture

468. precarious depending on the will or pleasure ofanother,dependent on uncertain premises :dubious, characterized by a lack of security orstability that threatens with danger

469. hardheaded astute, canny, clear-eyed, clear-sighted, hard-boiled, shrewd, heady, knowing, savvy,sharp, sharp-witted, smart

470. parody burlesque, caricature, do, imitate, mock,mimic, send up, spoof, travesty

471. intricate baroque, byzantine, complicate, complicated,convoluted, daedal, elaborate, complex,involute, involved, knotty, labyrinthian,labyrinthine, sophisticated, tangled

472. execute administer, apply, enforce, implement

473. discernment wisdom, insight, perception, perceptiveness,perceptivity, sagaciousness, sagacity,sageness, sapience

474. frivolous fiddling, foolish, unimportant, incidental,inconsequential, inconsiderable,insignificant, little, Mickey Mouse, minor,minute, negligible, nugatory, slight, small,small-fry, trifling, trivial

475. collude plot, compass, connive, conspire, contrive,intrigue, machinate, put up, scheme

476. surrogate a person appointed to represent or act onbehalf of others, substitute

477. inimical adversarial, adversary, antagonistic,antipathetic, inhospitable, hostile, jaundiced,mortal, negative, unfriendly, unsympathetic

478. conducive facilitative

the claim that the state's long-standingantitax attitude is conducive toentrepreneurship

479. censor bowdlerize, clean (up), expurgate, launder,red-pencil

His report was heavily censored.

480. reenact to repeat the actions of (an earlier event orincident)

The group reenacted a famous American CivilWar battle.

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

Her habit of using "like" in every sentencewas just one of her idiosyncrasies.

482. refute contradict, disaffirm, disallow, disavow,disclaim, disconfirm, disown, gainsay,negate, negative, deny, reject, repudiate

But for every study that shows acid rain isdamaging frogs, another one refutes it.

483. sceptic chiefly British variant of skeptic, skeptical,skepticism

484. deduce conclude, decide, infer, derive, extrapolate,gather, judge, make out, reason, understand

I can deduce from the simple observation ofyour behavior that you're trying to hidesomething from me

485. detain to hold or keep in or as if in custody,withhold,restrain

He claimed he had been illegally detained.

486. abeyance cold storage, deep freeze, doldrums,dormancy, holding pattern, latency,moratorium, quiescence, suspendedanimation, suspense, suspension

487. decimate 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 insmall towns.

488. ravage destroy, devastate, ruin, scourge

the ravages of inflation

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 andstaring moodily off into space

490. aversion disgust, distaste, horror, loathing, nausea,repugnance, repulsion, revulsion

They regarded war with aversion.

491. evasive tending or intended to evade : equivocal<evasive answers>elusive, fugitive, slippery

492. congenial having the same nature, disposition, ortastes ,existing or associated togetherharmoniously

sociable, genial <a congenial host>

She moved on, leaving behind the world ofpolitics for the more congenial sphere of thearts

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

the transitory nature of earthly pleasures

494. immutable fixed, hard-and-fast, inflexible, inalterable,incommutable, invariable, unalterable,unchangeable

the immutable laws of nature

495. susceptible endangered, exposed, open, sensitive,subject (to), liable, vulnerable

some people are more susceptible todepression during the winter because ofreduced exposure to sunlight

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

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 ownemployees.

498. intimate allude, imply, indicate, infer, insinuate,hint, suggest

499. forbear abjure, abstain (from), forgo (also forego),keep (from), refrain (from), withhold (from)

He carefully forbore any mention of hername for fear of upsetting them.

500. emend amend, debug, correct, rectify, red-pencil,reform, remedy

501. quash to suppress or extinguish summarily andcompletely <quash a rebellion>

502. engender 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

503. instigate abet, brew, ferment, foment, incite, pick,provoke, raise, stir (up), whip (up)

504. insular illiberal, narrow, Lilliputian, little, narrow-minded, parochial, petty, picayune,provincial, sectarian, small, small-minded

505. magnanimous big, chivalrous, elevated, gallant, great,greathearted, high, high-minded, lofty,lordly, noble, natural, sublime

She was too magnanimous to resent all thethings others had said to her.

506. bestow give, contribute, donate, give away, present,volunteer

The university bestowed on her an honorarydegree.

507. oblivion forgetfulness, nirvana, obliviousness

508. vanity amour propre, bighead, complacency,conceit, conceitedness, ego, egotism,pomposity, pompousness, pride,pridefulness, self-admiration, self-assumption, self-conceit, self-congratulation, self-esteem, self-glory, self-importance, self-love, self-opinion, self-satisfaction, smugness, swelled head,swellheadedness, vaingloriousness,vainglory, vainness, complacence

509. relegate deport, displace, exile, expatriate, banish,transport

The bill has been relegated to committee fordiscussion.

510. consign send, dispatch, pack (off), ship, shoot,transfer, transmit, transport

511. prodigious amazing, astonishing, astounding,awesome, awful, eye-opening, fabulous,miraculous, portentous, marvelous,staggering, stunning, stupendous, sublime,surprising, wonderful, wondrous

512. tremendous 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

513. commodious ample, capacious, spacious, roomy

514. minuscule atomic, bitsy, bitty, infinitesimal, itty-bitty (oritsy-bitsy), little bitty, microminiature,microscopic (also microscopical), miniature,tiny, minute, teensy, teensy-weensy, teeny,teeny-weeny, wee, weeny (alsoweensy),petite,

515. trifling fiddling, foolish, frivolous, incidental,inconsequential, inconsiderable,insignificant, little, Mickey Mouse, minor,minute, negligible, nugatory, slight, small,small-fry, unimportant, trivial

516. copious profuse, galore, gushing, lavish, riotous

It was no surprise that spin was more copiousthan ever during the election campaign.

517. sparse exiguous, hand-to-mouth, light, niggardly,poor, scant, scanty, scarce, skimp, skimpy,slender, slim, spare, sparing, meager, stingy

518. induce 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

519. ration allocate, allow, apportion, assign, distribute,lot, allot

520. borderline being in an intermediate position or state : notfully classifiable as one thing or its opposite <aborderline state between waking and sleeping>

In borderline cases like these, the best course ofaction is difficult to determine.

521. rear breed, foster, nourish, nurse, raise, bring up

birds rearing their young

522. optic ocular, visual, optical

523. denote to serve as an indication of : betoken <theswollen bellies that denote starvation>

to serve as an arbitrary mark for <red flaresdenoting danger>

mean, express, import, intend, signify, spell

524. defiance balkiness, contrariness, contumacy,disobedience, frowardness, insubordination,intractability, obstreperousness, rebellion,rebelliousness, recalcitrance, refractoriness,unruliness, waywardness, willfulness

525. locus 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 thepeople — 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

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 muchthought to what makes our nation'sconstitution work

528. bind to combine or be taken up especially bychemical action <antibody binds to a specificantigen>

529. derision butt, laughingstock, jest, joke, mark, mock,mockery, sport, target

530. incredulity disbelief, nonbelief, unbelief

The news of his death was met withexpressions of incredulity.

531. synchronize accompany, attend, coexist, concur, co-occur, coincide

The dancers practiced until theysynchronized their movements.

532. jocular clever, facetious, humorous, witty, smart

533. corroborative argue, attest, authenticate, bear out, certify,confirm, substantiate, support, validate,verify, vindicate

Studies that are wrong will be superseded bybetter studies with different results. Studiesthat are right will be corroborated by othergood studies.

534. approbation approval, blessing, favor, imprimatur, OK

535. superfluous excess, extra, redundant, supererogatory,spare, supernumerary, surplus

cleared off all the superfluous stuff on hisdesk to make room for the new computer

536. exigency boiling point, breaking point, clutch,conjuncture, crisis, crossroad(s), crunch,crunch time, Dunkirk, emergency, extremity,flash point, head, juncture, tinderbox, zerohour

537. coup a brilliant, sudden, and usually highlysuccessful stroke or act

538. effusion an act of effusing unrestrained expression of words or feelings

539. congruity commonality, common denominator,similarity, correspondence, parallel,resemblance, similitude

540. avert prevent, forestall, head off, help, obviate,preclude, stave off

The diplomatic talks narrowly averted a war.

541. nonplus abash, confound, confuse, discomfit,disconcert, discountenance, faze, fluster,mortify, embarrass, rattle

542. caustic acerb, acerbic, acid, acidic, acidulous, acrid,barbed, biting, sarcastic, corrosive, cutting,mordant, pungent, sardonic, satiric (orsatirical), scalding, scathing, sharp, smart-aleck, smart-alecky, smart-mouthed, snarky,tart

She wrote a caustic report about thedecisions that led to the crisis.

543. discomfit baffle, balk, beat, checkmate, frustrate, foil,thwart

constant interruptions discomfited her in herattempt to finish the speech, and she finally gaveup

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

545. disgrace abase, chasten, cheapen, debase, degrade,demean, discredit, humble, dishonor, foul,humiliate, lower, shame, sink, smirch, takedown

He felt he had disgraced himself by failing atschool.

546. tantalize to torment or tease by showing somethingdesirable while keeping it out of reach

547. reclaim to recall from wrong or improper conduct :reform

to make available for human use by changingnatural conditions

548. arable fit for or used for the growing of crops

549. outgrowth a process or product of growing out <anoutgrowth of hair>

consequence, by-product <crime is often anoutgrowth of poverty>

550. arbiter a person with power to decide a dispute,adjudicator, judge, arbitrator, referee, umpire

The mayor will act as the final arbiter in anydisputes between board members.

551. forfeit damages, fine, forfeiture, mulct, penalty

to lose or lose the right to especially by someerror, offense, or crime

He forfeited his right to a trial by jury.

552. divest to deprive or dispossess especially of property,authority, or title

dispossess, expropriate, oust

553. regal kingly, monarchal (or monarchial), princely,queenly, monarchical, royal

554. debase abase, bastardize, canker, cheapen, corrupt,debauch, degrade, demean, demoralize, deprave,deteriorate, lessen, pervert, poison, profane,prostitute, subvert, vitiate, warp

555. heretical dissentient, dissenting, dissident, heterodox,iconoclastic, maverick, nonconformist,nonorthodox, out-there, unconventional,unorthodox

556. supplant cut out, displace, displant, relieve, substitute,supersede, replace

old traditions that were fading away and beingsupplanted by modern ways

557. preeminent arch, big, capital, cardinal, central, chief,dominant, first, grand, great, greatest, highest,key, leading, main, master, number one (alsoNo. 1), numero uno, overbearing,overmastering, overriding, paramount,predominant, foremost, premier, primal,primary, principal, prior, sovereign (alsosovran), supreme

The poem is a preeminent example of his work.

558. topple overthrow <topple a dictator>

slip, stumble, fall, trip, tumble

559. sabotage destruction of an employer's property (as toolsor materials) or the hindering ofmanufacturing by discontented workers

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

561. embroider color, elaborate (on), embellish, exaggerate,hyperbolize, magnify, pad, stretch

562. indolence idleness, laziness, inertia, shiftlessness, sloth

563. iniquitous black, dark, evil, immoral, bad, nefarious,rotten, sinful, unethical, unlawful,unrighteous, unsavory, vicious, vile, villainous,wicked, wrong

564. impiety an impious act

defilement, desecration, blasphemy,irreverence, profanation, sacrilege

565. trample champ, stamp, stomp, tramp, tromp

566. hoard cache, stash, stockpile, store

567. retrieve get back, reacquire, recapture, reclaim, re-collect, recoup, regain, repossess, retake,recover

568. circumstantial belonging to, consisting in, or dependenton circumstances <a circumstantial case><circumstantial factors>

pertinent but not essential : incidental

The evidence is purely circumstantial.

569. dislodge to force out of a secure or settled position

570. perfunctory apathetic, casual, complacent,disinterested, incurious, insensible,insouciant, nonchalant, indifferent,pococurante, unconcerned, uncurious,uninterested

571. feign to give a false appearance of : induce as afalse impression <feign death>

act, affect, assume, bluff, counterfeit,dissemble, fake, pass (for), pretend,profess, put on, sham, simulate, makebelieve

572. successive back-to-back, sequent, sequential, straight,succeeding, successional, consecutive

573. pioneer colonial, colonist, colonizer, homesteader,frontiersman, settler,trailbalazer

574. carnage bloodbath, butchery, massacre, death,holocaust, slaughter

575. animosity enmity, animus, antagonism, antipathy,bad blood, bitterness, gall, grudge,hostility, jaundice, rancor

We put aside our personal animosities sothat we could work together.

576. attrition corrosion, erosion, undermining, waste

Attrition is high among social workersbecause of the difficult work and poor pay.

577. stiffen harden, harshen, strengthen, toughen

578. impair 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 heoften forgot where he was.

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

581. discrete detached, disconnected, separate, free,freestanding, single, unattached, unconnected

582. yield submit, capitulate, succumb, relent, defer

to be fruitful or productive

These apple trees yield plenty of fruit this year.

583. anecdotal based on or consisting of reports or observationsof usually unscientific observers <anecdotalevidence>

584. dividend cumshaw, bonus, donative, extra, gratuity, gravy,gravy train, lagniappe, perk, perquisite, throw-in, tip

Profits are distributed to shareholders asdividends.

585. enigma closed book, conundrum, mystery, head-scratcher, mystification, puzzle, puzzlement,riddle, secret

Despite the enigma of the singularity, the bigbang theory is unquestionably one of the mostsuccessful ideas in the history of science.

586. rigor adversity, asperity, hardness, hardship, difficulty

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

587. perennial ageless, continuing, dateless, enduring, eternal,everlasting, immortal, imperishable, lasting,ongoing, abiding, perpetual, timeless, undying

The problem ... is inherent and perennial in anydemocracy, but it has been more severe in oursduring the past quarter-century because of thenear universal denigration of government,politics and politicians.

588. archetype antecedent, ancestor, daddy, foregoer,forerunner, granddaddy (also grandaddy),precursor, predecessor, prototype

He is the archetype of a successful businessman.

589. captious marked by an often ill-natured inclination tostress faults and raise objections <captiouscritics>

critical, carping, caviling (or cavilling),faultfinding, hypercritical, judgmental,overcritical, rejective

590. reverberate echo, reecho, resonate, resound, sound

the sound of thunder reverberated from one endof the mountain pass to the other

591. clamor howl, hubbub, hue and cry, hullabaloo, noise,outcry, roar, tumult, uproar, vociferation

There is growing clamor for reform.

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 hehad told to everyone

593. 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 ofthe unmitigated joy that normally prevails at awedding

595. theatrical dramatic, hammy, histrionic, melodramatic,stagy (or stagey)

a politician who has a highly theatricalmanner of speaking

596. gravity earnest, graveness, earnestness, intentness,serious-mindedness, seriousness, soberness,sobriety, solemnity, solemnness, staidness

the hospital waiting room was filled with thekind of gravity that inevitably accompaniesworry

597. poise balance; especially : to hold or carry inequilibrium <carried a water jar poised on herhead>

to put into readiness :brace, forearm, nerve,fortify, psych (up), ready, steel, strengthen

598. intimidate blackjack, bogart, browbeat, bulldoze, bully,bullyrag, cow, hector, mau-mau, strong-arm,pick on

He tries to intimidate his opponents.

599. accord check, agree, answer, chord, cohere, coincide,comport, conform, consist, correspond,dovetail, fit, go, harmonize, jibe, rhyme (alsorime), sort, square, tally

He was accorded certain favors because of hisage.

600. encourage to give help or patronage to : foster<government grants designed to encourageconservation>

601. forestall avert, prevent, head off, help, obviate,preclude, stave off

He forestalled critics by offering a defenseof the project.

602. disregard despise, scorn, flout

Some students completely disregard therules of the school.

603. whimsy bee, caprice, crank, fancy, freak, humor,kink, maggot, megrim, notion, vagary,vagrancy, whim (also whimsey)

604. elucidate clarify, clear (up), construe, demonstrate,demystify, explain, explicate, expound, getacross, illuminate, illustrate, interpret,simplify, spell out, unriddle

colored charts that really help to elucidatethe points made in the text

605. elusive hard to comprehend or define,evasive,fugitive, slippery

The truth may prove elusive.

606. apparition ghost, bogey (also bogie or bogy), familiarspirit, hant [dialect], haunt [chieflydialect], materialization, phantasm (alsofantasm), phantom, poltergeist, shade,shadow, specter (or spectre), spirit, spook,sprite, vision, visitant, wraith

607. amalgam admixture, alloy, blend, amalgamation,cocktail, combination, composite,compound, conflation, emulsion, fusion,intermixture, meld, mix, mixture, synthesis

a church that is an amalgam of traditionaland modern architectural styles

608. stratagem an artifice or trick in war for deceiving andoutwitting the enemy

artifice, device, dodge, fetch, flimflam,gambit, gimmick, jig, juggle, knack, play,ploy, scheme, shenanigan, sleight, trick,wile

609. appropriation allocation, allotment, annuity, entitlement,grant, subsidy, subvention

The economy has been weakened by theappropriation of the country's resources bycorrupt officials.

610. conversion changeover, metamorphosis, transfiguration,transformation

The company is undergoing a conversion to anew computer system.

611. rueful aching, agonized, anguished, bemoaning,bewailing, bitter, deploring, doleful,dolesome, dolorous, funeral, grieving,heartbroken, lamentable, lugubrious,plaintive, plangent, regretful, mournful,sorrowful, sorry, wailing, weeping, woeful

612. vindictive revengeful, vengeful

613. avenge redress, requite, retaliate, revenge, venge[archaic], get even (for)

The brothers vowed to avenge the death oftheir father.

614. codify assort, break down, categorize, class, classify,compartment, compartmentalize, digest,distinguish, distribute, grade, group, peg,place, range, rank, relegate, separate, sort,type

615. substantiate demonstrate, prove, show, establish

616. primeval ancient, primal, early, primitive, primordial

primeval forests slowly disappearing as theclimate changed

617. deviation deflection, departure, detour, divergence,divagation, divergency, diversion

Having juice instead of coffee was a deviationfrom his usual routine.

618. hieroglyph

a writing system using picture symbols

619. landlocked enclosed or nearly enclosed by land <alandlocked country>

620. slippery furtive, shady, shifty, sneaky, sly, sneaking,stealthy

Fish are slippery to hold.

621. revere adore, deify, glorify, worship, reverence,venerate

The family reveres old traditions.

622. revile to criticize with harsh language, verballyabuse,vituperate,rail

623. taunt bait, hassle, haze, heckle, needle, ride, tease

taunted the newly arrived immigrants abouttheir broken English

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

625. unworldly aw-shucks, dewy, dewy-eyed, green,ingenuous, innocent, naïf (or naif), primitive,simple, simpleminded, uncritical, unknowing,unsophisticated, unsuspecting, unsuspicious,unwary, naive, wide-eyed

626. sailthrough

pass easily, succeed

627. pitfall booby trap, catch, catch-22, gimmick, gotcha,hitch, joker, land mine, snag

628. debilitate weaken, devitalize, enervate, enfeeble, etiolate,prostrate, sap, soften, tire, waste

The virus debilitates the body's immunesystem.

629. freight burden, cargo, draft, load, haul, lading,loading, payload, weight

630. exorbitant baroque, devilish, excessive, extravagant,extreme, fancy, immoderate, inordinate,insane, intolerable, lavish, overdue,overextravagant, overmuch, overweening,plethoric, steep, stiff, towering,unconscionable, undue, unmercifuldThey were charged exorbitant rates for phonecalls.

631. detachment the action or process of detaching : separation

disinterest, disinterestedness, equity,evenhandedness, fair-mindedness, fairness,impartiality, justice, neutralism, neutrality,nonpartisanship, objectiveness, objectivity

632. adamant obstinate, adamantine, bullheaded, dogged,hard, hardened, hardheaded, hard-nosed,headstrong, immovable, implacable,inconvincible, inflexible, intransigent,mulish, obdurate, opinionated, ossified, pat,pertinacious, perverse, pigheaded, self-opinionated, 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.

633. exonerate to relieve of a responsibility, obligation, orhardship

absolve, acquit, clear, exculpate, vindicate

634. acquaintance cognizance, familiarity

He seemed cold at first, but on closeracquaintance I realized that he was just shy.

635. rift heck, chink, cleft, cranny, crevice, fissure,crack, split

636. incipient aborning, budding, inceptive, inchoate,nascent

The project is still in its incipient stages.

637. obviate avert, forestall, head off, help, prevent,preclude, stave off

The new medical treatment obviates the needfor surgery.

638. reproach dishonor, opprobrium, reflection, disgrace,scandal

Accusations and reproaches from bothparties made it difficult to pursuediscussions.

639. 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 <evidenceprompting an investigation>

640. qualm a sudden attack of illness, faintness, ornausea

a feeling of uneasiness about a pointespecially of conscience or propriety

641. monotony humdrum, monotone, monotonousness,sameness

The brief storm was a relief from themonotony of the hot summer afternoon.

642. octogenarian someone whose age is in the eighties

643. savor to have experience of : tasteto delight in : enjoy <savoring themoment>The team is still savoring its victory.

644. inure to accustom to accept somethingundesirable <children inured to violence>

to become of advantage <policies that inureto the benefit of employees>

645. condescension voluntary descent from one's rank ordignity in relations with an inferior

646. ovation acclamation, cheer, cheering, applause,plaudit(s), rave(s), réclame

647. extrapolate conclude, decide, deduce, derive, infer,gather, judge, make out, reason,understand

With such a small study it is impossible toextrapolate accurately.

648. waggish arch, devilish, elvish, espiègle, impish,knavish, leprechaunish, pixie (also pixy),pixieish, prankish, puckish, rascally,roguish, scampish, sly, tricksy,mischievous, wicked

649. cryogenic of or relating to the production of very lowtemperatures

650. forebode foretell, portend

augur, bode (also forbode), promise

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, snakepit, tumble, welter

652. jeopardy distress, endangerment, harm's way,imperilment, danger, peril, risk, trouble

653. moratorium cold storage, deep freeze, doldrums,dormancy, holding pattern, latency,abeyance, quiescence, suspendedanimation, suspense, suspension

The treaty calls for a nuclear testingmoratorium.

654. plethora abundance, cornucopia, feast, plenitude,plentitude, plenty, superabundance, wealth

A plethora of books have been written onthe subject.

655. inoffensive anodyne, benign, hurtless, innocent,innocuous, harmless, safe, white

656. imperturbable unflappable, nerveless, unshakable

the chef was absolutely imperturbable—even when the kitchen caught on fire

657. bespeak indicate, signify <her performancebespeaks considerable practice>

Her newest album bespeaks a great talentfor writing songs.

658. chivalrous big, noble, elevated, gallant, great,greathearted, high, high-minded, lofty,lordly, magnanimous, natural, sublime

659. dilute cut, adulterate, extend, lace, sophisticate,thin, water down, weaken

diluting the quality of our products

660. contrived having an unnatural or false appearance orquality : artificial, labored <a contrivedplot>

affected, assumed, bogus, artificial,factitious, fake, false, feigned, forced,mechanical, mock, phony (also phoney),plastic, pretended, pseudo, put-on, sham,simulated, spurious, strained, unnatural

661. clumsy lacking dexterity, nimbleness, or grace<clumsy fingers>

awkward, butterfingered, cack-handed[British], graceless, ham-fisted, ham-handed, handless, heavy-handed, left-handed, maladroit, unhandy, all thumbs

662. ludicrous amusing or laughable through obviousabsurdity, incongruity, exaggeration, oreccentricity

antic, chucklesome, comedic, comic,comical, droll, farcical, hilarious,humoristic, humorous, hysterical (alsohysteric), killing, laughable, funny,ridiculous, riotous, risible, screaming,sidesplitting, uproarious

663. premeditated characterized by fully conscious willfulintent and a measure of forethought andplanning <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.

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 theysaw the elephant.

667. vestige (1) : a trace, mark, or visible sign left bysomething (as an ancient city or a condition orpractice) vanished or lost (2) : the smallestquantity or trace

echo, ghost, relic, shadow, trace

668. tailor acclimate, acclimatize, accommodate, adjust,condition, conform, doctor, edit, fashion, fit, put,shape, suit, adapt

I had my suit tailored.

669. tidy adequately satisfactory : acceptable, fair <a tidysolution 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

670. assertive disposed to or characterized by bold or confidentstatements 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, go-getting, high-pressure, in-your-face, militant,pushy, self-asserting, self-assertive

671. conflate to bring together : fuse

confuse, confound, mistake, mix (up)

be careful not to conflate gossip with real news

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 alreadybad situation.

673. buttress anchor, dependence, mainstay, pillar, reliance,standby

674. convoluted involved, intricate <a convoluted argument>

<a convoluted explanation that left thelisteners even more confused than they werebefore>

baroque, byzantine, complicate, complicated,complex, daedal, elaborate, intricate, involute,involved, knotty, labyrinthian, labyrinthine,sophisticated, tangled

675. distort 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

676. amorphous formless, shapeless, unformed, unshaped,unstructured

677. tepid halfhearted, lukewarm, uneager,unenthusiastic

678. bucolic rural, country, pastoral, rustic (also rustical)

679. placid collected, composed, cool, coolheaded, equal,level, limpid, peaceful, calm, possessed,recollected, sedate, self-composed, self-possessed, serene, smooth, together, tranquil,undisturbed, unperturbed, unruffled,unshaken, untroubled, unworried

a person with a sunny, placid disposition

680. devoid bankrupt, bare, barren, bereft, destitute, void

the so-called comedy is totally devoid ofintelligence, originality, and even laughs

681. disabuse to free from error, fallacy, or misconception

<let me disabuse you of your foolish notionsabout married life>

disillusion, disenchant, undeceive

682. unfeigned 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 withmalfeasance and corruption

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 thosewho know him well.

685. fortuitous occurring by chance

fortunate, lucky <from a cost standpoint, thecompany's timing is fortuitous — BusinessWeek>

686. fastidious choosy (or choosey), dainty, delicate,demanding, exacting, finicky, finical,finicking, fussbudgety, fussy, nice, old-maidish, particular, pernickety [chieflyBritish], persnickety, picky

She was too fastidious to do anything thatmight get her dirty.

687. didactic sermonic, homiletic (or homiletical),moralistic, moralizing, preachy, sententious

the poet's works became increasingly didacticafter his religious conversion

688. aside from apart from, except, bar, barring, beside,besides, but, except for, excluding, exclusiveof, other than, outside, outside of, save,saving

aside from the C in geometry, he made all A'sthis term

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 wasarbitrary and capricious.

690. corroborate argue, attest, authenticate, bear out, certify,confirm, substantiate, support, validate,verify, vindicate

<my personal experience does not corroborateyour faith in the essential goodness ofpeople>

691. debunk belie, confound, confute, disprove, disconfirm,discredit, falsify, rebut, refute, shoot down

The article debunks the notion that life existson Mars.

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

The evidence was completely bogus.

693. obsolete antiquated, archaic, dated, démodé, demoded,fossilized, kaput (also kaputt), medieval (alsomediaeval), moribund, mossy, moth-eaten,neolithic, Noachian, outdated, outmoded, out-of-date, outworn, passé, prehistoric (alsoprehistorical), rusty, Stone Age, superannuated

694. erroneous false, inaccurate, incorrect, inexact, invalid, off,unsound, untrue, untruthful, wrong

695. exacting 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.

696. meticulous marked by extreme or excessive care in theconsideration or treatment of details <ameticulous researcher>

careful, conscientious, fussy, loving,painstaking, scrupulous

697. scathing bitterly severe <a scathing condemnation>

acerb, acerbic, acid, acidic, acidulous, acrid,barbed, biting, caustic, corrosive, cutting,mordant, pungent, sardonic, satiric (orsatirical), scalding, sarcastic, sharp, smart-aleck, smart-alecky, smart-mouthed, snarky,tart

698. thrift frugality, husbandry, parsimony, penny-pinching, providence, scrimping, skimping,economy

Through hard work and thrift they sent all oftheir children to college.

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 ofself-confidence

backward, bashful, coy, demure, shy,introverted, modest, recessive, retiring, self-effacing, sheepish, withdrawn

She was diffident about stating her opinion.

701. convoluted baroque, byzantine, complicate, complicated,complex, daedal, elaborate, intricate, involute,involved, knotty, labyrinthian, labyrinthine,sophisticated, tangled

a convoluted explanation that left the listenerseven more confused than they were before

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 weheard outside our tent at night

703. accede acquiesce, agree, assent, come round, consent,subscribe

704. belie to give a false impression of,misrepresent

to show (something) to be false or wrong

705. injudicious brash, graceless, ill-advised, imprudent,inadvisable, indelicate, indiscreet, tactless,undiplomatic, unwise

He made several injudicious comments to thepress.

706. penitence contriteness, contrition, guilt, regret, remorse,remorsefulness, repentance, rue, self-reproach,shame

707. unsparing not merciful or forbearing : hard, ruthless <anunsparing satire> <an unsparing critic>

708. imperious authoritarian, authoritative, autocratic (alsoautocratical), despotic, dictatorial,domineering, bossy, masterful, overbearing,peremptory, tyrannical (also tyrannic),tyrannous

an imperious movie star who thinks she's somesort of goddess

709. prolix circuitous, circumlocutory, diffuse, garrulous,logorrheic, long-winded, pleonastic, wordy,rambling, verbose, windy

The speech was unnecessarily prolix.

710. prodigal extravagant, high-rolling, profligate,spendthrift, squandering, thriftless, unthrifty,wasteful

711. taciturn closemouthed, dumb, laconic, reserved, reticent,silent, tight-lipped, uncommunicative

a taciturn man, he almost never initiates aconversation

712. voluble characterized by ready or rapid speech : glib,fluent

713. pellucid easy to understand

crystal, crystal clear, crystalline, limpid, liquid,lucent, clear, see-through, transparent

714. adolescent teenaged, underage, minor, young

715. onset attack, assault <withstand the onset of thearmy>

beginning, commencement <the onset ofwinter>

716. pertinent having a clear decisive relevance to the matter inhand

applicable, apposite, apropos, germane,material, pointed, relative, relevant, to the point

717. discern to recognize or identify as separate and distinct :discriminate <discern right from wrong>

The reasons behind this sudden change aredifficult to discern.

behold, catch, descry, see, distinguish, espy,eye, look (at), note, notice, observe, perceive,regard, remark, sight, spot, spy, view, witness

718. betray to reveal unintentionally <betray one's truefeelings>

show, indicate

719. intact untouched especially by anything that harms ordiminishes : 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, penny-pinching, providence, scrimping, skimping,thrift

722. enmesh catch up, entangle (also immesh), ensnare,ensnarl, entoil, entrap, mesh, net, snare, tangle,trap

deeply enmeshed in the plot

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

724. naïveté artlessness, greenness, guilelessness,ingenuousness, innocence, naiveness, naivety(also naïvety) [chiefly British], naturalness,simplemindedness, simpleness, simplicity,unsophistication, unworldliness, viridity

725. dormancy cold storage, deep freeze, doldrums, abeyance,holding pattern, latency, moratorium,quiescence, suspended animation, suspense,suspension

some volcanoes have eruptive cycles marked bylong stretches of dormancy

726. gauge a measurement (as of linear dimension)according to some standard or system

The amount of money one makes is not the onlygauge of one's success.

The servant tried to gauge his master's mood.

727. negate contradict, disaffirm, disallow, disavow,disclaim, disconfirm, disown, gainsay, deny,negative, refute, reject, repudiate

The fact that she lied about her work experiencenegated the contract.

728. proclivity an inclination or predisposition towardsomething; especially : a strong inherentinclination toward something objectionable

affection, affinity, aptitude, bent, bias, bone,devices, disposition, genius, habitude, impulse,leaning, partiality, penchant, predilection,predisposition, inclination, propensity,tendency, turn

729. arcane known or knowable only to the initiate

abstruse, profound, deep, esoteric, hermetic (alsohermetical), recondite

730. cant secret jargon or slang

731. adulation worship, deification, hero worship, idolatry,idolization, worshipping (also worshiping)

732. infuriate enrage, incense, inflame (also enflame),anger, ire, madden, outrage, rankle, rile,roil, steam up, tick off

I was infuriated by his arrogance.

733. venerate adore, deify, glorify, revere, reverence,worship

She is venerated as a saint.

734. consternation amazement or dismay that hinders orthrows into confusion

The candidate caused consternation amonghis supporters by changing positions on akey issue.

735. pervasive existing in or spreading through every partof something

television's pervasive influence on ourculture

736. consummate of the highest degree <consummate skill><consummate cruelty>

to make perfect

Their happiness was consummated whentheir son was born.

737. precipitate to bring about especially abruptly<precipitate a scandal that would end withhis expulsion — John Cheever>

to throw violently : hurl <the quandariesinto which the release of nuclear energy hasprecipitated mankind — A. B. Arons>

to move or act with violent or unwise speed

The budget problem was precipitated bymany unexpected costs.

738. impostor charlatan, fake, faker, fakir, fraud, hoaxer,humbug, mountebank, phony (alsophoney), pretender, quack, quacksalver,ringer, sham

739. delicacy the quality or state of being dainty : fineness

fineness or subtle expressiveness of touch

740. euphemism the expression so substituted

using "eliminate" as a euphemism for "kill"

741. circumlocution the use of an unnecessarily large numberof words to express an idea

evasion in speech

742. enthrall to hold in or reduce to slavery

to hold spellbound : charm

for years these master magicians havebeen enthralling audiences with theirastounding illusions

arrest, bedazzle, catch up, enchant,fascinate, grip, hypnotize, mesmerize,spellbind

743. opium an addictive narcotic extracted from seedcapsules of the opium poppy

744. 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 is a fickle lover.

745. fanatic marked by excessive enthusiasm and oftenintense uncritical devotion <they're fanaticabout politics>

<because of her fanatical views, herfriends know better than to discussreligion with her>

extremist, extreme (or fanatical), rabid,radical, revolutionary, revolutionist, ultra

746. salient standing out conspicuously : prominent;especially : of notable significance

747. outmoded not being in style

<outmoded computers that can berecycled>

antiquated, archaic, dated, démodé,demoded, fossilized, kaput (also kaputt),medieval (also mediaeval), moribund,mossy, moth-eaten, neolithic, Noachian,outdated, obsolete, out-of-date, outworn,passé, prehistoric (also prehistorical),rusty, Stone Age, superannuated

748. enamor to cause to feel a strong or excessiveinterest or fascination —usually used inthe passive with of or with <baseball fansenamored of statistics>

749. reconnaissance a preliminary survey to gain information;especially : an exploratory military surveyof enemy territory

They did a reconnaissance of the enemy'sposition.

750. intact compleat, comprehensive, entire, full,grand, complete, integral, perfect, plenary,total, whole

After 25 years, their friendship remainedintact.

751. sedentary doing or requiring much sitting

not physically active <a sedentarylifestyle>

Editing the dictionary is a sedentary job.

752. treacherous disloyal, false, fickle, inconstant,perfidious, recreant, traitorous, faithless,unfaithful, untrue

He was cruel, treacherous andunscrupulous.

providing insecure footing or support<treacherous quicksand>My memory istreacherous.

753. flaccid not firm or stiff; also : lacking normal oryouthful firmness <flaccid muscles>

lacking vigor or force <flaccid leadership>

droopy, limp, floppy, lank, yielding

754. espouse to take up and support as a cause : becomeattached to

The new theory has been espoused bymany leading physicists.

755. imperious authoritarian, authoritative, autocratic(also autocratical), despotic, dictatorial,domineering, bossy, masterful,overbearing, peremptory, tyrannical (alsotyrannic), tyrannous

intensely compelling : urgent <theimperious problems of the new age — J. F.Kennedy>

756. procure The CIA believes the group is procuringweapons.

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 strongsense of the affront to one's superiority that isinvolved

I wouldn't deign to answer that absurdaccusation

758. scruple to show reluctance on grounds of conscience :hesitate

a tabloid journalist who has never scrupled toreveal the most intimate details about the livesof celebrities

balance, dither, falter, halt, hang back,hesitate, shilly-shally, stagger, teeter,vacillate, waver, wobble (also wabble)

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 giveafter a bad concert

760. encumber to impede or hamper the function or activity of :hinder <negotiations encumbered by a lack oftrust>

clog, cramp, embarrass, hamper, fetter,handcuff, handicap, hinder, hobble, hog-tie,hold back, hold up, impede, inhibit, interfere(with), manacle, obstruct, shackle, short-circuit, stymie, tie up, trammel

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'swaste was detrimental to the localenvironment

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 fascismin Europe after World War I>\

763. resurrect reanimate, recharge, regenerate, rejuvenate,rekindle, renew, revive, resuscitate, revitalize,revivify, rewake, rewaken

The story is about a scientist who claimed thathe could resurrect the dead.

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 ofa good education. We all know that it is crucialfor success.

765. pristine not spoiled, corrupted, or polluted (as bycivilization) : pure <a pristine forest>

fresh and clean as or as if new <used books inpristine condition>

brand-new, mint, fresh, span-new, virgin,virginal

766. fabricate invent, create,make, fashion, form, frame,manufacture, produce

to make up for the purpose of deception<accused of fabricating evidence>

767. resuscitate to revive from apparent death or fromunconsciousness; also : revitalize

freshen, recharge, recreate, refresh, refreshen,regenerate, rejuvenate, repair, restore, renew,revitalize, revive, revivify

she hopes to resuscitate the currently defunctcharity organization

768. flag to decline in interest, attraction, or value<flagging stock prices>

769. jockey to deal shrewdly or fraudulently with

There was a lot of political jockeying at thefund-raiser.

770. regiment to organize rigidly especially for the sake ofregulation or control <regiment an entirecountry>

She criticized the way the school regiments itsstudents by having strict rules.

771. decorum decency, form, propriety

high standards of decorum are usually requiredwhen attending the opera

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. underrate underestimate, undervalue

774. contravene breach, break, violate, fracture, infringe, offend,traduce, transgress

the unauthorized reproduction of the imagecontravenes copyright laws

775. grudging done, given, or allowed unwillingly, reluctantly,or sparingly <grudging compliance>

Her theories have begun to win grudgingacceptance in the scientific community.

776. errant straying outside the proper path or bounds

behaving wrongly <an errant child>

bad, contrary, naughty, froward, misbehaving,mischievous

777. depraved marked by corruption or evil; especially :perverted

He acted with depraved indifference to humansuffering.

debased, debauched, decadent, degenerate,degraded, demoralized, corrupt, dissipated,dissolute, jackleg, libertine, loose, perverse,perverted, rakehell (or rakehelly), rakish,reprobate, sick, unclean, unwholesome, warped

778. allusion the act of making an indirect reference tosomething : the act of alluding to something

The lyrics contain biblical allusions.

779. tout ballyhoo, blow up, crack up, cry up, glorify,trumpet, tub-thump

The company is running advertisements toutingthe drug's effectiveness.

780. crossfire altercation, argle-bargle [chiefly British], argy-bargy [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 firebetween the liberal and conservativecommentators

781. tussle to struggle roughly,grapple, rassle, scuffle,wrestle

The two basketball players tussled for the ball.

782. recede to move back or away : withdrawto grow less or smaller : diminish, decrease

the flood waters gradually receded

783. lethargic of, relating to, or characterized by laziness orlack of energy : feeling or affected by lethargy :sluggish

You'll need to move your lure as slowly aspossible to tempt the lethargic fish intofeeding...

dull, inert, inactive, quiescent, sleepy, sluggish,torpid

784. aggrandize to make great or greater,exalt, canonize, deify,dignify, elevate, ennoble, enshrine, ensky,enthrone, glorify, magnify

A country should not aggrandize itself at theexpense of its neighbors.

785. embellish color, elaborate (on), embroider, exaggerate,hyperbolize, magnify, pad, stretch

He embellished his speech with a fewquotations.

786. jeopardize adventure, compromise, gamble (with), hazard,imperil, jeopard, endanger, menace, peril, risk,venture

His health has been jeopardized by poornutrition.

787. ferret to find and bring to light by searching —usuallyused with out <ferret out the answers>

788. haughty blatantly and disdainfully proud

He rejected their offer with a tone of haughtydisdain.

assumptive, bumptious, cavalier, chesty,arrogant, highfalutin (also hifalutin), high-and-mighty, high-handed, high-hat, huffish,huffy, imperious, important, lofty, lordly,masterful, overweening, peremptory, pompous,presuming, presumptuous, pretentious, self-asserting, self-assertive, sniffy, stiff-necked,supercilious, superior, toplofty (alsotoploftical), uppish, uppity

789. enmity animosity, animus, antagonism, antipathy, badblood, bitterness, gall, grudge, hostility,jaundice, rancor

We need to put aside old enmities for the sake ofpeace.

790. garrulous given to prosy, rambling, or tedious loquacity :pointlessly or annoyingly talkative

He became more garrulous after drinking acouple of beers.

blabby, chatty, conversational, gabby, talkative,loquacious, motormouthed, mouthy, talky

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 eachother throughout the campaign.

792. bombast pretentious inflated speech or writing

you need less bombast and more substance inthis speech on human rights

bluster, brag, braggadocio, bull [slang],cockalorum, fanfaronade, gas, gasconade,grandiloquence, hot air, magniloquence, rant,rodomontade (also rhodomontade)

793. benign of a gentle disposition : gracious <a benignteacher>

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

794. 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 extravaganzaexcel any that we've seen previously

795. emulate to strive to equal or excelimitate; especially : to imitate by means of anemulator

artists emulating the style of their teachers

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 thewording of one of the questions on the drivingtest

797. presage augur, call, forecast, predict, foretell,prognosticate, prophesy, read, vaticinate

Many investors are worried that the currentslowdown could presage another recession.

798. preclude avert, forestall, head off, help, obviate, prevent,stave off

Bad weather precluded any further attempts toreach the summit.

799. epitome a typical or ideal example : embodiment <theBritish monarchy itself is the epitome oftradition — Richard Joseph>

the golden rule is often cited as the epitome ofmoral conduct: "Do unto others as you wouldhave them do unto you"

800. coarse crude or unrefined in taste, manners, orlanguage

Don't use such coarse language.

801. urbane notably polite or polished in manner

The dialogue is witty and urbane.

debonair, smooth, sophisticated, svelte, suave

802. dissipation wasteful expenditure

He lived a life of dissipation.

803. squander 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)

804. vagrant having a fleeting, wayward, or inconstantquality <a vagrant impulse>

ambulant, ambulatory, errant, fugitive,gallivanting (also galavanting), nomad,nomadic, perambulatory, peregrine,peripatetic, ranging, roaming, roving,vagabond, itinerant, wandering, wayfaring

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 incriminatingconnection <evidence that implicates him inthe bombing>

806. impel to urge or drive forward or on by or as if by theexertion of strong moral pressure : force <feltimpelled to correct the misconception>

actuate, drive, move, propel, work

807. intent aim, ambition, aspiration, bourne (alsobourn), 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.

808. venerable calling forth respect through age, character,and attainments <a venerable jazzmusician>; broadly : conveying animpression of aged goodness and benevolence<encouraged by the venerable doctor's head-nodding>

a venerable tradition that colleges have beenmaintaining for centuries

hallowed, revered, reverend, sacred, venerated

809. inopportune inconvenient, unseasonable

He always shows up at the most inopportunetimes.

810. despicable deserving to be despised : so worthless orobnoxious 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

811. adjunct something joined or added to another thingbut not essentially a part of it

In "They ate heartily," the word heartily is anadjunct and in "We left at noon," the phraseat noon is an adjunct.

812. derive to take, receive, or obtain especially from aspecified source

Much of the book's appeal derives from thepersonality of its central character.

813. tacit expressed or carried on without words orspeech <the blush was a tacit answer — BramStoker>

implied or indicated (as by an act or bysilence) but not actually expressed <tacitconsent> <tacit admission of guilt>

There was a tacit agreement that he wouldpay off the loan.

implied, implicit, unexpressed, unspoken,unvoiced, wordless

814. duplicate to make a copy of <a cell duplicates itself whenit divides>

clone, copycat, copy, imitate, reduplicate,render, replicate, reproduce

815. divulge bare, disclose, discover, reveal, expose, let on(about), spill, tell, unbosom, uncloak, uncover,unmask,

we tried to make him divulge the name of thewinner, but he wouldn't budge

816. prudery moralism, nice-nellyism, prudishness,puritanism

817. demise 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 [chieflyBritish], perish, pop off, step out, succumb

818. unruly not readily ruled, disciplined, or managed <anunruly crowd>

balky, contrary, contumacious, defiant,froward, incompliant, insubordinate,intractable, obstreperous, rebel, rebellious,recalcitrant, recusant, refractory, restive,ungovernable, disobedient, untoward,wayward, willful (or wilful)

819. interim ad interim, impermanent, temporary,provisional, provisionary, provisory, short-term

putting up some students in local motels isobviously just an interim solution to thecollege's housing shortage

820. resplendent shining brilliantly : characterized by a glowingsplendor <meadows resplendent withwildflowers — Outdoor World>

a bird with resplendent yellow feathers

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 peoplecomplacent.

822. supersede cut out, displace, displant, relieve, substitute,replace, supplant

Former stars were being superseded by youngeractors.

823. trenchant vigorously effective and articulate <a trenchantanalysis>; also : caustic <trenchant remarks>

sharply perceptive : penetrating <a trenchantview of current conditions>

cutting, edged, edgy, ground, honed, keen,sharpened, stropped, sharp, whetted

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 woundedanimal in the woods.

825. tangential touching lightly : incidental, peripheral<tangential involvement>; also : of littlerelevance <arguments tangential to the mainpoint>

Their romance is tangential to the book's mainplot.

826. spurious bogus, fake, false, forged, inauthentic, phony(also phoney), queer, sham, snide, counterfeit,unauthentic

a spurious Picasso painting that wouldn't havefooled an art expert for a second

827. devotion religious fervor : piety

the fact or state of being ardently dedicated andloyal <her devotion to the cause>

She has cared for the poor with selfless devotion.

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

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 amistake during the first day on the job

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 ofcondoning racism

831. perpetrate to produce, perform, or execute (somethinglikened to a crime)

The men were planning to perpetrate a robbery.

832. erode to diminish or destroy by degrees:

The shoreline has eroded badly.

833. obsess to haunt or excessively preoccupy the mind of<was obsessed with the idea>

You need to stop obsessing and just deal withthe problem.

834. subsume to include or place within something larger ormore comprehensive : encompass as asubordinate or component element <red, green,and yellow are subsumed under the term"color">

835. precedence priority of importance <your safety takesprecedence>

his merchandise order takes precedencebecause we received it first

836. crop harvest <crop trout>

to cut off short : trim <crop a photograph>Thepicture was cropped badly.

837. intrepid bold, courageous, dauntless, doughty, fearless,gallant, greathearted, gutsy, gutty, heroic (alsoheroical), brave, lionhearted, manful, stalwart,stout, stouthearted, undauntable, undaunted,valiant, valorous

an intrepid explorer who probed parts of therain forest never previously attempted

838. alternate occurring or succeeding by turns <a day ofalternate sunshine and rain>

constituting an alternative <took the alternateroute home>

839. extemporaneous (1) : composed, performed, or uttered onthe spur of the moment : impromptu <anextemporaneous comment> (2) :carefully prepared but delivered withoutnotes or text

ad hoc, ad-lib, down and dirty,extemporary, extempore, impromptu,improvisational, improvised, offhand,offhanded, off-the-cuff, snap, spur-of-the-moment, unconsidered, unplanned,unpremeditated, unprepared,unrehearsed, unstudied

840. mundane characterized by the practical, transitory,and ordinary : commonplace <themundane concerns of day-to-day life>

everyday, nitty-gritty, prosaic, terrestrial,workaday

prayer and meditation helped her put hermundane worries aside

841. stifle choke, smother, strangle, suffocate

Too many regulations stifle innovation.

842. conceal bury, cache, hide, ensconce, secrete

The editorial accused the government ofconcealing the truth.

843. unfold to open to the view : reveal; especially : tomake clear by gradual disclosure andoften by recital

We'll have more news as events unfold.

844. incongruity dichotomy, contradiction, paradox

845. quirky unusual; strange; odd; eccentric

846. finicky extremely or excessively particular,exacting, or meticulous in taste orstandards <a finicky eater>

choosy (or choosey), dainty, delicate,demanding, exacting, fastidious, finical,finicking, fussbudgety, fussy, nice, old-maidish, particular, pernickety [chieflyBritish], persnickety, picky

847. enervate to reduce the mental or moral vigor of

a lifetime of working in dreary jobs hadenervated his very soul

castrate, damp, dampen, deaden,desiccate, devitalize, dehydrate, geld,lobotomize, petrify

848. frantic emotionally out of control <frantic with angerand frustration>

agitated, delirious, distracted, distrait,distraught, frenzied, hysterical (also hysteric),beside oneself

They made a frantic search for the missingchild.

849. ameliorate improve, amend, better, enhance, enrich,help, meliorate, perfect, refine, upgrade

trying to ameliorate the suffering of peoplewho have lost their jobs

850. decimation ...

851. intrusive busy, interfering, intruding, meddlesome,meddling, nosy (or nosey), obtrusive,officious, presuming, presumptuous,protrusive, prying, pushing, pushy, snoopy

Intrusive reporters disturbed their privacy.

852. platitude banality, bromide, chestnut, cliché (alsocliche), groaner, homily, commonplace,shibboleth, trope, truism

His speech was filled with familiar platitudesabout the value of hard work and dedication.

853. labyrinthine of, relating to, or resembling a labyrinth :intricate, involved

the labyrinthine politics of Central Europe leftus totally befuddled

baroque, byzantine, complicate, complicated,convoluted, daedal, elaborate, intricate,involute, involved, knotty, labyrinthian,complex, sophisticated, tangled

854. foil to prevent from attaining an end : defeat<always able to foil her enemies>

855. poignant affecting, emotional, impactful, impressive,moving, stirring, touching

a poignant story of a love affair that ends intragedy

856. gallantry bottle [British slang], bravery,courageousness, daring, daringness,dauntlessness, doughtiness, fearlessness,courage, greatheartedness, guts, gutsiness,hardihood, heart, heroism, intestinalfortitude, intrepidity, intrepidness, moxie,nerve, pecker [chiefly British], prowess,stoutness, valor, virtue

Many women were charmed by his old-fashioned gallantry.

857. fatuous complacently or inanely foolish : silly <afatuous remark>

airheaded, birdbrained, bonehead,boneheaded, brain-dead, brainless,bubbleheaded, chuckleheaded, dense, dim,dim-witted, doltish, dopey (also dopy), dorky[slang], dull, dumb, dunderheaded, empty-headed, stupid, gormless [chiefly British],half-witted, knuckleheaded, lamebrain (orlamebrained), lunkheaded, mindless, oafish,obtuse, opaque, pinheaded, senseless, simple,slow, slow-witted, soft, softheaded, thick,thickheaded, thick-witted, unintelligent,unsmart, vacuous, weak-minded, witless

858. idolatry adulation, deification, hero worship,worship, idolization, worshipping (alsoworshiping)

859. confidential private, secret <confidential information>entrusted with confidences

behind-the-scenes, private, esoteric, hushed,hush-hush, inside, intimate, nonpublic,privy, secret

860. candid free from bias, prejudice, or malice : fair <acandid 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

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

862. culmination acme, apex, apogee, capstone, climax,crescendo, crest, crown, height, head, highnoon, high tide, high-water mark, meridian,ne plus ultra, noon, noontime, peak, pinnacle,sum, summit, tip-top, top, zenith

863. impend to be about to occur

for confirmed pessimists some disaster alwaysseems to be impending

864. perpetuate to make perpetual or cause to last indefinitely<perpetuate the species>

eternalize, immortalize

865. ossify to become hardened or conventional andopposed to change

866. stratagem 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 thecarrier, but the feisty feline was wise to themall

867. tractable amenable, biddable, compliant, conformable,docile, law-abiding, submissive, obedient

This new approach should make the problemmore tractable.

868. overhaul (1) : repair (2) : to renovate, remake, revise, orrenew thoroughly

Lawmakers are overhauling the welfareprogram.

869. calibrate to measure precisely; especially : to measureagainst a standard

carefully calibrate the dosage of a medicine

870. ferocious exhibiting or given to extreme fierceness andunrestrained violence and brutality <aferocious predator>

The competition among the students wasferocious.

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

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 whohave lost their jobs

This medicine should help ameliorate the pain.

872. eradicate to do away with as completely as if by pulling upby the roots <programs to eradicate illiteracy>

His ambition is to eradicate poverty in hiscommunity.

abolish, black out, blot out, cancel, clean (up),efface, annihilate, erase, expunge, exterminate,extirpate, liquidate, obliterate, root (out), rubout, snuff (out), stamp (out), sweep (away),wipe out

873. evoke to bring to mind or recollection <this placeevokes memories>elicit, educe, inspire, raise

His photographs evoke the isolation andsolitude of the desert.`

874. flout despise, disregard, scorn

Despite repeated warnings, they have continuedto flout the law.

875. embody to make concrete and perceptible

they must embody their ideas in substantialinstitutions if they are to survive

876. cunning dexterous or crafty in the use of specialresources (as skill or knowledge) or in attainingan end <a cunning plotter>

displaying keen insight <a cunningobservation>

prettily appealing : cute <a cunning little kitten>

characterized by wiliness and trickery <cunningschemes>

877. parable a usually short fictitious story that illustrates amoral attitude or a religious principle;apologue,fable, allegory

He told the children a parable about theimportance of forgiveness.

878. obsequious characterized by or showing servilecomplaisance or deference; fawning: anobsequious bow.

servilely compliant or deferential:obsequious servants.

obedient; dutiful.

879. primitive not derived : original, primary

assumed as a basis; especially : axiomatic<primitive concepts>

belonging to or characteristic of an earlystage of development : crude, rudimentary<primitive technology>

elemental, natural <our primitive feelingsof vengeance — John Mackwood>

self-taught, untutored <primitivecraftsmen>

880. instinctive prompted by natural instinct or propensity: arising spontaneously <an instinctivefear of innovation — V. L. Parrington>

the instinctive reaction of a mother is toprotect her children

automatic, instinctual, involuntary, knee-jerk, mechanic, mechanical, robotic,spontaneous

881. transient passing especially quickly into and out ofexistence : transitory <transient beauty>

<had transient thoughts of suicide butnever acted upon them>

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

882. complementary correlative, reciprocal, supplemental,supplementary

My spouse and I have complementarygoals.

883. dictate to speak or act domineeringly : prescribe

call, decree, command, direct, mandate,ordain, order

Tradition dictates that the youngestmember should go first.

884. virtuosity great technical skill (as in the practice of afine art)

Her virtuosity on the piano is amazing.

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 three-day ordeal in the wilderness

887. unscathed wholly unharmed : not injured

The administration was left relativelyunscathed by the scandal.

888. revert retrogress, return, regress

He advocated reverting to old ways.

889. petulant characterized by temporary or capricious illhumor : peevish

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

a petulant and fussy man who is alwaysblaming everyone else for his problems

890. modulate to adjust to or keep in proper measure orproportion : temper

891. presumptuous overstepping due bounds (as of propriety orcourtesy) : taking liberties

it's a little presumptuous of you to assumethat I'm your new best friend just because Iinvited you along

892. valedictory expressing or containing a farewell

a valedictory address given by the collegepresident upon his retirement

He received a very warm valedictory for hislong career.

893. gloss a surface luster or brightness : shine

a deceptively attractive appearance<selfishness that had a gloss ofhumanitarianism about it>

894. valiant possessing or acting with bravery orboldness : courageous <valiant soldiers>

She died last year after a valiant battle withcancer.

bold, courageous, dauntless, doughty,fearless, gallant, greathearted, gutsy, gutty,heroic (also heroical), intrepid, lionhearted,manful, stalwart, stout, stouthearted,undauntable, undaunted, brave, valorous

895. breach break, violate, contravene, fracture,infringe, offend, traduce, transgress<breachan agreement>

The army breached the castle wall.

896. surmise a thought or idea based on scanty evidence :conjecture, guess, shot, supposition,

897. innocuous anodyne, benign, hurtless, innocent,harmless, inoffensive, safe, white

those innocuous lies we must tell every day ifsociety is to remain civil

898. repudiate contradict, disaffirm, disallow, disavow,disclaim, disconfirm, disown, gainsay,negate, negative, refute, reject, deny

a generation that has repudiated the valuesof the past

899. remuneration something that remunerates : recompense,pay,disbursement, giving, paying,remitment, remittance, payment

She was given generous remunerations forher work.

900. statute a law enacted by the legislative branch of agovernment,act, bill, constitution,enactment, ordinance, law

business practices that are prohibited bystatute

901. futile abortive, barren, bootless, empty, fruitless,ineffective, ineffectual, inefficacious, otiose,profitless, unavailing, unproductive,unprofitable, unsuccessful, useless, vain, invain, no dice, not worth the candle, of noavail

All our efforts proved futile.

902. elate elevate, enrapture, exhilarate, intoxicate,transport

The discovery has elated researchers.

903. martinet a strict disciplinarian

a person who stresses a rigid adherence to thedetails of forms and methods

904. acolyte one who attends or assists : follower, adherent,convert, disciple, epigone, liege man, partisan(also partizan), pupil, votarist, votary

905. maniacal characterized by ungovernable excitement orfrenzy : 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 (alsomaniac), mental, meshuga (or meshugge alsomeshugah or meshuggah), moonstruck, noncompos mentis, nuts, nutty, psycho, psychotic,scatty [chiefly British], screwy, unbalanced,unhinged, unsound, wacko (also whacko),wacky (also whacky), wud [chiefly Scottish]

906. excess undue or immoderate indulgence :intemperance; also : an act or instance ofintemperance <prevent excesses and abuses bynewly created local powers — Albert Shanker>

bellyful, fat, overabundance, overage, overflow,overkill, overmuch, overplus, oversupply,plethora, plus, redundancy, superabundance,superfluity, surfeit, surplus, surplusage

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.

908. cognizance knowledge, awareness <had no cognizance ofthe situation>

jurisdiction, responsibility

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

909. smug highly self-satisfied

It's OK to celebrate your success, but try not tobe too smug about it.

assured, biggety (or biggity) [Southern &Midland], bigheaded, complacent,consequential, egoistic (also egoistical),egotistic (or egotistical), important,overweening, pompous, prideful, proud, self-conceited, self-important, self-opinionated,self-satisfied, conceited, stuck-up,swellheaded, vain, vainglorious

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 especiallya future event or result

"How did you know I'd be here?" "It was just ahunch."

912. reassure to restore to confidence <felt reassured by theirearnest promise to do better>

Experts reassured the public that the accidentwouldn't happen again.

913. trepidation a nervous or fearful feeling of uncertainagitation : apprehension <trepidation aboutstarting a new job>

alarm (also alarum), anxiety, dread,fearfulness, fright, horror, panic, scare, terror,fear

914. endear to cause to become beloved or admired <hergenerosity has endeared her to the public>

915. majestic classy, courtly, fine, graceful, handsome,elegant, refined, stately, tasteful

a majestic Egyptian pyramid that hasenthralled travelers for aeons

916. apprise to give notice to : acquaint, advise, enlighten,brief, catch up, clear, clue (in), familiarize, fillin, 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

918. scrupulous having moral integrity : acting in strict regardfor what is considered right or properLess scrupulous companies find ways to evadethe law.

conscionable, ethical, honest, honorable, just,moral, principled, conscientious

punctiliously exact : painstaking The work requires scrupulous attention todetail.

919. abject expressing or offered in a humble and ofteningratiating spirit <abject flattery> <an abjectapology>

920. etiquette manner, form, mores, proprieties

Her failure to respond to the invitation was aserious breach of etiquette.

921. quirk a peculiar trait : idiosyncrasy

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

922. salutary producing a beneficial effect : remedial<salutary influences>

the low interest rates should have a salutaryeffect on business

advantageous, benefic, beneficent, benignant,favorable, friendly, good, helpful, kindly,profitable, beneficial

923. surly menacing or threatening in appearance <surlyweather>

arrogant, imperious

irritably sullen and churlish in mood ormanner : crabbed

She is always so surly; she never smiles atanyone.

924. vitriol something felt to resemble vitriol especially incaustic quality; especially : virulence of feelingor of speech

His speech was full of political vitriol.

acidity, acidness, acridity, acridness, asperity,bile, bitterness, cattiness, corrosiveness,mordancy, tartness, virulence, virulency,acrimony

925. dispirit chill, daunt, demoralize, dishearten, dismay,discourage, frustrate, unman, unnerve

dispirited by the overwhelming amount ofinformation needed to write the report

926. composure 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 hercomposure.

927. contravene to go or act contrary to : violate <contravene alaw>

The overcrowded dance club contravened safetyregulations.

breach, break, violate, fracture, infringe,offend, traduce, transgress

928. delimit to fix or define the limits of

Strict guidelines delimit his responsibilities.

bound, circumscribe, define, limit, demarcate,demark, mark (off), terminate

929. acquittal a setting free from the charge of an offense byverdict, 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 (alsoexorcize), fling (off or away), jettison, junk, layby, lose, pitch, reject, scrap, shed, shuck (off),slough (off) also sluff (off), throw away, throwout, toss, unload

The movie is about a priest who tries to exorcisedemons from a young girl.

931. surmount to prevail over : overcome <surmount anobstacle>

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

932. buttress to furnish or shore up with a buttress; also :support, strengthen <arguments buttressed bysolid facts>

The treaty will buttress the cause of peace.

bear, bolster, brace, support, carry, prop (up),shore (up), stay, sustain, undergird, underpin,uphold

933. foible a minor flaw or shortcoming in character orbehavior : weakness <admired their teacherdespite his foibles>

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

934. mores the fixed morally binding customs of a particulargroup

the mores of academic life as opposed to those ofthe business world

935. clinical involving direct observation of the patient

analytical or coolly dispassionate

Three hundred patients were involved in theclinical study.

936. blatant noisy especially in a vulgar or offensive manner :clamorous

completely obvious, conspicuous, or obtrusiveespecially in a crass or offensive manner : brazen<blatant disregard for the rules>

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

937. repugnant incompatible, inconsistent

exciting distaste or aversion <repugnantlanguage> <a morally repugnant practice>

technically speaking, it may not be a violation,but it is certainly repugnant to the spirit of thelaw

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

938. court to seek to gain or achieve <court power>

(1) : allure, tempt (2) : to act so as to invite orprovoke He courted disaster by getting mixed upwith criminal types.

939. anathema a vigorous denunciation : curse, ban, execration,imprecation, malediction, malison, winze[Scottish]

someone or something intensely disliked orloathed —usually used as a predicate nominative<this notion was anathema to most of hiscountrymen — S. J. Gould>

940. umbrage a feeling of pique or resentment at some oftenfancied slight or insult <took umbrage at thespeaker's remarks>

dudgeon, huff, miff, offense (or offence), peeve,resentment, pique

941. potshot a shot taken from ambush or at a random oreasy target,A sniper was on the roof takingpotshots at passing cars.

a critical remark made in a random or sporadicmanner

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

943. omit to leave out or leave unmentioned <omits oneimportant detail>,fail, forget, neglect

you must not omit mentioning the sources youused in researching your paper

944. onerous involving, imposing, or constituting a burden :troublesome <an onerous task>

The government imposed onerous taxes onimports.

itter, brutal, burdensome, cruel, excruciating,grievous, grim, hard, hardhanded, heavy,inhuman, murderous, harsh, oppressive, rough,rugged, searing, severe, stiff, tough, trying

945. folly absurdity, asininity, bêtise, fatuity, foolery, foppery,idiocy, imbecility, inanity, insanity, lunacy,stupidity

the follies of the modern world

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. rail criticize severely

948. spurn to reject with disdain or contempt : scorn

fiercely independent, the elderly couple spurned alloffers of financial help

balk (at), deselect, disapprove, negative, nix, pass,pass up, refuse, reject, reprobate, repudiate,decline, throw out, throw over, turn down

949. placate to soothe or mollify especially by concessions :appease

The administration placated protesters by agreeingto consider their demands.

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 oilcompanies.

951. precede antecede, antedate, forego, predate, preexist

The chairman preceded the meeting with a briefwelcoming speech.

952. steep abrupt, bold, precipitous, sheer

The store's prices are too steep for me.

953. deterrent serving to deter <a deterrent effect>

relating to deterrence <a deterrent view ofpunishment>

954. antidote something that relieves, prevents, orcounteracts

For him, racing motorcycles is a greatantidote to boredom.

cure, corrective, curative, rectifier, remedy,therapeutic, therapy

955. drab a dull, lifeless, or faded appearance or quality

956. distort to twist out of the true meaning or proportion<distorted the facts>

to twist out of a natural, normal, or originalshape 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 agedistorted her outlook on life.

bend, color, cook, garble, falsify, fudge,misinterpret, misrelate, misrepresent,misstate, pervert, slant, twist, warp

957. pertain (1) : to belong as a part, member, accessory,or product (2) : to belong as an attribute,feature, or function <the destructionpertaining to war> (3) : to belong as a duty orright <rights that pertain to fatherhood>

appertain, belong

958. obsolescence the process of becoming obsolete or thecondition of being nearly obsolete <thegradual obsolescence of machinery><reduced to obsolescence>

959. ingrain to work indelibly into the natural texture ormental or moral constitution,endue (orindue), imbue, inculcate, infuse (alsoengrain), inoculate, invest, steep, suffuse

the journalism professor has long ingrainedhis students with a deep respect for theirchosen profession

the third-world privation he had witnessedforever ingrained itself upon the youngdoctor's memory

960. relieve to set free from an obligation, condition, orrestriction

rob, deprive <relieved us of our belongings>

allay, alleviate, assuage, ease, mitigate, mollify,palliate, help, soothe

What's the best way to relieve stress?

961. figment something made up or contrived

thus far, the invisible human being has beennothing more than a figment of fantasy writers

chimera, conceit, daydream, delusion, dream,fancy, fantasy, hallucination, illusion,nonentity, phantasm (also fantasm), pipedream, unreality, vision

962. palatable agreeable to the palate or taste

agreeable or acceptable to the mind

agreeable, all right, alright, copacetic (alsocopasetic or copesetic), ducky, fine, good,hunky-dory, jake [slang], OK (or okay),satisfactory

963. demarcate delimit

to set apart : distinguishThe bounardy between the countries must beclearly demarcated.

bound, circumscribe, define, delimit, limit,demark, mark (off), terminate

964. clannish tending to associate only with a select group ofsimilar background or status <a clannishcommunity>

The college faculty can be pretty clannish, so it'sdifficult to be an outsider there.

close-knit, cliquey, cliquish

965. antiquated outmoded or discredited by reason of age : beingout of style or fashion <antiquated methods offarming>

He has some pretty antiquated opinions aboutpolitics.

obsolete, archaic, dated, démodé, demoded,fossilized, kaput (also kaputt), medieval (alsomediaeval), moribund, mossy, moth-eaten,neolithic, Noachian, outdated, outmoded, out-of-date, outworn, passé, prehistoric (alsoprehistorical), rusty, Stone Age, superannuated

966. salvage to rescue or save especially from wreckage orruin

He is trying to salvage his marriage.

967. beleaguer besiege, blockade, invest

trouble, harass <beleaguered parents> <aneconomically beleaguered city>

968. estrange to remove from customary environment orassociations

to arouse especially mutual enmity orindifference in where there had formerly beenlove, affection, or friendliness : alienate

969. emulate to strive to equal or excelShe grew up emulating her sports heroes.

imitate; especially : to imitate by means of anemulator

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 bestcandidate for the job

assurance, assuredness, certainty, confidence,cocksureness, conviction, doubtlessness, face,positiveness, satisfaction, sureness, surety

972. proprietary of, relating to, or characteristic of an owner ortitle holder <proprietary rights>

used, made, or marketed by one having theexclusive legal right <a proprietary process><proprietary software>

privately owned and managed and run as aprofit-making organization <a proprietaryclinic>

The journalist tried to get access to proprietaryinformation.

973. recant to make an open confession of errorChurch 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 testimonywhen the court released their names to thepaper.

974. banish to require by authority to leave a countryHe was banished from the country.

to clear away : dispelHe tried to banish gloom from his thought.

deport, displace, exile, expatriate, relegate,transport

975. scourge a cause of wide or great affliction

The disease continues to be a scourge in thedeveloping world.

976. boon advantage, aid, asset, benefit, help

the couple's generous donation was a greatboon to the charity's fund-raising campaign

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

978. imposture the act or practice of deceiving by means of anassumed character or name

He was accused of imposture.

979. mimicry the action, practice, or art of mimicking

I suggested "mimicry" as a method forimproving pronunciation for a English as asecond language student.

980. pungent marked by a sharp incisive quality : caustic <apungent critic> <pungent language>

being sharp and to the point

having an intense flavor or odor <a pungentchili>

981. fortress bastion, castle, citadel, fastness, fortification,fort, hold, redoubt, stronghold

982. facade the front of a building

a false, superficial, or artificial appearance oreffectI could sense the hostility lurking behind herpolite facade.

983. cumbersome burdensome, troublesome,awkward,bunglesome, clumsy, clunky, cranky,cumbrous, ponderous, ungainly, unhandy,unwieldy

The application process is cumbersome andtime-consuming.

984. contrive devise, plan <contrive ways of handling thesituation>

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)

985. conjecture guess, shot, supposition, surmise, shot in thedark

Most of the book is conjecture, not fact.

986. novice abecedarian, apprentice, babe, colt, cub,fledgling, freshman, greenhorn, neophyte,newbie, newcomer, beginner, novitiate, punk,recruit, rook, rookie, tenderfoot, tyro, virgin

987. conjure 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 <weconjure up our own metaphors for our ownneeds — R. J. Kaufmann> (3) : to bring tomind <words that conjure pleasant images>—often used with up <conjure up memories>

a magician who conjures live doves from silkscarves

988. oblique neither perpendicular nor parallel : inclined

not straightforward : indirect; also : obscure

989. ascetic practicing strict self-denial as a measure ofpersonal and especially spiritual discipline

austere in appearance, manner, or attitude

990. unpretentious free from ostentation, elegance, oraffectation : modest <unpretentious homes><an unpretentious celebrity>

a casual and unpretentious restaurant

artless, genuine, honest, ingenuous,innocent, naive (or naïve), natural, real,simple, sincere, true, unaffected,unpretending, guileless

991. sumptuous extremely costly, rich, luxurious, ormagnificent <sumptuous banquets> <asumptuous residence>; also : magnificent

Babylonian, deluxe, lavish, Lucullan (alsoLucullian), luxe, luxuriant, luxury, opulent,palace, palatial, plush, plushy, silken,luxurious

992. sobriety the quality or state of being sober

earnest, graveness, gravity, intentness,serious-mindedness, seriousness,soberness, earnestness, solemnity,solemnness, staidness

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>

Her heart was brimming with happiness.

The show brims with excitement.

995. untapped not drawn upon or utilized <as yet untappedmarkets>

996. lax not tense, firm, or rigid : slack

deficient in firmness : not stringent <laxcontrol> <a lax foreman>

997. laconic using or involving the use of a minimum ofwords : concise to the point of seeming rudeor mysterious

the sportscaster's color commentary tendsto 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

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 interruptingother people.

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 ofScotland to be an enchanting place

1000. relentless showing or promising no abatement ofseverity, intensity, strength, or pace :unrelenting <relentless pressure> <arelentless campaign>

Her relentless optimism held the teamtogether.

determined, dogged, grim, implacable,unyielding, unappeasable, unflinching,unrelenting

1001. hasten accelerate, bundle, fast-track, hurry, quicken,rush, speed (up), whisk

His death was hastened by alcohol abuse.

1002. beset trouble, harass <inflation besets theeconomy>

to set upon : assail <the settlers were beset bysavages>

he's been beset by a lack of self-confidencevirtually his entire life

agonize, anguish, bedevil, afflict, besiege,curse, excruciate, harrow, persecute, plague,rack, torment, torture

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 tostop them.

1005. sanctuary (1) : a place of refuge and protection (2) : arefuge for wildlife where predators arecontrolled and hunting is illegal

The refugees found sanctuary when theycrossed the border.

1006. inveterate bred-in-the-bone, habitual ,confirmed, deep,deep-rooted, deep-seated, entrenched (alsointrenched), hard-core, rooted, settled

his inveterate tendency to overlook the obvious

1007. retire to withdraw from action or danger : retreat

to move back : recede

to go to bed

1008. inadvertent unintentional <an inadvertent omission>

casual, chance, fluky (also flukey), fortuitous,accidental, incidental, unintended,unintentional, unplanned, unpremeditated,unwitting

1009. schism division, separation; also : discord,disharmony <a schism between politicalparties>

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

1010. demur to take exception : object —often used with toor at

object, except, expostulate, kick, protest,remonstrate

They demurred at the proposal.

1011. fulsome characterized by abundance : copious

exceeding the bounds of good taste : overdone

excessively complimentary or flattering :effusive

1012. platitude the quality or state of being dull or insipid

a banal, trite, or stale remark

His speech was filled with familiar platitudesabout the value of hard work and dedication.

banality, bromide, chestnut, cliché (alsocliche), groaner, homily, commonplace,shibboleth, trope, truism

1013. proponent one who argues in favor ofsomething: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

1014. dogged marked by stubborn determination <a doggedcompetitor> <dogged devotion>

a dogged pursuit of power

persistent, insistent, patient, persevering,pertinacious, tenacious

1015. debut a first appearance <made her singing debut>

a formal entrance into society

1016. motif a usually recurring salient thematic element (asin the arts); especially : a dominant idea orcentral theme

the motif of mute figures standing in lonelyisolation 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.

1018. giddy birdbrained, ditzy (or ditsy), dizzy,featherbrained, flighty, frivolous, frothy, futile,goofy, harebrained, light-headed, light-minded, puerile, scatterbrained, silly, yeasty

1019. innuendo an oblique allusion : hint, insinuation;especially : a veiled or equivocal reflection oncharacter or reputation

His reputation has been damaged by innuendosabout his drinking and gambling.

imputation, insinuation

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.

1021. veiled obscured as if by a veil : disguised <veiledthreats>

She looked at him with barely veiledcontempt.

The report makes veiled references to hiscriminal activities.

1022. boisterous hell-raising, knockabout, rambunctious,raucous, robustious, roisterous,rollicking, rowdy, rumbustious [chieflyBritish], wild and woolly

the fans at the baseball game becameparticularly boisterous after the home run

1023. fallacious illogical, illegitimate, inconsequent,inconsequential, invalid, irrational,nonrational, unreasonable, unreasoning,unsound, weak

it's fallacious to say that something mustexist because science hasn't proven itsnonexistence

1024. evanescent tending to vanish like vapor

beauty that is as evanescent as a rainbow

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

1025. predetermined doom, fate, foredoom, foreordain, ordain,predestine, destine, preordain

religious sects that believe that anindividual's salvation has beenpredetermined by God

1026. spoilage the act or process of spoiling; especially :the process of decay in foodstuffs

The milk should be refrigerated to preventspoilage.

breakdown, decay, decomposition,festering, putrefaction, putrescence, rot,corruption

1027. inexact not rigorous and careful <an inexactthinker>

not precisely correct or true : inaccurate <aninexact translation>

approximate, approximative, ballpark,imprecise, inaccurate, loose, squishy

1028. renowned big-name, celebrated, famed, noted,notorious, prominent, famous, star, visible,well-known

a restaurant renowned for its wine list

1029. misnomer a use of a wrong or inappropriate name

"International Airport" is something of amisnomer, since almost all the arriving anddeparting flights are local.

1030. anomaly aberration, abnormality, exception, oddity,oddment, rarity

We couldn't explain the anomalies in thetest results.

1031. confrontation 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

1032. tenuous having little substance or strength : flimsy,weak <tenuous influences>

shaky <tenuous reasons>

1033. lucidity clearness of thought or style,clarity,explicitness, simplicity, lucidness,perspicuity, perspicuousness

a presumed capacity to perceive the truthdirectly and instantaneously : clairvoyance

1034. hard-nosed

adamant, adamantine, bullheaded, dogged,hard, hardened, hardheaded, hard-nosed,headstrong, immovable, implacable,inconvincible, inflexible, intransigent, mulish,obdurate, opinionated, ossified, pat,pertinacious, perverse, pigheaded, self-opinionated, self-willed, stiff-necked, stubborn,unbending, uncompromising, unrelenting,unyielding, willful (or wilful)

1035. solicit to make petition to : entreat

to entice or lure especially into evil

They are busy soliciting votes.

The organization is soliciting newmemberships.

1036. eschew to avoid habitually especially on moral orpractical 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)

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 halfof the kids were out sick

1038. dismay to cause to lose courage or resolution (asbecause of alarm or fear)

upset, perturb

Her choice of career dismays her parents.

chill, daunt, demoralize, dishearten, discourage,dispirit, frustrate, unman, unnerve

1039. volume a considerable quantity

Huge volumes of park visitors come throughevery weekend.

an increase in traffic volume

1040. reputed having a good repute : reputable

She was hired for her reputed talents as amanager.

assumed, evident, ostensible, ostensive,presumed, prima facie, putative, apparent,seeming, supposed

1041. annotate to make or furnish critical or explanatorynotes or comment

He annotated the text at several places.

1042. daunting tending to overwhelm or intimidate <adaunting task>

Few things are more daunting than having tospeak in front of a large crowd.

Shakespeare's plays can be daunting for ayoung reader.

1043. vitriol acidity, acidness, acridity, acridness,asperity, bile, bitterness, cattiness,corrosiveness, mordancy, tartness, virulence,virulency, acrimony

His speech was full of political vitriol.

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

1045. imbue to permeate or influence as if by dyeing <thespirit 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

1046. mutable prone to change : inconstant

the government's mutable economic policiesa politician with very mutable positions onall 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 acrumb that was about five times his size

advancement, furtherance, going, advance,march, onrush, passage, process, procession,progress, progression

1048. shore up to hold up or serve as a foundation for <ahighway tunnel shored up by massive columnsof concrete>bear, bolster, brace, buttress, carry,prop (up), shore (up), stay, sustain, undergird,underpin, uphold

to provide evidence or information for (as aclaim or idea) <used an avalanche of statisticsto shore up his claim that the state's economy isin fine shape>back, bolster, buttress,corroborate, reinforce (also reenforce), shore(up), substantiate

1049. custodian one that guards and protects or maintains;especially : one entrusted with guarding andkeeping property or records or with custody orguardianship of prisoners or inmates

caretaker, guardian, janitor, keeper, warden,watchman

1050. mute inarticulate, speechless, voiceless

They hugged each other in mute sympathy.

I could see a mute plea for help in his eyes.

1051. self-assured

assured, secure, self-asserting, self-assured,self-confident

1052. mercurial characterized by rapid and unpredictablechangeableness of mood <a mercurial temper>

the boss's mood is so mercurial that we neverknow 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

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 ofothers.

1054. phlegmatic having or showing a slow and stolidtemperament

affectless, apathetic, cold-blooded,emotionless, impassible, numb, passionless,impassive, stoic (or stoical), stolid,undemonstrative, unemotional

Some people are phlegmatic, some highlystrung. Some are anxious, others risk-seeking.Some are confident, others shy. Some arequiet, others loquacious. We call thesedifferences personality ... —Matt Ridley,Genome, 1999

1055. composure a calmness or repose especially of mind,bearing, or appearance : self-possession

kept his composure in spite of the repeatedprovocations

aplomb, calmness, collectedness,composedness, equanimity, cool, coolness,countenance, equilibrium, imperturbability,placidity, repose, sangfroid, self-composedness, self-possession, serenity,tranquillity (or tranquility), tranquilness

1056. auspicious showing or suggesting that future success islikely : propitious <made an auspiciousbeginning>

attended by good fortune : prosperous <anauspicious year>

hopeful, bright, encouraging, fair, golden,heartening, likely, optimistic, promising,propitious, roseate, rose-colored, rosy, upbeat

1057. promulgate to make (as a doctrine) known by opendeclaration : proclaim

Her ideas have been widely promulgated onthe 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

1058. atrophy decrease in size or wasting away of a body partor tissue

a wasting away or progressive decline

The doctor is concerned about possibleatrophy of the shoulder muscles.

1059. succumb to yield to superior strength or force oroverpowering appeal or desire <succumb totemptation>

They will pressure you, and you must try notto succumb.

blink, bow, budge, capitulate, concede, givein, knuckle under, quit, relent, submit, yield,surrender

1060. infertile barren, fruitless, impotent, sterile, unfruitful

only parched, infertile fields remained aftermonths of drought

1061. disseminate broadcast, circulate, spread, propagate

The Internet allows us to disseminateinformation faster.

1062. excuse to make apology for

to forgive entirely or disregard as of trivialimport : regard as excusable <graciouslyexcused his tardiness>

to serve as excuse for : justify <nothing canexcuse such neglect>

1063. discursive moving from topic to topic without order :rambling

of or relating to discourse <discursivepractices>

the speaker's discursive style made it difficultto understand his point

desultory, digressional, digressionary,digressive, excursive, leaping, maundering,meandering, rambling, wandering

1064. hedonism the doctrine that pleasure or happiness is thesole or chief good in life

carnality, debauchery, sensuality, sybaritism,voluptuousness

1065. unctuous smooth and greasy in texture or appearance

full of unction; especially : revealing ormarked by a smug, ingratiating, and falseearnestness or spirituality

Profusely polite, especially unpleasantly soand insincerely earnest.

1066. obsequious characterized by or showing servilecomplaisance or deference; fawning: anobsequious bow.

sycophantic, flattering

1067. brazen marked by contemptuous boldness <a brazendisregard for the rules>

arch, audacious, bold, bold-faced, brash,brassbound, brassy, nervy, brazen-faced,cheeky, cocksure, cocky, fresh, impertinent,impudent, insolent, sassy, saucy, wise

1068. covet ache (for), desire, crave, desiderate, die (for),hanker (for or after), hunger (for), itch (for),jones (for) [slang], long (for), lust (for orafter), pant (after), pine (for), repine (for),salivate (for), sigh (for), thirst (for), want,wish (for), yearn (for), yen (for)

His religion warns against coveting materialgoods.

1069. dismal 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 (orsombre), sullen, sunless, tenebrific, tenebrous,wretched

1070. falter to walk unsteadily : stumble

to speak brokenly or weakly : stammer <hervoice faltered>

to hesitate in purpose or action : waver <henever faltered in his determination>

to lose drive or effectiveness <the business wasfaltering>

1071. conciliate appease

to make compatible : reconcileaccommodate,attune, harmonize, conform, coordinate, key,reconcile

The company's attempts to conciliate thestrikers have failed.

it will be hard to conciliate the views of laborand management regarding health benefits

1072. appalling inspiring horror, dismay, or disgust <livingunder 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 (alsorepellant), repugnant, repulsive, revolting,scandalous, shocking, sickening, ugly

1073. render to cause to be or become : makeThe virus rendered the computer useless.Depression can render a person helpless.

give up, yield

1074. attune to bring into harmony

to make aware or responsive <attunebusinesses to changing trends>

after years spent in academia, he's finding itdifficult to attune himself to the corporateculture

accommodate, harmonize, conciliate,conform, coordinate, key, reconcile

1075. circumvent to make a circuit around

to manage to get around especially byingenuity or stratagem

We circumvented the problem by using adifferent program.

He found a way to circumvent the law.

1076. vandalism willful or malicious destruction or defacementof public or private property

defacement, defacing, trashing, vandalization

1077. prank a mildly mischievous act

He enjoys playing pranks on his friends.

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

1078. contemplate to look at or view with continued attention;observe or study thoughtfully: to contemplatethe stars.

to consider thoroughly; think fully or deeplyabout: to contemplate a difficult problem.

to have as a purpose; intend.

to have in view as a future event: tocontemplate 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)

1079. uphold to give support to

He took an oath to uphold the Constitution.

defend, justify, support, maintain

1080. sketchy of the nature of a sketch : roughly outlined

wanting in completeness, clearness, orsubstance : slight, superficial <the details aresketchy>

questionable, iffy <got into a sketchysituation> <a sketchy character>

I have only a sketchy idea of how it works.

1081. dissect to separate into pieces : expose the severalparts of (as an animal) for scientificexamination

to analyze and interpret minutely <dissect aproblem>

She dissected each point of his argument.

anatomize, assay, break down, cut,deconstruct, analyze

1082. improvise to compose, recite, play, or singextemporaneously

to make or fabricate out of what isconveniently on hand <improvise a meal>

Good jazz musicians know how to improvise.

1083. reticent inclined to be silent or uncommunicative inspeech : reserved

close, closemouthed, dark, secretive, tight-mouthed, uncommunicative

1084. equanimity evenness of mind especially under stress<nothing could disturb his equanimity>

right disposition : balance <physicalequanimity>

aplomb, calmness, collectedness,composedness, composure, cool, coolness,countenance, equilibrium, imperturbability,placidity, repose, sangfroid, self-composedness, self-possession, serenity,tranquillity (or tranquility), tranquilness

1085. abjure to renounce upon oath

to reject solemnly

to abstain from : avoid <abjureextravagance>

a strict religious sect that abjures theluxuries, comforts, and conveniences of themodern world

abnegate, forswear (also foreswear), recant,renege, renounce, repeal, repudiate, retract,take back, unsay, withdraw

1086. bewail to express deep sorrow for usually by wailingand lamentation

Many people bewailed the changes to thehistoric building.

bemoan, lament, deplore, grieve (for),mourn, wail (for)

1087. predicament condition, state; especially : a difficult,perplexing, or trying situation

The governor has gotten himself into quite apredicament.

1088. despair Things look bad now, but don't despair.

despond, lose heart

1089. protestation the act of protesting : a solemn declarationor avowal

affirmation, assertion, asseveration,avouchment, avowal, claim, declaration,insistence, profession

the governor went on television to make apassionate protestation of his innocence inthe bribery scandal

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 phonesinconsiderately to the list of dailyexasperations

1091. put up with tolerate

1092. emblematic symbolic (also emblematical),representational, representative

the dove is emblematic of the organization'smission to bring some peace to a troubledworld

1093. indecorous not decorous : conflicting with acceptedstandards of good conduct or good taste

an indecorous joke for a solemn moment inthe marriage ceremony

amiss, graceless, improper, inapposite,inapt, incongruous, incorrect,inappropriate, inept, infelicitous,malapropos, perverse, unapt, unbecoming,unfit, unhappy, unseemly, unsuitable,untoward, wrong

1094. opulent amply or plentifully provided or fashionedoften to the point of ostentation

an opulent mansion filled with priceless artand antiques

affluent, deep-pocketed, fat, fat-cat, flush,loaded, moneyed (also monied), rich, silk-stocking, wealthy, well-endowed, well-fixed, well-heeled, well-off, well-to-do

1095. ramshackle appearing ready to collapse : rickety

carelessly or loosely constructed <aramshackle plot>

The movie's ramshackle plot is confusingand not believable.

1096. ungainly having an awkward appearance

hard to handle : unwieldy <an ungainlycontraption>

lacking in smoothness or dexterity : clumsy<ungainly movements>

awkward, bunglesome, clumsy, clunky,cranky, cumbrous, ponderous, cumbersome,unhandy, unwieldy

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

1098. tawdry cheap and gaudy in appearance or quality; also: ignoble <a tawdry attempt to smear hisopponent>

1099. indenture a contract binding one person to work foranother for a given period of time

1100. duplicate clone, copycat, copy, imitate, reduplicate,render, replicate, reproduce

Unfortunately, the results of the first studycould not be duplicated.

1101. contiguous next or near in time or sequence

Connecticut and Massachusetts are contiguousstates.

abutting, adjoining, bordering, conterminous,adjacent, flanking, flush, fringing, joining,juxtaposed, neighboring, skirting, touching,verging

1102. inhale to draw in by breathingShe 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

1103. evocative evoking or tending to evoke an especiallyemotional response <settings ... so evocativethat they bring tears to the eyes — EricMalpass>

He wrote a powerful and evocative biography.

suggestive, reminiscent

1104. pitiful full of pity : compassionate

exciting pitying contempt (as by meanness orinadequacy)I hate his pitiful act.

1105. attest certify, authenticate, avouch, testify (to),vouch (for), witness

The certificate attests the authenticity of thepainting.

1106. contend battle, compete, face off, fight, race, rival, vie

These people contend that they have earnedthe right to the land.

to strive in debate : argue

maintain, assert <contended that he wasright>

1107. encapsulate epitomize, summarize <encapsulate an era inan aphorism>

can you encapsulate the president's speech inabout a paragraph?

abstract, boil down, brief, digest, summarize,epitomize, outline, recap, recapitulate,reprise, sum up, synopsize, wrap up

1108. designate to indicate and set apart for a specificpurpose, office, or duty <designate a group toprepare a plan>

to point out the location of <a markerdesignating the battle>

the designated time for the meeting

appoint, fix, name, set

1109. intriguing very interesting because of being unusual ornot having an obvious answer

The book is intriguingly titled, 'The Revengeof the Goldfish'.

1110. unremitting never slackening or stopping; unceasing;constant

A poor farm couple, their six children and aset of grandparents live a life of unremittingchaos in a one-room house.

constant, continuous, relentless, perpetual,continual, unbroken, incessant, diligent,unabated, unwavering, indefatigable,remorseless, assiduous, unceasing, sedulous,unwearied,

1111. insular of, relating to, or resembling an island

remote, detached, or aloof

isolated or separated

narrow-minded, prejudiced, provincial,closed, limited, narrow, petty, parochial,blinkered, circumscribed, inward-looking,illiberal, parish-pump,

The most remarkable thing has happenedpost September 11. The most insular nation inthe world has put the blinkers on.TIMES, SUNDAY TIMES (2002)

1112. 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 theworkplace are wearisome; they chip slowlybut resolutely away at one's soul.Alex George, LOVE YOU MADLY (2002)

1113. superfluous excess, surplus, redundant, remaining, extra,spare, excessive, unnecessary, in excessneedless, left over on your hands surplus torequirements, uncalled-for, unneededresiduary, supernumerary, superabundant,pleonastic, unrequired supererogatory,

The warning not to stand on the glass floor issuperfluous.GLASGOW HERALD (2002)

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, hit-or-miss, scattered, slapdash, stray

It would seem that nothing here is haphazard, or left to chance.

1115. discretion the quality of having or showing discernmentor good judgment : the quality of being discreet :circumspection; especially : cautious reserve inspeech

ability to make responsible decisions

He always uses care and discretion whendealing with others.

discreetness, common sense, gumption [chieflydialect], 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

1117. ineptitude the quality or state of being inept; especially :incompetence

The team's poor play is being blamed on theineptitude of the coaching staff.

impotence, inadequacy, incapability,incapacity, incompetence, incompetency,inability, insufficiency, powerlessness

1118. decline to refuse to undertake, undergo, engage in, orcomply with <decline battle>

to refuse especially courteously <decline aninvitation>

I invited him, but he declined.

balk (at), deselect, disapprove, negative, nix,pass, pass up, refuse, reject, reprobate,repudiate, spurn, throw out, throw over, turndown, turn one's back on

1119. apropos being both relevant and opportune <aproposcomments>

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,

1121. restive 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, thecapital of the politically restive Aceh province.

1122. belie belied belied "belying"

to show to be untrue; contradictTheir actions belie their claim to be innocent.

to misrepresent; disguise the nature of ⇒ thereport belied the real extent of the damage ;a tree whose delicate beauty belies its realtoughness

to fail to justify; disappoint

1123. erstwhile in the past : formerly, once, onetime

there's now a store where erstwhile lay greenand pleasant pastures

1124. absent not present or attending : missing

not existing : lacking

a gene that occurs in mammals but that isabsent in birds

1125. extant currently or actually existing,alive, around,existent, existing, living

one of the oldest buildings still extant

1126. capitulate blink, bow, budge, yield, concede, give in,knuckle under, quit, relent, submit, succumb,surrender

The teacher refused to capitulate: no calculatorswere to be used during the exam.

The country still refuses to capitulate despite itsweakening army and dwindling resources.

1127. resurgence a rising again into life, activity, or prominence<a resurgence of interest>

There has been some resurgence in economicactivity 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 theschool zone

1129. ruse a wily subterfuge

His act was just a clever ruse to get me to goout with him.

trick, deception, ploy, hoax, device,manoeuvre, dodge, sham, artifice, blind,subterfuge, stratagem, wile, imposture,

1130. minute very small : infinitesimal

of small importance : trifling

marked by close attention to detailsa minute examination of the evidence

blow-by-blow, circumstantial, elaborate, full,detailed, particular, particularized, thorough

1131. seductive tending to seduce : having alluring or temptingqualities

<people always remarked on the cult leader'sseductive personality

alluring, appealing, attractive, bewitching,captivating, charismatic, charming, elfin,enchanting, engaging, entrancing, fetching,glamorous (also glamourous), luring,magnetic, fascinating

1132. fleeting 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'sintended jokes

1134. guffaw a loud or boisterous burst of laughter

I ask her if she was always funny and shetilts back her head and lets out an enormousguffaw.

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 orappearance : odd;The writer talks about thequaint customs of the natives.

pleasingly or strikingly old-fashioned orunfamiliar <a quaint phrase>

bizarre, bizarro, cranky, crazy, curious,eccentric, erratic, far-out, funky, funny,kinky, kooky (also kookie), offbeat, off-kilter, off-the-wall, outlandish, out-of-the-way, outré, peculiar, odd, queer, queerish,quirky, remarkable, rum [chiefly British],screwy, spaced-out, strange, wacky (alsowhacky), way-out, weird, weirdo, wild

1137. astronomical of or relating to astronomy <astronomicalobservations>

enormously or inconceivably large or great<astronomical numbers>

The cost of the office building wasastronomical.

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

1138. necessitate to make necessary : require

force, compel

Doing this will not only necessitate upfrontinvestment, it will also help understandmarket requirements better.

1139. incisive impressively direct and decisive (as inmanner or presentation) <an incisiveanalysis> <an incisive unsentimentalwriter>

She's known for her incisive mind and quickwit.

penetrating, sharp, keen, acute, piercing,trenchant, perspicacious,

1140. definite = specific, exact, precise, clear, particular,express, determined, fixed, black-and-white,explicit, clear-cut, cut-and-dried, clearlydefined= clear, explicit, black-and-white, clear-cut,unequivocal, unambiguous, guaranteed, cut-and-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,

1141. suppression an act or instance of suppressing : the stateof being suppressed

the conscious intentional exclusion fromconsciousness of a thought or feeling

continence, discipline, discretion, inhibition,refrainment, repression, reserve, restraint,self-command, self-control, self-restraint,constraint

1142. cursory rapidly and often superficially performed orproduced : 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 especiallyas distinguished from the germplasm or thepsyche

a somatic disorder that was once thought tobe "all in the patient's head"

animal, bodily, carnal, corporal, corporeal,fleshly, material, physical

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 lotabout 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,

1147. perturbation 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 andusually elliptical course of motion of a celestial body that is produced by some force additional to that which causes itsregular motion

a perturbation in the planet's orbit

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