Ultimate Vocabulary Test: Part Two
- Question: Coarse
- Answer: Coarse (adj.): lacking refinement or sophistication. Example: “Her coarse manners did not fit in at the five-star restaurant.”
- Question: Competent
- Answer: Competent (adj.): sufficiently qualified. Example: “He was a competent waiter, though his real passion was for cooking.”
- Question: Commission
- Answer: Commission (n.): a request to produce something in exchange for payment. Example: “Painters who received commissions from the Medici family were among the most successful and talented artists of their time.”
- Question: Avid
- Answer: Avid (adj.): actively interested in or enthusiastic about something. Example: “My grandmother is an avid beekeeper, and she often sends me honey from her hives.”
- Question: Conventional
- Answer: Conventional (adj.): abiding by accepted standards. Example: “Traveling nine months of the year, she made good on the claim that she didn’t want a conventional life.”
- Question: Authenticity
- Answer: Authenticity (n.): the quality of being real and true rather than fake and contrived. Example: “The voters were looking for authenticity after the last mayor was arrested for fraud.”
- Question: Benevolent
- Answer: Benevolent (adj.): kind, generous. Example: “The benevolent donation allowed the food bank to continue operation for another year.”
- Question: Artificial
- Answer: Artificial (adj.): man-made; not occurring naturally. Example: “The artificial plants did not need to be watered.”
- Question: Adequate
- Answer: Adequate (adj.): just good enough for a specific requirement or purpose. Example: “Though his qualifications for the job were merely adequate, his instant connection with the recruiter got him hired.”
- Question: Dispatch
- Answer: Dispatch (v.): to send off a message or messenger. Example: “A messenger was quickly dispatched to headquarters with the news that the spy had been uncovered.”
- Question: Coincide
- Answer: Coincide (v.): to happen at the same time. Example: “Since her birthday usually coincided with her school’s winter break, she was rarely able to celebrate the day with her friends.”
- Question: Antipathy
- Answer: Antipathy (n.): a strong feeling of dislike. Example: “There was antipathy between the local environmentalist group and the mining corporation.”
- Question: Altercation
- Answer: Altercation (n.): a noisy argument or confrontation. Example: “I was awoken at midnight by an altercation between two people standing outside my window.”
- Question: Austere
- Answer: Austere (adj.): extremely plain. Example: “Without any decorations, the dorm room looked cold and austere.”
- Question: Advocate
- Answer: Advocate (n.): someone who promotes or defends something. Example: “She was an advocate for the new construction project on Main Street.”
- Question: Assertion
- Answer: Assertion (n.): a strong declaration. Example: “Assertions of the politician’s honesty were questioned by his constituents.”
- Question: Afford
- Answer: Afford (v.): to be able to pay for or provide. Example: “They can’t afford the rent this month.”
- Question: Ambivalence
- Answer: Ambivalence (n.): the state of being uncertain or stuck between two or more options. Example: “Elizabeth felt ambivalence toward marriage, which worried her mother.”
- Question: Condone
- Answer: Condone (v.): to overlook or approve of something considered morally wrong. Example: “The professor refused to condone cheating or plagiarism.”
- Question: Bolster
- Answer: Bolster (v.): to support, strengthen, or fortify. Example: “She knew her sister would help bolster her confidence after the bad breakup.”
- Question: Ambiguous
- Answer: Ambiguous (adj.): unclear or vague in meaning. Example: “The ambiguous end to the novel sparked debate among readers.”
- Question: Discord
- Answer: Discord (n.): disagreement. Example: “There was discord among the city council members about the proposed building project, so they could not come to a decision.”
- Question: Doctrine
- Answer: Doctrine (n.): a principle, theory, or position, usually advocated by a religion or government. Example: “Except for papal supremacy, King Henry VIII never abandoned the main doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church.”
- Question: Dominion
- Answer: Dominion (n.): power and authority, usually over a territory. Example: “By 1700 dominion over the southern part of the Low Countries had passed from Spain to France.”
- Question: Articulate
- Answer: Articulate (v.): to clearly express in words. “The teacher articulated the classroom rules to the new students.”
- Question: Apex
- Answer: Apex (n.): the highest point of something. Example: “Climbing to the apex of the mountain would be difficult, but she was determined to complete the hike.”
- Question: Advent
- Answer: Advent (n.): the approach, arrival, or coming into being of something. Example: “The advent of the telephone changed communication forever.”
- Question: Confine
- Answer: Confine (v.): to put limits on; to restrict. Example: “Sarah was confined to her room after talking back to her parents at the dinner table.”
- Question: Confide
- Answer: Confide (v.): to share something secretive with someone. Example: “It was inappropriate for my professor to confide in me and other students about department politics.”
- Question: Clinical
- Answer: Clinical (adj.): emotionally unattached (often in a medical or scientific setting). Example: “The doctor was unpopular because of the cold, clinical way he treated his patients.”
- Question: Conducive
- Answer: Conducive (adj.): tending to help bring into being or bring about. Example: “The warm atmosphere of the coffee shop was especially conducive to studying.”
- Question: Contemplate
- Answer: Contemplate (v.): to think deeply about. Example: “She contemplated whether she should use her vacation to travel to Florida or California.”
- Question: Anticipate
- Answer: Anticipate (v.): to assume to be likely to happen. Example: “He anticipated that he would receive a promotion before the end of the year.”
- Question: Avenue
- Answer: Avenue (n.): an intangible path or approach to something. Example: “The principal decided school uniforms were the best avenue to stop bullying in the classroom.”
- Question: Capture
- Answer: Capture (v.): to trap or take possession of. Example: “By 14 CE the Roman Empire had captured most of western Europe.”
- Question: Bias
- Answer: Bias (n.): a preconception that prevents objectivity. Example: “Because of his bias in favor of his alma mater, the administrator’s office was almost entirely staffed by Bulldogs.”
- Question: Apprehension
- Answer: Apprehension (n.): fearful expectation of something. Example: “The announcement of budget cuts filled the department with apprehension.”
- Question: Constitute
- Answer: Constitute (v.): to unite, form, or compose. Example: “Together the five of them constituted the new task force.”
- Question: Ambitious
- Answer: Ambitious (adj.): having a powerful desire for success or achievement. Example: “The ambitious politician announced his candidacy for United States president after serving just one term in Congress.”
- Question: Dismay
- Answer: Dismay (n.): sudden or utter disappointment; consternation. Example: “The teacher realized with dismay that half her students had failed the exam.”
- Question: Disparage
- Answer: Disparage (v.): to belittle or talk down. Example: “He disparaged his father’s idea of starting a business together, preferring to work alone.”
- Question: Civic
- Answer: Civic (adj.): relating to a city or citizens. Example: “Voting is an example of a civic duty.”
- Question: Concede
- Answer: Concede (v.): to surrender or acknowledge reluctantly. Example: “He was forced to concede the debate when his opponent pointed out the holes in his logic.”
- Question: Allude
- Answer: Allude (v.): to refer to indirectly. Example: “The author alluded to the Watergate scandal in his new political thriller.”
- Question: Adversarial
- Answer: Adversarial (adj.): relating to hostile opposition. Example: “The lawyer approached the witness in an adversarial manner.”
- Question: Disdain
- Answer: Disdain (n.): a lack of respect and strong dislike (toward something or someone). Example: “Now a successful researcher, she felt nothing but disdain for the teachers who had discouraged her from studying chemistry.”
- Question: Contend
- Answer: Contend (v.): to maintain or assert (an opinion). Example: “The king contended that his country was the most powerful in the world.”
- Question: Dire
- Answer: Dire (adj.): fearful, desperate, or ominous. Example: “With food and water quickly running out after the plane crash, the survivors knew that the situation had become dire.”
- Question: Complacent
- Answer: Complacent (adj.): satisfied, with no desire to change or improve. Example: “She had grown complacent at work, so she wasn’t interested in taking on new projects.”
- Question: Consensus
- Answer: Consensus (n.): overall agreement. Example: “The consensus of the school board was to approve the funding for new textbooks.”
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© Ablestock.com/Getty Images