Verbal Advantage - Level 04 » Index

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  • Word 1: Provident
    Word 1: Provident [PRAHV-i-dint]
    Thrifty, economical, saving or providing for future needs.
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    Synonyms of provident include prudent, word 47 of Level 1, and frugal, word 35 of Level 2.
    Provident and the verb to provide both come from the same Latin root. One meaning of the verb to provide is to prepare for some anticipated condition in the future, as to provide for a rainy day. Provident means providing for the future, especially in the sense of saving money for some anticipated need: “After the birth of their first child, Sam and Sarah vowed to be provident and start putting aside some money every month for college and retirement.”
  • Word 2: Impute
    Word 2: Impute [im-PYOOT]
    To charge or attribute, especially with a fault or misconduct, lay the responsibility or blame upon, ascribe, assign.
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    Unlike the verb to credit, which has a favorable connotation, and the verbs to assign and to ascribe (uh-SKRYB), which are neutral, the verb to impute often has a negative connotation. According to the famous eighteenth-century essayist and lexicographer Samuel Johnson, “We usually ascribe good, but impute evil.” (Do you need to look up lexicographer?)
    To impute means to charge with something bad, attribute the blame for, lay the responsibility on: “They imputed their fourthquarter losses to sagging sales and fluctuations in the stock market”; “Some critics impute the decline in verbal skills among young people today to watching too much television.”
    The corresponding noun is imputation, a charge or accusation, the act of imputing, as “Company officials vigorously denied the imputation of mismanagement.”
  • Word 3: Astute
    Word 3: Astute [uh-ST(Y)OOT]
    Shrewd, clever, perceptive, discerning, acute, keenly aware, quick-witted.
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    More difficult synonyms of astute include sagacious (suh-GAYshus, word 6 of Level 8), perspicacious (PUR-spi-KAY-shus), and sapient (SAY-pee-int).
    Astute usually is used in a positive sense to mean showing keen intelligence and a shrewd ability to protect one’s interests or avoid being deceived: an astute investor; an astute negotiator; an astute observer of human behavior. Occasionally it has the negative suggestion of clever in a cunning or self-serving way, as an astute self-promoter, an astute political operator.
  • Word 4: Neophyte
    Word 4: Neophyte [NEE-uh-fyt, like knee a fight]
    A beginner, novice, amateur, tyro; specifically, a new member of or convert to a religion.
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    There are several interesting words for various types of inexperienced persons.
    Tyro (TY-roh) comes from a Latin word meaning a recruit in the Roman army, a newly enlisted soldier. Tyro is used today to mean a raw beginner, one who may be eager to learn but who is utterly incompetent.
    Amateur (AM-uh-tur or -chur) comes from the Latin amare, to love. By derivation an amateur is a person who does something for the love of it rather than for money. An amateur may or may not be skilled, but the word often implies a lower level of competence than expert or professional.
    A dilettante (DIL-uh-TAHNT or DIL-uh-TAHNT) is an amateur practitioner of an art, such as music, painting, acting, dancing, or literary composition. Dilettante is often used disparagingly of someone who dabbles in something and lacks the serious discipline necessary to excel.
    Like tyro, both novice and neophyte refer to a person just starting out at something. Tyro emphasizes the beginner’s incompetence; novice emphasizes the beginner’s inexperience; and neophyte emphasizes the beginner’s enthusiasm.
  • Word 5: Enigma
    Word 5: Enigma [i-NIG-muh]
    A mystery, puzzle, riddle, perplexing problem, something or someone hard to understand or explain.
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    Anything baffling, inexplicable (preferably in-EK-spli-kuh-buul, commonly IN-ek-SPLIK-uh-buul), or inscrutable (word 48 of Level 3) may be described as an enigma: “She is an enigma to me”; “Their motives are still an enigma”; “The case presents us with one enigma after another.”
  • Word 6: Credence
    Word 6: Credence [KREE-dints]
    Belief, acceptance, especially belief in a published report or acceptance of another’s opinion or testimony: “In recent years many medical studies have shown that reducing fat intake can help prevent heart disease, and there is now widespread credence among the public that a low-fat diet is more healthful.”
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    Credence, creed, credible, and credulous all come from the Latin credere, to believe. Credible means believable, and credulous means willing to believe without questioning. Creed, word 21 of Level 1, refers to a declared belief or formal set of opinions: “Conservatism is his creed.” Credence refers to belief itself, to acceptance of something stated or heard: “It is dangerous to give credence to gossip.”
    Credence is often used with the verbs to give or lend. “She gave no credence to their claims.” “His neat appearance and confident manner lent credence to his story.”
  • Word 7: Venerate
    Word 7: Venerate [VEN-uh-rayt]
    To respect deeply, revere, regard with awe and adoration.
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    In a strict sense, to venerate means to regard as holy or sacred; to revere means to regard with great respect and honor. We revere great leaders, thinkers, and artists; we venerate holy persons, sacred writings, and religious or moral principles.
    The adjective venerable, worthy of veneration, of being venerated, is more loosely applied. It is often used of something or someone old or long-established: a venerable tradition is an old and deeply respected tradition; a venerable cause is longstanding and worthy of profound respect.
  • Word 8: Garrulous
    Word 8: Garrulous [GAR-uh-lus]
    Talkative, especially in a rambling, annoying, pointless, or longwinded way.
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    Garrulous comes from the Latin garrire, to chatter, babble, talk in a rambling and tiresome way. In zoology (properly pronounced zoh-AHL-uh-jee, not zoo-) there is a genus of birds called Garrulus. This genus contains several of the common jays, which are known for their harsh, chattering call. Both by derivation and by association, garrulous means chattering like a jaybird. The garrulous person talks for the sake of talking, usually about trivial matters, and often babbles on when no one else is interested in listening.
    Synonyms of garrulous include verbose (word 30 of Level 2), loquacious, voluble (word 1 of Level 5), and prolix (word 1 of Level 9). Antonyms of garrulous include reserved, reticent, taciturn (word 2 of Level 3), and laconic (word 18 of Level 3).
  • Word 9: Trenchant
    Word 9: Trenchant [TREN-chint]
    Keen, penetrating, vigorously effective, sharp and to the point.
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    Synonyms of trenchant include forceful, acute, and incisive.
    Incisive (in-SY-siv) applies to expression that gets right to the point or penetrates the heart of the matter. Cutting and biting imply harsh or sarcastic expression that hurts the feelings. Trenchant, which comes from a French verb meaning to cut, suggests both the forcefulness of incisive and the sharp, painful implication of cutting and biting.
    A trenchant analysis is keen and vigorous; a trenchant style is sharp and clear; a trenchant remark displays penetrating insight and has the ability to wound.
  • Word 10: Autonomous
    Word 10: Autonomous [aw-TAHN-uh-mus]
    Independent, self-governing, not under the control of something or someone else.
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    Autonomous comes from the Greek autos, self, and nomos, law, and means literally self-ruling. From the Greek autos, self, comes the English combining form auto-, which also means self. Auto- appears in many English words, including autobiography, a story of oneself, of one’s own life; autograph, one’s own signature; automobile, literally a self-moving vehicle; automatic, literally selfthinking, done without conscious thought; and autocracy (awTAHK-ruh-see), not self-government but rule by one self or one person—hence, dictatorship, tyranny, despotism (DES-puh-tiz-’m).
    The corresponding noun autonomy (aw-TAHN-uh-mee) means self-government, independence.
    The heart is an autonomous organ; it functions by itself. An autonomous company is independent, not a subsidiary (suhb-SID-ee-ER-ee—five syllables, not four) of another corporation. When the United States won its independence from Great Britain, it became an autonomous nation.
  • Word 11: Panacea
    Word 11: Panacea [PAN-uh-SEE-uh]
    A cure-all, universal antidote, remedy for all diseases and difficulties.
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    Panacea comes from the Greek pan-, all, and akos, cure, and today retains its literal meaning, cure-all. From the same Greek pan-, all, comes the English prefix pan-, which appears in front of a number of English words: a panorama (PAN-uh-RAM-uh) is literally a view all around; pantheism (PAN-thee-iz-’m), from the Greek theos, god, is the belief that all things are God, that God is universal; and a pantheon (PAN-thee-un or -on) is a temple dedicated to all the gods, or all the gods worshiped by a given people. In current usage pantheon may also mean any group of highly respected or revered persons. When novelist Toni Morrison won a Nobel Prize in 1993, she earned a place beside such esteemed writers as Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner, and Mark Twain in the pantheon of American literature.
    You have probably heard the common phrase “a panacea for all ills.” The expression is redundant, because panacea by itself means a cure for all ills, a universal remedy. You may use panacea to mean either a cure-all for physical ailments or an antidote for worldly woes: “His lawyer emphasized that filing for bankruptcy would not be a panacea for his financial troubles.”
  • Word 12: Ephemeral
    Word 12: Ephemeral [i-FEM-uh-rul]
    Short-lived, passing, fleeting, lasting for a short time.
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    (By the way, did you remember that short-lived should rhyme with strived? If you’ve forgotten why this pronunciation is preferred, see transient, word 31 of Level 2.)
    Ephemeral comes from a Greek word meaning daily, lasting or living only for a day. Ephemeral is sometimes used in this literal sense, as in the phrase “ephemeral literature,” publications that come out every day, such as newspapers. Ephemeral literature is opposed to periodical literature, which refers to anything published periodically—weekly, monthly, and so on. In fact, the familiar word journalism by derivation means ephemeral literature, writing that pertains to the events of the day. Journalism and journal come from the French jour, day, as in the restaurant menu item soup du jour, soup of the day. Thus the common expression “daily journal” is redundant, for by derivation journal means something written or published each day.
    Today ephemeral is most often used in a general sense to mean conspicuously brief in duration. Ephemeral ideas are popular for only a brief while; the jokes of late-night TV comedians are ephemeral, here today and gone tomorrow; an ephemeral trend in the economy or in fashion is one that passes swiftly away.
    More difficult synonyms of ephemeral include transitory (word 4 of Level 5), evanescent, fugitive, and fugacious (word 24 of Level 9). For more on these words, review the discussion of transient, word 31 of Level 2.
  • Word 13: Onerous
    Word 13: Onerous [AHN-ur-us, like honor us]
    Burdensome, troublesome, oppressive, hard to bear, difficult to accomplish or endure: an onerous task, an onerous assignment.
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    Onerous comes from the Latin onus, a load, burden. Directly from the Latin comes the English word onus (OH-nus), a burden, obligation, especially a disagreeable responsibility. Onerous means like an onus, and therefore burdensome, troublesome, difficult to accomplish or endure.
  • Word 14: Laity
    Word 14: Laity [LAY-i-tee]
    Nonprofessionals, laypeople collectively, all the people outside of a given profession or specialized field.
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    The adjective lay means nonprofessional, not belonging to a particular profession. A lay opinion of a legal case is an opinion from someone who is not a lawyer or a judge. A lay diagnosis of a disease is a diagnosis proffered by someone who is not a medical professional.
    In its original and most precise sense, laity refers to all who do not belong to the clergy, to religious worshipers in general. Today laity may be used either in this way or to mean those who do not belong to a given profession.
  • Word 15: Pungent
    Word 15: Pungent [PUN-jint]
    Sharp, penetrating, biting, acrid, caustic.
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    Pungent comes from the same Latin source as poignant (POYNyint) and expunge—the Latin pungere, to pierce, prick. Pungent may refer to a literal piercing, to that which is sharp to the sense of taste or smell, or it may refer to a figurative piercing, to that which penetrates the mind or emotions.
    A pungent sauce is sharp to the taste, perhaps spicy, sour, or bitter. A pungent critique or pungent humor is sharp and sometimes bitterly worded; it penetrates the mind or pierces the emotions in a direct and often painful way.
  • Word 16: Prosaic
    Word 16: Prosaic [proh-ZAY-ik]
    Dull, ordinary, uninteresting, unimaginative.
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    Synonyms of prosaic include commonplace, humdrum, tedious, dry, stale, mediocre, and matter-of-fact. And those are only the prosaic synonyms of prosaic. More difficult and interesting synonyms include insipid, which means tasteless, bland; pedestrian; vapid (rhymes with rapid), word 37 of Level 8; and jejune (jiJOON), word 1 of Level 10.
    Prosaic may be used literally to mean consisting of prose or of the nature of prose, as opposed to poetry. Because poetry is considered lovely and lyrical and prose is considered uninteresting and unimaginative, prosaic has come to be used figuratively to mean dull and ordinary. Today prosaic is most often used in this figurative sense. A prosaic performance is mediocre; a prosaic style is dry and stale; a prosaic explanation is humdrum, tedious, or matter- of-fact.
  • Word 17: Charlatan
    Word 17: Charlatan [SHAHR-luh-tin]
    A fake, quack, imposter, fraud, humbug; specifically, a person who pretends to have a special skill or knowledge.
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    The words charlatan and mountebank are close in meaning and were once synonymous. Mountebank (like mount a bank) comes from the Italian montambanco, one who gets up on a bench. By derivation a mountebank is a person who mounts a bench or platform and delivers a flamboyant sales pitch to attract customers and hawk his wares. In its earliest sense, a charlatan was a huckster who made elaborate and fraudulent claims about his merchandise. In olden days, charlatans and mountebanks would travel about selling trinkets, relics, and panaceas; they were the proverbial snake-oil salesmen.
    Since the early nineteenth century, however, charlatan has been used to mean a fake or a quack, someone who pretends to have a special skill or knowledge and who covers up the fraud with an elaborate and sometimes intimidating verbal display. In The Wizard of Oz, the Wizard is a classic example of a charlatan.
    Today charlatans and mountebanks continue to thrive not only at carnivals and on the street corner but in the office and the boardroom as well. They’re the ones who are always giving you the glad hand and handing you a line. The difference between them is that the mountebank makes an impressive verbal display in an attempt to sell you a bill of goods, while the charlatan makes an impressive verbal display to hide the fact that he doesn’t have the skill or knowledge he claims to possess.
  • Word 18: Perfunctory
    Word 18: Perfunctory [pur-FUHNGK-tur-ee]
    Mechanical, routine, listless, done merely as a duty, performed in an indifferent, halfhearted, superficial, and often careless way, without interest or enthusiasm.
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    Perfunctory comes from a Latin verb meaning to get through, be done with. The perfunctory worker is just trying to get through doing the job; the perfunctory teacher just wants to be done with the lesson; a perfunctory speech is mechanical, routine, delivered in a halfhearted, listless manner.
  • Word 19: Morass
    Word 19: Morass [muh-RAS, rhymes with alas]
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    Literally, a swamp, marsh, bog; figuratively, something that traps, confines, or confuses, a sticky situation or troublesome state of affairs: “There was always a morass of paperwork on his desk”; “She penetrated the morass of red tape at city hall”; “Some people consider middle age the morass of life”; “The project got bogged down in a morass of trivial details.”
  • Word 20: Sophistry
    Word 20: Sophistry [SAHF-i-stree]
    Deceptive reasoning, subtle and misleading argument: “Voters today want candidates who address the issues, not ones who engage in mudslinging and sophistry.”
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    Sophistry comes ultimately from the Greek sophos, clever, wise, the source also of the word sophisticated. The corresponding adjective is sophistic (suh-FIS-tik) or sophistical (suh-FIS-ti-kul).
    In ancient Greece, the Sophists (SAHF-ists) were teachers of rhetoric, politics, and philosophy who were notorious for their deceptive and oversubtle method of argumentation. The Sophists eventually came into contempt for accepting payment for their instruction. The word sophistry retains the stigma imputed to the clever Sophists so long ago. Today sophistry refers to speech or writing that is clever and plausible but marred by false or deceptive reasoning.
  • Word 21: Prolific
    Word 21: Prolific [proh-LIF-ik]
    Fruitful, fertile, productive.
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    Antonyms of prolific include unproductive, barren, sterile, impotent (IM-puh-tint), and effete (i-FEET).
    Prolific comes from a Latin word meaning offspring, children, progeny. Prolific may mean producing many offspring or much fruit, as a prolific family or a prolific orchard. It may also mean producing many products of the mind, as a prolific writer, a prolific composer. A prolific worker is a productive worker, one whose labor bears much fruit. A prolific period is a fruitful period, one marked by inventiveness and productivity.
  • Word 22: Mundane
    Word 22: Mundane [MUHN-dayn or muhn-DAYN]
    Of the world, worldly, earthly, material as distinguished from spiritual.
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    Synonyms of mundane include terrestrial, temporal (TEM-puh-rul, stress the first syllable), and secular. An unusual and literary synonym is sublunary (suhb-LOO-nur-ee). Sublunary means literally beneath the moon, and so of the world; sublunary beings are creatures who abide on Earth.
    Antonyms of mundane include lofty, heavenly, sublime, celestial, ethereal (word 7 of Level 7), and extraterrestrial, which means literally beyond the earth.
    Mundane is often used today to mean ordinary, humdrum, commonplace, banal, unimaginative, prosaic. All current dictionaries list this meaning, but some commentators on usage object to it. They argue that mundane’s specific meaning should be protected, and the word should not be lumped with the many other words that mean ordinary and dull. It is a criticism I would advise you not to take lightly.
    Jacques Barzun offers this sentence as an example of the debasement of mundane: “A mundane sex life can be compared to a TV dinner, but it’s not a gourmet banquet.” According to Barzun, “sex life, of whatever kind, is inescapably mundane, and so is a gourmet banquet.”
    In strict usage, mundane is reserved for things that are worldly as opposed to heavenly, material as opposed to spiritual, secular as opposed to religious. Mundane affairs are worldly affairs, not ordinary affairs. Mundane writing is not unimaginative or prosaic; it is concerned with worldly matters. Business is by nature mundane because it deals with concrete, material things rather than nebulous spiritual values. Politics is also mundane because it focuses on the issues and problems of the world.
  • Word 23: Myriad
    Word 23: Myriad [MIR-ee-id]
    Countless, innumerable, infinite, consisting of a great or indefinite number.
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    Originally, the noun a myriad specified ten thousand; in ancient Greece a myriad was a military division composed of ten thousand soldiers. Today the noun myriad is most often used to mean a great or indefinite number, as a myriad of troubles, a myriad of details to attend to.
    The adjective myriad means countless, innumerable, infinite, consisting of a great or indefinite number. “On a clear night you can see myriad stars twinkling in the sky”; “A chief executive officer has myriad responsibilities.”
  • Word 24: Dissident
    Word 24: Dissident [DIS-i-dent]
    Disagreeing, disaffected, dissenting, nonconformist.
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    Dissident comes from the Latin dis-, apart, and sedere, to sit, and by derivation means to sit apart; hence, to withdraw one’s approval or belief, disagree.
    The noun a dissident refers to a person who disagrees with a prevailing opinion, method, or doctrine. The word is commonly used today in politics and journalism of someone who opposes the policies and practices of his government. The adjective dissident refers to the nonconforming and disaffected attitude of the dissident. A dissident opinion expresses disagreement; it does not conform to accepted opinion. Dissident activities are activities undertaken in opposition to a prevailing doctrine or authority.
  • Word 25: Laudable
    Word 25: Laudable [LAW-duh-bul]
    Praiseworthy, commendable, worthy of approval or admiration.
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    Synonyms of laudable include meritorious (MER-i-TOR-ee-us), exemplary (ig-ZEM-pluh-ree, word 39 of this level), and estimable (ES-ti-muh-bul). Antonyms of laudable include contemptible, deplorable (di-PLOR-uh-bul), and ignominious (IG-nuh-MIN-ee-us).
    The verb to laud (LAWD, rhymes with sawed) means to praise, commend, extol (ik-STOHL). The adjective laudable means commendable, worthy of praise. Laudable actions, laudable motives, and laudable goals all are praiseworthy, commendable, deserving of approval or admiration.
    In Macbeth, Shakespeare writes, “I am in this earthly world, where to do harm/Is often laudable, to do good sometime/Accounted dangerous folly.”
  • Word 26: Inimitable
    Word 26: Inimitable [i-NIM-i-tuh-bul]
    Unable to be imitated, copied, or reproduced; beyond compare.
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    Synonyms of inimitable include matchless, unrivaled, peerless, unparalleled, and surpassing.
    The prefix in- often means “in” or “into,” as in the words inhale, to breathe in; ingrain, to rub in, fix in the mind; and ingress (INgres), the way in, the entrance. However, in- is just as often privative (PRIV-uh-tiv); that is, it deprives or takes away the meaning of the word to which it is affixed. Like the prefix un-, the prefix in- often means “not,” as in the words informal, not formal; inaudible, not audible, unable to be heard; and injustice, something that is not fair or just. Our keyword, inimitable, combines this privative prefix in- with the somewhat unusual word imitable, able to be imitated, to mean “not able to be imitated.”
    You may use inimitable to describe anything that is one-of-akind, individual, unique. An inimitable style cannot be imitated or copied. An inimitable performance is unrivaled, incomparable (stress on -com-). An inimitable achievement surpasses all other achievements; it is matchless, beyond compare.
  • Word 27: Jaded
    Word 27: Jaded [JAY-did]
    Worn out, tired, fatigued, weary, exhausted; specifically, worn out by overwork or overindulgence.
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    One meaning of the noun a jade is a worn-out or broken-down horse, a nag. The verb to jade means to be or become like a wornout or broken-down horse. The adjective jaded means like that broken-down horse; specifically, worn out from overwork or overindulgence. When you drive your mind too hard or abuse your body, you become jaded; but you can also become jaded from too much of a good thing, as “Their lovemaking left him jaded.”
    In current usage jaded often suggests weariness accompanied by an insensitivity or immunity to something unpleasant: children jaded by abuse; seeing the consequences of so much violent crime had left the detective jaded.
  • Word 28: Myopic
    Word 28: Myopic [my-AHP-ik, rhymes with dry topic]
    Short-sighted; not able to see the long-range picture; having a narrow or circumscribed view; lacking discernment, foresight, or perspective.
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    Synonyms of myopic include narrow-minded, purblind (PURblynd, rhymes with her kind), and obtuse (uhb-T(Y)OOS). Antonyms of myopic include broad-minded, liberal, tolerant, catholic (note the lowercase c), and latitudinarian (LAT-i-T(Y)OO-di-NAIR-ee-in).
    The adjective myopic comes from the noun myopia (my-OH-peeuh), the common medical disorder known as nearsightedness. In its literal sense, myopic means nearsighted, affected with myopia. In its figurative sense, myopic suggests mental nearsightedness, a lack of long-range vision, a mental outlook that is limited or narrow. The myopic person lacks perspective and foresight; he can’t see the big picture. A myopic approach to solving a problem is short-sighted; it lacks imagination and does not address longterm needs or goals. A myopic opinion is narrow-minded and prejudiced; it reflects only what the person who expresses it wants to see.
    The words purblind, obtuse, and myopic are close in meaning. Purblind means partly blind, dim-sighted; like myopic, purblind may be used literally to mean half-blind or figuratively to mean lacking insight or imagination. Obtuse comes from a Latin word meaning dull, blunt, and in modern usage obtuse is used to mean mentally dull, slow to recognize or understand something. Myopic means short-sighted, having a limited perspective or narrow view.
  • Word 29: Demonstrable
    Word 29: Demonstrable [di-MAHN-struh-buul]
    Capable of being demonstrated, able to be proved.
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    Demonstrable is the noun corresponding to the verb to demonstrate. Demonstrable facts can be demonstrated, presented clearly and shown to be true. A demonstrable statement or opinion is one that can be proved.
    Because that which is demonstrable can be demonstrated or proved, the word has also come to be used to mean obvious, apparent, self-evident, as in a demonstrable liar, a demonstrable fool: “When Joe asked Sheila if she would have dinner with him, she took it as a sign of his demonstrable interest in her.”
  • Word 30: Callow
    Word 30: Callow [KAL-oh]
    Immature, inexperienced, unsophisticated, green, naive, lacking experience in and knowledge of the world.
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    Callow comes from a Middle English word meaning bald, and the word was formerly used of very young birds to mean without feathers, unfledged. Today both callow and the word fledgling are used of persons, behavior, or things that are immature or inexperienced. A fledgling is a young bird that has just acquired its feathers and is learning to fly. From that original sense, fledgling has come to refer either to a young and inexperienced person or to something that is just getting off the ground, as a fledgling enterprise. Callow suggests an immaturity or inexperience manifested by a lack of sophistication. People who are callow know little of the ways of the world; they are green, still wet behind the ears.
    Because callow means immature, it sometimes also suggests childishness or foolishness. For example, a callow remark may be not only unsophisticated but also downright silly. Synonyms of callow in this unfavorable sense include juvenile (preferably JOOvuh-nil, but now also JOO-vuh-nyl, which was originally British), sophomoric (SAHF-uh-MOR-ik), and puerile (PYOOR-ul).
  • Word 31: Acquiesce
    Word 31: Acquiesce [AK-wee-ES]
    To agree without protest, accept without argument or resistance, give in quietly.
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    Synonyms of acquiesce include consent, comply, submit, assent, and accede (ak-SEED). The corresponding noun is acquiescence (AK-wee-ES-ints). Acquiescence means the act of acquiescing, passive agreement, quiet acceptance.
    Assent, accede, and acquiesce all mean to agree in slightly different ways. Assent implies agreement reached after careful consideration or deliberation: “The president of the company predicted that the stockholders would assent to the proposed merger.” Accede implies agreement in which one person or party gives in to persuasion or yields under pressure: “Management is not likely to accede to the union’s demands.” Acquiesce implies agreement offered in spite of tacit reservations. The person who acquiesces often is unwilling to agree but lacks the will or energy to resist: “Despite her doubts about the plan, Lucy acquiesced”; “Bob wasn’t happy with the salary that Mercenary Media had offered him, but he knew he would have to either acquiesce or take an even lower-paying job.”
    Acquiesce is sometimes followed by the preposition in: “One member of the jury remained obstinate and would not acquiesce in the verdict”; “The chief executive officer acquiesced in the board of directors’ decision.”
  • Word 32: Pontificate
    Word 32: Pontificate [pahn-TIF-i-kayt]
    To speak in a pompous and overbearing way, make pretentious or categorical statements, express one’s opinion as though it were an official, authoritative decree.
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    The Roman Catholic pope is also known by two other names: the Bishop of Rome and the pontiff (PAHN-tif). Pontiff comes from the Latin Pontifex Maximus, the high priest of Rome. As the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, the pontiff is responsible for interpreting religious doctrine, or dogma, and issuing official decrees, called papal bulls. To these official decrees the pontiff affixes a seal called a bulla (BUUL-uh).
    In its original sense, to pontificate means to be a pontiff, to fulfill the office of a pope and issue official decrees on church doctrine or dogma. From this the word came to apply in a disparaging way to anyone who speaks as if he were the pope issuing an official decree.
    Because only the pontiff has the absolute right to pontificate, pontificate now means to express opinions or make judgments in a categorical, dogmatic way. I’ll save you the trouble of looking up dogmatic, which is pronounced dawg-MAT-ik (or dahg-). It means opinionated, dictatorial, expressing an opinion as if it were fact.
    If your boss pontificates in a meeting, that means he or she is speaking dogmatically, in a pompous, pretentious, dictatorial manner. The person who pontificates expresses an opinion as though it were an official, authoritative decree: “Teenagers don’t respond well when their parents or teachers pontificate.”
    The corresponding noun is pontification (pahn-TIF-i-KAY-shin).
  • Word 33: Deleterious
    Word 33: Deleterious [DEL-i-TEER-ee-us]
    Harmful, destructive, injurious, detrimental; especially, harmful to health or well-being.
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    Synonyms of deleterious include ruinous, noxious, pernicious (purNISH-us, word 10 of Level 7), and malignant (muh-LIG-nint). Antonyms include healthful, advantageous, wholesome, and salutary (SAL-yuh-TER-ee).
    Deleterious comes from a Greek word meaning destructive and may be applied to something that has a detrimental effect upon a person’s health or well-being or to anything harmful or destructive. Smoking is deleterious, harmful to health. A divorce may be deleterious to children, injurious to their psychological well-being. An impetuous statement may have deleterious consequences. For example, you may daydream about stomping into your boss’s office and giving the old pontificating windbag a piece of your verbally advantaged mind, but doing that probably would be deleterious to your career.
  • Word 34: Ambivalent
    Word 34: Ambivalent [am-BIV-uh-lint]
    Uncertain, indecisive, having conflicting feelings or desires, simultaneously drawn in opposite directions, attracted to and repulsed by something at the same time.
    →
    The corresponding noun is ambivalence, a state of uncertainty or indecisiveness.
    One meaning of the combining form ambi- is “both,” as in the words ambidextrous (AM-bi-DEK-strus), skilled with both hands, and ambivert (AM-bi-vurt), a person who is both introverted, innerdirected, and extroverted, outer-directed. Ambivalent combines ambi-, both, with the Latin valere, to be strong. When you are ambivalent on an issue, you have strong feelings both ways; you are simultaneously drawn in opposite directions. The ambivalent person has conflicting feelings or desires, and therefore is uncertain, indecisive.
  • Word 35: Pensive
    Word 35: Pensive [PEN-siv]
    Thoughtful, absorbed in thought, especially in a deep, dreamy, or melancholy way.
    →
    Synonyms of pensive include reflective, meditative, wistful, and contemplative (kun-TEM-pluh-tiv).
    Pensive comes through an Old French verb meaning to think from the Latin pensare, to ponder, consider, weigh in the mind. When you are pensive, you are thinking deeply about something, pondering it, weighing it in your mind.
    Pensive, contemplative, and wistful all mean thoughtful, but in different ways.
    Wistful, which is related to the word wishful, suggests thoughtfulness marked by a strong and often sad longing or desire. When two lovers are apart, they are often wistful.
    Contemplative (stress the second syllable), the adjective corresponding to the noun contemplation, suggests profound reflection usually directed toward achieving deeper understanding or enlightenment. Philosophers and prophets are contemplative.
    Pensive suggests a deep, dreamy, and often melancholy thoughtfulness. A pensive mood is characterized by dreamy seriousness. When you grow pensive you become lost in thought, and probably have a slightly sad, faraway look in your eyes.
    The corresponding noun is pensiveness: “The most salient characteristic in the poetic temperament is pensiveness.”
  • Word 36: Impromptu
    Word 36: Impromptu [im-PRAHMP-t(y)oo]
    Made up or done on the spur of the moment, uttered or performed without preparation, improvised for the occasion.
    →
    Synonyms of impromptu include offhand, spontaneous, and extemporaneous (ek-STEM-puh-RAY-nee-us).
    Impromptu comes from a Latin phrase meaning in readiness, at hand. By derivation, something impromptu lies close at hand, ready to use when the occasion arises. In modern usage impromptu may apply to either spontaneous expression or activity: an impromptu response is an offhand or off-the-cuff response; an impromptu performance is improvised for the occasion; an impromptu party is thrown on the spur of the moment.
    Here’s an image you can associate with the word impromptu that may help you remember what it means: Imagine yourself at a dinner party or wedding reception, chatting amiably with the people around you, when suddenly everyone in the room turns toward you and starts chanting “Speech, speech!” Although you are unprepared, you rise to the occasion and deliver a few urbane remarks. When your audience laughs at the right moment and applauds at the end, you are delighted. Your speech not only was impromptu, it was a triumph.
  • Word 37: Conjecture
    Word 37: Conjecture [kun-JEK-chur]
    To guess; especially, to make an educated guess; to form an opinion or make a judgment based on insufficient evidence.
    →
    Familiar synonyms of conjecture include to suppose, imagine, suspect, and presume.
    To guess, to speculate, to surmise, and to conjecture all mean to form an opinion or reach a conclusion based upon uncertain or insufficient evidence.
    To guess is the least reliable and most random of these words. When you guess you have a roughly equal chance of being right or wrong, and there is ample room for doubt about your opinion.
    To speculate means to make a judgment based on observation and reasoning. When you speculate you form a reasonable opinion by evaluating whatever facts are at hand, however dubious they may be.
    To surmise means to come to a conclusion by using one’s intuition or imagination. When you surmise, you use your instinct and power of insight to make a judgment based on slender evidence.
    Our keyword, conjecture, comes from the Latin con-, together, and jacere, to throw, and by derivation means to throw something together. In modern usage to conjecture means to take whatever evidence is available and quickly construct an opinion based on one’s knowledge and experience—in short, to make an educated guess.
    The corresponding noun a conjecture means an educated guess, an assumption or conclusion based on insufficient evidence.
  • Word 38: Surreptitious
    Word 38: Surreptitious [SUR-up-TISH-us]
    Stealthy; characterized by secrecy and caution; done, made, obtained, or enjoyed in a secret and often sly or shifty manner, so as to avoid notice.
    →
    Synonyms of surreptitious include crafty, furtive (FUR-tiv), covert (traditionally and properly KUH-vurt, but now usually KOH-vurt), underhand, and clandestine (klan-DES-tin, word 6 of Level 2). Antonyms include evident, unconcealed, overt, aboveboard, and manifest.
    Stealthy, furtive, clandestine, covert, and surreptitious all mean secret, hidden from the knowledge or view of others. Let’s examine their connotations in order.
    Stealthy is used of any secret or deceptive action that is careful, quiet, slow, and designed to conceal a motive: a cat stalks its prey in a stealthy manner; she heard the stealthy footsteps of a prowler outside the house.
    Furtive adds to stealthy the suggestion of quickness and cunning. The word comes from the Latin furtum, theft, and that which is furtive exhibits the craftiness, dishonesty, and evasiveness of a thief: “Their furtive glances at each other during the meeting convinced Jim that there was something fishy about the deal”; “Suzanne knew her date with Arnold was going to be a disaster when she caught him making a furtive attempt to look down the front of her dress.”
    Clandestine applies to that which is done secretly to conceal an evil, immoral, or illicit purpose: a clandestine love affair; a clandestine plot to overthrow the government.
    Covert applies to anything deliberately covered up or disguised, and often suggests an effort to conceal something illegal or unethical. When we speak of an undercover operation, we usually mean a secret operation sanctioned by law, but when we speak of a covert operation, we usually mean one that is kept secret because it is criminal or corrupt.
    I’d like to take a moment to explain why I prefer and recommend the pronunciation KUH-vurt. This is the traditional pronunciation, and it was the only way of saying the word recognized by dictionaries until the 1960s. Since then—and especially since the Watergate scandal in the early 1970s, when “KOH-vurt operation” was heard repeatedly on radio and television—the variant KOH-vurt has become so popular that several dictionaries now list it first.
    Although few people today are aware that KUH-vurt was the earlier and only standard pronunciation, dictionaries still list KUH-vurt and many older educated speakers prefer KUH-vurt out of respect for the word’s tradition, which dates back to the fourteenth century. If you’d rather go with the flow on this issue, that’s fine—no one can say you’re wrong; however, keep in mind that while KOH-vurt is recognized by current dictionaries, another popular variant, koh-VURT, is often not listed at all. On the other hand, if you are not afraid to distinguish yourself as a cultivated speaker at the risk of raising a few eyebrows, then I invite you to join me in the righteous cause of preserving the traditional pronunciation, KUH-vurt.
    And now let’s wind up this not-so-undercover discussion with a look at our keyword, surreptitious. It comes from a Latin word meaning stolen, kidnapped, and ultimately from the Latin verb surripere, to snatch, pilfer, take away or withdraw secretly. By derivation surreptitious means snatched while no one is looking, and in modern usage the word combines the deliberate, cautious secrecy suggested by stealthy with the crafty, evasive secrecy suggested by furtive. That which is surreptitious is done or acquired under the table, in a sly or shifty way, so as to avoid detection: “For years Paul was so surreptitious about his drinking that no one at work knew he had a problem”; “The general decided to launch a surreptitious attack under cover of darkness”; “Larry was afraid the IRS would find out about his surreptitious real estate deals.”
  • Word 39: Exemplary
    Word 39: Exemplary [ig-ZEM-pluh-ree]
    Worthy of imitation, praiseworthy, commendable, serving as a model of excellence, appropriateness, or correctness.
    →
    Synonyms of exemplary include ideal, admirable, meritorious (MER-i-TOR-ee-us), estimable (ES-ti-muh-buul), and laudable (word 25 of Level 4). Antonyms include shameful, disreputable, contemptible, deplorable (di-PLOR-uh-buul), ignominious (IG-nuhMIN-ee-us), odious (OH-dee-us), and heinous (HAY-nis, rhymes with anus).
    By the way, heinous means reprehensible, wicked, evil, as a heinous crime, a heinous lie. I have heard scores of educated people mispronounce it as HEE-nis, HEE-nee-us, and HAY-nee-us. The best I can say about these pronunciations is that they are creative but wrong. The only pronunciation recognized by dictionaries is HAY-nis, and anything else is utterly heinous, evil, wicked, reprehensible.
    Now back to our more pleasant keyword, exemplary, which comes from the same Latin source as the word example. By derivation, something exemplary sets an example, and is therefore worthy of imitation. Exemplary conduct is praiseworthy. An exemplary performance is commendable. Verbal Advantage teaches you how to use words in an exemplary manner.
  • Word 40: Impeccable
    Word 40: Impeccable [im-PEK-uh-buul]
    Perfect, faultless, flawless; free from faults or imperfections. Also, unable to do wrong, incapable of sin.
    →
    Equally challenging synonyms of impeccable include unimpeachable and irreproachable. Challenging antonyms of impeccable include reprehensible, censurable (SEN-shur-uh-buul), and culpable (KUHL-puh-buul).
    Earlier in this level I told you about the prefix in-, which may mean “in” or “into” or have a privative function, depriving or taking away the meaning of what follows. Impeccable combines this privative prefix in-, meaning “not,” with the Latin peccare, to make a mistake, do wrong, blunder, sin. By derivation, impeccable means not able to make a mistake, incapable of sinning or doing wrong; hence, perfect, faultless.
    Now, if you’ve been reading carefully I bet you’re wondering why in the world I’m talking about the prefix in- when the prefix in impeccable is im-. Well, my verbally advantaged friend, your exemplary guide through the oddities of the English language has the answer, and here it is:
    When the prefix in- is attached to a word beginning with the letter b, p, or m, the n changes to an m. Thus, imbalanced means not balanced; impossible means not possible; and immutable means not mutable, not changeable, fixed. Similarly, when the prefix inappears before a word beginning with l or r, the n changes to an l or an r: illogical means not logical; irreproachable means not reproachable, without fault or blame, and therefore impeccable, perfect, flawless.
    So now that you know how the spelling of the prefix in- changes, I suppose you’re wondering why it changes. The answer is simple: ease of pronunciation. If we had to say in peccable and in reproachable, it would be not only in logical but also nearly in possible. The altered spelling of the prefix makes these and dozens of other words easier to pronounce.
    Now let’s take a look at the closely related words impeccable, immaculate, and infallible, all of which employ the privative prefix in-, meaning not.
    The adjective fallible comes from the Latin verb fallere, to deceive, lead astray, cause to make a mistake. In modern usage fallible means capable of error or likely to be wrong, as human beings are fallible creatures. Attach the prefix in- to fallible and you have the word infallible, not fallible, not capable of making an error, unable to fail. As your infallible guide through Verbal Advantage, I assure you that this program is an infallible method of building your vocabulary.
    The unusual noun macula (MAK-yuh-luh) means a spot or stain. Its direct Latin root, macula, meant either a physical spot or blotch or a moral blemish, a stain on one’s character. In current usage macula refers specifically either to a blemish on the skin or to a sunspot; the corresponding adjective maculate means stained, blemished, impure, corrupt. Attach the prefix in- to the adjective maculate and you have the word immaculate, not maculate, unstained, spotless. An immaculate house is spick-and-span; an immaculate complexion has no blemishes; an immaculate reputation or background is spotless, clean as a whistle. In Roman Catholicism, the Immaculate Conception is the doctrine that the Virgin Mary was miraculously conceived without the moral stain of original sin.
    And now for our keyword, impeccable. From its Latin root, peccare, to make a mistake, blunder, sin, English has also inherited three other words: the noun peccadillo (PEK-uh-DIL-oh) means a small sin, minor fault or flaw; the adjective peccant (PEKint) means guilty, sinful, culpable; and the adjective peccable (PEK-uh-buul) means liable to sin or do wrong. Slap the privative prefix in- onto the unfortunate peccable and you have its more pleasant antonym, impeccable, incapable of sin, unable to do wrong, and therefore free from all faults or imperfections. Impeccable taste is faultless; impeccable speech is flawless; an impeccable performance is perfect.
  • Word 41: Attest
    Word 41: Attest [uh-TEST]
    To affirm to be true, genuine, or correct; certify or authenticate officially; stand as proof or evidence of.
    →
    Attest comes from the Latin ad, to, and testari, to bear witness, and ultimately from testis, a witness. From the same Latin testis, witness, English has inherited a number of other words, including testify, testimony, testimonial, and the legal terms testator (TES-taytur), a person who has made a valid will, and intestate (in-TEStayt), which means not having made a legal will.
    By derivation, attest means to bear witness to, give testimony, and today the word may be used in this literal sense, as to attest to someone’s whereabouts, to furnish references who will attest to your skills and qualifications. (Note that in this sense attest is followed by to.) Attest is also used to mean to affirm to be true, genuine, or correct, or to stand as proof or evidence of: “Many studies attest the deleterious effects of saturated fat and cholesterol”; “Michelangelo’s David is but one of many masterpieces that attest the greatness of this Renaissance artist.”
  • Word 42: Copious
    Word 42: Copious [KOH-pee-us]
    Abundant, plentiful, large in amount or number.
    →
    Synonyms of copious include ample, bountiful, and profuse (pruhFYOOS). Antonyms include scanty, meager, sparse, and paltry (PAWL-tree).
    Copious comes from the Latin copia, abundance, plenty, and means literally abundant, plentiful. From the same Latin copia, plenty, and cornu, a horn, comes the English word cornucopia (KORN-(y)uh-KOH-pee-uh), a horn of plenty. Historically, a cornucopia is a symbol of abundance and prosperity in the form of a goat’s horn overflowing with fruit, flowers, and grain. In modern usage, cornucopia is often applied to any overflowing stock or supply, as a cornucopia of menu selections, or a cornucopia of products and services.
    The adjective copious may be used of anything that exists or is provided in abundance. Copious praise is abundant praise; a copious harvest is a plentiful harvest; copious information is a great supply of information; copious speech overflows with words.
  • Word 43: Fallacious
    Word 43: Fallacious [fuh-LAY-shus]
    False, misleading, deceptive, invalid, based on a fallacy.
    →
    Synonyms of fallacious include erroneous (i-ROH-nee-us), spurious (SPYOOR-ee-us), untenable (uhn-TEN-uh-buul), illusory (iLOO-suh-ree), and sophistical (suh-FIS-ti-kul).
    The noun fallacy (FAL-uh-see) means a false or misleading idea, statement, or argument. Fallacy and sophistry (SAHF-i-stree, word 20 of this level) are close in meaning. A fallacy is a misleading or deceptive argument that violates the laws of reasoning. Sophistry refers to reasoning that deliberately uses fallacies, misleading arguments, to confuse or deceive.
    Both fallacy and the adjective fallacious come from the Latin fallere, to deceive, lead astray. That which is fallacious is based on a fallacy, and is therefore misleading, deceptive, false. To the skeptical person, all statements, assumptions, and notions are fallacious until clearly proved otherwise.
  • Word 44: Stoic
    Word 44: Stoic [STOH-ik]
    Showing no feelings, unemotional, unaffected by pleasure or pain, bearing pain or suffering without complaint.
    →
    Synonyms of stoic include impassive, dispassionate, indifferent, apathetic (AP-uh-THET-ik), placid (PLAS-id), languid (LANG-gwid), phlegmatic (fleg-MAT-ik, word 33 of Level 9), and imperturbable.
    Antonyms of stoic include ardent, vehement (VEE-uh-mint), zealous (ZEL-us), fervid, and fervent (word 24 of Level 3).
    Stoic and stoicism (STOH-i-SIZ-’m) come from the Greek stoa, a porch or covered walkway—specifically, the famous Painted Porch in ancient Athens where the doctrine of Stoicism was born. In his English Vocabulary Builder, Johnson O’Connor explains that “STOICISM… was a school of philosophy founded by Zeno about 308 B.C….STOICISM is so named because Zeno expounded his philosophy from the Painted Porch, one of the covered walks about the Agora (AG-uh-ruh), the public square of ancient Athens. A STOIC… was a follower of Zeno, one who believed that men should be free from passion, unmoved by joy or grief, and submit without complaint to the unavoidable necessity by which all things are governed.”
    In modern usage, stoicism means indifference to pleasure or pain; the noun stoic refers to anyone who exhibits rigorous selfcontrol; and the adjective stoic means showing no feelings, unemotional, bearing pain or suffering without complaint.
  • Word 45: Recrimination
    Word 45: Recrimination [ri-KRIM-uh-NAY-shin]
    A countercharge or counteraccusation.
    →
    Recrimination combines the prefix re-, which means “back” or “again,” with the Latin verb criminari, to accuse, bring a charge against, and means literally to accuse in return, accuse again. The great Webster’s New International Dictionary, second edition (1934), defines recrimination as “an accusation brought by the accused against the accuser.”
    Recriminations, or countercharges, are perhaps most often heard today in political campaigns, international relations, and legal proceedings. In modern usage, when we speak of mutual recriminations the word usually suggests a series of bitter denunciations exchanged in the course of fervid debate.
    Recrimination is the noun. The corresponding verb is recriminate, to bring a countercharge against, denounce in return. The corresponding adjective has two forms: recriminative (ri-KRIM-uhNAY-tiv) and recriminatory (ri-KRIM-i-nuh-tor-ee).
  • Word 46: Affinity
    Word 46: Affinity [uh-FIN-i-tee]
    Close resemblance or relationship, a strong likeness, similarity, or connection, as the affinity of the Italian, French, and Spanish languages, an affinity among the painters of the Impressionist school, an affinity between the blues and early rock and roll.
    →
    Affinity may also mean a natural attraction to, or liking for, a person or thing, as an affinity for classical music, an affinity for the freewheeling literature of the Beat Generation, an affinity among neighbors in a close-knit community.
    Synonyms of affinity in the sense of “close resemblance or relationship” include kinship, correspondence, compatibility, and consanguinity (KAHN-sang-GWIN-i-tee). Synonyms of affinity in the sense of “liking or attraction” include penchant (word 9 of Level 3), propensity, and proclivity.
    Affinity comes from a Latin word meaning “relationship by marriage,” and dictionaries still recognize this literal sense although the word is not often used in that way. In current usage affinity usually means either a close relationship or likeness, or a natural attraction to or liking for a person or thing.
  • Word 47: volatile
    Word 47: volatile [VAHL-uh-tul; British say VAHLuh-tyl]
    Changeable, unstable, inconstant, likely to change or shift rapidly and unpredictably: The stock market is often volatile; a person may have volatile moods; the weather in New England is notoriously volatile.
    →
    Synonyms of volatile include fickle, flighty, capricious (kuh-PRISHus, word 11 of Level 1), erratic, protean (PROH-tee-in), and mercurial (mur-KYUR-ee-ul).
    Antonyms include stable, fixed, steadfast, invariable, immutable, and quiescent (kwy-ES-int, word 22 of Level 3).
    Volatile, which entered English in the early 1600s, has a volatile history, full of many shifts and changes in meaning. The word comes from the Latin volare, to fly, and its original meaning was “flying” or “having the power to fly.” Today volatile is rarely used in this sense, and instead we have the word volant (VOH-lant), which came into the language shortly before volatile from the same Latin volare, to fly. Volant means flying, able to fly, or quick, nimble, agile.
    The fickle, unpredictable volatile then came to mean evaporating quickly, easily vaporized, as a volatile oil or liquid. In the science of chemistry it is still used in this way, and today it would be unusual but not outlandish for an essayist to write about the volatile morning dew, or for a weathercaster to speak of volatile fog or clouds, or for a TV chef to discuss the volatile nature of wine used in cooking.
    By the mid-seventeenth century the inconstant volatile had acquired its most durable meaning: changeable, unstable, inconstant, likely to change or shift rapidly and unpredictably. In this sense it is a close synonym of capricious and mercurial. Out of this notion of changeability and inconstancy, volatile gained two more meanings: fleeting, vanishing swiftly, transient, ephemeral; and also lighthearted, lively and carefree, whimsical, prone to flights of fancy.
    In the second half of the twentieth century volatile took on yet another meaning: explosive, likely to erupt into violence. You will often hear volatile used this way in news reports about domestic or international affairs characterized by tension and sporadic conflict. This sense is an outgrowth of the meaning “unstable, unpredictable,” for when a situation is unstable or unpredictable it is often likely to explode or erupt in violence.
    Finally, in the 1990s volatile acquired one more sense. According to Webster’s New World Dictionary, third college edition, in the jargon of computer science volatile is used to mean pertaining to “memory that does not retain stored data when the power supply is disconnected.”
    Despite its capricious, changeable history, volatile has remained close to its roots. For as I’m sure you can see, all the various senses of volatile incorporate the notions of flight, flightiness, and swift, unpredictable change suggested by the word’s Latin root, volare, to fly. When you see or hear volatile used, and when you use it yourself, remember that in all of its senses the word describes that which can swiftly fly away from one condition or mood into another.
    Volatile is the adjective; the corresponding noun is volatility.
  • Word 48: Squalid
    Word 48: Squalid [SKWAHL-id]
    Dirty and run-down as a result of poverty or neglect, foul or filthy from lack of care, wretched, miserable, degraded.
    →
    Synonyms of squalid include seedy, unkempt, slovenly (SLUHVun-lee), and dilapidated (di-LAP-i-DAY-tid—take care to pronounce the last two syllables -dated, not -tated).
    Antonyms include unsullied, immaculate, and pristine (PRIS-teen or pri-STEEN).
    Squalid is the adjective; the corresponding noun is squalor (SKWAHL-ur). Squalor means filthiness, foulness, degradation, a wretched, miserable condition resulting from poverty or neglect.
    Squalid comes from the Latin verb squalere, which has various meanings, including to be rough or scaly; to be covered with filth; to be overgrown or dirty from neglect; and to wear mourning clothes. In modern usage squalid has retained a taste of all these senses. Squalid attire is rough and unkempt—or, to use an informal term, grungy. Squalid language is filthy or foul. A squalid neighborhood is slummy, dilapidated, dirty and run-down from neglect. And just as a person in mourning is sad and forlorn, squalid people or squalid conditions are wretched and miserable because they are poor, degraded, and pitiable.
    The adjectives squalid and sordid (SOR-did) are close in meaning. Both words mean dirty, filthy, and run-down, but squalid applies to that which is dirty and miserable because of poverty or neglect, while sordid suggests a filthy wretchedness resulting from a degraded or debased character.
  • Word 49: Expedite
    Word 49: Expedite [EK-spi-dyt]
    To speed up, hasten, facilitate, accelerate the progress of, handle or perform quickly and efficiently: “The company decided to expand its workforce to expedite production of its new product.”
    →
    Antonyms of expedite include delay, postpone, hinder, retard, slacken, and protract (word 25 of Level 3).
    Expedite comes from the Latin verb expedire, to set free, disentangle, get ready for action. When you expedite something, you free it from all hindrances or obstructions; you disentangle it from whatever is delaying its progress so that action can proceed. In current usage, when you expedite a plan or a project it means you speed up its progress, hasten its completion. And when the boss says to you, “Please expedite the matter,” that means the boss wants you to take care of the matter as quickly and efficiently as possible.
  • Word 50: Abject
    Word 50: Abject [AB-jekt or ab-JEKT]
    Degraded, brought low in condition or status; hence, lacking selfrespect, contemptible, wretched.
    →
    The corresponding noun is abjection (ab-JEK-shin), a degraded, wretched, contemptible state.
    Synonyms of abject include debased (di-BAYST), despicable (DESpik-uh-buul; the stress properly is on the first syllable), ignoble, groveling (GRAH-vul- or GRUH-vul-), servile (SUR-vil), and squalid (word 48 of this level). Antonyms of abject include noble, dignified, lofty, majestic, eminent, and illustrious (i-LUHS-tree-us).
    In Middle English abject meant “outcast.” The word comes ultimately from the Latin ab, meaning “away” or “off,” and the verb jacere, to throw, and means literally “thrown away, cast off.” The abject members of society are the outcasts, the undesirables, and the indigent—the people who have been thrown away or cast off because they seem to have no social place or worth.
    This literal sense of thrown away or cast off led to the modern meaning of abject: brought low in condition or status— hence, degraded, wretched, or contemptible.
    Abject poverty is utterly wretched poverty. Abject conditions are hopeless and degrading conditions. An abject coward is thoroughly contemptible. An abject person has fallen so low that he has lost all self-respect.
    If you behave toward someone in an abject manner, you are behaving in a groveling, servile manner, like a defeated dog that bares its neck and belly to the vanquishing dog.
Answer Key
Favorite Books
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Verbal Advantage: Ten Easy Steps to a Powerful Vocabulary. A 10-step vocabulary program teaches 500 key words and 3,000 synonyms. Verbal Advantage provides a complete learning experience, with clear explanations of meanings, word histories, usages, pronunciation, and more. Far more than a cram session for a standardized test, the book is designed as a lifetime vocabulary builder, teaching a vocabulary shared by only the top percentage of Americans, with a proven method that helps the knowledge last.

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Verbal Advantage - Level 09

Verbal Advantage: Ten Easy Steps to a Powerful Vocabulary. A 10-step vocabulary program teaches 500 key words and 3,000 synonyms. Verbal Advantage provides a complete learning experience, with clear explanations of meanings, word histories, usages, pronunciation, and more. Far more than a cram session for a standardized test, the book is designed as a lifetime vocabulary builder, teaching a vocabulary shared by only the top percentage of Americans, with a proven method that helps the knowledge last.

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Verbal Advantage - Level 10

Verbal Advantage: Ten Easy Steps to a Powerful Vocabulary. A 10-step vocabulary program teaches 500 key words and 3,000 synonyms. Verbal Advantage provides a complete learning experience, with clear explanations of meanings, word histories, usages, pronunciation, and more. Far more than a cram session for a standardized test, the book is designed as a lifetime vocabulary builder, teaching a vocabulary shared by only the top percentage of Americans, with a proven method that helps the knowledge last.

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