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means harmless, having no adverse or ill effects; not likely to
upset or offend.
14. b. Paltry means (1) lacking in importance or worth, insignificant;
contemptibly small in amount; (2) wretched or contemptible, piti-
ful. Lamentable (Chapter 3) means (1) regrettable, unfortunate;
inspiring grief or mourning; (2) deplorable, pitiable.
15. c. Resplendent means having great splendor or beauty; dazzling, bril-
liant. Luminous (Chapter 4) means shining, emitting light; full of
light, bright, brilliant.
16. d. Egregious means conspicuously and outrageously bad or offensive;
flagrant.
17. b. Meticulous means extremely careful and precise; paying great
attention to detail.
18. d. Gregarious means (1) seeking and enjoying the company of others,
sociable; (2) tending to form a group with others of the same kind.
19. c. Droll means amusing in an odd or whimsical way.
20. a. Spurious means false, counterfeit, not genuine or authentic.
21. c. Strident means unpleasantly loud and harsh; grating, shrill, dis-
cordant.
22. d. Scintillating means (1) sparkling, shining brilliantly; (2) brilliantly
clever and animated.
23. e. Austere means (1) severe or stern in attitude or appearance; (2)
simple, unadorned, very plain.
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136
24. a. Zealous means filled with or marked by great interest or enthusi-
asm; eager, earnest, fervent.
25. c. Surreptitious means (1) done, made, or obtained through stealthy,
clandestine, or fraudulent means; (2) marked by or acting with
stealth or secrecy.
26. b. Facetious means humorous and witty, cleverly amusing; jocular,
sportive.
27. d. Staunch means firm and steadfast, unswerving; firm and constant
in principle or loyalty.
28. a. Eclectic means (1) selecting or employing elements from a variety
of sources, systems, or styles; (2) consisting of elements from a
variety of sources.
29. e. Diffident means lacking self-confidence, shy and timid.
30. b. Vehement means (1) characterized by extreme intensity of emotion
or forcefulness of expression or conviction; (2) marked by great
force, vigor, or energy.
31. d. Prudent means careful and sensible regarding one s actions and
interests; exercising good judgment, judicious.
32. b. Fortuitous means happening by accident or chance; occurring
unexpectedly or without any known cause.
33. a. Latent means present or in existence but not active or evident.
34. e. Stoic means seemingly unaffected by pleasure or pain; indifferent,
impassive.
35. c. Impervious means (1) incapable of being penetrated; (2) not able to
be influenced or affected.
8
Versatile Verbs
hile your vocabulary test is sure to be loaded with adjectives,
Wthere s no doubt that you will also see plenty of verbs the fun-
damental building block of sentences. Before you begin learning and
reviewing versatile verbs, take a few minutes to take this ten-question
Benchmark Quiz. These questions are similar to the type of questions that
you will find on important tests. When you are finished, check the answer
key carefully to assess your results. Your Benchmark Quiz analysis will
help you determine how much time you need to spend on reviewing verbs
as well as the specific words you need to learn in order to increase your
vocabulary power. This chapter presents 35 versatile verbs to help you
broaden your word base and improve your score on the exam.
137
JUST IN TIME VOCABULARY
138
BENCHMARK QUIZ
Choose the answer that best expresses the meaning of the italicized word
to complete the sentence.
1. To abhor something is to:
a. appreciate it.
b. value it.
c. despise it.
d. intensify it.
e. encircle it.
2. If you daunt someone, you:
a. offend that person.
b. intimidate that person.
c. accuse that person.
d. injure that person.
e. criticize that person.
3. If you sanction something, you:
a. authorize it.
b. apply for it.
c. cleanse it.
d. damage it.
e. scatter it.
4. Something that ebbs:
a. deceives.
b. reconciles.
c. strengthens.
d. recedes.
e. opposes.
5. To purge something is to:
a. expand it.
b. diminish it.
c. avoid it.
d. admire it.
e. cleanse it.
VERSATILE VERBS
139
6. To detract means to:
a. to stubbornly refuse.
b. to draw or take away from.
c. to make certain, confirm.
d. to fix firmly and securely.
e. to regard with contempt or scorn.
7. To meander is to:
a. wander about aimlessly.
b. spread everywhere.
c. ask for, petition.
d. regard with awe.
e. take by force.
8. If you appease someone, you:
a. attack that person.
b. accuse that person of an unlawful act.
c. deceive that person.
d. pacify that person.
e. give praise to that person.
9. If you disdain someone, you:
a. scorn that person.
b. imitate that person.
c. distrust that person.
d. feel indebted to that person.
e. think highly that person.
10. If two people are vying, they are:
a. arguing.
b. competing.
c. collaborating.
d. conspiring.
e. embarking.
BENCHMARK QUIZ SOLUTIONS
How did you do on identifying versatile verbs? Check your answers here,
and then analyze the results to figure out your plan of action for mastering
this topic.
JUST IN TIME VOCABULARY
140
Answers
×%
1. c. To abhor means to regard with horror or repugnance, detest.
2. b. To daunt means to intimidate, to make afraid or discouraged.
3. a. To sanction is to approve or permit; to give official authorization or
approval for.
4. d. To ebb is to flow back or recede, as the tide; to fall back, decline.
5. e. To purge means to free from impurities, especially to rid of that
which is undesirable or harmful; to make or become clean,
pure.
6. b. To detract is to draw or take away from; to remove part of some-
thing, diminish.
7. a. To meander is move on a winding or turning course; to wander
about, move aimlessly or without a fixed direction or course.
8. d. To appease means to make calm or quiet, soothe; to still or pacify.
9. a. To disdain is to regard with haughty contempt or scorn, despise; to
consider or reject as unworthy or beneath one s dignity.
10. b. To vie is to compete with or contend; to strive for superiority or
victory.
BENCHMARK QUIZ RESULTS
If you answered 8 10 questions correctly, well done! You are already famil-
iar with many of these versatile verbs. Give the lesson a quick review and
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