SEPTEMBER THREAD - updated regularly
Make sure to do all words from April/ May/ June/ July/ September thread
1. Obscure - To make dim or indistinct; cut off from sight: block; deficient in brightness; far from centers of human population; liable to more than one interpretation; not known or not widely known by name; of undistinguished or humble station or reputation
2. Pusillanimous - Lacking courage; cowardly; without spirit or bravery
3. Titillate - To stimulate by touching lightly; tickle; to excite (another) pleasurably, superficially or erotically
4. Prodigal - Rashly or wastefully extravagant; giving or given in abundance; lavish or profuse; wasteful; a recklessly extravagant consumer
5. Unwonted - Not habitual or ordinary; unusual; not accustomed; unused; rare
6. Minuet - A slow, stately pattern dance in 3/4 time for groups of couples, originating in 17th-century France; a movement in 3/4 time that is usually the third, but sometimes the second, of a four-movement symphony or string quartet 7. Hasty - Characterized by speed; rapid; done or made too quickly to be accurate or wise; rash
8. Deliberate - Weighing facts and arguments with a view to a choice or decision; carefully considering the probable consequences of a step; circumspect; slow in determining; --- applied to persons; as, a deliberate judge or counselor; not hasty or sudden; slow; to consider the reasons for and against; to consider maturely
9. Surreptitious - Obtained, done, or made by clandestine or stealthy means; acting with or marked by stealth; trickily secret; conducted with or marked by hidden aims or methods; marked by quiet and caution and secrecy
10. Clandestine - Kept or done in secret, often in order to conceal an illicit or improper purpose; secret, sly; existing or operating in a way so as to ensure complete concealment and confidentiality
11. Enervate - To weaken or destroy the strength or vitality; deprived of strength; debilitated; lessen or deplete the nerve, energy, or strength of; lack of nervous energy
12. Chicanery - Deception by trickery or sophistry; lack of straightforwardness and honesty in action; legal trickery or false argument; deception, trickery
13. Ephemeral - lasting for a markedly brief time
14. Sycophant - A servile self-seeker who attempts to win favor by flattering influential people; one who flatters another excessively
15. Daunt - frighten
16. Philistine - An unrefined, rude person; lacking in delicacy or refinement; a person who is uninterested in intellectual or cultural pursuits
17. Stygian - Gloomy and dark; infernal; hellish
18. Pulverize - To pound, crush, or grind to a powder or dust; to demolish; destroy
19. Immunity - The capacity to withstand; privilege, exemption from normal legal duties, penalties, or liabilities, granted to a special group of people; the ability of the body to resist or fight off infection and disease
20. Incredulity - The state or quality of being incredulous; disbelief; refusal or reluctance to believe; doubt about the truth of something
21. Maculate - To spot, blemish, or pollute; morally blemished; stained or impure; make dirty or spotty, as by exposure to air, of metals
22. Aberrant - Deviating from the proper or expected course; deviating from what is normal; untrue to type; not being normal
23. Fissure - A crack or crack-like depression; division; an interruption in friendly relations; a break in the skin, usually where it joins a mucous membrane, producing a cracklike sore or ulcer
24. Capitulate - To surrender under specified conditions; come to terms; give up all resistance; acquiesce; to give in from or as if from a gradual loss of strength
25. Rage - Violent, explosive anger
26. Headlong - Characterized by unthinking boldness and haste; dangerous, reckless; uncontrollably forceful or fast; rashly
27. Proxy - A person authorized to act for another; an agent or substitute; written authorization to act in place of another; authority to act for another; a person who is given the power to act for another in voting
28. Flag - To hang limply; droop; to decline in vigor or strength; signal to stop
29. Sustenance - The act of sustaining; the condition of being sustained; the supporting of life or health; maintenance
30. Hedgerow - A row of bushes, shrubs, or trees forming a hedge
31. Recondite - Not easily understood; abstruse; concealed; hidden; mysterious, obscure
32. Balm - To make or become calm; comfort; a soothing or healing medicine; pleasing aromatic fragrance; soothing, healing, or comforting agent or quality
33. Largesse - A generous gift or giving
34. Munificent - Very liberal in giving; generous; showing great generosity
35. Hedonist - A person devoted to pleasure and luxury
36. Fervent - Having or showing great emotion or zeal; ardent; extremely hot; glowing; characterized by intense emotion; sincerely or intensely felt
37. Impediment - Something that impedes; a hindrance or obstruction; an organic defect preventing clear articulation; something that obstructs the making of a legal contract; obstruction, hindrance
38. Enigma - One that is puzzling, ambiguous, or inexplicable; perplexing speech or text; a riddle
39. Scrutiny - A close, careful examination or study; close observation; surveillance
40. Commodious - Spacious; roomy; Archaic. suitable; handy
41. Pithy - Precisely meaningful; forceful and brief; consisting of or resembling pith
42. Cultivated - Of, relating to, or produced in cultivation; educated; polished; refined
43. Lugubrious - Mournful, dismal, or gloomy, especially to an exaggerated or ludicrous degree
44. Indemnity - Security against damage, loss, or injury; a legal exemption from liability for damages; compensation for damage, loss, or injury suffered
45. Ambulate - To walk from place to place; move about; to go on foot; walk about; not be bedridden or incapable of walking
46. Lethargic - Of, causing, or characterized by lethargy; lazy, sluggish; deficient in alertness or activity
47. Irate - Extremely angry; enraged; characterized or occasioned by anger
48. Epicenter - The point of the earth's surface directly above the focus of an earthquake; a focal point
49. Precarious - Dangerously lacking in security or stability; subject to chance or unknown conditions; based on uncertain, unwarranted, or unproved premises; tricky, doubtful; not safe or sure
50. Portent - An indication of something important or calamitous about to occur; an omen; prophetic or threatening significance; something amazing or marvelous; a prodigy; miracle
51. Avaricious - Immoderately desirous of wealth or gain; greedy
52. Doctrine - A principle taught or advanced for belief, as by a religious or philosophical group; opinion; principle
53. Ideology - The body of ideas reflecting the social needs and aspirations of an individual, group, class, or culture; a set of doctrines or beliefs that form the basis of a political, economic, or other system
54. Belligerent - Inclined or eager to fight; hostile or aggressive; of, pertaining to, or engaged in warfare; one that is hostile or aggressive, especially one that is engaged in war; nasty, argumentative
55. Beige - A light grayish brown or yellowish brown to grayish yellow; soft fabric of undyed, unbleached wool; a very light brown; color of sand
56. Piquant - Pleasantly pungent or tart in taste; spicy; appealingly provocative; charming, interesting, or attractive; flavorful, biting
57. Pedantic - Characterized by a narrow, often ostentatious concern for book learning and formal rules; bookish, precise; showing off learning
58. Rampant - Extending unchecked; unrestrained; occurring without restraint and frequently, widely, or menacingly; rearing on the hind legs; uncontrolled, out of hand
59. Harry - To disturb or distress by or as if by repeated attacks; harass; to raid, as in war; sack or pillage; pester, annoy; torment; worry
60. Indefeasible - That cannot be annulled or made void
61. Venerate - To regard with respect, reverence, or heartfelt deference
62. Implicit - Implied or understood though not directly expressed; having no doubts or reservations; unquestioning; conveyed indirectly without words or speech
63. Salient - Readily attracting notice; describing any projecting part or member, as a salient corner; springing; jumping; a military position that projects into the position of the enemy; projecting angle or part
64. Amicable - Characterized by or exhibiting friendliness or goodwill; friendly
65. Egregious - Conspicuously bad or offensive; outstandingly bad; outrageous
66. Trite - Lacking power to evoke interest through overuse or repetition; hackneyed; without freshness or appeal because of overuse;silly, commonplace
67. Titanic - Having great stature or enormous strength; huge or colossal; of enormous scope, power, or influence
68. Flamboyant - Highly elaborate; ornate; given to ostentatious or audacious display; extravagant, theatrical
69. Volition - The act or an instance of making a conscious choice or decision; a conscious choice or decision
70. Figurine - A small molded or sculptured figure; a statuette; a small carved or molded figure
71. Vestige - A visible trace, evidence, or sign of something that once existed but exists or appears no more; a trace of something absent, lost, or vanished; the remnant of a structure that functioned in a previous stage of species or individual development
72. Remainder - What remains after a part has been used or subtracted; balance, residue; an estate in land that is conveyed only after the termination of a preceding estate created at the same time
73. Intimidate - To make timid; fill with fear; to coerce or inhibit by or as if by threats; frighten, threaten
74. Trepidation - A state of alarm or dread; apprehension; an involuntary trembling or quivering; anxiety, worry
75. Abridgement - The act of abridging or the state of being abridged; a short summary or version prepared by cutting down a larger work; shortening, summary; a shortened version of a written work
76. Abstruse - Difficult to understand; recondite
77. Vitiate - To reduce the value or impair the quality of; to corrupt morally; debase; to make ineffective; invalidate
78. Dawdle - To take more time than necessary; move aimlessly or lackadaisically; to waste (time) by idling
79. Obfuscation - Mental confusion; confusion resulting from failure to understand; darkening or obscuring the sight of something; the activity of obscuring people's understanding, leaving them baffled or bewildered
80. Pervasive - Having the quality or tendency to pervade or permeate; spreading throughout; extending; suffusing
81. Retard - To cause to move or proceed slowly; delay or impede; hinder, obstruct
82. Fretful - Having or showing a bad temper; being unable or unwilling to endure irritation or opposition; irritable
83. juggurnaut - A massive inexorable force that seems to crush everything in its way
84. Thaw - Change from a frozen solid to a liquid by gradual warming; unfreeze, warm
85. Tributary - A stream that flows into a larger stream or other body of water; making additions or yielding supplies; contributory; secondary; branch
86. Screen - To cut off from sight: block; to shelter, especially from light; to examine (material) and remove parts considered harmful or improper for publication or transmission; hide, protect; a detachment of troops or ships detailed to cover the movements of the main body
87. Hubble - A unit of astronomical distance equal to 10 raise to the power 9 light-years or 9.4605 × (10 raise to the power 24 meters)
88. Friction - A state of disagreement and disharmony; the resistance to movement as one object is moved across the other, usually creating heat; conflict or animosity caused by a clash of wills, temperaments, or opinions; the action of one surface or object rubbing against another
89. Omnipotent - Having unlimited or universal power, authority, or force; all-powerful; one having unlimited power or authority; all-powerful
90. Grandiose - Characterized by greatness of scope or intent; grand; pompous
91. Hue - The property of colors by which they can be perceived as ranging from red through yellow, green, and blue, as determined by the dominant wavelength of the light; particular gradation of color; a shade or tint; appearance; aspect
92. Prescient - Characterized by foresight; perceiving the significance of events before they occur
93. Flock - A group of animals that live, travel, or feed together; group of people under the leadership of one person, especially the members of a church; large crowd or number
94. Virile - Of, relating to, or having the characteristics of an adult male; having or showing masculine spirit, strength, vigor, or power; capable of performing sexually as a male; potent; manly
95. Recapitulate - To repeat again the principal points of; go over something again; repeat in concise form
96. Hoist - To move (something) to a higher position; instance of lifting or being lifted; the part of a flag nearest the staff; lift or raise, especially by using a rope
97. Plethora - A superabundance; an excess; excess of blood in the circulatory system or in one organ or area; condition of going or being beyond what is needed, desired, or appropriate
98. Resplendent - Splendid or dazzling in appearance; brilliant; bright, radiant; marked by extraordinary elegance, beauty, and splendor
99. Puddle - A small pool of water, especially rainwater; small pool of a liquid; tempered paste of wet clay and sand that serves as waterproofing when dry
100. Recess - A pause or interval, as from work or duty; interrupt regular activity for a short period; stop action; break, interval in action; any shallow depression in a surface
101. Limpid - Admitting light so that objects beyond can be seen; characterized by transparent clearness; calm and untroubled; serene; clear; comprehensible
102. Spate - A sudden rush or flood; sudden or rapid flowing outward; an abundant, usually overwhelming flow or fall, as of a river or rain
103. Dexterity - Skill and grace in physical movement, especially in the use of the hands; mental skill or adroitness; cleverness; aptitude, ability
104. Lachrymose - Weeping or inclined to weep; tearful; causing or tending to cause tears
105. Hamstring - To restrict the activity or free movement of; handicap; any of the tendons at the rear hollow of the human knee; destroy or hinder the efficiency of; frustrate
106. Perfunctory - Hasty and without attention to detail; not thorough
107. Quixotic - Not compatible with reality; generous to a ridiculous degree; impractical; capricious; impulsive
108. Banister - A handrail, especially on a staircase; a railing at the side of a staircase or balcony to prevent people from falling
109. Baneful - Causing harm, ruin, or death; harmful; ruinous, injurious
110. Abase - To lower in rank, prestige, or esteem; deprive of self-esteem or confidence
111. Abet - To give support or assistance; assist, help in wrongdoing; approve, encourage, and support (an action or a plan of action); urge and help on
112. Abhor - To regard with horror or loathing; detest; regard with extreme dislike and hostility; to hate very much; to feel great fear, disgust, or hatred for something
113. Splay - An outward bevel around a door or window that makes it seem larger; spread open or apart; turn outward; move out of position; turned outward in an ungainly manner
114. Manifest - Clearly apparent to the sight or understanding; obvious; show or demonstrate plainly; reveal; evidence of; prove; list of cargo or passengers carried on a ship or plane; invoice of goods carried on a truck or train
115. Galling - Bitterness of feeling; rancor; something bitter to endure
116. Preponderance - Superiority in weight, force, importance, or influence; great numbers; supremacy
117. Thrive - To make steady progress; prosper; grow vigorously; flourish
Make sure to do all words from April/ May/ June/ July/ September thread
1. Obscure - To make dim or indistinct; cut off from sight: block; deficient in brightness; far from centers of human population; liable to more than one interpretation; not known or not widely known by name; of undistinguished or humble station or reputation
2. Pusillanimous - Lacking courage; cowardly; without spirit or bravery
3. Titillate - To stimulate by touching lightly; tickle; to excite (another) pleasurably, superficially or erotically
4. Prodigal - Rashly or wastefully extravagant; giving or given in abundance; lavish or profuse; wasteful; a recklessly extravagant consumer
5. Unwonted - Not habitual or ordinary; unusual; not accustomed; unused; rare
6. Minuet - A slow, stately pattern dance in 3/4 time for groups of couples, originating in 17th-century France; a movement in 3/4 time that is usually the third, but sometimes the second, of a four-movement symphony or string quartet 7. Hasty - Characterized by speed; rapid; done or made too quickly to be accurate or wise; rash
8. Deliberate - Weighing facts and arguments with a view to a choice or decision; carefully considering the probable consequences of a step; circumspect; slow in determining; --- applied to persons; as, a deliberate judge or counselor; not hasty or sudden; slow; to consider the reasons for and against; to consider maturely
9. Surreptitious - Obtained, done, or made by clandestine or stealthy means; acting with or marked by stealth; trickily secret; conducted with or marked by hidden aims or methods; marked by quiet and caution and secrecy
10. Clandestine - Kept or done in secret, often in order to conceal an illicit or improper purpose; secret, sly; existing or operating in a way so as to ensure complete concealment and confidentiality
11. Enervate - To weaken or destroy the strength or vitality; deprived of strength; debilitated; lessen or deplete the nerve, energy, or strength of; lack of nervous energy
12. Chicanery - Deception by trickery or sophistry; lack of straightforwardness and honesty in action; legal trickery or false argument; deception, trickery
13. Ephemeral - lasting for a markedly brief time
14. Sycophant - A servile self-seeker who attempts to win favor by flattering influential people; one who flatters another excessively
15. Daunt - frighten
16. Philistine - An unrefined, rude person; lacking in delicacy or refinement; a person who is uninterested in intellectual or cultural pursuits
17. Stygian - Gloomy and dark; infernal; hellish
18. Pulverize - To pound, crush, or grind to a powder or dust; to demolish; destroy
19. Immunity - The capacity to withstand; privilege, exemption from normal legal duties, penalties, or liabilities, granted to a special group of people; the ability of the body to resist or fight off infection and disease
20. Incredulity - The state or quality of being incredulous; disbelief; refusal or reluctance to believe; doubt about the truth of something
21. Maculate - To spot, blemish, or pollute; morally blemished; stained or impure; make dirty or spotty, as by exposure to air, of metals
22. Aberrant - Deviating from the proper or expected course; deviating from what is normal; untrue to type; not being normal
23. Fissure - A crack or crack-like depression; division; an interruption in friendly relations; a break in the skin, usually where it joins a mucous membrane, producing a cracklike sore or ulcer
24. Capitulate - To surrender under specified conditions; come to terms; give up all resistance; acquiesce; to give in from or as if from a gradual loss of strength
25. Rage - Violent, explosive anger
26. Headlong - Characterized by unthinking boldness and haste; dangerous, reckless; uncontrollably forceful or fast; rashly
27. Proxy - A person authorized to act for another; an agent or substitute; written authorization to act in place of another; authority to act for another; a person who is given the power to act for another in voting
28. Flag - To hang limply; droop; to decline in vigor or strength; signal to stop
29. Sustenance - The act of sustaining; the condition of being sustained; the supporting of life or health; maintenance
30. Hedgerow - A row of bushes, shrubs, or trees forming a hedge
31. Recondite - Not easily understood; abstruse; concealed; hidden; mysterious, obscure
32. Balm - To make or become calm; comfort; a soothing or healing medicine; pleasing aromatic fragrance; soothing, healing, or comforting agent or quality
33. Largesse - A generous gift or giving
34. Munificent - Very liberal in giving; generous; showing great generosity
35. Hedonist - A person devoted to pleasure and luxury
36. Fervent - Having or showing great emotion or zeal; ardent; extremely hot; glowing; characterized by intense emotion; sincerely or intensely felt
37. Impediment - Something that impedes; a hindrance or obstruction; an organic defect preventing clear articulation; something that obstructs the making of a legal contract; obstruction, hindrance
38. Enigma - One that is puzzling, ambiguous, or inexplicable; perplexing speech or text; a riddle
39. Scrutiny - A close, careful examination or study; close observation; surveillance
40. Commodious - Spacious; roomy; Archaic. suitable; handy
41. Pithy - Precisely meaningful; forceful and brief; consisting of or resembling pith
42. Cultivated - Of, relating to, or produced in cultivation; educated; polished; refined
43. Lugubrious - Mournful, dismal, or gloomy, especially to an exaggerated or ludicrous degree
44. Indemnity - Security against damage, loss, or injury; a legal exemption from liability for damages; compensation for damage, loss, or injury suffered
45. Ambulate - To walk from place to place; move about; to go on foot; walk about; not be bedridden or incapable of walking
46. Lethargic - Of, causing, or characterized by lethargy; lazy, sluggish; deficient in alertness or activity
47. Irate - Extremely angry; enraged; characterized or occasioned by anger
48. Epicenter - The point of the earth's surface directly above the focus of an earthquake; a focal point
49. Precarious - Dangerously lacking in security or stability; subject to chance or unknown conditions; based on uncertain, unwarranted, or unproved premises; tricky, doubtful; not safe or sure
50. Portent - An indication of something important or calamitous about to occur; an omen; prophetic or threatening significance; something amazing or marvelous; a prodigy; miracle
51. Avaricious - Immoderately desirous of wealth or gain; greedy
52. Doctrine - A principle taught or advanced for belief, as by a religious or philosophical group; opinion; principle
53. Ideology - The body of ideas reflecting the social needs and aspirations of an individual, group, class, or culture; a set of doctrines or beliefs that form the basis of a political, economic, or other system
54. Belligerent - Inclined or eager to fight; hostile or aggressive; of, pertaining to, or engaged in warfare; one that is hostile or aggressive, especially one that is engaged in war; nasty, argumentative
55. Beige - A light grayish brown or yellowish brown to grayish yellow; soft fabric of undyed, unbleached wool; a very light brown; color of sand
56. Piquant - Pleasantly pungent or tart in taste; spicy; appealingly provocative; charming, interesting, or attractive; flavorful, biting
57. Pedantic - Characterized by a narrow, often ostentatious concern for book learning and formal rules; bookish, precise; showing off learning
58. Rampant - Extending unchecked; unrestrained; occurring without restraint and frequently, widely, or menacingly; rearing on the hind legs; uncontrolled, out of hand
59. Harry - To disturb or distress by or as if by repeated attacks; harass; to raid, as in war; sack or pillage; pester, annoy; torment; worry
60. Indefeasible - That cannot be annulled or made void
61. Venerate - To regard with respect, reverence, or heartfelt deference
62. Implicit - Implied or understood though not directly expressed; having no doubts or reservations; unquestioning; conveyed indirectly without words or speech
63. Salient - Readily attracting notice; describing any projecting part or member, as a salient corner; springing; jumping; a military position that projects into the position of the enemy; projecting angle or part
64. Amicable - Characterized by or exhibiting friendliness or goodwill; friendly
65. Egregious - Conspicuously bad or offensive; outstandingly bad; outrageous
66. Trite - Lacking power to evoke interest through overuse or repetition; hackneyed; without freshness or appeal because of overuse;silly, commonplace
67. Titanic - Having great stature or enormous strength; huge or colossal; of enormous scope, power, or influence
68. Flamboyant - Highly elaborate; ornate; given to ostentatious or audacious display; extravagant, theatrical
69. Volition - The act or an instance of making a conscious choice or decision; a conscious choice or decision
70. Figurine - A small molded or sculptured figure; a statuette; a small carved or molded figure
71. Vestige - A visible trace, evidence, or sign of something that once existed but exists or appears no more; a trace of something absent, lost, or vanished; the remnant of a structure that functioned in a previous stage of species or individual development
72. Remainder - What remains after a part has been used or subtracted; balance, residue; an estate in land that is conveyed only after the termination of a preceding estate created at the same time
73. Intimidate - To make timid; fill with fear; to coerce or inhibit by or as if by threats; frighten, threaten
74. Trepidation - A state of alarm or dread; apprehension; an involuntary trembling or quivering; anxiety, worry
75. Abridgement - The act of abridging or the state of being abridged; a short summary or version prepared by cutting down a larger work; shortening, summary; a shortened version of a written work
76. Abstruse - Difficult to understand; recondite
77. Vitiate - To reduce the value or impair the quality of; to corrupt morally; debase; to make ineffective; invalidate
78. Dawdle - To take more time than necessary; move aimlessly or lackadaisically; to waste (time) by idling
79. Obfuscation - Mental confusion; confusion resulting from failure to understand; darkening or obscuring the sight of something; the activity of obscuring people's understanding, leaving them baffled or bewildered
80. Pervasive - Having the quality or tendency to pervade or permeate; spreading throughout; extending; suffusing
81. Retard - To cause to move or proceed slowly; delay or impede; hinder, obstruct
82. Fretful - Having or showing a bad temper; being unable or unwilling to endure irritation or opposition; irritable
83. juggurnaut - A massive inexorable force that seems to crush everything in its way
84. Thaw - Change from a frozen solid to a liquid by gradual warming; unfreeze, warm
85. Tributary - A stream that flows into a larger stream or other body of water; making additions or yielding supplies; contributory; secondary; branch
86. Screen - To cut off from sight: block; to shelter, especially from light; to examine (material) and remove parts considered harmful or improper for publication or transmission; hide, protect; a detachment of troops or ships detailed to cover the movements of the main body
87. Hubble - A unit of astronomical distance equal to 10 raise to the power 9 light-years or 9.4605 × (10 raise to the power 24 meters)
88. Friction - A state of disagreement and disharmony; the resistance to movement as one object is moved across the other, usually creating heat; conflict or animosity caused by a clash of wills, temperaments, or opinions; the action of one surface or object rubbing against another
89. Omnipotent - Having unlimited or universal power, authority, or force; all-powerful; one having unlimited power or authority; all-powerful
90. Grandiose - Characterized by greatness of scope or intent; grand; pompous
91. Hue - The property of colors by which they can be perceived as ranging from red through yellow, green, and blue, as determined by the dominant wavelength of the light; particular gradation of color; a shade or tint; appearance; aspect
92. Prescient - Characterized by foresight; perceiving the significance of events before they occur
93. Flock - A group of animals that live, travel, or feed together; group of people under the leadership of one person, especially the members of a church; large crowd or number
94. Virile - Of, relating to, or having the characteristics of an adult male; having or showing masculine spirit, strength, vigor, or power; capable of performing sexually as a male; potent; manly
95. Recapitulate - To repeat again the principal points of; go over something again; repeat in concise form
96. Hoist - To move (something) to a higher position; instance of lifting or being lifted; the part of a flag nearest the staff; lift or raise, especially by using a rope
97. Plethora - A superabundance; an excess; excess of blood in the circulatory system or in one organ or area; condition of going or being beyond what is needed, desired, or appropriate
98. Resplendent - Splendid or dazzling in appearance; brilliant; bright, radiant; marked by extraordinary elegance, beauty, and splendor
99. Puddle - A small pool of water, especially rainwater; small pool of a liquid; tempered paste of wet clay and sand that serves as waterproofing when dry
100. Recess - A pause or interval, as from work or duty; interrupt regular activity for a short period; stop action; break, interval in action; any shallow depression in a surface
101. Limpid - Admitting light so that objects beyond can be seen; characterized by transparent clearness; calm and untroubled; serene; clear; comprehensible
102. Spate - A sudden rush or flood; sudden or rapid flowing outward; an abundant, usually overwhelming flow or fall, as of a river or rain
103. Dexterity - Skill and grace in physical movement, especially in the use of the hands; mental skill or adroitness; cleverness; aptitude, ability
104. Lachrymose - Weeping or inclined to weep; tearful; causing or tending to cause tears
105. Hamstring - To restrict the activity or free movement of; handicap; any of the tendons at the rear hollow of the human knee; destroy or hinder the efficiency of; frustrate
106. Perfunctory - Hasty and without attention to detail; not thorough
107. Quixotic - Not compatible with reality; generous to a ridiculous degree; impractical; capricious; impulsive
108. Banister - A handrail, especially on a staircase; a railing at the side of a staircase or balcony to prevent people from falling
109. Baneful - Causing harm, ruin, or death; harmful; ruinous, injurious
110. Abase - To lower in rank, prestige, or esteem; deprive of self-esteem or confidence
111. Abet - To give support or assistance; assist, help in wrongdoing; approve, encourage, and support (an action or a plan of action); urge and help on
112. Abhor - To regard with horror or loathing; detest; regard with extreme dislike and hostility; to hate very much; to feel great fear, disgust, or hatred for something
113. Splay - An outward bevel around a door or window that makes it seem larger; spread open or apart; turn outward; move out of position; turned outward in an ungainly manner
114. Manifest - Clearly apparent to the sight or understanding; obvious; show or demonstrate plainly; reveal; evidence of; prove; list of cargo or passengers carried on a ship or plane; invoice of goods carried on a truck or train
115. Galling - Bitterness of feeling; rancor; something bitter to endure
116. Preponderance - Superiority in weight, force, importance, or influence; great numbers; supremacy
117. Thrive - To make steady progress; prosper; grow vigorously; flourish
118. Perspicacity - Acuteness of perception, discernment, or understanding
119. Importune - To beset with insistent or repeated requests; entreat pressingly; annoy; vex; beg persistently and urgently
120. Accost - To approach and speak to boldly or aggressively, as with a demand or request; approach for the purpose of speech; meet face-to-face, especially defiantly; approach for conversation or solicitation; suddenly approach another to speak
121. Husband - To use sparingly or economically; conserve; protect (an asset) from loss or destruction; one who, having dined, is charged with the care of the plate; man to whom a woman is married
122. Terse - Brief and to the point; effectively concise
123. Voraciousness - Consuming or eager to consume great amounts of food; ravenous; having or marked by an insatiable appetite for an activity or pursuit; greedy
124. Vehement - Characterized by forcefulness of expression or intensity of emotion or conviction; fervid
125. Definitive - Explicit, sharply defining; conclusive
126. Acumen - Sharpness of mind; intelligence; ability to take good decisions; shrewdness; display great political acumen
127. Dilatory - Intended to delay; tending to postpone or delay: dilatory in his work habits
128.Acoustics - The scientific study of sound, especially of its generation, transmission, and reception; total effect of sound, especially as produced in an enclosed space; science of sound and hearing
129. Phenomenal - Extraordinary or marvelous; of, relating to, or constituting phenomena; astounding
130. Endeavor - To try hard; attempt to achieve something; work with a set or specified goal or purpose; conscientious or concerted effort toward an end; an earnest attempt; enterprise
131. Sprain - A painful wrenching or laceration of the ligaments of a joint; to injure a (bodily part) by twisting; injury to a joint, with possible rupture of some of the ligaments or tendons but without dislocation or fracture; an injury caused by twisting a muscle or ligament in a joint without putting the bones out of place
132. Haven - A harbor or anchorage; a port; place of refuge or rest; a sanctuary; an inlet providing shelter for ships or boats; a harbor or small port; something that physically protects, especially from danger; to give refuge to
133. Puny - Of inferior size, strength, or significance; weak; small, insignificant
134. Insouciant - Marked by blithe unconcern; nonchalant; easygoing, casual; cheerful, carefree
135. Infirmary - A place for the care of the infirm, sick, or injured, especially a small hospital or dispensary in an institution; place where sick or injured people are cared for
136. Infirmity - A bodily ailment or weakness, especially one brought on by old age; frailty; feebleness; condition or disease producing weakness; failing or defect in a person's character; physical, mental, or moral weakness or flaw
137. Conservatory - A school for the teaching of music, drama, or other fine arts; structure chiefly used for growing flowers, plants, and outof-season fruits and vegetables under protected conditions; it is attached to a dwelling, in contrast to a greenhouse which serves the same purpose but is usually a separate structure in a garden or field
138. Pep - Energy and high spirits; vim; lively, emphatic, eager quality or manner; power for work or vigorous activity
139. Somber - Dark; gloomy; dull or dark in color; melancholy; dismal; serious; grave; sad; depressing
ISSUE TOPICS
1. The arts (painting, music, literature, etc.) reveal the otherwise hidden ideas and impulses of a society
2. It is always an individual who is the impetus for innovation; the details may be worked out by a team, but true innovation results from the enterprise and unique perception of an individual
3. It is the artist, not the critic, who gives society something of lasting value
4. The chief benefit of the study of history is to break down the illusion that people in one period of time are significantly different from people who lived at any other time in history
5. Money spent on research is almost always a good investment, even when the results of that research are controversial
6. The material progress and well-being of one country are necessarily connected to the material progress and well-being of all other countries
7. It is primarily through formal education that a culture tries to perpetuate the ideas it favors and discredit the ideas it fears
8. Most people are taught that loyalty is a virtue. But loyalty whether to one's friends, to one's school or place of employment, or to any institution is all too often a destructive rather than a positive force
9. In most professions and academic fields, imagination is more important than knowledge
10.Too much emphasis is placed on role models. Instead of copying others, people should learn to think and act independently and thus make the choices that are best for them
11. There are two types of laws: just and unjust. Every individual in a society has a responsibility to obey just laws and, even more importantly, to disobey and resist unjust laws
12.The video camera provides such an accurate and convincing record of contemporary life that it has become a more important form of documentation than written records
ANALOGIES
1). hasty:deliberate
2). enervate:energy
3). infuriate:rage
4). headlong:deliberation
5). proxy:voter
6). flag:sustenance
7). hedgerow:fence
8). recondite:comprehend
9). enervate:strength
10). hoist: lower
11). moderate: irate
12). doctrine:ideology
13). glasses:vision
14). figurine:statue
15). intimidate:trepidation
16). vitiate:quality
17). dawdle:punctuality
18). abridge:length
19). obfuscation:clarity
20). thaw:warmth
21). tributary:river
22). hue:beige
23).recapitulate:summary
24). puddle:lake
25). recess:halt
26). hamstrung:disable
27). grow:thrive
28). importune:ask
29). accost:approach
30). vestige:remainder
31). success:endeavor
32). injury:sprain
33). infirmary:treatment
34). acumen:keenness
35). adaptable:modify
36). yawn:fatigue
ARGUMENT TOPICS
1. The following appeared in a letter to an editor.
"In many countries, wood is the primary fuel used for heating and cooking, but wood smoke can cause respiratory and eye problems, and extensive use of wood causes deforestation, a major environmental problem. In contrast, charcoal, made by partially burning wood in a controlled process, is a fuel that creates less smoke than wood does. Moreover, although charcoal costs slightly more than wood, less charcoal is needed to produce the same amount of heat. Therefore, people who use wood as their primary fuel can, without experiencing economic hardship, switch to charcoal and can thereby improve their health and preserve the environment."
2. The following appeared in a memorandum from the general manager of KNOW radio station.
"Several factors indicate that radio station KNOW should shift its programming from rock-and-roll music to a continuous news format. Consider, for example, the number of older people in our listening area has increased dramatically, while the total number of our listeners has recently declined. Also, music stores in our area report decreased sales of recorded music. Finally, continuous news stations in neighboring cities have been very successful, and a survey taken just before the recent election shows that local citizens are interested in becoming better informed about politics."
3. The following appeared in a report of the Committee on Faculty Promotions and Salaries at Elm City University.
"During her 17 years as a professor of botany, Professor Thomas has proved herself to be well worth her annual salary of $50,000. Her classes are among the largest at the university, demonstrating her popularity among students. Moreover, the money she has brought to the university in research grants has exceeded her salary in each of the last two years. Therefore, in consideration of Professor Thomas' demonstrated teaching and research abilities, we recommend that she receive a $10,000 raise and a promotion to Department Chairperson; without such a raise and promotion, we fear that Professor Thomas will leave Elm City University for another college."
