Word Definition Example Sentence

v. to become less active, less As I began my speech, my feelings of

Abate
intense, or less in amount nervousness quickly abated.

adj. existing purely in the

Julie had trouble understanding the appeal of
Abstract mind; not representing actual
the abstract painting.
reality

I got an abysmal grade on my research

Abysmal adj. extremely bad
paper!

Accordingly adv. in accordance with All students must behave accordingly.

n. the act of gaining a skill or Language acquisition is easier for kids than it
Acquisition
possession of something is for adults.

v. to make suit a new purpose The US has adapted many foreign foods to
v. to accommodate oneself to better suit the tastes of Americans.
Adapt
a new condition, setting, or Dogs are known for their ability to
situation quickly adapt to their environments.

adj. having knowledge or skill Beth loves playing the piano, but she’s
Adept
(usu. in a particular area) especially adept at the violin.

adj. having sufficient

Though his resume was adequate, the
Adequate qualifications to meet a
company doubted whether he’d be a good fit.
specific task or purpose

Advent n. the arrival or creation of The world has never been the same since
 something (usu. historic) the advent of the light bulb.

adj. relating to hostile An adversarial attitude will make you many

Adversarial
opposition enemies in life.

n. someone who promotes or

defends something I am an advocate for free higher education.
Advocate v. to defend or promote Environmental protesters often advocate for
something (usu. a belief, cleaner energy practices.
theory, opinion, etc.)

The aesthetic decorations at the wedding

adj. relating to beauty or
Aesthetic reception made you feel as if you were a
refined taste
character in a fairy tale.

He’s saving money so he can afford to buy a

v. to be able to buy
Afford new car.
v. to be able to spare
I can’t afford to lose any more pencils!

v. to promote something
Agitate They’re agitating for better health care.
(usu. a cause)

Allow v. to permit or consent to US law allows citizens to speak freely.

v. to make a secretive She alluded to the problem at hand but

Allude
mention of something didn’t say anything more about it.

n. a noisy argument or Greg got into an altercation with a stranger

Altercation
confrontation at the bar.
 adj. unclear or vague in Her ambiguous statement made me
Ambiguous
meaning question whether she could be trusted.

adj. having a powerful desire Penny is so ambitious, she wants to be

Ambitious
for success or achievement president someday.

n. the state of being uncertain

His ambivalence prevented him from
Ambivalence or stuck between two or
immediately signing the contract.
more options

Green onions are considered analogous to

Analogous adj. similar but not identical
spring onions.

v. to destroy or cause The dictator sent orders to annihilate the

Annihilate
devastating destruction group of rebels.

n. something different from This result is an anomaly and very rarely

Anomaly
the norm happens.

v. assume to be likely to The party was just as fun as I

Anticipate
happen had anticipated it would be.

Her antipathy toward the professor was

Antipathy n. a strong feeling of dislike obvious: she rolled her eyes whenever he
entered the classroom.

n. the highest point of The spring play was the apex of our school
Apex
something year.

Apprehension n. fearful expectation of Her apprehension to leave her house

 something resulted in her missing the train.

She articulated her opinion on the price of

Articulate v. to clearly express in words
the house.

adj. something made; not Many candies use artificial flavors to make
Artificial
occurring naturally them taste fruity.

His assertion that sharks are mammals made

Assertion n. a strong declaration
everyone laugh.

He lived in a small, austere cabin in the

middle of the woods.
adj. extremely plain
My boss had an austere expression on her
Austere adj. stern and forbidding
face.
adj. relating to self-denial
An austere lifestyle, like that of monks, isn’t
for everybody.

n. the quality of being real

The police officer doubted
Authenticity and true instead of fake and
the authenticity of the suspect’s story.
contrived

n. an intangible path or The company has decided to pursue

Avenue
approach to something other avenues.

adj. actively interested in or

Avid Gerald is an avid soccer fan.
enthusiastic about something

adj. relating to the foundation You have to start with basic Russian before
Basic
or basis of something you can move on to the advanced level.
 She bears a strong resemblance to your
v. to have as a characteristic mother.
v. to have (a child) Judy will bear her first child later this year.
Bear
v. to bring forth My garden is going to bear pumpkins this
v. to put up with year.
I can’t bear her complaining any longer!

Benevolent adj. kind, generous Many cultures believe in benevolent spirits.

n. a preconception that It’s important to avoid bias when

Bias
prevents objectivity investigating a crime.

adj. tinged with a feeling of The ending of the romance movie

Bittersweet
sadness was bittersweet.

v. to support, strengthen, or If we work together, we should be able to lift

Bolster
fortify and then bolster the couch.

The boost in profits was a welcome change.

n. an increase or growth
Boost In order to boost profits, you need to cater to
v. to increase or make grow
your customers.

n. an intense, loud fight A brawl broke out at school today after one
Brawl v. to fight loudly and student accused another of cheating.
disruptively The two students brawled for an hour.

n. the quality of being brief or The brevity of their time together made it all
Brevity
terse the more romantic.

Candid adj. direct, blunt Josh is candid about his desire to become an
 actor.

n. the trait of being honest I admire her candor, especially when nobody
Candor
and frank else bothers to speak up.

I’d like to capitalize on your math skills by

Capitalize v. to use to your advantage
having your work the cash register.

v. to trap or take possession The spy was captured by the enemy.

of Your painting beautifully captures the
v. to successfully represent or ephemerality of life.
Capture
imitate I was captured by her beauty.
v. to captivate, mesmerize The cops captured the criminal three days
v. to catch or seize after the incident.

adj. relating to the city or

Civic Voting is a civic duty.
citizens

adj. emotionally unattached

Her clinical approach to situations allows her
Clinical (usu. used in medical or
to handle them more effectively.
scientific setting)

Children of rich and famous people often

Clout n. special advantage or power
believe they have a lot of clout.

The horse’s mane was coarse, as if it had

adj. indicating a rough texture
never been washed.
Coarse adj. lacking refinement or
The queen’s coarse way of speaking
sophistication
surprised the other members of royalty.
 It wasn’t until after I booked my ticket that I
Coincide v. to happen at the same time
realized the concert coincided with my finals.

n. the use of payment to

This painting was commissioned by a rich
Commission request something (e.g., a
merchant in 1589.
service or product)

Comparable adj. able to be compared This novel is comparable to Huckleberry Finn.

We need to hire a competent web developer

Competent adj. sufficiently qualified
to create a good website for our company.

Though he had never won any awards or

adj. satisfied, with no desire
Complacent even been published, he
to change or improve
was complacent with his life as a poet.

v. to make perfect or This wine perfectly complements this platter

Complement
complete of gourmet cheese.

v. to be forced to agree or With no chance of winning the battle, the

Concede surrender army at last conceded.
v. to admit to a transgression Dan conceded to pranking his sister.

The plan to build the city was

Conceive v. to imagine or come up with
originally conceived in the early 1900s.

v. to overlook, approve, or She couldn't condone her daughter's

Condone
allow rebellious behavior.

Conducive adj. able to bring about or be The noisy students hardly made the campus
 suitable for library conducive to studying.

The group conducted their research abroad

v. to control or manage
Conduct last year.
v. to behave a certain way
Be sure to conduct yourself accordingly.

v. to share something She confided all of her biggest secrets in her

Confide
secretive with someone best friend.

We are going to confine the use of this

Confine v. to put limits on; to restrict
drinking fountain.

After weeks of debating, the panel finally

Consensus n. overall agreement
came to a consensus.

v. to form or compose (part The desire for equality constituted the civil
Constitute
of) something rights movement.

She contemplated telling her teacher about

Contemplate v. to think deeply about
the cheating student.

v. to maintain or assert (an The president contends that the US

Contend
opinion) government will not negotiate with terrorists.

Contradict v. to be in contrast with The camera footage contradicts his alibi.

adj. highly debatable and Millions of viewers watched

Controversial
causing contention the controversial debate take place.

adj. abiding by accepted

Conventional She lives a conventional life in the suburbs.
standards
 v. to pass on or transfer I have trouble conveying my thoughts in
Convey
(information) French.

Her religious convictions prevent her from

Conviction n. a firm belief in something
eating meat.

The note signed by her

v. to provide evidence for; to
Corroborate father corroborates her claim that she was
back up (a claim)
absent from class that day.

This ingredient seems to counteract the

Counteract v. to work in opposition to
other ones.

n. an argument used to Make sure to include a counterargument in

Counterargument criticize or dismantle another your essay so that you can show you’ve
argument considered the topic from all perspectives.

Bill’s idea to take a shortcut was

Counterproductiv adj. hindering the
ultimately counterproductive: it took us
e achievement of a goal
twice as long to get to the train station.

The culmination of the performance was

Culmination n. the final act or climax
unforgettable.

Teachers don’t just pass on new information

Cultivate v. to foster the growth of to students—they cultivate their academic
potential.

v. to declare formally and The president decreed that Halloween would

Decree
with authority henceforth be a national holiday.
 Her deference to the elderly makes her the
Deference n. respect; regard perfect candidate for an internship at the
retirement center.

adj. not enough in degree or I feel as though the sources for my paper
Deficient
amount are deficient.

Could you demonstrate the dance move for

me?
v. to do as an example
Demonstrate This book’s use of words such as “grim” and
v. gives evidence for
“bleak” demonstrates the author’s mournful
tone.

She demurred at my request to transfer to a

Demur v. to object to
different department.

v. to (over)use over time (usu. The lost campers quickly depleted their
Deplete
resources) supply of food.

Desolate adj. bare, barren, empty The moon is one giant, desolate landscape.

Devise v. to come up with (a plan) Lana devised a plan to make herself famous.

n. a problem, usually
The main dilemma is whether to pay for a
Dilemma requiring a choice between
commercial or not.
two options

n. conscientiousness; the
Diligence and confidence will get you far in
Diligence quality of being committed to
life.
a task
 v. to become smaller in scope The itchiness of mosquito bites usually starts
Diminish
or degree to diminish after a few days.

When the police didn’t explain what was

adj. hopeless and dangerous
Dire happening right away, Jane knew that the
or fearful
situation must be dire.

Disputes over money caused

Discord n. disagreement
intense discord in the family.

n. a lack of respect and strong

He looked at me with such disdain that I
Disdain dislike (toward something or
immediately knew the job wouldn’t work out.
someone)

n. hopelessness, stress, or
To Nick’s dismay, he got an F on the test.
consternation
Dismay Many were dismayed by the town’s
v. to fill with woe or
implementation of metered parking.
apprehension

A good boss is stern but never disparages his

Disparage v. to belittle or speak down to
or her employees.

v. to send off a message or The mother dispatched her daughter to their

Dispatch
messenger neighbor’s house.

Lately, there’s been

n. the act of becoming
Diversification noticeable diversification of students at
diverse
higher institutions.

Doctrine n. a principle, theory, or Devoutly religious people often live their lives
 position, usu. advocated by a
according to their doctrines.
religion or gov’t

n. power and authority (usu. The country claimed to have dominion over
Dominion over a territory) parts of Russia.
n. a legal territory Puerto Rico is a dominion of the US.

The gray clouds in the sky made the day

Dreary adj. sad, gloomy, dull
feel dreary.

The man’s claims to the throne

Dubious adj. doubtful, questionable were dubious since nobody knew where he’d
come from.

adj. peculiar or odd; deviating She’s a little eccentric but still fun to be
Eccentric
from the norm around.

After cheating on the exam, Emily began to

Egregious adj. extremely bad feel as though she’d made
an egregious mistake.

adj. having refined or

His speech was not only eloquent but also
Eloquent expressive communication
extremely compelling.
skills (in speaking or writing)

Our town made news when

adj. superior or distinguished;
Eminent the eminent magician came to perform at
high in position or status
our local theater.

Emit v. to discharge, give forth, or Plants consume carbon dioxide

 release and emit oxygen.

adj. very expressive; using Her emphatic smile told me she was excited
Emphatic
emphasis to ride the roller coaster.

adj. derived from experience,

You need empirical evidence to support your
Empirical observation, or an
claim.
experiment

v. to equip or bestow (usu. a According to the myth, the

Endow
quality or ability) gods endowed him with the gift of healing.

v. to withstand, sustain, or I can’t endure this wait any longer. Will

Endure
hold out against Stanford accept or reject me?

A doctoral program entails long nights and a

Entail v. to involve or include
heavy workload.

Her face will forever be entrenched in my

Entrenched adj. firmly established
memory.

I can’t enumerate how many times I’ve had

Enumerate v. to specify or count to remind my students when their papers are
due.

n. excessive jealousy His envy of her is quite obvious.

Envy
v. to admire and be jealous of She envies her coworker's social skills.

adj. having no fixed course;

Erratic The car became erratic after slipping on ice.
deviating from the norm
 They established a law that made it illegal to
v. to enact
drive after drinking any amount of alcohol.
Establish v. to found (a business,
Our group established a new branch in
group, school, etc.)
Chicago.

Evoke v. to draw forth or call up Horror movies are great at evoking fear.

v. to make worse or increase The doctor told me not to run as it

Exacerbate
the severity of can exacerbate my knee injury.

v. to do something extremely She was a well-rounded student

Excel
well or to be superior in but excelled especially in science.

v. to put into use (usu. as

Exert Don’t exert all of your energy at once.
effort)

adj. invigorating, stimulating, The music playing at the club was catchy
Exhilarating
or exciting and exhilarating.

v. to use up (as in energy or Be careful not to expend all your energy in

Expend
money) the first half of a marathon.

The shoddy company exploited its workers

Exploit v. to use selfishly or for profit
by paying them extremely low wages.

In grad school, advisors facilitate students’

Facilitate v. to aid the progress of
research and offer constructive criticism.

Feasibility n. the practicality or The feasibility of her project was doubtful;

possibility of something she’d have to go all the way to Antarctica and
 back before the school year ended.

The lion is just one wild animal known for

Ferocity n. viciousness, violence
its ferocity.

adj. related to (government) Fiscal policy is how the government uses

Fiscal
money money to influence the economy.

v. to prosper, grow, or make After one year, the tiny plants

Flourish
fast progress had flourished into a breathtaking garden.

Stocks can fluctuate on a daily basis, making

v. to be unstable; to rise and
Fluctuate it difficult to determine when to buy or sell
fall
one.

The civilians accused their leader

Foment v. to stir up
of fomenting political unrest.

adj. capable of being I can't imagine aliens visiting us in

Foreseeable
predicted or anticipated the foreseeable future.

I frankly don’t see the point in learning to

Frankly adv. directly, clearly
drive.

His freewheeling attitude often got him in

Freewheeling adj. carefree
trouble at work.

adj. the most essential or A thesis is arguably the

Fundamental
most basic part most fundamental part of an essay.

Galvanizing adj. thrilling, exciting, The galvanizing performance left everyone

 stimulating spellbound.

I became interested in geriatric medicine

Geriatric adj. relating to old age shortly after my grandfather passed away
from cancer.

The voices around the corner sounded

Hostile adj. harmful, dangerous
angry, hostile even.

adj. supposed; related to a For my physics homework, I must come up

Hypothetical
hypothesis with a hypothetical situation.

adj. publicly shameful or The politician's expensive campaign

Ignominious
humiliating ultimately ended in ignominious defeat.

v. to transmit, bestow, or Parents must impart common sense to their

Impart
disclose children.

n. the equal and objective To ensure impartiality, we require everyone

Impartiality
treatment of opposing views to follow these general guidelines.

adj. impressive (esp. in size or The old mansion was imposing in its huge
Imposing
appearance) size and gothic architecture.

If it’s not too much of an imposition, could

Imposition n. an unnecessary burden
you proofread my paper?

adj. not cautious or prudent; Backpacking abroad can be fun, but don’t
Imprudent
rash be imprudent about money.

Incite v. to encourage or stir up Her hateful words incited anger in the crowd.
 n. apathy, emotional The girl’s indifference toward her brother
Indifference
detachment upset their parents.

adv. randomly; with little or

Indiscriminately Lottery winners are chosen indiscriminately.
no distinction

v. to give into; to satisfy or My friend loves to indulge in cheesy romance

Indulge
gratify movies.

v. to guess, conclude, or You can infer from this quotation that the
Infer
derive by reasoning writer didn’t care for “pretty” language.

adj. novel or new (esp. as an Her invention was incredibly innovative and
Innovative
idea or invention) won her multiple awards.

A vampire’s thirst for blood is said to

Insatiable adj. can’t be satisfied
be insatiable.

The culture’s norms were an inversion of our

Inversion n. a reversal
own.

v. to call on; to appeal to (e.g.,

Invoke The shaman attempted to invoke a demon.
a higher power)

The couple’s differences were

adj. incapable of being in
Irreconcilable ultimately irreconcilable, giving them no
harmony or agreed upon
choice but to break up.

v. to feel sorrow for; to Susan lamented her missed chance at going

Lament
mourn to Europe with her high school class.
Locomotion n. movement Physics involves the study of locomotion.

Writing books isn’t a

adj. capable of making a lot of
Lucrative particularly lucrative career, unless you’re J.K.
money; profitable
Rowling.

The malicious spirit drove out the

Malicious adj. harmful, spiteful
inhabitants from their home.

adj. capable of being molded Children’s minds are malleable but only for
Malleable
or changed so long.

adj. superficial; focus on Many people accuse Americans of

Materialistic
material possessions being materialistic.

adj. extravagant or
The melodramatic play was well liked by the
Melodramatic exaggerated (as of a
audience.
melodrama)

They moved into a modest house in the

adj. simple and humble countryside.
Modest
adj. small in size or amount I received a modest sum of money for my
help at the company event.

Dr. Nguyen modified the gene so that it

Modify v. to change, alter, or tweak
wouldn’t carry the disease.

Momentous adj. historically significant Her win in the election was momentous.

Novel adj. new, innovative We are looking for novel ways to approach
 the project.

n. a subtle difference in Body-language experts even understand

Nuance
meaning the nuances of facial expressions.

adj. legally void and

Null The government declared their marriage null.
ineffective

n. judgment based on
In scientific research, objectivity is of utmost
Objectivity observations instead of
importance.
emotions or opinions

Historians assumed record players would

adj. no longer used; rare or
Obsolete be obsolete by now, but in fact they’re
uncommon
making a huge comeback.

Gods are omnipotent beings who can control

Omnipotent adj. almighty and all powerful
human destiny.

n. the beginning or early At the onset of her career as a lawyer, things

Onset
stages were looking up.

v. to openly express an The new employee opined at the company

Opine
opinion meeting.

adj. highly detailed and That ornate silverware must be worth

Ornate
decorated thousands of dollars!

v. to remove or force out of Sick and tired of putting up with his bad
Oust
(usu. a position or office) moods, the pirates ousted their captain.
 adj. predominant, superior, Our paramount concern is the safety of our
Paramount
most important employees.

Upon entering the abandoned house, Kate

Peculiar adj. strange, bizarre experienced a peculiar feeling, as if someone
was watching her.

According to the news, nobody perished in

Perish v. to die; to pass away
the fire.

They will persecute anyone who doesn’t

Persecute v. to cause suffering to
agree with their views of the world.

Petulant children are especially difficult to

Petulant adj. cranky, pouty, irritable
care for.

Many believe that composers such as

Pinnacle n. highest level or degree Beethoven and Mozart represent
the pinnacle of classical music.

The frail-looking dog was pitiable, so I gave it

Pitiable adj. deserving pity
some food and took it inside to care for it.

adj. reasonable and possibly Her story is plausible, but that doesn’t mean
Plausible
true she’s telling the truth.

The literary critic postulates that

Postulate v. to assert romanticism and naturalism are actually
interconnected.
 adj. having great influence The bald eagle is a potent symbol of the US.
Potent adj. having a strong, chemical The potion was definitely potent—it healed
effect my wounds immediately!

It’s not necessarily more pragmatic to study

Pragmatic adj. practical, useful
engineering than it is to study philosophy.

n. an example or subject from This change in law is without

Precedent
earlier in time historical precedent.

n. someone who comes

My predecessor gave me many tips for
Predecessor before you (usu. in position
running the office.
or office)

The directions for our essay prescribe a

v. to command orders
length of at least ten pages.
Prescribe v. to issue authorization for
A doctor must prescribe you this medication
medications
before you can begin taking it.

n. basic truth, assumption, or Remember the universal principle: treat

Principle
rule others as you want them to treat you.

v. to command against, to Alcohol was prohibited in the US in the

Prohibit
outlaw 1920s.

Prompt adj. punctual, on time She is always prompt when it comes to

n. a cue to begin something; turning in her homework.
instructions I had to write an essay based on a prompt.
v. to incite, propel, or cause to The possibility of a
 scholarship prompted him to apply to
act
Harvard.

v. to put into law or formally The ruler will at last promulgate an amnesty
Promulgate
declare with the neighboring countries.

v. to bring criminal action

Prosecute The suspect was prosecuted yesterday.
against someone (in a trial)

adj. intending to provoke, Her nude paintings are considered

Provocative
inspire, or arouse quite provocative.

adj. involving qualities of

I noticed a qualitative change in her
Qualitative something (features and
paintings.
content)

adj. involving quantities

Quantitative We must conduct a quantitative analysis.
(numbers and amounts)

Quirk n. a strange habit His biggest quirk is his love of old marbles.

v. to split into two or more Cars ramified throughout the world in the
Ramify
branches twentieth century.

adj. without attention to Her rash decision to pass the car nearly
Rash
danger or risk resulted in a crash.

Raw adj. unrefined He’s got raw talent as a singer, but he needs
adj. not processed; uncooked to work on his performance skills.
(as in food) In some countries, such as Japan, it is normal
 to eat raw fish.

adv. right away and without Water was readily available at different
Readily
difficulty points in the race.

n. thinking again about a The judges’ reconsideration of her

Reconsideration
previously made choice performance resulted in her victory.

The reform made it so that only those 18 and

n. a change for the better;
older can legally drive.
Reform improvement
The government reformed its vague policies
v. to improve via change
on marijuana use.

v. to prove to be untrue, The student refuted the professor’s claim in

Refute
unfounded, or incorrect class.

v. to strengthen or add We can use these pipes to reinforce the

Reinforce
support to structure.

Max reluctantly agreed to see the horror

Reluctantly adv. somewhat unwillingly
movie with his friends.

v. to give up (usu. power or a Our CEO renounced her position yesterday.

Renounce position) He renounced his friend after he caught her
v. to cast off stealing money from him.

The mother reproached her daughter’s

Reproach v. to criticize school for making students come in during a
blizzard.
 v. to refuse to recognize as The father repudiated his son’s marriage.
Repudiate true She repudiated her son once she found out
v. to cast off he’d married someone without telling her.

n. the act of keeping Water retention can make you weigh more
Retention
something on certain days.

Satiated adj. satisfied (usu. in hunger) I felt satiated after eating a snack.

adj. having practical My brother is not very savvy when it comes

Savvy
intelligence or knowledge to using public transportation.

adj. morally offensive, often

The scandalous politician decided it was best
Scandalous causing damage to one’s
to resign from office.
reputation

v. to look down on with It’s difficult for me not to scorn those who
Scorn
disdain use improper grammar.

adj. paying great attention to I am a scrupulous proofreader and never

Scrupulous
detail miss an error.

v. to examine carefully and

Scrutinize The teacher scrutinized her students’ essays.
critically

v. to produce or release (a
Secrete Trees secrete a sticky substance called sap.
substance)

Sentiment n. opinion I am of the sentiment that you should never

n. a tender or moving gesture give out your passwords to anyone.
 Even though I’m not a big fan of porcelain
dolls, I appreciated the sentiment.

The curtains on the window were

adj. so thin that light can
Sheer so sheer you could clearly see inside the
shine through
house.

This math problem is so simple even a first

adj. easy; not complex grader can solve it.
Simple
adj. undecorated The simple beauty of the ocean is what
makes it memorable.

Medieval peasants believed sinister demons

Sinister adj. ominous, evil
could harm humans.

n. the joining of I stood in solidarity with other female

Solidarity commonalities or common students by refusing to wear the school’s
purposes among a group sexist uniform.

adv. insufficiently, meagerly, Due to my condition, I must eat

Sparingly
or in a restricted manner salt sparingly.

Frogs typically spawn in ponds.

v. to release eggs
Spawn The topic spawned an ongoing debate
v. to call forth or generate
among his family members.

Spur v. to stimulate or incite Her bravery spurred others to act.

adj. run-down, sordid, or The squalid cabin needed a new roof and an
Squalid
sleazy exterminator.
 adj. very plain; devoid of any Looking out at the stark landscape, I felt a
Stark
details or features keen sense of isolation.

The ball is static.

adj. motionless
Static Her life has been static for the past three
adj. changeless
years.

The subordinate officers work every day.

adj. lower in rank
My subordinate will check you in.
n. someone lower in rank
Subordinate You aren’t my boss—you
v. to make dependent on or
can’t subordinate me to the role of
put at a lower rank
receptionist!

adv. happening later or after

Subsequently I subsequently went home.
something

adj. very large in amount or I was shocked to find a substantial amount

Substantial
degree of money beneath the park bench.

It is important for scientists

v. to strengthen with new
Substantiate to substantiate their theories whenever
evidence or facts
possible.

I detected in her expression a subtle hint of

Subtle adj. hard to detect or analyze
irritation.

adj. enough; just meeting a These boxes should be sufficient for our
Sufficient
requirement move.

Surly adj. unfriendly; inclined to The bartender was a surly fellow who wasn’t
 anger afraid to start a fight.

v. to get on top of or They managed to surmount the language

Surmount
overcome barrier by using a translation app.

adj. to be vulnerable (to Children are more susceptible to certain

Susceptible
something) illnesses than adults are.

adj. skilled at dealing with Her tactful attitude toward our class made
Tactful
people her one of my favorite teachers.

The rubberband was taut and ready to be

Taut adj. pulled tight
fired.

adj. abundantly filled (usu. Doorknobs are not as clean as they look and
Teeming
with living organisms) are often teeming with germs.

She had a hostile temperament, making her

Temperament n. usual mood or feelings
intimidating to most people.

We haven’t made any official arrangements

Tentative adj. not yet finalized yet, but the tentative location for our
wedding is Hawaii.

adj. see-through; so thin that Stained window glass isn’t as transparent as

light can shine through regular window glass is.
Transparent
adj. truthful or easy to She was transparent about her plans to end
perceive her marriage.

Treacherous adj. dangerous and unstable The journey was becoming treacherous, but
 they continued on regardless.

adj. very large, good, or bad Tremendous news! You don’t have to repay
Tremendous
in degree or size your loans!

adj. being everywhere at

Ubiquitous Cell phones are ubiquitous these days.
once

Though the dress was cheap

Unadorned adj. undecorated, plain and unadorned, it was by far her favorite one
on the rack.

v. to weaken or subvert (usu. Parents should take care not to

Undermine
gradually or secretly) constantly undermine their children.

v. to emphasize or give This sentence seems to underscore the

Underscore
additional weight to overall meaning of the passage.

v. to move as ripples or in a Belly dancers are known for their ability to

Undulate
wavy pattern skillfully undulate their stomachs.

The unilateral decision was deemed unfair

Unilateral adj. one-sided
by the other party involved.

The court’s decision is unjust—he should not

Unjust adj. unfair; not justified
go free.

Unmitigated adj. downright, utter, total My speech was an unmitigated disaster!

Unprecedented adj. completely new and The number of protestors

never having happened was unprecedented.
 before; historic

We plan to unveil our plans for the new

Unveil v. to make visible; to reveal
company project on Sunday.

He had the urge to tell his parents about his

n. desire or impulse acceptance to Columbia but decided against
Urge
v. to encourage or persuade it.
She urged her sister to apply to Stanford.

Your selfish actions do not validate your

Validate v. to prove or declare valid
feelings for me.

n. ability to be done in a
Viability The viability of the solution is questionable.
practical or useful way

Vital adj. urgently necessary It is vital that you respond by the deadline.

My brother quickly broke his vow to never eat

Vow v. to promise
chocolate again.

Wanting to look cool in front of your friends

Warrant v. to prove to be reasonable
doesn’t warrant breaking the law.

The farmer’s annual pumpkin yield exceeded

n. production of an amount 10,000.
v. to give way to or surrender Cars turning right on red must yield to
Yield
to oncoming traffic.
v. to produce or supply Our experiment yielded many unique-looking
vegetables.