Aberrant/Anomaly

adj

Context Clue: Wildly aberrant behavior

Ab- means away from; err- means wander

Deviating from what is normal or expected; abnormal

 Since he had been a steady, cheerful worker for many years, his fellow postal workers did not expect his aberrant burst of rage.

Synonyms: Adbnormal; anomalous; deviant; divergent; errant; irregular

Apocryphal

adj

Context Clue: Wildly apocryphal rumors

Of questionable authority or authenticity; invented rather than true; mythical

There is no hard authoritative evidence to support the apocryphal tales that link the Roswell, New Mexico, incident to a downed UFO.

Synonyms: Disputed; doubtful; fictitious; fraudulent; spurious; uncanonical (not part of an accepted body of literary work)

Assuage

verb

Context Clue: Assuaging grief

To make something unpleasent less severe

Like many people, Philip Larkin used alcohol to assuage his sense of meaninglessness and despair.

Synonyms: Allay; alleviate; appease; comfort; conciliate; ease; lighten; mitigate; mollify; pacify; palliate; placate; propitiate; relieve; soothe; sweeten; satisfy or appease (hunger).

Anodyne

noun

(aah nuh dien)

Something that calms or soothes pain

The anodyne massage helped remove the knots from the lawyer's tense shoulders.

Synonyms: Narcotic; nepenthe; opiate

Anachronism

noun

Context Clue: An anachronistic throwback

Word Parst Clue: Chron- means time

Chronologically out of place; Something out of place in time

The aged hippie used anachronistic phrases like "groovy" and "far out" that had not been popular for year.

Synonyms: Archaism; incongruity

Attenuate

verb

Context Clue: Aspirin attenuating a fever's intensity

Word Parts Clue: Ten- means thin.

To reduce in force or degree; weaken; make thinner or finer

The Bill of Rights attenuated the traditional power of government to change laws at will.

Synonyms: Debilitate; devitalize; dilute; enervate; enfeeble; rarefy; sap; thin; undermine; undo; unnerve; water; weaken

Augury

noun

(aw gyuh ree) (aw guh ree)

Prophecy; predictions of events

Troy hoped the rainbow was an augury of good things to come.

Synonyms: Auspices; harbinger; omen; portent; presage

Abase

verb

(uh bays)

To humble; disgrace

My intention was not to abase the comedian.

Synonyms: Demean; humiliate

Abjure

verb

(aab jur)

To reject; abandon formally

The spy abjured his allegiance to the United States when he defected to Russia.

Synonyms: Forswear; recall; recant; retract; take back

Abstemious

adj

Context Clue: An abstemious regime

Moderate in appetite

Because Alyce is a vegetarian, she was only able to eat an abstemious meal at the Texas Steakhouse.

Synonyms: Adstinent; continent; self-restraining; sober; temperate

Assail

verb

(uh sayl)

To attack; assault

The foreign army will try to assail our bases, but they will not be successful in their attack.

Synonyms: Beset; strike; storm

Arrogate

verb

(aa ruh gayt)

To claim without justification; to claim for oneself without right

Gretchen watched in astonishment as her boss arrogated the credit for her brilliant work on the project.

Synonyms: Appropriate; presume; take

Affected

adj

(uh fehk tihd)

Phony; artificial

The affected hairdresser spouted French phrases, though she had never been to France.

Synonyms: Insincere; pretentious; put-on

Alacrity

noun

Context Clue: Accepting with allacrity

Speed or quickness; prompness; eagerness

The restaurant won a reputation for fine service sence the wait staff responded to their clients' requests with alacrity.

Synonyms: Celerity; dispatch; haste; swiftness; cheerful willingness; briskness

Ambiguous

adj

(aam bihg yoo uhs)

Doubtful or uncertain; can be interpreted several ways

The directions he gave were so ambiguous that we disagreed on whic way to turn.

Synonyms: Cloudy; doubtful; dubious; equivocal; indeterminate; nebulous; obscure; unclear; vague

Abeyance

noun

Context Clue: Held in abeyance

Temporary suppression or suspension; temporary inactivity

The baseball game was held in abeyance while it continued to rain.

Synonyms: Deferral; delay; dormancy; postponement; remission

Abstain

verb

(uhb stayn)

To choose not to do something

Before the medical procedure, you must abstain from eating.

Synonyms: Forbear; refrain; withhold

Approbation

noun

Context Clue: Esteem and approbation

Approval and praise; good opinion

The approbation that Jerry Lewis received in France included a medal from the Ministry of Culture.

Synonyms: Acclaim; adulation; applause; commendation; compliments; exalt; extol; hail; kudos; praise

Ameliorate

verb

Context Clue: Ameliorating working conditions

To make better or more bearable; to improve

The doctor was able to ameliorate the patient's suffering using painkillers.

Synonyms: Amend; better; improve; pacify; upgrade

Acidulous

adj

(uh si juh luhs)

Sour in taste or manner

The acidulous taste of the spoiled milk made the young boy's lips pucker.

Synonyms: Acerbic; acetous; biting; piquant; pungent; tart

Analogous

adj

(uh naal uh guhs)

Similar or alike in some way; equivalent to

His mother argued that not going to college was analogous to throwing his life away.

Synonyms: Alike; comparable; corresponding; equivalent; homogenous; parallel; similar

Anomaly

noun

Context Clue: Congenial anomaly

Deviating from what is normal

Albino animals may display too great an anomaly in their coloring to attract normally colored mates.

Synonyms: Aberrant; aberration; abnormality; deviance; deviation from the norm; irregularity; preternaturalness

Archaic

adj

(ahr kay ihk)

Ancient; old-fashioned

Her archaic Commodore computer could not run the latest software.

Synonyms: Ancient; antediluvian; antique; archaic; bygone; dated; dowdy; fusty; obsolete; old-fashioned; outdated; outmoded; passe; prehistoric; stale; superannuated; superseded; vintage

Ardor

noun

(arh duhr)

Intense and passionate feeling

Bishop's ardor for landscape was evident when he passionately described the beauty of the scenic Hudson Valley.

Synonyms: Devotion; enthusiasm; fervency; fervidity; fervor; fire; passion; zeal; zealousness

Articulate

adj

(ahr tih kyuh luht)

Able to speak clearly and expressively

She is extremely articulate when it comes to expressing her pro-labor views; as a result, unions are among her strongest supporters.

Synonyms: Eloquent; expressive; fluent; lucid; silver-tongued; smooth-spoken

Antagonize

verb

(aan taa guh niez)

To annoy or provoke to anger

The child discovered that he could antagonize the cat by pulling its tail.

Syonyms: Clash; conflict; incite; irritate; oppose; pester; provoke; vex

Antipathy

noun

Context Clue: Natural antipathy of cats and dogs

Extreme dislike

The antipathy between fans of the rival soccer teams made the game even more electrifying to watch.

Synonyms: Abhorrence; animosity; animus; antagonism; aversion; dislike; enmity; hatred; hostility; loathing; repellence; repugnance; repulsion; revulsion

Word Parts Clue: Anti- means against; Path- means feeling

Austere

adj

(aw steer)

Severe or stern in appearance; undecorated

The lack of decoration makes Zen temples seem austere to the untrained eyes.

Synonyms: Bleak; dour; grim; hard; harsh; severe

Abdicate

verb

(aab duh kayt)

To give up a position, right, or power

With the angry mob clamoring outside the palace, the king abdicated his throne and fled.

Synonyms: Cede; relish; resign; quit; yield

Abscond

verb

(aab skanhd)

To leave secretly

The patron absconded from the restaurant without paying his bill by sneaking out the back door.

Synonyms: Decamp; escape; flee

Abyss

noun

(uh bihs)

An extremely deep hole

The submarine drove inoth the abyss to chart the previous unseed depths.

Synonyms: Chasm; void

Accretion

noun

(uh kree shuhn)

A growth in size; an increase in amount

The committee's strong found-raising efforst resulted in an accretion in scholarship money.

Synonyms: Accumulation; buildup

Adulterate

verb

Context Clue: Adulterating coffee with chicory

To make impure

The restaurant made hi ketchup last longer by adulterating it with water.

Synonyms: Debase; doctor; load; contaminate

Advocate

verb

(aad vuh kayt)

To speak in favor of

The vegetarian advocated a diet containing no meat.

Synonyms: Back; champion; support

Aggrandize

verb

(uh graan diez) (aa gruhn diez)

To increase in power, influence, and reputation

The supervisor sought to aggrandize himself by claiming that the achievement of his staff were actually his own.

Synonyms: Amplify; apotheosize; augment; dignify; elevate; enlarge; ennoble; exalt; glorify; magnify; swell; uplift; wax

Amortize

verb

(uh mohr tiez)

To diminish by installment payments

While college students are notorious for accumulating credit card debt, they are not as well known for amortizing it.

Synonyms: Conviviality

Amulet

noun

(aam yoo liht)

ornament worn as a charm against evil spirits

Though she claimed it was not because of superstition, Vivian always wore an amulet around her neck.

Syonyms: Fetish; talisman

Apostate

noun

Context Clue: Treacherous apostate

One who renounces a religious faith

So that he could divorce his wife, the king scoffed at the church doctrines and declared himself and apostate.

Synonyms: Defector; deserter; traitor; turncoat; deserter; renegade; rebel

Aerie

noun

(ayr ee) (eer ee)

A nest build high in the air; an elevated often secluded, dwelling

Perched high among the trees, the eagle's aerie was filled with eggs.

Synonyms: Perch; stronghold

Aesthetic

adj

(ehs theh tihk)

Concerning the appreciation of beauty

The aesthetic movement regarded the pursuit of beauty to be the only true purpose of art.

Synonyms: Artistic; tasteful

Amalgamate

verb

Context Clue: Amalgamating several schools into one

To combine; to mix together; unite in one body

Giant Industries amagamated with Mega Products to for Giant-Mega Products Incorporated.

Synonyms: Admix; blend; coalesce; combine; commingle; commix; compound; fuse; intermingle; intermix; merge; mingle; mix; unite

Analgesia

noun

(aah nuhl jee zhuh)

A lessening of pain without loss of consciousness

After having her appendix removed, Tatiana welcomed the analgesia that the painkillers provided.

Apathy

noun

(aa pah thee)

Lack of interest or emotion

The apathy of voters is so great that less than half the people who are eligible to vote actually bother to do so.

Synonyms: Coolness; disinterest; disregard; impassivity; indiference; insensibility; lassitude; lethergy; listlessness; phlegm; stolidity; unconcern; unresponsiveness

August

adj

(aw guhst)

Dignified; grandiose

The august view of the Grand Teton summit took my breath away.

Synonyms: Admirable; awesome; grand; majestic

Acme

noun

(aak mee)

Highest point; summit; the highest level or degree attainable

Just when he reached the acme of his power, the dictator was overthrown.

Synonyms: Apex; peak; summit

Arbitrate

verb

(ahr bih trayt)

To judge a dispute between two opposing parties

Since the couple could not come to an agreement, a jusge was forced to arbitrate their divorce proceedings.

Synonyms: Adjudge; adjudicate; determine; intermediate; intervene; judge; moderate; referee; rule

Arbitrary

adj

(ahr bih trayr ee)

Determined by chance or impulse

When you lack the information to judge what to do next, you will be forced to make an arbitrary decision.

Synonyms: Changeable; erratic; indiscriminate; random; wayward

Audacious

adj

(aw day shuhs)

Fearless and daring

The audacious peasant dared to insult the king's mother.

Synonyms: Adventurous; aggressive; assertive; bold; brave; courageous; daring; dauntless; doughty; fearless; gallant; game; heroic; intrepid; mettlesome; plucky; stout; stouthearted; unafraid; undaunted; valiant; valorous; venturesome; venturous

Alleviate

verb

(uh lee vee ayt)

To make more bearable

Taking aspirin helps to alleviate a headache.

Synonyms: Allay; assuage; comfort; ease; lessen; lighten; mitigate; palliate; relieve

Abate

verb

Context Clue: A forest fire abating.

To reduce in amount, degree, or severity; put an end to; lessen in intensity.

As the hurricane's force abated, the winds dropped and the sea became calm.

Synonyms: Ebb; lapse; let up; moderate; relent; slacken; subside; wane, subside, moderate

Axiom

noun

(aak see uhm)

Premise; postulate; self-evident truth

Halle lived her life based on the axioms her grandmother had passed on to her.

Synonyms: Adage; apothegm; aphorim; maxim; rule

Aggregate

noun

Context Clue: Taken in the aggregate

Word parts clue: Greg- means flock

Sum total; gross amount; whole mass; materials used in making concrete

Paul Valery quipped, "Science means simply the aggregate of all the recipes that are always successful. All the rest of literature.

Apprise

verb

Context Clue: Keep me apprised of the situation

Inform; make aware of; advise of; notify

When meteorologists apprise NASA of the dangerous weather conditions, the head of the space agency decided to postpone the shuttle launch.

Ascetic

noun

Context Clue: A self-denying ascetic

One who practices self-denial; hermit; abstainer

Thoreau was a natural ascetic who ate little meat, but subsisted on vegetable food and who drank nothing but water.

Typically, the religious ascetic withdrew from the society of men to some solitary place in the desert or to some cave in the hills.

Asperity

noun

Context Clue: Ill-humored asperity

Sharpness of temper; harshness of manner; severity; acrimony; acerbity; roughness of surface

Exasperated by the boys' unruly behavior, she addressed them with considerable asperity.

Word Parts Clue: Asper- means harsh or rough.

Aspersion

noun

Context Clue: Vile aspersions

Slanderous remark; abusive attack; disparaging comment; slur; calumny

Rather than attacking President Cleveland's arguments with logic, his oponent resorted to casting aspersions on the president's moral character.

Word Parts Clue: Asper- means harsh or rough

Assiduous

adj

Context Clue: Assiduous efforts

Diligent; industrious unremitting; persistent

It took Rembrandt weeks of assiduous labor before he was satisfied with his portrait of his son.

Astringent

adj; also noun

Context Clue: Sour as astringent, unripe fruit

Word Parts Clue: String means draw tight

Harshly biting; sharp and penetrating; bitter in taste; caustic; causing contraction

The astringent quality of the unsweetened lemon juice made swallowing difficult.

Autonomy

noun

Context Clue: Personal autonomy

Political or personal independence; self-governance; freedom

Under the Constitution, states have considerable autonomy to pass, enforce, and interpret their own laws and to pursue their own public policy programs

Word Parts Clue: Auto- means self; Nom- means rule.

Aver

verb

Context Clue: Averring the truth

Assert confidently; affirm; declare; avow; profess; as used in law, state formally as a fact

The self-proclaimed psychic averred that, because he has extrasensory perception on which to base his predictions, he had no need of seismographs in order to foretell earthquakes.

Word Parts Clue: Ver- means true.