words to Impress an Examiner! aberration , , (n.

.) something that differs from the norm (In 1974, Poland won the World Cup, but the success turned out to be an aberration, and Poland have not won a World Cup since ! abhor (v.) to hate, detest ("ecause he alwa#s wound up getting hit in the head when he tried to pla# cric$et, %arcin began to abhor the sport ! acquiesce (v.) to agree without protesting (&hough %r! Pospies'n# wanted to sta# outside and wor$ in his garage, when his wife told him that he had better come in to dinner, he acquiesced to her demands! alacrity , , (n.) eagerness, speed ((or some reason, )imon loved to help his girlfriend whenever he could, so when his girlfriend as$ed him to set the table he did so with alacrity! amiable (adj.) friendl# (*n amiable fellow, +eil got along with ,ust about ever#one! appease (v.) to calm, satisf# (When -err# cries, his mother gives him chocolate to appease him! arcane (adj.) obscure, secret, $nown onl# b# a few (&he professor is an e.pert in arcane /ashubian literature! avarice (n.) e.cessive greed (&he ban$er0s avarice led him to amass an enormous personal fortune! brazen , ,

(adj.) e.cessivel# bold, brash, clear and obvious (Critics condemned the writer0s brazen attempt to plagiarise (ran$ow1 C'erwon$o0s wor$! brusque (adj.) short, abrupt, dismissive ()imon0s brusque manner sometimes offends his colleagues! cajole , , , (v.) to urge, coa. (%agda2s friends cajoled her into drin$ing too much! callous a !" # , , (adj.) harsh, cold, unfeeling (&he murderer0s callous lac$ of remorse shoc$ed the ,ur#! candor (n.) honest#, fran$ness (We were surprised b# the candor of the politician0s speech because she is usuall# rather evasive! chide (v.) to voice disapproval (3ania chided 4regor# for his vulgar habits and slopp# appearance! circumspect (adj.) cautious (&hough I promised %arta0s father I would bring her home promptl# b# midnight, it would have been more circumspect not to have specified a time! clandestine (adj.) secret (*nnouncing to her bo#friend that she was going to the librar#, %aria actuall# went to meet 4eorge for a clandestine liaison! coerce $ (v.) to ma$e somebod# do something b# force or threat (&he court decided that 5avid "ec$ham did not have to honor the contract because he had been coerced into signing it! coherent

(adj.) logicall# consistent, intelligible (William could not figure out what 3arold had seen because he was too distraught to deliver a coherent statement! complacency , (n.) self1satisfied ignorance of danger ()imon tried to shoc$ his friends out of their complacency b# painting a frightening picture of what might happen to them! confidant (n.) a person entrusted with secrets ()hortl# after we met, he became m# chief confidant! connive (v.) to plot, scheme ()he connived to get me to give up m# plans to start up a new business! cumulative (adj.) increasing, building upon itself (&he cumulative effect of hours spent using the World 6nglish website was a vast improvement in his vocabular# and general level of 6nglish! debase %, &, $ (v.) to lower the 7ualit# or esteem of something (&he large raise that he gave himself debased his motives for running the charit#! decry (v.) to critici'e openl# (*ndr'e, 8epper, the leader of the Polish )elf 5efence part# decried the appaling state of Polish roads! deferential (adj.) showing respect for another0s authorit# (5onata is alwa#s e.cessivel# deferential to an# $ind of authorit# figure! demure , (adj.) 7uiet, modest, reserved (&hough ever#one else at the part# was dancing and going cra'#, she remained demure!

deride (v.) to laugh at moc$ingl#, scorn (&he native spea$er often derided the other teacher0s accent! despot (n.) one who has total power and rules brutall# (&he despot issued a death sentence for an#one who disobe#ed his laws! diligent (adj.) showing care in doing one0s wor$ (&he diligent researcher made sure to double chec$ her measurements! elated (adj.) over,o#ed, thrilled (When he found out he had won the lotter#, the postman was elated! eloquent (adj.) e.pressive, articulate, moving (&he best man gave such an eloquent speech that most guests were cr#ing! embezzle (v.) to steal mone# b# falsif#ing records (&he accountant was fired for embezzling 91:,::: of the compan#0s funds! empathy (n.) sensitivit# to another0s feelings as if the# were one0s own (I feel such empathy for m# dog when she0s upset so am I; enmity (n.) ill will, hatred, hostilit# (-ohn and )cott have clearl# not forgiven each other, because the enmity between them is obvious to an#one in their presence! erudite (adj.) learned (%# 6nglish teacher is such an erudite scholar that he has translated some of the most difficult and abstruse <ld 6nglish poetr#! extol

(v.) to praise, revere (/amila extolled the virtues of a vegetarian diet to her meat1loving bo#friend! fabricate (v.) to ma$e up, invent (When I arrived an hour late to class, I fabricated some e.cuse about m# car brea$ing down on the wa# to wor$! feral (adj.) wild, savage (&hat beast loo$s so feral that I would fear being alone with it! flabbergasted (adj.) astounded (Whenever I read an *gatha Christie m#ster# novel, I am alwa#s flabbergasted when I learn the identit# of the murderer! forsake (v.) to give up, renounce (I won2t forsake m# conservative principles! fractious (adj.) troublesome or irritable (*lthough the child insisted he wasn0t tired, his fractious behaviour 1 especiall# his decision to crush his ,am sandwiches all over the floor 1 convinced ever#one present that it was time to put him to bed! furtive (adj.) secretive, sl# (Claudia0s placement of her drugs in her soc$ drawer was not as furtive as she thought, as the soc$ drawer is the first place most parents loo$! gluttony (n.) overindulgence in food or drin$ (3elen0s fried chic$en tastes so divine, I don0t $now how an#one can call gluttony a sin! gratuitous

(adj.) uncalled for, unwarranted (6ver# evening the gu# at the fish and chip shop gives me a gratuitous helping of vinegar! haughty (adj.) disdainfull# proud (&he superstar0s haughty dismissal of her co1stars will bac$fire on her someda#! hypocrisy (n.) pretending to believe what one does not (<nce the politician began passing legislation that contradicted his campaign promises, his hypocrisy became apparent! impeccable (adj.) e.emplar#, flawless (If #our grades were as impeccable as #our brother0s, then #ou too would receive a car for a graduation present! impertinent (adj.) rude, insolent (%ost of #our comments are so impertinent that I don0t wish to dignif# them with an answer! implacable (adj.) incapable of being appeased or mitigated (Watch out= once #ou shun 4randmother0s coo$ing, she is totall# implacable! impudent (adj.) casuall# rude, insolent, impertinent (&he impudent #oung woman loo$ed her teacher up and down and told him he was hot! incisive (adj.) clear, sharp, direct (&he discussion wasn0t going an#where until her incisive comment allowed ever#one to see what the true issues were! indolent

(adj.) la'# (Wh# should m# indolent children, who can0t even pic$ themselves up off the sofa to pour their own ,uice, be rewarded with a trip to "urger /ing> inept (adj.) not suitable or capable, un7ualified ()he proved how inept she was when she forgot two orders and spilled a pint of cider in a customer0s lap! infamy (n.) notoriet#, e.treme ill repute (&he infamy of his crime will not lessen as time passes! inhibit (v.) to prevent, restrain, stop (When I told #ou I needed the car last night, I certainl# never meant to inhibit #ou from going out! innate (adj.) inborn, native, inherent (3is incredible athletic talent is innate, he never trains, lifts weights, or practices! insatiable (adj.) incapable of being satisfied (%# insatiable appetite for blondes was a real problem on m# recent holida# in -apan; insular (adj.) separated and narrow1minded? tight1$nit, closed off ("ecause of the sensitive nature of their ,obs, those who wor$ for %I@ must remain insular and generall# onl# spend time with each other! intrepid (adj.) brave in the face of danger (*fter scaling a live volcano prior to its eruption, the e.plorer was praised for his intrepid attitude! inveterate (adj.) stubbornl# established b# habit (I0m the first to admit that I0m an inveterate cider drin$erAI drin$ four pints a da#!