Contents

Writing (ACT Essay) 3

Intro to ACT Writing 4
Sample ACT Essay 6
ACT Essay Scoring 12
Analyzing the Prompt 18
Organizaing Your Essay 21
Features of Top Scoring Essays 26
Plan Ahead 28
Practice Prompt #1 32
Practice Prompt #2 38
Practice Prompt #3 44
Practice Prompt #4 50
Practice Prompt #5 56

Recommended Reading List 63

Vocabulary Resources 67
Word Prefixes, Roots, and Suffixes 69
Tone / Attitude Words 73
Other Essential Words 77
Synonym Clusters 81
Math Vocabulary 139

Tips for Test Day 147

Notes 150
ACT v17.10 Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal.
 Writing (ACT Essay)

The Optional ACT Writing Test consists of a 40-minute essay. It is administered

following a short break at the end of the four multiple-choice tests.

According to the ACT, the Writing Test is optional, but you should keep in mind
that many universities require applicants to submit the Writing Test as part of
their ACT scores. It is therefore a good idea to take the Writing Test unless you’re
100% certain that none of the colleges you plan to apply to require the Optional
ACT Writing Test.

The ACT Writing Score will not affect your scores on any of the other multiple-
choice tests. Rather, you will receive two additional scores: a combined English
Language Arts (ELA) scaled score from 1 - 36 and four Writing Test subscores from
2 - 12.

ACT writing prompts include short statements from three perspectives relating
to issues or controversies facing modern society. You are still free to side with one
of the given perspectives, but you’ll now be tested on your ability to evaluate
the perspectives and analyze the issue based on your reasoning, knowledge, and
experience.

ACT v17.10 Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal. 3
 The Official Instructions:
Directions
This is a test of your writing skills. You will have forty (40) minutes to read the prompt,
plan your response, and write an essay in English. Before you begin working, read all the
material in this test booklet carefully to understand exactly what you're being asked to do.
You will write your essay on the lined pages in the answer document provided. Your
writing on those pages will be scored. You may use the lined pages in this test booklet to
plan your essay. Your work on these pages will not be scored.

Your essay will be evaluated on the evidence it provides of your ability to:
• Analyze and evaluate multiple perspectives on a complex issue
• State and develop your own perspective on the issue
• Explain and support your ideas with logical reasoning and detailed examples
• Clearly and logically organize your ideas in an essay
• Effectively communicate your ideas in standard written English
Lay your pencil down immediately when time is called.

DO NOT OPEN THIS BOOKLET UNTIL TOLD TO DO SO.

LET’S BREAK THAT DOWN.

Basically, the instructions read:

1. You’ve got 40 minutes to plan and write your essay.

2. You must take a position in your essay, evaluate the other perspectives
you're given, and show the relationships among your position and the other
perspectives.

3. Write legibly within the four (4) pages provided.

4. Write well.

On the next page, we’ll examine each instruction in greater depth.

4
 Understand the Instructions
1. You’ve got 40 minutes to plan and write your essay.
Time is a factor! Consider the prompt carefully. Then, take a moment to plan your essay
before you begin writing. Sketch a quick outline of your essay in space provided in test
booklet, not the 4-page essay sheet. Remember, this is your road map, so make it a good
one. You want to make sure you don’t just start writing whatever comes to mind. The
readers know that this essay is a first draft, but the more it sounds like a polished final
draft, the better you’ll score.

2. You MUST take a position, evaluate the other perspectives you're given, and
show the relationships among the other perspectives.
Help out the essay grader by making your thesis statement obvious. Directly address
each of the three perspectives. Make it very clear whether you agree or disagree with
each perspective, and don't forget to include evidence that supports your position.

3. Write legibly within the four (4) pages provided.

The good people from the ACT will provide you with four full pages on which to
compose your essay. All they ask in return is that you write legibly, so they can read it.

4. Write well.
According to the rubric for ACT graders, you’re being graded on four domains:

• Ideas and Analysis

• Development and Support

• Organization

• Language Use

That said, it turns out that it’s really difficult for an ACT essay grader to quickly evaluate the
quality of an ACT essay. That takes time. And time is one thing the readers don’t have to spare.
As a result, they grade essays as quickly as possible, taking only about 2 minutes per essay.
Maintaining that frantic pace can be pretty stressful, but you can make their lives easier by
using good structure and clear transitions that help the reader to quickly understand your
argument.

On the next page, we’ll take a look at a sample prompt from ACT.org.

ACT v17.10 Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal. 5
 Intelligent Machines
Many of the goods and services we depend on daily are now supplied by intelligent, automated
machines rather than human beings. Robots build cars and other goods on assembly lines, where
once there were human workers. Many of our phone conversations are now conducted not with
people but with sophisticated technologies. We can now buy goods at a variety of stores without the
help of a human cashier. Automation is generally seen as a sign of progress, but what is lost when
we replace humans with machines? Given the accelerating variety and prevalence of intelligent
machines, it is worth examining the implications and meaning of their presence in our lives.

Read and carefully consider these perspectives. Each suggests a particular way of thinking about the
increasing presence of intelligent machines.

Perspective One Perspective Two Perspective Three

What we lose with the Machines are good at Intelligent machines

replacement of people low-skill, repetitive challenge our
by machines is some part jobs, and at high-speed long-standing ideas
of our own humanity. extremely precise jobs. about what humans are
Even our mundane In both cases they work or can be. This is good
daily encounters no better than humans. because it pushes both
longer require from us This efficiency leads to humans and machines
basic courtesy, respect, a more prosperous and toward new, unimagined
and tolerance for other progressive world for possibilities.
people. everyone.

Essay Task

Write a unified, coherent essay in which you evaluate multiple perspectives

on the increasing presence of intelligent machines. In your essay, be sure to:

• Analyze and evaluate the perspectives given

• State and develop your own perspective on the issue
• Explain the relationships between your perspective and those given

Your perspective may be in full agreement with any of the others, in partial
agreement, or wholly different. Whatever the case, support your ideas with
logical reasoning and detailed, persuasive examples.

6
 Planning Your Essay
Your work on these prewriting pages will not be scored.

Use the space below and on the back cover to generate ideas and plan your essay. You may wish
to consider the following as you think critically about the task:
Strengths and weaknesses of the three given perspectives
• What insights do they offer, and what do they fail to consider?
• Why might they be persuasive to others , or why might they fail to persuade?
Your own knowledge, experience, and values
• What is your perspective on the issue, and what are its strengths and weaknesses?
• How will you support your perspective in your essay?

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ACT v17.10 Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal. 7
 You may wish to remove these sample answer document pages to respond to the practice ACT Writing Test.

PAGE 4 |

WRITING TEST BOOKLET NUMBER WRITING TEST FORM

Please enter the
information at the
Print your 6-digit \14R
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Booklet Number \ 14A \ 16K \ 18C \ 18N
right before beginning in the boxes at the Print your \ 14M \ 16L \ 18D \ 18P
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pencil, ink, ballpoint, or
felt-tip pen.

Begin WRITING TEST here.

The trend toward automation, driven by
advancements in technology, has resulted in
fewer and fewer aspects of our lives that
are dependent entirely on human labor. Given
that this trend shows no sign of abating, we no
longer face the question of how much human
drudgery can be delegated to intelligent machines,
but rather how much that delegation will cost us.
Cut Here

There is no question that automation increases

efficiency for producers and lowers financial
costs for consumers. There are, of course,
real costs associated with automation, including
higher unemployment among unskilled workers, but
this is a temporary problem that can easily be
addressed through retraining programs. Opposition
to automation is the result of our tendency to
fixate on the imagined costs of automation while
overlooking its life-changing benefits.
History has conclusively shown that the
automation of unskilled labor has unleashed great
prosperity in the form of increased production,
1
If you need more space, please continue on the next page.
IM-188616-001:654321

Do not write in this shaded area.

8

75
8263
18263Preparing
PreparingACT
ACT2012-13_5003
2012-13_5003AAP
AAPPrep
Prepforfor
ACT
ACT6/8/12
6/8/129:35 AM
9:35 AMPage
Page7877

WRITING
WRITING TEST
TEST

material wealth, and freedom from menial tasks.

In this regard, history validates Perspective
Two’s claim that industrialization liberates unskilled
workers. For example, the advent of household
appliances like washing machines and dishwashers
revolutionized housework in the United States
during the 1950s. Before these devices,
homemakers – mostly women – toiled away doing
laundry and washing dishes many hours every
week. As these devices became commonplace
in American homes, women found themselves
with more time for leisure and part time jobs.
This exposure to the workplace was essential
generating support for women’s liberation
movement, which in turn led higher employment
Cut Here

among women and greater equality between men

and women in the United States. This example
strongly supports the claim made in Perspective
Three: mechanization allows for “unimagined
possibilities.” None of this societal progress would
have been possible if women were still devoting
large portions of their time to menial labor around
the house. The increases in efficiency that result
from the use of intelligent machines will no doubt
lead to similar unforeseen benefits.
Perspective One alleges without evidence that
the replacement of humans by intelligent machines
3
If you need STOP
more here
space, please
with continue
the Writing on the next page.
Test.
4

PLEASE DO NOT WRITE IN THIS AREA.

Do not write in this shaded area.
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ACT v17.10 Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal. 9
 WRITING TEST
18263 Preparing ACT 2012-13_5003 AAP Prep for ACT 6/8/12 9:35 AM Page 77
leads to a devaluing of human life, which is said to
outweigh all the benefits of automation. In reality,
the opposite is true. We automate precisely
because we recognize the value of our humanity.
WRITING TEST
Nobody replaces a human laborer with a machine
unless there is a very good reason to do so. If
the job being performed by a human is meaningful
and there is no shortage resulting from the
job being performed inefficiently, then that job
is secure. As Perspective Two points out, we
only seek to replace human labor when the job
is tedious or requires super-human precision.
Perspective Two fails to consider cases in
which we seek to automate because a job is too
strenuous or dangerous for a human, but in this
Cut Here

case as well it is our commitment to humanity that

drives the automation.
It would be not only foolish but also inhumane
to continue employing a human to dig ditches
Cut Here

or search for land mines when a backhoe or

a robot would perform the jobs better, more
efficiently, or more safely. Consider, once again,
the homemakers of the 1950s. Did they suddenly
“lose their humanity” when washing machines
reduced their workload? They did not. Were they
rendered obsolete? Not remotely. Should we take
this as an example of humans being valued less
3
If you need more space, please continue on the next page.

PLEASE DO NOT WRITE IN THIS AREA.

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10
77
3
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 WRITING TEST
than washing machines? Of course not. On the
contrary, it is quite clear that women gained a
measure of humanity as they went from being
valued only for their labor to being valued for
their minds. In this example as well, it is our
commitment to humanity that drives the move to
automate menial labor.
Whether it is dishwashers freeing
homemakers, backhoes freeing ditch-diggers,
robots saving lives, or even self-driving cars
freeing taxi drivers, there is no difference.
Machines, both simple and intelligent, will no doubt
continue to replace human labor. Even so, they
can never replace what truly makes us human:
our humanity. The hysteria of Perspective One
is the result of mistaking simple mechanical labor
for the essence of humanity. In reality, the two
are very different. Thus, the claim that intelligent
machines threaten our humanity is hyperbole
based on a misunderstanding of what makes us
human. As Perspectives Two and Three correctly
point out, everyone benefits from the prosperity
and liberty that invariably result from automation.

4
STOP here with the Writing Test.

Do not write in this shaded area.

ACT v17.10 Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal. 11
78
12
Sample essays with explanations can be found online at: www.actstudent.org.
ACT v17.10 Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal. 13
 Scoring Explanation:
Ideas and Analysis = 6
The writer generates an argument that engages critically with multiple perspectives. A nuanced
and precise thesis - opposition to automation is based on a narrow view that ignores all the
benefits while fixating on a mistaken understanding of automation. In analyzing the perspectives,
the argument considers the implications of each perspective in the historical, present, and
likely future context. The writer extrapolates from the evidence to illustrate how the evidence
supports the thesis: our desire to automate is not a threat to our humanity, but a symptom of our
humanity.

Development and Support = 6

The example of dishwashers allowing homemakers to pursue new careers is a good illustration
of the point made by Perspective Three. This example, in addition to the examples of ditch-
diggers and land mine searchers, also helps to refute the claim made by Perspective One. These
examples show that disruption caused by automation results in significant benefit for everyone,
including those humans who have been "replaced" by the machines. Elsewhere, the writer draws
a comparison between the homemakers pursuing careers in the workplace and the potential
for self-driving cars to spur a similar exodus among taxi drivers. The argument that automation
signals a loss of humanity is effectively refuted by framing the issue differently: automation shows
respect for humanity by freeing humans from tedious and dangerous jobs.

Organization = 6
This response is unified by a clear purpose. The logic of the argument is clearly defined and the
writer's strategy is evident as he attempts to resolve the apparent contradiction of values by
showing that Perspective One's fears about the "loss of humanity" are unfounded. The essay uses
effective transitions to unite the ideas into a cohesive argument.

Language Use = 6
This response uses superior language to communicate its ideas. Effective diction works together
with varied sentence structure to convey complex ideas clearly and effectively. The writer
establishes a semiformal tone that succeeds in persuading the reader of his or her argument's
merit. The vocabulary never gets in the way of communicating the argument.

Essay Components:
Your essay must include an introduction, 3 to 4 body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
It is very important that you arrange your argument in a logical sequence before
you begin writing, so you don't get lost along the way.

On the next page, we'll begin to examine each paragraph in detail. Let's take a
look.

14
 Introduction:
The trend toward automation, driven by advancements in technology,
has resulted in fewer and fewer aspects of our lives that are dependent
entirely on human labor. Given that this trend shows no sign of abating,
we no longer face the question of how much human drudgery can be
delegated to intelligent machines, but rather how much that delegation
will cost us. There is no question that automation increases efficiency
for producers and lowers financial costs for consumers. There
are, of course, real costs associated with automation, including higher
unemployment among unskilled workers, but this is a temporary problem
that can easily be addressed through retraining programs. Opposition to
automation is the result of our tendency to fixate on the imagined costs of
automation while overlooking its life-changing benefits.

Notice:
The introduction acknowledges that there are different ways of looking at the issue.
The final sentence of the introduction (underlined) is the thesis statement.

Body Paragraph One:

History has conclusively shown that the automation of unskilled labor has
unleashed great prosperity in the form of increased production, material
wealth, and freedom from menial tasks. In this regard, history validates
Perspective Two’s claim that industrialization liberates unskilled workers.
For example, the advent of household appliances like washing machines
and dishwashers revolutionized housework in the United States during the
1950s. Before these devices, homemakers – mostly women – toiled away
doing laundry and washing dishes many hours every week. As these devices
became commonplace in American homes, women found themselves with
more time for leisure and part time jobs. This exposure to the workplace
was essential generating support for women’s liberation movement, which
in turn led higher employment among women and greater equality between
men and women in the United States. This example strongly supports the
claim made in Perspective Three: mechanization allows for “unimagined
possibilities.” None of this societal progress would have been possible if
women were still devoting large portions of their time to menial labor
around the house. The increases in efficiency that result from the use of
intelligent machines will no doubt lead to similar unforeseen benefits.

Notice:
This body paragraph provides a specific historical example of how automation helped
improve the quality of life for people in the past. Furthermore, the essay directly addresses
the claims made in each of the three perspectives. Finally, the writer echoes the thesis
statement by directly stating the connection between the example and the issue in the
ACT v17.10 prompt. Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal. 15
 Body Paragraph Two:
Perspective One alleges without evidence that the replacement of
humans by intelligent machines leads to a devaluing of human life, which
is said to outweigh all the benefits of automation. In reality, the opposite
is true. We automate precisely because we recognize the value of our
humanity. Nobody replaces a human laborer with a machine unless there
is a very good reason to do so. If the job being performed by a human is
meaningful and there is no shortage resulting from the job being performed
inefficiently, then that job is secure. As Perspective Two points out, we
only seek to replace human labor when the job is tedious or requires
super-human precision. Perspective Two fails to consider cases in which
we seek to automate because a job is too strenuous or dangerous for a
human, but in this case as well it is our commitment to humanity that drives
the automation.

Notice:
Body paragraph two challenges the claims of Perspective One by pointing out that we
do not replace humans with machines for no reason at all. Workers are replaced for a few
reasons: to increase the supply of a good or service, to spare the worker from the boredom of
meaningless work, or to spare the worker from dangerous work. The writer also shows that
Perspective Two can be expanded, which shows careful analysis on the part of the writer.

Body Paragraph Three:

It would be not only foolish but also inhumane to continue employing a
human to dig ditches or search for land mines when a backhoe or a robot
would perform the jobs better, more efficiently, or more safely. Consider,
once again, the homemakers of the 1950s. Did they suddenly “lose their
humanity” when washing machines reduced their workload? They did not.
Were they rendered obsolete? Not remotely. Should we take this as an
example of humans being valued less than washing machines? Of course not.
On the contrary, it is quite clear that women gained a measure of humanity
as they went from being valued only for their labor to being valued for
their minds. In this example as well, it is our commitment to humanity that
drives the move to automate menial labor.

Notice:
Body paragraph three expands on the argument from body paragraph two by providing two
real world examples that illustrate why human workers are better off leaving some jobs to
intelligent machines. The writer also revisits the example of homemakers in the 1950s, but
this time he or she highlights the faulty reasoning behind Perspective One's analysis of the
societal and technological transition.
16
 Conclusion:
Whether it is dishwashers freeing homemakers, backhoes freeing
ditch-diggers, robots saving lives, or even self-driving cars freeing taxi
drivers, there is no difference. Machines, both simple and intelligent, will no
doubt continue to replace human labor. Even so, they can never replace
what truly makes us human: our humanity. The hysteria of Perspective
One is the result of mistaking simple mechanical labor for the essence
of humanity. In reality, the two are very different. Thus, the claim
that intelligent machines threaten our humanity is hyperbole based on a
misunderstanding of what makes us human. As Perspectives Two and Three
correctly point out, everyone benefits from the prosperity and liberty
that invariably result from automation.

Notice:
The conclusion clearly restates the writer's position: intelligent machines replacing human
labor is a good thing. The writer reasserts the benefits that have resulted from simple
machines replacing human laborers in the past and points to the likelihood of similar
benefits as intelligent machines continue to replace human laborers in the future. The writer
also characterizes Perspective One as an overreaction and Perspectives Two and Three as
more accurate.

ACT v17.10 Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal. 17
 Analyzing the Prompt
1. Who is most directly affected by the issue in the prompt?
It may seem as though the issue in the prompt doesn't affect you at all. If that's the case, then
you'll need to become an advocate for whomever this issue most directly affects. Every issue
affects different groups of people in different ways. The prompt will usually address a shift in
society. That shift may be the result of our changing views on rights, or the emergence of a new
technology. It could even be a question of the appropriate role of government in our lives. With
every issue, someone will gain power/freedom/autonomy and someone loses power/freedom/
autonomy. The first step is always to identify the "winners" and "losers."

Examples of groups who may "win" or "lose" as a result of a shift in society:

Youth / Adults Lenders / Borrowers

Women / Men / LGBT Individuals Military / Civilians

Students / Teachers / Administrators Citizens / Noncitizens

Criminals / Law Enforcement / Judges The Poor / Middle Class / The Wealthy

Developed Countries / Developing Countries People / Technology Developers

Individuals / Collectivists The Media / Citizens / Government

Religious / Non-Religious Min. Wage Advocates / Business Owners

Artists / Censorship Advocates Public Schools / Private Schools

Govt. Surveillance Programs / U.S. Citizens Unions / Business Owners / Customers

Judicial / Legislative / Executive The Environment / Demand for Resources

Voters / Financial Donors / Politicians People / State Govt. / Federal Govt.

Home Owners / Renters / Homeless Oil Producers / Oil Consumers / Alt. Energy

18
 2. How is each "winner" or "loser" affected by the issue?
Quickly make a pros & cons list to examine how each side would be affected. Start with the main
argument on both sides. Then, consider the supporting arguments on both sides. You should have
no trouble coming up with two for each side. Keep going until you’ve got at least three supporting
arguments per side. Remember, you don't have to agree with these arguments, but you do need to
be able to understand and explain these arguments.

3. What fundamental rights are involved in the issue?

Some issues don't seem like a big deal, but each issue can be seen as part of a larger debate. The
readers are looking for you to make a connection between minor issues that affect only a small
group of people and larger issues that potentially affect everyone. Spotting these connections
requires insight, and the readers will reward your efforts. Pay special attention to fundamental rights
that would be affected (e.g. freedom of speech/expression, the right to privacy, the need for security,
equal protection, etc.).

Try this: Suppose you were to attend a protest and ask a particularly articulate protestor why
all these people had gathered in the city square. He or she might begin by saying, "This isn't
just about [something]! This is about our fundamental right to [whatever]." You may not agree
with this reasoning, but it's useful to be able to mimic this approach when you sit down to
plan your ACT essay.

4. Where do you stand on each of the three perspectives?

Decide which perspective makes the strongest argument - that's your perspective! Defend it.
Typically, one of the three perspectives is an obvious overreaction to the issue. Refute it. The third
perspective is often somewhere in the middle between enthusiastic endorsement and full on panic
attack. In order to show the readers that you've read an understood this perspective, you'll need
to draw a distinction between this perspective and the one you've chosen to defend. The best way
to do this is to acknowledge that the neutral perspective makes a good point, but that it fails to
consider something very important about the issue.

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ACT v17.10 Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal. 19
 ANALYZE THE PROMPT

Political Donations and Free Speech

Elections in the United States are phenomenally expensive. While nearly everyone bemoans the
presence of big money in politics, every serious candidate depends on large donations from businesses,
political action committees, and wealthy individuals in order to compete in the fundraising arms
race. It has been argued that political donations are a form of free speech and as such, they should
not be curtailed. But is it really beneficial to democracy to allow a handful of wealthy individuals to
contribute so much money that their free speech drowns out the speech of millions of other voters?
It is worth examining the cost of allowing unlimited financial donations to buy so much influence in
elections.

Read and carefully consider these perspectives. Each suggests a particular way of thinking about the
increasing role that money plays in political elections.

Political donations are In theory, donating to a Politicians' heavy reliance

a protected form of free political campaign allows on political donations
speech, which should voters to financially ensures that candidates
never be limited. So long endorse the policies they will have been bought by
as every person is free wish to see enacted. In wealthy donors by the
to contribute to every practice, the financial time they reach office.
candidate's campaign, backing of some voters Democracy cannot
the system is fair for all matters much more than truly function in an
participants. the financial backing of environment of unlimited
others. donations.

Essay Task

Write a unified, coherent essay in which you evaluate multiple perspectives on

the conflict between political donations and free speech. In your essay, be sure to:

• Analyze and evaluate the perspectives given

• State and develop your own perspective on the issue
• Explain the relationships between your perspective and those given

Your perspective may be in full agreement with any of the others, in partial
agreement, or wholly different. Whatever the case, support your ideas with
logical reasoning and detailed, persuasive examples.

20
 Organizing Your Essay
Your work on these prewriting pages will not be scored.

Use the space below and on the back cover to generate ideas and plan your essay. You may wish
to consider the following as you think critically about the task:
Strengths and weaknesses of the three given perspectives
• What insights do they offer, and what do they fail to consider?
• Why might they be persuasive to others , or why might they fail to persuade?
Your own knowledge, experience, and values
• What is your perspective on the issue, and what are its strengths and weaknesses?
• How will you support your perspective in your essay?

1. Who is most directly affected by the issue in the prompt?

__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
2. How is each "winner" or "loser" affected by the issue?
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
3. What fundamental rights are involved in the issue?
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
4. Where do you stand on the each of the three perspectives?
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
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COMPOSE YOUR ESSAY
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78
 The Features of a Top Scoring ACT Essay
Your essay should follow the structure of a five paragraph persuasive essay. This means you’ll
need to begin with an introduction paragraph that includes a thesis statement. Next, write
three to four body paragraphs that highlight evidence in support of your thesis and the
perspectives with which you agree. You'll also want to refute competing perspectives and their
evidence in opposition to your thesis. Instead of writing short, boring sentences, use varied
sentence structure, powerful language, and well-chosen vocabulary to make your points. Use
transitions to clarify the relationship between ideas in your essay. Focus on the main issue, but
make sure you address all three perspectives separately - then in the context of larger issues.
Finish with a conclusion to wrap things up. If you do all of the above, your essay will have good
cohesion and flow.
Let’s Break That Down:
1. Structure - The framework of your essay that proceeds in a logical way. Typically, the structure
of an essay includes an introduction paragraph, three to four body paragraphs, and a conclusion
paragraph.

2. Introduction Paragraph - The first paragraph in the essay, your introduction should include
an objective overview of the issue, a mention of the competing perspectives, and your thesis
statement.

3. Thesis Statement - This is a clear, powerful assertion of your subjective position on the issue.
This is the main idea that the rest of your essay will support.

4. Body Paragraphs + Evidence in Support/Opposition - The three to five paragraphs between

your introduction and your conclusion should highlight and describe evidence that supports your
thesis while acknowledging and refuting evidence that opposes your thesis.

5. Varied Sentence Structure + Powerful Language - Engage the readers by using

subordination to combine choppy little sentences into more lively, expressive statements.
Address both sides, but remember to firmly support your thesis with powerful and assertive
language.

6. Vocabulary - Impress the reader with sophisticated and apt vocabulary choices. Think of it this
way: the structure of your essay is the recipe for a meal, but the your vocabulary is the seasoning
that gives the meal its flavor.

7. Transitions - It is vitally important that the readers are able to understand how the pieces
of your argument relate to one another. Your use of transitions between paragraphs and within
them helps the reader to understand what you’ve said - and predict where you’re going with your
argument.

26
 8. Focus + Three Perspectives + Context - Do not lose your focus and wander off to unrelated
issues. Instead, consider the issue in the prompt from the perspective of those affected by the
possible outcomes to the disagreement. Then, consider the issue in the prompt as it relates to
the larger issues that affect everyone, like security vs. liberty.

9. Conclusion - This is the final paragraph of your essay, in which you’ll reiterate your thesis
(using different phrasing, so you don’t bore the readers!) and quickly recap the evidence you
cited in support of your thesis during the course of your essay. Make sure you acknowledge the
opposition one more time, while pointing out - once again - that the opposition’s argument is
less compelling than yours.

10. Cohesion and Flow - These aren’t things you can simply insert into an essay like a simile or
a metaphor. An essay has cohesion when its parts work together in harmony to illustrate your
argument’s superiority. Good flow, on the other hand, is the result of arranging your points in a
logical sequence that allows them to build upon one another and maximize the impact of your
argument.

Other Important Considerations

Longer Essays Tend to Earn Higher Scores.
Higher-scoring essays use nearly all of the allotted space. Lower-scoring essays tend to be
shorter. Therefore, you should plan to fill all four pages.

Use both Objective and Subjective Writing Styles.

Pure, unbiased fact reporting is what’s known as objective writing. On the ACT essay, however,
you’re required to express your personal opinion by arguing for one side or the other. This type
of writing, arguing for one side, is what’s known as subjective writing. In order to truly impress
the ACT readers, you’ll need to be able to effectively utilize both objective and subjective writing
styles.

Use Impressive Vocabulary, But Don’t Force It.

If you’ve got a stellar vocabulary, then by all means show it off. If, on the other hand, you’re
someone who struggles in that department, then stick with the words you’re 100% comfortable
using. Of course, if you’re reading this before test day, then you’ve still got time to improve your
vocabulary in preparation for test day. Start with the vocabulary list on pages 509 - 512.

Details Make the Difference.

There is a big difference between telling the reader what happens and telling the reader how
and why that thing happens. In fact, you should never include evidence without reminding the
reader how the evidence relates to your thesis or why it is important to the overall essay.

ACT v17.10 Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal. 27
 What do you know? PLAN AHEAD
Use this page to generate a list of useful “stories.” Each time your tutor assigns you an
essay, add any examples you think may come in handy for future essays.
Books: _________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Movies: ________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Historical Figures: _______________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Quotes: ________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Current Events: _________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Founding Documents: ___________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
28
 Like, Use a Simile.
Aristotle was a pretty sharp guy. He once said that good similes give “the effect of brilliance.”
The philosopher was right. Correctly using a simile is a great way to impress the readers.
On the other hand, keep in mind that a poorly chosen or incorrectly used simile suggests
incompetence. Make sure you understand how to use this literary device so that you don’t
maximize the wrong effect.

Similes compare two dissimilar objects and frequently use like or as to make a comparison.
Check the examples below for further clarification.

Similes
“She is like Rembrandt’s light” Tim McGraw
[She is] [like][Rembrandt’s light]

“Heavy like a Tyson blow to the dome.” Cypress Hill

[Heavy][like][a Tyson blow to the dome]

“I left a trail of excuses like a stone on the water.” The Killers

[trail of excuses][like][a stone on the water]

Simile if you're happy

Practice constructing similes for the statements below.

Example: She was very cute --> She was as cute as a button.

1. He moved quickly. --> __________________________________________________

2. The man was very old. --> _______________________________________________

3. I felt disappointed. --> __________________________________________________

4. She sang beautifully. --> _________________________________________________

5. The raindrops were big.-->_______________________________________________

ACT v17.10 Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal. 29
 Use Adverbs (Expertly).
Adverbs spice up your writing. They modify adjectives, verbs, and even other adverbs. They
enhance your essay by telling the reader how the verbs that tell your story actually happened.
Without adverbs, you merely tell the reader what happened. That’s a big difference.

PRACTICE EXERCISE

Use adverbs to liven up the following sentences. There are no right answers here. This is
an exercise in adverb use, not adverb selection, so feel free to have fun with it.

Example: Alexander gazed uneasily at the police lineup, unsure whether he could
confidently identify the crook who had unceremoniously harrassed Alexander’s llama
and stolen the mayor’s sandwich.

1. Jorge ran _____________________ toward certain failure.

2. Glenn spoke ________________ on the topic of asbestos addiction while the
audience listened _________________.
3. Socrates arrived late to the wedding and danced _________________ with the bride
while the groom looked on ___________________.
4. The townsfolk cheered _______________ as the monster truck driver ____________
donated a(n) _________________ large portion of his earnings to oceanography.

Don’t Stutter.
Starting too many sentences with the same word can make your essay sound repetitive and
boring. This repetition is especially obvious when students make the mistake of beginning
consecutive sentences with the pronoun “I.” Not only is your writing repetitive, but you end up
sounding like a narcissist. Don’t fall into this trap. Be sure to mix it up!

Don’t Think. Don’t Believe. Just Report the Facts.

When you make an assertion in an essay, it’s a fact. When you add unnecessary phrases, like “I
think,” “I believe,” or “In my opinion” to the beginning of sentences, you weaken your statements
by reducing the facts to mere opinions. Just report the facts. You're not letting the kid next to you
write the essay, so any opinions are clearly yours. You don't need to identify them as yours.

30
 The show must NOT go on!
ACT readers read hundreds of ACT essays. Almost every single essay attempts to show
or prove something to the reader. Try an ACT quality word in place of the word shows or
proves.

Shows: illustrates, elucidates, illuminates, depicts, exemplifies, demonstrates,

reveals, underscores, highlights.

And trade these worn out words for some more vibrant verbiage.

Many: a plethora, scores, dozens, a myriad, a multitude, a drove, a plenitude

Really/Very
Instead of using really or very to intensify a simple word, replace the simple word
with an ACT caliber word with the desired meaning. For example:

Really Bad: abhorrent, atrocious, awful, base, beastly, contemptible, cursed,

deplorable, despicable, foul, heinous, hellish, horrible, loathsome, lousy, nasty,
obnoxious, odious, repellent, reprehensible, repugnant, repulsive, revolting,
rotten, terrible, vile, wretched

Really Good: admirable, commendable, delightful, divine, excellent,

exceptional, exemplary, faultless, first-rate, grand, great, ideal, impeccable,
inimitable, irreproachable, laudable, magnificent, marvelous, outstanding,
peerless, perfect, splendid, superb, unequaled, unqualified, unsurpassed,
veritable, wonderful

Meet Grumpy Gus. :-(

Your writing should command attention. Punctuation should not command attention. It is
far more likely that any attempt to use creative punctuation will be more of a distraction than
anything else. Creative punctuation carries much more risk than reward. Therefore, unless you
have mastered the English language, you are advised to avoid Grumpy Gus and all of his parts.
That means no semicolons, no dashes, and no parenthesis. How will you know when you’ve
mastered the English language? Your tutor will tell you. Until then, leave Gus alone. He’s grumpy.

Learn From the Best

It's a good idea to expose yourself to some quality writing. We recommend you check out the
New York Times Room for Debate (www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate), which features a number of
authors arguing various positions on issues in the news.

While you're at it, check out the Intelligence Squared podcast, which features brilliant experts
engaged in Oxford-style debates on contemporary issues: http://intelligencesquaredus.org/

ACT v17.10 Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal. 31
 PRACTICE PROMPT #1

Minimum Wage and Economic Freedom

All workers want to be paid as much as possible for their labor, and business owners want to pay as
little as possible for that labor. In a perfectly free market economy, the laws of supply and demand
dictate a fair market wage. In the United States, there are those who feel that this wage is too little
to live on. As a result, the federal and sate governments have implemented various minimum wages
across the country. Today, some are demanding that minimum wage to be increased to a "living
wage" of $15 per hour. Citing economic realities, business owners say this proposal will hurt both
businesses and workers. Minimum wage advocates, on the other hand, argue that paying workers $15
per hour is morally the right thing to do, regardless of economics. In a society that values the rights
of individuals to negotiate the terms of their employment but also wishes to reduce the effects of
poverty, how should we think about conflicts between the proposed "living wage" and the freedoms
of workers and business owners?

Read and carefully consider these perspectives. Each suggests a particular way of thinking about the
conflict between the "living wage" and the freedoms of workers and business owners.

Perspective One Perspective Two Perspective Three

Businesses will always Poverty is a complex Mandating that unskilled

attempt to pay workers as issue with many causes labor must be paid twice
little as possible. Workers and setting a minimum the market rate will make
require the protection of wage is but one of many things worse for everyone
minimum wage in order tools that can be used by forcing businesses
to avoid being exploited to fight it. While raising to raise prices and fire
by greedy business the minimum wage may those employees whose
owners. A good next step help alleviate the effects labor is not worth $15
is to raise minimum wage of poverty, it does not per hour. This creates
to $15 per hour. address the many causes a class of permanently
of poverty. unemployable people.

Essay Task
Write a unified, coherent essay in which you evaluate multiple perspectives
on the conflict between the "living wage" and the freedoms of workers and
business owners. In your essay, be sure to:

• Analyze and evaluate the perspectives given

• State and develop your own perspective on the issue
• Explain the relationships between your perspective and those given

Your perspective may be in full agreement with any of the others, in partial
agreement, or wholly different. Whatever the case, support your ideas with
logical reasoning and detailed, persuasive examples.

32
 Planning Your Essay
Your work on these prewriting pages will not be scored.

Use the space below and on the back cover to generate ideas and plan your essay. You may wish
to consider the following as you think critically about the task:
Strengths and weaknesses of the three given perspectives
• What insights do they offer, and what do they fail to consider?
• Why might they be persuasive to others , or why might they fail to persuade?
Your own knowledge, experience, and values
• What is your perspective on the issue, and what are its strengths and weaknesses?
• How will you support your perspective in your essay?

ACT v17.10 Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal. 33
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 PRACTICE PROMPT #2

Race and Social Justice

Most people want to believe that we live in a meritocracy where anyone who works hard can
achieve "The American Dream." There are many successes to point to as evidence that our society
has progressed greatly toward becoming a post-racial society. Examples include the election of the
first black president and the prevalence of minorities in every facet of popular culture from sports to
entertainment. Some people, however, believe that some opportunities remain closed to members of
minority groups and that various institutions such as public education and the criminal justice system
are inherently racist. In support of this claim, people cite allegations of police misconduct, unequal
access to education, employment discrimination, and disparities in criminal sentencing. Is American
society just or unjust with regard to the issue of race? Are we truly a post-racial society?

Read and carefully consider these perspectives. Each suggests a particular way of thinking about the
effect of racism on social justice in America.

Perspective One Perspective Two Perspective Three

There was a time when Racism and inequality While some measure
we needed policies like remain prevalent in of racial inequality still
Affirmative Action to American society. True exists, we have made
offset historical injustices. equality is not defined great progress as a society
Thankfully, however, we by the number of people overall. In a free society,
have moved beyond the of color who have been people will always make
need for such policies as elected to political office different choices and we
a society. The playing or achieved success in must shift our expectation
field has been leveled for pop culture. Access to from equality of results to
everyone of every race. opportunity remains equality of opportunity.
inherently unequal.

Essay Task
Write a unified, coherent essay in which you evaluate multiple perspectives
on the conflict between the effects of racism and social justice. In your
essay, be sure to:

• Analyze and evaluate the perspectives given

• State and develop your own perspective on the issue
• Explain the relationships between your perspective and those given

Your perspective may be in full agreement with any of the others, in partial
agreement, or wholly different. Whatever the case, support your ideas with
logical reasoning and detailed, persuasive examples.

38
 Planning Your Essay
Your work on these prewriting pages will not be scored.

Use the space below and on the back cover to generate ideas and plan your essay. You may wish
to consider the following as you think critically about the task:
Strengths and weaknesses of the three given perspectives
• What insights do they offer, and what do they fail to consider?
• Why might they be persuasive to others , or why might they fail to persuade?
Your own knowledge, experience, and values
• What is your perspective on the issue, and what are its strengths and weaknesses?
• How will you support your perspective in your essay?

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 PRACTICE PROMPT #3

Privacy and Safety

In 2013, NSA subcontractor, Edward Snowden, leaked top secret information confirming that the
U.S. government had been spying on millions of U.S. citizens. Some called him a hero and a patriot,
while others criticized his methods and branded him a traitor. A decade earlier, Congress passed
the PATRIOT Act, which was intended to prevent terrorism. The act contradicted previous privacy
standards, thereby empowering the government to undertake the widespread surveillance that
Snowden would ultimately blow the whistle on. Ben Franklin once wrote, “Those who would give up
essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.” Should
the government be allowed to monitor and record American citizens’ private communications for the
purpose of identifying and thwarting terrorist activity? Are liberty and privacy more important than
our physical safety?

Read and carefully consider these perspectives. Each suggests a particular way of thinking about the
conflict between privacy and security.

Perspective One Perspective Two Perspective Three

Sometimes we have to The government does not Privacy and liberty must be
give up a little bit of our have the authority to spy carefully balanced against
freedom and privacy for on its own citizens without safety concerns. Any action
the greater good. The just cause. Limiting that may impede upon
government should be able privacy and freedom an individual's privacy
to take measures to ensure in order to try to catch should be regulated by
our safety, even if it means terrorists only results in strict guidelines in order to
less liberty for individuals. a society that is fearful preserve as much liberty as
and distrustful of its own possible while still allowing
government. law enforcement the ability
to effectively combat
terrorism.

Essay Task

Write a unified, coherent essay in which you evaluate multiple perspectives

on the conflict between privacy and safety. In your essay, be sure to:

• Analyze and evaluate the perspectives given

• State and develop your own perspective on the issue
• Explain the relationships between your perspective and those given

Your perspective may be in full agreement with any of the others, in partial
agreement, or wholly different. Whatever the case, support your ideas with
logical reasoning and detailed, persuasive examples.

44
 Planning Your Essay
Your work on these prewriting pages will not be scored.

Use the space below and on the back cover to generate ideas and plan your essay. You may wish
to consider the following as you think critically about the task:
Strengths and weaknesses of the three given perspectives
• What insights do they offer, and what do they fail to consider?
• Why might they be persuasive to others , or why might they fail to persuade?
Your own knowledge, experience, and values
• What is your perspective on the issue, and what are its strengths and weaknesses?
• How will you support your perspective in your essay?

ACT v17.10 Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal. 45
 You may wish to remove these sample answer document pages to respond to the practice ACT Writing Test.

PAGE 4 |

WRITING TEST BOOKLET NUMBER WRITING TEST FORM

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information at the
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Booklet Number \ 14A \ 16K \ 18C \ 18N
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the Writing Test. right. 3-character \ 14T \ 16Q \ 18E \ 18Q
Test Form in \ 14Y \ 16Y \ 18F \ 18R
the boxes above \ 15J \ 17J \ 18G \ 18S
Use a soft lead No. 2 and fill in the \ 15K \ 17U \ 18H \ 18T
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78
 PRACTICE PROMPT #4

Fossil Fuels and Alternative Energy

For a century the U.S. has been dependent on fossil fuels for energy production. Recent years have
seen a heightened emphasis on shifting from fossil fuels to more sustainable energy sources. Because
fossil fuels are nonrenewable, many companies and individuals are “going green” by investing in
renewable energy sources such as solar, geothermal, and wind power. At the same time, many of
those who rely on cheap reliable energy produced by fossil fuels have expressed concern that the
transition to renewable energy could raise energy prices, causing devastating job losses and leaving
the United States uncompetitive internationally. Is it time for our economy to move away from fossil
fuels toward more sustainable forms of energy?

Read and carefully consider these perspectives. Each suggests a particular way of thinking about the
possible transition to alternative fuel sources.

Perspective One Perspective Two Perspective Three

Fossil fuels remain the Fossil fuel is a century-old In the long term, renewable
best choice for cheap, technology that has run its energy will become more
reliable energy. Many course. Renewable energy cost effective, but it makes
important regulations have is the way of the future. sense to continue using
been passed to minimize Eventually we will tap fossil fuels until that time.
the negative effects of oil the wells dry, which will We will gradually move
and coal production upon cause us to need renewable from a fossil fuel based
the environment. These energy, so we might as society to a renewable
industries have been vital well get started developing energy based society
to the success of America solar, geothermal, and wind without shocking the
and will remain vital to its power now. economy by transitioning
success in the future. prematurely.

Essay Task
Write a unified, coherent essay in which you evaluate multiple perspectives
on the conflict between fossil fuels and the transition to more sustainable
energy sources. In your essay, be sure to:

• Analyze and evaluate the perspectives given

• State and develop your own perspective on the issue
• Explain the relationships between your perspective and those given

Your perspective may be in full agreement with any of the others, in partial
agreement, or wholly different. Whatever the case, support your ideas with
logical reasoning and detailed, persuasive examples.

50
 Planning Your Essay
Your work on these prewriting pages will not be scored.

Use the space below and on the back cover to generate ideas and plan your essay. You may wish
to consider the following as you think critically about the task:
Strengths and weaknesses of the three given perspectives
• What insights do they offer, and what do they fail to consider?
• Why might they be persuasive to others , or why might they fail to persuade?
Your own knowledge, experience, and values
• What is your perspective on the issue, and what are its strengths and weaknesses?
• How will you support your perspective in your essay?

ACT v17.10 Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal. 51
 You may wish to remove these sample answer document pages to respond to the practice ACT Writing Test.

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 PRACTICE PROMPT #5

Economic Inequality and The American Dream

For generations, Americans have regarded themselves as privileged participants in the American
Dream, which holds that anyone who works hard enough can experience the benefits of upward
social mobility. Today, however, the gap between the rich and the poor in America has never been
wider. Some worry that economic inequality is now the greatest threat to upward social mobility,
which is at the heart of the American Dream. Others argue that while the financial gap between
the rich and poor has never been more pronounced, the standard of living continues to improve for
members of every socioeconomic group. In a society that values upward mobility and the principle
that everyone is entitled to keep the fruit of their labor, how do we best balance these interests? How
should we think about the conflicts between economic inequality and the American Dream?

Read and carefully consider these perspectives. Each suggests a particular way of thinking about
economic inequality and the American Dream.

Perspective One Perspective Two Perspective Three

Because money buys The differences between Economic inequality is an
privilege and access to the rich and the poor are inevitable by-product of the
opportunities that are largely superficial. The social mobility at the heart
not available to the poor, difference between a fancy of the American Dream.
economic inequality is the sports car and a second- Policies that redistribute
greatest threat to upward hand vehicle is merely wealth from one group to
social mobility in America. a matter of status, not another are not only unfair
Efforts must be made to function. The continually but also counterproductive
ensure economic equality improving standard of because they undermine the
through whatever means living for all proves that incentives to become more
necessary. the American Dream is successful.
alive and well.

Essay Task

Write a unified, coherent essay in which you evaluate multiple perspectives

on the conflict between economic inequality and the American Dream. In
your essay, be sure to:

• Analyze and evaluate the perspectives given

• State and develop your own perspective on the issue
• Explain the relationships between your perspective and those given

Your perspective may be in full agreement with any of the others, in partial
agreement, or wholly different. Whatever the case, support your ideas with
logical reasoning and detailed, persuasive examples.

56
 Planning Your Essay
Your work on these prewriting pages will not be scored.

Use the space below and on the back cover to generate ideas and plan your essay. You may wish
to consider the following as you think critically about the task:
Strengths and weaknesses of the three given perspectives
• What insights do they offer, and what do they fail to consider?
• Why might they be persuasive to others , or why might they fail to persuade?
Your own knowledge, experience, and values
• What is your perspective on the issue, and what are its strengths and weaknesses?
• How will you support your perspective in your essay?

ACT v17.10 Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal. 57
 You may wish to remove these sample answer document pages to respond to the practice ACT Writing Test.

PAGE 4 |

WRITING TEST BOOKLET NUMBER WRITING TEST FORM

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information at the
Print your 6-digit \14R
11D \ 16F \ 18B \ 18M
Booklet Number \ 14A \ 16K \ 18C \ 18N
right before beginning in the boxes at the Print your \ 14M \ 16L \ 18D \ 18P
the Writing Test. right. 3-character \ 14T \ 16Q \ 18E \ 18Q
Test Form in \ 14Y \ 16Y \ 18F \ 18R
the boxes above \ 15J \ 17J \ 18G \ 18S
Use a soft lead No. 2 and fill in the \ 15K \ 17U \ 18H \ 18T
pencil only. Do NOT corresponding \ 15S \ 17V \ 18J \ 18W
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78
62
 Recommended Reading List

First of all, we recommend reading. Period. Find something you enjoy reading.
Read it. Find something else you enjoy reading. Read it. Then repeat the process.

If you want to be more specific, we recommend reading texts that are similar to
those on the test. Makes sense, right?

With that in mind, you'll want to read texts that fall into one of these three
categories:

Challenging Magazine and Newspaper Articles

100 Books You Should Have Read in School (or a few of them at least)

United States' Founding/Formative Documents

Challenging Magazines and Newspapers

Magazines
The New York Times Magazine Discover
The New Yorker Mental Floss
Newspapers
The Atlantic Popular Science
The Wall Street Journal
The Economist Science News
The New York Times
Time Magazine Wired
USA Today
Scientific American Skeptic
The Washington Post
New Scientist Smithsonian
ID: Ideas & Discoveries Popular Mechanics
National Geographic

ACT v17.10 Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal. 63
 100 Books You Should Have Read in School (or a few of them at least)
To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee Their Eyes Were Watching God - Zora Neale Hurston
Romeo and Juliet - William Shakespeare Things Fall Apart - Chinua Achebe
The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald Twelve Angry Men - Reginald Rose
Lord of the Flies - William Golding Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card
Macbeth - William Shakespeare Inferno - Dante Alighieri
Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger A Raisin in the Sun - Lorraine Hansberry
Animal Farm - George Orwell Beloved - Toni Morrison
Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand The Things They Carried - Tim O'Brien
Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck Much Ado About Nothing - William Shakespeare
The Scarlet Letter - Nathaniel Hawthorne Oedipus Rex - Sophocles
Hamlet - William Shakespeare Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Mark Twain The Fountainhead - Ayn Rand
The Odyssey - Homer The Adventures of Tom Sawyer - Mark Twain
1984 - George Orwell All Quiet on the Western Front - Erich Maria Remarque
The Diary of a Young Girl - Anne Frank The Chosen - Chaim Potok
Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen The Hound of the Baskervilles - Arthur Conan Doyle
The Giver - Lois Lowry One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest - Ken Kesey
Julius Caesar - William Shakespeare Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
Night - Elie Wiesel Siddhartha - Hermann Hesse
Jane Eyre - Charlotte Brontë Grendel - John Gardner
Brave New World - Aldous Huxley The Glass Menagerie - Tennessee Williams
The Crucible - Arthur Miller As I Lay Dying - William Faulkner
Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury The Tempest - William Shakespeare
Great Expectations - Charles Dickens 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea - Jules Verne
The Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck A Modest Proposal - Jonathan Swift
The Outsiders - S.E. Hinton Gulliver's Travels - Jonathan Swift
Frankenstein - Mary Shelley Les Misérables - Victor Hugo
A Midsummer Night's Dream - William Shakespeare The Lord of the Rings - J.R.R. Tolkien
Wuthering Heights - Emily Brontë Our Town - Thornton Wilder
A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens The Metamorphosis - Franz Kafka
Beowulf - Unknown A Doll's House - Henrik Ibsen
Othello - William Shakespeare Steppenwolf - Hermann Hesse
The Canterbury Tales - Geoffrey Chaucer The Ecological Rift - John Bellamy Foster
Flowers for Algernon - Daniel Keyes Robinson Crusoe - Daniel Defoe
The Little Prince - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Pygmalion - George Bernard Shaw
The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien Ethan Frome - Edith Wharton
The Old Man and the Sea - Ernest Hemingway The Jungle - Upton Sinclair
Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky The Stranger - Albert Camus
Taming of the Shrew - William Shakespeare The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
A Separate Peace - John Knowles A Clockwork Orange - Anthony Burgess
Death of a Salesman - Arthur Miller Rebecca - Daphne du Maurier
Slaughterhouse-Five - Kurt Vonnegut A Tree Grows in Brooklyn - Betty Smith
The Red Badge of Courage - Stephen Crane The Lottery and Other Stories - Shirley Jackson
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings - Maya Angelou Invisible Man - Ralph Ellison
The Awakening - Kate Chopin Catch-22 - Joseph Heller
The Good Earth - Pearl S. Buck The Pigman - Paul Zindel
The Pearl - John Steinbeck Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
Moby Dick - Herman Melville Little Women - Louisa May Alcott
The Importance of Being Earnest - Oscar Wilde Walden - Henry David Thoreau
King Lear - William Shakespeare The Sound and the Fury - William Faulkner

64
 Founding Documents & The Global Conversation

Founding Documents
The Anti-Federalist Papers
The Articles of Confederation
The Bill of Rights
The Constitution of the United States of America
Debates in the Several Conventions on the Adoption of the Federal Constitution - Jonathan Elliot
Debates in the Federal Convention of 1787 - James Madison
Farewell Address - George Washington
The Federalist Papers - Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay
The United States Declaration of Independence

Global Conversation
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen - National Constituent Assembly of France
Society and Solitude - Ralph Waldo Emerson
Hind Swaraj or Indian Home Rule - Mohandas Gandhi
The Gettysburg Address - Abraham Lincoln
Letter from Birmingham Jail - Martin Luther King Jr.
On Liberty - John Stewart Mill
Walden - Henry David Thoreau
Democracy in America - Alexis de Tocqueville
A Quilt of a Country - Anna Quindlen
Four Essays on Liberty - Isaiah Berlin
Reflections on the Revolution in France - Edmund Burke
Leviathan - Thomas Hobbes
Second Treatise of Civil Government - John Locke
The Spirit of the Laws - Montesquieu
Common Sense - Thomas Paine
A Vindication of the Rights of Woman - Mary Wollstonecraft
The "Spirit of Liberty" Speech - Judge Learned Hand

Recommended Compilations
Great Speeches of the 20th Century - Bob Blaisdell (editor)
Lend Me Your Ears - Great Speeches in History - William Safire (editor)
The American Intellectual Tradition: Volume I: 1630-1865 - David Hollinger & Charles Capper
The American Intellectual Tradition, Vol. II: 1865 to the Present - David Hollinger & Charles Capper

ACT v17.10 Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal. 65
66
 Vocabulary
Resources

ACT v17.10 Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal. 67
68
 Prefixes, Roots, and Suffixes
a/an - not, without ced/cess - yield, go doc/doct - teach
ab/a - from, away, apart chrom - color dol - pain
ac/acr - sharp, sour chron - time duc/duct - lead
ad/a - to, towards cide - murder ego - self
ali/altr - another circum - around en/em - in, into
am/ami - love clin/cliv - slope err - wander
ambi/amphi - both clud/clus/claus/clois - eu - well, good
shut, close
ambl/ambul - walk ex/e - out, out of
co/com/con - with,
anim - mind, spirit, breath fac/fit/fect/fy/fea - make,
together do
ann/enn - year
cogn/gno - know fal/fals - deceive
ante/ant - before
contra - against ferb - boil
anthrop - human
corp - body fid - faith, trust
anti/ant - against, opposite
cosmo/cosm - world flu/flux - flow
aud - hear
crac/crat - rule, power fore - before
auto - self
cred - trust, believe frac/fract - break
belli/bell - war
cresc/cret - grow fus - pour
bene/ben - good
culp - blame, fault gen - birth, class, kin
bi - two
curr/curs - run grad/gress - step
biblio - book
de - down, out, apart graph/gram - writing
bio - life
dec - ten, tenth grat - pleasing
burs - money, purse
demo/dem - people grav/griev - heavy
cad/cas/cid - happen, fall
di/diurn - day greg - crowd, flow
cap/capt/cept/cip - take,
dia - across
hold, seize habit/hibit - have, hold
dic/dict - speak
cap/cip - head hap - by chance
dis/dif/di - not, apart, away
carn - flesh helio/heli - sun

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 hetero - other lud/lus - play nom/nym - name
hol - whole mac/maj/mas/max - great nov - new
homo - same, man macro - great nox/nic/nec/noc - harm
hydr - water mal - bad numer - number
hyper - too much, excess man - hand ob - against
hypo - too little, under mar - sea omni - all
in/ig/il/im/ir - not mater/matr - mother oner - burden
in/il/im/ir - in, on, into medi - middle oper - work
inter - between, among mega - great pac - peace
intra/intr - within mem/men - remember palp - feel
it/iter - between, among meter/metr/mens - pan - all
measure
ject/jet - throw pater/patr - father
micro - small
jour - day path/pass - feel, suffer
mis - wrong, bad, hate
jud - judge pec - money
mit/miss - send
junct/jug - join ped/pod - foot
moll - soft
jur - swear, law pel/puls - drive
mon/monit - warn
lat - side pen - almost
mono - one
lav/lau/lu - wash pend/pens - hang
mor - custom, manner
leg/lec/lex - read, speak per - through, by,
mor/mort - dead for, throughout or
lev - light
against,destruction
morph - shape
liber - free
peri - around
mov/mot/mob/mom -
lig/lect - choose, gather
move pet - seek, go twoards
lig/li/ly - bind
mut - change phil - love
ling/lang - tongue
nat/nasc - born phob - fear
liter - letter
nau/nav - ship, sailor phon - sound
lith - stone
neg - not, deny plac - calm, please
loqu/loc/log - speech,
neo - new pon/pos - put, place
thought
nihil - none, nothing port - carry
luc/lum - light

70
 pot - drink, power sequ/secu - follow top - place
pre - before sign - mark, sign torp - stiff, numb
prom/pri - first sim/sem - similar, same tort - twist
pro - ahead, forth sin - curve tox - poison
proto - first sol - sun, alone tract - draw
prox/prop - near somn - sleep trans - across, over,
through, beyond
pseudo - false son - sound
trem/trep/turb - shake
pyr - fire soph - wisdom
umbr - shadow
quad/quar/quat - four spec/spic - see, look
uni/un - one
ques/quer/quis/quir - sper - hope
question urb - city
spers/spar - scatter
quie - quiet vac - empty
spir - breathe
quint/quin - five val/vail - value, strength
strict/string - bind
radi/rami - branch ven/vent - come
stuict/stru - build
rect/reg - straight, rule ver - true
sub - under
reg - king, rule verb - word
summ - highest
retro - backward vert/vers - turn
super/sur - above
rid/ris - laugh vict/vinc - conquer
surge/surrect - rise
rog - ask vid/vis - see
syn/sym - together, same
rud - rough, crude vil - base, mean
tacit/tic - silent
rupt - break viv/vit - life
tact/tag/tang - touch
sacr/sanct - holy voc/vok/vow - call, voice
ten/tin/tain - hold, twist
scrib/script/scriv - write vol - wish
tend/tens/tent - stretch
se - apart, away volv/volut - turn, roll
term - end
sec/sect/seg - cut vor - eat
terr - earth, land
sed/sid - sit test - witness
sem - seed, sow the - god
sen - old therm - heat
sent/sens - feel, think tim - fear, frightened

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72
 Tone / Attitude Words
accusatory (adj) blaming other cheerful (adj) happy direct (adj) straightforward;
people straight to the point
concerned (adj) worried or
affectionate (adj) warm and interested disappointed (adj) discouraged
caring
condescending (adj) looking disdainful (adj) scornful
ambivalent (adj) having down on other people
conflicting feelings disgusted (adj) revulsion;
confrontational (adj) a hostile, distaste; intense dislike
amused (adj) entertained argumentative meeting
dismissive (adj) feeling or
analytical (adj) logical; well- contemplative (adj) studying; showing that something is
reasoned; carefully examining a thoughtful; reflective unworthy of consideration
subject
contemptuous (adj) dissatisfied (adj) not satisfied
angry (adj) mad disrespectful; scornful
dramatic (adj) theatrical
anxious (adj) worried; excited courteous (adj) nice; respectful
earnest (adj) sincere; honest
apathetic (adj) indifferent; critical (adj) finding fault
doesn’t care; not interested eccentric (adj) odd; strange;
crude (adj) not well defined; different
apologetic (adj) sorry; wishing rude or inappropriate
to make amends egotistical (adj) thinking only
cruel (adj) mean; hurtful about oneself; self-centered
appreciative (adj) grateful;
thankful curious (adj) wanting to find out eloquent (adj) fluent and
more persuasive
arrogant (adj) too proud
cynical (adj) believing that encouraging (adj) optimistic
awed (adj) amazed; astonished people are motivated by self-
interest enthusiastic (adj) excited;
amazement (n) great surprise or energetic
wonder defensive (adj) defending
envious (adj) jealous
beguiling (adj) deceptive defiant (adj) going against
authority equivocal (adj) ambiguous;
bewilderment (adj) confusion open to more than one
demonstrative (adj) tending to interpretation; not taking a
biased (adj) partial; one-sided; show feelings openly strong position
unfair
depressed (adj) generally excited (adj) anxious
bitter (adj) angry or hateful unhappy; despondent
expectant (adj) awaiting
bored (adj) not interested; desperate (adj) frantic; without something
unexcited many options
explicit (adj) vivid and detailed;
callous (adj) insensitive determined (adj) not giving up describing something in graphic
fashion
calm (adj) relaxed; not excited didactic (adj) instructive;
intending to convey a lesson fanciful (adj) imaginative
candid (adj) straightforward;
honest; blunt diplomatic (adj) trying not to fearful (adj) afraid
offend

ACT v17.10 Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal. 73
 formal (adj) appropriate intimate (adj) very familiar; the patient (adj) willing to wait; not
behavior way one talks to close friends in a hurry
forthright (adj) direct and ironic (adj) different than what is patronizing (adj) looking down
honest without hesitation expected or the opposite of what on others; acting superior
is meant
frank (adj) honest and direct pensive (adj) deep in thought
irritated (adj) annoyed
friendly (adj) courteous; polite; perplexed (adj) confused;
warm jovial (adj) happy; cheerful puzzled
frustrated (adj) annoyed; judgmental (adj) judging others; persuasive (adj) trying to
exasperated; angered critical convince
funny (adj) humorous; amusing lackadaisical (adj) lazy; careless pessimistic (adj) not optimistic;
expecting the worst
gentle (adj) not hurtful; careful lament (n) great regret
poetic (adj) expressing beautiful
gloomy (adj) dark; sad; lighthearted (adj) happy, thoughts or words
depressed carefree
praising(adj) expressing warm
happy (adj) cheerful; in a good lofty (adj) arrogant approval
mood
macabre (adj) about death proud (adj) full of pride in
hateful (adj) intensely disliking something
something or someone malevolent (adj) mean; angry;
purposely hateful quizzical (adj) questioning;
haughty (adj) proud; vain; eccentric; odd; amusing
arrogant malicious (adj) purposely
hurtful; very mean reflective (adj) thoughtful;
honest (adj) truthful meditative; thinking
matter-of-fact (adj) truthful;
hopeful (adj) looking forward to straightforward regretful (adj) feeling bad about
something; optimistic the past
melancholy (adj) deeply sad
humorous (adj) funny relaxed (adj) calm
melancholy (n) a deep,
hysterical (adj) wildly emotional pervasive, lasting sadness relieved (adj) following state of
idealistic (adj) thinking of what lessened hardship, pain, or worry
mischievous (adj) up to no good
is best; optimistic; not realistic remorseful (adj) full of regret
mocking (adj) scornful;
imaginative (adj) creative; using ridiculing; making fun of sorrowful (adj) deeply sad
the imagination
negative (adj) unhappy; reverent (adj) deeply respectful
impersonal (adj) not influenced pessimistic; critical
by personal feelings sarcastic (adj) sneering; saying
nervous (adj) concerned; the opposite of what you mean
indifferent (adj) unconcerned; worried as a way of being unfriendly or
not interested making a point
neutral (adj) disinterested;
indignant (adj) angry because neither for nor against sardonic (adj) scornful; very
something is not fair sarcastic
nostalgic (adj) thinking about or
informal (adj) relaxed; not longing for the past satirical (adj) making fun of
formal something to show its weakness
objective (adj) without or to teach a lesson
innocent (adj) not guilty prejudice; fair; unbiased
inspirational (adj) encouraging; optimistic (adj) hopeful; positive
reassuring

74
 sentimental (adj) thinking
about feelings, especially when
remembering the past
serious (adj) not joking around
sincere (adj) honest; truthful
skeptical (adj) not easily
convinced; having doubts
sneering (adj) disparaging;
contemptuous; hurtful
snobbish (adj) acting as though
one is better than everyone else
solemn (adj) sad or quiet
reflection
solitary (adj) lonely
stiff (adj) formal, serious
straightforward (adj) direct;
honest
stubborn (adj) refusing to yield
surprised (adj) startled; amazed
suspenseful (adj) tense
sympathetic (adj)
compassionate
tearful (adj) very sad
tense (adj) nervous
threatening (adj) menacing
thwarted (adj) frustrated at the
inability to succeed
tolerant (adj) accepting of
others
tragic (adj) very sad
unequivocal (adj) clear in its
meaning; unambiguous
urgent (adj) saying something
must be done soon; insistent
vindictive (adj) vengeful;
wanting to get back at someone
whimsical (adj) playful; funny;
odd

ACT v17.10 Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal. 75
76
 Other Essential Words
abstract (adj) existing as an anecdote (n) a short entertaining challenge (n) the act of
idea but without a physical or story questioning the truth of a thing
concrete existence
appeal (v) to seek the opinion of characteristic (n) typical of a
abstraction (n) dealing with a higher authority person, place, or thing
ideas rather than real events
appeal (n) serious or urgent characterize (v) to describe the
academic (adj) not of practical request distinctive nature of a thing
relevance; relating to education
argument (n) a series of points cite (v) to quote as evidence in
account (n) a description of an that support a central claim; the favor of
event author’s central claim
claim (v) to assert that
account for (v) to explain assert (v) to present a point or something is true, typically
argument without evidence
accurate (adj) correct in all
details assuage (v) to calm or soothe claim (n) a point that is asserted
acknowledge (v) to accept or assumption (n) a thing that is clarify (v) to make more clear
admit the existence of a truth accepted as true without proof
collaboration (n) the act of
adapt (v) to change to become assure (v) to tell someone working together to produce a
more suitable positively or confidently of thing
something; dispel doubts
adapted (adj) made suitable commend (v) to praise
for a new purpose; taken from attempt (v) to make an effort
another source commentary (n) the expression
attempt (n) the act of trying of opinions about an event or
address (v) to speak directly to a situation
person or group of people attitude (n) tone, an author’s
emotional state toward his common (adj) occurring, found,
admire (v) to regard with warm subject or done often; prevalent; shared
approval; to be fond of
attribute (v) to give credit for compare (v) to evaluate the
advent (n) the arrival of a something similarity or difference between
notable thing two things
attribute (n) a quality or feature
aesthetic (adj) dealing with regarded as characteristic of a concentrate (v) to focus one’s
beauty person or thing mental effort on
alliteration (n) use of the same bias (n) prejudice in favor or concession (n) a thing that is
letter or sound at the beginning against a thing granted in response to a demand;
of adjacent or closely connected the admission that an opponent
words. bolster (v) to support or has won
strengthen; to prop up
allude (v) to subtly reference conclusion (n) a judgement or
something causal (adj) acting as a cause decision reached by reasoning;
censor (v) to examine a the end or result of an event
analogy (n) a comparison
between two things, typically on thing and ban or suppress concrete (adj) existing in a real,
the basis of their structure and unacceptable parts of it physical form; not abstract
for the basis of explanation or challenge (v) to object or
clarification concur (v) to agree
question the truth of something
analysis (n) careful examination

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 condemn (v) to express demystify (v) to make clearer or evident (adj) plain or obvious;
complete disapproval of; easier to understand easily perceived
denounce
depict (v) to show or represent evoke (v) to bring or call to the
confession (n) an admission of by drawing or describing in detail conscious mind
guilt
detract (v) to take away from; exaggerate (v) to represent
conjecture (n) speculation; an weaken something as larger, greater,
opinion formed on incomplete better, or worse than it actually is
information develop (v) to put together (an
argument); advance; evolve examine (v) to scrutinize,
consider (v) to think carefully analyze, or carefully examine
about something digression (n) a brief departure
from the main subject excerpt (n) part of a larger body
context (n) the circumstances or of text
setting of an event, statement, dilemma (n) a situation in which
or idea a difficult choice must be made exchange (n) a short
between two or more options conversation or argument
contrast (v) to highlight the
difference between two or more discussion (n) an exchange of exhibit (v) to deliberately display
things ideas; conversation
exonerate (v) to free from blame;
contrast (n) the state of being dismiss (v) to send away; to absolve
different from another thing to regard as unworthy of
consideration expose (v) to reveal; to make
controversy (n) a dispute visible
disparity (n) a great difference
convey (v) to communicate a express (v) to convey a thought
message dispute (v) to argue about or feeling by words or gesture
something
counter (v) to speak in extend (v) to make longer or
opposition to dispute (n) an argument wider; to apply in a new way

credibility (n) the quality of distinction (n) a difference or focus (n) central topic of
being believable and true contrast between similar things discussion
or people
criteria (n) the set of principles or furthermore (adv) in addition
standards by which a thing may diversity (n) having variety
generalization (n) a general
be judged or decided document (v) to record in statement or concept obtained
criticize (v) to indicate the written, photographic or other by inference from specific cases
faults of a person or thing in a form
hence (adv) “as a consequence”;
disapproving way dramatize (v) to present in a “for this reason”; similar to
culminate (v) to result in vivid or striking way; present as a “therefore”
play; exaggerate
debate (v, n) to argue; an highlight (v) to draw attention to
argument about something emphasize (v) to give special
importance or significance to a however (adv) in contrast to the
debate (n) an argument thing; to highlight previous statement

define (v) to state or describe the encourage (v) to give support, hypothesis (n) a proposed
exact meaning, nature, or scope confidence, or hope explanation
of a thing hypothetical (adj) supposed but
endorse (v) to declare one’s
deflect (v) to change the approval publicly; support not actually true or real
direction of a thing; redirect from illustrate (v) to serve as an
a straight path; shift the focus enumerate (v) to mention a
number of things one by one example of
away from a thing
episode (n) an event that is part impact (v) to affect or influence a
demonstrate (v) to clearly show person, place, or thing
the existence or truth of a thing; of a larger group of events
to explain how something works erroneous (adj) incorrect impair (v) to weaken or damage

78
 implausible (adj) improbable; lack (n) the state of being oppose (v) to disapprove and
unlikely to happen; not likely true without or not having enough attempt to prevent
implication (adj) a conclusion memoir (n) an historical account outright (adv) altogether,
that can be drawn from written from personal knowledge completely
something (although not or special sources
explicitly stated) particularly (adv) to a higher
metaphor (n) a figure of speech degree than normal or average
imply (adj) strongly suggest in which a word is applied to an
object or action where it is not passage (n) a body of text
impression (n) an idea, feeling, literally applicable; ex: “The cat
or opinion about a person or personification (n) the
crept forward on velvet paws.” attribution of human
thing
misguided (adj) having or characteristics to a nonhuman
in spite of (conj) without showing faulty judgement or entity
being affected by the specific reasoning
consideration mentioned phenomenon (n) a fact or
mock (v) to ridicule by imitation situation that is observed to
inconsistency (n) the status of happen
not fitting in or agreeing with the moreover (adv) as a further
rest of the data matter; additionally plausible (adj) seemingly
reasonable or probable
indicate (v) to point out; to be a mutual (adj) shared; experienced
sign or symptom of or done by each of two or more plea (n) a request made in an
parties urgent or emotional manner
infer (v) to deduce or conclude
from evidence and reasoning narrative (n) a story pose (v) to present or constitute
rather than explicit statements (a danger, challenge, or difficulty)
narrator (n) the person who
inference (n) a deduction or recalls the events of a story postulate (v) to suggest or
conclusion based on evidence assume the existence; fact; or
and reasoning rather than neutralize (v) to cancel out; to truth of a thing
explicit statements offset
prejudice (n) bias; a
influence (n) the capacity to nostalgia (n) a feeling of longing preconceived notion that is not
have an effect on the character or for the past based on experience
development of a person or thing note (v) to notice or pay special present (v) to give something to;
inquiry (n) a question or line of attention to to assert information
questioning notion (n) idea prevalence (n) the degree to
insofar as (adv) to the extent which something is common
notwithstanding (adv) in spite
that of this primarily (adv) mainly; for the
inspire (v) to fill someone most part
novel (adj) new
with the urge or desire to do primary (adj) of chief
something objection (adj) an expression of importance; the main
opposition or disapproval consideration
interpretation (n) the action
of explaining the meaning of objective (n) a goal profound (adj) very great;
something observation (n) the action of intense; important
invoke (v) to cite or appeal to observing a thing in order to gain proof (n) evidence that confirms
something as an authority information from it that a thing is true
irony (n) a state of affairs that offer (v) to suggest or proffer prove (v) to confirm the truth of
seems deliberately contrary to something for a person to accept a thing
what one would customarily or reject as desired
expect provide (v) to make available for
opinion (n) a view or judgement use
justify (v) to show or prove to be formed about a thing
right or reasonable

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 provocative (adj) causing sentiment (n) a feeling undermine (v) to work against;
annoyance, anger, or another to weaken
strong reaction serve to (adj) used for the
purpose of underscore (v) to draw attention
provoke (v) to prompt a to; to highlight
response; to stimulate an simulate (v) to imitate the
unwanted or emotional response appearance or character of universal (adj) well-known; of,
affecting, or done by all people
qualification (n) a statement or sketch (v) to give a basic
assertion that makes another less impression validity (n) truthfulness; actually
absolute supporting an argument or claim
sketch (n) a basic impression of
qualify (v) to lessen the absolute verify (v) to confirm as true
sought (v, adj) past tense of seek
nature of a statement; to be virtually (adv) nearly; almost
eligible for something sought (adj) desired
weigh (v) to carefully consider
question (v) to inquire; to inquire specify (v) identify clearly and
as to the truth of a statement definitively whereas (conj) “in contrast to
the fact”
quotation (n) a group of words speculate (v) to form a theory
taken from a text or speech without firm evidence whereby (conj) by which;
through which
recollection (n) a memory or substantiate (v) to provide
account of an event evidence to support

reference (n) the action of subtle (adj) not obvious; so

mentioning or alluding to delicate or precise as to be
something difficult to analyze or describe

reflect (v) to think deeply or support (v) give assistance to;

carefully about provide evidence in favor of

reform (v) to make changes in supposition (n) an uncertain

order to improve a thing belief

refute (v) to prove to be wrong tenuous (adj) very weak or

or false slight; barely linked

regard (v) to think of or consider theory (n) a system of ideas

a thing in a certain way intended to explain a thing

regard (n) attention or concern therefore (adv) for that reason;

for something consequently

relatively (adv) in relation, thesis (n) main idea that is

comparison, or proportion to put forward to be advanced or
something else supported

respectively (adv) separately or thus (adj) therefore; as a result of

individually in the order already this; consequently
mentioned tone (n) general mood; the
rhetorical (adj) for the purpose author’s attitude toward his
of advancing an argument; subject
intended to persuade trace (v) to give an outline of
righteous (adj) morally right or something; to find or describe
justifiable the origin of something

scope (n) the extent or area of trivialize (v) to make something

a subject that something deals seem less important than it
with or to which it is relevant actually is

80
 Synonym Clusters
Family and Friends Words 82
Happy and Funny Words 83
Health and Medicine Words 83
Emotion Words 84
Peaceful Words 85
Very Good Words 87
Good Character Traits 89
Plenty Words 91
Careful and Precise Words 93
Learning and School Words 93
Business Words 96
Government Words 97
Truth and Honesty Words 99
Words You Can Hear 100
Time Words 101
Motion Words 105
Angry and Hostile Words 106
Not Enough Words 110
Death and Sadness Words 111
Unintelligent Words 113
Bad Character Traits 114
Nature Words 119
5 Senses Words 120
Dangerous Words 124
Unclear and Deceptive Words 125
Mistakes 128
Importance Words 129
Storybook Words 130
Comparison Words 131
Other Words 133

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 Family and Friendly Words Good Behavior Words
Friends Words affable (adj) friendly;
approachable; polite
amenable (adj) agreeable;
willing; manageable; docile
affinity (n) a natural liking or apt (adj) appropriate, suitable,
Family Words attraction fitting
amiable (adj) friendly; social conduct (n) behavior; way of
ancestor (n) a person from
acting
whom one is descended; amicable (adj) agreeable;
progenitor; prototype friendly; good natured decorum (n) good behavior
or etiquette; good manners;
breed (v) to produce offspring amity (n) friendship refinement
family (n) a group of related amorous (adj) showing love or demeanor (n) conduct; behavior
people or things affection
disposition (n) one’s general
filial (adj) having to do with a cherish (v) to hold or treat as outlook; mood
son or daughter; fitting of a son dear
or daughter propriety (n) appropriate
concord (n) harmony; agreement behavior; suitability; correctness
hereditary (adj) capable of between two people/groups
being passed down to offspring; reserved (adj) formal or self-
inheritable embrace (v) to hug; to welcome; restrained; avoiding familiarity or
gladly receive intimacy with others
humanity (n) the human race
collectively; all humans together; enamored (adj) inspired with suave (adj) smooth, polite,
humankind love; marked by foolish or charming, agreeable in manner
irrational fondness
kin (n) relatives; brothers and urbane (adj) courteous; refined;
sisters genial (adj) pleasantly and suave
warmly cheerful
lineage (n) a line of descendants
leading back to an ancestor hospitable (adj) welcoming;
treating guests favorably; warm Kind Words
pedigree (n) lineage; ancestry;
distinguished or of pure ancestry inclination (n) a disposition or
compassionate (adj) caring;
persuasion; a liking or preference
kind
phylum (n) a division of the plant
and animal kingdom mediate (v) to assist two arguing
humane (adj) kind;
parties in reaching an agreement
compassionate
posterity (n) future generations;
descendants penchant (n) a strong liking;
kind (adj) compassionate; good-
inclination
natured; caring
progenitor (n) a direct ancestor
proclivity (n) a natural attraction;
trait (n) a distinguishing predisposition
characteristic or quality of a
person or group reconcile (v) to restore harmony; Social Words
to mend a friendship; come to an
charisma (n) charm; magnetism;
agreement
leadership quality; the ability to
Friends Words romance (n) loving sentiment or lead and gain a following
feeling
convivial (adj) social; fond
ally (n) a friend or fellow
symbiosis (n) the close feasting; festive
supporter of a common cause
association of two things; the
effusive (adj) overly outgoing
chum (n) a buddy, pal, or friend state of working together
extrovert (n) an outgoing, social
comrade (n) a fellow member of
person
a group
coterie (n) a group of friends

82
 fraternize (v) to socialize with blithe (adj) happiness; joyous; Laughter Words
others in a friendly, brotherly way merry
cackle (n) shrill laughter;
gregarious (adj) fond of the delightful (adj) very pleasurable; sounding like a hen
company of others; living in joyous
packs or herds guffaw (n) loud burst of laughter
ecstasy (n) the state of sudden,
outgoing (adj) friendly; social; intense, pleasurable feelings snicker (v) laugh disrespectfully
interested in the company of
others elated (adj) very happy or proud; mirth (n) amusement; laughter;
very high spirits cheer
partake (v) to participate; to take
part in something with others euphoria (n) an exaggerated
state of happiness or well-being
personable (adj) attractive; Not Serious Words
pleasing in form or attitude exultant (adj) very happy; joyful
or proud due to a triumph droll (adj) amusing in an odd
rapport (n) relation; connection; way; humorous
harmonious sympathetic gusto (n) hearty enjoyment
interaction facetious (adj) not meant to be
jollity (n) jolly or merry mood
taken seriously; humorous
social (adj) friendly; interested jovial (adj) hearty and joyous
in the companionship of others; flippant (adj) disrespectfully
humor
outgoing humorous; lacking seriousness
joyous (adj) full of joy; happy;
frivolous (adj) lacking
jubilant
seriousness or common sense
jubilant (adj) rejoicing in
levity (n) lack of appropriate
triumph; showing great joy
Happy and Funny proud (adj) feeling good
seriousness; lightness

Words about oneself or one’s

accomplishments; a high opinion
of oneself

Funny Words rapture (n) joy; delight Health and

comedy (n) a humorous event rhapsody (n) a stated of elated Medicine Words
bliss; ecstasy; a poem or literary
comical (adj) amusing; funny; work that expresses great joy
producing laughter
sanguine (adj) cheery, Health Words
hilarious (adj) very funny; jolly optimistic, hopeful; crimson in
color ambulatory (adj) capable of
ironic (adj) contrary to what is walking; having to do with
expected or intended; humorous walking
laughable (adj) humorous; Joking Words benign (adj) harmless; not
comical; ludicrous malignant; not harmful
jest (v) to speak in a playful or
hilarity (n) cheerfulness; great corporal (adj) bodily; physical
humorous way
merriment; humor
prank (n) practical joke flourish (v) to thrive; to be in a
humorous (adj) having a vigorous state
comedic quality that causes jocular (adj) joking; jesting;
amusement humorous; facetious immune (adj) not susceptible to
a specific illness or problem
quip (n) witty remark
incarnate (adj) in human form;
Happy Words witticism (n) clever remark embodied in flesh

bliss (n) joy; supreme happiness innocuous (adj) causing no

injury or ill effect
recuperate (v) to regain health
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 rehabilitate (v) to restore; to
return to good health; to repair
elixir (n) a sweetened drink
containing alcohol and medicine
Emotion Words
the body for work
emollient (n) soothing topical
regenerate (v) to rebuild, medicine; something that
recreate, reconstitute; to reform relieves discomfort
Emotions Words
rejuvenate (v) to make young infectious (adj) tending to apathetic (adj) lacking emotion,
again; to restore appearance, spread from one to another; passion, or excitement
vitality or youthful vigor contagious apathy (n) lack of feeling,
restorative (adj) capable of inoculate (v) to implant a disease emotion, passion, or excitement
renewing health or strength; to gain immunity; to implant new callous (adj) having no feeling;
regenerative; invigorating ideas no sympathy for others
resuscitate (v) to restore to life liniment (n) a medicinal liquid to catharsis (n) the release of
or consciousness from apparent be rubbed into the skin to soothe emotional tension
injury or death pain
demonstrative (adj)
revitalize (v) to give new life to medicinal (adj) of or pertaining characterized by emotion;
to medicine; curative; remedial serving to illustrate
revive (v) to restore to life or
consciousness; reactivate palliative (adj) soothing the empathy (n) identifying with
symptoms of a disease without and understanding another’s
salubrious (adj) good for the finding a cure
body; healthful; favorable to or emotional situation, feelings
promoting heath panacea (n) a cure-all; the maudlin (n) foolishly emotional;
remedy for all diseases weakly tearful; sappy or overly
salutary (adj) wholesome;
causing good health; helpful pharmacist (n) a person licensed sentimental
to prepare and dispense drugs; melodramatic (adj) exaggerated
unscathed (adj) unharmed; druggist; apothecary
uninjured in an emotional or sentimental
placebo (n) a substance with no way
viable (adj) capable of living; medical effect, which provides
practicable or workable nostalgia (n) a longing for the
mental relief or as a control in past; a desire for things to be the
scientific research way they no longer are
prognosis (n) forecast of the
Medicine Words probable outcome or course of a
poignant (adj) intense; sincere;
heartfelt
analgesic (n) a medication that disease
relieves pain reciprocate (v) to give or feel
quarantine (v) to isolate to in return; to return another’s
antidote (n) something that prevent the spread of disease gesture or feeling
counteracts a poison, disease or redress (n) relief from wrong
other unwanted effects unrequited (adj) not felt or
or injury; remedy; restoration; shared by another; not returned
antiseptic (n) a substance that recourse or reciprocated
inhibits the growth of disease- therapeutic (adj) having to do
causing microorganisms visceral (adj) having to do with
with the curing of disease base emotions; having to do with
apothecary (n) pharmacist; tonic (n) a medicine or anything guts
druggist else that reinvigorates, stimulates
contagious (adj) tending to or strengthens the body
spread from person to person; Ambivalent Words
passed by contact
ambivalence (n) mixed feelings;
curative (adj) serving to cure or indecision; feeling ambivalent
heal; remedial

84
 ambivalent (adj) indecisive; disheartening (adj) zeal (n) intensity; passion; fervor
feeling positively and negatively discouraging
towards something zealot (n) extremist; excessively
dismay (v) to discourage, passionate person
dither (v) to act indecisively; to intimidate, dishearten or perturb
change positions repeatedly out
of weakness distress (n) a state of
desperation; great pain, anxiety
tentative (adj) unsure, or or sorrow
uncertain; hesitant or not positive Peaceful Words
formidable (adj) causing fear,
dread or apprehension

Embarrassed Words flustered (adj) agitated and Agreement Words

confused; stunned
abashed (adj) embarrassed; assent (v) to agree or concur
harrowing (adj) extremely
ashamed
disturbing or distressing; painful; compromise (v) an agreement
chagrin (n) a strong feeling agonizing based on mutual concessions; to
of embarrassment and find common ground
petrify (v) to turn to stone; to
disappointment associated with
frighten severely condone (v) to give approval;
failure
to overlook something illegal; to
phobia (n) fear excuse, pardon, forgive
humble (v, adj) to humiliate;
modest, not proud phobic (adj) suffering from conciliatory (adj) willing to
irrational fears make concessions; yielding in an
humility (n) humbleness; a
modest opinion of one’s own prostration (n) extreme mental effort to appease or placate
worth or emotional distress, depression, tolerance (n) a permissive
or dejection attitude toward beliefs and
mortify (v) to humiliate severely
pusillanimous (adj) cowardly; customs that differ with one’s
faint-hearted own
Fear Words timorous (adj) frightened; tolerate (v) to permit or allow
fearful; terrified something to exist without
acrophobia (n) the fear of hindrance
heights tremulous (adj) trembling;
fearful; timid
chilling (adj) producing a
sudden fear or dread trepidation (n) alarm; powerful Moderate Words
panic; tremendous anxiety; fear;
consternation (n) dread, panic, mild (adj) gentle; not severe or
the act of trembling in fear
or terror followed by confusion; extreme
bewilderment; dismay xenophobe (n) someone who
fears or hates people who are moderate (adj) within
cowardly (adj) lacking courage; reasonable proper limits; not
foreign or different
disgracefully timid extreme
cower (v) to duck, crouch or temperate (adj) moderate; not
shrink in fear Passionate Words extreme; self-restrained
craven (adj) cowardly tempered (adj) mild; controlled;
ardent (adj) passionate
cringe (v) to shrink, bend or not severe or extreme
fanatical (adj) motivated by an
crouch in fear
extreme, uncritical enthusiasm
daunting (adj) discouraging;
intimidating; scary
fervent (adj) spirited; having Easy Words
intense emotion; extremely hot
demoralize (v) to undermine accessible (adj) easy to
vehement (adj) strongly approach, understand, reach,
the motivation or courage of
emotional; passionate; zealous enter or speak to
someone

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 available (adj) accessible; easy countenance (n) a calm tranquil (adj) peaceful; calm;
to access; handy facial expression; approval, placid
encouragement, support
convenience (n) ease tranquility (n) calmness;
equanimity (n) emotional peacefulness
expedient (adj) advisable; composure or stability
appropriate; desirable;
promoting a proposed goal insouciant (adj) free from
concern, worry, or anxiety; Decrease Words
expedite (v) to speed the careless; nonchalant
progress of something; hasten abate (v) to lessen
mellow (adj) calm; pleasantly
facile (adj) very easy; simplistic relaxed alleviate (v) to lessen; to make
or superficial easier to endure
mollify (v) to pacify, appease,
calm, or soothe; soften in feeling assuage (v) to lessen in severity;
or attitude to soothe or calm
Tame Words
nonchalant (adj) unconcerned attenuate (v) to weaken in force
compliant (adj) obeying, or unexcited; too cool to care; or effect; to become less severe;
conforming, submissive disinterested to become thin
docile (adj) tame; easily placate (v) to pacify, appease, debase (v) to reduce in quality
managed calm, assuage or worth; corrupt, contaminate,
pollute; ruin
indulgent (adj) lenient; phlegmatic (adj) not easily
permissive; yielding to another’s to excite; composed; stoic; contract (v) to reduce in size
wishes; tolerant; condoning uninterested decrease (v) to diminish or
obsequious (adj) sycophant; restrained (adj) calm and lessen in extent, quality, power
servile; obedient; lowly collected; not impulsive detract (v) to take away from the
servile (adj) of or pertaining to sedate (v,adj) to make calm by quality, amount or reputation
the behavior of a slave; acting administering a drug; composed,
like a slave dissipate (v) to scatter in various
calm, quiet, collected, serene directions; disperse
subservient (adj) submissive; solace (n) comfort from sorrow
servile; acting like a servant dwindle (v) to become smaller;
or discomfort; something that to shrink
tractable (adj) easily managed gives consolation or relief
or controlled; docile ebb (v) to flow away; decline;
stoic (adj) uninterested; calm; decay
unexcitable; unaffected by
emotion enervate (v) to weaken or drain
Calm Words stolid (adj) unemotional; not
of strength

easily moved emotionally or extenuate (v) to make

allay (v) to calm one’s fears; to
intellectually less serious or offensive; to
put at ease
underestimate
ameliorate (v) to improve; to
mitigate (v) to lessen in force or
make more bearable or more
satisfactory Peaceful Words severity

halcyon (adj) peaceful; calm; plummet (v) to fall or descend

appease (v) to make quiet; to
tranquil rapidly; to drop sharply
calm
pacific (adj) calm; peaceful plunge (v) to fall rapidly; to
composure (n) calmness;
quickly sink below the surface of
tranquility placid (adj) tranquil, calm, something
console (v) to provide comfort; peaceful
precipitous (adj) resembling a
to help another deal with grief serene (adj) calm; peaceful; precipice; steep; perpendicular;
tranquil like an abrupt drop

86
 relent (v) to soften in feeling, Advice Words unsurpassed (adj) something
temper or determination that has never been equaled or
admonish (v) to advise against bested; the best of its kind
subside (v) to become less something
violent; weaken; sink zenith (n) the highest point;
counsel (n,v) advice; to advise apex; summit
wane (v) to decrease in intensity; someone
extent or quality
dissuade (v) to advise or
persuade against doing Flawless Words
something; to deter
Safe Place Words impeccable (adj) flawless;
enlighten (v) to teach; to infuse irreproachable; free from sin
asylum (n) a safe place; refuge; with spiritual knowledge
shelter infallible (adj) incapable of
mentor (n) a role model; wise making a mistake; perfect
harbor (n,v) a protected port at and trusted teacher
sea; to shelter or protect irreproachable (adj)
opine (v) to express an opinion; unquestionable; blameless;
refuge (adj) a safe, protected to advise faultless
place
sublime (adj) outstanding;
sanctuary (n) a safe, protected supreme; inspiring awe
place
unimpeachable (adj) cannot be
sentinel (n) a guard
Very Good Words accused of wrongdoing; above
thicket (n) a dense grove of suspicion; impossible to discredit
shrubs or trees, useful for shelter
The Best Words
Better Words
Helping Words champion (n, v) anything that
superior (adj) better than;
has defeated all opponents; to
abet (v) to help, encourage or support or defend excellent; distinguished;
provide assistance (usually in unrivaled
wrongdoing) ideal (adj) perfect; the best of its
kind surpass (v) to exceed in amount,
aide (v) to help; provide degree, or extent; to be greater
assistance or encouragement illustrious (adj) highly than
distinguished; renowned; famous
assist (v) to provide support or transcend (v) to rise above or go
help superlative (adj) the best; beyond; to be transcendent
surpassing all others; of the
foster (v) to care for; highest quality or kind
protect; raise and encourage
development peak (n) the pointed top Absolute or Complete
of anything; the highest Words
facilitate (v) to help; to make achievement; a mountain top
easier absolute (adj) complete; perfect;
peerless (adj) without equal;
nurture (v) to support; to feed undivided; pure
unrivaled; unmatched
and protect comprehensive (adj) wide in
pinnacle (n) the highest point;
promote (v) to help to exist or scope; inclusive
peak; zenith
flourish; to further consummate (adj) perfect or
preeminent (adj) superior;
tutelage (n) the act of guarding, complete; supremely skilled
surpassing all others;
protecting or advising distinguished exhaustive (adj) exhausting
the subject; thorough;
unrivaled (adj) superior to all
comprehensive
others; the best; unmatched

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 inalienable (adj) absolute; applaud (v) to clap hands dogmatic (adj) opinionated;
eternal; cannot be forfeited or together to show approval complete belief in a simple set of
given away rules and principles
commend (v) to praise; to
thorough (adj) exhaustive; describe as worthy of trust epiphany (n) a profound
comprehensive; complete experience or moment of insight;
commendable (adj) visitation by a divine spirit
unalloyed (adj) complete; praiseworthy; worthy of trust
absolute; solid; unqualified hallowed (adj) regarded as
credit (v) recognition given for sacred; holy
unmitigated (adj) absolute; some special achievement, or
not softened or lessened; quality; money that is owed homily (n) a sermon; an inspiring
unrestrained story; a saying
decorated (adj) having a
medal of honor; adorned with idol (n) a physical object
something that increases beauty representing a deity, which
believers direct their worship
extol (v) to praise highly; glorify
Respect Words idolatry (n) the religious worship
flattery (n) excessive, insincere of idols; the obsessive or foolish
defer (v) to yield to another praise worship of something
person out of respect
glorify (v) to honor with praise, neophyte (n) a recent convert to
deferential (adj) respectful; admiration or worship a religion; a beginner or novice
courteous
glorified (adj) something praised nirvana (n) enlightenment
esteemed (n) respected; or worshiped as more wonderful characterized by freedom from
honored; revered than it should rightfully be pain, suffering, passion and worry
exalted (adj) raised or elevated kudos (n) honor; glory; acclaim omniscient (adj) all-knowing;
in character or rank; noble or having unlimited knowledge,
laud (v) to praise; extol
elevated awareness or understanding
lionize (v) to honor; treat as a
homage (n) respect or reverence; ordain (v) to give holy orders to;
hero or celebrity
the public expression of honor or enact by law or establish
respect ovation (n) an enthusiastic
reception; applause orthodox (adj) conforming to
obeisance (n) a bow; a the customary or traditional
movement of the body plaudit (n) enthusiastic approval belief
expressing deep respect;
deference praise (v) to express approval or penitent (adj) feeling sorrow or
admiration regret for past transgressions,
revered (adj) deeply respected sins, or wrongdoing
reverence (n) a deep sense of piety (n) reverence for God;
respect; veneration Holy Words devout adherence to religious
reverent (adj) respectful doctrine
benediction (n) a blessing; good
venerate (v) to regard with the wishes pious (adj) having or showing
utmost respect appropriate respect for God
canonize (v) to grant sainthood
to someone; to glorify repent (v) to feel sorrow for a sin
or wrongdoing; to change one’s
consecrate (v) to make or
Praise Words declare sacred; to hallow ;
life for the better
venerate righteous (adj) moral; right;
acclaim (n) enthusiastic applause
justified; good; honest; fair
deity (n) a god or goddess
accolade (n) praise; distinction;
compliment; an award or honor ritual (n) a fixed procedure or
divine (adj) of or pertaining to a
established order of religious
supreme being; Godly
adulation (n) excessive praise; rites; ceremony
flattery

88
 sacred (adj) consecrated; subjugate (v) to conquer or Confident Words
devoted to a religious purpose; subdue
dedicated to a deity assertive (adj) confidently
vanquish (v) to conquer; to aggressive; self-assured; forward
sacrosanct (adj) very sacred; defeat by superior force
closed to the public decisive (adj) having little or
no hesitation when making
savior (n) a person or deity decisions; very important
who saves, delivers, or rescues a Clean Words
person from harm or evil poised (adj) a dignified, self
immaculate (adj) spotlessly confident manner; having
sermon (n) a speech related to clean; free from sin steadiness and composure
religious instruction; a speech
intended to inspire good pristine (adj) pure; uncorrupted,
behavior undisturbed, unsullied
unmolested (adj) pure, Courage Words
talisman (n) an amulet or charm
undisturbed, unbothered audacious (adj) very brave;
worship (v) to honor and praise;
fearless; intrepid
to regard with a deep respect
bravery (n) courage
dauntless (adj) fearless; intrepid;
Moral Words Good Character bold
character (n) the moral or ethical Traits gallant (adj) brave; spirited;
quality of a person noble-minded
conscientious (adj) controlled or grit (n,v) courage; firmness of
guided by conscience High Ranking Words character; to clench one’s teeth
ethical (adj) moral; righteous; eminent (adj) high in station, gumption (n) initiative;
honest; virtuous; honorable rank, or position; celebrated; resourcefulness; courage
karma (n) belief that “What goes renowned; illustrious intrepid (adj) bold; brave;
around, comes around”; fate exemplary (adj) serving as a fearless
determined by the quality of your great example; outstanding
past actions mettle (n) courage and strength
exploit (n) a heroic act; a notable of character
moral (adj) of or pertaining to feat
the rules of correct behavior valiant (adj) brave; boldly
merit (n) worth; claim to credit; courageous; dauntless; worthy;
morality (n) moral quality or excellence excellent
character; conformity to the rules
of correct conduct prestige (n) high regard; valor (n) heroic courage
reputation or image based on
values (n) principles; ideals; success, achievement or rank
customs
quintessential (adj) the Determined Words
virtue (n) moral excellence; most perfect embodiment
goodness dedication (n) selfless devotion
of something; perfectly
to a person, cause, or pursuit
representative
determined (adj) settled or
refined (adj) well-bred; having
Winning Words good taste; free from vulgarity
decided by authoritative means;
conclusively decided
conquer (v) to win by beating an renowned (adj) famous;
opponent; defeat; vanquish insistent (adj) firm in demand or
celebrated; honorable
course; unswayable
subdue (v) to conquer by
superior force; to bring into perseverance (n) the quality of
subjection persistence; continuing to work
toward a goal despite setbacks

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 resolute (adj) firmly attached to Influential Words modest (adj) shy; showing
a course of action; determined humbleness with regard to one’s
authoritarian (adj) having achievements; limited in size
steadfast (adj) firm in purpose; complete or nearly complete
fixed in direction; resolute control over another or others reticent (adj) reluctant;
restrained; prone to silence
tenacious (adj) keeping a firm coercion (n) to control
grip; stubbornly determined with threats; to use force or taciturn (adj) quiet; reluctant to
intimidation to gain compliance speak or join in conversation

compel (v) to force or overpower timid (adj) shy; introverted;

Hard Working Words demure
compelling (adj) persuasive by
assiduous (adj) working force, argument, or emotion;
diligently at a task; unrelenting forceful; provocative; engaging
work ethic Strength Words
dominant (adj) having great
diligent (adj) hard working; or complete influence over bolster (v) strengthen; support
good work ethic someone or something; primary brawny (adj) strong; muscular
collaborate (v) to work efficacy (n) effectiveness; the
together; cooperate; combine brunt (n) the main force or
ability to complete a task or impact
recourses achieve a desired effect
perquisite (n) the benefits enhance (v) to increase in
influential (adj) consequential; strength, size, or degree
associated with a job; payment forceful; important
or privilege above and beyond fortitude (n) strength;
salary persuasive (adj) convincing; determination when faced with
compelling; likely to cause a difficulty
synergy (n) two or more workers change in someone’s belief or
cooperating so that the result position hardy (adj) sturdy; strong;
is greater than the sum of their capable of enduring hardship
individual actions predominant (adj) having
power or influence over others; hearty (adj) genuine; strong;
dominant vigorous

Indestructible Words indomitable (adj) unbeatable,

unconquerable; cannot be
impenetrable (adj) cannot be Shy Words overcome or subdued
penetrated; cannot be pierced or
entered; like a fortress or castle ascetic (n) recluse; someone insurmountable (adj) not able
who dedicates their life to to be climbed or overcome;
impervious (adj) incapable of contemplation undefeatable
being injured or impaired; cannot
be influenced asocial (adj) withdrawn; invigorate (v) to energize
avoiding interaction with others potency (n) effectiveness;
impregnable (adj) strong
enough to withstand or resist coy (adj) shy; reserved strength; efficacy
attack; cannot be taken by force potent (adj) strong; powerful;
demure (adj) shy; modest;
indestructible (adj) cannot be reserved persuasive
destroyed robust (adj) strong; healthy;
diffident (adj) timid; shy; lacking
inviolable (adj) secure from confidence hardy; vigorous
destruction; unassailable; sturdy (adj) firm; strongly built;
insular (adj) isolated; detached;
incorruptible muscular; brawny
standing alone
introvert (adj) a shy person;
someone who is mainly
interested in his or her own
thoughts

90
 Skilled Words spry (adj) active; nimble; agile plenitude (n) fullness or
completeness; adequacy in
adept (adj) skillful; proficient; tact (n) a keen sense of what to number or measure
capable say and do to avoid offending;
diplomacy; sensitivity profuse (adj) made or done
adroit (adj) cleverly skillful; freely and in great amount;
nimble in the use of the hands abundant
forte (n) specialty; talent; a Lucky Words prolific (adj) abundant
strong point productivity; producing
auspicious (adj) favorable; large quantities or with great
panache (n) a grand or promising success frequency
flamboyant manner; flair
beneficial (adj) providing replete (adj) abundantly
proficient (adj) an expert; adept; benefit; advantageous supplied or filled
competent; fluent
favorable (adj) pleasing; surfeit (adj) excessive amount;
prowess (n) superior ability, skill, characterized by support; overindulgence
strength positive
repertoire (n) a complete list of felicitous (adj) apt or
one’s skills appropriate; lucky, marked by Many Words
good fortune
specialized (adj) requiring or
countless (adj) too many to be
involving detailed and specific fortuitous (adj) happening by counted
knowledge or training chance; accidental; lucky
innumerable (adj) too many to
opportune (adj) favorable; well- be counted
timed; appropriate
Talents myriad (n) immense number;
optimistic (adj) expecting a multitude; countless
agile (adj) the ability to move outcome; hopeful
with agility; capable of quick numerous (adj) very many;
movement; nimbleness serendipity (n) good fortune; being or existing in great
luck; a chance discovery quantity
celerity (n) speed, quickness;
alacrity swarming (adj) teeming with
something; many with insects
deft (adj) dexterous; nimble;
skillful teeming (adj) swarming with
Plenty Words something; abounding with
dexterity (n) skill at using the people or other creatures
hands or body; nimbleness
diplomatic (adj) tactful; skilled Much Words
in dealing with difficult people or Group Words
situations copious (adj) large in quantity
or number; extensive; abundant; drove (n) a large group of
finesse (n) tact; diplomacy; plentiful animals or humans; flock
subtlety in action, performance
abundant (adj) great quantity; en mass (adj) all together; as a
flair (n) a natural talent; plenty; more than enough group
smartness of style or manner
cornucopia (n) the mythical host (n) a great number of
multifaceted (adj) talented in “horn of plenty” symbolizes great people or things
more than one way; a jack of all abundance provided by nature
trades legion (n) a large group; a unit of
glut (n,v) an excess; a full supply; soldiers; throng
nimble (adj) quick and light in to flood the market with a
movement; clever product and surpass demand score (n) a group of 20
limber (adj) flexible; easily plethora (n) an overabundance; throng (n) a crowd; a multitude
contorted plenitude; excess of people gathered together

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 Generous Words elephantine (adj) very large; elegant (adj) luxurious; tasteful;
resembling an elephant refined; polished; dignified
altruistic (adj) unselfish;
concerned for others’ welfare; enlarge (v) to increase in size formal (adj) conventional;
charitable conforming to usual
enormous (adj) much larger requirements and customs
avuncular (adj) generous; similar than normal
to an uncle lavish (adj) extravagant ; overly
epic (adj) unusually large abundant; profuse
benevolent (adj) kind, gargantuan (adj) very large
compassionate lush (adj) luxuriant; succulent;
gigantic (adj) very large; abundant, plentiful
generous (adj) giving freely; resembling a giant
fond of sharing luxurious (adj) rich; lush;
huge (adj) very large in quantity, characterized by luxury
largess (n) generous giving extent, or size
largesse (n) (see largess) opulent (adj) wealthy, rich;
infinite (adj) limitless; luxurious
magnanimous (adj) generous; immeasurably large
forgiving ornate (adj) elaborately
juggernaut (n) a huge, decorated; decorated in an
munificent (adj) generous overpowering, destructive object excessive or showy way
(especially with money) or force; behemoth plush (adj) abundantly rich;
philanthropic (adj) mammoth (adj) very large; huge; luxurious; lavish
humanitarian; benevolent; caring enormous
for and giving to one’s fellow spacious (adj) plenty of room;
man massive (adj) very large; bulky; not cramped or crowded
heavy sumptuous (adj) greatly
palatial (adj) resembling a expensive; made from high
Rich Words palace; magnificent quality materials

ponderous (adj) heavy; massive; well-appointed (adj) well

affluent (adj) wealthy
of great weight equipped or furnished; having all
invaluable (adj) priceless; the appropriate equipment
beyond calculable worth prodigious (adj) extraordinary in
size or amount
lucrative (adj) profitable;
moneymaking substantial (adj) large in size; Prevalent Words
numerous quantity
profit (n) financial gain after all omnipresent (adj) ubiquitous;
expenses are paid; income titanic (adj) having enormous existing or being everywhere at
size, strength, power the same time
prosper (v) to succeed
financially; thrive voluminous (adj) of great size or permeate (v) to spread or flow
quantity throughout; to saturate
wealth (n) a great amount of
money or goods; an abundance pervasive (adj) spread through
of anything all parts of
Fancy Hotel Words
windfall (n) an unexpected gain; prevail (v) to be widespread; to
unexpected good fortune ambiance (n) mood; tone; exist everywhere; to succeed, win
atmosphere; that which out or prove dominant
surrounds or encompasses
prevalent (adj) widespread; in
Big Words capacious (adj) large; spacious; common occurrence; extensive
roomy
augment (v) to enlarge rampant (adj) flourishing;
commodious (adj) spacious and prevailing and expanding
behemoth (n) a very large convenient; more than adequate unchecked; unrestrained
creature space

92
 rife (adj) abundant; common; skeptical (adj) doubting; not premeditated (adj) planned
frequently occurring trusting beforehand; thought through
ahead of time
saturate (v) to fill or occupy wary (adj) on guard against
completely danger; skeptical resolution (n) a formal
expression of an intention; an
ubiquitous (adj) omnipresent; approved plan of action
existing or being everywhere at
the same time Worried Words
widespread (adj) occupying a anxiety (n) distress caused by
wide space; prevalent potential danger or misfortune
apprehensive (adj) uneasy or
Learning and
fearful about something that
might happen
School Words
Careful and duress (n) intimidation; bullying;
coercion; constraint Amazed Words
Precise Words overwrought (adj) extremely or
amazing (adj) causing great
excessively excited or agitated;
surprise or wonder
overly concerned; worked up
Cautious and astonished (adj) amaze; to fill
solicitous (adj) anxious or
Skeptical Words concerned
with awe and wonder

cautious (adj) tentative, awe (n) an overwhelming feeling

restrained, guarded; using of admiration, respect or fear
caution Precise Words dumbstruck (adj) speechless
chary (adj) cautious; careful and stunned from amazement
exacting (adj) rigid or severe in
its requirements flabbergasted (adj) dumbstruck
circumspect (adj) cautious;
prudent; watchful; discrete with amazement
precise (n) strictly stated;
carefully distinct; exacting ineffable (adj) cannot
cynical (adj) bitterly distrustful;
the belief that all people are self be described with words;
precision (n) the state of being
interested indescribable; utterly amazing
exact; exactness
discreet (adj) careful not to be speechless (adj) unable to speak
punctilious (adj) precise;
intrusive; tactful; cautious due to shock and amazement
demanding; conscientious;
careful
heed (v) to give careful attention
to strict (adj) precise; exact; Question Words
conforming to rigid specifications
leery (adj) suspicious; distrustful;
skeptical inquire (v) to question; to seek
stringent (adj) very strict
information; to investigate
incredulous (adj) skeptical;
doubtful inquisition (n) the act of seeking
Plan Words information by questioning; a
meticulous (adj) extreme harsh investigation
attention to detail; very cautious deliberate (adj) carefully
inquisitive (adj) curious
considered; studied; intentional
precaution (n) action taken
ahead of time to prevent an query (v, n) to question; a
devise (v) to plan based on
unfavorable consequence. question, inquisition; a doubt
existing ideas or principles
prudent (adj) careful; having methodical (adj) slow and
foresight careful; acting in a systematic
way

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 Study Words cogent (adj) to the point; Fascinating Words
relevant; convincing and forceful
ascertain (v) to find out with enchanting (adj) charming;
certainty; to learn with a definite commentary (n) a series of captivating
conclusion comments to help a listener or
viewer understand engaging (adj) fascinating;
cogitate (v) to think hard; occupying the time of another;
ponder elaborate (v) to add details to; to engrossing
expand
conclusive (adj) serving to settle engrossing (adj) fully occupying
a debate or answer a question; elucidate (v) to make clear; to the mind; fascinating
decisive; definitive illustrate
enthralling (adj) capturing
consideration (n) the act of exposition (n) the act of interest as if by a spell;
considering; careful thought explaining or revealing spellbinding; engrossing
information
decipher (v) to discover the fascinating (adj) of great interest
meaning of expound (v) to explain further or attraction
definitive (adj) final; conclusive illuminated (adj) well lit; very intoxicating (adj) exhilarating;
clear capable of generating
delve (v) to research intensively; enthusiasm; confusing to the
to go below the surface of incisive (adj) remarkably clear or
direct; penetrating; biting senses
something; to dig
lucid (adj) clear and easy to mesmerizing (adj) hypnotizing;
fathom (v) to understand; to spellbinding; capable of
comprehend; to realize the truth; understand; sober
controlling the viewer
to measure the depth of pellucid (adj) allowing light to
pass through; clear in meaning spellbinding (adj) to hold or
intuitive (adj) known by instinct bind as if by a spell; enchanting;
rather than through rational rudimentary (adj) elementary; entrancing
thought fundamental; simple
titillating (adj) very agreeable;
peruse (v) to study intently; to unambiguous (adj) very clear in pleasantly and superficially
read carefully meaning; easily understood exciting
ponder (v) to consider deeply unequivocal (adj) very clear in transfixing (adj) able to render
and thoughtfully; ruminate; meaning; absolute; unambiguous motionless with awe; causing
meditate amazement or terror
probe (v) to search or examine
closely Explanation Words
retention (n) the action delineate (v) to outline; to
Student Words
of retaining; the action of describe in words apprentice (n) a novice; a
remembering something learned
exegesis (n) a critical explanation student learning a craft
ruminate (v) to ponder; think of a text dilettante (adj) a student who
deeply
exemplify (v) to show or is not serious about his or her
scrutinize (v) to inspect illustrate by example studies; amateur
critically; to examine with great
explicate (v) to make plain or protégé (n) someone whose
care
clear; to illustrate welfare or career is guided and
protected
illuminate (v) to supply with
pupil (n) a student; novice
Easily Understood light; to make clear or easily
understandable
Words
recapitulate (v) to recap; to
clarify (v) to make more clear review by brief summery

94
 Academic Words hypothesis (n) a proposed intuition (n) instinctive
explanation for a phenomenon; knowledge; insight; direct
alchemy (n) early chemistry with an assumption or guess understanding of fact without
the goal of creating gold the use of logic
hypothetical (adj) assumed by
analysis (n) the process hypothesis; not supported by keen (adj) sharp; astute; clever
of studying or scrutinizing evidence
something perspicacity (n) keenness;
infer (v) to derive by reasoning; acuity; astuteness; shrewd
anthropology (n) the study of to conclude or reason from
humankind evidence; to speculate perspicacious (adj) perceptive;
shrewd, astute, sharp
archives (n) collection of postulate (v) to assume without
documents, records, books, or proof; to presuppose percipient (adj) capable of
data perceiving
premise (n) a proposition
cartography (n) the study and that supports a conclusion; practical (adj) useful; fit for
creation of maps assumption actual work

cite (v) to quote; mention as rational (n) based on reason pragmatic (adj) practical;
proof rather than emotions; logical; getting things done in an
sensible effective way; expedient
data (n) individual facts, statistics
or information theoretical (adj) existing pragmatism (n) the quality of
only in theory; not practical; being pragmatic; practicality;
datum (n) one fact, statistic, or hypothetical effectiveness; expediency
piece of information
theory (n) a proposed precocious (adj) unusually
define (v) to state the meaning explanation that has neither advanced in development; wise
of a word; to specify distinctly been proved nor disproved beyond one’s years
demography (n) the study of profound (adj) wise; deep;
statistics relating to populations beneath the surface
and society Smart Words profundity (n) depth of thought;
etymology (n) the history of a the quality or state of being
acuity (n) sharpness; acuteness;
word; the study of words profound
keenness
mnemonic (adj) pertaining to sagacious (adj) wise; shrewd
acumen (n) keen insight;
the memory; having to do with
shrewdness sage (adj/n) very wise; a person
aiding the memory
of great wisdom
astute (adj) having good
notion (n) a general
judgment; smart; quick; sapient (adj) wise
understanding
perceptive
pedantic (adj) characterized by shrewd (adj) sharp; astute
erudite (adj) having great in practical matters; prone to
academic showiness; attempting
knowledge; learned; well- making good decisions
to impress others academically
educated
tenable (adj) viable; capable of
genius (adj) brilliant; of being implemented, continued,
extraordinary intellectual or
Logic Words creative power
defended or justified

corollary (n) an immediate ingenious (adj) extremely

consequence or easily drawn intelligent; showing genius;
conclusion clever; brilliant
empirical (adj) based on ingenuity (n) the state of being
experience or observation clever and inventive
extrapolate (v) to infer; to insightful (adj) perceptive
establish a general rule based on
specific cases

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 Business Words rebate (n) partial refund;
repayment of part of the
implement (n) any tool or piece
of equipment used for a specific
purchase price task
reimburse (v) to pay back; to lance (n, v) a very long pole-arm
Business People settle a debt weapon used by knights; to cut
Words open
remuneration (n) reward;
benefactor (n) sponsor; patron; payment mallet (n) a hammer-like tool
someone who gives a benefit used to pound other tools;
subsidize (v) to assist or support equipment used in polo and
clientele (n) customers; patrons financially croquet
entrepreneur (n) someone who mechanism (n) an assemblage of
starts or manages a business moving parts that, together, form
Worker Words a single function
magnate (n) a very important or
influential business person artisan (n) a person skilled at a odometer (n) a device for
specific craft or profession measuring the distance between
patron (n) a customer or client
colleague (n) a coworker or places or how far a vehicle travels
tycoon (n) a very powerful and associate; a fellow member of a
wealthy business person receptacle (n) a container or
profession device that holds something
labor (n) a worker; work;
productive activity; a job or task
Business Words
Industrial Words
accrue (v) to accumulate; grow;
forge (v) to shape something by
increase Workplace Words heating it and hitting it with a
afford (v) to be able to purchase menial (adj) lowly work; work hammer
something or perform an action that is suitable for servants; galvanize (v) to strengthen
appraise (v) to estimate the degrading work metal by coating it with zinc; to
approximate monetary value of quarry (n) a place where stone is shock something into action
something harvested hoist (v) to lift using a
liquidate (v) to convert into cash refinery (n) a building that mechanical devices like a rope
by selling; to get rid of processes or refines raw material and pulley
mercantile (adj) commercial; vocation (n) a profession, hone (v) to sharpen a tool; to
having to do with merchants and occupation, business sharpen or perfect a skill
trade
inventory (n) merchandise or
prospects (n) potential sources stock on hand; a detailed list of
of profit, like customers Tool Words contents

accoutrements (n) an accessory meld (v) to mix, blend, or join

item; part of equipment or together
Money Words uniform pulverize (v) to crush severely; to
earn (v) to receive payment in amenity (n) a feature that reduce to dust or powder
return for one’s labor provides comfort refine (v) to increase the purity
finances (n) assets in the form of barometer (n) a tool used of something; to make less
money to measure the atmospheric course
fund (n) a source of supply for; a pressure; anything that predicts smelt (v) to fuse or melt ore and
stock or resource changes create metal
pecuniary (adj) having to do cauldron (n) a large pot or kettle
with money conduit (n) a hollow tube

96
 synthesize (v) to combine Political People Words plaintiff (n) a person who
two or more elements to form brings a lawsuit to court; not the
something new; meld ambassador (n) an official sent defendant
from one nation to another as a
whet (v) to sharpen; to stimulate representative potentate (n) a person of
something like an appetite tremendous influence or power
aristocrat (n) a nobleperson;
a member of the sophisticated proxy (n) a person authorized to
upper class act as a substitute or on behalf of
another
bourgeois (adj, n) of or
Government pertaining to the middle class; pundit (n) an expert or authority

Words materialistic proponent (n) a person who

argues for a cause; advocate;
bureaucracy (n) government by
large departments full of petty supporter
officials
Government Words
caste (n) social status; a hierarchy
autocratic (adj) a ruling system system based on wealth,
Political Action Words
in which the ruler has unlimited profession, or lineage abrogate (v) to abolish; annul;
power; despotic
constituent (n) part of a repeal
autonomy (n) self-government; larger whole; a person who advocate (v, n) to support or
sovereignty; independence votes to empower political urge by argument; a person who
despot (n) tyrant; king or ruler representatives supports a cause
with absolute power caucus (n) a group or meeting allocate (v) to set apart for a
hegemony (n) leadership dedicated to furthering a specific specific purpose; allot; assign;
enjoyed by one unchallenged cause apportion
body; rule by only one body delegate (n) representative; appropriate (v) to set apart or
hierarchy (n) any system of a person authorized to act on authorize for a specific purpose
people or things ranked one behalf of others
canvass (v) to solicit votes,
above another demagogue (n) a political leader opinions, or support
matriarchy (n) a family, or public speaker who gains
power by arousing the emotions consensus (n) agreement by
community or society governed
majority opinion
by women elite (adj, n) the best; the highest
social group coronation (n) the act or
oligarchy (n) a system of
ceremony of crowing a ruler
government by a small group; emissary (n) a representative
ruling class sent on a mission or errand coup (n) a sudden or illegal
change in government
patriarchy (n) a family, envoy (n) a diplomatic agent or
community or society governed representative depose (v) to overthrow; to
by men
expatriate (v, n) to leave one’s endorse (v) to approve, support
regime (n) a mode or system of country by choice or due to or advocate
rule or government pressure; a person living in exile
enfranchise (v) to give
sovereignty (n) the supreme lobbyist (n) someone who tries citizenship to; to give the right to
power and authority to govern to influence public officials on vote; to free from slavery
tyranny (n) arbitrary or behalf of a special interest
espouse (v) to adopt a cause; to
unrestrained use of power; partisan (n) a supporter of one make one’s own; to become one
oppressive or unjustly severe party, group or cause with, fight for, promote
government
patriot (n) someone who loves filibuster (v) to speak for a very
and supports his or her country long time; to insist on endlessly
with great passion discussion to avoid voting

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 govern (v) to rule legitimately; to behest (n) a command or precept (n) a rule; a
rule over by right or authority objective commandment given as a rule of
action or conduct
insurrection (n) rebellion; revolt; canon (n) a body of rules,
attempted revolution principles or laws proclamation (n) something
that is announced, usually a rule
lobby (v) to generate support circumscribe (v) to limit or or ordinance
for; to sway opinion in favor of a confine; to encircle
cause prohibit (v) to outlaw; to make
constraint (n) limitation or illegal; to forbid by authority of
mutiny (n) rebellion against an restriction law
established authority
constrict (v) to draw or press in; proscribe (v) to prohibit; to
overthrow (v) to put an end to reduce in size; to squeeze denounce or condemn a thing as
to by force; depose; remove dangerous or harmful
leadership contract (n, v) a legal agreement;
to create a legal agreement protocol (n) customs and
prerogative (adj) a right or regulations; a system of rules
privilege based on rank or demarcation (n) the act of
position to make a choice establishing boundaries; provisional (adj) restricted;
separation by distinct limits probationary; accepted under
poll (n) a survey of the opinions certain conditions
of many people dictum (n) an legitimate and
authoritative announcement; queue (v, n) to form a line; a
ratify (v) to confirm by edict or decree waiting line
consenting; approve or confirm
disallow (v) to refuse to allow; restriction (n) limitation;
ration (v) to restrict the veto; reject something that constrains
consumption of a scarce resource
edict (n) a decree issued by a sanction (n) a penalty for
relegate (v) to move to an legitimate ruling body disobedience or a reward for
inferior position, place or compliance
condition; to exile embargo (n) a restraint;
hindrance; prohibition; an order statute (n) a law passed by a
resign (v) to formally remove restricting trade legislative body; a permanent
one’s self from public office rule established by a ruling body
encompass (v) to surround; to
revolution (n) the replacement form a circle around taboo (adj) outlawed by society
of the ruling government by the as being unacceptable, improper
people; one complete rotation finite (adj) not infinite; having
boundaries or limits or intolerable
sanction (v, n) to authorize, tether (n) a length of rope that is
approve or allow; permission or injunction (n) a legal ruling or
command attached to something to limit or
approval constrain its movement
sedition (n) promoting interdict (v) to forbid or prohibit
unbridled (adj) free from all
discontent or rebellion against a mandate (n) a command; decree; restraint
government edict
unfettered (adj) free of
suffrage (n) the right to vote mandatory (adj) required; restrictions
supplant (v) to replace (usually a necessary; obligatory
leader) by force outlaw (v) to prohibit; to make
usurp (v) to seize power or office illegal
by force or illegitimate means parameter (n) a limitation; the
factor that determines the range
of variations
Limitation words perimeter (n) boarder or outer
boundary of a two-dimensional
ban (v) to outlaw; prohibit
figure

98
 Truth and True Words Fair Words
Honesty Words authentic (adj) genuine; true;
the real thing; not fake or copied
detached (adj) impartial or
objective; not attached to the
outcome; unbiased
corroborate (v) to confirm or
Honest Words make certain discursive (adj) proceeding by
reason or logic rather than by
fidelity (n) loyalty; strict intuition; rambling
candid (adj) frank; outspoken;
observance of principles
sincere; not posed; informal
disinterested (adj) impartial;
hallmark (n) a mark that not attached to the outcome;
candor (n) the state of being
indicates authenticity; a unbiased
honest, open, sincere and frank;
distinguishing characteristic
unbiased
dispassionate (adj) impartial;
incontrovertible (adj) cannot be free from personal feelings;
credible (adj) trustworthy
questioned or disputed; provably unbiased
earnestness (n) seriousness true
in intention, purpose or effort; equitable (adj) fair; just;
incontestable (adj) cannot be reasonable
zealousness; fervency
disputed
frank (adj) straightforward; impartial (adj) unbiased, fair,
indisputable (adj) beyond disinterested
sincere; direct; honest
dispute or question; absolutely
ingenuous (adj) candid; sincere; true indifferent (adj) not caring for
naïve one side or the other; unbiased;
irrefutable (adj) true beyond the disinterested
integrity (n) strength of moral shadow of a doubt; cannot be
character; virtue; adherence to denied judicious (adj) having good
values or principles judgment; practical
legitimate (adj) justified by a
honor (n) honesty; strength of governing authority; real; true neutral (adj) unbiased; not
character; integrity taking a side; disinterested
literal (adj) the primary or
rectitude (adj) correctness; strict meaning of a word; objective (adj) not influenced
moral virtue unexaggerated by personal feelings, goals or
attitudes; not subjective
scrupulous (adj) strict moral substantiate (v) to support a
standards; principled claim as true; authenticate unbiased (adj) disinterested;
impartial; fair; unattached
sincerity (n) truth; candor; unassailable (adj) cannot be
frankness; earnestness denied or disputed; not subject
to attack
trustworthy (adj) deserving Legal Words
confidence; honest; reliable undeniable (adj) cannot be
denied or disputed; provably true alibi (n) an excuse to avoid
truthful (adj) telling the truth blame; the claim to have been
habitually valid (adj) sound; logical;
elsewhere at the time of an
effective; legal
veracious (adj) honest; truthful offense
validate (v) to confirm;
veracity (n) truthfulness arbiter (n) a person who has
substantiate; authenticate
the power to judge and settle a
veritable (adj) real; genuine; true dispute
or very much true
arbitration (n) the process of
verify (v) to prove the truth of settling a dispute by consulting
something an impartial third party
avenge (v) to take vengeance on
behalf of another

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 clemency (n) forgivingness; voluble (adj) having ease with articulate (adj) communicating
gentleness; compassion a deed speaking; talkative well or clearly
showing mercy
assert (v) to state with
commandeer (v) to seize for confidence; to maintain or
military or police use Words you Hear defend a point
compensatory (adj) making accent (n) overemphasis of a banter (n) an exchange of light,
up for a loss; something that particular syllable; a unique way witty, playful remarks
compensates; of speaking in one region
broach (v) to bring up in
forensic (adj) having to do with aside (n) words spoken so as not conversation; mention or discuss
courts of law or public debate to be heard by others who are for the first time
present; brief change of topic
grievance (n) an injustice; colloquial (adj) informal;
grounds for a complaint; a audible (adj) can be heard; common in casual speech
noteworthy insult or injury hearable
communicate (v) to transmit; to
jurisdiction (n) the territory over aural (adj) having to do with the give knowledge or information to
which authority is exerted ear; having to do with an aura or another person; speak
energy field
jurisprudence (n) the convey (v) to communicate; to
philosophy of law dialect (n) a manner of speaking bring or take something from
that is unique to one region; one place to another
litigation (n) a lawsuit
idioms
digress (v) to wander away from
litigious (adj) prone to legal the main topic of conversation
drawl (n) an accent; a manner of
action; sue-happy
speaking involving slow speech
discourse (n) conversation;
subpoena (n) an official and elongation of the vowels
communication of ideas through
document requiring someone or speech
echo (n) the repetition of sound
some evidence to be present in
produced by its reflection off a
court distribute (v) to divide and
wall
give out in shares; to pass out or
inflection (n) a modulation of deliver in the mail
the voice; a change in tone or
drivel (n) silly or nonsensical
pitch
thinking or speech
Words You Can resonant (adj) resounding or
elocution (n) a person’s manner
Hear echoing
of speaking in public or reading
resounding (adj) resonant or aloud
echoing; impressive; thorough or
eloquent (adj) well articulated;
complete
Talkative Words spoken clearly; fluent; expressive
reverberate (v) to echo more
circumlocution (adj) indirect; emphasize (v) to stress; to
than once; to echo back
lengthy way of saying something; highlight the significance of
roundabout tone (n) any sound considered something; to underscore
with reference to its quality,
garrulous (adj) talkative; chatty enunciate (v) to speak clearly;
pitch, strength and source
articulate
gibbering (adj) to chatter
on about nothing; speaking evince (v) to show; express;
unintelligibly Communication and make clear

loquacious (adj) talkative or Speaking Words exclaim (v) shout or cry out
chatty suddenly and with strong
accentuate (v) to give emphasis emotion
verbose (adj) talkative; wordy; to; to stress; to speak with an
long-winded accent gesticulate (v) to make or use
animated gestures with or in
place of speaking

100
 hail (v) to cheer, salute, greet, or tacit (adj) silently understood; melodious (adj) sweet sounding;
welcome implied musical
herald (v) to publicize or utter (v) to speak melody (n) tune; song; a
announce the arrival of pleasant musical sounds
something
rhythm (n) a pattern of regularly
impart (v) to make known; to tell Noisy Words spaced sounds or motions
imply (v) to suggest without boisterous (adj) rowdy and tempo (n) the speed of a
explicitly stating noisy; loud; raucous musical piece; the rate at which
something occurs
inarticulate (adj) poorly spoken; cacophony (n) a jarring
lacking the ability to express unpleasant sound; noisy
oneself in speech; difficult to
understand clamor (v) noisy outcry

insinuate (v) to suggest or hint drone (n) a humming or buzzing

that carries on as a low, a
Time Words
indirectly
monotonous sound
liaison (n) the means of
racket (n) a loud noise;
communication between units
cacophony; clamor Time Words
within a large group
raucous (adj) boisterous; noisy; duration (n) time span; the
monologue (n) a lengthy speech length of time something exists
by a single person rowdy; disorderly
or continues
mutter (v) to speak in a low tone; strident (adj) loud; harsh
chronological (adj) arranged in
to speak in a way that is difficult tumult (n) violent or noisy order of time; first to last
to understand commotion; uproar
contemporary (adj) existing
oration (n) a formal public vociferous (adj) crying out at the same time; living at the
speech noisily; loud same time; a person of similar
orator (n) a public speaker age

polyglot (n) someone who current (adj) belonging to the

speaks many languages;
Musical Words present; up to date
multilingual cadence (n) rhythm; beat diurnal (adj) of or pertaining to
proclaim (v) to officially the daytime; daily
chorus (n) a group of singers;
announce; to make publicly the part of a song that repeats at elapse (v) to slip by, pass, or
known intervals expire (used in relation to time)
promulgate (v) to make known; crescendo (n) a musical climax; epoch (n) a period of time
announce; divulge a gradual or steady increase in marked by one or more events;
rant (v) to speak extravagantly in loudness or force age, era, time
a wild or vehement way dulcet (adj) pleasant-sounding, fortnight (n) a period of two
recount (v) to describe in detail; soothing to the ear weeks
to list events euphony (n) a sound that is simultaneous (adj) happening
salutation (n) the act of saluting pleasing to hear at the same time; concurrent
or greeting; a spoken, written or harmonize (v) to accompany synchronize (v) to cause two
signaled greeting with an appropriate harmony; to things to operate in unison; to set
soliloquy (n) the act of speaking coexist peacefully two clocks to the same time
to one’s self harmony (n) a combination of
speech (n) oral communication; tones played simultaneously
something that is spoken mellifluous (adj) sweet
sounding

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 Late Words instantaneous (adj) occurring, Old Words
done or completed in an instant
belated (adj) late; delayed; antediluvian (adj) very old;
occurring or arriving after its laconic (adj) concise; expressing ancient; from before “the Great
intended time much in only a few words Flood”
overdue (adj) late; expected to momentary (adj) lasting only a antiquated (adj) of the past; no
be present or ready at an earlier moment; very short in duration longer used; outdated
time rapid (adj) quick; fast; moving or archaic (adj) primitive; ancient;
tardy (adj) late; overdue; slow acting with great speed old; from a long gone period of
moving succinct (adj) brief or concise time

sudden (adj) happening quickly antique (adj) of or belonging to

without warning; unforeseen; the past; not modern
Past Words unexpected; abrupt defunct (adj) no longer in use;
hindsight (n) the perception temporary (adj) not permanent; dead; extinct
or understanding of events existing for only a fixed amount idyllic (adj) charmingly simple;
that have already happened; of time rustic; carefree
retrospect
terse (adj) brief; short in time or obsolete (adj) old; no longer
retroactive (adj) affecting things duration commonly used; incompatible
in the past
transient (adj) brief; short-lived; with modern types
vestige (n) evidence of fleeting outdated (adj) no longer
something that no longer exists;
transitory (adj) brief; short-lived; useful or fashionable; obsolete;
surviving evidence of a past state
fleeting outmoded
outmoded (adj) old; dated; or no
Brief Words longer useful or fashionable
Frequency Words predecessor (adj) one who is
brevity (adj) concise; shortness
annual (adj) yearly; occurring replaced by a successor; one who
of time or duration
once a year precedes another in office
brief (adj) concise; shortness of
frequency (n) the rate primeval (adj) very old; of or
time or duration
of occurrence; regularity; pertaining to the earliest period
brusque (adj) blunt; abrupt in recurrence; repetition of earth
manner
frequent (adj) happening or quaint (adj) charming; old
concise (adj) brief and occurring often or at short fashioned; strange, peculiar
expressive; to the point; intervals; common relic (n) a surviving object from
pithy
habitual (adj) commonly the past; the surviving trace of
ellipsis (n) abbreviation; the act used, followed or observed; something religiously significant
of excluding unnecessary words reoccurring due to force of habit vestigial (adj) something
from a sentence
infrequent (adj) not frequent; underdeveloped and no longer
ephemeral (adj) momentary; uncommon; rare useful; ex: appendix in a human
lasting only a moment
intermittent (adj) on and off; yore (n) time past; a long time
evanescent (adj) vanishing; stopping and starting repeatedly ago
fleeting; fading away
rare (adj) uncommon; occurring
fleeting (adj) vanishing; fading infrequently
away; evanescent Certainty and Future
regular (adj) recurring at even
instant (adj) a very short period intervals, according to plan
Words
of time; infinitely short period of certainty (n) the state of being
time repeatedly (adv) occurring
several times certain; an established fact

102
 certitude (n) freedom from haste (n) swiftness of motion; inexorable (adj) unbending;
doubt in matters of opinion or rapid thoughtless action; rash severe, relentless
faith; certainty; self-assured
immediate (adj) instant; interminable (adj) cannot be
defer (v) to save for later; to put occurring or accomplished stopped or ended; unending
off for a future time without delay
invariable (adj) constant; cannot
foretold (adj) accurately meteoric (adj) resembling a change or be changed
described in the past; predicted meteor in speed; brightness; or
shortness of duration irrevocable (adj) cannot be
foreseeable (adj) capable of undone, revoked or annulled
being anticipated
longevity (n) a long life; lasting a
futuristic (adj) of or pertaining Permanent Words very long time
to the future
perennial (adj) lasting for an
congenital (adj) present at birth
imminent (adj) likely to occur at indefinitely long time; enduring
any moment constant (adj) unchanging;
permanent (adj) everlasting;
invariable; always the same
impending (adj) arriving soon; having no end
closing in; bearing down in a consistent (adj) occurring in
menacing way perpetual (adj) continuing
an unchanging way; constantly
forever; eternal
adhering to the same principles
inevitable (adj) absolutely
certain to occur; unavoidable perpetuate (n) cause to continue
continuous (adj) uninterrupted;
or live on
unbroken in time or space
predetermined (adj) decided in
advance; scripted perpetuity (n) the state of being
endurance (n) the ability to
perpetual; never-ending
continue
predictable (adj) possible to
predict; foreseeable persist (v) continue against
enduring (adj) continuing
opposition; endure
prescient (adj) able to predict eternal (adj) never-ending
the future; having foresight persistent (adj) continuing;
everlasting adj) lasting forever; never giving up or admitting
provident (adj) having or never-ending defeat
showing foresight; carefully
providing for the future indelible (adj) cannot be erased; proliferate (v) to persist, live on,
permanent remain
quotidian (adj) usual;
customary; happening daily ingrained (adj) deep-rooted; relentless (adj) unyielding;
fixed within; stored permanently harshly continuing
inside
resilient (adj) rebounding;
Quick Words inherent (adj) permanently springing back; not giving
existing in someone; innate; up
abrupt (adj) sudden; unexpected native; ingrained
stamina (n) the power to
alacrity (n) speediness; cheery innate (adj) existing in a person continue; endurance
enthusiasm from the time of birth; inborn;
static (adj) unchanging; not
native
celerity (n) speed; swiftness; moving; remaining in the same
rapidity intrinsic (adj) belonging to a state
thing by its very nature; inherent
expeditious (adj) quick; prompt sustain (v) continue without
to a thing; native
interruption; to support or hold
feverish (adj) resembling a fever; immutable (adj) cannot be up
marked by intense agitation or changed
emotion timeless (adj) without beginning
incessant (adj) uninterrupted; or end; eternal
frenzied (adj) wildly excited or constant; never-ending
enthusiastic unceasing (adj) never-ending;
lasting forever

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 unending (adj) having no end; burgeon (v) to begin to grow or prelude (n) any action or event
eternal develop quickly; flourish that precedes something else;
introduction; opening; beginning
unrelenting (adj) maintaining create (v) to cause something to
speed, or power; not stopping come into being that would not prequel (n) back story; a
have evolved independently story that features previously
unremitting (adj) uninterrupted established characters at an
and continuing forever emerge (v) to come forth from earlier age
the background or obscurity; to
arise produce (v) to bring into being;
give life to; cause
New Words engender (v) to produce, cause
or give rise to renaissance (n) a renewal of life,
fledgling (n) beginner; a young vigor or interest in something
emanate (v) to flow out;
bird
originate; emit renovate (v) to restore to good
germinal (adj) being in the condition; to make like new
emit (v) to give off; to radiate
earliest stage of development;
seminal (adj) relating to the
having to do with germs exude (v) to give off gradually, beginning or seeds of something
like sweat; to emit
gestation (n) the conception
source (n) the beginning or;
and development of an idea, generate (v) to produce; cause point of origin
offspring, or organism to be; bring into existence
spawn (v) to give birth to; to give
incipient (adj) in its initial stage; implement (v) to put into effect rise to
just beginning to be or occur according to a plan; start a new
system unveil (v) to expose, disclose, or
inchoate (adj) just begun; not
put on display as if by removing
well developed initiate (v) to start, begin, set a veil
into action or originate
inductee (n) a new member of a
club or group; a member of the innovate (v) to introduce
armed services something new; make changes Omen and Future
for the better
nascent (adj) just beginning to Words
exist or develop innovative (adj) novel; ahead
of its time; better than the augury (adj) an omen; indication
novel (adj) new; of a new kind; of the future
established way of doing things
different from everything before
introduction (n) a formal auspice (n) a favorable sign
novice (n) rookie; beginner; indicating good fortune to come
meeting of two people; insertion;
someone who is inexperienced
the first part of something
divination (n) the practice of
sprout (v) to begin to grow; attempting to learn the future
nativity (n) birth, with specific
spring forth through occult rituals
references to the place and
tyro (n) a beginner; novice; circumstances surrounding it.
harbinger (n) a precursor; omen;
rookie an indicator of things to come
onset (n) the beginning or start
unprecedented (adj) having no inauspicious (adj) not
overture (n) the opening musical
previous example; unparalleled; promising; contrary to one’s
number; the first part; the first
unique; extraordinary interests or welfare; boding-ill
step toward negotiations
conceive (v) to form or create an omen (n) any phenomenon that
preamble (n) the introduction
idea is believed to indicate future
to a statement or document;
explanation of what is yet to good or evil
come
ominous (adj) threatening;
Beginning Words foreshadowing bad things to
precursor (n) something comes
attribute (v) to credit as the before or marks the arrival of come; foreboding
result of a specific cause; to link another.
something to its source

104
 portend (v) to indicate in culminate (v) to arrive at deter (v) to discourage or
advance as if by an omen; to the highest point or final restrain from proceeding
foretell or forecast development; to reach the final
stage discomfit (v) to thwart; confuse;
portent (n) an omen or deject
indication of something that is impasse (n) a point of
going to happen disagreement that cannot be divert (v) to turn aside from
resolved; an irreconcilable a path; to entertain with
prescient (adj) knowledge of difference something off-topic
things before they happen;
foresight; foreknowledge penultimate (adj) next to the entangle (v) to make tangled;
last; one from the end ensnare; intertwine
presentiment (n) a feeling or
vision that something bad is ultimate (adj) the last, final; best; forestall (v) to prevent by taking
about to occur highest; greatest of its kind action ahead of time

prophetic (adj) visionary; upshot (n) the final result; foil (v) to prevent the success of;
foretelling events as if by divine conclusion hinder; frustrate
inspiration frustrate (v) to disappoint or
thwart; to make plans go to
waste
Intermission Words halt (v) to stop
abeyance (n) halt mire (v) to sink into the mud; to
hiatus (n) an interruption in an Motion Words become stuck and immobile; to
halt
established schedule of work or
action obviate (v) to avert; avoid;
anticipate and eliminate
interlude (n) a short Motion Words
performance during an preclude (v) to make impossible;
intermission; any event during a kinetic (adj) having to do with to exclude
break in the action motion
preempt (v) to come before or
intermission (n) a break in the mobile (adj) capable of take the place of something else
action; a period of time when the movement or being moved that was anticipated to occur
action halts; halftime
peremptory (adj) preventative;
lull (v) a temporary calm, an action taken with the
stillness, quietness Halt Words intention of preventing another
abort (v) to fail, cease or stop at action
moratorium (n) a pause, break
an early, incomplete stage prohibit (v) to forbid by
respite (n) a temporary delay
balk (v) to place an obstacle authority or law
in something unpleasant or
distressing; reprieve in the way; to stop before an prohibitive (adj) a thing that
obstacle prohibits or makes another thing
cease (v) to discontinue; halt; impossible
The End Words stop quash (v) to put down or
check (v) to stop or arrest the suppress completely; squash; put
conclude (v) to come to a stop;
motion of something powerfully an end to
to end
and suddenly quell (v) to put an end to;
consequence (n) the effect or
curb (v) to control; restrain; suppress, extinguish
result of something occurring
earlier check repress (v) to hold back or hold
curtail (v) to cut short; cut off; down or control; suppress;
diminish stifle (v) to shut down or end by
desist (v) to stop, halt, cease force

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 stymie (v) to block progress; ramble (v) walk around aimlessly eject (v) to drive or force out
hinder; thwart
roam (v) to travel without a fixed emigrate (v) to leave a country
suppress (v) to prevent a thing direction or destination to settle elsewhere
from being freely expressed; put
an end to rove (v) to wander without a evacuate (v) to leave or flee a
fixed destination building or area due to danger
thwart (v) to successfully prevent
another from achieving their wander (v) to travel aimlessly excavation (n) the act of
goal removing the contents of
something
Travel Words evade (v) to escape using
Walking Words ford (v) to cross a body of water
cleverness or trickery
flee (v) to run away; to move
amble (v) go at a slow, easy pace embark (v) to board a craft swiftly
gait (n) a manner of walking before a journey
scamper (v) move quickly in
gambol (v) leap or skip about immigrate (v) to enter a country haste
saunter (v) to walk leisurely; journey (n) a long expedition scramble (v) move quickly in
stroll maneuver (n) a planned haste
peripatetic (adj) walking or movement designed to achieve a scurry (v) move quickly in haste
traveling about specific goal
migrate (v) to go from one
country, city or place to another
Traveler Words navigable (adj) capable of being
traveled across or through
caravan (n) a group of travelers
cavalcade (n) a procession
navigate (v) to steer or pilot a
craft or ship
Angry and
itinerant (adj,n) traveling from
pilgrimage (n) a journey to a
Hostile Words
place to place; someone who
holy destination
travels a lot for work
quest (n) a journey made in
vagabond (n) wandering from
order to attain something Unfriendly Words
place to place without a set
home; homeless scale (v) to climb acrimonious (adj) bitterly angry
or hostile in language or tone;
vagrant (n) a person who trajectory (n) flight path caustic
wanders without a home or
employment traverse (v) to travel across, over austere (adj) severe; strict;
or through uncompromising; forbidding
dispatch (v) to send away
cantankerous (adj) disagreeable;
gallivant (v) travel around unfriendly; cranky
aimlessly seeking pleasure Avoid Words
crude (adj) rude; lacking in
jaunt (n) a short trip taken for abandon (v) leave behind, culture or tact; raw, unrefined
pleasure; vacation dump, ditch
curmudgeon (adj) cranky; bad
meander (v) to wander abscond (v) to depart suddenly tempered
aimlessly; travel indirectly and secretly; bolt
curt (adj) blunt; discourteous;
nomadic (adj) having no fixed circumvent (v) to go around or rudely brief
home; wandering bypass something physical; to
avoid discourteous (adj) unfriendly;
propel (v) to force to move not courteous; impolite; rude
forward or onward dodge (v) to avoid

106
 exclusive (adj) shutting out mimic (v) to imitate, impersonate irascible (adj) very irritable;
others from a part or share; or mock prone to anger or fits of rage
allowing only members to
participate mock (v) to imitate; to attack or ire (n) intense anger; wrath
ridicule by mimicking
gruff (adj) rough; curt; livid (adj) furiously angry;
discourteous; coarse; like low and mordant (adj) sharply sarcastic enraged
scratchy voice or caustic
malevolent (adj) prone to
impudence (n) rudeness; parody (n,v) a mockery; to mock malice; wishing harm to others;
boldness; presumptuous something intentionally evil

presumption (n) unwarranted satire (n) ridicule, mockery, farce, malice (n) ill-will; attempting to
boldness; audacity lampoon inflict harm or injury on others

presumptuous (adj) rude; bold; spoof (n) a good-humored malicious (adj) evil; vicious;
audacious mocking imitation prone to harming others

querulous (adj) argumentative; scoff (v) to mock; jeer; to speak miffed (adj) offended; upset;
prone to arguing of in a deriding way ill-tempered

surly (adj) dark; rude; ill- travesty (n) a crude imitation; a petulant (adj) irritable; quickly
tempered; menacing or ridicule of a serious work; a sham; annoyed by even minor
threatening; grumpy mockery inconveniences

temperamental (adj) moody; rancor (n) bitter resentment;

sensitive; irritable hatred; ill-will
Sarcastic Words
testy (adj) irritable; impatient; rancorous (adj) full of bitter
touchy sarcasm (n) biting, cutting, witty resentment, hatred or ill-will
remark intended to wound
uncouth (adj) discourteous; wrath (n) furious anger
uncivil; rude; awkward or uncivil sarcastic (adj) biting, cutting,
ironic; not serious
vulgar (adj) indecent; obscene;
rude sardonic (adj) cynical; scornfully Dislike Words
mocking; biting humor
abhor (v) to hate or detest
wry (adj) humorously sarcastic;
animosity (n) ill-will, feeling of
Mocking Words ironic
strong dislike
deride (v) to laugh at in antipathy (n) disliking; disgust;
contempt; to mock
Angry Words contempt
disparage (v) to belittle; ridicule; aversion (n) a strong feeling of
discredit; mock choleric (adj) extremely irritable;
dislike
prone to fits of rage
farce (n) mockery; sham; foolish begrudge (v) to envy someone
show fractious (adj) easily angered
else’s good fortune
flout (v) to treat with scorn or furious (adj) full of fury, rage or
bigot (n) a prejudiced person
disdain; to mock or treat with violent passion
who is intolerant of differing
contempt glower (v) to stare down; give religions, races, etc.
imitate (adj) to mimic, the “death eye,” look at in anger
contempt (n) complete
impersonate or mock incensed (adj) angry at disrespect; the feeling one has for
jeer (v) to taunt; make fun of; something unjust or wrong something utterly worthless
shout at indignant (adj) angered, deplore (v) to regret deeply; to
lampoon (n,v) biting satire; to annoyed or insulted about one’s strongly disapprove of
mock dignity
despise (v) to dislike strongly; to
regard with contempt

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 detest (v) to dislike intensely; to rile (v) to irritate or incite anger; ruffian (n) thug; a tough, lawless
hate provoke person
enmity (n) hatred; hostility; ill- vex (v) to irritate; provoke; annoy vengeful (adj) prone to seeking
will revenge; vindictive
execrate (v) to intensely hate;
to curse, denounce or wish evil Hostile Words
upon Blame or Scold Words
aggressive (adj) making an
loathe (v) to feel disgust toward all out effort to win; attacking; absolve (v) to free from guilt or
something; to intensely dislike forward; vigorously energetic blame
misanthrope (n) one who hates antagonistic (adj) acting in accuse (v) to charge with a crime
all people opposition; hostile or wrongdoing; to find fault with
misogynist (n) a hater of women barbaric (adj) uncivilized berate (v) to scold harshly; abuse
resent (v) to dislike someone barbarism (n) an uncivilized act blameworthy (adj) culpable;
based on an insult or injury they deserving blame; worthy of
caused bellicose (adj) warlike; inclined blame
or eager to fight; aggressively
hostile castigate (v) to punish; criticize
or reprimand severely
Provoking Words belligerent (adj) warlike; prone
to waging war censure (v) to condemn; blame;
antagonize (v) to make hostile criticize
or unfriendly; provoke to anger brutal (adj) savage; cruel;
inhumane chastise (v) to criticize severely;
elicit (v) to draw out; provoke reprimand; punish
brutality (n) the quality of being
embroil (v) to cause strife, brutal; cruelty; savagery chide (v) to express disapproval
conflict or confusion of; berate; scold
bully (v) a quarrelsome person
enrage (v) to fill with anger; who intimidates and harms condemn (v) to criticize; to
infuriate weaker or smaller people indicate disapproval
envenom (v) to make bitter hoodlum (n) a thug or gangster criticize (v) to judge and find
fault with; to point out flaws
estrange (v) to alienate; to make hooligan (n) a thug, hoodlum, or
unfriendly; to sever relations gangster culpable (adj) worthy of blame;
deserving of censure
exasperate (v) to severely irritate hostile (adj) violent; unfriendly;
or provoke acting like an enemy decry (v) to belittle; condemn as
faulty or worthless
goad (v) to provoke; to poke inhumane (adj) lacking human
qualities of compassion or mercy denounce (v) to accuse; to blame
incense (v) to make angry; to
enrage martial (adj) warlike; fit for a deprecate (v) to express earnest
warrior disapproval of
incite (v) to provoke; to stir to
action; to goad; to prompt pugnacious (adj) inclined to disdain (v) to look down on; to
fight; quarrelsome regard as unworthy; to treat with
infuriate (v) to enrage; to fill with contempt
fury quarrelsome (adj) inclined to
fight; belligerent; combative excoriate (v) to harshly criticize;
instigate (v) to provoke; urge; to remove the skin from
incite thug (adj) a cruel or vicious
criminal exculpate (v) to free from blame;
prod (v) to poke or jab; to absolve
provoke to anger or action truculent (adj) fierce; cruel;
savagely-brutal; hostile exonerate (v) to free from blame;
provoke (v) to anger; arouse; exculpate; absolve
bring to anger

108
 fault (v) to blame; to criticize Chaos Words demean (v) to degrade; debase
harangue (n) an intense verbal anarchy (n) the state of society diatribe (n) bitter verbal attack
attack or scolding; diatribe without laws; utter chaos discordant (adj) harsh-sounding;
impeach (v) to accuse someone bedlam (n) chaos; melee; not harmonious
(especially a public official); to pandemonium; wild uproar or
question one’s credibility dissonance (n) disagreement;
confusion incongruity; a harsh, unpleasant
impeachable (adj) suspect; chaos (n) a state of utter sound
possibly guilty of wrongdoing; confusion or disorder
subject to doubt dispute (v, n) to disagree, argue;
melee (n) chaos; mayhem; an argument or disagreement
implicate (v) to show pandemonium
involvement (usually in a crime) divisive (adj) contentious;
pandemonium (n) utter chaos; causing much
impugn (v) to cast doubt upon; melee; mayhem disagreement
to challenge someone else’s
statements as false uproarious (adj) very loud; very haggle (v) to argue over a price;
funny; chaotic negotiate; bargain
indict (v) to formally charge with
a crime malign (v) slander; defame;
speak harmful untruths of
indictment (n) a formal Verbal Fighting Words object (v) to state a
accusation that initiates a
criminal case; any charge or disagreement
abase (v) to reduce or lower in
serious criticism rank; to demean; humiliate objection (n) a reason
lambaste (v) to beat severely; to or argument offered in
accost (v) to confront boldly with
criticize or ridicule harshly disagreement
a demand or request
nag (v) to constantly criticize; quibble (v) to debate details
antithetical (adj) directly
bother while avoiding the true issue; to
opposed or contrasting
argue ambiguously; equivocate
objurgate (v) to denounce or argumentative (adj) prone
reproach vehemently retort (n) a sharp response to a
to arguing; disagreeable;
sharp remark; retaliation
contentious
rebuke (v) to reprimand; scold
spat (n) a petty quarrel;
affront (n) an insult; a personally
recriminate (v) to accuse in nonviolent disagreement
offensive act or word
return; countercharge
squabble (v) to engage in
belittle (v) to disparage;
reprimand (v) to scold; punish a petty quarrel; nonviolent
minimize; dismiss; regard as
disagreement
reproach (v) to find fault with; unimportant
scold tirade (n) a bitter, ranting, angry
challenge (v) to question or
speech; a long denouncement
revile (v) to criticize; verbally dispute something; to contradict
abuse trenchant (adj) cutting
contend (v) to assert and
language; bitter or mean spirited
scold (v) to chastise; chide; maintain earnestly; to struggle in
reprimand; to find fault with competition
contention (n) a disagreement,
scorn (n,v) extreme disapproval;
debate; rivalry;
Physical Fighting
to express disapproval
Words
suspect (adj) open to suspicion; contradict (v) to disagree;
believed to be guilty or faulty to make a statement that is adversary (n) a person group
incompatible with a previous or force that opposes or attacks;
upbraid (v) to find fault with; statement opponent
blame
controversy (n) a prolonged altercation (n) a fight; heated
public dispute or debate dispute

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 arsenal (n) a collection of denigrate (v) to slur someone’s exploit (v) to use something or
weaponry or munitions; a reputation; slander someone, especially for profit
collection of anything
derogatory (adj) disparaging; frugal (adj) cheap; thrifty;
bludgeon (v) to strike with a club belittling; harmful to one’s economic in use or expenditure
or blunt object; to use force reputation
implacable (adj) incapable
carnage (n) the slaughter of discredit (v) to expose as false; of being appeased; cannot be
a great number of people; injure the credit or reputation pacified; insatiable
butchery of
ingrate (n) someone who is
contentious (adj) debated; dishonorable (adj) showing a ungrateful for what they have or
disputable; frequently debated lack of honor or integrity; ignoble are given
foray (n) a quick, sudden attack; disreputable (adj) not well insatiable (adj) never satisfied;
assault liked or respected; having a bad greedy; voracious
reputation; dishonorable
fracas (n) a chaotic, noisy, mercenary (n) soldier for hire;
disorderly fight infamous (adj) well known for one who will do anything for
evil; notorious money
grapple (v) to grab hold of; to
seize in a grip; to wrestle with infamy (n) reputation for profiteer (n) a person who seeks
exceedingly bad behavior to extract very large profits, often
massacre (n) the killing of a large unfairly
number of people mediocre (adj) of ordinary
or moderate quality; hardly miser (n) someone who is
parry (v) to evade an attack; sufficient quality; not good greedy; stingy; not generous
dodge; deflect
notorious (adj) famous for a bad opportunistic (adj) selfish;
pejorative (adj) having a reputation; infamous seeking personal gain regardless
negative, belittling, derogatory of the consequences
effect slander (v) to speak deliberately
false statements to harm parsimonious (adj) frugal;
pugilist (n) a fighter who uses his another’s reputation stingy; cheap
fists; boxer
stigma (n) a mark of infamy; a usury (n) an unfair lending
retaliate (v) to strike back; take stain on one’s reputation practice of charging very high
revenge interest rates
vilify (v) to describe someone as
scuffle (v) to fight in a rough, a villain; slander; defame
confused manner
skirmish (n) a fight; a military To Go Without Words
engagement between small
abnegate (v) to intentionally go
bodies of troops; a speedy
without something
conflict
abstain (v) refrain from
tussle (n) a fight; struggle; brawl
waylay (v) to ambush; intercept;
Not Enough forgo (v) refrain from
attack Words waive (v) to give up or forego
something; to forfeit a claim to
something
Bad Reputation Words Greed Words
aspersions (n) unfavorable avarice (n) greed; insatiable Scarcity Words
remarks; slander desire for material wealth
bereft (adj) severely lacking
calumny (n) a malicious, untrue closefisted (adj) stingy; miserly;
statement designed to harm the cheap dearth (n) a shortage
reputation of someone

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 debt (n) a sum of money owed; pauper (n) a very poor person; a infinitesimal (adj) very small;
an obligation beggar immeasurably small
deficit (n) a lack or shortage solicit (v) to request earnestly; to Lilliputian (adj) very small;
seek influence or incite action insignificant, petty, trivial
deplete (v) to use up; exhaust a
supply microscopic (adj) so small as to
require a microscope to be seen
devoid (adj) lacking; wanting; Ineffective Words
utterly without miniscule (adj) tiny; very small
fruitless (adj) resulting in no
drought (n) a lack of water minute (adj) extremely small;
positive result; pointless
tiny
fallow (adj) not in use; inactive;
futile (adj) utterly ineffective;
uncultivated paltry (adj) ridiculously small;
useless; pointless; incapable of
insultingly insufficient; very tiny
lack (v) to be without or deficient producing any result
smidgen (n) a very small amount
meager (adj) lacking in quality impotent (adj) powerless;
or quantity lacking force or effectiveness svelte (adj) slim; slender; skinny;
graceful and refined; suave
mere (adj) to be nothing more
than barely enough; hardly venial (adj) so small as to be
sufficient Poor Words forgivable; trifling
modicum (n) a small amount debtor (n) a person who is in
debt or under financial obligation
parched (adj) extremely dry; to another
thirsty
depreciate (v) to decrease in
paucity (n) insufficient amount; value or worth
not enough; lack
rare (adj) occurring infrequently;
destitute (adj) broke; poor; Death and
busted; having no money or
uncommon means Sadness Words
rarity (n) an infrequently impecunious (adj) poor;
occurring event; an uncommon impoverished; having little or no
occurrence money; penniless Death Words
scarce (adj) not adequately impoverished (adj) poor; having bequeath (v) to hand down; to
available; not enough to satisfy little or no money pass on; to distribute personal
the demand property after death
insolvent (adj) unable to
scarcity (n) an insufficient pay one’s debts; bankrupt; bereaved (adj) deeply saddened
supply; rarity; not enough impoverished by the death of someone
sparse (adj) thinly scattered; not beloved; devastated
penury (n) extreme poverty
dense decay (v) to decompose; rot;
squalor (n) filthy miserable
deteriorate
conditions; wretchedness
dirge (n) a funeral song
Begging Words
epitaph (n) the writing on a
grovel (v) to humble oneself; act Small Words gravestone or memorial marker;
in a pitiful manner a brief poem about the deceased
abbreviate (v) shorten
importune (v) to annoy; to beg eulogy (n) words of praise for the
urgently; to beseech, entreat; abridge (v) to shorten, usually a
deceased, spoken at a funeral
implore book
euthanasia (n) the act of putting
mendicant (n) a beggar; dwarf (n,v) a small person; to
a sick or dying creature to death
someone who lives off of the shrink
out of mercy
charity of others

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 exhume (v) to dig something remorse (n) deep regret for past glum (adj) sullen or silently
up (especially a body); to revive bad behavior; moral anguish gloomy; dejected
something after a period of associated with past wrongdoing
inactivity lugubrious (adj) mournful;
rue (v) to regret bitterly; feel gloomy; sullen
macabre (adj) having to do with sorrow over; to wish something
death; gruesome; horrifying had never happened melancholy (adj) a gloomy state
of mind; sad thoughtfulness;
martyr (n) someone who dies for sorrowful
a cause, principle or religion
Sadness Words morose (adj) gloomy; sullen;
mausoleum (n) an elaborate ill-tempered
burial chamber; a large, gloomy abject (adj) utterly hopeless;
room mourn (v) to feel or express
miserable
sorrow or grief
moribund (adj) near death; on abysmal (adj) extremely deep;
the verge of extinction; decaying mournful (adj) sorrowful; feeling
hopelessly bad; bottomless
or expressing sorrow or grief
sorrow
posthumous (adj) occurring
after death; published or released pathetic (adj) woefully
bleak (adj) bare; desolate;
after the artist’s death inadequate; evoking sadness,
without encouragement or hope;
pity or sorrow
depressing
sepulcher (n) a tomb, grave or
burial chamber pensive (adj) thoughtful;
brooding (adj) consumed with
melancholy; dreamily lost in
depressing or painful memories
tomb (n) an elaborate grave; thought
or thoughts
mausoleum; burial chamber;
sepulcher somber (adj) gloomy;
crestfallen (adj) discouraged;
depressing; extremely serious;
disappointed; dejected
dark and dull;
dejected (adj) unhappy,
Regret Words disheartened, disappointed,
sulk (v) to be sullen, withdrawn
and aloof; to be in a state of ill-
discouraged
apologetic (adj) willing or eager humor
to apologize; containing an derelict (adj) deserted; left
sullen (adj) showing irritation or
excuse or apology behind and forgotten
sadness through a withdrawn,
bemoan (v) to express regret; desolate (adj) barren; like a gloomy silence
to regard with distress or wasteland; lonely
wistful (adj) characterized by a
disapproval
dismal (adj) gloomy, dreary; melancholy; longing; pensive
contrite (adj) remorseful; racked hopeless; abysmal
woe (n) misery; misfortune;
with regret; penitent
doldrums (n) a state of sad grievous distress; affliction
despondent (adj) feeling inactivity, stagnation, depression;
or showing intense regret; gloom; melancholy; low spirits
unresponsive due to
hopelessness doleful (adj) sorrowful; Spirits and Ghosts
mournful; melancholy Words
lachrymose (adj) tearful;
mournful; regretful dour (adj) sullen; gloomy apparition (n) a supernatural
dreary (adj) causing sadness or appearance of a thing; ghost;
lament (v) to mourn deeply; to phantom
feel or express regret gloom; dull or boring
morose (adj) sad; gloomy; sullen chimerical (adj) unreal;
lamentation (n) the act of imaginary; illusory
lamenting or expressing grief or forlorn (adj) very unhappy;
regret miserable; desolate or dreary ethereal (adj) light, airy, floating
or drifting; heavenly or celestial;
regret (v) to think of with a sense gloomy (adj) hopeless or delicate
of loss; to feel remorse despairing; pessimistic; sad;
despondent; glum

112
 haunt (v) to appear as a spirit or
ghost; to remain continuously;
Unintelligent vacuous (adj) empty; lacking
intelligence; stupid
loiter; to disturb or distress Words provincial (adj) simple-minded;
specter (n) a ghost or spirit local; belonging to one particular
place
uncanny (adj) seemingly
supernatural; mysterious Gullible Words unsophisticated (adj) not
civilized or uncultured
zeitgeist (n) the spirit of the credulous (adj) gullible; trusting
time; the general mood of a too freely; easily duped
generation or movement
guileless (adj) naïve; Silly Words
unsophisticated; honest, sincere,
frank foolish (adj) unwise; lacking
Surrender Words forethought or caution; witless;
gullible (adj) easily fooled;
well-meaning but stupid
abdicate (v) to give up the trusting; dumb
throne, power, or rule; to resign fatuous (adj) foolish or inane;
or quit silly
abide (v) to comply with limits; Unintelligent Words buffoon (n) clown; fool; someone
to remain who amuses others with silly
asinine (adj) foolish;
tricks
acquiesce (v) to give up; to unintelligent; silly; stupid
submit or comply without harlequin (n) a jester or
daft (adj) senseless; foolish;
protest; consent clown; buffoon; an entertainer
stupid
specializing in silly tricks
admit (v) to allow; to grant entry
dolt (n) a dumb person, idiot,
inane (adj) lacking intelligence;
allow (v) to give permission for; twit, foolish person
silly
to permit
dullard (n) a stupid person
capitulate (v) to concede defeat;
inebriated (adj) intoxicated;
to give up resistance
drunk on alcohol; stupefied Immature Words
concede (v) to acknowledge an
ignoramus (n) an extremely boorish (adj) unmannered;
opponent’s victory; to give up;
ignorant person crude; poorly behaved
surrender
incompetent (adj) lacking callow (adj) immature or
relinquish (v) to renounce or
ability; not qualified; inadequate; inexperienced
surrender a possession; to give
unfit
up ingénue (n) a naïve, innocent
inept (adj) clumsy, awkward; young woman
resignation (n) an accepting,
foolish; without skill
unresisting attitude; the act incipience (n) a complete lack of
removing oneself from public lummox (n) a clumsy or stupid wisdom; foolish
office person
naïve (adj) inexperienced;
succumb (v) to yield; to give way mark (n) the intended victim of a gullible; simple; guileless;
to a superior force swindler trusting
surrender (v) to yield; to admit oaf (n) a clumsy, stupid person puerile (adj) childish; foolish
defeat; to give something over to
authorities obtuse (adj) dull; not sharp; dim sophomoric (adj) childish or
immature; overconfident or
parochial (adj) narrow in scope; conceited
narrow-minded
stupor (n) a state of mental
numbness; confusion;
intoxication

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 Bad Character tawdry (adj) cheap; gaudy;
indecent
patronize (v) to behave in an
condescending way toward; to
Traits shop at regularly
philistine (adj) lacking values;
Arrogant Words behaving in a smug way that
Show Off Words aloof (adj) distanced; detached;
violates cultural norms and
customs
disinterested; unaware; snobbish
boast (v) to brag
pompous (adj) pretentious;
arrogant (adj) having an inflated; self-aggrandized
bombast (v) to use impressive-
overbearing sense of self-worth;
sounding but meaningless
brazen; stuck-up pontificate (v) to speak in an
language
arrogant, dogmatic, manner; to
audacity (n) boldness; arrogance speak presumptuously
braggart (n) someone who
brags excessively brazen (adj) shameless or priggish (adj) behavior
impudent characterized by insistence that
exaggerate (v) to overstate;
to enhance a story or account complacency (n) the state of others conform to unnecessary
beyond the limits of truth being self satisfied, smug or over rules
confident smug (adj) excessively self-
flamboyant (adj) showy; garish;
conspicuously bright and complacent (adj) self satisfied; satisfied; self-righteously
colorful; tasteless smug; overconfident; foolishly complacent
content solipsistic (adj) extremely self-
flaunt (v) to show off; parade; to
wave conspicuously in the air condescending (adj) centered
characterized by the belief that supercilious (adj) arrogant,
florid (adj) gaudy; extremely
one is somehow better than haughty, condescending
ornate; flowery
other people
garish (adj) flamboyantly
dismissive (adj) having a lack of
colorful; tasteless; showy
interest or respect Crazy Words
gaudy (adj) showy in a tasteless
egotism (n) boastfulness; delirious (adj) experiencing
way; flashy; garish
referring to oneself frequently in uncontrolled excitement or
gloat (v) to brag about victory or conversation or writing; conceit emotion; talking in complete
achievement nonsense
grandiloquent (adj) speaking in
ostentatious (adj) showy; an arrogant way demented (adj) crazy; insane;
characterized by an attempt to mad
grandiose (adj) pompous;
impress others
arrogant; pretentious; showy distraught (adj) deeply agitated;
overstate (v) to exaggerate; to freaked out; mentally deranged;
gall (n) nerve; audacity
assert beyond what is really true crazy
haughty (adj) arrogant;
poseur (n) a person who disturbed (adj) mentally ill
scornfully prideful;
pretends to be something he is
condescending insane (adj) not sane; not of
not
hubris (n) excessive pride sound mind; crazy
pretentious (adj) pompous,
showy; the assumption of dignity lofty (adj) arrogantly superior in lunatic (n) an insane person
or importance manner; haughty mad (adj) mentally disturbed;
strut (v) to walk in a vain megalomania (n) mental illness deranged; insane; crazy
arrogant manner; walking with characterized by falsely believing rabid (adj) acting like a creature
head up and chest out; expecting oneself to be wealthy or powerful with rabies; irrationally extreme
to appear impressive
narcissism (n) obsession
swagger (v) to boast or brag; with oneself, especially one’s
strut arrogantly appearance; vanity

114
 Ridiculous Words discord (n) disagreement; officious (adj) interfering;
disharmony; tension or unease meddling; forcefully offering
absurd (adj) obviously one’s services
ridiculous; clearly untrue; utterly disrupt (v) to cause disorder; to
senseless destroy temporarily parasite (n) an organism that
feeds off of another organism
bizarre (adj) wildly unusual encroach (v) to advance beyond without killing it or offering any
in style, manner, appearance, proper boundaries; trespass benefit in return; leech
behavior, or character faze (v) to discourage; to peevish (adj) irritable; petulant;
irrational (adj) unreasoned; dishearten; to shake one’s showing annoyance; cross
emotional rather than logical composure; to daunt
perturb (v) to agitate; cause or
ludicrous (adj) ridiculous; grate (v) to make an irritating stir up trouble
laughable; silly; deserving of sound; to irritate; to scrape or
ridicule cause friction pester (v) to bother persistently
with minor annoyances
nonsensical (adj) ridiculous; gripe (v, n) to complain
making no sense at all constantly; grumble; a nagging pique (v) to offend or irritate
complaint
preposterous (adj) ridiculous; prying (adj) to persistently ask
contrary to logical reason; absurd harass (v) to disturb persistently about something one has no
business knowing; meddle
ridiculous (adj) deserving of harry (v) to annoy repeatedly; to
ridicule; nonsensical harass smarmy (adj) unpleasantly
suave; overly polished; slick;
zany (adj) comically absurd; heckle (v) to harass or badger a cheesy
ridiculous in an amusing way public speaker
unctuous (adj) excessively suave,
impinge (v) to infringe or smooth, smug; oily, slick; cheesy
encroach on another’s space; to
Pesky Words trespass

abrasive (adj) unpleasant;

infringe (v) to encroach; violate Boring Words
grating; rough in texture interloper (n) one who meddles
banal (adj) predictable;
in the affairs of others
aggravate (v) to annoy or irritate unoriginal; trite;
intrusive (adj) unwelcome; contrived
agitate (v) to disturb or excite
annoying; bothersome;
emotionally; to shake violently or drab (adj) dull in appearance;
interfering
move into action lacking in spirit
irksome (adj) irritating or
annoy (v) to disturb or bother cliché (n) an expression or
annoying
phrase that has lost its potency
belabor (v) to explain, worry due to overuse
irritating (adj) annoying;
about, or discuss more than
provoking
necessary derived (adj) taken from another
meddle (v) to involve oneself source; not original; borrowed
bristle (v) to become rigid or from elsewhere
in the affairs of others without
tense with irritation
invitation
dull (adj) causing boredom; no
cajole (v) to coax; to persuade by interesting; not sharp
obtrusive (adj) interfering;
flattery or promises
meddlesome
hackneyed (adj)
captious (adj) frequently points overdone, overused; trite;
obnoxious (adj) highly offensive;
out minor flaws, faults or defects; unoriginal
objectionable
picky
obstreperous (adj) unruly; noisy; insipid (adj) boring; silly
carp (v) to find fault with;
clamorous; intractable
complain constantly jejune (adj) insignificant or
uninteresting; boring in an
cavil (v) to bring up petty or immature way
irritating objections

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 lackluster (adj) lacking Antisocial Words sequester (v) to remove or
brilliance; lacking liveliness or separate; to isolate from outside
vitality; boring dissociated (adj) having severed influences
ties with; no longer a part of a
monotonous (adj) extremely group shun (v) to keep away from; to
repetitious; boring; unchanging avoid
sound dissident (n) a person who
disagrees in opinion or attitude spurned (adj) rejected
mundane (adj) ordinary;
unremarkable; boring; banal enclave (n) a small, distinct wayward (adj) disobedient;
group surrounded by another, improper; irregular
nondescript (adj) lacking larger group.
distinctive features;
uninteresting; dull hermit (n) one who lives in
seclusion
Bad Behavior Words
pedestrian (adj) commonplace;
boring; lacking in vitality or inhospitable (adj) not intractable (adj) difficult to
imagination welcoming; treating guests control
unfavorably; hostile incorrigible (adj) incurable;
prosaic (adj) commonplace;
unimaginative; dull maverick (n) an independent habitual bad behavior
person who takes an unpopular rambunctious (adj) difficult to
soporific (adj) sleep-inducing; position on an issue
extremely boring control; wildly energetic
nonconformist (n) a person
staid (adj) boring; unmoving; who does not follow established
fixed; settled opinions, customs or attitudes Picky Words
tedious (adj) long; boring; tiring; outcast (n) someone who has
monotonous; dull demand (v) to urgently ask for;
been banished, rejected or sent issue an ultimatum
tedium (n) monotony; boredom; away
dullness fastidious (adj) excessively
ostracize (v) to exclude, based picky; demanding; hard to please
trite (adj) unoriginal; unexciting; on majority opinion, from society
lacking in novelty because of persnickety (adj) fussy; choosey;
pariah (n) an outcast; someone overly particular
overuse who is despised and avoided
unvarying (adj) boring; lacking ultimatum (n) an
polemic (n) a controversial uncompromising demand; a
variety; not dynamic argument; someone who argues statement of firm conditions for
vapid (adj) tasteless; dull, boring against the norm an agreement
rebel (n) someone who resists
customs, authority, or control
Ugly Words recalcitrant (adj) resisting Stubborn Words
grotesque (adj) horribly authority or control adamant (adj) unyielding in
misshapen or mangled; hideous; recluse (n) someone who avoids opinion or attitude despite all
human interaction to live in appeals
hideous (adj) very ugly; frightful
to the senses; horrible looking seclusion contumacious (adj) stubborn;
reclusive (adj) antisocial; shutoff rebellious; intentionally
marred (adj) scarred; marked in
from the world; solitary disagreeable
a way that makes it less beautiful;
defaced; flawed; injured renegade (n) a traitor, deserter, defiant (adj) boldly resisting or
dissenter; a person who deserts a challenging
unkempt (adj) messy; not
combed; uncared-for; neglected; cause for another headstrong (adj) stubborn;
disheveled; scapegoat (n) one that is made pigheaded; unyielding
to bear the blame for another; inflexible (adj) unyielding; rigid
one who suffers wrongly

116
 intransigent (adj) refusing to hibernate (v) to sleep for an Fragile Words
compromise or agree; stubbornly extended period of time; to sleep
attached to an extreme position through the winter feeble (adj) physically weak; frail
obdurate (adj) stubborn, idle (adj) not working or active; fragile (adj) easily broken,
unyielding; unmoved by emotion unused; unemployed shattered or damaged; delicate;
requiring special care
obstinate (adj) stubborn; inanimate (adj) lifeless; spiritless;
unyielding inactive; motionless susceptible (adj) vulnerable;
easily influenced or affected
pigheaded (adj) stubborn; indolence (n) habitual laziness;
stupidly obstinate slothfulness; resistance to doing tenuous (adj) thin or slender in
hard work form; weak; unimportant
rebellious (adj) defying or
resisting an established authority; indolent (adj) lazy; slothful; vulnerable (adj) capable of
prone to disagreement seeking to avoid work being wounded or hurt
stubborn (adj) hard-headed; inert (adj) inactive or sluggish by wispy (adj) small, thin and
obstinate; unmoving; fixed on a nature; resistant to motion fibrous like hair, grass, or straw
set purpose or course of action
inertia (n) inactivity;
unyielding (adj) inflexible; sluggishness; resistance to
unbending; cannot be changed; motion Worn Out Words
stubborn
languid (adj) lacking energy, decadence (n) the act of falling
willful (adj) stubborn; vigor or vitality into an inferior state; decay;
unreasonable; pigheaded decline; regression
lethargic (adj) lazy; lacking
energy or alertness deteriorate (v) to worsen in
quality, character, value
Shocking Words listless (adj) lack of energy
or inclination to do anything; jaded (adj) worn out in due to
agape (adj) with the mouth depressed overwork or overuse
hanging open in shock, awe or
malingerer (n) someone who mangy (adj) worn out; having
wonder
avoids work; one who fakes many threadbare spots
aghast (adj) struck with shock, illness to avoid work
horror or amazement threadbare (adj) worn out;
procrastinate (v) to put off a task shabby; in poor condition
lurid (adj) harshly shocking; for later; defer; delay
sensational
saturnine (adj) sluggish; gloomy;
stupefying (adj) so amazing exhibiting the symptoms of lead Unclean Words
as to confuse anyone who poisoning
witnesses; stunning; shocking defile (v) to make dirty, unclean;
sedentary (adj) sitting; to make impure; to violate
stunning (adj) so incredible as to stationary; unaccustomed to
stun or shock with amazement exercise impure (adj) not pure; tarnished,
unclean
shiftless (adj) lazy; inefficient;
lacking imagination or ambition muck (n) mud; filth; dirt or slime
Lazy Words slothful (adj) lazy; very slow slovenly (adj) very messy;
moving untidy; unclean
dalliance (n) an unimportant
waste of valuable time; fooling sluggish (adj) slow to act or sludge (n) mud; mire; ooze or
around respond; lazy slush
dilatory (adj) tardy; tending to torpid (adj) inactive; slow sully (v) to dirty, tarnish, stain; to
delay or procrastinate make impure
unhurried (adj) slow; relaxed;
dormant (adj) at rest, inactive leisurely taint (v) a trace of something
hesitate (v) to pause; to wait bad, foul, offensive, or harmful
before taking action

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 tarnished (adj) to make dirty; incapacitate (v) to deprive of deviant (adj) differing in
to dull the luster or change the ability or strength; disable behavior or attitude from what is
color with dirt normal and acceptable
injure (v) to damage; to harm
physically devious (adj) not
straightforward; crooked;
Unfair jaundiced (adj) discolored; departing from the most direct
yellowish; envious; bitter path
biased (adj) slanted; prejudiced;
laceration (n) a rip or tear; a cut hypocritical (adj) pretending to
unfair; not neutral
or wound of the flesh be virtuous; saying one thing and
subjective (adj) influenced by doing another
infirmity (n) a physical weakness;
personal beliefs and attitudes;
weakness caused by old age or ignoble (adj) immoral;
personal
disease dishonorable; of low quality;
predilection (n) preference; bias; inferior
languish (v) to become weak;
inclination; predisposition
droop; fade immoral (adj) not moral;
prejudiced (adj) being biased or unethical; unprincipled
maim (v) to injure or disfigure; to
having a belief from before-hand
injure visibly; to remove a limb ignominious (adj) disgraceful;
malady (n) an undesirable dishonorable
disorder or condition
Unhealthy Words impious (adj) immoral; sinful;
noxious (adj) poisonous; harmful wicked
attrition (n) a reduction in size, to health; corruptive; immoral
strength or number profligate (adj) shamelessly
queasy (adj) nauseated; feeling wasteful; degenerate
atrophy (v) to waste away; to ill; sick to ones stomach
degenerate from disuse unconscionable (adj) not right;
scourge (n) the cause of a not guided by reason
contusion (n) a bruise disease, affliction or calamity unscrupulous (adj)
corpulent (adj) fat; stout; bulky toxic (adj) poisonous unprincipled; unethical; not
crippled (adj) severely or guided by conscience
tribulation (n) an affliction;
permanently injured severe suffering venal (adj) bribable; corrupt;
debilitate (v) to cause weakness willing to sell one’s influence
vertigo (n) the sensation of
deleterious (adj) harmful dizziness due to an internal
disorder; a confused, disoriented
distended (adj) swollen state Evil Words
emaciated (adj) very thin; gaunt; virulent (adj) infectious; abhorrent (adj) very bad;
scrawny spreading like a virus poisonous; shocking; detestable
fester (v) to become infected; noxious
bane (n) a thing that causes
putrefy or rot; to decay; to wizened (adj) withered; destruction, harm, ruin or death
worsen in condition shriveled up
dastardly (adj) cowardly and
gaunt (adj) extremely thin malicious; sneakily vicious;
and bony; haggard; scrawny; despicable
emaciated Immoral Words depraved (adj) wicked; immoral
haggard (adj) exhausted; aberration (n) the act of straying
malnourished; sickly depravity (n) wickedness;
from the correct or normal course immorality
hypochondriac (n) someone amoral (adj) having no morals or
who continually believes himself despicable (adj) deserving to be
principles despised; vile; mean; detestable
to be sick when he is perfectly
healthy corruption (n) the state of being detestable (adj) very bad;
immoral; moral perversion deserving to be hated

118
 diabolical (adj) wicked, fiendish unspeakable (adj) disgusting; sanctimonious (adj) making a
appalling; unthinkable; show of being pious; hypocritical;
egregious (adj) horrible inexpressibly bad faking religious devotion
exceptionable (adj) vicious (adj) evil; characterized secular (adj) not religious
objectionable; debatable by vice; immoral
unorthodox (adj) contrary to
execrable (adj) very bad; vile (adj) very bad; disgusting; tradition or custom
detestable repugnant; repellent
flagrant (adj) obviously bad;
shockingly evident; glaring
Unholy Words
ghastly (adj) shockingly frightful;
dreadful Nature Words
blasphemy (n) disrespectful
hateful (adj) deserving to be behavior toward anything held
hated sacred; heresy; profanity
Nature Words
heinous (adj) hateful; odious; desecrate (v) to ruin a sacred
despicable thing or place; to treat with archipelago (n) a chain of islands
sacrilege; defile
horrendous (adj) shockingly biome (n) a complex community
dreadful; horrible exorcism (n) freeing from evil of plants and animals living
spirits; the act of eliminating a together in one region or area
insidious (adj) harmful; problem
operating in a seemingly bog (n) a swamp, marsh or
harmless way, but actually heresy (n) an opinion or doctrine quagmire; a sticky place, trap, or
causing great harm that conflicts with the church’s bad situation
position; sacrilege
invidious (adj) offensive; likely to celestial (adj) pertaining to the
be disliked impenitent (adj) lacking regret sky or heavens
about one’s sins; unrepentant;
loathsome (adj) deserving of climate (n) the weather over the
not sorry for wrongdoing
hatred; strongly disliked long term; the prevailing mood
incantation (n) a magical or attitude
malevolent (n) wishing evil or ceremony; witchcraft; ritually
harm upon others; someone with erosion (n) the process of soil
reciting a spell believed to have
ill-will being washed away
power
nefarious (adj) extremely wicked furrow (n,v) a narrow groove
iconoclast (n) someone who
in the ground; to wrinkle one’s
nemesis (n) an opponent or rival destroys images, especially
forehead
that one cannot defeat images with religious meaning
habitat (n) the natural
odious (adj) highly offensive; irreverent (adj) disrespectful;
environment of a plant, animal or
hated lacking seriousness
other organism
reprehensible (adj) deserving of malediction (n) a curse
mesa (n) a flat topped mountain
disapproval; blameworthy peccadillo (n) a very minor sin; a or plateau
reprobate (n) a depraved, minor offense
oasis (n) a fertile spot
unprincipled person profane (adj) lacking surrounded by a desert; a refuge
repugnant (adj) distasteful; appropriate respect for
organic (adj) naturally occurring;
offensive; objectionable; hostile God or religious principles;
carbon based; derived from living
blasphemous; unholy
sanguinary (adj) covered in organisms
blood; bloodthirsty; cruel; savage profanity (n) swearing;
plateau (n,v) a flat topped
blasphemy; sacrilege; something
turpitude (n) wickedness; vile, mountain; mesa; to grow rapidly,
that is profane
shameful character then stop and cease to progress
precipice (n) a cliff with a vertical
or nearly vertical face

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 terrestrial (adj) of or pertaining arable (adj) suitable for farming; kindle (v) to start a fire; inspire
to the land; pertaining to Earth capable of producing crops change; to excite
arid (adj) having no moisture; stoke (v) to stir up and feed a
extremely dry; conditions not fire; energize
Animals Words suitable for farming
amphibious (adj) capable of barren (adj) unproductive;
living in water or on land infertile Water Words
avian (adj) having to do with blight (n) a plant disease aquatic (adj) belonging to or
birds resulting in the sudden withering living in water
and dying of the plant
carnivore (n) a creature that eats damp (adj) slightly wet; moist
primarily meat; a carnivorous cultivate (v) to grow crops; to
animal promote or improve the growth dank (adj) disagreeably moist or
of humid, and often unpleasantly
equine (adj) related to horses chilly
famine (n) widespread scarcity of
fauna (n) all of the animals from food often caused by crop failure deluge (n) a flood; torrential rush
a specific region or time period of water
fecund (adj) fertile; productive;
feral (adj) existing in the wild; fruitful dike (n) an embankment for the
untamed use of holding back the water of
fertile (adj) lush and abundant; a sea or river
herbivore (n) something that capable of reproduction; land
eats only plants that is suitable for farming douse (v) to drench; to plunge
into water
invertebrate (n) an organism flora (n) all of the plant life from
that has no spine a specific region or time period inundate (v) to flood with water;
to submerge with water
mammal (n) any animal that has forage (v) to search for food or
hair, births live young and feeds supplies irrigate (v) to moisten; to bring
their young with milk water to land by man-made
horticulture (n) the cultivation means; to water crops
menagerie (n) a collection of of an orchard, nursery, or garden
unusual animals levee (n) an embankment
husbandry (n) agriculture; the designed to prevent the flooding
nocturnal (adj) awake or active cultivation of livestock or crops of a river
primarily at night
maelstrom (n) a large, violent
omnivore (n) a creature that eats whirlpool
both meat and vegetables Fire Words
moist (adj) slightly wet; damp
plumage (n) all of the feathers combustible (adj) capable of
covering a bird; feathers catching fire and burning; easily reservoir (n) a natural or man-
collectively provoked to anger made lake used for storing water
predator (n) an organism that conflagration (n) a destructive,
feeds on other organisms uncontrolled fire
prey (n) an animal hunted for incendiary (adj) used for starting
food illegal fires; speech that stirs up
talon (n) the claw of an animal, emotions 5 Senses Words
especially a bird of prey inferno (n) hell or a place
resembling it; a furnace or fire
inflammatory (adj) prone to Sensory Words
Plants Words catching on fire; provocative;
offensive clairvoyance (n) the power to
arboreal (adj) belonging to or see things beyond the natural
living in trees field of vision

120
 evoke (v) to cause one to recall a vision (n) sight; the capability to foul (adj) filthy or dirty; offensive
memory; to cause feelings sense with the eyes to the senses; repulsive, repellent
gratify (v) to give pleasure to; to waft (v) to float gently through malodorous (adj) foul-smelling;
satisfy the air having an unpleasant odor
gustatory (adj) related to the noisome (adj) foul; stinking;
sense of taste putrid
Hot Words
luscious (adj) very pleasing to odorous (adj) having a
the sense of smell or taste; tasty; blistering (adj) so hot or fast it distinctive odor (not necessarily
delectable could cause a blister good or bad); fragrant
myopic (adj) nearsighted; fervor (n) intense heat olfactory (adj) having to do with
incapable of seeing the big the sense of smell
picture; unable or unwilling to lukewarm (adj) moderately
act prudently warm; tepid pungent (adj) smelling or tasting
very strongly; bitter or spicy;
palatable (adj) pleasant tasting piping (adj) very hot acrid
palpable (adj) capable of being scalding (adj) very hot; causing a putrid (adj) in a state of foul
felt by touch; easily seen, heard, burning sensation decay; thoroughly corrupt
or understood; obvious scorching (adj) burning; very hot rancid (adj) rank; unpleasant;
pathos (n) the quality in art or sizzling (adj) to be very hot; to stale; tasting or smelling as if
literature that arouses emotion in fry with a hissing sound; to be partially decomposed
the reader or viewer very angry rank (adj) very offensive;
perceive (v) to become aware of; sweltering (adj) oppressively hot disgusting; offensive smelling or
to witness tasting
thermal (adj) having to do with
perception (n) the act of heat; of or pertaining to heat revolting (adj) disgusting;
experiencing through use of the repulsive; abhorrent
senses; understanding; cognition tepid (adj) lukewarm;
moderately warm stagnant (adj) still water; stale
redolent (adj) pleasant smelling; or foul
odorous; aromatic; odiferous; torrid (adj) very hot; parching,
reminiscent of burning heat; passionate stench (n) a powerfully
unpleasant smell; stink; a foul
savory (adj) pleasant tasting or quality
smelling
Cold Words repulsive (adj) so gross or rude
scope (v) to view or examine as to drive others away; causing
chilly (adj) cold; producing repugnance or aversion
sensuous (adj) relating to the shivers
senses; appealing or gratifying to unsavory (adj) unpleasant in
the senses; gelid (adj) very cold; icy taste or smell; tasteless
sentient (adj) capable of feeling; frigid (adj) very cold
conscious; having the five senses
glacial (adj) having to do with Taste Words
sympathy (n) the act of sharing glaciers; very cold; very slow
feelings with another, especially moving acerbic (adj) bitter; caustic;
sorrow or grief sharp; cutting
icy (adj) made of or resembling
tactile (adj) pertaining to the ice acrid (adj) harsh; bitter
sense of touch; tangible
bland (adj) lacking flavor; boring
tangible (adj) capable of being
touched; palpable; material or Scent Words connoisseur (n) a person with
substantial refined taste or training in the
fetid (adj) bad smelling; having fine arts; critic
an offensive odor

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 delectable (adj) very tasty; patent (adj) obvious; evident; Food Words
delicious open to observation
edible (adj) eatable;
discriminating (adj) having reveal (v) to unveil; to give away; characteristic of something that
excellent taste or judgment; to make public may be eaten
analytical
undeniable (adj) obvious to fodder (n) feed for livestock;
epicure (n) connoisseur; a person everyone; cannot be disputed coarse or unrefined consumable
with refined tastes, especially in grain
food; gourmet vivid (adj) visible in explicit
detail; strikingly bright or visually nourishing (adj) promoting or
piquant (adj) pleasantly strong intense sustaining growth or life
tasting; very spicy or bitter
potable (adj,n) drinkable; a
relish (v) to greatly enjoy the beverage
taste of something Beautiful Words
savor (v) to taste or smell with aesthetic (adj) dealing with
great pleasure beauty; pleasing to look at Hungry Words
vitriolic (adj) very caustic; gorgeous (adj) strikingly appetite (n) the desire or need
scathing; bitter; acidic beautiful; rich; superb; brilliant to eat food; any desire, need, or
pulchritude (n) great physical longing
beauty; gorgeous famished (adj) starving; having
Vision Words not eaten for a long time;
splendor (n) beauty; brilliance or
apparent (adj) easily seen and gorgeous appearance extremely hungry
understood; plain and clear; hunger (v) to desire food; a
obvious compelling need or desire for
blatant (adj) boldly or brazenly Eating Words something
obvious; tastelessly conspicuous; quench (v) to satisfy or
flagrant abstemious (adj) dieting; eating
little or less than customary extinguish a thirst
conspicuous (adj) easily seen; ravenous (adj) extremely
obvious; attracting attention by consume (v) to eat, drink, or
devour; to use up; exhaust hungry; famished; voracious
contrasting the surroundings
devour (v) to eat voracious (adj) a great hunger;
display (v) to expose to view; to an insatiable appetite for
show publicly digest (v) to break down and something
divulge (v) to reveal; to give extract nutrients from food one
away has eaten.

exhibit (v) to display; expose to gorge (v) to eat greedily Light Words
view guzzle (v) to drink greedily or in illumination (n) a light
explicit (adj) fully and clearly excess display; intellectual or spiritual
expressed or demonstrated; imbibe (v) to drink enlightenment
vivid
ingest (v) to eat incandescent (adj) glowing due
graphic (adj) vivid; giving a clear to heat; emitting light
picture masticate (v) to chew
iridescent (adj) shiny and
manifest (adj) obvious; evident swig (v) to drink heartily colorful; shimmering with a
variety of colors
ostensible (adj) outwardly swill (v) to drink greedily or in
appearing; professed; pretended excess limpid (adj) clear; translucent

overt (adj) obvious; evident; not lucent (adj) clear; translucent

secretive

122
 luminary (adj) something that tint (n) a color or variety of color; Shape Words
gives off light; a person who hue; a delicate or pale color
inspires others conical (adj) shaped like a cone
variegated (adj) marked with
luminous (adj) radiating or patches of different colors; varied elliptical (adj,n) shaped like
reflecting light; shining; bright in appearance an oval; egg shaped; a style of
speaking that is ambiguous
transparent (adj) see-through; wan (adj) sickly pale
not opaque facet (n) one of the smooth
faces of a cut gem; an aspect of a
subject
Art Words
Color Words gradient (n) an inclined surface;
collage (n) a work of art made a ramp
amber (adj) the yellowish brown up of many smaller items; a
color of resin; fossilized tree sap grouping of many diverse items protrude (v) to stick out; to
thrust out
cardinal (adj) deep rich red color depict (v) to represent or as if by
painting; portray; illustrate rotund (adj) round in shape;
cosmetic (adj) decorative rather plump, fat
than functional; serving to diagram (n) a drawing that
beautify explains the parts or operation of serpentine (adj) shaped like a
something snake or serpent; crafty
crimson (adj) a deep red color;
blood-red encore (n) performing another serrated (adj) having saw-like
number in response to applause teeth; notched
harlequin (adj) multi-colored following the closing number
symmetrical (adj) a shape that
hue (n) color genre (n) a class or category is perfectly divisible into to
incarnadine (adj) blood-red; of artistic endeavor; a kind or congruent halves
crimson category of art

luster (n) a shine due to reflected histrionic (adj) having to do with

light; sheen, gloss, sparkle actors; overly dramatic Texture Words
opaque (adj) not transparent; icon (n) a picture, image or other coarse (adj) rough to the touch;
not allowing light to pass representation harsh; grating; composed of large
through particles
montage (n) visual artwork that
pallid (adj) pale; lacking color or combines many clips of film to fibrous (adj) resembling fibers;
liveliness create one larger sequence
gritty (adj) having a sandy
pigment (n) a substance used to mosaic (adj) a work of art made texture
make colors, paints, and dyes; the up of small pieces of colored
glass, stone or tile; varied; eclectic limp (adj) soft; not firm or rigid
color in skin
pictorial (adj) pertaining to riddled (adj) to be pierced with
resplendent (adj) shining many holes
brilliantly, radiant, dazzling pictures; expressed through
visual images stratified (adj) composed of
sallow (adj) yellowish; sickly layers like the layers of soil
portrait (n) a picture or piece or
scarlet (adj) a bright red with a art depicting a person, especially sleek (adj) smooth, glossy;
hint of orange the face deceitful, slick
scintillating (adj) sparkling; purist (n) strict observance viscous (adj) sticky; thick;
shimmering; twinkling of and adherence to a style of adhesive
speckled (adj) covered with dots language or art
veneer (n) a thin, superficial
or flecks of color thespian (n) an actor layer; façade
tawny (adj) dark yellowish or
brownish

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 Measurement Words dilemma (n) an unfortunate ramifications (n) a development
situation requiring the decision or consequence that follows from
amount (n) quantity or measure between two bad options another problem
of something that cannot be
counted in units drawback (n) hindrance; an redoubtable (adj) worthy of
undesirable feature; a negative being feared; formidable
degree (n) any of the steps or consequence of a course of
stages in a course of action or action strenuous (adj) demanding
scale vigorous exertion; difficult; tiring
encumber (v) to hinder or block;
dimension (n) measurements of burden strive (v) to try hard; to exert
length, width, and girth effort; to work to achieve a goal
endeavor (n,v) a strenuous effort
echelon (n) a level; a level of or attempt; to make a strenuous taxing (adj) strenuous; trying;
authority or responsibility; attempt requiring much effort or exertion
ranking; grade; position
fraught (adj) full of; laden with;
extent (n) magnitude; scope; the troubled by
space or degree to which a thing
Danger Words
extends grueling (adj) exhausting
caustic (adj) capable of burning,
girth (n) circumference; size; bulk hamper (v) to make more corroding or destroying living
difficult; hold back; impede; tissue; severely sarcastic
magnitude (n) dimension; size; hinder
extent corrosive (adj) harmful or
hardship (n) a condition that is destructive; capable of quickly
scope (n) extent or range in difficult to endure; suffering eroding a substance; sharply
space; area or field of focus sarcastic
hinder (v) to cause delay;
prevent the doing of something disconcerting (adj) frustrating;
causing disorder
impede (v) to obstruct; hinder;
block the progress of exacerbate (v) to make worse;
Dangerous inexpedient (adj) not advisable;
add fuel to the fire

Words not suitable hazardous (adj) risky; dangerous

inhibit (v) to restrain, hinder; to inclement (adj) stormy; harsh;
prohibit, disallow violent (weather)
Difficult Words laden (adj) loaded up with; inimical (adj) hostile; unfriendly
burdened by
adversity (n) unfavorable jeopardize (v) to put at risk or
circumstances; hardship; obstacle (n) something that make unsafe; to put in jeopardy;
difficulty blocks or hinders progress imperil; to expose to harm
arduous (adj) difficult; grueling; onerous (adj) oppressive; jettison (v) to throw goods
time consuming; requiring great burdensome; causing hardship overboard to lighten a ship in an
effort emergency
onus (n) a difficult or unpleasant
beleaguered (adj) faced with task lethal (adj) resulting in death;
many problems; pestered; deadly
plagued with misfortune predicament (n) an unpleasant,
dangerous, or difficult situation menacing (adj) threatening;
burden (n) something that must likely to cause evil or harm
be carried; load; liability quagmire (n) a situation that
is very difficult to get out of; a noxious (adj) harmful to the
crucible (n) a severe challenge or swamp health or moral wellbeing
test or belief or patience
quandary (n) predicament; pitfall (n) hidden trap; any
cumbersome (adj) troublesome; state of perplexity; confusion unseen danger
heavy; difficult to manage regarding what to do

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 pernicious (adj) harmful; deadly,
fatal
decimate (v) to destroy or kill
a great number; to reduce the
Unclear and
precarious (adj) uncertain;
population by one tenth Deceptive Words
unstable; insecure; hazardous destroy (v) to defeat completely;
extinguish; kill; reduce to rubble
tempestuous (adj) violent and
unpredictable; resembling a eradicate (v) to exterminate; to Confusing Words
violent storm in character remove or destroy completely
addle (v) to make or become
threatening (adj) ominous; havoc (n) great devastation; confused; to become rotten
causing alarm; sinister destruction
befuddle (v) to cause confusion;
turbulent (adj) agitated; prone obliterate (v) to destroy perplex;
to violence; tempestuous completely
bewilder (v) to puzzle or confuse
violent (adj) acting with great ravage (v) to damage severely;
confound (v) to confuse;
uncontrolled force to ruin; plunder; pillage
bewilder; puzzle; perplex
raze (v) demolish; destroy;
confounding (adj) confusing;
reduce to rubble
Disaster Words puzzling
rend (v) to tear apart; to rip to
conundrum (n) anything that
calamity (n) a huge disaster; pieces
causes confusion; a riddle that
widespread misfortune; a
rout (n) a disastrous defeat involves a play on words
catastrophe causing tremendous
loss shambles (n) a scene of elusive (adj) hard to express or
complete ruin or disaster; define
calamitous (adj) disastrous;
carnage; devastation
involving great loss or enigma (n) a puzzle or riddle;
destruction topple (v) to cause something anything that puzzles
top-heavy to fall over
catastrophe (n) an unexpected enigmatic (adj) puzzling;
and destructive disaster; perplexing
misfortune; failure; fiasco
Pain Words illusory (adj) causing illusion;
catastrophic (adj) extremely misleading; deceptive
destructive; bringing physical or affliction (n) a state of pain,
financial ruin impalpable (adj) cannot be
distress, grief or misery
perceived by the sense of touch
debacle (n) a sudden, disastrous masochist (n) someone who
collapse; disaster; ruin; fiasco incoherent (adj) having no
gains gratification from pain,
logical or meaningful connection;
detrimental (adj) causing loss, suffering, deprivation or
confused; irrational
damage or injury degradation
indecipherable (adj) impossible
disaster (n) a sudden event sadistic (adj) an enjoyment of
to understand or discover the its
that causes great destruction, being cruel; one who enjoys the
meaning
financial ruin, or loss of life pain of others
inscrutable (adj) incapable
of being analyzed or studied;
difficult to understand
Destruction Words
intricate (adj) complex; difficult
annihilate (v) to destroy to operate or understand
completely; to wipe out
knotty (adj) involved; having
compromised (adj) exposed to many knots; characteristic of a
danger; weakened; of reduced difficult problem
value or quality
labyrinth (n) a complex maze;
any confusingly complex
arrangement of things

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 nonsensical (adj) making no cryptic (adj) mysterious in Untrue Words
sense at all; silly; absurd meaning; difficult to understand;
puzzling; enigmatic apocryphal (adj) fictitious;
obfuscate (v) to confuse, untrue
bewilder or stupefy equivocal (adj) uncertain in
meaning; with intention to belie (v) to contradict; to show to
oxymoron (n) a self- mislead be false; to misrepresent
contradictory figure of speech;
ex: “cruel kindness” “deafening equivocate (v) to make one’s chimerical (adj) fanciful,
silence” position unclear by intentionally imaginary, impossible; a mythical
using misleading language creature
paradox (adj) a seemingly true
statement that also seems self- esoteric (adj) understood by contrived (adj) obviously
contradictory only a select few planned or forced; not realistic or
pure
perplex (v) to cause confusion; evasive (adj) elusive;
to puzzle, mystify or confound intentionally unclear or counterfeit (adj) inauthentic; an
ambiguous imitation passed off deceptively
quandary (n) a state of as genuine
uncertainty or perplexity; a impalpable (adj) cannot be
predicament with many choices perceived by the sense of touch; decoy (n) anything used as a
intangible; unclear or difficult to lure; part of a trap designed to
understand trick the prey

Unclear Words intangible (adj) cannot be delude (adj) deceive; to mislead

perceived by the sense of touch;
impalpable delusion (n) a false belief or
abstract (adj) not solid or
opinion
concrete; vague; based on
muddle (v) to stir or mix up and
general ideas denial (n) disbelief; refusal to
make cloudy; to cause confusion;
to make unclear accept the reality of something
abstruse (adj) difficult to
understand; esoteric deny (v) to state that something
muddy (adj) unclear; difficult to
understand; mentally clouded is not true; to refuse a request; to
allude (v) to refer to something
refuse admission
indirectly; hint at; intimate;
nebulous (adj) hazy; cloudlike;
suggest fabricate (v) to invent or devise;
unclear; undefined in shape or
form to fake or forge documents; to
ambiguous (adj) unclear
make by art or skill
in shape or form; nebulous;
nondescript (adj) not easily
indistinct; equivocal fallacious (adj) untrue;
identifiable; unremarkable;
uninteresting containing or based on falsity;
amorphous (adj) lacking shape
deceptive or misleading
or form; shapeless; undefined;
obscure (adj) not clear;
vague false (adj) not true; erroneous;
ambiguous; vague;
uncertain incorrect; disloyal; deceptive or
anonymous (adj) without any
misleading
name attributed; an unknown
shrouded (adj) shut off from
person; lacking individuality falsity (n) the act of influencing
sight; hidden; disguised; unclear
something to make it untrue,
apocryphal (adj) unclear
subtle (adj) difficult to see or false or incorrect
in origin; false; of doubtful
understand; unclear in meaning
authenticity inauthentic (adj) not genuine
turbid (adj) not clear; difficult to or authentic; fake; intended to
arcane (adj) known or
see through due to sediment in deceive
understood by very few people;
the water
secret; esoteric; obscure mirage (n) an image that is not
vague (adj) unclear; obscure; really there; illusion
convoluted (adj) complicated;
imprecise; not explicitly or
distorted; difficult to understand myth (n) a fictitious story that
directly stated
was constructed to explain a
contorted (adj) twisted;
phenomenon or custom
distorted; misshapen

126
 mythical (adj) dealing with disingenuous (adj) lacking in knave (n) untrustworthy,
myth; having no foundation in sincerity; intentionally dishonest; unprincipled, dishonest person
fact; fictitious calculating
mendacious (adj) dishonest;
non sequitur (n) an inference or dupe (v) to trick, deceive lying
conclusion that does not logically
follow from the premises duplicitous (adj) deliberately mendacity (n) dishonesty; lies
deceptive in speech or behavior
pseudonym (n) pen name; a perfidious (adj) untrustworthy;
fictitious name used by an author duplicity (n) deceptiveness; intentionally disloyal
speaking or acting in two
saccharine (adj) falsely sweet; different ways; inconsistency of perfidy (n) treachery; a
resembling sugar; overly character deliberate breach of trust; deceit
sentimental ploy (n) an action intended to
elude (v) to avoid or escape by
specious (adj) appearing good trickery or cleverness frustrate an opponent to gain an
but not really; lacking merit; false; advantage
superficial embellish (v) to decorate; to
make a story more exciting by pretense (n) façade; charade;
spurious (adj) false; not genuine, lying sham; a false show of something
authentic or true pretext (n) a misleading
feign (v) to fake, pretend; give a
untrue (adj) not true; false false impression behavior or appearance designed
to conceal one’s true intentions
untruth (n) something that is not fictitious (adj) created or taken
true; a lie; fiction; fabrication; a and used for the purpose of prevaricate (v) to avoid the
deception and evasion; having to truth; evasive
false statement
do with fiction quack (n) a person who pretends
furtive (adj) taken or done in to be skilled in medicine; a phony

Deceptive Words sly or shifty way; subterfuge; rogue (n) a dishonest person;
secretive, stealthy knave; renegade
affectation (n) artificial behavior;
gambit (n) a move by which one ruse (n) a trick; stratagem or
the act of pretending one has a
seeks to gain an advantage artifice
specific quality
fraudulent (adj) deceitful; scoundrel (n) a dishonest
artifice (n) trickery; guile;
deceptive; having to do with person; crook; villain
cunning tactics
fraud
beguile (v) to influence by semblance (n) the outward
guile (n) crafty deception; appearance that disguises the
trickery; deceive; cheat
cunning inner truth; a likeness; copy
charlatan (n) someone who
guise (n) a false outward shyster (n) a cheater; an
pretends to have expert
appearance unethical, unscrupulous
knowledge; a trickster; fraud;
quack hoax (n) something intended to individual
deceive or defraud; deception; stratagem (n) any trick or ruse
chicanery (n) trickery or
fraud used to gain an advantage over
deception that exploits details;
fraud imposter (n) one who practices an opponent; deception
deception by pretending to be subterfuge (n) a deceptive
corrupt (adj) impure; of inferior
someone else stratagem or device; trickery
character; guilty of dishonest
behavior incognito (adj) having one’s true used to break the rules ; scheme;
identity concealed trick
cunning (adj) craftiness;
shrewdness; skill involving deceit insidious (adj) intended to trick; sycophant (n) one who falsely
stealthy; treacherous; deceitful praises; self-serving flatterer
deceive (v) to trick, fool, dupe, or
mislead legerdemain (n) sleight of hand; treacherous (adj) untrustworthy;
skill with artful deception characterized by a willingness to
betray one’s trust; dangerous

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 trickery (n) intentional glitch (n) a defect or malfunction
deception; the act of fooling in a machine; a flaw in a plan
someone
lapse (n) a momentary slip; a
trickster (n) a fraud; deceiver; small error; tiny failure
prankster
maladroit (adj) unskilled;
undermine (v) to injure Mistakes awkward; bungling
or destroy by deceptive,
underhanded means malapropism (n) the humorous
misuse of a word
vulpine (adj) cunning or crafty; Mistake Words
sly; like a fox malfunction (v) to fail to operate
blemish (v) to diminish the correctly
wily (adj) cunning or crafty; sly; perfection of; stain, sully, spot,
tricky tarnish misapprehension (n) the act of
misunderstanding something; a
blunder (n) a careless or stupid faulty understanding
mistake
Secret Words misconception (n) a mistaken
bungle (v) to do something in a notion; a wrong idea;
cabal (n) a small group of secret careless, inadequate or clumsy misunderstanding
plotters; faction; schemers manner
misconstrue (v) to
clandestine (adj) hidden; defect (n) an imperfection, misunderstand the meaning of
secretive; unauthorized shortcoming or fault something; misapprehend
classified (adj) secret; err (v) to be incorrect; to go mishap (n) an unfortunate
available to only select persons; astray in thought or belief accident, misadventure
unavailable to the public
error (n) a mistake; a deviation misnomer (n) an error in
covert (adj) hidden, secret from correctness naming a person or thing; an
inappropriate title or designation
eavesdrop (v) to listen in on the erroneous (adj) mistaken;
conversation others incorrect; wrong; containing an overlook (v) to mistakenly fail to
error notice, perceive, or consider
espionage (n) spying; the act
of employing spies to secretly fallible (adj) capable of making spoonerism (n) an accidental
collect data mistakes; likely to be erroneous switch of the initial sounds of two
words; “biller kees” (killer bees)
infiltrate (v) to enter a group and falter (adj) to move unsteadily;
pose as a member in order to spy stumble; to momentarily waver in
focus, purpose or intent
machination (n) a crafty scheme Careless or Unplanned
fault (n) an error; defect or
secretive (adj) concealed, imperfection; a beak or fracture Words
hidden, stealthy
flaw (n) an imperfection; a cursory (adj) hasty; relatively
surreptitious (adj) stealthy; feature that mars the correctness careless
secret or unauthorized or beauty of something
disregard (adj) to pay no
surveillance (n) to watch; flawed (adj) having attention to; to leave out
supervise someone under imperfections
suspicion extemporaneous (adj) done, or
flounder (v) to falter, waver; spoken without any preparation;
ulterior (adj) intentionally kept struggle off the cuff; impromptu
hidden; unseen
gaffe (n) a social blunder; a foolhardy (adj) thoughtlessly
undercover (adj) disguised; blatant mistake or misjudgment bold; foolish; rash
concealed; hidden
garble (v) to confuse hasty (adj) moving or acting
untold (adj) secret; not revealed. unintentionally or ignorantly with great speed and little
concern; rash

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 immoderate (adj) not moderate; unwitting (adj) unintentional; reprisal (n) retaliation; revenge;
extreme; excessive accidental retribution
impetuous (adj) sudden, rash wanton (adj) deliberate or retribution (n) retaliation;
action; impulsive unprovoked; lewd; merciless; repayment; revenge; a justly
extravagant deserved penalty
impromptu (adj) improvised;
done without preparation vendetta (n) desire to exact
revenge; feud; bitter hostility;
improvise (v) to perform or Punishment Words rivalry
deliver a speech without previous
preparation; wing it atone (v) to make amends for an
offense
impulsive (adj) acting on spur
of the moment, unreasoned apprehend (v) to take into
decisions; acting on impulse custody; to put under arrest
inadvertent (adj) unintentional; banish (v) to send away as a Importance
inattentive; careless punishment; to expel; to force to
indiscreet (adj) revealing
depart Words
something which should be kept commute (v) to lessen a
secret; imprudent with secrets sentence or punishment; to make
lax (adj) careless; not strict;
less severe Relevant Words
negligent expel (v) to send away; to drive applicable (adj) relevant;
away with force capable of being applied
lackadaisical (adj) without
interest, vigor or determination; expiate (v) make amends; atone germane (adj) relevant; related;
careless; disinterested for a crime pertinent
neglect (n) to pay little or no extradite (v) surrendering a pertinent (adj) related directly
attention to fugitives to the jurisdiction of to the matter at hand; relevant;
another state or country germane
negligence (n) carelessness; lack
of caution impunity (n) immunity to relevant (adj) relating to the
punishment; exemption subject at hand; important or
oblivious (adj) unaware; lacking
mindful attention significant; pertinent
incarceration (n) imprisonment;
confinement in jail
perfunctory (adj) performed
merely as routine duty; hasty; pardon (v) forgiveness of an
careless offense; to drop charges against;
Important Words
to remove a penalty critical (adj) very important;
prodigal (adj) excessive;
wasteful; imprudent probation (n) the act of testing; having to do with a crisis
a testing period for a person’s crucial (adj) having to do with a
rash (adj) hasty; without
character or behavior very important decision or result
consideration; foolhardy
prosecute (v) to try someone in dire (adj) very important; crucial;
remiss (adj) careless; negligent
court for an offense relating to great suffering or
spontaneous (adj) impulsive; death
punish (v) to subject to pain,
not planned; without
loss, confinement as a penalty for essential (adj) absolutely
forethought
some wrongdoing necessary
unintentional (adj) not
punitive (adj) concerned with fundamental (adj) of or
intentional; accidental;
inflicting punishment pertaining to the foundation;
unplanned
reprieve (v) to delay an indispensable
unrehearsed (adj) not
impending punishment; any grave (adj) serious; important;
rehearsed; without preparation;
temporary relief momentous; weighty
extemporaneous

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 gravity (n) serious or critical in Unnecessary Words peripheral (adj) located on
nature the edge; minor; irrelevant;
ancillary (adj) secondary; superficial
imperative (adj) absolutely subordinate; subsidiary
necessary or required petty (adj) of little or no
arbitrary (adj) determined by importance
indispensable (adj) absolutely chance, an individual’s will, or
essential; incapable of being whim; not legitimate superfluous (adj) unnecessary;
given away or disregarded more than is required; overkill
excessive (adj) going beyond
incumbent (adj,n) required; the usual, proper or necessary redundant (adj) extra; not
obligatory; the holder of an office degree; extravagant necessary; extraneous
integral (adj) central; very exorbitant (adj) extravagant; tangent (adj) touching at only
important; indispensable greater than reasonable a single point; hardly related;
irrelevant
momentous (adj) of great extraneous (adj) not essential;
importance unnecessary; unrelated tangential (adj) hardly touching
or hardly related; digressing or
obligatory (adj) required; extravagant (adj) spending diversionary
mandatory much more than necessary or
wise; excessive trifling (adj) of little value
paramount (adj) of the highest
importance; the primary concern; extrinsic (adj) not essential; not trivial (adj) unimportant;
superior a basic part; external insignificant; negligible;
inconsequential
pivotal (adj) of very important; gratuitous (adj) unjustified
vital or uncalled for; free of charge; unimportant (adj) not
unnecessary important
primarily (adj) first; number one
in terms of importance immaterial (adj) unimportant; of
principle (adj) of great no consequence
importance; related to the impertinent (adj) irrelevant;
source; fundamental; basic; inappropriate; out of line; rude Storybook Words
prominent (adj) standing out; impractical (adj) not practical or
important; having prominence useful
requisite (adj) necessary or Book and Story Words
inconsequential (adj) of little or
required no importance; insignificant allegory (n) a fable; a symbolic
salient (adj) important; narrative; the illustration of a
insignificant (adj) of very little principle in simple terms
prominent; standing out importance, consequence or
significant (adj) important; of distinction anecdote (n) a short description
consequence of a particular event
irrelevant (adj) not relevant or
underscore (v) to emphasize; logically connected; extraneous anthology (n) a collection
underline; draw attention to of writings on one topic; a
luxury (n) an unnecessary item collection of writings by one
vital (adj) of or pertaining to life; that promotes comfort; not a author
of critical importance; of a life or necessity
death matter bard (n) any poet; Shakespeare is
moot (adj) of little or no practical often called the Bard
watershed (n) an important value; debatable, but pointless
transitional point between two didactic (adj) instructive;
negligible (adj) so small or intended to be instructional
eras, phases or time periods insignificant that it may safely be
weighty (adj) important; overlooked or discarded epic (n) a very long narrative
momentous poem, often about a hero and his
nominal (adj) not important; accomplishments
existing in name only; negligible

130
 epilogue (n) a concluding part maxim (n) a principle or rule of rhetorical (adj) concerned with
added to a book or play conduct; words to live by the art of speaking or writing
effectively; concerned with style
fable (n) a short story to teach a tenet (n) a belief or position that
moral lesson is held as true by a group semantic (adj) having to do with
the different meanings of words
narrative (n) a story; an account
of events transcribe (v) to copy word for
Language Words word
parable (n) a short story
designed to teach some moral alliteration (n) two or more vernacular (n) a vocabulary that
truth or religious principle words in a row beginning is unique to a region or field of
with the same sound; “daring study; a native language
prologue (n) an introductory
Desmond downshifted”
part of a poem, book or discourse
delineate (v) to outline, illustrate
protagonist (n) the lead
or sketch
character of a story; hero or
heroine document (v, n) to write down Comparison
a description to support; any
saga (n) any narrative story that
describes heroic events
written item Words
euphemism (n) an expression
scenario (n) a description of a
substituted for one thought to be
scene; an outline of a dramatic
story
too offensive, blunt or crude Similar Words
hieroglyphics (n) pictographic analogous (adj) similar, alike,
setting (n) where a story takes
language of ancient Egyptians; comparable
place; the background
difficult to read or decipher
stanza (n) part of a poem; a verse coherent (adj) logically
hyperbole (n) purposefully connected; consistent; held
of a poem
exaggerated language; stylistic together in an orderly way
subject (n) the basic matter exaggeration
of thought, discussion or comparable (adj) capable of
idiom (n) a phrase that does not being compared; worthy or
investigation
mean what its literal meaning useful for comparison
theme (n) a unifying or dominant would suggest
idea within a story or piece of art compatible (adj) capable of
illegible (adj) impossible or living or existing together in
tome (n) a book; a very large, difficult to read harmony; capable of cooperation
heavy book
ineffable (adj) indescribable; conformist (n) someone who
undertone (n) an underlying incapable of being expressed in adheres to convention, tradition
sound, quality, or element words or custom
verse (n) a poem or part of a inscription (n) a brief dedication conventional (adj) traditional;
song; stanza in a book or on a piece of jewelry conforming to accepted
standards of society
vignette (n) a small decorative jargon (n) complex terminology
design or illustration; a pleasing that is difficult to understand corresponding (adj) similar in
short story purpose, form, or position
lexicon (n) a wordbook or
dictionary; the vocabulary of a congruent (adj) identical; same
particular language size and shape
Wise Words neologism (n) a new word, emulate (v) imitate; to copy with
adage (n) words to live by; meaning, usage or phrase intent to surpass
maxim; common saying; proverb pun (n) a play on words equivalent (adj) equal in one
doctrine (n) something that is respect; equal in value, force,
rhetoric (n) the effective use of
taught; tenet; dogma; belief measure or significance
language to please or persuade;
showy language

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 homogeneous (adj) similar or basis (n) the standard of Difference Words
the same in kind or origin; alike comparison
abnormal (adj) not normal,
metaphor (adj) a figure of benchmark (n) the standard of average or typical; unusual
speech that compares two excellence; an achievement
dissimilar things by describing anachronistic (adj) out of its
one symbolically as the other to diorama (n) a physical proper chronological order; odd
highlight one similarity between representation, often miniature, for its time in history
the two. ex:“the cat had velvet of a scene
paws” anomaly (n) something odd,
paradigm (n) example; ideal; peculiar, strange or uncommon
parallel (adj) comparable; model
similar; two lines that are atypical (adj) irregular,
paragon (n) a pattern or record abnormal, not typical
equidistant at all corresponding of excellence; ideal; the standard
points by which others are judged complement (v) something that
parity (n) equivalence; completes or makes perfect
effigy (n) a representation of
correspondence; similarity; someone; a crude model of contrary (adj) the opposite in
equality of amount or status someone disliked nature or character; diametrically
peer (n) a person of the same opposed
epitome (n) a person or thing
legal status; something of equal that is the best example of its diametric (adj) in direct
worth or quality kind; an typical example opposition; opposite extremes
replica (n) a copy or prototype (n) the original model differentiate (v) to perceive the
reproduction on which later models are based difference between; to make a
simile (n) a literary device using distinction; to change
precedent (n) example; model;
the word “like” or “as” to compare standard; anything that serves as discern (v) to distinguish
two dissimilar things a guide for future decisions mentally; identify a difference
simulate (v) to act out; feign; between two things; discriminate
standard (n) an approved model;
pretend the basis for comparison discernible (adj) capable of
surrogate (n) a substitute, being distinguished; perceptible
replacement, person appointed by the senses or intellect
to act for another Variety Words discrepancy (n) difference;
substitute (n) a surrogate, inconsistency; not the same
assorted (adj) varied; consisting
replacement, a stand-in of various kinds discriminate (v) to note or
symbol (n) something that distinguish as different; to
diverse (adj) of a different kind prejudge something based on its
represents something else or form; made up of varied parts grouping
symbolism (n) the practice of motley (adj) varied; exhibiting
representing one thing with disparate (adj) distinctly
great diversity; heterogeneous different; dissimilar; not the same
another
smorgasbord (n) an extensive disparity (n) inequality; lack of
unanimous (adj) total array or variety; a buffet
agreement similarity; difference
varied (adj) diversified; dissimilar (adj) not similar;
uniform (adj) always the same; characterized by exhibiting
unchanging with regards to time different
variety or diversity
or location distinct (adj) clearly defined;
variety (adj,n) diversity; a wide separate from the rest; individual
array of things; assortment;
collection; group distinctive (adj) serving to
Model Words distinguish; obvious; notable
archetype (n) the model or mold distinguish (v) to note as
from which all things of a certain different; to recognize as
kind are crafted distinct

132
 eccentric (adj) strange; bizarre;
differing from customary
Other Words Crooked Words
practices or traditions askew (adj) crooked; to one side;
out of line
extreme (adj) the farthest point
from normal; very great in degree
Lively Words deflect (v) to bend or turn aside
animate (v) to give life to; to from the true course; to ricochet
heterogeneous (adj) different in
kind or origin; unalike make alive detour (n) a roundabout way to
animated (adj) lively, expressive bypass an obstruction; a backup
idiosyncrasy (n) a trait that route
is unique to the individual; ebullient (adj) overflowing with
peculiarity; mannerism energy or excitement; boiling oblique (adj) diverging from
a straight line or course; not
incompatible (adj) not enthusiastic (adj) full of straight or direct; morally wrong
compatible; unable to exist eagerness, excitement, or passion
in harmony; unsuitable; stray (v) to deviate from the
inharmonious exuberant (adj) extraordinarily direct course
enthusiastic; very energetic
incongruent (adj) unalike;
dissimilar; unequal vivacious (adj) lively; animated;
spirited Philosophy Words
inconsistent (adj) not consistent;
lacking harmony or agreement vivify (v) enliven; brighten; conservative (adj) in favor of
between the parts; discrepant quicken preserving existing conditions;
traditional
irregular (adj) not normal; zest (n) liveliness; hearty
different from enjoyment; gusto egalitarian (adj) based on belief
in the equality of all people
juxtapose (v) to place two things staunch (adj) firm; steadfast;
side by side for the purpose of loyal, faithful, true ethos (n) the spirit of a culture or
comparison of an era
taut (adj) stretched tight; rigid;
odd (adj) differing in nature from firm hedonism (n) the belief that
what is normal; peculiar pleasure is the highest good;
vigor (adj) strength or force
devotion to pleasure as a way of
oddity (n) something that is
vigorous (adj) strong; forceful; life
remarkably unusual
active; energetic
idealism (n) the act or practice of
peculiar (adj) strange, odd,
wax (v) increase in strength, envisioning things in their ideal
different; uncommon, unusual;
intensity, extent or quality form; pursuing lofty goals
eccentric, bizarre
idealist (n) someone who sees
quirk (n) an odd behavior or
things not as they truly are but as
characteristic; mannerism Satisfactory Words he or she wishes they were
radical (adj,n) not moderate;
satiate (v) to satisfy to the fullest; liberal (adj) favorable to reform;
extremely unconventional; one
to supply in excess progressive; open-minded;
who holds extreme positions
generous in giving
satisfy (v) to fulfill the need,
stereotype (n) to categorize
desire, or expectations of pacifism (n) a philosophy of
a person or thing based on its
nonviolence
obvious characteristics suffice (v) to be adequate; to
satisfy the requirements pacifist (n) someone who is
unconventional (adj) out of
against the use of violence
the ordinary; not conforming sufficient (adj) adequate;
to standards and traditions of satisfies all requirements pessimism (n) a tendency to
society anticipate or emphasize only the
negative
quixotic (adj) foolishly idealistic;
extravagantly chivalrous or
romantic; impractical

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 realism (n) a tendency to view virtuoso (n) a person with expropriate (v) to take
things as they truly are; concern special knowledge or skill in a something from another’s
for only what actually exists particular field possession; to dispossess
realist (n) someone who well-read (adj) having read many extortion (n) blackmail;
concerns themselves only with books; knowledgeable threatening to harm someone
the literal truth and pragmatism unless they meet demands
theocracy (n) rule by a religious filch (v) to steal
body Harsh Words
fleece (v) to steal money or
totalitarian (adj) having to do harsh (adj) not gentle; extreme; belongings by use of trickery,
with a central government that abrasive; unkind; unpleasant fraud, hoax
does not tolerate opposition
despotic (adj) acting as though forgery (n) the act of producing
utilitarian (n) having to do with one has absolute power; ruling an inauthentic copy of something
utilitarianism, the pursuit of the harshly and without restraint valuable; the copy itself
most happiness for the greatest
number of people domineering (adj) overbearing; heist (n) robbery; burglary;
fond of ruling harshly holdup
utopia (n) a perfect, ideal state
draconian (adj) overly harsh; illicit (adj) illegal; improper
utopian (adj) resembling or very severe; excessive; cruel
intended to promote utopia; illegal (adj) prohibited by law
frowned upon as overly idealistic imperious (adj) overbearing;
insurgent (n) rebel;
dictatorial; tyrannical
revolutionary; one who rises in
rigorous (adj) characterized by a opposition to a legal authority
Intellectual Words harshness and adherence to the
kleptomania (n) an irresistible
rules; stern
urge to steal for satisfaction
cerebral (adj) of or relating to
rather than need
the brain; intellectual
Crime Words larceny (n) theft; the taking of
consciousness (adj) the state
another’s property unlawfully
of being conscious and aware of
one’s own existence abduct (v) to take illegally;
loiter (v) to hang around without
kidnap
moving toward a destination
cosmopolitan (adj)
sophisticated; urbane; worldly assault (v) a sudden, violent
malefactor (n) someone who
attack; an attempt to do violence
breaks the law; a bad guy;
enlightened (adj) having
bilk (v) to defraud; cheat; steal evildoer
knowledge or spiritual insight
using trickery; swindle
malfeasance (n) misconduct;
intellectual (adj,n) mental;
collusion (n) a secret illegal wrongdoing by a public official
academic; a person who engages
in mental pursuits agreement between businesses;
marauder (n) invader; attacker;
price-fixing; conspiracy
someone who roams around
learned (adj) having much
conspiracy (n) an evil, unlawful looting and plundering
knowledge
plan formed in secret by two or
misdemeanor (n) a misbehavior;
savant (n) a scholar; a learned more people
misdeed; a criminal offense less
person; intellectual
criminal (n) guilty of crime; serious than a felony
scholarly (adj) like a scholar; someone who commits illegal
perjury (n) lying under oath;
wise actions
intentional false testimony while
urbane (adj) elegant; defraud (v) to deprive someone under oath
sophisticated; cosmopolitan of money or property by fraud; to
pilfer (v) to steal a small quantity;
take money by trickery
versed (adj) learned; filch
experienced; practiced; skilled embezzle (v) to secretly divert
pillage (v) to loot or plunder
money to improper uses;
misappropriate; steal

134
 plagiarism (n) representing disprove (v) to expose renege (v) to break a promise; to
someone else’s work as one’s own something as false go back on one’s word
plunder (v) to take something efface (v) to rub out; erase; do renounce (v) to disown; to give
by force away with up or put aside voluntarily
purloin (v) to steal or commit emancipate (v) to free from repair (v) to fix; to restore to
theft; to take dishonestly slavery, servitude, or restraint good condition
recidivism (n) repeated relapse; expunge (v) to remove from the repeal (v) to withdraw or remove
returning to criminal activity records; delete; erase formally or officially
repeatedly
extricate (v) to disengage; to free replenish (v) to make complete
swindle (v) to steal something or release from entanglement by supplying what is missing
through deception
maintain (v) repair; to keep in repudiate (v) to reject with
transgress (v) to violate a law or appropriate condition; to allow to strong disapproval
moral code continue
requite (v) to give or due in
transgression (n) a violation of negate (v) invalidate; counteract; return; to return an emotion (love
law; a sin offset; nullify; cancel out or hate); to repay
trespass (v) to unlawfully nullify (v) to declare legally rescind (v) to annul, revoke,
enter the property of another; void; to remove the effect of repeal; to take back
encroach; intrude something
restore (v) to bring back into
venal (adj) bribable; corruptible; oust (v) to remove someone or existence or use; to make whole
willing to sell one’s influence something; to remove one from again
power
retract (v) to take back a
purge (v) to rid of whatever is previous statement; to draw back
Undo Words impure; to expel forcefully; to kill within one’ self
or remove political opposition
abjure (v) to renounce or give up retrenchment (n) the act of
something; foreswear rebuff (v) to refuse sharply strengthening by getting rid of
the excess; reducing expenses
abolish (v) to do away with; to rebut (v) to refute by evidence or
put an end to argument revert (v) to return to a former
habit, practice or belief
abrogate (v) to put an end to rebuttal (n) refutation using
something by official means evidence or argument; a contrary vindicate (v) set things right
contention by settling the score proving
annul (v) to void or cancel one’s innocence or exacting
(especially a marriage) recant (v) to withdraw a formerly revenge
held belief or opinion
censor (v) to delete
objectionable material rectify (v) to fix, remedy; set
things right
counteract (v) to negate or
neutralize; to work in opposition redact (v) to make ready for Change Shape Words
to publishing; edit; remove text
billow (v) to surge or swell
debunk (v) to prove wrong or refurbish (v) to restore to good
false; to show to be untrue condition contort (v) to change shape;
twist; bend; distort
disavow (v) to disclaim refute (v) to prove wrong; show
knowledge of, connection with, to be false distort (v) to twist, bend or
responsibility for; sever all ties misshape; misrepresent
remove (v) to move from a
with
place or position; to take off; to elastic (adj) stretchy; flexible;
dispel (v) to disperse, dissipate; uninstall accommodating
vanquish
lithe (adj) bendable; flexible

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 malleable (adj) can be fluctuate (v) to change To Spoil With Kindness
shaped or reformed; pliable; continually; to vary irregularly
impressionable; tractable Words
flux (n) continuous change; a
manipulate (v) to bend or current or tide coddle (v) to pamper; to nurse or
change; to manage deceitfully for treat with generous kindness
a personal advantage impetus (n) a moving force;
stimulus dote (v) to give excessive
mutable (adj) changeable; fondness or love
subject to alteration influence (v) to exert force; sway;
to affect the result pamper (v) to treat with
plastic (adj) capable of being excessive kindness or care; to
molded or receiving a new form; intermittent (adj) interrupted; spoil
pliant; flexible sporadic; stopping and starting
again repeatedly
pliable (adj) flexible; adaptable;
manageable; tractable mercurial (adj) quick; changing; Structural Words
unpredictable
refract (v) to deflect something bastion (n) a stronghold or
(usually light) from a straight metamorphosis (n) a complete fortified place
path change in form or structure as
from a caterpillar to a butterfly bulwark (n) a wall built for
seething (adj) to surge or foam defense; any protection against
as if boiling oscillate (v) to move to and injury or danger
fro; swing as a pendulum does;
transmogrify (v) to change in change one’s mind repeatedly buttress (n,v) any external
appearance or form support; to give support or
spasmodic (adj) resembling a encouragement
undulate (v) to rise and fall; to spasm; sudden but brief; jarring;
move like waves occasional; periodic citadel (n) a strongly fortified
place; fortress
spastic (adj) similar to or having
to do with a spasm edifice (n) a large, imposing
Change Words building; a permanent structure
sporadic (adj) occurring
adapt (v) to adjust oneself to occasionally and at irregular egress (n) an exit; permission to
better fit the conditions; to intervals of time; infrequent leave
modify to make more suitable fortress (n) a castle; fortification
transition (v) to change
capricious (adj) subject to forum (n) a market place or
vacillate (v) to waver in mind or
change on a whim; erratic central square in ancient cities; a
opinion; to be uncertain
catalyst (n) something that spurs place of discussion
variable (adj) changeable; not
change without being changed hangar (n) an enclosure for the
constant
itself; an inspiring person safe storage of planes and blimps
versatile (adj) capable of being
congeal (v) to change from a keep (n) the strongest, innermost
adapted to suit a variety of
liquid into a solid structure within a castle
conditions
dynamic (adj) active or forceful; monolithic (adj) made of only
volatile (adj) prone to rapid
characterized by action one large stone; consisting of
changes; unstable; explosive
erratic (adj) inconsistent; only one piece; unbroken
waver (v) to flutter to and fro; to
irregular palisade (n) a defensive
flicker; to become unsteady
fickle (adj) likely to change; not enclosure made of pointy sticks
whimsical (adj) erratic or
constant or loyal in affection podium (n) a small platform for
unpredictable
fitful (adj) occurring in fits or public speaking
spells; sporadic; intermittent stronghold (n) a well reinforced,
flighty (adj) frivolous; protected, defendable place; a
irresponsible; undependable fortress

136
 Relative Location interior (adj,n) being within; the refuse (n) garbage; something
inside of anything; the inside that is discarded as worthless
Words
junction (n) the point at remains (n) what is still present
abut (v) to be adjacent, touching; which two things join, meet, or after the rest has been used,
adjoined converge taken or destroyed
adjacent (adj) next to; latent (adj) present but rubble (n) broken pieces of
immediately before or after not visible; existing in the anything that has been destroyed
bordering (adj) to lie adjacent or unconscious
substance (n) physical matter;
along the border of periphery (n) the farthest material
capsize (v) to turn bottom up; boundary of any area; the
perimeter trinket (n) a small item, jewelry
overturn; upend or ornament (usually of very little
contiguous (adj) touching or proximal (adj) situated nearest value)
joined together to the point of origin
wreckage (n) the remains of
converge (v) to come together; remote (adj) far apart; distant; something that has crashed or
to meet at a common point not near been destroyed

distal (adj) situated away from submerge (v) to go beneath the

the point of origin; more distant; surface; to put under water
the opposite of proximal
Uncertain Words
subterranean (adj)
distant (adj) far away; far apart; underground; under the surface conjecture (n) speculation; an
remote or far apart in time or of the earth educated guess; inference
space superficial (adj) on or near the contingent (adj,n) dependant
domestic (adj) relating to surface; shallow; not profound on something that is yet
one’s home or home country; undetermined; a group within a
upend (v) to flip upside down; to
indigenous group
overturn
enfold (v) to cover completely; dubious (adj) doubtful; and
vicarious (adj) experienced
to wrap up in; to hide probably untrue; implausible
indirectly; felt or enjoyed through
engulf (v) to swallow up as if the experiences of others feasible (adj) capable of being
inside a gulf; to submerge done; possible; surmountable

enshroud (v) to cover, conceal, implausible (adj) unlikely;

hide
“Stuff” Words improbable; untrue

envelope (v) to surround; to allotment (n) an amount of improbable (adj) not likely to
conceal something that has been set occur
aside for a specific purpose
exterior (adj) outer or outside; inconceivable (adj) cannot be
intended or suitable for outdoor commodity (n) a product of envisioned; unthinkable; cannot
use value; an item of worth happen

flank (n,v) the side of something; debris (n) rubble; the remains of plausible (adj) likely to be true;
to be located along the side of; to something that has been broken sounding true even if it is false
attack from the side or destroyed
probable (adj) likely to occur
foremost (adj) the first in place, flotsam (n) wreckage that floats
in the sea propensity (n) a natural
order, or rank inclination or tendency
gamut (n) the entire range jetsam (n) goods that have been
intentionally thrown overboard questionable (adj) open to
immerse (v) to place beneath in an emergency question or dispute; of doubtful
the surface; to deeply involve sincerity, honesty or morality
ration (n) a fixed allowance of
indigenous (adj) native; food or provisions speculative (adj) theoretical;
occurring naturally in an area based on guesswork; inferential

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 tendency (n) a natural merge (v) to join with; to sequel (n) the second part of a
inclination toward one specific combine; to blend series
outcome
shard (n) fragment; a small
uncertain (adj) not clearly broken part
known Divided Words
shattered (adj) broken into
bifurcated (adj) to divide or fork many jagged pieces
into two branches
To Gather Words snippet (n) a small part snipped
bisect (v) divide in half off; a scrap
amass (v) to gather together for
cloven (adj) divided; split apart splice (v) to join together two
one’s self; to accumulate into a
items by binding their ends
pile dichotomy (n) division into two together
attain (v) to achieve, accomplish parts
splinter (v) to break into many
or gather discrete (adj) apart or detached sharp slender pieces
garner (v) to acquire, gather, from others; isolated
strewn (adj) scattered; widely
collect; hoard disperse (v) to scatter and irregularly spaced across a
glean (v) to laboriously gather disseminate (v) to scatter or surface
crops after the harvest; to work spread widely unilateral (adj) involving only
hard to understand something
divergent (adj) differing; one side; exclusive; not mutual
procure (v) to obtain or get by deviating; departing from
the use of special care; to gather convention
carefully
division (n) separation;
apportionment; allotment

Combined Words eclectic (adj) made up of pieces

that have been carefully selected
aggregate (v, adj) to gather from various sources
together; total, sum of the parts
fission (n) the act of splitting a
amalgamation (n) the act of thing into parts
combining two or more parts
fracture (v) break; crack; rupture
annex (v) to attach or add a
territory; to incorporate incorporate (v) to bring in other
parts; to include a vital part; to
coalesce (v) to merge; to grow form a corporation
together into one body
interject (v) to insert between;
compound (v) composed of two
or more parts manifold (adj) composed of
many different smaller parts;
ensemble (n) a group of like varied
items; an cast group of actors; an
entire costume polarize (v) to divide into sharply
opposing factions
sect (n) one group within a larger
group rift (n) a space created by
dividing or cleaving something
hybrid (adj) composed of two apart; a break in friendly relations
separate elements or parts;
combination rupture (v) to burst

integrate (v) to mix together; to schism (n) division into two

incorporate two or more parts mutually opposing groups or
into the whole factions

138
Math Vocabulary
π (n): - see pi. Bimodal (adj): having two modes

30-60-90 Right Triangle (n): a right Binomial (n): an algebraic expression

triangle whose angles measure with exactly two terms
30°, 60°, and 90°; the ratio of the sides is
always x, 2x, x 3 Bisect (v): to cut in half

45-45-90 Right Triangle (n): an isosceles Bisector (n): a point, line, ray, or plane
right triangle whose angles measure which divides a segment, angle, or figure
45°, 45°, and 90°; the ratio of the sides is into two parts of equal measure
always l, l, l 2
Chord (n): a line segment whose
Absolute Value (n): the distance endpoints are on a given circle
between a number and zero
Circle (n): the set of points in a plane
Acute (adj): describes an angle of fewer that are equidistant from a given point
than 90 degrees known as its center

Angle (n): the figure formed by two Circumference (n): the perimeter of a
lines or rays diverging from a common circle
endpoint
Clockwise (adj): the direction around
Arc (n): part of a circle connecting two a circle in which the hands on a clock
points on the circumference of a circle usually move

Area (n): the amount of space inside the Coefficient (n): the number by which a
boundary of a two-dimensional object certain variable in a term is multiplied
such as a triangle or circle
Complementary Angles (n): two angles,
Arithmetic Mean (n): a measure of the sum of which is 90°
average calculated by dividing the sum
of a set of values by the number of values Concentric Circles (n): two or more
in the set circles that have the same center point

Average (n): -see arithmetic mean Congruent (adj): having the same size
and shape
Bar Graph (n): A graph in which
information is represented using bars
of various lengths to show values of a
particular category

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 Consecutive (adj): following Difference (n): the quantity by which
continuously; occurring in an unbroken amounts differ; the remainder when
sequence one number is subtracted from another
number
Coordinate Plane (n): the plane
containing points identified as ordered Digit (n): any of the numerals from 0
pairs of real numbers to 9, especially when forming part of a
number
Coordinates (n): the pair of numbers
(x, y) associated with the location of a Distinct (n): different; unique
point on the coordinate plane
Divisor (n): the number by which you
Counterclockwise (adj): the direction divide in a quotient; factor
around a circle opposite from that in
which the hands of a clock move Domain (n): the set of all possible values
for x
Cube (n): a three-dimensional figure
with six faces, each face being a square Element (n): a member of a set

Cylinder (n): the surface of a cylindric Endpoint (n): a point at the end of a
solid whose base is a circle segment or the starting point of a ray

Deduction (n): the process of making Equation (n): a mathematical sentence

justified conclusions with an equal sign

Degree (n): a unit of measurement equal Equilateral Triangle (n): a triangle in

to 1/360 of a complete circle which all the sides have the same length
and all angles measure 60°
Denominator (n): the divisor, or bottom
number, in a fraction Even (adj): divisible by two without a
remainder
Diameter (n): a line from one point on
a circle to another point on the circle, Even Integer (n): a whole number that is
passing through the center point of the divisible by two without a remainder
circle
Exponent (n): a quantity representing
the power to which a number or
expression is to be raised

140
 Expression (n): a collection of numbers Irrational Number (n): a number that
and operation symbols, without an equal cannot be written as a simple fraction; an
sign, that represents a number infinite and non-repeating decimal
Ex: 2, π
Factor (n): a number that divides
another number exactly Isosceles Triangle (n): a triangle with
two sides equal in length
Fraction (n): a number written in the
a
form b , where b is nonzero Length (n): the distance between two
points measured along the segment or
Hexagon (n): a six-sided polygon an arc joining them; a dimension of a
rectangle or rectangular solid
Horizontal Line (n): a line with an
equation y = k on the coordinate plane Line (n): a geometrical object that is
straight, infinitely long and infinitely thin;
Hypotenuse (n): the longest side of a its location is defined by two or more
right triangle; the side opposite the right points on the line whose coordinates are
triangle known

Imaginary Number (n): a number that Linear Equation (n): an equation in

when squared gives a negative result which the graph of the solutions is a line;
an equation equivalent to y = mx + b
Inequality (n): a mathematical sentence
with an inequality symbol (<, >, ≤, ≥) Line Segment (n): a line connecting two
points
Inscribed Circle (n): a circle which is
tangent to, or touches, each side of the Odd (adj): not evenly divisible by two
polygon
Odd Integer (n): a whole number that is
Inscribed Polygon (n): a polygon whose not evenly divisible by two
vertices all lie on a circle
Pi (n): represented by the Greek
Integer (n): a number which is a positive character π, the numerical value of the
whole number, a negative whole ratio of a circle's circumference to its
number, or zero diameter; approximately 3.14159
Intersection (n): the set of elements Percent (n): a fractional portion of a
which are in both the sets whole amount

Positive (adj): greater than zero

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 Mean (n): a measure of average first within parentheses, then calculate
calculated by dividing the sum of a set of all exponents, then do multiplication
values by the number of values in the set and division together as they appear in
the problem from left to right; then do
Median (n): the middle number in a set addition and subtraction as they appear
of numbers sorted by value from left to right

Midpoint (n): the point on a segment Origin (n): the point where the x and y
that is equidistant from the segment's axes intersect denoted by (0, 0)
endpoints
Palindrome (n): a number or word that
Mode (n): the most frequently occurring reads the same way from right to left as it
value(s) in a set of values does left to right

Multiple (n): a number that can be Parabola (n): the "half-football" shape
divided by another number without a that results from graphing a quadratic
remainder equation in the xy-coordinate plane

Natural Number (n): positive integer; Parallel Lines (n): two lines that never
counting numbers; any positive whole cross and are not overlapping; indicated
number (1, 2, 3, ...) by the || symbol

Negative (adj): less than zero Parallelogram (n): a quadrilateral with

two pairs of parallel sides
Number Line (n): a visual representation
of a set of numbers Parentheses (n): "( )" ; a grouping of
symbols which indicate the order of
Numerator (n): the top number in a operations that should be followed in
a
fraction; a in the fraction b evaluating an expression; the work inside
them should be done first.
Obtuse (adj): describes an angle with a
measure between 90° and 180° Percent (n): a symbol ("%"), which means
"times 1/100" or "per 100"
Octagon (n): an eight-sided polygon
Perimeter (n): the sum of the lengths of
Ordered Pair (n): a pair of numbers the sides of a polygon
(x, y) in which x is the first coordinate and
y is the second coordinate Permutation (n): an ordered
arrangement of a set of objects
Order of Operations (n): also referred to
by the mnemonic acronym P.E.M.D.A.S.;
rules for evaluating an expression: work
142
 Perpendicular (n): the name given to Pythagorean Theorem (n): in a
rays, segments, or lines that intersect to right triangle with legs a and b, and
form right angles hypotenuse c, a2 + b2 = c2

Pie Graph (n): a graph in which Quadrant (n): one of the four parts into
information is represented using a circle which the coordinate plane is divided by
that has been cut into sectors to show the x-axis and y-axis
values of a particular category; also
called circle graph Quadrilateral (n): a four-sided polygon

Polygon (n): a shape with three or more Quotient (n): the resulting quantity
sides such that each segment intersects when one number is divided by another
exactly two others - one at each of its number
endpoints (vertices)
Radii (n): the plural of radius
Power (n): -see exponent
Radius (n): a segment connecting the
Prime (adj): a positive integer whose center of a circle or a sphere with a point
only positive integer divisors are itself on that circle or sphere; also, the length
and one. Note: one is NOT a prime of that segment
number, and two is the ONLY even prime
number. Range (n): the difference between the
largest and smallest value
Prime Factor (n): all of the prime
quantities that will exactly divide the Rate (n): a comparison of two quantities
given quantity whose units are not the same; a quantity
whose unit contains the word "per " or
Probability (n): a number from 0 to 1 "for each" or some synonym
which indicates how likely something
is to happen; a probability of 0 means Ratio (n): a comparison of two quantities
the event cannot happen. A probability whose units are the same
of 1 means it will definitely happen. A
probability of 0.5 means you have a 50% Ray (n): a part of a line which begins
chance of it happening. at some point and goes on forever in a
particular direction
Product (n): the resulting quantity when
two numbers are multiplied together Real Number (n): number that can be
written as a decimal
Proportion (n): a statement that two
fractions (ratios) are equal

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 Reciprocal (n): a number which, when
multiplied by a given number, yields the
product 1; example: 2 and 1/2 or 9 and Set (n): a well defined collection of
1/9 distinct objects, which share one or more
characteristics
Rectangle (n): a quadrilateral with four
right angles Side (n): one of the segments that make
up a polygon; one of the rays of an angle;
Reflection (n): A transformation in which one of the faces of a solid
each point is mapped onto its reflection
image over a line or plane Similar Figures (n): two figures that
have the same shape, but not necessarily
Regular Polygon (n): convex polygon the same size
whose sides all have the same length and
angles all have the same measure Slope (n): the name for the constant rate
of change between two points on a line;
Remainder (n): the amount that is left "rise over run"; the amount of change
over when one number cannot be evenly in the height of the line as you go one
divided by another unit to the right; positive slopes go up
to the right; negative slopes go down to
Right Angle (n): an angle with a the right; horizontal lines have a slope of
measure of 90° zero; vertical lines have "no slope"

Right Triangle (n): a triangle with one Slope-Intercept Form (n): an equation
angle measuring 90° of a line in the form y = mx + b, where m
is the slope and b is the y-intercept
Scientific Notation (n): a way of writing
a large number in terms of a positive Solution (n): a value of a variable that
integer power of 10 multiplied by a makes an equation or inequality true
number greater than or equal to 1 and
less than 10 Sphere (n): the set of points in space
at a fixed distance (its radius) from the
Sector (n): the plane figure enclosed by center point of the sphere
two radii of a circle or ellipse and the arc
between them Square (n): a quadrilateral with all sides
and angles of equal measure
Segment (n): -see Line Segment
Square Root (n): if a = s2 , then a = s;
Semicircle (n): half a circle; the arc of a the square root of a = s.
circle whose endpoints are the endpoints
of a diameter of the circle

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 Straight Angle (n): an angle whose Translation (n): a transformation in
measure is 180° which every point of the pre-image
moves in the same direction by the same
Substitution (n): the principle that if amount to form the image; also referred
two numbers are equal, then one may be to as a "slide"
substituted for the other in any equation
without changing the results of the Transversal (n): a line that intersects two
equation or more lines

Sum (n): the resulting number when two Trapezoid (n): a quadrilateral that has
numbers are added together one pair of parallel sides

Supplementary Angles (n): two angles Triangle (n): a polygon with three sides
whose measures add to 180°
Triangle-Sum Property (n): the
Surface Area (n): the sum of the areas of property that in every triangle, the sum
the faces of a solid of the measures of the angles is 180°

Symmetrical (adj): describes a figure Two-Dimensional (adj): pertaining to

that coincides with its reflection image figures that lie in a single plane; flat
over a line
Union (n): the set of numbers which are
Symmetry Line (n): for a figure, a line in at least one of two sets
m such that the figure coincides with its
reflection image over m Units Digit (n): the ones place; the digit
directly to the left of the decimal point
Tangent (adj): describes a line, ray,
segment, or plane that intersects a curve Unknown (n): a variable that can be
or curved surface in exactly one point assigned different values

Terms (n): numbers or products of Value (n): the number that is the result
numbers and variables that are added of evaluating a numerical expression,
equation, or variable
Transformation (n): the movement
of a figure in a plane from its original Variable (n): a symbol that can stand
position, the preimage, to a new for any one of a set of numbers or other
position, the image; also called a map. objects
Transformations can occur when there is
a reflection, a rotation, or a translation of Vertex (n): the point two sides of a
the original image. polygon have in common; the point of
intersection of the sides of an angle

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 Vertical Angles (n): two congruent
angles formed by two intersecting lines

Vertical Line (n): a line with an equation

x = k on the xy-coordinate plane

Vertices (n): the plural of vertex

Volume (n): the measurement of the

space inside a three-dimensional, or solid
figure; the number of unit cubes or parts
of unit cubes that can be fit into a solid

Whole Number (n): integer; any of the

numbers 0, 1, 2, 3, ...

Width (n): the dimension of a rectangle

or rectangular solid taken at right angles
to the length

X-Axis (n): the horizontal axis on the

coordinate plane

X-Coordinate (n): the first coordinate of

an ordered pair or an ordered triple.

Y-Axis (n): the vertical axis on the

coordinate plane

Y-Coordinate (n): the second coordinate

of an ordered pair

Y-Intercept (n): the Y-coordinate of a

point where a graph crosses the Y-axis

Zero (n): the neutral number in the

middle of a number line, signifying the
quantity of none

Zero Angle (n): an angle whose measure

is zero

146
 Tips for
Test Day

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 Use all your tools on test day

1. Required Testing Materials

You won't be allowed to take the test without your ACT Test Ticket and a valid photo ID.
More info: http://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/help.html

2. A few No. 2 Pencils with Erasers

Use your pencil to draw math figures, write out equations, underline important text in
passages and problems, and jot notes in the margins of the Science section. Two is probably
enough, but why not bring four?

3. A Wristwatch
Use your watch to keep an eye on the time. Some specialty watches are made to help students
manage time on the ACT. Ask your tutor for more info.

4. Graphing Calculator
If you know how to use a graphing calculator, it can be a very powerful advantage on the ACT.
Punch in equations to quickly find intercepts or visually compare two lines.
More information: www.actstudent.org/faq/calculator.html

5. A Good Night's Sleep

Don't stay up late studying the night before. The best thing you can do at that point is to go to
bed, so you can arrive to the testing facility as well rested as possible.

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 6. Home Field Advantage
Register early for the best chance to take the test at a local testing facility where you feel
comfortable. Remember to show up early, so you can relax a few minutes before the test
begins.

7. Layered Clothing
With any luck your testing facility will be kept at a comfortable temperature that won't distract
you from the task at hand. But there is always that chance that it will be freezing cold or way
too hot, so be sure to bring comfortable, layered clothing that can be easily put on or taken off
when needed. Also, we recommend shoes and socks over sandals for the same reason.

8. A Full Belly.
Make sure you've fueled up on good food before the test because you aren't allowed any
snacks or drinks in the testing facility.

9. Healthy Snacks & Water

Snacks and drinks must be consumed outside the testing facility during break, so plan ahead.

10. Stress Management Techniques

Get up and move around whenever the proctor tells you that you're free to do so. If you feel
overly anxious during a section, take a quick sanity break by closing your eyes, taking a few
deep breaths, and stretching.

11. Something Fun to Look Forward to Later

Make some plans to relax with friends or go to the movies after the test. If possible, avoid planning any other
important events for the same weekend.

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