ap lit

lit fire

abscond (verb)

To run away secretly, often taking something along

He ____ with our club's money

abstruse (adjective)

Difficult to understand

I was perplexed by our teacher's _ explanation.

accost (verb)

To approach and address (someone) boldly or aggressively

He was _ by a stranger on the street in need of directions

acrimonious (adjective)

(Typically of speech or a debate) angry and bitter:

The union representatives engaged in an dispute about wages

acumen (noun)

Insightful cleverness

Thanks to our mother's _ we finally solved the riddle.

admonish (verb)

To warn or reprimand in a gentle or earnest manner

My mother will _ me if I come to dinner with dirty hands.

allay (verb)

To diminish or put at rest (fear, suspicion, or worry)

The report attempted to educate the public and _ fears.

ambivalent (adjective)

Unable to decide

We were _ about which movie to watch.

apathetic (adjective)

Showing little interest or enthusiasm

My ____ brother lay on the couch instead of going to the game.

astute (adjective)

Having or showing an ability to accurately assess situations or people and turn this to one's advantage.

Her promotion was announced by the company's founder, who praised her ____ business sense.

bereft (adjective)

Sorrowful through loss

She has been ____ since her poodle died.

bucolic (adjective)

Pleasantly rural or pastoral

We hiked through a ____ region of the foothills.

cantankerous (adjective)

Difficult or irritating to deal with; uncooperative

The ____ old man refused to move his car.

chagrin (noun)

Disquietude caused by humiliation or failure

To his great _, gbe had been unable to get the tickets.

compunction (noun)

Anxiety or misgiving about an action.

I still feel some ____ about not stopping to help them.

deft (adjective)

Neatly skillful and quick in one's movements

The boxer exhibited ____ footwork.

disingenuous (adjective)

Not candid or sincere; pretending one knows less about something than one really does

He is being ____ when he claims he didn't think you would care if he ate all the cookies.

earnest (adjective)

resulting from or showing sincere and intense conviction

The two students were in ___ conversation as they prepared for the debate

eclectic (adjective)

Composed of elements chosen from a variety of styles; heterogeneous

Her _ taste favored heavy old furniture, bright plastic plates, and abstract paintings.

elucidate (verb)

To make clear; explain

The professor tried to ____ what she viewed as the problems of the world.

emulate (verb)

To imitate or try to equal

I try to ___ the people I most admire.

enigmatic (adj)

Something that is hard to understand or explain; mysterious

He took the money with an _ smile.

ephemeral (adjective)

Fleeting, momentary, brief

Summers and rainbows are beautiful but _.

exacerbate (verb)

To make worse

Denying your guilt will only _ your punishment.

fastidious (adjective)

very attentive to and concerned about accuracy and detail

He chooses his words with _ care.

fortuitous (adjective)

Happening by accident or by chance

A ____ meeting on a train led to my parents marriage.

gregarious (adjective)

fond of company; sociable

He was a popular and ____ man, the life of the party.

haughty (adjective)

Arrogantly superior and disdainful

The ____ aristocrats never deigned to notice us.

insouciant (adjective)

Carefree, nonchalant

It may be hard for you to find the discipline to study with such an ____ attitude.

lackadaisical (adjective)

Without vigor or interest

Her _ reaction confirmed my suspicion that he was not interested.

loquacious (adjective)

Talkative

The _ students were asked to leave the library.

lugubrious (adjective)

Mournful or gloomy

The overcast morning was appropriate for the ____ ceremony

lurid (adjective)

Vivid and gruesome in color and appearance, especially so as to create an unpleasantly harsh or unnatural effect

The more _ details of the massacre were too frightening for the children.

malevolent (adjective)

Hateful, with intense will will

_ forces must be resisted if we are to have peace.

meander (verb)

To follow a winding course

I like to take my time and follow roads that ____.

mellifluous (adjective)

Flowing smoothly like honey, often of a voice or sound.

Her ____ voice soothed me.

obfuscate (verb)

To make obscure or unclear

She used vague language to ____ her role in the plot

obsequious (adjective)

Exhibiting a fawning attentiveness

The ____ assistant kept bowing while complementing the king.

obstreperous (adjective)

Noisily and stubbornly defiant

The ____ children angered their parents.

omniscient (adjective)

All-knowing

Her ____ mother knew it was me without turning around.

pallid (adjective)

pale, typically because of poor health

Sickness left the patient ____ and weak.

parsimonious (adjective)

Unwilling to spend money or use resources; stingy

Her _ aunt would not buy her a piece of chewing gum.

placid (adjective)

Calm and peaceful, with little movement or activity

The ____ waters of a small lake offered tranquility.

pontificate (verb)

To express one's opinions in a way considered annoyingly pompous and dogmatic

He ____ about life and art.

pugnacious (adjective)

Belligerent or quarrelsome; prone to fighting

I try to be diplomatic, but his _ nature usually leads to an argument.

quell (verb)

To put an end to; to reduce

Extra police were called to _ the disturbance.

querulous (adjective)

complaining in a petulant or whining manner

The toddler became _ and demanding when she was hungry.

quietude (noun)

a state of stillness, calmness, and quiet in a person or place

A gentle ____ permeated the secluded woods

rambunctious (adjective)

Unruly; uncontrollably exuberant

The parents grew impatient with their ____ children.

recalcitrant (adjective)

Stubbornly resistant to authority

Her teacher tried to get her to stop making the noise, but she was ____.