AP Lit: Word Smart Quiz 26

Pages 256-266 in the Word Smart book. Revisit this set throughout the year to prepare yourself for the exam in May.

Taint (n.)

contaminant; a trace of something spoiled, contaminated, off-flavor, or otherwise offensive

---

The flavor of the rich, buttery sauce picked up a slight _____ from the mouse that had fallen into the sauceboat and drowned.

Tedium (n.)

dullness; monotony; boredom

---

Oh, gosh, another evening at Gwen’s house—always the same bland food, always the same people with nothing to say, always the same slide show of Gwen’s tropical fish! I don’t think I can stand the ______.

Tedious (adj.)

exhausting; boring; lengthy; so lacking in interest as to cause mental weariness

---

I can’t wait until this project is finished; it’s so _______.

Teem (v.)

to swarm; to be inundated; to overrun

---

When the waiter brought Bob the cheese course, Bob gasped; the cheese was ____ing with maggots.

Tepid (adj.)

lukewarm; halfhearted

---

Pizza is best when it’s served piping-hot, while some salads taste better _____ or at room temperature.

Threshold (n.)

the sill of a doorway; a house’s or building’s entrance; any point of beginning or entering

---

No matter how many times I see home videos of a new groom dropping his bride when he tries to carry her over the _________, I still laugh.

Thwart (v.)

to prevent from being accomplished; to frustrate; to hinder

---

There’s no ______ing Yogi Bear once he gets it into his mind that he wants a picnic basket; he will sleep till noon, but before it’s dark, he’ll have every picnic basket that’s in Jellystone Park.

Titillate (v.)

to excite; to stimulate; to tease

---

It’s really cruel to _________ a friend’s curiosity by starting to share a choice piece of gossip and then abruptly saying, “No, I really shouldn’t spread this around.”

Tumult (n.)

violent, noisy commotion; uproar; outbreak

---

Such a ______ breaks out when the end-of-school bell rings that the teachers have learned to jump onto their desks to avoid being trampled.

Uncanny (n.)

adj extraordinary; unimaginable; seemingly supernatural

---

Jessica has an ________ ability for sniffing out the most expensive item in a store.