Vocab 12

How can anyone be so foolish as to develop a smoking habit when it has been proven that cigarettes are \____ to health?

deleterious

The fact that he had hungry children at home does not justify what he did, but it does \____ his crime.

extenuate

In most contracts, there are \______ duties and obligations that must be fulfilled even though they aren't expressed in so many words.

implicit

The \_______ of the fire bells as they echoed through the night filled our hearts with terror.

clangor

Because the gym is \____ to the library, it is easy for me to shift from academic to athletic activities.

contiguous

Because we had been told the new TV series was original and witty, we were disappointed by the obvious and \____ situation comedy that unfolded on our screen.

prosaic

Her new hairstyle greatly \____ her appearance.

enhances

Until he rose to speak, the meeting had been dull, but he immediately enlivened it with his \____ wit.

scintillating

The jury may have found him not guilty, but the "court of public opinion" will never \______ him of responsibility for the crime.

absolve

We resented his \____ self-assurance that he was morally superior to everyone else.

sanctimonious

Detective stories seem to \____ her to such a degree that she reads virtually nothing else.

enthrall

She did her work so quietly that it took us time to realize that she was a veritable \____ of efficiency and diligence.

paragon

Though ranking officials on both sides hoped to reach a truce and prepare a peace treaty, fringe groups refused to suspend their \____ activities.

inimical

His long nose and prominent teeth give the candidate the kind of face that cartoonists love to \____.

caricature

There are some situations in life when it is \_______ to remain quiet and wait for better opportunity to assert yourself.

politic

Marie's appealing personality and endearing manner make her quite \_______ and engaging.

winsome

With that one \____ comment, she brought an end to all the aimless talk and directed our attention to the real problem facing us.

incisive

Over the years, his normal desire for financial security was gradually distorted into a boundless \____.

cupidity

"Evening dress is far too \_______ for such an informal occasion," I thought to myself as I tried to decide what to wear that night.

ostentatious

To characterize the literary style of Edgar Allen Poe as "unique and one of a kind" is certainly\_____.

redundant