List 14
1. Acquiesce (ak-wee-ESS)
Meaning: Agree or consent quietly without objection.
Mnemonic:
Imagine someone saying, “ACK! Yes! Fine, I’ll do it”—reluctantly but without objection.
Sentence:
She didn’t want to clean the house, but she acquiesced to her roommate’s request.
2. Adroit (uh-DROYT)
Meaning: Deft, dexterous, or skillful.
Mnemonic:
Think of a chef using a knife so skillfully it looks like a drawing of art—they’re adroit!
Sentence:
He was adroit at solving puzzles, finishing the Rubik’s cube in seconds.
3. Amend (uh-MEND)
Meaning: Make changes to a document, law, or statement, usually to improve it.
Mnemonic:
Imagine someone trying to mend a broken law—they’re trying to amend it!
Sentence:
The government agreed to amend the policy after public outcry.
4. Animus (AN-uh-muhs)
Meaning: Strong dislike or enmity; hostile attitude.
Mnemonic:
Picture a cartoon character saying, “You’re my enemy, you animus!”
Sentence:
Her animus toward the new manager was evident in her constant criticisms.
5. Apologist (uh-POL-uh-jist)
Meaning: A person who defends or supports something that is being criticized.
Mnemonic:
Imagine an apologist saying, “I’m not sorry, but let me explain why it’s okay!”
Sentence:
The historian was an apologist for the controversial policies of the past.
6. Astringent (uh-STRIN-juhnt)
Meaning: Sharp or harsh in demeanor or style.
Mnemonic:
Think of a string tightly wrapped around someone’s finger—it feels harsh and astringent!
Sentence:
Her astringent criticism left the team feeling demoralized.
7. Collaborate (kuh-LAB-uh-rayt)
Meaning:
- Work together on a project.
- Cooperate deviously with an enemy.
Mnemonic:
Imagine two cats collaborating to open a cupboard—they’re working together sneakily!
Sentence:
- The artists collaborated on a mural for the community.
- During the war, some locals were accused of collaborating with the enemy.
8. Competent (KOM-puh-tuhnt)
Meaning: Having sufficient skill, knowledge, ability, or qualifications.
Mnemonic:
Think of someone confidently saying, “I’m competent to complete this task!”
Sentence:
The new employee proved to be highly competent and quickly earned the team’s respect.
9. Correlate (KOR-uh-layt)
Meaning: Show a mutual relationship or connection between two or more things.
Mnemonic:
Think of co-relatives who are always connected in a family tree—it’s about showing connections.
Sentence:
The study aimed to correlate hours of study with academic performance.
10. Deride (dih-RIDE)
Meaning: Ridicule or mock.
Mnemonic:
Imagine someone saying, “Your idea’s a ride to failure!”—they’re deriding it.
Sentence:
The critics derided the film, calling it poorly directed and unoriginal.
11. Dictate (DIK-tayt)
Meaning: Give orders or commands.
Mnemonic:
Think of a dictator dictating rules—always giving commands.
Sentence:
The manager would often dictate tasks without considering input from the team.
12. Discreet (dih-SKREET)
Meaning: Respectful of privacy or secrecy; inconspicuous.
Mnemonic:
Imagine a secret discreetly whispered into someone’s ear—it’s quiet and careful.
Sentence:
She was discreet about her plans, not wanting anyone to interfere.
13. Divorced (dih-VORSD)
Meaning: Separate from something that was previously connected.
Mnemonic:
Picture a couple divorced, standing apart and disconnected—it’s separation.
Sentence:
Her ideas were completely divorced from the reality of the situation.
14. Elitist (ih-LEE-tist)
Meaning:
- A person who believes in the rule of an elite or privileged group.
- Believing oneself or a group to be superior to others.
Mnemonic:
Think of an elite person saying, “I’m better than you!”—that’s elitist.
Sentence:
His elitist attitude made it difficult for him to connect with others.
15. Exacting (ig-ZAK-ting)
Meaning: Requiring a lot of care, effort, or attention.
Mnemonic:
Picture a taskmaster saying, “I need exact things from you”—they’re exacting!
Sentence:
The job was so exacting that it left the team exhausted by the end of the day.
16. Flummoxed (FLUH-muhkst)
Meaning: Completely unable to understand; bewildered.
Mnemonic:
Imagine someone saying, “What the flux just happened?”—totally flummoxed!
Sentence:
The complex math problem left the students flummoxed.
17. Fruitful (FROOT-ful)
Meaning: Producing good or abundant results.
Mnemonic:
Think of a tree full of fruit—it’s productive and fruitful.
Sentence:
Their brainstorming session was incredibly fruitful, leading to several innovative ideas.
18. Inborn (IN-born)
Meaning: Present from birth; innate.
Mnemonic:
Think of a baby saying, “This talent was inborn in me!”—it’s natural and inherent.
Sentence:
She had an inborn talent for music, playing piano effortlessly as a child.
19. Polymath (PAH-lee-math)
Meaning: A person with extraordinarily broad and comprehensive knowledge.
Mnemonic:
Imagine someone solving many different kinds of math problems—they’re a polymath.
Sentence:
Leonardo da Vinci was a true polymath, excelling in art, science, and engineering.
20. Reticent (RET-uh-suhnt)
Meaning: Keeping one’s thoughts and opinions to oneself; reserved or restrained.
Mnemonic:
Think of someone saying, “I’d rather stay silent”—they’re reticent.
Sentence:
Although he knew the answer, he remained reticent, fearing he might be wrong.
21. Stringent (STRIN-juhnt)
Meaning: Strict or severe; tight.
Mnemonic:
Imagine a rule so tight it feels like it’s wrapped around you with a string—that’s stringent.
Sentence:
The company enforced stringent safety protocols to avoid accidents.
22. Subservient (sub-SUR-vee-uhnt)
Meaning:
- Obedient to authority or other people.
- Less important; inferior to.
Mnemonic:
Picture a servant bowing down, being subservient to their master.
Sentence:
Her subservient attitude often made her colleagues take advantage of her.
23. Surreptitious (sur-uhp-TISH-uhs)
Meaning: Done secretly or stealthily.
Mnemonic:
Think of someone sneaking a syrup bottle from the table—they’re being surreptitious!
Sentence:
The spy took surreptitious photos of the confidential documents.
24. Tantalizing (TAN-tuh-lize-ing)
Meaning: Arousing desire or interest without fulfillment.
Mnemonic:
Think of someone holding your favorite food tantalizingly out of reach!
Sentence:
The bakery’s display of fresh pastries was tantalizing, but I was on a diet.
25. Tantamount (TAN-tuh-mount)
Meaning: Equivalent in effect or value.
Mnemonic:
Imagine two mountains (mounts) of equal height—they’re tantamount to each other.
Sentence:
His refusal to apologize was tantamount to admitting guilt.
26. Torpor (TOR-per)
Meaning: A state of apathy or lethargy.
Mnemonic:
Think of a bear in torpor during winter—slow and inactive like hibernation.
Sentence:
The extreme heat left everyone in a state of torpor, unwilling to move or work.
27. Trenchant (TREN-chuhnt)
Meaning: Keen and biting; vigorously articulate.
Mnemonic:
Think of someone’s words cutting through like a trench—they’re trenchant.
Sentence:
The journalist’s trenchant critique exposed the flaws in the policy.
28. Umbrage (UHM-brij)
Meaning: A feeling of anger or annoyance caused by something offensive.
Mnemonic:
Imagine someone standing under an umbrella of rage—they’re taking umbrage.
Sentence:
She took umbrage at his sarcastic comment about her work.
29. Versatile (VUR-suh-tile)
Meaning: Having varied uses or many functions; capable of doing many things.
Mnemonic:
Think of a Swiss army knife—it’s versatile, able to handle multiple tasks.
Sentence:
He’s a versatile actor, equally skilled in comedy and drama.
30. Wayward (WAY-ward)
Meaning: Obstinate, contrary, and unpredictable.
Mnemonic:
Think of someone going their own way, ignoring the rules—they’re wayward.
Sentence:
The wayward child refused to follow any of the teacher’s instructions.
Story Mode
The Tale of the Wayward Polymath
Once, in a quaint village nestled by the hills, there lived a wayward scholar named Alaric. He was a polymath, known for his versatile talents in astronomy, music, and mechanics. However, his unpredictable nature and refusal to acquiesce to societal norms often left the townsfolk both awestruck and exasperated.
One day, Alaric stumbled upon an ancient manuscript that was tantamount to a treasure map. It described a machine hidden in the mountains that could harness the power of the stars. His adroit mind began to work tirelessly to decode it, though the stringent conditions of the map’s cryptic language left him flummoxed.
Unbeknownst to Alaric, the village council harbored an animus toward his eccentricity. They labeled him a wayward elitist, unwilling to share his knowledge. A council member, an apologist for traditional methods, claimed his ideas were divorced from reality. Yet, Alaric remained reticent, choosing not to defend himself but focus on his work.
He sought the help of a young scribe, Clara, whose competent transcription skills breathed life into the manuscript. Together, they began to collaborate in secret, their efforts both fruitful and surreptitious. Clara found Alaric’s trenchant observations fascinating, while he admired her inborn curiosity.
One evening, under the glow of an oil lamp, Clara uncovered a correlate in the manuscript’s symbols, leading them to an ancient cave. The cave was protected by astringent trials, testing their wits and courage. Despite the exacting nature of the tasks, Alaric and Clara emerged victorious.
Inside the cave, they found the fabled machine—rusted yet intact. Its design was so intricate that it left Clara tantalized but overwhelmed. Alaric’s amendments to its gears and levers, however, soon brought it to life. The machine produced light brighter than the sun, casting a shadow on the council’s doubt.
Yet, not everyone celebrated. A subservient villager reported their success to the council, who took umbrage at Alaric’s achievement. They sought to deride his creation, claiming it would disrupt the natural order. Alaric, unwilling to let them dictate his future, invited the council to witness the machine’s benefits.
In the end, the fruitful collaboration between Alaric and Clara proved the power of innovation. The council begrudgingly acknowledged his brilliance, though their torpor in adapting to change lingered. Alaric, now vindicated, continued his experiments, his reputation as a true polymath cemented forever.
And so, the light of his invention shone brightly, a symbol of perseverance against even the harshest astringent criticism.