List 4

Adulterate
Pronunciation: uh-DUHL-tuh-rayt
Meaning: To make something poorer in quality by adding another, often inferior, substance.

Think of “Adult + Rate” — imagine adding things to a product to adulterate it, like diluting a drink with water to stretch its quantity.
Or picture “Add + Alter” — adding something that alters the quality negatively.

Sentence:
Some manufacturers adulterate olive oil by mixing it with cheaper oils.

Advocate
Pronunciation: AD-vuh-kayt
Meaning: To publicly recommend or support.

Think of “Add + Voice” — to advocate is to add your voice in support of something.
Or imagine “Advance the Case” — pushing forward or standing up for an idea.

Sentence:
She is a well-known advocate for environmental protection.

Aggrandize
Pronunciation: uh-GRAN-dahyz
Meaning: To increase the power, status, or reputation of someone or something.

Think of “Grand Size” — making something seem grander or more impressive.
Or picture “A Grand Rise” — a boost in reputation or influence.

Sentence:
He used every opportunity to aggrandize his own achievements.

Alacrity
Pronunciation: uh-LAK-ri-tee
Meaning: Brisk and cheerful readiness. Willingness to do something.

Think of “A-Laugh + Critty” — imagine someone eager and laughing as they cheerfully approach a task.
Or picture “Alert and Ready” — someone quick to respond, with energy.

Sentence:
She accepted the invitation with alacrity, eager to start.

Ambivalent
Pronunciation: am-BIV-uh-luhnt
Meaning: Having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone.

Think of “Ambi (both) + Valent (values)” — feeling two different ways.
Or imagine “Ambi-View” — seeing both pros and cons.

Sentence:
He felt ambivalent about the job offer, both excited and hesitant.

Ameliorate
Pronunciation: uh-MEE-lee-or-ate
Meaning: To make something bad better or improve it.

Think of “A-Melior (improve)” — similar to meliorate, meaning to make things better.
Or picture “A + Better Rate” — taking steps to improve the situation.

Sentence:
They hoped to ameliorate the living conditions in the area.

Amenable
Pronunciation: uh-MEE-nuh-buhl
Meaning: Open to suggestions; easily persuaded or controlled.

Think of “Amen + Able” — someone who says “Amen” to every suggestion, agreeing easily.
Or imagine “A-Mendable” — open to changing or accepting advice.

Sentence:
She was amenable to the new plan, willing to consider everyone’s ideas.

Anachronistic
Pronunciation: uh-nak-ruh-NIS-tik
Meaning: Belonging to a period other than that being portrayed; conspicuously old-fashioned.

Think of “An + Chron (time)” — something out of sync with the current time.
Or picture “A Time Twist” — when an item or idea doesn’t fit the present.

Sentence:
The actor’s modern watch looked anachronistic in the historical film.

Audacious
Pronunciation: aw-DAY-shuhs
Meaning: Willingness to take bold risks or showing a lack of respect.

Think of “Awed + Daring” — someone with daring bravery.
Or picture “Audacious Acts” — bold, surprising actions.

Sentence:
Her audacious decision to challenge the CEO surprised everyone.

Avaricious
Pronunciation: av-uh-RISH-uhs
Meaning: Showing extreme greed for wealth or material gain.

Think of “A + Very + Rich + Us” — a desire for money to make oneself very rich.
Or picture “Ava’s Greed” — someone constantly craving more wealth.

Sentence:
The avaricious banker was willing to bend the rules to increase profits.

Banal
Pronunciation: buh-NAHL
Meaning: Lacking originality to the point of being boring or obvious.

Think of “Ban-All” — ideas so obvious that they should be banned.
Or picture “Boringly Normal” — so dull that it fails to interest anyone.

Sentence:
His banal remarks didn’t add much to the conversation.

Benign
Pronunciation: bih-NINE
Meaning: Gentle and kind; not harmful.

Think of “Be Nice” — a benign person is kind.
Or picture “Benign Beast” — an animal that appears fierce but is actually gentle.

Sentence:
The tumor was found to be benign, much to everyone’s relief.

Brazen
Pronunciation: BRAY-zuhn
Meaning: Bold and without shame.

Think of “Brave + Zen” — someone who’s boldly calm without concern for judgment.
Or imagine “Bold as Brass” — unashamed and direct.

Sentence:
Her brazen disregard for the rules shocked her peers.

Calumny
Pronunciation: KAL-uhm-nee
Meaning: A false and slanderous statement about someone.

Think of “Cal + Lying” — when someone lies to ruin another’s reputation.
Or picture “Calum’s Lie” — an unfair lie about someone’s character.

Sentence:
He spread calumny about his rival to damage her reputation.

Candid
Pronunciation: KAN-did
Meaning: Truthful and straightforward.

Think of “Can-Do” — a candid person who says things as they are, directly.
Or picture “Candid Camera” — capturing unfiltered, honest moments.

Sentence:
The interviewer appreciated her candid answers to tough questions.

Castigate
Pronunciation: KAS-tuh-gayt
Meaning: To reprimand someone severely.

Think of “Cast + Gate” — imagine someone shutting the gate loudly to castigate or punish someone.
Or picture “Cast-a-gate” — figuratively throwing words like a gate, heavily criticizing someone.

Sentence:
The teacher didn’t hesitate to castigate him for his repeated mistakes.

Caustic
Pronunciation: KAW-stik
Meaning: Sarcastic in a bitter way; also refers to something that can burn or corrode.

Think of “Caution Stick” — something so caustic it requires a warning.
Or imagine “Cause-Tick” — bitter words that can cause pain like a tick bite.

Sentence:
Her caustic remarks left everyone in an awkward silence.

Construe
Pronunciation: kuhn-STROO
Meaning: To interpret or understand in a particular way.

Think of “Construct a True Meaning” — trying to understand or construe what’s true.
Or picture “Con-Structure” — piecing together an interpretation.

Sentence:
His silence could be construed as approval.

Contrite
Pronunciation: KON-trahyt
Meaning: Feeling or expressing remorse for wrongdoing.

Think of “Con-Tried” — someone tried to fix their mistake but feels sorry.
Or imagine “Can’t-Right” — the feeling of regret when something can’t be corrected.

Sentence:
She was contrite after realizing how her words hurt him.

Convoluted
Pronunciation: KON-vuh-loo-tid
Meaning: Extremely complex and difficult to follow, twisted.

Think of “Con-Volts” — like wires twisted together in a convoluted mess.
Or picture “Con-Volution” — a difficult twist or complex way of doing things.

Sentence:
The plot of the movie was so convoluted that I had trouble keeping up.

Covet
Pronunciation: KUHV-it
Meaning: To yearn to possess something that belongs to someone else.

Think of “Cove-It” — like covering over someone else’s possession with envy.
Or picture “Cover-It” — wanting to claim and hide what belongs to someone else.

Sentence:
She couldn’t help but covet her neighbor’s new car.

Craven
Pronunciation: KRAY-vuhn
Meaning: Lacking courage; cowardly.

Think of “Cave-In” — someone who cravens or gives in easily out of fear.
Or imagine “Crawl In” — too scared to stand up, so they stay low.

Sentence:
His craven refusal to face the challenge disappointed his team.

Decorum
Pronunciation: dih-KOR-uhm
Meaning: Behavior in keeping with good taste and propriety.

Think of “Decor-Room” — making sure the place or behavior is well-decorated or in good taste.
Or picture “Deck-Ornaments” — maintaining respectful, pleasant behavior.

Sentence:
She maintained her decorum even in the face of rude behavior.

Deft
Pronunciation: deft
Meaning: Demonstrating skill and cleverness.

Think of “Daft-Hand” — someone with skilled, quick hands.
Or picture “Deftly Done” — like a skilled artist working smoothly.

Sentence:
Her deft movements on the keyboard impressed her colleagues.

Demur
Pronunciation: dih-MUR
Meaning: To raise objections or show reluctance.

Think of “De-Murmur” — expressing a slight objection, like a quiet murmur.
Or picture “Delay-Murmur” — expressing hesitation or reluctance.

Sentence:
She agreed to help without a single demur.

Derivative
Pronunciation: dih-RIV-uh-tiv
Meaning: Imitative of someone else’s work; not original.

Think of “Derive-From” — something that takes directly from another source.
Or picture “De-Riveter” — something that holds together elements from other works.

Sentence:
The novel felt derivative, echoing themes from earlier works.

Desiccate
Pronunciation: DES-i-kayt
Meaning: To cause something to become completely dry.

Think of “Desert Cake” — a cake left in a desert, totally dried out.
Or imagine “Desi-Cake” — picture a very dry cake that’s lost all moisture.

Sentence:
The hot sun began to desiccate the once-lush plants.

Diatribe
Pronunciation: DY-uh-tryb
Meaning: A forceful and bitter verbal attack.

Think of “Die Tribe” — a fierce diatribe that almost feels like an attack.
Or picture “Dire Tribe” — an intense, angry speech directed at someone.

Sentence:
He launched into a diatribe against the company’s policies.

Incredulous
Pronunciation: in-KREJ-uh-luhs
Meaning: Unwilling or unable to believe something.

Think of “In-Credible” — unable to believe what’s almost too strange to be true.
Or picture “In-Credulity” — filled with disbelief.

Sentence:
She was incredulous at the news, thinking it must be a joke.

Ingenuous
Pronunciation: in-JEN-yoo-uhs
Meaning: Innocent, naive, or unsuspecting.

Think of “Genuine-Us” — someone who’s ingenuous is pure and genuine.
Or imagine “In-Genie” — an innocent, childlike person like a genie who hasn’t seen the world.

Sentence:
The ingenuous young artist trusted everyone she met.

Story Mode

In a small town, there was a chef known for his desire to adulterate traditional recipes by adding unusual ingredients, which often rendered the dishes poorer in quality. Despite this, he had many advocates who publicly recommended his unique culinary style. One day, he decided to aggrandize his reputation by hosting a grand feast, inviting everyone to experience his cooking. With alacrity, the townspeople accepted the invitation, excited to see what he would create. However, some guests felt ambivalent, torn between their curiosity and their skepticism about his unconventional methods. The chef hoped to ameliorate any doubts by preparing a special dish that would impress even the harshest critics. He was known to be amenable, always open to suggestions from his patrons, and often easily persuaded to try new ideas. However, some of his choices were seen as anachronistic, using ingredients that seemed conspicuously old-fashioned in modern cuisine.

His cooking style was often described as audacious, as he was willing to take surprisingly bold risks that sometimes showed an impudent lack of respect for traditional techniques. Yet, his avaricious pursuit of fame and wealth sometimes led him to prioritize profit over quality. Some of his dishes were criticized as banal, lacking originality and being obvious in their flavors. But there were also moments when he created something truly benign, gentle and kind to the palate, not harmful at all. One evening, he served a particularly brazen dish that shocked many with its bold flavors. Unfortunately, it led to a wave of calumny, as some critics spread false and slanderous statements about his cooking skills. In response, the chef remained candid, addressing the criticisms truthfully and straightforwardly during an interview. He even invited critics to join him in the kitchen, hoping they would not castigate him too severely for his mistakes.

While preparing for a new dish, he used a caustic humor to lighten the mood among his staff, joking about their past failures. They learned to construe feedback in a particular way that would help them improve rather than feel discouraged. After a mishap with an ingredient, he felt quite contrite, expressing remorse for not double-checking his supplies. The recipe became so convoluted that it was extremely complex and difficult to follow, leaving his assistants confused.

Despite this setback, he couldn’t help but covet the praise of renowned food critics who dined at his restaurant. However, some of them were quite craven, lacking courage to voice their true opinions out of fear of backlash from other diners. During one busy night, the chef emphasized the importance of decorum in the dining room; he wanted everyone to behave with good taste and propriety. His staff was trained to be deft, demonstrating skill and cleverness in serving dishes quickly and efficiently.

When a customer raised objections about one dish, showing reluctance to accept it, the chef learned to demur gracefully rather than argue back. He realized that some of his creations were too derivative, imitative of other famous chefs’ works without adding anything new. In an effort to improve, he decided to desiccate certain ingredients beforehand, causing them to become completely dry and intensifying their flavors. However, one night after a particularly harsh review, he launched into a passionate diatribe against food critics who didn’t understand his vision. Some diners remained incredulous, unwilling or unable to believe that such innovative cooking could come from their small town. Yet others found him genuinely ingenuous, appreciating his innocent enthusiasm and naivety about how harshly critics could judge.