1. After showing numerous pictures and talking of their children’s achievements ad nauseam, the couple found themselves ignored by everyone else at the party.

• Parts: ad (to, very)naut (sail—seasick)• Educated Guess: • Definition: Referring to something that has been done or

repeated so often that it has become annoying or tiresome; To a disgusting or ridiculous degree

• Antonyms: sparingly, infrequently, seldom, occasionally• Variant forms: na• Context Phrase:

• Ad nauseam – (adv.)

• Synonyms:excessively, endlessly, repeatedly

2. Mrs. Dubose cast aspersions about his father as Jem walked by her front porch.

• Parts: as(to, toward);spergere(strew, sprinkle);ion(act of) • Educated Guess: • Definition: An attack on the reputation or integrity of

someone or something

• Antonyms: compliment, commendation, tribute• Variant forms: asperse (v)• Context Phrase:

• aspersions – n.

• Synonyms: calumny, slander, invective, epithet, libel

3. The capricious performance of this team keeps changing its place in the conference standings.

• Parts:capit(head);ious(full of)literally head full of thoughts• Educated Guess:

• Definition: Given to sudden and unaccountable changes of mood or behavior; Characterized by or subject to whim

• Antonyms:steady, consistent, reliable, dependable• Variant forms:capriciously (adv); capriciousness (n)• Context Phrase:

• Capricious- adj.

• Synonyms: impulsive, unpredictable, fickle, erratic

4. Our goal is to achieve concord among these belligerent nations without their going to war.

• Parts: con (together, with); cord (heart)• Educated Guess: • Definition: Agreement or harmony between people or

groups

• Antonyms: discord, dissention, conflict, disagreement• Variant forms: concordance (n)• Context Phrase:

• concord (n)

• Synonyms: agreement, harmony, pact

5. Macbeth is credulous regarding the witches’ prophecy because it appeals to his ambition.

• Parts: cred (believe); ous (full of)• Educated Guess: • Definition: Having or showing too great a readiness to

believe things; disposed to believe too readily

• Antonyms: suspicious, doubtful, skeptical, distrustful• Variant forms:credulity (n); credulously (adv)• Context Phrase:

• Credulous – (adj.)

• Synonyms: gullible, naïve, unsuspecting, trusting

6. He enjoys singing for his family, but he is too diffident to perform on television.

• Parts: dif (apart, away ); fid (faith, trust); ent (that which)• Educated Guess: • Definition: Modest or shy because or lack of self-

confidence

• Antonyms: confident, dauntless, courageous• Variant forms: diffidence (n); diffidently (adv)• Context Phrase:

• diffident - adj

• Synonyms: timid, shy, bashful

7. If you will elucidate the reasons for your decision, perhaps I will understand and be less angry.

• Parts: e (out); luc (light); ate (make, cause)• Educated Guess: • Definition: To make something clear or plain

• Antonyms: obscure, confuse, mystify, muddle• Variant forms: elucidation (n); elucidative (adj.)• Context Phrase:

• Elucidate – verb

• Synonyms: clarify, explain, expound, illuminate

8. The court will expunge these charges if the youth completes his community service satisfactorily.

• Parts: ex (out); pung (point, stab)• Educated Guess: • Definition: To erase or remove completely something

that is unpleasant or unwanted

• Antonyms: add, increase, augment, affix, extend• Variant forms: expunction (n); expungement (n)• Context Phrase:

• expunge – v.

• Synonyms: remove, delete, erase, eliminate

9. The physician decided to try homeopathy rather than surgery to cure his patient.

• Parts: homeo (same, like); path (disease); y (result of)• Educated Guess: • Definition: A system of medical treatment based on the use

of minute quantities of remedies that in massive doses produce effects similar to those of the disease being treated.

• Antonyms:allopathy (treatment by conventional means)• Variant forms: homeopathic (adj); homeopath (n)• Context Phrase:

• Homeopathy – noun

• Synonyms: na

10. The star player thought her coach would be indifferent to her bad attitude in class, so she was shocked to be suspended from the team.

• Parts:in(not);dif(apart, away);fer(carry); ent(that which)• Educated Guess: • Definition: Having no particular interest; having no

partiality for or against; Neither good nor bad

• Antonyms: concerned, caring, sympathetic, earnest• Variant forms: indifference (n); indifferently (adv)• Context Phrase:

• indifferent – adj.

• Synonyms: unconcerned, apathetic, impartial, fair

11. When I calmed down, I regretted the irascible comments I had made.

• Parts: irasci>ire (anger); ible (capable of)• Educated Guess: • Definition: Easily made angry; characterized by or

arising from anger

• Antonyms: pleasant, agreeable, tranquil, tolerant• Variant forms: irascibility (n); irascibly (adv.)• Context Phrase:

• Irascible – ( adj.)

• Synonyms: irritable, fractious, hot-tempered, testy

12. She resigned from the Mediation Club when she realized how maladroit she was in conflict resolution.

• Parts: mal (bad); adroit (skilful)• Educated Guess: • Definition: Ineffective or bungling; characterized by a

lack of skill; characterized by a lack of perception or judgment

• Antonyms: dexterous, skilled, capable, adroit, competent• Variant forms: maladroitly (adv.); maladroitness (n)• Context Phrase:

• maladroit (adj.)

• Synonyms: clumsy, inept, incompetent

13. His myopic perspective limits the company’s potential to succeed.

• Parts: myo (muscle); opt (eye); ic (related to)• Educated Guess: • Definition: Lack of imagination, foresight, or intellectual

insight; Short sightedness or lack of discernment in thinking or planning

• Antonyms: farsighted, keen, visionary, imaginative• Variant forms: myopia (n); myopically (adv.) • Context Phrase:

• myopic – adj.

• Synonyms: nearsighted, shortsighted, obtuse, limited

14. Narcissus fell in love with the reflection of himself in the pellucid water.

• Parts: pel>per(through, thoroughly); luc (clear, light)• Educated Guess: • Definition: Translucently clear; Easily understood; Clear

and pure in tone or sound

• Antonyms: muddy, obscure, turbid, dark, opaque• Variant forms: pellucidly (adv)• Context Phrase:

• pellucid - adjective

• Synonyms: transparent, crystalline, candid, plain

15. To prepare for my travels in Europe, I purchased a polyglot dictionary.

• Parts: poly (many); glot (tongue, language)• Educated Guess: • Definition: Speaking, writing, written in, or composed

of several languages; A person with a reading, writing, or speaking knowledge of several languages (n.)

• Antonyms: na• Variant forms: polyglotism (n); polyglotic (adj)• Context Phrase:

• polyglot - adjective

• Synonyms: multilingual (adj)

16. Faced with the evidence, he decided to proffer his resignation rather than be fired.

• Parts: pro (forth); ob (to); fer (carry, bring)• Educated Guess: • Definition: To hold out something for someone

• Antonyms: refuse, deny, reject, withdraw, withhold• Variant forms: profferer (n)• Context Phrase:

• Proffer - verb

• Synonyms: offer, propose, submit, tender, suggest

17. This plane is designed to reconnoiter the area without being detected by radar.

• Parts: re (back, again); cogn (know)• Educated Guess: • Definition: To make a military observation of a region;

to make a preliminary inspection of; An act of military observation of a region

• Antonyms: na• Variant forms: reconnaissance (n)• Context Phrase:

• reconnoiter – (verb)

• Synonyms: examine, scout, inspect, survey, spy

18. The caricature exaggerates his salient feature, which is his ears.

• Parts: sal (jump, leap); ent (that which)• Educated Guess: • Definition: Most noticeable or important; strikingly

conspicuous, Projecting or jutting beyond a line or surface.

• Antonyms: inconspicuous, minor, unimportant• Variant forms: salience (n); saliency (n) saliently (adv)• Context Phrase:

• Salient - adj

• Synonyms: pronounced, significant, obvious

19. With this information to substantiate the charges, the jury will probably find her guilty.

• Parts: sub (under); stan (stand); ate (make, cause)• Educated Guess: • Definition: To provide evidence to support or prove the

truth of something; To give material form to

• Antonyms: contradict, disprove, invalidate, deny• Variant forms: substantively (adv)• Context Phrase:

• Substantiate – verb

• Synonyms: verify, corroborate, confirm, attest, embody

20. He vacillates between joining the military and attending college, but he must decide by May.

• Parts: vacillare (sway, waver); ate (make, cause)• Educated Guess: • Definition: To sway from one side to the other, To swing

indecisively from one course of action or opinion to another.

• Antonyms:commit, decide, resolve, settle• Variant forms: vacillation (n); vacillator (n)• Context Phrase:

• vacillate - verb.

• Synonyms: waver, oscillate, fluctuate, equivocate