Test your basic knowledge |

Challenging Words

Subjects : english, vocabulary
Instructions:
  • Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
  • If you are not ready to take this test, you can study here.
  • Match each statement with the correct term.
  • Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.

This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.
1. Bucolic - rural






2. To polish






3. Differing in kind; dissimilar; varied






4. Airtight; secret; obscure; magical; mysterious






5. Temporary; lasting a brief time






6. Set fire/excite






7. Sluggish/listless/apathetic






8. Recklessly wasteful; extravagant; profuse; lavish






9. Mournful speech - funeral hymn - elegy






10. Finely sensitive to feelings or in perception. Ex - ... of the danger posed by the approaching hurricane






11. Suffused with light: luminous - clear to the understanding: intelligible - sane. Ex - His ... history of this grim subject is scrupulously accurate - so far as I am able to judge ...






12. Tending to be thrifty or cheap - prudence - sparing - parsimony






13. A firmly held opinion - especially a religious belief






14. Wordy/not succinct/ineloquent






15. Imbue - permeate - penetrate - suffuse






16. Easily deceived - credulous - naiive - ingenguous






17. Not harmful or injurious; harmless






18. To judge a dispute - adjudge - adjudicate - intervene - referee - rule






19. Assuage - relieve - to make more bearable - placate






20. Innocent - simple - frank - sincere - naiive - credulous - gullible






21. Fluctuate between choices - to dither - vacillate - oscillate






22. Peripheral - irrelevant - digressive - extraneous diverting - inconsequential






23. Speak - plead - or argue in favour of






24. Bell tower - room where bell is hung - steeple - spire






25. Abusive or venomous language used to express blame or censure or bitter deep-seated ill will.. opposite of euphemism possibly






26. Old/antique/bygone/stale






27. Rude and bad-tempered - grumpy






28. Commute/replace/superceded






29. Express grieve - deplore - bewail






30. Know or understood by only a few - abstruse - arcane






31. To please someone so as to gain an advantage. Ex - ... themselves with the leaders.






32. Impossible to see through - preventing the passage of light - obscure






33. Absolute - certain - explicit - categorical






34. To disavow/reject validity of/deny/disown






35. Temporary suppression or suspension - remission - delay






36. Easily aroused






37. Flamboyant/verve/dash






38. Perceptive/sharp






39. Wandering and unpredictable






40. Extremely generous or extravagant - exuberant - opulent - prodigal - profuse - bombastic






41. Coming into being; in early developmental stages






42. Sharp and irritating to the senses - acrid - acrimonious - piquant - caustic - poignant






43. Unclear or doubtful in meaning






44. Eject/discard like in excess fuel






45. Growing in number quickly/spawn






46. Inertia/standstill/ stagnation






47. Sociable; fond of the company of others






48. Self contradictory






49. To choose not to do something






50. A ghost of a living person seen just before his or her death - apparition - bogeyman - phantasm