Vocabulary Quiz No. 3

 
Here you'll find a quick 33-question vocabulary quiz (#3 of 5) to test your knowledge of high-frequency GRE, SAT, and MAT words. Everything you need for the quiz, including answers and definitions, are on this page. Keep in mind that you won't see this particular question format on any of these exams.

See this word list to learn all 165 words from the five quizzes.
 

Quiz 1   Quiz 2   Quiz 3   Quiz 4   Quiz 5 Number of Questions: 33 multiple-choice   Directions: For each numbered word, select the closest synonym (the word that most closely suggests the underlined word's meaning) among the three answer choices. Click on the word to check its definition and for the correct answer.

 
1.  abeyance

(A) recession
(B) dormancy
(C) compliance

2.  affable

(A) trivial
(B) tasty
(C) friendly

3.  asperity

(A) conviction
(B) harshness
(C) poverty

4.  blithe

(A) listless
(B) merry
(C) excessive

5.  chary

(A) hesitant
(B) brazen
(C) fresh

6.  conscript

(A) compel
(B) summarize
(C) erase

7.  contrite

(A) brief
(B) oppressive
(C) sorry

8.  dally

(A) frolic
(B) tighten
(C) err

9.  diatribe

(A) conspiracy
(B) reflection
(C) denunciation

10.  dote

(A) delay
(B) spoil
(C) blemish

11.  equable

(A) uniform
(B) just
(C) durable

12.  expostulate

(A) retrace
(B) theorize
(C) dissuade

13.  feckless

(A) useless
(B) consistent
(C) excellent

14.  furtive

(A) secret
(B) newborn
(C) vain

15.  goad

(A) guess
(B) prompt
(C) speculate

16.  imperious

(A) curious
(B) arrogant
(C) miserly

17.  inimical

(A) devilish
(B) unfavorable
(C) ultimate

18.  insolent

(A) puzzling
(B) rude
(C) private

19.  ire

(A) envy
(B) anxiety
(C) rage

20.  macerate

(A) dissolve
(B) scheme
(C) ponder

21.  obsequious

(A) attentive
(B) contorted
(C) flirtatious

22.  panegyric

(A) anecdote
(B) praise
(C) tyrant

23.  peruse

(A) inspect
(B) recycle
(C) experiment

24.  poignant

(A) focused
(B) practical
(C) moving

25.  proclivity

(A) outgrowth
(B) bias
(C) passage

26.  propriety

(A) selfishness
(B) decency
(C) support

27.  regale

(A) entertain
(B) bombard
(C) worship

28.  resplendent

(A) generous
(B) radiant
(C) pleased

29.  spurn

(A) confine
(B) label
(C) reject

30.  temporize

(A) tame
(B) overlook
(C) stall

31.  untenable

(A) exceptional
(B) impregnable
(C) fallacious

32.  vanquish

(A) defeat
(B) heal
(C) escape

33.  wield

(A) search
(B) utilize
(C) intersect

 

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Answers and Definitions

1. (B)
   abeyance
   (n) a condition of suspended activity

   (A) recession
   (B) dormancy
   (C) compliance


 

2. (C)
   affable (adj) agreeable and good-natured

   (A) trivial
   (B) tasty
   (C) friendly

   
    
   
3. (B)
   asperity (n) roughness or bitterness, esp. regarding temper

   (A) conviction
   (B) harshness
   (C) poverty

   
    
   
4. (B)
   blithe (adj) lightheartedly joyful or cheerful

   (A) listless
   (B) merry
   (C) excessive

   
    
   
5. (A)
   chary (adj) cautious; circumspect

   (A) hesitant
   (B) brazen
   (C) fresh

   
    
   
6. (A)
   conscript (v) to select or enroll by compulsion, esp. for military service

   (A) compel
   (B) summarize
   (C) erase

   
    
   
7. (C)
   contrite (adj) repentant; regretful

   (A) brief
   (B) oppressive
   (C) sorry

   
    
   
8. (A)
   dally (v) to act playfully; to waste time

   (A) frolic
   (B) tighten
   (C) err

   
    
   
9. (C)
   diatribe (n) an angry or bitter attack in speech or writing

   (A) conspiracy
   (B) reflection
   (C) denunciation

   
    
   
10. (B)
    dote (v) to pamper adoringly and attentively; coddle

    (A) delay
    (B) spoil
    (C) blemish

    
     
    
11. (A)
    equable (adj) even-tempered; characterized by a lack of unpleasant extremes

    (A) uniform
    (B) just
    (C) durable

    
     
    
12. (C)
    expostulate (v) to reason with a person, esp. in order to dissuade (persuade against); remonstrate

    (A) retrace
    (B) theorize
    (C) dissuade

    
     
    
13. (A)
    feckless (adj) worthless or meaningless; ineffectual or weak

    (A) useless
    (B) consistent
    (C) excellent

    
     
    
14. (A)
    furtive (adj) sneaky or sly; stealthy; surreptitious

    (A) secret
    (B) newborn
    (C) vain

    
     
    
15. (B)
    goad (v) to urge; spur; prod

    (A) guess
    (B) prompt
    (C) speculate

    
     
    
16. (B)
    imperious (adj) domineering or overbearing; commanding or lordly

    (A) curious
    (B) arrogant
    (C) miserly

    
     
    
17. (B)
    inimical (adj) adverse or unfavorable; hostile or unfriendly

    (A) devilish
    (B) unfavorable
    (C) ultimate

    
     
    
18. (B)
    insolent (adj) showing disrespect or contempt through behavior or language

    (A) puzzling
    (B) rude
    (C) private

    
     
    
19. (C)
    ire (n) anger; wrath

    (A) envy
    (B) anxiety
    (C) rage

    
     
    
20. (A)
    macerate (v) to cause to waste away; to soften and break apart by moistening

    (A) dissolve
    (B) scheme
    (C) ponder

    
     
    
21. (A)
    obsequious (adj) humbly or overly attentive, as to a person in authority; fawning; sycophantic

    (A) attentive
    (B) contorted
    (C) flirtatious

    
     
    
22. (B)
    panegyric (n) an oration or writing of praise for a person (esp. a eulogy) or thing

    (A) anecdote
    (B) praise
    (C) tyrant

    
     
    
23. (A)
    peruse (v) to examine or study; scrutinize

    (A) inspect
    (B) recycle
    (C) experiment

    
     
    
24. (C)
    poignant (adj) deeply affecting (moving) the emotions; keenly distressing

    (A) focused
    (B) practical
    (C) moving

    
     
    
25. (B)
    proclivity (n) natural inclination of tendency; bent; disposition

    (A) outgrowth
    (B) bias
    (C) passage

    
     
    
26. (B)
    propriety (n) conformity to established standards of proper behavior or manners

    (A) selfishness
    (B) decency
    (C) support

    
     
    
27. (A)
    regale (v) to give lavish pleasure to; delight; amuse

    (A) entertain
    (B) bombard
    (C) worship

    
     
    
28. (B)
    resplendent (adj) shining brilliantly or brightly

    (A) generous
    (B) radiant
    (C) pleased

    
     
    
29. (C)
    spurn (v) to reject with disdain; shun

    (A) confine
    (B) label
    (C) reject

    
     
    
30. (C)
    temporize (v) to gain time by delaying with evasiveness or indecisiveness

    (A) tame
    (B) overlook
    (C) stall

    
     
    
31. (C)
    untenable (adj) indefensible, esp. an argument; unreasonable; unsupportable

    (A) exceptional
    (B) impregnable
    (C) fallacious

    
     
    
32. (A)
    vanquish (v) to conquer or subdue by superior force

    (A) defeat
    (B) heal
    (C) escape

    
     
    
33. (B)
    wield (v) to exercise or use, esp. a weapon or instrument; to gain control over

    (A) search
    (B) utilize