1. The accelerated physics class is designed for students who demonstrate intellectual acuity.

• Parts: ac(sharp); ity (state, quality)

• Educated Guess:

• Definition: Keenness or sharpness of thought, vision, or hearing

• Antonyms: dullness

• Variant forms: acute (adj) as in acute awareness

• Context Phrase:

• Acuity – (noun)

• Synonyms: sharpness, acuteness

2. The planet is least warm when it is at aphelion.

• Parts: ap (from, away); helios (sun)

• Educated Guess:

• Definition: The point in the orbit of a planet, asteroid, or comet at which it is furthest from the sun

• Antonyms: perihelion

• Variant forms: na

• Context Phrase:

• Aphelion - n

• Synonyms: na

3. We were shocked that the old book we had purchased at the yard sale for only one dollar is a bona fide first edition and , therefore, worth thousands of dollars.

• Parts: bon (good); fid ( faith)• Educated Guess:

• Definition: Done or made in good faith, Authentic, In law, without intention to deceive (adv)

• Antonyms: fake, forged, fraudulent, bogus, phony

• Variant forms: bona fides (n) a person’s honesty

• Context Phrase:

• Bona fide- adj

• Synonyms: real, genuine, sincere, attested, reliable

4. I called to commiserate with my friend who was also cut from the team on the last day of tryouts.

• Parts: com (together); miser (pity, wretch); ate (cause)

• Educated Guess:

• Definition: to express or feel sympathy, pity, or sorrow

• Antonyms: ignore, reject

• Variant forms: Commiseration (n) commiseratively (adv)

• Context Phrase:

• Commiserate – verb

• Synonyms: sympathize, condole, empathize

5. The cornucopia centerpiece symbolizes autumn and a plentiful harvest.

• Parts: corn (horn)copia (plenty) “a horn of plenty”

• Educated Guess:

• Definition: a symbol of prosperity consisting of a goat’s horn overflowing with fruits, flowers, etc., horn shaped container, an abundant supply of good things

• Antonyms: dearth, scarcity, shortage

• Variant forms:na

• Context Phrase:

• cornucopia - noun

• Synonyms: abundance, plethora, superfluity

6. How disappointing for the committee to deprecate the plan we had struggled to create!

• Parts: de (down, away); precari (pray)

• Educated Guess:

• Definition: To express disproval of

• Antonyms: approve, sanction, endorse, support

• Variant forms: deprecation(n), deprecatingly (adv)

• Context Phrase:

• Deprecate - verb

• Synonyms: depreciate, belittle, disparage, disapprove

7. I asked for his opinion of the verdict, but I had to endure a diatribe against the judicial system.

• Parts: dia ( through); tribein (rub) literally, wearing away

• Educated Guess:

• Definition: A forceful, bitter, abusive criticism or attack of someone or something

• Antonyms: commendation, praise, approval

• Variant forms: na

• Context Phrase:

• Diatribe - noun

• Synonyms: denunciation, invective, condemnation

8. Her collection of books by many authors and on every imaginable subject is proof of her eclectic literary taste.

• Parts: ec (out, from); lect (choose)

• Educated Guess:

• Definition: Deriving ideas, style, or taste from a diverse range of sources, choosing the best from diverse systems, sources, or styles, person who does such

• Antonyms: limited, restricted, specialized

• Variant forms: eclectically (adv), eclecticism (n)

• Context Phrase:

• Eclectic - adj

• Synonyms: catholic (all embracing) inclusive, divergent

9. To encourage his team to develop esprit de corps, the coach and players wore t-shirts with the motto “ all for one and one for all” during every practice.

• Parts: esprit (spirit)de (of) corps (body)

• Educated Guess:

• Definition: A common spirit of pride, comradeship, enthusiasm, and devotion to a cause among members of a group

• Antonyms: disloyalty

• Variant forms: na

• Context Phrase:

• Esprit de corps – (n)

• Synonyms: camaraderie, loyalty, unity

10. The queen’s coronation was a grandiloquent celebration of the transfer of power.

• Parts: grand (great); loqu (speak); ent (full of)

• Educated Guess:

• Definition: Pompous or extravagant in language, style, or manner, especially in a way that is intended to impress.

• Antonyms: unpretentious, simple, humble, servile, lowly

• Variant forms: grandiloquence (n), grandiloquently (adv)

• Context Phrase:

• grandiloquent – adj.

• Synonyms: grandiose, pompous, uppity, bombastic

11. The movie star appeared incognito at the premier of her film.

• Parts: in (not); cogn (know)

• Educated Guess:

• Definition: Having one’s true identity concealed A state of disguise (n), a person in disguise (n)

• Antonyms: unhidden, openly, identified, unmasked

• Variant forms: incognita (feminine)

• Context Phrase:

• Incognito – ( adj. or adv.)

• Synonyms: disguised, camouflaged, veiled, deceptively

12. Training to compete for an Olympic gold medal requires an inordinate amount of time and commitment.

• Parts: in(not); ordin(order, arrange); ate(characterized by

• Educated Guess:

• Definition: Exceeding reasonable limits; Not restrained by prescribed rules or bounds

• Antonyms: moderate, reasonable, short, sufficient

• Variant forms: inordinately (adv)

• Context Phrase:

• inordinate – adj.

• Synonyms: excessive, immoderate, unlimited

13. The police chief’s explanation of the situation failed to mollify the protestors.

• Parts: moll (lessen); fy (make, do)

• Educated Guess:

• Definition: To lessen the anger or anxiety of someone, To reduce the violence or intensity of

• Antonyms: enrage, infuriate, incite, taunt, agitate

• Variant forms: mollification (n) mollifier (n)

• Context Phrase:

• Mollify - verb

• Synonyms: placate, appease, ameliorate, abate, alleviate

14. His use of sophisticated vocabulary conveyed his interest in philology.

• Parts:phil(love of, fondness); log(word); y (result of)

• Educated Guess:

• Definition: The branch of knowledge that deals with the structure, historical development, and relationships of a language or languages, literary or classical scholarship

• Antonyms: na

• Variant forms: philologer (n); philologist (n)

• Context Phrase:

• Philology - noun

• Synonyms: lingusitics

15. Being quiescent and waiting for better working conditions had yielded no change, so the workers

decided to organize for a strike.

• Parts: quiescere (quiet); ent (full of)

• Educated Guess:

• Definition: In a state or period of inactivity or dormancy

• Antonyms: active, dynamic, vivacious, spirited

• Variant forms: quiescence (n), quiescently (adv.)

• Context Phrase:

• quiescent - adj

• Synonyms: inactive, dormant, latent, placid, calm

16. Many people are concerned about the moral and ethical ramifications of cloning human beings.

• Parts: ramus(branch)fic (make,do)ation (act of)

• Educated Guess:

• Definition: a development or consequence, often unwelcome, resulting from or complicating a problem, plan or statement

• Antonyms: cause

• Variant forms: ramify (v)

• Context Phrase:

• ramification – n.

• Synonyms: result, effect, implication, extension, offshoot

17. I wish I could think of a retort when someone says something to embarrass me, but I usually just stand there speechless.

• Parts: re (back); tort (twist)

• Educated Guess:

• Definition: a sharp, quick, incisive reply that turns the first speaker’s words to his disadvantage, to reply to a remark in a sharp, angry, witty way

• Antonyms: na

• Variant forms: retorter (n)

• Context Phrase:

• Retort – n.

• Synonyms: comeback, rejoinder, rejoin, reply, respond

18. To protect national security, the President decided to hold the meeting sub rosa.

• Parts: sub (under); rosa (rose) the practice of hanging a rose over a secret meeting

• Educated Guess:

• Definition: Done or happening in secret; intended to be secret (adj)

• Antonyms: public, open

• Variant forms: na

• Context Phrase:

• sub rosa - adv.

• Synonyms: private, clandestine, confidential, secretive

19. Suffering from triskaidekaphobia, the tourist refused to stay on the thirteenth floor of the hotel.

• Parts: tris(three), kai (and), deca (ten); phobia (fear of)

• Educated Guess:

• Definition: An extreme superstition regarding the number thirteen

• Antonyms: na

• Variant forms: na

• Context Phrase:

• Triskaidekaphobia – (n.)

• Synonyms: na

20. In handcuffs and shackles, the defendant vociferated to the jury that had just found him guilty.

• Parts: voc (call, voice); fer (carry); ate (become)

• Educated Guess:

• Definition: To shout, complain, or argue loudly or vehemently; to cry out in protest

• Antonyms: acquiesce, agree, accept, concur, concede

• Variant forms: vociferous (adj); vociferously (adv)

• Context Phrase:

• vociferated - verb

• Synonyms: bellow, shout, clamor, protest, yell