1. A pleasant, affable receptionist gives customers a positive first impression of the business.

• Parts: af (to); fab (speak); able (capable of)

• Educated Guess:

• Definition: Friendly, good-natured, or easy to talk to

• Antonyms: disagreeable, ill-tempered,morose, rude

• Variant forms: affability (n); affably (adv)

• Context Phrase:

• Affable – (adj)

• Synonyms: amiable, friendly, amicable, cordial

2. The child found it very difficult to articulate his fears to his doctor.

• Parts: articulare(to divide into joints; to utter); ate (make)

• Educated Guess:

• Definition: To express an idea or feeling fluently and coherently; To pronounce something clearly and distinctly; (adj.) - having jointed segments

• Antonyms: inarticulate, disjointed, disconnected, slur

• Variant forms: articulately (adv); articulation (n)

• Context Phrase:

• articulate - verb

• Synonyms: eloquent, well-spoken, jointed, hinged

3. Some friends will tell you what they think you want to hear, but she is known for her candor.

• Parts: cand (white, glowing); or (that which)

• Educated Guess:

• Definition: The quality of being open and honest in expression

• Antonyms:deception, falsehood, guile, ruse, finesse

• Variant forms:candid(adj), candidly (adv) candidness (n)

• Context Phrase:

• Candor- noun

• Synonyms: frankness, truthfulness, impartiality, openess

4. We need a trained mediator to conciliate this dispute

• Parts: con(together, with); calere (call); ate (make, cause)

• Educated Guess:

• Definition: To stop someone from being angry or discontented; To act as a mediator; To make compatible

• Antonyms: antagonize, roil, anger, aggravate

• Variant forms: conciliation (n); conciliative (adj)

• Context Phrase:

• conciliate – verb

• Synonyms: placate, pacify, reconcile, arbitrate

5. To avoid a war, the king decided to countermand the arrest of the rebels.

• Parts: counter (against); mand (order)

• Educated Guess:

• Definition: To cancel or reverse an order or command; To recall by a contrary order; An order or command that reverses another one (n)

• Antonyms: confirm, ratify, uphold

• Variant forms:na

• Context Phrase:

• Countermand – (v)

• Synonyms: cancel, retract, rescind

6. The President’s policy is to devolve to the states the decisions about educational issues.

• Parts: de (down); volv (turn)

• Educated Guess:

• Definition: To transfer or delegate (power) to a lower level, especially from central gov’t or local or regional administration; To degenerate or be split into

• Antonyms: na

• Variant forms: devolvement (n)

• Context Phrase:

• devolve - verb

• Synonyms: convey, consign, depute, delegate, empower

7. When the egregious abuses of the elderly were reported, the facility was immediately closed.

• Parts: e (out); greg (flock, group); ious (full of)

• Educated Guess:

• Definition: Outstandingly bad

• Antonyms: mild, restrained, minor, petty, unimportant

• Variant forms: egregiously (adv); egregiousness (n)

• Context Phrase:

• Egregious – adj.

• Synonyms: flagrant, shocking, terrible, outrageous

8. Putting alcohol on a fresh cut will truly exacerbate the pain.

• Parts: ex (out); acerbus (rough, harsh, sharp); ate (make)

• Educated Guess:

• Definition: To increase the severity of; To make something bad, worse

• Antonyms: relieve, soothe, allay, ease, alleviate

• Variant forms: exacerbation (n)

• Context Phrase:

• exacerbate – v.

• Synonyms: intensify, worsen, aggravate

9. Context usually eliminates the confusion between heteronyms such as tear (to rip) and tear (liquid from the eye).

• Parts: hetero ( different); onym (name)

• Educated Guess:

• Definition: Words that have the same spelling but different sounds and meanings; words that refer to the same thing in different geographical areas i.e. submarine/hoagie

• Antonyms: na

• Variant forms: heteronymic (adj); heteronymous (adj)

• Context Phrase:

• Heteronyms – (noun)

• Synonyms: na

10. I will incur fines because I was late filing my taxes this year.

• Parts: in (in, into); cur (run)

• Educated Guess:

• Definition: To become subject to or liable for something unwelcome or unpleasant as a result of one’s own behavior or action.

• Antonyms: avoid, circumvent, evade, escape

• Variant forms: incurrence (n.)

• Context Phrase:

• incur – v.

• Synonyms: face, undergo, attract

11. I found her first novel thought provoking and suspenseful, but this one is long and insipid.

• Parts:in(not); sapidus (tasty, savory, flavorful)

• Educated Guess:

• Definition: Lacking flavor or zest; Lacking stimulation, excitement, or interest

• Antonyms: interesting, exciting, amusing

• Variant forms: insipidity (n); insipidly (adv)

• Context Phrase:

• Insipid – ( adj.)

• Synonyms: unpalatable, dull, tasteless, monotonous

12. If we want to schedule a luminary such as Oprah Winfrey to speak at graduation, we must make the request early.

• Parts: lumin (light); ary (pertaining to)

• Educated Guess:

• Definition: A person who inspires or influences others; A natural light-giving body, especially the sun or moon; An artificial light

• Antonyms: na

• Variant forms: na

• Context Phrase:

• Luminary – (n)

• Synonyms: celebrity, dignitary, star

13. She gazed at the multitudinous stars twinkling above the trees

• Parts: multi (many); tude (state of); ous (full of)

• Educated Guess:

• Definition: Very numerous; Consisting of or containing many individuals or elements

• Antonyms: finite, limited, few, numbered

• Variant forms: multitudinously(adv)multitudinousness(n)

• Context Phrase:

• multitudinous – adj.

• Synonyms: countless, infinite, innumerable

14. My teacher thrilled me by asking to use a copy of my essay as a paragon for other students.

• Parts: para(beside);akine(whetstone)To separate good gold from bad on a touchstone

• Educated Guess:

• Definition: A person or thing regarded as a perfect example of a particular quality; A person or thing viewed as a model of excellence

• Antonyms: na

• Variant forms: na

• Context Phrase:

• Paragon - n

• Synonyms: epitome, archetype, quintessence, exemplar

15. The older we become, the less pliable are our opinions and beliefs.

• Parts: pli 9blend); able (capable of)

• Educated Guess:

• Definition: Easily bent or shaped; Receptive to change; Easily influenced, persuaded, or swayed

• Antonyms: rigid,unyielding,intractable, uncompromising

• Variant forms: pliability (n)

• Context Phrase:

• pliable - (adj.)

• Synonyms: flexible, supple, adaptable, tractable

16. Her proclivity to practice gymnastics at least four hours daily contributed to her winning the gold medal.

• Parts: pro (forth, forward);cliv (bend, slope) ity (state of)

• Educated Guess:

• Definition: A tendency to choose or do something regularly; An inclination or predisposition toward a particular thing

• Antonyms: aversion, dislike, antipathy

• Variant forms: na

• Context Phrase:

• Proclivity - adj

• Synonyms: tendency, penchant, aptitude, flair

17. Losing patience with the recalcitrant lawyer, the judge charged her with contempt of court.

• Parts: re (back); calx (heel); ant (characterized by)

• Educated Guess:

• Definition: Stubbornly resistant to authority, discipline, domination or guidance

• Antonyms: amenable, docile, obedient, cooperative

• Variant forms: recalcitrance (n); recalcitrancy (n)

• Context Phrase:

• recalcitrant – (adj)

• Synonyms: obstinate, disobedient, unruly, rebellious

18. My doctor insists that reserving time to exercise daily is important, even sacrosanct.

• Parts: sacro (holy, sacred rite), sanct (holy, sacred)

• Educated Guess:

• Definition: Regarded as too important or valuable to interfere with

• Antonyms:superfluous,unnecessary, useless, dispensable

• Variant forms: sacrosanctity (n.)

• Context Phrase:

• sacrosanct - adj.

• Synonyms: inviolable, indispensable, imperative

19. Freshmen at military academies are subservient to their upper classmen.

• Parts: sub (under); servus (slave); ent (full of)

• Educated Guess:

• Definition: Prepared to obey others unquestioningly; less important

• Antonyms: superior, dominant; greater

• Variant forms: subservience (n); subserviently (adv.)

• Context Phrase:

• Subservient – (adj.)

• Synonyms: subordinate, servile, secondary, inferior

20. Wearing jeans and sandals is rather unorthodox attire for a bride and groom

• Parts: un (not); ortho (standard, straight) dox (belief)

• Educated Guess:

• Definition: Contrary to what is usual, traditional, or accepted

• Antonyms:standard, conventional, customary, orthodox

• Variant forms: na

• Context Phrase:

• unorthodox - adj.

• Synonyms: unconventional, atypical, unusual