Vocabulary 12B

Inveterate (adj.) firmly established, long-standing; habitual S: persisting, chronic A: sporadic, intermittent, occasional It has been claimed that many writers and artists have an inveterate hostility to criticism.

Irrelevant (adj.) not to the point, not applicable or pertinent S: inapplicable, immaterial, beside the point A: pertinent, material, apropos, germane When you take notes, it’s best to record only the main ideas and eliminate all irrelevant details.

Nocturnal (adj.) of or occurring in the night; under cover of darkness S: nighttime A: daytime, diurnal Most nocturnal creatures have keen eyesight and acute hearing.

Platitude (n.) a commonplace, stale, or trite remark S: cliché, truism, bromide A: epigram, quip, witticism, bon mot The sentiments expressed in most greeting cards seldom rise above the level of timeworn platitudes.

Quell (v.) to subdue, put down forcibly S: suppress, pacify, squelch, quash, crush A: incite, provoke, arouse, foment, stir up The English poet John Dryden believed that music has the power either to arouse or to quell strong emotions.

Quiescent (adj.) inactive; at rest S: still, inert, motionless, dormant, tranquil A: active, thriving, lively, bustling, volatile Although some volcanoes are believed to be truly extinct, many are merely quiescent.

Ruminate (v.) to meditate, think about at length; to chew the cud S: ponder, reflect, mull over, muse In old age many people sadly ruminate on mistakes made and opportunities missed.

Tacit (adj.) unspoken, silent; implied, inferred S: unexpressed, unvoiced, understood, implicit A: explicit, express, specific The neighbors had a tacit understanding that they would help each other in an emergency.

Tangible (adj.) capable of being touched; real, concrete S: perceptible, actual, evident, palpable A: immaterial, imperceptible, insubstantial After months of intensive negotiation, diplomats reported that they had made tangible progress toward reaching a settlement of the bitter dispute.

Trenchant (adj.) incisive, keen; forceful, effective; cutting, caustic; distinct, clear-cut S: penetrating, cutting, telling, acute A: dull, bland, insipid, vapid, imperceptive Scholars consider the trenchant satires of Jonathan Swift to be the greatest works of their kind in the English language.