Vocabulary 8B
Multifarious (adj). Having great variety; numerous and diverse S: varied, manifold, heterogeneous A: unvaried, uniform, homogeneous Leonardo da Vinci’s notebooks reveal that he was a man of multifarious interests.
Obsolete (adj.) out-of-date, no longer in use S: outmoded, antiquated, passé, old hat A: current, up-to-date, brand-new In order to remain competitive, manufacturing companies periodically replace obsolete machinery.
Omnivorous (adj.) eating every kind of food; eagerly taking in everything, having a wide variety of tastes. S: all-devouring, voracious An omnivorous animal has a greater chance of survival than one that depends on a single food source.
Parsimonious (adj.) stingy, miserly; meager, poor, small S: frugal, penny-pinching, cheap A: generous, openhanded Many people who lost money in the Great Depression later adhered to a parsimonious lifestyle, even during more prosperous times.
Quandary (n.) a state of perplexity or doubt S: confusion, dilemma, predicament Try as I might, I could see no way out of the ethical quandary in which I found myself.
Recalcitrant (adj.) stubbornly disobedient, resisting authority S: unruly, obstinate, contrary, ornery A: obedient, docile, cooperative, compliant A recalcitrant individual may have a great difficulty adjusting to a job that requires a good deal of teamwork.
Reprisal (n.) an injury done in return for injury S: Retaliation, revenge, retribution The Highland clans of Scotland engaged in cattle rustling in reprisal for real or imagine injuries.
Revel (v.) to take great pleasure in; (n.) a wild celebration S: (v.) relish, savor, bask in, carouse A: (v.) abhor, loathe Some movie stars do not revel in the attention their fans and media pay them. All around the world, the new millennium was ushered in with both prayers and revels.
Stultify (v.) to make ineffective or useless, cripple; to have a dulling effect on S: smother, stifle, neutralize, negate A: arouse, excite, inspire, stimulate Oppressive heat may stultify the mind and spirit as well as the body.
Suave (adj.) smoothly agreeable or polite; pleasing to the senses S: sophisticated, urbane, polished A: crude, clumsy, unpolished, oafish, loutish Nick Charles, the clever detective in the Thin Man movies, is a suave man-about-town.