1. Group 8A Allege: (v) to assert without proof or confirmation Ex: allege mob connection Arrant: (adj) thoroughgoing, out-and out; shameless, blatant Ex: an arrant scoundrel Badinage: (n) light and playful conversation Ex: dialogue full of delightful badinage Conciliate: (v) to overcome the distrust of, win over; to appease, pacify; to reconcile, make consistent Ex: try to conciliate an enemy

2. Countermand: (v) to cancel or reverse one order or command with another that is contrary to the first Ex: countermand my previous instructions Echelon: (n) one of a series of levels or grades in an organization or field of activity; an organized military unit; a step-like formation or arrangement Ex: the lower echelon of government Exacerbate: (v) to make more violent, severe, bitter or painful Ex: exacerbate the problem Fatuous: (adj) stupid or foolish in a self-satisfied way Ex: a fatuous remark

3. Irrefutable: (adj) that cannot be disproved; beyond argument (opposite of moot) Ex: an irrefutable alibi Juggernaut: (n) a massive and inescapable force or object that crushes whatever is in its path Ex: the juggernaut of war Lackadaisical: (adj) lacking spirit or interest, halfhearted Ex: a lackadaisical performance

4. Synonyms: A 1.indisputable, incontrovertible, undeniable 2.Listless, indolent, indifferent, lax 3.A level of command 4.Banter, persiflage, repartee 5.A destructive force that is unavoidable 6.To aggravate, intensify, worsen 7.To reverse, recall, revoke 8.Out-and-out, thoroughgoing, egregious 9.Silly, vapid, inane, doltish, stupid, vacuous 10.To assert, claim, contend 11. to placate, pacify, appease; to reconcile

5. 1.Irrefutable 2.Lackadaisical 3.Echelon 4.Badinage 5.Juggernaut 6.Exacerbate 7.Countermand 8.Arrant 9.Fatuous 10.Allege 11. Conciliate

6. Group 8B Litany: (n) a prayer consisting of short appeals to God recited by the leader alternating with responses from the congregation; any repetitive chant; a long list Ex: recite an interminable litany of grievances Macabre: (adj) grisly, gruesome; horrible, distressing; having death as a subject Ex: a macabre story Mélange: (n) a mixture, medley Ex: a strange mélange of fact and fiction

7. Paucity: (n) an inadequate quantity, scarcity, dearth Ex: a paucity of ideas Portend: (v) to indicate beforehand that something is about to happen; to give advance warning of Ex: portend disaster Raze: (v) to tear down, destroy completely; to cut or scrape off or out Ex: raze the old schoolhouse Recant: (v) to withdraw a statement or belief to which one has previously been committed, renounce, retract Ex: recant one’s testimony

8. Saturate: (v) to soak thoroughly, fill to capacity; to satisfy fully Ex: a sponge that is saturated with water Saturnine: (adj) of gloomy or surly disposition; cold or sluggish in mood Ex: of a decidedly saturnine temperament Slough: (v) to cast off, discard; to get rid of something objectionable or unnecessary; to plod through or as if through mud (n) a mire (quagmire) ; a state of depression Ex: slough off old habits

9. Substantive: (adj) pertaining to the essence or substance of something; existing in its own right; real, not apparent; solid; of major importance Ex: substantive evidence

10. Synonyms:8 All 1.indisputable, incontrovertible, undeniable 2.To retract, withdraw, repudiate, disavow 3.Sullen, morose, surly, gloomy 4.Listless, indolent, indifferent, lax 5.A scarcity, lack, dearth 6.A level of command 7.Banter, persiflage, repartee 8.To pull down, demolish; to shave off 9.A destructive force that is unavoidable 10.To aggravate, intensify, worsen 11.To reverse, recall, revoke

11. 1.Irrefutable 2.Recant 3.Saturnine 4.Lackadaisical 5.Paucity 6.Echelon 7.Badinage 8.Raze 9.Juggernaut 10.Exacerbate 11.countermand

12. 12. A medley, farrago, potpourri, hodgepodge 13. out-and-out, thoroughgoing, egregious 14. Solid, firm, substantial; real; major 15. grotesque, grim, grisly, ghoulish 16. A rigmarole, catalog, megillah 17. silly, vapid, inane, doltish, stupid, vacuous 18. To assert, claim, contend 19. To bode, foretell, foreshadow, suggest 20. To placate, pacify, appease; to reconcile 21. To permeate, drench, flood, imbue 22. To shed, cast off, discard; to slog

13. 12. Mélange 13. Arrant 14. Substantive 15. Macabre 16.Litany 17. Fatuous 18. Allege 19. Portend 20. Conciliate 21. Saturate 22. slough