Red Words (A-C)
She might shop for clothes at thrift stores, but her $200 custom water bottle gives away her _______ background.
affluent
I lost the note card with my prepared speech right before I got to the podium, so I had to _______ instead.
extemporize
Despite what some southerners might believe, practically all of the causes of the American Civil War are ________ from the central issue of slavery.
inextricable
The king is cold but generally sensible; he expects his court to be respectful without being ________ towards him.
obsequious
Some teachers worry that online learning allows students to _______ their assignments more easily.
shirk
I must admit that I am _______ of our country's ability to reopen safely right now.
cynical
Lucille fluttered her eyelashes ________ at her teacher as she boldly lied that her Roomba ate her homework.
disingenuously (or disarmingly)
Derek is lucky to have such a calm and rational best friend to _______ him from following through on his dumbest impulses.
inhibit
Lucille set a _________ at our weekly group video chats when she showed up to the first one in an evening gown and fur coat, so now we all get absurdly dressed up when we chat.
precedent
I still practice every day, yet recently I've felt like my guitar skills have been in _______ instead of improving.
stasis
Lucille always answers her phone after the first ring with _______ and cheerfulness.
alacrity
equivocal
Ordinary citizens can actually listen to police radio channels freely, but it might be hard to parse through all the abbreviations and ________ that they use to communicate.
jargon
I'm not very good at poker because I struggle to _________ my true thoughts and am _______ to revealing my feelings on my face.
obscure, prone
The students struggled to _______ their laughter as their teacher approached the booby-trapped chair.
suppress
A fresh regiment has been sent to _________ the troops at the frontlines who are on the verge of ________ after months of ceaseless fighting.
bolster, capitulating
The _________ boy uses mindless chatter as a coping mechanism; the more anxious he is, the more he talks as a way to _______ his nervous energy.
garrulous, expend
Many believe that the pandemic would not have progressed to this extent if the country had taken the _________ measures that it should have during the pandemic's _________ stages.
imperative, incipient
I'm sure my professor is very knowledgeable in his field, but I don't think he's a very good _______ because his lectures are too ________ for most students to understand.
orator, pedantic
It's better to have a short and ________ essay than a long-winded one that goes on many unnecessary _______.
succinct, tangents
His incomprehensible three-hour speech was filled with so much long-winded _________ that it didn't even have a ________ message.
circumlocution, coherent (or apposite)
After he caught them creeping ________ around the building after closing hours while dressed head-to-toe in black, he was right to be ________ of their stated intentions.
furtively, dubious
Although they sometimes overlap, there is actually some _______ in being either a ________ or a nihilist; the latter thinks life is meaningless but does not necessarily hate people because of it.
nuance, misanthrope
Metropolitan areas are often known for their diversity and modernity while more ________ attitudes are considered to be _________ in many rural areas.
orthodox, prevalent (or pervasive)
The siblings were in silent but _______ agreement that it would be in their best interests to hide the broken plate from their mother due to her _______ temper.
tacit, volatile