4.1 ASTUTE ( ) quick in descernment; shrewd, clever, keen.Larry thought a new SUIT would make him appear more ASTUTE for his job interview
Louisa has a natural ASTUTENESS in dealing with angry people and winning them over to her view, thereby settling matters amicably.
4.2 BLATHER ( ) to talk nonsensically
Karen and Allison BLATHERED until their mouths LATHERED.
Everything the media reported about the supposed plane disaster never happened. It was a bunch of BLATHER by uninformed journalists.
4.3 CONGENIAL ( ) pleasant to be around; social, agreeable
Folks in JEANS are very CONGENIAL.
Miss Florida was voted Miss CONGENIALITY in the Miss America pageant.
Dr. Armstrong was very CONGENIAL, always a smile and a kind word for his patients, and candies for the children.
4.4 DOLDRUMS ( ) a period or condition of depression or inactivity
All covered with dust, the DOLL DRUMS were in the DOLDRUMS.
Ever since Jackie’s dog died, the little fellow has not touched his toys, moping around day after day in the DOLDRUMS.
For thirteen days we were becalmed in the Horse Latitudes near the equator, out ship drifting in the DOLDRUMS without the faintest breeze to fill the sails of out vessel.
4.5 DRACONIAN ( ) hard, harsh, severe, cruel
Count DRACULA often behaved in a DRACONIAN manner.
Mr. Jeb had a DRACONIAN personality. Nothing his students did pleased him, and rarely did half of his students get passing grades.
Judge McNamara handed down a DRACONIAN sentence to the defendant, sixty days for littering.
The word DRACONIAN did not originate with the fictional character, Count Dracula, but with an ancient Greek official named Dracula who crated a harsh code of laws.
4.6 MARTYR ( ) someone willing to sacrifice and even give his/her life for a cause; also one who pretends suffering to gain sympathy.
It’s HARDER to be a MARTYR.
She was a professional MARTYR, all- suffering for her children, or so she would tell them ten times a day.
Joan of Arc was undoubtedly the most famous MARTYR in modern history, burned at the stake because she refused to go against her beliefs.
Jack was a MARTYR to his job; he worked seven days a week and rarely took a day off.
4.7 MISNOMER ( ) an incorrect or inappropriate name
What a MISNOMER, our little MISS HOMER struck out five times in a row.
A nickname like “Speedy” is a MISNOMER when directed toward one who is slow at what they do.
We usually have dinner at this very small Italian restaurant called The Spaghetti Factory, obviously a MISNOMER of major proportions.
It was no MISNOMER when the called Harry Houdini, “ The Great HOUDINI,” as he was the greatest escape artist of his time.
4.8 MUSTER ( ) to collect or gather; the act of inspection or critical examination.
Each morning the MUSTARD troops are MUSTERED for roll call.
In 1836 the Texans at the Alamo MUSTERED all the troops available to defend against the invading Mexican Army.
The restaurant owner inspected the kitchen and said the eating utensils did not pass MUSTER, and for the dish washer to wash them all over again.
He was MUSTERED into the army at the age of eighteen.
4.9 OBTUSE ( ) insensitive; block- headed, slow in comprehension.
Don’t be OBTUSE, the gorse-thief gets the NOOSE, not the horse.
Hazel was so OBTUSE she thought a watched pot of water never boils.
The OBTUSENESS of some people is due to their unwillingness to accept new ideas.
Don’t pretend to be so OBTUSE. You know the idea of business investing is to buy low and sell high.
4.10 SCRUTINIZE ( ) to look very carefully; to examine
U.S. Customs officials have SCREW EYES when they SCRUTINIZE baggage.
Newspaper proof readers SCRUTINIZE an entire newspaper each day.
Each soldier’s uniform is SCRUTINIZED by his commanding officer.
I SCRUTINIZED all the books in the library and found several I had wanted.
