credulity: they took advantage of the credulity of the inexperienced investors to receive more savings
belief on slight evidence; gullibility; naivete
criterion: what criterion did you use when you selected this essay as the winner?
standard used in judging
cryptic: adj
mysterious; hidden; secret
culpable: corrupt politician who condone the activities of the gamblers are equally culpable
deserving blame
cursory: because a cursory examination of the ruin indicates the possibility of arson, we believe the insurance agency should undertake a more extensive investigation of the fire's cause
casual; hastily done
curtail: when he asked her for a date, she was really sorry she couldn't go out with him, but her dad ordered her to curtail her social life
shorten; reduce
debilitate: Michael's severe bout of the flu debilitated him so much that he was too tired to go to work for a week
weaken; enfeeble
debunk: pointing out that he consistently had voted against strengthening anti-pollution legislation, reporters debunked the candidate's claim that he was a fervent environmentalist
expose as false, exaggerated, worthless, etc; ridicule