C. dulcify. Pique means to excite interest or curiosity, but its primary definition is to wound pride or vanity. The opposite is to soothe or please.
A. Aggrieve is a synonym of the definition being tested here.
C. Shirk is unrelated. It means to be sneaky or stealthy or to avoid the performance of an obligation.
D. Aggrandize is unrelated. It means to make greater or to praise highly.
E. Rouse is a synonym for the common definition of pique.
INSENSIBLE
D. cognizant. Insensible means unconscious or unaware, so the opposite is aware.
A. pragmatic and D. rational are traps if you think insensible means not sensible.
C. insensate is a synonym. It means lacking 1. sense or understanding, 2. awareness or sensation, 3. humane feeling. You can also eliminate insensate because it has the same prefix as insensible and is therefore not likely to be its opposite.
LUMINOUS
B. stygian. Luminous means emitting light, so the opposite is darkness.
A. stentorian means very loud.
B. incandescent is a synonym.
C. mellifluous means harmonious (flowing smoothly) or filled with something that sweetens.
D. stygian means dark or gloomy (from th eRiver Styx).
E. innocuous means harmless.
SINGULARITY
A. ordinariness. Singularity is unusualness or exceptionalness, so the opposite is normality.
C. Singularity contains the word singular so plurality is a trap.
D. celerity means speed.
E. opprobrium means disgrace or ill fame from bad conduct.
AUSTERE
A. plumed. Austere means bare or unadorned, so the opposite is adorned. You are looking for a positive or neutral word.
A. spartan is a synonym.
C. unadventurous and E. fiendish are negative words.
B. ticklish is the opposite of not ticklish.
PENURIOUS
D. wealthy. Penurious can mean stingy or poor, so the opposite is generous or wealthy. if you know that penurious is negative, you're looking for a positive word.
A. repentant is negative.
D. penal is negative.
E. parsimonious is a synonym. It means stingy or frugal.
ASPERITY
A. empressement. Asperity means harshness in tone or manner, so the opposite is friendliness and warmth. If you know that asperity is a negative word, you're looking for a positive one.
A. visual expression and D. hallucinatory experince. What could these be the opposites of? So eliminate these two.
C. contretemps means an inopportune or embarassing occurrence or situation. Also, it's a negative word.
LUCULENT
B. recondite. luculent means clear or easy to understand, so the opposite is difficult to understand.
A. comprehensible is a synonym.
C. illegible is a trap because luculent refers to understanding meanings and ideas, not handwriting.
D. meretricious means 1. of or relating to a prostitute, 2. tawdrily or falsely attractive, 3. superficially significant.
COUNTENANCE
C. interdict. Countenance means face or visage, but when used as a verb it means to tolerate or approve. The opposite is to denounce or forbid.
A. innervate is a medical word that refers to nerves.
B. sanction and D. tolerate are synonyms. Even if you weren't sure what countenance means, two answers with the same meaning can't both be correct.
C. inveigh means to speak out against something, but interdict means to prohibit or forbid something.
SUBDUE:
E. remove constraints. The opposite of subdue is release.
PANEGYRIZE:
A. disparage. Panegyrize means to speak or write in praise of.
PROTRACT:
D. shorten. Protract means to prolong or draw out.
APPROPRIATE:
B. bestow. Appropriate means to to take without permission. The opposite is to give.
MUNIFICENCE:
A. marked stinginess. Munificence means very generous.
TURBIDITY:
E. clarity. Turbidity means cloudy, opaque, confused or obscure.
CLEAVE:
E. uncouple. Cleave means to stick fast to, adhere strongly to, or become involved with. That is the definition being tested here. Cleave can also mean to split, sever or divide. It can also mean to move forcefully through something.
PUISSANCE:
C. impotence. Puissance means power, influence or prowess.
EXHAUSTIVE:
E. cursory. Exhaustive means thorough or testing all posiibilities and cursory means rapidly and superficially done.
SCURRILOUS:
B. decent. Scurrilous means 1. using course language or 2. vulgar, obscene.
B. typified means represented in a typical fashion or embodying the essential or salient characteristics of.
C. Accosting means to approach and speak to in a challenging way.
SCANTY:
B. copious. Scanty means limited or less than sufficient in quantity or extent. Copious means abundant, plentiful, full.
C. Odious means arousing or deserving hatred.
D. Caustic means corrosive or incisive (like with sarcasm).
VAPIDITY:
D. liveliness. Vapid means lacking liveliness, briskness or force. It could mean flat or dull.
SPATE:
E. gradual diminishment. Spate means a large number or amount (a spate of books means a flood of books) or a sudden or strong outburst (a spate of anger means a rush of anger).
FANCY :
A. abhor. Fancy could mean 1. to like; 2. to believe; 3. to imagine; or 4. to visualize or interpret.
DOCK:
E. grant bonus to. Dock means to cut off, take away or deprive.
PARSIMONIOUS:
D. excessive. Parsimonious means frugal, sparing or restrained.
BOLSTER:
E. undermine. Bolster means to support or reinforce. Its opposite is to undermine.
OVERT:
E. secretive. Overt means open to view.
E. Sublime means lofty or grand in thought, expression or manner. It could also mean of outstanding intellectual or moral worth.
DIATRIBE:
B. supportive speech. A diatribe is bitter and abusive speech or satirical criticism.
SUCCOR:
E. aggravate. Succor means to give aid or relief.
SANCTION:
B. dispprove.
E. Badger means to harass or annoy persistently.
IRASCIBLE:
A. passive. Irascible means having a hot temper and easily provoked to anger.
CONSUMMATE:
C. abrogate. Consummate means to finsih, achieve or make perfect. Abrogate means to abolish by authoritative action or to annul.
LUCIDITY:
C. obscurity. Lucidity means clearness of thought or style. Obscurity means dark, dim, not clearly seen or not readily understood.
A. Luster means sheen, luminosity, radiance.
E. Quiescence means inactivity, repose or tranquility.
SUBTERFUGE:
B. revelation. Subterfuge means deception and revelation means revealing something or making something known.
AGITATE:
B. relieve. Agitate means to disturb and relieve means to soothe.
ACCLIMATION:
B. alienation. Acclimation means getting used to something. Alienation means estrangement.
FLORID:
B. pallid. Florid means ornate, ruddy or healthy. Its opposite is pallid, or pale.
B. Vapid means lifeless or dull.
D> Rancid means rank or offensive.
INDULGENCE:
A. restraint. To indulge means to gratify, to humor or to treat with leniency or generosity.
