noun: physical beauty
Aphrodite was celebrated by the ancient Greeks for her ____________________.
Back
paragon
Front
noun: a model of excellence or perfection
Even at 90 years old, Queen Elizabeth maintains her image as the _______________ of refinement and style.
Back
paucity
Front
adjective: small in quantity
Oliver Twist is a character who is famous for speaking up over the ____________ of food the orphans received, saying, "Please, sir. I want some more."
Back
pathos
Front
noun: an emotion of sympathy (in rhetoric: appealing to the emotion of the audience)
Animal rescue commercials are oversaturated with ________________ through the use of music and sad puppy eyes.
Back
pugnacious
Front
adjective: quarrelsome, combative
His _____________________ behavior often provoked fights that landed him in jail.
Back
prosaic
Front
adjective: plain, lacking liveliness
School has an unfortunate reputation for being ______________ and dull.
Back
plethora
Front
noun: an abundance, excess
The bunny dreamed he was stranded by a _______________ of carrots, and it was glorious.
Back
parsimony
Front
noun: frugality; stinginess
Mr. Krabs is a paragon of _______________, hoarding his money and spending little on his loyal employees.
Back
platitude
Front
noun: an inspired remark, cliche
Most ______________ begin as pithy inspirations, but often become overused and less meaningful.
Back
polemic
Front
noun: an aggressive argument against a specific opinion
Though Bob was unsuccessful in his fight to outlaw soft drinks, his ________________ marketing campaign was very effective in changing the public's opinion.
Back
pariah
Front
noun: an outcast
Poor Rudolph was the ____________ of the group; they never let him play any reindeer games.
Back
reprobate
Front
adjective: evil, unprincipled
"Windpeter Winters...was looked upon by everyone in Winesburg as a confirmed old reprobate" (101).
Back
pejorative
Front
adjective: derogatory, uncomplimentary
People that have authority can easily destroy the dignity of others by using ______________ terms and stereotypes that mock and unfairly label.
Back
proclivity
Front
noun: a strong, inclination toward something
Dogs are born with a strong _________________ to dig.
Back
rebuke
Front
verb: to scold, criticize
The school mistress prided herself on making young kids cry when she _____________ them for misbehavior.
Back
punctilious
Front
adjective: eager to follow rules or conventions
Most jobs value employees who are _________________ and able to maintain an organized, efficient work environment.
Back
querulous
Front
adjective: whiny, complaining
Mothers everywhere dread the ________________ moods and tantrums that come with toddlerhood.
Back
puerile
Front
adjective: juvenile, immature
His _______________ behavior usually prevented a second date.
Back
propensity
Front
noun: an inclination, preference
He wanted to trust his son, but his _______________ for not showing up made it difficult.
Back
petulance
Front
noun: rudeness, irritability
Even a smurf could get fired for _________________; no one enjoys a constant grouch.
Back
quagmire
Front
noun: a difficult situation
It was unclear how she would free herself from the frightening _______________________.
Back
pithy
Front
adjective: concisely meaningful
Businesses pay millions each year for advertising companies to come up with ________________ slogans that the public will embrace.
Back
perfunctory
Front
adjective: showing little interest or enthusiasm
Ruth did not find much meaning in her job, so she went through her work with __________________ effort, doing just enough to collect her paycheck.
Back
primeval
Front
adjective: original, ancient
Man has long been fascinated by uncovering the secrets of the ____________ history of the world.
Back
rancor
Front
noun: deep, bitter resentment
Because he wanted so much to be accepted by the group and was constantly rejected, his ______________ grew stronger and more hostile.
Back
prescient
Front
adjective: to have foreknowledge of events
She found it difficult to explain the _______________ information she had received from the fortune teller, but she was still skeptical.
Back
portent
Front
noun: an omen
Many cultures see a stormy sky as a _______________ of bad things to come.
Back
promulgate
Front
verb: to proclaim, make known
The town cryer of the high school went forth to ___________________ the latest juicy gossip.
Back
pernicious
Front
adjective: extremely destructive or harmful
Drug addiction is a __________________ disease that destroys relationships and steals the soul of many loved ones.
Back
precocious
Front
adjective: advanced, developing ahead of time
Kid President is a __________________ young man, who has inspired people all over the world of all ages through his viral "pep talks."
