WORD POWER

ANSWERS

Long words may be tricky to pronounce, but they’re a great way to impress friends— or a date! This month’s entries have at least five syllables. If they prove incomprehensible, 1. contemporary adj. (kon-'tem-puh-rayr-ee) a fleeting. b thoughtful. c modern. 2. insurrectionist n. (in-suh-'reck-shuh-nist) a mechanic. b nomad. c rebel. 3. extracurricular adj. (ek-struh-kuh-'rik-yuh-ler) a athletically inclined. b left over. c outside the usual course. 4. conviviality n. (cun-vih-vee-'al-uh-tee) a sleight of hand. b merriment. c complexity. 5. transmogrification n. (tranz-mah-grih-fih-'kayshun) a hypnotism. b change in form. c sea crossing. 6. triskaidekaphobia n. (tris-ky-deh-kuh-'foh-beeuh) a dread of magicians. b hatred of cats. c fear of the number 13. 7. disingenuous adj. (dis-in-'jen-yoo-us) a out of order. b insincere. c silent. 8. verisimilitude n. (ver-uh-suh-'mih-luh-tood) a large crowd. b quality of seeming real. c dizzy spell. 9. impenetrable adj. (im-'peh-nuh-truh-bull) a anxious. b impossible to enter. c affected by the moon. 10. superannuated adj. (soo-per-'an-yoo-way-ted) a prorated. b outdated. c distorted. 11. pharmacology n. (far-muh-'kah-luh-jee) a science of drugs. b farming technique. c study of insects. 12. heterogeneous adj. (heh-tuh-ruh-'jee-nee-us) a masculine. b about clergy. c diverse. 13. paraphernalia n. (pair-uh-fur-'nail-yuh) a assorted gear. b cranium. c cross-stitch. 14. phantasmagoria n. (fan-taz-muh-'gor-ee-uh) a dreamlike scene. b belief in ghosts. c mime show. 15. idiosyncrasy n. (ih-dee-uh-'sin-kruh-see) a quirk. b perfect timing. c greed.

1. contemporary

(c) modern. Joel prefers contemporary art over paintings by the old masters.

2. insurrectionist

(c) rebel. The insurrectionists overthrew the corrupt government.

3. extracurricular

(c) outside the usual course. Troy has a variety of extracurricular interests, including Russian literature and spelunking.

4. conviviality

(b) merriment. The village tavern is a place of conviviality, where neighbors enjoy one another’s company.

5. transmogrification

(b) change in form. How do you explain the prince’s transmogrification into a beast?

6. triskaidekaphobia

(c) fear of the number 13. Many hotels go from floor 12 to 14, a nod to guests with triskaidekaphobia.

7. disingenuous

(b) insincere. My sister’s disingenuous apology for ruining my sweater didn’t make me feel any better.

8. verisimilitude

(b) quality of seeming real. Archaeologists say The Flintstones has little historical verisimilitude.

9. impenetrable

(b) impossible to enter. The tech department is working to make our server impenetrable to hackers.

10. superannuated

(b) outdated. “I can’t teach science with these superannuated textbooks!” Mr. Sanchez complained.

11. pharmacology

(a) science of drugs. Pharmacology experts haven’t tested the new drug’s effectiveness in children.

12. heterogeneous

(c) diverse. Home to millions of species, the Amazon rain forest is one of Earth’s most heterogenous places.

13. paraphernalia

(a) assorted gear. We’ll need balloons, candles, and other party paraphernalia for the birthday bash.

14. phantasmagoria

(a) dreamlike scene. “I Am the Walrus” is a phantasmagoria of sound and imagery.

15. idiosyncrasy

(a) quirk. Don’t be boring—embrace your idiosyncrasies!

Vocabulary Ratings

9 & below: satisfactory 10–12: meritorious 13–15: indomitable