VOCABULARY

1. discreet
   marked by prudence or modesty and wise self-restraint
   Sarkozy has attempted to tone down his image, becoming morediscreet about his private life.
   — BusinessWeek (Feb 8, 2012)
2. imposing
   impressive in appearance
   These buildings were grand and stylized with intricate details and a bit of an imposing presence.
   — Scientific American (Mar 5, 2012)
3. wistful
   showing pensive sadness
   She turned toward him, her face troubled, her eyes most wistful.
   — Mason, A. E. W. (Alfred Edward Woodley)
4. mortify
   cause to feel shame
   Intensely mortified at this humiliation, the king fell sick, and henceforth his health failed rapidly.
   — Various
5. ripple
   stir up so as to form small waves
   That could precipitate higher interest rates that would ripple across the economy.
   — Washington Post (Jul 27, 2011)
6. premise
   a statement that is held to be true
   Success, real success, comes to the jack of all trades, a major premisehanded down from pioneer days.
   — Gilbert, Clinton W. (Clinton Wallace)
7. subside
   wear off or die down
   Affliction is allayed, grief subsides, sorrow is soothed, distress is mitigated.
   — Webster, Noah
8. adverse
   contrary to your interests or welfare
   High doses can have adverse effects and even cause death.
   — Seattle Times (Mar 26, 2012)
9. caprice
   a sudden desire
   Nobody is really in charge, and decisions are made on whim andcaprice.”
   — New York Times (Apr 10, 2011)
10. muster
    gather or bring together
    Yet Fox needed all the strength that he could muster.
    — Rosebery, Archibald Phillip Primrose
11. comprehensive
    broad in scope
    The United States Army developed a comprehensive plan to address problematic race relations in the 1970s, recognizing that they were hampering military effectiveness.
    — New York Times (Feb 6, 2012)
12. accede
    yield to another's wish or opinion
    Therefore he made up his mind to accede to his uncle's desire.
    — Streckfuss, Adolph
13. fervent
    characterized by intense emotion
    But, to fervent applause and scattered fist pumps from two sets of worshipers, he pledged to legally challenge the claims against him.
    — New York Times (Sep 26, 2010)
14. cohere
    cause to form a united, orderly, and consistent whole
    Two antagonistic values may cohere in the same object.
    — Anderson, Benjamin M. (Benjamin McAlester)
15. tribunal
    an assembly to conduct judicial business
    The military has historically been protected from civilian courts, with any crimes committed by soldiers being decided in closed militarytribunals.
    — Wall Street Journal (Feb 15, 2012)
16. austere
    severely simple
    A certain austere simplicity was noticeable all over Longfellow's house.
    — Anonymous
17. recovering
    returning to health after illness or debility
    “The recovering economy is bringing more people back into the market.
    — Washington Post (Mar 22, 2012)
18. stratum
    people having the same social or economic status
    She belonged to the upper stratum of the profession, and, knowing it, could not sink.
    — George, Walter Lionel
19. conscientious
    characterized by extreme care and great effort
    A conscientious hostess would be very much mortified if she served chicken out of its proper course.
    — Reed, Myrtle
20. arbitrary
    based on or subject to individual discretion or preference
    Sandra Nurse, a member of Occupy's direct action working group, said police treated demonstrators roughly and made arbitrary arrests.
    — Time (Mar 18, 2012)
21. exasperate
    irritate
    Shopkeepers, exasperated at the impact of higher taxes and reduced consumer spending, are planning to close down for the day.
    — New York Times (Feb 7, 2012)
22. conjure
    summon into action or bring into existence
    Vacation homes typically conjure up dreams of blue skies, pristine sand and crystalline waters.
    — Wall Street Journal (Feb 28, 2012)
23. ominous
    threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments
    The Count's words were so ominous, so full of sinister meaning that for the moment he felt like crying out with fear.
    — Hocking, Joseph
24. edifice
    a structure that has a roof and walls
    They are here erecting a fine stone edifice for an Episcopal Church.
    — Clark, John A.
25. elude
    escape, either physically or mentally
    But despite racking up world titles, Olympic gold was eluding him.
    — The Guardian (Feb 10, 2012)
26. pervade
    spread or diffuse through
    An air of intense anticipation pervaded the General’s dining room.
    — Burnett, Carolyn Judson
27. foster
    promote the growth of
    Mr. Horne accused the district’s Mexican-American studies program of using an antiwhite curriculum to foster social activism.
    — New York Times (Mar 19, 2012)
28. admonish
    take to task
    "Children, children, stop quarrelling, right here in public!"admonished Mrs. Dering, in a low, shocked tone.
    — Perry, Nora
29. repeal
    cancel officially
    If Republicans repeal the law, Ms. Schakowsky said, they would be “taking away benefits that seniors are already getting.”
    — New York Times (Mar 19, 2012)
30. retiring
    not arrogant or presuming
    Foster was an extremely modest, unworldly, retiring gentleman.
    — Rosenbach, A. S. W.