Familiar words, unexpected meanings

Words in this challenge

Vocabulary featured in challenge #248 — study before you start the timed quiz.

• singular

  remarkable or exceptional

  At a festival where most acts sounded alike, her singular talent caught the critics’ attention.

• exacting

  requiring great care and precision

  Copying the manuscript’s tiny decorative lettering was an exacting task, even for an experienced artist.

• taxing

  mentally or physically demanding

  The negotiations proved so taxing that she cancelled her evening plans.

• wanting

  inadequate

  His proposal was ambitious, but the committee found the evidence behind it wanting.

• studied

  deliberately adopted

  She greeted the promotion with studied indifference, despite having asked about it every week.

• guarded

  cautious about revealing information

  Despite the interviewer’s repeated attempts to get details, the minister remained guarded about the agreement.

• material

  significant

  Unlike the spelling errors, the missing evidence was a material concern for the reviewers.

• telling

  revealing something significant

  The company promised better working conditions, but its budget included nothing for staff—a telling omission.

• measured

  careful and controlled

  Her measured response to the accusation surprised colleagues who had expected an argument.

• sterling

  excellent and dependable

  Maya’s sterling work earned her the trust of even the team’s toughest critics.