Commonly Confused Words

Words in this challenge

Vocabulary featured in challenge #249 — study before you start the timed quiz.

• temeritynoun

  boldness or nerve that is considered rude, reckless, or overconfident

  The intern had the temerity to challenge the director’s figures in front of the entire board.

• enervateverb

  to weaken someone or drain their energy

  Days of tense negotiations began to enervate even the most experienced diplomats.

• condoneverb

  to accept or overlook behavior considered wrong

  The coach knew his players had cheated, but chose to condone it, saying that winning mattered more than following the rules.

• noisomeadjective

  foul-smelling or otherwise offensive to the senses

  Opening the windows did little to improve the noisome conditions in the basement.

• travestynoun

  an absurd or seriously distorted representation of something

  The trial was a travesty of justice: the verdict had been secretly agreed before the judge heard any evidence.

• flauntverb

  to display something proudly or conspicuously, especially to impress others

  He kept pulling back his sleeve to flaunt his new watch, hoping someone would ask how much it cost.

• penultimateadjective

  coming immediately before the last in a sequence

  The penultimate chapter ends with an arrest; the next chapter, which closes the book, reveals whether the suspect is guilty.

• restiveadjective

  restless, impatient, and difficult to keep calm or under control

  As the meeting stretched into a third hour, the audience grew restive.

• inflammableadjective

  easily set on fire; having the same meaning as “flammable”

  The warehouse manager insisted that the inflammable supplies be stored in a separate room.

• chronicadjective

  lasting a long time or repeatedly recurring; not necessarily severe

  Her chronic lateness had become a familiar topic at the weekly meetings.