Rampant
going unchecked, widespread
When the plague was RAMPANT on the island, Dr. Arrowsmith’s wife died.
Inane
foolish
Orville Wright was criticized for his INANE desire to fly.
Ethics
code of principles
A special management committee was asked to investigate business ETHICS.
Concur
agree
If I can get my parents to CONCUR, I’ll join the Peace Core.
Clandestine
secret, undercover
The spies thought their meeting was a CLANDESTINE one, but a group of F.B.I. agents gathered outside the building.
Morals
personal
Drugs are illegal but are also used as MORAL remedies for some cultures.
Flagrant
outrageous, glaringly bad
Parking in front of a hydrant is a FLAGRANT violation of the city’s law,
Admonish
to warn, to reprove
I suspect that my father will ADMONISH me for coming home late.
Duress
compulsion, force
The confession was signed under DURESS, the attorney claimed.
Culprit
the guilty person
The CULPRIT was caught with his fingers in the cookie jar.
Inexorable
inflexible, unrelenting
Television sleuths are INEXORABLE in their pursuit of lawbreakers.
Egregious
remarkably bad
The bank teller’s EGREGIOUS error was difficult to fix.
Distraught
mentally confused, crazed, really upset
The soldiers were DISTRAUGHT to learn that their furloughs had been cancelled
Furloughs-time off/break
Duplicity
cunning, trickery
Duplicity is the stock in trade of all adroit counterspies.
Acrimonious
bitter
We tried to ignore her ACRIMONIOUS comments, but that took considerable restraint.
Paucity
scarcity
Although it was a creative writing class, the teacher complained about the PAUCITY of talent there.
Elicit
to draw forth
Pernicious
harmful, causing injury
The dictator’s PERNICIOUS rules failed to intimidate the leaders of underground.
Tolerate
to put up with, to bear
Dentists appreciate patients who can TOLERATE pain.
Construe
to make a deduction, to infer
She hoped that we would no misCONSTRUE her decision to run for office as a thirst for power
Impunity
freedom from punishment
The border guards allowed the doctor to cross the frontier with IMPUNITY.
Illicit
illegal
The detective tried to gather ILLICIT information about the elicit activity
