
Fancy yourself a bit of a wordsmith? Are you never at a loss to find the right words? Test your vocabulary skills with our fiendishly tough word quiz. There are plenty of difficult words in the English language, and even more with difficult meanings. Think you know what these words literally mean?
This quiz is not just for those who read casually and think they have an excellent or an above average grasp of the English language. It's for those of you who actually possess an impressive range in vocabulary, and have no problem spending hours on crossword puzzles or maintaining a winning Scrabble streak. Let's see how many of these dictionary definitions you actually know, without having to turn to Google for help! There is no time limit, so take as long as you like to look through the choices carefully and select the best definition for the given word.
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What is the meaning of enervate?

weaken mentally or morally
meet to select a candidate or promote a policy
the quality of affording easy familiarity and sociability
the quality of being honest and straightforward
surrender under agreed conditions
What is the meaning of pejorative?

an insufficient quantity or number
no longer in force or use; inactive
fundamentally different or distinct in quality or kind
expressing disapproval
pertaining to a code of beliefs accepted as authoritative
What is the meaning of winsome?

the fraudulent appropriation of funds or property
conspicuously and outrageously bad or reprehensible
call forth, as an emotion, feeling, or response
charming in a childlike or naive way
compulsory force or threat
What is the meaning of vestige?

demanding immediate attention
choose and follow a theory, idea, policy, etc.
strive to equal or match, especially by imitating
not belonging to that in which it is contained
an indication that something has been present
What is the meaning of amorphous?

necessary as a duty or responsibility; morally binding
a predisposition in favor of something
a person who is devoted to eating and drinking to excess
unfortunate and deserving pity
having no definite form or distinct shape
What is the meaning of callous?

liberality in bestowing gifts
showing or having an insensitive and cruel disregard for others
a judicial remedy to prohibit a party from doing something
provoke or stir up
necessary as a duty or responsibility; morally binding
What is the meaning of exacerbate?

effusively or insincerely emotional
make worse
a central cohesive source of support and stability
a powerful circular current of water
someone who exhibits independence in thought and action
What is the meaning of mendacious?

the lowest point of anything
not telling the truth; lying
stubbornly persistent in wrongdoing
very generous
injurious to physical or mental health
What is the meaning of platitude?

a strong liking
a remark that has been used too often to be interesting or thoughtful
appearing as such but not necessarily so
make obscure or unclear
a fervent and even militant proponent of something
What is the meaning of sanctimonious?

extreme excess
exceedingly harmful
complete and confirmed integrity
making a show of being morally superior to other people
showing little emotion
What is the meaning of solicitous?

make impossible, especially beforehand
tough and callous by virtue of experience
full of anxiety and concern
state or announce
stubbornly resistant to authority or control
What is the meaning of travesty?

cancel officially
excessively abundant
assign to a lower position
postpone the punishment of a convicted criminal
a false, absurd, or distorted representation of something
What is the meaning of fallacious?

based on a mistaken belief
marked by quiet and caution and secrecy
confidently optimistic and cheerful
good luck in making unexpected and fortunate discoveries
having or revealing little emotion or sensibility
What is the meaning of denigrate?

charge falsely or with malicious intent
a feeling of anger caused by being offended
a speech of violent denunciation
a lewd or lascivious person
being present everywhere at once
What is the meaning of arboreal?

of or relating to or formed by trees
failing in what duty requires
marked by skill in deception
having a useful function
spread negative information about
6 Comments
13/15
15/15. We read a lot of classics in high school, and I still read a great deal.
6 / 15 – 40% I`ve never heard most of these words.
3/15 👍
15/15
15/15. Back in 1961 in my last primary school year, I had a wonderful teacher who recognised that I was way ahead in my reading and writing skills. He had a collection of Readers Digests that he lent to me a few at a time to do the word power quizzes. I have always read a lot and still do and have always used a dictionary for any word I was unfamiliar with or even a bit unsure of. I still find new words and find it helpful reading my Kindle to immediately be able to check a word instead of having to keep my big fat dictionaries and thesaurus (yes more than 1) handy, or go to my computer to look it up.