1. Inadvertent Without intention, by mistake Adjective –Adverb: inadvertently Sample sentences: –An inadvertent slip of the tongue got him in trouble. –The cashier inadvertently gave me the wrong change. (Hint: In the advertisement a tent blew away.) 116

2. Viscous Thick, sticky, slow-flowing adjective –noun: viscosity Sample sentences: –Heat may make the glue less viscous and easier to apply. –The high viscosity of the paint meant we only needed one coat. (Synonyms: Gluey, gooey, thick) 117

3. Titillate To interest or excite agreeably Verb –Noun: titillation –Adjective: titillating Sample sentences: –He only titillated our curiosity without providing any answers. –Reputable journalism doesn't find suffering and loss to be titillating. (Hint: tickle) 118

4. Omniscient All-knowing Adjective –Noun: omniscience –Related words: –omnipotent, omnipresent –conscientious, prescient, unconscionable Sample sentences: If I only possessed omniscience, I would get 100 on every test. (Hint: An all-knowing scientist.) 119

5. inane Adjective: silly –Noun: inanity Sample sentences: –His inane pranks delighted his friends and made them laugh. (Hint: Inane means mindless, and insane people have lost their minds.) 120

6. figurative Adjective: not literal, based on a figure of speech –Adverb: figuratively Related words: configuration,effigy, figment (Latin figura means form or shape) Sample sentence: –Metaphor and hyperbole are examples of figurative speech. –He was speaking figuratively when he said he could eat a horse. 121

7. exhaustive Adjective: thorough, complete –Verb: exhaust, as in: we exhausted every possibility Sample sentences: –After an exhaustive search, the lost hiker was found less than a mile from the trail. –Only after exhausting every other possibility did she consent to surgery. 122

8. infer Verb: to draw a conclusion based on evidence –Noun: inference –Related words: refer, deference, fertile, proliferate (Latin ferre means “to carry.”) Sample sentences: –Because my jacket reeked of tobacco, my parents inferred that I had been smoking. –However, they misconstrued the evidence and made a wrong inference. 123

10. trepidation Noun: fear, anxiety Related words: intrepid (fearless) Sample sentences: –Many actors suffer trepidation just before they go on stage. –The intrepid explorer, undaunted by the dangers around him, found the North Pole. (Hint: Trep sounds like trapped – a trapped creature feels fear.) 124

11. temperate Adjective: mild, moderate Related words: intemperate, temper, temperance (Latin verb temperare, “to moderate or keep within limits”) Sample sentence: –“Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate.” Shakespeare, Sonnet 18 (Hint: The earth's temperate zone has mild weather.) 125