Challenge Words
Noun
opponent in a conflict or contest
“Fear is your best friend or your worst adversary. It’s like fire. If you can control it, it can cook for you, it can heat your house."
Adjective
in fear or dread of possible harm
In the wake of the single deadliest tornado since records were kept, apprehensive citizens search through the rubble of Joplin, Missouri.
Adjective
slightly salty in content
When a species of soft-shelled turtle in China piddles in puddles, it does so through its mouth. This adaptation, which requires far less water than the usual method, allows the reptile to live in brackish environments.
Verb
wave or shake something, especially a weapon, as a threat
A study at UCLA demonstrated that brandishing a weapon does in fact make someone appear bigger and stronger, as our brains are hardwired to translate the magnitude of a threat into size and strength.
Adjective
easily seen or noticed
The hoopoe is a particularly conspicuous bird. Its boldly-barred plumage and beautiful crest, which it moves up and down, never fail to attract attention.
Noun
skill and subtlety, especially in deception
The red fox's resourcefulness has earned it a legendary reputation for intelligence and cunning. If living among humans, foxes will opportunistically dine on garbage and pet food.
Noun
scattered fragments, typically of something that has been destroyed or broken up
Like all comets, Hale-Bopp normally carries a long trail of debris, but as it moves further from the Sun astronomers have noted that its slovenly behavior has tapered off.
Adjective
skillful in physical movements
Individuals proposed ideas, and the ideas sparked off one another until a breakthrough was hatched, and one person came up with three deft strokes that made a thought visible.
Verb
make or become less
In the early 1980s Cubatao was one of the most polluted cities in the world. Since then hard providences have been taken to diminish pollution.
Noun
feeling that someone or something is unworthy of one's consideration
An extension for the Chrome browser makes it seem like an object of your disdain never existed. Add a name to the gag list, and boom! That celebrity is suddenly like a D-lister.
Verb
drive something away
"I have absolutely nothing to do with their split. Although I prefer to keep my private life, I felt compelled to dispel the rumors I was somehow the cause for this matter," Julia said.
Verb
listen without the speaker's knowledge
Mind-boggling! Science creates computer that can decode your thoughts and put them into words, but many will be concerned about the implications of a technique that can eavesdrop on thoughts and reproduce them.
Noun
small, glowing piece of coal or wood, as in a dying fire
For generations, the people of the City of Ember have flourished in an amazing world of glittering lights. But Ember's once powerful generator is failing, and the great lamps that illuminate the city are starting to flicker.
Verb
to appear out of or from behind something
Here is a flashmob video with a little more class than we're used to: a full orchestra emerges from alleyways and storefronts to play the final movement of Beethoven's 9th Symphony in the town square of Sabadell, Spain.
Verb
occupy one's attention completely
While it comes with many caveats, a new study suggests that fast-paced shows like "SpongeBob SquarePants" make it harder for young children to engross themselves in later tasks.
Noun
actions that cause great irritation (or even anger)
In Life Among the Savages, Shirley Jackson's humor is snappy and her children, though messy and obstreperous, seem never to inspire in her anything worse than a fond exasperation.
Adjective
feeling very happy, animated, or elated
I rode all day at a modest clip, on both sides of the Seine, in the Latin Quarter, past the Louvre and along the Champs-Elysees, feeling exhilarated, not fearful. And I had tons of bareheaded bicycling company.
Adjective
done in a quiet and secret way to avoid being noticed
Stickybeak the penguin stands, shakes himself free of water and—after a furtive glance at the tourists—waddles off under the wharf to his brood.
Adjective
extremely tiring and demanding
Since the 2009 decampment of Africa’s famously grueling Dakar Rally to South America, the Toyota Kalahari Botswana 1000 Desert Race has taken its place as the continent’s premier off-road endurance contest.
Verb
cause (something) to happen sooner than it otherwise would
When the Nationals drafted Harper, they declared he would turn from a catcher to an outfielder to hasten his ascension to the major leagues by end of 2012.
Noun
forward movement
Scientists are experimenting with altering the genetic template of wild mosquitoes, in the hopes of making headway in the battle against Malaria.
Adjective
about to happen
Britney can help parents picking out names for their impending arrival. Calling her second son Jayden James, has launched Jayden to the second most popular boy baby name in New York.
Noun
characteristic language of a particular group
Avast, ye scurvy knave! September 19th is Talk Like a Pirate Day, so break out your best swashbuckling jargon.
Adjective
startlingly bright
The Goldstream River in Canada recently turned luminous green when pranksters added fluorescein to the water.
Verb
come into being, become reality
This film is about a supernatural board game that makes animals and other jungle hazards materialize upon each player's move.
Noun
strength or force gained by a series of events
Director David O. Russell relishes the escalating momentum of people who rub each other the wrong way. Tiffany likes Pat, but Pat wants his wife back. Because of the friction, they bond indelibly.
Adjective
boring as a result of being repetitive
Chinese prisoners have been forced to complete monotonous tasks in online games that gather virtual currency, and have faced very real punishments for not meeting their quota.
Adjective
threatening or foreshadowing poor developments
Even with the glasses, everything has an unfamiliar slant to it. As if the daytime trees and flowers and stones had gone to bed and sent slightly more ominous versions of themselves to take their places.
Adjective
occurring repeatedly over a long or longer than expected period of time
A key Pakistan border crossing into Afghanistan remains closed despite persistent militant attacks on the truck convoys backed up there.
Noun
latent qualities that may be developed and lead to future success
In concert, the song showed a lot of potential, especially in Apple's emotive and vocal performance as she sang, "I just want to feel everything."
Adjective
not changed by people
The first US predator-proof fence is helping to restore Kaena Point, Hawaii, to a pristine state and proving a boon for scientists and bird-watchers.
Verb
restore a supply of something to the earlier level or condition
Rock art often fades, but some in Western Australia retain vivid colors because the paint is in fact bacteria and fungi that replenish over the years.
Noun
sum of money paid in compensation for loss or injury
"Dude" Lebowski, mistaken for a millionaire Lebowski, seeks restitution for his ruined rug and enlists his bowling buddies to help get it.
Noun
purposely destroy, damage, or disrupt
Tammy is concerned about her husband when he near-hysterically claims that local creatures, including beavers, ravens, bears, fox, etc. have joined forces to sabotage his project.
Noun
extremely serious and depressing in mood
The repetition of form connects the three figures in a circle of somber emotion.
Noun
sample of something for medical testing
Dr. Gunther von Hagens invented plastination -- the groundbreaking method of preserving anatomical specimens for study. His BODY WORLDS exhibits are a museum sensation.
Noun
lasting strength and energy
Beyblades, battling tops made by Hasbro, are the hot toy this Christmas season, popular for their ability to be customized for stamina, style and offense.
Noun
way of walking or behaving that shows a lot of confidence
A lioness lets out a mighty yawn to shake away the sleep. Soon after she walked away in the familiar swagger of a confident hunter and took up position under the bushes.
Noun
action or strategy carefully planned to achieve a specific end
Gone are the days of edgy Angie in her early 20s, where shock and awe was her tactic for most public appearances. Now, she opts for more subtle – but still sexy – looks.
Adjective
neatly and effectively brief
Rafael Nadal took personal responsibility for his loss to Novak Djokovic in the U.S. Open final, remarking with a terse eloquence: “Accept the challenge, and work.”
Adjective
allowing light to pass through diffusely
Capable of giving an “augmented reality” to viewers, Google’s glasses sits on the wearer's ears and covers one eye with a translucent rectangle that transmits data about the wearer's surroundings directly into his or her eye.
Adjective
surpassing the ordinary or normal
Paul, the World Cup Octopus, died in his tank in Germany today. He was an uncanny 8-0 in predicting winners of the 2010 World Cup.
Adjective
having varied uses or serving many functions
The LA Times recently labeled the pomegranate as "one of the most trendiest and versatile fruits on the market."
Adjective
keeping careful watch for possible danger or difficulties
The residents of 'Meerkat Manor' were not only vigilant for eagles, hyenas, and other predators that threatened their existence but also those annoying paparazzi.
Adjective
open to emotional or physical harm
Albino alligators are extremely rare to find in the wild and as with all albino animals, they are very vulnerable to the sun and predators.
Verb
move gently and smoothly through the air
The deadly vapors that still waft out of this "gate to hell" were once used in ancient rituals to the gods of the underworld, and still claim the lives of unfortunate birds who get too close.
Verb
affect by exposure to the elements
In the early 19th century the beaches of Fort Bragg served as a local dump. Pounding waves have since weathered the discarded glass into a 38 acre stretch of smooth, colored trinkets.