166 VOCABULARY FOR TOEFL iBT
sordid ('sor·did) adj. 1. dirty, wretched, squalid. 2. morally degraded. This sordid
establishment should be shut down immediately.
specious ('spee·shu ̆s) adj. 1. seemingly plausible but false. 2. deceptively pleasing
in appearance. Vinnie did not fool me with his specious argument.
spurious ('spyoor·ee·u ̆s) adj. false, counterfeit, not genuine or authentic. Ian’s
surreptitious manner makes me believe his support for you is spurious and that he has
a hidden agenda.
squalid ('skwol·id) adj. 1. filthy and wretched. 2. morally repulsive, sordid. The
housing inspectors noted such deplorable and squalid living conditions in the decrepit
building on Water Street that they were forced to evacuate the tenants.
staunch (stawnch) v. (also stanch ) stopping the flow of something. adj. firm and
steadfast, unswerving; firm and constant in principle or loyalty. I have always
been a staunch believer in the power of positive thinking.
steadfast ('sted·fast) adj. 1. firmly fixed or unchanging, resolute. 2. firmly loyal
and constant, unswerving. The captain held a steadfast course despite the rough seas.
stoical ('stoh·i·ka ̆l) adj. seemingly unaffected by pleasure or pain; indifferent,
impassive. Michael was stoical, but underneath, he is every bit as emotional as we are.
strident ('str ̄·de ̆nt) adj. unpleasantly loud and harsh; grating, shrill, discordant.
When he heard the strident tone of his mother’s voice, Oscar knew he was in big trouble.
stultify ('stul·t ̆·f ̄) v. 1. to impair or make ineffective, cripple. 2. to make
(someone) look foolish or incompetent. Of course I’m angry! You stultified me at
that meeting!
stymie ('st ̄·mee) v. to hinder, obstruct, thwart; to prevent the accomplishment
of something. The negotiations were stymied by yet another attack.
sublime (su ̆·'bl ̄m) adj. having noble or majestic qualities; inspiring awe, adora-
tion, or reverence; lofty, supreme. Beethoven’s music is simply sublime.
subliminal (sub·'lim· ̆·na ̆l) adj. below the threshold of consciousness. Subliminal
advertising is devious but effective.
subvert (sub·'vurt) v. 1. to overthrow. 2. to ruin, destroy completely. 3. to
undermine. She quietly subverted his authority by sharing internal information with
outside agents.
succinct (su ̆k·'sinkt) adj. expressed clearly and precisely in few words; concise,
terse. Cole’s eloquent and succinct essay on the power of positive thinking won first
place in the essay contest.