Vocabulary and Synonyms

Sonorous means producing a deep, loud, rich sound. The word is commonly used to describe a resonant voice or sound that fills a space. Option B, 'loud,' best captures this meaning of being full and imposing in sound.

A patron is someone who gives encouragement, support, or financial help to a person or cause. While historically it could mean a person of noble birth, the core meaning is about support and sponsorship. Option D, 'one who gives encouragement to others,' best captures this essence.

Upheaval refers to a violent or sudden change or disruption, often causing major disruption. It implies a dramatic and forceful transformation, not gradual or minor adjustments. Option D, 'radical change,' accurately captures this meaning of forceful, significant disruption.

Obliterate means to destroy completely, wipe out, or erase entirely. The word comes from Latin 'obliterare' meaning 'to strike out or erase.' Option A, 'to blot out,' directly corresponds to this meaning of completely removing or destroying something.

Peripeteia is Aristotle's term for 'reversal of fortune' in tragedy - the moment where circumstances turn from good to bad (or vice versa). Tragic flaw is 'hamartia'; recognition is 'anagnorisis'; purgation is 'catharsis'. Peripeteia is a crucial plot device in Oedipus Rex and other classical tragedies.

'Facetious' means treating serious issues with deliberately inappropriate humor, or not meant to be taken seriously. It refers to a particular tone of levity or lack of seriousness that might be inappropriate in certain contexts. 'Flippantly humorous' best captures this sense of treating something with casual, perhaps inappropriate, humor. 'Amusing' is too neutral and positive, 'critical' is opposite in meaning, and 'casual' doesn't capture the specific quality of humorous disregard for seriousness that facetious implies.

'Indication' in this context means a hint, suggestion, or piece of information that points toward something. When someone gets an indication about a change, they receive a subtle piece of information suggesting it. 'A hint' best captures this sense of receiving indirect information about something. 'A feeling' is too vague and internal, 'a guess' is speculation rather than being based on received information, 'a signal' is more direct and explicit, and 'an ultimatum' is a final demand, which is much more serious and forceful than an indication.

'Insurmountable' means too great to be overcome, impossible to surmount or conquer. When obstacles are insurmountable, they are too difficult to overcome. 'Too difficult to overcome' is the exact definition. 'Too easy to achieve' is the opposite, 'too tall and too high' is too literal and physical, and 'too trivial to attract attention' minimizes rather than captures the sense of impossibility that insurmountable conveys. The prefix 'in-' means 'not' and 'surmount' means 'to overcome,' so insurmountable literally means not able to be overcome.

'Rescind' means to revoke, cancel, or repeal formally. When a government rescinds decisions of its predecessor, it cancels or repeals them. 'Revoke' is the closest synonym and is the correct answer. 'Rectify' means to correct or make right, which is different from canceling. 'Modify' suggests changing rather than removing entirely. 'Reconsider' means to think about again, not necessarily to cancel. Rescind specifically means to take back or cancel a law, order, or decision, which is precisely what revoke means.

Arcane means secret, mysterious, or understood by few. It refers to knowledge that is obscure or hidden from ordinary people. The other options (commonplace, old-fashioned, modern) are opposite or unrelated in meaning.

Catharsis refers to the purification or purgation of emotions, especially through art. It describes the release of strong emotions like pity and fear through dramatic experience. The term originated from Aristotle's Poetics discussing tragedy's emotional effect.

Slake means to quench, satisfy, or allay (thirst, desire, etc.). For example, 'slake one's thirst' means to satisfy it completely. The word is often used with thirst or strong desires.