Having been conditioned to take wealth and luxury for granted, they tended to take a(n) ______ attitude toward money, even when they only a modest income.
insouciant
In her speech to the entering freshmen class, the dean emphasized that the benefits they derived from any course would be ______ with the effort that they devoted to it.
commensurate
Time after time, he rose on the floor of the Senate and delivered bitter _____ against the lack of effective measures against environmental pollution.
philippic
In my opinion, the epic poem represents the most noble and inspiring of all literary ______
genre
Their reverence for all creations of God was so great that, in their eyes, even the most common manifestation of nature was ______
sacrosanct
One of my fondest hopes is to visit Jerusalem, the city that has had a unique role in history as the ______ of three great world religions
matrix
It was a cat- and- mouse play about a patient detective and an aristocrat jewel thief who stole with elegance and __________
panache
The overbearing maitre d' ____________ the diners into meekly accepting the least desirable table in the restaurant.
browbeat
When doctors discovered the disease to be ________, they held out little hope for the patient's recovery.
systemic
When we reflected on his long and happy life and his unmatched record of public service, we found the ______ comforting and even inspiring.
obsequies
She claimed to be an unbiased witness, but I found her testimony to be opinionated and _____________.
tendentious
The constitution provides that the __________ received by the President is to be neither increased or decreased during his term of office.
emolument
You should not approach a class in sex education with such a leering and _______ attitude.
prurient
The true test of her character will be how she is able to deal with the ___________ of life.
vicissitude
She cannot relate to other people in a constructive way because she is ______ in her own prejudices and hostilities
immured
At first she showed only a mild interest in bridge, but as she played more and developed skill, she became a real _____ of the game.
aficionado
Our troops returned from their successful _______ against the enemy's base in a jubilant mood.
foray
The omniscient narrator is probably the most common __________ assumed by novel writers.
persona
We found overwhelming beauty in the most common manifestations of nature , such as the colors of sunset, the delicate shape of a flower, or the __________ wings of an insect.
diaphanous
What good does it do to regale the prisoners with ____________ about going straight if they have no chance to make an honest living when they are released?
homily