A Trusted Friend in a Complicated World

Can You Pass This High School English Quiz?

We've been saving up these words, from the Princeton Review's Word Smart: Genius Edition test-prep guide, for our most confident quiz takers.

1 / 30
Word-Power-Are-You-Smarter-Than-You-Were-in-High-School
Tatiana Ayazo/Rd.com, Shutterstock

1. What does “umbrage” mean?

A: resentment
B: bright sunshine
C: utter confusion

2 / 30
Word-Power-Are-You-Smarter-Than-You-Were-in-High-School
Tatiana Ayazo/Rd.com, Shutterstock

Answer:

[A] resentment. Why did your team take such umbrage at being called the underdogs? If this one stumped you, make sure you brush up on the 24 things you’ve been saying wrong this whole time.

3 / 30
Word-Power-Are-You-Smarter-Than-You-Were-in-High-School
Tatiana Ayazo/Rd.com, Shutterstock

2. What does “sobriquet” mean?

A: nickname
B: tight bandage
C: barbecue coal

4 / 30
Word-Power-Are-You-Smarter-Than-You-Were-in-High-School
Tatiana Ayazo/Rd.com, Shutterstock

Answer:

[A] nickname. After seeing him before he’d had his coffee, I can’t imagine how Paul possibly got the sobriquet Grumpy! Aced this question? Hooray! Take this Mensa quiz to find out if you’re a genius.

5 / 30
Word-Power-Are-You-Smarter-Than-You-Were-in-High-School
Tatiana Ayazo/Rd.com, Shutterstock

3. What does “feckless” mean?

A: bold and daring
B: of clear complexion
C: weak and ineffective

6 / 30
Word-Power-Are-You-Smarter-Than-You-Were-in-High-School
Tatiana Ayazo/Rd.com,shutterstock

Answer:

[C] weak and ineffective. In formal debate, “Oh yeah?” is a rather feckless rebuttal. You’ll also love learning these slang words you didn’t know were in the dictionary.

7 / 30
Word-Power-Are-You-Smarter-Than-You-Were-in-High-School
Tatiana Ayazo/Rd.com,shutterstock

4. What does “bailiwick” mean?

A: special domain
B: holiday candle
C: dugout canoe

8 / 30
Word-Power--Are-You-Smarter-Than-You-Were-in-High-School-
Tatiana Ayazo/Rd.com, Shutterstock

Answer:

[A] special domain. “Ask me anything about grammar,” the curmudgeonly copy editor said. “That’s my bailiwick.” That copy editor also wants you to know that you’re using these 70 words and phrases wrong.

9 / 30
Word-Power--Are-You-Smarter-Than-You-Were-in-High-School-
Tatiana Ayazo/Rd.com, Shutterstock

5. What does “onus” mean?

A: proof of residency or status
B: burden
C: unique entity

10 / 30
Tatiana Ayazo/Rd.com, Shutterstock

Answer:

[B] burden. “The onus,” Mr. Peterson barked, “is on your boys to fix my broken window.”

11 / 30
Word-Power-Are-You-Smarter-Than-You-Were-in-High-School
Tatiana Ayazo/Rd.com, Shutterstock

6. What does “ductile” mean?

A: of plumbing
B: easily shaped
C: weak and ineffective

12 / 30
Word-Power-Are-You-Smarter-Than-You-Were-in-High-School
Tatiana Ayazo/Rd.com, Shutterstock

Answer:

[B] easily shaped or influenced. Decisive? No. Tara’s opinions are sometimes as ductile as Play-Doh. Loving this old-school vocab quiz? See if you know these middle school words most adults don’t know.

13 / 30
Word-Power-Are-You-Smarter-Than-You-Were-in-High-School
Tatiana Ayazo/Rd.com, Shutterstock

7. What does “troglodyte” mean?

A: cave dweller or reclusive person
B: bird of prey
C: know-it-all

14 / 30
word power answer
Tatiana Ayazo/rd.com, Shutterstock

Answer:

[A] cave dweller or reclusive person. I wouldn’t go so far as to call Jerry a troglodyte, but he’s definitely on the shy side.

15 / 30
paean
Tatiana Ayazo/rd.com, Shutterstock

8. What does “paean” mean?

A: fervent prayer
B: lowly worker
C: song of praise

16 / 30
word-power-are-you-smarter-than-you-were-in-high-school.jpg
Tatiana Ayazo/Rd.com, Shutterstock

Answer:

[C] song of praise. Let us raise a toast and a rousing paean to Jay and Cathy’s wedding! If you’re acing this high school vocab quiz, test your knowledge of high school grammar!

17 / 30
word-power-are-you-smarter-than-you-were-in-high-school.jpg
Tatiana Ayazo/Rd.com, Shutterstock

9. What does “sangfroid” mean?

A: snooty attitude
B: coolness under pressure
C: French chef

18 / 30
word power answer
Tatiana Ayazo/rd.com, Shutterstock

Answer:

[B] coolness under pressure. With unrelenting sangfroid, Andrea remained a pro at the poker table despite the high stakes.

19 / 30
word-power-are-you-smarter-than-you-were-in-high-school.jpg
Tatiana Ayazo/Rd.com, Shutterstock

10. What does “redoubtable” mean?

A: unquestionable
B: dubious
C: formidable

20 / 30
word power answer
Tatiana Ayazo/rd.com, Shutterstock

Answer:

[C] formidable. The pitcher shuddered as the redoubtable Albert Pujols strode to the plate. Since it has the word “doubt” in it, “redoubtable” is one of the words that don’t mean what you think they do.

21 / 30
word-power-are-you-smarter-than-you-were-in-high-school.jpg
Tatiana Ayazo/Rd.com, Shutterstock

11. What does “imprecate” mean?

A: curse
B: famous
C: pester or distract

22 / 30
word power a. curse
Tatiana Ayazo/Rd.com, Shutterstock

Answer:

[A] curse. Before being banished, the witch ominously threatened to imprecate the town for five generations.

23 / 30
Word-Power-Are-You-Smarter-Than-You-Were-in-High-School
Tatiana Ayazo/Rd.com, Shutterstock

12. What does “modicum” mean?

A: small portion
B: middle path
C: daily dosage

24 / 30
Word-Power-Are-You-Smarter-Than-You-Were-in-High-School
Tatiana Ayazo/Rd.com, Shutterstock

Answer:

[A] small portion. All I ask is a modicum of cooperation with the housework. If you’re acing this quiz, you might be ready to move on to these trivia questions only geniuses will get right.

25 / 30
Word-Power-Are-You-Smarter-Than-You-Were-in-High-School
Tatiana Ayazo/Rd.com, Shutterstock

13. What does “somnambulist” mean?

A: a sleepwalker
B: hypnotizer
C: historian

26 / 30
Word-Power-Are-You-Smarter-Than-You-Were-in-High-School
Tatiana Ayazo/Rd.com, Shutterstock

Answer:

[A] sleepwalker. For a somnambulist, Lady Macbeth is rather talkative. Never want to be unsure of a word’s meaning again? Here’s how long it would take you to read the entire dictionary.

27 / 30
word-power-are-you-smarter-than-you-were-in-high-school
Tatiana Ayazo/Rd.com, Shutterstock

14. What does “restive” mean?

A: comfortable
B: leftover
C: fidgety

28 / 30
word-power-are-you-smarter-than-you-were-in-high-school
Tatiana Ayazo/Rd.com, Shutterstock

Answer:

[C] fidgety. Peter got so restive during the SAT, he chewed his pencil almost to the lead.

29 / 30
word-power-are-you-smarter-than-you-were-in-high-school
Tatiana Ayazo/Rd.com, Shutterstock

15. What does “anomie” mean?

A: arch foe
B: mutual attraction
C: social instability

30 / 30
Word-Power-Are-You-Smarter-Than-You-Were-in-High-School
Tatiana Ayazo/Rd.com, Shutterstock

Answer:

[C] social instability. Apparently, there’s too much anomie in Congress for the bill to be passed.

How did you do?  9 and below: Neophyte; 10-12: Apprentice; 13-15: Mastermind

Ready for another vocabulary lesson? These are 50 words you think are synonyms but aren’t.

Reader's Digest
Originally Published in Reader's Digest