SSAT Vocabulary Practice: CR, CU, DA & DE Words

List 28-30 practice for judgment, secrecy, decline, manners, and reasoning words.

Vocabulary List 28-30

1. CredulousadjectiveToo ready to believe something; gullible.
2. CriterionnounA standard used to judge or decide something.
3. CrypticadjectiveMysterious, puzzling, or difficult to understand.
4. CulinaryadjectiveRelated to cooking or the kitchen.
5. CulminateverbTo reach the highest point or final result.
6. CulpateverbTo blame or declare someone guilty.
7. CursoryadjectiveQuick and not thorough.
8. CurtailverbTo reduce, limit, or cut short.
9. CynicnounA person who distrusts others' motives or expects selfishness.
10. DauntverbTo intimidate, discourage, or make someone lose confidence.
11. DearthnounA scarcity or lack of something.
12. DebaclenounA complete failure or disaster.
13. DebaucherynounExcessive indulgence in pleasure, often immoral or reckless.
14. DebilitateverbTo weaken or make feeble.
15. DecadentadjectiveMorally or culturally in decline; overly self-indulgent.
16. DecimateverbTo destroy a large part of something.
17. DecorousadjectivePolite, proper, and socially appropriate.
18. DeduceverbTo reach a conclusion by reasoning from evidence.
19. DefameverbTo damage someone's reputation with false statements.

Exercise 1: Matching

Match each word with the correct definition.

Words

  1. Credulous _____
  2. Criterion _____
  3. Cryptic _____
  4. Culinary _____
  5. Culminate _____
  6. Culpate _____
  7. Cursory _____
  8. Curtail _____
  9. Cynic _____
  10. Daunt _____
  11. Dearth _____
  12. Debacle _____
  13. Debauchery _____
  14. Debilitate _____
  15. Decadent _____
  16. Decimate _____
  17. Decorous _____
  18. Deduce _____
  19. Defame _____
A. to weaken or make feeble
B. a standard used for judgment
C. a complete failure or disaster
D. polite, proper, and socially appropriate
E. too ready to believe; gullible
F. to reduce, limit, or cut short
G. excessive reckless indulgence
H. quick and not thorough
I. to blame or declare guilty
J. to reach a conclusion from evidence
K. mysterious or hard to understand
L. to destroy a large part of something
M. a scarcity or lack
N. related to cooking
O. to damage a reputation with false statements
P. a person who distrusts others' motives
Q. in decline or overly self-indulgent
R. to intimidate or discourage
S. to reach a final or highest point
Show Matching Answer Key

1-E, 2-B, 3-K, 4-N, 5-S, 6-I, 7-H, 8-F, 9-P, 10-R, 11-M, 12-C, 13-G, 14-A, 15-Q, 16-L, 17-D, 18-J, 19-O

Exercise 2: Gap Filling

Choose the best word from the word bank to complete each sentence.

credulous, criterion, cryptic, culinary, culminate, culpate, cursory, curtail, cynic, daunt, dearth, debacle, debauchery, debilitate, decadent, decimate, decorous, deduce, defame
  1. The detective could _____ the suspect's route from the muddy footprints.
  2. The judge used fairness as the main _____ for evaluating the policy.
  3. The student's _____ note confused everyone because it gave no clear instructions.
  4. The chef joined a _____ program to study French sauces.
  5. The month of rehearsals will _____ in a public performance.
  6. The article tried to _____ the mayor by spreading false rumors.
  7. A _____ reading of the passage caused him to miss the author's main point.
  8. The school had to _____ outdoor practice because of the storm.
  9. The _____ refused to believe anyone joined the charity for generous reasons.
  10. The difficult problem did not _____ the confident math team.
  11. A _____ of evidence made the argument weak.
  12. The poorly planned field trip became a complete _____.
  13. The novel describes a period of luxury, laziness, and _____.
  14. The illness can _____ even strong athletes for several weeks.
  15. The empire became _____, valuing comfort more than discipline.
  16. The wildfire threatened to _____ the old forest.
  17. Her _____ behavior at the ceremony impressed the guests.
  18. The prosecutor tried to _____ the driver by presenting new evidence.
  19. A _____ buyer might believe every exaggerated advertisement.
Show Gap Filling Answer Key

1. deduce, 2. criterion, 3. cryptic, 4. culinary, 5. culminate, 6. defame, 7. cursory, 8. curtail, 9. cynic, 10. daunt, 11. dearth, 12. debacle, 13. debauchery, 14. debilitate, 15. decadent, 16. decimate, 17. decorous, 18. culpate, 19. credulous

Exercise 3: Paragraph Using All Words

Read the paragraph and notice how each vocabulary word is used in context.

The credulous reporter accepted a cryptic message as proof, but the editor asked for a clearer criterion before publishing. At a culinary fundraiser meant to culminate in a scholarship announcement, a rushed investigation seemed to culpate the wrong student. A cursory review would have caused a debacle, so the principal decided to curtail public comments until more facts appeared. One cynic tried to defame the student online, but the threat did not daunt her friends. Despite a dearth of witnesses, they could deduce what happened from receipts and messages. The story was not about debauchery or a decadent party; it was a simple misunderstanding that could begin to debilitate trust and decimate the club's reputation. In the end, everyone agreed that a calm, decorous response was wiser than gossip.

Back to Vocabulary List 26-27