1. Proficient
   Mediocre
2. Inept
   Slow

If someone is adept at any given subject, they are skilled and proficient in that area. The opposite of adept is inept. Those who are inept are lacking skill. Kelly is the opposite of inept when it comes to numbers.

1. Ennui
   Avast
2. Vapid
   Thrum

If something is flat, dull or boring, you would use the word vapid to describe it. Introduced to the English language in the 17th century, vapid comes from the Latin word "vapidus," which means flat-tasting.

1. Confused
   Clear
2. Scary
   Angry

Although you might find something confusing, thinking about it long enough will provide you with a lucid moment. The word lucid is another way of saying clear and understood. You may have heard the phrase "lucid dream."

1. Fragment
   Base
2. Whole
   Core

Shard is often used when referring to a small piece of glass. Instead of being a whole piece, a shard of glass is a very tiny fragment. One piece of glass can shatter into hundreds of shards.

1. Poing
   Lucre
2. Shack
   Kiosk

If you've ever been to the mall, you've seen a kiosk. Kiosks are open-sided structures where information can be given, goods can be sold, or services can be provided. They are popular additions to museums as well as malls.

1. Sulky
   Angry
2. Pleased
   Indifferent

Once Janie saw the score and knew that her team was losing, she was angry and livid. In fact, she was so upset that she was infuriated beyond words. She could have only been described as fuming.

1. Smite means to strike someone with a hard blow.
   Smite means to get revenge.
2. Smite means to smile for the camera.
   Smite means to commit rebellious acts.

Smite is never the answer. According to Merriam-Webster, to smite something means to strike it with a heavy, forceful blow. When used as an archaic noun, a smite is the heavy blow itself.

1. Start dancing
   Sing along
2. Get quiet
   Faint from excitement

When someone swoons, they faint from excitement. In this instance, Beyonce's fans were so happy to see her take the stage that they were enraptured in their emotions driving several to faint.

1. Avast
   Abaft
2. Heave
   Orlop

If a pirate wanted you to stop where you are, they might exclaim, "Avast ye, matey!" Whether you are told to stop moving or to stop talking, when pirate uses the word avast, you stop.

1. Bacteria
   Feces
2. Insects
   Moss

While there's no polite way to put this, we'll just let you know that guano is a term used in place of feces when talking about bats or seabirds. Large portions of Peru were once fertilized with guano harvested by the Incas.

1. Enthusiasm
   Listlessness
2. Drive
   Compassion

Often considered the same as boredom, ennui is a feeling of listlessness or dissatisfaction. Students might be enthusiastic at first, but midterms usually bring on a bout of ennui.

1. A crowd
   A company
2. A school
   A militia

Anytime there's a large, unorganized group of people, it can be considered a horde. In more modern times, we have come to think of hordes involving zombies, though those waiting in any informal line can also be called a horde.

1. Dock
   Rooftop
2. Swamp
   Beach

Seagulls can be found most anywhere near water, but they love to hang out near a wharf. With so many fishing boats docking there, a wharf is a perfect place for a hungry bird to catch an easy meal.

1. Hopeful
   Happy
2. Prepared
   Anxious

If someone is filled with angst, they are experiencing a sense of nervousness or dread. Angst-ridden thoughts can consist of smaller, nagging woes or focus on broader, unfathomable worries.

1. A statue
   A patch of grass
2. A forest
   A pond

In farming terminology, a sward is the topmost layer of soil. For the rest of us, a sward is a small parcel of grass. It is derived from the Middle English phrase "sward of the earth," and it dates back even further to Old English times.

1. Boring
   Hot
2. Humorous
   Fancy

If you need to remember the meaning of the word droll, think back to your class clown. Someone who is droll is humorous and entertaining without being afraid to be the butt of the joke.

1. Sorrow
   Precision
2. Horns
   Enthusiasm

When we think of marching bands, we think of joyful groups that perform with enthusiasm and with verve. Verve made its way into the English language in the 17th century after it was adapted from the French word "vigor."

1. Bird
   Cat
2. Horse
   Snake

Macaws are large, vibrant birds with a long, black beak that come from Central and South America. With a lifespan of up to 50 years, macaws are some of the longest living birds in the world.

1. Overbearing
   Friendly
2. Standoffish
   Extroverted

Originally a nautical term meaning distant, aloof entered the English language in the 16th century. These days, the word means that someone is being distant and standoffish. Though the meaning is vaguely the same, the use of it has changed over time.

1. Ergot
   Fungi
2. Cyanide
   Arsenic

Grain farmers live in fear of their crops coming into contact with the ergot fungus. Ergot attacks the husks of a stalk and slowly spreads into the grain-bearing part of the plant rendering the entire crop useless.

1. Vague
   Aloof
2. Smart
   Tacky

Yes, we do realize that our question was a bit vague. From the Latin word "vagus," vague means that something is not quite clear. Anything from instructions to answers can be quite vague.

1. Inept
   Novice
2. Adept
   Lost

Leonard's boss often relied upon his savvy computer skills. Being savvy means that you are adept or experienced with something. Unlike Leonard's boss, Leonard was not a novice or inept with technology.

1. A vista is a view from an alley.
   A vista is a local festival.
2. A vista is a local band.
   A vista is known as room service here.

Italy is well-known for its vistas. Here, Michael is enjoying the view by looking down one of Italy's many small avenues and streets. A vista is described as a view from a narrow, long place like an alley.

1. Dirty
   Injured
2. Adoptable
   Wild

Without the help of spaying and neutering, animals run the risk of becoming feral. Whether once domesticated and gone wild, or never domesticated at all, feral is another way of saying wild.

1. A device used for measuring hair length
   A device used to determine the best hairstyle
2. A device used for sharpening razors
   A device used for booking clients

Before a barber begins any cut or shave, it's necessary to sharpen his razors. Although there are many modern devices out there used for sharpening, many barbers prefer to use an old-fashioned leather strop.

1. Bugle
   Coronet
2. Trumpet
   Tuba

Traditionally, the military funeral song "Taps" is played on a bugle. Bugles are different from their other brass cousins except for the trombone. Bugles and trombones are the only two instruments which lack valves.

1. She left in a good mood.
   She left feeling loved.
2. She left feeling emotional.
   She left with injured pride.

If someone storms off in a pique, there's a good chance that they have had their pride injured. Pique can also be used to express a garnered interest, but here it's proving that Belle is a sore loser.

1. Kayak
   Skiff
2. Yacht
   Canoe

Although all of our options are different kinds of boats, the kayak is the only type of boat designed for one person. A kayak is shaped a little like a canoe, but it has a tight fitting opening big enough for only one passenger.

1. Deal
   Food
2. Candy
   Money

Of all the types of money to be had, Linda is very smart to avoid taking part in anything involving lucre. Lucre is a term used to describe money that has not come from reputable sources. In fact, lucre is usually obtained through less than respectable means.

1. A hum
   A party
2. A washing machine
   A furnace

Hearing a continuous hum from your basement could come from any number of sources. If you are hearing the hum and you cannot identify the source, it's acceptable to label it as a thrum.

1. Glue
   Polish
2. Size
   Extract metal

Although many jewelers these days do not smelt their own metals, it was once a common practice. The act of smelting means to extract the desired metals from the ore through melting.

1. Flack
   Quirt
2. Round
   Whelp

From harnesses to horseshoes, the list of things needed to ride a horse properly is endless. When you are putting together your gear, don't forget to add a quirk to your list. You will need a small riding crop to get your horse to go.

1. Scuzz
   Saint
2. Dunce
   Quirk

You might be more familiar with the adjective scuzzy, but it has its foundation in the word that means disreputable. The next time your dog is misbehaving, call him a scuzz and see how it reacts.

1. Azure
   Amber
2. Beryl
   Beige

When the sap of pine trees fossilize, they create the gemstone known as amber. The golden orange hue of the fossilized reason has given way to another way to describe the words yellow or orange.

1. Intensify
   Subside
2. Grow
   Morph

After a few hours at sea, you will get your sea legs, and your feeling of seasickness will begin to abate. When something begins to abate, it is subsiding or lessening in intensity. Hopefully, that's quick for you!