The festival committee greeted a protracted discussion about opening music with another discussion about when the first discussion should end. (protracted: lengthy, prolonged, extended) Its unilateral decision to close the bridge surprised everyone who lived on the other side of the river. (unilateral: one-sided, single-party, undertaken by one side) The baker demanded an unequivocal answer about how she would deliver the cakes without teaching them to swim. (unequivocal: clear, unambiguous, unmistakable) The chairwoman recognized an imperative to consult the people affected before printing another cheerful poster. (imperative: necessity, urgent requirement, essential obligation)
A nominal repair would make the footpath usable, provided the committee stopped spending its entire budget on glitter. (nominal: small, token, minimal) The carpenter refused to condone the loose boards merely because someone had painted stars over the warning sign. (condone: excuse, overlook, tolerate) His categorical refusal sounded severe, but it was easier to understand than the original safety instructions. (categorical: absolute, unconditional, unqualified) The committee finally restored an atmosphere conducive to practical work by moving the speeches away from the tool shed. (conducive: favorable, helpful, supportive)
An inexplicable trumpet noise interrupted the repairs until a child discovered a radio beneath a pile of flags. (inexplicable: unaccountable, baffling, mysterious) The musician accused of making it retained an innocuous smile and asked whether the radio could take his place at rehearsal. (innocuous: harmless, inoffensive, benign) This fortuitous discovery also revealed the missing extension cord and three sandwiches intended for the previous week's meeting. (fortuitous: accidental, chance, unplanned) The sandwiches were devoid of any remaining appeal, so the baker brought fresh bread and declined further investigation. (devoid: bereft, lacking, entirely without)
The baker described the committee's elaborate delivery theory as insubstantial because it never addressed the closed bridge. (insubstantial: flimsy, weak, inadequate) A rudimentary sketch of the alternative path made the necessary work visible to everyone at the table. (rudimentary: basic, elementary, simple) The chairman began to pontificate about the symbolic importance of bridges, but someone handed him the list of missing boards. (pontificate: lecture pompously, speak dogmatically, hold forth) That timely interruption redirected a potentially endless address toward a purchase that could be completed before the shop closed. (timely: opportune, well-timed, apt)
The committee's exuberant members could still decorate the path after its loose edges had been repaired and checked. (exuberant: enthusiastic, lively, ebullient) A definitive list separated optional embellishments from the tasks required before visitors arrived. (definitive: conclusive, authoritative, final) The baker found the revised schedule congenial with the ordinary needs of people carrying hot trays and wearing sensible shoes. (congenial: agreeable, pleasant, compatible) The resulting cohesion did not depend on everyone enjoying the same music or agreeing about the proper amount of glitter. (cohesion: unity, togetherness, coherence)
The chairwoman used her fortitude to cancel the longest speech, which happened to be her own. (fortitude: courage, endurance, strength of mind) A lenient rule allowed late arrivals to join the procession without having to explain the bus timetable. (lenient: permissive, indulgent, tolerant) The celebration's culmination was a quiet walk across the repaired path carrying cakes that had not fallen into the river. (culmination: climax, high point, crowning moment) The committee learned that execution mattered more than announcing how beautifully it intended to begin. (execution: implementation, carrying out, performance)