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HESI VOCABULARY Questions and
Answers
abstain
Ans: to voluntarily refrain from something
accountable
Ans: to be responsible
acute
Ans: sudden, intense
adhere
Ans: to hold fast or stick together
adverse
Ans: undesired, possibly harmful
aegis
Ans: control, protection
ambivalent
Ans: uncertain, having contradictory feelings
apply
Ans: to place, put on, or spread something
assent
Ans: to give consent; to agree
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audible
Ans: able to be heard
bacteria
Ans: single-celled, microscopic organisms
bilateral
Ans: present on two sides
cardiac
Ans: of or relating to the heart
cavity
Ans: an opening or empty area
cease
Ans: come to an end or bring to an end
chronology
Ans: order of events as they occurred; timeline
compensatory
Ans: offsetting or making up for something
concave
Ans: rounded inward
concise
Ans: brief; to the point
consistency
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Ans: degree of viscosity; how thick or thin a fluid is in relation to how it
flows
constrict
Ans: to draw together or become smaller
contingent
Ans: dependent
contradiction
Ans: a reason something is not advisable or should not be done
convulsive
Ans: having or causing convulsions, i.e. violent shaking of the body
cursory
Ans: quick, perfunctory, not thorough
defecate
Ans: expel feces
deficit
Ans: a deficiency or lack of something
depress
Ans: press downward
depth
Ans: downward measurement from a surface
deteriorating
Ans: worsening
device
© 2025 All rights reserved
HESI VOCABULARY Questions and
Answers
abstain
Ans: to voluntarily refrain from something
accountable
Ans: to be responsible
acute
Ans: sudden, intense
adhere
Ans: to hold fast or stick together
adverse
Ans: undesired, possibly harmful
aegis
Ans: control, protection
ambivalent
Ans: uncertain, having contradictory feelings
apply
Ans: to place, put on, or spread something
assent
Ans: to give consent; to agree
© 2025 All rights reserved
, 2 | Page
audible
Ans: able to be heard
bacteria
Ans: single-celled, microscopic organisms
bilateral
Ans: present on two sides
cardiac
Ans: of or relating to the heart
cavity
Ans: an opening or empty area
cease
Ans: come to an end or bring to an end
chronology
Ans: order of events as they occurred; timeline
compensatory
Ans: offsetting or making up for something
concave
Ans: rounded inward
concise
Ans: brief; to the point
consistency
© 2025 All rights reserved
, 3 | Page
Ans: degree of viscosity; how thick or thin a fluid is in relation to how it
flows
constrict
Ans: to draw together or become smaller
contingent
Ans: dependent
contradiction
Ans: a reason something is not advisable or should not be done
convulsive
Ans: having or causing convulsions, i.e. violent shaking of the body
cursory
Ans: quick, perfunctory, not thorough
defecate
Ans: expel feces
deficit
Ans: a deficiency or lack of something
depress
Ans: press downward
depth
Ans: downward measurement from a surface
deteriorating
Ans: worsening
device
© 2025 All rights reserved
