unnecessary and unearned
The gratuitous violence in the film shocked the audience.
Vocabulary like gratuitous appears on the Digital SAT in Words-in-Context questions, where you choose the word that fits a passage's meaning and tone. You can also drill this word with vocabulary flashcards.
glare; look at with a fixed gaze
lover of food; a person who is devoted to eating and drinking to excess
incite; give heart or courage to
dig or poke out; force with the thumb
splendor; the quality of being magnificent or splendid or grand
excessively heightened speech; lofty in style
pretentious; impressive because of unnecessary largeness or grandeur
satisfy; make happy or satisfied
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