Vocabulary 2

1. Vocabulary 2 Red words identify dependent clauses

2. adroit • Skillful, expert in the use of the hands or mind (adj.) • Many rodeo performers are adroit at twirling a rope while on horseback. • SYN: clever, deft, slick, dexterous • ANT: clumsy, inept, all thumbs

3. amicable • Peaceable, friendly (adj.) • Sometimes mediation by a neutral individual can lead to an amicable settlement of a dispute. • SYN: congenial, neighborly, cordial • ANT: hostile, antagonistic

4. averse • Having a deep-seated distaste; opposed; unwilling (adj.) • You are not likely to become a marathon runner if you averse to strenuous exercise. • SYN: disinclined, loath • ANT: favorably disposed, eager, keen

5. belligerent • Given to fighting, warlike; combative, aggressive (adj.) • *One at war, one engaged in war (n.) • I did not expect such a belligerent answer to my request for directions. • SYN: assertive, truculent, pugnacious • ANT: peaceful, conciliatory, placid

6. benevolent • Kindly, charitable (adj.) • The newcomers had nothing but benevolent feelings toward all their neighbors. • SYN: benign, well-meaning • ANT: malicious, spiteful

7. cursory • Hasty, not thorough (adj.) • The mayor gave a final cursory glance at the text of her speech before mounting the podium. • SYN: quick, superficial, perfunctory • ANT: thorough, painstaking, careful

8. duplicity • Treachery, deceitfulness (n.) • We found it difficult to believe that our good friend could be capable of such duplicity. • SYN: double-dealing, chicanery

9. extol • To praise extravagantly (v.) • Many inspiring stories and plays have been written that extol the heroic deeds of Joan of Arc. • SYN: glorify, applaud, acclaim, hail • ANT: criticize, belittle, disparage

10. feasible • Possible, able to be done (adj.) • Our city needs to develop a feasible plan of action for dealing with storms and other emergencies. • SYN: workable, viable • ANT: unworkable, impractical

11. grimace • A wry face, facial distortion (n.) • The grimace of the refugee in the photograph reveals the pain of homelessness. • SYN: pained expression, facial contortion • ANT: grin • To make a wry face (v.) • Most people grimace at the mere sound of the dentist’s drill. • ANT: beam

12. holocaust • A large-scale destruction, especially by fire; a vast slaughter; a burnt offering (n.) • Journalists at the time were eager to interview survivors of the Chicago holocaust. • SYN: conflagration, devastation, annihilation • ANT: deluge

13. impervious • Not affected or hurt by; admitting of no passage or entrance (adj.) • It is best to store flour in a container with a plastic cover that is impervious to moisture. • SYN: impenetrable, resistant, proof against • ANT: porous, permeable, vulnerable

14. impetus • A moving force, impulse; stimulus (n.) • The coming of winter gave a new impetus to the appeals for food and clothing for needy families. • SYN: impulse, spur • ANT: curb, hindrance, impediment, constraint

15. jeopardy • Danger (n.) • Experienced mountaineers know that a single mistake can put an entire expedition in serious jeopardy. • SYN: risk, hazard, peril • ANT: safety, security

16. meticulous • Extremely careful; particular about details (adj.) • If you have a full-time job outside the home, you may find it exceedingly difficult to be a meticulous housekeeper. • SYN: fastidious, fussy • ANT: careless, negligent, sloppy

17. nostalgia • A longing for something past; homesickness (n.) • Looking at old scrapbooks and reading old letters can bring on a vague sense of nostalgia for days gone by and friends no longer near.

18. quintessence • The purest essence or form of something; the most typical example (n.) • Risking one’s own life to save the lives of others is considered the quintessence of selfless valor. • SYN: paragon, exemplar, perfect standard

19. retrogress • To move backward; to return to an earlier condition (v.) • In the novel, the survivors of a nuclear explosion retrogress into a state of barbarism and anarchy. • SYN: revert, degenerate, decline • ANT: advance, evolve, progress

20. scrutinize • To examine closely (v.) • Lawyers are paid to scrutinize legal papers and explain the fine print to their clients. • SYN: inspect, pore over • ANT: scan, glance at

21. tepid • Lukewarm; unenthusiastic, marked by an absence of interest • A cup of tepid tea will not warm you up on a chilly morning. • SYN: insipid, halfhearted • ANT: heated, enthusiastic

22. Vocabulary 3

23. adversary • An enemy, opponent (n.) • A best friend off the tennis court can also be a fierce adversary on it. • SYN: antagonist, foe • ANT: friend, ally, supporter, confederate

24. alienate • To turn away; to make indifferent or hostile; to transfer, convey (v.) • Gossiping and backbiting are bad habits that are bound to alienate friends. • SYN: separate, drive apart, estrange • ANT: befriend, attract, captivate

25. artifice • A skillful or ingenious device; a clever trick; a clever skill; trickery (n.) • Even the most renowned art experts were completely taken in by the forger’s artifice. • SYN: ruse, stratagem, contrivance

26. coerce • To compel, force (v.) • Dictators try to coerce their subjects into obedience by threatening them or their families with punishment. • SYN: pressure, bully, constrain • ANT: persuade, cajole

27. craven • Cowardly (adj.) • A coward (n.) • Those who urged Great Britain to make peace with Hitler were criticized for their craven attitude. • SYN: fearful, fainthearted, pusillanimous • ANT: brave, courageous, valiant

28. culinary • Of or related to cooking or the kitchen (adj.) • Cooking shows on television have helped many people to master the secrets of the culinary arts.

29. demise • A death, especially of a person in a lofty position (n.) • Traditionally, the tolling of church bells has announced the demise of a monarch. • SYN: decease, passing away • ANT: birth, commencement

30. exhilarate • To enliven, cheer, give spirit or liveliness to (v.) • The first landing on the moon, in the summer of 1969, exhilarated the nation. • SYN: stimulate, excite, gladden • ANT: discourage, dispirit, dishearten, inhibit

31. fallow • Plowed but not seeded; inactive; reddish-yellow (adj.) • *Land left unseeded (n.) • *To plow but not seed (v.) • After a month without a date, I decided that my social life was definitely in a fallow period. • SYN: unproductive, dormant • ANT: productive, fertile

32. harass • To disturb, worry; to trouble by repeated attacks (v.) • The judge repeatedly cautioned the prosecuting attorney not to harass the witness. • SYN: annoy, bedevil, beleaguer

33. inclement • Story, harsh; severe in attitude or action • During an inclement New England winter, heavy snowfalls may bring highway traffic to a standstill. • SYN: blustery, tempestuous, implacable • ANT: mild, gentle, balmy

34. liquidate • To pay a debt, settle an account; to eliminate (v.) • After a profitable year, the business was able to liquidate its loan. • SYN: reconcile, pay, cancel, exterminate • ANT: invest, collect

35. muse • To think about in a dreamy way, ponder • Philosophers have always mused on the meaning of life. • SYN: contemplate, daydream

36. negligible • So unimportant that it can be disregarded (adj.) • After taxes are deducted, a small raise in salary may result in a negligible increase in take-home pay. • SYN: trivial, inconsequential, insignificant • ANT: significant, crucial, momentous

37. perpetuate • To make permanent or long lasting (v.) • In most cultures, people try to perpetuate customs of their ancestors. • SYN: continue, preserve, prolong indefinitely • ANT: discontinue, abolish, abandon

38. precedent • An example that may serve as a basis for imitation or later action • We hope that students at other schools in our city will follow our precedents in volunteer work and charitable contributions. • SYN: guide, tradition, model

39. punitive • Inflicting or aiming at punishment (adj.) • The general led a punitive expedition against the rebel forces. • SYN: penalizing, retaliatory

40. redress • To set right, remedy (v.) • *Relief from wrong or injury (n.) • An apology can go a long way to redress the hurt feelings caused by an insensitive comment or a thoughtless act. • SYN: correct, mitigate

41. sojourn • A temporary stay (n.) • *To stay for a time (v.) • No matter how short your sojourn in Paris, you must take time to go to the Louvre. • SYN: visit, brief stay

42. urbane • Refined in manner or style, suave (adj.) • An urbane host puts guests at ease by appearing totally confident and unruffled no matter what happens. • SYN: elegant • ANT: crude, uncouth