Vocabulary Workshop

1. Vocabulary Workshop Unit 1: #’s 1-20 www.vocabularyworkshop.com

2. apparel • (n.) clothing, that which serves as dress or decoration • Synoynms: attire, garments • (v.) to put clothes on, dress up • Synonym: deck out Let’s apparel our dogs for the party.

3. besiege • (v.) to attack by surrounding with military forces; to cause worry or trouble. • Synonyms: blockade, encircle, pressure If troops besiege their stronghold, the rebel forces may be forced to surrender.

4. compress • (V.) to press together; to reduce in size or volume • Synonyms: condense, shrink • (n.) a folded cloth or pad applied to injury A cold compress may soothe a headache.

5. denounce • (v.) to condemn openly; to accuse formally • Synonym: criticize The United Nations tried to publicly denounce the tyrant’s crimes against his people.

6. dispatch • (v.) to send off or out for a purpose; to kill • Synonym: slay • (n.) a official message; promptness, speed We’ll dispatch a repair crew right away.

7. douse • (v.) to plunge into a liquid, drench; to put out quickly, extinguish • Synonyms: submerge, soak, dunk, immerse I’ll douse the flames with the hose.

8. expressly • (adv.) plainly, in so many words; for a particular purpose • Synonyms: clearly, pointedly, explicitly At the meeting, parents expressly stated their approval of students wearing school uniforms.

9. famished • (adj.) suffering severely from hunger or lack of something • Synonym: hungry, • starving, ravenous The Vietnamese immigrants, new to a strange American city, were famished for new homes.

10. forsake • (v.) to give up, renounce; to leave, abandon • Synonyms: desert, disown I will never forsake my children, no matter what they do or say.

11. gainful • (adj.) profitable, bringing in money or some special advantage • Synonyms: moneymaking, paying I hope to find gainful employment that is pleasing to me.

12. immense • (adj.) very large or great; beyond ordinary means of measurement • Synonyms: vast, enormous Alaska enjoys immense natural resources, but its severe climate makes those resources difficult to use.

13. inept • (adj.) totally without skill or appropriateness • Synonyms: clumsy, unskilled, incompetent The scientist is brilliant in research laboratory but is inept at dealing with people.

14. ingenious • (adj.) showing remarkable originality, inventiveness, or resourcefulness; clever • Synonyms: imaginative, inventive, resourceful The students found an ingenious solution to the math problem.

15. instantaneous • (adj.) done in an instant; immediate • Synonyms: prompt, quick, speedy • Most computer software is designed so that users can obtain nearly instantaneous responses.

16. irk • (v.) to annoy, trouble, make weary • Synonyms: bother, irritate, vex • Questions that show a student’s lack of attention irk the teacher.

17. libel • (n.) a written statement that unfairly or falsely harms the reputation of the person about whom it is made; • Synonym: slur • (v.) to write or publish such a statement • Synonym: smear, defame • It is a crime to libel others, no matter how you feel about them.

18. misgiving • (n.) a feeling of fear, doubt, or uncertainty • Synonyms: worry, qualm, hesitation • They had misgivings about joining the chorus because of its demanding schedule.

19. oaf • (n.) a stupid person; a big, clumsy, slow individual • Synonyms: bonehead, dunce He generally moved like an oaf, so I was surprised to see how graceful he was on the dance floor.

20. recede • (v.) to go or move backward; to become more distant • Synonyms: retreat, go back • The town residents must wait for flood waters to recede before they can deal with the terrible mess left behind.

21. repast • (n.) a meal, food • Synonym: victuals • Let’s get together after the show at Callie’s Café for late night repast.