Vocabulary Unit 2

1. Vocabulary Unit 2 Mrs. Williams English 9 and 9B

2. adjourn (v.) to stop proceedings temporarily; move to another place • Synonyms: postpone, suspend, discontinue • Antonyms: open, call to order • EX • The judge adjourned the hearing until ten o’clock the following morning.

3. comely (adj.) having a pleasing appearance • Synonyms: good-looking, attractive, bonny • Antonyms: plain, homely, ugly, repulsive • EX • The proud parents and their comely children posed for a family portrait.

4. compensate (v.) to make up for; to repay for services • Synonyms: pay back, reimburse, recompense • Antonyms: fail to reward, stiff • EX • The manufacturer was ordered to compensate customers injured by the defective product.

5. erratic (adj.) not regular or consistent; different from what is ordinarily expected; undependable • Synonyms: irregular, inconsistent, unpredictable • Antonyms: steady, consistent, predictable • EX • Students who have an erratic attendance record may find themselves disciplined by the principal.

6. expulsion (n.) the process of driving or forcing out • Synonyms: ejection, ouster, eviction • Antonyms: admittance, admission • EX • Severely breaking the rules could lead to an expulsion from school.

7. feint (n.) a deliberately deceptive movement; a pretense; (v.) to make a deceptive movement; to make a pretense of • Synonyms: (n.) trick, ruse, subterfuge, dodge, bluff • EX • The chess master’s opening feint gave her and immediate advantage. • His uncanny ability to feint and counterpunch made the champ unbeatable.

8. fortify (v.) to strengthen, build up • Synonyms: reinforce, shore up • Antonyms: weaken, undermine, sap, impair • EX • The soldiers fortified the garrison against the expected attack.

9. illegible (adj.) difficult or impossible to read • Synonyms: unreadable, indecipherable, scribbled • Antonyms: readable, decipherable, distinct, clear, comprehensible • EX • The effects of air pollution have rendered the inscriptions on many old gravestones illegible.

10. jeer (v.) to make fun of rudely or unkindly; (n.) a rude remark of derision • Synonyms: (v.) laugh at, mock, taunt • Antonyms: (n.) applause, plaudits, accolades • EX • To jeer at someone with a disability is absolutely inexcusable. • Umpires and other referees quickly become immune to the jeers of angry fans.

11. lucrative (adj.) bringing in money, profitable • Synonyms: gainful, money making • Antonyms: unprofitable, losing, in the red • EX • Many people find that they can turn a favorite hobby into a highly lucrative business.

12. mediocre (adj.) average, ordinary, indistinguishable • Synonyms: run-of-the-mill • Antonyms: exceptional, outstanding, distinguished • EX • The team’s number-one draft pick turned out to be a rather mediocre player, not a star who could lead them to the championship.

13. proliferate (v.) to reproduce, increase, or spread rapidly • Synonyms: multiply, mushroom, burgeon • Antonyms: decrease, diminish, dwindle, slack off • EX • Because malignant cells proliferate, early detection of cancer is absolutely crucial to successful treatment.

14. sully (v.) to soil, stain, tarnish, defile, besmirch • Synonyms: pollute, taint, smear • Antonyms: cleanse, purify, decontaminate • EX • The Watergate scandal sullied the image of politicians in the minds of many voters.

15. terse (adj.) brief and to the point • Synonyms: concise, succinct, crisp, short and sweet • Antonyms: verbose, wordy, diffuse, prolix • EX • The manuscript for my short story was returned to me with a terse letter of rejection.

16. unflinching (adj.) firm, showing no signs of fear, not drawing back • Synonyms: resolute, steadfast, unwavering • Antonyms: irresolute, wavering, vacillating • EX • Everyone admires the unflinching courage with which firefighters and other rescue workers carry out their dangerous jobs.