Week 16

1. Week 16

2. (synonym) (antonym or “nonexample”) guilty; blameworthy CULPABLE (definition) culpability (n.); culpably (adv.) (other forms) (CULP-uh-bull) adj. gulpable (sounds like) He was found to be culpable and was fined. (sentence) (my sentence) A boy has done something wrong and is being questioned by his mother. He swallows hard, making a “gulp” sound.

3. (synonym) (antonym or “nonexample”) very talkative; loquacious GARRULOUS (definition) garrulity (n.) (other forms) (GAIR-uh-luss) adj. Gary Loose (sounds like) Paul was garrulous, so he was a natural choice to be the spokesperson. (sentence) (my sentence) A talkative man named Gary Loose Lips. Gary’s lips are so loose, he can’t stop talking for a second. Gary is wearing a pair of low gray shoes, which are also talking. (see loquacious)

4. Hello, my name’s Al. (synonym) (antonym or “nonexample”) friendly; gracious; kind GENIAL (definition) geniality (n.) (other forms) (JEE-nee-ul) adj. Genie Al (sounds like) I try to be genial, but my natural grouchiness inevitably comes through. (sentence) (my sentence) A genie named Al has just come out of his bottle. He is extremely friendly and accommodating, wanting very much to please everyone around him.

5. Week 17

6. (synonym) (antonym or “nonexample”) opposite ANTITHESIS (definition) antithetical (adj.) (other forms) (ann-TITH-ih-sis) n. anTEETHesis (sounds like) Ignorance is the antithesis of knowledge. (sentence) (my sentence) The teeth in your mouth. For every tooth, there is an opposite tooth. For example, for every upper tooth, there is a corresponding (opposite) lower tooth.

7. (synonym) (antonym or “nonexample”) unpredictable; differing from what is normal or expected ERRATIC (definition) erratically (adv.) (other forms) (er-RAT-ik) adj. ear attic (sounds like) The sleepy man was driving erratically. (sentence) (my sentence) A house. The owner has installed giant ears on either side of the house, up near the attic. The neighbors across the street are looking at the ears and discussing the owner of the house. One neighbor: “He’s always been kind of unpredictable, but this is strange, even for him.”

8. (antonym or “nonexample”) (synonym) person who refuses to fight PACIFIST (definition) pacify (v.) (other forms) (PASS-uh-fist) n. pass a fist (sounds like) It was hard for Einstein, a pacifist, to support the war against Germany. (sentence) (my sentence) Bully standing with his fist raised, threatening a small man. But the smaller guy refuses to fight and walks past the fist.

9. Week 18

10. (synonym) (antonym or “nonexample”) say negative things; belittle DISPARAGE (definition) disparaging (adj.); disparagingly (adv.); (other forms) (dis-PAHR-ij) v. this asparagus (sounds like) No one likes to hear disparaging remarks. (sentence) (my sentence) Two vegetable farmers stand along a fence looking over to the other side, where a third farmer is loading his asparagus crop onto a truck. They are ridiculing him for the small asparagus he’s grown. “Asparagus?” asks one. “I thought it was string beans!”

11. (synonym) (antonym or “nonexample”) relevant; fitting GERMANE (definition) (other forms) (jer-MAYNE) adj.. Germany (looks like) When writing an essay, focus on the germane points. (sentence) (my sentence) A courtroom. The lawyer asks the witness on the stand, “What’s the capital of Germany?” The judge interrupts: “I don’t see how that question is relevant to this case. It’s not germane.”

12. (synonym) (antonym or “nonexample”) risky; uncertain PRECARIOUS (definition) precariously (adv.); precariousness (n.) (other forms) (pre-KAIR-ee-yuss) adj. please carry us (sounds like) Mountain climbers often find themselves in precarious, potentially deadly, situations. (sentence) (my sentence) Two children following their father on a hike along the edge of a cliff. “Dad,” cries one of them, “we’re afraid we might fall. Please carry us.”

13. Week 19

14. (synonym) (antonym or “nonexample”) to mix up (in your own mind); to confuse someone else CONFOUND (definition) confounded (adj.); confoundedly (adv.) (other forms) (con-FOUND) v. gun found (sounds like) Magicians confound their audiences with a lot of distracting movement. (sentence) (my sentence) A detective investigating a murder. The victim was found in a windowless room, the door locked from the inside. The murder weapon, a gun, is found inside a locked cabinet, along with the keys to both the door and the cabinet itself. “I’m confounded,” admits the detective. “How did this happen?”

15. (synonym) (antonym or “nonexample”) unrestrained; widespread RAMPANT (definition) (other forms) (RAMM-pent) adj.. ramp ant (looks like) During the hot, dry summer, forest fires were rampant. (sentence) (my sentence) Thousands of ants running up the ramp to the ark. Noah is saying, “Two! I said two!” (Looking on, one anteater says to the other: “And you were worried about the food on this cruise.”

16. (synonym) (antonym or “nonexample”) I lent him my truck! aggressive; savage; cruel TRUCULENT (definition) truculence (n.) (other forms) (TRUK-yoo-lent) adj. truck you lent (sounds like) Pirates tend to be somewhat truculent. Pirates tend to be somewhat truculent. (sentence) (my sentence) Three men fleeing from a dump truck that’s about to run them down. One of the men lent the truck to the cruel driver.

17. Week 23

18. (synonym) (antonym or “nonexample”) sticking to widely-accepted beliefs, even when faced with contrary evidence; closed-minded DOGMATIC (definition) dogma, dogmatism (n.) (other forms) (dawg-MAT-ik) adj. dog medic (sounds like) Religious dogma must somehow allow for social change. (sentence) (my sentence) A medic (military doctor) arguing with a dog. The medic is insisting that there is no scientific proof that dogs can talk. The dog replies, “I think you’re ignoring some important evidence.”

19. (synonym) (antonym or “nonexample”) dull; blunt; unintelligent; lacking sharpness OBTUSE (definition) obtuseness (n.); obtusely (adv.) (other forms) (obb-TOOSE) adj. Hobb two’s (sounds like) His obtuse argument convinced no one. (sentence) (my sentence) Hobb as a young boy standing at the blackboard, where he has written “2 + 2 = 97.” Not exactly a genius, poor young Hobb just doesn’t see where he’s gone wrong.

20. (synonym) (antonym or “nonexample”) fear TREPIDATION (definition) (other forms) (trep-ih-DAY-shun) n. trap a dachshund (sounds like) Alone in the house at night for the first time, Ed was filled with trepidation. (sentence) (my sentence)

21. Week 24

22. (synonym) (antonym or “nonexample”) reluctantly agreeable; compliant ACQUIESCENT (definition) acquiesce (v.); acquiescence (n.) (other forms) (ak-wee-ESS-ent) adj. agree yes cent (sounds like) Some employers insist on acquiescence and will fire anyone who rebels. (sentence) (my sentence) The same penny seated on the park bench. The children urge the penny to play with them. He knows they will never give up, so he eventually gives in and quietly and reluctantly gets up to play.

23. (synonym) (antonym or “nonexample”) person who prefers to be alone all the time; someone withdrawn from the rest of society RECLUSE (definition) reclusive (adj.); reclusion (n.) (other forms) (REK-loose) n. wreck clues (sounds like) After his wife died he lived alone, a virtual recluse, for twenty years. (sentence) (my sentence) A woman walking backward, about to enter her log cabin in the woods. As she walks, she sweeps away her footprints in the snow. “Have to wreck these clues,” she says, ‘so no one will find me. I don’t want to see anyone.”

24. (synonym) (antonym or “nonexample”) excessive; uncontrolled; lustful WANTON (definition) wantonness (n.) (other forms) (WAHN-tun) adj. wonton (as in wonton soup) (lookslike) Their wanton behavior was widely condemned. (sentence) (my sentence) The groom at the wedding has eaten too much wonton soup (it makes him behave as if he were drunk). Now he’s wearing his bride’s veil and dancing with three women at the same time. (His wife: “I knew we should’ve gone with the egg drop soup.”)