Unit 1 Improving Vocabulary skills EAP-90 Chapter 1-5

Unit 1 - Improving Vocabulary skills EAP-0090

Noun	Adjective			Verb		Adverb
Absolution				Absolve: to find innocent or blameless
Synonyms: clear, release, forgive Antonyms: Mom thought the puppy had broken her vase, but Suzanne ABSOLVED the little dog by admitting that she had done it. "Absolve" means "to clear of guilt or blame," as in: Some people get rich by cheating others, then think large donations to charity will absolve them of their guilt. They want absolve you because of not found enough information.
Adamancy	Adamant: not giving in: stubborn					Adamantly
Synonyms: firm, determine, stubborn, inflexible Antonyms: flexible, yielding Henry was ADAMANT in insisting that the family's new house have a big yard, even though no one in the family enjoyed mowing grass. (Means: firm in opinions or purpose)  Despite the family's feelings about mowing grass, Henry was firm about the house's having a big yard. "Adamant" means "firm in opinion or purpose," as in: Lilly was adamant in her belief that Sam was faithful, even when she noticed lipstick on his cheek. I have been so adamant about republican.
Amiability	Amiable: good-nature; friendly and pleasant					Amiably
Synonyms: friendly, agreeable, Antonyms: hateful, irritable Tess wakes up in a grouchy mood, but after her second cup of coffee, she's AMIABLE enough. The sentence suggests that "amiable" means the opposite of "in a grouchy mood." "Amiable" means "good-natured," as in: My amiable dog greets both strangers and old friends with a friendly yip and energetic tail-wagging. They have been very amiable friends so far.
Amorality	Amoral: lacking a moral sense; without principles
Synonyms: immoral, uncontrolled, Antonyms: moral, good, control A person who makes his living as a hit man must be entirely AMORAL, unconcerned about how wrong it is to kill people for money. Someone who is "unconcerned about how wrong it is to kill people for money" is uncaring about right and wrong. "Amoral" means "without principles," as in: A former president of Uganda, Idi Amin, was truly amoral. Lacking ethical principles, he tortured and killed many innocent people.
Animosity: bitter hospitality
Synonyms: strong dislike, hatred, bitterness Antonyms: good will, love Raquel is so charming to Mr. Barker when they meet that he doesn't suspect the ANIMOSITY she really feels for him. Raquel's true feeling for Mr. Barker must contrast greatly with the feelings we usually associate with charming behavior. "Animosity" means "ill will," as in: My sister shows great animosity toward me if I don't share her opinions.
Antagonist: an opponent; one who oppose or competes		Antagonistic		Antagonize
Synonyms: opponent, enemy, contender Antonyms: friend Tonight's wrestling meet should be exciting. Jim Lewis, the undefeated champion from our school, will meet an ANTAGONIST who is also undefeated. We can conclude that Jim Lewis will wrestle an undefeated opponent. "Antagonist" means "an opponent," as in: The two antagonists in the boxing match tonight are really good friends in their private lives.
Eccentricity	Eccentric: Different from what is customary; odd					Eccentrically
Synonyms: odd, unusual, unconventional Antonyms: conventional I warned you that Uncle Mort is a little ECCENTRIC, but even I didn't think he was odd enough to try to "read your personality" by feeling the bumps on your head. The sentence suggests that "eccentric" is a synonym of "odd." "Eccentric" means "out of the ordinary," as in: Female students who took carpentry classes used to be considered eccentric. Now, however, it's not odd for women to learn to work with wood. He was a kind but eccentric man.
Encounter: a brief or unexpected meeting				Encounter
Synonyms: meeting Antonyms: Even though it was very brief, my father never forgot his ENCOUNTER with Elvis Presley in a Memphis coffee shop. Even a brief meeting with Elvis Presley would be unforgettable. "Encounter" means "an unexpected meeting," as in: Because their divorce was so unpleasant, Jane and her ex-husband hope to avoid ENCOUNTERS with each other. My encounter with old friends in New York surprised me.
Epitome: a perfect  or typical example				Epitomize
Synonyms: perfect Antonyms: To invite guests to your house and then not be there when they arrive is the EPITOME of bad manners. Not being home when guests are expected might be considered a perfect example of bad manners. "Epitome" means "a perfect example of a general quality," as in: The epitome of cuteness is a furry round-eyed puppy. Your response was the epitome of good sense.
Malignance	Malignant			Malign: to make evil and often untrue statement about; speak evil or
Synonyms: to criticize Antonyms: During their bitter divorce, Pat and Rhoda MALIGNED each other by saying untrue things about the other's behavior. Pat and Rhoda said false, negative things about each other to make each other look bad. "Malign" means "to make false statements that harm a reputation," as in: Those who say the female crocodile eats her young malign her. She simply takes them into a protective pouch inside her mouth. I did not intend to malign his motives

Chapter 2

Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
Curtness	Curt: rudely brief when speaking to someone; abrupt		Curtly
Synonyms: abrupt, rude, brief Antonyms: polite When Joan's boyfriend calls and asks for her, her disapproving father answers with a CURT "She's not here," and slams down the phone.  Joan's father's response to her boyfriend is rude and short. "Curt" means "rudely brief," as in: The fast-food manager trained workers to give polite, full answers to customers, not curt responses. He gave only a curt reply to the question.
Demoralization	Demoralized	Demoralize: to lower the spirits of
Synonyms: discourage, depress Antonyms: encourage As I headed out the door for my very first date, my brother DEMORALIZED me completely by whispering, "That dress makes you look really fat." From experience, we can conclude that the brother's remark would have lowered the speaker's spirits. "Demoralize" means "to lower the spirits of," as in: When Bonita gained a pound during her diet, it so demoralized her that she ate a banana split. They demoralized the other team by scoring three goals in a row.
Dilemma: a situation requiring a difficult choice
Synonyms: difficulty Antonyms: solution, wonder Poor Lucinda faces the DILEMMA of either having her children's beloved dog put to sleep or paying for a very expensive operation.  The description of the dilemma tells us it's a situation in which a choice must be made between two alternatives. "Dilemma" means "a situation requiring a choice between two alternatives," as in: The store manager faced the dilemma of either having an elderly, needy man arrested or ignoring store rules about shoplifting. We are facing terrible dilemma.
Inclination: a tendency, or preference, to think, act	Inclinable	Incline
Synonyms: preference, disposition, feeling, tendency Antonyms: You have to be careful around Robert. He has the INCLINATION to become very angry and even violent when he’s crossed. Since people must be careful around Robert, we can assume that he tends to become angry quickly. "Inclination" means "a tendency or bias," as in: My inclination is to major in nursing, but I'm going to speak to a few nurses before I make my final decision. Her natural inclination is to do what other people are doing.
	Irate: very angry		Irately
Synonyms: very angry, annoyed Antonyms: calm, cheerful Even though there's no point in getting angry at a hunk of metal, I still get so IRATE at my car when it breaks down that I kick and scream at it. The sentence suggests that "irate" and "angry" mean the same thing. "Irate" means "very angry," as in: If Kate got angry only occasionally, I could take her more seriously, but she's always irate about something or other. Irate viewers called the television network to complain about the show.
Retort		Retort: to reply, especially in a quick, sharp, or witty way
Synonyms: reply, answer, response Antonyms: If I RETORTED TO my boss’s dumb remarks the way I’d like to, I would probably lose my job, so I just smile and respond politely. The sentence suggests that “retort” means the opposite of “to respond politely.” "Retort" means "to reply in a quick, sharp, or witty way," as in: When the wisecracking waiter said, "That hat looks ridiculous, lady," the woman stated, "I didn't come here to be insulted." "That's what you think!" retorted the waiter. She retorted angrily that it wasn't true.
Sabotage		Sabotage: to deliberately destroy or damage
Synonyms: damage, disrupt, harm Antonyms: fix, assistance, fix Charles SABOTAGED my efforts to throw a surprise party by telling the guest of honor of my plans. Charles destroyed the surprise by telling the guest of honor about it. "Sabotage" means "to deliberately destroy or damage," as in: Terrorist groups train their members to sabotage airports and other public places. The airplane crashed because it was sabotaged.
Subsequence	Subsequent: following, in time or order; next, later		Subsequently
Synonyms: following, in order Antonyms: antecedent Doctors aren't always right. One winter, Janine was told she'd never be able to get pregnant again, but the SUBSEQUENT winter, she had a baby boy. Janine became pregnant and gave birth after she was told she couldn't. "Subsequent" means "following, in order or time," as in: "I was hired as a stock boy," said the company president. "My subsequent jobs took me steadily up the company ladder."  Her work had a great influence on subsequent generations.
Wariness	Wary: cautious; on guard		Warily
Synonyms: cautious, suspicious, warning Antonyms: Even if a strange dog looks friendly, it's best to be WARY until you're sure he won't bite. The speaker is warning us to be careful around a strange dog. "Wary" means "on one's guard," as in: Whoever said "There's no such thing as a free lunch" was telling us to be wary about promises of something for nothing. The store owner kept a wary eye on him.
Zeal: enthusiastic devotion; intense enthusiasm	Zealous		Zealously
Synonyms: passion, keenness, enthusiasm Antonyms: n his ZEAL to make his first car sale, Jake threw in air conditioning at no charge, thereby making his boss very angry. Since Jake gave away too much on the sale, he must have been very enthusiastic about selling his first car. "Zeal" means "intense enthusiasm," as in: Flo attacked her dinner with such zeal that I thought she hadn't eaten for a week. She attacked her homework with renewed zeal  after getting her first A

Chapter 3

Noun			Adjective		Verb		Adverb
Acclaim: great praise or applause					Acclaim
Synonyms: praise, approval, applause Antonyms: disapproval Because star athletes in high school get used to receiving lots of ACCLAIM, some have a hard time adjusting to life in the outside world, where they hear less praise. The sentence suggests that "acclaim" means the same thing as "praise." "Acclaim" means "enthusiastic praise or applause," as in: Any subway system that is clean, quiet, and safe deserves acclaim. She deserves acclaim for all her charitable works.
Adjacency		Adjacent: close; near (to something )					Adjacently
Synonyms: close, near by Antonyms: Lila wanted her new children's shop to be in a location ADJACENT to a successful women's clothing store, reasoning that plenty of customers would pass by there. Lila wanted her shop located near another successful store. "Adjacent" means "near or next to," as in: Because they sit at adjacent desks, Jeff and Kellie often exchange looks and comments. The other group is meeting in the adjacent room.
Elicitation			Elicited		Elicit: to increase or intensify
Synonyms: arouse, obtain, extract, provoke, kindle, draw forth Antonyms:  cover, hide, suppress I am determined to ELICIT a smile and a pleasant remark from that crabby librarian if it takes the rest of the semester. The speaker wants to draw forth a pleasant reaction from the crabby librarian. "Elicit" means "to draw forth," as in: Elizabeth Taylor's violet eyes always elicit admiration and wonder. She's been trying to elicit the support of other committee members.
Engrossment			Engrossed		Engross: to hold full attention of; absorb
Synonyms: hold, engage, occupy Antonyms: Theo and Kaylin have been deep in conversation for over an hour. I can’t imagine what subject has ENGROSSED them so much. If Theo and Kaylin have been deep in conversation for more than one hour, the conversation must have held their attention fully. "Engross" means "to hold the full attention of," as in: The TV movie so engrossed Brian that he didn't even budge when he was called to dinner. She gets completely engrossed in her work.
Escalation				Escalate: to draw forth
Synonyms: increase, intensify Antonyms: What began as a mild disagreement between Marla and Sidney will ESCALATE into a serious quarrel if they don’t settle it soon. A mild disagreement would have to increase in order to become a serious quarrel. "Escalate" means "to increase or intensify," as in: The fight between the two hockey players escalated into an all-out battle among members of both teams. Salaries of leading executives have continued to escalate.
Exploitation			Exploitive		Exploit: to use selfishly or unethically; take unfair advantage of
Synonyms: feat, manipulate Antonyms: Some employers EXPLOIT illegal immigrants by paying them far less than a fair wage, believing that the workers won't dare to complain for fear of being deported. The employers' actions tell us that they take unfair advantage of illegal immigrants. "Exploit" means "to use selfishly or unethically," as in: Ricky exploited the fact that his parents were out of town by having a wild two-day party at their home. Top athletes are able to exploit their opponents' weaknesses.
Method			Methodical: orderly; systematic		Methodize		Methodically
Synonyms: precise, logical, systematic Antonyms: I was amused by the METHODICAL way the little girl put her dolls to bed each night: she set them on the shelf according to size, told each of them a story, and kissed them all goodnight.  The description of the way the little girl put her dolls to bed shows us that her system was orderly and systematic. "Methodical" means "systematic," as in: With a methodical filing system, you can find a single piece of paper in minutes, even if thousands of papers are filed. She's a slow and methodical worker, and her drawings reflect the extra care she takes.
Obsoleteness			Obsolete: no longer active or in use; out of date
Synonyms: outdated Antonyms: modern, new up-to-date When my dependable old washing machine broke down, I found that the model had been OBSOLETE for years, so I could no longer get parts for it. Since parts were not available, that model of washing machine must not have been in use any longer. "Obsolete" means "no longer in use or practice," as in: In the United States, the automobile quickly made travel by horse and carriage obsolete. The system was made/rendered obsolete by their invention.
Tangibility	Tangible: able be touched; having form or matter						Tangibly
Synonyms: touchable, form or matter, physical, Antonyms: intangible While Marvin wastes his time imagining a perfect "dream girl" who will never exist, he's ignoring the real-life women all around him who may have their faults, but who are at least TANGIBLE. Marvin dreams about a fantasy woman instead of noticing the real women around him. "Tangible" means "having form and matter," as in: The sculptor loved making her ideas tangible by giving them form in metal and stone. There is no tangible evidence to support her claim.
Terminator/termination			Terminative		Terminate: to stop; bring to an end
Synonyms: stop, end, finish, cease Antonyms: start, begin Phil expected to be employed this summer by the city’s youth job training program, but the program was TERMINATED for lack of funds. A lack of funds would cause a program to be stopped. "Terminate" means "to bring to an end," as in: The students waited patiently for the bell to terminate Mr. Leeman's boring lecture. You have to terminate the program before the computer will shut down properly.

Chapter 4

Noun

Adjective

Verb

Adverb

Deterrent: something that discourage or prevents a certain action

Deterrent

Deter

Synonyms: warning, restriction, restraint, constrain Antonyms: incitement My mother used to put soap on my fingernails as a DETERRENT to my biting them. The speaker's mother wanted to discourage her child's nail-biting. "Deterrent" means "something that prevents or discourages a particular action," as in: As a deterrent to smoking, Lisa keeps a pack of gum in her purse. When she wants a cigarette, she chews a stick of gum instead. They hope that the new law will have a deterrent effect.

Implication: a possible future effect or result — usually plural

Implicative

Implicate

Synonyms: suggestion, inference, consequence, effect, position, connotation Antonyms: Jerry winked as he said that he'd especially enjoyed the party. The IMPLICATION seemed to be that he liked a girl he'd met there. Jerry's wink suggested that he'd met a girl he liked at the party. "Implication" means "something indicated indirectly," as in: Carla didn't actually say she was quitting her job, but when her plans include a three-month trip to Baltimore and renting an apartment there, that's a clear implication. his resignation had political implications

Inequity: Injustice; unfairness; an instance of injustice

Inequitable

Synonyms: injustice, unfairness Antonyms: justice, equity Last week, a middle-class businessman received probation for a drug offense, but a poor teenager went to jail for the same offense. I call that a clear example of INEQUITY in the court system. The speaker considers the example given to be an instance of injustice. "Inequity" means "an injustice," as in: Most Americans consider it an inequity that some millionaires pay less in taxes than ordinary citizens do. we changed the landscape for solving the problem of payroll inequity;

Infirmity: a physical weakness or defect; ailment

Infirm

Synonyms: weakness, illness, disability, sickness, Antonyms: health Lyme Disease, an INFIRMITY spread by ticks in many parts of the United States, causes people's joints to swell and can even damage the heart. Swollen joints and heart damage indicate that Lyme Disease is an ailment. "Infirmity" means "a physical weakness or defect," as in: Rick is confined to a wheelchair, but he doesn't let his infirmity keep him from traveling. In recent years she has had to reduce her schedule because of age and infirmity.

Infringement / Infringer

Infringe: to intrude or trespass on; to go beyond the limits considered proper

Synonyms: intrude, interfere, invade, trespass Antonyms: The new neighbors have an unfriendly little boy who objects loudly if any other children INFRINGE on his yard. He says they're trespassing, although they just want to make friends. The sentence suggests that "infringe" means the same as "trespass." "Infringe on" means "to intrude or trespass on," as in: When my mother is doing her homework, none of us is allowed to infringe on her quiet. He claims that his use of the name infringes on their copyright.

Innovation: a new custom, method or invention; something newly introduce

Innovative

Innovate

Synonyms: novelty, advance, invention, modernization Antonyms: old, tradition Jerry and Julie are trying an INNOVATION to keep their dogs confined to the yard: a line buried around the property that sends out an electric signal that only the dogs are aware of. From experience, we can guess that the buried electrical line is probably a relatively new invention. "Innovation" means "a new custom, method, or invention," as in: When commercial bakers first offered sliced bread, it was considered an exciting innovation. She is responsible for many innovations in her field.

Revitalization

Revitalized

Revitalize: to renew the strength and energy of; restore to a vigorous, active condition

Synonyms: renew, refresh, rejuvenate, regenerate, invigorate, give a new lease Antonyms: The little cat seemed almost dead when we found it, but warmth and some food quickly REVITALIZED it, and it was soon dashing around the room. The contrast between the cat's "almost dead" condition and its "dashing around the room" tells us that "revitalized" means "restored to a vigorous, active condition." "Revitalize" means "to renew the strength and energy of," as in: If Dwight is tired after work, he finds that a brief nap will revitalize him for a night on the town with friends. The mayor hopes to revitalize the city.

Sparseness

Sparse: distributed thinly; not thick or crowded

Sparsely

Synonyms: thin, light, bear Antonyms:  The population of California was SPARSE until gold was discovered there in 1848. Then parts of the state became crowded with people hoping to get rich. The sentence suggests that "sparse" means the opposite of "crowded." "Sparse" means "spread out thinly," as in: There are thick pine forests at the foot of the mountain, but higher up, the trees become sparse. Reliable data is sparse.

Subjectivity

Subjective

Subjectively

Synonyms: personal, individual Antonyms: objective My neighbor claims that her daughter is the most talented five-year-old pianist ever born, but I suspect that this is just her SUBJECTIVE opinion and that the child's talent is really only average. The mother's judgment is probably based more on her personal prejudice than on the facts. "Subjective" means "biased," as in: Mary, a highly subjective judge of her son's abilities, feels he's brilliant in every respect. The boy's father, however, has a more realistic view of him. A person's subjective perception of the world

Succinctness

Succinct: express clearly in a few words; to the point; concise, summary

Succinctly

Synonyms: neat, brief Antonyms: wordy, lengthy I wish Larry could be more SUCCINCT. No matter how simple a question you ask him, his answer is always long and complicated. We can conclude from the sentence that "succinct" is the opposite of "long and complicated." "Succinct" means "brief and clear," as in: "What's new?" is a succinct way of asking, "Has anything of interest happened to you lately, my friend?"

Chapter 5

Noun

Adjective

Verb

Adverb

Allusion: an indirect reference

Allusive

Allusively

Synonyms: reference, mention, hint, quotation, citation Antonyms: In the hope that no one will forget her coming birthday, Helen continually makes ALLUSIONS to it, such as "I found a gray hair! Well, after all, I will be thirty-five soon." By mentioning her age, Helen is indirectly referring to the fact that her birthday is coming up. "Allusion" means "an indirect reference," as in: After I suggested that Monty have fruit for dessert instead of chocolate cake, he responded, "Is that an allusion to my weight?" She made an allusion to her first marriage, but said nothing more about it.

Altruist

Altruistic: unselfishly concerned for the welfare of others; unselfish

Altruistically

Synonyms: noble, unselfish, philanthropic Antonyms: egoistic I used to think that Mary Jane's many favors for people were completely ALTRUISTIC, but I now realize that in the long run, she expects to be repaid for every one of them. Mary Jane seemed more unselfish than she actually is. Marie calmed her child down by promising the ice cream the child had wanted. "Altruistic" means "unselfishly concerned for the welfare of others," as in: "I'm not often altruistic," Brett admitted. "I usually put my own welfare first." His motives/reasons for helping the poor were not completely altruistic.

Appeasement

Appeasable

Appease: to calm, especially by giving in to the demands of

Synonyms: pacify, satisfy, soothe, settle, quiet down, calm down Antonyms:  aggravate, annoy, irritate Embarrassed by her child's temper tantrum in the mall, Marie could   APPEASE the little girl only by giving in to her demand for ice cream. "Appease" means "to bring to a state of calm or peace, especially by providing what is demanded," as in: My sister was so outraged when I accidentally scratched her favorite old Beatles record that nothing I could say or do would appease her. They appeased the dictator by accepting his demands in an effort to avoid war. She managed to appease the angry customer.

Arbitrariness

Arbitrary: determine by personal judgment, not rule or reason’ based on impulse

Synonyms: random , by chance, illogical, indiscriminate Antonyms: irrational, systematic, logical There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to how Mr. Jenkins hires and fires people. He acts on a completely ARBITRARY basis. The sentence suggests that "arbitrary" means the opposite of "reasoned." "Arbitrary" means "determined by personal judgment, not rule or reason," as in: Professor Miller's students were angry that he graded essays in an arbitrary way, rather than using precise standards.  I don't know why I chose that one; it was a completely arbitrary decision.

Assailant

Assailable

Assail: to attack physically or verbally

Synonyms: attack, charge, raid, assault, criticize Antonyms: praise The police asked Lee to describe the man who had   ASSAILED him with a brick in the alley, but because he’d been knocked unconscious from behind, he hadn’t seen the man’s face. We can conclude that Lee had been attacked with the brick. "Assail" means "to attack physically or verbally," as in: The storm assailed us with heavy rain and hail. The movie was assailed by critics

Banality

Banal: lacking originality; overused; commonplace

Banally

Synonyms: ordinary, title, boring, predictable, dull, trivial, facile, Antonyms: original As Richard approached the girl at the party, he wanted to dazzle her with his originality and wit, but all he could manage was a BANAL “Haven’t I met you somewhere before?”  The sentence suggests that “banal” means the opposite of “original and witty.” "Banal" means "lacking originality," as in: The film, with its overused expressions and commonplace plot, was the most banal I had ever seen.  He made some banal remarks about the weather.

Euphemism: nice way of saying something; a mild or pleasant word or phrase that is used instead of one that is unpleasant or offensive

Euphemistic

Euphemistically

Synonyms: synonym, rewording, understatement Antonyms: dysphemism “Underprivileged” is a common EUPHEMISM for “poor.” “Underprivileged” is a less harsh and direct term than “poor.” "Euphemism" means "a substitute for a direct word or phrase considered offensive," as in: Common euphemisms include "final resting place" (for "grave"), "bombed" (for "drunk"), and "powder room" and "comfort station" (for "toilet"). The German language is lacking in euphemism. I am not using the euphemism applied to so many human being who belongs in a cage.

Mercenary: motivated by only financial gain; greedy

Synonyms: greedy , corrupt, stingy  Antonyms: generous, unselfish Some people choose a career for purely MERCENARY reasons, but most consider how much they'll enjoy a job as well as how much money it will bring in. The sentence suggests that "mercenary" has to do with financial gain. "Mercenary" means "motivated only by financial gain," as in: Ed is totally mercenary. His philosophy is "Pay me enough, and I'll do anything." The mercenary laughed harshly.

Syndrome: a group of symptoms typical of a particular disease of condition

Synonyms: condition, disease, pattern, disorder, symptom Antonyms: The doctors haven’t given a name yet to Maria’s SYNDROME, but it includes weakness, fatigue, and lack of appetite. The examples—weakness, fatigue, lack of appetite—suggest that a syndrome is a group of symptoms. "Syndrome" means "a group of symptoms typical of a particular disease," as in: Headaches are usually harmless, but as part of a syndrome including fever and neck stiffness, they may be a sign of a serious illness. The women who had no signs of metabolic syndrome lost a similar amount of weight using either dietary approach.

Taint

Tainted

Taint: to stain the honor of someone or something

Synonyms: stain, spot Antonyms: Being thrown out of school for cheating TAINTED Jack's record, which will follow him for many years. The charge of cheating has stained Jack's record. "Taint" means "to stain the honor of a person or thing," as in: The Pulitzer Prize was tainted when a newspaper reporter won it for a story that turned out to be a fake. The reputation of the university has been tainted by athletic scandals. a political career damaged by the taint of scandal.