Noun | Adjective | Verb | Adverb | ||||||||||||
Calamity: an event bringing great loss and misery | Calamitous | Calamite | |||||||||||||
Synonym: disaster, tragedy, catastrophe Antonyms: blessing, fortune, A very damaging CALAMITY, like a hurricane or earthquake, will be written about in newspapers for days afterward. The two examples--a hurricane and an earthquake--show that a calamity is "an event involving great loss and misery." "Calamity" means "an event involving great loss and misery," as in: The survivors of the earthquake slowly rebuilt their homes and lives after the calamity. Hurricane Katrina visited calamity on thousands of New Orleans residents who lost their homes and lives. | |||||||||||||||
Comprehension | Comprehensive: including all or much | Comprehend | |||||||||||||
Synonym: complete, ample, full, broad Antonyms: exclusive, incomprehensive, particular, selective, specific Marla and Jim drew up a COMPREHENSIVE household budget that took into account even small items, like snacks and nail polish. Since the budget “took into account even small items,” we can conclude that a comprehensive budget will include everything. "Comprehensive" means "taking much or everything into account," as in: The article on sightseeing in New Orleans was not comprehensive. It failed to mention many points of interest in that wonderful city. It is more important to provide a more comprehensive answer. | |||||||||||||||
Convention | Conventional: customary; ordinary | Conventionalize | |||||||||||||
Synonym: usual, traditional, mainstream, conformist Antonyms: abnormal, foreign, irregular, strange, uncommon, unconventional, uncustomary, unusual Barb went on a strange diet that included seaweed and yeast, but she returned to more CONVENTIONAL food when she got hungry for French fries and apple pie. The sentence suggests that a "conventional" diet is the opposite of a "strange" one. "Conventional" means "ordinary," as in: Barb's work is hardly conventional--she operates a day-care center for pets. Today, many patients seek healing through both alternative medicine and conventional medicine. | |||||||||||||||
Flagrancy | Flagrant: shockingly obvious; outrageous, very bad; too bad to be ignored. | ||||||||||||||
Synonym: conspicuous, without shame, disgraceful. Antonyms: concealed, disguised, hidden, mild, moral, restrained, secret I was shocked by Bill's FLAGRANT flirting with another woman right in his wife's presence. The speaker's shock suggests that Bill's flirting was shockingly obvious. "Flagrant" means "outrageous," as in: The congressman's use of campaign funds for his private business was a flagrant violation of the law. Hillary Clinton is guilty of flagrant fund raising violations. | |||||||||||||||
Perseverance | Perseverant | Persevere: to continue doing something or trying to do something even though it is difficult | |||||||||||||
Synonym: bear on, carry on, continue, preserve, uphold Antonyms: be lazy, give up, idle, leave, quit, stop Although she missed four months of classes because of illness, Louise bravely PERSEVERED in her plans to complete high school. The words "although" and "bravely" signal that Louise must have continued despite difficulties. "Persevere" means "to continue with an effort or plan despite difficulties," as in: "I know you're tired," Jack said, "but we've got to persevere and get to the camp before the storm hits." She persevered in her studies and graduated near the top of her class. | |||||||||||||||
Ponderer | Ponderable | ||||||||||||||
Synonym: think over, consider, deliberate Antonyms: ignore, neglect The night after my talk with Jack, I lay awake a long time to PONDER the meaning of his words. Since the speaker lay awake a long time, he or she must have been thinking rather deeply about Jack's words. "Ponder" means "to consider carefully," as in: Too often we don't take time to ponder the possible consequences of our actions. The scientist must stop to observe and start to ponder. | |||||||||||||||
Rehabilitation | Rehabilitative | ||||||||||||||
Synonym: restore, reeducate, reinstate, Antonyms: destroy, hurt, ruin Betty's boyfriend should get help for his alcohol addiction now instead of promising to REHABILITATE himself after their wedding. Help for an addiction involves restoring a person to a normal life through therapy and education. "Rehabilitate" means "to restore to a normal life through therapy and education," as in: To rehabilitate people who have lost the ability to work, it is necessary to stress good work habits as well as job skills. They try to rehabilitate horses that have suffered injuries. | |||||||||||||||
Turmoil: a state of confusion or disorder | |||||||||||||||
Synonym: disruption, disturbance, flutter: Antonyms: calm, harmony, order, peace "Food fight! Food fight!" was the cry, and the cafeteria exploded into the TURMOIL of flying gobs of spaghetti and ice cream and people diving under tables for protection. The scene described is one of complete confusion. "Turmoil" means "uproar," as in: After their teacher left the room, the sixth-grade class was in turmoil, but it quickly came to order when the principal walked in. The country has been in turmoil for the past 10 years. | |||||||||||||||
Venture | Venturous | Venture: to take that risk of; dare | |||||||||||||
Synonym: hazard, adventure, jeopardize, Antonyms: hate, certainty, laziness Since Stan gets so angry when anyone criticizes Myrna, I would not VENTURE suggesting to him that she's only after his money. The speaker would not risk angering Stan by suggesting that Myrna is after his money. "Venture" means "to take the risks of," as in: "I'll venture any ride in this amusement park except the Twister," said Nick. "I'll risk getting sick to my stomach, but I won't risk my life." | |||||||||||||||
Fluctuation | Fluctuant | Fluctuate: to vary irregularly; to go up and down or back and forth | |||||||||||||
Synonym: chaos, change state, displace, move, swing, turn Antonyms: hold, persist, remain, stay A person's body temperature FLUCTUATES slightly each day, being lowest first thing in the morning and highest after periods of activity. The description of the temperature changes tells us that our temperature zigzags slightly over a day. "Fluctuate" means "to vary irregularly," as in: My weight used to fluctuate between 150 and 190 pounds. Now it's steady, at 170 pounds. His popularity has fluctuated during his term in office. | |||||||||||||||
Chapter 8
Noun | Adjective | Verb | Adverb | ||||||||||||
Attestation/ Attestant/ Attester | Attestive/Attestable | Attest: to show, prove, or state that something is true - usually + to | |||||||||||||
Synonym: prove, evidence, confirm, verify, indicate, demonstrate, certify Antonyms: deny After Lewis took the witness stand, the attorney had him ATTEST TO a few basic facts, such as where he’d been the night of the crime. Lewis had to tell the truth about where he’d been the night of the crime. "Attest" means "to bear witness, or testify," as in: Anyone who has seen the Golden Gate Bridge in the rose-gold light of sunset can attest to its beauty. I can attest to the truth of his statement. | |||||||||||||||
Attribute: a usually good quality or feature that someone or something has | Attributive | Attribute | |||||||||||||
Synonym: aspect, element, feature Antonyms: Generosity is one of Louise's nicest ATTRIBUTES--she's always surprising her friends with little gifts. Generosity is one of Louise's qualities. "Attribute" means "a feature of a person or thing," as in: One 300-page novel has the odd attribute of containing no "e," the most common letter in the English language. The interviewer asked me what I consider to be my best attribute. | |||||||||||||||
Discernibility | Discernible | Discern: | |||||||||||||
Synonym: recognize, determine, detect, Distinguish, discriminate , tell the difference Antonyms: disregard, neglect, overlook Although the twins are identical, people who know them well can DISCERN small differences in their faces and thus know immediately which is which. Since some people can tell the twins apart, those people must recognize tiny differences between the twins. "Discern" means "to recognize," as in: An experienced jeweler can discern almost immediately whether a diamond is genuine or fake. The purpose of the study is to discern [=identify] patterns of criminal behavior. | |||||||||||||||
Dispatch | Dispatch: to send (someone or something) quickly to a particular place for a particular purpose | ||||||||||||||
Synonym: mail, ship, post, notice, letter, message Antonyms: hold, hold back, keep, prohibit, retain All the adults are busy preparing the meal. Isn’t there some child we could DISPATCH to the store for another gallon of milk? Since the adults are busy, the speaker wants to send a child to the store to buy milk. "Dispatch" means "to send to a specific place or on specific business," as in: Harold's boss often dispatches him to the deli for sandwiches or doughnuts. The hotel dispatched a limo to pick us up from the airport. (formal) The message was dispatched to the general. | |||||||||||||||
Enhancement/ Enhancer | Enhancive | Enhance: to increase or improve (something) | |||||||||||||
Synonym: develop, boost, increase, improve, enrich, add to Antonyms: decrease, fix, lower, minimize, reduce, worsen Every year the Barrys ENHANCE their yard's appearance a little by planting some more flowers or trees. Planting flowers or trees would improve a yard's appearance. "Enhance" means "to improve," as in: Our gym teacher enhanced her appearance with a more attractive hairdo. You can enhance the flavor of the dish by using fresh herbs. ▪ The image has been digitally enhanced to show more detail. | |||||||||||||||
Enigma: someone or something that is difficult to understand or explain | Enigmatic /Enigmatical | Enigmatically | |||||||||||||
Synonym: mystery, puzzle, ambiguous Antonyms: known, understanding It's been two years since the robbery, but the ENIGMA still bothers me: Why did the thieves ignore the stereo and the cash lying on the table and steal old magazines instead? It is a mystery why robbers would steal magazines rather than more valuable items. "Enigma" means "a puzzle," as in: Many fairy tales involve the challenge of an enigma. The hero must solve some puzzle or die. To his friends, he was always something of an enigma. ▪ one of the great enigmas of our time | |||||||||||||||
Exemplification | Exemplify: to be a very good example of (something) : to show (something) very clearly | ||||||||||||||
Synonym: show, illustrate, represent, characterize, transcribe, example Antonyms: confuse, distort, tangle, twist, mislead My aunt never wears gold. To her, it EXEMPLIFIES greed and showing off. Since the aunt refuses to wear gold, it must represent the negative qualities to her. "Exemplify" means "to be an example of or to be typical of," as in: The many IRS employees who give citizens inaccurate information exemplify government incompetence. His works exemplify the taste of the period. ▪ The city's economic growth is exemplified | |||||||||||||||
Mobile | Mobile: able to move from one place to another | Mobilize | |||||||||||||
Synonym: moveable, transferable, portable Antonyms: fixed, immobile, stable, stationary, unmovable Families today are far more MOBILE than families of the previous generation, who would generally stay in one town for a lifetime. The description of the previous generation's behavior suggests that "mobile" means the opposite of "staying in one town for a lifetime." "Mobile" means "moving or able to move from place to place," as in: My parents own a mobile home, which can be moved from place to place on a long truck. Their armies are now fully mobile. ▪ mobile fighting forces | |||||||||||||||
Nocturnal: belonging to, active mainly during the night | |||||||||||||||
Synonym: night time Antonyms: One reason bats are so frightening is that they're NOCTURNAL. If we could see them in daylight, they would seem less scary and mysterious. Since the bats cannot be seen in daylight, they must be active at night. "Nocturnal" means "of the night," as in: The painting was of a restful nocturnal scene. Lamplit houses were set against a night sky. Nocturnal animals are active at night"; "nocturnal plants have flowers that open at night and close by day. | |||||||||||||||
Orientation | Oriented | Orient: Determine one's position with reference to another point | |||||||||||||
Synonym: position, familiarize, adjust, direct Antonyms: disorient If I don’t ORIENT myself by noticing which shops I’m passing when I enter a mall, I may never find my way out the same door again. The speaker has to determine his location in the mall by remembering which shops he passes when entering. "Orient" means "to determine the location of," as in: When coming up from the subway, I often need to look at a street sign to orient myself. We had to orient ourselves in the forest | |||||||||||||||
Chapter 9
Noun | Adjective | Verb | Adverb | |||||||||||||||
Concurrence | Concurrent: happening at the same time as something else | Concur | Concurrently | |||||||||||||||
Synonym: synchronize, synchronous, parallel Antonyms: separate The convicted man’s two ten-year sentences were CONCURRENT, so he had to be in prison for only ten years altogether. The two ten-year sentences were to take place at the same time, so he would only serve a total of ten years. "Concurrent" means "happening or existing at the same time," as in: Having mistakenly registered for two concurrent classes, Joe had to change one class to a different time. The concurrent use of two medications ▪ He's currently serving two concurrent life sentences for murder. | ||||||||||||||||||
Confiscation | Confiscated | Confiscate: to take (something) away from someone especially as punishment or to enforce the law or rules | ||||||||||||||||
Synonym: remove, seize, repossess, condemn, forfeit, take away Antonyms: give, offer When police discovered that the man caught speeding was driving a stolen car, they CONFISCATED the car and all its contents. The police would take possession of a stolen car and its contents. "Confiscate" means "to take or seize with authority," as in: Not only did the teacher confiscate the note I passed to my boyfriend, but she also read it out loud to the entire class. Guards confiscated knives and other weapons from the prisoners. ▪ The police have the authority to confiscate [=seize] the drug dealer's property. | ||||||||||||||||||
Constitution | Constitutional | Constitute: to make up or form something | ||||||||||||||||
Synonym: build, form, organize, institute, found, establish, create, set up Antonyms: destroy, ruin Turkey breast, lettuce, and a layer of cranberry sauce on rye CONSTITUTE Herb's favorite sandwich. Herb's favorite sandwich is made up of the ingredients listed. "Constitute" means "to make up," as in: A good movie, a pizza, and lively conversation constitute my idea of a perfect night out. Women constitute 70 percent of the student population at the college. | ||||||||||||||||||
Decipherer | Decipherable | Decipher: convert code into ordinary language. | ||||||||||||||||
Synonym: figure out, understand, crack, translate, decode, decrypt, interpret Antonyms: code, encode, scramble So that no one could DECIPHER our notes, my brother and I wrote to each other in secret codes that we'd change from week to week. A secret code would keep others from understanding the notes. "Decipher" means "to interpret or read (something confusing or hard to make out)," as in: Why do contracts have to use language that's so difficult to decipher? Can you decipher this letter? | ||||||||||||||||||
Default: used to describe something that happens or is done when nothing else has been | Default: fail to do something required | |||||||||||||||||
Synonym: absence, alternative, choice, fail, failure, financial loss, loss, neglect, option Antonyms: (n) advantage, perfection, satisfaction, success The Andersons lost their down payment when they DEFAULTED—they didn’t live up to their side of the contract to buy the house. The Andersons defaulted by failing to live up to their side of the contract. "Default" means "to fail to do something required," as in: Jay's mother said, "I'll cosign your car loan, but you have to make every payment. If you default, it will hurt my credit rating." He defaulted on his loan (payments). ▪ If the borrower defaults, the bank can take the house. Their decision was made by default. All of the other options were no longer possible. | ||||||||||||||||||
Hypothesis | Hypothetical: not real : imagined as an example | Hypothecate | ||||||||||||||||
Synonym: supposed, proposed, imaginary, assumed Antonyms: calculated, confirmed, factual, measured, proved, proven, real, reliable, truthful Jean begins every career counseling session by suggesting a HYPOTHETICAL situation: "Suppose you did not have to worry about making a living. What would you really love to do?" Jean supposes a make-believe situation in order to examine a person's true interests. "Hypothetical" means "supposed for the sake of argument or examination," as in: Imagine the hypothetical situation of going to live alone on an island. What books and music CDs would you take along? She described a hypothetical case to clarify her point. | ||||||||||||||||||
Nominal: very small in amount | ||||||||||||||||||
Synonym: insignificant, minimal, minor, small Antonyms: great, huge, actual, real, true I expected Mr. Landon to be shocked to see his long-lost niece again, but he showed only NOMINAL surprise. The words "but" and "only" suggest that Mr. Landon's surprise was much less than the speaker had expected. "Nominal" means "slight," as in: Apart from a nominal registration fee, the camp for needy children is entirely free. A nominal price/charge ▪ They charge a nominal fee for the service. | ||||||||||||||||||
Predominance | Predominant: more important, powerful, successful, or noticeable than other people or things | Predominate | ||||||||||||||||
Synonym: major, main, central, leading, prime, chief, largest, biggest Antonyms: inconsequential, minor, trivial, unimportant Beeches are the PREDOMINANT trees in the forest near our house. There are at least twice as many of them as any other type. The second sentence makes it clear that beeches are the most common trees in that forest. "Predominant" means "most common or noticeable," as in: Rock is the predominant music in our dorm, but country music is also popular. She is predominant among new writers. | ||||||||||||||||||
Prerequisite: something that you officially must have or do before you can have or do something else | Prerequisite | |||||||||||||||||
Synonym: requirement, precondition, criterion, qualification, essential, must, necessity Antonyms: optional, unnecessary, voluntary Because he'd learned some French when he lived in Quebec, Mark was allowed to enroll in French 201 without taking its PREREQUISITE, French 101. Mark was excused from taking the French course usually required before French 201. "Prerequisite" means "something required beforehand," as in: You can't take Spanish Literature I unless you've taken its prerequisite, Spanish Language III. Citizenship is a prerequisite for voting. | ||||||||||||||||||
Recession: a period of time in which there is a decrease in economic activity and many people do not have jobs | Recessional | Recess | ||||||||||||||||
Synonym: downturn, decline, collapse, slump, depression Antonyms: boom, advance When one source predicts good times for business and another warns of a coming RECESSION, it's hard to know what economic view to believe. The sentence suggests that "recession" means the opposite of "good times for business." "Recession" means "a temporary decline in business," as in: Some restaurants offer special discounts during periods of recession in order to attract more business. Many people lost their jobs during the recent recession. ▪ The economy is in deep recession | ||||||||||||||||||
Chapter 10
Noun | Adjective | Verb | Adverb | ||||||||||||||||||
Degeneration | Degenerative | Degenerate: to change to a worse state or condition : to become worse, weaker, less useful | |||||||||||||||||||
Synonym: corrupt, immoral, rotten, worsen Antonyms: moral, upright, virtuous Mrs. Borden is considering hip replacement surgery because her own hipbone has begun to DEGENERATE. Since Mrs. Borden is thinking of replacing her hipbone, her own hipbone must be deteriorating. "Degenerate" means "to worsen, or deteriorate," as in: Mr. Freedman's family was called to the nursing home when the old man's condition began to degenerate. Experts fear that the country is degenerating into chaos. Mr. Freedman's family was called to the nursing home when the old man's condition began to degenerate. | |||||||||||||||||||||
Implausibility/ Implausibleness | Implausible: not believable or realistic : not plausible | ||||||||||||||||||||
Synonym: improbable, doubtful, suspect, unreasonable Antonyms: believable, likely, plausible, possibly, probably, reasonable "Now that I see your poor report card," said Ben's father, "I find it IMPLAUSIBLE that you studied as much as you said you did this semester." Ben's father found it difficult to believe that Ben had studied as much as he said he did. "Implausible" means "difficult to believe," as in: As implausible as it may be, Southern Florida does sometimes get snow. He gave an implausible excuse for showing up late for work. Ben's father found it difficult to believe that Ben had studied as much as he said he did. As implausible as it may be, Southern Florida does sometimes get snow. | |||||||||||||||||||||
Incoherence | Incoherent: not coherent: such as a : not able to talk or express yourself in a clear way that can be easily understood | Incoherently | |||||||||||||||||||
Synonym: confused, illogical, Antonyms: coherent, clear As she awoke from surgery, Darlene was INCOHERENT for a while, asking her husband strange questions such as, "Is recess over yet?" The example of Darlene's question tells us she was unable to speak in a logical manner. "Incoherent" means "unable to speak in an orderly, logical way," as in: If Mitch drinks much more, he'll become completely incoherent. He was very upset and practically incoherent after the accident. If Mitch drinks much more, he'll become completely incoherent. | |||||||||||||||||||||
Intercession | Intercedent | Intercede: to try to help settle an argument or disagreement between two or more people or groups | |||||||||||||||||||
Synonym: mediate, advocate, negotiate, plead, reconcile Antonyms: Frank shouldn't let his mother INTERCEDE in his disagreements with his wife. He and his wife need to learn to work things out on their own. The speaker feels Frank shouldn't let his mother try to help settle the couple's arguments. "Intercede" means "to come between in order to produce agreement," as in: It's hard for parents to know when to intercede in their children's quarrels and when to let them settle things themselves. Their argument probably would have become violent if I hadn't interceded. : to speak to someone in order to defend or help another person ▪ When the boss accused her of lying, several other employees interceded on her behalf. It's hard for parents to know when to intercede in their children's quarrels and when to let them settle things themselves. | |||||||||||||||||||||
Intricacy/ intricateness | Intricate: Having many complexly arranged elements; elaborate | Intricately | |||||||||||||||||||
Synonym: tricky, complicated, complex, difficult Antonyms: direct, methodical, simple, systematic, understandable The great rose window of the cathedral in Chartres, France, features thousands of pieces of stained glass arranged in an INTRICATE pattern of great beauty. The description of the window suggests that an intricate pattern is one with many parts arranged in a complex manner. "Intricate" means "having many parts arranged in a complicated way," as in: WAR AND PEACE is a long, intricate novel that weaves together the detailed life stories of many individuals. The intricate finger work required proved challenging to the violinist. WAR AND PEACE is a long, intricate novel that weaves together the detailed life stories of many individuals. | |||||||||||||||||||||
Sanctuary: a place where someone or something is protected or given shelter | |||||||||||||||||||||
Synonym: church, holy place, temple, sanctorium, shrine, refuge, asylum Antonyms: On the first day we let our new kitten go outside, she went only a few steps into the yard before racing back to the SANCTUARY of the house. The kitten felt the house was a place where she would be safe. "Sanctuary" means "a place of safety, protection, or relief," as in: Old, unused trains in Grand Central Station serve as a nighttime sanctuary for some of New York City's homeless. The house was a sanctuary for runaway teens Old, unused trains in Grand Central Station serve as a nighttime sanctuary for some of New York City's homeless. | |||||||||||||||||||||
Scrutiny: the act of carefully examining something especially in a critical way | Scrutinize | ||||||||||||||||||||
Synonym: inspection, inquiry, search, examination, analysis Antonyms: The police's SCRUTINY of the crime scene revealed bloody fingerprints on the telephone, on the curtain, and on the top shelf of the bookcase. To find the clues they did, the police had to make a careful examination of the room. "Scrutiny" means "close inspection," as in: Store security guards keep people with large bags under careful scrutiny, since the bags may be used to shoplift. Because of their past crimes, everything they do now will be subject to scrutiny. Their behavior is under scrutiny again Store security guards keep people with large bags under careful scrutiny, since the bags may be used to shoplift. | |||||||||||||||||||||
Sinister: having an evil appearance : looking likely to cause something bad, harmful, or dangerous to happen | |||||||||||||||||||||
Synonym: creepy, threatening, Antonyms: The man's kindly smile and warm words were all part of his SINISTER plan to get the young girl to come sit in his car. The man's plan was an evil one. "Sinister" means "evil," as in: The actor Edward G. Robinson often played sinister characters, such as gangsters and murderers. There was something sinister about him. ▪ He looked sinister. | |||||||||||||||||||||
Sufficiency | Sufficient | Suffice: to be or provide as much as is needed : to be sufficient | |||||||||||||||||||
Synonym: do, answer, serve Antonyms: I think Frank understands now that Betsy's friendship will have to SUFFICE, because he will never have her love. All Frank can hope for is Betsy's friendship, so it will have to be good enough for him. "Suffice" means "to be good enough," as in: The amount of research you've done may suffice for a high school term paper, but not for a college paper. Her example alone should suffice to show that anything is possible. The amount of research you've done may suffice for a high school term paper, but not for a college paper. | |||||||||||||||||||||
Vulnerability | Vulnerable: easily hurt or harmed physically, mentally, or emotionally | ||||||||||||||||||||
Synonym: unsafe, weak, exposed, insecure, sensitive Antonyms: invulnerable, closed, guarded, protected, safe, secure The baby's illness makes her especially VULNERABLE to infection, so her parents are careful not to expose her to people with colds or other diseases. Since the parents protect the baby from ill people, the baby must be especially sensitive to infection. "Vulnerable" means "open to injury or harm," as in: Homes in heavily wooded areas are especially vulnerable to termite damage. The patient will be more/most vulnerable to infection immediately after surgery. Homes in heavily wooded areas are especially vulnerable to termite damage. | |||||||||||||||||||||
Chapter 11
Noun | Adjective | Verb | Adverb | ||||||||||||||||||
Blatancy | Blatant: very obvious, often offensively so | ||||||||||||||||||||
Synonym: obvious, unashamed, flagrant Antonyms: furtive, secretive Since Tom's term paper was such a blatant copy of the one he'd done the semester before, it's no wonder the teacher recognized it and denied him credit. "Blatant" means "very obvious, often offensively so," as in: Scott's smoking habit is blatant. His clothes smell of smoke, and nicotine has stained his fingers. | |||||||||||||||||||||
Blight: something that weakens, damages, or destroy | Blighted | Blight | |||||||||||||||||||
Synonym: disease, stain, scar Antonyms: Last summer Joy grew beautiful roses in her yard, but this year some sort of blight killed the buds before they could open. "Blight" means "something that weakens, damages, or destroys," as in: Nothing has been a greater blight on our country than drug abuse. | |||||||||||||||||||||
Contrivance | Contrived | Contrive: to plan cleverly; think up | |||||||||||||||||||
Synonym: plan, design, project, arrange, scheme It's not enough to "just know" that Thomas is reading your mail. You must contrive a way to catch him in the act. "Contrive" means "to think up," as in: My eight-year-old son could write a book titled 101 WAYS I HAVE CONTRIVED TO STAY UP PAST MY BEDTIME. | |||||||||||||||||||||
Garbled | Garble: to mixed up or confuse; scramble | ||||||||||||||||||||
Synonym: jumble, mangle, confuse, scramble My elderly aunt doesn't hear very well, so when she takes telephone messages, they often end up so garbled that I don't know who called or what the callers wanted. "Garble" means "to mix up or confuse (as a story or message)," as in: The typesetter accidentally garbled the newspaper story, giving the reader a mixed-up article. | |||||||||||||||||||||
Gauntness | Gaunt: very thin, bony | ||||||||||||||||||||
Synonym: thin, skinny, lean, bony Many young girls who are always dieting consider themselves fashionably slender, while others see them as unattractively gaunt. "Gaunt" means "thin and bony," as in: Abraham Lincoln's beard made his GAUNT face look fuller. | |||||||||||||||||||||
Gloat: to feel or express delight or self-satisfaction, often spitefully; to show in an improper or selfish way that you are happy with your own success or another person's failure | |||||||||||||||||||||
Synonym: triumph, glory, rejoice Antonyms: be sad When Isabel heard that she had beaten her rival in the election for class president, she gloated about her victory for the rest of the week. "Gloat" means "to express or feel spiteful pleasure or self-satisfaction," as in: The coach told his team, "There's only one thing worse than a sore loser, and that's a mean winner. Don't gloat." | |||||||||||||||||||||
Immaculateness | Immaculate: perfectly clean | ||||||||||||||||||||
Synonym: spotless, clean, tidy, perfect, bright, errorless Antonyms: dirty, tainted, unclean Olive amazes me by keeping her white uniform immaculate as she works in a pizza restaurant. Mine would be splattered with tomato sauce from top to bottom. "Immaculate" means "perfectly clean," as in: It's amazing that Carolyn always appears immaculate, yet her apartment often seems very dirty. | |||||||||||||||||||||
Plagiarism: the act of using another person's words or ideas without giving credit to that person : the act of plagiarizing something | Plagiaristic | Plagiarize | |||||||||||||||||||
Synonym: copy, stealing, piracy Copying research papers and other forms of plagiarism are among the most common reasons for students being kicked out of school. "Plagiarism" means "taking someone else's writings or ideas and using them as one's own," as in: When the author saw a movie with exactly the same plot as one of her novels, she sued the movie studio for plagiarism. | |||||||||||||||||||||
Qualm: feeling of discomfort about a matter of conscience or honor | |||||||||||||||||||||
Synonym: uneasiness, doubt, scruple Phyllis is the calmest liar I've ever known. She can look you in the eye and tell you the sky is green without the slightest qualm. "Qualm" means "a feeling of discomfort about a point of conscience, honor, or what is proper," as in: Larry had no qualms about stealing from the cafeteria cash register. He didn't even feel guilty when someone else was blamed. | |||||||||||||||||||||
Retaliation | Retaliative | Retaliate: to do something bad to someone who has hurt you or treated you badly : to get revenge against someone | |||||||||||||||||||
Synonym: revenge, payback Antonyms: forgive, pardon An eye for an eye" is a favorite phrase of people planning to retaliate for some injury they've received. "Retaliate" means "to pay back," as in: When I broke my sister's Prince record, she retaliated by cutting the cord of my Sony Walkman earphones. | |||||||||||||||||||||
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