Unit 5 - Improving Vocabulary skills EAP-0090 - Chapter 25

Unit 4 - Improving Vocabulary skills EAP-0090 - Chapter 25

Noun

Adjective

Verb

Adverb

Devoid: completely lacking

Synonyms: empty, barren, lacking, wanting, without Antonyms: full Mimi's father is a cold, hard man. He is so DEVOID OF warmth that when he sees her crying, his only response is, "Don't be a baby." Mimi's father lacks warmth. "Devoid of" means "completely lacking," as in: Were those French fries or splinters of wood? They were thin, dry, and devoid of taste. “Don’t go see the movie ’Belly Laugh 3,’” my friend warned me. “It’s totally DEVOID of humor. There’s absolutely nothing funny about it—except perhaps the fact that the producers described it as a comedy.” Although I am DEVOID of musical talent myself, I do enjoy listening to other people sing and play instruments.

Imploring

Implore: to make a very serious or emotional request to (someone)

Synonyms: beg, plead, entreat, pray, appeal Antonyms: No matter how much Elsie IMPLORES Ben not to wear his silly-looking umbrella hat out in public, he refuses. He says he doesn’t care what he looks like as long as he’s shaded from the sun. Elsie begs Ben not to wear his silly hat in public. "Implore" means "to beg," as in: Please help me with my diet by hiding all the candy, and don't tell me where you've put it no matter how much I implore you. Although her son IMPLORED her again and again to buy him a pet snake, Angela refused. “Don’t ask me again,” she finally said firmly. “There will be no snakes in this house.” In his closing statement, the defendant’s lawyer IMPLORED the jury to find the accused man innocent.

Infuriation

Infuriated

Infuriate: to make (someone) very angry : to make (someone) furious

Synonyms: enrage, incense, annoy, irritate, anger, inflame, wind up, Antonyms: calm In bullfighting, we’re told that the color red INFURIATES a bull, but this is not true. What really angers the animal is the movement of the bullfighter’s cape.  The sentences suggest that “infuriates” and “angers” mean the same thing.  "Infuriate" means "to anger greatly," as in: Peter's lies on the telephone so infuriated Sheila that she slammed down the receiver while he was still talking. Dad and my brother become so INFURIATED when they argue loudly about politics that we have made a rule: No political discussions over dinner. My trip to renew my driver’s license INFURIATED me. First I was instructed to stand in the wrong line for 45 minutes; then a clerk was horribly rude, and finally when I was finished and ready to pay, I was told, “No credit cards accepted.”

Intimidation

Intimidate

Intimidate: to make timid or afraid; frighten

Synonyms: anger, threaten, frighten, scare, bully, terrorize, daunt, terrify, alarm, put off Antonyms: Because anger INTIMIDATES Sarah, she never complains about anything for fear that someone will get mad at her. She recently bought an electric toaster that came without a cord, and even then she was too timid to return it to the store. Sarah is so frightened by other people's anger that she will do anything to avoid making people angry. "Intimidate" means "to make timid or afraid," as in: Although Willie's huge size intimidates strangers, his friends know he's really very gentle. Jada was INTIMIDATED by the idea of interviewing the famous scientist for her school newspaper. But the scientist’s warm smile quickly put Jada at ease. Bullies will often use both physical and verbal techniques to INTIMIDATE their victims.

Introvert: a shy or inwardly directed person

Introverted

Synonyms: loner, shy person Antonyms: extrovert As a teenager, Sarita was a quiet INTROVERT whom few classmates even noticed. Therefore they were surprised when she appeared at their class reunion as a glamorous, outgoing woman who was soon the life of the party. The sentences suggest that an introvert is the opposite of an outgoing person. "Introvert" means "a shy or inwardly directed person," as in: Pearl and Larry are very different in personality. While she's outgoing and enjoys meeting people, he's such an introvert that he hardly socializes at all. An INTROVERT at heart, Cindy enjoys solitary activities, such as reading and gardening, more than going out with other people. In a rare interview, the actor described himself as an INTROVERT. “Just because someone is a performer does not mean he or she is necessarily a ‘people person,’” he told the interviewer.

Jeopardy

Jeopardous

Jeopardize: to endanger; put at risk of loss or injury

Synonyms: risk, endanger, expose, threaten, put at risk, Antonyms: Even though his doctor has repeatedly warned him to stop, Joel continues to JEOPARDIZE his health by smoking two packs of cigarettes a day. Joel endangers his health by smoking. "Jeopardize" means "to endanger," as in: Don't let Brad handle anything fragile. He's so clumsy that he jeopardizes everything he touches. “If you skip class, you will JEOPARDIZE your grade,” warned the teacher. “I will take points off for every class you miss.” People with diabetes JEOPARDIZE their health if they neglect checking their blood sugar levels. Uncontrolled blood sugar can lead to short-term problems such as blurry vision and long-term problems such as infections and high blood pressure.

Sibling: a sister or brother

Synonyms: relative, relation, brother, sister, family member Antonyms: Antonio is very close to his five brothers and sisters. Each summer he and his five SIBLINGS, along with their spouses and children, rent two neighboring houses at the beach and vacation together. We can conclude from the sentences that “siblings” are “brothers and sisters.” "Sibling" means "a sister or brother," as in: Some people believe that twins understand each other far better than other siblings, even to the point of being able to read each other's thoughts. The Lymans named their five children Ryan, Brian, Byron, Myron, and Lucy. The four boys loved to spoil and protect their youngest SIBLING, the only girl. SIBLING rivalry is the term for the arguing that often occurs between brothers and sisters as they compete for status and attention.

Smug: having or showing the annoying quality of people who feel very pleased or satisfied with their abilities, achievements, etc.

Synonyms: complacent, self-satisfied, arrogant, conceited, haughty Antonyms: humble Receiving that expensive doll has made Tara annoyingly SMUG. She carries it everywhere just so she can show it off to other children and remind them that their dolls aren’t as nice. Tara thinks too highly of herself just because she has an expensive doll she can show off. "Smug" means "conceited," as in: Self-confidence is a virtue, but being smug is carrying self-confidence too far. The SMUG know-it-all bragged, “I’m so smart, I don’t even have to study.” His teacher responded, “But if you were smarter, you wouldn’t be satisfied with what you already know. Instead, you’d challenge yourself to learn even more.” While I admire Rosie for volunteering at the soup kitchen, I dislike her SMUG remarks about how good she is to help out the less fortunate.

Sneer

Sneer: to smile or laugh at someone or something with an expression on your face that shows dislike and a lack of respect

Synonyms: mock, scorn, scoff, deride, snicker, laugh at Antonyms: I was angered by the letter to the editor in which the writer SNEERED at "our so-called chief of police." Chief Gibson does a good job, and I don't like to see him made fun of. The sentence suggests that "sneered" and "made fun of" mean the same thing. "Sneer" means "to express ridicule or contempt," as in: Jan never sneers at her children's questions, no matter how silly they are. She believes strongly that children deserve respect, not ridicule. Overly proud of her appreciation of classical music and opera, Clarice snobbishly SNEERS at anyone who enjoys pop music or rhythm and blues. “That’s not real music; it’s junk food for the ear.” It’s outrageous of Mr. Corson to SNEER at all homeless people as “bums.” He has no idea what misfortunes those people have been through.

Vivacity

Vivacious: lively; full of life and enthusiasm

Synonyms: vibrant, lively, cheerful, energetic, chirpy, full of life, Antonyms: languid When people meet the Perry sisters, they always notice VIVACIOUS Joanna first. She’s so lively that she overshadows quieter Louisa. The sentence suggests that “vivacious” and “lively” are similar in meaning. "Vivacious" means "full of life and enthusiasm," as in: I was tired before the party, but the exciting mix of people there soon had me feeling vivacious. My favorite neighbor is a VIVACIOUS little three-year-old girl. She is so bubbly, talkative, and merry that she brightens my mood whenever I see her. The students in the 7 a.m. class are anything but VIVACIOUS. Many of them struggle to even stay awake, much less act lively.