Unit 3 - Improving Vocabulary skills EAP-0090 - Chapter 14

Noun

Adjective

Verb

Adverb

Alleviation, alleviator

Alleviative

Alleviate : to relieve; make easier to endure

Synonyms: relieve, to ease, facilitate, to help, to improve, lighten Antonyms: aggravate It was hard to see my brother move to Florida, but he alleviated my sadness a little by promising to come visit at Christmas.  In an effort to alleviate some of her anxiety, Colleen tried meditation, yoga, and other methods of relaxation. Colleen tried relaxation techniques that might relieve her anxiety. "Alleviate" means "to relieve," as in: After his wife died, Jake moved closer to his daughter and her family to alleviate his loneliness.

Benefactor: person or organization that gives help, especially financial aid

Benefic, beneficent

Synonyms: sponsor, supporter, backer Antonyms: A generous benefactor “adopted” a sixth grade class, promising each student a college education if he or she maintained a B average throughout high school. One year, when my father was out of work at Christmastime, we were amazed to find several wonderful presents under our tree. We never found out who our secret benefactor was; The speaker's family was helped by an unknown person or organization. "Benefactor" means "a person or organization that gives help, especially financial aid," as in: The free concerts in the park are sponsored by a local benefactor, the Street Bank.

Covert

Covert:

Synonyms: secret, hidden, concealed, undercover, underground Antonyms: open Far away from the office, several employees held a covert meeting to discuss their difficult boss. The football player’s agent wanted his client’s contract negotiations to be covert, so he set up a series of meetings in out-of-the-way places where neither he nor the team representatives would be recognized. Holding the meetings in out-of-the-way places will help keep them secret. "Covert" means "secret," as in: My cousin's work for the government is so covert that we don't even know where he's working for months at a time

Cynic:  a person who believe the worst of people’s behavior and motives; someone who believes people are motivated only by selfishness.

Cynical

Cynically

Synonyms: pessimist, skeptic, doubter Antonyms: Mark Twain was a cynic. He said that friendship is an emotion so sweet, steady, and loyal that it lasts an entire lifetime, unless someone is asked to lend money. Twain said that people care more about personal financial gain than about a rich friendship. "Cynic" means "a person who believes the worst of people's behavior and motives," as in: Libby became a cynic about marriage after witnessing her parents' nasty divorce.

Demise: death; the end of something that is thought of as being like a death

Demise

Synonyms: death, decease, departure, expiration, end, transfer, ending Antonyms: birth Knowing that their beloved king was at death’s door, thousands of sad people surrounded the palace to await news of his demise. Before modern methods of burial, some people who feared being buried alive actually requested in their wills that after their demise, their fingers be cut off. If they didn't scream then, it was okay to go ahead and bury them. People's wills included the request about what should be done to be sure they were dead before being buried. "Demise" means "death," as in: Sports fans were shocked to learn that cocaine had caused the demise of the basketball player Len Bias.

Infamous: having a very bad reputation; widely known for being vicious, criminal or deserving of contempt

Synonyms: dishonorable, vicious, brutal, cruel Antonyms: reputable Adolf Hitler’s name will never be forgotten. He is infamous for ordering the deaths of millions of innocent people between 1939 and 1945, in an event now known as the Holocaust. Causing the deaths of millions of innocent people is certainly vicious and contemptible. "Infamous" means "having a very bad reputation," as in: King Henry VIII of England is infamous not only for having had six wives, but for beheading two of them.

Intrinsic: belonging to a person or thing by its very nature ( and thus not depend on circumstances); built-in

Synonyms: basic, fundamental, core, key, central, built-in, natural, real, genuine Antonyms: When kittens chase a string and pounce on it, they are demonstrating their intrinsic need to hunt. Our art teacher believes that every person, even one who believes he or she “can’t draw a straight line,” has intrinsic artistic ability. She helps students develop this natural ability by showing them new ways to express it. A “natural ability” is basic and fundamental—everyone would have it. "Intrinsic" means "belonging to something by its very nature," as in: Trust is intrinsic to a good marriag

Revulsion: a very strong feeling of dislike or disgust; great disgust or distaste

Synonyms: dislike, disgust, horror, distaste Antonyms: attraction Salim and Rianna walked out of the gory movie after only ten minutes, overcome with revulsion. Leslie was filled with revulsion during the cafeteria food fight, particularly when scrambled eggs and fish sticks flew into her hair. We can guess that a person would probably feel great disgust or distaste if eggs and fish flew into her hair. "Revulsion" means "great disgust or distaste," as in: Of all the crimes that fill me with disgust, child abuse causes the greatest revulsion.

Speculation

Speculative

Speculate: to come up with ideas or theories about a subject; theorize

Synonyms: to guess, wonder, consider, ponder, suppose, Antonyms: know, decide “For the next few minutes,” said the history professor, “let’s speculate what would have happened if Germany had won World War II.” When I stop to speculate about why there are so many divorces, I conclude that often, people who marry don't know each other very well. The speaker came up with a theory about why marriages end in divorce. "Speculate" means "to come up with ideas or theories on a subject," as in: The class speculated on how history might have been changed if Abraham Lincoln had not been assassinated.

virility

Virile: having or suggesting qualities (such as strength and sexual energy) that are associated with men and that are usually considered attractive in men

Synonyms: masculine, macho, mainly Antonyms: My dad just laughs at the idea that his favorite hobby, cooking, is “feminine.” He’s   VIRILE enough not to have to prove his masculinity to anyone. Traditionally, men were not considered virile if they cried. The belief that shedding tears is not masculine is slowly changing. The sentence suggests that "virile" and "masculine" mean the same thing. "Virile" means "masculine," as in: My brother thinks sleeveless "muscle shirts" make him look more virile.