Unit 3 - Improving Vocabulary skills EAP-0090 - Chapter 17

Noun

Adjective

Verb

Adverb

Congenial: agreeable or pleasant in character; friendly; sociable

Synonyms: friendly, amiable, pleasant, genial, agreeable, Antonyms: hostile I'm looking for a new roommate to share my apartment. All I care about is that she is more congenial than my former roomie, a very disagreeable person; The sentence suggests that "congenial" means the opposite of "disagreeable." "Congenial" means "agreeable or pleasant in character," as in: I know Anita is congenial with other people, but she's never been pleasant to me. MacMurtry’s Family Restaurant is a local hangout that is popular for its good food and CONGENIAL atmosphere.

Flippant: disrespectful and not serious enough

Synonyms: frivolous, offhand, glib, dismissive, flip Antonyms: serious When Roberta came to work ninety minutes late, her angry boss yelled, "You should have been here at nine o'clock!" Then she made him angrier with her flippant reply: "Why? What happened at nine?", Roberta's reply to her boss was disrespectful and not serious. "Flippant" means "disrespectful and not serious enough," as in: Roger downplays the seriousness of his financial troubles by making flippant remarks like "Waiting for my money is good for my creditors--it teaches them patience." “Do you know how fast you were driving?” the officer asked Andy. “No. Do you?” Andy replied, with a grin. The officer didn’t see the humor in Andy’s FLIPPANT remark, so he gave him a ticket as well as lecture about his attitude. It’s sometimes OK to be a smart aleck with close friends, but rarely a good idea to be FLIPPANT with your boss.

Impasse: a situation with no way out; dead end

Synonyms: standoff, deadlock, bottleneck, dead end, Antonyms: When the early settlers tried to cross the mountains in winter, they met an impasse: a huge snow barrier that forced them to wait until spring; The snow created a dead end for the settlers until spring. "Impasse" means "a dead end," as in: The jurors were at an impasse: eleven jurors were convinced the defendant was guilty, but one refused to go along with them. After arguing for three hours, the committee members realized they had reached an IMPASSE. Because each had conflicting goals, they knew they’d never reach an agreement. Joe and Ivan are at an IMPASSE. They both insist that they deserve the bigger bedroom in the house they are renting, and neither one of them will budge an inch.

Perception: insight or understanding gained through observation; impression

Synonyms: insight, view, opinion, picture, take on Antonyms: Most people’s perception of Uncle Al is that he’s stuck-up and standoffish, but in reality, he’s just shy; Most people have the wrong impression of Uncle Al. "Perception" means "an impression," as in: Brenda is an excellent judge of people. Her perceptions of a person's character are almost always accurate. My first PERCEPTION of Mrs. Brady was that she was cold and unfriendly. But as I got to know her better, I saw that she was in fact a warm, friendly person. Many people share the PERCEPTION that pit bulls are dangerous dogs. This impression is strengthened every time there’s a news story of another attack by a pit bull.

Prompt

Prompt: to urge into action; motivate

Synonyms: advise, aid, arouse, assist, bring up, call forth,cause, convince, draw, Antonyms: slow The knowledge that my mother and grandmother all became extremely heavy in their later years PROMPTS me to watch my diet and get plenty of exercise; The speaker’s family history urges her to watch her diet and to exercise. "Prompt" means "to urge into action," as in: One way to prompt Brian to get a job might be to put the want ads beside his breakfast plate, where he has no choice but to notice them. Hoping to PROMPT her daughter to explain the new dent in the car, Ms. Samson asked, “Is there anything you think you should tell me?” The purpose of advertising is to PROMPT consumers to purchase products. A good ad should make you want to run right out and buy the product.

Prone: having tendency’ incline (to do something)

Synonyms: flat, horizontal, lay down Antonyms: sitting  It seems to me that I'm more prone to headaches since the birth of my third child. I suppose fatigue is the reason; The speaker is more inclined to headaches since his or her third child was born. "Prone" means "having a tendency," as in: People who are prone to high blood pressure are usually advised to limit their salt intake. Certain breeds of dog are PRONE to certain health problems. For instance, German shepherds often have hip disorders. Janiece is PRONE to exaggeration. She never has just a bad day; it’s always, “The most horrible day of my life.” When she has a cold, she’ll say, “No one has ever been as sick as this.”

Rapport: relationship, especially one that is close, trusting, or sympathetic

Synonyms: relationship, bond, link, affinity, connection, fellowship Antonyms: Clinton wondered if good relationships skipped a generation in all families as they had in hers. She had a much better rapport with her grandparents than she did with her own parents; The sentences suggest that “rapport” here means the same as “good relationship.” "Rapport" means "a relationship, especially a close, trusting or sympathetic one," as in: Even though I didn't make great grades, I always had good rapport with most of my high-school teachers. It’s wonderful to see the great RAPPORT the March sisters have developed over the years. They never argue, they always stick together, and sometimes they even complete each other’s sentences. Dr. Gonzalez has terrific RAPPORT with his students. They obviously like and respect him, and he feels the same about them.

Rationale: the underlying reasons for something; logic basis

Synonyms: an explanation, basis, foundation, motivation, justification, validation, logic, principle Antonyms: The rationale for locking up criminals is to teach them a lesson so they won't repeat their crimes. Unfortunately, prison life often just teaches them new ways to break the law; The underlying logic to locking up criminals is to teach them a lesson. "Rationale" means "the underlying reason for something," as in: Danielle's rationale for choosing a business major was simply that she wanted to make lots of money.  I had to laugh at my daughter’s RATIONALE for eating the cookies I’d been saving for dessert. She said, “They looked so lonely on the plate.” Alli’s RATIONALE for never smoking a single cigarette is simple. “If I never try one, I’ll never get hooked on smoking.”

Relentless: persistent; continuous

Synonyms: persistent, ruthless, strict, harsh Antonyms: kind, understanding As soon as we left on our twelve-hour car trip, the children began their relentless questioning. In a one-hour period, they asked twenty-five times, "Are we almost there yet?", the children's questioning was persistent. "Relentless" means "continuous," as in: When my neighbors are home, their dog is quiet, so they don't realize how relentless his barking is when they're away. Raoul is looking for another job. “I can’t stand my boss’s RELENTLESS criticism,” he says. “He does nothing but complain.” The RELENTLESS “drip. . . drip. . . drip. . .” of the leaky faucet kept me awake for hours last night.

Reprisal: the paying back of one injury or bad deed with another

Synonyms: retaliation, payback, revenge Antonyms: Once, Meg's older sister borrowed one of her sweaters and then lost it at school. In reprisal, Meg took one of her sister's sweaters and gave it to a girlfriend; Meg paid back her sister for losing her sweater. "Reprisal" means "the paying back of one injury with another," as in: After white settlers stole Native American land, they shouldn't have been surprised when, in reprisal, the Native Americans attacked their settlements. Criminals sometimes try to hurt people who testify against them. So the Witness Protection Program helps provide new identities to people who fear REPRISAL for helping put criminals in jail. “This is your opportunity to tell us what you think is wrong with our company,” said the boss. “Please be open and honest. There will be no REPRISALS, no matter what you say.”