Unit 4 - Improving Vocabulary skills EAP-0090 - Chapter 20

Unit 4 - Improving Vocabulary skills EAP-0090 - Chapter 20

Noun

Adjective

Verb

Adverb

Averseness

Averse: having a feeling of dislike or distaste for something.

Synonyms: hesitant, anti, indisposed Antonyms: favorable, keen My uncle is so AVERSE to going out in the evening that he hasn't seen a movie in a theater or eaten dinner in a restaurant since 1968. The examples show that the speaker's uncle dislikes and avoids going out in the evening. "Averse to" means "having a feeling of dislike for something, thus tending to avoid it," as in: I used to be so averse to asparagus that the sight of it made me gag. Aunt Agatha was AVERSE to connecting with the World Wide Web. She refused to go online because she was disgusted by all the incorrect “information” available on the Internet. The Amish are AVERSE to having their photographs taken. When they see tourists with their cameras, they will often turn their faces away.

Detraction

Detractive

Detract: to lessen what is admirable or worthwhile about something.

Synonyms: diminish, decrease, reduce, minimize, depreciate, undermine, take away Antonyms: bolster My birthday party was so wonderful that even having my grouchy old cousin Sue Ellen there didn’t DETRACTFROM my enjoyment. Even having a grouchy cousin at the party didn’t make the speaker enjoy it any less. "Detract from" means "to lessen what is admirable about something," as in: Julius was afraid the scar on his cheek would detract from his good looks, but it actually adds a sort of rough charm to his face. The abandoned house, with its overgrown lawn and broken windows, DETRACTS from the beauty of the neighborhood. Although that movie star is a fine actor, his unpleasant behavior in private life DETRACTS from my admiration of him.

Disdain: an attitude or feeling of contempt; scorn.

Disdainful

Synonyms: contempt, condescension, disregard, haughty Antonyms: respect My respect for Eloise turned to DISDAIN when I learned how she earns such great grades. She buys ready-written term papers and puts her own name on them. The sentence suggests that "disdain" means the opposite of "respect." "Disdain" means "an attitude of contempt," as in: The French restaurant became unpopular because the waiters treated customers with disdain. They looked down on diners who couldn't read the French menu. Most vegetarians have a respectful attitude toward others, but Sean looks down with DISDAIN at anyone who eats meat. The cat’s DISDAIN for the new puppy was obvious. When he tried to play with her she gave him one scornful glance, then stalked out of the room.

Divulgement

Divulge: to reveal; make known.

Synonyms: reveal, tell, disclose, make known, expose Antonyms: When a stolen watch was returned in our classroom, the teacher refused to DIVULGE the thief’s name, saying only that he or she had learned a lesson. The teacher probably felt that the thief had made amends and had learned a valuable lesson, so there was no reason to punish the thief further by revealing his or her name. "Divulge" means "to reveal," as in: The entertainers Eva and Zsa Zsa Gabor have always refused to divulge their ages. We couldn’t wait for the last episode in the TV series. Would Pearl finally DIVULGE her father’s identity? Or would it forever remain a secret? For years I have begged the chef at my favorite restaurant to share his recipe for lasagna. He only smiles and says, “That recipe is one I will never DIVULGE.”

Elation: a feeling of great joy or pride.

Elative

Synonyms: ecstasy, joy, delight, excitement,   Antonyms: depression, desolation I feel sorry for parents who don’t go to their children’s sports events. Although the games might be scheduled at inconvenient times for them, the ELATION of seeing their sons’ and daughters’ triumphs is worth any discomfort. Parents who watch their children’s triumphs would experience great joy and pride. "Elation" means "a feeling of great joy or pride," as in: The home team's fans went wild with elation when one of their players sank the winning shot with one second left on the clock. Janet’s ELATION at finding a hundred-dollar bill turned to disappointment when she realized it was a fake. When he returned from the interview, no one had to ask Ray if he had gotten the job. ELATION was written all over his smiling face.

Endowment

Endow: to provide with a talent or quality.

Synonyms: award, donate, bestow, give, provide, grant Antonyms: In my opinion, Paul Newman is ENDOWED with the kind of attractiveness that just keeps getting better as he gets older. The speaker feels that Paul Newman is provided with a quality of attractiveness that improves with age. "Endow" means "to provide with a talent or quality," as in: Dolphins are endowed with great intelligence. Many lizards are ENDOWED with a special ability to escape capture. If something catches their tails, the tails simply fall off. Thomas Jefferson is an example of a person ENDOWED with many talents. He was not only a U.S. president, but also an inventor, architect, scientist, and writer.

Expulsion: the act or condition of being forced to leave.

Expulsive

Expulse

Synonyms: dismiss, removal, ejection, discharge throwing out, kicking out Antonyms: admittance In our school, wearing a very short skirt can result in EXPULSION. Students aren't allowed back to school without a note from a parent. Students can be dismissed from that school for wearing too-short skirts. "Expulsion" means "the act of being sent away," as in: Other theatergoers applauded the expulsion of the gang of wild and noisy kids from the movie theater. God punishes Adam and Eve by sending them out of the Garden of Eden. God uses EXPULSION as punishment for their disobedience. After the EXPULSION of the loud, inconsiderate fans at the baseball game, other fans sitting nearby cheered.

Mortification

Mortified

Mortify: to humiliate or embarrass

Synonyms: degrade, humiliate, embarrass, shame, take down Antonyms: I think of myself as a respectable, mature adult now, so I was MORTIFIED to run into someone who knew me as the foul-mouthed bully I was in high school. The speaker was embarrassed to run into someone who remembered him as a foul-mouthed bully. "Mortify" means "to humiliate or embarrass," as in: It mortified poor Owen when his voice cracked during his choir solo. I was MORTIFIED when my mother brought out my baby photos to show to my date. The picture of me holding a toilet plunger and wearing a cowboy hat almost made me die of embarrassment. Uncle Horace truly thinks no one knows he wears a hairpiece. It would MORTIFY him if he realized how obvious it is.

Nullification

Nullified

Nullify: to make legally ineffective; cancel

Synonyms: invalidate, abolish, reverse, quash, cancel out Antonyms: validate Aurora had her marriage NULLIFIED when she learned that her husband, using various false names, was already married to fifteen other women. We can guess that Aurora would have had her marriage made legally ineffective. "Nullify" means "to cancel," as in: Jay's library card was nullified after he lost several books and ran up forty dollars in overdue fines. The judge formally NULLIFIED Nora’s marriage to Nick when her lawyer produced evidence that Nick had never divorced his previous wife. Owen donated his old car to a charity organization. To do so, he signed papers that NULLIFIED his claim to the car and made the organization the new legal owner.

Ominous:

Synonyms: threatening, warning, worrying, gloomy, unpromising, sinister, dangerous Antonyms: promising I know clowns are supposed to be pleasantly amusing, but to me they have an OMINOUS quality. Their painted faces and silence seem threatening to me. The sentence suggests that "ominous" and "threatening" mean the same thing. "Ominous" means "threatening evil or harm," as in: When the sore on Cheryl's leg refused to heal, the doctor encouraged her to have some tests done, saying it was ominous--a possible sign of cancer. A scary movie will often use OMINOUS music to increase the audience’s sense of dread. Concerned about the OMINOUS-looking man wandering up and down and street and peering in windows, several neighbors called the police.