ABSCOND #1. (V)
Context: The thief absconded into the darkness on the stolen scooter.
Defined: to leave hurriedly & secretly to avoid detection, to run away, bolt, escape, flee, make a break for it, vamoose
2 Synonyms: _A_ I S_ - Vanish
S_ E _ _ DD_E - Skedaddle
Write a short paragraph (3-5 sent.) about someone/something who/that absconded, absconds, or is absconding.
USURP #2. (V.)
Context: Richard usurped the throne from King
George.
Defined: seize, take over, take possession of, take (a position of power or importance) illegally or by force
2 Synonyms: O__ S__ - Oust
O__ER__ __ RO__ - Overthrow
EPITOME #3. (N.)
Context: Cary Grant was the epitome of style, charm, and wit as a leading man in movies.
Defined: a person or thing that is a perfect example of a particular quality or type; embodiment, paradigm, model, archetype
2 Synonyms: ES__ __ N_E - Essence
E_ _ _P _ E - Example
Write the epitome of something in your notebook.
E.g. great ice cream Sebastian Joe’s Pavarotti
EUPHORIC #4. (ADJ.)
Context: The Olympians received a euphoric welcome home.
Defined: feeling intense excitement or happiness, elated, blissful, joyful, ecstatic, on cloud nine, over the moon, on top of the world
Describe a time when you had a euphoric feeling.
SCINTILLATING #5. (ADJ.)
Context: The ice skater’s scintillating rhinestone costume nearly blinded the judges.
Defined: sparkling or shining brightly, glittering, glistening; brilliantly and excitingly clever or skillful (E.g. scintillating wit)
2 Antonyms: __ __ L __ - Dull
__O __ __ N __ - Boring
WIZENED #6. (Adj.)
Context: Their wizened faces said much about the hard lives they had endured.
Defined: shriveled or wrinkled with age, lined, creased, withered, weather-beaten, shrunken, gnarled, aged
List three nouns the adj. wizened could describe.
ZEPHYR #7. (N.)
Context: A summer zephyr gently stirred her hair as she walked through the meadow.
Defined: a soft, gentle breeze
Origin: Greek zephuros ‘god of the west wind’
NEBULOUS #8. (ADJ.)
Context: Presidential candidates need to be specific and not just talk about nebulous ideas if I’m going to vote for them.
Defined: vague, cloudy, hazy, unclear, fuzzy, ill-defined, ambiguous
Origin: Latin nebula ‘mist’
SERENE #9. (ADJ.)
Context: Max stood in front of Mona Lisa, puzzling over the famous woman’s serene smile.
Defined: 1-calm, untroubled, peaceful, tranquil, at ease
Antonym: A _ _T__ __ED - Agitated
2-serene valleys: peaceful, quiet, undisturbed, still, placid
Antonym: T__R_ __L __ __ T – Turbulent
DERELICT #10. (ADJ.)
Context: Even though it was dangerous, the children enjoyed going to the deserted lot and playing in the derelict house.
Defined: abandoned, run-down, in a very poor condition as a result of disuse or neglect, rickety
2 Synonyms: D__LA __ __D__ __ __D - Dilapidated
R__ __S__ A__K__ __ - Ramshackle
EPHEMERAL #11. (ADJ.)
Context: Be careful with being too caught up in wearing trendy clothes because fashions are ephemeral.
Defined: lasting for a very short time, fleeting, brief, temporary, short-lived
1 Antonym: P__ __ M__ __ E_T - Permanent
1 Synonym: E__ __ NE__ __ __ __T – Evanescent
BEHEMOTH #12. (N.)
Context: The new aircraft carrier is among several behemoths that the Navy has added to its fleet.
Defined: 1-something of tremendous power & size, enormous, esp. a big & powerful organization
2-a huge or monstrous creature
Origin: Hebrew behemot means “beast”
List 2 companies who are behemoths.
ABATE #13. (V.)
Context: The rain poured down for a while, then abated.
Defined: to reduce, lessen, subside, ebb, diminish, wane, dwindle
1 Antonym: I_ _ E _ S _ F_ - Intensify
MALEVOLENT #14. (ADJ.)
Context: The malevolent old man sat in the park all day, tripping unsuspecting passersby with his cane.
Defined: wanting harm to befall others, malicious, hostile, evil-minded, vindictive
1 Antonym: _ __N__V__ __ EN__ - Benevolent
Origin: Latin malevolent ‘wishing evil’
VEX #15. (V.)
Context: My little brother vexes me by poking me in the ribs on road trips.
Defined: to confuse or annoy, irritate or anger, antagonize, irk, get on someone’s nerves, ruffle someone’s feathers, rattle someone’s cage, peeve or miff
LANGUID #16. (ADJ.)
Context: In the summer months, the great heat makes people languid and lazy.
Defined: sluggish from fatigue or weakness, relaxed, unhurried, lazy
2 Synonyms: _ E _ _ AR _ _ C - Lethargic
S_ _ _ - Slow
WILY #17. (ADJ.)
Context: Wile E. Coyote is probably one of Warner Bros. most famous wily characters because he is so sly and crafty.
Defined: shrewd, clever, sharp-witted, cunning, scheming, tricky
1 Synonym : _ E _ IO _ S - devious
SCRUPULOUS #18. (ADJ.)
Context: With scrupulous care, Sam cut a snowflake out of white paper.
Defined: 1-painstaking, careful, diligent, thorough, extremely attentive to details
2-very concerned to avoid doing wrong, honest
1 Antonym: C __ R __ __ __ S __ - Careless
1 Synonym: M_T __ __ U __ __ US - Meticulous
IRIDESCENT #19. (ADJ.)
Context: The crystal hanging in the window was iridescent in the afternoon sun.
Defined: showing luminous, rainbow colors that seem to change from different angles, shimmering, sparkling, scintillating
Draw ROY G. BIV
Origin: Latin ‘iris’ or ‘irid’ = rainbow
INSOLENT #20. (ADJ.)
Context: That celebrity is so insolent, making fun of his fans right to their faces.
Defined: rude, arrogant, overbearing, disrespectful, impertinent, fresh, lippy, pert, saucy, sassy, smart-alecky
1 Antonym: P__L__ __ E - Polite
ATROPHY #21. (V.)
Context: If muscles do not have enough blood, they will soon atrophy and die.
Defined: to writhe away, to decay, to waste away, to wither, to deteriorate
2 Antyonms: ST__ __N__TH__ __ - Strengthen
F__ __ UR__SH - Flourish
INNOCUOUS #22. (ADJ)
Context: Don’s illness seemed innocuous at first, but it steadily became worse until his life was in danger.
Defined: 1-not harmful, safe, non-toxic, innocent, edible 2-harmless, mild, anodyne
Origin: Latin ‘in’ –not
‘nocuus’ –injurious
NEFARIOUS #23. (ADJ.)
Context: Count Olaf is a nefarious character in Lemony Snicket’s books.
Defined: very wicked, villainous, evil, vile, despicable, criminal, monstrous, malevolent
2 Syns: DI__ __OL__CA__ - Diabolical
H__ I__OU__ - Heinous
RAZE #24. (V.)
Context: Much of San Francisco was razed in the fire of 1906.
Defined: destroy completely (building, town, site), efface, tear down, demolish, bull doze
Write 2 of your own synonyms for raze.
1—
2—
CRYPTIC #25. (ADJ.)
Context: The historian believed he had found a cryptic message buried in the old text.
Defined: mysterious, enigmatic, hidden, secret, clandestine
1 Antonym: C__EA__ - CLEAR
What are some things that can be cryptic?
AMOK #26. (ADV.)
Context: The goblins ran amok and tried to terrify all the children.
Defined: behave wildly, disregard rules and instructions, mad with desire to attack, go berserk
ANTECEDENT #27. (N.)
Context: Some antecedents to the African novel might exist in Africa’s oral tradition.
Defined: Something that came before
--ancestors
--preceding in time or order
--in math: first term in a ratio
E.g. Find the antecedent to the pronoun “his” in the sentence. Jason ate his waffles.
Latin & Old French: ante ‘before’ + cedere ‘go’
DUBIOUS #28. (ADJ.)
Context: Dubious lending practices have led to our current economic crisis.
Defined: suspicious, questionable, uncertain, doubtful, unreliable, iffy
2 Syns: SH__ __ Y - SHIFTY
F__S__Y - FISHY
AUSTERE #29. (ADJ.)
Context: I enjoy the austere beauty of the Arizona desert.
Defined: stern, severely simple, unornamented, unforgiving, aloof, stark
2 Syns: U_ _ U _SY - UNFUSSY
SO__ __ MN - SOLEMN
VIRTUOSO #30. (N.)
Context: Jimi Hendrix was a guitar virtuoso who developed a new style of playing that still influences musicians today.
Defined: highly skilled artist or musician, expert, master, accomplished, adept, prodigy
1 Antonym: B_ _ I _ N _ _ - BEGINNER
SERPENTINE #31. (ADJ.)
Context: The serpentine path wound down the rocky mountainside toward the beach.
Defined: 1—serpentlike or snakelike; 2—winding, twisty, zigzag, meandering; 3—complicated, confusing, baffling
1 Antonym: S__R__ __G__ __ - STRAIGHT
Draw a serpentine path.
SKIRMISH #32. (N.)
Context: There was a skirmish over the budget.
Defined: argument, quarrel, fight, clash, conflict, dispute
2 Synonyms: SP__ __ - SPAT
T__F__ - TIFT
JUXTAPOSE #33. (V.)
Context: Eve Merriam’s “Willow and Ginkgo” poem juxtaposes willow trees and ginkgo trees.
Defined: place side by side, compare, contrast, place close together for contrasting effect
Origin: Latin ‘juxta’ next + French ‘poser’ to place
CACOPHONY #34. (N.)
Context: Despite the cacophony of three deafening alarm clocks, Max slept on.
Defined: harsh, displeasing noises, racket, dissonance, uproar
2 Syns: C__AM__ __ - CLAMOR
DIS__ __ __ __ - DISCORD
Origin: Greek kakos ‘bad’ + phone ‘sound’
MISNOMER #35. (N.)
Context: Scientists say “killer whale” is a misnomer for what is one of the gentlest marine creatures known to humans.
Defined: wrong or inaccurate name/label; wrong use of a name, MISNAME
UMBRAGE #36. (N.)
Context: She was insolent, and he took umbrage at her remarks.
Defined: take offense, be annoyed, be insulted, be angry
Origin: Latin ‘umbra’ shadow
E.g. Dolores Umbridge is the epitome of a shadowy and annoying character in Harry Potter’s The Order of the Phoenix.
OBLITERATE #37. (V)
Context: The meteor was obliterated when it collided with the moon.
Defined: destroy completely, wipe out or erase, eliminate, eradicate
2 Syns: __ __ __ __ E - ERASE
E__ __ AC__ - EFFACE
ROBUST #38. (ADJ)
Context: A heavy weight boxer must be robust enough to withstand the extremely hard punches of his opponents.
Defined: strong and healthy, vigorous, sturdy, tough, solid
Origin: Latin ‘robur’ = oak, strength
DESTITUTE #39. (ADJ.)
Context: The hurricane destroyed many homes and left many families destitute.
Defined: impoverished, utterly lacking, penniless, poor, without the basic necessities of life
1 Antonym: R __ __ __ - RICH
ONEROUS #40. (ADJ.)
Context: My parents lamented that the pleasures of living in a beautiful estate no longer outweighed the onerous payments.
Defined: burdensome, arduous, strenuous, oppressive, hard, severe
2 Syns: EX__ __ __ __ TING - EXACTING
FO__ __ ID__ BLE - FORMIDABLE
INCORRIGIBLE #41. (ADJ)
Context: The nicotine gum didn’t work. After sixty-five years of smoking, Grandma was incorrigible.
Defined: incapable of correction, delinquent, incurable, hopeless, chronic, habitual
1 Antonym: RE__ __ N __ ANT
ENNUI #42. (N)
Context: I feel such ennui that I don’t look forward to anything, not even my birthday party.
Defined: a feeling of dissatisfaction arising from a lack of occupation or excitement; boredom, weariness, depression
2 Syns: LE__ __ A__ __ Y
ME__ __ __CH__ __ Y
DEPLORE #43. (V)
Context: Many people deplore the showing of extreme violence on television.
Defined: feel or express strong disapproval of something; abhor, detest, frown on, find unacceptable, condemn
2 Antonyms: AP__ __ __U__
AD__ __R__
ASSUAGE #44. (V)
Context: The dying soldier’s pain was assuaged by the medicine the nurse gave him.
Defined: ease, lessen, relieve, soothe, diminish, subdue
2 Synonyms: A__A__E
QU__ __CH
LITHE #45. (ADJ)
Context: The dancers were outstanding, but Jae Sun’s control of her lithe body was the most impressive.
Defined: agile, graceful, limber, nimble, deft, flexible, willowy
1 Antonym: C__U__S__
SUBTERFUGE #46. (N)
Context: The Japanese’s subterfuge during World War II caused the Americans to lose the battle.
Defined: a statement or action used in order to deceive; trickery, deceit, deception, fraud, smokescreen
PENULTIMATE #47. (ADJ.)
Context: The penultimate chapter of the book was thrilling, and I couldn’t wait to finish it!
Defined: next to last, second to last
Origin: Latin paenultimus ‘almost’ + ‘last’
E.g. Lemony Snicket’s Penultimate Peril
VANGUARD #48. (N)
Context: They were destined to become the vanguard of space exploration.
Defined: group of people leading the way in new developments or ideas, forefront, lead, cutting edge, avant-garde, founders, pioneers, trailblazers, trendsetters
2 Antonyms: R__ __ R
F__L__ __ __ER_
FETTER #49. (V)
Context: The dog was fettered to the parking meter.
Defined: to chain, restrain, shackle, restrict, limit, obstruct, inhibit
2 Synonyms: H__ __DER
HA__ __ER
DEBACLE #50! (N.)
Context: The wedding was a debacle! The band fell into the cake and the bride’s dress caught on fire.
Defined: a sudden and disgraceful failure, a fiasco, catastrophe, disaster, mess, downfall, collapse
2 Synonyms: R_ _ _
C _ L _ _ I _ Y
CORROSIVE #51. (ADJ)
Context: The chemical is highly corrosive.
Defined: having the tendency to erode or eat away, erosive, abrasive, damaging, harmful, harsh
Origin: Latin corrosivus “gnawed through”
ESPOUSE #52. (V.)
Context: Do you espouse the political beliefs of your parents?
Defined: to take up as a cause, adopt, embrace, accept, support, champion, favor, encourage, promote, endorse, advocate.
1 Antonym: R_ _ E _ _
BILK #53. (V.)
Context: The lawyer discovered that his firm had bilked several clients out of thousands of dollars.
Defined: cheat, defraud; obtain or withhold money by deceit or without justification
1 Synonym: S_ _ N _ _ E
VIGILANT #54. (ADJ.)
Context: The guards remained vigilant throughout the night, but the enemy never launched the expected attack.
Defined: watchful, alert; keeping careful watch for possible danger or difficulties
Origin: Latin ‘vigilantia’ “keeping awake” “watchfulness”
DEARTH #55. (N)
Context: The dearth of food in the Netherlands during WWII caused many of the residents to nearly starve to death.
Defined: lack, scarcity, shortage, deficiency, insufficiency, rareness
1 Syn: SP__R__ __NE__ __
EKE #56. (V.)
Context: Mr. Compton eked out a living as a farmer even though the economic times were tough.
Defined: survive, scrape by, make ends meet, be thrifty, use sparingly
1 Ant: S__U__ __DER
IRASCIBLE #57. (ADJ.)
Context: At the smallest provocation, my irascible cat will begin scratching and clawing.
Defined: easily angered, irritable, hot-tempered, testy, edgy, petulant, crabby, surly, grouchy, grumpy, cranky, curmudgeonly
2 Syns: CAN__ __ __K__ ROU__
CR__ __T__
WISTFUL #58. (ADJ.)
Context: Since her pet rabbit died, Edda missed it terribly and sat around wistful all day long.
Defined: full of yearning, nostalgic, longing; regretful, melancholy, mournful; reflective, contemplative
DEBUNK #59. (V.)
Context: Even the most successful hoax will eventually be debunked.
Defined: expose the falseness of a myth, idea, or belief; discredit, invalidate, negate, call into question
1 Antonym: C__N__ __R__
ABET #60. (V.)
Context: The spy succeeded only because he had a friend on the inside to abet him.
Defined: 1—to aid, help, encourage, collaborate, cooperate 2—to assist (someone) to do something wrong, in particular, to commit a crime
AUSPICIOUS #61. (ADJ.)
Context: The bride’s father thanked the guests for joining his family on the auspicious occasion of his daughter’s wedding.
Defined: favorable, promising, rosy, good, encouraging; opportune, timely, fortunate
IOTA #62. (N.)
Context: Nothing she said made an iota of difference.
Defined: bit, speck, mite, scrap, shred, ounce, jot, smidge
Origin: Greek; it’s the 9th & smallest letter of the Greek alphabet
BENIGN #63. (ADJ.)
Context: 1—Her face was calm and benign.
2—The tumor was benign and not cancerous.
Defined: 1—good-natured, friendly, affectionate, tenderhearted, gentle, compassionate, caring, benevolent; 2—harmless, nonmalignant