Unit 11
vital (adj)
necessary to life
Having its mother's milk was vital to the kitten's survival.
Synonyms: essential, critical
arid (adj)
extremely dry
The farmland was so arid that no crops could grow.
Antonyms: wet, moist
accommodate (verb)
1. to do a favor or service for
2. to hold comfortably without crowding
1. We made burgers, but also veggie burgers to accommodate the vegetarians.
2. The bus accommodates 50 passengers.
Other forms: The word accommodation (noun) can mean both the act of accommodating and also a place to stay like a hotel or lodge.
swarm (verb)
to move or gather in large numbers (as with bees)
The kids on my block swarmed to the ice cream truck last night.
Other forms: A swarm (noun) also means "a large number of insects moving together," and is
especially used to describe bees.
leeway (noun)
extra time, space or materials to work with, or a bit of freedom
My parents are very relaxed, so they gave us plenty of leeway when it came to building a tree house.
Synonyms: flexibility
cordial (adj)
friendly and warm
She gave me a cordial greeting when I got off the plane.
Antonyms: cold, distant
commend (verb)
to congratulate or praise
Makela, I must commend you for a job well done.
Antonyms: to insult, to diss
Other forms: A commendable (adj) job is one that is worthy of praise and may receive a commendation(noun).
compact (adj)
dense, solid or packed together
The doughnuts were so compact in the box that their powdered sugar was coming off.
plummet (verb)
to fall straight down
The skydiver was going to plummet from the plane and land on the top of a hotel in Las Vegas.
Synonyms: to plunge, drop
Antonyms: to ascend, increase, rise
stationary (adj)
standing still, not moving
The gym had lots of stationary bikes; even though you didn't go anywhere, you got a good
workout.
declare (verb)
to make known officially; to announce
After hearing how children were being treated in African mines, Ed declared that he was against buying diamonds.
Synonyms: to pronounce, to state
Other forms: If you declare something, you make a declaration (noun).
transport (verb)
to carry or move from one place to another
The ferry transported the new cars from maker to seller.
Synonyms: to carry, convey
Other forms: Transport can also be a noun, meaning "a vehicle that carries something, especially a plane or ship."
knack (noun)
a clever skill, or a special way of doing something
David had a knack for computer programming; he had been doing it since he was six.
blunder (noun)
a careless mistake
It was quite a blunder when the principal cancelled school because he thought there would be a snowstorm: not a single snowflake fell.
Synonyms: error, slip-up
Other forms: Blunder is also a verb meaning "to make a mistake," as in: The announcer blundered the names of the musicians in the performance; he couldn't pronounce any of them.
soothe (verb)
to calm or comfort (someone); to ease or relieve pain
Applying fresh aloe vera can soothe a sunburn.
Antonyms: to upset
Other forms: Something that soothes can be soothing (adj), like a mother's voice to a baby.