Unit 7A Vocabulary Words
Abhor (uh-bore) (verb): to hate deeply; to regard with horror or loathing
If you abhor something, you don’t just dislike it—you absolutely hate it. Only use this word when you are referring to something that you truly cannot stand. For example, since I am a Cardinals fan, I absolutely abhor the Seattle Seahawks because they are our division rivals.
Amend (uh-mend) (verb): to change in a formal way; to change for the better
When you amend something, you are changing it or modifying it in order to make it better. The first ten Amendments to the United States Constitution are called the Bill of Rights; they were formal changes that were made to the original Constitution in order to improve it. Since then, several other amendments have been made as well, such as the 19th Amendment which gave women the right to vote.
Vehement (vee-hih-ment) (adjective): intense, forceful, powerful
You might be opposed to certain things (like eating your vegetables), but when you are vehemently opposed to something, your feelings are far more intense and powerful. Some teachers are vehemently opposed to giving extra credit, because they see it as giving students an excuse to be lazy on other assignments.
Complacent (come-play-sint) (adjective): a feeling of being satisfied with how things are and not wanting to try to make them better; showing smug or uncritical satisfaction with oneself or one's achievements.
If you are complacent about something, you are unwilling to admit that it might need to be changed. Typically, complacency is not something to be proud of; we should always be willing to examine ourselves and our circumstances to determine if we can make them better. People who are complacent tend to stick to the status quo; they aren’t interested in making changes because they think things are fine the way they are (even when they clearly are not).
Corrosive (coh-row-sive) (adjective): eating away gradually, acid-like; bitterly sarcastic
Rampant means wild, out of control, to be up on your hind legs roaring at the world. You don't have to be four-legged: "The children ran rampant at the supermarket even though their mother tried to control them."
If you're running rampant, you're on a rampage. Both come from the French word ramper meaning "to climb, creep" like an animal on hind legs, paws in climbing-mode, or like wild plants such as the kudzu that ran rampant over an old barn until the entire thing was covered. There can also be rampant wildfires that destroy houses in the Southwest, or robots that run rampant in the lab after the janitor accidentally sets them free.
Solace (sawl-iss) (noun) comfort, relief
If something eases your disappointment or grief, consider it a solace. If you're sad, you might find solace in music or in talking to your friends.
It is no surprise that consolation and solace are similar in meaning as they share a root in the Latin verb sōlārī "to comfort." In fact, solace, consolation and comfort are synonyms meaning relief from grief or disappointment. When you go to sleep-over camp, your parents will miss you, but they'll find solace in knowing that you are having fun.
Stately (state-ly) (adjective): impressive in appearance
To be stately is to appear noble and impressive, almost in a larger than life kind of way. You may encounter a stately gentleman or a stately statue. If you do, take a little bow.
There are a few meanings of stately, but they both refer to people and things that have an impressive bearing. The first meaning has to do with nobility and class. A ceremony honoring a prince is stately, and the music and dress surrounding such events are stately. Stately things convey sophistication and regality. Also, stately can mean statuesque. Someone with great posture and an impressive physique is stately, almost as if they were made by a sculptor.
Supple (supp-ul) (adjective): bending and moving with ease
Something or someone that is supple bends and moves easily, like a contortionist at a circus sideshow. If you can wrap your legs around your neck, you most likely have a supple body.
Supple is often used as an adjective describing a body — such as a dancer’s; a fabric — such as soft leather; or a sound — such as an accomplished singer’s voice. This makes for a strange supple family, but all of its members can move with ease and flexibility. More idiomatically, supple can also be used to describe a mind. In this sense, it does not mean “easily brainwashed,” but has a more positive association with the open-mindedness of free-thinkers.
Suppress (sup-press) (verb): to forcibly stop or hold back
To suppress something means to curb, inhibit, or even stop it. If the sound of your boss moving in his chair sounds like gas, you’re going to have to learn how to suppress your giggles.
In the strictest sense, suppress means to put an end to something by force, like a government that suppresses the right to free speech by shutting down the newspapers or the military suppressing an uprising by rebel forces. But we also use suppress in less serious terms to describe an attempt to muffle or stifle something, such as suppressing a sneeze in a quiet theater or suppressing your true emotions to not cause a teary scene.
Venal (vee-null) (adjective): capable of being bribed or corrupted
Someone with venal motives is corrupt and maybe a little evil. Nobody wants to be thought of as venal.
Venal actions include taking bribes, giving jobs to your friends, and cheating. Venal means about the same thing as "corrupt" or "corruptible." Venal people are considered sleazy and untrustworthy. They're often criminals. No one is perfect, and most of us have venal motives at some point.