VOCABULARY LESSON 16
APPEARANCES
WORD LIST
chicdebonairdisheveleddowdydrab
garbostentatiousrumpleunsightly veneer
The words in this lesson give you many options for describing appearances. Remember the old adage, “You can’t judge a book by its cover?”
- chic – in style
- Movie stars always seem to have chic outfits.
- debonair – sophisticated or charming
- The debonair waiter at the restaurant offered the woman a seat.
- disheveled – untidy or messy
- The teenager looked disheveled when he arrived to school.
- dowdy – shabby or old-fashioned
- My aunt’s dress looked out-dated and dowdy.
- drab – faded or dull
- The old bedspread looked drab against the new red pillows.
- garb - clothing
- The nurse was garbed in scrubs and sneakers.
- ostentatious – trying to impress; showy
- The ostentatious actress wore huge diamonds on her fingers.
- rumple – to crease or wrinkle
- The dress I wore to the dinner was rumpled by the end of the evening.
- unsightly – unpleasant to look at
- The messy room was unsightly to look at.
- veneer – thin cover layer
- The table was covered with a thin veneer of wood to make it look presentable.
COMPLETE THE SENTENCE
Write the letter of the word that best completes each sentence.
___1. People at the prom admired Shiela’s_____dress.
a. disheveledb. garbc. chicd. veneer
___2. The audience was alarmed when they saw the young actress in a dress that was old-fashioned or_____.
a. dowdyb. chicc. disheveledd. garbed
___3. The woman’s smile was just a _____; she was really hurting inside.
a. debonairb. rumpledc. chicd. veneer
___4. I was shocked when I saw my friend, who normally dresses very plainly, in a very expensive and_____ pair of boots.
a. ostentatious b. unsightlyc. rumpledd. drab
___5. The bookbag was _____, but could carry more weight than the standard bookbags.
a. debonairb. chicc. ostentatiousd. unsightly
___6. Some actors in the movies often portray_____gentlemen.
a. unsightlyb. rumpledc. debonaird. dowdy
___7. After the storm, the whole city seemed_____.
a. chicb. drabc. debonaird. dowdy
___8. My son’s clothes were piled in a heap on the floor, and were_____.
a. rumpledb. chicc. veneeredd. ostentatious
___9. After a bad night’s sleep, she woke up with_____hair.
a. chicb. dowdyc. disheveledd. debonair
___10. The people at the Renaissance Fair______themselves in authentic clothing from the Middle Ages.
a. disheveledb. rumpledc. garbedd. dowdy
WRITE THE CORRECT WORD
______1. old fashioned and shabby
______2. a thin cover layer
______3. stylish
______4. clothing
______5. to wrinkle
______6. charming and sophisticated
______7. messy
______8. ugly
______9.dull
______10. showy; meant to impress
FIND THE EXAMPLE
Choose the answer that best describes the action or situation.
_____1. To avoid being disheveled I would
a. go on vacationb. sleep on a planec. brush my hair
_____2. Something that would be ostentatious at a child’s birthday party
a. a firework’s displayb. party favors c. games
_____3. Some people might consider this a drab color
a. yellowb. redc. brown
_____4. Someone whose garb includes tap shoes
a. an engineerb. a teacherc. a dancer
_____5. Someone who is debonair might
a. text and drive b. bow when meeting a woman c. not shave
_____6. If you don’t want to have your clothes looked rumpled you might
a. bleach themb. iron themc. throw them on the floor
_____7. Something a chic person might watch on TV
a. a fashion show b. soap operasc. game shows
_____8. Something you might use as a veneer if you don’t want people to know you are sad
a. tearsb. a smilec. money