400 Words for TOEFL (Unknown ones) Flashcards
irrigation
The supplying of water to dry land
In dry areas of the country, you can see ditches all over the farm- land for irrigation.
precipitation
Water that falls to the Earth’s surface
famine
Severe hunger; a drastic food shortage
persevere
To keep going, despite obstacles or discouragement; to maintain a purpose
plunge
To go down suddenly; to decrease by a great amount in a short time
constraint
Something that restricts thought or action
The constraints of military life kept Eileen from seeing Private Mor- ris more than once a month.
deplete
To greatly decrease the supply of a resource or material The prolonged war depleted the country’s national treasury
dispose of
To throw away; to get rid of; to kill
She disposed of her unwanted possessions before moving. The tyrant cruelly disposed of all his enemies.
elementally
In terms of elements; basically Elementally, coal and diamonds are the same.
arbitrary
Chosen simply by whim or chance, not for any specific
reason. The decision to build a school in Blackberry Township was
arbitrary, without any thought to future housing patterns.
denominator
The number written below the line in a fraction In the fraction 1⁄2, the number 2 is the denominator.
Usage tips The phrase lowest common denominator means “the most basic and unsophisticated things that most people share.”
infinitesimal
Immeasurably small
The number of contaminants in the water was infinitesimal, so the water was safe to drink.
rate
The cost per unit of a good or service; the motion or change that happens in a certain time.
Postal rates in Japan are among the highest in the world.
adjacent
Next to
Even though the villages are adjacent to each other, their residents
speak different languages.
feasibly
Practically; in a way that can work
Scientists can’t feasibly bring energy from deep ocean currents to
where it is needed—on land.
gut
To empty or hollow out
In order to remodel the house, we must first gut it and throw away
all the old fixtures.
integrally
In a whole or complete manner
Writing and spelling are taught integrally as part of the reading program.
retain
To keep or hold
The rain fell so heavily that the banks of the river could not retain all the water.
seep
To pass slowly for a long time, as a liquid or gas might
As the containers rusted, the toxic waste seeped into the ground
circulate
To move throughout an area or group; to move along a
somewhat circular route
The gossip circulated quickly through the small town
corrode
To be slowly weakened by chemical reactions
Sitting in salt water, the old coins corroded and became very easy to
break.
derive
To come from, usually through a long, slow process The Cyrillic alphabet was derived from the Greek alphabet
detection
Discovering something that cannot easily be found With new medical technology, the detection of cancer is much easier
nowadays.
expeditiously
Quickly and efficiently
Using carrier pigeons, the military commanders exchanged mes-
sages expeditiously.
combustion
The process of burning
When air quality is poor, combustion of materials in a fireplace is
prohibited.
convey
To transport from one place to another; to transmit or make
known
A messenger conveyed the prince’s letter to the commander of the army.
discretely
Separately; distinctly
In order to understand how the engine worked, each component needed to be studied discretely.
nucleus
A central or essential part around which other parts are
gathered; a core
The nucleus of many European cities is the town square.
permeate
Tospreadorflowthroughout;topassthroughorpenetrate The smell of cooking permeated the entire apartment building.
acquisition
The act of taking possession of something
Our recent acquisition of over 2,000 books makes ours the biggest
library in the region.
anomaly
Something unusual
White tigers get their beautiful coloring from a genetic anomaly
consciously
With awareness of one’s actions
He may have hurt her feelings, but he never would have done so
consciously.
recede
To move back or away from
After the age of 30, his hairline began to recede further back from his forehead
retrieve
To bring or get back
Most dogs can be trained to retrieve objects that their owners have thrown
agnostic
Believing that humans cannot know whether there is
a god
His devoutly Christian parents had problems with his agnostic beliefs.
animism
The belief that natural objects, such as trees, have souls
Desert cultures that practice animism often believe that winds con- tain spirits.
be inclined to
To favor an opinion or a course of action
He couldn’t say which candidate he favored, but he had always
been inclined to vote Republican.
deify
To worship as a god
When people deify the leader of their country, the leader is able to
abuse power more easily.
ecclesiastical
Relating to a church
He was looking specifically for a university where he could study
ecclesiastical history.
exalt
To praise or honor
He would often exalt the virtues of his new wife.
pious
Having or exhibiting religious reverence
Sometimes she was so pious that the rest of us felt like heathens.
aggravate
To make worse; to anger or intensify Running will aggravate your sore knees.
decrepit
Weakened or worn out because of age, illness, or exces-
sive use
The once-beautiful building was now dirty, decrepit, and roofless.
fatally
Causing death or disaster
The soldier was fatally wounded in the battle.
forensics
The use of science and technology to investigate facts in criminal cases
Advances in the study of forensics have made it much easier to identify criminals from very small traces of evidence.
persist
To continue to exist; to hold to a purpose, despite any
obstacle
If your symptoms persist, you should go see a doctor.
vein
Any of the tubes that form a branching system, especially those
that carry blood to the heart
She became fascinated with human anatomy, especially when she
learned how veins transport oxygen.
anesthesia
Techniques for reducing sensation and feeling, especially
to control pain
The Civil War was the first American war when anesthesia was widely used in surgery on soldiers.
augment
To make bigger or better by adding to
In some types of popular cosmetic surgery people augment parts of
their bodies.
The college augmented its course offerings because students com- plained that there were too few choices.
certifiably
In a manner that is officially recognized
He couldn’t be institutionalized until he was declared certifiably
insane.
inject
To insert a liquid by means of a syringe
The doctor used a needle to inject the medicine slowly into her arm.
obese
Excessively overweight
More Americans are obese now because U.S. culture encourages overeating and discourages exercise.
procedure
A specific way of performing or doing something
The flight attendant explained the emergency evacuation
procedure.
divination
Foretelling the future by finding patterns in physical
objects
In Turkey, women offer divinations by reading the dregs from a cof- fee cup.
haunt
To continually appear (in the form of a ghost) in the same
place or to the same person
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Ghosts 61
Some say the ghost of Princess Hilda haunts this castle, appearing as a headless form while she plays the piano.
dreg
Abschaum, Bodensatz
horror
Strong fear mixed with disgust
On Halloween night, all the horror movies were rented out.
intermediary
Acting as an agent between people or things
The plaintiff’s lawyer suggested that they hire an intermediary to help them discuss their case.
plaintiff
Kläger
self-perpetuating
Having the power to renew oneself for an in-
definite period of time
It is difficult to escape from a lie, as they are often self-perpetuating.
psychic
Relating to the supposed ability of the human mind to sense things that cannot be observed
The governor’s assistant claimed to have unique psychic abilities enabling him to read people’s minds.
assimilate
To consume and incorporate; to become similar
Not all of the overseas students could assimilate into the rigidly controlled school.
cremation
The act of burning the dead
Cremation is particularly common in Japan, where land for burial is
very limited.
domesticate
To make something suitable for being in a home The Barnes family hoped to domesticate the tiger, but their neigh-
bors were skeptical.
fossilize
Tobecomepreservedinclayorstoneorashafterdeath,so that a natural record is left of the original organism; to become rigid and stuck in old ways
relic
Something left from a long-ago culture, time period, or person Relics of the war can still be found in the sand dunes along this
shore.
rite
A ceremony meant to achieve a certain purpose
Many cultures have fertility rites that supposedly make it more likely for women to bear children.
ritually
As part of a traditional ceremony or habit
The children ritually kissed their parents on the cheek before bed
saga
A long story about important events long ago
Many American families tell sagas about their ancestors’ arrival in the United States.
vestige
A visible trace that something once existed
The wilted flowers were the only vestige of their romantic weekend.
amend
To change for the better
The residents voted to amend their neighborhood policy on fences
biased
Leaning unfairly in one direction
Her newspaper article was criticized for being heavily biased toward the mayor’s proposal.
burden
Something that is carried; a source of stress or worry
The donkey walked slowly under the burden of its heavy load.
The failing company faced the burden of bad debts and a poor reputation.
counter
To act in opposition to; to offer in response
The hockey player countered the punch with a smashing blow from
his hockey stick.
Jane countered every accusation with a specific example of her achievements.
de facto
Truly doing a job, even if not officially
Popular support established the Citizens Party as the de facto government.
discriminate
To choose carefully among options
The governor wisely discriminated between urgent issues and those that could wait.
notion
A belief; a fanciful impulse
The notion that older office equipment is unreliable is inaccurate. One morning, she suddenly took the notion to paint her kitchen red
oppress
To keep down by force; to weigh heavily on
Factory management oppressed workers through intimidation.
paradigm
A pattern or model; a set of assumptions
The usual paradigm for economic growth in developed countries does not apply to some poor nations.
prejudiced
Causing to judge prematurely and unfairly
Many consumers are prejudiced against commercial goods made in
third-world countries.
distinctly
Clearly
I distinctly remember saying that we would meet at noon.
erudite
Highly educated
Even though Stella was only a freshman, she was considered erudite by both her classmates and her professors.
fortify
To strengthen
The high-priced drink had extra vitamins and minerals to fortify
the body.
implicitly
Without being stated; unquestioningly
By joining the competition, she agreed implicitly to the rules.
parochial
Restricted in outlook; relating to the local parish
Marla moved from her rural community to get away from its parochial thinking.
rigor
Strictness; difficult situations that come from following rules strictly
The wrestler followed his diet with rigor.
The rigors of military life toughened the young men quickly.
roster
A list, especially of names
Two of the names on the roster were misspelled.
secular
Worldly rather than spiritual; not related to religion Few private schools in the United States are secular.
suspend
To cause to stop for a period; to hang as to allow free movement
The trial was suspended when the judge learned that one of the jury members knew the defense lawyer.
The circus acrobat was suspended in midair.
allegiance
Loyalty
My allegiance to my country is based on respect for its principles.
artillery
Large guns that shoot powerful shells; army units that han-
dle such guns
An artillery barrage broke down the city’s thick walls within seconds.
The 47th Artillery fired on rebels camped in the city center.
cease
Stop
The lightning continued even after the thunder had ceased.
in the trenches adv’l
In the middle of the hardest fighting or work With their unrealistic view of this war, our generals don’t know
what things are like out in the trenches.
rank
To put into a many-leveled order, depending on importance or
achievement
The Marines ranked Jim Hurst highest among all their officer can- didates.
ratio
The relationship of one number or amount to another
Military analysts say that the ratio of attackers to defenders in a battle should be about three to one for the attackers to win.
strategic
Related to long-term plans for achieving a goal The United States has formed strategic friendships with Tajikistan
and Mongolia to have Central Asian bases in the future.
annex
To make something (usually land) part of another unit
Bardstown grew by annexing several farms at the north edge of town.
apex
The highest point
Gregory knew that his running skills had to be at their apex during the tournament.
collapse
To fall down, usually because of weakness
conquest
A takeover by force or continued effort
The first recorded conquest of Mt. Everest was by Tensing Norgay
and Sir Edmund Hilary.
devise
To find an original way to make an object or a plan
The soldiers devised a way to cross the river into enemy territory
without being seen.
invasive
Aggressively entering into someone else’s territory Surgery with a laser is less invasive than surgery with a knife or
scalpel.
prevailing
Strongest or most common
The prevailing attitude among our neighbors is to be friendly but
not too friendly.
severely
Harshly; extremely
Commanders severely punished any soldier who criticized the battle
plan.
violation
An action that breaks a law or agreement; mistreatment of something that deserves respect
The army’s testing of new weapons was a violation of the cease-fire agreement.
chronologically
In order according to time
Allen’s book is arranged chronologically, from the First Crusade in
1095 to the fall of Granada in 1492.
coincide
Happen or exist at the same time
The Viking attacks on western Europe coincided with an abnor-
mally warm period in the Earth’s climate.
deny
Say that something is not true
Movie star Allen Butcher denied that he and the Princess of Den-
mark were getting married.
diminish
Make something smaller or weaker; become smaller or weaker
The Protestant Reformation diminished the power of the Roman Catholic Pope.
longitude
A system of imaginary lines running from north to south along the Earth’s surface, where each line is numbered from 0o to 180° west or east
milieu
General environment or surroundings
ManyVietnam veterans did not feel comfortable in the antiwar so- cial milieu of the 1970s.
Orwellian
Frightening and overcontrolled by a government that interferes in nearly every aspect of personal life
reconciliation
Coming back together peacefully after having been enemies
South Africa avoided a bloodbath after apartheid by setting up a Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
allocate
To give out different amounts for different purposes
The budget allocates $58 billion to the military and only about $2 billion to education.
commodity
A thing that can be bought and sold, such as grain, oil,
or wood
Tulip bulbs were one of the most valuable commodities in seventeenth-century Holland.
equity
The value of one’s share in an investment
Barnard’s equity in the business was one-third, or about $350,000
net (worth)
After all costs have been subtracted from an amount My gross salary is around $35,000, but my net pay is closer to
$29,000.
per capita
For each person
Research shows we’re likely to sell 15 light bulbs per capita per
year in medium-sized cities.
subsidy
Money given by a government or other organization to sup- port an activity
Federal subsidies to grain farmers have helped them stay in business despite three years of bad weather.
tangible
Obviously real because it can be seen, touched, or oth- erwise observed
One tangible benefit of putting electrical cables underground is a clearer view of the sky
accumulate
To build up a large amount of something
Over several generations, the Hardington family accumulated vast wealth by buying and selling land
affluence
Wealth and the style of life that goes with it
Mohadzir grew up amid affluence, which poorly prepared him for his grad student days in crowded apartments with no servants
impoverish
To make a person or group poor
The collapse of the steel industry impoverished several counties in
eastern Ohio.
nobility
A group of socially prominent people with special titles given by a king or queen, such as “duke” or “countess”
In the Middle Ages, the nobility supposedly followed a code that required them to take care of poorer people who lived near their estates.
prestige
Honor and respect for being better than the average
The Grassleys enjoyed the prestige of living in the historic town, but they did not feel at home there.
privileged
Able to enjoy special advantages because of one’s position (usually because of being born into a wealthy or powerful family)
prosper
To do very well in one’s business or personal life Vargas prospered after finally patenting his new inventions.
acquire
To get something, usually something with special value or
meaning
Bart hoped to acquire the 1898 D Indian Head penny, which would make his collection complete.
assess
To estimate the value of something
The Barnes building was assessed at $1.3 million, but it can proba- bly sell for much more than that.
asset
A possession that has positive value
hazardous
Dangerous
Parents have to be careful not to buy children’s clothes and toys
made of hazardous materials.
jointly
Together with one or more other parties
In most states, a husband and wife are assumed to own all their
possessions jointly.
lease
To rent something for a long time (several months or years) Some drivers prefer to lease a car rather than buy one.
liability
Legal responsibility for harming a person or property; a dis-
advantage
Before you go river rafting, you sign a document releasing the trip
leaders from liability in case of injury.
proprietor
Owner, usually of a business or a building
The proprietor of Hekman’s Windows is Nels Hekman, grandson of the people who established the factory.
sole
Only
Many people have wanted to invest in Harry’s publishing business,
but he remains the sole owner.
compensate
To give an employee money or other things in exchange for the work he or she does
dynamic
Full of energy
enterprising
Creative in thinking of ways to make money
Immigrants are often among the most enterprising members of soci- ety, partly because anyone brave enough to make an overseas move is likely to be a risk-taker.
exploit
To take advantage of; to treat inconsiderately in order to
profit
The company tried to exploit the low interest rates to expand oper- ations.
incentive
possible benefit that motivates a person to do a certain
thing
This city’s willingness to support its public schools gave us an
incentive to move here with our two young children.
industrious
Willing to work hard
The Dutch settlements in Ottawa County were founded by industrious
farmers who objected to frivolous behavior such as dancing.
marginal
Not very significant or effective
Our new advertising campaign had only marginal success, raising
sales by a mere 3 percent.
merit
Value; success based on one’s work, not on luck
Pay raises at our company are based on merit, as determined by a committee of managers.
distill
to remove one liquid from a mixture of liquids by boiling; to
get something valuable from a confusing mix of ideas
The forest peoples of Southeast Asia distill an alcoholic drink called
arak from a paste of palm berries.
haggle
To argue back and forth about a price
The customer and the shopkeeper haggled over the silver plate for
more than an hour.
intrepid
Fearless
For nearly 200 years, only the most intrepid colonists would cross
the Appalachian Mountains.
merchant
A person who makes a living by selling things
The spice merchants of the eastern markets charged top prices to the Dutch and British sailors, who had come too far to sail away without buying.
proportionately
In an amount appropriate to each of several
recipients
The food aid was distributed proportionately per family, with larger families receiving more.
shuttle
To move back and forth often between two places
The small jet shuttles between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore nearly every two hours.
advocate
To speak out in favor of something
Some environmentalists advocate removing large dams from the Columbia River.
bitterly
Strongly and with a lot of bad feelings
Senator Thomas bitterly opposed the movement to design a new
state flag.
coalition
A group of several different groups or countries that are working together to achieve a certain goal.
Several local churches, mosques, synagogues, and temples formed a coalition to promote understanding among people of different religions.
contest
To challenge
Dave Roper, who narrowly lost the mayor’s race, contested the re-
sults, demanding a recount of the votes.
inaugurate
To bring into public office; to start formally
The U.S. president is elected in November but is not inaugurated until the following January.
policy
An approved way for approaching a certain kind of situation
The policy said that government money could not be given to any private hospital
poll
To find out a small group’s opinion so that you can guess what a much larger group thinks
The newspaper polled 500 registered voters and found that only 27 percent were in favor of expanding the city zoo.
accuse
To say that someone did something wrong (e.g., committed
a crime)
Jordan was accused of using a stolen credit card to buy about $300 worth of electronic equipment.
allegedly
According to what people say
The chief financial officer of the company allegedly took company
money for his personal use.
civil
Involving a dispute between two citizens, not a criminal charge In a civil suit against his neighbor, Barney claimed that the neigh-
bor’s dog had bitten him.
convict
To decide that someone is guilty of a crime
Dean was convicted of assault after the jury saw a video of him
striking another man.
offense
A specific act that breaks the law
Convicted twice of reckless driving,Victor will lose his license if he commits another serious traffic offense.
suspect
Someone who, in the opinion of the police, might have committed a certain crime
The police were investigating the activities of five suspects in the liquor-store robbery.
verdict
A judgment in a court case
It took the jury only 30 minutes to reach a verdict of “guilty.”
apprehend
To capture
The police apprehended the robbery suspect as he tried to get on a
bus to Chicago.
ascertain
To make sure of
The police failed to ascertain that the man they arrested was the
Gregory Brown they were really looking for.
bureaucratic
Related to a large organization with a lot of com-
plicated procedures
Before I could speak with the chief, I had to go through a
bureaucratic runaround of identity checks and written requests.
condemn
To speak out against something in very strong terms
Religious radicals condemned the government for allowing alcohol to be sold in restaurants.
implicate
To suggest that someone was involved in a crime or other
wrong behavior
No group claimed responsibility for the bombing, but the type of
explosive used implicates the Heartland Freedom Militia.
inquiry
An investigation
The FBI launched an inquiry into the relationship between organ-
ized crime and the trucking company.
intrusively
In a way that brings an unwanted person or thing into someone else’s affairs
The new consultant from company headquarters appeared intrusively at meetings, staff parties, and other functions where he was not wanted.
seize
To take something against its owner’s will
Federal agents can seize private homes and other property possibly
used in the production or sale of illegal drugs.
assail
To attack or criticize forcefully
With DNA evidence from the crime scene, the defense lawyer assailed the police for falsely arresting his client.
hypothesize
To make a guess, the correctness of which will eventu- ally be investigated systematically.
Scientists hypothesize that planets capable of supporting life exist beyond our solar system, but they have not yet seen any.
impair
To make something less effective than usual
The snow impaired John’s ability to hear anyone’s footsteps.
bribery
Giving money or other gifts to a government official or other
person in authority in order to get special privileges
Bribery of police officers is common in countries where police salaries are very low.
cynically
Disrespectfully; emphasizing the weaknesses of other-
wise respected things
Employees of the Roadways Department cynically referred to their boss as “the banker” because he took so many bribes.
erode
To wear away and become smaller
People’s respect for the government eroded as more officials were arrested for corruption.
evade
To get away from something that tries to catch you
The robbery suspects tried to evade the police by fleeing to Canada.
prevalent
Common; easy to find because it exists in great amounts Distrust of elected officials was prevalent in our county because
many of them were friends with certain candidates.
reform
To make big improvements
The new law was an attempt to reform the system of giving money
to political candidates.
unmask
Reveal; expose something that is hidden
The Forge Trucking Company was eventually unmasked as a front for organized crime.
coerce
To force; to put pressure on someone to do something A criminal’s confession is not usable in court if the police coerce
him or her into giving it.
detain
Topreventsomeone,forarelativelyshorttime,fromgoingon their way
The police detained at least 20 men for questioning, but charged none of them with a crime
deviant
In a style that is not normal and is offensive to many The artist based his reputation on creating deviant works of art that
disgusted most of the public.
distort
To twist or misrepresent; to make something seem different
from what it really is
If you hold a pencil in a glass of water, the water distorts the ap- pearance of the pencil.
predicament
A difficult situation, one that is hard to get out of College basketball stars face the predicament of wanting to gradu-
ate but being tempted by high professional salaries.
villainy
Exceptional badness, as demonstrated by many serious evil deeds
Fred was not a natural criminal, but he learned all kinds of villainy while being jailed for a minor crime.
addictive
Making someone want it so much that the person feels
ill without it
Some drugs, like heroin or methamphetamines, are addictive to al- most everyone who tries them
interdict
To keep something from reaching a certain place
With faster patrol boats, the Coast Guard can more easily interdict
drugs being smuggled by sea.
juxtapose
Place next to one another
If you juxtapose these two similar flowers, you can see clear differ-
ences between them.
potent
Powerful
A very potent type of marijuana with surprisingly strong effects be- came available in Burrytown.
residual
Left behind after most of a thing has gone In the airplane, agents found residual traces of heroin.
subtly
In a quiet, hard-to-notice way
By subtly changing the soft drink’s formula, we improved its taste and made production cheaper.
ancestral
Relating to family members from earlier generations
Sweden is my ancestral homeland, from which my great- grandfather emigrated in 1922.
cohesion
Ability to stay together as a unit
Family cohesion is difficult if young people have to go far away to find work.
descendant
A direct relative in a later generation (such as one’s
son, daughter, or grandchild)
Billy Sobieski claimed to be a descendant of Jan Sobieski, a former king of Poland.
inheritance
Things passed down to you from your ancestors My inheritance from my grandmother included her favorite
necklace.
kin
Relatives
Even though my uncle didn’t really like me, he was kind to me be-
cause we were kin.
legitimate
True and respectable; in the context of family, born of a mother and father who were married to each other
You can skip the meeting if you have a legitimate reason.
Harcourt had two legitimate children with his wife Hannah and one
illegitimate son with a woman whom he met while traveling.
paternal
Relating to a father
My mother’s parents have both died, but my paternal grandparents
are still alive.
sentiment
Feelings; opinion based on feelings
I share your sentiments about air travel, but I disagree that cars are
safer.
sibling
Brother or sister
My siblings and I got together to buy our parents a gift for their
anniversary.
associate
To regularly spend time together Carol doesn’t associate with people who smoke.
confide
To tell very personal things
Teenagers are more willing to confide in a friend than in a parent.
Usage tips Confide is almost always followed by an in phrase.
fluctuate
To change often, from one condition to another
Earth’s climate fluctuates between warm periods and cold periods.
solidarity
Standing together despite pressure to move apart Many student groups declared solidarity with the Latino Student
Association in their effort to get a Spanish-speaking principal
despondent
Extremely sad and without hope for the future
After his girlfriend left him, Johnson was despondent and wouldn’t talk to anyone.
devotion
A willingness to keep supporting someone you admire Grant showed great devotion to his wife, supporting her during her
long illness.
engender
To bring into being; to cause to exist
The government’s warnings about terrorism engendered fear throughout the nation.
proliferation
An increase in the number of something and in the
number of places it can be found
The proliferation of fast-food restaurants has made it harder for Americans to eat healthy lunches.
reciprocity
Doing as much for another as he or she has done for you Dan was giving a lot of attention to Kelly, but he felt no reciprocity
in their relationship.
vanish
To disappear suddenly
When the sun came out, last night’s light snowfall vanished.
antipathy
A strong, long-lasting negative feeling
My antipathy toward telemarketers is so strong that I am often rude to them.
berate
To say insulting and disrespectful things
The teacher lost his job because he cruelly berated students who made mistakes.
contemptuous
Having no respect
Most scientists are contemptuous of reports that aliens from outer
space have landed on the Earth.
despise
Hate very much
Tom grew to despise his greedy and unfriendly boss
humiliation
An event that causes someone to feel that she or he has lost the respect of others
obnoxious
Bothersome; doing small things that others don’t like
My obnoxious neighbor keeps talking to me while I’m trying to read in my backyard.
vitriolic
Showing an extreme, hateful anger
The mayor’s vitriolic attacks against the city council only made him
sound unreasonable
adolescent
Characteristic of a teenager; not fully grown up
In policy meetings, George refuses to reason with anyone and just scowls in an adolescent way.
delinquency
Serious misbehavior; not doing what one should do Because of his laziness and delinquency, Lefty was an unreliable
friend.
fringe
Edge; in social contexts, parts of society that look or act very
different from most people
Punk music got its start at the fringe of London’s rock music culture.
hypocritically
In a way that accuses other people of weaknesses that the speaker also possesses
Henry spent $2,500 on a new suit and then hypocritically accused me of spending too much on clothes.
rebel
To go against an established system or authority
The people of Ghurdia rebelled against the dictator and set up a new government.
depict
To show in pictures
Michelangelo’s painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel depicts
nine scenes from the Bible
aesthetically
aesthetically adv. In a way that relates to beauty or appearance
The outside of the office building is aesthetically pleasing, but the in-
side is dark and unpleasant.
portrayal
Most portrayals of Abraham Lincoln emphasize his sense of humor and his honesty.
spectrum
A range of different things, usually colors
Bart’s colorful designs include every color of the spectrum, from deep blue to vibrant red.
advent
Coming; arrival
The advent of the automobile greatly increased the demand for petroleum.
connotation
A meaning implied, not stated directly
When my boss says,“Thank you,”the connotation is that she’s done talking and I should leave.
decipher
To figure out the meaning, even though it is written in a code or an unknown language
The Rosetta Stone helped archaeologists decipher ancient Egyptian writing.
denote
To mean something clearly and directly
An “X” next to a name on this list denotes a person who has been
chosen for the soccer team.
illiterate
Unable to read
In many villages nearly everyone was illiterate and unschooled, and
the few who could read held great power.
ingenious
Very clever and imaginative
Ann thought up an ingenious way to keep other people from acci-
dentally taking her pens.
inscription
Something written into a piece of rock or metal The inscription on my ring says “August 1,” because that was the
day of our wedding.
cast
The group of actors in a play, movie, television show, etc. Some viewers mistakenly start thinking that a TV show’s cast mem-
bers are really the characters they play.
charismatic
Extremely attractive and charming
Because of the sparkle in his eye and his confident style, John F. Kennedy was a charismatic leader.
hilarious
Very funny
In my opinion, the most hilarious character on television was Basil Fawlty.
skit
A short, informal play
Marnie and Chris spent a long time practicing their skit for the school show
zeal
Enthusiasm; a deep determination to do well Unfortunately,Tom’s zeal to become a rock star distracted him from
his studies.
bulk
Largeness and a heavy appearance
The bulk of Kevin’s athletic body was too great for one small chair, so he sat on a bench.
capricious
Moving unpredictably from one thing to another
Your college studies will go on too long if you make capricious jumps from one major to another.
cumbersome
Difficult to wear or carry because of weight or shape
To make it to the top of the mountain before dark, the hikers dumped their cumbersome tent.
inhibit
To discourage or to slow down
This lotion will inhibit the itching caused by mosquito bites.
vanity
An excessive concern for one’s appearance
Mark’s vanity led him to spend far too much money on haircuts and new clothes.
