AP L&C Unit 10 Flashcards
attenuate
v
to make thin or slender; to weaken or lessen in force, intensity, or value
S: dilute
A: bolster
askance
adv
with suspicion, distrust, or disapproval
S: suspiciously
benign
adj
gentle, kind, forgiving, understanding; having a favorable beneficial effect; not malignant
S: benevolent
A: malevolent
cavil
v/n
(v) to find in a petty way, carp
(n) a trivial objection or criticism
S: nitpick
Don’t find a whole bunch of unnecessary CAVILS against me when I am just trying my best.
charlatan
n
one who feigns knowledge or ability; a pretender, impostor, or quack
S: mountebank
There is a cast difference between real intellectuals and CHARLATANS.
decimate
v
to kill or destroy a large part of
S: devastate
People use pesticides to DECIMATE pests in gardens.
foible
n
a weak point, failing, minor flaw
S: quirk
A: virtue
Even though I may have FOIBLES in my personality, so does everyone else.
forgo
v
to do without, abstain from, give up
S: renounce
A: indulge in
It is best to FORGO relationships with people who you do not feel right around.
fraught
adj
full of or loaded with: accompanied by
S: charged with
A: lacking
That metal rod is FRAUGHT with rust.
inure
v
to toughen, harden; to render used to something by long subjection or exposure
S: acclimate
The most hardened prisoners are INURED to prison’s conditions.
luminous
adj
emitting or reflecting light, glowing; illuminating
S: refulgent
A: dim
The LUMINOUS lamp shone in the night.
obsequious
adj
marked by slavish attentiveness; excessively submissive, often for purely self-interested reasons
S: fawning
A: assertive
Nina was OBSEQUIOUS to her garden and it grew amazingly.
obtuse
adj
blunt, not coming to a point; slow or dull in understanding; measuring between 90 and 180 degrees; not causing a sharp impression
S: dull-witted
A: perceptive
If an angle is not acute or right and it is under 180 degrees, it was OBTUSE.
oscillate
v
to swing back and forth with a steady rhythm; to fluctuate or waver
S: vacillate
The fan OSCILLATES back and forth, spreading the air.
penitent
adj/n
(adj) regretful for one’s sins or mistakes
(n) one who is sorry for wrongdoing
S: remorseful
A: remorseless
Shane is PENITENT for the acts of wrongdoing that he has committed.