Lesson 18 Flashcards
xenophobia (ze nə fō´ bē ə) n.
an intense dislike or fear of strangers or foreigners
Tim’s xenophobia gave him an unwarranted hatred for immigrants coming to America.
impregnable (im preg´ nə bəl) adj.
not able to be conquered; impenetrable
The Greek warriors were unable to conquer the impregnable Trojan fortress.
syn: unbeatable ant: vulnerable
inherent (in hir´ ənt) adj.
essential
Exhaust and air-pollution are inherent features and drawbacks of the automobile.
syn: intrinsic ant: extrinsic; extraneous
irreverent (i rev´ rənt) adj.
disrespectful
John’s irreverent attitude toward his pastor embarrassed and angered his mother.
syn: insubordinate ant: worshipful
subjugate (sub´ ji gāt) v.
to dominate, conquer, or bring under control
Plantation owners subjugated their slaves and forced them to do manual labor.
ant: free
expedite (ek´ spə dīt) v.
to increase the rate of progress”“More construction workers were brought on to the project to help expedite the construction of the new bridge.
syn: hurry; hasten; streamline ant: retard; hinde
filibuster (fil´ ə bəs tər) v.
to attempt to block a bill from becoming law by speaking at length against it
The Senator from Mississippi gave an eight-hour speech to filibuster the new tax bill.
syn: derail
pristine (pris´ tēn) adj.
pure; completely clean and uncontaminated
The vast, pristine wilderness of northern Alaska is too cold and remote for most people to inhabit.
syn: pure ant: defiled; spoiled; sullied
pithy (pi´ thē) adj.
full of meaning; concise
The pithy statements in greeting cards are often short and sweet.
syn: succinct ant: verbose
invective (in vek´ tiv) n
an insult or abuse in speech
Scott’s invective, aimed at his teacher, resulted in an immediate trip to the principal’s office.
syn: reproach ant: praise
prodigal (prä´ di gəl) adj.
reckless, wasteful, and extravagant
The prodigal actor was notorious for his lavish, excessive, and unruly lifestyle.
syn: wastrel; libertine ant: prudent”“
pliable (plī´ ə bəl) adj.
easily bent or flexible
NASA had to devise a new, more pliable spacesuit for astronauts working on the the space station.
ant: rigid
torpid (tōr´ ped) adj.
losing motion, feeling, or power; lacking in energy
The sleeping gas caused the hero’s mind to become torpid.
syn: apathetic; lethargic ant: energetic
tenuous (ten´ yə wəs) adj.
not dense or thick; having little substance
Even though it was published, the dissertation put forth a very tenuous theory on intelligence.
syn: thin; unconvincing; fragile ant: strong; cogent
discordant (dis kōrd´ dənt) adj.
being in disagreement
The angry and discordant voices echoed throughout the conference room.
syn: conflicting ant: harmonious”
