Lesson 25 Flashcards
eruption (noun)
Syn: bursting out; outbreak
→ Fred had been known for his gentle ways, so his friends were stunned by the eruption of angry words that issued from him.
puny (adjective)
Syn: weak; unimportant; minor
→ We were surprised by the puny resistance put up by the voracious tiger to its capture.
debris (noun)
Syn: ruins; fragments
→ After her house had burned to the ground, Mrs. Wiley searched through the debris for her valuable jewelry.
awesome (adjective)
Syn: inspiring terror; weird; awful
→ Many of those who witnessed the first atomic explosion reported that it was an awesome sight.
dispersed (adjective) (vt)
Syn: scattered; spread; broken up
→ The fluffy seeds of the milkweed are dispersed by the wind.
as broad as it is long (idiom)
Syn: it makes very little difference
→ Since both jobs pay $7.25 an hour and are equally boring, it is about as broad as it is long whether I take one or the other.
conflagration (noun)
Syn: great fire; explosion
→ Who could imagine a more bizarre story than the one having to do with a cow causing the conflagration in Chicago?
obliterate (verb)
Syn: erase; wipe out; delete; rub out
→ No matter how one tries to delete material from a computer, it is almost impossible to obliterate it.
deplorable (adjective)
Syn: sad; pitiable; regrettable
→ The hometown fans thought the umpire’s decision was deplorable.
rue (verb)
Syn: regret
→ You will rue that display of histrionics when I asked you to help.
initiate (verb)
Syn: start; set going; cause; commence
→ She could not imagine how she was going to get him to initiate a conversation about marriage.
blow hot and cold (idiom)
Syn: swing for and against something
→ I told Charlie to give up his summer job and come cross-country biking with us. He’s blowing hot and cold on the deal at this point.
hoard (verb)
Syn: hide; store; accumulate; save; collect
→ Isn’t it a pity we can’t hoard the ideal days of autumn?
sage (noun)
Syn: wise man; philosopher; master
→ A man may be a sage everywhere, but at home he’s called a “square” by his youngsters.
congenial (adjective)
Syn: sympathetic; agreeable; suitable
→ The tree in front of my house has the dubious honor of being the spot voted the most congenial by the dogs of the neighborhood.
aegis (noun)
Syn: shield; protection; sponsorship
→ It was fortuitous that at the last moment the mayor offered the aegis of his office in finding a solution to the problem.
detriment (noun)
Syn: injury; damage; hurt; loss; harm
→ A settlement that causes detriment to neither side is imperative.
in the doldrums (idiom)
Syn: in a bored or depressed state
→ Mary has been in the doldrums since her best friend moved away.
senile (adjective)
Syn: infirm; weak from old age
→ Far from being senile, the old woman was considered the sage of the neighborhood.
longevity (noun)
Syn: long duration of life
→ Scientists have placed the longevity of the planet earth unbelievably into the future.
doddering (adjective)
Syn: trembling; shaking
→ It was deplorable for us to see her doddering around the house with the aid of a cane.
imbibe (verb)
Syn: drink
→ If you imbibe, don’t drive!
virile (adjective)
Syn: masterful; manly; forceful; vigorous
→ The boys struck virile poses to attract the girls on the beach.
burn the midnight oil (idiom)
Syn: study or work late into the night
→ If I’m going to pass the test tomorrow, I will have to burn the midnight oil tonight.
