Synonyms II

Question 1

Vigilant (adj)

Answer 1

watchful; wary; alert;
Secret Service agents are vigilant in their duty to protect the president.
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Vigilant descends from the Latin vigilare, “to be awake, watch,” from vigil, “awake, alert.” If you stay awake vigilantly all night, you’re keeping watch or keeping a vigil. A vigilante (pronounced vij-uh-LAN-tee) is a person who acts outside the legal system to punish crime.

Question 2

sensible (adj)

Answer 2

astute; insightful; wise;
Anna is a sensible girl who always makes practical decisions.
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Sensible comes from the Latin sensibilis, meaning “perceptible by the senses,” a meaning that eventually evolved into “having good sense, reasonable.”

Question 3

absurd (adj)

Answer 3

foolish; ridiculous; ludicrous; preposterous;
The story was so absurd that Shawn stopped reading after the first few pages.

Question 4

cringe (v)

Answer 4

flinch; shrink; cower; recoil
I always cringe at the sight of needles.
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Whether it’s a song you hate or someone mentioning an embarrassing moment from the past, you cringe at things that are unpleasant. If you think about the way your body involuntarily flinches or bends in those situations, you won’t be surprised to learn that the word cringe can be traced back to the Old English word cringan, meaning “give way, fall (in battle), become bent.” That’s exactly what your body does when you cringe

Question 5

inconspicuous (adj)

Answer 5

unremarkable; unassuming; indistinct
The undercover police officer was inconspicuous in his jeans and flannel shirt.
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Inconspicuous comes from the Latin word inconspicuus, or “not visible,” and the original meaning of inconspicuous was “invisible,” until around 1828. Today, it describes anything that blends in or isn’t very noticeable. If you have ever tried to find your black luggage among all the other pieces of black luggage at the airport, you know that sometimes, being inconspicuous makes things harder.

Question 6

bountiful (adj)

Answer 6

abundant; plentiful; generous; fruitful
The settlers rejoiced in their bountiful harvest.
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Bountiful can also mean generously given, with the idea that the original bounty of a harvest came from the gods you prayed to for rain and sun. When you received their gifts, you thanked them for their generosity. Now, bountiful giving is something you might experience with your parents or grandparents, happy just to see you smile on your birthday.

Question 7

novice (n)

Answer 7

beginner; trainee; apprentice; amateur
Although Mandy was a novice at figure skating, she was learning quickly
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Novice is derived from the Latin word novus, which means new. A novice is new to what they do, so a novice photographer is just learning how to take nice pictures. Other words related to novice are novel “new, unusual,” and innovate “to invent, begin with new ideas.” Novice can also mean a member of a Christian order who has not yet taken their vows.

Question 8

prior (adj)

Answer 8

previous; earlier; preceding
Having missed the prior math assignment, Jessica had trouble completing her homework.
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This is a formal word that is often used in legal language. A prior claim is a person’s right to something that is considered more important or valuable because it came first. If you’re looking for a less formal synonym, choose the word previous. Prior is from a Latin word with the same spelling.

Question 9

invincible (adj)

Answer 9

indomitable; unconquerable; invulnerable
The king’s knights were invincible in battle
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Invincible comes ultimately from the Latin verb vincere, “to conquer.” Many of the uses for invincible are for describing someone or something victorious or unbeatable at what they do. A company can be invincible when it outsells similar businesses for years, a tennis player is invincible after winning all of the majors in a year or a career, and Superman and the Indomitable Snowman are invincible as long as they stay away from kryptonite and the warm sun.

Question 10

emphasize (v)

Answer 10

stress; accentuate; feature
My teachers always emphasize important ideas
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The verb emphasize works when you really want to stress a point or give extra weight to an issue. Emphasize comes from words that mean “significance” and “to present or show.” A player who finally makes the varsity team might emphasize this achievement by always wearing his practice jersey — even off the field, or you might emphasize the importance of being on time by locking the door on latecomers.