Unit 1 Vocabulary

Question 1

Abase

Answer 1

(əˈbās) ☹ v. to deprive of self-esteem, confidence; to behave in a way as to belittle or degrade someone
Synonyms: humble, humiliate, belittle, demean, lower, degrade, debase, cheapen, discredit, bring low
Example: “Candidates running for political office often shamelessly abase one another using unverified accusations.”

Question 2

Waver

Answer 2

(ˈwāvər) ☹ v. to shake with quivering motion; to sway or tremble; to vacillate; to falter; to hesitate
Synonyms: flicker, twinkle, glimmer, wink, blink; wobble, quaver; dither, equivocate, waffle fluctuate
Examples:
“The flame wavered in the draft.”
“His love for her never wavered.”
“She never wavered from her commitment to solve the complex equation.”

Question 3

Acquiesce

Answer 3

(akwēˈes) ☹ v. to accept something reluctantly but without protest Synonyms: accede, assent, agree
Example: “The princess acquiesced to the wishes of her father, the king, and agreed to marry the hideous but wealthy and powerful suitor presented to her in the royal court.”

Question 4

Underscore

Answer 4

(ˈəndərˌskôr) ± v. to underline something; to stress or emphasize
Synonyms: feature, accentuate, highlight
Example: “The company underscored the progress made in the development of efficient fuel cells.”

Question 5

Belabor

Answer 5

(bəˈlābər) ☹ v. to explain or work at something beyond what is necessary; to attack verbally with harsh criticism
Synonyms: overwork, rehash; criticize
Examples:
“The professor belabored his review of basic concepts until the entire class fell asleep.” “Tyndale seized every opportunity to belabor the Roman Church.”

Question 6

Supplant

Answer 6

(səˈplant) ± v. to replace one thing with another; substitute; to move into the position of Synonyms: supercede, displace, override
Example: “Another discovery could supplant the original finding.”

Question 7

Capitulate

Answer 7

(kəˈpiCHəˌlāt) ☹v. to give up resistance; to surrender under agreed conditions Synonyms: none
Example: “The patriots were forced to capitulate to the enemy forces.”

Question 8

Rally

Answer 8

(ˈralē) v. to organize or inspire; to encourage; to demonstrate or protest; to recover or cause to recover in health, spirits, or poise
synonyms: mobilize, muster; rebound
Examples:
“The troops rallied and held their ground in spite of heavy enemy fire.”
“After successfully battling a serious case of pneumonia, Sally rallied quickly and experience a full recovery.”

Question 9

Debunk

Answer 9

(dēˈbəNGk) ☹ v. to expose as false; to reduce the inflated reputation of someone, especially by ridicule
Synonyms: disprove, discredit
Example: “The website, www.snopes.com, is dedicated to debunking rumors and lies presented by the media.”

Question 10

Perplex

Answer 10

(pərˈpleks) ± v. to puzzle or bewilder; to make more complicated Synonyms: mystify, stupefy, vex, baffle
Example: “She was perplexed by her sister’s unpredictable behavior.”

Question 11

Elicit

Answer 11

(ēˈlisət) ± v. to draw out or bring forth, evoke, prompt
Synonyms: kindle, arouse, fire, provoke
Example: “Your sarcastic remarks will no doubt elicit a negative response.”

Question 12

Obliterate

Answer 12

(əˈblidəˌrāt) ☹ v. to destroy completely; to remove completely from recognition or memory; to cause to become invisible or indistinct
Synonyms: eradicate; eliminate; demolish; efface, obscure, veil; blot out
Examples:
“The memory was so painful that he obliterated it from his mind.”
“During the solar eclipse, the shadow of the moon nearly obliterated our view of the sun.”

Question 13

Fabricate

Answer 13

(ˈfabrəˌkāt) ☹/ ± v. to create or make something up; to lie; to put together out of artificial or natural components or parts
Synonyms: invent, make-up; construct, manufacture
Examples:
“The defense attorney fabricated evidence when he realized his client would otherwise be convicted of murder.”
“Tommy had an excellent idea for a new product, but he felt unsure about how he could fabricate his original design.”

Question 14

Laud

Answer 14

(lôd) v. to praise, extol; to acclaim, glorify
Synonyms: hail, applaud, commend; exalt
Example: “The obituary lauded him as a great statesman and soldier.”

Question 15

Portend

Answer 15

(pôrˈtend) ☹ v. to indicate in advance; to be a sign or warning that something is likely to happen
Synonyms: foreshadow, foretell, predict, prognosticate, auger, bode
Example: “Some ancient cultures believed that a solar eclipse would portend cataclysmic events.”

Question 16

Enumerate

Answer 16

(əˈn(y)o͞oməˌrāt) ± v. to number or list; to mention one by one; to specify individually Synonyms: itemize, tally, count
Example: “The 2000 census enumerated 10,493 households in the county.”

Question 17

Deplore

Answer 17

(dəˈplôr) ☹ v. to regret deeply or strongly; to express strong disapproval of
Synonyms: lament, mourn, rue ;criticize, detest, despise, denounce Examples:
“He deplored his decision to drop out of college when few companies were willing to hire him without a degree.”
“Amy deplored the idea of going back to school in the middle of the summer.”

Question 18

Chronicle

Answer 18

(ˈkränək(ə)l) ± v. to record in a factual and detailed manner; to create an historical record
Synonyms: document, register, report, write down
Example: “His work chronicles the history of immigration prior to the year 2000.”

Question 19

Mollify

Answer 19

(ˈmäləˌfī) v. to soften in feeling or temper
Synonyms: placate, pacify, conciliate, assuage, appease
Example: “The speaker attempted to mollify the angry crowd by sharing a comical anecdote.”

Question 20

Squander

Answer 20

(ˈskwändər) ☹ v. to waste (something, especially money or time) in a reckless and foolish manner
Synonyms: waste, misspend, misuse, throw away, fritter away
Example: “The team squandered countless opportunities to win the game.”