unit 2 Flashcards
adjourn (v.)
to stop proceedings temporarily; move to another place
The judge adjourned the hearing until ten o’clock the following morning.
SYNONYMS: postpone, suspend, discontinue
ANTONYMS: open, call to order
alien (adj.)
(adj.) foreign, strange
An alien species of plant or animal can upset the balance of an ecosystem.
SYNONYMS: (adj.) exotic, unfamiliar
ANTONYMS: (adj.) native, endemic, familiar
comely (adj.)
having a pleasing appearance
The proud parents and their comely children posed for a family portrait.
SYNONYMS: good-looking, attractive, bonny
ANTONYMS: plain , homely, ugly, repulsive
compensate (v.)
to make up for; to repay for services
The manufacturer was ordered to compensate customers injured by the defective product.
SYNONYMS: pay back, reimburse, recompense
ANTONYMS: fail to reward, stiff
dissolute (adj.)
loose in one’s morals or behavior
The mad Roman emperor Caligula led an extravagant and dissolute life.
SYNONYMS: dissipated, debauched, immoral, corrupt
ANTONYMS: virtuous, chaste, moral, seemly, proper
erratic (adj.)
not regular or consistent; different from what is ordinarily expected; undependable
Students who have an erratic attendance
record may find themselves disciplined by the principal.
SYNONYMS: irregular, inconsistent, unpredictable
ANTONYMS: steady, consistent , dependable
expulsion (n.)
the process of driving or forcing out
The Biblical story of the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden is told in Genesis.
SYNONYMS: ejection, ouster, eviction
ANTONYMS: admittance, admission
feint (n.)
a deliberately deceptive movement; a pretense
The chess master’s opening
feint gave her an immediate advantage.
SYNONYMS: (n.) trick, ruse, subterfuge, dodge, bluff
fodder (n.)
food for horses or cattle; raw material for a designated purpose
Every experience in life is fodder for a novelist’s imagination.
SYNONYMS: feed, provender
fortify (v.)
to strengthen, build up
The soldiers fortified the garrison against the expected attack.
SYNONYMS: reinforce, shore up
ANTONYMS: weaken, undermine, sap, impair
illegible (adj.)
difficult or impossible to read
The effects of air pollution have rendered the inscriptions on
many old gravestones illegible.
SYNONYMS: unreadable, indecipherable, scribbled
ANTONYMS: readable, decipherable, distinct, clear
jeer (v.)
to make fun of rudely or unkindly;
To jeer at someone with a disability is absolutely inexcusable.
Umpires and other referees quickly become immune to the jeer of angry fans.
SYNONYMS: laugh at, mock, taunt
lucrative (adj.)
bringing in money; profitable
Many people find that they can turn a favorite hobby into a highly lucrative business.
SYNONYMS: gainful, moneymaking
ANTONYMS: unprofitable, losing, in the red
mediocre (adj.)
average, ordinary, undistinguished
The team’s number-one draft pick turned out to be a rather mediocre player, not a star who could lead them to the championship.
SYNONYMS: run-of-the-mill
ANTONYMS: exceptional, outstanding, distinguished
proliferate (v.)
to reproduce, increase, or spread rapidly
Because malignant cells proliferate, early
detection of cancer is absolutely crucial to successful treatment.
SYNONYMS: multiply, mushroom, burgeon
ANTONYMS: decrease, diminish, dwindle, slack off
subjugate (v.)
to conquer by force, bring under complete control
“We must act quickly,” the general said, “in order to subjugate the rebel forces.”
SYNONYMS: subdue, vanquish, master
ANTONYMS: be conquered, submit, surrender
sully (v.)
to soil, stain, tarnish, defile, besmirch
The Nixon-era Watergate scandal sully the image of politicians in the minds of many voters.
SYNONYMS: pollute, taint, smear
ANTONYMS: cleanse, purify, decontaminate
tantalize (v.)
to tease, torment by teasing
When I am on a diet, the treats in bakery windows seem to have been put there to tantalize me.
SYNONYMS: tempt, lead on, make one’s mouth water
ANTONYMS: satisfy, fulfill, gratify
terse (adj.)
brief and to the point
The manuscript for my short story was returned to me with a terse letter of rejection.
SYNONYMS: concise, succinct, crisp, short and sweet
ANTONYMS: verbose, wordy, diffuse, prolix
unflinching (adj.)
firm, showing no signs of fear, not drawing back
Everyone admires the unflinching courage with which firefighters and other rescue workers carry out their dangerous jobs.
SYNONYMS: resolute, steadfast, unwavering
ANTONYMS: irresolute, wavering, vacillating
alien (n.)
a citizen of another country
Movies about aliens from outer space have been extremely popular for decades.
SYNONYMS: foreigner, stranger, newcomer, emigrant
jeer (n.)
a rude remark of derision
Umpires and other referees quickly become immune to the jeer of angry fans.
ANTONYMS: applause, plaudits accolades
feint (v.)
to make a deceptive movement; to make a pretense of
His uncanny ability to feint and counterpunch made the champ unbeatable.
