Unit 6 Vocabulary

Question 1

Denigrate

Answer 1

☹ (ˈdenəˌɡrāt) v. to criticize unfairly
Synonyms: disparage, belittle, deprecate, decry
Example: “Social media trolls find pleasure in denigrating others in the most humiliating way possible.”

Question 2

Trivialize

Answer 2

☹ (ˈtrivēəˌlīz) v. to make something seem less important, significant, or complex than it really is

Question 3

Amorphous

Answer 3

± (əˈmôrfəs) adj. without a clearly defined shape or form; vague, ill-organized, unclassifiable; lacking a clear structure or focus
Synonyms: shapeless, formless, indeterminate
Example: Because the contemporary oil painting was generally amorphous, I failed to discover any meaning at all in its composition.

Question 4

Lionize

Answer 4

☺ (ˈlīəˌnīz) v. to give a lot of public attention and approval to (someone); to treat as a celebrity
Synonyms: celebrate, glorify, honor, extol, praise
Example: “Stephen Hawking was lionized throughout his life for his brilliant contributions to science, and he will be remembered for generations to come.”

Question 5

Demonize

Answer 5

☹ (ˈdēməˌnīz) v. to portray as wicked and threatening; to try to make someone or a group seem completely evil
Synonyms: vilify, diabolize (archaic), malign
Example: “Some politicians are so determined to accomplish their goals that they demonize anyone who disagrees with them.”

Question 6

Admonish

Answer 6

☹ (ədˈmäniSH) v. to warn or reprimand someone firmly
Synonyms: v. chide, lambast, remonstrate
Example: “Mr. Price admonished Jeremy for looking up answers on his cell phone during the calculus quiz.”

Question 7

Hamper

Answer 7

☹ (ˈhampər) v. to hinder or impede the movement or progress of
Synonyms: obstruct, inhibit, balk, thwart, foil, curb
Example: “If the weather predictions are true, the imminent ice storm is likely to hamper rescue efforts after the avalanche.”

Question 8

Negate

Answer 8

☹ (nəˈɡāt) v. to nullify or make ineffective; to deny the truth of; to prove to be false
Synonyms: contradict, contravene, belie
Antonym: affirm
Example: “Eating a large, deep dish pizza by yourself will ironically negate the benefit of Diet Coke with your meal.”

Question 9

Manifest

Answer 9

± (ˈmanəˌfest) v. to display or show by one’s acts or appearance; to demonstrate; to come into sight or view; to make a record of
Synonyms: record, attest, certify
Example: “The weather has been so unpredictable lately that it seems like a clear forecast is never manifested with any accuracy.”

Question 10

Implicate

Answer 10

☹ (ˈimpləˌkāt) - v. to show to be involved in a crime; to convey indirectly; to imply
Synonyms: incriminate, entail, affect, involve, regard
Example: “Even though sufficient evidence was unavailable, the press still implicated that the mayor was connected to a serious crime.”

Question 11

Optimize

Answer 11

☺ (ˈäptəˌmīz) – v. to make the best or most effective use of; to modify to achieve maximum efficiency
Synonyms: upgrade, hone, improve, enhance,
Example: “Fast food is nutritionally deficient in spite of the effort to optimize price and speed of service.”

Question 12

Instigate

Answer 12

☹ (ˈinstəˌɡāt) - v. to bring about or initiate an action or event; to provoke or stir up; to serve as the inciting cause of
Synonyms: incite, provoke, urge, goad, induce
Example: “The road construction will definitely instigate major traffic delays during rush hour.”

Question 13

Necessitate

Answer 13

± (nəˈsesəˌtāt) - v. to require as useful, just, or proper; to tend to or result in
Synonyms: demand, postulate, call for
Antonym: obviate
Examples: “The untimely and unexpected snow event necessitated the rescheduling of the research symposium.”

Question 14

Probe

Answer 14

± (prōb) - v. to physically explore or examine (something) with the hands or an instrument; to question or examine thoroughly or closely
Synonyms: prod, poke, check, investigate, scrutinize, inquire
Example: “The bomb squad sent a robot into the evacuated mall to probe for an incendiary device.”

Question 15

Vindicate

Answer 15

☺ (ˈvindəˌkāt) - v. to clear someone of blame or suspicion; to show to be right by providing justification or proof; to maintain, uphold, or defend
Synonyms: justify, defend, acquit, exonerate, assoil, exculpate
Example: “You can vindicate your claim to this property by showing us the original deed.”

Question 16

Pert

Answer 16

± (pərt) - adj. boldly forward in speech or behavior; being trim and chic; having or showing confidence and a lack of respect or seriousness in an amusing or appealing way
Synonyms: saucy, lively, vivacious, jaunty
Example: “Amy was shocked when the pert, young waitress complimented her boyfriend in an entirely inappropriate way.”

Question 17

Fracture

Answer 17

± (ˈfrak(t)SHər) - v. to break into pieces; to interrupt or destroy; to violate or abuse
Synonyms: misuse, pervert, destroy, discontinue
Examples: “Sally fractured her roommate’s trust when she took money out of her desk drawer and then lied about taking it.”

Question 18

Qualify

Answer 18

± (ˈkwäləˌfī) v. to prove capable of or fit; to make more specific; to pronounce judgment on; to describe or portray the qualities of
Synonyms: characterize, specify, measure up, stipulate, condition
Example: “Tim tried to qualify his recommendation for an increase in funding by providing specific data along with his proposal.”

Question 19

Validate

Answer 19

± (ˈvaləˌdāt) - v. to demonstrate to truth or value of; to make or declare legally valid; to cause a person to feel valued or worthwhile
Synonyms: corroborate, confirm, formalize, substantiate, affirm
Antonym: invalidate
Example: “Early astronomers could not really validate the Earth as the center of the universe, but they were misled by the limits of their understanding.”

Question 20

Mitigate

Answer 20

± (ˈmidəˌɡāt) - v. to make less severe, serious, or painful; to make smaller
Synonyms: palliate, extenuate, minify, decrease
Example: “Social media sites claim to enact policies to mitigate privacy concerns, but recently it appears that their efforts have been less than successful.”