Vocab 9 Flashcards
sere (sēr) adj.
dry and withered
After two weeks without water, the sere plant broke at the stem.
syn: desiccated; arid ant: lush
emulate (em´ yə lāt) v.
to strive to be equal to; to imitate
Jonas emulated his older brother by pursuing a career in the same business.
syn: copy
Renhance (en hans´) v.
to increase the value or beauty of something
The soft, shimmering moonlight enhanced the beauty of the sparkling lake.
syn: improve; heighten ant: diminish; decrease
contrite (kən trīt´) adj.
feeling regret for having committed some wrongdoing
The contrite child wished she had never thought of playing baseball near the greenhouse.
syn: repentant; remorseful ant: shameless; unrepentant
magnanimous (mag nan´ ə məs) adj.
noble; generous in forgiving; free from petty feelings or acts
Allowing the man who had insulted him to stay for dinner was a magnanimous gesture on Robert’s part.
syn: generous ant: petty; mean”
enunciate (i nun´ sē āt) v.
to state clearly and distinctly; to pronounce
The speech teacher constantly reminded her students to enunciate their words carefully.
syn: articulate
collaborate (kə lab´ ə rāt) v.
to work with another toward a goal
The lyricist and composer collaborated on the stage musical.
syn: cooperate
impound (im pownd´) v.
to confine; to retain in legal custody
The police impounded Dave’s car after they found traces of cocaine on the upholstery.
syn: confiscate ant: release
impeccable (im pek´ ə bəl) adj.
faultless; without sin or blemish
Keith’s appearance was impeccable, from his handsome shoes to his neatly combed hair.
syn: immaculate; faultless; irreproachable ant: fallible; blameworthy
evoke (i vōk´) v.
to summon forth
The comedian was unable to evoke much of a response from the crowd.
syn: conjure up; elicit
inane (in ān´) adj.
without sense or meaning; silly
Still dazed from the head injury, Catherine made only inane comments.
syn: foolish; insipid ant: significant; meaningful
unctuous (ungk´ chōō əs) adj.
exag”“exaggeratedly or insincerely polite
The salesman kept calling me “ma’am” in such an unctuous tone that I did not trust him for a minute.
syn: oily ant: genuine; sincere
expatriate (eks pā´ trē ət) n.
someone who chooses to live outside of, or renounce, his or her native country
Although T. S. Eliot was born in America, he was an expatriate for most of his life and is often considered British.
frowzy (frow´ zē) adj.
unkempt
The lady’s frowzy hair was so tangled that it looked like Spanish moss.
syn: slovenly ant: tidy
heinous (hā´ nəs) adj.
hatefully or shockingly evil
The jury was shocked by the young woman’s heinous crimes.
syn: abhorrent; horrid”
