Vocab Unit 2 Flashcards
avarice: (n)
Definition: greed; a desire for wealth
SYN: greed; materialism; stinginess
ANT: generosity; philanthropy; benevolence
EX: He became a doctor, not to save lives, but to appease his avarice.
furtive (adj)
Definition: secretive
Compared to:
stealthy; sly; surreptitious; sneaky
Contrasted with:
overt; forthright; open; honest
Example:
Not wanting to be rude, Jean cast a furtive glance at the man’s scar.
bacchanalian: (adj)
Definition: wild and drunken
Compared to:
intoxicated; alcoholic
Contrasted with:
restrained; calm
Example:
Due to the college student’s bacchanalian weekend, he failed his test on Monday.
copious: (adj)
Definition: numerous; large in quantity
Compared to:
profuse; many; several
Contrasted with:
sparse; few; minimal
Example:
It is important to drink a copious amount of water throughout the day to stay hydrated.
irascible (adj)
Definition: irritable; easily angered
Compared to:
feisty; ill-tempered; cantankerous
Contrasted with:
easygoing; cheerful; pleasant
Example:
We walk on eggshells with Marty because he is so irascible.
mercenary (n)
Definition: professional soldier hired by a foreign army
Compared to:
corruption; selfishness
Contrasted with:
volunteer; generosity
Example:
Though American by birth, the mercenary fought for France.
extradite (v)
Definition: to turn over or deliver to legal jurisdiction
Compared to:
deport; abandon; apprehend
Contrasted with:
hold; keep
Example:
After two months in Sacramento, the suspect was extradited to Florida.
bastion (n)
Definition: strong defense or fort
Compared to:
stronghold; support; protector; defense
Contrasted with:
weak spot; weakness
Example: The United States has been called the bastion of democracy.
jettison (v)
Definition: to cast overboard; to discard
Compared to:
abandon; throw away; deploy
Contrasted with:
retain; maintain; allow; keep; defend
Example:
The passenger quickly jettisoned the heavy cargo from the damaged plane.
ostracize (v)
Definition: to banish; to shut out by common consent
Compared to:
exclude; exile; reject
Contrasted with:
accept; include; welcome
Example:
The strict religious community ostracized the man when he married a woman of a different faith.
Bigot (n)
Definition: a person intolerant of differences in others
Compared to:
racist; extremist; maniac
Contrasted with:
humanitarian; pacifist
Example:
People should surround themselves with kind individuals, not bigots who are unaccepting of people different from themselves.
expunge (v)
Definition:
to erase or eliminate
Compared to:
abolish; eradicate; erase; delete; obliterate
Contrasted with:
add; establish; create; insert
Example:
If the teenager can stay out of trouble for a year, her criminal record will be expunged.
Candid (adj)
Definition:
honest; blunt; outspoken
Compared to:
truthful; unbiased; sincere; direct; frank; forthright
Contrasted with:
evasive; biased; devious; dishonest
Example:
He gave a candid speech about the time he spent in prison.
argot (n)
Definition:
special words or phrases used by a group of people
Compared to:
specialized language; slang; jargon; vernacular; lingo; dialect
Contrasted with:
standard language
Example:
People who do not work in the field likely struggle to understand the argot used among chemists
negligence (n)
Definition:
carelessness, often resulting in injury
Compared to:
carelessness; disregard; oversight; neglect
Contrasted with:
care; attention;
Example:
The mother’s negligence led the toddler to fall off the ladder, and consequently, he got hurt.
