vocab unit 3

Question 1

Rancor (n)

Answer 1

definition: (n) ill will or extreme hatred

SYN: bitterness; animosity; antipathy; hatred

ANT: sympathy; adoration; admiration

EX: Whelan’s double-dealing had Sam seething; he had never before felt so much rancor towards a lawyer

Question 2

inexorable (adj)

Answer 2

Definiton: (adj) unavoidable; unrelenting
SYN: inevitable; relentless; certain; definite; inescapable; unstoppable
ANT: preventable; avoidable; uncertain
EX: Decades of harsh weather caused the inexorable erosion of the tombstone.

Question 3

extol (v)

Answer 3

definition: (v) to praise highly
SYN: commend; admire; praise; applaud
ANT: criticize; castigate; chastise; scold; berate
EX: She extolled the personal virtues of her hero and mentor.

Question 4

clement: (adj)

Answer 4

definition: merciful; lenient
SYN: benign; mild; lowkey
ANT: harsh; malevolent; inclement
EX: Despite the abhorrent nature of the crime, the judge handed down a surprisingly clement sentence.

Question 5

cliche: (n)

Answer 5

definition: a worn-out idea or overused saying
SYN: commonplace; platitude; unoriginal saying
ANT: originality
EX: The teacher recommends students avoid cliches when writing formal essays.

Question 6

adamant

Answer 6

adamant: (adj) firm in opinion; unyielding
SYN: stubborn; insistent; uncompromising
ANT: amenable; flexible; easygoing
EX: Despite the protests of the entire city council, the mayor remained adamant.

Question 7

diffident

Answer 7

diffident: (adj) shy; lacking confidence
SYN: unassuming; meek; demure; timid
ANT: outgoing; extroverted; friendly
EX: The diffident student did not like giving presentations to the class.

Question 8

opus

Answer 8

opus: (n) a creative work, especially a numbered composition
Opera = plural
SYN: creation; creativity; composition
ANT: destruction; clone; a copy
EX: Each musician has a favorite opus, which they admire and hope to mimic.

Question 9

ostensible

Answer 9

ostensible: (adj) professed but not necessarily true
SYN: supposed; apparent; plausible
ANT: factual; real; actual
EX: The ostensible reason for having a friend over during the weekday was to work on a project.

Question 10

disparity

Answer 10

disparity: (n) difference; inequality
SYN: gap; imbalance; discrepancy
ANT: similarity
EX: The disparity between their ages had no impact on their relationship; they were still very close.

Question 11

condone

Answer 11

condone: (v) to allow, to forgive, to overlook
SYN: allow; pardon; excuse
ANT: reprimand, punish, criticize, condemn
EX: Teachers cannot condone cheating because they need to know what students understand about the content reviewed in class.

Question 12

nuance

Answer 12

nuance: (n) a subtlety, a slight difference
SYN: gradation, shade, subtlety
ANT: similarity, vast difference
EX: The sharpest listeners detected a nuance in the speaker’s tone that revealed the speaker’s true feelings.

Question 13

connoisseur

Answer 13

connoisseur: (n) an expert especially in food, wine, and culture
SYN: expert, professional
ANT: amateur, newbie, beginner, novice
EX: I consider myself a connoisseur in french fries, because I have tried them at all the local restaurants.

Question 14

enigma

Answer 14

enigma: (n) a mystery, something inexplicable
SYN: riddle, puzzle, stumper, conundrum
ANT: comprehension, answer, truth, knowledge
EX: Mona Lisa’s smile is an enigma because nobody knows the thoughts behind her expression.

Question 15

apathy

Answer 15

apathy: (n) not feeling, state of not caring
SYN: indifference, disinterest, disengagement, carelessness
ANT: interest, eagerness, excitement, enthusiasm
EX: The school fundraiser failed due to student apathy.
CLUE: path = feeling → apathy = not feeling

Question 16

officious

Answer 16

officious: (adj) excessively eager to help
SYN: meddlesome; intrusive, interfering; annoying; meddling
ANT: supportive; helpful; disinterested
EX: The officious younger sister insisted on helping her older brother reorganize his room, despite the older brother’s disinterest in her help.

Question 17

credence

Answer 17

credence: (n) belief; trust
SYN: faith; confidence
ANT: disbelief; betrayal
EX: Surprisingly, Shayna’s teacher gave credence to the excuse that her dog ate her homework.

Question 18

jaunty

Answer 18

jaunty: (adj) having a self-confident air, being excited; brisk or crisp
SYN: poised; buoyant; confident; excited
ANT: sad; unhappy; unpleasant
EX: Most of us will exit the building on Friday in a jaunty manner, because we are excited for the weekend ahead.

Question 19

dilettant

Answer 19

dilettante: (n) someone who dabbles in an art or science
SYN: amateur; novice; beginner; newbie
ANT: connoisseur; professional; expert
EX: The dilettante felt that his superficial knowledge of art qualified him to judge the artist’s work, despite his minimal experience.
CLUE: This word is the opposite of connoisseur.

Question 20

cult

Answer 20

(n) a group of people obsessed with a person or set of principles

Compared to:
sect; obsession; group; clique

Contrasted with:
team; collaboration; individual

Example:
To join the cult, recruits had to engage in a variety of strange/odd activities.