STATUS & CONDUCT

venerate

V: to respect or admire greatly, to worship

ADJ: venerable

The saint was venerated by Catholics across the world.

revere

V: to idolize or worship

N: reverence

Gandhi was revered by many as the leader of the Indian Independence Movement.

pompous

ADJ: arrogant and self-important

His arrogant speech made the politician seem pompous and stuck-up.

pretentious

ADJ: arrogant, self-important

Allan tried to avoid sounding pretentious while describing his accomplishments.

haughty

ADJ: arrogant, scornful, feeling superior to others

N: haughtiness

The duchess showed a haughty attitude towards members of the lower class.

unruly

ADJ: wild, uncontrollable, disobedient

The substitute teacher found the class unruly and disrespectful of her authority.

insolent

ADJ: rude or disrespectful to authority

N: insolence

The student was sent to the principal’s office for his insolence towards the teacher.

conceited

ADJ: self-centered

They were concerned that her success was causing Karen to become conceited.

vain

ADJ: (1) - self centered. (2)- useless, without effect

N: vanity

(1) Elaine was so vain that she admired her reflection every time she passed by a shiny surface.

(2) The police tried in vain to catch the criminal, but he was just too fast for them.

smug

ADJ: pleased with oneself, self-satisfied

Knowing he was right, Paul gave a smug grin.

refined

ADJ: polished, highly developed, purified

N: refinement

Marie developed a refined taste for French wine after her year abroad.

prominent

ADJ: important, well-known

N: prominence

MLK Jr was a prominent leader of the Civil Rights Movement.

renown

N: fame

ADJ: renowned

Michael Jackson achieved great renown for his unique musical and performance style.

affluent

ADJ: wealthy

N: affluence

Many feel that the affluent nations should do more to help those less fortunate.

thrive

V: to boom, flourish, grow

A large number of scavenging animals thrive in the city environment.

prosperous

ADJ: thriving, economically well-off

N: prosperity

The now prosperous businessman earned his success over many years of hard work.

meager

ADJ: lacking in amount or quality

The company struggled to survive on its meager budget.

benefactor

N: a person who helps people or organizations, often by donating money

The gala was held to thank the benefactors who donated to the university.

charitable

ADJ: motivated by generosity, raising funds for the disadvantaged.

N: charity

During the holidays, many people consider donating to charitable organizations.

humanitarian

ADJ: devoted to the well-being of other people

N: someone devoted to the well-being of other people

After the earthquake, many countries sent humanitarian aid to Haiti.

philanthropy

N: generous assistance to those in need, devotion to the well-being of other people

Bill Gates has become a well-known philanthropist who has donated much of his personal wealth to charity.

liberal

ADJ: (1) giving freely or loosely, (2) broad or open-minded progressive

(1) The paper cited many sources and was liberal in its use of quotations

(2) The politician was socially liberal, arguing for more government aid programs for the needy and unemployed.

miser

N: one who hoards money rather than spending it

ADJ: miserly

Ebenezer Scrooge was miserly and unwilling to share even a cent of his money.

procure

V: to get, acquire or obtain

The fundraiser aimed to raise money to procure new equipment for the hospital.

vend

V: to sell something

N: vendor

You can buy chips and cookies from the vending machine downstairs.

peddle

V: to sell something

N: peddler

The salesman peddled his wares from door to door.

entrepreneur

N: some who starts a business

The city’s small business subsidy was meant to encourage entrepreneurs to move there.

prudent

ADJ: careful and sensible

Jane was prudent in her spending and careful to save for an emergency.

thrifty

ADJ: careful in spending money

During the Great Depression, families had to become thrifty in order to make do with what they had.

frugal

ADJ: avoiding wasteful or excessive spending

University students often have to live a frugal lifestyle.

extravagant

ADJ: excessive, unrestrained, often relating to spending money

The society was known for its extravagant parties, with expensive food and entertainment.

lush

ADJ: extravagant, abundant, rich

The king treated his guests to a lush five-course dinner.

mediocre

ADJ: second-rate, average or inferior in quality

Compared to the great masterpieces of Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo, this painting seems mediocre and second-rate.

stark

ADJ: bare, simple, without decoration or disguise

The landscape was stark and barren of any trees.

squander

V: to waste, to spend carelessly

James won a million dollars through the lottery, and then squandered it all on expensive cars and clothes.

frivolous

ADJ: not serious or sensible, often related to spending money

The government’s frivolous spending cost the taxpayers a lot of money.

spontaneous

ADJ: impulsive, without planning

Her art appeared spontaneous, as if she had applied paint in an entirely impulsive, unplanned manner.

whim

N: an impulse or sudden desire

On a whim, Amanda decided to buy a motorcycle.

restrained

ADJ: held back, kept under control

The elegance of the composition is subtle and restrained, not over the top.

destitute

ADJ: extremely poor

The shelter provided housing for destitute families.

impoverished

ADJ: extremely poor

The region was impoverished by the prolonged drought.

aristocrat

N: a member of the upper class

ADJ: aristocratic

The aristocrats came under attack during the French Revolution.

elite

ADJ/N: upper-class, superior in intellect or status

Many of Rome’s wealthy elite owned large states where they could escape the city.

eminent

ADJ: important, well-known, respected

Einstein was probably the most eminent physicist of the 20th century.

hierarchy

N: organized ranking of status and authority

ADJ: hierarchical

European society during the Middle Ages had a strict social hierarchy.

promote

V: 1- to advertise or support a person or cause

V: 2 - to raise in rank or importance

1- The group promoted awareness of illiteracy in the community.

2- The employee was promoted to the status of manager.

demote

V: to reduce to a lower rank or position

The boss decided not to fire the employee, but rather to demote him.

subordinate

1- N: lower in rank or importance

2- V: to reduce in rank or importance

1- The states have some degree of independence, but are subordinate to the federal government.

2- Critics argued that the party system subordinated the interests of the general population to the interests of the individual parties.

suppress

V: to hold back, keep down

She suppressed her feelings of disappointment and tried to smile.

inconsequential

ADJ: unimportant, insignificant

The committee frequently spent too much time on inconsequential details instead of dealing with bigger issues.