9th grade vocabulary Units 9 -14

Auxiliary

Definition: giving assistance or support; a helper, aid

~The facility went to auxiliary power when its main power source shut off.

Syn) additional, back-up
Ant) main, primary

Candid

Definition: frank, sincere; impartial; unposed

~ You should be candid when answering questions from police men when they are interrogating you.

Syn)Forthright, plainspoken
Ant) insincere, misleading

Drudgery

Definition: work that is hard and tiresome

~ Prisoners are usually given drudgery all day and they get punished if they don't do the labor.

Syn) toil, labor
Ant) play, frolic

Envoy

Definition: a representative or messenger (as of a government)

~ The Us sent an envoy of senators to Libya to discuss with the rebels how we could help.

Syn) agent, ambassador

Expedient

Definition: a means to an end; advantageous, useful

~ The computer I use to do my homework is an expedient because I finish faster.

Syn) device, contrivance
Ant) inconvenient, untimely

Feign

Definition: To pretend

~ An actors job is to feign that they are someone else.
Syn) fake, sham

Flair

Definition: a natural quality, talent, or skill; a distinctive style

~ Talent scouts look for players that have a flair in the game they are playing.

Syn) aptitude, bent
Ant) inability, incapacity

Grievous

Definition: causing sorrow or pain; serious

~ When you know that a friends family member just died, you shouldn't be grievous, but subtle.

Syn) painful, heartrending
Ant) joyful, uplifting

Heterogeneous

Definition: Composed of different kinds, diverse

~ I grow heterogeneous vegetables in my garden so i have a variety of food to eat.

Syn) mixed, variegated
Ant) uniform, homogeneous

Horde

Definition: a vast number (as of people); a throng

~ Shepherds herd hordes of sheep with the help of dogs.

Syn) crowd, mass
Ant) few, handful

Impel

Definition: to force, drive forward

~ Money impels many police officers to get bribed by criminals with large amounts of money.

Syn) urge, push
Ant) discourage, check

Incredulous

Definition: disbelieving, skeptical

~ Some students give incredulous excuses for not doing homework, such as "my dog ate it".

Syn) dubious, doubting
Ant) believing, trustful

Prognosis

Definition: a forecast of the probable course and outcome of a disease or situation

~ Reporters are told to give a report on what is happening and not a prognosis or prediction on what might happen.

Syn) prediction, projection

Rasping

Definition: with a harsh, grating sound; a harsh sound

~ The fire alarm has a rasping, high-pitched sound to make sure everyone can hear it.

Syn) scratchy, scraping
Ant) sonorous, smooth

Repugnant

Definition: offensive, disagreeable, distasteful

~ Many people are repugnant to other peoples ideas when they have their own.

Syn) hateful, odious
Ant) pleasing, attractive

Scuttle

Definition: to sink a ship by cutting holes in it; to get rid of something in a decisive way; to run hastily, scurry; a pail

~ Raiders often scuttled the ships that they hijacked after they were done with it so it could not be found.

Syn) abandon, discard
Ant) keep afloat, salvage

adept

Definition: Thoroughly skilled; an expert

~ The singer was so adept, she won many Grammys.

Syn) masterful, accomplished
Ant) clumsy, unskilled

bleak

Definition: bare, dreary, dismal

~During the winter, trees become bleak and lose all their life.

Syn) grim, cheerless
Ant) rosy, sunny

chide

Definition: to blame; scold

~ My mom chided me when I didn't listen to her to do my chores.

Syn) upbraid, reprimand
Ant) approve, praise

despicable

Definition: worthy of scorn, contemptible

~ The boxer acted despicable when he took a cheap, low shot.

Syn) low, vile
Ant) praiseworthy, commendable

diminutive

Definition: Small, smaller than most others of the same type

~ The smart car was so diminutive that I could lift it up.

Syn) undersized, tiny
Ant) oversized, huge

emancipate

Definition: to free from slavery; to release or liberate

~ Abe Lincoln emancipated all the slaves so they could be free and start their lives.

Syn) set loose, unchain
Ant) enslave, snare

erroneous

Definition: incorrect, containing mistakes

~ My math test was erroneous and therefore I failed.
Syn) mistaken, all wrong
Ant) accurate, correct

extemporaneous

Definition: made or delivered on the spur of the moment

~ If a student wings a presentation, that means made an extemporaneous attempt.

Syn) spontaneous, impromptu
Ant) planned, prepared

impair

Definition: to make imperfect, damage, harm

~ Speed limits are implanted to make sure nobody crashes and impairs them self.

Syn) injure, mar
Ant) improve, promote

languid

Definition: drooping; without energy, sluggish

~ When I feel languid, all I do is sleep.

Syn) lazy, sluggish
Ant) lively, energetic

mire

Definition: mud; wet, swampy ground; a tough situation; to get stuck

~ Getting a car stuck in mire is bad because you might not get it back onto the road.

Syn) marsh, swamp

obtrusive

Definition: forward; undesirably prominent; thrust out

~ He was being obtrusive when he kept asking questions about my personal life.

Syn) brash, impudent
Ant) meek, reserved

preamble

Definition: an introduction to a speech or piece of writing

~ The preamble to the constitution introduces everything the document covers.

Syn) opening, preface
Ant) conclusion, ending

render

Definition: to cause to become; to perform; to deliver officially; to process, extract

~ The video finished rendering and then I played it.

Syn) present, furnish

rugged

Definition: rough, irregular; severe, stern; strong; stormy


~ The ocean was rugged and we could not control our ship.

Syn) rocky, craggy
Ant) smooth, flat

slipshod

Definition: untidy in dress, personal habits, etc.; careless, sloppy

~ The boy was slipshod because is floor was covered with clothes.

Syn) messy, untidy
Ant) tidy, neat

brevity

(n) shortness.
Sentence: The speech was notable more for its \____________ than for its clarity.
Synonyms: terseness, pithiness
Antonyms: verbosity, long-windedness, prolixity

comport

(v) to conduct or bear oneself, behave; to be in agreement.
Sentence: As the students started to leave, the principal reminded them to \____________ themselves as school emissaries.
Synonyms: agree, concur

concise

(adj) expressing much in a few words.
Sentence: As a rule of thumb, editors and readers appreciate writing that is \____________ and forceful.
Synonyms: brief, succinct, terse, pithy, to the point.
Antonyms: wordy, verbose, long-winded, prolix

demure

(adj) sober or serious in manner, modest.
Sentence: Despite her \_______________ appearance, she is a competitive speed skater, always ready for a challenge on ice.
Synonyms: shy, sedate, seemly, decorous.
Antonyms: forward, assertive, immodest

depreciation

(n) a lessening in value; a belittling.
Sentence: The accountant calculated the \______________ of the computer over a period of five years.
Synonyms: cheapening, lowering.
Antonyms: increase, appreciation, enhancement

deteriorate

(v) to lower in quality or value; to wear away.
Sentence: It is painful for anyone, particularly a doctor, to watch someone's health \________________.
Synonyms: worsen, decline, degenerate, debase.
Antonyms: fix up; enhance

divulge

(v) to tell, reveal; to make public.
Sentence: On some occasions, scrupulous reporters cannot \_______________ their sources of information.
Synonyms: disclose, impart, spill the beans, 'leak'.
Antonyms: hide, conceal, cover up, secrete, keep under wraps

enlightened

(adj) free from ignorance and false ideas; possessing sound understanding.
Sentence: An \_________________ society is ruled by knowledge and reason rather than superstition and prejudice.
Synonyms: knowing, aware, cultivated.
Antonyms: welcome, accept, allow, submit, abide by

\`forestall

(v) to prevent by acting first.
Sentence: Sometimes it is possible to \________________ a cold by taking Vitamin C.
Synonyms: hinder, thwart, preclude, ward off.
Antonyms: welcome, accept, allow, submit, abide by

garble

(v) to distort in such a way as to make unintelligible.
Sentence: If you've played "telephone," you know how easy it is to inadvertently \______________ a message.
Synonyms: jumble, confuse, misrepresent.
Antonyms: elucidate, articulate

proponent

(n) one who puts forward a proposal; one who supports a cause or believe.
Sentence: Lucretia Coffin Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton were among the first \______________ of women's suffrage in the United States.
Synonyms: supporter, advocate, exponent.
Antonyms: opponent, critic, foe, adversary

recoil

(v) to spring back.
Sentence: In "The Adventures of the Speckled Band," sleuth Sherlock Holmes points out that "violence does, in truth, \__________________ upon the violent."
Synonyms: flinch
Antonyms: advance, proceed, gain ground
(n) the act of springing back.
Sentence: When the engineer accidentally released the giant spring, its powerful \______________ sent him sprawling.
Synonyms: kickback.

quaver

(v) to shake, termble; to trill.
Sentence: My voice \_______________ whenever I try to reach the high notes.
Synonyms: vibrate, shiver, quake, palpitate

recoup

(v) to make up for; regain.
Sentence: I plan to \______________ my family's lost fortune by working hard, earning extra money, and investing wisely.
Synonyms: recover; retrieve.
Antonyms: lose, default, forfeit, kiss good-bye

reek

(n) an unpleasant smell.
Sentence: The unmistakable \__________ of spoiled food greeted us as we entered the long-abandoned cabin.
Synonyms: stench.
Antonyms: perfume, fragrance, bouquet.
(v) to give off unpleasant smells; to give a strong impression.
Sentence: In 'How the Other Half Lives (1890), Jacob Rils describes tenements in urban neighborhoods that \___________ of poverty.
Synonyms: stink, smell

relentless

(adj) unyielding, harsh, without pity.
Sentence: The novel 'Les Miserables' recounts ex-convict Jean Valjean's lifelong flight from a \_____________ police inspector.
Synonyms: stern, merciless, persistent.
Antonyms: merciful, accommodating, indulgent

rivulet

(n) a small stream.
Sentence: While we could hear the running water, dense vegetation hit the \______________ from view.
Synonyms: creek, rill

squander

(v) to spend foolishly, waste.
Sentence: I think that it is criminal to \_______________ our natural resources.
Synonyms: misspend, dissipate.
Antonyms: save, economize, hoard, squirrel away

statute

(n) a law.
Sentence: The student body is governed by the \__________ of the university.
Synonyms: rule, enactment

autocratic

(adj) absolute in power or authority.
Sentence: For many years, the island was under the \___________ control of a dictator.
Synonyms: domineering, dictatorial, tyrannical, bossy.
Antonyms: democratic, egalitarian, lenient, permissive, indulgent.

blanch

(v) to remove the color from; to make or turn pale; to parboil.
Sentence: Even the veteran rescue worker \______________upon seeing the crash sight.
synonyms: bleach, drain, wash out, go white.
antonyms: color, dye, infuse, blush, flush

blasphemy

(n) an act, utterance, or writing showing contempt for something sacred.
Sentence: Galileo was accused of \_________ for asserting that the sun, and not the earth, is the center of the universe.
synonyms: curse, profanity, imprecation
antonyms: veneration, devotion, respect

brawny

(adj) strong, muscular.
Sentence: In Arthurian legend, one \____________ knight after another tries to pull the sword Excalibar from the stone, but none succeed.
synonyms: broad-shouldered, strapping, burly.
antonyms: slight, frail, puny

concerted

(adj) planned or performed in cooperation with others.
Sentence: Teenagers and adult, northerners and southerners alike, participated in a \________________ drive to register new voters.
synonyms: cooperative, combined, consolidated.
antonyms: unorganized, unilateral, diffused

contend

(v) to fight, struggle; to compete; to argue.
Sentence: I enjoy watching the four major tennis tournaments in which brilliant players \_____________ for the "grand slam" titles.
synonyms: battle, vie, maintain, assert.
antonyms: yield, acquiesce, submit, relinquish

illustrious

(adj) very famous, distinguished.
Sentence: As a student of world politics, I would be thrilled to meet an \____________ member of Parliament.
synonyms: eminent, renowned, prominent, celebrated.
antonyms: unknown, obscure, nameless, anonymous

intolerable

(adj) unbearable.
Sentence: To a perfectionist, mediocrity is more than unacceptable; it is simply \________________.
synonyms: insufferable, outrageous.
antonyms: pleasant, pleasing

irreverent

(adj) disrespectful.
Sentence: The student's \___________ comments show a lack of respect for people in authority.
synonyms: profane, impious, sacrilegious.
antonyms: awed, respectful, devout, pious, deferential

laborious

(adj) not easy, requiring hard work, hardworking.
Sentence: After cleaning the gutters, we moved on to the \______________ task of raking and bagging the leaves.
synonyms: arduous, difficult, strenuous, wearisome.
antonyms: easy, effortless, facile

lithe

(adj) bending easily, limber.
Sentence: The burly linebacker was as \_____________ as a ballet dancer.
synonyms: flexible, pliant, lissome.
antonyms: rigid, inflexible

maltreat

(v) to abuse, use roughly or crudely.
Sentence: The candidate pledged to shut down any factory or manufacturing plant found to \___________ workers.
synonyms: misuse, mistreat, harm.
antonyms: coddle, pamper, indulge

ponder

(v) to consider carefully, reflect on.
Sentence: I need time to \____________ all of my options before deciding how to spend the summer.
synonyms: ruminate, contemplate

subversive

(adj) intended to undermine or overthrow.
Sentence: The underground movement circulated \__________ pamphlets that criticized the government.
synonyms: traitorous
antonyms: patriotic, loyal, true-blue.
(n) one who advocates or attempts to undermine a political system.
Sentence: The Alien and Sedition Acts enacted in 1798 gave the U.S. president the power to deport any noncitizen deemed a \______________.
synonyms: a revolutionary

synthetic

(adj) made or put together by people.
Sentence: Sometimes only a jeweler can detect the difference between an expensive \____________ gem and a natural stone.
synonyms: artificial, ersatz
antonyms: natural, genuine.
(n) something artificial.
Sentence: Nylon, rayon, and polyester are all \__________ that have revolutionized the textile industry.

temperate

(adj) mild, moderate.
Sentence: It's impossible to have a \_____________ discussion with a hotheaded person.
synonyms: composed, balanced, mellow, fair.
antonyms: immoderate, extreme, excessive, harsh

venomous

(adj) poisonous; spiteful, mean.
Sentence: Only after we had rushed the child to the emergency room did we learn that he's been bitten by a \___________ spider.
synonyms: nasty, malicious, virulent, malevolent.
antonyms: harmless, innocuous, benign

wily

(adj) sly, shrewd, cunning.
Sentence: The fur trappers of colonial North America were known to be \____________ traders.
Synonyms: tricky, artful, foxy, cagey.
Antonyms: dull-witted, dense, straightforward

ad infinitum

endlessly

apportion

to divide and give out in shares

bona fide

genuine; sincere

clique

a small, exclusive group of people

concede

(v.) to admit as true; to yield, submit

congenial

(adj.) getting on well with others; agreeable, pleasant

lofty

very high

perverse

(adj.) inclined to go against what is expected.

prelude

an introduction

rancid

(adj.) stale, spoiled

rustic

(adj.) country-like; simple, plain; awkward.

sever

to separate, divide into parts

sordid

(adj.) wretchedly poor.

untenable

(adj.) not capable of being held or defended.

versatile

able to do many things well

vindicate

To clear from their sentence.

annex

(v) to add to, to incorporate; (n) an attachment or addition
s- (v) join, acquire, appropriate, procure

cleave

(v) to cut or split open; to cling to
s- sever, halve, sunder, adhere, clasp

cordial

(adj) in friendly manner, hearty, cheery; (n) a liqueur
s- (adj) hospitable, affable, warm, convivial
a- (adj) gruff, unfriendly, unsociable

cornerstone

(n) the starting point of a building; a fundamental principle or element
s- foundation, base, underpinning, support

debacle

(n) an overwhelming defeat, rout; a complete collapse or failure
s- disaster, fiasco, calamity
a- success, triumph, victory, coup

devitalize

(v) to make weak or lifeless
s- enfeeble, sap, enervate
a- enliven, stimulate, energize, excite

embroil

(v) to involve in a conflict or difficulty; to throw into confusion
s- entangle, ensnarl
a- disentangle, separate, disconnect

exonerate

(v) to clear from a charge or accusation
s- absolve, acquit, vindicate, exculpate
a- implicate, incriminate, inclupate

gilb

(adj) ready and fluent in speech; thoughtless, insincere
s- superficial, pat, oily, unctuous, facile
a- halting, tongue-tied, speechless, awkward

haphazard

(adj) by chance, not planned; lacking order
s- random, accidental, slapdash
a- deliberate, purposeful, orderly, meticulous

improvise

(v) to compose or perform without preparation; to construct
s- ad-lib, play it by ear, wing it, extemporize
a- plan, rehearse, practice, prepare

incite

(v) to rouse, stir up, urge on
s- spur, kindle, provoke, instigate, prompt
a- check, curb, impede, restrain, smother

influx

(n) a coming in, inflow
s- inpouring, inrush, invasion
a- outpouring, exodus, departure

pallor

(n) an extreme or unnatural paleness
s- wanness, lividness, bloodlessness
a- flush, blush, rosiness, bloom

pedigree

(n) a list of ancestors, family tree; the history of origins of something
s- lineage, ancestry, genealogy