English Vocabulary 3 (copy)

Accede

(v) To yield to; to assume an office or dignify

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Management was not willing to _____ to labor’s initial demands, thus increasing the likelihood of a long and bitter strike.

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SYNONYMS: consent, concur, comply, assent

Brandish

(v) To wave or flourish in a manacing or vigorous fashion

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I _____ my umbrella repeatedly in a vain effort to hail a cab.

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SYNONYMS: swing, shake, flourish

Comprise

(v) To include or contain; to be made up of

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Classical symphonies usually _____ three or four movements of varying musical form, tempo, and character.

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SYNONYMS: compose, constitute, encompass

Deft

(adj) Skillful, nimble

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The _____ fingers of Spanish seamstresses produced some of the finest, most delicate lace ever seen.

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SYNONYMS: dexterous, adroit, proficient, clever, massterful

Destitute

(adj) Deprived of the necessities of life; lacking in

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Some people fled their homes so suddenly that they arrived at the refugee camp absolutely _____.

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SYNONYMS: wanting, devoid, penniless

Explicit

(adj) Definite, clearly stated

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The more _____ your directions are, the easier it will be for al of us to find our way to the campsite.

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SYNONYMS: distinct, forthright, unambiguous, clear

Extirpate

(v) To tear up by the roots; to destroy totally

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We must do everything we can to _____ racism from American society.

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SYNONYMS: uproot, eradicate, wipe out, excise

Inopportune

(adj) Coming at a bad time; not appropriate

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Why do my relatives always seem to turn up at the most _____ time imaginable?

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SYNONYMS: Ill- timed, inconvenient, inappropriate, unsuitable

Ironic

(adj) Suggesting an incogruity between what might be expected and what actually happens; given to irony, sarcastic

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The short stories of O. Henry are famous for their _____ endings.

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SYNONYMS: incongruous, satiric, sardonic, wry

Musty

(adj) Stale, moldy; out-of-date

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Houses that have been closed up for a very long time often have an unpleasantly _____ smell about them.

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SYNONYMS: hackneyed, antiquated

Officious

(adj) Meddling; excessively forward in offering services or assuming authority

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The manager of the store warned the entire sales force not to be too ___ when helping customers.

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SYNONYMS: meddlesome, prying, impertinent, obtrusive

Ominous

(adj) Unfavorable, threatening, of bad omen

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The _____ sound of distant thunder warned us of the storm’s approach.

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SYNONYMS: unpropitious, inauspicious, portentous

Pinnacle

(n) A high peak or point

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Some pop musicians reach the _____ of their careers comparitively early in life.

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SYNONYMS: apex, acme, summit, apogee

Premeditated

(adj, part) Considered beforehand, deliberately planned

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Some crimes are spontaneous acts of passion; others are quite _____.

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SYNONYMS: preplanned, rehearsed, prearranged

Rampant

(adj) Growing without check, running wild

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All kinds of odd rumors run _____ during a political campaign.

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SYNONYMS: widespread, unrestrained, extravagant, prevalent

Solace

(n) Comfort, relief; (v) To comfort, console

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Many world leaders seek _____ from the cares of the state in the pages of great literature.

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I could find no way to _____ my deeply troubled conscience.

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SYNONYMS: sooth, reassure, cheer up

Stately

(adj) Dignified, majestic

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The _____ precession slowly wound its way from the palace to the cathedral.

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SYNONYMS: grand, magnificent, imposing

Supple

(adj) Bending easily; bending with agility; readily adaptable; servile

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Have you ever read Robert Frost’s famous poem about swinging on the _____ branches of a birch tree?

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SYNONYMS: flexible, limber, pliable, pliant

Suppress

(v) To stop by force, put down

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Totalitarian governments usually take strong measures to _____ free speech.

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SYNONYMS: subdue, crush, stifle, squelch, quash, silence

Venal

(adj) Open to or marked by bribery or corruption

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The presence of even one _____ official may jeopardize the integrity of an entire organization.

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SYNONYMS: dishonest, bribable, corruptible, mercenary