ELA Unit 7

  authorize

(v) to approve or permit; to give power or authority to __syn__: order, entitle, empower

__ant__: forbid,

 culprit

(n) a person who has committed a crime or is guilty of some misconduct; an offender

__syn__: l

 dawdle

(v) to waste time; to be idle; to spend more time in doing something than is necessary 

__syn__: delay, loiter, dillydally 

__ant__: hurry, hasten, speed up, bustle 

 dissect

(v) to cut apart in preparation for scientific study; to analyze with great care 

__syn__: examine 

__ant__: sew together, fuse, weld 

expend

(v) to pay out, spend; to use up 

__syn__: utilize, consume, disburse 

__ant__: save, hoard 

 fatality

(n) an event resulting in death; an accidental death __syn__: casualty, mortality 

__ant__: injury 

gullible

(adj) easily fooled, tricked, or cheated 

__syn__: trusting, innocent, naïve, credulous 

__ant__: suspicious, skeptical 

 illicit

 (adj) not permitted, unlawful, improper 

__syn__: illegal, unauthorized, forbidden 

__ant__: legal, lawful, permissible, aboveboard 

 immerse

 (v) to plunge or dip into fluid; to involve deeply 

__syn__: dunk, engross 

__ant__: dredge up, pull out 

 inflammatory

(adj) causing excitement or anger; leading to violence or disorder 

__syn__: provoking, incendiary, provocative 

__ant__: calming, soothing, lulling, quieting 

 memorandum

 (n) a note to aid one’s memory; an informal note or report             (pl can be memorandums or memoranda) __syn__: reminder 

pathetic

(adj) marked by strong emotion, especially pity and sorrow; able to move people emotionally; worthy of pity; woefully inadequate 

__syn__: moving, distressing, pitiable, heartrending 

__ant__: funny, hilarious, frightening 

persevere

 (v) to keep doing something in spite of difficulties; to refuse to quit even when the going is tough 

__syn__: plug away, pursue, stick to it 

__ant__: give up, despair, throw in the towel, quit 

prevaricate

 (v) to lie, tell an untruth; to mislead on purpose __syn__: fib, stretch the truth, equivocate 

__ant__: tell the truth 

 quash

 (v) to crush, put down completely 

__syn__: suppress 

__ant__: start, kindle, ignite, encourage 

relish

 (n) enjoyment or satisfaction; something that adds a pleasing flavor                   (v) to enjoy greatly 

__syn__: (n) pleasure, gusto  (v) take delight in 

__ant__: (v) dislike, loathe, hate, despise 

 reminisce

 (v) to recall one’s past thoughts, feelings, or experiences __syn__: remember, recollect 

scour

(v) to clean or polish by hard rubbing; to examine with great care; to move about quickly in search of 

__syn__: scrub, search, comb 

__ant__: dirty, soil 

 tribute

 (n) something done or given to show thanks or respect; a payment 

__syn__: praise, honor, homage, recognition, commendation, glorification, money, tax, levy 

__ant__: blame, criticism, reproach 

writhe

(v) to make twisting or turning movements in a way that suggests pain or struggle 

__syn__: twist, squirm, thrash