PowerScore Vocaburary Offenders

abstract (v)

to remove something from somewhere/ to make a written summary of a book, etc

Their plan is to ___ 8 million gallons of water from the river

amicable /ˈæmɪkəbl/

done or achieved in a polite or friendly way and without arguing

• an ___ relationship

• An ___ settlement was reached.

acquiescent /ˌækwiˈesnt/

willing to do what somebody wants and accept their opinions, even if you are not sure that they are right

• Party members proved more ___ than had been expected.

adversary /ˈædvəsəri/

a person that somebody is opposed to and competing with in an argument or a battle

• his old political ____

• The British considered him a worthy ____.

• The two of them were old ____.

allege /əˈledʒ/

to state something as a fact but without giving proof

alleviate

to provide relief; to make easier

allude to

to make an indirect reference to

Mrs. Alvarez ____ to a pop quiz on Monday, but would not confirm or deny its occurrence.

ambiguous

(adj) open to more than one interpretation

Amber’s ___ reply left me wondering where she had been all night.

ambivalent

having mixed feelings

Ambrose is ___ about attending college, which is why his applications still aren’t completed.

amiable /ˈeɪmiəbl/

pleasant; friendly and easy to like ~ agreeable

• an ___ tone of voice

• Her parents seemed very ___

analogous to/with something /əˈnæləɡəs/

similar in some way to another thing or situation and therefore able to be compared with it

• Sleep has often been thought of as being in some way ___ to death.

• The two processes are not ___

anecdote /ˈænɪkdəʊt/

a short, interesting or funny story about a real person or event

• amusing ____ about his brief career as an actor

• The book is a rich store of ____.

antagonize /ænˈtæɡənaɪz/

to do something to make somebody angry with you

Annie ____ her little brother by knocking over his tower of toy bricks.

antagonistic (to/toward(s) somebody/something) /ænˌtæɡəˈnɪstɪk/

showing or feeling opposition

• Marx saw these issues in terms of ____ class relationships.

• The interview made her ___ towards journalists

anthropology

the study of the origins, behavior, and culture of human beings

• Social ___ examines family relationships in detail.

arrogant /ˈærəɡənt/

having feelings of excessive pride and self-worth

articulate /ɑːˈtɪkjuleɪt/

to express or explain your thoughts or feelings clearly in words

ascertain (v)

to find out the true or correct information about something

The detective was able to ____ the suspect’s whereabouts on the night of the burglary through surveillance video.

astute /əˈstjuːt/

very clever and quick at seeing what to do in a particular situation, especially how to get an advantage ~ shrewd

An ____ student figures out his English teacher’s favorite novel and then reads it for his book report.

augment /ɔːɡˈment/

to increase the amount, value, size, etc. of something

• In an effort to ____ her paper on William Faulkner, Audrey added three pages about the author’s childhood.

• He wrote magazine articles in order to ____ his income.

• The band had been ___ by two extra trombonists.

avid /ˈævɪd/

1. very enthusiastic about something (often a hobby)

2. + for sth: wanting to get something very much

• He was ___ for more information.

belie /bɪˈlaɪ/

to give a false impression of somebody/something, misrepresent

• Her soft voice belies her aggressive demeanor.

to show that something cannot be true or correct

• Government claims that there is no poverty are ___ by the number of homeless people on the streets.

bolster

to improve something or make it stronger

The manager hoped to ___ the morale of his sales team by creating an incentive program.

callous /ˈkæləs/

not caring about other people’s feelings, pain or problems

• a ___ killer/attitude/act

• a ___ disregard for the feelings of others

camaraderie /ˌkæməˈrɑːdəri/

a feeling of friendship and trust among people who work or spend a lot of time together

The ___ among the soldiers lasted long after the end of the second World War; the men kept in touch and met for reunions for over forty years.

comrade /ˈkɒmreɪd/

a person who is a member of the same communist or socialist political party as the person speaking

• We must fight for our rights, ____!

candid /ˈkændɪd/

saying what you think openly and honestly; not hiding your thoughts

candour

(n) the quality of saying what you think openly and honestly, frankness

cantankerous /kænˈtæŋkərəs/

often angry; always complaining, ill-tempered

The ___ old man took the little boy’s sucker and refused to give it back.

capricious /kəˈprɪʃəs/

showing sudden changes in attitude or behaviour, changing suddenly and quickly

Cane’s ___ personality made him a fun friend but a terrible boss; social spontaneity was exciting but workplace unpredictability was frustrating.

censure (n) /ˈsenʃə(r)/

strong criticism

High school teachers voiced their ___ of the novel, citing several reasons for leaving it off the summer reading list.

censure (v)

to criticize somebody severely, and often publicly, because of something they have done ~ rebuke, reprimand

He was ____ for leaking information to the press.

The manager was severely ____ for negligence.

commend /kəˈmend/

(vb) to praise

Corey was ___ for returning the wallet he found at the mall.

complacent /kəmˈpleɪsnt/

too satisfied with yourself or with a situation, so that you do not feel that any change is necessary

After twenty years of teaching, Mr. Compton had become ____ , failing to keep up with new trends in education.

conciliate /kənˈsɪlieɪt/

to make somebody less angry or more friendly, especially by being kind and pleasant or by giving them something ~pacify, placate

The manager was able to ____ the angry customer by offering her a fifty dollar gift certificate.

condescend /ˌkɒndɪˈsend/

to do something that you think it is below your social or professional position to do

Constance believed that her wealth permitted her to be rude and arrogant; she refused to ___ to speak to the bell boy at the upscale hotel.

condone /kənˈdəʊn/

to accept behaviour that is morally wrong or to treat it as if it were not serious

The honor code states that you ____ cheating by not reporting it to a teacher.

contempt

scorn or open disrespect

Connie was looked upon with ___ by her peers when she was discovered spreading rumors about them.

convoluted

extremely complicated and difficult to follow

Connor was unable to finish the seventeenth-century novel due to the ___ language of the period.

corroborate

(vb) to confirm or support with evidence

cunning

deceptive and sly

The ____ fox slipped into the henhouse when the farmer left the barn and went back to the house.

cynical

distrusting or pessimistic

Cyndi’s ___ attitude made it hard for her to believe in anyone’s good intentions.

dearth

a lack of something; the fact of there not being enough of something

During the Second World War, the ___ of male baseball players led to the creation of a women’s baseball league.

debunk

(vb) to prove untrue

The reporter ___ the urban legend about the witch in the woods by revealing wild goats as the sources of the noises.

decry

to strongly criticize somebody/something, especially publicly

The politician ____ the injustices suffered by the people of the nation.

deject

(vb) to lower someone’s spirits; make downhearted

The news of her father’s declining condition ___ Denise, as she had been sure his health was starting to improve.

denounce

to strongly criticize somebody/something that you think is wrong, illegal, etc.

The sports reporter ____ the professional football team for raising ticket prices again.

renounce

to state publicly that you no longer have a particular belief or that you will no longer behave in a particular way

• Many were executed for refusing to ___ their religion.

deride (v)

Word Forms: deridingly, derision, derisive, derisible, derider

to treat somebody/something as silly and not worth considering seriously, to ridicule

The unsupportive team captain ___ Desiree’s attempts to make the volleyball squad.

digress (v)

to start to talk about something that is not connected with the main point of what you are saying

When Diane was describing the floats in yesterday’s parade, she ____ into a story from her childhood.

diligent (adj)

showing care and effort in your work or duties

The ___ editor was praised for her ability to find errors in even the most pain-staking text.

discern (v)

to know, recognize or understand something, especially something that is not obvious

It is possible to ___ a number of different techniques in her work.

disclose (v)

to give somebody information about something, especially something that was previously secret

disdain (n)

the feeling that somebody/something is not good enough to deserve your respect or attention ~ contempt

The suspect was looked upon with ___ by the detectives who investigated the terrible crime.

disillusion (v)

to destroy somebody’s belief in or good opinion of somebody/something

As a young politician, Dane believed he could stop the corruption that ran through the county government, but he was quickly ____ by the extent of the illegal activity.

disingenuous /ˌdɪsɪnˈdʒenjuəs/

not sincere, especially when you pretend to know less about something than you really do

Denise’s ___ apology was just an attempt to get out of her punishment; she was not truly sorry for going to the concert without permission.

disparage (v) /dɪˈspærɪdʒ/

to suggest that somebody/something is not important or valuable, to belittle

My mom’s feelings were hurt when I disparaged her cooking skills.

disparate (adj) /ˈdɪspərət/

Related Words: disparity

so different from each other that they cannot be compared or cannot work together

The mixture of three ____ styles—jazz, rock, and country—created a unique sound and a diverse audience.

dispute (v)

to question whether something is true or legally or officially acceptable

dogmatic

being certain that your beliefs are right and that others should accept them, without paying attention to evidence or other opinions

The _____ scientist continued to publish his theory, despite the fact that it was unproven.

dubious (about something)/(about doing something)

Antonym Forms: indubious, indubiously

(of a person) not certain about something and suspecting that something may be wrong; not knowing whether something is good or bad, doubtful

• I was rather ___ about the whole idea.

eccentric

considered by other people to be strange or unusual, peculiar, odd

The ___ woman often wore an angel halo and ballet tutu to the grocery store.

elicit

Note: elicit is often confused with illicit, which means illegal

to get information or a reaction from somebody, often with difficulty

The woman ___ sympathy from her audience by telling the story of her difficult childhood.

elite /ɪˈliːt/

selected as the best

The ____ college only admitted students with the highest SAT scores.

eloquent /ˈeləkwənt/

able to use language and express your opinions well, especially when you are speaking in public

The minister’s —— sermon stirred the members of the church.

elucidate (v)

to make something clearer by explaining it more fully

The story in the newspaper ____ some of the details of the mystery that had previously raised questions.

embellish /ɪmˈbelɪʃ/

1. to make something more beautiful by adding decoration to it

   The huge carved door was ____ with brass door knockers.

2. to make a story more interesting by adding details that are not always true (~embroider)

   His account of his travels was ____ with details of famous people he met.

embroider (v)

1. to decorate cloth with a pattern of stitches usually using coloured thread

She embroidered flowers on the cushion covers.

2. embellish

emphatic /ɪmˈfætɪk/

an ___ statement, answer, etc. is given with force to show that it is important

(of a person) making it very clear what you mean by speaking with force

• He was ____ that he could not work with her.

emulate (v)

to try to do something as well as somebody else because you admire them

epitome /ɪˈpɪtəmi/

a perfect example of something ~ embodiment

Paula is the ___ of a politician, with her good looks, bright smile, and charming personality.

equivocal /ɪˈkwɪvəkl/

​(of words or statements) not having one clear or definite meaning or intention; able to be understood in more than one way ~ ambiguous

evoke (v)

(vb) to call forth emotions, feelings, or responses

exacerbate

(vb) to increase the harshness or bitterness of

exasperate /ɪɡˈzæspəreɪt/

to annoy somebody very much, infuriate, intensely irritate

The airline passenger was ___ by the last minute cancellation of his flight.

exemplary /ɪɡˈzempləri/

providing a good example for people to copy

The student’s ___ attendance record was recognized at the awards ceremony.

explicit

(adj) clearly expressed or demonstrated

extol (v)

to praise highly

The critic ____ the works of Shakespeare, citing them as the most important contribution to the English language.

flagrant (adj) /ˈfleɪɡrənt/

(of an action) that shocks you because it is done in a very obvious way and shows no respect for people, laws, etc. = blatant

He showed a ___ disregard for anyone else's feelings.

frugal

(adj) characterized by the avoidance of excessive spending

futile

having no purpose because there is no chance of success, pointless

idiosyncrasy /ˌɪdiəˈsɪŋkrəsi/

a person’s particular way of behaving, thinking, etc., especially when it is unusual; an unusual feature ~ eccentricity

Some people found Ida’s ____ a source of humor, but I never made fun of her for wearing her shirt backwards.

illuminate (v)

(vb) to make clear; to supply light

The presentation on the artist was _____; I did not know that he was originally from China.

luminary (n)

​a person who is an expert or a great influence in a special area or activity

Various leading ___ of the arts were invited.

impetuous /ɪmˈpetʃuəs/

acting or done quickly and without thinking carefully about the results = impulsive

• an ___ young woman

• an ____ decision

implicit

(adj) implied though not directly expressed

incompetent /ɪnˈkɒmpɪtənt/

(adj) incapable; not qualified

incontrovertible /ˌɪnkɒntrəˈvɜːtəbl/

indisputable, unquestionable; impossible to deny

incredulous /ɪnˈkredʒələs/

skeptical; not willing to believe

The ___ car buyer did not believe the dealer’s claim that the car was accident-free; he insisted on seeing a report on the car’s history.

indifferent

(adj) showing lack of interest, concern, or bias

indignant /ɪnˈdɪɡnənt/

feeling or showing anger and surprise because you think that you have been treated unfairly

She was very ____ at/about the way she had been treated.

induce

(vb) to lead or bring about

The presence of the washed up jellyfish ____ a panic in the beachgoers, few of whom dared to venture into the water.

indulgent /ɪnˈdʌldʒənt/

tending to allow somebody to have or do whatever they want (~lenient, tolerant)

• ___ parents

• an ____ smile

• She was less ___ towards her daughter.

• He was usually very ___ with her.

willing or too willing to ignore the weaknesses in somebody/something

lenient /ˈliːniənt/

not as strict as expected when punishing somebody or when making sure that rules are obeyed

• a ____ sentence/fine

• The judge was far too ____ with him.

lament something | lament that… | + speech /ləˈment/

to express grief, to mourn

When Lamont left for college, his little sister ___ his absence for weeks.

bemoan /bɪˈməʊn/

to complain or say that you are not happy about something

• They sat ____ the fact that no one would give them a chance.

liberate

(adj) free; unrestrained

When the farmer accidentally left the stall door open, the ____ horse sprinted for the woods.

mar (v)

to damage something or make something less good or successful

• The game was ____ by the behaviour of rowdy fans.

disfigure (v)

to damage the appearance of a person, thing or place

• Her face was ____ by a long red scar.

• An ugly power station ____ the landscape.

mundane (adj) /mʌnˈdeɪn/

ordinary and somewhat boring