Unit 1A-1B
admonish
verb
to caution or advise against something; to scold mildly; to remind of a duty
The librarian had to admonish the noisy students several times before they settled down.
-reprimand, call on the carpet, caution
-praise, pat on the back
breach
noun and verb
n. an opening, gap, rupture, rift; a violation or infraction
v. to create an opening, a breakthrough
Because of a serious breach of the rules, two players were ejected from the game.
-none
-v. close, seal
brigand
noun
a bandit, robber, outlaw, highwayman
Ancient caravans passing through desolate areas were sometimes attacked by brigands.
-none
-none
circumspect
adjective
careful, cautious
It is important for a diplomat to behave in a manner that is both discreet and circumspect.
-wary, prudent, guarded
-incautious, rash, reckless, heedless
commandeer
verb
to seize for military or official use
Under certain circumstances, the U.S. government has the right to commandeer private property.
-take over, requisition, expropriate
-none
cumbersome
adjective
clumsy, hard to handle; slow-moving
The bus was filled to capacity with holiday shoppers carrying large and cumbersome packages.
-unwieldy, ponderous, difficult, uncomfortable
-manageable, easy to handle
deadlock
noun and verb
n. a standstill resulting from the opposition of two equal forces or factions
v. to bring to such a standstill
After fifteen innings, the score remained a frustrating 3-3 deadlock.
-standoff, impasse, stalemate
-agreement, accord, breakthrough
debris
noun
scattered fragments, wreckage
After the storm, the beach was littered with driftwood and other debris.
-remains, rubble, detritus, flotsam and jetsam
-none
diffuse
verb and adjective
v. to spread or scatter freely or widely
adj. wordy, longwinded, or unfocused; scattered or widely spread.
The speech was so long and diffuse that most members of the audience were thoroughly confused by it.
-(v.) disperse, (adj.) verbose, prolix
-(v.) concentrate, (adj.) brief, concise, succinct
dilemma
noun
a difficult or perplexing situation or problem
During the crisis the President found himself caught in a painful dilemma.
-predicament, quandary, pickle, bind
-cinch, easily solved problem
efface
verb
to wipe out; to keep oneself from being noticed.
Time had effaced almost all signs of the struggle that took place on that famous battlefield.
-blot out, erase, obliterate, expunge
-none
muddle
verb and noun
v. to make a mess of; to get by
n. a hopeless mess
Too much stress and too little sleep will almost certainly muddle a person’s ability to concentrate.
-(v.) jumble, mess up; (n.) confusion, disorder
-(n.) orderliness, tidiness, neatness
opinionated
adjective
Stubborn, and often unreasonable in holding to one’s own ideas, having a closed mind.
My friend is so opinionated that sometimes she will not listen to a reasonable proposal.
-obstinate, pigheaded, inflexible
-open-minded, reasonable
perennial
adjective and noun
adj. lasting for a long time, persistent
n. a plant that lives for many years
Pizza is a perennial favorite of young and old alike in the United States.
-adj. enduring, recurring
-adj. brief, short-lived, fleeting, ephemeral
predispose
verb
To incline to beforehand
My genetic makeup seems to predispose me to colds and sore throats.
-tending to, liable to
-immunize against, shield from
relinquish
verb
to let go, give up
Severe illness forced me to relinquish my role in the school play.
-surrender, abandon
-hold on to, keep, retain, cling to
salvage
verb and noun
v. to save from fire or shipwreck
n. property thus saved
Fortunately, we were able to salvage a few things from the fire.
-recover, retrieve, reclaim
-abandon, scrap, junk
spasmodic
adjective
sudden and violent but brief; fitful; intermittent
Spasmodic flashes of lightning and booming thunderclaps were accompanied by torrential rain.
-irregular, occasional
-steady, continuous, chronic
spurious
adjective
not genuine, not true, not valid
Manufacturers who make spurious claims for their products may face fines or lawsuits.
-false, counterfeit, fraudulent, bogus
-genuine, authentic, bona fide, valid
unbridled
adjective
uncontrolled, lacking in restraint
Sometimes the unbridled enthusiasm of sports fans can get a little out of hand.
-unrestrained, unchecked
-restrained, held in check, muted