English Semester 2

Word

Definition

Usage in Sentence

Synonyms

Abhor (Verb)

To regard with horror or loathing; to hate deeply

A pacifist is someone who __________ violence in all forms.

Amend (Verb)

To change in a formal way; to change for the better

If you are not doing well in a particular subject, you may want to ________ your way of studying it.

Buffet (Verb)

To slap or cuff; to strike repeatedly; to drive or force with blows; to force one’s way with difficulty

Blinding snowstorms ___________ the barren landmass of Antarctica for months on end.

Chaos (Noun)

Great confusion; disorder

A great many people lost their fortunes and even their lives in the __________ brought on by the French Revolution.

Commodious (Adjective)

Roomy; spacious

No one would expect a tiny studio apartment to have particularly _________ closets. 

Corrosive (Adjective)

Eating away gradually; acid-like; bitterly sarcastic

Sulfuric acid is one of the most _________ substances known to chemistry. 

Discern (Verb)

To see clearly; recognize

It is a jury’s job to __________ the truth by carefully evaluating all the evidence presented at the trial.

Word

Definition

Usage in Sentence

Synonym

Extant (Adjective)

Still existing; not exterminated, destroyed or lost

The paintings of animals and human hands in Spain’s Altamira caves are among the oldest _________ species of Stone Age art.

Implicate (Verb) 

To involve in; to connect with or be related to 

The suspects never stood trial because there was no solid evidence to ______ them in the daring series of robberies. 

Inter (Verb) 

To bury; to commit to the earth

Jewels and other objects once ________ with Egypt’s pharaohs can now be seen in numerous museums all over the world. 

Martinet (Noun)

A strict disciplinarian; a stickler for the rules

When it came to drilling troops, the Revolutionary War general Baron Friedrich von Steuben was something of a ________.

Obviate (Verb)

To anticipate and prevent; to remove; dispose of

Vaccinations can do much to ______ the dangers of childhood illnesses.

Renegade (Noun)

One who leaves a group; a deserter; outlaw

Many a writer has been labeled a _______ for refusing to conform to society’s conventions. 

Reprehensible (Adjective)

Deserving blame or punishment

Stalin eliminated many potential rivals by accusing them of all sorts of _____________ acts that they did not commit. 

Somber (Adjective)

Dark; gloomy; Depressed in spirit

The atmosphere in the locker room of the losing team could best be described as ___________.  

Squalid (Adjective)

Filthy; wretched; debased

Many laws prohibit the types of ________ working conditions found in sweatshops. 

Turbulent (Adjective)

Disorderly; riotous; violent; stormy

Letters and diary entries may reveal a person’s lifelong struggle to gain some control over ______ emotions.

Vociferous (Adjective)

Loud and noisy; compelling attention

Relief agencies regularly make _________ appeals for aid for victims of war, terrorism and natural disasters.

Voluminous (Adjective)

Of great size; numerous; writing or speaking at great length

The task of summarizing the _______ reports issued by government agencies may fall to members of a legislator’s staff. 

Waive (Verb)

To do without; to give up voluntarily; to put off temporarily

The senator agreed to ________ opposition to the proposed bill if some of its more controversial provisions were substantially modified. 

Animosity (Noun) 

Strong dislike; bitter hostility

The deep _________ between the Montagues and Capulets could not prevent Romeo and Juliet from falling in love. 

Apathy (Noun)

A lack of feeling, emotion or interest

I was horrified when the sales force greeted my great idea for an ad campaign with total ____________.

Apprehensive (Adjective)

Fearful or anxious, especially about the future

As the hurricane approached, __________ residents all along the coast prepared for the worst. 

Commend (Verb)

To praise, express approval; to present as worthy of attention; to commit to the care of 

The mayor __________ the young people for their volunteer work at a local hospitals and soup kitchens. 

Word

Definition

Usage in Sentence

Synonyms

Compatible (Adjective)

Able to get along or work well together; capable of use with some other model or system

Eyewitness accounts of an accident rarely are totally ______________.

Condolence (Noun)

An expression of sympathy

A few well-chosen words of ___________ can be a great comfort to someone who has lost a loved one.

Decrepit (Adjective) 

Old and Feeble; worn-out, ruined

“I may be aging,” the famous movie star replied, “but I am hardly _________.” 

Deride (Verb)

To ridicule, laugh at with contempt 

Most people find jokes that ________ somebody’s national origin or social background extremely offensive.

Multifarious (Adjective)

Having great variety; numerous and diverse

Leonardo da Vinci’s notebooks reveal that he was a man of ___________ interests. 

Obsolete (Adjective)

Out-of-date; no longer in use

In order to remain competitive, manufacturing companies periodically replace _________ machinery. 

Omnivorous (Adjective)

Eating every kind of food; eagerly taking in everything, having a wide variety of tastes

An ____________ animal has a greater chance of survival than one that depends on a single food source.

Parsimonious (Adjective) 

Stingy; miserly; meager, poor, small

Many people who lost money in the Great Depression later adhered to a _________ lifestyle, even during more prosperous times. 

Quandary (Noun)

A state of perplexity or doubt

Try as I might, I could see no way out of the ethical ____________ in which I found myself. 

Recalcitrant (Adjective)

Stubbornly disobedient, resisting authority

A ___________ individual may have great difficulty adjusting to a job that requires a good deal of teamwork. 

Reprisal (Noun) 

An injury done in return for injury

The Highland clans of Scotland engaged in cattle rustling in _________ for real or imagined injuries. 

Revel (Verb) 

To take great pleasure in; a wild celebration

Some movie stars do not _____________ in the attention that their fans and media pay them.

Stultify (Verb) 

To make ineffective or useless; cripple; to have a dulling effect on

Oppressive heat may ________ the mind and spirit as well as the body.

Suave (Adjective) 

Smoothly agreeable or polite; pleasing to the senses 

Nick Charles, the clever detective in the Thin Man movies, is a sophisticated man-about-town. 

Allocate (Verb)

To set apart or designate for a special purpose; to distribute 

In their wills many people _________ a portion of their wealth to favorite charities or educational institutions. 

Ardent (Adjective)

Very enthusiastic, impassioned

The members of the winning team acknowledged the cheers of their _________ fans.