All 3 units - Sadlier Vocab
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
adjourn
verb
to stop proceedings temporarily; move to another place
The judge adjourned the hearing until ten o’clock the following morning.
-postpone, suspend, discontinue
-open, call to order
alien
noun and adjective
n. a citizen of another country
adj. foreign, strange
N. Movies about aliens from outer space have been extremely popular for decades.
Adj. The quiet customs of the remote mountain village felt completely alien to the traveling writer.
-adj. exotic, unfamiliar
-adj. native, endemic, familiar
comely
adjective
having a pleasing appearance
The proud parents and their comely children posed for a family portrait.
-good-looking, attractive, bonny
-plain, homely, ugly, repulsive
compensate
verb
to make up for; to repay for services
The manufacturer was ordered to compensate customers injured by the defective product.
-pay back, reimburse, recompense
-fail to reward, stiff
dissolute
adjective
loose in one’s morals or behavior
The mad Roman emperor Caligula led an extravagant and dissolute life.
-dissipated, debauched, immoral, corrupt
-virtuous, chaste, moral, proper
erratic
adjective
not regular or consistent; different from what is ordinarily expected; undependable
Students who have an erratic attendance record may find themselves disciplined by the principal.
-irregular, inconsistent, unpredictable
-steady, consistent, dependable
expulsion
noun
the process of driving or forcing out
The story of the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden is told in Genesis.
-ejection, ouster, eviction
-admittance, admission
feint
noun or verb
n. a deliberately deceptive movement; a pretense; v. to make a deceptive movement; to make a pretense of.
The chess master’s opening feint gave her an immediate advantage.
His uncanny ability to feint and counterpunch made the champ unbeatable.
-trick, ruse, subterfuge, dodge, bluff
-none
fodder
noun
food for horses or cattle; raw material for a designated purpose
Every experience in life is fodder for a novelist’s imagination.
-feed, provender
-none
fortify
verb
to strengthen, build up
The soldiers fortified the fort against the expected attack.
-reinforce, shore up
-weaken, undermine, sap, impair
illegible
adjective
difficult or impossible to read
The effects of air pollution have rendered the inscriptions on many old gravestones illegible.
-scribbled
-distinct, clear
jeer
verb and noun
n. a rude remark; v. to make fun of rudely or unkindly
To jeer at someone with a disability is absolutely inexcusable.
-laugh at, mock, taunt
-applause, plaudits, accolades
lucrative
adjective
bringing in money; profitable
Many people find that they can turn a favorite hobby into a highly lucrative business.
-gainful, moneymaking
-unprofitable, losing, in the red
mediocre
adjective
average, ordinary, undistinguished
The team’s number-one draft pick turned out to be a rather mediocre player, not a star who could lead them to the championship.
-run-of-the-mill
-exceptional, outstanding, distinguished
proliferate
verb
to reproduce, increase, or spread rapidly
Because malignant cells proliferate, early detection of cancer is absolutely crucial to successful treatment.
-multiply, mushroom, burgeon
-decrease, diminish, dwindle
subjugate
verb
to conquer by force, bring under complete control
“We must act quickly,” the general said, “in order to subjugate the rebel forces.”
-subdue, vanquish, master
-be conquered, submit, surrender
sully
verb
to soil, stain, tarnish, defile, besmirch
The Watergate scandal sullied the image of politicians in the minds of many voters.
-pollute, taint, smear
-cleanse, purify, decontaminate
tantalize
verb
to tease, torment by teasing
When I am on a diet, the treats in the bakery windows seem to have been put there to tantalize me.
-tempt, lead on, make one’s mouth water
-satisfy, fulfill, gratify
terse
adjective
brief and to the point
The manuscript for my short story was returned to me with a terse letter of rejection.
-concise, succinct, crisp, short and sweet
-verbose, wordy, diffuse
unflinching
adjective
firm, showing no signs of fear, not drawing back
Everyone admires the unflinching courage with which firefighters and other rescue workers carry out their dangerous jobs.
-resolute, steadfast, unwavering
-irresolute, wavering, vacillating
abridge
verb
to make shorter
Travel by air abridges the time needed to reach far-distant places.
-shorten, condense, abbreviate
-expand, enlarge, augment
adherent
noun and adjective
n. a follower, supporter
adj. attached, sticking to
The senator’s loyal adherents campaigned long and hard for her reelection.
-n. disciple
-n. opponent, adversary, critic, detractor
altercation
noun
an angry argument
A noisy altercation in the next apartment kept me awake for hours.
-quarrel, dispute, squabble
-agreement, accord
cherubic
adjective
resembling an angel portrayed as a little child with a beautiful, round, or chubby face; sweet and innocent
How well those photographs of the month-old twins capture the cherubic expressions on their faces!
-angelic, seraphic, beatific
-impish, devilish, diabolic, fiendish
condone
verb
to pardon or overlook
Our parents have always made it crystal clear to us that they do not condone rude behavior.
-ignore, wink at, turn a blind eye to, look the other way
-censure, condemn, disapprove, deprecate
dissent
verb and noun
v. to disagree n. a disagreement
v. Justices have an option to dissent from a ruling issued by a majority of the Supreme Court.
n. Some people give voice to their dissent on issues of public policy by writing letters to newspapers.
-(v.) differ, dispute
-(v.) agree, concur, (h.) unanimity, harmony
eminent
adjective
famous, outstanding, distinguished; projecting
A group of eminent scientists met to discuss long-term changes in the Earth’s climate.
-illustrious, renowned
-obscure, nameless, unsung, lowly, humble
exorcize
verb
to drive out by magic; to dispose of something troublesome, menacing, or oppressive
We must do all we can to exorcise the evils of hatred and prejudice from our society.
-expel, dispel
-none
fabricate
verb
to make, manufacture; to make up, invent
Threads from the cocoons of caterpillars called silkworms are used to fabricate silk.
-put together, devise, contrive, concoct
-take apart, undo, destroy, demolish
gluttony
noun
engaging in extreme eating or drinking; greedy overindulgence.
In the Middle Ages, gluttony was considered one of the Seven Deadly Sins.
-overeating, ravenousness, rapaciousness
-abstemiousness, temperance
irate
adjective
angry
Long delays at airports make people irate.
-Looter, pirate, freebooter
-incensed, infuriated, enraged, livid calm, composed, cool, unruffled
marauder
noun
a raider, plunderer
Edgar Allan Poe’s story “The Gold Bug” concerns treasure buried by the marauder Captain Kidd.
-looter, pirate, freebooter
-none
pauper
noun
an extremely poor person
During the Great Depression, many people were reduced to lead the desperate lives of paupers.
-destitute person
-billionaire
pilfer
verb
to steal in small quantities
An employee who pilfers from the petty cash box will get caught sooner or later.
–filch, rob, swipe, purloin
none
rift
noun
a split, break, breach
Failure to repay a loan can be the cause of an angry rift between longtime friends.
-crack, fissure, gap, cleft
-reconciliation
semblance
noun
a likeness; an outward appearance; an apparition
Despite a bad case of stage fright, I tried to maintain a semblance of calm as I sang my solo.
-appearance, air, aura, veneer, façade
-dissimilarity, contrast, total lack
surmount
verb
to overcome, rise above
Wilma Rudolph surmounted childhood illness and physical disabilities to win three Olympic gold medals.
-conquer, triumph over
-be vanquished, be defeated, succumb to
terminate
verb
to bring to an end
If you fail to perform your job satisfactorily, your boss may terminate your employment.
-conclude, finish, discontinue
-begin, commence, initiate
trite
adjective
commonplace, overused
When you write an essay or story, be especially careful to avoid using trite expressions.
-banal, hackneyed, corny
-original, fresh, novel, innovative
usurp
verb
to seize and hold a position by force or without right
The general who led the revolution usurped the office of the duly elected president.
-seize illegally, commandeer, supplant
-none