IO TH GRADE VOCABULARY Unit 8

ANIMOSITY  Part of Speech: Noun  Definition:  Strong dislike; bitter hostility  Context:  The deep animosity between the Montagues and Capulets could not prevent Romeo and Juliet from falling in love.  The political leaders had a mutual respect for one another, despite the animosity expressed during the debates leading up to the election.  Synonyms: enmity, rancor, antipathy  Antonyms: affection, fondness, rapport, amity

APATHY  Part of Speech: Noun  Definition:  A lack of feeling, emotion, or interest  Context:  I was horrified when the sales force greeted my great idea for an ad campaign with total apathy.  The serial killer’s lack of apathy left even the judge speechless.  Synonyms: indifference, disinterest, detachment  Antonyms: enthusiasm, fervor, ardor, concern

APPREHENSIVE  Part of Speech: Adjective  Definition:  Fearful or anxious, especially about the future  Context:  As the hurricane approached, apprehensive residents all along the coast prepared for the worst.  Apprehensive about the consequences of texting and driving, Jill turned her phone off.  Synonyms: worried, nervous, fretful, jittery  Antonyms: unworried, assured, confident, certain

COMMEND  Part of Speech: Verb  Definition:  To praise, express approval; to present as worthy of attention; to commit to the care of  Context:  The mayor commended the young people for their volunteer work at local hospitals and soup kitchens.  Our supervisor chose to commend us for finishing the project ahead of schedule by taking us bowling on our lunch hour.  Synonyms: applaud, entrust  Antonyms: abhor, loathe

COMPATIBLE  Part of Speech: Adjective  Definition:  Able to get along or work well together; capable of use with some other model or system  Context:  Eyewitness accounts of an accident rarely are compatible.  While Fido is compatible with dogs, he does not get along with cats.  Synonyms: harmonious, in agreement  Antonyms: mismatched, incongruous, antagonistic

CONDOLENCE  Part of Speech: Noun  Definition:  An expression of sympathy  Context:  A few well-chosen words of condolence can be a great comfort to someone who has lost a loved one.  When the soldier died protecting his comrades, his wife received a call of condolence from our nation's president.  Synonyms: commiseration, solace, sympathy

CONSECRATE  Part of Speech: Verb  Definition:  To make sacred, hallow; to set apart for a special purpose  Context:  Traditionally most religious denominations hold special ceremonies to consecrate a new house of worship.  At noon tomorrow, my sister and her fiancé will consecrate their love by getting married.  Synonyms: devote, sanctify  Antonyms: desecrate, profane, dishonor

DECREPIT  Part of Speech: Adjective  Definition:  Old and feeble; worn-out, ruined  Context:  “I may be aging,” the famous movie star replied, “but I am hardly decrepit.”  Because the decrepit building is such an eyesore, it is being demolished in a week.  Synonyms: infirm, broken-down, rickety  Antonyms: vigorous, robust, sturdy

DERIDE  Part of Speech: Verb  Definition:  To ridicule, laugh at with contempt  Context:  Most people find jokes that deride somebody’s national origin or social background extremely offensive.  Because the book was written so poorly, the critic had no choice but to deride the book’s author in the review.  Synonyms: mock, scorn, disparage  Antonyms: praise, extol, acclaim, applaud

INGENUOUS  Part of Speech: Adjective  Definition:  innocent, simple  Frank, sincere  Context:  In his novels, Dickens has harsh words for those who take cruel advantage of ingenuous young people.  Jessica’s ingenuous nature made her an easy target for the con man.  Synonyms: naïve, artless, guileless, candid  Antonyms: artful, crafty, worldly, sophisticated

MULTIFARIOUS  Part of Speech: Adjective  Definition:  Having great variety  Numerous and diverse  Context:  Leonardo da Vinci’s notebooks reveal that he was a man of multifarious interests.  Coming from a small town of only four hundred residents, Jonas was shocked by the millions of people who made up the multifarious population of the big city.  Synonyms: varied, manifold, heterogeneous  Antonyms: unvaried, uniform, homogeneous

OBSOLETE  Part of Speech: Adjective  Definition:  Out-of-date, no longer in use  Context:  In order to remain competitive, manufacturing companies periodically replace obsolete machinery.  The young restaurant manager refuses to hire people over the age of fifty because he considers them obsolete in the workplace.  Synonyms: outmoded, passé, old hat  Antonyms: current, up-to-date, brand-new

OMNIVOROUS  Part of Speech: Adjective  Definition:  Eating every kind of food; eagerly taking in everything, having a wide variety of tastes.  Context:  An omnivorous animal has a greater chance of survival than one that depends on a single food source.  Since I try to eat a healthy omnivorous diet, my meals always contain plenty of vegetables, fruits, and meats.  Synonyms: all-devouring, voracious

PARSIMONIOUS  Part of Speech: Adjective  Definition:  Stingy, miserly; meager, poor, small  Context:  Many people who lost money in the Great Depression later adhered to a parsimonious lifestyle, even during more prosperous times.  To save money, the parsimonious old man always bought used clothes.  Synonyms: frugal, niggardly, penny-pinching, cheap  Antonyms: generous, openhanded

QUANDARY  Part of Speech: Noun  Definition:  A state of perplexity or doubt  Context:  Try as I might, I could see no way out of the ethical quandary in which I found myself.  Since I am always honest with my parents, I found myself in a quandary when my best friend asked me to lie to my father about my whereabouts.  Synonyms: confusion, dilemma, predicament

RECALCITRANT  Part of Speech: Adjective  Definition:  Stubbornly disobedient  Resisting authority  Context:  A recalcitrant individual may have great difficulty adjusting to a job that requires a good deal of teamwork.  Learning nothing from the second-chance boot camp, the recalcitrant youth ended up in prison.  Synonyms: unruly, obstinate, contrary, ornery  Antonyms: obedient, docile, compliant

REPRISAL  Part of Speech: Noun  Definition:  An injury done in return for injury  Context:  The Highland clans of Scotland engaged in cattle rustling in reprisal for real or imagines injuries.  When Jeanette’s parents were told about the bullying tactics she had used in reprisal for the gossip against her, she was grounded and had to miss the winter dance.  Synonyms: retaliation, revenge

REVEL  Part of Speech: Verb or noun  Definition:  Verb: To take great pleasure in  Noun: A wild celebration  Context:  Verb: Some movie stars do not revel in the attention that their fans and the media pay them.  Noun: All around the world, the new millennium was ushered in with positive thoughts and revels.  Synonyms: (verb) relish, savor, bask in, carouse  Antonyms: (verb) abhor, loathe

STULTIFY  Part of Speech: verb  Definition:  To make ineffective or useless, cripple  To have a dulling effect on  Context:  Oppressive heat may stultify the mind and spirit as well as the body.  The adage that the “pen is mightier than the sword” was shown to be true when the scholar worked to stultify his enemy with mere words.  Synonyms: smother, stifle, neutralize, negate  Antonyms: arouse, excite, inspire, stimulate

SUAVE  Part of Speech: Adjective  Definition:  Smoothly agreeable or polite  Pleasing to the senses  Context:  Jonathan was a prince to behold, suave beyond description, and with silver-tongued oratory, he calmed the fears of an entire city.  James is a suave car salesman who once sold a car to a man who came in the building simply to ask for directions.  Synonyms: sophisticated, urbane, polished  Antonyms: crude, clumsy, oafish, loutish