Vocabulary Unit 6

Accede To yield to To assume an office or dignity The students tried to demand more time to study, but due to time constraints I could not accede to their wishes. In 2012, a new president will accede to the Oval Office. Synonyms: consent, concur, comply, assent Antonyms: demur, balk at, to be indomitable

Brandish (v) To wave or flourish in a menacing or vigorous fashion. The woman screamed and brandished her umbrella madly in hopes of catching the attention of the man about to be run over by a bus. The knight brandished his sword threateningly at the bandits, who quickly backed away from the lady. Synonyms: swing, shake, wave

Comprise (v) To include or contain To be made up of Cookies are comprised of flour, sugar, butter, vanilla and other sweet things. A good Iskills test comprises vocabulary and idiom usage. Synonyms: compose, constitute, encompass Antonyms: exclude

Deft (adj) Skillful, nimble With a deft flick of her wrist, she hit the center of the target with the dart and won the contest. The hostage situation was very tense, but the negotiator handled it all very deftly and no one was injured. Synonyms: dexterous, adroit, proficient, masterful Antonyms: clumsy, awkward, bungling, inept

Destitute (adj) Deprived of the necessities of life Lacking in When her husband met his demise, Jane was left destitute and had to find a job to make ends meet. Synonyms: wanting, devoid, impoverished, penniless, poor Antonyms: rich, wealthy, luxurious, bountiful, full, replete

Explicit (adj) Definite, clearly stated The teacher gave very explicit instructions to govern behavior during a test. ** This word is also used to indicate adult language and/or behaviors in books, news stories, or video. Explicit language, explicit sex, etc. Synonyms: distinct, forthright, unambiguous, clear Antonyms: vague, ambiguous, implied, implicit

Extirpate (v) To tear up by the roots To destroy totally We must do everything we can to extirpate racism from American society. Teachers in ESLI work hard to extirpate all opportunities for cheating. Synonyms: uproot, eradicate, wipe out, excise Antonyms: implant, sow, foster, nourish Extirpation (n) act of extirpating Extirpator (n) One who extirpates Extirpative (adj) A measure or action which extirpates

Inopportune (adj) Coming at a bad time Not always appropriate Small children are bound to make ugly bodily noises at the most inopportune time. Synonyms: ill-timed, inconvenient, inappropriate, unsuitable Antonyms: timely, convenient, felicitous, opportune

Ironic (adj) Suggesting an incongruity between what might be expected and what actually happens Given to irony, sarcastic It is ironic that the lady who chided everyone to pay more attention to their English teachers did not use proper punctuation herself. Synonyms: incongruous, satiric, sardonic, wry Antonyms: straightforward, unequivocal See next slide for more explanation!

Ironic (still adj) continued… Incongruity (n) Incongruous (adj) Both refer to a thing which lacks harmony, is incorrect or incompatible. If something is ironic, there is a lack of agreement between what is SAID and what really IS, making it also incongruous. Ironic (adj) Irony (n) Jonathan Swift’s A Modest Proposal is famous for its irony. Ironically (adv)

Musty (adj) Stale, moldy, out-of-date Houses that have been shut up for a long time often have an unpleasantly musty odor about them. My ancient English teacher has been wearing the same musty old coat since before I was born. Synonyms: hackneyed, antiquated, old Antonyms: fresh, sweet-smelling, up-to-date, brand-new Must (n): staleness. Not often used.

Officious (adj) Meddling Excessively forward in offering services or assuming authority There’s nothing I hate more when shopping for cars than an overly officious salesman. Synonyms: meddlesome, prying, impertinent, obtrusive Antonyms: reserved, diffident, timid, aloof Officiousness (n): the act of being officious Officiously (adj) acting or behaving in an officious manner

Ominous (adj) Unfavorable Threatening, a bad omen The dark and ominous clouds that gathered over Dorothy’s farm meant a very bad storm was coming. There was an ominous sound in the teacher’s voice when she warned us not to talk during tests. Synonyms: unpropitious, inauspicious, portentous Antonyms: propitious, auspicious, promising Propitious/auspicious: favorable Unpropitious/inauspicious: Not favorable Ominously (adv) acting or behaving in an ominous fashion You can be ominous, or speak ominously, but there is no verb form of this word.

Pinnacle (n) A high peak or point Some pop musicians reach the pinnacle of their careers very early in their lives. It is the goal of all serious mountain-climbers to reach the pinnacle of Mt. Everest. Synonyms: apex, acme, summit, apogee Antonyms: nadir, perigee, low point

Premeditated (adj) Considered beforehand, deliberately planned Some crimes are spontaneous “acts of passion;” others are quite premeditated. Synonyms: preplanned, rehearsed, calculated, prearranged Antonyms: unplanned, spontaneous, impromptu Premeditatedly (adv): acting or behaving in a premeditated manner Premeditation (n): that which is premeditated

Rampant (adj) Growing without check, running wild All kinds of odd rumors run rampant through a student population. In spite of efforts to eradicate it, the kudzu vine grows rampantly all over the South. Synonyms; widespread, unrestrained, extravagant, prevalent Antonyms: controlled, restrained Rampantly (adv): acting or behaving in a rampant manner Rampancy (n): the act of running rampant. Rarely used.

Solace (n). Comfort, relief (v). To comfort or console Florence Nightengale brought solace to injured soldiers in the Crimea and set an important precedent for nurses everywhere. A mother’s embrace solaces her weeping child. Synonyms: (v.) soothe, reassure, cheer up Antonyms: (v.) vex, aggravate, upset Solaced, solacing (adj): an action which solaces

Stately (adj) Dignified, majestic The King’s procession kept a stately, plodding pace through the crowded streets. Synonyms: grand, magnificent, imposing Antonyms: lowly, humble, servile, abject

Supple (adj) Bending easily, bending with agility, readily adaptable Ballet dancers must be very supple to move the way they do. Synonyms: flexible, limber, pliable, pliant Antonyms: stiff, rigid, unbending, hidebound

Suppress (v) To stop by force; to put down Totalitarian governments usually take strong measures to suppress free speech. Synonyms: subdue, crush, stifle, squelch, quash, silence Antonyms: provoke, spur, arouse, incite, instigate Suppression (n): The act of suppressing Suppressive (adj): That which suppresses Suppressively (adv): action of suppression

Venal (adj) Open to or marked by corruption The presence of even one venal official may jeopardize the integrity of an entire organization. Synonyms: dishonest, bribable, corruptible, mercenary Antonyms: honest, incorruptible, scrupulous Venality (n): the act of being venal Venally (adv): to do something in a venal manner.