Monday April 23, 2012 Vocabulary unit 14!

When Mrs. Rector and Ms. O’Neil asked their classes if they wanted to go outside for independent reading, they responded with alacrity.

alacrity-(n) cheerful readiness to do something Synonym- eager action At the start of the U.S. Civil War thousands of young men responded to the call to arms with alacrity.

If you have a headache, taking Aleve or Tylenol, may alleviate your pain.

alleviate-(v) to relieve or make more bearable Synonym- to make something less bad Food drives are organized to help alleviate hunger in many communities.

Luciano Pavarotti’s opera singing was the antithesis of Eminem’s rap singing.

antithesis-(n) the exact opposite of something Synonym- a sharp contrast In the movie The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy is the antithesis of the Wicked Witch of the West.

The world was appalled by the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

appall-(v) to fill with dismay or horror Synonym- to shock someone greatly The state of Indiana was appalled at the damage caused by the recent tornadoes.

I wouldn’t want to cross paths with a very bellicose dog.

bellicose-(adj) eager to fight Synonym- having a warlike temperament In 1941 after the Japanese attacked the U.S. at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, our nation’s attitude turned bellicose.

In the novel Sunrise Over Fallujah, Sergeant Harris makes disparaging comments about women.

disparage-(v) to criticize in a way that shows you don’t think something is important Synonym-to undervalue It is a mistake to disparage the importance of good manners!!

A trumpet and a harp playing together in two different musical keys would sound dissonant.

dissonant-(adj) harsh and not harmonious in sound Synonym-disagreeing in sound When they argued, their dissonant voices irritated everyone.

On the TV show “The Big Bang Theory” Sheldon is supposed to be a nerd who is quite droll.

droll-(adj) unusual and slightly funny Synonym- funny in an unusual way The American Author Mark Twain was famous for droll remarks like: For every problem there is always a solution that is simple, obvious and wrong. Whenever I feel the urge to exercise I lie down until it goes away.

Osama bin Laden issued edicts that declared war against the U.S. government.

edict-(n) an order made issued someone in authority Synonym- an official order President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation is an example of an edict.

After a car accident, it is difficult to elucidate to an officer what happened. .

elucidate-(v) to explain very clearly something that is difficult to understand. Synonym-to clarify When you read Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, the modern English version on the right side of the page helped to elucidate the old English on the left.

The student athletes at Keefe Tech were lauded for their participation in the sports program.

laud-(v) to praise Synonym- to admire The students in the Keefe Tech Health Careers shop were lauded for their recent successful blood drive ; a record 71 people donated!

There are certain times of the day when you just want to do nothing but loll about and listen to music or chill.

loll-(v) to sit or lie in a lazy or relaxed way Synonym- to lounge or to loaf A great way to spend time in the summer is lolling around in a hammock and reading a book!

It is sometimes said that women are more loquacious than men, but all the men I know seem to do their full share of talking.

loquacious-(adj) talkative Synonym-wordy; garrulous The loquacious little girl didn’t want to hang up the phone.

My friend made the magnanimous offer to lend me the money I needed to buy a new car.

magnanimous- (adj) kind and generous toward other people, especially in forgiving Synonym-bighearted With a magnanimous heart, he forgave those who had hurt him, setting himself free!!

At Keefe Tech it is mandatory to take final exams at the end of the school year.

mandatory-(adj) required Synonym- obligatory In Massachusetts it is mandatory for new drivers under 18 to take a driver’s education course before getting a license.

Big Box Stores like Walmart and Cosco all look the same; they have no distinct character or distinguishing features; they are nondescript.

nondescript-(adj) ordinary, plain Synonym-not having noticeable or interesting qualities Do you prefer a shoe that is colorful and flamboyant or one that is more nondescript?

The sloth seems to be quite a phlegmatic animal; he’s slow and doesn’t show too much character or emotion.

phlegmatic-(ad) slow moving; not too emotional Synonym-calm and not easily excited or worried Having a phlegmatic personality means you are basically easygoing. Does this describe you?

Keefe Tech students would be happy if the school rescinded the rule that does not allow use of electronic devices during lunch!

rescind-(v) to officially end a law, agreement or decision Synonym-to cancel The young lady was surprised when her job offer at Cisco was possibly rescinded because she tweeted about her future employer.

Keefe Tech freshmen are definitely a vivacious group of students; you are lively and full of energy!

vivacious-(adj) lively; full of energy Synonym-spirited and fun to be with Many musical performers are vivacious!!

The chef whetted the dull blade on his steel sharpener. The smell of the food from culinary whetted my appetite.

whet-(v) to sharpen; to excite Synonym- to make eager The Hunger Games movie has whetted many people’s curiosity about the entire book trilogy as well.