Vocabulary 7b

Martinet (n.) a strict disciplinarian; a stickler for the rules S: TASKMASTER, SLAVE Driver When it came to drilling troops, the Revolutionary war general baron friedrich von steuben was something of a martinet.

obviate (v.) to anticipate and prevent; to remove, dispose of S: preclude, forestall, ward off Vaccinations can do much to obviate the dangers of childhood illnesses.

renegade (n.) one who leaves a group; a deserter, outlaw; (adj.) traitorous; unconventional, unorthodox S: (n.) turncoat, defector, heretic A: (n.) loyalist, patriot Many writers have been labeled a renegade for refusing to conform to society’s conventions. Renegade senators from the president’s own party joined the opposition to defeat the bill.

reprehensible (adj.) deserving blame or punishment S: objectionable, blameworthy, culpable, odious A: commendable, blameless, meritorious Stalin eliminated many potential rivals by accusing them of all sorts of reprehensible acts that they did not commit.

somber (adj.) dark, gloomy; depressed or melancholy in spirit S: mournful, dismal A: bright, sunny, lighthearted, cheerful, jaunty The atmosphere in the locker room of the losing team could best be described as somber.

squalid (adj.) filthy, wretched, debased S: dingy, sordid, foul, bile, abject A: neat, spruce, exalted, lofty Many laws prohibit the types of squalid working conditions found in sweatshops.

turbulent (adj.) disorderly, riotous, violent; stormy S: tumultuous, unruly, agitated A: calm, placid, tranquil, still Letters and diary entries may reveal a person’s lifelong struggle to gain some control over turbulent emotions.

vociferous (adj.) loud and noisy; compelling attention S: clamorous, uproarious, blustering A: quiet, soft-spoken, muted, subdued Relief agencies regularly make vociferous appeals for aid for victims of war, terrorism, and natural disasters.

voluminous (adj). Of great size; numerous; writing or speaking at great length S: bulky, massive, copious, plentiful A: scant, meager, brief, succinct The task of summarizing the voluminous reports issued by government agencies may fall to members of a legislator’s staff.

waive (v.) to do without, give up voluntarily; to put off temporarily, defer S: decline, relinquish, forgo A: claim, accept The senator agreed to waive opposition to the proposed bill if some of its more controversial provisions were substantially modified.