Vocabulary Unit 6B

Officious (adj.) meddling, excessively forward in offering services or assuming authority. S: meddlesome, prying, impertinent, obtrusive A: reserved, diffident, timid, aloof The manger of the store warned the entire sales force not to be too officious when helping customers.

Ominous (adj.) unfavorable, threatening, of bad omen S: unpropitious, inauspicious, portentous A: propitious, auspicious, promising The ominous sound of distant thunder warned us of the storm’s approach.

Pinnacle (n.) a high peak or point S: apex, acme, summit, apogee A: nadir, perigee, low point Some pop musicians reach the pinnacle of their careers comparatively early in life.

Premeditated (adj.) considered beforehand, deliberately planned. S: preplanned, rehearsed, calculated, prearranged A: unplanned, spontaneous, impromptu Some crimes are spontaneous acts of passion; others are quite premeditated.

Rampant (adj). Growing without check, running wild S: widespread, unrestrained, extravagant, prevalent A: controlled, restrained All kinds of odd rumors run rampant during a political campaign.

Solace (n.) comfort, relief (v.) to comfort, console S: (v.) soothe, reassure, cheer up A: (v.) vex, aggravate, upset Many world leaders seek solace from the cares of state in the pages of great literature. I could find no way to solace my deeply troubled conscience.

Stately (adj.) dignified, majestic S: grand, magnificent, imposing A: lowly, humble, servile, abject The stately procession slowly wound its way from the palace to the cathedral.

Supple (adj.) bending easily; bending with agility; readily adaptable; servile S: flexible, limber, pliable, pliant A: stiff, rigid, unbending, hidebound Have you ever read Robert Frost’s famous poem about swinging on the supple branches of a birch tree?

Suppress (v.) to stop by force, to put down S: subdue, crush, stifle, squelch, quash, silence A: provoke, spur, arouse, incite, instigate Totalitarian governments usually take strong measures to suppress free speech.

Venal (adj.) open to or marked by bribery or corruption S: dishonest, bribable, corruptible, mercenary A: honest, incorruptible, scrupulous The presence of even one venal official may jeopardize the integrity of an entire organization.