Unit Five Grade Seven

1. anecdote (n) a short account of an incident in someone’s life syn: tale, story, sketch, vignette, yarn Ex. Many anecdotes relate a humorous incident in someone’s life.

2. consolidate (v) to combine, unite; to make solid or firm syn: strengthen, firm up, merge ant: scatter, disperse, dissipate, separate Ex. The two companies consolidated to give themselves stronger buying power.

3. counterfeit (n) an imitation designed to deceive (adj) not genuine, fake (v) to make an illegal copy syn: (adj) false, phony, bogus ant: (adj) genuine, real, authentic Ex. The cubic zirconia is a counterfeit. It appears as a diamond but is not genuine.

4. docile (adj) easily taught, led, or managed; obedient syn: manageable, teachable, pliant ant: unruly, wayward, intractable, disobedient Ex. The once wayward puppy was very intelligent and soon became a docile pet in the home.

5. dominate (v) to rule over by strength or power, control; to tower over, command due to height syn: control, govern, overlook Ex. The Steeler’s defense dominated the Brown’s offensive line and continually sacked their quarterback.

6. entreat (v) to beg, implore, ask earnestly syn: plead, beseech ant: clamor for Ex. The animal in the shelter seemed to entreat me to rescue it.

7. fallible (adj) capable of being wrong, mistaken, or inaccurate syn: imperfect, errant ant: foolproof, unfailing, flawless Ex. Humans are fallible creatures.

8. fickle (adj) liable to change very rapidly; erratic; marked by a lack of constancy or steadiness, inconsistent syn: capricious, inconstant, faithless ant: constant, steady, invariable Ex. The boy was fickle and changed girlfriends as often as he changed socks.

9. fugitive (n) one who flees or runs away (adj) fleeting, lasting a very short time; wandering, difficult to grasp syn: (n) runaway, deserter (adj) elusive ant: (adj) lasting, enduring, permanent Ex. The fugitive dog once again broke its chain.

10. grimy (adj) very dirty; covered with dirt or soot syn: filthy, sooty, soiled, dirt- encrusted ant: spotless, spic-and-span, immaculate Ex. The toddlers played in the mud and became instantly grimy.

11. iota (n)a very small part or quantity syn: speck, dab, jot, bit, smidgen ant: flood, deluge, avalanche, glut Ex. There was not even an iota of paint left, so the artist resorted to markers to finish the project.

12. maul (v) to beat or knock about, handle roughly; to mangle (n) a heavy hammer syn: (v) rough up, manhandle, batter Ex. The defenseless dog was mauled by the wild coyotes.

13. potential (adj) possible, able to happen (n) something that can develop and become a reality syn: (n) possibility, capability ant: (adj) actual, real, unlikely, impossible Ex. The potential of the student was obvious; her vocabulary indicated she was quite intelligent.

14. radiant (adj) shining, bright; giving forth light or energy syn: glowing, brilliant, dazzling, resplendent ant: dull, tarnished, lackluster Ex. The girl’s radiant personality infected everyone else with energy.

15. rural (adj) relating to farm areas and life in the country syn: countrified, rustic ant: urban, metropolitan, citified Ex. Lancaster, PA is home to many Pennsylvania Amish who raise livestock and grow vegetables in this rural location.

16. substantial (adj) large, important; major, significant, prosperous; not imaginary, material syn: considerable, tangible, big ant: minor, insignificant, negligible Ex. The win was substantial since it catapulted the team into the playoffs.

17. tactful (adj) skilled in handling difficult situations or people; polite syn: skillful, diplomatic, discreet ant: clumsy, gauche, boorish, indiscreet Ex. Even though the boy thought the girl’s new hairdo was horrid, he was tactful so as to not hurt her feelings.

18. tamper (v) to interfere with; to meddle rashly or foolishly with; to handle in a secret and improper way syn: monkey with, fool with, mess with Ex. Tampering with the computer’s wires could cause it to malfunction.

19. ultimate (adj) last, final; most important or extreme; eventual; basic, fundamental syn: farthest, furthest, terminal ant: first, initial, most immediate, nearest Ex. The ultimate goal was to win the playoffs.

20. uncertainty (n) doubt, the state of being unsure syn: doubtfulness, hesitation ant: sureness, certainty, confidence Ex. Since he hadn’t studied for the test, he felt uncertainty about most of his answers.