Vocabulary Unit 2 Mrs. Williams English 9 and 9B

adjourn (v.) to stop proceedings temporarily; move to another place Synonyms: postpone, suspend, discontinue Antonyms: open, call to order EX – The judge adjourned the hearing until ten o’clock the following morning.

comely (adj.) having a pleasing appearance Synonyms: good- looking, attractive, bonny Antonyms: plain, homely, ugly, repulsive EX – The proud parents and their comely children posed for a family portrait.

compensate (v.) to make up for; to repay for services Synonyms: pay back, reimburse, recompense Antonyms: fail to reward, stiff EX – The manufacturer was ordered to compensate customers injured by the defective product.

erratic (adj.) not regular or consistent; different from what is ordinarily expected; undependable Synonyms: irregular, inconsistent, unpredictable Antonyms: steady, consistent, predictable EX – Students who have an erratic attendance record may find themselves disciplined by the principal.

expulsion (n.) the process of driving or forcing out Synonyms: ejection, ouster, eviction Antonyms: admittance, admission EX – Severely breaking the rules could lead to an expulsion from school.

feint (n.) a deliberately deceptive movement; a pretense; (v.) to make a deceptive movement; to make a pretense of Synonyms: (n.) trick, ruse, subterfuge, dodge, bluff EX – The chess master’s opening feint gave her and immediate advantage. – His uncanny ability to feint and counterpunch made the champ unbeatable.

fortify (v.) to strengthen, build up Synonyms: reinforce, shore up Antonyms: weaken, undermine, sap, impair EX – The soldiers fortified the garrison against the expected attack.

illegible (adj.) difficult or impossible to read Synonyms: unreadable, indecipherable, scribbled Antonyms: readable, decipherable, distinct, clear, comprehensible EX – The effects of air pollution have rendered the inscriptions on many old gravestones illegible.

jeer (v.) to make fun of rudely or unkindly; (n.) a rude remark of derision Synonyms: (v.) laugh at, mock, taunt Antonyms: (n.) applause, plaudits, accolades EX – To jeer at someone with a disability is absolutely inexcusable. – Umpires and other referees quickly become immune to the jeers of angry fans.

lucrative (adj.) bringing in money, profitable Synonyms: gainful, money making Antonyms: unprofitable, losing, in the red EX – Many people find that they can turn a favorite hobby into a highly lucrative business.

mediocre (adj.) average, ordinary, indistinguishable Synonyms: run-of-the-mill Antonyms: exceptional, outstanding, distinguished EX – The team’s number-one draft pick turned out to be a rather mediocre player, not a star who could lead them to the championship.

proliferate (v.) to reproduce, increase, or spread rapidly Synonyms: multiply, mushroom, burgeon Antonyms: decrease, diminish, dwindle, slack off EX – Because malignant cells proliferate, early detection of cancer is absolutely crucial to successful treatment.

sully (v.) to soil, stain, tarnish, defile, besmirch Synonyms: pollute, taint, smear Antonyms: cleanse, purify, decontaminate EX – The Watergate scandal sullied the image of politicians in the minds of many voters.

terse (adj.) brief and to the point Synonyms: concise, succinct, crisp, short and sweet Antonyms: verbose, wordy, diffuse, prolix EX – The manuscript for my short story was returned to me with a terse letter of rejection.

unflinching (adj.) firm, showing no signs of fear, not drawing back Synonyms: resolute, steadfast, unwavering Antonyms: irresolute, wavering, vacillating EX – Everyone admires the unflinching courage with which firefighters and other rescue workers carry out their dangerous jobs.