1. Vocabulary Unit 8
Building your understanding of vocabulary words will help you better understand a word’s meaning when reading.

2. Word Analysis Learning Goal:
Identify the part of speech, definition, synonyms, and antonyms in order to use the word correctly in context.

3. affluence Part of speech: noun
Definition: wealth, riches, prosperity; great abundance, plenty
Synonyms: opulence (great wealth/luxuriousness)
Antonyms: poverty, want, destitution (extreme poverty), scarcity
Education, hard work, and a very strong desire to succeed can raise a person from poverty to affluence.

4. arrears Part of speech: noun
Definition: unpaid or overdue debts; an unfinished duty
Synonyms: in default, in the red, late, overdue
Bad spending habits and unexpected expenses left my aunt in arrears.

5. cascade Part of speech: noun and verb
Definition: a steep, narrow waterfall; something falling or rushing forth in quantity; (v) to flow downward (like a waterfall)
Synonyms: plunge, rush, tumble
Antonym: dribble, drop (v) trickle, ooze
We were thrilled when we hit the jackpot, which produced a cascade of loudly jangling coins.
I watched the clear, sparkling water cascade down the mountainside.

6. cringe Part of speech: verb
Definition: to shrink back or hide in fear or submissiveness
Synonyms: flinch, duck, fawn
Antonyms: strut, swagger
My father told me to be brave and not to cringe when the doctor vaccinated me.

7. crotchety Part of speech: adjective
Definition: cranky, ill-tempered; full of odd whims
Synonyms: grumpy, grouchy, crabby, disagreeable
Antonyms: sociable, friendly, agreeable, amiable
It is unfortunate that the teacher asked me to work with the most crotchety partner in the class.

8. immobile Part of speech: adjective Definition: not movable; not moving
Synonyms: fixed, unmoving
Antonym: movable, nimble, agile (able to move quickly and easily)
Models must remain immobile for a long time in order for an artist to draw or paint them accurately.

9. impassable Part of speech: adjective
Definition: blocked so that nothing can go through
Synonyms: closed, impenetrable (impossible to pass through)
Antonyms: unblocked, clear
Fallen trees formed an impassable barrier across the highway after the storm.

10. innovation Part of speech: noun
Definition: something new, a change; the act of introducing a new method, idea, device
Synonyms: novelty, modernization, new wrinkle (a novel idea or technique; trick)
Our furnace has an energy-saving innovation that turns the heat on and off at certain intervals.

11. jovial Part of speech: adjective
Definition: good-humored, in high spirits; merry
Synonyms: jolly, cheerful, festive
Antonyms: gloomy, morose (ill-tempered), melancholy (sad), cheerless
My jovial friend is very entertaining and is always the life of the party.

12. manacle Part of speech: noun and verb
Definition: a handcuff, anything that chains or confines; (v) to chain or restrain (as with handcuffs)
Synonyms: put in chains, fetter (chains to restrain the ankles)
Antonyms: unchain, set free, emancipate, release
The kidnappers clamped manacles on their frightened hostages.
The guards manacled the uncooperative prisoner to the chair.

13. martial Part of speech: adjective
Definition: warlike, found of fighting, relating to war, the army, or military life
Synonyms: hostile, bellicose (demonstrating aggression and willingness to fight)
Antonyms: peace-loving, pacific, unwarlike
The army band plays martial music as the troops formally march past the visiting general.

14. minimum Part of speech: noun and adjective
Definition: the smallest possible amount; (adj) the lowest permissible or possible
Synonyms: least
Antonyms: maximum, highest, most
I need to sleep a minimum of seven hours every night.
The minimum age to get a driver’s license in this state is sixteen.

15. nimble Part of speech: adjective
Definition: quick and skillful in movement, agile; clever
Synonyms: lively, keen (clear thinking), flexible
Antonyms: awkward, clumsy, stiff, inflexible
As the nimble climber scaled Mount Everest, it looked as if she was barely exerting any energy at all.

16. onset Part of speech: noun
Definition: the beginning, start (especially of something violent and destructive); an attack, assault
Synonyms: outset, commencement
Antonyms: conclusion, close, end
At the onset of the heavy storm, frightened people ran to find shelter.

17. partition Part of speech: noun and verb
Definition: something that divides (such as a wall); the act of dividing something into parts or sections; (v) to divide or subdivide into parts or shares
Synonyms: divider, separation
Antonyms: join, combine, consolidate, merge
A cloth partition in the study gave each of us some privacy.
If you like, we can easily partition the backyard into four separate play areas.

18. perishable Part of speech: adjective
Definition: likely to spoil or decay
Synonym: short-lived, fleeting (lasting a very short time)
Antonym: long-lasting, undying, permanent
You must keep perishable food chilled or they will spoil.

19. retrieve Part of speech: verb
Definition: to find and bring back; get back; to put right, make good
Synonyms: regain, fetch, remedy, rectify
I don’t relish having to retrieve the tennis balls every time you hit them over the fence!

20. sinister Part of speech: adjective
Definition: appearing evil or dangerous; threatening evil or harm
Synonyms: frightening, ominous
Antonyms: cheering, encouraging, reassuring, benign
A sinister message left on our voic made us suspect the caller had the wrong number.

21. taut Part of speech: adjective
Definition: tightly drawn, tense; neat, in good order
Synonyms: tight, strained, orderly, shipshape
Antonyms: loose, slack, drooping, messy, sloppy
A taut chain kept the curious dog away from the swimming pool.

22. template Part of speech: noun
Definition: a pattern, typically in the form of metal, wood, or plastic; something that is used as a model to imitate
Synonyms: mock-up, stencil, guide, shape, mold
The carpenter created a wooden template for a stair step so that he could easily construct the staircase.