1. Vocabulary Workshop
Unit 3 Level D

2. Abridge (v) to make shorter Synonyms: shorten condense, abbreviate
Antonyms: expand, enlarge, augment
An abridged “History of the World” in the graphic below condenses history into “some wars and stuff.”

3. Adherent (n) a follower, supporter, (adj) attached, sticking to
Synonyms: (n) disciple
Antonyms: (n) opponent, adversary, critic, detractor
Before we could repaint the walls of our living room, we had to remove an adherent layer of wallpaper that was sticking to the wall.

4. Altercation (n) an angry argument Synonyms: quarrel, dispute, squabble
Antonyms: agreement, accord
The altercation between the two players suspended play for several minutes until the quarrel ended.

5. Cherubic
(adj) resembling an angel portrayed as a little child with a beautiful, round, or chubby face, sweet and innocent
Synonym: beatific
Antonyms: impish, devilish, diabolic, fiendish
How well those photographs of the twins by Anne Geddes captures the cherubic expressions on their faces, they look so sweet and innocent.

6. Condone (v) to pardon or overlook
Synonyms: ignore, wink at, turn a blind eye to
Antonyms: censure, condemn, disapprove, depreciate
I cannot condone the behavior of some pet owners who abandon their pets leaving them to starve. To overlook such behavior is criminal.

7. Dissent (v) to disagree; (n) disagreement
Synonyms: (v) differ, dispute
Antonyms: (v) agree, concur; (n) unanimity, harmony
He showed his dissent by pointing his thumb down in a gesture of disagreement.

8. Eminent (adj) famous, outstanding, distinguished; projecting
Synonyms: illustrious, renowned
Antonyms: nameless, unsung, lowly, humble
A group of eminent scientists worked during WWII on the Manhattan Project which produced the first nuclear weapons, of those scientist Albert Einstein is probably the most famous.

9. Exorcise
(v) to drive out by magic; to dispose of something troublesome, menacing, or oppressive
Synonyms: expel, dispel
Harry Potter often battles the Dementor’s and must exorcise, driving out by magic their evil spirits, to protect himself and the people he cares about.

10. Fabricate (v) to make, manufacture; to make up, invent
Synonyms: put together, devise, contrive, concoct
Antonyms: take apart, undo, destroy, demolish
The welder needed to fabricate the metal frame by welding the pieces of metal together to make one complete piece.

11. Gluttony
(n) engaging in extreme eating or drinking; greedy, over indulgence
Synonyms: overeating, ravenousness, rapaciousness
Antonyms: abstemiousness
In the Middle Ages, gluttony was considered one of the Seven Deadly Sins, as overeating or drinking was considered to be a sin as described in the teachings of the Bible.

12. Irate (adj) angry Synonyms: incensed, infuriated, enraged, livid
Antonyms: calm, composed, cool, unruffled
Long delays at airports due to bad weather are likely to make many travelers irate, angry and infuriated.

13. Marauder (n) a raider, plunder Synonyms: Looter, pirate
Edgar Allan Poe’s story, “The Golden Bug” concerns the treasure buried by the marauder, Captain Kidd, who was a real pirate.

14. Pauper (n) an extremely poor person Synonyms: destitute person
Antonyms: billionaire
During The Great Depression, many people were reduced to leading the desperate lives of paupers because they were extremely poor.

15. Pilfer (v) to steal in small quantities Synonyms: rob, swipe, purloin
An employee who pilfers from the company he or she works for, is stealing and will ultimately be caught.

16. Rift (n) a split, break, breach Synonyms: crack, fissure, gap, cleft
Antonym: reconciliation
An earthquake can cause a split in the earth and the rift leaves the ground uneven and dangerous.

17. Semblance (n) a likeness; an outward appearance; an apparition
Synonyms: appearance, air, aura, veneer, façade
Antonyms: dissimilarity, contrast, total lack
Some would say that the caricature of Sean Connor bears no semblance to him, where others would argue it looks frighteningly like him.

18. Surmount (v) to overcome, rise above Synonyms: conquer, triumph over
Antonyms: to be vanquished, to be defeated, succumb to
Swimmer Michael Phelps surmounted his childhood disability of Attention Deficit Disorder to win Olympic Gold Medals he was able of overcome his disability through hard work and determination.

19. Terminate (v) to bring to an end
Synonyms: conclude, finish, discontinue
Antonyms: begin, commence, initiate
Before terminating a program on your computer make sure you save information because once you click on OK the program will end.

20. Trite (adj) commonplace, overused, stale
Synonyms: banal, hackneyed, corny
Antonyms: original, innovative
When you write an essay or a story, be especially careful to avoid using trite expressions that might be considered clichés.

21. Usurp (v) to seize and hold a position by force or without right
Synonyms: Seize illegally, supplant
The general who lead the coup in Thailand usurped power removing the duly elected government officials.