Vocabulary Workshop
Unit 1: #’s 1-20
www.vocabularyworkshop.com
apparel
• (n.) clothing, that which serves as dress or
decoration
• Synoynms: attire, garments
• (v.) to put clothes on, dress up
• Synonym: deck out
Let’s apparel our dogs for the party.
besiege
• (v.) to attack by surrounding
with military forces; to
cause worry or trouble.
• Synonyms: blockade,
encircle, pressure
If troops besiege their
stronghold, the rebel forces
may be forced to surrender.
compress
• (V.) to press together; to
reduce in size or volume
• Synonyms: condense, shrink
• (n.) a folded cloth or pad
applied to injury
A cold compress may soothe
a headache.
denounce
• (v.) to condemn openly; to
accuse formally
• Synonym: criticize
The United Nations tried to
publicly denounce the
tyrant’s crimes against his
people.
dispatch
• (v.) to send off or out for a
purpose; to kill
• Synonym: slay
• (n.) a official message;
promptness, speed
We’ll dispatch a repair crew
right away.
douse
• (v.) to plunge into a liquid,
drench; to put out quickly,
extinguish
• Synonyms: submerge, soak,
dunk, immerse
I’ll douse the flames with
the hose.
expressly
• (adv.) plainly, in so many
words; for a particular
purpose
• Synonyms: clearly,
pointedly, explicitly
At the meeting, parents
expressly stated their
approval of students
wearing school uniforms.
famished
• (adj.) suffering severely
from hunger or lack of
something
• Synonym: hungry,
• starving, ravenous
The Vietnamese
immigrants, new to a
strange American city,
were famished for new
homes.
forsake
• (v.) to give up, renounce; to
leave, abandon
• Synonyms: desert,
disown
I will never forsake my
children, no matter what
they do or say.
gainful
• (adj.) profitable, bringing
in money or some special
advantage
• Synonyms:
moneymaking, paying
I hope to find gainful
employment that is
pleasing to me.
immense
• (adj.) very large or great;
beyond ordinary means of
measurement
• Synonyms: vast, enormous
Alaska enjoys immense
natural resources, but its
severe climate makes those
resources difficult to use.
inept
• (adj.) totally without skill or
appropriateness
• Synonyms: clumsy,
unskilled, incompetent
The scientist is brilliant in
research laboratory but is
inept at dealing with
people.
ingenious
• (adj.) showing remarkable
originality, inventiveness, or
resourcefulness; clever
• Synonyms: imaginative,
inventive, resourceful
The students found an
ingenious solution to the
math problem.
instantaneous
• (adj.) done in an instant;
immediate
• Synonyms: prompt, quick,
speedy
• Most computer software is
designed so that users can
obtain nearly instantaneous
responses.
irk
• (v.) to annoy, trouble,
make weary
• Synonyms: bother, irritate,
vex
• Questions that show a
student’s lack of attention
irk the teacher.
libel
• (n.) a written statement that
unfairly or falsely harms the
reputation of the person
about whom it is made;
• Synonym: slur
• (v.) to write or publish such a
statement
• Synonym: smear, defame
• It is a crime to libel others, no
matter how you feel about
them.
misgiving
• (n.) a feeling of fear, doubt,
or uncertainty
• Synonyms: worry, qualm,
hesitation
• They had misgivings about
joining the chorus because
of its demanding schedule.
oaf
• (n.) a stupid person; a
big, clumsy, slow
individual
• Synonyms: bonehead,
dunce
He generally moved like
an oaf, so I was
surprised to see how
graceful he was on the
dance floor.
recede
• (v.) to go or move
backward; to become
more distant
• Synonyms: retreat, go
back
• The town residents
must wait for flood
waters to recede
before they can deal
with the terrible mess
left behind.
repast
• (n.) a meal, food
• Synonym: victuals
• Let’s get together
after the show at
Callie’s Café for late
night repast.