Vocabulary Review #1 – Four Context Clues (Examples, Definitions, Descriptive words, Opposites)
Each time you hear or read a word in a different sentence, you get more information about what it means. You
have learned from the context of the word. The context is simply the words or ideas around an unknown word.
Using context clues as your read is important for two reasons:
1) If you skip over the meaning of unfamiliar words, you may come to the end of the passage you are reading
with a very fuzzy idea of what you have read. On the other hand, if you stop and look up every word you don’t
know, you may become irritated at the slow rate of your reading and stop altogether. Using context helps your
speed as well as your comprehension (and aids retention in vocabulary building).
2) Even when you use a dictionary, you will often find several very different definitions and will have to decide
which one best fits the meaning of the sentence.
EXAMPLES
The context of a word will sometimes give examples that will give you a pretty clear idea of meaning.
Some dogs can be trained to respond to gestures instead of sounds; for example, a hand pointing in a certain
direction, an open hand, palm down, or arms outstretched can be used to mean go sit or come to a well-trained
dog.
DEFINITIONS
Sometimes the writer will save you the trouble of looking up a word by defining it for you. Often this kind of
definition will not sound much like a dictionary definition.
It is a fact that a large number of small businesses fail because the owner hasn’t enough capital to tide him over
slack periods and emergencies; that is, it takes a certain amount of working money to keep a business going.
A second kind of definition is what is called an appositive: a phrase that follows a word and explains it. But
instead of being introduced by one of the definition-type expressions, this kind of phrase is set off on both sides
by commas.
An aquarium needs scavenger fish, swimming garbage collectors, to keep the tank clean.
DESCRIPTIVE WORDS
You can sometimes piece together the meaning of a word by a little straight detective work.
The first impression that crossed my mind was that the young man was obese. His clothing was stretched across
his vast surface of skin like a lumpy balloon straining to the bursting point.
OPPOSITES. One further way to pick up the meaning of a new word or expression is by looking for clues that tell
you what the word does not mean.
He tried to smile because the mood of the party was not somber, but happy.
Sometimes the way a sentence is put together will tell you what you are looking for the opposite of a word or idea
that is found in one half of the sentence.
If you can’t find anything to praise in the class, at least don’t denounce it.
Write a definition for each word based on your best guess and context clues. Identify what part of speech the
word is in this usage specifically (remembering that different forms of a word may actual be spelled the same,
as with inebriate, which can be the verb to make drunk, and the noun meaning someone who is drunk).
Min had no idea what concept the instructor was trying to explain because he spoke in such ambiguous terms.
ambiguous (
) __________________________________________________________________________________________________________
My daughter is so idealistic that she takes on the most ambitious and impractical projects. I really wish she
would be more pragmatic.
pragmatic (
) ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
It was John’s intent to publicly condemn the decision, and express in no uncertain terms why he thought it
was morally and ethically wrong.
condemn (
) ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Surely the dean had pedagogical reasons for reducing class size, but the administration carted more about
their budget than the experience in the classroom.
pedagogical (
) _________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Halloween costumes were originally meant to deceive evil spirits as well as protect the identity of the wearer.
deceive (
) _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Shelby was more concerned with aesthetics than any of the practical uses of the antiques she collected. For
her, their beauty mattered more than their function.
aesthetics (
) ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The castaways attempted to amplify the radio signal, hoping that by giving it more power it might reach the
mainland.
amplify (
) _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Nothing is certain yet. We have only reached a tentative agreement in the contract talks.
tentative (
) ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Your asinine behavior is distracting the class. I don’t ask that students be silent, but please don’t act silly.
asinine (
) ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
One important function of a conclusion in a research paper is to recapitulate the information that was
presented so that it is fresh in the reader’s mind.
recapitulate (
) ________________________________________________________________________________________________________