Approbation (ap row BAY shun)
Official approval, praise,
commendation
Root, Prefix, Suffix
Ap-away from
(prefix)
Synonym/Antonym
Derivatives
disapproval
Approbate, approbated,
approbatory
We initiated the attack with the approbation of the general.
Assent (un CENT)
To agree or to concur;
agreement, to give in
Root, Prefix, Suffix
Ent- to form
(Suffix)
Synonym/Antonym
Derivatives
dissent
Assenting, assented,
assentive, assentation
Assenting to his demands, she did as she was told.
Boorish (BOOR ish)
Rude or insensitive, ill-mannered
Root, Prefix, Suffix
Synonym/Antonym
Derivatives
Sophisticated,
well-mannered
Boorishly, boor,
boorishness
How could you get me a date with such a boorish person?
Circumlocution (sir kum low KEW shun)
Talking around the subject
Root, Prefix, Suffix
Circum- around
(root)
Synonym/Antonym
Derivatives
Terseness;
conciseness
Circumulatory
Politicians are known for their circumlocution.
Copious (KO pee us)
abundant
Root, Prefix, Suffix
Co- together
(prefix)
Synonym/Antonym
Derivatives
sparse
Copiously, copiousness
I always take copious notes in my history class.
Delineation (deh len ee A shun)
An outline, depiction, portrayal
Root, Prefix, Suffix
De- away from; opposite
(prefix)
Synonym/Antonym
Derivatives
Delineate, delineative,
delineator
The profits of the company were delineated to the board.
Dissemble (deh SEM bul)
To disguise or pretend
Root, Prefix, Suffix
Dis- not, opposite, reverse
(root)
Synonym/Antonym
Derivatives
To reveal
dissembled, dissembling,
dissembler
Although he tried to dissemble his motive for seeing me, I knew the real reason.
Emulate (EM yuh late)
To try to equal or to be like
(usually through imitation)
Root, Prefix, Suffix
Em- put into, make,
surround with
(prefix)
Synonym/Antonym
Derivatives
Emulation, emulative,
emulator
He has a lot of fine qualities that I try to emulate.
Fickle (FIK ul)
Likely to change
Root, Prefix, Suffix
Synonym/Antonym
Derivatives
Inconstant,
unstable, constant
Fickler, ficklest,
fickleness
Because of her fickle behavior, he had little trust that she would continue to love him.
Gravity (GRAV eh tee)
Seriousness, importance
Root, Prefix, Suffix
Grav- heavy, weighty
(root)
Synonym/Antonym
Derivatives
unimportance
Grave, graver, gravely
The gravity of the situation was heightened by the death of the president.
Dissemble (deh SEM bul)
To disguise; to pretend
Root, Prefix, Suffix
Dis- deprive, opposite,
away from
(root)
Synonym/Antonym
Derivatives
To reveal
Dissembled,
dissembling, dissembler
Although he tried to dissemble his motive for seeing me, I knew the real reason.
Homely (HOME lee)
Plain or unattractive in
appearance
Root, Prefix, Suffix
-ly- in the manner of
(suffix)
Synonym/Antonym
Derivatives
Pretty; attractive
Homeliness, homelier,
homeliest
The girl was rather homely, but she had a wit and an intellect that could not be matched.
Indigence (IN deh juns)
poverty
Root, Prefix, Suffix
In- not
(root)
Synonym/Antonym
Derivatives
indigent
His ragged clothes are a sign of his indigence.
Destitution, want,
penury
Jingoist (JING go ist)
An extreme patriot usually
calls for a belligerent foreign
policy
Root, Prefix, Suffix
Synonym/Antonym
Derivatives
traitor
Jingoism, jingoish,
jingoistic
The jingoist was in the streets, loudly urging the public toward aggression against the foreign power.
Migratory (MY gruh tor ee)
Moving from place to place
Root, Prefix, Suffix
Migra- wander
(root)
Synonym/Antonym
Derivatives
Stationary,
unmoving
Migrate, migratory,
migrator, migration
The migratory whooping cranes always return to Padre Island.
Obfuscating (ob FUS kay ting)
Confusing, making unclear
Root, Prefix, Suffix
Synonym/Antonym
Derivatives
clear
Obfuscated, obfuscate,
obfuscation, obfuscator
His speech was obfuscating because it made people concentrate on irrelevant issues.
Proclivity (pro KLIV eh tee)
Inclination, tendency
Root, Prefix, Suffix
Pro- for
Synonym/Antonym
Derivatives
Leaning towards
Proclive, proclivities
Most immigrants, because they are anxious to succeed, have a proclivity for hard work.
Prostration (pros TRAY shun)
A stretching out due to lacking
vitality and becoming
completely overcome.
Root, Prefix, Suffix
Pro- for
Synonym/Antonym
Derivatives
vitality
Prostrate, prostrating
During late summer football practices, players sometimes suffer from heat prostration.
Recalcitrant (reh KAL she trunt)
Very stubborn, refusing to
obey, unruly
Root, Prefix, Suffix
Synonym/Antonym
Derivatives
compliant
Recalcitrance,
recalcitration
Recalcitrant students are usually tardy, do not complete class assignments, and disrupt class.
Resolute (Rez uh loot)
Characterized by a decided
purpose
Root, Prefix, Suffix
Sol- cut
Synonym/Antonym
Derivatives
Determined,
steadfast, faithful,
firm
Resoluter, resolutest,
resolution
The business was run by a resolute man who set his mind on a goal and followed
through with it.
Sectarian (sek TARE ee un)
A member of a sect that is a
faction with extreme beliefs
Root, Prefix, Suffix
Sect- for
Synonym/Antonym
Derivatives
Narrow-minded
Sectarianism, sectarnize
His sectarian beliefs marked him as being extremely narrow-minded.
Stalwart (STAL wurt)
One that supports a cause
with a firm partnership
Root, Prefix, Suffix
Synonym/Antonym
Derivatives
Resolute, strong
Stalwartly, stalwartness
That justice was known as a stalwart in defending 1st amendment rights.
Tacit (TAS it)
Understood, silent, not
spoken, implicit
Root, Prefix, Suffix
Tac-silent
Synonym/Antonym
Derivatives
Spoken; verbalized
Tacitly, tacitness,
taciturn
We have a tacit agreement that the goods are delivered only after payment is made.
Transcended (tran SEND ed)
Surpassed, exceeded
Root, Prefix, Suffix
Trans- across
beyond, change
Synonym/Antonym
Derivatives
Transcend,
transcendence,
transcendental
His actions in the crisis transcended the call of duty.
Rise above
Virtuous (VIR choo us)
Having excellent morals;
righteous
Root, Prefix, Suffix
Vir-worth
Synonym/Antonym
Derivatives
Virtue, virtuousness,
virtuously
One would expect nuns to be very virtuous.
Ethical, noble
Whets (HWETS)
Stimulates, sharpens
Root, Prefix, Suffix
Synonym/Antonym
Derivatives
Stifles, dulls,
suppresses
Whet, whetted
The smell of the fresh bread always whets my appetite.