VOCABULARY #4
anathema (un NATH uh muh): a person or thing that is detested; curse
Part of Speech: noun
Example: The evil sorcerer placed his anathema on the town.
dichotomy (die KOT uh mee): split; division
Part of Speech: noun
Example: A philosophical dichotomy occurred, and the two sides were estranged.
languish (LANG gwish): to become weak; to suffer; to pine with longing
Part of Speech: verb
Example: In nineteenth century novels, ladies languished for lost lovers.
didactic (die DAK tik): instructive; excessive in lecturing
Part of Speech: adjective
Example: His didactic style bored many in the audience.
ambiance (AM bee uns): atmosphere; mood of a place (not a person)
Part of Speech: noun
Example: Quite often the ambiance in a restaurant can be better than its food.
prescient (PRESH ent): prophetic; having foresight
Part of Speech: adjective
Example: She was prescient, and her instincts were unerring.
Other Form(s): prescience (noun)
replicate (REP li kate): to repeat; to reproduce
Part of Speech: verb
Example: He was asked to replicate his most successful performance.
Other Form(s): replication (noun)
reproach (re PROACH): to blame; to censure; to rebuke
Part of Speech: verb
Example: The academic dean reproached the students during the sit-in.
Other Form(s): reproach (noun); reproachful (adjective)
conspicuous (kon SPIK yoo uhs): easily seen or noticed; visible
Part of Speech: adjective
Example: He was conspicuous by his booming laughter.
bequeath (bi KWEETH): to pass on, hand down (as in a will)
Part of Speech: verb
Example: In England it is common for the elderly to bequeath something to their doctor.
prefix
root
dire-
meaning
split, apart
again
-phil-
love
examples
Vocabulary #4 Exercises
languish
prescient
didactic
replicate
ambiance
anathema
dichotomy
reproach
conspicuous
bequeath
1. Thousands of political dissidents were forced to ___________________ in jail during Stalin’s
despotic reign.
2. His extreme dislike of the song’s lyrics and his unflagging support of First Amendment rights
created a ____________________ within him.
3. Upon waking, the artist tried in vain to ___________________ a scene from his latest dream.
4. His oratorical style was stiff and ____________________.
5. The shortstop seemed ____________________ because he was always where the ball was hit.
6. Because of his heinous acts, his name was ____________________ in the small town.
7. Special service in the small restaurant my parents ___________________ to me was amazing.
It produced an ______________________ that would have been lacking otherwise.
8. She found it necessary to _____________________ him daily for his __________________,
unwanted attentions.
VOCABULARY #5
polemic (puh LEM ic): argument or controversy over a doctrine or belief
Part of Speech: noun
Example: Anger was obvious among those who were involved in the polemic.
rummage (RUM ij): to search thoroughly
Part of Speech: verb
Example: The intruders continued to rummage through the rest of the house.
vent (VENT): to relieve (i.e. emotion)
Part of Speech: verb
Example: Discontented citizens vented their unhappiness by rebelling.
anecdote (AN ek dote): very (!) short story; brief narrative
Part of Speech: noun
Example: Our speaker began the seminar with an anecdote about his 4-year-old son.
Other Form(s): anecdotal (adjective)
fervor (FUR ver): great intensity of feeling; passion of belief
Part of Speech: noun
Example: He spoke with great fervor about his adoptive parents.
incumbent (in KUM bent): obligatory; compelling; (followed by on or upon)
Part of Speech: adjective
Example: It was incumbent on the candidates to express their positions.
maul (MAWL): to beat or bruise; to tear
Part of Speech: verb
Example: A huge tiger mauled the hunter.
disconcert (disk on SERT): to unsettle; to agitate
Part of Speech: verb
Example: New ideas disconcert people who like the status quo.
Other Form(s): disconcerting (adjective)
porcine (POR seen): piglike; swinish
Part of Speech: adjective
Example: His porcine behavior offended almost everybody.
levity (LEV i tee): lightness of character or behavior; lack of seriousness
Part of Speech: noun
Example: Her levity in response to tragic events made her seem callous.
prefix
root
inter-/intra-spir-soph-
meaning
between/within
breathe
wisdom
examples
Vocabulary #5 Exercises
polemic
incumbent
rummage
maul
vent
disconcert
anecdote
porcine
fervor
levity
1. Grizzlies ____________________ their victims.
2. Stop laughing! You shouldn’t treat this subject with _________________.
3. As presiding officer, it was ____________________ on her to read the agenda.
4. With his _____________________ face, he resembled Porky Pig.
5. The congressional debate was full of __________________, and the public was left
with little knowledge of either candidate’s stance on the issues.
6. In primal scream therapy, patients __________________ their frustrations in screams.
7. The constantly moving pennants did not ____________________ him while he was
shooting a foul shot.
8. A brief ____________________ is sometimes better than a full-length explanation.
9. Yosemite Park bears will often _____________________ through the campers’ trash
in search of food.
10. His __________________ regarding the issue of global warming was contagious. No
one remained apathetic after his presentation.
VOCABULARY #6
habituate (ha BIT chu ate): to accustom; to familiarize
Part of Speech: verb
Example: She habituated herself to the new environment fairly quickly.
Other Form(s): habitat (noun)
diurnal (die URN ul): daily; happening during the day
Part of Speech: adjecitve
Example: Diurnal animals do not need large eyes.
lassitude (LAS i tood): physical or mental weariness; listlessness
Part of Speech: noun
Example: The students’ lassitude was quite conspicuous the week before the holiday break.
gregarious (gre GARE ee us): sociable; enjoying company
Part of Speech: adjective
Example: He was garrulous and gregarious, the life of any party.
quell (KWELL): to suppress; to put an end to something; to quiet/soothe
Part of Speech: verb
Example: The security guards were unable to quell the riotous crowd.
enrapture (en RAP chur): to enchant; to fascinate
Part of Speech: verb
Example: The dancer’s grace enraptured the whole assembly.
allocate (AL oh kate): to designate (set apart); to distribute
Part of Speech: verb
Example: Rescue personnel allocated emergency rations to the languishing victims.
Other Form(s): allocation (noun)
abstinence (AB stuh nuhns): any self-restraint or self-denial (re: action)
Part of Speech: noun
Example: Having been a caffeine addict for so long, it was hard to practice abstinence.
saccharine (SAK ur in): overly sentimental; artificially sweet; too agreeable
Part of Speech: adjective
Example: The saccharine poem written inside the greeting card did not adequately express the
man’s feelings for his wife.
verdancy (VER dan see): greenness (in nature); immaturity (in character)
Part of Speech: noun
Example: The verdancy of my little brother disconcerted me regularly.
prefix
root
comal-
meaning
together
bad, wrong
-phon-
sound
examples
Vocabulary #6 Exercises
habituate
enrapture
diurnal
lassitude
allocate
gregarious
abstinence
saccharine
quell
verdancy
1. ____________________ people generally enjoy social events.
2. Whether there is an upcoming exam or not, it is best to ___________________ regular
hours every day for studying and exercise ___________________ from TV.
3. When he was finally able to _____________________ himself to the extreme heat, he
started to feel better.
4. The poet’s ________________ verse soon became unbearable to his captive audience.
5. Diaries record __________________ activities and thoughts.
6. The teacher was unable to ____________________ the students’ laughter when the
principal tripped in front of the class.
7. Spring brings ____________________ and much needed energy to those ensnared by
_____________________.
8. The great actress was able to _____________________ her audiences every time she
stepped on the stage.