Abhor: hate
verb
Related forms
abhorrer, noun
Example Sentences
• While I absolutely abhor his views, he has a right to them.
• Uncertainty — which investors abhor — is in greater abundance.
Bigot: a narrow-minded, prejudiced person
noun
Example Sentences
• Stop being a political bigot and putting words in our mouths.
• He was labeled a bigot after making some offensive
comments.
Counterfeit: fake; false
adjective
Related forms
counterfeiter, noun
counterfeitly, adverb
counterfeit, noun
noncounterfeit, adjective
counterfeit, verb
Sentence
He was trained to be able to determine the difference between real
money and counterfeit money.
Enfranchise: to give voting rights
Verb
Related forms
enfranchisement, noun
enfranchiser, noun
unenfranchised, adjective
Sentence
The city's foreign residents are voting more and more after being
enfranchised by the new law.
Hamper: hinder; obstruct
verb (used with object)
Related forms
hampered, adjective
unhampered, adjective
Example Sentences
• Attacks by pirates hamper the delivery of food aid,
causing starvation to continue.
• It was hard for the dancers to dance well since their
movements were hampered by their elaborate
costumes.
• A steady rain hampered the progress of the work,
delaying the construction by more than a week.
Kindle: to start a fire
verb
Example Sentences
•
•
•
The fire was kindled to create warmth on a cold evening.
He kindled their hopes of victory.
She kindled the look of love in his eyes.
Noxious: harmful; poisonous; lethal
adjective
Related forms
noxiously, adverb
noxiousness, noun
Example Sentences
• The noxious chemicals in paint give me a headache.
• The noxious gas was very lethal.
Placid: calm; peaceful
adjective
Related forms
placidness, noun
placidly, adverb
Example Sentences
• Ancient Native American society seemed to be very placid, but
such a view would be wrong since they were frequently at war
with enemy tribes.
• His demeanor was as placid as that of the lake on a sunny,
breezeless day.
Remuneration: payment for work done
noun
Related forms
remunerate, verb
Sentence:
He received little remuneration for his work.
Talisman(s): lucky charm
noun
Sentence:
Afraid of the powerful influence of the wizard’s spirit, he
wore a talisman around his neck for luck.
Abrasive: rough; coarse; harsh
Adjective
Related forms
Abrasively, adverb
Sentence:
-To my ears, it's noisy, loud and abrasive.
Bilk: to cheat; to defraud
verb
Sentence:
-An investigation proved that the auto repair shop had bilked people of
their money by conning people to pay for repairs that had never been
completed.
Covert: hidden; undercover
adjective
Related forms
covertly, adverb
covertness, noun
Sentence:
He has taken part in a number of covert, undercover military operations.
Engender: to cause
verb
Sentence:
The president’s speech engendered a large amount of debate; it caused
the people to think seriously about the issues.
Hangar: storage area (like garage) for a plane
noun
Sentence:
The plane was stored in the hangar until it could be repaired.
Knotty: complex; difficult to solve
adjective
Sentence:
My math teacher gives us really knotty, complex problems, so it always
makes me feel good when I get them right.
Nuance: something subtle; a fine shade of meaning.
noun
Related forms
nuanced, adjective
Sentence:
While he may not have understood every nuance or subtle meaning of the
poem, he understood the general mood of the poem.
Plagiarism: taking credit for someone else’s writing or ideas
noun
Related forms
plagiarize, verb
plagiarized, adjective
Sentence:
Plagiarism is a serious form of cheating and is not tolerated at school.
Renown: Fame
noun
Related forms
renowned, adjective
Sentence:
The musician achieved great renown with his song when it became
famous overnight.
Tangent: going off the main subject
noun
Sentence:
I get confused in class because the teacher frequently goes off on
tangents, never sticking to the lesson.