Name: __________________________
Vocabulary Unit #9 – Exercises
I.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Definitions
acclamation – (n.) a shout of welcome; an overwhelming verbal vote of approval
bucolic – (adj.) characteristic of the countryside, rural; relating to shepherds and cowherds, pastoral
calumniate – (v.) to slander; to accuse falsely and maliciously
chary – (adj.) extremely cautious, hesitant, or slow (to); reserved, diffident
collusion – (n.) secret agreement or cooperation
dilettante – (n.) a dabbler in the arts; one who engages in an activity in an amateurish, trifling way;
(adj.) superficial
7. imperturbable – (adj.) not easily excited; emotionally steady
8. increment – (n.) an enlargement, increase, addition
9. mandate – (n.) an authoritative command, formal order, authorization; (v.) to issue such an order
10. paltry – (adj.) trifling, insignificant; mean, despicable; inferior, trashy
11. paroxysm – (n.) a sudden outburst; a spasm, convulsion
12. pedantry – (n.) a pretentious display of knowledge; overly rigid attention to rules and details
13. peregrination – (n.) the act of traveling; an excursion, especially on foot or to a foreign country
14. redolent – (adj.) fragrant, smelling strongly; tending to arouse memories or create an aura
15. refulgent – (adj.) shining, radiant, resplendent
16. shibboleth – (n.) a word, expression, or custom that distinguishes a particular group of persons from all
others; a commonplace saying or truism
17. tyro – (n.) a beginner, novice; one with little or no background skill
18. unremitting – (adj.) not stopping, maintained steadily, never letting up, relentless
19. vacillate – (v.) to swing indecisively from one idea or course of action to another; to waver weakly in
mind or will
20. vituperative – (adj.) harshly abusive, severely, insulting
II.
Completing the Sentence
1. As we waited through the long night for the arrival of the rescue party, we
________________ between hope and despair.
2. However long and hard the struggle, we must be _________________ in our efforts to
wipe out racism in this country.
3. She may have great musical talents, but she will get nowhere so long as she has the
casual attitude of the ________________________.
4. The painting shows a restfully ______________________ scene, with some cows
grazing placidly in a meadow as their shepherd dozes under a bush.
5. I had expected a decent tip from the party of six that I waited on early that evening, but
all I got was a(n) _____________________ two bucks!
6. The scene may seem ordinary to you, but I find it ______________________ with
memories of happy summers spent in these woods.
7. Since Lincoln is now considered a great national hero, it is hard to believe that he was
bitterly __________________ when he was President.
8. The contractor was suspected of having acted in ____________________ with a state
official to fix the bids on certain public works contracts.
9. “The overwhelming victory I have won at the polls,” the Governor-elect said, “has given
me a clear __________________ to carry out my program.
10.As a(n) ___________________ summer sun sank slowly in the west, the skies were
ablaze with color.
11.In a series of searing orations, filled with the most ___________________ language,
Cicero launched the full battery of political invective against the hapless Mark Anthony.
12.Every time I sign a new lease on my apartment, my rent goes up, though the
________________ are not usually very large.
13.I thought I was unexcitable, but she is as ___________________ as the granite lions in
front of the public library.
14.Even the merest _____________________ in the use of firearms knows that a gun should
never be pointed at another person.
15.Since Lucy had expected no more than polite applause, she was delighted by the
_________________ she received from the audience.
16.The Pledge of Allegiance is no mere __________________ to be recited mechanically
and without understanding like some advertising jingle.
17.In my various __________________ through that vast metropolis, I ran across many
curious old buildings that the ordinary tourist never sees.
18.I have learned from long experience to be extremely ___________________ about
offering advice when it has not be requested.
19.Seized by a(n) _____________________ of rage, he began to beat the bars of his cell
with his bare hands.
20.It is sheer _____________________ to insist upon applying the rules of formal literary
composition to everyday speech and writing.
III.
Synonyms
1. evocative of old memories
2. in cahoots with the competition
3. kept up the constant pressure to surrender
4. greeted with an overwhelming ovation
5. bored us with his hairsplitting
6. overcome by a fit of anger
7. reluctantly ended her journeys
8. seesawed in their commitments
9. keeps repeating the tired old catchphrases
10. slandered his rivals at every opportunity
11. labeled a mere trifler by the experts
12. an urgent directive from the President
13. a scurrilous response to the question
14. wary of flattery and favor-seekers
15. painted a charming rustic scene
IV.
Antonyms
16. is excitable when challenged
17. a colossal amount of unpaid debts
18. reported a steady loss in annual sales
19. looked up at the murky dawn sky
20. an expert in the art of fencing
V.
Choosing the Right Word
1. Not satisfied with the slow (increment, peregrination) of his savings in a bank account, he
turned to speculation in the stock market.
2. Are we to try to make a realistic analysis of our alternatives or let ourselves be distracted
by slogans and (tyros, shibboleths)?
3. Perhaps he would be less lyrical about the delights of the (bucolic, redolent) life if, like
me, he had grown up on a farm in Kansas.
4. It has long been known that some twisted and unhappy people derive a kind of
satisfaction from (calumniating, colluding) others.
5. Once the senator’s nomination became a certainty, all opposition to him evaporated, and
he was named by (vituperation, acclamation).
6. During the course of my (peregrinations, paroxysms) through the world of books, I have
picked up all kinds of useful information.
7. The phrase “We the people” in the Constitution indicates that the ultimate (mandate,
vacillation) of our government comes from popular will.
8. Since she come from a rural area, she expresses herself in language that is (redolent,
paltry) of the farm and of country life in general.
9. It is easy to criticize him, but how can we overlook the fact that for 20 years he has
worked (unremittingly, charity) to help the homeless?
10.Although he has been in this business for 20 years, he still has the sublime innocence of
the most helpless (tyro, shibboleth).
11.A (paroxysm, pedantry) of indignation flashed though the community, and the streets
filled with angry people ready to protest the proposal.
12.Clad in the (refulgent, dilettante) armor of moral rectitude, he sailed forth to do battle
with the forces of evil.
13.How do you have the nerve to offer such (a)n (paltry, unremitting) sum for this
magnificent “antique” car!
14.Isn’t it sheer (pedantry, refulgence) on his part to use terms like Proustian and
Kafkaesque, when he knows they mean nothing to the audience?
15.The same difficulties that serve as a challenge to the true professional will be a crushing
discouragement to the typical (mandate, dilettante).
16.If we (vacillate, increment) now at adopting a tough energy policy, we may find
ourselves in a desperate situation in the future.
17.I’m not sure if Tom’s (imperturbable, collusive) spirit is due to toughness or to an
inability to understand the dangers of the situation.
18.I am perfectly willing to listen to a reasonable complaint, but I will not put up with that
kind of (bucolic, vituperative) backbiting.
19.The gambler’s predictions of the game scores were so incredibly accurate that we
suspected some form of (acclamation, collusion).
20.Because my teacher is usually so (chary, imperturbable) of giving compliments, I felt
especially good when she spoke well of my essay.
VI.
Vocabulary in Context
At Home in the Woods
A lifelong lover of the outdoors and one of America’s most distinguished nature
essayists, John Burroughs (1837-1921) was born on a farm near Roxbury, New York, in the
bucolic Catskill Mountain region. After a paltry early education, Burroughs, at 17, became a
country schoolteacher in a small Catskill town, and eventually managed to finance some
advanced study at the Ashland Collegiate Institute and the Cooperstown Seminary.
In 1860 Burroughs began writing on natural and philosophical subjects for some of the
leading periodicals of the day. The young tyro learned the essayist’s art quickly and became a
frequent contributor to the Atlantic Monthly, which he later referred to as his “university”.
While some of his readers appreciated the echoes of Emerson in these early essays, others
responded negatively to what they experienced as Burroughs’ dry pedantry.
In 1863 Burroughs took a job as a clerk in Washington, D.C. While there, he became a
close friend of the poet Walt Whitman, and this relationship provided him with material for his
first book: Notes on Walt Whitman as Poet and Person. In 1872 Burroughs returned to his
native Catskills and began writing more concretely about the wonders he encountered during
his peregrinations in the local woodlands. His writings from this period show the influence of
Whitman’s expansive style. Redolent of more leisurely time, his works are still remembered
today for their appreciation of the simple.
1. Bucolic most nearly means
a. Backward
b. Distant
c. Rugged
d. Rustic
4. The meaning of pedantry is
a. Style
b. Wit
c. Nit-picking
d. Propaganda
2. The meaning of paltry
a. Meager
b. Sterling
c. Conventional
d. Boring
5. Peregrinations means
a. Dwellings
b. Speeches
c. Wanderings
d. Writings
3. Tyro is best defined as
a. Fighter
b. Neophyte
c. Invalid
d. Scholar
d. Proud
6. Redolent most nearly means
a. Reminiscent
b. Stinking
c. Composed