Search Vocabulary – Schreiner Book F, Unit # 12 Word List 1. absolve(d) – (v) to clear from blame, responsibility, or guilt 2. caricature – (n) a representation (especially a drawing) in which the subject’s characteristic features are deliberately exaggerated; (v) to present someone or something in a deliberately distorted way 3. clangor – (n) a loud ringing sound; (v) to make a loud ringing noise 4. contiguous – (adj) side by side, touching; near; adjacent in time 5. cupidity – (n) an eager desire for something; greed 6. deleterious – (adj) harmful, injurious 7. enhance – (v) to raise to a higher degree; to increase the value or desirability of 8. enthrall(ed) – (v) to enslave; to imprison; to captivate, charm, hold spellbound 9. extenuate – (v)to lessen the seriousness or magnitude of an offense by making partial excuses 10. exude – (v) to ooze out; to discharge through the pores; to emanate (as a quality or a personal impression) 11. implicit – (adj) implied or understood though unexpressed; without doubts or reservations, unquestioning; potentially contained in 12. incisive – (adj) sharp, keen, penetrating (with a suggestion of decisiveness and effectiveness) 13. ostentatious – (adj) marked by conspicuous or pretentious display, showy 14. paragon – (n) a model of excellence or perfection 15. paraphrase – (v) to restate in other words; (n) a statement that presents a given idea in new language 16. politic – (adj) prudent, shrewdly conceived and developed; artful, expedient 17. preeminent – (adj) superior, outstanding; prominent 18. prosaic – (adj) dull, ordinary, lacking in distinction and originality; characteristic of prose, not poetic 19. redundant – (adj) extra, excess, more than is needed; wordy, repetitive; profuse, lush 20. sanctimonious – (adj) making a show of virtue or righteousness; hypocritically moralistic or pious 21. scintillating – (adj) sparkling, twinkling, exceptionally brilliant (applied to mental or personal qualities) 22. winsome – (adj) charming, attractive, pleasing (often suggesting a childlike charm and innocence) Vocabulary Assignment Book F, Unit # 12 Filling in the Blanks Choose the word from this unit that best completes each sentence. 1. She did her work so quietly that it took us time to realize that she was a veritable ___________ of efficiency and diligence. 2. Of all the noteworthy civil rights leaders this nation has produced, none is as _________ as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 3. To characterize the literary style of Edgar Allan Poe as “unique and one of a kind” is certainly ______________. 4. In most contracts there are _________________ duties and obligations that must be fulfilled even though they aren’t expressed in so many words. 5. Marie is not particularly pretty, but her engaging personality and charming manner make her quite ________________. 6. Since I could not bring to mind the exact words of the speech I had tried to memorize, I delivered a(n) ________________ of it. 7. Until he rose to speak, the meeting had been dull, but he immediately enlivened it with his ________ wit. 8. Her new hairstyle, which softly frames the delicate features of her face, greatly ___________ her beauty. 9. The fact that he had hungry children at home does not justify what he did, but it does __________ his crime. 10. Since we had been told that the new TV series was original and witty, we were disappointed by the obvious and ______________ situation comedy that unfolded on our screen. 11. We resented his ________________ self-assurance that he was morally superior to everyone else. 12. Detective stories seem to __________________ her to such a degree that she reads virtually nothing else. 13. His normal desire for financial security was eventually distorted into a boundless __________. 14. “Evening dress is far too ______________ for such an informal occasion,” I thought to myself as I tried to decide what to wear that evening. 15. The _______________ of the fire bells as they echoed through the night filled our hearts with terror. 16. There are some situations in life when it is ________________ to remain quiet and wait for a better opportunity to assert yourself. 17. His long nose and prominent teeth give the candidate the kind of face that cartoonists love to _____________. 18. The jury may have found him not guilty, but the “court of public opinion” will never ___________________ him of responsibility for the crime. 19. We observed that the trunk of the rubber tree was ________________ a sticky substance. 20. How can anyone be so foolish as to develop a smoking habit when it has been proven that cigarettes are ________________ to health? 21. With that one _________________ comment, she brought an end to all the aimless talk and directed our attention to the real problem facing us. 22. Since the gym is __________________ to the library, it is easy for me to shift from academic to athletic activities. 23. It would seem to be __________________ for us not to make a public announcement of our candidacy until you are confident of the party’s support. 24. With my ___________________ mind, how can I hope to grasp all the brilliant and subtle insights of your argument? 25. His highly technical discussion will have to be _________________ if it is to be understood by most readers. Synonyms Choose the words from this unit that are most nearly the same in meaning as the groups of expressions. 1. to reword, rephrase; a rendition, version _________________________ 1 2. tactful, diplomatic, judicious, circumspect _________________________ 2 3. to improve, magnify, heighten, elevate _________________________ 3 4. to perspire, secrete; to emit; to exhibit _________________________ 4 5. winning, engaging, delightful, prepossessing _________________________ 5 6. an exemplar, pattern, paradigm, model, good example _________________________ 6 7. unnecessary, ;superfluous; verbose, prolix; superabundant _________________________7 8. inferred, tacit, unspoken; unconditional _________________________ 8 9. stimulating; witty, glittering, flashing _________________________ 9 10. peerless, distinguished, unequaled _________________________10 11. commonplace, matter-of-fact, pedestrian _________________________11 12. acute, cutting, perceptive, trenchant _________________________12 13. to acquit, exonerate, vindicate, excuse, pardon _________________________13 14. adjacent, adjoining, next door to _________________________14 15. a cartoon, burlesque, parody; to lampoon _________________________15 16. self-righteous, canting, holier-than-thou _________________________16 17. to fascinate, enchant, attract, bewitch _________________________17 18. to moderate, mitigate, diminish, downplay _________________________18 19. flashy, overdone, affected, flamboyant _________________________19 20. detrimental, injurious, destructive, pernicious _________________________20 21. a din, clamor, racket _________________________21 22. avarice, rapacity; a craving, lust _________________________22 Antonyms Choose the words from this unit that are most nearly the opposite in meaning as the groups of expressions. 1. unwise, injudicious, imprudent, rash 2. to diminish, reduce, lessen, degrade 3. modest, plain, simple, demure, retiring 4. unattractive, unappealing, repulsive 5. remarkable, distinctive; poetic, inspired 6. succinct, terse, laconic; scarce, inadequate 7. to intensify, aggravate, worsen, exacerbate 8. dull, boring, insipid, flat, tame, vapid 9. to condemn, convict, incriminate, inculpate 10. helpful, beneficial; harmless, innocuous 11. contentment, satiation, gratification 12. explicit, express, stated, revealed 13. to bore to tears; to repel, put someone off 14. to repeat verbatim, duplicate, quote 15. heartfelt, sincere, humble 16. silence, stillness, peace and quiet 17. detached, apart, distant, remote 18. to absorb, soak up, assimilate 19. unknown, obscure, undistinguished, anonymous _________________________ 1 _________________________ 2 _________________________ 3 _________________________ 4 _________________________ 5 _________________________ 6 _________________________ 7 _________________________ 8 _________________________ 9 _________________________10 _________________________11 _________________________12 _________________________13 _________________________14 _________________________15 _________________________16 _________________________17 _________________________18 _________________________19 Choosing the Right Word Encircle the boldface word that more satisfactorily completes each sentence. 1. It is hardly (politic, clangorous) for someone who hopes to win a popularity contest to go about making such brutally frank remarks. 2. He is so pleased with every aspect of himself that he seems almost to (exude, extenuate) selfsatisfaction. 3. A good coat of paint and some attention to the lawn would greatly (enhance, absolve) the appearance of our bungalow. 4. My parents set up my older brother as such a (caricature, paragon) that I despaired of ever being able to follow in his footsteps. 5. She tried to convince my that the proposed advertisement would be “dynamic” and a “real-eye-catcher,” but I found it utterly (politic, prosaic). 6. Laura delivered her lines with such artistry and verve that she made the rather commonplace dialogue seem (scintillating, deleterious). 7. When he demanded that I immediately “return back” the money I owed him, I found him not merely unpleasant but (redundant, winsome). 8. Words about “tolerance” are empty and (sanctimonious, contiguous) when they come from one who has shown no concern about civil liberties. 9. Isn’t it rather (ostentatious, redundant) to wear a Phi Beta Kappa key on a chain around your neck? 10. In the Lincoln-Douglas debates, Lincoln asked a few (incisive, prosaic) questions that showed up the fatal weaknesses in his opponent’s position. 11. I realized I was being kept awake not by the (paragon, clangor) of the city traffic but by a gnawing fear that I had done the wrong thing. 12. I will try to tell the story in a balanced way, without either exaggerating or (extenuating, exuding) his responsibility for those sad events. 13. As long as we are (enthralled, extenuated) by the idea that it is possible to get something for nothing, we will not be able to come up with a sound economic program. 14. It has often been said that Dickens’ most memorable characters are really (caricatures, paragons) of familiar types, rather than accurate portraits of human beings. 15. The aspiring salesperson stood in front of the mirror for hours, practicing a (winsome, redundant) smile. 16. Is it logical to conclude that because this substance has had a (prosaic, deleterious) effect on some test animals, it is not at all safe for human consumption? 17. He was the type of officer who expected (prosaic, implicit) obedience from the troops he commanded. When he gave an order, he assumed it would be carried out. 18. We rented a house fairly close to that of my parents, but I made sure that the two buildings were not (contiguous, preeminent). 19. The Gettysburg Address is so concise, so lucid, and so beautiful, that it would be folly to attempt to (paraphrase, exude) it. 20. What we do now to remedy the evils in our society will determine whether or not we are to be (absolved, paraphrased) of blame for the injustice of the past. 21. The rumors of “easy money” and “lush profits” to be made in the stock market aroused the (clangor, cupidity) of many small investors. 22. Dr. Morehouse combines, to a (preeminent, contiguous) degree, the skills of a great surgeon and the warm sympathy of a sensitive human being. 23. “In seeking to discredit me,” I replied, “my opponent has deliberately (caricatured, paraphrased) my ideas, making them seem simplistic and unrealistic. 24. As he spoke to his followers, he seemed to (exude, absolve) an aura of hatred and fanaticism that we found utterly chilling.