English 10 Vocabulary Unit 5
1. Altruistic
͞
(altrooˈistik
)
(adj.) unselfish, concerned with the welfare of others
2. Assent
(əˈsent )
(v.) to express agreement; (n.) agreement
Workers hope that the threat of a long strike will force management to _______________ to
their demands.
Synonyms: concur, consent, accede
Antonyms: disagree, differ, dissent
Most people support ________________ programs to help the less fortunate of
this world.
Synonyms: selfless
Antonyms: selfish,self-centered
3. Benefactor
(n.) one who does good to others
(ˈbenəˌfaktər)
Without the help of many _______________ most charities would be unable to carry out their
work.
Synonyms: patron, humanitarian
Antonyms: misanthrope, malefactor
4. Chivalrous
(ˈSHivəlrəs)
(adj.) marked by honor, courtesy, and courage; knight
In today’s busy world, where people are often heedless of others, a _______________ act is
admired by all.
Synonyms: gallant, civil, valiant
Antonyms: crude, uncouth, churlish, loutish
5. Clemency
(ˈklemənsē)
(n.) mercy, humaneness;mildness, moderateness
Many judges are willing to show _______________ to first offenders who express regret for
their wrongdoing.
Synonyms: leniency, forbearance, gentleness
Antonyms: harshness, severity,cruelty, inflexibility
6. Dearth
(dərTH)
(n.) a lack, scarcity, inadequate supply; a famine
An employer may complain of a _______________ of qualified applicants for available jobs.
Synonyms: insufficiency, want, paucity
Antonyms: surplus, oversupply, glut, abundance
7. Diffident
(ˈdifəd(ə)nt)
(adj.) shy, lacking self-confidence; modest, reserved
Many a _______________ suitor has lost his beloved to a bold rival.
Synonyms: timid, bashful, unassertive, withdrawn
Antonyms: bold, brash, audacious, self-confident, jaunty
8. Discrepancy
(n.) a difference; a lack of agreement
(disˈkrepənsē)
_______________ in the testimony of witnesses to a crime can have a decisive impact on the
outcome of the trial.
Synonyms: disagreement, divergence, inconsistency
Antonyms: agreement, convergence, consistency
9. Embark
(əmˈbärk)
(v.) to go aboard; to make a start; to invest
Columbus spent years raising money before he was able to _______________ on his perilous
ocean voyage in search of a passage to the Far East.
Synonyms: commence, launch, begin, board
10. Facile
(ˈfasəl)
(adj.)easily done or attained; superficial; ready, fluet; easily shown but not sincerely felt
Writing is a _______________ process for some authors but a laborious task for others.
Synonyms: effortless, assured, poised, specious
Antonyms: labored, awkward, halting
11. Indomitable (adj.) unconquerable, refusing to yield
(inˈdämədəb(ə)l)
All who hear of the remarkable deeds of Harriet Tubman admire her _______________
courage in the face of grave danger.
Synonyms: unbeatable, invincible, unyielding
Antonyms: surrendering, submissive, yielding
12. Infallible
(inˈfaləb(ə)l)
(adj.) free from error; absolutely dependable
Some critics seem convinced that their expert knowledge makes them _______________
judges of the quality of an artist’s work.
Synonyms: unerring, certain
Antonyms: imperfect
13. Plod
(pläd)
(v.) to walk heavily or slowly; to work slowly
After the blizzard, we had to _______________ through deep snowdrifts to reach the nearest
store.
Synonyms: lumber, trudge
Antonyms: scamper, skip, prance
14. Pungent
(ˈpənjənt)
(adj.) causing a sharp sensation; stinging, biting
The kitchen of the French restaurant was filled with the _______________ aroma of onion
soup.
Synonyms: sharp, spicy, piquant, caustic, racy
Antonyms: bland, unappetizing, colorless, insipid
15. Remiss
(rəˈmis)
(adj.) neglectful in performance of one’s duty, careless
When I am _______________ in doing daily chores, I have to spend a big part of the weekend
catching up.
Synonyms: negligent, lax, slack
Antonyms: scrupulous, dutiful, punctilious
16. Repose (v.) to rest, lie; place (n.) relaxation, peace of mind, calmness
(rəˈpōz)
The mortal remains of thousands who fell in America’s wars _______________ in Arlington
National Cemetery.
After spending all day with others, you may wish for a period of _______________ before
dinner.
Synonyms: (v.) sleep; (n.) tranquility, respite
Antonyms: (n.) exertion, wakefulness, tumult, bustle, ado
17. Temerity
(təˈmerədē)
(n.) rashness, boldness
Few of his subordinates had the _______________ to answer the general back.
Synonyms: recklessness, foolhardiness, effrontery
Antonyms: timidity, fearfulness, diffidence, humility
18. Truculent
(ˈtrəkyələnt)
(adj.) fierce and cruel; aggressive; deadly, destructive; scathingly harsh
People with _______________ dispositions can make life miserable for those who have to
work with them.
Synonyms: brutal, savage, belligerent, vitriolic
Antonyms: gentle, mild, meek, unthreatening
19. Unfeigned
(ˌənˈfānd)
(adj.) sincere, real, without pretense
The novelist won high praise for her ability to portray the _______________ emotions of
children.
Synonyms: genuine, heartfelt
Antonyms: insincere, simulated, phony
20. Virulent
(ˈvir(y)ələnt)
(adj.) extremely poisonous; full of malice, spiteful
The First Amendment protects the right of free speech for everyone, even those with
_______________ views that are repugnant to most people.
Synonyms: venomous, noxious, baneful, hateful
Antonyms: innocuous, harmless, benign
Please complete the following activities using the vocabulary words from this unit.
I.
Completing the Sentence
1. Doctors attributed the epidemic to the rampant spread of a particularly _______________________ strain o
influenza virus.
2. My parents will not ______________________ to my going to the dance unless I promise faithfully to be home
no later than 1:00 A.M.
3. As a school cafeteria guard, I would be _____________________________ in my duties if I failed to report a
serious disturbance.
4. We were all impressed by your _________________ use of unusual words and expressions that you had learned
only a few hours before.
5. Humor should be clever and amusing but never so __________________ that it hurts feelings of other people.
6. The pathetic refugees ____________________________ along the dusty road, hoping to reach the Red Cross
camp before nightfall.
7. I rarely join in the discussions, not because I lack information and ideas, but rather because I am
___________________________.
8. History tells us that many men and women regarded as failures in their own lifetimes were really major
_______________________ of humanity.
9. The principal claimed that there were major ____________________ between what actually happened in the
school and the way the incident was reported on T.V.
10. What good are _____________________ principals if no real attempt is made to help people by putting those
principles into practice?
11. I did not realize how beautiful the twins were until they fell asleep and I saw their faces in complete
________________________.
12. In view of the many able people in public life today, I do not agree that we are suffering from a(n)
__________________ of capable leaders.
13. He is really insufferable when he gets into one of those _________________________ moods in which nothing in
the world pleases him.
14. If you happen to have a(n) _______________________ seatmate on a long airplane flight, you may find yourself
talking more freely about personal matters than you would under other circumstances.
15. He tried in vain to guess what surprise he might expect next from that _______________________ power, Lady
Luck.
16. Am I to __________________________ from what you just said that you were not present at the scene of the
accident?
17. While tsarist Russia's vast territories were almost purely continental, the British Empire included numerous
________________________________ possessions.
18. Because of his ______________________ for gossiping, we tried not to let him learn anything about our personal
affairs.
19. _____________________________ dives full of disreputable and dangerous-looking characters have given the
waterfront areas of many cities a bad reputation.
20. Perhaps she had less native ability than some of her classmates, but her powers of concentration and
______________________ study program enable her to finish first in the class.
II.
III.
IV.
Synonyms
1. Expostulate with a noisy neighbor
2. Had a festive ambience
3. Said her decision was irreversible
4. Resound from wall to wall
5. Answer with an enigmatic smile
6. Only a nebulous idea of his future
7. Disavow an earlier promise
8. A relaxed, agreeable companion
9. To surmise from her expression
10. Scholarly study of the topic
11. A tawdry appearance
12. Prevailed due to assiduous preparation
13. Springy as a trampoline
14. Smuggling illicit drugs
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Antonyms
15. A serene little boy of four
16. A cosmopolitan awareness of culture
17. A tasteful account of her private life
18. His natural incapacity for meanness
19. A thick morning mist on the garden
20. Intended to diminish her frame
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Choosing the Right Word: Circle the word that most correctly completes the sentence.
1. The musical composition, with no melodic pattern and no well-defined structure of development, seemed
(amorphous, querulous) to my ear.
2. The minister said that Cain’s question, “Am I my brothers keeper?” has continued to (reverberate, infer) through
the ages.
3. What we really resent is not sensible criticism but nagging that is petty, capricious, and (querulous, affable)
4. Since he seems to have no moral standard whatsoever, it would probably be futile to (infer, remonstrate) with
him about his outrageous behavior.
5. The language he used in his bitter attack on us was so (amorphous, scurrilous) that I hesitate even to repeat it.
6. What a pleasure to talk about the old times with so (affable, erudite) a companion!
7. The pitiful derelicts only protection against the elements was a cheap overcoat made out of some kind of
(resilient, sleazy) material that wouldn't keep the cold out in a heat wave.
8. I think that nothing in Shakespeare is lighter or more delightful than the (gossamer, aggrandized) wit and fancy
of A Midsummer Night's Dream.
9. I tried to make some sense out of the strange orders he had given us, but his plan and purpose remained utterly
(erudite, inscrutable)
10. Your (propensity, repudiation) for spending more than you can afford will lead to only one result-bankruptcy!
11. Throughout his career, that man has emphasized the (aggrandizement, inscrutability) of wealth and power at
the expense of other values.
12. Am I to (remonstrate, infer) from your statement that there would be no point in further negotiations?
13. Lucy finally completed her (querulous, erudite) term paper, in which she quoted from more than a hundred
sources.
14. Carefully avoiding any attempt at originality, he has fashioned his style on (sedulous, scurrilous) mimicry of
other, more talented writers.
15. On the Sabbath, the entire village is immersed in a(n) (propensity, aura) of religious devotion that is difficult to
convey to outsiders.
16. When we arrived home, we were tired and depressed, but the (gossamer, resilient) spirit of youth made things
look brighter the next morning.
17. Our determination never to yield to force or the threat of force is firm and (amorphous, irrevocable).
18. We cannot bar foreign influences from our shores, and we cannot treat unfamiliar ideas as (aura, contraband)
19. To limit the free expression of unpopular ideas is to (repudiate, infer) the basic spirit of the Bill of Rights.
20. In an age when the world has become a "global village," we cannot afford leaders with (insular, sedulous)
outlooks.