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Ms. Richmond
English 221
Nonfiction: Types of Essays Vocabulary
Name ____________________________________________
Date ___________________
Directions: Using a credible dictionary, look up each word’s part of speech and definition. Write
these on the appropriate blanks. Next, list the word’s synonyms and antonyms. Then read the
example sentence(s) that use(s) each word correctly. Finally, create your own sentence for the
word. Make sure that your sentence is original and meaningful. Do not use the Internet for this.
Come up with your own sentence from your own brain. You may use a variation of the word or
the exact word. Plagiarism will result in a zero and further repercussions.
“View from the Summit” by Sir Edmund Hillary
1. ample (________): _______________________________________________________
Synonyms (3 or more): ____________________________________________________
Antonyms (1 or more): _____________________________________________________
Example sentences: If we pack ample water for the hike, we won’t have to worry about
dehydration.
“As a picture began to emerge of an out-of-control young man with a Gossip Girl-tinged
past long on wealth and privilege and short on boundaries and discipline, there was ample
suggestion that the elite lacrosse culture did little to curb bad-boy excesses” (Smolowe
62).
Your sentence:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
2. aperture (________): _____________________________________________________
Synonyms (3 or more): ____________________________________________________
Antonyms (1 or more): _____________________________________________________
Example sentence: The camera’s aperture was broken, making the picture turn out quite
dark.
Your sentence:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
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3. belay (________): ________________________________________________________
Synonyms (3 or more): ____________________________________________________
Antonyms (1 or more): _____________________________________________________
Example sentence: Be sure to keep the belay taut as you climb up the mountain.
Your sentence:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
4. laboriously (________): ___________________________________________________
Synonyms (3 or more): ____________________________________________________
Antonyms (1 or more): _____________________________________________________
Example sentences: I worked laboriously on my drawing, adding shading and detail.
“I think if he’d…[have] cut himself, he might bleed to death before working it out
laboriously that the thing to do was put on a bandage.” (Berger 104).
Your sentence:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
5. feasible (________): ______________________________________________________
Synonyms (3 or more): ____________________________________________________
Antonyms (1 or more): _____________________________________________________
Example sentence: Mr. Rodgers said building the bridge would be feasible because the
land was stable.
Your sentence:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
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6. formidable (________): ___________________________________________________
Synonyms (3 or more): ____________________________________________________
Antonyms (1 or more): _____________________________________________________
Example sentence: The heavyweight realized his opponent would be formidable as soon
as he saw that the man outweighed him by at least 50 pounds of solid muscle.
Your sentence:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
excerpt from The Way to Rainy Mountain by N. Scott Momaday
7. engender (________): _____________________________________________________
Synonyms (3 or more): ____________________________________________________
Antonyms (1 or more): _____________________________________________________
Example sentence: In order to engender a win, the candidate realized he would have to
campaign in his opponent’s hometown as well.
Your sentence:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
8. tenuous (________): ______________________________________________________
Synonyms (3 or more): ____________________________________________________
Antonyms (1 or more): _____________________________________________________
Example sentence: The student realized the connection between studying and doing well
on tests was not tenuous; there was a direct connection, in fact.
Your sentence:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
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9. reciprocity (________): ___________________________________________________
Synonyms (3 or more): ____________________________________________________
Antonyms (1 or more): _____________________________________________________
Example sentence: Ross and Chandler realized that reciprocity would be the best way to
move down the icy hill.
Your sentence:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
10. assimilate (________): ____________________________________________________
Synonyms (3 or more): ____________________________________________________
Antonyms (1 or more): _____________________________________________________
Example sentence: The transfer student hoped to assimilate himself as soon as possible
into the life of St. Joe.
Your sentence:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
11. inexorably (________): ____________________________________________________
Synonyms (3 or more): ____________________________________________________
Antonyms (1 or more): _____________________________________________________
Example sentence: The Sudanese leader said it was inexorable that his troops would
march across the border.
Your sentence:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
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12. oratory (________): ______________________________________________________
Synonyms (3 or more): ____________________________________________________
Antonyms (1 or more): _____________________________________________________
Example sentence: President Barack Obama is known for oratory.
Your sentence:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
13. transcend (________): ____________________________________________________
Synonyms (3 or more): ____________________________________________________
Antonyms (1 or more): _____________________________________________________
Example sentence: That peaceful moment during prayer after church transcended
anything I ever had experienced.
Your sentence:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
“Keep Memory Alive” by Elie Wiesel
14. presumptuous (________): ________________________________________________
Synonyms (3 or more): ____________________________________________________
Antonyms (1 or more): _____________________________________________________
Example sentence: I think it’s very presumptuous of you to assume that I would want any
part of that situation!
Your sentence:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
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15. deportation (________): ___________________________________________________
Synonyms (3 or more): ____________________________________________________
Antonyms (1 or more): _____________________________________________________
Example sentence: If you do not apply immediately for citizenship, you will face
deportation.
Your sentence:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
16. mutilate (________): ____________________________________________________
Synonyms (3 or more): ____________________________________________________
Antonyms (1 or more): _____________________________________________________
Example sentence: Did you see that dog mutilate that woman’s arm?
Your sentence:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
“Flood” by Annie Dillard
17. obliterate (________): ____________________________________________________
Synonyms (3 or more): ____________________________________________________
Antonyms (1 or more): _____________________________________________________
Example sentence: My mother scrubbed and scrubbed on the windows, hoping to
obliterate all the grime from the past six months.
Your sentence:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
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18. opacity (________): ______________________________________________________
Synonyms (3 or more): ____________________________________________________
Antonyms (1 or more): _____________________________________________________
Example sentence: The classroom wall is opaque; the window in the door is transparent.
Your sentence:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
19. usurp (________): ________________________________________________________
Synonyms (3 or more): ____________________________________________________
Antonyms (1 or more): _____________________________________________________
Example sentence: How did the dictator usurp power from our former leader?
Your sentence:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
20. maul (________): ________________________________________________________
Synonyms (3 or more): ____________________________________________________
Antonyms (1 or more): _____________________________________________________
Example sentence: After mutilating the woman’s arm, the dog then mauled her face.
Your sentence:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
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21. malevolent (________): ___________________________________________________
Synonyms (3 or more): ____________________________________________________
Antonyms (1 or more): _____________________________________________________
Example sentence: After the fight, the boy realized he had been malevolent towards his
mother; he immediately felt contrition.
Your sentence:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
22. repressed (________): ____________________________________________________
Synonyms (3 or more): ____________________________________________________
Antonyms (1 or more): _____________________________________________________
Example sentence: Sometimes repressing anger is worse than letting it out appropriately.
Your sentence:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
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Works Cited
Berger, Thomas. Little Big Man. New York: Dial Press, 2005.
Smolowe, Jill. “A Deadly Romance: The Lacrosse Killing.” People. 24 May 2010: 62.