Vocab Lesson 6:
Learn new words !
Directions: Complete the chart and
submit on the day of the vocab quiz
Accede
• Def: (v) to yield to; to
assume an office or dignity.
• Syn: consent, concur,
comply, assent
• Ant: demur, balk at
• Sent: Although he acceded
to the demands of his boss,
he found other passiveaggressive ways to get
revenge.
• Sent: He acceded the throne
when the king died.
Brandish
• Def: (v) to wave or flourish in a menacing or
vigorous fashion
• Syn: swing, shake
• Sent: He brandished his sword before the
approaching enemy.
Comprise
• Def: (v) to include or contain;
to be made up of
• Syn: compose, constitute,
encompass
• Ant: exclude
• Sent: The huge tower of gifts
was comprised of a box of
expensive chocolates, fresh
peaches, and a tin of
macadamia nuts from Hawaii.
Deft
• Def: (adj) skillful, nimble
• Syn: dexterous, adroit, proficient, clever,
masterful
• Ant: clumsy, awkward, bungling, inept
• Sent: With one deft movement, shequickly
caught the baby as he rolled of the couch.
Destitute
• Def: (adj) deprived of the
necessities of life; lacking in
• Syn: wanting, devoid,
impoverished, penniless
• Ant: rich, wealthy, luxurious,
bountiful, full, replete
• Sent: While she felt like her
family was poor when dad
refused to buy her the the
ipod she wanted, she knew
that she was far from
destitute.
Explicit
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Def: (adj) definite, clearly stated
Syn: distinct, forthright, unambiguous, clear
Ant: vague, ambiguous, implied, implicit
Sent: I explicitly told you that if you are going
to take movies out of the library, you can’t
leave them on the pile or you will forget to
return them and we will get fined!
Extirpate
• Def: (v) to tear up the roots; to
destroy totally
• Syn: uproots, eradicate, wipe
out, excise
• Ant: implant, sow, foster, nourish
• HINT: Sounds like exterminate!
• Sent: She extirpated the last few
pesky stray eyebrow hairs.
• Sent: Bullying will never be fully
extirpated from schools, but it
has certainly been reduced.
Inopportune
• Def (adj): coming at a bad time;
not appropriate
• Syn: ill-timed, inconvenient,
inappropriate, unsuitable
• Ant: timely, convenient,
felicitous, opportune
• Sent: Some people have to go
to the bathroom at the most
inopportune times!
Ironic
• Def: (adj) suggesting an
incongruity between what
might be expected and what
actually happens; given to irony,
sarcasm
• Syn: incongruous, satiric,
sardonic, wry
• Ant: straightforward,
unequivocal
• Sent: Ironically, after we stayed
up all night to write the paper,
our Philosophy professor
cancelled class, so we had a
week extension.
Musty
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Def: (adj) stale, moldy; out-of-date
Syn: hackneyed, antiquated
Ant: fresh, sweet-smelling, up-to-date, brand new
Sent: The box of old sweaters was certainly clean,
but had a musty aroma from lack of fresh air.
• Sent: His musty-looking suit looked like it was
straight out of the disco era.
Officious
• Def: (adj) meddling; excessively
forward in offering services or
assuming authority
• Syn: meddlesome, prying,
impertinent, obtrusive
• Ant: reserved, diffident, timid,
aloof
• I would describe her as officious,
since she is constantly giving me
unsolicited advice.
Ominous
• Def: (adj) unfavorable, threatening, of bad
omen
• Syn: unpropitious, inauspicious, portentous
• Ant: propitious, auspicious, promising
• Sent: While I wasn’t completely afraid to walk
alone at night, the full moon and dark clouds
seemed ominous to me.
Pinnacle
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Def: (n) a high peak or point
Syn: apex, acme, summit, apogee
Ant: nadir, perigee, low point
Sent: At the pinnacle of his career, he
tarnished his image.
• When we finally reached the
pinnacle of the hill, we
could see the entire city.
Premeditated
• Def: (adj. participle= adj. from the verb)
• Syn: preplanned, rehearsed, calculated,
prearranged
• Ant: unplanned, spontaneous, impromptu
• Sent: The attempted murder, the jury decided,
was not premeditated, but committed as a
spontaneous impulse.
Rampant
• Def: (adj) growing without check, running wild
• Syn: widespread, unrestrained, extravagant,
prevalent
• Ant: controlled, restrained
• Even with frequent mowing, the yard quickly
grew full of dandelions that ran rampant.
• Common phrase: “Rumors run rampant”
Solace
• Def: (n) comfort, relief, (v) to
comfort, console
• Syn: soothe, reassure, cheer
up
• Ant: vex, aggravate, upset
• Sent: The kind words of her
friends could bring her little
solace after losing her aunt.
• Common Phrase: to seek
solace
Stately
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Def: (adj) dignified, majestic
Syn: grand, magnificent, imposing
Ant: lowly, humble, servile, abject
Sent: We were expecting the building and the
grounds to be stately, but they went beyond
our imagination in size and stature.
• Hint: a stately estate
Supple
• Def: (adj) bending easily, bending with agility;
readily adaptable; servile
• Syn: flexible, limber, pliable, pliant
• Ant: stiff, rigid, unbending, hidebound
• Sent: Unfortunately, even in this age of
technological development, factories can’t
produce synthetic materials that are as supple
as leather.
• Trivia: The supple skink lizard
Suppress
• Def: (v) to stop by force, put down
• Syn: subdue, crush, stifle, squelch,
quash, silence
• Ant: provoke, spur, arouse, incite,
instigate
• Sent: I tried to suppress my huge
yawn during the meeting, but the
speaker still noticed.
Venal
• Def: (adj) open to or marked by
bribery or corruption
• Syn: dishonest, bribable,
corruptible, mercenary
• Ant: honest, incorruptible,
scrupulous
• Sent: People are rarely shocked
these days by the venal acts
committed by politicians—they
have come to expect it.