Vocabulary dictionary and workbook 2,856 words you must know mark (2)

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Vocabulary Dictionary and Workbook

2,856 Words You Must Know

Mark Phillips

Pronunciation Key

The syllable that receives the primary accent appears in capital letters; for example, in-TEND

ə about, system, family, lemon, suppose

a apple, mat, carry

ā ape, fame, day

â ask, fair, Mary

ä father, calm, art

b boy, rib

ch chin, inch

d dog, mad

e egg, enter, ten

ē each, seen, bee

ō open, tone, hello

ô ought, call, law

oi oil, join, boy

oo ooze, moon, too

oo book, pull

ou ouch, proud, cow

p pen, nap

r red, jar

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s say, miss

sh shy, ash

t tell, bat

th think, athlete, myth

th then, another, smooth

tr tree, entrance

u up, fun, above

û urge, turn, blur

v valley, river, swerve

abase (ə-BĀS) vb To abase yourself is to lower yourself in status or prestige; to bring yourself

down a notch; to humble yourself Steve was dying to go to the party, but he refused to abase

himself by asking for an invitation.

abash (ə-BASH) vb If you say that someone has been abashed, you mean that he’s been

embarrassed; that his initial self-possession has been destroyed (usually by something that produces a

feeling of shame or inferiority or by excessive praise) When he learned he’d been awarded the

1958 Nobel Prize in literature, Russian writer Boris Pasternak (1890–1960) said in a telegram,

“Immensely grateful, touched, proud, astonished, abashed.”

abate (ə-BĀT) vb If something (bad weather, conflict, pain, enthusiasm, interest, for example)

abates, it becomes less intense; it dies down The years-old ethnic conflict in areas of the former Yugoslavia showed no signs of abating.

aberrant (AB-ər-ənt) adj If something is aberrant, it deviates from what is considered normal or

proper; it’s abnormal, deviant, unconventional, etc Austrian psychiatrist Sigmund Freud (1856– 1939) believed that aberrant behavior in children was caused not by genetic factors, but by

mishandling on the part of the parents.

abet (ə-BET) vb To abet someone is to assist or aid him (especially in something wrongful or evil).

In 1968, after his indictment on charges of aiding and abetting resistance to Selective Service laws, pediatrician, author, and political activist Benjamin Spock explained, “I’m not a pacifist; I

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was very much for the war against Hitler and I also supported the intervention in Korea—but in this war we went in there to steal Vietnam.”

abeyance (ə-BĀ-əns) n To hold something (a discussion, a decision to be made, etc.) in abeyance is

to temporarily set it aside, suspend it, make it inactive, put it “on hold,” etc In 1993 the search for a new Commissioner of Baseball (to replace the one who’d resigned the year before) was held in abeyance pending the resolution of a labor dispute between players and owners.

abhorrent (ab-HÔR-ənt) adj If you find something abhorrent, you find it hateful (or disgusting or

repellent) The word is especially used (instead of simply “hateful”) if the object of your hatred is

considered truly horrible or outrageous Right-to-life groups find the idea of abortion abhorrent Note: The verb abhor means “to hate” (usually something horrible or outrageous), as in I abhor any kind of animal cruelty.

abide (ə-BĪD) vb To abide by something (an order, rule, etc.) is to go along with it without question

or complaint; to accept it, support it, obey it, comply with it, etc On March 3, 1991, when Allied and Iraqi military leaders meet on the battlefield to discuss terms for a formal cease-fire to end the Persian Gulf War, Iraq agreed to abide by all of the UN’s terms, including the destruction of Iraq’s unconventional weapons (but later sought to frustrate the carrying out of UN inspections) Note:

In another sense, to abide something is to put up with it, endure it, tolerate it, etc., as in abide one’s rudeness or abide fools.

abject (AB-ject) adj To refer to a bad or unfortunate situation or condition as abject is to say that

it’s as low, degrading, miserable, wretched, and hopeless as it can possibly be John Steinbeck’s

1939 novel The Grapes of Wrath is about the hardships of an American farm family who move to California in the 1930s to escape the abject poverty of the Dust Bowl (a parched region of the Great Plains plagued by drought and dust storms).

ablution (ə-BLOO-shən) n This word can mean “the washing of the hands or body,” or it can refer to

the liquid itself that’s used in the washing Often (but not always) the word is used when the washing

is part of some religious ritual A mosque (a place of public worship in the Muslim religion) must point toward Mecca (Mohammed’s birthplace) and have a place for ritual ablutions.

abode (ə-BŌD) n An abode is the place where one lives; a dwelling place, house, home, etc For

example, in Greek mythology Olympus was the abode of the gods In 1764 French philosopher

Voltaire (1694–1778) said, “It is not known precisely where angels dwell—whether in the air, the void, or the planets; it has not been God’s pleasure that we should be informed of their abode.”

abolish (ə-BŎL-ish) vb To abolish something (a practice, regulation, condition, etc.) is to do away

with it; put an end to it (as in abolish slavery, abolish the Stamp Act, or abolish poverty) Some lawmakers would like to abolish the Electoral College in favor of direct popular vote for

President.

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III Use the following words to fill in the blanks in the sentences below:

abeyance, ablution, abode

1 Prison is a fit for lawbreakers

2 The unresolved issues were held in

3 A stone basin was set up for

IV Are the two words on each line similar or opposite?

1 aberrant / normal

2 abhorrent / hateful

3 abject / wonderful

Chapter 2: abominable–abundant

abominable (ə-BOM-ə-nə-bəl) adj Depending on the context, this word can mean either “hateful,

detestable, despicable” (often with an implication of vileness or unnaturalness), as in abominable acts of torture, or “unpleasant, disagreeable,” as in abominable weather The April 1995 Oklahoma City bombing (in which over 100 people were killed when a car bomb tore away the façade of the nine-story, block-long Federal building) was perhaps the most abominable act of terrorism of the

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20th century.

abortive (ə-BÔR-tiv) adj If something (a plan, an attempt, etc.) is abortive, it’s unsuccessful, failed,

ineffectual, useless, etc (often because progress was halted before it had a chance to succeed) The Chunnel, a 31-mile-long train tunnel under the English Channel connecting England and France, had two abortive beginnings (1883 and 1974) before its present-day success.

abrasion (ə-BRĀ-zhən) n As a verb, to abrade is to wear down by friction or rubbing And as a

noun, abrasion is the processes of abrading But if you’re speaking specifically of someone’s skin,

an abrasion is a scraped area (as from an injury) A Band-Aid is an adhesive bandage with a gauze pad in the center used to cover minor cuts, insect bites, and abrasions Note: People often use this

word informally to refer to any type of minor skin wound (cut, scratch, bruise, etc.)

abridge (ə-BRIJ) vb To abridge a written text (a novel or play, for example) is to make it shorter (by

condensing it or omitting parts of it) while retaining its overall sense Modern editions of Johann Wyss’s 1813 adventure novel Swiss Family Robinson are usually abridged (the narrator’s numerous religious comments are omitted) To abridge anything else (a visit, one’s freedom, etc.) is to lessen the duration or extent of it The First Amendment to the U.S Constitution states: “Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech.”

abrogate (AB-rə-gāt) vb To abrogate something (a law, policy, treaty, agreement, contract, etc.) is

to officially end it, abolish it, do away with it, etc A 1916 treaty that gave the United States the exclusive right to build a canal through Nicaragua was abrogated in 1970.

abscond (ab-SKOND) vb To abscond is to leave (someplace) quickly, suddenly, and secretly, so as

to avoid capture or arrest (for having committed a crime, for example); to flee from justice, escape,

run off, etc In the 1960 horror classic Psycho, an employee, entrusted to deposit a large sum of cash at her company’s bank, instead absconds with it to an isolated motel.

absolve (ab-ZOLV) vb To absolve someone of (or from) guilt, blame, or the consequences of a crime

or sin is to pronounce him free; to clear, pardon, excuse, or forgive him In 1958 U.S critic and

historian Van Wyck Brooks (1886–1963) said, “Nothing is so soothing to our [self-respect] as to find our bad traits in our [parents]; it seems to absolve us.” To absolve someone from an

obligation, duty, or responsibility is to free or release him from it The Declaration of Independence (1776) states: “These United Colonies are free and independent states [and] they are absolved from all allegiance to [England].”

abstemious (ab-STĒ-mē-əs) adj If you’re abstemious, you’re restrained in eating and drinking (of

alcohol); you eat and drink sparingly or moderately When she saw the painting of the fat monk, she exclaimed, “I thought those guys were supposed to be abstemious!”

abstinence (AB-stə-nəns) n The practice of refraining from (giving up) certain pleasures (especially

food or drink) is known as abstinence Doctors say that for heavy smokers, more than ten years of

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abstinence is necessary before the degree of risk of lung cancer approaches that of those who have never smoked.

abstract (ab-STRAKT, AB-strakt) adj Things that are abstract are conceptual or theoretical; that is,

they are thought of apart from material objects For example, a piece of candy is a material object, but

the concept of sweetness is said to be abstract In literature, the abstract idea of time sometimes takes human form in the character Father Time.

abstruse (ab-STROOS) adj If you say that something (a theory, idea, explanation, etc.) is abstruse,

you mean either that it’s difficult to understand or comprehend (it’s complex, deep, etc.), or that it can

be understood only by a select few (by members of a particular profession, for example) In college I found calculus so difficult that not only did I not understand the abstruse expressions written on the blackboard [f(x)dx=g(b)-g(a), for example], but I didn’t even know (in general terms) what calculus was—even after the teacher patiently explained that it dealt with “the differentiation and integration of functions of variables.”

abundant (ə-BUN-dənt) adj If a supply or amount of something (crops or wildlife, for example) is

abundant, it’s more than enough; it’s plentiful Danish author Isak Dinesen once said, “I don’t

believe in evil; I believe only in horror In nature there is no evil, only an abundance of horror.”

abridge, abscond, absolve

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1 His plan was to take the money and .

2 The judge was likely to the defendant

3 He decided to the book by removing the glossary

1 abstruse / complex

2 abstinence / indulgence

3 abominable / horrible

Chapter 3: abusive–accost

abusive (ə-BYOO-siv) adj To be abusive is to mistreat someone either verbally (by using harsh,

insulting language) or physically (through maltreatment, battering, etc.) The 1981 biographical film Mommie Dearest portrays Academy Award–winning actress Joan Crawford (1908–1977) as an abusive mother.

abut (ə-BUT) vb Things that abut each other are directly next to each other; they’re adjacent; they

touch; they share an edge or border Lake Michigan (one of the Great Lakes) abuts four states:

Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin.

abysmal (ə-BIZ-məl) adj To refer to something (a condition, ignorance, a failure, a performance) as

abysmal is to say that it’s immeasurably bad Note: An abyss is an immeasurably deep cavity (chasm, pit, void, etc.) Clifford Beers, cofounder of the National Committee for Mental Hygiene, was an early 20th-century mental-health pioneer who, as a patient, discovered abysmal conditions in asylums.

accede (ak-SĒD) vb When you accede to something (especially something insisted upon or urged by

another), you agree to it (or comply with it or permit it) At the Munich Conference (1938), Britain and France, in an effort to maintain peace, acceded to Hitler’s demand that Germany immediately annex the Sudetenland (western Czechoslovakia) Note: Another meaning of this word is “assume (or attain, arrive at, or succeed to) an office, title, or position,” as in Spanish king Juan Carlos

acceded to the throne upon the death of Francisco Franco (1975).

acceleration (ak-sel-ə-RĀ-shən) n In physics, acceleration is the rate of increase of velocity

(speed) For example, if you drop an ball from a tall building, the ball doesn’t fall at a steady rate;

rather, it gains speed as it falls The rate at which its speed increases is known as acceleration.

Downhill skiers use a pair of poles to aid in accelerating, turning, and balancing If you’re not speaking of physics, the verb accelerate means simply to move or cause to move (or proceed,

develop, happen, etc.) faster; to speed up During adolescence, the body’s growth rate accelerates.

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accessible (ak-SES-ə-bəl) adj If something is accessible, it’s easy to reach or enter (as a place),

easy to get at (as an object), easy to approach or talk to (as a person), easy to understand (as a

concept), or easy to obtain (as information) In 1984 President Ronald Reagan’s daughter Maureen said, “We are an ideal political family, as accessible as Disneyland.” Note: When people say that a particular place is accessible, they often mean simply that it’s reachable, whether easily or not (as in

a mountaintop accessible only by helicopter) Yellowstone Park became accessible to vacationers when the Northern Pacific Railroad was completed in 1883.

acclaim (ə-KLĀM) n Acclaim is an expression of enthusiastic praise, admiration, or approval Actor

Tom Cruise won critical acclaim (including a Golden Globe Award and an Oscar nomination) for his role in the 1989 film Born on the Fourth of July.

acclimated (AK-lə-mā-tid) adj To be acclimated to something (a new environment, climate, or

situation, for example) is to be accustomed or adjusted to it To maintain an acceptable state of health in space, astronauts (in addition to needing air, food, hygiene facilities, and exercise)

require a proper balance between work and rest periods and sufficient time to become acclimated

to a weightless environment.

accolade (AK-ə-lād) n An expression of approval or praise (or a special acknowledgment or

award) is known as an accolade The word is usually used in the plural No poet won more Pulitzer Prizes or received more accolades from universities and foundations than did New Englander Robert Frost (1874–1963).

accomplice (ə-KOM-plis) n An accomplice is a person who helps another person commit a

wrongdoing or criminal act On the same day that President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth (April 14, 1865), several of Booth’s accomplices tried (unsuccessfully) to kill Secretary of State William Seward.

accord (ə-KÔRD) n When two things are in accord, they are in agreement or harmony; they go

together without conflict For example, a student dresses in accord with the school’s dress code, a swimmer breathes in accord with the pace of his strokes, a person’s spending increases in accord with the growth of his income, etc When, in 1925, Tennessee teacher John Scopes presented

Darwin’s theory of evolution to his high school biology class, he was arrested for violating a state law that prohibited the teaching of any theory not in accord with the biblical story of the Creation.

accost (ə-KOST) vb To accost someone is to approach him and speak to him (sometimes in a bold

or aggressive manner) In 1985 mild-mannered New Yorker Bernard Goetz shot four looking youths who accosted him on a New York City subway.

threatening-Word Games

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I Match the correct lettered definition to each of the following numbered words.

3 accolade: expression of praise

abysmal, accessible, acclimated

1 The island retreat was by boat

2 He soon became to his new surroundings

3 His karaoke performance was

1 accede / disagree

2 accost / bypass

3 abut / touch

Chapter 4: accretion–acuity

accretion (ə-KRĒ-shən) n A gradual, natural growth or increase in size (of something), as by the

growing or sticking together of external parts, is known as accretion (for example, a coral reef grows larger through accretion) The verb is accrete Scientists believe that planets are formed by the accretion of gas and dust in a cosmic cloud.

accrue (ə-KROO) vb To accrue something (money, sick leave, etc.) is to accumulate it over time.

During his 23-year major-league career (1954–1976), baseball great Hank Aaron accrued a

record-breaking 755 home runs.

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acerbic (ə-SÛR-bik) adj To describe food as acerbic is to say that it has a strong, sharp taste; it’s

sour, bitter, tart To describe a person’s temperament or facial expression as acerbic is to say that it’s sour or bitter (that he’s a sourpuss) To describe a person’s language or wit as acerbic is to say that it’s sharp, biting, sarcastic, harsh The noun is acerbity In Dr Seuss’s children’s book How the

Grinch Stole Christmas, an acerbic, green-skinned creature tries to prevent Christmas by stealing all the villagers’ gifts.

acknowledge (ak-NOL-ij) vb To acknowledge something is to admit or recognize (sometimes

reluctantly or under pressure) that it’s true or that it exists In the 1783 Treaty of Paris, which ended the Revolutionary War, Great Britain formally acknowledged American independence.

acme (AK-mē) n The acme of something is its highest level or degree (that can be attained); its

utmost limit The word generally refers to accomplishments rather than to physical objects In 1958,

at the acme of his popular success, singer Elvis Presley was drafted into the army.

acolyte (AK-ə-līt) n Originally, an acolyte was an altar boy (a priest’s attendant) Today the word is

used to mean “a follower or attendant (of an important person).” Sometimes the word is used

sarcastically or as a put-down to describe servile, boot-licking followers Unification Church

founder Sun Myung Moon, who is regarded by his acolytes as God’s messenger, was convicted (1982) of conspiracy to evade taxes.

acoustics (ə-KOO-stiks) n The branch of physics that deals with sound and sound waves is known

as acoustics The adjective acoustical (or acoustic) is used to describe anything pertaining to sound, the science of sound, or the sense of hearing According to the Columbia Encyclopedia, “In 1979 a congressional committee [reviewing the November 1963 assassination of President John F.

Kennedy] concluded, on the basis of acoustical evidence, that [not one, but] two people had shot

at Kennedy—but that interpretation was later criticized as flawed.”

acquiesce (ak-wē-ES) vb When you acquiesce (to something proposed), you agree or submit (to it)

without protest Often, the implication is that originally you were opposed to it, or at least had some

reservations about it When we gently urged my strong-willed grandmother to move into a nursing home, she strongly objected, going so far as to say that she’d rather destroy herself; then, a day later, for reasons we never understood, she quietly acquiesced.

acquisitive (ə-KWIZ-i-tiv) adj Anything (one’s mind, a nation, a corporation, a person, etc.)

described as acquisitive has a strong desire to acquire (gain, possess) things An acquisitive mind wants to acquire ideas, information, knowledge, etc An acquisitive nation wants to acquire other territories by force An acquisitive corporation wants to acquire other companies by buying them out.

An acquisitive person is either one with an acquisitive mind or one who strongly wants to acquire wealth, land, possessions, etc In 1982 journalist and humorist Andy Rooney said, “[Republicans] think that if we [the American people] admit that we have selfish, acquisitive natures and then set out to get all we can for ourselves by working hard for it, that things will be better for everyone.”

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acrid (AK-rid) adj If something (a taste or smell, for example) is acrid, it’s sharp, biting, bitter,

irritating, etc (to the tongue, nose, eyes, etc.) A remark or language described as acrid is stinging, cutting, bitter, biting, etc In a 1961 article in the New York Herald Tribune entitled “Cookout’s Got

to Go,” journalist Donald Rogers noted, “Few things are more revolting than the spectacle of a normally reasonable father and husband gowned in one of those hot, massive aprons inscribed with disgustingly corny legends, presiding over a [barbecue grill] as he destroys huge hunks of good meat and fills the neighborhood with greasy, acrid smoke: a Boy Scout with five o’clock

shadow.”

activist (AK-tə-vist) n An activist is a person who aggressively supports or promotes a particular

(usually controversial) political cause or goal (as in civil rights activist or anti-war activist) After retiring from acting, (1950s and ’60s film star) Doris Day became an animal rights activist.

acuity (ə-KYOO-i-tē) n If you have acuity, you have the faculty of thinking and applying knowledge;

you have keenness of perception; you’re insightful, astute, discerning, intelligent, etc The adjective is

acute Actor Dustin Hoffman is known for his acute characterizations in such films as Midnight Cowboy (1969), Tootsie (1982), and Rain Man (1989) Note: The word also can refer to sharpness of eyesight, as in visual acuity of 20/20.

acme, acolyte, acoustics

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1 The rock star entered the room followed by his

2 He reached the of his career when he was named vice-president

3 As a musician, he was interested in the

1 acrid / sharp

2 acerbic / pleasant

3 acquisitive / uninterested

Chapter 5: acumen–adorn

acumen (AK-yə-min, ə-KYOO-min) n The ability or power to keenly perceive, maturely understand,

and wisely judge something (such as business, law, politics, military strategy, etc.) is known as

acumen During the late 19th century, Scottish-born American industrialist Andrew Carnegie, through his business acumen, made millions in the steel industry; he later gave most of the money away to educational, cultural, and peacemaking organizations, explaining that “the man who dies rich dies disgraced.”

adage (AD-ij) n An adage is a traditional or familiar saying that expresses a general truth; a

proverb When we opened our fortune cookies we couldn’t help but laugh when we saw that the first predicted “You will inherit a large sum of money” and the second contained the adage “A fool and his money are soon parted.”

adamant (AD-ə-mənt) adj If you’re adamant about something (your point of view, for example), you

don’t give in readily (to urgings, appeals, arguments, etc.); you’re unyielding, firm, insistent, etc For years, U.S tobacco companies have adamantly denied that tobacco is an addictive substance.

addled (AD-əld) adj If someone is addled (or addlebrained or addlepated), his mind is confused or

muddled; he’s illogical, harebrained, foolish, etc Nobel Prize-winning playwright Eugene O’Neill (1888–1953) once remarked, “My brain is a bit addled by whiskey.”

adduce (ə-DOOS) vb To adduce something (a fact, a reason, evidence, etc.) is to bring it forward as

an argument or as a means of proof in an argument Many people have claimed that Julius and Ethyl Rosenberg (an American couple who were executed in 1953 as spies for the Soviet Union) were convicted because of cold war hysteria and not because of the evidence adduced against them.

adept (ə-DEPT) adj If you’re adept at some skill or task, you’re very good at it (as from training,

experience, or natural ability); you’re proficient, capable, competent, expert, etc By the time he was

a teenager, folksinger Pete Seeger (born 1919) was adept at playing the ukulele, banjo, and guitar.

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adhere (ad-HĒR) vb If something (a substance, for example) adheres to something else, it sticks or

clings to it (by or as if by glue, suction, molecular forces, etc.) The noun is adherence Doctors say that if you are severely burned, you should cut away loose clothing, but you should not remove clothing adhered to your skin In another sense, if a person adheres to a rule, principle, or manner of doing something, he follows it, supports, it, carries it out, etc In 1860 presidential candidate

Abraham Lincoln asked, “What is conservatism? Is it not adherence to the old and tried, against the new and untried?”

adherent (ad-HĒR-ənt) n Someone who supports, upholds, or follows a leader or a cause is known

as an adherent Although in the early 1920s the Ku Klux Klan had more than two million adherents,

by the 1930s it had lost nearly all its power.

adjacent (ə-JĀ-sənt) adj If two things are adjacent to each other, they are lying next to each other;

they’re touching, bordering, adjoining, neighboring, etc Minnesota’s “twin cities” are Minneapolis (the state’s largest city) and the adjacent St Paul (the state’s capital).

adjourn (ə-JÛRN) vb To adjourn is to move from one place to another (especially a room) The

implication is that you’ll be in the new room for some time After dinner, we adjourned to the den to watch some TV Note: In another sense, this word is used in official meetings (such as those that

follow parliamentary procedure) and means “to end or postpone to another time,” as in I move to adjourn.

admonition (ad-mə-NISH-ən) n An admonition is a warning or a piece of cautionary advice The

verb is admonish Most cookbooks admonish the reader to avoid overcooking pasta and

vegetables.

adorn (ə-DÔRN) vb To adorn something is to beautify or decorate it by adding ornaments, jewels,

flowers, pictures, or the like; to dress it up Medieval books had wooden covers, sometimes richly adorned with gold and silver work, enamels, and gem

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II Does the definition on the right fit the word on the left? Answer yes or no.

1 adherent: loudspeaker

2 admonition: warning

3 acumen: archery bow

adamant, adept, adjacent

1 She was at knitting

2 He was about not permitting smoking in the house

3 Vermont and New Hampshire are

1 addled / clearheaded

2 adduce / bring forth

3 adage / saying

Chapter 6: adroit–affirm

adroit (ə-DROIT) adj This word can mean “expert or nimble in the use of the hands,” as in an adroit

seamstress, or “skillful, clever, ingenious, adept (in dealing with challenging situations),” as in an adroit negotiator Harry Houdini’s (1874–1926) adroit maneuvering allowed him to escape from chains, handcuffs, straitjackets, and padlocked containers.

adulate (AJ-ə-lāt) vb To adulate someone is to show excessive devotion to him or to excessively

admire or praise him; to adore, idolize, or cherish him In 1984, when interviewed on the occasion

of her 50th birthday, French film star and sex symbol Brigitte Bardot said, “I have been very

happy, very rich, very beautiful, much adulated, very famous, and very unhappy.”

advent (AD-vent) n The advent of something (especially something important) is the coming into

being of it; the arrival of it; the start of it In July 1963 President John F Kennedy said, “Eighteen years ago the advent of nuclear weapons changed the course of the world.”

adverse (ad-VÛRS, AD-vûrs) adj If something is adverse, it’s contrary to (acts against) one’s

interests or welfare; it has a harmful effect; it’s damaging, injurious, hurtful, etc Excessive alcohol consumption can adversely affect the liver; for example, it can cause cirrhosis (degeneration of

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liver tissue) or liver cancer Note: The word can also mean “unfriendly or opposing in purpose or effect,” as in adverse criticism.

adversity (ad-VÛR-si-tē) n A condition or state of hardship, misfortune, trouble, difficulty, etc., is

known as adversity The word is often used in the plural (adversities) to refer to particular

unfortunate events or circumstances of one’s life (such as poverty, hunger, illness, accidents, etc.)

Helen Keller (1880–1968), who overcame personal adversity (blindness and deafness) to become a famous author, lecturer, and humanitarian, once gave this advice to a five-year-old: “Never bend your head; always hold it high; look the world straight in the eye.”

advocate (AD-və-kāt) vb To advocate something (a policy, an idea, a plan, etc.) is to speak or argue

in favor of it, urge it, recommend it, support it, etc American scientist Linus Pauling (who won

Nobel Prizes for both chemistry and peace) is probably most famous for advocating the use of large doses of vitamin C to prevent sickness and to treat the common cold As a noun, an advocate

is a person who speaks or argues in favor of some cause Tennis champ Billie Jean King was an outspoken advocate of equality for women in professional sports.

aegis (Ē-jis) n To be under the aegis of someone or something is to be under its protection (as, for

example, an abandoned baby whose welfare is under the aegis of the courts) or under its sponsorship (as, for example, a school concert held under the aegis of the P.T.A.) Dr Jonas Salk developed his polio vaccine (1957) under the aegis of the March of Dimes Foundation.

aesthetic (es-THET-ik) adj The branch of philosophy concerned with the nature of beauty or art is

known as aesthetics The adjective aesthetic means “having or showing an appreciation of beauty or good taste (as distinguished from the practical or scientific).” Whereas tattoos were once applied for practical reasons (to signify one’s rank, for example), today they are generally applied for purely aesthetic purposes.

affable (AF-ə-bəl) adj If you’re affable you’re friendly, warm, easy to approach, and easy to talk to.

Historians say that though President Ronald Reagan was affable to all, he felt close only to his wife and a few friends.

affiliation (ə-fil-ē-Ā-shən) n An affiliation is a close connection or association between two or

more people, groups, or organizations Sometimes the associated elements are independent and equal,

but more often one is dependent on, subordinate to, or part of the other The verb is affiliate.

Radcilffe College for women is affiliated with Harvard University (in fact, Radcliffe students are instructed by the Harvard faculty).

affinity (ə-FIN-i-tē) n In one sense, an affinity is a natural liking for (or attraction to) a particular

person or thing As a conductor, Leonard Bernstein (1918–1990) had a special affinity for the

works of (Austrian composer) Gustav Mahler (1860–1911) In another sense, an affinity is a

similarity or likeness (of character, nature, structure, appearance, etc.) between people or things

(languages, plants, or animals, for example), suggestive of a relationship or common type In 1786

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English linguist Sir William Jones noted an affinity between Sanskrit, Latin, and Greek, and

argued that all descended from an earlier, extinct language.

affirm (ə-FÛRM) vb To affirm something is to state or declare it to be true; to state it as a fact.

Although many people claim to have seen UFOs, scientists cannot affirm their existence The noun

is affirmation In his inaugural address (1977), President Jimmy Carter said of his goals of justice, equality, and world peace, “They will not be my accomplishments, but the affirmation of our

nation’s continuing moral strength.” Note: In law, to affirm something is to confirm it (as in the higher court affirmed the opinion of the lower court) or to ratify it (as in a vote was taken and the amendment was affirmed).

adulate, advocate, affirm

1 Many doctors a low-cholesterol diet

2 Scientists cannot the existence of Bigfoot

3 Teenagers often rock stars

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1 aegis / protection

2 affable / cruel

3 adroit / clumsy

Chapter 7: affliction–ajar

affliction (ə-FLIK-shən) n An affliction is anything that causes suffering, harm, misery, distress, etc.,

especially a physical disorder such as an injury, disease, disability, sickness, or pain Helen Keller (1880–1968) was blind and deaf since infancy; despite these afflictions she learned to read and write and was graduated (1904) from Radcliffe College with honors.

affluent (AF-loo-ənt) adj A person (or town, neighborhood, etc.) described as affluent is rich,

wealthy, prosperous, well-off, etc In 1966 New York governor Nelson Rockefeller (1908–1979), urging Syracuse University graduates to enter public service, said, “There are many other

possibilities more enlightening than the struggle to become the local doctor’s most affluent ulcer case.”

agape (ə-GĀP) adj If you say that someone’s mouth is agape you mean that it’s open in wonder or

amazement If you say that a person is agape you mean that he has his mouth open in wonder or

amazement In the 1982 film E.T.—The Extra-Terrestrial, when Elliott’s older brother first sees E.T.,

he stands frozen with mouth agape.

agenda (ə-JEN-dəh) n An agenda can be a (written or mental) list of things to do, or it can be a

course of action to be followed regularly According to The Reader’s Companion to American

History, “Although the future of the U.S space program is promising, NASA must tackle several issues before its agenda of both unmanned and manned missions can be [carried out].”

aggrandize (ə-GRAN-dīz) vb If a person has become aggrandized, he’s become greater in power,

rank, importance, influence, reputation, etc.; he’s been magnified, glorified, etc If a thing (land, for

example) has been aggrandized, it’s become greater in size; it’s been enlarged, increased, extended, etc The noun is aggrandizement Historians say that one of the main causes of World War II was territorial aggrandizement (by Japan in China, by Italy in Ethiopia, and by Germany in central and eastern Europe).

aggregate (AG-ri-git) adj This word means “considered as, or gathered together into, one mass or

sum; total, combined, complete, added, entire, etc.,” as in aggregate wealth, aggregate value,

aggregate demand, etc Weightlifting competitors must make two successful lifts: the snatch (in which the bar is raised above the head in one uninterrupted motion), and the clean and jerk (in which the bar is raised to shoulder height, held there briefly, then pushed above the head); the aggregate weight of the two lifts is the competitor’s total Note: The word can also be used as a noun to denote an entire amount (of something) or a mass of parts collected together British

politician and writer Edmund Burke (1729–1797) once said, “An empire is the aggregate of many

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states under one common head.”

aghast (ə-GAST) adj To be aghast is to be struck by or filled with amazement, shock, surprise,

terror, etc According to the Cambridge Encyclopedia, after (English scientist) Sir Isaac Newton (1642–1727) determined that all celestial bodies (stars, planets, moons, etc.) have a gravitational attraction to one another, he “was aghast at the implications for the unfortunate investigator; with

so many bodies, each pulling all the others, how could anyone hope to cope with the mathematics involved?”

agile (AJ-īl) adj If you’re agile, you’re quick and well-coordinated in movement Mountain goats

are agile rock climbers The noun is agility In 1961 Time magazine said that a baseball umpire

“should combine the [righteousness] of a Supreme Court justice [with] the physical agility of an acrobat.”

agitate (AJ-i-tāt) vb To agitate a person (or animal) is to disturb, upset, or excite him emotionally;

to stir up his thoughts, feelings, etc When a skunk becomes agitated, it squirts a foul-smelling mist from glands under its tail To agitate a material substance (water, for example) is to cause it to move with violence or sudden force; to stir it up, shake it up, churn it, etc In microwave ovens, high-

frequency electromagnetic waves agitate water molecules in food; this results in high temperatures and rapid cooking.

aide-de-camp (ād-di-KAMP) n An aide-de-camp is a military officer who serves as confidential

assistant to a superior (usually a general or admiral) Sometimes the word is used informally to refer

to someone whose function is similar to that of an aide-de-camp U.S soldier and statesman

Alexander Hamilton (who served as General George Washington’s aide-de-camp during the

Revolutionary War and later as America’s first secretary of the treasury) was shot and killed

(1804) in a duel with Vice President Aaron Burr.

ailment (ĀL-mənt) n An ailment is a (sometimes mild) physical disorder or illness; a sickness,

disease Acupuncture (a technique of traditional Chinese medicine in which needles are inserted into the skin) has long been used in China for the treatment of such ailments as arthritis, high blood pressure, and ulcers.

ajar (ə-JÄR) adj If something (a door, for example) is ajar, it’s partially open When the

vacationing police officer returned to his hotel room and found the door ajar and a strange woman inside, he said, “Either you’re the chambermaid or you’re under arrest!”

Word Games

I Match the correct lettered definition to each of the following numbered words

1 agenda

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agape, agile, ajar

1 He left the door

2 The shocked spectators stood with mouth

3 The gymnast performed a back flip

1 agitate / soothe

2 affluent / prosperous

3 aggrandize / lessen

Chapter 8: alacrity–alms

alacrity (ə-LAK-ri-tē) n When you do something with alacrity, you do it right away and speedily

(and often with a cheerful willingness) Our boss said that to him, the perfect employee was one who responded to his orders with politeness and alacrity.

albeit (ôl-BĒ-it) conj This word means “although,” “even though,” or “even if.” In 1954 the U.S.

Supreme Court eliminated segregation in schools by overturning the “separate but equal” rule (a doctrine by which whites and blacks were promised equal, albeit separate, educational facilities).

alienate (Ā-lē-ə-nāt) vb To alienate someone is to cause him to become unfriendly, hostile, etc., or

to cause him to become withdrawn, indifferent, etc In 1824 English essayist William Hazlitt said,

“Few things tend more to alienate friendship than a [lack] of punctuality in our engagements.”

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allay (ə-LĀ) vb This word has two meanings, both having to do with relieving or lessening

(something) If you allay pain (or some other medical condition), you lessen it or relieve it (at least for a short time) In science class we learned that certain eucalyptus trees are called “fever trees” because their leaves and bark are actually used to allay fever If you allay an unpleasant emotion (fear, suspicion, anxiety, concern, anger, depression, doubt, etc.), you calm it or put it to rest To allay the doubts of the general public, the President volunteered to be the first to receive a swine flu shot.

allege (ə-LEJ) vb To allege something is to state or declare it to be true without proof As an

adjective, if you refer to something as alleged (as in alleged murderer, for example), you mean that it has been declared to be as described or designated, but without proof During the mid-20th century, the U.S House of Representatives maintained a Committee on Un-American Activities, which was especially known for its investigation of alleged Communists.

allegory (AL-i-gôr-ē) n An allegory is a story in which the literal characters and events presented

actually symbolize or represent some deeper abstract idea or principle George Orwell’s 1945 novel Animal Farm, which on the surface is about animals who take over a farm, is an allegory attacking Stalinism.

alleviate (ə-LĒ-vē-āt) vb To alleviate something (pain, suffering, boredom, overcrowding, poverty,

etc.) is to make it less severe or make it easier to endure There is no cure for the common cold, and treatment focuses on alleviating symptoms.

allocate (AL-ə-kāt) vb To allocate money, time, or the like is to set it apart for a particular purpose;

to designate it, earmark it, etc In September 1997 the U.S Senate voted to allocate $34 million for anti-smoking education and enforcement of rules prohibiting minors from buying cigarettes To allocate a particular product, service, resource, or the like is to distribute it according to a plan; to allot it The International Telecommunications Union, a UN agency with headquarters in

Switzerland, allocates radio frequencies on a worldwide scale to avoid possible confusion and interference.

allude (ə-LOOD) vb To allude to something is to make an indirect or casual mention of it; to refer to

it Usage Note: Whereas some people use the words allude and refer synonymously, others

distinguish between them as follows: allude applies to indirect references in which the source is not

specifically identified (for example, if you were to say “I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore,”

you’d be alluding to the film The Wizard of Oz); refer applies to a specific mention of a source (for example, if you were to say “They’re debating the issue on the Hill today,” you’d be referring to Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., where Congress meets) When, in an 1858 speech, Abraham

Lincoln said, “A house divided against itself cannot stand,” he was alluding to both the Bible and the intensifying conflict between the North and South over slavery.

allure (ə-LOOR) n If a person or thing has allure it has a quality that draws one’s interest, attention,

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admiration, or enthusiasm; it has the power to attract, entice, charm, or fascinate For example,

women sometimes wear jewelry, perfume, or makeup to add to their allure In 1981 French artist Paul Gauguin (1848–1903) moved to (the South Pacific island of) Tahiti and expressed its

romantic allure through his paintings.

alma mater (al-mə MÄ-tər) n Your alma mater is the school (usually high school or college) you

graduated from Felix Frankfurter (U.S Supreme Court justice from 1939–1962) graduated from Harvard Law School in 1906; in 1914 he returned to his alma mater to join the faculty Note: The

phrase can also refer to a school’s official song

alms (ämz) n Money or goods (such as food or clothing) given as charity to the poor are called alms.

We asked the preacher if the box that’s passed around in church for collecting alms for the poor has a special name, and he told us, not surprisingly, that it’s called a “poor box.”

c state without proof

II Does the definition on the right fit the word on the left? Answer yes or no

1 alms: charity

2 allude: escape

3 allegory: beverage

alacrity, alma mater, allure

1 On our trip to my home town, I visited my

2 Her long hair added to her

3 He surprised us by performing the task with

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1 albiet / although

2 alleviate / worsen

3 allocate / distribute

Chapter 9: aloof–ameliorate

aloof (ə-LOOF) adj This word means “emotionally indifferent, detached, distant, disinterested,

apart, etc (often from feelings of superiority or shyness).” Our team captain said, “Okay, now we’re going to give that tattletale the silent treatment—and remember, that doesn’t mean just

maintaining silence; it means maintaining aloof silence.”

also ran (ÔL-sō ran) n Technically, an also-ran is a horse that doesn’t finish among the first three in

a race But the word can be used to refer to anyone who loses any type of competition (a contest,

election, race, etc.) or to someone who is generally unsuccessful or untalented In 1987 Pulitzer Prize–winning commentator George Will said, “In the 1940s a survey listed the top seven

discipline problems in public schools [as] talking, chewing gum, making noise, running in the halls, getting out of turn in line, wearing improper clothes, [and] not putting paper in

wastebaskets; a 1980s survey lists these top seven: drug abuse, alcohol abuse, pregnancy, suicide, rape, robbery, [and] assault—arson, gang warfare, and venereal disease are also-rans.”

altercation (ôl-tər-KĀ-shən) n An altercation is a heated verbal (or sometimes physical) conflict; a

fight, clash, dispute, quarrel, argument, etc A race riot, such as Los Angeles’s Watts riot (1965) or

“Rodney King” riot (1992), is typically sparked by small altercations between individuals, usually

in public places.

altruistic (al-troo-IS-tik) adj If you’re altruistic, you’re unselfishly concerned for the welfare of

others; you’re generous, charitable The noun is altruism An altruistic person is called an altruist The Marshall Plan (also known as the European Recovery Program), which channeled over $13 billion to finance the economic recovery of Europe between 1948 and 1951, was seen by most historians as a representation of American altruism.

amalgam (ə-MAL-gəm) n An amalgam is a mixture or combination of two or more diverse

elements The population of Brazil is an amalgam of native, African, and European peoples Note:

The word is also used to refer to the particular mixture of mercury and silver that’s used in dentistry

amass (ə-MAS) vb To amass something (money, a collection of valuable or useful items,

information, etc.) is to gather or accumulate it into a large quantity (for profit, pleasure, future use,

etc.) In the board game Monopoly, the player who amasses the most wealth is the winner.

ambient (AM-bē-ənt) adj If something (sound, air, etc.) is ambient, it completely surrounds or

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encompasses (something) In 1994, 21 fragments of a comet tore through Jupiter’s ambient clouds and bombarded its surface As a noun, ambience is the overall quality, character, mood, or

atmosphere of something People especially use the word to refer to the overall atmosphere of a

restaurant On a scale of one to ten, I give the new restaurant a nine for food, an eight for

ambience, and a three for service.

ambiguous (am-BIG-yoo-əs) adj If something (a statement, a set of instructions, etc.) is ambiguous,

it has more than one possible meaning or interpretation; it lacks clarity; it causes confusion As a geographical label, “America” is ambiguous—to some it means the United States; to others it means all of North America; and to still others it means all of the Western Hemisphere.

ambivalent (am-BIV-ə-lənt) adj When you’re ambivalent, you’re uncertain or indecisive (about

what to do in a particular situation), usually as a result of a coexistence (in your mind) of two

opposing feelings or attitudes The noun is ambivalence In 1980, speaking of people who stutter, biographer Ted Morgan said, “The stammerer is ambivalent about communicating with others—he desperately wants to communicate, but is afraid of revealing himself.”

ambrosia (am-BRŌ-zhə) n In Greek and Roman mythology, ambrosia is the food of the gods In

addition to being extra-delicious, it gave the gods immortality Today anything that is especially

delicious can be referred to as ambrosia In 1981 tennis player John McEnroe tasted the sweet ambrosia of his first Wimbledon title Note: Ambrosia is also the name of a particular dessert—a

mixture of orange, coconut, and marshmallow

ambulatory (AM-byə-lə-tôr-ē) adj If you’re ambulatory, you’re capable of walking (as opposed to,

say, being bedridden or in a wheelchair) An institution that provides medical diagnosis and

treatment for ambulatory patients is usually called a “clinic,” not a “hospital.”

ameliorate (ə-MĒL-yə-rāt) vb To ameliorate something (a bad condition that demands change, for

example) is to make it less bad; improve it; bring it to a better state The New Deal (a group of

government programs and policies established under President Franklin D Roosevelt in the

1930s) was designed to ameliorate the devastating economic effects of the Great Depression.

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c quarrel

1 also ran: winner

2 ameliorate: increase

3 amass: collect

aloof, ambiguous, ambivalent

1 We thought the teacher’s long-winded instructions were

2 I was about running for class treasurer

3 They complained that the new transfer student acted

1 ambient / surrounding

2 ambulatory / wheelchair-bound

3 altruistic / generous

Chapter 10: amenable–analogy

amenable (ə-MEN-ə-bəl) adj If you’re amenable you tend to respond to things favorably or you’re

ready and willing to do what is required; you’re agreeable, yielding, open-minded, receptive,

responsive, dutiful, obedient, etc After World War II President Truman adopted measures designed

to block Soviet expansion; his European policies were highly successful, but Asia was less

amenable to U.S intervention.

amend (ə-MEND) vb To amend something (a proposal, motion, law, policy, etc.) is to change or

modify it (by adding to it, subtracting from it, rephrasing it, etc.), so as to improve it, make it more

accurate, etc The noun is amendment The U.S Constitution has been amended a number of time,

as when, for example, 18-year-olds were given the right to vote (1971) Note: To amend one’s

behavior is to change it for the better; to correct it, improve it

amenities (ə-MEN-i-tēz) n Features (often unessential extras) that contribute to physical comfort or

pleasure, especially when they increase the value of something (real estate, for example) are known

as amenities The ad for the mountain lodge said that it overlooked a lake and offered such

amenities as air conditioning and cable TV Note: Another meaning of the word is “social

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courtesies; pleasantries”; that is, little things you say (“How good to see you,” for example) to bepleasant in society

amiable (Ā-mē-ə-bəl) adj If you’re either friendly (social, gracious, warm) or pleasant (agreeable,

good-natured, sweet-tempered) you’re amiable In 1998 journalist Lloyd Grove said of Sonny Bono,

“As a television entertainer in the early 1970s, [he] perfected the persona of an amiable loser; alongside the tall and stunning Cher, who regularly zapped him with put-downs, he looked like a grinning simpleton with mouse-brown hair.”

amicable (AM-i-kə-bəl) adj To describe someone as amicable is to say that he’s pleasant and easy

to get along with; he’s friendly, agreeable, peaceable, good-natured, personable, etc To describe a

relationship (as between people or countries) as amicable is to say that it’s friendly, peaceable, etc., with the implication that the parties involved have a desire not to quarrel In his first inaugural

address (1861), President Abraham Lincoln said, “One section of our country believes slavery is right, while the other believes it is wrong; physically speaking, we cannot remove [them] from each other—they cannot but remain face to face, and [communication], either amicable or hostile, must continue between them.”

amiss (ə-MIS) adj This word means “not the way it should be; wrong, improper, incorrect, etc.”

According to NASA, once the Mars Pathfinder’s airbags were installed (September 1996), “a

detailed ‘walk through’ of the whole lander was performed by some of the best spacecraft

mechanical engineers around; they looked for anything that might appear to be amiss.” Note: The word is also used as an adverb, meaning “in a wrong way; improperly, incorrectly, etc.,” as in speak amiss.

amnesia (am-NĒ-zhə) n A loss of memory—especially one brought on by shock, disease, or injury

—is known as amnesia After the car crash (August 1997) that killed Diana, Princess of Wales, police sources said that her bodyguard, the sole survivor of the crash, had amnesia and couldn’t remember anything about the circumstances of the accident.

amnesty (AM-ni-stē) n Amnesty is a pardon (a freedom from prosecution; a granting of immunity)

given by a government to one who has committed a criminal act (especially a political criminal act)

Whereas President Richard Nixon denied amnesty to Vietnam draft evaders, President Gerald Ford granted amnesty (1974) to those who were willing to do public service work.

amorphous (ə-MÔR-fəs) adj Something described as amorphous has no definite or distinct shape or

form In the 1958 science fiction film The Blob, an amorphous glob of goo devours people.

amulet (AM-yə-lit) n An amulet is something (a protective or good-luck charm, for example) worn

(often around the neck) to ward off evil In preparation for battle, the Iroquois Indians routinely applied war paint and collected amulets.

anachronism (ə-NAK-rə-niz-əm) n Something (a person, concept, institution, custom, etc.) that

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exists or happens in a time (era, century, historical order, etc.) other than the one it belongs to is

referred to as an anachronism As can be seen in the 1958 film Witness for the Prosecution, British trial lawyers and judges wear old-fashioned white wigs—an anachronism that signifies the

continuity and dignity of the English justice system.

analogy (ə-NAL-ə-jē) n An analogy is a comparison between two things that are alike in certain

respects but not others People often offer analogies either as a form of reasoning (to imply that

because two things are alike in some respects they will be alike in others) or to make complex ideasmore understandable (as when one draws an analogy between the human heart and a pump, for

example) To explain the theory of the expanding universe (which says that galaxies are moving away from each other), the teacher drew an analogy between the universe and a balloon, saying,

“If you paint dots on an uninflated balloon and then blow it up, the dots will move away from each other.”

amnesia, amnesty, analogy

1 In inmates were granted and released

2 The car accident victim suffered

3 The likened the human eye to a camera

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1 amend / change

2 anachronism / spider

3 amenable / disagreeable

Chapter 11: anarchy–anonymous

anarchy (AN-ər-kē) n This word signifies either an absence of any form of government (or political

authority) in a society, or the (usually political or social) disorder and (often lawless) confusion that

naturally arises from an absence of governmental control In 1992, after famine killed more than 300,000 people, (the African nation of) Somalia fell into anarchy and armed thugs prevented world food aid from relieving starvation In another sense, the word signifies any state of disorder or

confusion In 1860 writer and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882) said, “There is no chance, and no anarchy, in the universe; every god is sitting in his sphere.”

anathema (ə-NATH-ə-mə) n This word is used to refer to any person or thing that arouses extreme

dislike The implication is that this thing is so objectionable that it’s always rejected out of hand or

avoided Because cigarette smoke is anathema to my wife, she covers her nose with the top of her shirt whenever we walk past the smoking section of a restaurant.

anecdote (AN-ik-dōt) n An anecdote is a short account of a funny or interesting incident In October

1776 Benjamin Franklin sailed for France, where, according to Grolier’s Encyclopedia, he “was at his best creating the legend of his life among the ladies of Paris, writing witty letters, and telling anecdotes.”

anemic (ə-NĒ-mik) adj Technically, people who are anemic suffer from a condition known as

anemia (a deficiency of red blood cells); as such, they are pale and weak But in general usage,

anything physically weak, spiritless, feeble, ineffective, etc., can be described as anemic A recession (1990–1991) combined with an anemic economic recovery contributed to George H Bush’s defeat

in the 1992 presidential election.

animated (AN-ə-mā-tid) adj This word describes things that are lively, active, spirited, in motion,

etc Because the song started with a slow, out-of-rhythm introduction, the young dancers didn’t know what to make of it; then, when the bass and drums kicked in (and the mirrored ball began to spin), they became suddenly animated.

animosity (an-ə-MOS-i-tē) n When you feel animosity toward someone (or something), you feel ill

will, hostility, unfriendliness, dislike, hatred, etc., toward him (or it) Great animosity exists between Israelis and Arabs because each group claims Palestinian land as theirs by ancestral rights Note:

A related word is animus, which is a feeling of ill will or hostility, especially of a personal nature, often based on one’s prejudices or temperament Sue hated sport-utility vehicles but held no similar

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animus toward pickup trucks or vans (because they had a reason for being oversized).

annals (AN-əlz) n If you speak of the annals of something, you’re talking about the historical

records of it, either as actual written or published (often yearly) documents (as in the annals of the Association of American Geographers) or in general terms (as in the annals of the poor) According

to Compton’s Encyclopedia, “Perhaps the most stirring accounts of human resourcefulness and courage under fire are to be found in the annals of naval warfare.”

annihilate (ə-NĪ-ə-lāt) vb To annihilate something is to completely destroy it; to wipe it out; to kill,

exterminate, eradicate, demolish, or slaughter it The noun is annihilation In his 1963 radio and television speech on the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (an agreement by Britain, the Soviet Union, and the United States not to test nuclear weapons in the air, in outer space, or under the sea),

President John F Kennedy, after describing the horrors of nuclear war, said, “So let us try to turn the world away from war; let us check the world’s slide toward final annihilation.”

annul (ə-NUL) vb To annul something (a marriage or law, for example) is to put an official (often

legal) end to it; to cancel it, make it void, declare it invalid, etc Eleanor of Aquitaine, the beautiful and intelligent heiress of the duchy of Aquitaine (historical region of southwest France), became queen of France when she married King Louis VII (1137); when the marriage was annulled (1152) she married King Henry II of England and became queen of that country!

anodyne (AN-ə-dīn) n An anodyne is anything (sometimes a medicine) that relieves or lessens pain.

The word has more of a literary than a medical connotation (In medicine a word like analgesic or anesthetic is usually used) Our aerobics instructor confessed that she listens to heavy metal music

at full volume as an anodyne for depression.

anomaly (ə-NOM-ə-lē) n An anomaly is something that’s out of place, an exception or deviation

from a general rule Any abnormality, irregularity, or peculiarity (a birth defect, for example) can be

seen as an anomaly In an era when Republicans dominated the Presidency, Jimmy Carter’s

Democratic victory in 1976 was a historical anomaly.

anonymous (ə-NOM-ə-məs) adj If you say that a work of art or a gift is anonymous, you mean that

the name of the author, composer, etc (for a work of art) or contributor (for a gift) is either unknown

or is intentionally withheld Folksinger Woody Guthrie (1912–1967) performed both traditional, anonymous folk songs and songs of his own composition (“This Land Is Your Land,” for example).

Word Games

1 anemic

2 anonymous

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2 anathema: school song

3 annals: historical records

anarchy, anecdote, animosity

1 After the president was assassinated, the country fell into

2 The two rivals stared at each other with in their eyes

3 After dinner he entertained us with a humorous

1 annihilate / destroy

2 annul / enact

3 anomaly / deviation

Chapter 12: antagonism–aphorism

antagonism (an-TAG-ə-niz-əm) n This word signifies a strong feeling of hostility, ill will,

displeasure, or dislike (as between unfriendly or conflicting people, groups, or countries) In

October 1969 Vice President Spiro Agnew, speaking of the national disharmony between aged Vietnam War protesters and older Americans, said, “The lessons of [history are erased in a present-day] antagonism known as the ‘generation gap.’” The adjective is antagonistic (“hostile, argumentative”) When, in 1717, German composer Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750) asked to

college-be released from his duties as church organist, he did so in a manner so antagonistic that he was imprisoned for a month!

antebellum (an-tē-BEL-əm) adj This word literally means “before the war.” But when people

describe something (an object, institution, etc.) as antebellum, they mean it existed or originated before the (American) Civil War Baton Rouge (Louisiana), Mobile (Alabama), and Tallahassee

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(Florida) are three Southern cities known for their beautiful antebellum houses.

antediluvian (an-ti-də-LOO-vē-ən) adj Technically, antediluvian pertains to the period of time

before the Flood (the one concerning Noah and the ark written about in the Bible) But figuratively,

the word can be used to refer to anything considered extremely old, antiquated, or old-fashioned In

1980, in a ruling that wives have the right to sue their husbands, the Massachusetts Supreme

Judicial Court said, “[It is time to end] antediluvian assumptions concerning the role and status

of women in marriage.”

anticlimax (an-tī-KLĪ-maks) n An anticlimax is a weak or disappointing outcome or turn of events

where a climax is expected (see climactic) Y2K (the name given at the end of the last century to the possibility that computer operating systems worldwide would malfunction on January 1, 2000, because computers’ internal clocks would misread the century change as 1900 instead of 2000) turned out to be so anticlimactic that some people afterwards referred to the non-event as

“Yawn2K.”

antipathy (an-TIP-ə-thē) n A (sometimes natural or instinctive) feeling of dislike, hatred, ill will,

hostility, opposition, etc (toward something or someone), is known as antipathy ROTC (Reserve Officers Training Corps) enrollments dropped during the late 1960s and 1970s, when the Vietnam War provoked student antipathy toward the military.

antipodal (an-TIP-ə-dəl) adj On a globe, two places that are exactly or generally opposite each

other (England and New Zealand, for example) are said to be antipodal The word can also mean

“differing; worlds apart; irreconcilable.” On (the sixties TV series) The Patty Duke Show, an

American teenager and her European cousin look exactly alike but have antipodal personalities.

antithesis (an-TITH-i-sis) n The antithesis of something (a concept, style, philosophy, policy,

personality, etc.) is its direct or exact opposite For example, stinginess is the antithesis of

generosity; capitalism is the antithesis of communism German religious philosopher Jakob Boehme (1575–1624) believed that evil was a necessary antithesis to good.

apace (ə-PĀS) adv To do something (proceed, continue, move, etc.) apace is to do it swiftly,

rapidly, speedily, etc., or to do it at a necessary or required speed (to keep up with the momentum of a

particular thing) In a March 1997 article entitled “New City Law Virtually Bans Smoking Even in Bars, but Many Are Still Lighting Up,” the Washington Post reported that “Toronto joined the big leagues of the anti-smoking movement with one of North America’s strictest tobacco [laws, but] life in Toronto’s nightclub district continued apace with late nights, loud music, and a slowly

accumulating haze.”

apathetic (ap-ə-THET-ik) adj When you’re apathetic (about something) you don’t care (about it);

you’re indifferent, unconcerned, unemotional, etc The noun is apathy He blamed television for our young people’s apathy toward reading.

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aperture (AP-ər-chər) n An aperture is a small opening in something; a slit, crack, break, gap, etc.

You can whistle by forcing air either through your teeth or through an aperture formed by

puckering your lips.

apex (Ā-peks) n Depending on the context, this word can refer to something’s highest physical point

(as in the mountain’s apex), its point of culmination (as in the apex of Greek drama), or its pointed end or tip (as in the leaf ’s apex) In the food pyramid (a diagram used in nutrition education that fits various food groups into a triangle), oils and sweets appear at the apex, with a

recommendation that they be used sparingly.

aphorism (AF-ə-riz-əm) n A concise (and often deep or stylistically distinguished) saying or verbal

expression that sets forth (or intends to set forth) a bit of wisdom or truth is known as an aphorism During the mid-1770s American statesman and scientist Benjamin Franklin, in his Poor Richard’s Almanac, coined such aphorisms as “Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise” and “God helps those who help themselves.”

3 anticlimax: disappointing letdown

antithesis, apex, aphorism

1 The athlete suddenly retired at the of his career

2 Her favorite was “a stitch in time saves nine.”

3 Boastfulness is the of modesty

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1 antediluvian / modern

2 antipodal / opposite

3 apathetic / interested

Chapter 13: aplomb–append

aplomb (ə-PLUM) n A feeling of self-confident assurance (poise, composure, steadiness, calmness,

imperturbability, etc.), especially in difficult or challenging situations, is known as aplomb American tennis player Chris Evert (nicknamed the Ice Maiden for her cool aplomb on the court) was ranked number one in the world seven times (1974–78, 1980–81).

apocryphal (ə-POK-rə-fəl) adj If something is apocryphal, it’s of doubtful or questionable

authenticity; it’s erroneous or fraudulent We thought it ironic that a story that glorified honesty (the

“I cannot tell a lie” story, in which young George Washington admitted he’d chopped down his father’s prized cherry tree) turned out to be apocryphal.

apogee (AP-ə-jē) n The apogee of something is its highest point (physically or figuratively) Note:

As a technical term in astronomy, the apogee of something (the moon or a man-made satellite, for example) is the point in its orbit at which it’s furthest from earth (and its opposite, the perigee, is the point at which it’s closest) Although they had numerous hits before and after, the British-

Australian rock group the Bee Gees reached their apogee in 1977 when their disco songs were featured in the film Saturday Night Fever.

Apollonian (ap-ə-LŌ-nē-ən) adj In mythology, Apollo, a young man of great physical beauty, was the

god of music, poetry, medicine, and light As such, he represents order in civilization and in nature

To refer to someone or something as Apollonian (sometimes spelled with a small a) is to say that it’s harmonious, clear, balanced, serene, disciplined, orderly, etc Although today American Indians can live wherever they wish, about half choose to live on reservations so they can practice and

preserve the Apollonian culture of their ancestors.

apoplectic (ap-ə-PLEK-tik) adj Apoplexy is a medical condition marked by a sudden loss of bodily

function (as from a stroke) The word is also used to mean “a sudden fit (of anger or rage).” If you’re

apoplectic, you act as if you have apoplexy—you have a fit Her normally laid-back husband

became apoplectic when she told him she’d spent $700 on a fancy mirror.

apostate (ə-POS-tāt) n A person who abandons his political party, religion, cause, etc (often to join

another), is known as an apostate The act of such abandonment is known as apostasy Note: As an adjective, apostate means “at variance with or disrespectful of established beliefs or values,” as in

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an apostate scientist In 1983 U.S District Court judge John H Pratt, in ruling that Howard

University had violated federal civil rights laws by dismissing a white faculty member and then arguing that as a mostly black institution it can “take race in consideration” in choosing its

professors, said that the university had become “an apostate to the cause of racial equality.”

apotheosis (ə-poth-ē-Ō-sis) n Technically, an apotheosis is the elevation of someone to the level of

a god or the transformation of someone into a god (for example, in Greek mythology Hercules was

apotheosized) But the word is usually used to refer to a person or deed as a glorified ideal or highest level (of something) or to any supreme or perfect example of something Mel Brooks’ 1968 film

comedy and 2001 Broadway musical The Producers concerns a sleazy Broadway producer and his accountant who plan to mount the world’s worst play (an apotheosis of bad taste entitled

Springtime for Hitler) so that they can keep their investors’ money after it flops.

appalling (ə-PÔ-ling) adj If you say that something (an action or behavior, for example) is

appalling, you mean that it causes horror, shock, dismay, outrage, alarm, etc If you say that a person

is appalled, you mean that he feels such shock or outrage In 1986, recalling a temper tantrum of British Shakespearean actress Dame Edith Evans (1888–1976), British actor Alec Guinness said,

“She flung herself full-length on the stage, drummed with her feet and, taking the corner of a

small Persian rug in her teeth, [shook] it, while I sat rigid and appalled on the sofa, pressed back against the cushions.”

apparition (ap-ə-RISH-ən) n An apparition can be a ghost (or ghostly figure) or it can be a sudden,

unusual (or startling) appearance of something While reflecting on my favorite albums of the sixties,

I could almost see, floating above the CD player, the apparitions of grooved, 12-inch vinyl circles.

appease (ə-PĒZ) vb When you appease a thing (such as hunger or thirst), you satisfy it or relieve it.

When you appease a person you calm or quiet his anger or agitation (by giving him something or

giving in to him) I sent my landlord a written apology and a gift, but his anger was still not

appeased.

appellation (ap-ə-LĀ-shən) n An appellation is a word or phrase (other than a proper name) by

which a person or thing is identified or called (especially when this designation has gained

acceptance through popular usage) Today we call the wife of a President “First Lady,” but until the Civil War “Mrs President” was the common appellation.

append (ə-PEND) vb To append something (to something else) is to add it on or attach it A

postscript (P.S.) is a message appended at the end of a letter, after the writer’s signature.

Word Games

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apocryphal, apoplectic, appalling

1 The condition of the living quarters was

2 He became when his car was towed

3 The true-sounding account turned out to be

1 append / add

2 Apollonian / disorganized

3 appease / disturb

Chapter 14: apposite–arch

apposite (AP-ə-zit) adj If you describe something (a reference, an image, an answer, etc.) as

apposite, you mean that it’s strikingly appropriate, fitting, relevant, pertinent, applicable, etc (to the situation) The term Underground Railroad was used during the mid-1800s to describe an informal system that helped slaves escape to the North and Canada; but since the system was actually neither underground nor a railroad, a more apposite term might have been Overground Roadway.

appraise (ə-PRĀZ) vb To appraise something is to judge or evaluate it so as to estimate its value,

worth, quality, etc Jewelers not only make jewelry—they also repair and appraise it.

apprehend (ap-ri-HEND) vb To apprehend something is to grasp the meaning of it; to understand it.

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Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung (1875–1961) once said, “We should not pretend to understand the world only by the intellect; we apprehend it just as much by feeling.” Note: To apprehend a

lawbreaker is to take him into custody; arrest him The FBI earned its reputation in the 1920s and 1930s by apprehending bank robbers and gangsters.

apprehension (ap-ri-HEN-shən) n A fearful, nervous, or anxious anticipation (about something

difficult or scary that you have to do) is known as apprehension The adjective is apprehensive Many people are apprehensive about going to the doctor—especially if they think they might get

an injection.

apprise (ə-PRĪZ) vb To apprise someone of something is to give him notice of it; make him aware of

it; inform or advise him of it When he was apprised (1946) of lynchings and other forms of mob violence still practiced in the South, President Harry Truman appointed a committee on civil

rights to investigate.

approbation (ap-rə-BĀ-shən) n An expression of warm or enthusiastic praise or approval (kind

words, cheers, applause, etc.) is known as approbation In 1964 singer Barbra Streisand admitted that she didn’t know how to acknowledge the approbation of an admiring audience, saying, “What does it mean when people applaud? Should I give ’em money? Say thank you? Lift my dress? The lack of applause—that I can respond to.”

aptitude (AP-ti-tood) n If you have an aptitude for something (a subject of study, a sport or game, an

artistic or mechanical skill, etc.) you’re naturally good at it; you have the capacity to learn it easily or

excel in it; you’re gifted or talented in it When he was a child living on a Michigan farm,

(automobile manufacturer) Henry Ford (1863–1947) expressed a dislike for farming and displayed

an aptitude for machinery.

aquiline (AK-wə-līn) adj To describe someone’s nose as aquiline is to say that it resembles an

eagle’s beak; that is, it’s hooked or curved Before the tobacco shop stood a life-sized, nosed wooden Indian holding a cluster of cigars.

aquiline-arable (AR-ə-bəl) adj Land that is aquiline-arable is suitable for plowing and farming; it’s capable of

growing crops Mexico is predominantly mountainous, and no more than 15 percent of the land is considered arable.

arbitrary (ÄR-bi-trer-ē) adj An arbitrary decision is one based on individual will, momentary

personal preference, or whim (rather than on reason or principle) In algebra class, when we were told that we can choose any letter—not just x—to represent an unknown quantity, I arbitrarily chose k.

arcane (är-KĀN) adj To describe something (a fact, rule, word, etc.) as arcane is to say that it’s

little known, obscure, mysterious, etc By consulting a dictionary of football terms you can find the meaning of such arcane phrases as “zone blitz,” “flea-flicker,” and “nickel package.”

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arch (ärch) adj If you say that something (a person, a smile, a comment, a glance, etc.) is arch, you

mean that it’s mischievously playful Comedian Steve Allen once began a speech with this arch opening: “Ladies, gentleman, and empty chairs…”

3 aquiline: curved, hooked

apprehension, approbation, aptitude

1 He basked in the audience’s

2 As he boarded the plane, he was filled with

3 His for mathematics allowed him to do well on tests without studying

1 arch / serious

2 apposite / fitting

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3 arcane / well-known

Chapter 15: archaic–artifice

archaic (är-KĀ-ik) adj If you say that something is archaic, you mean either that it belongs to or

dates from an earlier period (of culture, art, etc.), or that it’s no longer in fashion or use (as a

language, word, style, etc.); in either case, it’s old, obsolete, antiquated, etc According to Compton’s Encyclopedia, “In the 20th century the Bible has often been updated—mainly to eliminate archaic translations and reflect [modern] usage.”

archetype (ÄR-ki-tīp) n An original pattern or form upon which imitations or variations are

modeled is known as an archetype The New York Times once said that the novels Frankenstein (1818) and Dracula (1897) were “the archetypes that have influenced all subsequent horror

stories.”

ardent (ÄR-dənt) adj If you’re ardent about something, you show great intensity of feeling or

emotion about it; you’re enthusiastic, passionate, devoted, etc The noun is ardor An ardent opponent

of fascism, Spanish cellist and conductor Pablo Casals (1876–1973) exiled himself from Spain (and for a time stopped performing) in protest against the regime (1939–1975) of (Spanish

dictator) Francisco Franco.

arduous (ÄR-joo-əs) adj If something (a task, activity, etc.) is arduous, it demands or requires great

(and usually sustained) effort or exertion; it’s laborious, difficult, wearisome, burdensome, toilsome,

exhausting, etc To say that a hill or path is arduous is to say that it’s difficult to climb or cross The Oregon Trail (a 2,000-mile overland route through prairies, deserts, and mountains from Missouri

to the Pacific Northwest) was opened in 1842; attracted by fertile land, thousands of pioneers made the arduous journey during the next few years.

argot (ÄR-gō, ÄR-gət) n The (sometimes almost secret) special vocabulary and expressions of a

particular closely knit group (a profession, social class, clique, etc.) is called argot At the diner we found ourselves one booth away from a group of drug dealers; but because they spoke in the argot

of the underworld, we couldn’t make sense of what they were saying.

arid (AR-id) adj This word means “dry” or “very dry” and is usually used in describing land The

implication is that the land so described is unproductive, parched, or barren Hoover Dam and its reservoir, Lake Mead, supply irrigation water to many areas of the arid Southwest.

aromatic (ar-ə-MAT-ik) adj An aroma is a (usually pleasant or sweet) odor or smell (as from a food

or spice) To describe something as aromatic is to say that it gives off an aroma; that is, it’s fragrant, sweet-smelling, etc Perfumes are made from both natural substances (plant oil, for example) and aromatic synthetic chemicals.

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arrant (AR-ənt) adj This word, used to intensify a particular negative quality of a person or thing,

means “absolute, complete, utter, total, out-and-out, etc.,” as in an arrant fool, an arrant coward, arrant nonsense According to a 1965 issue of Town & Country magazine, real New Yorkers feel sorry for the millions of unfortunates who, “through misfortune or arrant stupidity, live anywhere else in the world.”

arrogant (AR-ə-gənt) adj People who are arrogant are conceited (big-headed, superior,

self-important, cocky, boastful, etc.) and domineering (pushy, bossy, overbearing, high-handed, dictatorial,

etc.) The noun is arrogance In his last major public address (the October 1963 dedication of the Robert Frost Library at Massachusetts’ Amherst College), President John F Kennedy said, “When power leads man toward arrogance, poetry reminds him of his limitations.”

articulate (är-TIK-yə-lāt) vb To articulate is either to express (oneself) in words, as in articulate

one’s emotions, or to pronounce (one’s) words clearly and distinctly When he arrived, he was too out of breath and upset to articulate a single word

articulate (är-TIK-yə-lit) adj If you say that someone is articulate, you mean that he uses language

(or puts his thoughts into words) easily, fluently, and effectively An articulate speaker, conductor Leonard Bernstein (1918–1990) won fame for his ability to explain music clearly to people with little musical knowledge.

artifice (ÄR-tə-fis) n A clever, devious means for achieving an end (a particular contrivance or

trick, for example) is known as an artifice But deviousness (trickery, sneakiness, slyness, etc.) in general is known as simply artifice (without the word an in front of it) The mail order company (through misrepresentation and other artifice) convinced thousands of people to order unwanted magazine subscriptions.

c special language of a close-knit group

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1 articulate (adj.): tongue-tied

2 articulate (vb.): make gestures

3 arrant: tardy

arid, aromatic, arrogant

1 We didn’t like our boss’s attitude

2 The land was cracked and parched

3 The herbs whetted our appetites

1 arduous / easy

2 archaic / modern

3 ardent / enthusiastic

Chapter 16: artless–assert

artless (ÄRT-lis) adj If you’re artless, you’re free of deceit or craftiness; you don’t scheme or

mislead; you’re natural, innocent, open, forthright, trustful, etc.; you might even be nạvely unaware of

the reactions of others Note: The opposite of artless is artful (full of deceit or craftiness; sly) In the

1971 film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, an artless boy named Charlie wins a tour of a candy factory and a lifetime supply of chocolate.

ascertain (as-ər-TĀN) vb To ascertain something (previously unknown) is to find out about it (learn

about it, discover it, become aware of it, etc.) with certainty, usually through examination or

experimentation An autopsy was performed to ascertain the cause of death.

ascetic (ə-SET-ik) noun, adj As a noun, an ascetic is a person who lives a simple life, practices

self-discipline and self-denial, and, in so doing, denies himself normal pleasures (such as material

comforts and eating for enjoyment) As an adjective, the word describes that way of life Asceticism

is the practice of that way of life The son of a wealthy merchant, Saint Francis of Assisi at the age

of 22 rejected his inheritance and began living an ascetic life

ashen (ASH-ən) adj Something ashen is the color of ashes: grayish-white If you say that someone’s

face is ashen, you mean that it’s very pale or drained of color After she identified the body, she turned toward me, her face ashen and overwrought.

asinine (AS-ə-nīn) adj To describe something (one’s behavior, for example) as asinine is to say that

Tiêu đề	Vocabulary Dictionary and Workbook 2,856 Words You Must Know
Tác giả	Mark Phillips
Chuyên ngành	Vocabulary
Thể loại	Workbook
Năm xuất bản	2006

Định dạng
Số trang	598
Dung lượng	2,59 MB