Unit 13

Abet (v)
to encourage, assist, aid, support
(especially in something wrong or
unworthy)
to help or encourage someone to do something wrong or illegal
His accountant had aided and abetted him in the fraud.
 Aver
(v.)

to affirm, declare confidently

to state the truth of something strongly
The lawyer averred her client's innocence.
"He's guilty, I tell you, " she averred.
She averred that he was guilty.
Blatant
(adj.) noisy in a coarse, offensive way;
obvious or conspicuous, especially in an
unfavorable sense

describes something bad that is very obvious or

intentional
The whole episode was a blatant attempt to gain
publicity.
 Broach
(v.) to bring up or begin to talk about (a
subject); to announce, introduce; to break
the surface of the water; to pierce; (n.) a
spit for roasting; a tool for tapping casks

to begin a discussion of something difficult

At some point we've got to discuss money but I don't know quite how to
broach the subject with him.
 Buttress
(v.) to support, prop up,
strengthen; (n.) a supporting
1. tostructure
build buttresses to support a building or structure
It was decided to buttress the crumbling walls.

2. to make support for an idea or argument stronger by providing a good

reason for it
The arguments for change are buttressed by events elsewhere.
Carousal
(n.) Noisy revelry or merrymaking
(often with a suggestion of heavy
drinking)
Collate
(v.) to compare critically in order to
note differences, similarities, etc.; to
arrange in order for some scientific
purpose
to bring together different pieces of written
information so that the similarities and
differences can be seen
to collate data/information
Connoisseur
(n.) an expert; one who is well
qualified to pass critical
judgments, especially in one of
the fine arts
a person who knows a lot about and
enjoys one of the arts, or food, drink,
etc. and can judge quality and skill in
that subject
Disconsolate
(adj.) deeply unhappy or dejected; without hope,
beyond consolation

extremely sad and disappointed

The team were disconsolate after losing what should have
been an easy game.
Encumber
(v.) to weigh down or burden (with difficulties, cares,
debt, etc.); to fill up, block up, hinder

Today, thankfully, women tennis

players are not encumbered with/by
long, heavy skirts and high-necked
blouses.
Foment
(v.) to promote trouble or rebellion; to apply warm
liquids to, warm

to cause trouble to develop

The song was banned on the grounds that it might foment racial
tension.
 Grisly
ghastly, inspiring fear

extremely unpleasant, especially because death or

blood is involved
The 55-year-old Canadian had suffered a grisly death.
Herculean
(adj.) (capital H) relating to Hercules; (lowercare h)
characterized by great strength; very hard to do in
the sense of requiring unusual strength
Impassive
(adj.) showing no feeling or emotion;
inanimate; motionless

The two men remained impassive through

the trail.
 Inauspicious
(adj.) unfavorable, unlucky, suggesting
bad luck for the future

The meeting got off to an inauspicious start when he was la

Incontrovertible
(adj.) unquestionable, beyond
dispute

impossible to doubt because of

being obviously true
Nonplussed
(adj., part.) puzzled, not knowing what to
do, at a loss
surprised, confused and not certain how to
react

I was completely nonplussed by his

reply.
Opportune
(adj.) suitable or convenient for a
particular purpose; occurring at an
appropriate time

This would seem to be an opportune moment

for reviving our development plan.
 Prolific
(adj.) abundantly productive; abundant,
profuse

He was probably the most prolific songwriter of

his generation.
Rejoinder
(n.) a reply to a reply, especially from the
defendant in a legal suit

a quick and often angry or humorous answer

She always has a witty rejoinder to/for any

question.
Unit 14
grade 12
 Amenable
The amenable girl followed the advice of the
Don
't fo
rget
psychic.
...
(Adj.) willing to follow advice or authority,
tractable, submissive; responsive; liable to
be held responsible for
Synonyms:
Agreeable; manageable; responsive

Antonyms:
Nonconforming; uncooperative; unwilling
 Berate

My mother will berate you if you swear .

(V.) To scold sharply

Synonyms:
Tell off; cuss out; jump all over

Antonyms:
Compliment; hail; praise
 Carnage
The holocaust was a huge
carnage.
N.) large-scale slaughter or
loss of life

Synonyms:
Annihilation; mass murder;
extermination
 Synonyms:
Gullible; trustful; believing

Antonyms:
Credulous Suspecting; untrusting; skeptical

If you describe someone as credulous, you

have a low opinion of them because they are
too ready to believe what people tell them and
are easily deceived.

Girls are often very credulous

when it comes to boys.
 Criterion
There is a certain criterion by
which we judge writing.

(N.) a rule, test; a standard for

judgment or evaluation.
Synonym:
Opinion; example; proof

Antonym:
Guess; possibility; probability
 Deplete
The suspect had to deplete his evidence.

V.) to use up as a result of spending

or consumption; to diminish greatly.
Synonyms:
Reduce; use up; decrease

Antonyms:
Add; expand; increase
 Expatiate
She expatiated on her previous suggestions

(V.) to expand on, write or talk at length or in detail; to

move about freely.

Synonyms:
To elaborate; enlarge; roam

Antonyms:
Decrease; lessen; shrink
 Extraneous
The boy from Mexico felt extraneous in the
United States.
(Adj.) coming from the outside, foreign;
present but not essential, irrelevant.
Synonyms:
Alien; exotic; strange

Antonyms:
 Inception

The inception of human beings dates back to thousands of

years ago.

(n.) the beginning, start, earliest stage of

some process, institution, etc .

 Infirmity

The child had an infirmity in his lungs and needed a

respirator to help him breathe.

(n.) a weakness or ailment

(physical, mental, moral, etc.)
 Synonyms:
Jejune Childish; insipid; juvenile; puerile

Antonyms:
Mature; stimulating

The jejune kindergarteners enjoyed seeing who could

the farthest jump off a chair.

(adj.) lacking in nutritive value;

lacking in interest or
substance; immature, juvenile
 Synonyms:
Obdurate Adamant; obstinate; unyielding

Antonyms:
Amendable; compliant; submissive

The obdurate boy repeatedly asked his parents to go

to the beach for a week with his friends until they
yielded to his request

(adj.) stubborn, unyielding

 Synonyms:
Potpourri Farrago; hodgepodge; medley

Antonyms:
Ingredient; singular
The potpourri of food at the celebration provided
each guest with something they would like to eat.

(n.) a collection of diverse or

miscellaneous items; a general
mixture; petals mixed with
spices for scent
 Synonyms:
Precocious Advanced; forward; gifted

The precocious boy became a world renowned

surgeon.

(adj.) showing unusually early

development (especially in
talents or mental capacity)
 Synonyms:
Sadistic ruthless, barbarous, brutal

Antonyms:
compassionate, good-hearted, humane

The man was killed in a sadistic manner.

(Adj.) Delighting in cruelty,

excessively cruel.
 Synonyms:
Sententious articulate, fluent, persuasive

Antonyms:
misrepresented, unclear, unintelligible

He speaks very sententiously.

Self-righteous, characterized by
moralizing; given to use of
maxims or adages; saying much
in few words, pithy
 Synonyms:
Supplicate beg, desire, seek

Antonyms:
hint, imply, gratify

Supplicate for the kings mercy.

(V.) To beg earnestly and

humbly
 Synonyms:
Surfeit beg, desire, seek

Antonyms:
hint, imply, gratify

The packet contained a surfeit of pages.

(N.) An excess or over indulgence,

as in eating or drinking; causing
disgust; to feed or supple with
anything to excess.
 Synonyms:
Tortuous crooked, curved, bent

Antonyms:
straight, straightaway

The road was tortuous.

((Adj.) Winding, twisted, crooked;

highly involved, complex; devious
.
 Synonyms:
Turgid amplified overblown, tumescent

Antonyms:
deflated, shrunken

The mess in his bed room was very turgid.

(adj.) Swollen, bloated, filled to

excess; over decorated or excessive
in language
A
picture
is worth
a
thousan
d words