Copyright 2005 by Advanced Placement Strategies

acrimonious ak ruh MONE ee us caustic

Synonyms >> Antonym >> cordial
The prisoner of war had acrimonious remarks for those that mistreated him.
1.
Derivatives >> acrimony, acrimoniously, acrimoniousness
ameliorate uh MEE lee o rate to make better, to relieve, to improve
Synonyms >> Antonym >> to make worse; to aggravate
Social workers attempt to ameliorate the conditions of people living in the slum areas.
2.
Derivatives >> ameliorated, ameliorating, ameliorable, ameliorant, ameliorative, ameliorator, amelioration
amenable uh MEN uh bul open to or willing to follow advice or suggestion, tractable, malleable
Synonyms >> docile, obedient Antonym >> unwilling
Since I like him and usually agree with him, I am always amenable to listening to his ideas.
3.
Derivatives >> amenability, amenableness, amenably
amorphous uh MOR fuss shapeless, having no definite form
Synonyms >> Antonym >> structured
In the science fiction movie, the amorphous mass terrorized the town.
4.
Derivatives >> amorphously, amorphousness, amorphism
buoyant BOY unt capable of floating; cheerful
Synonyms >> Antonym >> likely to sink
Because the log was buoyant, it stayed afloat. The girl's buoyant spirit made her pleasant company.
5.
Derivatives >> buoyancy, buoyance, buoyantly, buoyantness, buoy
cajole kuh JOLE to persuade with deliberate flattery, to coax, to wheedle
Synonyms >> Antonym >> to browbeat
I will not be cajoled into allowing you to stay up past your bedtime.
6.
Derivatives >> cajoled, cajoling, cajolery, cajoleries, cajolement, cajoler
calamity kuh LAM uh tee a serious event causing distress or misfortune
Synonyms >> cataclysm, catastrophe Antonym >> good fortune
The earthquake in Mexico was a calamity.
7.
Derivatives >> calamitous, calamitously, calamitousness
debase deh BASE to reduce in dignity or quality
Synonyms >> abase, corrupt, debauch, demean, deprave, pervert, vitiate Antonym >> to glorify
Do not debase yourself by swearing.
8.
Derivatives >> debased, debasing, debasement, debaser, debasingly
efface eh FASE to erase, to wear away
Synonyms >> Antonym >> to make conspicuous
The date on the coin has been effaced.
9.
Derivatives >> effaceable, effacement, effacer
elucidate eh LOO seh date to make clear, to explain
Synonyms >> explicate, expound Antonym >> to confuse
I will try to elucidate some of the important changes in the tax code.
10.
Derivatives >> elucidation, elucidative, elucidatory, elucidator
ephemeral eh FEM ur ul lasting a short period of time, fleeting
Synonyms >> evanescent, fleeting, fugitive, transient, transitory Antonym >> lasting; timeless; eternal
The microorganism had an ephemeral lifespan. It died shortly after it was created.
11.
Derivatives >> ephemerally, ephemerality, ephemeralness, ephemeron, ephemerous
Lesson 5

Definitions
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Copyright 2005 by Advanced Placement Strategies
ferocity fuh ROS eh tee savagery
Synonyms >> Antonym >> mildness
A tiger is an animal that has ferocity.
12.
Derivatives >> ferocious, ferociously, ferociousness
flourish FLUR ish to thrive, to grow well
Synonyms >> Antonym >> to wither
The company flourished after a new board of directors took control.
13.
Derivatives >> flourisher, flourishing, flourishingly, flourishy
haughty HAW tee arrogant, excessively proud and vain
Synonyms >> disdainful, high-handed, insolent, lordly, supercilious Antonym >> humble
Being quarterback of the football team does not give him the right to be haughty.
14.
Derivatives >> haughtily, haughtiness
impervious im PUR vee us incapable of being entered or penetrated, not capable of being damaged
Synonyms >> Antonym >> penetrable
Because this watch is impervious to water , I can go swimming while wearing it.
15.
Derivatives >> imperviously, imperviousness
inane eh NANE lacking significance, meaning, or point; silly, insipid
Synonyms >> banal, flat, jejune, vapid Antonym >> pertinent; intelligent; significant
Your comments are inane and are preventing the discussion of the main topic.
16.
Derivatives >> inanely, inanity, inanition
indolence IN duh luns laziness
Synonyms >> slothfulness Antonym >> industriousness
The hot and humid weather in the tropics encourages indolence.
17.
Derivatives >> indolent, indolency, indolently
infallible in FAL uh bul incapable of error
Synonyms >> Antonym >> erroneous; fallacious
Since everyone makes mistakes, no human is infallible.
18.
Derivatives >> infallibilism, infallibilist, infallibility, infallibleness, infallibly
inscrutable in SKROO tuh bul difficult to understand; mysterious
Synonyms >> Antonym >> clear; readable; understandable
He had us all confused with his inscrutable smile.
19.
Derivatives >> inscrutableness, inscrutably, inscrutability
languid LANG gwid slow, sluggish, listless, weak
Synonyms >> lethargic, stuporous, torpid Antonym >> animated
The old man's walk was languid, each pace requiring great effort.
20.
Derivatives >> languidly, languidness, languish, languisher, languishing, languishment
malice MAL is desire to harm others
Synonyms >> malevolence, malignity, spite, spleen Antonym >> concern
His death was caused by malice and was not accidental.
21.
Derivatives >> maliceful, malicious, maliciously, maliciousness
oblique uh BLEEK slanting, indirect, evasive, devious, misleading
Synonyms >> Antonym >> direct
Because of the suspect's oblique answers, our interrogation of him led us in the wrong direction.
22.
Derivatives >> obliquate, obliquation, obliquely, obliqueness, obliquely
opulence OP yuh luns wealth, affluence, abundance
Synonyms >> Antonym >> meagerness, scarcity
Until the recent decline in the price of oil, the Hunt name was synonymous with opulence.
23.
Derivatives >> opulent, opulently
penitent PEN eh tunt showing or feeling regret for wrongdoing, repentant
Synonyms >> compunctual, contrite, remorseful Antonym >> unrepentant
He became penitent when he realized that his prank resulted in serious injury.
24.
Derivatives >> penitence, penitency, penitential
perfunctory pur FUNGK tuh ree acting routinely with little interest or care
Synonyms >> Antonym >> concerned; diligent
Due to his perfunctory manner of inspecting the factory, he did not notice some serious problems.
25.
Derivatives >> perfunctorily, perfunctoriness, perfunctorious, perfunctoriously
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Copyright 2005 by Advanced Placement Strategies











Directions: Choose the definition that best matches the meaning of the vocabulary word. Place the
answer of your choice in the space provided.


Exercise A

____________ 1. acrimonious a. to make clear; to explain
____________ 2. ameliorate b. to coax by flattery
____________ 3. amenable c. shapeless
____________ 4. amorphous d. caustic; bitter (language)
____________ 5. buoyant e. to erase; to wipe out
____________ 6. cajole f. to reduce in dignity or quality
____________ 7. calamity g. willing; tractable; malleable
____________ 8. debase h. short-lived; temporary
____________ 9. efface i. difficult to understand
____________ 10. elucidate j. able to float
____________ 11. ephemeral k. to make better; to improve
____________ 12. inscrutable l. serious event causing distress



Exercise B

____________ 1. ferocity a. mechanical; indifferent
____________ 2. flourish b. silly; meaningless; insipid
____________ 3. haughty c. savage behavior
____________ 4. impervious d. laziness
____________ 5. inane e. desire to harm others
____________ 6. indolence f. slanting; indirect; evasive
____________ 7. infallible g. not affected; impenetrable
____________ 8. languid h. wealth; affluence; abundance
____________ 9. malice i. tired; sluggish
____________ 10. oblique j. repentant
____________ 11. opulence k. incapable of error
____________ 12. penitent l. disdainful; proud; vain
____________ 13. perfunctory m. to prosper; to thrive

Lesson 5
Matching Test
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Copyright 2005 by Advanced Placement Strategies


















1. In the early Puritan days of this country, the scaffold was used to publicly humiliate and
__________________________ a person.

2. My teacher expected me to _______________________ the point and to make the thesis clear in my
essay.

3. The _______________________ passage was mysterious and difficult to understand.

4. The governor tried to ___________________ the conditions that had caused inflation to soar.

5. Because constant handling will eventually _______________________ the intricate designs of the
sculpture, the owner has placed it in a protective glass case.

6. The child tried to _______________________ his mother into giving him another piece of candy;
she was frequently unable to stand up to his persuasion.

7. The students were _______________________ to listening to the unbiased and usually helpful ideas
of their teacher; they enjoyed what he had to say.

8. Even though water was leaking in at an alarming rate, the vessel surprisingly remained
_______________________.

9. In the science fiction movie, the _______________________ mass terrorized the town; the giant
amoeba consumed whatever it encircled.

10. During the war some of the prisoners fought with the __________________ of wild animals.

11. The routing of the highway was a _______________________ to the unique inn; it was disastrous to
the old-world charm which had made the inn so quaint.

12. The ex-spouses seldom talked to each other, and when they did, they used caustic,
_______________________ language that expressed their anger.

Lesson 5

Sentence Completion
acrimonious ameliorate amenable amorphous

buoyant cajole calamity debase

efface elucidate ferocity inscrutable
All rights reserved. Used under license by Laying the Foundation, Inc. www.layingthefoundation.org

Copyright 2005 by Advanced Placement Strategies















13. Evasive, devious and misleading, her testimony was ____________________________, full of
answers that sought not to inform, but to deceive.

14. They once thought that their leader was _______________________, but they soon learned that he,
too, made mistakes.

15. The queen lived in incredible ________________, even drinking from an ornate, golden cup.

16. Like me, she seemed _______________________ to his rude comments; I always treat such remarks
with disdain and contempt and try to remain unaffected by them.

17. Her business was beginning to _______________________ under the direction of the new manager,
showing a profit for the first time in ten years.

18. After being elected class president, Sally became _______________________ and arrogant;
suddenly she seemed to consider everyone else beneath her.

19. Because of his _______________________ examination of the machine, he did not see the loose
bolt. Had he been more concerned, he would have looked more closely.

20. The mans _______________________ tone sounded like an old, weary traveler looking for a
resting place.

21. Because some of my writing has occasionally been meaningless, my teacher now considers all of it
to be _______________________.

22. His _______________________ toward his ex-wife was shown in his attempt to murder her.

23. His _______________________ on the job led to his being fired; had he mot been so lazy, he would
have remained employed.

24. Only after he had become truly _____________________ was he able to ask for forgiveness.

25. Her _______________________ mood of generosity was short-lived; she quickly reverted to her
normal greedy behavior.

ephemeral flourish haughty impervious inane

indolence infallible languid malice oblique

opulence penitent perfunctory
Lesson 5
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