Word Definition Example Sentence

v. to become less active, less As I began my speech, my feelings

Abate
intense, or less in amount of nervousness quickly abated.
adj. existing purely in the mind; not Julie had trouble understanding the
Abstract
representing actual reality appeal of the abstract painting.
I got an abysmal grade on my
Abysmal adj. extremely bad
research paper!
All students must behave
Accordingly adv. in accordance with
accordingly.
n. the act of gaining a skill or Language acquisition is easier for
Acquisition
possession of something kids than it is for adults.
The US has adapted many foreign
v. to make suit a new purpose foods to better suit the tastes of
Adapt Americans.
v. to accommodate oneself to a Dogs are known for their ability to
new condition, setting, or situation quickly adapt to their environments.
adj. having knowledge or skill (usu. Beth loves playing the piano, but
Adept
in a particular area) she’s especially adept at the violin.
Though his resume was adequate,
adj. having sufficient qualifications
Adequate the company doubted whether he’d
to meet a specific task or purpose
be a good fit.
n. the arrival or creation of The world has never been the same
Advent
something (usu. historic) since the advent of the light bulb.
An adversarial attitude will make
Adversarial adj. relating to hostile opposition
you many enemies in life.
n. someone who promotes or I am an advocate for free higher
defends something education.
Advocate Environmental protesters often
v. to defend or promote something
advocate for cleaner energy
(usu. a belief, theory, opinion, etc.)
practices.
The aesthetic decorations at the
adj. relating to beauty or refined wedding reception made you feel as
Aesthetic
taste if you were a character in a fairy
tale.
He’s saving money so he can
v. to be able to buy
afford to buy a new car.
Afford
I can’t afford to lose any more
v. to be able to spare
pencils!
v. to promote something (usu. a They’re agitating for better health
Agitate
cause) care.
US law allows citizens to speak
Allow v. to permit or consent to
freely.
She alluded to the problem at hand
v. to make a secretive mention of
Allude but didn’t say anything more about
something
it.
n. a noisy argument or Greg got into an altercation with a
Altercation
confrontation stranger at the bar.
Her ambiguous statement made
Ambiguous adj. unclear or vague in meaning me question whether she could be
trusted.
 adj. having a powerful desire for Penny is so ambitious, she wants
Ambitious
success or achievement to be president someday.
His ambivalence prevented him
n. the state of being uncertain or
Ambivalence from immediately signing the
stuck between two or more options
contract.
Green onions are considered
Analogous adj. similar but not identical
analogous to spring onions.
v. to destroy or cause devastating The dictator sent orders to
Annihilate
destruction annihilate the group of rebels.
n. something different from the This result is an anomaly and very
Anomaly
norm rarely happens.
The party was just as fun as I had
Anticipate v. assume to be likely to happen
anticipated it would be.
Her antipathy toward the professor
was obvious: she rolled her eyes
Antipathy n. a strong feeling of dislike
whenever he entered the
classroom.
The spring play was the apex of our
Apex n. the highest point of something
school year.
Her apprehension to leave her
Apprehension n. fearful expectation of something house resulted in her missing the
train.
She articulated her opinion on the
Articulate v. to clearly express in words
price of the house.
adj. something made; not Many candies use artificial flavors
Artificial
occurring naturally to make them taste fruity.
His assertion that sharks are
Assertion n. a strong declaration
mammals made everyone laugh.
He lived in a small, austere cabin in
adj. extremely plain
the middle of the woods.
My boss had an austere expression
Austere adj. stern and forbidding
on her face.
An austere lifestyle, like that of
adj. relating to self-denial
monks, isn’t for everybody.
n. the quality of being real and true The police officer doubted the
Authenticity
instead of fake and contrived authenticity of the suspect’s story.
n. an intangible path or approach The company has decided to
Avenue
to something pursue other avenues.
adj. actively interested in or
Avid Gerald is an avid soccer fan.
enthusiastic about something
You have to start with basic
adj. relating to the foundation or
Basic Russian before you can move on to
basis of something
the advanced level.
She bears a strong resemblance to
v. to have as a characteristic
your mother.
Judy will bear her first child later
v. to have (a child)
this year.
Bear
My garden is going to bear
v. to bring forth
pumpkins this year.
I can’t bear her complaining any
v. to put up with
longer!
 Many cultures believe in
Benevolent adj. kind, generous
benevolent spirits.
n. a preconception that prevents It’s important to avoid bias when
Bias
objectivity investigating a crime.
adj. tinged with a feeling of The ending of the romance movie
Bittersweet
sadness was bittersweet.
If we work together, we should be
Bolster v. to support, strengthen, or fortify able to lift and then bolster the
couch.
The boost in profits was a welcome
n. an increase or growth
change.
Boost
In order to boost profits, you need
v. to increase or make grow
to cater to your customers.
A brawl broke out at school today
n. an intense, loud fight after one student accused another
Brawl of cheating.
The two students brawled for an
v. to fight loudly and disruptively
hour.
The brevity of their time together
Brevity n. the quality of being brief or terse
made it all the more romantic.
Josh is candid about his desire to
Candid adj. direct, blunt
become an actor.
I admire her candor, especially
n. the trait of being honest and
Candor when nobody else bothers to speak
frank
up.
I’d like to capitalize on your math
Capitalize v. to use to your advantage skills by having your work the cash
register.
The spy was captured by the
v. to trap or take possession of
enemy.
v. to successfully represent or Your painting beautifully captures
Capture imitate the ephemerality of life.
v. to captivate, mesmerize I was captured by her beauty.
The cops captured the criminal
v. to catch or seize
three days after the incident.
Civic adj. relating to the city or citizens Voting is a civic duty.
adj. emotionally unattached (usu. Her clinical approach to situations
Clinical used in medical or scientific allows her to handle them more
setting) effectively.
Children of rich and famous people
Clout n. special advantage or power often believe they have a lot of
clout.
The horse’s mane was coarse, as if
adj. indicating a rough texture
it had never been washed.
Coarse The queen’s coarse way of
adj. lacking refinement or
speaking surprised the other
sophistication
members of royalty.
It wasn’t until after I booked my
Coincide v. to happen at the same time ticket that I realized the concert
coincided with my finals.
 n. the use of payment to request
This painting was commissioned
Commission something (e.g., a service or
by a rich merchant in 1589.
product)
This novel is comparable to
Comparable adj. able to be compared
Huckleberry Finn.
We need to hire a competent web
Competent adj. sufficiently qualified developer to create a good website
for our company.
Though he had never won any
adj. satisfied, with no desire to awards or even been published, he
Complacent
change or improve was complacent with his life as a
poet.
This wine perfectly complements
Complement v. to make perfect or complete
this platter of gourmet cheese.
v. to be forced to agree or With no chance of winning the
surrender battle, the army at last conceded.
Concede
Dan conceded to pranking his
v. to admit to a transgression
sister.
The plan to build the city was
Conceive v. to imagine or come up with originally conceived in the early
1900s.
She couldn't condone her
Condone v. t o overlook, approve, or allow
daughter's rebellious behavior.
The noisy students hardly made the
adj. able to bring about or be
Conducive campus library conducive to
suitable for
studying.
The group conducted their
v. to control or manage
research abroad last year.
Conduct
Be sure to conduct yourself
v. to behave a certain way
accordingly.
v. to share something secretive She confided all of her biggest
Confide
with someone secrets in her best friend.
We are going to confine the use of
Confine v. to put limits on; to restrict
this drinking fountain.
After weeks of debating, the panel
Consensus n. overall agreement
finally came to a consensus.
v. to form or compose (part of) The desire for equality constituted
Constitute
something the civil rights movement.
She contemplated telling her
Contemplate v. to think deeply about
teacher about the cheating student.
The president contends that the
v. to maintain or assert (an
Contend US government will not negotiate
opinion)
with terrorists.
The camera footage contradicts
Contradict v. to be in contrast with
his alibi.
adj. highly debatable and causing Millions of viewers watched the
Controversial
contention controversial debate take place.
She lives a conventional life in the
Conventional adj. abiding by accepted standards
suburbs.
v. to pass on or transfer I have trouble conveying my
Convey
(information) thoughts in French.
 Her religious convictions prevent
Conviction n. a firm belief in something
her from eating meat.
The note signed by her father
v. to provide evidence for; to back
Corroborate corroborates her claim that she
up (a claim)
was absent from class that day.
This ingredient seems to
Counteract v. to work in opposition to
counteract the other ones.
Make sure to include a
counterargument in your essay so
n. an argument used to criticize or
Counterargument that you can show you’ve
dismantle another argument
considered the topic from all
perspectives.
Bill’s idea to take a shortcut was
adj. hindering the achievement of a ultimately counterproductive: it
Counterproductive
goal took us twice as long to get to the
train station.
The culmination of the
Culmination n. the final act or climax
performance was unforgettable.
Teachers don’t just pass on new
Cultivate v. to foster the growth of information to students—they
cultivate their academic potential.
The president decreed that
v. to declare formally and with
Decree Halloween would henceforth be a
authority
national holiday.

Her deference to the elderly makes

Deference n. respect; regard her the perfect candidate for an
internship at the retirement center.

adj. not enough in degree or I feel as though the sources for my

Deficient
amount paper are deficient.
Could you demonstrate the dance
v. to do as an example
move for me?
Demonstrate This book’s use of words such as
v. gives evidence for “grim” and “bleak” demonstrates
the author’s mournful tone.
She demurred at my request to
Demur v. to object to
transfer to a different department.
v. to (over)use over time (usu. The lost campers quickly depleted
Deplete
resources) their supply of food.
The moon is one giant, desolate
Desolate adj. bare, barren, empty
landscape.
Lana devised a plan to make
Devise v. to come up with (a plan)
herself famous.
n. a problem, usually requiring a The main dilemma is whether to
Dilemma
choice between two options pay for a commercial or not.
n. conscientiousness; the quality of Diligence and confidence will get
Diligence
being committed to a task you far in life.
The itchiness of mosquito bites
v. to become smaller in scope or
Diminish usually starts to diminish after a
degree
few days.
 When the police didn’t explain what
adj. hopeless and dangerous or was happening right away, Jane
Dire
fearful knew that the situation must be
dire.
Disputes over money caused
Discord n. disagreement
intense discord in the family.
n. a lack of respect and strong He looked at me with such disdain
Disdain dislike (toward something or that I immediately knew the job
someone) wouldn’t work out.
n. hopelessness, stress, or To Nick’s dismay, he got an F on
consternation the test.
Dismay
Many were dismayed by the town’s
v. to fill with woe or apprehension
implementation of metered parking.
A good boss is stern but never
Disparage v. to belittle or speak down to
disparages his or her employees.
v. to send off a message or The mother dispatched her
Dispatch
messenger daughter to their neighbor’s house.
Lately, there’s been noticeable
Diversification n. the act of becoming diverse diversification of students at
higher institutions.
n. a principle, theory, or position, Devoutly religious people often live
Doctrine usu. advocated by a religion or gov’ their lives according to their
t doctrines.
n. power and authority (usu. over a The country claimed to have
territory) dominion over parts of Russia.
Dominion
Puerto Rico is a dominion of the
n. a legal territory
US.
The gray clouds in the sky made the
Dreary adj. sad, gloomy, dull
day feel dreary.
The man’s claims to the throne
Dubious adj. doubtful, questionable were dubious since nobody knew
where he’d come from.
adj. peculiar or odd; deviating from She’s a little eccentric but still fun
Eccentric
the norm to be around.
After cheating on the exam, Emily
Egregious adj. extremely bad began to feel as though she’d made
an egregious mistake.
adj. having refined or expressive
His speech was not only eloquent
Eloquent communication skills (in speaking
but also extremely compelling.
or writing)
Our town made news when the
adj. superior or distinguished; high
Eminent eminent magician came to perform
in position or status
at our local theater.
v. to discharge, give forth, or Plants consume carbon dioxide and
Emit
release emit oxygen.
Her emphatic smile told me she
adj. very expressive; using
Emphatic was excited to ride the roller
emphasis
coaster.
adj. derived from experience, You need empirical evidence to
Empirical
observation, or an experiment support your claim.
 According to the myth, the gods
v. to equip or bestow (usu. a
Endow endowed him with the gift of
quality or ability)
healing.
v. to withstand, sustain, or hold out I can’t endure this wait any longer.
Endure
against Will Stanford accept or reject me?
A doctoral program entails long
Entail v. to involve or include
nights and a heavy workload.
Her face will forever be entrenched
Entrenched adj. firmly established
in my memory.
I can’t enumerate how many times
Enumerate v. to specify or count I’ve had to remind my students
when their papers are due.
n. excessive jealousy His envy of her is quite obvious.
Envy She envies her coworker's social
v. to admire and be jealous of
skills.
adj. having no fixed course; The car became erratic after
Erratic
deviating from the norm slipping on ice.
They established a law that made
v. to enact it illegal to drive after drinking any
Establish amount of alcohol.
v. to found (a business, group, Our group established a new
school, etc.) branch in Chicago.
Horror movies are great at evoking
Evoke v. to draw forth or call up
fear.
v. to make worse or increase the The doctor told me not to run as it
Exacerbate
severity of can exacerbate my knee injury.
v. to do something extremely well She was a well-rounded student but
Excel
or to be superior in excelled especially in science.
Don’t exert all of your energy at
Exert v. to put into use (usu. as effort)
once.
adj. invigorating, stimulating, or The music playing at the club was
Exhilarating
exciting catchy and exhilarating.
Be careful not to expend all your
v. to use up (as in energy or
Expend energy in the first half of a
money)
marathon.
The shoddy company exploited its
Exploit v. to use selfishly or for profit workers by paying them extremely
low wages.
In grad school, advisors facilitate
Facilitate v. to aid the progress of students’ research and offer
constructive criticism.
The feasibility of her project was
n. the practicality or possibility of doubtful; she’d have to go all the
Feasibility
something way to Antarctica and back before
the school year ended.
The lion is just one wild animal
Ferocity n. viciousness, violence
known for its ferocity.
Fiscal policy is how the government
Fiscal adj. related to (government) money uses money to influence the
economy.
 After one year, the tiny plants had
v. to prosper, grow, or make fast
Flourish flourished into a breathtaking
progress
garden.
Stocks can fluctuate on a daily
Fluctuate v. to be unstable; to rise and fall basis, making it difficult to
determine when to buy or sell one.
The civilians accused their leader of
Foment v. to stir up
fomenting political unrest.
adj. capable of being predicted or I can't imagine aliens visiting us in
Foreseeable
anticipated the foreseeable future.
I frankly don’t see the point in
Frankly adv. directly, clearly
learning to drive.
His freewheeling attitude often got
Freewheeling adj. carefree
him in trouble at work.
adj. the most essential or most A thesis is arguably the most
Fundamental
basic part fundamental part of an essay.
The galvanizing performance left
Galvanizing adj. thrilling, exciting, stimulating
everyone spellbound.
I became interested in geriatric
medicine shortly after my
Geriatric adj. relating to old age
grandfather passed away from
cancer.
The voices around the corner
Hostile adj. harmful, dangerous
sounded angry, hostile even.
For my physics homework, I must
adj. supposed; related to a
Hypothetical come up with a hypothetical
hypothesis
situation.
The politician's expensive campaign
adj. publicly shameful or
Ignominious ultimately ended in ignominious
humiliating
defeat.
Parents must impart common
Impart v. to transmit, bestow, or disclose
sense to their children.
To ensure impartiality, we require
n. the equal and objective
Impartiality everyone to follow these general
treatment of opposing views
guidelines.
The old mansion was imposing in
adj. impressive (esp. in size or
Imposing its huge size and gothic
appearance)
architecture.
If it’s not too much of an
Imposition n. an unnecessary burden imposition, could you proofread my
paper?
Backpacking abroad can be fun, but
Imprudent adj. not cautious or prudent; rash
don’t be imprudent about money.
Her hateful words incited anger in
Incite v. to encourage or stir up
the crowd.
The girl’s indifference toward her
Indifference n. apathy, emotional detachment
brother upset their parents.
adv. randomly; with little or no Lottery winners are chosen
Indiscriminately
distinction indiscriminately.
My friend loves to indulge in
Indulge v. to give into; to satisfy or gratify
cheesy romance movies.
 You can infer from this quotation
v. to guess, conclude, or derive by
Infer that the writer didn’t care for “pretty”
reasoning
language.
Her invention was incredibly
adj. novel or new (esp. as an idea
Innovative innovative and won her multiple
or invention)
awards.
A vampire’s thirst for blood is said to
Insatiable adj. can’t be satisfied
be insatiable.
The culture’s norms were an
Inversion n. a reversal
inversion of our own.
v. to call on; to appeal to (e.g., a The shaman attempted to invoke a
Invoke
higher power) demon.
The couple’s differences were
adj. incapable of being in harmony
Irreconcilable ultimately irreconcilable, giving
or agreed upon
them no choice but to break up.
Susan lamented her missed
Lament v. to feel sorrow for; to mourn chance at going to Europe with her
high school class.
Physics involves the study of
Locomotion n. movement
locomotion.
Writing books isn’t a particularly
adj. capable of making a lot of
Lucrative lucrative career, unless you’re J.K.
money; profitable
Rowling.
The malicious spirit drove out the
Malicious adj. harmful, spiteful
inhabitants from their home.
adj. capable of being molded or Children’s minds are malleable but
Malleable
changed only for so long.
adj. superficial; focus on material Many people accuse Americans of
Materialistic
possessions being materialistic.
adj. extravagant or exaggerated The melodramatic play was well
Melodramatic
(as of a melodrama) liked by the audience.
They moved into a modest house
adj. simple and humble
in the countryside.
Modest
I received a modest sum of money
adj. small in size or amount
for my help at the company event.
Dr. Nguyen modified the gene so
Modify v. to change, alter, or tweak
that it wouldn’t carry the disease.
Her win in the election was
Momentous adj. historically significant
momentous.
We are looking for novel ways to
Novel adj. new, innovative
approach the project.
Body-language experts even
Nuance n. a subtle difference in meaning understand the nuances of facial
expressions.
The government declared their
Null adj. legally void and ineffective
marriage null.
n. judgment based on observations In scientific research, objectivity is
Objectivity
instead of emotions or opinions of utmost importance.
 Historians assumed record players
adj. no longer used; rare or would be obsolete by now, but in
Obsolete
uncommon fact they’re making a huge
comeback.
Gods are omnipotent beings who
Omnipotent adj. almighty and all powerful
can control human destiny.
At the onset of her career as a
Onset n. the beginning or early stages
lawyer, things were looking up.
The new employee opined at the
Opine v. to openly express an opinion
company meeting.
That ornate silverware must be
Ornate adj. highly detailed and decorated
worth thousands of dollars!
Sick and tired of putting up with his
v. to remove or force out of (usu. a
Oust bad moods, the pirates ousted their
position or office)
captain.
adj. predominant, superior, most Our paramount concern is the
Paramount
important safety of our employees.
Upon entering the abandoned
house, Kate experienced a peculiar
Peculiar adj. strange, bizarre
feeling, as if someone was
watching her.
According to the news, nobody
Perish v. to die; to pass away
perished in the fire.
They will persecute anyone who
Persecute v. to cause suffering to doesn’t agree with their views of the
world.
Petulant children are especially
Petulant adj. cranky, pouty, irritable
difficult to care for.
Many believe that composers such
Pinnacle n. highest level or degree as Beethoven and Mozart represent
the pinnacle of classical music.
The frail-looking dog was pitiable,
Pitiable adj. deserving pity so I gave it some food and took it
inside to care for it.
Her story is plausible, but that
Plausible adj. reasonable and possibly true
doesn’t mean she’s telling the truth.
The literary critic postulates that
Postulate v. to assert romanticism and naturalism are
actually interconnected.
The bald eagle is a potent symbol
adj. having great influence
of the US.
Potent
adj. having a strong, chemical The potion was definitely potent—it
effect healed my wounds immediately!
It’s not necessarily more pragmatic
Pragmatic adj. practical, useful to study engineering than it is to
study philosophy.
n. an example or subject from This change in law is without
Precedent
earlier in time historical precedent.
n. someone who comes before My predecessor gave me many
Predecessor
you (usu. in position or office) tips for running the office.
 The directions for our essay
v. to command orders prescribe a length of at least ten
pages.
Prescribe
A doctor must prescribe you this
v. to issue authorization for
medication before you can begin
medications
taking it.
Remember the universal principle:
Principle n. basic truth, assumption, or rule treat others as you want them to
treat you.
Alcohol was prohibited in the US in
Prohibit v. to command against, to outlaw
the 1920s.
She is always prompt when it
adj. punctual, on time
comes to turning in her homework.
n. a cue to begin something; I had to write an essay based on a
Prompt
instructions prompt.
The possibility of a scholarship
v. to incite, propel, or cause to act
prompted him to apply to Harvard.
The ruler will at last promulgate an
v. to put into law or formally
Promulgate amnesty with the neighboring
declare
countries.
v. to bring criminal action against The suspect was prosecuted
Prosecute
someone (in a trial) yesterday.
adj. intending to provoke, inspire, Her nude paintings are considered
Provocative
or arouse quite provocative.
adj. involving qualities of I noticed a qualitative change in
Qualitative
something (features and content) her paintings.
adj. involving quantities (numbers We must conduct a quantitative
Quantitative
and amounts) analysis.
His biggest quirk is his love of old
Quirk n. a strange habit
marbles.
v. to split into two or more Cars ramified throughout the world
Ramify
branches in the twentieth century.
adj. without attention to danger or Her rash decision to pass the car
Rash
risk nearly resulted in a crash.
He’s got raw talent as a singer, but
adj. unrefined he needs to work on his
Raw performance skills.
adj. not processed; uncooked (as In some countries, such as Japan, it
in food) is normal to eat raw fish.
adv. right away and without Water was readily available at
Readily
difficulty different points in the race.
n. thinking again about a previously The judges’ reconsideration of her
Reconsideration
made choice performance resulted in her victory.
n. a change for the better; The reform made it so that only
improvement those 18 and older can legally drive.
Reform
The government reformed its
v. to improve via change
vague policies on marijuana use.
v. to prove to be untrue, The student refuted the professor’s
Refute
unfounded, or incorrect claim in class.
We can use these pipes to
Reinforce v. to strengthen or add support to
reinforce the structure.
 Max reluctantly agreed to see the
Reluctantly adv. somewhat unwillingly
horror movie with his friends.
v. to give up (usu. power or a Our CEO renounced her position
position) yesterday.
Renounce He renounced his friend after he
v. to cast off caught her stealing money from
him.
The mother reproached her
Reproach v. to criticize daughter’s school for making
students come in during a blizzard.
The father repudiated his son’s
v. to refuse to recognize as true
marriage.
Repudiate She repudiated her son once she
v. to cast off found out he’d married someone
without telling her.
Water retention can make you
Retention n. the act of keeping something
weigh more on certain days.
Satiated adj. satisfied (usu. in hunger) I felt satiated after eating a snack.
My brother is not very savvy when it
adj. having practical intelligence or
Savvy comes to using public
knowledge
transportation.
adj. morally offensive, often
The scandalous politician decided
Scandalous causing damage to one’s
it was best to resign from office.
reputation
It’s difficult for me not to scorn
Scorn v. to look down on with disdain
those who use improper grammar.
I am a scrupulous proofreader and
Scrupulous adj. paying great attention to detail
never miss an error.
v. to examine carefully and The teacher scrutinized her
Scrutinize
critically students’ essays.
v. to produce or release (a Trees secrete a sticky substance
Secrete
substance) called sap.
I am of the sentiment that you
n. opinion should never give out your
passwords to anyone.
Sentiment
Even though I’m not a big fan of
n. a tender or moving gesture porcelain dolls, I appreciated the
sentiment.
The curtains on the window were so
adj. so thin that light can shine
Sheer sheer you could clearly see inside
through
the house.
This math problem is so simple
adj. easy; not complex
even a first grader can solve it.
Simple
The simple beauty of the ocean is
adj. undecorated
what makes it memorable.
Medieval peasants believed
Sinister adj. ominous, evil sinister demons could harm
humans.
I stood in solidarity with other
n. the joining of commonalities or
Solidarity female students by refusing to wear
common purposes among a group
the school’s sexist uniform.
 adv. insufficiently, meagerly, or in a Due to my condition, I must eat salt
Sparingly
restricted manner sparingly.
v. to release eggs Frogs typically spawn in ponds.
Spawn The topic spawned an ongoing
v. to call forth or generate
debate among his family members.
Spur v. to stimulate or incite Her bravery spurred others to act.
The squalid cabin needed a new
Squalid adj. run-down, sordid, or sleazy
roof and an exterminator.
adj. very plain; devoid of any Looking out at the stark landscape,
Stark
details or features I felt a keen sense of isolation.
adj. motionless The ball is static.
Static Her life has been static for the past
adj. changeless
three years.
The subordinate officers work
adj. lower in rank
every day.
n. someone lower in rank My subordinate will check you in.
Subordinate
You aren’t my boss—you can’t
v. to make dependent on or put at
subordinate me to the role of
a lower rank
receptionist!
adv. happening later or after
Subsequently I subsequently went home.
something
I was shocked to find a substantial
Substantial adj. very large in amount or degree amount of money beneath the park
bench.
It is important for scientists to
v. to strengthen with new evidence
Substantiate substantiate their theories
or facts
whenever possible.
I detected in her expression a
Subtle adj. hard to detect or analyze
subtle hint of irritation.
adj. enough; just meeting a These boxes should be sufficient
Sufficient
requirement for our move.
The bartender was a surly fellow
Surly adj. unfriendly; inclined to anger
who wasn’t afraid to start a fight.
They managed to surmount the
Surmount v. to get on top of or overcome language barrier by using a
translation app.
adj. to be vulnerable (to Children are more susceptible to
Susceptible
something) certain illnesses than adults are.
Her tactful attitude toward our class
Tactful adj. skilled at dealing with people made her one of my favorite
teachers.
The rubberband was taut and ready
Taut adj. pulled tight
to be fired.
Doorknobs are not as clean as they
adj. abundantly filled (usu. with
Teeming look and are often teeming with
living organisms)
germs.
She had a hostile temperament,
Temperament n. usual mood or feelings making her intimidating to most
people.
 We haven’t made any official
Tentative adj. not yet finalized arrangements yet, but the tentative
location for our wedding is Hawaii.
Stained window glass isn’t as
adj. see-through; so thin that light
transparent as regular window
can shine through
Transparent glass is.
She was transparent about her
adj. truthful or easy to perceive
plans to end her marriage.
The journey was becoming
Treacherous adj. dangerous and unstable treacherous, but they continued on
regardless.
adj. very large, good, or bad in Tremendous news! You don’t have
Tremendous
degree or size to repay your loans!
Cell phones are ubiquitous these
Ubiquitous adj. being everywhere at once
days.
Though the dress was cheap and
Unadorned adj. undecorated, plain unadorned, it was by far her
favorite one on the rack.
Parents should take care not to
v. to weaken or subvert (usu.
Undermine constantly undermine their
gradually or secretly)
children.
This sentence seems to
v. to emphasize or give additional
Underscore underscore the overall meaning of
weight to
the passage.
Belly dancers are known for their
v. to move as ripples or in a wavy
Undulate ability to skillfully undulate their
pattern
stomachs.
The unilateral decision was
Unilateral adj. one-sided deemed unfair by the other party
involved.
The court’s decision is unjust—he
Unjust adj. unfair; not justified
should not go free.
My speech was an unmitigated
Unmitigated adj. downright, utter, total
disaster!
adj. completely new and never The number of protestors was
Unprecedented
having happened before; historic unprecedented.
We plan to unveil our plans for the
Unveil v. to make visible; to reveal
new company project on Sunday.
He had the urge to tell his parents
n. desire or impulse about his acceptance to Columbia
Urge but decided against it.
She urged her sister to apply to
v. to encourage or persuade
Stanford.
Your selfish actions do not validate
Validate v. to prove or declare valid
your feelings for me.
n. ability to be done in a practical The viability of the solution is
Viability
or useful way questionable.
It is vital that you respond by the
Vital adj. urgently necessary
deadline.
My brother quickly broke his vow to
Vow v. to promise
never eat chocolate again.
 Wanting to look cool in front of your
Warrant v. to prove to be reasonable friends doesn’t warrant breaking
the law.
The farmer’s annual pumpkin yield
n. production of an amount
exceeded 10,000.
Cars turning right on red must yield
Yield v. to give way to or surrender to
to oncoming traffic.
Our experiment yielded many
v. to produce or supply
unique-looking vegetables.