unit 11 Flashcards

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1
Q

brevity (noun)

A

shortness

The speech was notable more for its ______ than for its clarity.

SYNONYMS: terseness, pithiness
ANTONYMS: verbosity, long-windedness, prolixity

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2
Q

concise (adjective)

A

expressing much in a few words

As a rule of thumb, editors and readers appreciate writing that is ______ and forceful.

SYNONYMS: brief, succinct, terse, pithy, to the point
ANTONYMS: wordy, verbose, long-winded, prolix

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3
Q

deteriorate (verb)

A

to lower in quality or value; to wear away

It is painful for anyone, particularly a doctor, to watch someone’s health ______.

SYNONYMS: worsen, decline, degenerate, debase
ANTONYMS: fix up, enhance

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4
Q

enlightened (adjective)

A

free from ignorance and false ideas; possessing sound understanding

An ______ society is ruled by knowledge and reason rather than superstition and prejudice.

SYNONYMS: knowing, aware, cultivated
ANTONYMS: ignorant, unaware, untaught, benighted

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5
Q

forestall (verb)

A

to prevent by acting first

Sometimes it is possible to ______ a cold by taking Vitamin C.

SYNONYMS: hinder, thwart, preclude, ward off
ANTONYMS: welcome, accept, allow, submit, abide by

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6
Q

proponent (noun)

A

one who puts forward a proposal; one who supports a cause or belief

Lucretia Coffin Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton were among the first ______ of women’s suffrage in the United States.

SYNONYMS: supporter, advocate, exponent
ANTONYMS: opponent, critic, foe, adversary

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7
Q

quaver (verb)

A

to shake, tremble; to trill

My voice ______ whenever I try to reach the high notes.

SYNONYMS: vibrate, shiver, quake, palpitate

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8
Q

recoup (verb)

A

to make up for, regain

I plan to ______ my family’s lost fortune
by working hard, earning extra money, and investing wisely.

SYNONYMS: recover, retrieve
ANTONYMS: lose, default, forfeit, kiss good-bye

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9
Q

reek (noun) (verb)

A

(n.) an unpleasant smell

The unmistakable ______ of spoiled food greeted us as we entered the long-abandoned cabin.

SYNONYM: stench
ANTONYMS: perfume, fragrance, bouquet

(v.) to give off unpleasant smells; to give a strong impression

In How the Other Half Lives (1890), Jacob Riis describes tenements in urban neighborhoods that ______ of poverty.

SYNONYMS: stink, smell

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10
Q

statute (noun)

A

a law

The student body is governed by the ______ of the university.

SYNONYMS: rule, enactment

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11
Q

comport (verb)

A

to conduct or bear oneself, behave; to be in agreement

As the students started to leave, the principal reminded them to ______ themselves as school emissaries.

SYNONYMS: agree, concur

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12
Q

demure (adjective)

A

sober or serious in manner, modest

Despite her ______ appearance, she is a
competitive speed skater, always ready for a challenge on ice.

SYNONYMS: shy, sedate, seemly, decorous
ANTONYMS: forward, assertive, immodest

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13
Q

depreciation (noun)

A

a lessening in value; a belittling

The accountant calculated the ______ of the computer over a period of five years.

SYNONYMS: cheapening, lowering
ANTONYMS: increase, appreciation, enhancement

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14
Q

divulge (verb)

A

to tell, reveal; to make public

On some occasions, scrupulous reporters cannot ______ their sources of information.

SYNONYMS: disclose, impart, spill the beans, “leak”
ANTONYMS: hide, conceal, cover up, secrete, keep under wraps

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15
Q

garble (verb)

A

to distort in such a way as to make unintelligible

If you’ve played “telephone,” you know how easy it is to inadvertently ______ a message.

SYNONYMS: jumble, confuse, misrepresent
ANTONYMS: elucidate, articulate

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16
Q

recoil (verb) (noun)

A

(v.) to spring back, shrink

In “The Adventure of the Speckled Band,” sleuth Sherlock Holmes points out that “violence does, in truth, ______ upon the violent.”

SYNONYM: flinch
ANTONYMS: advance, proceed, gain ground

(n.) the act of springing back

When the engineer accidentally released the giant spring, its powerful ______ sent him sprawling.

SYNONYM: kickback

17
Q

relentless (adjective)

A

unyielding, harsh, without pity

The novel Les Misérables recounts ex-convict Jean Valjean’s lifelong flight from a ______ police inspector.

SYNONYMS: stern, merciless, persistent
ANTONYMS: merciful, accommodating, indulgent

18
Q

rivulet (noun)

A

a small stream

While we could hear the running water, dense vegetation hid the ______ from view.

SYNONYMS: creek, rill

19
Q

squander (verb)

A

to spend foolishly, waste

I think that it is criminal to ______ our natural resources.

SYNONYMS: misspend, dissipate
ANTONYMS: save, economize, hoard, squirrel away

20
Q

staccato (adjective)

A

detached or disconnected in sound or style

We strained to listen, and we heard ______ hoofbeats striking the pavement.

SYNONYM: abrupt
ANTONYMS: continuous, flowing