unit 1 Flashcards

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1
Q

admonish (v.)

A

to caution or advise against something; to scold mildly; to remind of a duty

The librarian had to admonish the noisy students several times before they settled down.

SYNONYMS: reprimand, call on the carpet
ANTONYMS: praise, pat on the back

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2
Q

brigand (n.)

A

a bandit, robber, outlaw, highwayman

Ancient caravans passing through desolate areas were sometimes attacked by brigands.

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3
Q

diffuse (adj.)

A

wordy, long-winded, or unfocused; scattered or widely spread

The speech was so long and diffuse that most audience members were thoroughly confused by it.

SYNONYMS: verbose, prolix
ANTONYMS: brief, concise, succinct

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4
Q

cumbersome (adj.)

A

clumsy, hard to handle; slow-moving

The bus was filled to capacity with holiday shoppers carrying large and cumbersome packages.

SYNONYMS: ponderous, difficult, uncomfortable
ANTONYMS: manageable, easy to handle

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5
Q

diffuse (v.)

A

to spread or scatter freely or widely

The scent of lilacs slowly diffused through the open window.
SYNONYM: disperse
ANTONYM: concentrate

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6
Q

unbridled (adj.)

A

lacking in restraint

Sometimes the unbridled enthusiasm of sports fans can get a little out of hand.

SYNONYMS: unrestrained, unchecked
ANTONYMS: restrained, held in check, muted

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7
Q

commandeer (v.)

A

to seize for military or official use

Under certain circumstances the U.S. government has the right to comandeer private property.

SYNONYMS: take over, requisition, expropriate

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8
Q

muddle (n.)

A

a hopeless mess

The muddle was principally caused by their failure to carry out the general’s orders properly.

SYNONYMS: confusion, disorder
ANTONYMS: orderliness, neatness
predispose (verb)

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9
Q

spurious (adj.)

A

not genuine, not true, not valid

Manufacturers who make spurious claims for their products may face fines or lawsuits.

SYNONYMS: false, counterfeit, fraudulent, bogus
ANTONYMS: genuine, authentic, bona fide, valid

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10
Q

muddle (v.)

A

to make a mess of; muddle through: to get by

Too much stress and too little sleep will almost certainly muddle a person’s ability to concentrate.

SYNONYMS: jumble, mess up

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11
Q

predispose (v.)

A

to incline to beforehand

My genetic makeup seems to predispose me to colds and sore throats.

SYNONYMS: tending to, liable to
ANTONYMS: immunize against, shield from

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12
Q

breach (v.)

A

to create an opening, break through

Our troops were unable to breach the enemy’s lines during the battle.

ANTONYMS: close, seal

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13
Q

breach (n.)

A

an opening, gap, rupture, rift; a violation or infraction

Because of a serious breach of the rules, two players were ejected from the game.

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14
Q

deadlock (v.)

A

to bring to such a standstill

The refusal of labor and management to modify their demands deadlocked the contract negotiations.

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15
Q

deadlock (n.)

A

a standstill resulting from the opposition of two equal forces or factions

After fifteen innings, the score remained a frustrating 3-to-3 deadlock.

SYNONYMS: standoff, impasse
ANTONYMS: agreement, accord, breakthrough

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16
Q

debris (n.)

A

scattered fragments, wreckage

After the storm, the beach was littered with driftwood and other debris.

SYNONYMS: remains, detritus, flotsam and jetsam

17
Q

dilemma (n.)

A

a difficult or perplexing situation or problem

During the crisis the President found himself caught in a painful dilemma.

SYNONYMS: predicament, quandary, pickle, bind
ANTONYM: cinch

18
Q

perennial (adj.)

A

lasting for a long time, persistent

Pizza is a perennial favorite of young and old alike in the United States.

SYNONYMS: enduring, recurring
ANTONYMS: brief, short-lived, fleeting, ephemeral

19
Q

efface (v.)

A

to wipe out; to keep oneself from being noticed

Time had effaced almost all signs of the struggle that took place on that famous battlefield.

SYNONYMS: blot out, erase, expunge

20
Q

spasmodic (adj.)

A

sudden and violent but brief; fitful; intermittent

Spasdomic flashes of lightning and booming thunderclaps were accompanied by torrential rain.

SYNONYMS: irregular, occasional
ANTONYMS: steady, continuous, chronic

21
Q

perennial (n.)

A

a plant that lives for many years

A garden of perennial is relatively easy to maintain.

22
Q

salvage (n.)

A

property thus saved

Salvage from sunken ships can be of great value to archaeologists and historians.

23
Q

circumspect (adj.)

A

careful, cautious

It is important for a diplomat to behave in a manner that is both discreet and circumspect.

SYNONYMS: wary, prudent, guarded
ANTONYMS: incautious, rash, reckless, heedless

24
Q

relinquish (v.)

A

to let go, give up

Severe illness forced me to relinquish my role in the school play.

SYNONYM: surrender
ANTONYMS: hold on to, keep, cling to

25
Q

salvage (v.)

A

to save from fire or shipwreck

Fortunately, we were able to salvage a few things from the fire.

SYNONYMS: recover, retrieve, reclaim
ANTONYMS: abandon, scrap, junk

26
Q

opinionated (adj.)

A

stubborn and often unreasonable in holding to one’s own ideas, having a closed mind

My friend is so opinionated that sometimes she will not listen to a reasonable proposal.

SYNONYMS: obstinate, pigheaded, inflexible
ANTONYMS: open-minded, reasonable