unit 9 Flashcards

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1
Q

cubicle (noun)

A

a small room or compartment

The tiniest ______ is usually assigned to the newest employee.

SYNONYM: hole-in-the-wall
ANTONYMS: vast hall, auditorium

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2
Q

drudgery (noun)

A

work that is hard and tiresome

Trade unions lobby to relieve the endless _____ of factory workers.

SYNONYMS: toil, labor, grind
ANTONYMS: play, frolic, amusement, recreation, fun

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3
Q

escalate (verb)

A

to elevate; to increase in intensity

A small dispute can ______ into a major conflict unless the opposing parties sit down and talk.

SYNONYMS: raise, ascend, mount
ANTONYMS: decrease, lessen, descend, defuse

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4
Q

expedient (noun) (adjective)

A

(n.) a means to an end

As an ______, we chose to use a rock as a makeshift hammer.
SYNONYMS: contrivance, device

(adj.) advantageous, useful

An opportunist is someone who is always ready to do whatever is most _____.

SYNONYM: serviceable
ANTONYMS: inconvenient, untimely, disadvantageous

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5
Q

grievous (adjective)

A

causing sorrow or pain; serious

Reporters should take careful notes when interviewing to avoid making _____ errors in print.

SYNONYMS: painful, heartrending, onerous, flagrant
ANTONYMS: joyful, uplifting, cheery, upbeat, comforting

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6
Q

horde (noun)

A

a vast number (as of people); a throng

When the doors opened, a ______ of shoppers headed toward the sales racks.

SYNONYMS: crowd, mass, multitude, host, swarm
ANTONYMS: few, handful

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7
Q

impel (verb)

A

to force, drive forward

Hunger often ______ people to leave their homes in search of food.

SYNONYMS: urge, push, spur, propel, incite
ANTONYMS: discourage, check, restrain, curb

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8
Q

incredulous (adjective)

A

disbelieving, skeptical

When the testimony of a witness contradicts the evidence, you
can expect ______ stares from the jury.

SYNONYMS: mistrustful, doubting
ANTONYMS: believing, trustful

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9
Q

prognosis (noun)

A

a forecast of the probable course and outcome of a disease or situation

Doctors are particularly happy to deliver a ______ of a speedy recovery.

SYNONYM: projection

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10
Q

repugnant (adjective)

A

offensive, disagreeable, distasteful

Despite their ______ lack of cleanliness, pigs are endearing to many people.

SYNONYMS: hateful, odious, revolting, repulsive
ANTONYMS: pleasing, attractive, tempting, wholesome

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11
Q

auxiliary (adjective )(noun)

A

(adj.) giving assistance or support

If the main motor fails, the instructions say to turn on the ______ motor.

SYNONYM: additional
ANTONYMS: main, primary, principal

(n.) a helper, aid

Someone second in command is an ______ to the person in charge.

SYNONYMS: reserve, accessory

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12
Q

candid (adjective)

A

frank, sincere; impartial; unposed
It is safe to be ______ about our faults with friends and loved ones.

SYNONYMS: forthright, plainspoken, unbiased
ANTONYMS: insincere, evasive, misleading, artful

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13
Q

envoy (noun)

A

a representative or messenger (as of a government)

On more than one occasion, a former President has been asked to act as a special ______ to the United Nations.

SYNONYMS: ambassador, emissary, minister

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14
Q

feign (verb)

A

to pretend

Children sometimes ______ illness to avoid going to school.

SYNONYMS: fake, sham, affect, simulate

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15
Q

flair (noun)

A

a natural quality, talent, or skill; a distinctive style

An opera singer needs a _______ for the dramatic as well as a good voice.

SYNONYMS: bent, knack, gift, style, panache
ANTONYMS: inability, incapacity

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16
Q

heterogeneous (adjective)

A

composed of different kinds, diverse

Most college admissions officers actively seek a student body that is both talented and ______.

SYNONYMS: miscellaneous, mixed, variegated
ANTONYMS: uniform, homogeneous, of a piece

17
Q

inscribe (verb)

A

to write or engrave; to enter a name on a list

The young man asked the jeweler to _______ the locket with his fiancée’s name.

SYNONYMS: enroll, enlist
ANTONYMS: erase, rub out, delete, efface, obliterate

18
Q

monologue (noun)

A

a speech by one actor; a long talk by one person

By means of a ______, a playwright shares a character’s private thoughts with the audience.

SYNONYM: soliloquy
ANTONYMS: conversation, colloquy

19
Q

rasping (adjective)(noun)

A

(adj.) with a harsh, grating sound

Chronic bronchitis can lead to a ______ cough that is difficult to cure.

SYNONYMS: scraping, abrasive, gravelly
ANTONYMS: smooth, satiny, silky

(n.) a harsh sound

The ______ of metal scraping against metal sets my teeth on edge.

20
Q

scuttle (verb) (noun)

A

(v.) to sink a ship by cutting holes in it; to get rid of something in a decisive way; to run hastily, scurry

Pirates would not wish to _____ a captured galleon before looting its cargo.

SYNONYMS: abandon, discard, scrap, ditch, dump
ANTONYMS: keep afloat, salvage, rescue, preserve

(n.) a pail
Years ago, it was possible to buy a ______ of coal at the corner grocery store.