Getting Along Vocabulary

Question 1

word:

Gallant

POS: Adjective

Answer 1

Definition: Polite, especially to ladies

Sentences: Gallant movie characters introduce humor into dry scenes with their prized one-liners.

Etymology: galer: to enjoy oneself

Question 2

word:

Barrage

POS: Noun

Answer 2

Definition: A rapid outporing of many things

Sentence: The artillery barrage wreaked havoc on the small town, acting as a demonstration of the nation’s power and willingness to harm civilians.

Etymology: barer: to block

Question 3

word:

Pensive

POS: Adjective

Answer 3

Definition: Thoughtful in a manner suggesting underlying emotion

Sentence: The boy looked pensive while scratching his nose as he reminisced the memories spent with his recently deceased dog.

Etymology: pen-: to weigh

Question 4

word:

Dispel

POS: Verb

Answer 4

Definition: To drive away (negative thoughts)

Sentence: My grandma had a ritual that always dispelled my doubt before taking a test.

Etymology: dis-: away, -pel: to drive

Question 5

word:

Frail

POS: Adjective

Answer 5

Definition: Weak, physically or morally

Sentence: The frail tree was knocked down in the vicious storm.

Etymology: fragilis: liable to break

Question 6

word:

Presentable

POS: Adjective

Answer 6

Definition: Looking appropriate for the situation

Sentence: The mother had to ensure her son looked presentable for the party.

Etymology: pre-: before, -sent: to be

Question 7

word:

Defer

POS: Verb

(as used in the Getting Along Vocabulary)

Answer 7

Definition: To go along with another’s idea

Sentence: The young man had to swallow his ego and defer to his colleague’s proposal for the upcoming project at his job.

Etymology: de-: away, -fer: to carry

Question 8

word:

Laconic

POS: Adjective

Answer 8

Definition: Brief or terse to the point of rudeness

Sentence: The boy, who wished for a thorough explanation of the problem, received but a laconic answer from his sleep-deprived teacher.

Etymology: referring to the Spartan reputation for terse speech

Question 9

word:

Supercilious

POS: Adjective

Answer 9

Definition: Arrogant, haughty

Sentence: Rich people often carry about them a supercilious air, reflecting their confidence.

Etymology: super-: above, cilium: eyelid

Question 10

word:

Propulsion

POS: Noun

Answer 10

Definition: The act of pushing forward

Sentence: The jet’s propulsion unit was carefully and meticulously manufactured, as the pilot was in charge of a mission that could result in the fall of a nation and the rise of an emperor.

Etymology: pro-: forward, -pulsion: to drive