List2 Flashcards
(327 cards)
1
Q
Abundant
A
Present in large quantities. Ex:Living close to a lake means we have an abundant supply of water.
2
Q
Accumulate
A
To gradually collect. Ex:Each fall, leaves accumulate in our driveway.
3
Q
Accurate
A
Correct; free from errors. Ex:Make sure your address is accurate before submitting your online order.
4
Q
Accustomed
A
Used to something. Ex:Having 8AM classes means I’m accustomed to getting up early.
5
Q
Acquire
A
To come into possession of. Ex:When my grandmother died, I acquired her cookbook collection.
6
Q
Adamant
A
Refusing to change an opinion. Ex:The defendant was adamant that he was innocent.
7
Q
Adequate
A
Enough to suit your needs. Ex:Our house isn’t big, but it’s adequate for the two of us.
8
Q
Adjacent
A
Close to or next to. Ex:The park is adjacent to the school.
9
Q
Adjust
A
To change something so it serves its purpose better. Ex:The bike seat may be too high; you’ll probably need to adjust it.
10
Q
Advantage
A
Something that makes it easier to achieve success. Ex:His height gives him an advantage in basketball.
11
Q
Advocate
A
To publicly support. Ex:My aunt is a major advocate for women’s’ rights.
12
Q
Adverse
A
Unfavorable; against one’s desires. Ex:I had an adverse reaction to my medication and had to stop taking it.
13
Q
Aggregate
A
To combine. Ex:We should aggregate our resources to share them more easily.
14
Q
Aggressive
A
Assertive and pushy. Ex:The salesperson was very aggressive when trying to get us to buy the television.
15
Q
Allocate
A
To put aside for a specific purpose. Ex:The village needs to allocate funds for building the new school.
16
Q
Alternative
A
Another option or choice. Ex:If the ATM is broken, an alternative solution is to stop by the bank.
17
Q
Amateur
A
Someone who is inexperienced or not highly skilled in a particular area. Ex:He’s an amateur soccer player and is still learning the rules of the game.
18
Q
Ambiguous
A
Having several potential meanings; unclear and difficult to understand. Ex:When I asked the HR manager what my chances were of getting the job, she gave me a very ambiguous reply.
19
Q
Ambitious
A
Having large goals. Ex:My son is very ambitious and hopes to be a millionaire by the time he’s thirty.
20
Q
Amend
A
To change for the better; to improve. Ex:I believe we should amend our country’s tax laws.
21
Q
Ample
A
Plentiful. Ex:Our new apartment has ample space for the two of us.
22
Q
Anomaly
A
Deviation from the norm. Ex:The basketball player is the team’s best free thrower, so his missing both shots was an anomaly.
23
Q
Annual
A
Occurring yearly. Ex:The annual company barbeque takes place every August.
24
Q
Antagonize
A
To tease or be hostile towards a person or group. Ex:The boy loves to antagonize his little sister by pulling her hair.
25
Attitude
Manner or feeling. Ex:After she got grounded, the teenager had a bad attitude for the rest of the day.
26
Attribute
To give credit. Ex:Be sure to attribute credit to your sources when writing a research paper.
27
Arbitrary
Based on a whim or random decision. Ex:Flipping a coin is an arbitrary way to make a decision.
28
Arduous
Requiring a lot of effort. Ex:After you cross the bridge, there’s an arduous walk up the hill.
29
Assuage
To lessen a negative feeling. Ex:The mother assuaged her child’s fear of the dark.
30
Assume
To suppose without solid proof. Ex:I assumed he was rich because he worked as a lawyer.
31
Augment
To increase or make larger. Ex:She augments her regular salary by babysitting on the weekends.
32
Benefit
Something positive or advantageous. Ex:A benefit of doing homework on Friday is that your weekend will be free.
33
Berate
To scold. Ex:Our neighbor berated us after we broke his window playing baseball.
34
Bestow
To give as a gift. Ex:The medal was bestowed upon him by the president.
35
Boast
To brag or talk with excessive pride. Ex:He always boasts of his talents after he wins a game.
36
Boost
To help raise or increase something. Ex:I gave him a pep talk to boost his self-esteem before his speech.
37
Brash
Rude and tactless. Ex:The brash man always asked inappropriate questions.
38
Brief
Short (in terms of time). Ex:It will only have a brief meeting, so you’ll still have plenty of time for lunch.
39
Brusque
Abrupt to the point of rudeness. Ex:After being away for so long, I expected more than her brusque greeting.
40
Cacophony
A harsh, unpleasant mixture of noise. Ex:The cuckoo clock shop lets off a cacophony every hour.
41
Cease
To stop. Ex:I wish they would cease arguing.
42
Censure
To express strong disapproval. Ex:Every parent in our district censured the education cuts.
43
Chronological
Arranged in order of time or date. Ex:Put the historical events in chronological order to make them easier to study.
44
Clarify
To make clear; to remove confusion. Ex:I didn’t understand the instructions, so I asked the teacher to clarify them.
45
Coalesce
To combine or grow together. Ex:The people on the street eventually coalesced into a group.
46
Coerce
To force someone to do something against their will. Ex:The young boy was coerced into stealing by his friends.
47
Cognizant
Being aware or having knowledge of something. Ex:Before mountain climbing, you need to be cognizant of the risks.
48
Cohesion
Uniting; becoming one. Ex:Water molecules show strong cohesion when they stick together.
49
Coincide
To occur at the same time. Ex:This year Thanksgiving coincided with my birthday.
50
Collapse
To fall down or break down. Ex:The old building finally collapsed, leaving nothing but a pile of rubble.
51
Collide
To hit one another with a forceful impact. Ex:The two cars collided on the freeway.
52
Commitment
Dedication to a cause or activity. Ex:Joining a school play is a big commitment. You’ll need to practice every evening.
53
Community
A group of people who live or work together. Ex:The Chinese community in my city is hosting a New Year celebration next week.
54
Conceal
To hide. Ex:The mountains concealed the ocean from view.
55
Concur
To agree. Ex:He believes women should be paid as much as men, and I concur.
56
Conflict
A disagreement or fight. Ex:The conflict between the two families has been going on for generations.
57
Constrain
To restrict or repress. Ex:You should move your plant to a bigger pot, otherwise you’ll constrain its roots.
58
Contemplate
To consider thoughtfully. Ex:I spend a lot of time contemplating what career I want to have.
59
Continuously
To go on without stopping. Ex:My neighbors have been continuously blasting their music since last night.
60
Contradict
To give the opposite opinion. Ex:I told the employees that sales were down, but my boss contradicted me and said sales were actually up.
61
Contribute
To give something (usually money or time) to a common fund or cause. Ex:Every roommate contributes part of his paycheck to the grocery bill.
62
Convey
To make known. Ex:I’ve conveyed my interest in working for that company.
63
Copious
Abundant. Ex:He always takes copious notes during class to study later on.
64
Core
Central; of main importance. Ex:Although many employees left the company, the core leadership remained.
65
Corrode
To gradually wear away. Ex:The rust corroded the paint on my car.
66
Cumbersome
Burdensome; clumsy Ex:Trying to carry four grocery bags at once was very cumbersome.
67
Curriculum
The courses given by a school or program. Ex:Our school needs to add more music courses to its curriculum.
68
Data
Facts, statistics, or pieces of information. Ex:The data from these graphs show that yearly temperatures are increasing.
69
Decay
To decline in health or excellence. Ex:After the tree died, its wood began to decay.
70
Deceive
To trick or mislead. Ex:He deceived me by pretending to be a millionaire.
71
Decipher
To find the meaning of. Ex:The spy deciphered the secret code.
72
Declaration
An announcement. Ex:He made a declaration to the office that he was quitting.
73
Decline
1. To politely refuse.
2. To deteriorate (especially in terms of health.) Ex:1. I declined his offer of a ride home.
2. Her health has declined ever since she turned 70.
74
Degrade
To lower in quality. Ex:My attempt at cake degraded into a crumbly mess.
75
Demonstrate
To show. Ex:Let me demonstrate the proper way of throwing a football.
76
Deny
To state that something isn’t true. Ex:He denied being the robber.
77
Deplete
To significantly decrease. Ex:Your shopping sprees have depleted my savings.
78
Deposit
To deliver and leave an item. Ex:Please deposit your books in the bin outside the library.
79
Desirable
Worth having or wanting. Ex:Bravery is a desirable trait for firefighters to have.
80
Despise
To hate. Ex:I despise early morning classes.
81
Detect
To locate something. Ex:The police dog detected the missing child’s scent.
82
Deter
To discourage. Ex:The warning signs on the house deterred trespassers.
83
Deviate
To differ from the norm. Ex:I decided to deviate from my normal route home and took a shortcut.
84
Devise
To plan or create. Ex:The coach devised a plan for winning the game.
85
Diatribe
A sharp criticism or attack. Ex:The politician went into a diatribe against her opponent.
86
Digress
To wander from the main subject. Ex:The teacher digressed from the lecture to discuss the weather.
87
Dilemma
A situation where one must choose between two difficult choices. Ex:The student faced the dilemma of attending school sick or missing her exam.
88
Diminish
To shrink or reduce. Ex:Sprinkle baking soda on the carpet to diminish the stain.
89
Dispose
To get rid of. Ex:I need to dispose of this trash.
90
Disproportionate
Too large or small when compared to something else. Ex:The piece of pie I received was disproportionately small.
91
Disrupt
To interrupt by causing a disturbance. Ex:The protesters disrupted the politician’s speech.
92
Distort
To misrepresent. Ex:The camera filter distorted the image.
93
Distribute
To give portions of something. Ex:Distribute the materials evenly among the class.
94
Diverse
Showing a lot of variety. Ex:This city has a very diverse population.
95
Divert
To cause a change of course. Ex:Because of the accident, the police had to divert traffic down a side street.
96
Dynamic
Constantly changing. Ex:The theater has dynamic shows, so you never know what you’ll see.
97
Ease
To reduce unpleasantness or difficulty. Ex:This prescription will ease your allergies.
98
Efficient
Maximizing productivity. Ex:Now that I’m following a schedule at work, I’m much more efficient.
99
Eliminate
To remove. Ex:Our team lost the match and was eliminated from the competition.
100
Elite
A select, above-average group. Ex:The elite detective team were also sent for when there were big crimes.
101
Eloquent
Moving speech or writing. Ex:Her eloquent writing has gained her many fans.
102
Emphasize
To give special importance to when speaking or writing. Ex:The teacher emphasized the due date of the project.
103
Endure
To suffer through something difficult with patience. Ex:He has endured four knee operations so far.
104
Enhance
To intensify or magnify. Ex:The falling snow enhanced the beauty of the small village.
105
Epitome
A perfect example of something. Ex:The duchess is the epitome of class.
106
Equivalent
Equal. Ex:Twenty-four is equivalent to two dozen.
107
Erroneous
Incorrect. Ex:He apologized for his erroneous statement.
108
Estimate
An approximate value. Ex:Try to get an estimate of the number of people attending the concert.
109
Evade
To avoid or escape. Ex:By hiding in the bathroom, we were able to evade the intruder.
110
Evaluate
To assess. Ex:At the end of the class, every student will evaluate how well the professor taught.
111
Evidence
Facts or information that help prove or disprove something. Ex:These fossils are evidence of evolution.
112
Evolve
To gradually change. Ex:The small school evolved into a world-class institution.
113
Exemplary
Worthy of imitation. Ex:She is an exemplary student, and you should copy her study habits.
114
Exclude
To leave out. Ex:The young boy was excluded from his friends’ soccer game.
115
Exclusive
Not admitting the majority. Ex:We may not be able to get in since that club is very exclusive.
116
Expand
To increase in size. Ex:Adding air to bike tires will cause them to expand.
117
Expertise
Expert knowledge or skill in a particular field. Ex:The surgeon’s expertise is knee surgeries.
118
Exploit
To use selfishly. Ex:The company exploited its workers by making them work long hours.
119
Expose
To reveal or unmask. Ex:The emails presented exposed the company’s corruption.
120
Extension
An act of making something longer. Ex:If you’re sick on the day the paper is due, the teacher may give you an extension on the due date.
121
Extract
To get or remove something. Ex:The dentist extracted one of my teeth.
122
Famine
A time when there is an extreme lack of food. Ex:Millions of children in Ethiopia died due to the famine there.
123
Feasible
Possible to do. Ex:This study plan you made for me sounds feasible, even with my work schedule.
124
Finite
Having an end or limits. Ex:Remember that life is finite; you’re not immortal.
125
Flaw
A feature that ruins the perfection of something. Ex:I got the diamond for a reduced price since the stone had a flaw.
126
Fluctuate
To change continually. Ex:I’m not sure what to wear since the temperature has been fluctuating so much.
127
Focus
The central point or idea. Ex:The program is going to focus on environmental issues.
128
Fortify
To strengthen. Ex:The king decided to fortify the castle walls to protect them during attacks.
129
Framework
A skeletal structure designed to support something. Ex:Skyscrapers must have a strong framework to support all the floors.
130
Frivolous
Unnecessary; of little importance Ex:You must stop spending your money on frivolous purchases.
131
Function
A purpose natural to a person or thing. Ex:The function of petals is to attract insects to the plant.
132
Fundamental
Of primary importance. Ex:Learning scales is fundamental to being a good piano player.
133
Gap
A space in between to objects. Ex:Be careful to avoid the gap between the two steps.
134
Garbled
Communication that is distorted and unclear. Ex:Our answering machine is so bad that people’s voices are always garbled.
135
Generate
To produce. Ex:The fire generates heat, which keeps the room warm.
136
Grandiose
Pompous; overly important. Ex:The actress had only one small part before she got grandiose ideas of her fame.
137
Hackneyed
Overused and unoriginal. Ex:HIs poems contain many hackneyed phrases.
138
Haphazard
Lacking planning. Ex:There was no schedule, so the event was very haphazard.
139
Harsh
Not gentle; unpleasant. Ex:Her comments on my performance were very harsh and not kind at all.
140
Hasty
In a hurry. Ex:In order to avoid the police, the robbers made a hasty retreat.
141
Hazardous
Full of risk. Ex:The nuclear reactor has a lot of hazardous waste.
142
Hesitate
To pause, often due to reluctance. Ex:She hesitated before entering the abandoned building.
143
Hierarchy
A ranking system. Ex:In the office hierarchy, the manager is higher than the associate.
144
Hindrance
Something that causes delay or resistance. Ex:Her hatred of public transportation is a hindrance when trying to get around New York City.
145
Hollow
Empty inside. Ex:The dead tree is hollow.
146
Horror
An intense feeling of fear. Ex:The haunted house filled me with horror.
147
Hostile
Extremely unfriendly. Ex:My ex-boyfriend’s new girlfriend was very hostile towards me.
148
Hypothesis
An unproven idea that attempts to explain something. Ex:You’ll need to conduct an experiment to test your hypothesis.
149
Identical
Exactly the same. Ex:The twins were completely identical.
150
Illiterate
Unable to read. Ex:Because he’d never been able to attend school, the man was illiterate.
151
Illustrate
To explain by using an example. Ex:The professor illustrated the lesson with a personal story.
152
Impact
Effect or influence. Ex:His moving words had a large impact on me.
153
Impair
To worsen. Ex:Drinking alcohol will impair your driving abilities.
154
Implement
To carry out. Ex:We will implement the new schedule starting next semester.
155
Imply
To strongly suggest. Ex:My mother implied that I was the one who forgot to take out the trash.
156
Impose
To force upon. Ex:After the riots, the mayor imposed a curfew on the town.
157
Impoverish
To reduce to poverty. Ex:These medical bills are going to impoverish me.
158
Incentive
A reason to do something. Ex:I hate my job, but the big paychecks are a good incentive to stick with it.
159
Incessant
Continuing without pause. Ex:I can’t sleep because of the dog’s incessant barking.
160
Incidental
A minor part. Ex:Don’t worry about your grade on this quiz; it’s only an incidental part of your grade.
161
Incite
To urge on. Ex:The ringleader incited the soldiers to rebellion.
162
Inclination
A preference. Ex:My inclination is to go to bed early.
163
Incompetent
Incapable; lacking ability. Ex:The incompetent worker was fired from his job.
164
Inconsistent
Changing randomly. Ex:His pitching has been very inconsistent all season.
165
Indefatigable
Untiring. Ex:She is an indefatigable hiker and can walk all day.
166
Indisputable
Not able to be challenged. Ex:She’s the indisputable star of the basketball team.
167
Ineffective
Not producing any major impact. Ex:The drug was shown to be ineffective at curing cancer.
168
Inevitable
Unable to be avoided. Ex:Even if you’re healthy, death is inevitable in the end.
169
Infer
To guess based on evidence. Ex:I inferred that she was annoyed based on her body language.
170
Inflate
To increase in size. Ex:Getting a promotion has really inflated his ego.
171
Influence
The ability to have an impact of something. Ex:The older sister has been a positive influence on her younger siblings.
172
Inhibit
To hinder or restrain. Ex:This cleaning spray inhibits the growth of bacteria.
173
Initial
The first. Ex:She was the initial president of the company.
174
Inquiry
An investigation to determine the truth. Ex:Congress launched an inquiry after the senator was accused of taking bribes.
175
Integral
Necessary to complete the whole. Ex:You can’t quit. You’re an integral part of this team.
176
Integrate
To combine. Ex:When making a cake, you need to fully integrate the wet and dry ingredients.
177
Interpret
To explain the meaning of something. Ex:I need you to interpret this German speech for me.
178
Intervene
To come between people, objects, or an event and change what is happening. Ex:When the toddlers couldn’t share their toys, their mothers had to intervene.
179
Intrepid
Fearless. Ex:The intrepid mountain climber reached the top of Mt. Everest.
180
Intricate
Highly detailed. Ex:The pattern on this blanket is so intricate.
181
Invasive
Intrusive. Ex:We found the stranger’s questions too personal and very invasive.
182
Investigate
To examine or study. Ex:The police are going to investigate the crime scene.
183
Irascible
Easy to anger. Ex:Even though my grandfather seems irascible, he’s actually very loving.
184
Irony
The use of words to give a meaning opposite to their literal meaning. Ex:“I love spending my Friday nights doing homework,” she said with irony.
185
Irresolute
Uncertain. Ex:Not sure which direction to go in, he stood irresolute.
186
Jargon
Words specific to a certain job or group. Ex:To be a successful doctor, you’ll need to learn a lot of medical jargon.
187
Jointly
Together. Ex:The newlyweds jointly opened up a bank account.
188
Knack
A special talent or skill. Ex:My brother has a real knack for solving tricky math problems.
189
Labor
Work or effort. Ex:Building a house requires a lot of labor.
190
Lag
To fall behind. Ex:I stayed with the front group of runners for the first few miles, but after that I began to lag.
191
Lampoon
To mock or ridicule. Ex:The cartoonist lampooned the president’s speech.
192
Languish
To become weak; to be neglected. Ex:During winter break, my plants languished since I was visiting my parents and couldn’t water them.
193
Lecture
A talk given to an audience. Ex:The professor will give a 30 minute lecture before the quiz.
194
Leery
Wary. Ex:I’m leery of taking the dark-looking shortcut.
195
Legitimate
Lawful. Ex:The way he became mayor is completely legitimate.
196
Lenient
Merciful; less harsh. Ex:The judge gave the criminal a lenient sentence due to his bad childhood.
197
Likely
Probable. Ex:I don’t have much homework, so it’s likely I’ll be able to go out tonight.
198
Ludicrous
Ridiculous. Ex:His claims about me are absolutely ludicrous.
199
Maintain
To continue at the same level. Ex:She has maintained the same weight since high school.
200
Major
Very important. Ex:This test is a major part of your final grade.
201
Manipulate
To influence, especially in an unfair way. Ex:He tried to manipulate the results of the election.
202
Maximize
To increase to the greatest possible size. Ex:The store’s goal this year is to maximize its profit.
203
Measure
To find the size and dimensions of something. Ex:By measuring the tree, I found it was seven feet tall.
204
Mediocre
Ordinary, average. Ex:The meal the chef made was only mediocre.
205
Mend
To fix. Ex:My mother will mend the hole in my shirt.
206
Method
A way of doing something. Ex:Her method for making bread takes three days.
207
Migrate
To move from one place to another. Ex:Every fall, the geese migrate to Florida.
208
Minimum
The smallest or lowest amount possible. Ex:You need to get a minimum of 70% on the test to pass the class.
209
Misleading
Giving the wrong idea. Ex:The advertisement for the weight loss pills is very misleading since studies have shown they’re ineffective.
210
Modify
To change. Ex:I need to modify my style so it looks more professional.
211
Morose
Gloomy, depressed. Ex:The boy was morose after hearing he didn’t make the football team.
212
Negligent
Lazy, neglectful. Ex:The negligent babysitter invited her friends over while the children were upstairs.
213
Nonchalant
Indifferent, unexcited. Ex:I was hurt when my friend greeted me so nonchalantly.
214
Obey
To follow orders or instructions. Ex:My dog always obeys me when I ask her to sit.
215
Obtain
To get. Ex:The spy obtained the secret codes we need.
216
Obvious
Easily understood. Ex:The large poster of Michael Jackson over her bed made it obvious who her favorite singer was.
217
Opponent
Someone on the opposite side for a game or contest. Ex:The soccer player blocked her opponent’s shot at the goal.
218
Oppress
To unfairly burden. Ex:For the past ten generations the royal family has oppressed the peasants by keeping them in poverty.
219
Origin
The source; where something began. Ex:The explorers are trying to find the origin of the Nile.
220
Paradigm
A typical example of something. Ex:This work of art is a paradigm of the period; you’ll see many examples of it in the museum.
221
Parsimonious
Frugal, stingy. Ex:The parsimonious woman only donated a dollar to charity.
222
Partake
To join in. Ex:My leg was feeling much better, so I decided to partake in the soccer match.
223
Partial
Preferring one option over others. Ex:We can get strawberry ice cream, but I’m actually more partial to chocolate.
224
Paucity
Something existing in very small amounts; scarcity. Ex:During the drought, the town had a paucity of fresh water.
225
Peak
The highest or most important point. Ex:Winning the championship was the peak of his career.
226
Peripheral
Located on the side or edge. Ex:There are some peripheral fights going on at the outdoor concert.
227
Permeate
To penetrate or pass through. Ex:Let the maple syrup permeate your waffles before eating them.
228
Persist
To continue, especially when facing opposition. Ex:I may have lost my last six games, but I will continue to persist trying to win.
229
Pertain
Relate. Ex:How does your question pertain to the lecture?
230
Phase
A period or stage in a process. Ex:In high school, I went through a phase where I only wore black clothes.
231
Poll
A record of opinions or votes. Ex:The polls show that my candidate is going to win the election.
232
Potent
Powerful. Ex:Only take one sleeping pill since they’re very potent.
233
Pragmatic
Practical, sensible. Ex:Your boyfriend is too dramatic. I think you need a more pragmatic man.
234
Praise
To give approval or admiration. Ex:The book is the best I’ve ever read; I can’t praise it enough.
235
Precede
To come before. Ex:The flower girls preceded the bride when they walked down the aisle.
236
Precise
Exact. Ex:When collecting data, it’s important that your measurements are very precise.
237
Prestigious
Having a high reputation. Ex:Harvard is one of the most prestigious colleges in the United States.
238
Prevalent
Widespread. Ex:If more people don’t start washing their hands, disease will become more prevalent.
239
Primary
First; most important. Ex:Maeve’s primary goal in life is to become a doctor.
240
Prior
Previous or earlier. Ex:Prior to becoming a teacher, Elena worked as a book editor.
241
Proceed
To continue doing something. Ex:I’m sorry for interrupting; please proceed with your speech.
242
Progeny
Offspring. Ex:The dog’s progeny all have yellow fur.
243
Promote
To further to progress of something. Ex:I’m promoting this new indie movie so that more people will buy tickets to it.
244
Prosper
To do well. Ex:Dave hopes his new business will prosper and make him a millionaire.
245
Proximity
Nearness in time or space. Ex:The twins hated to be apart, so they bought houses in close proximity to each other.
246
Quarrel
Disagreement or fight; to have an argument. Ex:Nina and her boyfriend always quarrel over money.
247
Range
The distance between two things, often the maximum and the minimum. Ex:The range of ages at the concert spanned from 12 to 65.
248
Rank
An official position or station. Ex:Archibald was promoted to the rank of first captain.
249
Rebuke
To sternly disapprove or reprimand. Ex:After staying out too late, Grace received a rebuke from her parents.
250
Recapitulate
To give a brief summary. Ex:At the end of his speech, the politician made sure to recapitulate his main points.
251
Recede
To retreat. Ex:Two days after the flood, the seawater finally began to recede from our house.
252
Recommend
To present someone with confidence and approval. Ex:I need to ask Mr. Smith if he’ll recommend me for this leadership position.
253
Reform
To make changes that improve something. Ex:Melanie’s father is in charge of reforming to school system.
254
Regulate
To supervise or control a process so that it functions correctly. Ex:Ben needs to regulate how much he eats in order to stay at a healthy weight.
255
Reinforce
To strengthen with added support. Ex:The builders reinforced the house’s wooden frame with steel beams.
256
Reject
To say no to something that is offered. Ex:Lydia rejected my invitation to the homecoming dance.
257
Release
To free; to allow to be known. Ex:The CEO decided to release the company’s profits from last year.
258
Rely
To depend on. Ex:I rely on coffee to get my through my mornings.
259
Reproach
To express disapproval or disappointment. Ex:The coach reproached the players for failing to play their best.
260
Require
To need for a specific purpose. Ex:The camping trip requires that every participant bring their own food and sleeping bag.
261
Resent
To feel bitterness or anger towards someone or something. Ex:I’ve always resented my sister because she is my mother’s favorite child.
262
Resign
To give up an office or position. Ex:Due to his declining health, the mayor decided to resign from office.
263
Resist
To withstand the effect of. Ex:Resist the impulse to have ice cream for breakfast.
264
Resolve
To come to a firm decision. Ex:Matt resolved to get better grades next semester by studying every night.
265
Restrict
To confine or keep within limits. Ex:My doctor told me to restrict myself to one glass of wine a day.
266
Retain
To continue to do something or keep something. Ex:I’ve decided to retain my normal hairstyle.
267
Retract
1. To draw back in.
2. To withdraw something after it’s found to be untrue. Ex:1. I felt calmer after the lion retracted its claws.
2. After numerous errors were found, the newspaper retracted the story.
268
Retrieve
To bring back. Ex:Alexis got out of the car to retrieve the ball her little brother had thrown.
269
Rhetorical
Used just for style or impact. Ex:You aren’t expected to actually answer rhetorical questions.
270
Rigid
Stiff; unyielding. Ex:The boys’ father was happy to see the base of the treehouse was rigid and sturdy.
271
Rotate
To turn. Ex:Rotate the sculpture so I can see the other side.
272
Safeguard
Something that serves as protection or ensures safety. Ex:A retirement fund is one way to safeguard your finances for the future.
273
Scrutinize
To very carefully examine. Ex:The judges were looking for perfection, so they scrutinized every entry.
274
Section
A part of the whole. Ex:This section of the stadium dressed completely in red.
275
Select
To choose. Ex:Jane selected a blue dress to wear to the wedding.
276
Sequence
Things that follow each other in a certain order. Ex:Librarians need to know how order books in the correct sequence.
277
Severe
1. Harsh or strict.
2. Grave, critical. Ex:1. The robbers suffered severe consequences for stealing.
2. My uncle is currently battling a severe illness in the hospital.
278
Shallow
Not deep. Ex:You don’t need to worry about getting your dress wet. The water is very shallow here.
279
Shelter
To protect from something harmful. Ex:The empty barn gave the men shelter during the storm.
280
Shrink
To become smaller. Ex:Hopefully this cream will cause my scar to shrink.
281
Significant
Important, noteworthy. Ex:The Gettysburg Address was a significant event during the Civil War.
282
Source
A person, place, or thing where something was obtained. Ex:You shouldn’t use Wikipedia as a source when writing school papers.
283
Sparse
Thinly scattered. Ex:The farm was almost empty; there were just a few sparse trees here and there.
284
Specify
To clearly indicate which one. Ex:You need to specify which size shirt you want before I can order it.
285
Speculate
To form a theory without strong evidence. Ex:My sister loves to speculate on the private lives of celebrities.
286
Solitary
Alone; without others. Ex:The hermit lives a solitary existence deep in the mountains.
287
Somber
Gloomy; depressing. Ex:After losing the competition, the chess players were very somber.
288
Soothe
To calm or comfort. Ex:The mother sang a lullaby to soothe her crying baby.
289
Squalid
Filthy and unpleasant. Ex:The shelter was squalid and overcrowded.
290
Stable
Unlikely to change or fail. Ex:We’re lucky to live in a country with such a stable government.
291
Stagnant
Sluggish, showing little movement. Ex:With few new jobs created, the economy has remained stagnant for the past five years.
292
Strategy
A plan to reach a desired outcome. Ex:The football team will need a good strategy to win the game tomorrow.
293
Subsequent
Coming after something in time. Ex:The first king was a good ruler, but subsequent kings have all been corrupt.
294
Substitute
A person or thing acting in place of another. Ex:If you don’t have sugar, honey makes a good substitute for this recipe.
295
Subtle
Difficult to notice right away. Ex:Maya’s perfume was very subtle; you had to get close to her to smell it.
296
Sufficient
Enough to serve a particular purpose. Ex:Make sure you have sufficient food for the camping trip.
297
Summarize
To briefly give the main points. Ex:The class didn’t have time to read the book, so the professor summarized it for them.
298
Supervise
To oversee work or a process. Ex:My dad didn’t think we were old enough to build the fort on our own, so he supervised us.
299
Supplant
To take the place of something else. Ex:The king was supplanted by his treacherous younger brother who locked him in the dungeon.
300
Suspend
1. To temporarily stop.
2. To hang something from somewhere. Ex:1. The power outage suspended the school concert.
2. The lamp is suspended from the high ceiling.
301
Suspicious
Having the belief that someone is doing something dishonest or illegal. Ex:The couple became suspicious when they saw strange men removing their neighbor’s expensive electronics during the night.
302
Sustain
To keep going. Ex:I stopped trying to sustain the friendship after he made fun of how I looked.
303
Symbolic
Serving as a symbol. Ex:A cross is symbolic of Christianity.
304
Technical
Relating to a specific subject or craft. Ex:The laptop manual is full of technical terms only a computer expert can understand.
305
Terminal
Situated at the end. Ex:Everyone on the train must get off at the terminal stop.
306
Tolerate
To put up with. Ex:I tolerate the rude man since he is my husband’s best friend.
307
Transfer
To move from one place to another. Ex:Ben’s work is going to transfer him from Chicago to Detroit.
308
Transition
Changing from one state or condition to another. Ex:The transition from student to employee can often take awhile to get used to.
309
Transparent
1. See-through material.
2. Easy to detect. Ex:1. The glass vase is completely transparent.
2. Her attempt to flatter the movie star was very transparent.
310
Tuition
The fee for instruction at a school. Ex:College tuition prices have gone up in recent decades.
311
Unobtrusive
Not attracting attention. Ex:The prince’s bodyguards had mastered the art of being unobtrusive.
312
Unscathed
Unharmed. Ex:Ian was lucky to walk away from the car crash unscathed.
313
Upbeat
Happy; optimistic. Ex:Even when she’s having a bad day, my mom always has an upbeat attitude.
314
Unjust
Unfair. Ex:Since I tried my hardest on the exam, I felt my teacher’s criticism of me was unjust.
315
Vacillate
To waver or be indecisive. Ex:She vacillated between the two dresses before finally deciding to wear a skirt.
316
Valid
Just; well-founded. Ex:The soldiers had valid concerns about the battles they’d be facing.
317
Vanish
To disappear quickly. Ex:The plane vanished behind the clouds.
318
Vary
To be different from something else in a group. Ex:
319
Verdict
A judgement or decision. Ex:The jury delivered a guilty verdict.
320
Vestige
A small trace of something that is disappearing or has already disappeared. Ex:The empty castle still had a few vestiges of its former wealth.
321
Vial
A small container used to hold liquids. Ex:The chemist carefully filled the vial with the bubbling solution.
322
Vilify
To speak poorly of; to slander. Ex:Mark was vilified by his angry ex-girlfriend.
323
Voluminous
Taking up a lot of space. Ex:The puffy wedding dress had voluminous sleeves.
324
Whereas
On the contrary. Ex:I always save my money whereas my brother is constantly in debt.
325
Wholly
Completely. Ex:The monk is wholly devoted to his faith.
326
Widespread
Occurring over a large region. Ex:There is widespread poverty across that country.
327
Wilt
To droop and become limp. Ex:Plants will wilt if you don’t water them regularly.
