unit 1

Question 1

admonish (v.)

Answer 1

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

Question 2

brigand (n.)

Answer 2

a bandit, robber, outlaw, highwayman

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

Question 3

diffuse (adj.)

Answer 3

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

Question 4

cumbersome (adj.)

Answer 4

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

Question 5

diffuse (v.)

Answer 5

to spread or scatter freely or widely

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

Question 6

unbridled (adj.)

Answer 6

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

Question 7

commandeer (v.)

Answer 7

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

Question 8

muddle (n.)

Answer 8

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)

Question 9

spurious (adj.)

Answer 9

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

Question 10

muddle (v.)

Answer 10

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

Question 11

predispose (v.)

Answer 11

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

Question 12

breach (v.)

Answer 12

to create an opening, break through

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

ANTONYMS: close, seal

Question 13

breach (n.)

Answer 13

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

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

Question 14

deadlock (v.)

Answer 14

to bring to such a standstill

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

Question 15

deadlock (n.)

Answer 15

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

Question 16

debris (n.)

Answer 16

scattered fragments, wreckage

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

SYNONYMS: remains, detritus, flotsam and jetsam

Question 17

dilemma (n.)

Answer 17

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

Question 18

perennial (adj.)

Answer 18

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

Question 19

efface (v.)

Answer 19

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

Question 20

spasmodic (adj.)

Answer 20

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

Question 21

perennial (n.)

Answer 21

a plant that lives for many years

A garden of perennial is relatively easy to maintain.

Question 22

salvage (n.)

Answer 22

property thus saved

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

Question 23

circumspect (adj.)

Answer 23

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

Question 24

relinquish (v.)

Answer 24

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

Question 25

salvage (v.)

Answer 25

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

Question 26

opinionated (adj.)

Answer 26

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