Unit 2 Flashcards
(20 cards)
What does ‘mediocre’ mean?
(adj.) average, ordinary, undistinguished
The team’s number-one draft pick turned out to be a rather mediocre player, not a star who could lead them to the championship.
Synonym: run-of-the-mill
Antonyms: exceptional, outstanding, distinguished
What does ‘proliferate’ mean?
(v.) to reproduce, increase, or spread rapidly
Because malignant cells proliferate, early detection of cancer is absolutely crucial to successful treatment.
Synonyms: multiply, mushroom, burgeon
Antonyms: decrease, diminish, dwindle, slack off
What does ‘subjugate’ mean?
(v.) to conquer by force, bring under complete control
“We must act quickly,” the general said, “in order to subjugate the rebel forces.”
Synonym: subdue, vanquish, master
Antonyms: be conquered, submit, surrender
What does ‘sully’ mean?
(v.) to soil, stain, tarnish, defile, besmirch
The Watergate scandal sully the image of politicians in the minds of many voters.
Synonym: pollute, taint, smear
Antonyms: cleanse, purify, decontaminate
What does ‘tantalize’ mean?
(v.) to tease, torment by teasing
When I am on a diet, the treats in bakery windows seem to have been put there to tantalize.
Synonym: tempt, lead on, make one’s mouth water
Antonyms: satisfy, fulfill, gratify
What does ‘terse’ mean?
(adj.) brief and to the point
The manuscript for my short story was returned to me with a terse letter of rejection.
Synonym: concise, succinct, crisp, short and sweet
Antonyms: verbose, wordy, diffuse, prolix
What does ‘unflinching’ mean?
(adj.) firm, showing no signs of fear, not drawing back
Everyone admires the unflinching courage with which firefighters and other rescue workers carry out their dangerous jobs.
Synonym: resolute, steadfast, unwavering
Antonyms: irresolute, wavering, vacillating
What is the meaning of ‘expulsion’?
(n.) the process of driving or forcing out
The story of the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden is told in Genesis.
Synonym: ejection, ouster, eviction
Antonyms: admittance, admission
What is a ‘feint’?
(n.) a deliberately deceptive movement; a pretense; (v.) to make a deceptive movement; to make a pretense of
The chess master’s opening feint gave her an immediate advantage.
Synonym: trick, ruse, subterfuge, dodge, bluff
What does ‘fodder’ refer to?
(n.) food for horses or cattle; raw material for a designated purpose
Every experience in life is fodder for a novelist’s imagination.
Synonym: feed, provender
What does it mean to ‘fortify’?
(v.) to strengthen, build up
The soldiers fortified the garrison against the expected attack.
Synonym: reinforce, shore up
Antonyms: weaken, undermine, sap, impair
What does ‘illegible’ mean?
(adj.) difficult or impossible to read
The effects of air pollution have rendered the inscriptions on many old gravestones illegible.
Synonym: unreadable, indecipherable, scribbled
Antonyms: readable, decipher, distinct, clear
What does it mean to ‘jeer’?
(v.) to make fun of rudely or unkindly; (n.) a rude remark of derision
To jeer at someone with a disability is absolutely inexcusable.
Synonym: laugh at, mock, taunt
Antonyms: applause, plaudits, accolades
What does ‘lucrative’ mean?
(adj.) bringing in money; profitable
Many people find that they can turn a favorite hobby into a highly lucrative business.
Synonym: gainful, moneymaking
Antonyms: unprofitable, losing, in the red
What does ‘adjourn’ mean?
(v.) to stop proceedings temporarily; move to another place
The judge adjourned the hearing until ten o’clock the following morning.
Synonym: postpone, suspend, discontinue
Antonyms: open, call to order
What is an ‘alien’?
(n.) a citizen of another country; (adj.) foreign, strange
Movies about an alien from outer space have been extremely popular for decades.
Synonym: exotic, unfamiliar
Antonyms: native, endemic, familiar
What does ‘comely’ mean?
(adj.) having a pleasing appearance
The proud parents and their comely children posed for a family portrait.
Synonym: good-looking, attractive, bonny
Antonyms: plain, homely, ugly, repulsive
What does ‘compensate’ mean?
(v.) to make up for; to repay for services
The manufacturer was ordered to compensate customers injured by the defective product.
Synonym: pay back, reimburse, recompense
Antonyms: fail to reward, stiff
What does ‘dissolute’ mean?
(adj.) loose in one’s morals or behavior
The mad Roman emperor Caligula led an extravagant and dissolute life.
Synonym: dissipated, debauched, immoral, corrupt
Antonyms: virtuous, chaste, moral, seemly, proper
What does ‘erratic’ mean?
(adj.) not regular or consistent; different from what is ordinarily expected; undependable
Students who have an erratic attendance record may find themselves disciplined by the principal.
Synonym: irregular, inconsistent, unpredictable
Antonyms: steady, consistent, dependable
