E Unit 6 Vocab

Accede

V. to yield; to assume an Management was not

office or dignity willing to accede labor’s
initial demands, thus
increasing the likelihood of
a long and bitter strike.
Brandish

V. to wave or flourish in a I brandished my umbrella

menacing or vigorous repeatedly in a vain effort to
fashion hail a cab.
Comprise

V. to include or contain; to Classical symphonies

be made up of usually comprise three or
four movements of varying
musical form, tempo, and
character.
Deft

Adj; skillful, nimble The deft fingers of Spanish

seamstresses produced
some of the finest, most
delicate lace ever seen.
destitute

Adj. deprived of the Some people fled their

necessities of life; lacking in homes so suddenly that they
arrived at the refugee camp
absolutely destitute.
Explicit

Adj. definite, clearly stated The more explicit your

directions are, the easier it
will be for all of us to find
our way to the campside.
Extirpate

V. to tear up by the roots; to We must do everything we

destroy totally can to extirpate racism
from from American
society.
Inopportune

Asj. coming at a bad time; Why do my relatives always

not appropriate seem to turn up at the most
inopportune time
imaginable?
Ironic

Adj. suggesting an The short stories of O.

incongruity between what Henry are famous for their
might be expected and what ironic endings.
actually happens; given to
irony, sarcastic
Musty

Adj. stale, moldy; Houses that have been

out-of-date closed up for a very long
time often have an
unpleasantly musty smell
about them.
Officious

Adj. meddling; excessively The manager of the store

forward in offering services warned the entire sales
or assuming authority force not to be too
officious when helping
customers.
Ominous

Adj. unfavorable, The ominous sound of

threatening, of bad omen distant thunder warned us
of the storm’s approach.
Pinnacle

N. a high point or peak Some pop musicians reach

the pinnacle of their
careers comparatively early
in life.
Premeditated

Adj. considered beforehand, Some crimes are

deliberately planned spontaneous acts of
passion; others are quite
premeditated.
Rampant

Adj. growing without check, All kinds of odd rumors run

running wild rampant during a political
campaign.
 Solace

N. comfort, relief Many world leaders seek solace

from the cares of state in the pages
of great literature.

I could find no way to solace my

V. to comfort or console
deeply troubled conscience.
Stately

Adj. dignified, majestic The stately procession

slowly wound its way from
the palace to the cathedral.
Supple

Adj. bending easily; bending Have you ever read Robert

with agility; readily Frost’s famous poem about
adaptable servile swinging on the supple
branches of a birch tree?
Suppress

V. to stop by force, put Totalitarian governments

down usually take strong
measures to suppress free
speech.
Venal

adj. open to or marked by The presence of even one

bribery or corruption venal official may
jeopardize the integrity of
an entire organization.