v.

to become less active, less As I began my speech, my feelings of nervousnes

Abate
intense, or less in amount quickly abated.
adj. existing purely in the mind; Julie had trouble understanding the appeal of
Abstract
not representing actual reality the abstract painting.
Abysmal adj. extremely bad I got an abysmal grade on my research paper!
Accordingly adv. in accordance with All students must behave accordingly.
n. the act of gaining a skill or Language acquisition is easier for kids than it is
Acquisition
possession of something for adults.
v. to make suit a new purpose The US has adapted many foreign foods to better
v. to accommodate oneself to a suit the tastes of Americans.
Adapt
new condition, setting, or Dogs are known for their ability to quickly adapt to
situation their environments.
adj. having knowledge or skill Beth loves playing the piano, but she’s
Adept
(usu. in a particular area) especially adept at the violin.
adj. having sufficient
Though his resume was adequate, the company
Adequate qualifications to meet a specific
doubted whether he’d be a good fit.
task or purpose
n. the arrival or creation of The world has never been the same since
Advent
something (usu. historic) the advent of the light bulb.
An adversarial attitude will make you many
Adversarial adj. relating to hostile opposition
enemies in life.
n. someone who promotes or
defends something I am an advocate for free higher education.
Advocate v. to defend or promote Environmental protesters often advocate for
something (usu. a belief, theory, cleaner energy practices.
opinion, etc.)
The aesthetic decorations at the wedding
adj. relating to beauty or refined
Aesthetic reception made you feel as if you were a characte
taste
in a fairy tale.
He’s saving money so he can afford to buy a new
v. to be able to buy
Afford car.
v. to be able to spare
I can’t afford to lose any more pencils!
v. to promote something (usu. a
Agitate They’re agitating for better health care.
cause)
Allow v. to permit or consent to US law allows citizens to speak freely.
v. to make a secretive mention She alluded to the problem at hand but didn’t say
Allude
of something anything more about it.
n. a noisy argument or Greg got into an altercation with a stranger at the
Altercation
confrontation bar.
adj. unclear or vague in Her ambiguous statement made me question
Ambiguous
meaning whether she could be trusted.
adj. having a powerful desire for Penny is so ambitious, she wants to be president
Ambitious
success or achievement someday.
Ambivalence n. the state of being uncertain or His ambivalence prevented him from immediately
 stuck between two or more
signing the contract.
options
Green onions are considered analogous to spring
Analogous adj. similar but not identical
onions.
v. to destroy or cause The dictator sent orders to annihilate the group o
Annihilate
devastating destruction rebels.
n. something different from the
Anomaly This result is an anomaly and very rarely happen
norm
The party was just as fun as I had anticipated it
Anticipate v. assume to be likely to happen
would be.
Her antipathy toward the professor was obvious:
Antipathy n. a strong feeling of dislike she rolled her eyes whenever he entered the
classroom.
Apex n. the highest point of something The spring play was the apex of our school year.
n. fearful expectation of Her apprehension to leave her house resulted in
Apprehension
something her missing the train.
She articulated her opinion on the price of the
Articulate v. to clearly express in words
house.
adj. something made; not Many candies use artificial flavors to make them
Artificial
occurring naturally taste fruity.
His assertion that sharks are mammals made
Assertion n. a strong declaration
everyone laugh.
He lived in a small, austere cabin in the middle of
adj. extremely plain the woods.
Austere adj. stern and forbidding My boss had an austere expression on her face.
adj. relating to self-denial An austere lifestyle, like that of monks, isn’t for
everybody.
n. the quality of being real and
The police officer doubted the authenticity of the
Authenticity true instead of fake and
suspect’s story.
contrived
n. an intangible path or The company has decided to pursue
Avenue
approach to something other avenues.
adj. actively interested in or
Avid Gerald is an avid soccer fan.
enthusiastic about something
adj. relating to the foundation or You have to start with basic Russian before you
Basic
basis of something can move on to the advanced level.
v. to have as a characteristic She bears a strong resemblance to your mother.
v. to have (a child) Judy will bear her first child later this year.
Bear
v. to bring forth My garden is going to bear pumpkins this year.
v. to put up with I can’t bear her complaining any longer!
Benevolent adj. kind, generous Many cultures believe in benevolent spirits.
n. a preconception that prevents It’s important to avoid bias when investigating a
Bias
objectivity crime.
Bittersweet adj. tinged with a feeling of The ending of the romance movie was bitterswee
 sadness
v. to support, strengthen, or If we work together, we should be able to lift and
Bolster
fortify then bolster the couch.
The boost in profits was a welcome change.
n. an increase or growth
Boost In order to boost profits, you need to cater to your
v. to increase or make grow
customers.
A brawl broke out at school today after one stude
n. an intense, loud fight
Brawl accused another of cheating.
v. to fight loudly and disruptively
The two students brawled for an hour.
n. the quality of being brief or The brevity of their time together made it all the
Brevity
terse more romantic.
Josh is candid about his desire to become an
Candid adj. direct, blunt
actor.
n. the trait of being honest and I admire her candor, especially when nobody else
Candor
frank bothers to speak up.
I’d like to capitalize on your math skills by having
Capitalize v. to use to your advantage
your work the cash register.
The spy was captured by the enemy.
v. to trap or take possession of
Your painting beautifully captures the ephemerali
v. to successfully represent or
of life.
Capture imitate
I was captured by her beauty.
v. to captivate, mesmerize
The cops captured the criminal three days after th
v. to catch or seize
incident.
adj. relating to the city or
Civic Voting is a civic duty.
citizens
adj. emotionally unattached
Her clinical approach to situations allows her to
Clinical (usu. used in medical or
handle them more effectively.
scientific setting)
Children of rich and famous people often believe
Clout n. special advantage or power
they have a lot of clout.
The horse’s mane was coarse, as if it had never
adj. indicating a rough texture
been washed.
Coarse adj. lacking refinement or
The queen’s coarse way of speaking surprised th
sophistication
other members of royalty.
It wasn’t until after I booked my ticket that I realize
Coincide v. to happen at the same time
the concert coincided with my finals.
n. the use of payment to request
This painting was commissioned by a rich
Commission something (e.g., a service or
merchant in 1589.
product)
Comparable adj. able to be compared This novel is comparable to Huckleberry Finn.
We need to hire a competent web developer to
Competent adj. sufficiently qualified
create a good website for our company.
Though he had never won any awards or even
adj. satisfied, with no desire to
Complacent been published, he was complacent with his life a
change or improve
a poet.
 This wine perfectly complements this platter of
Complement v. to make perfect or complete
gourmet cheese.
v. to be forced to agree or With no chance of winning the battle, the army at
Concede surrender last conceded.
v. to admit to a transgression Dan conceded to pranking his sister.
The plan to build the city was
Conceive v. to imagine or come up with
originally conceived in the early 1900s.
She couldn't condone her daughter's rebellious
Condone v. t o overlook, approve, or allow
behavior.
adj. able to bring about or be The noisy students hardly made the campus
Conducive
suitable for library conducive to studying.
The group conducted their research abroad last
v. to control or manage
Conduct year.
v. to behave a certain way
Be sure to conduct yourself accordingly.
v. to share something secretive She confided all of her biggest secrets in her bes
Confide
with someone friend.
We are going to confine the use of this drinking
Confine v. to put limits on; to restrict
fountain.
After weeks of debating, the panel finally came to
Consensus n. overall agreement
a consensus.
v. to form or compose (part of) The desire for equality constituted the civil rights
Constitute
something movement.
She contemplated telling her teacher about the
Contemplate v. to think deeply about
cheating student.
v. to maintain or assert (an The president contends that the US government
Contend
opinion) will not negotiate with terrorists.
Contradict v. to be in contrast with The camera footage contradicts his alibi.
adj. highly debatable and Millions of viewers watched
Controversial
causing contention the controversial debate take place.
adj. abiding by accepted
Conventional She lives a conventional life in the suburbs.
standards
v. to pass on or transfer
Convey I have trouble conveying my thoughts in French.
(information)
Her religious convictions prevent her from eating
Conviction n. a firm belief in something
meat.
v. to provide evidence for; to The note signed by her father corroborates her
Corroborate
back up (a claim) claim that she was absent from class that day.
This ingredient seems to counteract the other
Counteract v. to work in opposition to
ones.
Make sure to include a counterargument in your
n. an argument used to criticize
Counterargument essay so that you can show you’ve considered the
or dismantle another argument
topic from all perspectives.
Counterproductive adj. hindering the achievement Bill’s idea to take a shortcut was
of a goal ultimately counterproductive: it took us twice as
 long to get to the train station.
The culmination of the performance was
Culmination n. the final act or climax
unforgettable.
Teachers don’t just pass on new information to
Cultivate v. to foster the growth of
students — they cultivate their academic potentia
v. to declare formally and with The president decreed that Halloween would
Decree
authority henceforth be a national holiday.
Her deference to the elderly makes her the perfec
Deference n. respect; regard
candidate for an internship at the retirement cente
adj. not enough in degree or I feel as though the sources for my paper
Deficient
amount are deficient.
Could you demonstrate the dance move for me?
v. to do as an example
Demonstrate This book’s use of words such as “grim” and
v. gives evidence for
“bleak” demonstrates the author’s mournful tone.
She demurred at my request to transfer to a
Demur v. to object to
different department.
v. to (over)use over time (usu. The lost campers quickly depleted their supply of
Deplete
resources) food.
Desolate adj. bare, barren, empty The moon is one giant, desolate landscape.
Devise v. to come up with (a plan) Lana devised a plan to make herself famous.
n. a problem, usually requiring a The main dilemma is whether to pay for a
Dilemma
choice between two options commercial or not.
n. conscientiousness; the quality
Diligence Diligence and confidence will get you far in life.
of being committed to a task
v. to become smaller in scope or The itchiness of mosquito bites usually starts
Diminish
degree to diminish after a few days.
When the police didn’t explain what was happenin
adj. hopeless and dangerous or
Dire right away, Jane knew that the situation must
fearful
be dire.
Disputes over money caused intense discord in
Discord n. disagreement
the family.
n. a lack of respect and strong
He looked at me with such disdain that I
Disdain dislike (toward something or
immediately knew the job wouldn’t work out.
someone)
n. hopelessness, stress, or
To Nick’s dismay, he got an F on the test.
consternation
Dismay Many were dismayed by the town’s
v. to fill with woe or
implementation of metered parking.
apprehension
A good boss is stern but never disparages his or
Disparage v. to belittle or speak down to
her employees.
v. to send off a message or The mother dispatched her daughter to their
Dispatch
messenger neighbor’s house.
Lately, there’s been noticeable diversification of
Diversification n. the act of becoming diverse
students at higher institutions.
 n. a principle, theory, or position,
Devoutly religious people often live their lives
Doctrine usu. advocated by a religion or
according to their doctrines.
gov’t
n. power and authority (usu. The country claimed to have dominion over parts
Dominion over a territory) of Russia.
n. a legal territory Puerto Rico is a dominion of the US.
The gray clouds in the sky made the day
Dreary adj. sad, gloomy, dull
feel dreary.
The man’s claims to the throne were dubious sin
Dubious adj. doubtful, questionable
nobody knew where he’d come from.
adj. peculiar or odd; deviating
Eccentric She’s a little eccentric but still fun to be around.
from the norm
After cheating on the exam, Emily began to feel as
Egregious adj. extremely bad
though she’d made an egregious mistake.
adj. having refined or expressive
His speech was not only eloquent but also
Eloquent communication skills (in
extremely compelling.
speaking or writing)
adj. superior or distinguished; Our town made news when the eminent magician
Eminent
high in position or status came to perform at our local theater.
v. to discharge, give forth, or
Emit Plants consume carbon dioxide and emit oxygen.
release
adj. very expressive; using Her emphatic smile told me she was excited to rid
Emphatic
emphasis the roller coaster.
adj. derived from experience, You need empirical evidence to support your
Empirical
observation, or an experiment claim.
v. to equip or bestow (usu. a According to the myth, the gods endowed him wit
Endow
quality or ability) the gift of healing.
v. to withstand, sustain, or hold I can’t endure this wait any longer. Will Stanford
Endure
out against accept or reject me?
A doctoral program entails long nights and a heav
Entail v. to involve or include
workload.
Entrenched adj. firmly established Her face will forever be entrenched in my memor
I can’t enumerate how many times I’ve had to
Enumerate v. to specify or count
remind my students when their papers are due.
n. excessive jealousy His envy of her is quite obvious.
Envy
v. to admire and be jealous of She envies her coworker's social skills.
adj. having no fixed course;
Erratic The car became erratic after slipping on ice.
deviating from the norm
v. to enact They established a law that made it illegal to driv
Establish v. to found (a business, group, after drinking any amount of alcohol.
school, etc.) Our group established a new branch in Chicago.
Evoke v. to draw forth or call up Horror movies are great at evoking fear.
v. to make worse or increase the The doctor told me not to run as it
Exacerbate
severity of can exacerbate my knee injury.
 v. to do something extremely She was a well-rounded student
Excel
well or to be superior in but excelled especially in science.
Exert v. to put into use (usu. as effort) Don’t exert all of your energy at once.
adj. invigorating, stimulating, or The music playing at the club was catchy
Exhilarating
exciting and exhilarating.
v. to use up (as in energy or Be careful not to expend all your energy in the firs
Expend
money) half of a marathon.
The shoddy company exploited its workers by
Exploit v. to use selfishly or for profit
paying them extremely low wages.
In grad school, advisors facilitate students’
Facilitate v. to aid the progress of
research and offer constructive criticism.
The feasibility of her project was doubtful; she’d
n. the practicality or possibility of
Feasibility have to go all the way to Antarctica and back
something
before the school year ended.
The lion is just one wild animal known for
Ferocity n. viciousness, violence
its ferocity.
adj. related to (government) Fiscal policy is how the government uses money
Fiscal
money influence the economy.
v. to prosper, grow, or make fast After one year, the tiny plants had flourished into
Flourish
progress breathtaking garden.
Stocks can fluctuate on a daily basis, making it
Fluctuate v. to be unstable; to rise and fall
difficult to determine when to buy or sell one.
The civilians accused their leader
Foment v. to stir up
of fomenting political unrest.
adj. capable of being predicted I can't imagine aliens visiting us in
Foreseeable
or anticipated the foreseeable future.
Frankly adv. directly, clearly I frankly don’t see the point in learning to drive.
His freewheeling attitude often got him in trouble
Freewheeling adj. carefree
at work.
adj. the most essential or most A thesis is arguably the most fundamental part o
Fundamental
basic part an essay.
The galvanizing performance left everyone
Galvanizing adj. thrilling, exciting, stimulating
spellbound.
I became interested in geriatric medicine shortly
Geriatric adj. relating to old age
after my grandfather passed away from cancer.
The voices around the corner sounded
Hostile adj. harmful, dangerous
angry, hostile even.
adj. supposed; related to a For my physics homework, I must come up with
Hypothetical
hypothesis a hypothetical situation.
adj. publicly shameful or The politician's expensive campaign ultimately
Ignominious
humiliating ended in ignominious defeat.
v. to transmit, bestow, or Parents must impart common sense to their
Impart
disclose children.
Impartiality n. the equal and objective To ensure impartiality, we require everyone to
 treatment of opposing views follow these general guidelines.
adj. impressive (esp. in size or The old mansion was imposing in its huge size
Imposing
appearance) and gothic architecture.
If it’s not too much of an imposition, could you
Imposition n. an unnecessary burden
proofread my paper?
adj. not cautious or prudent; Backpacking abroad can be fun, but don’t
Imprudent
rash be imprudent about money.
Incite v. to encourage or stir up Her hateful words incited anger in the crowd.
n. apathy, emotional The girl’s indifference toward her brother upset
Indifference
detachment their parents.
adv. randomly; with little or no
Indiscriminately Lottery winners are chosen indiscriminately.
distinction
v. to give into; to satisfy or My friend loves to indulge in cheesy romance
Indulge
gratify movies.
v. to guess, conclude, or derive You can infer from this quotation that the writer
Infer
by reasoning didn’t care for “pretty” language.
adj. novel or new (esp. as an Her invention was incredibly innovative and won
Innovative
idea or invention) her multiple awards.
Insatiable adj. can’t be satisfied A vampire’s thirst for blood is said to be insatiable
Inversion n. a reversal The culture’s norms were an inversion of our own
v. to call on; to appeal to (e.g., a
Invoke The shaman attempted to invoke a demon.
higher power)
The couple’s differences were
adj. incapable of being in
Irreconcilable ultimately irreconcilable, giving them no choice b
harmony or agreed upon
to break up.
Susan lamented her missed chance at going to
Lament v. to feel sorrow for; to mourn
Europe with her high school class.
Locomotion n. movement Physics involves the study of locomotion.
adj. capable of making a lot of Writing books isn’t a particularly lucrative career,
Lucrative
money; profitable unless you’re J.K. Rowling.
The malicious spirit drove out the inhabitants from
Malicious adj. harmful, spiteful
their home.
adj. capable of being molded or Children’s minds are malleable but only for so
Malleable
changed long.
adj. superficial; focus on Many people accuse Americans of
Materialistic
material possessions being materialistic.
adj. extravagant or exaggerated The melodramatic play was well liked by the
Melodramatic
(as of a melodrama) audience.
They moved into a modest house in the
adj. simple and humble countryside.
Modest
adj. small in size or amount I received a modest sum of money for my help at
the company event.
Dr. Nguyen modified the gene so that it wouldn’t
Modify v. to change, alter, or tweak
carry the disease.
Momentous adj. historically significant Her win in the election was momentous.
We are looking for novel ways to approach the
Novel adj. new, innovative
project.
Body-language experts even understand
Nuance n. a subtle difference in meaning
the nuances of facial expressions.
Null adj. legally void and ineffective The government declared their marriage null.
n. judgment based on
In scientific research, objectivity is of utmost
Objectivity observations instead of
importance.
emotions or opinions
Historians assumed record players would
adj. no longer used; rare or
Obsolete be obsolete by now, but in fact they’re making a
uncommon
huge comeback.
Gods are omnipotent beings who can control
Omnipotent adj. almighty and all powerful
human destiny.
At the onset of her career as a lawyer, things wer
Onset n. the beginning or early stages
looking up.
The new employee opined at the company
Opine v. to openly express an opinion
meeting.
adj. highly detailed and That ornate silverware must be worth thousands o
Ornate
decorated dollars!
v. to remove or force out of (usu. Sick and tired of putting up with his bad moods, th
Oust
a position or office) pirates ousted their captain.
adj. predominant, superior, most Our paramount concern is the safety of our
Paramount
important employees.
Upon entering the abandoned house, Kate
Peculiar adj. strange, bizarre experienced a peculiar feeling, as if someone wa
watching her.
Perish v. to die; to pass away According to the news, nobody perished in the fir
They will persecute anyone who doesn’t agree
Persecute v. to cause suffering to
with their views of the world.
Petulant adj. cranky, pouty, irritable Petulant children are especially difficult to care fo
Many believe that composers such as Beethoven
Pinnacle n. highest level or degree and Mozart represent the pinnacle of classical
music.
The frail-looking dog was pitiable, so I gave it
Pitiable adj. deserving pity
some food and took it inside to care for it.
adj. reasonable and possibly Her story is plausible, but that doesn’t mean she’
Plausible
true telling the truth.
The literary critic postulates that romanticism and
Postulate v. to assert
naturalism are actually interconnected.
adj. having great influence The bald eagle is a potent symbol of the US.
Potent adj. having a strong, chemical The potion was definitely potent — it healed my
effect wounds immediately!
Pragmatic adj. practical, useful It’s not necessarily more pragmatic to study
 engineering than it is to study philosophy.
n. an example or subject from
Precedent This change in law is without historical precedent
earlier in time
n. someone who comes before My predecessor gave me many tips for running
Predecessor
you (usu. in position or office) the office.
The directions for our essay prescribe a length of
v. to command orders
at least ten pages.
Prescribe v. to issue authorization for
A doctor must prescribe you this medication befo
medications
you can begin taking it.
n. basic truth, assumption, or Remember the universal principle: treat others as
Principle
rule you want them to treat you.
v. to command against, to
Prohibit Alcohol was prohibited in the US in the 1920s.
outlaw
adj. punctual, on time She is always prompt when it comes to turning
n. a cue to begin something; in her homework.
Prompt instructions I had to write an essay based on a prompt.
v. to incite, propel, or cause to The possibility of a scholarship prompted him to
act apply to Harvard.
v. to put into law or formally The ruler will at last promulgate an amnesty with
Promulgate
declare the neighboring countries.
v. to bring criminal action
Prosecute The suspect was prosecuted yesterday.
against someone (in a trial)
adj. intending to provoke, Her nude paintings are considered
Provocative
inspire, or arouse quite provocative.
adj. involving qualities of
Qualitative something (features and I noticed a qualitative change in her paintings.
content)
adj. involving quantities
Quantitative We must conduct a quantitative analysis.
(numbers and amounts)
Quirk n. a strange habit His biggest quirk is his love of old marbles.
v. to split into two or more Cars ramified throughout the world in the twentiet
Ramify
branches century.
adj. without attention to danger Her rash decision to pass the car nearly resulted
Rash
or risk a crash.
He’s got raw talent as a singer, but he needs to
adj. unrefined
work on his performance skills.
Raw adj. not processed; uncooked
In some countries, such as Japan, it is normal to
(as in food)
eat raw fish.
adv. right away and without Water was readily available at different points in
Readily
difficulty the race.
n. thinking again about a The judges’ reconsideration of her performance
Reconsideration
previously made choice resulted in her victory.
Reform n. a change for the better; The reform made it so that only those 18 and olde
improvement can legally drive.
 The government reformed its vague policies on
v. to improve via change
marijuana use.
v. to prove to be untrue,
Refute The student refuted the professor’s claim in class
unfounded, or incorrect
v. to strengthen or add support
Reinforce We can use these pipes to reinforce the structure
to
Max reluctantly agreed to see the horror movie
Reluctantly adv. somewhat unwillingly
with his friends.
v. to give up (usu. power or a Our CEO renounced her position yesterday.
Renounce position) He renounced his friend after he caught her
v. to cast off stealing money from him.
The mother reproached her daughter’s school for
Reproach v. to criticize
making students come in during a blizzard.
The father repudiated his son’s marriage.
v. to refuse to recognize as true
Repudiate She repudiated her son once she found out he’d
v. to cast off
married someone without telling her.
Water retention can make you weigh more on
Retention n. the act of keeping something
certain days.
Satiated adj. satisfied (usu. in hunger) I felt satiated after eating a snack.
adj. having practical intelligence My brother is not very savvy when it comes to
Savvy
or knowledge using public transportation.
adj. morally offensive, often
The scandalous politician decided it was best to
Scandalous causing damage to one’s
resign from office.
reputation
It’s difficult for me not to scorn those who use
Scorn v. to look down on with disdain
improper grammar.
adj. paying great attention to I am a scrupulous proofreader and never miss an
Scrupulous
detail error.
v. to examine carefully and
Scrutinize The teacher scrutinized her students’ essays.
critically
v. to produce or release (a
Secrete Trees secrete a sticky substance called sap.
substance)
I am of the sentiment that you should never give
n. opinion out your passwords to anyone.
Sentiment
n. a tender or moving gesture Even though I’m not a big fan of porcelain dolls, I
appreciated the sentiment.
adj. so thin that light can shine The curtains on the window were so sheer you
Sheer
through could clearly see inside the house.
This math problem is so simple even a first grade
adj. easy; not complex can solve it.
Simple
adj. undecorated The simple beauty of the ocean is what makes it
memorable.
Medieval peasants believed sinister demons cou
Sinister adj. ominous, evil
harm humans.
 n. the joining of commonalities
I stood in solidarity with other female students by
Solidarity or common purposes among a
refusing to wear the school’s sexist uniform.
group
adv. insufficiently, meagerly, or
Sparingly Due to my condition, I must eat salt sparingly.
in a restricted manner
Frogs typically spawn in ponds.
v. to release eggs
Spawn The topic spawned an ongoing debate among his
v. to call forth or generate
family members.
Spur v. to stimulate or incite Her bravery spurred others to act.
The squalid cabin needed a new roof and an
Squalid adj. run-down, sordid, or sleazy
exterminator.
adj. very plain; devoid of any Looking out at the stark landscape, I felt a keen
Stark
details or features sense of isolation.
adj. motionless The ball is static.
Static
adj. changeless Her life has been static for the past three years.
adj. lower in rank The subordinate officers work every day.
n. someone lower in rank My subordinate will check you in.
Subordinate
v. to make dependent on or put You aren’t my boss — you can’t subordinate me
at a lower rank the role of receptionist!
adv. happening later or after
Subsequently I subsequently went home.
something
adj. very large in amount or I was shocked to find a substantial amount of
Substantial
degree money beneath the park bench.
v. to strengthen with new It is important for scientists to substantiate their
Substantiate
evidence or facts theories whenever possible.
I detected in her expression a subtle hint of
Subtle adj. hard to detect or analyze
irritation.
adj. enough; just meeting a
Sufficient These boxes should be sufficient for our move.
requirement
The bartender was a surly fellow who wasn’t afra
Surly adj. unfriendly; inclined to anger
to start a fight.
They managed to surmount the language barrier
Surmount v. to get on top of or overcome
by using a translation app.
adj. to be vulnerable (to Children are more susceptible to certain illnesses
Susceptible
something) than adults are.
adj. skilled at dealing with Her tactful attitude toward our class made her on
Tactful
people of my favorite teachers.
Taut adj. pulled tight The rubberband was taut and ready to be fired.
adj. abundantly filled (usu. with Doorknobs are not as clean as they look and are
Teeming
living organisms) often teeming with germs.
She had a hostile temperament, making her
Temperament n. usual mood or feelings
intimidating to most people.
We haven’t made any official arrangements yet, b
Tentative adj. not yet finalized
the tentative location for our wedding is Hawaii.
 Stained window glass isn’t as transparent as
adj. see-through; so thin that
regular window glass is.
Transparent light can shine through
She was transparent about her plans to end her
adj. truthful or easy to perceive
marriage.
The journey was becoming treacherous, but they
Treacherous adj. dangerous and unstable
continued on regardless.
adj. very large, good, or bad in Tremendous news! You don’t have to repay your
Tremendous
degree or size loans!
Ubiquitous adj. being everywhere at once Cell phones are ubiquitous these days.
Though the dress was cheap and unadorned, it
Unadorned adj. undecorated, plain
was by far her favorite one on the rack.
v. to weaken or subvert (usu. Parents should take care not to
Undermine
gradually or secretly) constantly undermine their children.
v. to emphasize or give This sentence seems to underscore the overall
Underscore
additional weight to meaning of the passage.
v. to move as ripples or in a Belly dancers are known for their ability to
Undulate
wavy pattern skillfully undulate their stomachs.
The unilateral decision was deemed unfair by the
Unilateral adj. one-sided
other party involved.
The court’s decision is unjust — he should not go
Unjust adj. unfair; not justified
free.
Unmitigated adj. downright, utter, total My speech was an unmitigated disaster!
adj. completely new and never
Unprecedented The number of protestors was unprecedented.
having happened before; historic
We plan to unveil our plans for the new company
Unveil v. to make visible; to reveal
project on Sunday.
He had the urge to tell his parents about his
n. desire or impulse
Urge acceptance to Columbia but decided against it.
v. to encourage or persuade
She urged her sister to apply to Stanford.
Your selfish actions do not validate your feelings
Validate v. to prove or declare valid
for me.
n. ability to be done in a
Viability The viability of the solution is questionable.
practical or useful way
Vital adj. urgently necessary It is vital that you respond by the deadline.
My brother quickly broke his vow to never eat
Vow v. to promise
chocolate again.
Wanting to look cool in front of your friends
Warrant v. to prove to be reasonable
doesn’t warrant breaking the law.
The farmer’s annual pumpkin yield exceeded
10,000.
n. production of an amount
Cars turning right on red must yield to oncoming
Yield v. to give way to or surrender to
traffic.
v. to produce or supply
Our experiment yielded many unique-looking
vegetables.
 Living close to a lake means
Abundant Present in large quantities. we have an abundant supply
of water.

Each fall, leaves accumulate

Accumulate To gradually collect.
in our driveway.

Make sure your address is

Accurate Correct; free from errors. accurate before submitting
your online order.

Having 8AM classes means

Accustomed Used to something. I’m accustomed to getting up
early.

When my grandmother died,

Acquire To come into possession of. acquired her cookbook
collection.

The defendant was adamant

Adamant Refusing to change an opinion.
that he was innocent.

Our house isn’t big, but it’s

Adequate Enough to suit your needs.
adequate for the two of us.

The park is adjacent to the

Adjacent Close to or next to.
school.

The bike seat may be too

Adjust To change something so it serves its purpose better. high; you’ll probably need to
adjust it.

His height gives him an

Advantage Something that makes it easier to achieve success.
advantage in basketball.

Advocate To publicly support. My aunt is a major advocate

 for women’s’ rights.

I had an adverse reaction to

Adverse Unfavorable; against one’s desires. my medication and had to
stop taking it.

We should aggregate our

Aggregate To combine. resources to share them
more easily.

The salesperson was very

Aggressive Assertive and pushy. aggressive when trying to ge
us to buy the television.

The village needs to allocate

Allocate To put aside for a specific purpose. funds for building the new
school.

If the ATM is broken, an

Alternative Another option or choice. alternative solution is to stop
by the bank.

He’s an amateur soccer

Someone who is inexperienced or not highly skilled in a
Amateur player and is still learning the
particular area.
rules of the game.

When I asked the HR

manager what my chances
Having several potential meanings; unclear and difficult
Ambiguous were of getting the job, she
to understand.
gave me a very ambiguous
reply.

My son is very ambitious and

Ambitious Having large goals. hopes to be a millionaire by
the time he’s thirty.

I believe we should amend

Amend To change for the better; to improve.
our country’s tax laws.
 Our new apartment has
Ample Plentiful. ample space for the two of
us.

The basketball player is the

team’s best free thrower, so
Anomaly Deviation from the norm.
his missing both shots was
an anomaly.

The annual company

Annual Occurring yearly. barbeque takes place every
August.

The boy loves to antagonize

Antagonize To tease or be hostile towards a person or group. his little sister by pulling her
hair.

After she got grounded, the

Attitude Manner or feeling. teenager had a bad attitude
for the rest of the day.

Be sure to attribute credit to

Attribute To give credit. your sources when writing a
research paper.

Flipping a coin is an arbitrary

Arbitrary Based on a whim or random decision.
way to make a decision.

After you cross the bridge,

Arduous Requiring a lot of effort. there’s an arduous walk up
the hill.

The mother assuaged her

Assuage To lessen a negative feeling.
child’s fear of the dark.

I assumed he was rich

Assume To suppose without solid proof. because he worked as a
lawyer.
 She augments her regular
Augment To increase or make larger. salary by babysitting on the
weekends.

A benefit of doing homework

Benefit Something positive or advantageous. on Friday is that your
weekend will be free.

Our neighbor berated us afte

Berate To scold. we broke his window playing
baseball.

The medal was bestowed

Bestow To give as a gift.
upon him by the president.

He always boasts of his

Boast To brag or talk with excessive pride.
talents after he wins a game.

I gave him a pep talk to boos

Boost To help raise or increase something. his self-esteem before his
speech.

The brash man always asked

Brash Rude and tactless.
inappropriate questions.

It will only have a brief

Brief Short (in terms of time). meeting, so you’ll still have
plenty of time for lunch.

After being away for so long,

Brusque Abrupt to the point of rudeness. I expected more than her
brusque greeting.

The cuckoo clock shop lets

Cacophony A harsh, unpleasant mixture of noise.
off a cacophony every hour.

Cease To stop. I wish they would cease

 arguing.

Every parent in our district

Censure To express strong disapproval.
censured the education cuts.

Put the historical events in

Chronological Arranged in order of time or date. chronological order to make
them easier to study.

I didn’t understand the

Clarify To make clear; to remove confusion. instructions, so I asked the
teacher to clarify them.

The people on the street

Coalesce To combine or grow together. eventually coalesced into a
group.

The young boy was coerced

Coerce To force someone to do something against their will.
into stealing by his friends.

Before mountain climbing,

Cognizant Being aware or having knowledge of something. you need to be cognizant of
the risks.

Water molecules show strong

Cohesion Uniting; becoming one. cohesion when they stick
together.

This year Thanksgiving

Coincide To occur at the same time.
coincided with my birthday.

The old building finally

Collapse To fall down or break down. collapsed, leaving nothing bu
a pile of rubble.

The two cars collided on the

Collide To hit one another with a forceful impact.
freeway.
 Joining a school play is a big
Commitment Dedication to a cause or activity. commitment. You’ll need to
practice every evening.

The Chinese community in

Community A group of people who live or work together. my city is hosting a New Yea
celebration next week.

The mountains concealed the

Conceal To hide.
ocean from view.

He believes women should

Concur To agree. be paid as much as men, and
I concur.

The conflict between the two

Conflict A disagreement or fight. families has been going on
for generations.

You should move your plant

Constrain To restrict or repress. to a bigger pot, otherwise
you’ll constrain its roots.

I spend a lot of time

Contemplate To consider thoughtfully. contemplating what career I
want to have.

My neighbors have been

Continuously To go on without stopping. continuously blasting their
music since last night.

I told the employees that

sales were down, but my
Contradict To give the opposite opinion.
boss contradicted me and
said sales were actually up.

Contribute To give something (usually money or time) to a Every roommate contributes

common fund or cause. part of his paycheck to the
 grocery bill.

I’ve conveyed my interest in

Convey To make known.
working for that company.

He always takes copious

Copious Abundant. notes during class to study
later on.

Although many employees

Core Central; of main importance. left the company, the core
leadership remained.

The rust corroded the paint

Corrode To gradually wear away.
on my car.

Trying to carry four grocery

Cumbersome Burdensome; clumsy bags at once was very
cumbersome.

Our school needs to add

Curriculum The courses given by a school or program. more music courses to its
curriculum.

The data from these graphs

Data Facts, statistics, or pieces of information. show that yearly
temperatures are increasing.

After the tree died, its wood

Decay To decline in health or excellence.
began to decay.

He deceived me by
Deceive To trick or mislead.
pretending to be a millionaire

The spy deciphered the

Decipher To find the meaning of.
secret code.

Declaration An announcement. He made a declaration to the

 office that he was quitting.

1. To politely refuse.

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Decline To be fair, it's possible to get a good TOEFL score ride home.
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2. To deteriorate (especially in terms of health.)

My attempt at cake degraded

Degrade To lower in quality.
into a crumbly mess.
Let me demonstrate the
Demonstrate To show. proper way of throwing a
football.
Deny To state that something isn’t true. He denied being the robber.
Your shopping sprees have
Deplete To significantly decrease.
depleted my savings.
Please deposit your books in
Deposit To deliver and leave an item.
the bin outside the library.
Bravery is a desirable trait for
Desirable Worth having or wanting.
firefighters to have.
I despise early morning
Despise To hate.
classes.
The police dog detected the
Detect To locate something.
missing child’s scent.
The warning signs on the
Deter To discourage.
house deterred trespassers.
I decided to deviate from my
Deviate To differ from the norm. normal route home and took
a shortcut.
The coach devised a plan for
Devise To plan or create.
winning the game.
 The politician went into a
Diatribe A sharp criticism or attack. diatribe against her
opponent.
The teacher digressed from
Digress To wander from the main subject. the lecture to discuss the
weather.
The student faced the
A situation where one must choose between two difficult
Dilemma dilemma of attending school
choices.
sick or missing her exam.
Sprinkle baking soda on the
Diminish To shrink or reduce.
carpet to diminish the stain.
I need to dispose of this
Dispose To get rid of.
trash.
The piece of pie I received
Disproportionate Too large or small when compared to something else.
was disproportionately small.
The protesters disrupted the
Disrupt To interrupt by causing a disturbance.
politician’s speech.
The camera filter distorted
Distort To misrepresent.
the image.
Distribute the materials
Distribute To give portions of something.
evenly among the class.
This city has a very diverse
Diverse Showing a lot of variety.
population.
Because of the accident, the
Divert To cause a change of course. police had to divert traffic
down a side street.
The theater has dynamic
Dynamic Constantly changing. shows, so you never know
what you’ll see.
This prescription will ease
Ease To reduce unpleasantness or difficulty.
your allergies.
Now that I’m following a
Efficient Maximizing productivity. schedule at work, I’m much
more efficient.
Our team lost the match and
Eliminate To remove. was eliminated from the
competition.
The elite detective team were
Elite A select, above-average group. also sent for when there were
big crimes.
Her eloquent writing has
Eloquent Moving speech or writing.
gained her many fans.
 The teacher emphasized the
Emphasize To give special importance to when speaking or writing.
due date of the project.
He has endured four knee
Endure To suffer through something difficult with patience.
operations so far.
The falling snow enhanced
Enhance To intensify or magnify. the beauty of the small
village.
The duchess is the epitome
Epitome A perfect example of something.
of class.
Twenty-four is equivalent to
Equivalent Equal.
two dozen.
He apologized for his
Erroneous Incorrect.
erroneous statement.
Try to get an estimate of the
Estimate An approximate value. number of people attending
the concert.
By hiding in the bathroom, we
Evade To avoid or escape. were able to evade the
intruder.
At the end of the class, every
Evaluate To assess. student will evaluate how wel
the professor taught.
Facts or information that help prove or disprove These fossils are evidence of
Evidence
something. evolution.
The small school evolved into
Evolve To gradually change.
a world-class institution.
She is an exemplary student,
Exemplary Worthy of imitation. and you should copy her
study habits.
The young boy was excluded
Exclude To leave out. from his friends’ soccer
game.
We may not be able to get in
Exclusive Not admitting the majority. since that club is very
exclusive.
Adding air to bike tires will
Expand To increase in size.
cause them to expand.
The surgeon’s expertise is
Expertise Expert knowledge or skill in a particular field.
knee surgeries.
The company exploited its
Exploit To use selfishly. workers by making them
work long hours.
 The emails presented
Expose To reveal or unmask. exposed the company’s
corruption.
If you’re sick on the day the
paper is due, the teacher
Extension An act of making something longer.
may give you an extension
on the due date.
The dentist extracted one of
Extract To get or remove something.
my teeth.
Millions of children in
Famine A time when there is an extreme lack of food. Ethiopia died due to the
famine there.
This study plan you made for
Feasible Possible to do. me sounds feasible, even
with my work schedule.
Remember that life is finite;
Finite Having an end or limits.
you’re not immortal.
I got the diamond for a
Flaw A feature that ruins the perfection of something. reduced price since the stone
had a flaw.
I’m not sure what to wear
Fluctuate To change continually. since the temperature has
been fluctuating so much.
The program is going to
Focus The central point or idea. focus on environmental
issues.
The king decided to fortify the
Fortify To strengthen. castle walls to protect them
during attacks.
Skyscrapers must have a
Framework A skeletal structure designed to support something. strong framework to support
all the floors.
You must stop spending your
Frivolous Unnecessary; of little importance money on frivolous
purchases.
The function of petals is to
Function A purpose natural to a person or thing.
attract insects to the plant.
Learning scales is
Fundamental Of primary importance. fundamental to being a good
piano player.
Be careful to avoid the gap
Gap A space in between to objects.
between the two steps.
Garbled Communication that is distorted and unclear. Our answering machine is so
 bad that people’s voices are
always garbled.
The fire generates heat,
Generate To produce.
which keeps the room warm.
The actress had only one
Grandiose Pompous; overly important. small part before she got
grandiose ideas of her fame.
HIs poems contain many
Hackneyed Overused and unoriginal.
hackneyed phrases.
There was no schedule, so
Haphazard Lacking planning. the event was very
haphazard.
Her comments on my
Harsh Not gentle; unpleasant. performance were very harsh
and not kind at all.
In order to avoid the police,
Hasty In a hurry. the robbers made a hasty
retreat.
The nuclear reactor has a lot
Hazardous Full of risk.
of hazardous waste.
She hesitated before entering
Hesitate To pause, often due to reluctance.
the abandoned building.
In the office hierarchy, the
Hierarchy A ranking system. manager is higher than the
associate.
Her hatred of public
transportation is a hindrance
Hindrance Something that causes delay or resistance.
when trying to get around
New York City.
Hollow Empty inside. The dead tree is hollow.
The haunted house filled me
Horror An intense feeling of fear.
with horror.
My ex-boyfriend’s new
Hostile Extremely unfriendly. girlfriend was very hostile
towards me.
You’ll need to conduct an
Hypothesis An unproven idea that attempts to explain something. experiment to test your
hypothesis.
The twins were completely
Identical Exactly the same.
identical.
Because he’d never been
Illiterate Unable to read. able to attend school, the
man was illiterate.
 The professor illustrated the
Illustrate To explain by using an example.
lesson with a personal story.
His moving words had a large
Impact Effect or influence.
impact on me.
Drinking alcohol will impair
Impair To worsen.
your driving abilities.
We will implement the new
Implement To carry out. schedule starting next
semester.
My mother implied that I was
Imply To strongly suggest. the one who forgot to take
out the trash.
After the riots, the mayor
Impose To force upon. imposed a curfew on the
town.
These medical bills are going
Impoverish To reduce to poverty.
to impoverish me.
I hate my job, but the big
Incentive A reason to do something. paychecks are a good
incentive to stick with it.
I can’t sleep because of the
Incessant Continuing without pause.
dog’s incessant barking.
Don’t worry about your grade
Incidental A minor part. on this quiz; it’s only an
incidental part of your grade.
The ringleader incited the
Incite To urge on.
soldiers to rebellion.
My inclination is to go to bed
Inclination A preference.
early.
The incompetent worker was
Incompetent Incapable; lacking ability.
fired from his job.
His pitching has been very
Inconsistent Changing randomly.
inconsistent all season.
She is an indefatigable hiker
Indefatigable Untiring.
and can walk all day.
She’s the indisputable star of
Indisputable Not able to be challenged.
the basketball team.
The drug was shown to be
Ineffective Not producing any major impact.
ineffective at curing cancer.
Even if you’re healthy, death
Inevitable Unable to be avoided.
is inevitable in the end.
Infer To guess based on evidence. I inferred that she was
 annoyed based on her body
language.
Getting a promotion has
Inflate To increase in size.
really inflated his ego.
The older sister has been a
Influence The ability to have an impact of something. positive influence on her
younger siblings.
This cleaning spray inhibits
Inhibit To hinder or restrain.
the growth of bacteria.
She was the initial president
Initial The first.
of the company.
Congress launched an
Inquiry An investigation to determine the truth. inquiry after the senator was
accused of taking bribes.
You can’t quit. You’re an
Integral Necessary to complete the whole.
integral part of this team.
When making a cake, you
Integrate To combine. need to fully integrate the we
and dry ingredients.
I need you to interpret this
Interpret To explain the meaning of something.
German speech for me.
When the toddlers couldn’t
To come between people, objects, or an event and
Intervene share their toys, their
change what is happening.
mothers had to intervene.
The intrepid mountain climbe
Intrepid Fearless. reached the top of Mt.
Everest.
The pattern on this blanket is
Intricate Highly detailed.
so intricate.
We found the stranger’s
Invasive Intrusive. questions too personal and
very invasive.
The police are going to
Investigate To examine or study.
investigate the crime scene.
Even though my grandfather
Irascible Easy to anger. seems irascible, he’s actually
very loving.
“I love spending my Friday
The use of words to give a meaning opposite to their
Irony nights doing homework,” she
literal meaning.
said with irony.
Not sure which direction to go
Irresolute Uncertain.
in, he stood irresolute.
 To be a successful doctor,
Jargon Words specific to a certain job or group. you’ll need to learn a lot of
medical jargon.
The newlyweds jointly
Jointly Together.
opened up a bank account.
My brother has a real knack
Knack A special talent or skill. for solving tricky math
problems.
Building a house requires a
Labor Work or effort.
lot of labor.
I stayed with the front group
of runners for the first few
Lag To fall behind.
miles, but after that I began
to lag.
The cartoonist lampooned
Lampoon To mock or ridicule.
the president’s speech.
During winter break, my
plants languished since I was
Languish To become weak; to be neglected.
visiting my parents and
couldn’t water them.
The professor will give a 30
Lecture A talk given to an audience. minute lecture before the
quiz.
I’m leery of taking the dark-
Leery Wary.
looking shortcut.
The way he became mayor is
Legitimate Lawful.
completely legitimate.
The judge gave the criminal a
Lenient Merciful; less harsh. lenient sentence due to his
bad childhood.
I don’t have much homework
Likely Probable. so it’s likely I’ll be able to go
out tonight.
His claims about me are
Ludicrous Ridiculous.
absolutely ludicrous.
She has maintained the
Maintain To continue at the same level. same weight since high
school.
This test is a major part of
Major Very important.
your final grade.
He tried to manipulate the
Manipulate To influence, especially in an unfair way.
results of the election.
Maximize To increase to the greatest possible size. The store’s goal this year is
 to maximize its profit.
By measuring the tree, I
Measure To find the size and dimensions of something.
found it was seven feet tall.
The meal the chef made was
Mediocre Ordinary, average.
only mediocre.
My mother will mend the hole
Mend To fix.
in my shirt.
Her method for making bread
Method A way of doing something.
takes three days.
Every fall, the geese migrate
Migrate To move from one place to another.
to Florida.
You need to get a minimum
Minimum The smallest or lowest amount possible. of 70% on the test to pass
the class.
The advertisement for the
weight loss pills is very
Misleading Giving the wrong idea. misleading since studies
have shown they’re
ineffective.
I need to modify my style so i
Modify To change.
looks more professional.
The boy was morose after
Morose Gloomy, depressed. hearing he didn’t make the
football team.
The negligent babysitter
Negligent Lazy, neglectful. invited her friends over while
the children were upstairs.
I was hurt when my friend
Nonchalant Indifferent, unexcited.
greeted me so nonchalantly.
My dog always obeys me
Obey To follow orders or instructions.
when I ask her to sit.
The spy obtained the secret
Obtain To get.
codes we need.
The large poster of Michael
Jackson over her bed made i
Obvious Easily understood.
obvious who her favorite
singer was.
The soccer player blocked
Opponent Someone on the opposite side for a game or contest. her opponent’s shot at the
goal.
Oppress To unfairly burden. For the past ten generations
the royal family has
oppressed the peasants by
 keeping them in poverty.
The explorers are trying to
Origin The source; where something began.
find the origin of the Nile.
This work of art is a paradigm
of the period; you’ll see many
Paradigm A typical example of something.
examples of it in the
museum.
The parsimonious woman
Parsimonious Frugal, stingy. only donated a dollar to
charity.
My leg was feeling much
Partake To join in. better, so I decided to
partake in the soccer match.
We can get strawberry ice
Partial Preferring one option over others. cream, but I’m actually more
partial to chocolate.
During the drought, the town
Paucity Something existing in very small amounts; scarcity.
had a paucity of fresh water.
Winning the championship
Peak The highest or most important point.
was the peak of his career.
There are some peripheral
Peripheral Located on the side or edge. fights going on at the outdoor
concert.
Let the maple syrup
Permeate To penetrate or pass through. permeate your waffles before
eating them.
I may have lost my last six
Persist To continue, especially when facing opposition. games, but I will continue to
persist trying to win.
How does your question
Pertain Relate.
pertain to the lecture?
In high school, I went through
Phase A period or stage in a process. a phase where I only wore
black clothes.
The polls show that my
Poll A record of opinions or votes. candidate is going to win the
election.
Only take one sleeping pill
Potent Powerful.
since they’re very potent.
Your boyfriend is too
Pragmatic Practical, sensible. dramatic. I think you need a
more pragmatic man.
Praise To give approval or admiration. The book is the best I’ve ever
 read; I can’t praise it enough.
The flower girls preceded the
Precede To come before. bride when they walked down
the aisle.
When collecting data, it’s
important that your
Precise Exact.
measurements are very
precise.
Harvard is one of the most
Prestigious Having a high reputation. prestigious colleges in the
United States.
If more people don’t start
Prevalent Widespread. washing their hands, disease
will become more prevalent.
Maeve’s primary goal in life is
Primary First; most important.
to become a doctor.
Prior to becoming a teacher,
Prior Previous or earlier. Elena worked as a book
editor.
I’m sorry for interrupting;
Proceed To continue doing something. please proceed with your
speech.
The dog’s progeny all have
Progeny Offspring.
yellow fur.
I’m promoting this new indie
Promote To further to progress of something. movie so that more people
will buy tickets to it.
Dave hopes his new
Prosper To do well. business will prosper and
make him a millionaire.
The twins hated to be apart,
Proximity Nearness in time or space. so they bought houses in
close proximity to each other
Nina and her boyfriend
Quarrel Disagreement or fight; to have an argument.
always quarrel over money.
The range of ages at the
The distance between two things, often the maximum
Range concert spanned from 12 to
and the minimum.
65.
Archibald was promoted to
Rank An official position or station.
the rank of first captain.
After staying out too late,
Rebuke To sternly disapprove or reprimand. Grace received a rebuke
from her parents.
 At the end of his speech, the
Recapitulate To give a brief summary. politician made sure to
recapitulate his main points.
Two days after the flood, the
Recede To retreat. seawater finally began to
recede from our house.
I need to ask Mr. Smith if he’l
Recommend To present someone with confidence and approval. recommend me for this
leadership position.
Melanie’s father is in charge
Reform To make changes that improve something. of reforming to school
system.
Ben needs to regulate how
To supervise or control a process so that it functions
Regulate much he eats in order to stay
correctly.
at a healthy weight.
The builders reinforced the
Reinforce To strengthen with added support. house’s wooden frame with
steel beams.
Lydia rejected my invitation to
Reject To say no to something that is offered.
the homecoming dance.
The CEO decided to release
Release To free; to allow to be known. the company’s profits from
last year.
I rely on coffee to get my
Rely To depend on.
through my mornings.
The coach reproached the
Reproach To express disapproval or disappointment. players for failing to play their
best.
The camping trip requires
that every participant bring
Require To need for a specific purpose.
their own food and sleeping
bag.
I’ve always resented my
To feel bitterness or anger towards someone or
Resent sister because she is my
something.
mother’s favorite child.
Due to his declining health,
Resign To give up an office or position. the mayor decided to resign
from office.
Resist the impulse to have
Resist To withstand the effect of.
ice cream for breakfast.
Matt resolved to get better
Resolve To come to a firm decision. grades next semester by
studying every night.
 My doctor told me to restrict
Restrict To confine or keep within limits. myself to one glass of wine a
day.
I’ve decided to retain my
Retain To continue to do something or keep something.
normal hairstyle.
1. I felt calmer after the lion
retracted its claws.
1. To draw back in.
2. After numerous errors
Retract 2. To withdraw something after it’s found to be untrue.
were found, the newspaper
retracted the story.

Alexis got out of the car to

Retrieve To bring back. retrieve the ball her little
brother had thrown.
You aren’t expected to
Rhetorical Used just for style or impact. actually answer rhetorical
questions.
The boys’ father was happy
to see the base of the
Rigid Stiff; unyielding.
treehouse was rigid and
sturdy.
Rotate the sculpture so I can
Rotate To turn.
see the other side.
A retirement fund is one way
Safeguard Something that serves as protection or ensures safety. to safeguard your finances
for the future.
The judges were looking for
Scrutinize To very carefully examine. perfection, so they
scrutinized every entry.
This section of the stadium
Section A part of the whole.
dressed completely in red.
Jane selected a blue dress to
Select To choose.
wear to the wedding.
Librarians need to know how
Sequence Things that follow each other in a certain order. order books in the correct
sequence.
1. The robbers suffered
severe consequences for
1. Harsh or strict. stealing.
Severe 2. Grave, critical. 2. My uncle is currently
battling a severe illness in the
hospital.
 You don’t need to worry
about getting your dress wet.
Shallow Not deep.
The water is very shallow
here.
The empty barn gave the
Shelter To protect from something harmful.
men shelter during the storm
Hopefully this cream will
Shrink To become smaller.
cause my scar to shrink.
The Gettysburg Address was
Significant Important, noteworthy. a significant event during the
Civil War.
You shouldn’t use Wikipedia
A person, place, or thing where something was
Source as a source when writing
obtained.
school papers.
The farm was almost empty;
Sparse Thinly scattered. there were just a few sparse
trees here and there.
You need to specify which
Specify To clearly indicate which one. size shirt you want before I
can order it.
My sister loves to speculate
Speculate To form a theory without strong evidence. on the private lives of
celebrities.
The hermit lives a solitary
Solitary Alone; without others. existence deep in the
mountains.
After losing the competition,
Somber Gloomy; depressing. the chess players were very
somber.
The mother sang a lullaby to
Soothe To calm or comfort.
soothe her crying baby.
The shelter was squalid and
Squalid Filthy and unpleasant.
overcrowded.
We’re lucky to live in a
Stable Unlikely to change or fail. country with such a stable
government.
With few new jobs created,
the economy has remained
Stagnant Sluggish, showing little movement.
stagnant for the past five
years.
The football team will need a
Strategy A plan to reach a desired outcome. good strategy to win the
game tomorrow.
 The first king was a good
Subsequent Coming after something in time. ruler, but subsequent kings
have all been corrupt.
If you don’t have sugar,
Substitute A person or thing acting in place of another. honey makes a good
substitute for this recipe.
Maya’s perfume was very
Subtle Difficult to notice right away. subtle; you had to get close
to her to smell it.
Make sure you have
Sufficient Enough to serve a particular purpose. sufficient food for the
camping trip.
The class didn’t have time to
read the book, so the
Summarize To briefly give the main points.
professor summarized it for
them.
My dad didn’t think we were
old enough to build the fort
Supervise To oversee work or a process.
on our own, so he supervised
us.
The king was supplanted by
his treacherous younger
Supplant To take the place of something else.
brother who locked him in the
dungeon.
1. The power outage
suspended the school
1. To temporarily stop.
concert.
Suspend 2. To hang something from somewhere.
2. The lamp is suspended
from the high ceiling.

The couple became

suspicious when they saw
Having the belief that someone is doing something
Suspicious strange men removing their
dishonest or illegal.
neighbor’s expensive
electronics during the night.
I stopped trying to sustain the
Sustain To keep going. friendship after he made fun
of how I looked.
A cross is symbolic of
Symbolic Serving as a symbol.
Christianity.
The laptop manual is full of
technical terms only a
Technical Relating to a specific subject or craft.
computer expert can
understand.
 Everyone on the train must
Terminal Situated at the end.
get off at the terminal stop.
I tolerate the rude man since
Tolerate To put up with. he is my husband’s best
friend.
Ben’s work is going to
Transfer To move from one place to another. transfer him from Chicago to
Detroit.
The transition from student to
Transition Changing from one state or condition to another. employee can often take
awhile to get used to.
1. The glass vase is
completely transparent.
1. See-through material.
2. Her attempt to flatter the
Transparent 2. Easy to detect.
movie star was very
transparent.

College tuition prices have

Tuition The fee for instruction at a school.
gone up in recent decades.
The prince’s bodyguards had
Unobtrusive Not attracting attention. mastered the art of being
unobtrusive.
Ian was lucky to walk away
Unscathed Unharmed. from the car crash
unscathed.
Even when she’s having a
Upbeat Happy; optimistic. bad day, my mom always has
an upbeat attitude.
Since I tried my hardest on
Unjust Unfair. the exam, I felt my teacher’s
criticism of me was unjust.
She vacillated between the
Vacillate To waver or be indecisive. two dresses before finally
deciding to wear a skirt.
The soldiers had valid
Valid Just; well-founded. concerns about the battles
they’d be facing.
The plane vanished behind
Vanish To disappear quickly.
the clouds.
Vary To be different from something else in a group.
The jury delivered a guilty
Verdict A judgement or decision.
verdict.
Vestige A small trace of something that is disappearing or has The empty castle still had a
 few vestiges of its former
already disappeared.
wealth.
The chemist carefully filled
Vial A small container used to hold liquids. the vial with the bubbling
solution.
Mark was vilified by his angry
Vilify To speak poorly of; to slander.
ex-girlfriend.
The puffy wedding dress had
Voluminous Taking up a lot of space.
voluminous sleeves.
I always save my money
Whereas On the contrary. whereas my brother is
constantly in debt.
The monk is wholly devoted
Wholly Completely.
to his faith.
There is widespread poverty
Widespread Occurring over a large region.
across that country.
Plants will wilt if you don’t
Wilt To droop and become limp.
water them regularly.