Advancing: Vocabulary Skills

ADVANCING
VOCABULARY SKILLS
Fourth Edition
Sherrie L. Nist
© 2010 Townsend Press

Unit One: Chapter 3
• ambiguous • inane
• dissident • juxtapose
• embellish • lethargy
• fritter • sporadic
• inadvertent • subsidize
TEN WORDS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.
1 ambiguous – adjective
• The portrait known as the “Mona Lisa” is famous for the
woman’s ambiguous expression. Is she smiling or not?
• Omar left an ambiguous message on my answering

machine: “Meet me at twelve o’clock.” I couldn’t tell
whether he meant noon or midnight.
Ambiguous means
A. unclear.
B. unintentional.
C. unpleasant.
1 ambiguous – adjective
– adjective
• The portrait known as the “Mona Lisa” is famous for the
woman’s ambiguous expression. Is she smiling or not?
• Omar left an ambiguous message on my answering

machine: “Meet me at twelve o’clock.”
Ambiguous means
I couldn’t tell whether he meant A.unclear.
noon or midnight.
B. unintentional.
C. unpleasant.
The question “Is she smiling or not?” tells us that ambiguous means
“unclear.” In the second item, it is unclear whether Omar means
noon or midnight.
1 Ambiguous – adjective
• Syn.- vague, uncertain, indefinite
• Ant.- clear, definite, explicit

2 dissident – noun
• Some dissidents in the Catholic church favor such changes as
allowing women to be priests and allowing priests to marry.
• In a dictatorship, dissidents are not tolerated. People who speak

out against the government may be imprisoned or even executed.
Dissident means
A. a rebel.
B. a dishonest person.
C. a foolish person.
2 dissident – noun
• Some dissidents in the Catholic church favor such changes as
allowing women to be priests and allowing priests to marry.
• In a dictatorship, dissidents are not tolerated. People who speak
out against the government may be imprisoned or even executed.
Dissident means
A. a rebel.
B. a dishonest person.
C. a foolish person.
Chinese Pro-Democracy Protests in

Tiananmen Square in 1989
Catholics who favor women priests and allowing priests to marry are
rebels. People who speak out against the government are considered
rebels in a dictatorship.
2 Dissident – noun
• Syn.- rebel, reformer, revolutionary
• Ant.- one who is agreeable and

harmonious, a conformist
3 embellish – verb
• Lauren embellished the door of her room with postcards from
her friends and photos of her cats.
• The cover of the biology textbook was embellished with a
pattern of colorful seashells.
Embellish means
A. to hide.
B. to decorate.
C. to damage.
A dessert embellished with

chocolate sauce, fruit, and flowers
3 embellish – verb
• Lauren embellished the door of her room with postcards from
her friends and photos of her cats.
• The cover of the biology textbook was embellished with a
pattern of colorful seashells.
Embellish means
A. to hide.
B. to decorate.
C. to damage.
Lauren used post cards and pictures
to decorate her door. A pattern of
A dessert embellished with colorful seashells decorated the cover
chocolate sauce, fruit, and flowers of the textbook.
3 Embellish – verb
• Syn.- decorate, adorn, enhance, add
details
• Ant.- simplify, spoil, mar

4 fritter – verb
• I thought my little sister would fritter away

her entire allowance on M&M’s, but instead of
wasting her money, she put it in her piggy bank.
• Vince fritters away both his time and his money

playing game after game in video arcades.
Fritter means
A. to earn.
B. to count.
C. to waste.
4 fritter – verb
• I thought my little sister would fritter away her entire allowance
on M&M’s, but instead of wasting her money, she put it in her
piggy bank.
• Vince fritters away both his time and his money playing game
after game in video arcades.
Fritter means
A. to earn.
B. to count.
C. to waste.
In the first item, the word wasting tells you that fritter means “to
waste.” In the second item, some people would say that Vince
wastes his time playing game after game in video arcades.
4 Fritter – verb
• Syn.- misspend, run through, squander,
throw away, fiddle
• Ant.- save, store, economize

5 inadvertent – adjective
• Alexander Fleming’s discovery of penicillin was inadvertent. He

forgot to cover a dish of bacteria, and some mold got into it. The next
day, Fleming found that the mold had killed the bacteria.
• The final draft of Nancy’s paper was shorter than the previous version,
but this was inadvertent. She had accidentally deleted an entire page
without realizing it.
Inadvertent means
A. not required.
B. not finished.
C. not intended.
5 inadvertent – adjective
• Alexander Fleming’s discovery of penicillin was inadvertent. He

forgot to cover a dish of bacteria, and some mold got into it. The next
day, Fleming found that the mold had killed the bacteria.
• The final draft of Nancy’s paper was shorter than the previous version,
but this was inadvertent. She had accidentally deleted an entire page
without realizing it.
Inadvertent means
A. not required.
B. not finished.
C. not intended.
Because Fleming forgot to cover the dish, the discovery of penicillin
was not intended or accidental. In the second item, the word
accidentally tells you that inadvertent means “not intended.”
5 Inadvertent – adjective
• Syn.- accidental, careless, unintentional
• Ant.- deliberate, intentional, planned

6 inane – adjective
• The conversation at the party was inane, consisting mainly of
foolish comments about whose clothes were the most “awesome.”
• Television programming is often so inane that TV has been

described as “bubble gum for the mind.”
Inane means
A. silly.
B. interesting.
C. shocking.
6 inane – adjective
• The conversation at the party was inane, consisting mainly of
foolish comments about whose clothes were the most “awesome.”
• Television programming is often so inane that TV has been
described as “bubble gum for the mind.”
Inane means
A. silly.
B. interesting.
C. shocking.
In the first item, the word foolish suggests that inane means “silly.” In
the second item, if TV is “bubble gum for the mind,” the programming
must be silly.
6 Inane – adjective
• Syn.- absurd, idiotic, stupid, fatuous,
ridiculous
• Ant.- sensible, reasonable, intelligent,

logical, practical
7 juxtapose – verb
• The photograph dramatically juxtaposed white birch trees and a
dark gray sky.
• Dottie spread her new dress out on her bed and then juxtaposed
all her scarves and jackets to it to see which combination would
look best.
Juxtapose means
A. to cover up.
B. to put side by side.
C. to replace.
A new fence and and old fence juxtaposed

7 juxtapose – verb
• The photograph dramatically juxtaposed white birch trees and a
dark gray sky.
• Dottie spread her new dress out on her bed and then juxtaposed
all her scarves and jackets to it to see which combination would
look best.
Juxtapose means
A. to cover up.
B. to put side by side.
C. to replace.
In the photograph, the trees and the dark
gray sky were put side by side. Since
Dottie wanted to see what combination
would look best, she put her scarves and
jackets side by side with her new dress.
A new fence and and old fence juxtaposed
7 Juxtapose – verb
• Syn.- accompany, put together, affix
• Ant.- divide, separate, keep apart

8 lethargy – noun
• Although Wendy seemed to recover from the flu, her lethargy
persisted. She felt exhausted for weeks.
• With the hot weather, lethargy descended upon the class. The
students had trouble staying awake, and even the instructor
gazed dreamily out the window.
Lethargy means
A. weariness.
B. hopelessness.
C. foolishness.
8 lethargy – noun
• Although Wendy seemed to recover from the flu, her lethargy
persisted. She felt exhausted for weeks.
• With the hot weather, lethargy descended upon the class. The
students had trouble staying awake, and even the instructor
gazed dreamily out the window.
Lethargy means
A. weariness.
B. hopelessness.
C. foolishness.
Since Wendy felt exhausted for weeks, her weariness persisted. If the
students had trouble staying awake, weariness must have descended
upon the class.
8 Lethargy – noun
• Syn.- sluggishness, slowness, inertia
• Ant.- energy, vigor, vitality, excitement

9 sporadic – adjective
• It rained continuously until noon. After that, there were only
sporadic showers.
• Dave makes sporadic attempts to give up smoking, but his
occasional efforts have been halfhearted.
Sporadic means
A. steady.
B. irregular.
C. long.
9 sporadic – adjective
• It rained continuously until noon. After that, there were only
sporadic showers.
• Dave makes sporadic attempts to give up smoking, but his
occasional efforts have been halfhearted.
Sporadic means
A. steady.
B. irregular.
C. long.
In contrast with the continuous rain in the morning, the showers in
the afternoon were irregular. In the second item, the word occasional
suggests that sporadic means “irregular.”
9 Sporadic – adjective
• Syn.- off and on, random, intermittent
• Ant.- constant, continuous

10 subsidize – verb
• During college, many students are subsidized by their parents,
while others rely on grants or loans.
• Public television is subsidized by various grants and by
individual and community donations.
Subsidize means
A. to pay for.
B. to advertise.
C. to criticize.
10 subsidize – verb
• During college, many students are subsidized by their parents,
while others rely on grants or loans.
• Public television is subsidized by various grants and by
individual and community donations.
Subsidize means
A. to pay for.
B. to advertise.
C. to criticize.
Loans and grants are used to pay for college, so subsidize must mean
“to pay for.” Similarly, in the second item, grants and donations pay
for public television.
10 Subsidize – verb
• Syn.- fund, finance, sponsor, bankroll,
pick up the tab, support
• Ant.- exploit, take away, block

SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each item with the correct word from the box.
A. ambiguous B. dissident C. embellish D. fritter E. inadvertent
F. inane G. juxtapose H. lethargy I. sporadic J. subsidize
1. Instead of refreshing me, an afternoon nap only deepens

my _________; I wake up even sleepier than I was before.
2. I get news of Darren only now and then, in __________

letters from him or his mother.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
1. Instead of refreshing me, an afternoon nap only deepens

my _________;
lethargy I wake up even sleepier than I was before.
Since the person wakes up from a nap even sleepier, the nap must
deepen his or her sluggishness.
2. I get news of Darren only now and then, in __________
sporadic
letters from him or his mother.
The words only now and then tell you that the letters are only
occasional.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
3. A research grant will __________ Belinda’s study of

common fears among the elderly.
4. My recent trip to Newark was __________. I wanted to go

to New York City, but I got on the wrong train.
5. Tracy has learned the hard way not to __________ away her
time and affection on friends who don’t really care about her.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
3. A research grant will __________

subsidize Belinda’s study of
common fears among the elderly.
A grant would pay for Belinda’s study.
4. My recent trip to Newark was __________.

inadvertent I wanted to go
to New York City, but I got on the wrong train.
If the person got on the wrong train, the trip to Newark was accidental.
5. Tracy has learned the hard way not to __________

fritter away her
time and affection on friends who don’t really care about her.
To spend time and affection on friends who don’t care about her is
to waste that time and affection.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
6. My little brother has _______(e)d his bedroom ceiling with

stars arranged like several of the constellations.
7. In plays and movies, good and evil characters are often

_______(e)d. This contrast makes the good ones seem
even better and the bad ones seem even worse.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
6. My little brother has __________

embellished his bedroom ceiling with
stars arranged like several of the constellations.
The brother decorated his bedroom ceiling with stars.
7. In plays and movies, good and evil characters are often

__________.
juxtaposed This contrast makes the good ones seem
even better and the bad ones seem even worse.
In order for the characters to be contrasted with one another, they
must be placed close together.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
8. When student _________s led a protest against China’s

communist leaders in 1989, some students were killed by
government troops.
9. Checking a job applicant’s references, the personnel

manager was puzzled by one __________ comment: “You
will be lucky if you can get her to work for you.”
10. Steve Martin was poking fun at __________ ideas for

products when he said, “I got a fur sink, an electric dog
polisher, a gasoline-powered turtleneck sweater—and, of
course, I bought some dumb stuff too.”
SENTENCE CHECK 1
8. When student __________

dissidents led a protest against China’s
communist leaders in 1989, some students were killed by
government troops.
If the students led protests, they must have been opposed to the leaders.
9. Checking a job applicant’s references, the personnel
manager was puzzled by one __________
ambiguous comment: “You
will be lucky if you can get her to work for you.”
The comment can be interpreted in more than one way.
10. Steve Martin was poking fun at __________
inane ideas for
products when he said, “I got a fur sink, an electric dog
polisher, a gasoline-powered turtleneck sweater—and, of
course, I bought some dumb stuff too.”
The examples show that Martin is poking fun at foolish ideas for products.

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ADVANCING

© 2010 Townsend Press

• Omar left an ambiguous message on my answering

• Omar left an ambiguous message on my answering

• Ant.- clear, definite, explicit

• In a dictatorship, dissidents are not tolerated. People who speak

Chinese Pro-Democracy Protests in

• Ant.- one who is agreeable and

A dessert embellished with

• Ant.- simplify, spoil, mar

• I thought my little sister would fritter away

• Vince fritters away both his time and his money

• Ant.- save, store, economize

• Alexander Fleming’s discovery of penicillin was inadvertent. He

• Alexander Fleming’s discovery of penicillin was inadvertent. He

• Ant.- deliberate, intentional, planned

• Television programming is often so inane that TV has been

• Ant.- sensible, reasonable, intelligent,

A new fence and and old fence juxtaposed

• Ant.- divide, separate, keep apart

• Syn.- sluggishness, slowness, inertia

• Ant.- energy, vigor, vitality, excitement

• Syn.- off and on, random, intermittent

• Ant.- constant, continuous

• Ant.- exploit, take away, block

1. Instead of refreshing me, an afternoon nap only deepens

2. I get news of Darren only now and then, in __________

1. Instead of refreshing me, an afternoon nap only deepens

3. A research grant will __________ Belinda’s study of

4. My recent trip to Newark was __________. I wanted to go

3. A research grant will __________

4. My recent trip to Newark was __________.

5. Tracy has learned the hard way not to __________

6. My little brother has _______(e)d his bedroom ceiling with

7. In plays and movies, good and evil characters are often

6. My little brother has __________

7. In plays and movies, good and evil characters are often

8. When student _________s led a protest against China’s

9. Checking a job applicant’s references, the personnel

10. Steve Martin was poking fun at __________ ideas for

8. When student __________

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