HOW TO BUILD A SUPER VOCABULARY

Wiley Keys to SuccessHOW TO BUILD ASUPER VOCABULARYBeverly Ann Chin, Ph.D.Series ConsultantJohn Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Wiley Keys to SuccessHOW TO BUILD ASUPER VOCABULARY

Beverly Ann Chin is Professor of English, Director of the EnglishTeaching Program, former Director of the Montana Writing Project, anda former President of the National Council of Teachers of English.Dr. Chin is a nationally recognized leader in English language artsstandards, curriculum instruction, and assessment. Many schools andstates call upon her to help them develop programs in reading and writingacross the curriculum. Dr. Chin has edited and written numerousbooks and articles in the field of English language arts. She is theauthor of On Your Own: Writing and On Your Own: Grammar.

Wiley Keys to SuccessHOW TO BUILD ASUPER VOCABULARYBeverly Ann Chin, Ph.D.Series ConsultantJohn Wiley & Sons, Inc.

This book is printed on acid-free paper.Copyright © 2004 by BOOK BUILDERS LLC. All rights reserved.Developed, Designed and Produced by BOOK BUILDERS LLCPublished by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New JerseyPublished simultaneously in CanadaNo part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmittedin any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning,or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United StatesCopyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorizationthrough payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center,222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600, or on theweb at www.copyright.com . Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressedto the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ07030, (201) 748-6011, fax (201) 748-6008.Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and the author have usedtheir best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties withrespect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaimany implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. Nowarranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials.You should consult with a professional where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor theauthor shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, includingbut not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.For general information about our other products and services, please contact ourCustomer Care Department within the United States at (800) 762-2974, outside the UnitedStates at (317) 572-3993 or fax (317) 572-4002.Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content thatappears in print may not be available in electronic books. For more information aboutWiley products, visit our web site at www.wiley.com .Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:How to build a super vocabulary / Beverly Ann Chin, series consultant.p. cm.Includes index.ISBN 0-471-43157-5 (pkb. : alk. paper)1. Vocabulary.PE1449.H588 2004428.1—dc22 2004002248Printed in the United States of America10987654321

DEAR STUDENTSWelcome to the WILEY KEYS TO SUCCESS series! The books in thisseries are practical guides designed to help you be a better student.Each book focuses on an important area of schoolwork, includingbuilding your vocabulary, studying and doing homework, writingresearch papers, taking tests, and more.Each book contains seven chapters—the keys to helping youimprove your skills as a student. As you understand and use each key,you’ll find that you will enjoy learning more than ever before. As aresult, you’ll feel more confident in your classes and be better preparedto demonstrate your knowledge.I invite you to use the WILEY KEYS TO SUCCESS series atschool and at home. As you apply each key, you will open the doors tosuccess in school as well as to many other areas of your life. Goodluck, and enjoy the journey!Beverly Ann Chin, Series ConsultantProfessor of EnglishUniversity of Montana, Missoula

NOTE TO TEACHERS,LIBRARIANS, AND PARENTSThe WILEY KEYS TO SUCCESS series is a series of handbooksdesigned to help students improve their academic performance.Happily, the keys can open doors for everyone—at home, in school,at work.Each book is an invaluable resource that offers seven simple, practicalsteps to mastering an important aspect of schoolwork, such asbuilding vocabulary, studying and doing homework, taking tests, andwriting research papers. We hand readers seven keys—or chapters—that show them how to increase their success as learners—a planintended to build lifelong learning skills. Reader-friendly graphics, selfassessmentquestions, and comprehensive appendices provide additionalinformation.Helpful features scattered throughout the books include “Getting ItRight,” which expands on the text with charts, graphs, and models;“Inside Secret,” which reveals all-important hints, rules, definitions, andeven warnings; and “Ready, Set, Review,” which makes it easy for studentsto remember key points.WILEY KEYS TO SUCCESS are designed to ensure that all studentshave the opportunity to experience success. Once students knowachievement, they are more likely to become independent learners,effective communicators, and critical thinkers. Many readers will wantto use each guidebook by beginning with the first key and progressingsystematically to the last key. Some readers will select the keys theyneed most and integrate what they learn with their own routines.

2IntroductionYou can also learn strategies—systematic approaches—for discoveringthe meaning of unfamiliar words:●●●●●Recognize different kinds of context clues that enable you tomake an educated guess about the meaning of an unfamiliarword in your reading.Learn how a dictionary and a thesaurus can help expand yourvocabulary, especially when you’re writing.Recognize the meanings of some of the most familiar roots, prefixes,and suffixes. Those word parts will help you puzzle outthe meaning of many unfamiliar English words.Put the new words you acquire to good use in your speaking andwriting.Avoid some of the mistakes and mix-ups that can happen whenyou use English words.At the back of this book, you’ll find “The Ultimate Word List,” amini-dictionary of words that will help you focus on strengthening yourpersonal weak spots. Some of these are words you’re expected toknow now. Others are words that you’re challenged to learn. One longlist has words from different content areas, and another containswords commonly found on standardized tests.“The Ultimate Word List” is just a starting point. Use those words insentences. Make them your own.By the time you finish reading this book, your vocabulary will havegrown considerably. You’ll also have gained skills and strategies thatyou can apply to any unfamiliar word you meet—for the rest of yourlife.

KEY 1KNOW THE HISTORYOF LANGUAGE✔ Theories About How Language Began✔ How Language Changes✔ Looking at Some Interesting WordsIsn’t it amazing that all overthe world newborn babiesgrow up to speak the languagethat their parents speak? Ifyou had been born in France,you’d be speaking French.Maybe you can speak, read, write, or understand two languages.That would make you bilingual. (You’d be trilingualif you could speak three languages; some people speakeven more.) Your native language, or “mother tongue,” is the first languageyou learned, most likely the one you speak at home. Now youmay be taking a foreign-language course in school.

4How to Build a Super VocabularyTheories About How Language BeganWords give you power. They give you the ability to share yourthoughts and ideas. Written words can help you tune in to thethoughts of people who lived long ago or who live far away. Words alsohelp you to imagine anything—experiences you’ve never had andevents far into the future. (For a sampling of some English words andthe ideas they let you express, see the words on “The Ultimate WordList” at the back of this book.)No one knows when or how language first began. Linguists, theexperts who study language, have some theories, or ideas, about theorigin of language.Language as InstinctMany modern linguists think the human brain is hard-wired for language.Your ability to speak and understand words is instinctual,meaning it comes naturally. This ability makes you different from allother species. Babies learn to speak spontaneously—without formal instruction.The babbling or nonsense sounds that infants make are partof learning the vocabulary and grammar of their native language.Say It with GesturesSome linguists believe that before people used language, they communicatedwith gestures, movements of their hands and arms. The earliestpeople conveyed meaning by making faces, pointing, motioning, ortouching objects. Gradually, they began to use sounds that they agreedwould stand for the objects around them. Those sounds were the firstwords.Words enabled people to talk about things they could not see ortouch. In the middle of summer, for instance, they could talk about thesnow and ice that would come in winter. And even though the sun was

Know the History of Language 5shining brightly, they could talk about the moon and stars they couldnot see until nighttime.KEY1The Bowwow TheoryThis theory and the next two were popular during the nineteenth centurybut aren’t endorsed by most linguists today. (Their names make funof these theories.) Some people believed that language began when peopleimitated the sounds made by the things they were describing. Roar,buzz, and crash, for instance, are echoic, or onomatopoeic, words. Thatmeans the spoken words sound like the sounds they are describing.

6How to Build a Super VocabularyAccording to the linguist Mario Pei, the sound of a sneeze is writtendifferently in different languages. You’d write ker-choo in English, guguin Japanese, hah-chee in Chinese, and ap-chi in Russian.Yo-Ho, Heave-Ho TheoryOther linguists believed that language came from the sounds (grunting,groaning, and rhythmic chanting) that people made as they worked togetherat some task. No one knows what those grunts, groans, andchants sounded like. (“Yo ho, heave-ho” is a chant that sailors sometimesused as they pulled together on a rope.) For the earliest speakers,language was especially useful while hunting, sharing food, andprotecting themselves from attacks.The Pooh-Pooh TheoryThe English naturalist Charles Darwin (1809–1882) believed that languagedeveloped from instinctive cries that humans made to expressemotions, such as fear, anger, pleasure, and pain. For instance, youmight say “mmmm” when you are licking a chocolate ice-cream coneor “ow!” when someone steps on your toe.So What Do You Think?Remember, those are all theories—guesses about why something happens.No one knows for sure why and how language began. Which theoryabout the origin of language makes the most sense to you? Why? Canyou think of another explanation for the first human speech?How Language ChangesLanguages are changing and growing all the time. That’s truenot just for English but for every living language. (A living language isone that’s still being spoken.) Languages change in three basic ways.

Know the History of Language 7New Words ComeNew words are coined—made up—to describe scientific discoveriesand new inventions and experiences. Fax (short for facsimile) enteredEnglish in the 1980s, when the device for transmitting documentsthrough phone lines was invented. Think of e-mail, smog, software,robotics, laser, and hologram—all those words came along in the latetwentieth century.KEY1Old Words GoGradually, words disappear because they are no longer used. Thee,thou, and ye are archaic (no-longer-used) forms of you. You might findthe archaic ere (before) or o’er (over) in poetry but not in speech.Meanings ChangeA word may stay, but its meaning may change. Whoever could imaginethat the word bead meant “prayer” when it began in Middle English? Orthat there’d be this new meaning for the word burn: You can burn a CDfrom online music files. Slang, a form of informal speech, gives us anever-ending supply of new meanings for old words. Cool, for example,once referred only to temperature. For many decades, cool has meant“excellent” or “very good.”Looking at Some Interesting WordsEvery word has a story. Most English words have come a longway through many languages. A dictionary tells a word’s historyin an etymology that’s usually printed after the pronunciation and beforethe definitions. Etymologies trace the origin and development ofwords. They show a word’s original language and form and other languagesand forms the word has moved through as it has developed.

8How to Build a Super VocabularyNouns Become VerbsOne of the ways in which languagechanges is that words take on new meanings.Sometimes the part of speech alsochanges. For example, someone startsusing a noun as a verb, and eventuallythat usage becomes widespread. Somewords that started out as nouns and becameverbs include babysit (frombabysitter) and intuit (from intuition).Here are some recent examples of verbs madefrom nouns.● Will you please e-mail me the date and time of your arrival?● Stacy’s grandmother faxed her the recipe for potato pancakes.● When he was searching for a job, Runar networked with hisformer classmates and everyone else he knew.● Lauren hopes to broker a new contract with her employer.

Know the History of Language 9Etymologies go backward in time. They begin with the most recentform of the word and go back to the oldest known form. Etymologiesuse abbreviations and symbols to tell a story about the word.KEY1Fr French ME Middle English lit. literallyGr Greek OE Old English prob. probablyL Latin < derived from ? unknownlike:Here’s what the etymology of the English word person might lookperson (PER . sun) n. [ME persone < OFr < L persona, lit., mask(esp. one worn by an actor), character, role, person, prob.

10How to Build a Super VocabularyEponymsHow would you like to have a word named after you—not just anyword, but a word you personally inspired? It’s fun to learn abouteponyms, words that have been named after real or mythical people.Pennsylvania, for example, is an eponym, named for the state’sfounder, William Penn. Here are some common eponyms:●boycott v. to join with others in refusing to buy, use, or sell aproduct.The story behind the word. Captain C. C. Boycott was a landagent in Ireland. In 1880, he raised the land rents so high that his tenantsand neighbors joined together and refused to deal with him. It wasthe first boycott.●Ferris wheel n. an amusement-park ride consisting of a giganticvertical wheel that revolves on a fixed axle. Passengers ridein seats that hang between two parallel rims.The story behind the word. George W. G. Ferris, an American engineerfrom Galesburg, Illinois, designed and built the first Ferris wheelride for the World’s Fair held in Chicago in 1893.●gerrymander v. to redraw an election district to give onepolitical party an advantage. The purpose of redrawing a votingdistrict is to weaken the political power of ethnic, racial, orurban voters.The story behind the word. Elbridge Gerry (1744–1814) signedthe Declaration of Independence. Then, he served as governor ofMassachusetts and U.S. vice president (1813–1814) under PresidentJames Madison. In 1812, while Gerry was still governor ofMassachusetts, Essex County was redrawn to give his own politicalparty an advantage. The redrawn district looked something like a salamander,so a political cartoonist coined the word gerrymander (Gerry+ mander).

Know the History of Language 11●maverick n. someone whoacts independently. A maverickacts according to his or her beliefs,refusing to go along withwhat others are doing.The story behind the word.Samuel Maverick (1803–1870), aTexas rancher, refused to brand hiscattle despite the fact that all the otherranchers were branding theirs.●sandwich n. two slices ofbread with meat, cheese, fish,or other filling between them.The story behind the word. JohnMontagu (1718–1792), the fourth earlof Sandwich, didn’t want to stop playingcards at a gambling table. He ordereda servant to bring him roast beefwrapped in bread, and the sandwichwas born.●sideburns n. whiskers on aman’s face in front of the ears,especially when no beard isworn.Borrowed WordsWhen borrowed wordsbecome part of theEnglish language, theyoften get a new pronunciation.For example,the word denim,the sturdy cotton materialused for blue jeans,came from the French.It was originally serge(a type of cloth) deNîmes, from Nîmes, thecity where it was made.The French say “duh ●NEEM,” but Americanschanged it to “DEN ● im.”KEY1The story behind the word. During the Civil War, Union GeneralAmbrose Everett Burnside (1824–1881) wore a mustache andside whiskers but shaved his chin clean. This style of beard was calledburnsides, after the general. Eventually, the word order reversed to becomesideburns.

12How to Build a Super VocabularyBorrowed WordsWithout borrowing, you wouldn’t be eating cookies or coleslaw—they’dbe called something else. English is a much richer language because ofthe many foreign words that it has borrowed. After the NormanConquest of England in 1066, when French became the official languageof the English government and the court, thousands of Frenchwords came into the English language.Wherever people traveled, they found new animals, foods, places,and ideas that had been named in other languages. And they knew agood word when they heard or saw it. So English grew and grew, enrichedby borrowed words from many different languages.Here are some of the languages that have given us words and just afew of the many English words we’ve borrowed from them:Borrowed WordsAfrican banana, bongo, chimpanzee, mumbo jumbo, yamAmerican Indian chipmunk, moccasin, moose, powwow,raccoonArabic algebra, assassin, coffee, cotton, jar, sofaChinese china, silk, tea, typhoonDutch boss, landscape, pickle, sketch, sled, split, stove, wagonFrench barber, detail, essay, government, justice, liberty, proof,ticket, treatyGerman delicatessen, dollar, hamburger, kindergarten, noodle,pretzelInuit (Eskimo) anorak, igloo, kayakItalian balcony, carnival, piano, sonnet, spaghetti, umbrellaOld Norse both, cake, freckles, happen, happy, leg, sky, take,ugly, wantRussian cosmonaut, mammoth, parka, steppeScandinavian geyser, gremlin, rug, skiSpanish alligator, barbecue, lasso, ranch, stampede, tomato

Know the History of Language 13KEY1Language History1. Match each of the numbered words with the language thatEnglish borrowed it from. (At the end, every English wordshould be matched with one foreign language.) Whileyou’re at it, write a definition of each word. Then, use a dictionaryto check your guesses.1. bonanza a. Spanish2. banjo b. Dutch3. skunk c. French4. sleigh d. Arabic5. pretzel e. American Indian6. vogue f. Italian7. spaghetti g. African8. zero h. Norwegian9. ski i. Hindi10. shampoo j. German2. Do a little detective work. In a dictionary that shows etymologies,look up three of the words from the list below.First, discover what the word means. Then, use the etymologyto decipher the story behind the word. You may need tolook up a person’s name, too. Tell each word’s story to afriend or family member.teddy bear Bunsen burner Geiger counterCelsius Fahrenheit pasteurize

14How to Build a Super Vocabulary3. What language does each of the following Englishword come from? Use a dictionary to find each word’setymology.zero cookie walrus canyon pastaskunk waffle cockroach potato attorney4. What’s the story behind the name of your state? Manystate names and other place-names come fromAmerican Indian languages. Check the etymology of yourstate’s name in a dictionary to find out about it.

KEY 2FIND THE ROOTS✔ Base Words and Roots✔ Combining Forms✔ Prefixes and SuffixesSome English words are shortand snappy. But many Englishwords are built from wordsand word parts that have beencombined to make new words.Recognizing word parts and knowing their meanings can helpyou unlock the meaning of many unfamiliar words. Thischapter introduces you to three different kinds of basic wordparts that carry a word’s core meaning: base words, roots, and combiningforms. You’ll also meet two kinds of add-ons: prefixes, which comeat the beginning, and suffixes, which come at the end, of a word.

16How to Build a Super VocabularyBase Words and RootsLearning new words is a lot easier when you find familiar partsin them. Learn to look for the most important part of a word, itsbase word or root. A base word is an ordinary English word to whichprefixes and/or suffixes have been added. In the word disappearance,for example, the base word is appear:dis- appear -ance disappearanceCan you find the base word in unforgettable and in research?Many English words are related: They come from the same root.A root is not a separate English word the way that a base word is.Base Words and Rootsabject:miserable;wretchedconjecture:an inference orguessinject:to force [a liquid]into a passage; tointroducejectLatin, “throw”injection:something injected,as a vaccine, intothe bodyreject:to refuse to take;to throw awayproject:to plan; to throwout an ideaeject:to throw out; todrive out

Find the Roots 17Instead, a root is a group of lettersthat carries a meaning from a differentlanguage, usually Greekor Latin.BASE WORD unusualUsual is a base word.WORD ROOT recurrentCur is a Latin root that means“run.”The word web on page 16 showsyou a word family. All of the wordsare related because they come originallyfrom the Latin root-ject, meaning“throw.” You can see that some wordshave stayed close to the originalmeaning of the root while othershave taken on new meanings.The Historyof WordsWhen learning vocabularywords, you don’tabsolutely need toknow which roots areGreek and which areLatin. But if you aresomeone who likeslearning a little bit ofhistory, you may findthat kind of informationinteresting andeven helpful. The morefamiliar you becomewith the stories behindwords, the more easilyyou can remember thedetails about roots—anduse them to makeconnections to otherwords.KEY2

18How to Build a Super VocabularyKnow Your Greek and LatinThis chart shows some commonGreek and Latin roots, theirmeaning, and English words containingthose roots.Root Meaning Examples-aqua- water aquarium, aquatic-cede-, -ceed- go, yield precede, proceed-cosm- universe cosmic, cosmonaut-cred-, -credit- believe credible, credo-curr-, -curs- run current, excursion-dic-, dict- say diction, dictator-duc-, -duct- lead conduct, educate-fac-, -fic- make, do factory, fiction-fer- bring, carry transfer, refer-ject- throw reject, inject-jud-, -jur-, -just- law judicial, jury, justice-loc- place location, locate-log- word dialogue, monologue-lum- light luminous, illuminate-luna- moon lunar, lunatic-mater-, -matr- mother maternal, matriarch-mort- death mortal, immortal-pater- father paternity, paternal-ped- foot pedal, pedestrian-pend- hang, weight depend, pendulum-pon-, -pos- put, place postpone, position-port- carry transport, import-rupt- break interrupt, erupt-scribe-, -scrip- write describe, scripture-sens- feeling sensation, sensitive-spec- see, look spectator, spectacles-tact- touch contact, tactile-temp- time temporary, tempo-therm- heat thermos, thermometer-trans- across transport, transfer-vid- see evidence, video-viv- life vivid, revive

Find the Roots 19Combining FormsEvery time you pick up a telephone or ride in an automobile orlook at a photograph, you use a combining form. Such words arecalled combining forms because they combine with other word formsor with prefixes or suffixes, or both, to form new words. Most combiningforms come originally from ancient Latin and Greek words.KEY2Combining Form Meaning Examplesanthropo- man anthropology-archy government, rule monarchy, matriarchyaudio- hearing, sound audiocassette, audiovisualauto- self automobile, autographbiblio- book bibliographychron- time chronology, chronicgeo- earth geography, geology-gram something written telegram, grammar-graph something that writes or is written phonograph, paragraphhydro- water hydrogen, hydroelectric-logy, -ology science of, study of ecology, psychologymega- very large, great megabyte, megadose-meter instrument for measuring speedometer, thermometermicro- small microscope, microbemid- middle midway, midnightmini- very small minivan, minibikemulti- many multicolored, multiethnicomni- all, everywhere omnipresent, omniscient-phobia fear claustrophobia-phone device producing sound telephone, microphonephoto- light photograph, photosensitivepoly- much, many polygraph, polyunsaturatedpsych-, psycho- mind psychology, psychic-scope instrument for seeing microscope, telescopetele- at, over, or from a distance telegraph, telephone

20How to Build a Super VocabularyPrefixes and SuffixesJust a few letters can make a world of difference. Un- addedto happy changes your mood to its opposite. Mis- added to adventureturns an adventure into a disaster.Think of prefixes and suffixes as attachments. They attach to thebeginning (prefix) or the end (suffix) of a base word or root to create anew word. The general name that covers both prefixes and suffixes isaffix. An affix is a word part that is added to a base word to change itsmeaning.

Find the Roots 21Prefixes Come at the BeginningA prefix is a group of letters (one or two syllables) that attach to thebeginning of a base word or root to create a new word. Prefixes havemeanings that change the base word in a specific way:re- (again) play replay (to play again)semi- (half) circle semicircle (half a circle)bi- (two) weekly biweekly (once every two weeks)un- (not) pleasant unpleasant (not pleasant)Here are some common prefixes with their meanings and someexample words.KEY2Prefix Meaning Examplesa-, ab- not, without atypical, amoral, abnormalante- before anteroom, antecedentanti- against, opposite antiwar, antibodyarch- main, chief archenemy, archangelbi- two bicycle, biweeklycircum- around circumference, circumstanceco-, com-, con- with, together coauthor, commit, conferencecontra- against contrary, contradictde-, dis- opposite, down, away from defrost, dishonestex- out of, away from, former extract, ex-presidentfore- before foreground, foreknowledgeil-, im-, in-, ir- not illegal, impossible, inadequate,irresponsiblein- into invade, intrudeinter- between, among interstate, internationalintra- within, inside intramural, intravenousmal- bad, badly malfunction, maladjustedmis- wrongly, badly misplace, miscalculatemono- one, single monologue, monotonenon- not, the opposite of nonsense, nonessential(continued)

22How to Build a Super VocabularyPrefix Meaning Examplespost- after postpone, postgamepre- before prefix, prepayre- again, back revisit, reattachsemi- half semicircle, semiannualsub- under, less than submarine, substandardsuper- above, greater than superior, superpowertrans- over, across transfer, transatlantictri- three tricycle, triangleun- not unusual, unsatisfactoryuni- one, single uniform, unilateralSuffixes Come at the EndA suffix is a syllable or group of letters added to the end of a baseword to create a new word. The suffixes -s and -es turn singular nounsinto plural nouns: coat -s coats, and clash -es clashes. Thefamiliar suffixes -ed and -ing are added to verbs to change their tense:create -ed created; wear -ing wearing.Suffixes also change words into different parts of speech:custom (noun) -ize customize (verb)accident (noun) -al accidental (adjective)wise (adjective) -dom wisdom (noun)Suffixes have meanings, too, but learning them is not necessary.Just remember that some suffixes make words into nouns, and othersuffixes turn words into verbs, adjectives, or adverbs.

Find the Roots 23Suffixes That Form NounsSuffix Examples-age postage, marriage-ance performance, hindrance-ant defendant, occupant-arch monarch, patriarch-dom kingdom, wisdom-ee employee, absentee-eer mountaineer, charioteer-er, -or dancer, actor-ence excellence, conference-hood childhood, motherhood-ion union, inspection, tension-ism patriotism, Impressionism-ment enjoyment, attachment-ness happiness, darkness-tion application, demonstrationSuffixes That Form VerbsSuffix Examples-ate vaccinate, cooperate-en brighten, strengthen-ing puzzling, keeping-ize fantasize, crystallizeSuffixes That Form Adjectives-able capable, reliable-er, -est finer, finest; younger,youngest-ful hopeful, fanciful-ic, -ical comic, magical-ish foolish, reddish-ive massive, creative-less fearless, tireless-some handsome, lonesomeSuffixes That Form Adverbs-ly carefully, happily-ward inward, outward-ways sideways, frontways-wise lengthwise, clockwiseKEY2Exceptions to the RuleWhen you add a prefix to a base word, the spelling of the base worddoesn’t change. Just add the prefix at the beginning:dis- similar dissimilar ir- responsible irresponsibleBut suffixes are tricky. Adding a suffix very often requires a changein spelling. You need to know these spelling rules and, of course, theirexceptions.●Do not change the spelling of a base word if you add the prefix-ly or -ness.friend -ly friendlylate -ness lateness

24How to Build a Super VocabularyEXCEPTIONS: In words ending in y, the y often changes to i:easily, happiness.●Drop a silent e at the end of a base word when you add a suffixthat starts with a vowel.sincere -ity sincerity move -able movableEXCEPTIONS: There are many exceptions, including courageous,mileage, and noticeable.● Keep a silent e at the end of a base word when you add a suffixthat begins with a consonant.care -less careless amuse -ment amusementEXCEPTIONS: argument, truly, noblyDouble the final consonant before adding a suffix that begins with avowel. Do this only if the base word has one syllable or is accented onthe last syllable or if the base word ends in a consonant preceded by asingle vowel.win -er winner hop -ing hoppingIf you’re in doubt about how to spell a word, use a dictionary.See, for example, the mini-dictionary at the back of this book.Finding Roots, Prefixes,Suffixes, and More1. Look for base words, roots, combining forms, prefixes, andsuffixes in each of the italicized words below. Use the informationin this chapter to make a guess about the meaningof each word. Check your guess in a dictionary, and thenwrite an original sentence for each italicized word.

Find the Roots 25● Have you read Benjamin Franklin’s or Thomas Jefferson’sautobiography?● Anne-Marie, an anthropologist, is interested in the moundbuilders, American Indians who built burial mounds andother earthworks.● Maya’s chicken curry recipe calls for many spices and ajudicious use of hot peppers.● Ever since he looked at a drop of pond water througha microscope, Ross has been interested in studyingmicrobiology.● Another name for rabies is hydrophobia because peoplewith rabies are unable to swallow liquids.● No matter what anyone says, Howard seems totallyinsensitive to criticism of his paintings.● Jack says he has a recurrent dream about coming toschool in his pajamas.● The chamber of commerce issued its annual projection oftourism figures.● From the three witches, Macbeth gained some foreknowledgeof what would happen to him.● Mescal signed up for a mini-workshop on peer mediation.∑2. Try to think of at least one more word as an example ofeach root in the chart on page 18.∑You can mix and match the combining forms in the charton page 19 to form many English words. See how manywords you can think of, and compare your list with yourclassmates’ lists.∑Turn to “The Ultimate Word List” at the back of this book.Try to find ten words that start with prefixes. Then, find tendifferent words that end with suffixes. Compare your listswith your classmates’.KEY2

KEY 3USE CONTEXT CLUES✔ General Context✔ Definitions in Context✔ Other Clues to MeaningHow often do you stop readingto look up a new word ina dictionary? If you’re likemost readers, you almostnever stop.You have reading detective skills that help you guess the meaningof unfamiliar words. And how do you manage to do that?Probably you’ve never thought about how you do it—you justdo it. This chapter shows you some useful strategies for figuring outthe meaning of new words.

28How to Build a Super VocabularyGeneral ContextWords don’t travel alone. Every word sits in the middle of itscontext, the words and sentences that surround it. As an experiencedreader, you’ve learned to look for context clues. Sometimes you haveto look at the big picture—you may have to read an entire paragraph ormore. In the following paragraph, notice the underlined context clues,which help you guess the meaning of ambiguous.In her essay about Robert Frost’s “Mending Wall,”Nora says she believes that the poem’s last line is deliberatelyambiguous. “I think Frost meant us TO INTERPRET THATLINE IN MORE THAN ONE WAY. There’s NO SINGLE CORRECT MEANING.In fact, there may be SEVERAL MEANINGS. We’re meantTO PUZZLE OVER WHAT THE LINE MEANS.”These clues showthat something ambiguoushas more than one possiblemeaning.This clue tells us thatsomething ambiguous ispuzzling.Definitions in ContextA sentence’s structure—its syntax—may provide two kindsof clues:●An appositive is a word or phrase that explains or identifies thenoun or pronoun that precedes it. Some appositives are set offby commas. Sometimes appositives begin with the word or.Every Friday after school, Lara attends a class in botany, thestudy of plants, at the science museum.

Use Context Clues 29The secretary announced theagenda, or list of topics to becovered, at the student councilmeeting.●Sometimes the definition is apredicate nominative (alsocalled a predicate noun). Apredicate nominative is a nounor pronoun that follows a linkingverb and identifies or renamesthe subject of the sentence.Remember that is, was,were, and all other forms of theverb be are linking verbs.Psychology is the sciencethat deals with the human mindand emotions.Grammar Cluesfrom theAuthor to YouWriters often try to helpyou figure out themeaning of a difficultword. Sometimes theyprovide a definition orrestatement of an unfamiliarword. Theword’s meaning is builtright in to the sentence,and all you have to dois look for it. For example,the underlinedword below actually definesthe word indigenous.Can you name someof the trees that are indigenous,or native, toyour state?KEY3

30How to Build a Super VocabularyOther Clues to MeaningOn the next several pages, you can find a number of other kindsof context clues.Key Words to Clue You InKey words are the most important words, the ones that help you findprecisely what you’re looking for. You use key words whenever you doan Internet search. You can tell that a word is a key word if it’s repeatedoften or if it sounds important. Sometimes the structure of thesentence helps you recognize a key word.About one sixth of the 120 species of SNAKES in America arevenomous. If a VENOMOUS SNAKE BITES you, go to a DOCTOR OR HOSPITALIMMEDIATELY.The key wordssnakes, bites, anddoctor or hospitalimmediately showthat venomousmeans “poisonous.”Explanations Through ExamplesAnother way writers try to help you is by giving examples of an unfamiliarword.You’ll never see a living dinosaur, mastodon, or wooly mammothbecause all of those animal species are extinct.Example clues may be introduced with a dash or a colon or withthe words for example, for instance, or such as.You can recognize conifers—such as pine, fir, cedar, andspruce—by their seed-bearing cones.Comparisons with Familiar WordsWhen writers compare two things, they show how they are alike.One kind of comparison clue is a synonym, a word that has the same

Use Context Clues 31or nearly the same meaning as the unfamiliar word. Enormous, gigantic,and huge, for instance, are synonyms for colossal.Gina built a colossal snowman. It was so enormous that she hadto stand on a chair to decorate its face.In another kind of comparison clue, familiar words in a nearbyclause or phrase help to explain an unfamiliar word.My friend Bobbie is a pessimist. In every situation, she alwaysthinks that the worst will happen.KEY3

32How to Build a Super VocabularyContrasts with Familiar WordsWhen you contrast two or more things, you show how they are different.Writers sometimes provide antonyms, words with the oppositemeaning, as context clues.Dave warned us to hurry and not to tarry over dinner, or we’dmiss the last bus home.Explanations Through RelationshipsSometimes you can guess a word’s meaning from the general situationin a sentence.The little boy couldn’t speak any English, but he was able topantomime his request, using gestures and body movements.Connecting words called conjunctions may also serve as contextclues. And, but, or, and yet connect ideas that are equal in importance.They are called coordinating conjunctions. Words like although, if,when, and unless connect a less important idea to a more importantone. These are subordinating conjunctions.Latisha is the most logical of my friends. She almost alwayswins an argument because she gives strong reasons to supporther views.

Use Context Clues 33Sample Monologue for ReasoningOut the Meaning of a WordYou’re curled up on the couch on arainy day. You’re deep into an excitingpart of a mystery novel, and you comeacross this paragraph:KEY3From a distance, Sean could see that the old house looked desolateand abandoned. Shutters hung off their hinges, upstairswindows were broken, the paint peeled, the porch sagged, and thesteps were totally gone. Around the house, tall weeds and wildgrasses grew hip-high. It was an hour after sunset, and thegloomy darkness gave the house a sinister look—as if somethingevil might be waiting inside. Sean shivered with foreboding. “Don’tgo in, don’t go in,” his cautious self warned. But Sean ignored hisinner voice warning of danger. He climbed onto the sagging porch,reached for the doorknob, and stepped into a pitch-black roomthat smelled of death and decay.Here’s how you might go about puzzling the meanings as youread:●Wow! That’s three words I’m not sure of: desolate, sinister,and foreboding.

34How to Build a Super Vocabulary●●●Let’s see. Desolate has something to do with looking desertedand also something to do with looking ruined. Abandoned is asynonym, I think, for desolate. In the second sentence, thewriter gives lots of examples of what’s wrong with the house.It’s a wreck. Does it ever need fixing up!I think sinister must mean some kind of mysterious evil. Thewriter sort of defines sinister in the same sentence, rightafter the dash.That leaves foreboding. I know that fore- is a prefix thatmeans “before” or “in advance.” I think that the next twosentences have lots of clues that tell me that foreboding mustmean “a feeling that something bad is going to happen.”What can you do if an unfamiliar word really stops you, andthere are no context clues? Remember the dictionary! You can alwayscheck the word’s meaning in a dictionary at the back ofthis book.

Use Context Clues 35Guess the Meaning1. Using context clues, write a definition of each italicizedword. Notice the clues that help you guess the meaning ofeach word. When you finish, check your guesses in a dictionary.How close did you come to the dictionary meanings?●●●●●●●●Ryan is so amiable that no one has ever seen him ina bad mood.After the hike, I was ravenous, so I ate two peanutbutter and jelly sandwiches, a lot of raw carrots, andtwo oranges.Homer’s epics—the Iliad and the Odyssey—tell of theTrojan War and its aftermath. Critics agree that theselong narrative poems are among the greatest worksof Western civilization.Unlike her sister, Wendy is an optimist. Whenever disasterstrikes, Wendy cheerily believes that everythingwill turn out okay.The most exciting part of our hike was walking behindthe cascade, or waterfall, and discovering ahuge cave.Four-year-old Sara doesn’t always tell the truth. I’veheard her prevaricate in order to keep from gettingin trouble.Carl is so gullible that he believes everything everyonetells him—even telemarketers—and everything hereads in the newspaper or hears on the news.Not even a professional sleuth, or private detective,can solve the mystery of the missing socks.KEY3

36How to Build a Super Vocabulary● The chairman encourages all of his subordinates—hisassistants and staff members—to submit their suggestionsfor improving sales.● Besides the sun and the moon, how many celestialbodies can you identify?2. Choose ten words from the vocabulary lists at the back ofthis book. Choose words that interest you or words you’venever seen or heard before. Write an original sentence foreach word (underline the word), and be sure to includecontext clues in each finish. When you finish writing your tensentences, exchange your paper with a partner. Then, usethe context clues to guess the meaning of each underlinedword in your partner’s sentences.

KEY 4USE YOUR TOOLS✔ Kinds of Dictionaries✔ The Dictionary Entry✔ Dictionary Entries with Multiple Meanings✔ The Thesaurus and How It WorksAuto mechanics use wrenchesand screwdrivers. What kindsof tools do readers and writersuse?Carpenters use hammers and saws. Gardeners use spades andrakes and shovels. People who work with words—and you dowhenever you read or write—have two handy-dandy tools tohelp them: a dictionary and a thesaurus.

38How to Build a Super VocabularyKinds of DictionariesPeople talk about looking something up in “the dictionary.” Theyreally should say “a dictionary” because so many different kindsof dictionaries exist. (See, for example, the mini-dictionary at the backof this book. What different kinds of information does it provide abouteach entry word?) This chart gives an idea of the main types of dictionariesyou can come across:Kind of Dictionary Definition What It DoesPocket dictionary very small dictionary It contains a limited(usually paperback) number of words anddefinitions.School dictionary dictionary aimed at It has fewer entrieselementary school than a college dicstudentsnary. Usually, it hasmany pictures.College dictionary dictionary for middle It contains many moreschool students and entries than schoolbeyonddictionaries and offersetymologies (word histories),usage notes,synonyms, andantonyms.Unabridged dictionary big, fat dictionary It contains more defin-(close to three itions than a collegethousand pages) that dictionary, fuller etycontainsmore than mologies, and citations450,000 entry words (quoted sentences orphrases using the entryword).

Use Your Tools 39Kind of Dictionary Definition What It DoesOnline dictionary dictionary you can It provides informaaccessonline tion electronically.Specialized dictionary dictionary of words Examples include arelated to a particular dictionary of sportssubjectterms, a dictionary ofslang words, and aforeign-languagedictionary.KEY4College DictionaryEven though you’re notin college, it’s a goodidea to buy a collegedictionary now to useat home. You can usea college dictionarynow, in high school, incollege, and for the restof your adult life.

40How to Build a Super VocabularyThe Dictionary EntryDictionaries provide a great deal of information. Look at thefollowing sample entry for the word sagacity:entry wordsyllable divisionetymology(word’s history)definitionrelated formssa·gac·i·ty (suh·GAS ·uh·tee) n.[Fr sagacité < L sagacitas]showing intelligence and goodjudgment. SYN. SHREWDNESS—sagacious adj.—sa·ga´cious·ly adv.pronunciation, showingaccented syllable.You will find a guideto pronunciationsymbols, usually inthe lower right-handcorner of each page.part of speechsynonymA dictionary entry may offer many more kinds of information:●●●Usage notes tell you how—or when—a word is used. Here aresome common usage labels:arch. = archaic (no longer used)Brit. (British) = Britishcolloq. = colloquial (highly informal)slang = specialized vocabulary (highly informal)Subject labels indicate that a definition is from Music, Biology,Radio, Grammar, Mechanics, or any other specialized field.Citations show the word in context, usually in a sentence orphrase. A citation is enclosed in brackets or set off from theentry with some other punctuation mark. Sometimes the sourceof the citation is identified:

Use Your Tools 41Model Pronunciation KeyDictionaries tell you how to pronounce words.Look for the pronunciation in parentheses right afterthe entry word. The pronunciation may contain somespecial symbols, but don’t worry. Dictionaries place apronunciation key—a guide to the pronunciationmarks and symbols—on the bottom of every two-pagespread. It may look something like this:a as in at; a – as in play; ä as in cot;e as in ten; e – as in even; i as in is;ı– as in ice; o – as in go; ô as in all;oo as in look; oo — as in boot; oi asin oil; ou as in out; ŋ as in ring;u as in mud; u as in her; as inago; sh as in shell; ch as in chew;th as in thin; th as in then; zh asin measure.eKEY4

42How to Build a Super Vocabulary●●Antonyms are words that mean the opposite of an entry word.Irregular comparative forms of modifiers are shown after theentry word:good adj. better, best● The main forms of irregular verbs are shown:lie vi. lay (past) lain (past participle) lying(present participle)The keys use phonetic respellings to show the pronunciation of aword. Read the pronunciation just as you would read an English word.The accented syllable is the one that’s capitalized.mayor (MAY·er) plasma (PLAHZ·muh) radio (RAY·dee·oh)Dictionary Entries with Multiple MeaningsMost dictionary entries provide more than one definition, andeach definition is numbered. Whenever a word functions asmore than one part of speech, the meanings are separated and identifiedaccording to part of speech, as in the sample entry below:men·tor (MEN·tor or MEN·ter) [L < GrMentor, literally adviser. In Greek mythology,friend and adviser to Odysseus, heroof w Odyssey, and teacher of Odysseus’sson Telemachus] —n. 1. a wise and trustedadviser 2. a teacher or coach —vt., vi.mentor to serve as a mentor; to teach oradvise. —men´tor·ship n.

Use Your Tools 43When you look up an unfamiliar word with multiple meanings, howcan you choose the “right” meaning? Try out the different meanings inthe context, and choose the meaning that fits best.The agency’s goal is to recruit 150 new mentors for the Boys’and Girls’ Club after-school program.Mr. Hugh B. Corlett, an English teacher, patiently mentored thestaff of the Kirk Spectator, our school newspaper.KEY4

44How to Build a Super VocabularyThe Thesaurus and How It WorksThesaurus (thuh·SORE·us) comes from a Greek word that means“treasure,” and a thesaurus really is a treasure-house of words.Thesauri (that’s the plural form) are books of synonyms. They’re particularlyuseful to writers, who search for different ways to express thesame idea in order to avoid unnecessary repetition. A thesaurus lookssomething like a dictionary, but it works in a different way.Peter Mark Roget (1779–1869), an English doctor, published thefirst thesaurus in 1852. For almost fifty years he’d been working on acatalog of words grouped according to their meaning. For Roget histhesaurus was a hobby, but when it was published, it sold well.Here’s how a thesaurus works. It’s a two-step process. First, youlook up a word in the index, which usually takes up more than a quarterof the book. Say you’re looking for synonyms for jar. Here’s whatyou might find in the index:jarn. container 47.8conflict 102.11shake 234.6surprise 792.8v. sound unharmonious 142.7clash 102.09disagree 102.01preserve 52.1shake 146.8surprise 792.9

Use Your Tools 45Suppose you want synonyms for jar as a noun, in the sense of theverb shake. You turn to the number for the subentry shake (146.8), andthis is what you find:146.8 shake, quake, quiver, tremble,shiver, shudder; jolt; jerk, twitch;bounce, bump.Use synonyms wisely. Synonyms are words that mean the same oralmost the same as another word. For example, amiable and affableare synonyms that mean “friendly and easygoing.” They can be used interchangeablyin this sentence:Jermaine is the most _________ of all my friends.KEY4But synonyms are not exactly alike. To help users see the shades ofmeaning among synonyms, dictionaries sometimes have synonymies atthe end of an entry. Here’s an example of a synonymy that discussesamiable and three of its synonyms:SYN. —Amiable implies friendlinessand cheerfulness; affable suggests thata person is easy to talk to. Someonewho is genial is both cheerful andsociable [the genial talk-show host];cordial is somewhat more formal, suggestinggraciousness and warmth .

46How to Build a Super VocabularyUsing Your Tools1. For each italicized word, check a college dictionary to seewhich definition best fits the context:● The Supreme Court is expected to give a definitive rulingon the case this fall.● Everyone joined in singing the ballad’s refrain.● On the Ellis Island Web site, we found my greatgrandfather’sname on a ship’s manifest.● Because of the electrical storm, the radio station couldnot transmit for several hours.2. How much information can you find about each of thesewords? Compare the coverage in two different dictionaries.Which dictionary do you prefer? Why?apex hurricane pretzel pun3. Use a thesaurus to look up each of the italicized words. Foreach sentence, list all of the synonyms you can find that youthink fit the meaning of the sentence. Compare your lists ofsynonyms with your classmates’ lists.● Amra hurried down the street, trying to catch her bus.● Whenever I tell Sam a joke, he always laughs.● “Please turn down the volume on that radio,” Aunt Lenasaid.● A tall young man in a black leather jacket walked intothe cafeteria.

KEY 5TACKLE THETOUGH ONES✔ Why You Want to Use Words Correctly✔ Commonly Confused Words✔ Mispronunciations✔ Troublesome WordsAs you learn new words, getinto the habit of using themwhen you write and speak.The more words you own, thericher you’ll be.You can say that you “own” a word only when you can comfortablywork it into your writing or speaking. If you regularlypractice using some of the words in the mini-dictionary atthe back of this book, by the end of the school year, you may ownthem all.

48How to Build a Super VocabularyWhy You Want to Use Words CorrectlyWhat’s wrong with these sentences?Trina has a guilty conscious.Have you seen Evilio’s new Web cite?Ooops—that should be conscience in the first sentence and site inthe second. You want to use words precisely to communicate yourthoughts clearly, so people know what you’re talking about. When youwrite, you also want to use—and spell—your words correctly so thatreaders are impressed with what you know. Mistakes are embarrassing,and teachers take off points for wrong or misspelled words. If you’re indoubt, double-check the spelling of a word in a dictionary or “TheUltimate Word List” at the back of this book.Commonly Confused WordsBy now you know when to choose to, too, or two. You also knowwhen to use bad (as an adjective) and badly (as an adverb).English has lots of word pairs that people mix up—words that soundsimilar but have different meanings. Learn when and how to use thesecommonly confused word pairs:accede, exceed Use accede to mean “to agree to something” or “togive in.” Exceed means “to go beyond a limit” or “to be greater than.”The city council acceded to residents’ demands for better streetlighting.Speeding fines are doubled if you exceed the speed limit near aschool.accept, except Accept is a verb that means “to agree to” or “to receivewillingly.” Except is a preposition that means “but.”

Tackle the Tough Ones 49Lauren will accept the award for the best original oil painting.Everyone in the family was at the wedding except Jim and Patti.adapt, adopt Both of these words are verbs. Adapt means “to adjust”or “to make changes in order to fit.” Adopt means “to choose” or “totake for oneself.” Adopt is most often used to refer to a child’s beinglegally made part of a new family.It took a few weeks for the puppy to adapt to her new home.Kim has four brothers and sisters; two of them are adopted.affect, effect Affect is a verb that means “to have an effect on; to influence.”Effect can be both a noun and a verb. As a noun, effect means“the result of some cause or action.” As a verb, effect means “to cause”or “to bring about a change.”How will the company’s move affect your mom’s job?One of the effects is that she will have a longer trip into the city.Studying hard may effect an improvement in your grade.KEY5capital, capitol The noun capital is the city where the state or nationalgovernment meets. (Capital also refers to an uppercase letter.)The capitol is the actual building in which a state legislature or the U.S.Congress meets. Think of the o in capitol as the dome on the building.Can you name the capitals of Georgia and Tennessee?We visited the beautiful capitol building in Annapolis, Maryland.compliment, complement The noun compliment means “words ofpraise or admiration.” As a verb, compliment means “to say words ofpraise or admiration to someone.” Complement, on the other hand, hasnothing to do with praise. A complement is “something that completesa whole.”

50How to Build a Super VocabularyIt’s always better to receive a compliment than an insult.What color carpet do you think will complement the furniture inthis room?conscious, conscience You can use the adjective conscious to describesomeone who’s alert and awake. Conscious also means “aware.”Conscience, a noun, is that part of your mind that makes you feel guiltywhen you do something wrong.Geri was fully conscious an hour after her appendix wasremoved.Parents try to teach their children to have a conscience.

Tackle the Tough Ones 51farther, further Farther means “more distant.” Further means “to agreater extent or degree.” To keep these two words straight, think ofthe far in farther.Helena bicycled three miles farther than Sam.Larry suggested that we discuss the problem further at the nextmeeting.immigrate, emigrate You emigratefrom, and you immigrate to. Youemigrate from your home to live permanentlyin another country. Youimmigrate to a new country tobecome a permanent resident.My great-grandfather emigratedfrom Russia at the age of twelve.By 1905, his whole family hadimmigrated to America.site, cite A site is a specific place orlocation. Cite is a verb meaning “togive credit to a source.”Alan explored the Web site ofthe National Aeronautics andSpace Administration.In his research paper, he citedWeb pages of several governmentagencies. Think of theWorks Cited list in your researchpaper.Stationary andStationeryStationary means “notmoving; in a fixedposition.” Stationery iswriting paper.She rides her stationarybike for fifteen minutesevery morning.Andie is writing herthank-you notes on lightblue stationery.How can you rememberwhich is which? Write aletter on stationery.KEY5

52How to Build a Super VocabularyMispronunciationsPronouncing a word correctly can help you spell it right. Hereare some common words that are often mispronounced. Theunderscored letters mark the trouble spots where spelling mistakesmost often occur.accidentally Don’t make the mistake of mispronouncing this word“accidently.” The suffix -ly is added to the adjective form accidental(not to the noun accident):accidental -ly accidentallygovernment Pronounce the letter n, so you’ll remember to spell thisword correctly.govern -ment governmentlaboratory The preferred pronunciation sounds that first o. You laborin a laboratory.library If you don’t pronounce the letter r, you’re likely to spell thisword incorrectly. Think of libros, the Spanish word for “books.”mathematics Many people mistakenly forget the e when they say andspell this word. Pronounce the e so you spell it right.miniature Don’t leave out the a. If you pronounce the a (the preferredpronunciation), you’ll remember to include it when you spell the word.mischievous Some people make the mistake of adding an extra i afterthe v. It’s (MIS·chuh·vus), not (mis·CHEE·vee·us).mischief -ous mischievous (Note that the final f changes toa v.)

Tackle the Tough Ones 53temperamental Someone who’s temperamental is easily upset or excited.To spell this word correctly, make a point of pronouncing the ain the middle of the word.temperament -al temperamentalvacuum When you push a vacuum cleaner, you’re pushing one c andtwo u’s. Vacuum is pronounced several different ways, but the preferredpronunciation will help you remember the two u’s: (VAK·yoo·um).Troublesome WordsThe English language has many words that seem designed tocause trouble. Among those pesky words are irregularplurals and words that sound alike or look alike but have differentmeanings.Homophones: They Sound AlikePair and pear, your and you’re, are homophones—words that soundalike but are spelled differently. These troublesome word pairs (ortriplets, such as to, too, and two) cause you grief only when you write.When you’re talking, no one can tell which word you’re using, since thewords in a pair sound alike. Some words may not be homophones insome dialects. For example, some people may say these three words inthe same way: bear, bare, beer. Other people might say those wordsdifferently.Can you define the italicized words—they’re homophones—in thesesentences? Think about what each word means.●The bold young bowler bowled two strikes on her first game.KEY5●From the top stair, we could stare down at the party.

54How to Build a Super VocabularyIrregular PluralsOne bus goes by, and then you see two morebuses—or is it busses? You can find irregular pluralforms of nouns listed in a dictionary, right after thepart-of-speech entry. Here, for example, is the beginningof an entry for bus:bus (BUS) n., pl. buses or bussesNotice that both plural spellings are okay, but thefirst spelling listed in a dictionary is often the preferredone. So you’d write buses. Whenever you’re in doubtabout a noun’s plural form, check a dictionary.Most nouns form their plural by adding -s or -es tothe singular form. But many nouns don’t perform sosimply. Here are some types of irregular plurals, whatto do when you meet one, and some examples:Type of Irregular Plural What to Do ExampleNouns that change form Memorize these. child, children;mouse, mice;foot, feet; ox, oxenForeign nouns Check a dictionary. alumnus, alumniCompound nouns Make the most sons-in-law;important word sixth-graders;plural.twelve-year-oldsNouns with the same Check a dictionary. three fish; twoform for singular and pluraldeer; many mooseNouns that have no Check a dictionary. politics, species, newssingular formNumbers and letters Add an apostrophe three 6’s; two m’sand s

Tackle the Tough Ones 55●●●●Of course you need to use coarse sandpaper to smooth newwood.My aunt shrieked when she saw the ant sampling her freshbakedpie.Tony billed us for the deck we asked him to build.Many a fowl died when the chicken-house roof collapsed afterdays of foul weather.Homographs: They Look AlikeJust to make things more interesting—and more complicated—Englishhas look-alike words with altogether different meanings. These arecalled homographs (from homo-, same -graph, writing). Homographscome in pairs. They’re spelled exactly alike, but they have differentmeanings and often have different pronunciations. There are, for example,two kinds of sewers. Which one is the (SO·er), and which is the(SOO·er)?Aunt Edna, who makes all her clothes, is a sewer of great skill.The tennis ball bounced out of the court and rolled into a sewer.KEY5Here are some more homographs. How would you pronounce eachitalicized word?A mysterious object hung from the ceiling.Do you object to this plan?Julio signed the sales contract for the car.People who contract viral pneumonia run a high fever and feelvery sick.

56How to Build a Super VocabularyUsing Words Correctly1. You Know These Word Pairs. Choose three of the commonlyconfused word pairs below. Define each word in the pair,and use it in a sentence.beside, besides lay, liebetween, among learn, teachborrow, lend lend, loanbring, take principal, principlegood, wellreal, really2. More Homographs. Think of how the words in each of theseword pairs can have altogether different meanings. Howdoes their pronunciation change? Use a dictionary for help.minute, minute bass, basswound, wound refuse, refuseinvalid, invalid dove, dove3. More Homophones. What’s the difference between thewords in these word pairs? Look up their meaning in adictionary, and write a sentence for each word.insight, incite ascent, assent faint, feint

KEY 6BUILD YOURVOCABULARY✔ Memory Tips✔ Making a Personal Word Collection✔ Expand Your VocabularyWhile You ReadA new hobby or interest givesyou a whole new vocabulary,the specialized vocabulary ofits equipment and procedures.As you grow taller and older and stronger, your vocabularygrows along with you. Print materials (books, magazines,and newspapers) and TV and radio continuously bombardyou with new words.

58How to Build a Super VocabularyYour vocabulary is an important measure of your verbal abilities. Infact, the standardized tests you take usually include a section just forthe sake of seeing how strong your vocabulary is. Here’s an example:Directions: Choose the best synonym for the underlined word.affluence(a) liquid (b) measure (c) wealth (d) importanceThe answer—did you know it?—is (c) wealth. This chapter showsyou some strategies for turning challenging words into words youown—words that you can use correctly and easily when you speakand write.Memory TipsBy now you’ve discovered a lot of new words and learned goodstrategies for figuring out their meaning. But how do you“keep” a new vocabulary word? How do you make it part of your workingvocabulary? Try these strategies for remembering the meaning ofnew words.Make Up a SentenceMnemonics (nuh·MON·iks), named for the Greek goddess of memory,is a system for improving your memory. (For example, the sentenceEvery Good Boy Does Fine is a mnemonic for remembering the musicalnotes on the lines of the treble clef, from bottom to top.) Invent asentence—either funny or serious—that helps you remember a word’smeaning. Here are some examples:●A garden slug moves sluggishly—very, very slowly or notat all.

Build Your Vocabulary 59●●●●Max was freezing, so he piled on the maximum number ofblankets.The S.S. Titanic was a titanic—gigantic ship.A caterpillar transforms itself into a butterfly, an altogetherdifferent form.The two l’s in the middle of parallel form parallel lines.In a confusing word pair, a sentence can help you remember whichword is which.●Letters are written on stationery.●Look at the golden dome on the capitol building.Draw Your WordDo a sketch that helps you visualize a word’s meaning. You don’t haveto draw well to do this—stick figures are fine. For example, print theword jovial in large letters and draw a happy smile in the o. Writedissect, and sketch a knife down the middle of the word. Write enigmaon a jigsaw puzzle piece.Use Flash CardsRemember flash cards? You can make them from index cards or evensmall pieces of paper. On one side, write a new word you want to re-KEY6

60How to Build a Super Vocabularymember. On the other side, write a definition and example sentence.Give yourself ten minutes to memorize the definitions in a pile of cards;then test yourself. If you can’t remember a word’s meaning, turn overthe card and look. Make a separate pile of the words you have troubleremembering. Keep reviewing those flash cards until you can easilyrecall each word’s meaning.Listen to Your VoiceOne of the ways you can learn is by listening. Write the word and itsdefinition; then say them aloud to yourself. Make up a new sentenceusing the word in context, and listen to yourself as you say the sentence.Listening to your own voice reinforces your learning. Saying thewords out loud helps, too.Making a Personal Word CollectionYour teacher may assign new vocabulary words, or you maychoose them from your reading. Keep a vocabulary journal ina separate notebook or a special section in your notebook. (In yourvocabulary journal, you’ll record new words that you learn, along withtheir definitions and an example sentence.) You can even keep yourvocabulary journal as a separate document on your computer. In yourvocabulary journal, include useful words, words that appeal to you,technical terms, colorful words, strong verbs, and specific nouns. Youcan even draw a picture of what the word reminds you of or use clipart. Be sure to include any words that tend to be personal trouble spotsfor you.Jessie found the word inflammatory in a novel she was reading.Here’s her vocabulary journal entry:

Build Your Vocabulary 61Vocabulary Journal EntryWord: inflammatoryPart of speech: adj.Meaning: causing anger, violence, or greatexcitementWhat I know about the word: It seems to be related to INFLAME, “setting onfire,” and FLAME, “fire.”Sample sentence: The audience booed the speaker’s INFLAMMATORY remarks.Another way to learn and remember a new word is to make a wordmap, like the one below. If you work with a partner or small group,talk about a word before you map it:Word Mapculprit n. someone accused or found guilty of a crime or offense.What do I know about the word?• It’s not good to be called a culprit.• It means you’re in trouble.Who could be called a culprit?• someone who steals• someone who tricks someone else• someone who’s responsible for another person’s injuryWhat’s the opposite of a culprit?• a hero• someone who helps or saves othersWhat are some synonyms for culprit?• villain• offenderMy original sentence: When we found the rug chewed up, we knew that Maggie,our German shepherd puppy, was the culprit.KEY6

62How to Build a Super VocabularyGroup NamesCollective nouns refer to whole groups of personsor animals. Team, jury, crowd, and crew are collectivenouns that refer to people. The collective nouns thatrefer to groups of animals are fun to learn and use.Here are a few examples. Can you find more?gaggle of geesepride of lionsschool of fishpod of whalescolony of antsswarm of beestroop of kangaroosclutch of chicks

Build Your Vocabulary 63Expand Your Vocabulary While You ReadIn Chapter 3, you practiced using context clues to guess a word’smeaning. Chapter 2 showed how analyzing a word’s root, prefix,and suffix can help you determine its meaning. Book publishers alsotry to give you a lot of help. You oftenfind footnotes at the bottom of a pageand a glossary (a specialized minidictionary)at the back of a book.Important terms are almost alwaysboldfaced (set in dark type) andinclude a definition in context. If you Word Games forstill aren’t sure you know a word’sBig Gainsmeaning, stop and use a dictionary orask someone what the word means. If you like to play wordThe best way to build your vocabularyis to read and read and read some your vocabulary bygames, you can buildmore. Read all kinds of books for fun. doing crossword puzzlesjust for fun. YouRead the kinds of books that you likebest. Read articles in magazines and can do them alone, butnewspapers. Read what appeals to they’re more fun whenyou. Read online articles and Web two or more peoplesites. Make the time to read, read, and work together to guessread. Every time you meet an unfamiliarword in context—and context is crossword puzzles inthe clues. You’ll findthe important part—you sharpen your daily newspapers andability to learn and remember words in many magazines.and their meaning.KEY6

64How to Build a Super VocabularyBuilding Your Vocabulary1. Choose five unfamiliar and challenging words from themini-dictionary at the back of this book. To learn andremember the words, try using the vocabulary-buildingsuggestions in this chapter:●●∑●∑●∑●Make a vocabulary journal entry.Make a word map.Do a sketch of the word’s meaning.Make up a sentence that includes the word’s meaning.Make a flash card of the word and its meanings.2. Choose a book from the library that you haven’t read before.As you read it, write down unfamiliar words whosemeaning you can’t guess from the context. Stop readingwhen you’ve listed five words. Then, look up each wordin a dictionary, and write a vocabulary journal entry foreach one.

KEY 7USE THE BEST WORDS✔ Substitute Livelier Words✔ Avoid Repetition and Redundancy✔ Avoid Overused Words and ClichésSo you’ve added manynew words to your vocabularyfrom your reading.Now what will you dowith them?Make a special effort to use new words when you write andspeak. When you do, you sound more interesting, and yourideas sound more grown-up.

66How to Build a Super VocabularySubstitute Livelier WordsAs you acquire new words, you can start to replace the sameold words with livelier ones. Say you’re describing somethingyou see—a girl walking down the street. You might write or say:A girl is walking down the street.But that doesn’t give the reader or listener a clear picture. If youchoose precise words and add some details, you can make the scenecome alive:A redheaded girl in blue overalls is sauntering down a treelinedstreet.Sauntered is much more precise than walked. It describes a particularkind of slow, leisurely walk—the opposite of hurried. When writing,use specific, lively words instead of dull, general words.

Use the Best Words 67Now you try it. For each of the sentences below, add details andprecise, lively words to create a clear, interesting picture for the reader.The boy and his dog played with a ball.The sound was very loud.We went into the water.When using words in a more refined and precise way, you can alsocut down on the number of words you need. One word can be betterthan many. A single precise word can replace many words, as in thefollowing sentences:racedI hurried as fast as I could to the door.pacifyShe tried to stop the twins from fighting and calm them down.pianistLoud applause greeted the person who was going to play the piano.Avoid Repetition and RedundancyIf a teacher says that your work is wordy, that’s not acompliment. Don’t repeat yourself unnecessarily. Say it once,and say it clearly.WORDY Whenever Tara feels nervous, she starts coughingnervously and clearing her throat in a nervous sort of way.CLEAR Whenever Tara feels nervous, she starts coughingand clearing her throat.When writers use many more words than they need, they’re oftenbeing redundant, or repetitive. Tighten your writing to get rid of theexcess. Search for just-right nouns and precise verbs.KEY7

68How to Build a Super VocabularyEditingEditing is another word for revising. It’s a stepin the writing process—the one that comes afterdrafting. As you revise, or edit, your writing, youfocus on improving it. Basically, you do three thingswhen you edit:●●●delete (take out) unnecessary words, sentences,details, paragraphsinsert stronger words, sentences, details,paragraphsmove or replace words, sentences, details,and paragraphs to clarify logic or meaning

Use the Best Words 69REDUNDANT Julio held his bat as tightly as he could holdit and bobbed it up and down in a nervous sort of way as hewatched the pitcher go through all the motions of winding upbefore he threw the curve ball that he was famous for overhome plate.CLEAR Julio gripped the bat tightly and bobbed it up anddown nervously as he watched the pitcher wind up and pitchhis famous curve ball.Avoid Overused Words and ClichésSome words are so overused that they’re tired—no, they’reexhausted. Avoid these overused words when you write:Overused WordverynicegoodbadterriblewonderfulPossible Substitutesextremely, quite, extraordinarily, exceedingly(or just leave it out)agreeable, pleasant, delightful, attractive,considerateexcellent, enjoyable, pleasant, fine, splendiddisappointing, unsatisfactory, inadequate,faulty, harmfulhorrible, unacceptable, unpleasant,disagreeable, dreadfulmarvelous, amazing, excellent, fine, enjoyableKEY7greatexcellent, fine, magnificent, splendid,enjoyable

70How to Build a Super VocabularyA cliché (klee·SHAY) is an expressionthat’s stale from overuse. Quietas a mouse, white as snow, cool as acucumber are examples. You canprobably think of many others. Noticethat many clichés compare two unlikethings. When you’re writing or speaking,try to express your ideas in afresh, new way—without usingoverused words or clichés. Sometimesthat simply means getting specific:Watch YourQualifiersVery and all of itssubstitutes are calledCLICHÉ Jeff’s kitten is as qualifiers. Don’t usesweet as sugar.qualifiers often. Instead,FRESH Jeff’s kitten is so use strong, precisefriendly that she curls up onanyone’s lap and purrs.words that don’t needqualifying:Slang is a highly informal kind of She was extremelylanguage. There’s nothing wrong with angry.using slang when you talk to your She was furious.friends: “Hey, man, what’s happening?”Slang words are fun, and everyone usesthem. But slang is inappropriate when you should be using formal standardEnglish. Avoid using slang, for example, when you write an essayor when you speak formally, as in a speech, a debate, or a conversationwith an adult you do not know well.

Use the Best Words 71Using the Best Words1. Write two paragraphs describing what you see from whereyou are sitting right now. Include many details, and use specificnouns and lively verbs. When you finish drafting yourparagraph, edit it carefully. Ask yourself these questions:∑●∑●∑●∑●∑●∑●∑●Have I used precise and lively nouns and verbs?Have I eliminated any unnecessary repetition?Have I expressed my ideas clearly?Have I eliminated wordiness?Have I replaced overused words?Have I expressed my ideas in a fresh way withoutusing clichés?Have I added enough details to give the reader a clearpicture?2. For each of the following italicized clichés, think of a fresh,new way to express the same idea. Write it in a newsentence.I am so hungry that I could eat a horse.“Let’s bury the hatchet,” he said.According to Lauren, the biology test is as easy as pie.”“I’m at the end of my rope,” she cried. “My computer hascrashed!”Raffi’s little sister is as cute as a button.3. In the mini-dictionary at the back of this book, are definitionsand example sentences for words you should know.Many of those words appear on standardized tests. Take alook, and see how many of those words you already know.How many are completely new to you? Plan a strategy foradding all of those words to your working vocabulary.KEY7

72How to Build a Super VocabularyPronunciation Key for the Ultimate Word ListVowel SoundsConsonant SoundsSymbol Key Words Symbol Key Wordsa at, cap, parrot b bed, table, roba ape, play, sail d dog, middle, sadä cot, father, heart f for, phone, coughe ten, wealth, merry g get, wiggle, doge even, feet, money h hat, hope, aheadi is, stick, mirror hw which, whiteı ice, high, sky j joy, badge, agento go, open, tone k kill, cat, quietô all, law, horn l let, yellow, balloo could, look, pull m meet, number, timeyoo cure, furious n net, candle, tonoo boot, crew, tune p put, sample, escapeyoo cute, few, use r red, wrong, bornoi boy, oil, royal s sit, castle, officeou cow, out, sour t top, letter, catu mud, ton, blood, trouble v voice, every, loveu her, sir, word w wet, always, quartə ago, agent, collect, focus y yes, canyon, onion’l cattle, paddle z zoo, misery, rise’n sudden, sweeten ch chew, nature, punchsh shell, machine, bushth thin, nothing, truthth then, other, bathezh beige, measure, seizure ring, anger, drink

THE ULTIMATEWORD LIST*The mini-dictionary on the following pages contains words that are often found onstandardized tests. Because the publishers of the SAT (Standard Achievement Test)do not publish a list of the words they use on current tests, the words in this dictionaryhave been culled from vocabulary lists that appear in several SAT and PSAT testpreparationbooks. This mini-dictionary also includes a number of words that werejudged by the editor of the Keys to Success series to be both challenging and appropriatefor middle school readers.Instead of just a word list, each word is given full treatment similar to that in astandard dictionary entry. Notice that each word has a pronunciation guide and a designationfor part of speech followed by a definition and an example sentence. Forhelp in pronouncing the entry words, see the pronunciation key on page 72. The centereddots in each boldfaced entry work indicate where a word can be hyphenated.ab•bre•vi•ate (ə brē´vē āt´) vt. tomake shorter. The post officeprefers that you abbreviate statenames on envelopes.ab•di•cate (ab´di kāt´) vt., vi. to giveup formally (a high office, throne,authority). Because he is gravelyill, the elderly king will abdicatehis throne and allow his son torule the country.ab•er•ra•tion (ab´ər ā´shən) n. a departurefrom what is right, true, orcorrect. Grandpa’s speeding ticketis the only aberration in his fortyyearrecord of safe driving.a•bridge (ə brij´) vt. to shorten (apiece of writing) while preservingits substance. Mrs. Lee abridgedthe lengthy novel by cutting threechapters so students could finishreading it before the end of the semester.*Adapted from Webster’s New World CollegeDictionary, Fourth Edition.ab•stract (ab´strakt´) n. a brief statementof the essential content of abook, article, or speech; summary. Ihave to write a one-paragraph abstractof my research paper.ab•struse (ab stroos´) adj. hard to understandbecause of extreme complexityor abstractness. The guestspeaker’s lecture was too abstrusefor anyone to understand.a•bun•dant (ə bun´dənt) adj. veryplentiful; more than sufficient;ample. The castaways were luckyto find abundant food and freshwater on the island.ac•cel•er•ate (ak sel´ər āt´) vi. tomove at increasing speed. The driverhad to accelerate to pass theslow-moving truck.ac•ces•si•ble (ak ses´ə bəl) adj. easyto approach or enter. Federal lawnow requires buildings to be accessibleto people with physical disabilities.

74How to Build a Super Vocabularyac•ces•sory (ak ses´ər ē) n. somethingextra; something added to help in asecondary way. That blue scarfwould be a perfect accessory foryour red dress.ac•claim (ə klām´) vt. to announcewith much applause or praise; hail.The delegates acclaimed the candidateas their choice for the nextpresident.ac•cus•tom (ə kus´təm) vt. To makefamiliar by custom, habit, or use.My friends are accustomed tomaking themselves at home in myliving room.a•chieve•ment (ə chev´mənt) n. athing reached or won, especially byskill, hard work, or courage. Collegescholarships are often awardedbased on academic achievementand teachers’ recommendations.ac•knowl•edge (ak näl´ij) vt. to showrecognition. My older brother neveracknowledges me when we pass inthe school hallways.ac•qui•esce (ak´wē es´) vi. to agree orconsent quietly without protest, butwithout enthusiasm. She acquiescedto the veterinarian’s recommendationthat her dog be put to sleep.ac•quire (ə kwīr´) vt. to get possessionof. The corporation was ableto acquire the smaller company forfour million dollars.a•dept (ə dept´) adj. highly skilled;expert. Elaine and Dave are adeptat solving even the most difficultcrossword puzzles.ad•e•quate (ad´i kwət) adj. barely satisfactory;acceptable but not remarkable.Our campsite is adequate,though it doesn’t have aview of the lake.ad•journ (ə jurn´) vi. to close a sessionor meeting for a time. Congressadjourned for the summer.ad•mi•rable (ad´mə rə bəl) adj. inspiringor deserving admiration orpraise; excellent; splendid. Mrs.Rodriguez’s effective managementand warm approach to studentsmake her an admirable principal.a•droit (ə droit´) adj. skillful in aphysical or mental way; clever; expert.The detective’s adroit questioningexposed the inconsistenciesin the suspect’s account ofwhat happened.ad•van•ta•geous (ad´van tā´jəs) adj.favorable; profitable. Competing onour home field will be advantageousfor our team.ad•ver•sary (ad´vər ser´ē) n. a personwho opposes or fights against another.Someone who knows allyour secrets can be a dangerousadversary.ad•vo•cate (ad´və kit) n. a personwho speaks or writes in support ofsomething. As an advocate of education,our governor is trying tohave more money earmarked forschools.aer•i•al (er´ē əl) adj. of, for, from, orby means of aircraft or flying. Youcan see my house from above inthe aerial photograph.aes•thet•ic (es thet´ik) adj. of beauty.The house that was built atop thewaterfall is an architectural andaesthetic triumph.af•fa•ble (af´ə bəl) adj. pleasant andeasy to approach or talk to;friendly. Everybody enjoys beingaround my grandmother becauseshe is so affable.af•fec•tion•ate (ə fek´shən it) adj. fullof affection; tender and loving. Amother’s affectionate hugs help ababy feel loved and secure.af•fir•ma•tion (af´ər mā´shən) n. positivedeclaration. I appreciated my

The Ultimate Word List 75teacher’s comments as an affirmationof my hard work.ag•gres•sive (ə gres´iv) adj. tendingto start fights or quarrels. Motherbears become aggressive wheneversomeone or something threatenstheir cubs.a•lac•ri•ty (ə lak´rə tē) n. eager willingnessor readiness, often manifestedby quick, lively action. Thenew employee completed the assignmentwith an alacrity thatearned the manager’s praise.al•ien•ate (āl´yən āt´) vt. to make unfriendly;estrange. I inadvertentlyalienated her by forgetting herbirthday.al•lege (ə lej´) vt. to assert positively,or declare; affirm; especially, toassert without proof. Several peoplealleged that the defendant wasguilty of the crime, though nonehad actually witnessed it.al•le•vi•ate (ə lē´vē āt´) vt. to makeless hard to bear; lighten or relieve(pain, suffering). New techniquesand medications help alleviate patients’pain following surgery.a•loof (ə loof´) adj. distant; removed.The woman’s aloof manner madeit impossible to have a friendlyconversation.al•tru•is•tic (al´troo is´tik) adj. unselfish.Are we really being altruisticwhen we help others, or do wedo it for our own sake, because itmakes us feel good?am•big•u•ous (am big´yoo əs) adj.not clear; indefinite; uncertain;vague. The candidate’s ambiguousstatements left everyone wonderingwhere he stands on importantissues.am•bi•tious (am bish´əs) adj. showinga strong desire to gain a particularobjective; specifically, having agreat desire to succeed. Peter is extremelyambitious and will graduatefrom college in just three years.am•biv•a•lence (am biv´ə ləns) n. simultaneousconflicting feelings towarda person or thing, such as loveand hate. My brother’s ambivalencetoward cats comes from his likingbut also being allergic to them.a•mel•io•rate (ə mēl´yə rāt´) vt. tomake or become better; improve.Spending more time on my homeworkhelped to ameliorate the problemsI was having in algebra class.a•me•na•ble (ə mē´nə bəl) adj. able tobe controlled or influenced; responsive;submissive. I was amenable tothe idea of leaving early since thelecture was so dull.a•mend•ment (ə mend´mənt) n. achange for the better; improvement.An amendment was added to theunion contract to improve theworkers’ conditions.am•i•ty (am´i tē) n. friendly, peacefulrelations, as between nations;friendship. After the city councilsettled the neighbors’ feud, a spiritof amity returned to the neighborhood.a•mor•phous (ə môr´fəs) adj. withoutdefinite form; shapeless. As children,we liked to lie outside andimagine animal shapes in theamorphous clouds.a•nal•o•gous (ə nal´ə gəs) adj. similaror comparable in certain respects. Inmany ways, learning to snow boardis analogous to learning to surf.a•nat•o•my (ə nat´ə mē) n. the studyof the form and structure of animalsor plants. In biology class, westudied frog anatomy by watchinga video.an•cil•lary (an´sə ler´ē) adj. serving asan aid; auxiliary. Lawyers may

76How to Build a Super Vocabularyconsult ancillary sources whenthe information they have is insufficient.an•ec•dote (an´ik dōt´) n. a short,entertaining account of some happening,usually personal or biographical.The writer began her talkwith an anecdote about writing herfirst poem at the age of five.an•i•mat•ed (an´i māt´id) adj. expressivein a lively way. My dad’s animatedaccount of his adventuresin Paris riveted everyone’s attention.an•nex (an´eks´) n. something addedon or attached, especially a smalleritem to a larger one. The gymnasiumannex will provide the extraroom we need for the dance.an•tag•o•nism (an tag´ə niz´əm) n.hostility. During the debates, thecandidates’ antagonism for eachother became increasingly obvious.an•ti•dote (ant´ə dōt´) n. a remedy towork against or neutralize the effectsof a poison. There is noknown antidote to the venom ofsome snakes.an•tip•a•thy (an tip´ə thē) n. strong ordeep-rooted dislike. Joe can’t explainhis antipathy for all redfoods.an•tique (an tēk´) n. an item, such asa piece of furniture, made in a formerperiod, generally more thanone hundred years ago. My greatgreat-grandmother’sportrait isnow a valuable antique.an•tith•e•sis (an tith´ə sis) n. theexact opposite. To her dismay, Ellafound her roommate the antithesisof her hopes.ap•a•thy (ap´ə thē) n. lack of emotion.He makes no attempt to conceal hisapathy toward all things political.ap•o•gee (ap´ə jē´) n. the point farthestfrom the earth in the orbit ofthe moon or of a man-made satellite.When the moon is at its apogee, itsmovement slows slightly.ap•pease (ə pēz´) vt. to pacify orquiet, especially by giving in to thedemands of. The father appeasedhis screaming two-year-old bybuying her candy.a•quar•i•um (ə kwer´ē əm) n. a tank,usually with glass sides, for keepinglive water animals and water plants.At the Chinese restaurant, Ryanlikes to sit next to the saltwateraquarium and watch the fish.ar•bi•trar•y (är´bə trer´ē) adj. notfixed by rules, but left to one’s judgmentor choice. The teacher wasunpopular because her decisionsso often seemed arbitrary.ar•cha•ic (är kā´ik) adj. old-fashioned.Words like thee and thou are consideredarchaic because most peopleno longer use them.ar•id (ar´id) adj. dry. The arid climateof the southwestern UnitedStates makes it a healthy environmentfor people who suffer fromrespiratory ailments.ar•ro•gance (ar´ə gəns) n. overbearingpride or self-importance. Alfred isso forceful and confident that somepeople accuse him of arrogance.ar•tic•u•late (är tik´yoo lit) adj. expressingoneself easily and clearly.The White House press secretarymust be articulate and able to respondeasily to reporters’ questions.ar•ti•fact (ärt´ə fakt´) n. an objectmade by human labor, especially aprimitive tool or weapon. The museumdisplayed various artifactsfrom prehistoric times, includingtools and weapons.

The Ultimate Word List 77as•sid•u•ous (ə sij´oo əs) adj. donewith constant and careful attention.Newborn babies demand assiduouscare because they are so helplessand delicate.as•so•ci•ate (ə sōsh´ē it) n. a partner,friend, or colleague. The law firmheld a farewell luncheon for itssummer associates.as•suage (ə swāj´) vt. to lessen painor distress. My offer to help didnothing to assuage my friend’sgrief over her dog’s death.as•ton•ish•ment (ə stän´ish mənt) n.the state of being greatly amazed.You can imagine my astonishmentwhen I heard that my best friendwould appear on a TV show.as•tron•o•my (ə strän´ə mē) n. thescience that studies the universe, includingthe stars, planets, and otherheavenly bodies. While he was takinga course in astronomy, he studiedthe stars through his telescope.as•tute (ə stoot´) adj. having orshowing a clever or shrewd mind;cunning; crafty. An astute thinkercan quickly analyze and solve acomplex problem.a•sy•lum (ə sī´ləm) n. a place whereone is safe and secure; a refuge.The cathedral offered asylum to thesoldiers, who had been marchingfor days.at•mos•phere (at´məs fir´) n. thegaseous envelope of air surroundingthe earth; the air of a particularplace. The EnvironmentalProtection Agency monitors thegases that factories release into theatmosphere.au•dac•i•ty (ô das´ə tē) n. boldcourage; daring. The raid demonstratedthe guerrilla leader’s audacityand intelligence.aug•ment (ôg ment´) vt. to makegreater, as in size, quantity, orstrength; enlarge. We had to augmentour research by interviewingmore people and consulting additionalsources.aus•tere (ô stir´) adj. very plain; lackingornament or luxury. The pioneers’austere lifestyle seems difficult,but it teaches us a lot aboutliving simply.au•thor•i•tar•i•an (ə thôr´ə ter´ē ən) n.a person who advocates, practices,or enforces strict obedience. Mrs.Karn, a no-nonsense authoritarian,requires her piano students topractice thirty minutes a day.au•to•bi•og•ra•phy (ôt´ō bī ägrafē) n.the story of one’s own life writtenor dictated by oneself. When Iwrite my autobiography, I willfocus on my years as a teenager.au•ton•o•mous (ô tän´ə-məs) adj. havingself-government or functioningindependently of others’ control.During the American Revolution,some leaders spoke eloquently infavor of an autonomous government,while others remained loyalto England.av•a•rice (av´ə ris) n. an excessive desirefor wealth; greed. In CharlesDickens’s A Christmas Carol,Ebenezer Scrooge is motivated byavarice.back•fire (bak fır´) vi. to have an unexpectedand unwelcome result; togo awry. The candidate’s strategyof publicizing his opponent’sweaknesses backfired by makinghim look mean-spirited.back•track (bak trak´) vi. to return bythe same path. To find our way tothe car, we will have to backtrack.

78How to Build a Super Vocabularybaf•fle (baf´əl) vt. to defeat by confusing;to puzzle or confound. Theinstructions for assembling the bicycleare complex enough to bafflea rocket scientist.balm (bäm) n. a substance or methodfor healing or soothing, especiallythe mind or temper. I find thatsunshine is a balm for my depression.ba•nal (bā´nəl) adj. overused; trite;commonplace. The Herald criticgave the movie a poor review, pronouncingboth its plot and itscharacters banal.bar•ri•cade (bar´i kād´) n. a barrier orobstruction. The constructionworkers placed barricades of orangecones around their workspace to divert traffic.be•drag•gle (bē drag´əl) adj. wet,limp, and dirty, as by draggingthrough mire. After the storm, thecat’s bedraggled coat made her lookeven more pathetic than before.be•fud•dle (bē fud´l) vt. to confuse. Iwas befuddled until the end of themovie, when all the loose endswere finally explained.be•lat•ed (bē lāt´id) adj. late or toolate; tardy. Susan never manages tosend out cards on time, but shefeels that belated birthday greetingsare better than none.bel•lig•er•ent (bə lij´ər ənt) adj.showing a readiness to fight orquarrel. The hockey coach believedhis team’s overall belligerent behaviorcaused frequent fights withopposing players.be•muse (bē myooz´) vt. to bewilder.The cabinet’s assembly instructionswere so bemusing that Ifinally had to ask someone for help.be•nevo•lent (bə nev´ə lənt) adj.doing or inclined to do good; kind.The Key Club, a benevolent organization,planned a food drive forthe holidays.be•nign (bi nīn´) adj. kind; gentle;harmless. It was a relief when thebiopsy showed that the tumor wasbenign.bias (bī´əs) n. a mental leaning or inclination;partiality. Before beingchosen to serve on a jury, peopleare asked to mention any bias thatmight prevent their assessing thefacts objectively.bin•ocu•lars (bī näk´yə lərz) n. aportable instrument used to viewdistant objects, consisting of twosmall telescopes mounted side byside. Bird-watchers find high-poweredbinoculars a necessity ontheir field trips.bi•og•ra•pher (bī äg´rə fər) n. a writerof someone’s life story. A good biographercarefully researches and interpretsfacts about a subject’s life.bi•ol•ogy (bī äl´ə jē) n. the sciencethat deals with the study of livingorganisms; it includes botany, zoology,and microbiology. Mia isstudying biology in preparationfor her career as a zookeeper.bi•week•ly (bī wēk´lē) adj., adv. onceevery two weeks. Our school newspaperis so popular that it nowcomes out biweekly rather thanmonthly.blem•ish (blem´ish) n. a mark thatmars the appearance, such as astain, spot, scar. Just when Iwanted to look my best, a blemishappeared on my chin.block•ade (blä kād´) n. a strategicbarrier. The army set up the barricadeto keep the enemy away fromthe troops.blue•print (bloo print´) n. a photographicreproduction in blue and

The Ultimate Word List 79white, used for architectural or engineeringplans; a detailed plan ofaction. The team of architects presentedthe city council with amodel and blueprint for the newarts center.bol•ster (bōl´stər) n. a long, narrowcushion or pillow. People with backpain are often advised to sleepwith a bolster under their knees.boom•er•ang (boom´ər a´) n. a flat,curved stick that when thrown returnsto a point near the thrower. InAustralia, Aborigines use theboomerang for sport and hunting.brag•gart (brag´ərt) n. an offensivelyboastful person. The student’s effortsto impress his new friendssoon brought him a reputation asa braggart.brit•tle (brit´l) adj. easily broken. Thearchaeologist cautioned her assistantsthat the ancient fabric wasbrittle and must be handled carefully.ca•jole (kə jōl´) vt. to coax using flatteryand insincere talk. I am oftenable to cajole some people into givingme help by telling them howmuch I admire them.cam•ou•flage (kam´ə fläzh´) n. a disguisethat uses patterns mergingwith the background, used especiallyfor troops and militaryitems to conceal them from theenemy. The colors of army camouflagevary depending on location.cam•paign (kam pān´) n. a series oforganized, planned actions for aparticular purpose, such as electinga candidate. The mayor visitedschools, hospitals, and homelessshelters as part of her campaign toget votes.can•dor (kan´dər) n. the quality ofbeing frank and open. We were impressedby the candor with whichthe celebrity spoke about intimatedetails of her personal life.can•tan•ker•ous (kan ta´kər əs) adj.bad-tempered; quarrelsome.Children can become cantankerouswhen they are tired or hungry.ca•pa•cious (kə pā´shəs) adj. able tocontain or hold much; roomy; spacious.Sam’s knapsack is capaciousenough to hold his basketballas well as his laptop computer.ca•pri•cious (kə prish´əs) adj. tendingto change abruptly and without apparentreason. It’s difficult to dependon someone who is as capriciousas Jane.car•bu•ret•or (kär´bə rāt´ər) n. a devicein which air is mixed with gasolinespray to make an explosivemixture in an internal-combustionengine. If the carburetor is not adjustedproperly, your car will getmany fewer miles per gallon ofgasoline.care•taker (ker´tāk´ər) n. a personhired to take care of something,such as a house for an absentowner. A caretaker looks after mygrandparents’ home in New Jerseywhile they are away in Florida forthe winter.cen•so•ri•ous (sen sôr´ē əs) adj. inclinedto find fault; harshly critical.I went to the movie despite thecensorious reviews it got fromsome critics.cen•sure (sen´shər) vt. to expressstrong disapproval of. The judgecensured the attorney for usingobscene language in the courtroom.cer•e•mo•ni•al (ser´ə mō´nē əl) adj.of, for, or consisting of ceremony,or ritual; formal. The queen’s rolein the country’s government is cer-

80How to Build a Super Vocabularyemonial, while it is the primeminister who governs.cer•ti•fy (surt´ə fī´) vt. to declaresomething true, accurate, or certainin a formal statement, often in writing.Some automobile dealers arewilling to certify that their usedcars are in good condition.chaos (kā´äs´) n. extreme confusionor disorder. Last week’s earthquakewas so devastating that our city isstill in a state of chaos.chronic (krän´ik) adj. persisting or recurringover a long time. Dad wentto the doctor again because of hischronic cough, which seems to begetting worse.cir•cui•tous (sər kyoo´ət əs) adj.roundabout; indirect; devious. Wefound our way to the party by acircuitous route because of thetraffic jam on the highway.cir•cu•la•tion (sur´kyoo lā´shən) n.free movement from place to place,as of air in ventilating. Tall bookcasesin the conference room interferewith the circulation of coolair.civ•ics (siv´iks) n. the branch of politicalscience that deals with the dutiesand rights of citizenship.Courses in civics prepare highschool students to vote responsibly.clamor (klam´ər) n. a loud outcry; uproar.When the band finally cameonstage, the audience respondedwith an ear-piercing clamor.clan•des•tine (klan des´tin) adj. keptsecret or hidden, especially forsome illicit purpose. The spy used acode to record details of his clandestinemeetings.clari•fy (klar´ə fī´) vt. to make or becomeeasier to understand. The scientistwas often asked to clarifyhis explanations because of hishighly technical vocabulary.clem•en•cy (klem´ən sē) n. leniency ormercy, as toward an offender orenemy. The governor grantedclemency to the death-row prisoner,changing his sentence to lifeimprisonment.co•ag•u•late (kō ag´yoo lāt´) vt. tocause (a liquid) to become a soft,semisolid mass. A bacterium addedto milk causes it to coagulate andturn into yogurt.co•a•lesce (kō´ə les´) vi. to unite ormerge into a single body, group, ormass. When the Revolutionary Warbegan, men from various coloniescoalesced and formed an effectivearmy.co•gent (kō´jənt) adj. to the point,such as during an argument; compelling;convincing. Can you giveme three cogent reasons why Ishould vote for your candidate?co•he•sive (kō hēs´iv) adj. sticking together.The twins’ relationshipseems more cohesive than the bondbetween ordinary brothers and sisters.col•lab•o•rate (kə lab´ə rāt´) vi. towork together, especially in someliterary, artistic, or scientific undertaking.When group work is required,individuals must collaborateto get the job done.col•o•nize (käl´ə nīz´) vt. to found orestablish a colony or colonies in. Inthe 1600s, the goal of the early settlerswas to colonize the New World.com•mis•sion (kə mish´ən) n. a fee ora percentage of the proceeds paidto someone, such as a salesperson,either in addition to or instead ofwages or salary. The commissionthe saleswoman receives for each

The Ultimate Word List 81pair of shoes she sells makes hereager to clinch a sale.com•pas•sion (kəm pash´ən) n. sorrowfor the trouble of others,accompanied by an urge to help;deep sympathy. His compassion ledhim to found an organization tohelp feed and shelter the homeless.com•pla•cen•cy (kəm plā´sən sē) n.quiet satisfaction or contentment;often self-satisfaction or smugness.Even though the emergency is over,complacency is inappropriate ifthe police remain on high alert.com•pli•ance (kəm plī´əns) n. givingin to a request, wish, or demand.Inspectors visit restaurants tomake sure the food-handlingprocesses are in compliance withthe law.com•pre•hen•sive (käm´prē hen´siv)adj. dealing with all or many of therelevant details. Some universitiesrequire freshmen to write a comprehensiveessay describing all aspectsof their lives and goals.con•cede (kən sēd´) vt. to admit astrue or valid; to acknowledge. Shewas willing to concede the pointwhen she realized his researchwas stronger than hers.con•cise (kən sīs´) adj. brief and tothe point; short and clear. Our reportmust be concise because wehave only ten minutes in which tomake our presentation.con•clu•sive (kən kloo´siv) adj. settlinga question; final; decisive.Higher pay was the conclusive factorin deciding whether to move toGeorgia or Alabama.con•cur (kən kur´) vi. to agree (with);to be in accord. Participants in thecontest promised to concur withthe judges’ final decision.con•done (kən dōn´) vt. to forgive,pardon, or overlook (an offense). Ifyou witness a bully’s behavior anddo nothing about it, then you condonethat sort of violence.con•fla•gra•tion (kän´flə grā ´shən) n.a big, destructive fire. The conflagrationdestroyed thousands offorested acres in Glacier NationalPark.con•flu•ence (kän´floo əns) n. a flowingtogether, especially of two ormore streams. The confluence ofthe two rivers forms a navigablewaterway.con•found (kən foūnd´) vt. to make(someone) feel confused; to bewilder;to shame. I was confounded bythe teacher’s accusation that Icheated on the test.con•sen•sus (kən sen´səs) n. agreement;unanimity. Juries must reacha consensus when deciding theirverdict.con•straint (kən strānt´) n. confinementor restriction. No matterwhere she is, Leora voices heropinion strongly and without constraint.con•strict (kən strikt´) vt. to makesmaller or narrower, especially atone place, by binding, squeezing, orshrinking. If you cut your fingerbadly, wrap a bandage tightlyaround it to constrict the bloodflow.con•tempt (kən tempt´) n. the feelingor attitude of one who looks downon somebody or something as beinglow, mean, or unworthy. I feel contemptfor people who do not standup for their convictions.con•vic•tion (kən vik´shən) n. a strongbelief; certainty. A presidential candidatemust speak with conviction

82How to Build a Super Vocabularyin order to persuade voters that heor she is the best candidate.con•vo•luted (kän´və loot´id) adj. extremelyintricate or complicated.Josephine’s long, convoluted storiesare impossible to follow.cor•rob•o•rate (kə räb´ə rāt´) vt. Toconfirm, bolster, or support. Thedefendant had two witnesses whowere willing to corroborate hisalibi.cre•du•lity (krə doo´lə tē) n. a tendencyto believe too readily, especiallywith little or no proof. Mary’scredulity makes her an easy targetfor pranks.cri•te•ri•on (krī tir´ē ən) n. a standard,rule, or test by which somethingcan be judged; measure of value.What criterion did the judges usefor awarding blue ribbons?cur•few (kur´fyoo´) n. a time set as adeadline beyond which inhabitantsof occupied cities in wartime, orchildren under a specified age, maynot appear on the streets or in publicplaces. Our city’s curfew mandatesthat anyone under eighteenbe off the streets by 9 p.m.cy•clone (sī´klōn´) n. a windstormwith a violent, whirling movement,such as a tornado or hurricane. Thecyclone destroyed several housesand scattered debris for miles.de•ci•pher (dē sī´fər) vt. to translateinto ordinary, understandable language;to decode. The baby sitterhad to decipher the parents’ scribblednotes before she could do whatthey had instructed.dec•o•rous (dek´ə rəs) adj. characterizedby or showing good behavioror good taste. We were surprisedby the three-year-old’s decorousbehavior during the weddingceremony.def•er•ence (def´ər əns) n. respectaccorded to an older person or asuperior. My dad always showeddeference to my grandpa’s wishesregarding the family business.de•flate (dē flāt´) vt. to collapse byletting out air or gas. Gerry droveover a sharp tack which puncturedand deflated her front tire.deg•ra•da•tion (deg´rə dā´shən) n.a lowering in rank, status, orcondition. The manager felt a senseof degradation when he was demotedto assistant manager.del•e•te•ri•ous (del´ə tir´ē əs) adj.harmful to health or well-being.Secondhand smoke has beenproven deleterious to nonsmokers.de•lin•eate (di lin´ē āt´) vt. to tracethe outline of; sketch out. Theo hasa series of notecards that delineatethe main points of his speech.de•lu•sion (di loo´zhən) n. a false beliefor opinion. George seems to operateunder the delusion that heknows everything and is alwaysright.dem•a•gogue or dem•a•gog (dem´əgäg´) n. a person who tries to stirup the people by appeals to emotionor prejudice in order to winthem over quickly and so gainpower. He is a demagogue whoplays on the public’s fears andinsecurities.de•nounce (dē noūns´) vt. to accusepublicly or inform against. The editorialdenounced the governor afteroffering evidence that he was directlyinvolved in fraudulent activities.de•plore (dē plôr´) vt. to be regretfulor sorry about. I deplore thesqualid conditions under whichmigrant workers live and work.

The Ultimate Word List 83de•pre•ci•ate (dē prē´shē āt´) vi. tofall in value or price. When a car isin an accident, its value depreciatesbased on the extent of thedamage.de•ride (di rīd´) vt. to laugh at in contemptor scorn; to make fun of; toridicule. The playground bullies deridedthe new student’s unusualaccent until the teacher stoppedthem.des•pot•ic (des pät´ik) adj. of or likea tyrant. Some of the more despoticRoman emperors ruled with ruthlessnessand cruelty.de•ter•mi•na•tion (dē tur´mi nā´shən)n. the quality of being resolute;firmness of purpose. I ran lastweek’s race with the determinationof a champion.de•ter•rent (dē tur´ənt) n. a thing orfactor that hinders. United Nationspeacekeeping forces act as a deterrentto further aggression.det•ri•men•tal (de´trə ment´l) adj.harmful. Cigarette smoking hasbeen shown to be detrimental tohealth.de•vi•ous (dē´vē əs) adj. not straightforwardor frank; deceiving. Laracan think of many devious ways toget her younger brother to do herchores.de•vise (di vīz´) vt. to work out orcreate (something) by thinking;contrive; plan. Our group tried todevise a workable plan that wouldcombine all of our ideas.di•a•lect (dī´ə lekt´) n. a form or varietyof a spoken language, includingthe standard form, peculiar to a region,community, or social group.The English dialects spoken inparts of the West Indies can behard for Americans to understand.di•dac•tic (dī dak´tik) adj. morally instructive,or intended to be so.Aesop’s fables, such as “The BoyWho Cried Wolf,” are didactic storiesthat can help teach childrenthe difference between right andwrong.dif•fuse (di fyoos´) adj. spread out ordispersed; not concentrated. It ishard to see in a theater that hasdiffuse light.di•gres•sion (di gresh´ən) n. a wanderingfrom the main subject intalking or writing. The story abouther dog was a digression from heroriginal story about working atthe animal hospital.dil•i•gence (dil´ə jəns) n. constant,careful effort. He deserved to winfirst place at the science fair sincehe worked with such diligence onhis project.dis•as•sem•ble (dis´ə sem´bəl) vt. totake apart. Michael disassembledand rebuilt the engine on his motorcycle.dis•cern•ing (di zrn´i) adj. having orshowing good judgment or understanding.A discerning reader,Tony organized a book group toread and discuss classic sciencefiction novels.dis•cord•ant (dis kôrd´nt) adj. not inharmony; clashing. The two committeeshad vastly discordant proposalsand were unable to reach anagreement.dis•cre•tion (di skresh´ən) n. the freedomor authority to make decisionsand choices; power to judge or act.My parents left the decorating decisionsin my room to my discretion.dis•crimi•nat•ing (di skrim´ə nāt´i)adj. able to make or see fine distinctions;discerning. It’s fun to go

84How to Build a Super Vocabularyto an art museum with Dave becausehe’s a discriminating criticand knows a lot about art.dis•dain (dis dān´) vt. to regard ortreat as unworthy or beneath one’sdignity. Mary’s pampered cat disdainsall brands of dry cat food.dis•in•gen•u•ous (dis´in jen´yoo əs)adj. not straightforward; not candidor frank; insincere. She gave a disingenuousexcuse for not attendingher ex-boyfriend’s birthday party.dis•par•age (di spar´ij) vt. to lower inesteem; discredit. It is bad mannersto disparage the work of one’sclassmates.dis•po•si•tion (dis´pə zish´ən) n. customaryframe of mind; nature ortemperament. Sara has a remarkablycheerful and friendly disposition.dis•pro•por•tion (dis´prə pôr´shən) n.imbalance; lack of symmetry; disparity.There was a disproportionbetween the large number of peoplewho boarded the bus and the seatsavailable.dis•qual•i•fy (dis kwôl´ə fī´) vt. tomake or declare ineligible; take aright or privilege away for breakingrules. Drug use will disqualify studentsfrom participating in anyteam sport.dis•sent (di sent´) vi. to differ in beliefor opinion; disagree (often,with, from). Two Supreme Courtjudges dissented from the majorityopinion.dis•suade (di swād´) vt. to turn (aperson) aside by persuasion or advice.I tried to dissuade my friendfrom cheating, but he did it anywayand got caught by our teacher.di•ver•gent (dī vur´jənt) adj. varyingfrom one another or from a norm;deviating; different. The candidatesattempted to explain their divergentviews on important issues.di•verse (də vurs´) adj. different;composed of dissimilar elements.The school has a diverse body ofstudents from many differentbackgrounds.doc•trine (däk´trin) n. beliefs taughtas the principles or creed, such asfor a religion or political party. Inthe 1840s, the doctrine of ManifestDestiny was used to justify the expansionof the United States.dog•mat•ic (dôg mat´ik) adj. statingopinion in a positive or arrogantmanner. I try to listen to the opinionsof others and not be dogmaticno matter how strongly I feel.du•bi•ous (doo´bē əs) adj. causingdoubt; ambiguous. The suspect’s accountof what he had been doingon the night of the murder washighly dubious.du•plic•i•ty (doo plis´ə tē) n. hypocriticalcunning or deception; doubledealing.The duplicity of thelawyer’s demand for strict adherenceto the law was revealed whenhe was arrested for shoplifting.dy•nam•ic (dī nam´ik) adj. energetic;vigorous; forceful. The dancers’performance was so dynamic thatthe audience felt exhilarated.eaves•drop (ēvz´dräp´) vi. to listen secretlyto the private conversation ofothers. I never meant to eavesdrop,but I couldn’t help overhearingwhat they were saying.e•bul•lient (i bool´yənt) adj. overflowingwith enthusiasm and highspirits; exuberant. When Kathy isin a good mood, she is so ebullientthat everyone around her feelshappy.

The Ultimate Word List 85ec•cen•tric (ək sen´trik) adj. out ofthe ordinary; unconventional. Hereccentric style of dress includesfeather boas worn with sneakers.e•c•lec•tic (ek lek´tik) adj. composedof material gathered from varioussources or systems. I have an eclecticcollection of rocks that comefrom all over the world.e•clipse (i klips´) n. the partial or totalobscuring of one celestial body byanother, especially of the sun whenthe moon comes between it and theearth. We were warned not to lookat the sun during the eclipse.e•go•tism (ē´gō tiz´əm) n. constant,excessive reference to oneself inspeaking or writing; self-conceit.Jeffrey’s egotism is so extreme thathe believes everything we do is relatedto him.e•gre•gious (ē grē´jəs) adj. remarkablybad. Being an hour late for aninterview is an egregious errorthat may cost you the job.e•late (ē lāt´) vt. to raise the spirits of;make very proud, happy, or joyful.Ross’s parents were elated by hismuch-improved report card.el•o•quence (el´ə kwəns) n. speech orwriting that is vivid, forceful, fluent,graceful, and persuasive. Becauseshe spoke with such eloquence,everyone stayed to listen despitethe late hour.em•bel•lish (em bel´ish) vt. to decorateor improve by adding detail; ornament;adorn. My little brotherembellishes the truth by exaggeratingevery detail.em•i•grate (em´i grāt´) vi. to leaveone country or region to settle inanother. Kathleen’s grandparentsemigrated from Ireland to theUnited States during the 1920s.em•u•late (em´yoo lāt´) vt. to imitatean admired person or thing. I try toemulate my older brother Larry,who is honest, reliable, and hardworking.en•dorse (en dôrs´) vt. to give approvalto; support; sanction; to signas payee on the back of a check ormoney order. Each of the candidatesat the convention is trying toget the trade union to endorse him.en•er•vate (en´ər vāt´) vt. to depriveof strength, force, vigor; weakenphysically, mentally, or morally.John’s cold enervated him so muchthat he stayed in bed for two days.e•nig•ma (i nig´mə) n. a perplexing,usually ambiguous, statement; riddle.Archaeologists have long ponderedthe enigma of how ancientEgyptians constructed the pyramidswithout modern tools.e•phem•er•al (e fem´ər əl) adj. lastingonly one day; short-lived. Biologystudents use fruit flies, which haveephemeral life cycles, to study genetics.e•piph•a•ny (ē pif´ə nē) n. a momentof sudden intuitive understandingor a flash of insight. Watching thesunset, I had an epiphany aboutour humble place in the universe.e•qua•nim•i•ty (ek´wə nim´ə tē) n. thequality of remaining calm andundisturbed; evenness of mind ortemper. She was able to receive thenews with equanimity because shehad prepared herself for the worst.e•quiv•o•cal (ē kwiv´ə kəl) adj. uncertain;undecided; doubtful. The witness’stestimony was so full of contradictionsthat the defendant’sfate remained as equivocal as ever.er•u•dite (er´yoo dīt´) adj. having orshowing a wide knowledge gained

86How to Build a Super Vocabularyfrom reading; learned; scholarly.Her erudite account of Roman historytestifies to her years of study.es•o•teric (es´ə ter´ik) adj. beyond theunderstanding or knowledge ofmost people; abstruse.Hieroglyphics, the esoteric writingsystem of ancient Egypt, uses picturesand symbols to representwords, syllables, and sounds.eu•phe•mism (yoo´fə miz´əm) n. aword or phrase that is less expressiveor direct but considered lessdistasteful or less offensive than another.Aunt Sadie likes to call aspade a spade and despises the useof euphemisms.ex•alt (eg zôlt´) vt. to raise on high; elevate;lift up. The stories of the hero’sgreat feats exalted his reputation.ex•e•cute (ek´si kyoot´) vt. to followout or carry out; perform; fulfill.When the president of the UnitedStates gives an order, he expectshis wishes to be executed.ex•er•tion (eg zur´shən) n. active useof strength or power. Anyone unusedto intense physical exertionshould consult a physician beforebeginning an exercise regimen.ex•haus•tive (eg zôs´tiv) adj. leavingnothing out; covering every possibledetail; thorough. Her exhaustiveinstructions for reaching thepicnic site were clear but gave almosttoo much detail.ex•hil•a•rate (eg zil´ə rāt´) vt. to makecheerful, merry, or lively; to refresh.The three things that most exhilarateme are being with friends,dancing, and watching footballgames.ex•pe•di•ent (ek spē´dē ənt) adj. usefulfor effecting a desired result;suited to the circumstances or theoccasion; advantageous; convenient.For Nestor, buying a chocolatebirthday cake is more expedientthan baking one from scratch.ex•pe•dite (eks´pə dīt´) vt. to speedup or make easy; hasten; facilitate.The best way to expedite the deliveryof your package is to useovernight mail.ex•plic•it (eks plis´it) adj. clearlystated and leaving nothing implied.A person’s will should include explicitinstructions for the distributionof assets to prevent disputesamong surviving family members.ex•punge (ek spunj´) vt. to erase orremove completely; blot out orstrike out; delete; cancel. Juvenilepolice records are often expungedwhen an individual turns eighteen.ex•tol or ex•toll (eks tōl´) vt. to praisehighly. He extolled the pleasures ofskiing so much that I am thinkingof taking lessons.ex•tra•dite (eks´trə dīt´) vt. to turnover (a person accused or convictedof a crime) to the jurisdictionof another place where the crimewas allegedly committed. The suspectwas arrested in Texas andwill be extradited to New York,where the crime occurred.ex•u•ber•ance (eg zoo´bər əns) n.high spirits; joyous enthusiasm. Hetalked about his trip to Africa withsuch exuberance that it made meeager to travel there.fac•ile (fas´il) adj. not hard to do orachieve; easy. We were not satisfiedwith last week’s facile win; we arelooking forward to a more challenginggame this weekend.fal•li•ble (fal´ə bəl) adj. capable ofmaking a mistake or being deceived“We’re all fallible,” said Mr.

The Ultimate Word List 87Sharaka when a student pointedout his spelling mistake.fa•nat•i•cism (fə nat´ə siz´əm) n. excessiveand unreasonable zeal. It’spossible to exercise with such fanaticismthat you actually injureyourself.fas•tid•i•ous (fa stid´ē əs) adj. noteasy to please; very critical or discriminating.My boss is so fastidiousthat I sometimes have to redomy projects many times.fa•vor•it•ism (fā´vər ə tiz´əm) n. theshowing of more kindness and indulgenceto some person or personsthan to others; the act of beingunfairly partial. One of the playersaccused the coach of favoritism foralways letting Riley play first.fea•si•ble (fē´zə bəl) adj. capable ofbeing done or carried out; practicable;possible. The project is feasible,but will require a lot of hardwork and planning.fe•cund (fē´kənd) adj. fruitful or fertile;productive. Many fruits andvegetables come from California’sfecund Sacramento Valley.fel•low•ship (fel´ō ship´) n. companionship;friendly association. Mychurch group provides the fellowshipI need.fe•ral (fir´əl) adj. untamed; wild.Residents of the neighborhood havebeen frightened by a pack of feraldogs.fer•vor (fur´vər) n. great warmth ofemotion; ardor or zeal. After everyhit, walk, or run, the stadiumseemed to explode with the fervorof the fans.flam•ma•ble (flam´ə bəl) adj. easilyset on fire. During a dry season ordrought, forests are highly flammable.fore•sight (fôr´sīt´) n. thoughtfulpreparation for the future.Experienced campers have theforesight to plan for unexpectedweather and other problems.for•feit (fôr´fit) vt. to lose, give up, orbe deprived of, specifically forsome fault or crime. The visitingteam had to forfeit the game whentheir bus had two flat tires.fos•ter (fös´tər) vt. to help to grow ordevelop; stimulate. Charlie creditshis uncle as the person who fosteredhis early interest in science.fre•net•ic (frə net´ik) adj. frantic;frenzied. It’s exhausting to travelwith Robin, who does her sightseeingat a frenetic pace.friv•o•lous (friv´ə ləs) adj. of littlevalue or importance; trifling; trivial.I try not to worry about frivolous,insignificant things.fru•gal (froo´gəl) adj. not wasteful;thrifty; economical. My dad is frugaland never spends his moneyfrivolously.fur•tive (fur´tiv) adj. acting in astealthy manner, as if to avoid beingseen; sneaky. The jewelry store’s securitycameras recorded the burglar’sfurtive movements.fu•tile (fyootl) adj. useless; ineffective.All efforts to keep the orchestrafrom bankruptcy proved futile.gal•lant (gə lant´) adj. spirited andbrave; courteous and attentive, especiallyto ladies. The knight’s gallantrescue of the princess from thedragon won him a place in legend.gar•ru•lous (gar´ə ləs) adj. talking toomuch, especially about unimportantthings. Aunt Ida is so garrulousthat no one else can get in a word.gauge (gāj) vt. to measure the size,amount, extent, or capacity of.

88How to Build a Super VocabularyWeather researchers actually flyinto a hurricane to gauge the forceof its winds.gen•er•ate (jen´ər āt´) vt. to bring intobeing; cause to be. The windmillgenerates electricity for thefarmer’s house.goad (gōd) vt. to prod into action;urge on. The mule had to be goadedinto action.gouge (gouj) vt. to scoop out; dig orforce out. When it struck the earth,the asteroid gouged a huge craterin the desert.gran•di•ose (gran´dē ōs´) adj. seemingor trying to seem very important;pompous and showy. Harriethas grandiose ideas about becominga writer, but she never sendsher manuscripts to publishers.grati•fy•ing (grat´i f ī´iŋ) adj. givingpleasure or satisfaction.Volunteering at the animal shelterhas been hard but gratifying work.gra•tu•i•tous (grə too´i təs) adj. withoutcause or justification; uncalledfor.Phyllis’s gratuitous advice annoyedLynn, who had alreadymade her decision.gre•gar•i•ous (grə ger´ē əs) adj. fondof the company of others; sociable.I would have a hard time workingalone because I am a gregariousperson.grov•el (gruv´əl) vi. to behave humblyor abjectly, especially before an authority.I would rather work for lessmoney than have to grovel before aboss who humiliates workers.guile (gīl) n. slyness and cunning indealing with others; craftiness.Some people try to achieve theirobjectives through guile, but opennessand honesty are often moresuccessful.gul•li•ble (gul´ə bəl) adj. easilycheated or tricked. I have a friendwho is so gullible that he believeseverything anyone tells him.hack•neyed (hak´nēd´) adj. madetrite by overuse. Good writersavoid hackneyed phrases and lookfor fresh ways of expressing theirinsights.ham•per (ham´pər) vt. to keep frommoving or acting freely. Alejandroinsists that having a pet will hamperhis ability to travel.hap•haz•ard (hap´haz´ərd) adj. notplanned; random. Her apartment isfurnished with a haphazard collectionof furniture bought fromthrift shops.har•bin•ger (här´bin jər) n. a personor thing that comes before to announceor give an indication ofwhat follows. Robins are the harbingersof spring.har•mo•ni•ous (här mō´nē əs) adj.having parts combined in a proportionate,orderly, or pleasingarrangement. A choir is consideredharmonious when each section canbe heard clearly and in tune.haughty (hôt´ē) n. having or showinggreat pride in oneself and disdain,contempt, or scorn for others. Thechef was talented, but his haughtymanner alienated many customers.haz•ard•ous (haz´ər dəs) adj. risky;dangerous; perilous. Smoking ishazardous to your health; it cancause heart and lung failure orcancer.heed (hēd) vt. to pay close attentionto; take careful notice of. It is importantto heed traffic warningswhen crossing a busy intersection.hei•nous (hā´nəs) adj. outrageouslyevil or wicked; abominable. The

The Ultimate Word List 89tyrant’s heinous acts of cruelty finallyprovoked a revolt among thepeople.her•e•sy (her´i sē) n. any opinion (inphilosophy, politics) opposed to officialor established views or doctrinesIn the days of. Copernicus,it was heresy to say that the earthmoved around the sun.hi•a•tus (hī āt´əs) n. any gap or interruption,as in continuity or time.After the hiatus of a two-week vacation,the overworked scientist returnedto her research with renewedenthusiasm.hi•ber•nate (hī´bər nāt´) vi. to spendthe winter in a dormant state. Bearshibernate through the cold wintermonths.hin•der (hin´dər) vt. to keep back orget in the way of. His lack of a driver’slicense will hinder his searchfor a summer job.hin•drance (hin´drəns) n. any personor thing that holds back; obstacle;obstruction. Danny refuses to acknowledgethat his bossiness is ahindrance to making and keepingfriends.ho•mo•ge•ne•ous (hō´mō jē´nē əs)adj. composed of similar or identicalelements or parts; uniform.Some people choose to live in a homogeneouscommunity, but Imuch prefer a neighborhood wheredifferent types of people live.hos•pi•ta•ble (häs´pit ə bəl) adj. theact, practice, or quality of welcomingguests. When I visited myfriend, her parents were so hospitablethat I felt completely comfortable.hos•tage (häs´tij) n. a person takenprisoner by an enemy until certainconditions are met. The soldier washeld as a hostage until the generalagreed to release three enemy soldiers.hu•mil•i•ty (hyoo mil´ə tē) n. the stateor quality of being humble; absenceof pride. A sense of humility helpsus see our own limitations.hy•per•bole (hī pur´bə lē) n. exaggerationfor effect. Saying that someoneis “as tough as nails” is a hyperbole.hyp•not•ic (hip nät´ik) adj. trancelike.The rhythmic movement of thependulum had begun to put herinto a hypnotic state.hypo•crite (hip´ə krit´) n. a personwho pretends to be what he or sheis not. Elena’s father is a real hypocrite--he spends hours discussingpolitics but never votes.hy•po•thet•i•cal (hī´pōthet´i kəl) adj.assumed; supposed. Imagine a hypotheticalsituation in which youwin a million dollars—what wouldyou do with it?hys•ter•i•cal (hi ster´i kəl) adj. uncontrollablywild and emotional; possessedby either laughter or fear. Thecomedian was so funny that we becamehysterical with laughter.il•lu•so•ry (i loo´sə rē) adj. unreal; producing,based on, or having the natureof a false perception. She wassearching for an illusory PrinceCharming like the ones in the fairytales she had read as a child.im•ma•ture (im´ə toor´) adj. lackingthe emotional maturity and sense ofresponsibility characteristic of anadult. Carla’s boss told her that shewas too immature to be promoted.im•mi•grate (im´ə grāt´) vi. to cometo a new country, region, or environment,especially in order to settlethere. My great-grandparents

90How to Build a Super Vocabularyimmigrated to New York fromItaly in 1928.im•mu•ta•ble (i myoot´ə bəl) adj.never changing or varying; unchangeable.That night follows dayis an immutable law of nature.im•pair (im per´) vt. to make worseor weaker; damage. Drinking anddriving is illegal because alcoholimpairs an individual’s perceptionand judgment.im•pede (im pēd´) vt. to bar or hinderthe progress of; obstruct or delay.The traffic accident impeded hisefforts to get to the meeting early.im•peri•ous (im pir´ē əs) adj. overbearing,arrogant, or domineering.The woman’s imperious mannerangered the others at the meeting.im•pinge (im pinj´) vi. to make inroadsor encroach upon the propertyor rights of another. He impingedupon my work space bytaking over my desk and answeringmy phone.im•pla•ca•ble (im plā´kə bəl) adj.unable to be appeased or pacified.Peace is difficult to achieve betweennations that have experienceddecades of implacable hatred.im•plau•si•ble (im plô´zə bəl) adj.difficult to believe. Her story ofa talking cat was completelyimplausible.im•ple•ment (im´plə mənt) vt. to fulfill;accomplish. The purpose of afire drill is to test whether peoplecan implement an emergency planefficiently.im•pos•tor (im päs´tər) n. a personwho deceives or cheats others, especiallyby pretending to be someoneor something that he or she isnot. Some people who pretend towork in phone sales are impostorswho want the customer’s creditcard number for their own use.in•ad•vert•ent (in´ad vurt´nt) adv. unintentional.When I was ready topay for dinner and leave therestaurant, I realized I had inadvertentlyleft my wallet in my car.in•ane (in ān´) adj. lacking sense ormeaning; foolish; silly. The joke’spunch line was so inane that noone laughed.in•au•di•ble (in ôd´ə bəl) adj. unableto be heard. After the microphonequit working, the speaker was inaudibleto those in the back of theauditorium.in•aus•pi•cious (in´ô spish´əs) adj. unfavorable;unlucky. Losing my walletwas an inauspicious beginningto my vacation.in•ci•den•tal (in´sə dent´l) adj. happeningas a result of or in connectionwith something more important.Encounters with celebritiesare incidental to my job as a veterinarian.in•ci•sive (in sī´siv) adj. sharp; keen;penetrating. Good detectives musthave incisive minds to help themsolve crimes.in•clu•sive (in kloo´siv) adj. takingeverything into account. As part ofthe hotel’s inclusive room rate, youget breakfast and access to thepool.in•com•pa•ra•ble (in käm´pə rə bəl)adj. beyond comparison; unequaled.The opera singer had avoice that was incomparable in itsrange.in•con•gru•ous (in kä´groo əs) adj.unsuitable or inappropriate; incompatible.Her cheerful manner wasincongruous with the gloomy demeanorof her mate.

The Ultimate Word List 91in•con•se•quen•tial (in kän´si kwen´shəl) adj. unimportant; trivial. Mybruised elbow seems inconsequentialcompared with my friend’sbroken leg.in•con•tro•vert•i•ble (in´kän´trə vurt´əbəl) adj. not disputable or debatable;undeniable. The defendant’sstory seemed incontrovertible aftertwo witnesses came forward toback up his claim.in•cor•ri•gi•ble (in kôr´ə jə bəl) adj.that cannot be corrected, improved,or reformed, especially because ofpreviously set bad habits. Despitehaving been caught many times,Ana still is an incorrigible liar.in•dict (in dīt´) vt. to charge with thecommission of a crime. A suspectmust be indicted before he or shecan be arrested for a crime.in•dif•fer•ent (in dif´ər ənt) adj. havingor showing no partiality, bias, orpreference. I am indifferent towhat you prepare, as long as youare the one who makes dinner.in•dig•e•nous (in dij´ə nəs) adj. existing,growing, or produced naturallyin a region or country. Do you knowwhich Native American tribes areindigenous to your region?in•dis•crim•i•nate (in´di skrim´i nit)adj. not based on careful selectionor discerning tastes; confused orrandom. When one makes indiscriminatechoices, one can expectdisappointing results.in•do•lent (in´də lənt) adj. disliking oravoiding work; idle; lazy. The managerfired the indolent employee forfailing to stock the shelves on time.in•duce (in doos´) vt. to bring on;bring about; cause; effect. No onehas been able to induce Aunt Kateto share her prize-winning recipe.in•ert (in urt´) adj. without power tomove, act, or resist; very slow tomove. The flu left her inert andmiserable.in•fal•li•ble (in fal´ə bəl) adj. neverwrong. My dad, who has an infalliblesense of direction, can findhis way no matter where he is.in•fa•mous (in´fə məs) adj. having avery bad reputation. That school isinfamous for its poor disciplineand academic performance.in•flam•mable (in flam´ə bəl) adj. easilyroused, provoked, or excited;easily set on fire. Jordan strugglesto control his inflammable temper.in•gen•ious (in jēn´yəs) adj. clever,resourceful, original, and inventive.His card-shuffling machine was soingenious that it won first prizein the competition.in•her•ent (in hir´ənt) adj. existing insomeone or something as a naturaland inseparable quality, characteristic,or right. His inherent interestin animals made him a good veterinarian.in•nate (in´nāt´) adj. existing naturallyrather than acquired; thatseems to have been in one frombirth. The fashion designer seemedto have an innate sense of color.in•noc•u•ous (i näk´yoo əs) adj. harmless.I don’t understand why shewas upset by such an innocuousremark.in•no•va•tion (in´ə vā´shən) n. somethingnewly introduced; newmethod, custom, or device. Thenew president’s innovations upsetsome people’s routines but improvedefficiency.in•nu•mer•able (i noo´mer ə bəl) adj.too numerous to be counted; verymany; countless. The pioneers sur-

92How to Build a Super Vocabularymounted innumerable difficultiesin order to reach Oregon.in•sip•id (in sip´id) adj. without flavor;tasteless. A variety of spiceswill make the dish less insipid.in•sti•gate (in´stə gāt´) vt. to urge on,spur on, or incite to some action,especially to some evil. I wasgrounded longer than my brotherbecause I was the one who instigatedthe fight between us.in•teg•ri•ty (in teg´rə tē) n. uprightness,honesty, and sincerity. A personwith integrity never cheats.in•ter•mi•na•ble (in tur´mi nə bəl) adj.endless; seeming to last forever.After an interminable wait, I finallygot my test results.in•ter•vene (in´tər vēn´) vi. to comebetween as an influence, in order tomodify, settle, or hinder some actionor argument. When my sisterand I argue, my mother usuallyintervenes by giving us chores todo in different rooms.in•tim•i•date (in tim´ə dāt´) vt. tomake timid; make afraid. His arroganceand bossiness did not intimidateme.in•trin•sic (in trin´sik) adj. belongingto the real nature of a thing. Food,water, and sleep are intrinsichuman needs.in•vert (in vurt´) vt. to turn upsidedown. To serve the angel food cake,run a knife around the inside edgeof the cake mold and then invert itonto a serving plate.in•vet•er•ate (in vet´ər it) adj. firmlyestablished over a long period; oflong standing. I dread to thinkwhat her lungs look like becauseshe is an inveterate smoker.i•ron•ic (ī rän´ik) adj. meaning thecontrary of what is expressed.“That’s just great!” Marc declaredas the vase shattered, but I knewhe was being ironic.ir•res•o•lute (i rez´ə loot´) adj.wavering in decision, purpose, oropinion; indecisive. Magda isalways irresolute about spendingso much money and waits untilthe last minute to buy her concerttickets.i•tin•er•ant (ī tin´ər ənt) adj. travelingfrom place to place. Country peopleused to buy their few luxuriesfrom itinerant peddlers.ju•di•cious (joo dish´əs) adj. having,applying, or showing sound judgment;wise and careful. You willhave better luck with your collegeapplications if you are judiciousabout which colleges to apply to.junc•tion (juk´shən) n. a place orpoint of joining or crossing, as ofhighways or railroads. You’ll findthe town library at the junction ofMain Street and First Avenue.jus•ti•fi•a•ble (jus´tə fī´ə bəl) adj. thatcan be defended as correct. No onethinks that the supervisor’s decisionto fire him is justifiable.kin•dle (kin´dəl) vt. to arouse or excite,such as interest or feelings.Motivational speakers aim to kindlelisteners’ desires to becomemore successful and happier.kin•ship (kin´ship´) n. family relationship.Though I don’t know mycousins well, I still have a feelingof kinship toward them.lab•y•rinth (lab´ə rinth´) n. a structurecontaining an intricate network ofwinding passages that are hard tofollow without losing one’s way;maze. In the ancient Greek myth,the hero found his way out of thelabyrinth with the help of a string

The Ultimate Word List 93that guided him through its twistingpassages.la•ment (lə ment´) vi. to feel deepsorrow or express it, as by weepingor wailing; mourn; grieve. Whenloved ones die, many people preferto lament with family membersand friends.lam•poon (lam poon´) n. a piece ofsatirical writing, usually attackingor ridiculing someone. The novellampooned the lavish lifestyles ofthe very rich.lan•guish (la´-gwish) vi. to lose vigoror vitality; fail in health; becomeweak; droop. The plant on her desklanguished for lack of water andfinally died.laud (lôd) vt. to praise. Criticslauded the actors for their energeticand sensitive performances.leg•a•cy (leg´ə sē) n. somethinghanded down from the past, asfrom an ancestor. My great-grandmother’spearl necklace is a legacyI treasure.le•thar•gic (li thär´jik) adj. abnormallydrowsy, dull, or sluggish. Takingnighttime cold medication can makeyou feel lethargic the next day.lev•i•ty (lev´i tē) n. lightness or gaietyof disposition, conduct, or speech;lack of seriousness. He spoke of theaccident with levity, not seemingto care about the car that he hit.list•less (list´lis) adj. having no interestin what is going on about one,as a result of illness, weariness, ordejection. Diana was so exhaustedby her surgery that she remainedlistless even when her friendscame to visit.lu•cid (loo´sid) adj. clear to the mind;readily understood. Mr. Lopez’s explanationwas so lucid that I couldexplain the lesson even to my littlebrother.mag•nan•i•mous (mag nan´ə məs)adj. rising above pettiness or meanness.It was magnanimous of Tonito offer to shake hands with Julioand forget the whole unpleasantincident.ma•li•cious (mə lish´əs) adj. spiteful;intentionally mischievous or harmful.Rachel took malicious pleasurein watching the prom queen’s fall.mas•sa•cre (mas´ə kər) n. the indiscriminate,merciless killing of alarge number of human beings. Inthe movie, the shootout involved amassacre of innocent peoplecaught in the gang’s crossfire.mav•er•ick (mav´ər ik) n. a personwho takes an independent stand, asin politics, from that of a party orgroup. The newspaper called thepolitician a maverick because hedid not vote along party lines.mea•ger (mē´gər) adj. of poor qualityor small amount. My sandwichlooks meager compared with myfriend’s lunch of lasagna, salad,vegetables, and dessert.me•an•der (mē an´dər) vi. to wanderaimlessly; to follow a winding path.The tourist meandered through theOld City, stopping to look in everyshop window.med•dle•some (med´l səm) adj. inclinedto interfere in the affairs ofothers. You may think I’m meddlesomefor bringing up your problem,but I genuinely want to help.med•i•ta•tion (med´ə tā´shən) n.deep, continued thought. I need aperiod of meditation to sort outmy ideas and feelings.mer•cu•rial (mər kyoor´ē əl) adj.quick, quick-witted, volatile,

94How to Build a Super Vocabularychangeable, and fickle. My teammatehas a mercurial disposition;he is quick-tempered on the fieldbut mellow afterward.me•thod•i•cal (mə thäd´i kəl) adj.orderly; systematic. Every night Ifollow a methodical routine forgetting ready for bed.me•tic•u•lous (mə tik´yoo ləs) adj. extremelyor excessively carefulabout details. This essay needs tobe perfect, since my teacher ismeticulous about spelling, punctuation,and usage.mi•crobe (mī´krōb´) n. a microscopicorganism, especially any of the bacteriathat cause disease; germ. Inmy lab notebook, I have severaldrawings of different microbesfound in a drop of pond water.mit•i•gate (mit´ə gāt´) vt. to make orbecome milder, less severe, less rigorous,or less painful; moderate.Jenna doesn’t feel any better whenpeople tell her that time will mitigateher grief.mon•arch (män´ərk´) n. the singleruler of a state. How many countriescan you name that still havea monarch rather than anothertype of leader?mon•o•tone (män´ə tōn´) n. a successionof syllables of the same pitch.My English teacher speaks in a monotonethat almost puts me to sleep.mo•rose (mə rōs´) adj. characterizedby gloom. After his puppy ranaway, the little boy became moroseand refused to play with otherchildren.mun•dane (mun´dān´) adj. commonplace,everyday, ordinary. The artistfelt he needed a vacation from hismundane routine to renew his creativity.na•dir (nā´dər) n. the lowest point.The play’s bad press representedthe nadir of the author’s career.neb•u•lous (neb´yə ləs) adj. unclear;vague; indefinite. Jason has noplans—not even nebulous ones—for what he’ll do after graduation.nem•e•sis (nem´ə sis) n. anyone oranything that seems to be the inevitablecause of someone’s downfall.The athlete’s nemesis is thethird hurdle; she easily clears thefirst two, but trips on the third inevery race.noc•tur•nal (näk tur´nəl) adj. functioningor active during the night.Most bats are nocturnal and usetheir hearing more than their visionto find their way in the dark.no•mad (nō´mad´) n. a wanderer whohas no fixed home; a member of apeople who move seasonally. Someearly Native Americans were nomadswho had to follow their foodsource—the buffalo—as it migratedacross the land.non•cha•lant (nän´shə länt´) adj. showingcool lack of concern; casually indifferent.Her nonchalant way oftossing the money down showedthat she was used to wealth.nos•tal•gi•a (nä stal´jə) n. a longingfor something far away or long agoor for former happy circumstances.I still feel nostalgia when I thinkabout my relatives and familyhome in Georgia.no•to•ri•ous (nō tôr´ē əs) adj. widely butunfavorably known or talked about.The deserted neighborhood was notoriousfor its criminal activity.nox•ious (näk´shəs) adj. harmful tothe health. The school building wasevacuated when several studentsbecame sick from noxious fumes.

The Ultimate Word List 95nur•ture (nur´chər) vt. the act orprocess of raising or promoting thedevelopment of; training, educating,or fostering. The child’s naturalmusical talent was nurtured byher piano teacher.ob•du•rate (äb´door it) adj. not easilymoved to pity or sympathy; hardhearted.Cinderella’s stepmotherwas obdurate in refusing to letCinderella go to the ball.ob•jec•tion•a•ble (əb jek´shənə bəl)adj. disagreeable; offensive. I findit objectionable when people smokeindoors.ob•jec•tive (əb jek´tiv) n. somethingaimed or striven for. The group’smain objective is to complete theirassignment on time.ob•lit•er•ate (ə blit´ər ā t´) vt. to blotout or wear away, leaving no traces;erase. The rainstorm obliteratedthe chalk drawing we made on thesidewalk.ob•scure (əb skyoor´) adj. dark; notclear or distinct; faint or undefined.In the fog, the figures were tooobscure for me to see who theywere.ob•se•qui•ous (əb sē´kwē əs) adj.showing too great a willingness toserve or obey; fawning. She foundhis obsequious behavior flattering,yet annoying.ob•so•lete (äb´sə lēt´) adj. no longerin use or practice. Compact diskplayers have made audiocassetteplayers practically obsolete.ob•sti•nate (äb´stə nət) adj. stubborn;unreasonably determined to haveone’s own way. The obstinate littleboy refused to leave the store untilhe got what he wanted.o•di•ous (ō´dē əs) adj. arousing or deservinghatred or loathing; disgusting;offensive. I thought her behaviorlast night was odious, and itwill take me awhile to forgive her.of•fi•cious (ə fish´əs) adj. offering unnecessaryand unwanted advice orservices. The waiter’s officious attentionsgave us no opportunityfor a private conversation.om•i•nous (äm´ə nəs) adj. of or servingas an omen; especially an evilomen; threatening; sinister. The skyturned yellow green, and we couldsee ominous black clouds speedingtoward us.o•paque (ō pāk´) adj. not letting lightpass through. I could not seethrough the opaque window inthe door to find out who wasknocking.op•er•a•tive (äp´ər ə tiv´) adj. of primaryimportance; key; essential. Inany group project, the operativeword that guarantees success isrespect.op•ti•mism (äp´tə miz´əm) n. thetendency to take the most hopefulor cheerful view of matters or toexpect the best outcome. Despiteall the troubles she has faced, MaryJane’s optimism keeps her going.op•u•lent (äp´yoo lənt) adj. showinggreat wealth. Although James livesin an opulent home, he prefers tospend time in his friend’s smallapartment.os•ten•ta•tion (äs´tən tā´shən) n.showy display, as of wealth orknowledge. The ostentation of theother woman’s appearance mademe feel underdressed.os•tra•cism (äs´trə siz´əm) n. a rejectionor exclusion by general consent,as from a group or from acceptanceby society. Ostracism bythe student council was John’s

96How to Build a Super Vocabularypunishment for failing to attendmonthly meetings.pac•i•fism (pas´ə fiz´əm) n. oppositionto the use of force under any circumstances.Some people believethat pacifism is a better way tobring about a change than violenceis.pan•to•mime (pan´tə mīm´) n. anydramatic presentation played withoutwords, using only action andgestures. Charades is a game inwhich two teams compete to guessa word or phrase acted out in pantomime.pa•ral•y•sis (pə ral´ə sis) n. partial orcomplete loss, or temporary interruption,of a function, especiallymovement or sensation in somepart of the body. The pinched nervein my neck caused a temporaryparalysis of my right arm.pa•ro•dy (par´ə dē) n. a literary ormusical work imitating the characteristicstyle of some other work orof a writer or composer in a satiricalor humorous way. The creativewriting teacher had her studentschoose a short story and write aparody of it.par•si•mo•ni•ous (pär´sə mō´nē əs)adj. miserly; unreasonably frugal.Though he earns a good salary,Bennett is so parsimonious that herefuses to tip waiters even when hereceives good service.par•ti•san (pärt´ə zən) n. a personwho takes the part of or stronglysupports one side, party, or person.She is a devoted partisan of theRepublican Party.pas•teur•i•za•tion (pas´tər i zā´shən)n. a method of destroying diseaseproducingbacteria (as in milk, beer,or cider) by heating the liquid to aprescribed temperature for a specifiedperiod of time. Pasteurizationdestroys bacteria in milk, butsome people say the heat destroysthe taste as well.pa•tron•ize (pā´trən īz´) vt. to providehelp and support to; to treat in ahaughty or snobbish way, as if dealingwith an inferior. She thoughtshe was helping me with her advice,but she patronized me in away that was humiliating.pau•ci•ty (pô´sə tē) n. fewness; smallnumber Lots of people come to theshelter to help with. Thanksgivingdinner, but there is a paucity ofvolunteers during the rest of theyear.pen•i•tent (pen´i tənt) adj. truly sorryfor having done something wrongand willing to atone; contrite; repentant.Maria wrote a penitentletter, apologizing for the thingsshe’d said in anger.pen•i•ten•tia•ry (pen´i ten´shə rē) n., astate or federal prison for personsconvicted of serious crimes.Following the jury’s guilty verdict,the judge sentenced the defendantto ten years in the state penitentiary.per•pet•u•ate (pər pech´oo āt´) vt. tocause to continue. This year’seighth-grade graduates plan to perpetuatethe tradition of raisingmoney for a charity.pes•si•mism (pes´ə miz´əm) n. thetendency to expect misfortune orthe worst outcome in any circumstances.Carl’s pessimism meansthat he is always surprised whenanything good happens.phan•tom (fan´təm) n. something thatseems to appear to the sight but hasno physical existence. In the eerie

The Ultimate Word List 97dusk, we seemed to see phantomsall around us even though we knewwe were alone.phar•aoh (far´ō) n. the title of thekings of ancient Egypt, often usedas a proper name in the Bible.Tutankhamen was one of theyoungest of the pharaohs; he wasonly nineteen when he was laid torest in his rich tomb.phi•lan•thro•py (fə lan´thrə pē) n. adesire to help human beings, especiallyas shown by gifts to charitableor humanitarian institutions;benevolence. The millionaire’swell-known philanthropy earnedhim a reputation for being a kindand generous man.pi•e•ty (pī´ə tē) n. devotion to religiousduties and practices; a piousact, statement, or belief. Jane livesa quiet life of piety and goes tochurch every day.pique (pēk) n. resentment at beingslighted. In a fit of pique overbeing cut from the basketball team,Jose refused to go to any of thegames.pith•y (pith´ē) adj. terse and full ofsubstance or meaning. The best manfinished his speech in a few wordswith a pithy quote that summed upall our hopes for the couple.pla•cate (plā´kāt´) vt. to stop frombeing angry. The restaurant ownertried to placate the woman whohad found a nail in her soup by offeringher a free meal.placid (plas´id) adj. undisturbed;tranquil; calm; quiet. Mary’s placidtemperament allows her to remaincalm even when there is chaos allaround her.pla•gi•a•rize (plā´jə rīz´) vt. to take(ideas or writings) from (another)and pass them off as one’s own.Preston got a D on his paper becausethe teacher saw that he hadplagiarized an article he found onthe Internet.plain•tive (plān´tiv) adj. expressingsorrow; mournful; sad. The plaintivemusic matched my melancholymood.pli•able (plī´ə bəl) adj. easily bent ormolded; flexible. Willow is a goodmaterial for making baskets, becausewhen it is wet, it is pliableenough to weave.por•tend (pôr tend´) vt. to be anomen or warning of. Those thick,black clouds portend a storm.prag•mat•ic (prag mat´ik) adj. practical;concerned with actual practiceand everyday affairs, not with theory.The mayor’s pragmatic solutionsto the city’s problems sometimesclash with people’semotional attachments.pre•cept (prē´sept´) n. a commandmentor direction meant as a rule ofaction or conduct. A precept I tryto live by states that a personshould treat people in the sameway he or she hopes to be treated.pre•cip•i•tous (prē sip´ə təs) adj.steep, as in a steep, vertical cliff.Looking for a challenge, the avidhikers chose a precipitous path upthe mountain.pre•co•cious (prē kō´shəs) adj. developedor matured to a point beyondthat which is normal for the age.The precocious child wasn’t interestedin baby dolls, buildingblocks, or any of the other toysusually attractive to children herage.pred•a•to•ry (pred´ə tôr´ē) adj. of, livingby, or characterized by plunder-

98How to Build a Super Vocabularying, robbing, or exploiting others.The cat revealed its instinct forpredatory behavior by chasing severalbirds around the yard.pred•e•ces•sor (pred´ə ses´ər) n. aperson who precedes, or comes before,another. When Justin startedhis job, he found that his predecessorhad left him a manual of instructions.pred•i•lec•tion (pred´ə´lek´shən) n.liking; partiality or preference (for).My predilection for rich dessertsmakes it hard for me to lose weight.prel•ude (prel´yood) n. preliminarypart; preface; opening, especially toa musical work. The soup was anelegant prelude to a deliciousmeal.pre•sume (prē zoom´) vt. to take forgranted; accept as true, lackingproof to the contrary. Supervisorsshould not presume that their instructionsare clear; they shouldcheck that their employees understandthem.prev•a•lent (prev´ə lənt) adj. widely existing.Vast herds of buffalo wereprevalent on the Great Plains untilthey were hunted to near-extinction.pris•tine (pris´tēn´) adj. still pure; uncorrupted;unspoiled. No one hadbeen out since the blizzard, andthe snow was pristine.prod•i•gal (präd´i gəl) adj. exceedinglyor recklessly wasteful. The man wasprodigal with his inheritance andsoon spent all of his money.pro•fane (prō fān´) adj. showing disrespector contempt for sacredthings; irreverent. The congregationwas shocked by the profane waythe old man spoke in church.pro•fes•sional (prō fesh´ə nəl) n. aperson who does something withgreat skill; someone who earns aliving through exercise of a skill.Christopher, who is the captain ofthe high school golf team, playsgolf like a professional.pro•fi•cient (prō fish´ənt) adj. skilled.Secretaries must be proficient inkeyboarding since word processingis a large part of their job.pro•found (prō foūnd´) adj. markedby intellectual depth. After all thischatter, I long for a profound conversationabout things of lastingimportance.pro•fu•sion (prō fyoo´zhən) n. rich orlavish supply; abundance. The profusionof food at the company picnicsatisfied us all.prog•e•ny (präj´ə nē) n. children, descendants,or offspring collectively.A family tree is a graphic thatshows one couple’s progeny.pro•gres•sive (prō gres´iv) adj. continuingby successive steps. Hertraining helped the downhill skiermake progressive improvement inher speed.pro•lif•ic (prō lif´ik) adj. producingyoung freely; turning out manyproducts of the mind. His twentypublished novels prove how prolifica writer he was during hisshort life.pro•pi•ti•ate (prō pish´ē āt´) vt. to winor regain the good will of. In orderto propitiate the company manager,employees arrive at workearly and stay late.pro•pri•e•ty (prō prī´ə tē) n. thequality of being proper, fitting, orsuitable. She questioned the proprietyof wearing a short skirt tochurch.pro•sa•ic (prō zā´ik) adj. commonplace,dull and ordinary. Even the

The Ultimate Word List 99most exciting occupations havetheir prosaic aspects.pros•pec•tor (prä´spek´tər) n. a personwho explores for valuable gold,minerals, or oil. The gold rush of1849 attracted many prospectorswho hoped to find the valuable orein California.pro•to•type (prōt´ə tīp´) n. the firstthing or being of its kind. Engineerscreate a prototype of a new automobilebefore they build any thatwill be sold to the public.prov•i•dent (präv´ə dənt) adj. providingfor future needs or events. Someprovident parents start saving forcollege when their children are stillquite young.pro•vin•cial (prō vin´shəl) adj. comingfrom a province; narrow-minded orunsophisticated. Peter found livingin the small town was stifling becausepeople’s attitudes were soprovincial.prox•im•i•ty (präks im´ə tē) n. thestate or quality of being near. Thatoverwhelmingly unpleasant smellis a sure sign of the proximity of askunk.pru•dent (prood´’nt) adj. capableof exercising sound judgment inpractical matters, especially as concernsone’s own interests. I need tobe prudent and make good financialdecisions if I want to saveenough money for college.psy•chi•a•try (sī kī´ə trē) n. the branchof medicine concerned with thestudy, treatment, and prevention ofdisorders of the mind. To earn a degreein psychiatry, a person mustlearn how to recognize and treatmental disorders.pug•na•cious (pug nā´shəs) adj. eagerand ready to fight. I was frightenedby the pugnacious tone of her voiceand her clenched fists.quag•mire (kwag´mīr´) n. wet, boggyground, yielding under the foot. Thehiking trail disappeared in aquagmire that stretched ahead ofus for at least a mile.quan•dary (kwän´də rē) n. a state ofuncertainty; perplexing situation orposition. I found myself in aquandary because I wanted to goto the dance, but had already madeother plans.quar•an•tine (kwôr´ən tēn) n. restrictionon travel or passage imposedto keep contagious diseases or insectpests from spreading. Duringthe epidemic, people who had beenexposed to the disease were placedin quarantine to prevent othersfrom being infected.quer•u•lous (kwer´yoo ləs) adj. full ofcomplaint. Ashley keeps repeatingin a querulous tone of voice, “I’mbored! There’s nothing to do!”quin•tes•sence (kwin tes´əns) n. thepure, concentrated essence of anything.In the movie, the princesswas the quintessence of beautyand grace.ram•page (ram´pāj) vi. to rush violentlyor wildly about. Bears canrampage through a campsite, destroyingtents, coolers, and backpacks.ran•cor (ra´kər) n. a continuing andbitter hate or ill will. It is hard toreach a peaceful solution whenboth parties’ hearts are full of rancorfrom past insults.ran•som (ran´səm) n. the redeemingor release of a captive or of seizedproperty by paying money or complyingwith other demands. The piratesdemanded a hefty ransom in

100How to Build a Super Vocabularyexchange for the safe return of theprincess.rap•port (ra pôr´) n. a close or sympatheticrelationship; agreement;harmony. The honest salesman hasa good rapport with his loyal customers.rat•i•fy (rat´ə fī´) vt. to approve orconfirm. Can you explain theprocess by which states ratify aproposed amendment to the U.S.Constitution?rau•cous (rô´kəs) adj. loud androwdy. After the soccer gameended, the raucous behavior of thefans resulted in some injuries.re•cal•ci•trant (ri kal´si trənt) adj. refusingto obey authority, custom, orregulation. The library finallycaught up with a recalcitrant patronwho had hundreds of overduebooks.rec•luse (rek´loos) n. a person wholives a solitary life, shut away fromthe world. I was amazed to see herat the party because she had beenliving like a recluse since her sondied.rec•om•mend (rek´ə mend´) vt. tosuggest favorably as suited forsome use, function, or position.Because I had eaten at this restaurantbefore, my friend asked mewhat dish I would recommend.rec•tify (rek´tə fī´) vt. to put or setright; correct. Be sure to rectifyany errors in your math homeworkbefore turning it in to theteacher.redo•lent (red´’l -ənt) adj. smelling(of ). Long after she had left, theroom was redolent of the woman’sheavy perfume.re•dun•dant (ri dun´ -dənt) adj. morethan enough; excessive. Some studentsfill their papers with redundantinformation to impress theirteacher.regi•men (rej´ə mən) n. a regulatedsystem of diet or exercise, for therapyor the maintenance or improvementof health. To tone their bodies,athletes follow the strictregimen demanded by theircoaches.rel•egate (rel´ə gāt´) vt. to exile orbanish (someone) to a specifiedplace. Because I don’t know how towork the new cash register, I’vebeen relegated to the front door asa greeter.rel•evant (rel´ə vənt) adj. having todo with the matter at hand. Theman’s question about when lunchwill be served was not relevant tothe speaker’s lecture about investingin the stock market.re•lin•quish (ri li´kwish) vt. to giveup; abandon. During the GreatDepression, many people had torelinquish their homes and businesses.re•morse (ri môrs´) n. a deep sense ofguilt felt over a wrong that one hasdone. I felt immediate remorsewhen I realized that my rude commenthad made her cry.re•pel (ri pel´) vt. to drive or forceback. Despite the manufacturer’sclaims, the bug spray doesn’t repelmosquitoes effectively.re•plete (ri plēt´) adj. well filled orplentifully supplied. The luxurioushouse is replete with comforts ofevery kind.rep•re•hend (rep´ri hend´) vt. to findfault with (something done); censure.The supervisor reprehendedthree employees for their habituallateness.

The Ultimate Word List 101re•prisal (ri prī´zəl) n. the act or practiceof using force, short of war,against another nation to obtain redressof grievances. After the war,the victorious nation imposedharsh taxes as a reprisal againstthe conquered countries.re•pu•di•ate (ri pyoo´dē āt´) vt. torefuse to have anything to do with;disown or cast off publicly. I repudiatedmy former friend after shebetrayed my secrets.re•scind (ri sind´) vt. to revoke, repeal,or cancel (a law or order). Mymembership at the gym was rescindedafter I forgot to pay mymonthly fee.res•o•lu•tion (rez´ə loo´shən) n. a determination;deciding. I have madea resolution to stop teasing mybrother.res•pite (res´pit) n. an interval of temporaryrelief or rest, as from pain,work, or duty. By using an ice packand staying off my feet, I enjoy arespite from the pain in my knee.re•ta•li•ate (ri tal´ē āt´) vi. to returnan injury or wrong. The peasantsstormed the castle to retaliateagainst the king for his unjustlaws and harsh taxes.ret•i•cent (ret´ə sənt) adj. disinclinedto speak readily. Though she isvery willing to discuss her career,she is reticent about her privateaffairs.ret•i•nue (ret´’n yoo) n. a body of assistants,followers, or servants attendinga person of rank or importance.On the set, the movie star issurrounded by a retinue ofmakeup artists, hairstylists, andcostume designers.re•tract (ri trakt´) vt. to draw back orin. The kitten had to retract herclaws before she could free herselffrom the curtains.ruf•fi•an (ruf´ē ən) n. a brutal, violent,lawless person; a tough orhoodlum. The villain in the moviewas a ruffian who liked to causetrouble in any way he could.ruth•less (rooth´lis) adj. pitiless. Thematch was brutal; the boxersfought with ruthless ferocity.sage (sāj) n. a very wise person. Insome cultures, people regard olderpeople as sages and show great respectfor their wisdom.sal•u•tar•y (sal´yoo ter´ē) adj. healthful.Many recent studies haveshown that a diet rich in fruitsand vegetables is salutary.sanc•tion (sak´shən) vt. to authorizeor permit. The judge sanctioned thedefendant’s release on $100,000bail.san•guine (sa´gwin) adj. cheerfuland confident; optimistic; hopeful.Even though the odds are againstus, our coach remains sanguineabout our prospects.scoun•drel (skoun´drəl) n. a mean,immoral, or wicked person. Thatscoundrel robbed me!scru•pu•lous (skroo´pyə ləs) adj. extremelycareful to do the preciselyright, proper, or correct thing inevery last detail. The chef isscrupulous about the cleanliness ofher kitchen.scru•ti•nize (skroot´’n īz´) vt. to lookat very carefully; to examineclosely. Before I hand in a paper, Iscrutinize it for errors in spellingand usage.sec•u•lar (sek´yə lər) adj. not sacredor religious; worldly. Although theconcerts take place in a church, themusic is secular.

102How to Build a Super Vocabularysed•en•tary (sed´’n ter´ē) adj. of ormarked by much sitting about andlittle travel. People with a sedentarylifestyle should try to exerciseat least half an hour a day.self-con•fi•dence (self´ kän´fə dəns)n. confidence in oneself and one’sown abilities. Elaine’s self-confidenceis evident whenever sheengages in a debate because she isnever at a loss for words.self-re•li•ance (self´ ri lī´əns) n. relianceon one’s own judgment orabilities. Good parents teach theirchildren to be self-reliant as theygrow up.self-re•straint (self´ ri strānt´) n. selfcontrol.Kayla showed remarkableself-restraint when she stopped bitingher nails.sen•ten•tious (sen ten´shəs) adj. expressingmuch in few words; givento moralizing. The letter was full ofsententious preaching.sen•ti•men•tal (sen´tə ment´’l) adj.having or showing tender, gentle, ordelicate feelings. My grandfather isso sentimental that he saved theticket stubs from the first movie heand my grandmother saw together.ser•vile (sur´vəl) adj. humbly yieldingor submissive. Harry consideredpolishing his brother’s shoes to bea servile task.sin•gu•lar (si´gyə lər) adj. exceptional;unusual. This dinosaur fossil,a singular example of life inthe Jurassic period, is the museum’smain attraction.skep•tic (skep´tik) n. a person who habituallydoubts, questions, or suspendsjudgment upon matters generallyaccepted. Ever a skeptic,Victor refused to believe the storyas it was told in the newspaper.som•no•lent (säm´nə lənt) adj. likelyto induce sleep; drowsy. Some medicationshave a somnolent effectand shouldn’t be taken when youare driving.so•no•rous (sə nôr´əs) adj. having orproducing sound, especially sound offull, deep, or rich quality. Frank washired as a radio announcer strictlybecause of his sonorous voice.spec•i•fy (spes´ə fī) vt. to mention, describe,or define in detail. I needyou to specify when and whereyou want to meet.spe•cious (spē´shəs) adj. seeming tobe good, sound, correct, or logicalwithout really being so. He presenteda specious argument andlost the case.spo•rad•ic (spə rad´ik) adj. happeningfrom time to time. Fire drills atour school are so sporadic that weare unlikely to remember what todo if there is a real fire.spu•ri•ous (spyoor´ē əs) adj. not trueor genuine; false; counterfeit. HankAaron’s autograph, which Jay hadprized so highly, turned out to bespurious.squan•der (skwän´dər) vt. to spendor use wastefully or extravagantly.Environmental activists cautionus not to squander water, one ofour most precious resources.stag•nant (stag´nənt) adj. withoutmotion or current; not flowing ormoving. Mosquitoes breed in stagnantwater, such as the water thatcollects in old tires.stam•i•na (stam´ə nə) n. endurance;resistance to fatigue, illness, orhardship. It takes a lot of staminato keep up with two-year-old twins.stam•pede (stam pēd´) n. a sudden,headlong running away of a group

The Ultimate Word List 103of frightened animals, especiallyhorses or cattle. A stampede is alwaysa danger when a herd of cattleis frightened by thunder andlightning.stig•ma•tize (stig´mə tīz´) vt. to characterizeor mark as disgraceful. Itdoesn’t matter how hard sheworks; her co-workers have stigmatizedher as lazy.stock•ade (stä kād´) n. an enclosure,such as a fort, made with stakes driveninto the ground side by side fordefense. The pioneers built a stockadeto defend their settlementagainst enemy raids.strand (strand) n. any one of thethreads, fibers, or wires that aretwisted together to form a length ofstring, rope, or cable. A rope is producedby twisting together three ormore strands of natural or syntheticfibers.stri•dent (strīd´’nt) adj. harsh-sounding;shrill; grating. From a blockaway, I could recognize AuntMartha’s strident voice as shescolded my cousins.strife (strīf) n. the act or state offighting or quarreling, especiallybitterly. After years of bitter strife,a peace agreement was finallyreached.sty•mie (stī´mē) vt. to hinder or obstruct.When a crossword puzzlehas you stymied, do you think it’sfair to use a dictionary?suave (swäv) adj. graceful and polite.Because the man exhibited confidenceand a suave manner, hisspeech was well received.sub•mis•sive (sub mis´iv) adj. havingor showing a tendency to submitwithout resistance; docile; yielding.Well-trained dogs are submissiveto their masters and obey theircommands.sub•or•di•nate (sə bôrd´’n it) adj. inferiorto or placed below another inrank, power, or importance.Because I had no experienceaboard a sailboat, I was clearlysubordinate to those who knewwhat they were doing.sub•tle•ty (sut´’l tē) n. delicacy; theability or tendency to make fine distinctions.The subtlety of her argumentconvinced me to take hercourse.suc•cinct (sək sikt´) adj. clearly andbriefly stated. We tried to make theclub rules succinct, so that everybodywould understand and rememberthem.su•per•ci•li•ous (soo´pər sil´ē əs) adj.proud, haughty. She glanced at mein a supercilious manner thatmade me feel both embarrassedand angry.su•per•fi•cial (soo´pər fish´əl) adj. concernedwith and understanding onlythe easily apparent and obvious. Ithink my friend is superficial becauseshe says that looks are moreimportant than personality.su•per•flu•ous (sə pur´floo əs) adj.more than is needed, useful, orwanted. The directions taped onthe microwave door make the instructionmanual superfluous.sur•feit (sur´fit) n. too great anamount or supply. I miscalculatedand wound up with a surfeit offabric, enough to make two extrablankets.sur•rep•ti•tious (sur´əp tish´əs) adj. secret,stealthy. The teacher wasangry when she discovered thesurreptitious notes the studentswere passing.

104How to Build a Super Vocabularysus•cep•ti•ble (sə sep´tə bəl) adj. easilyinfluenced by or affected with. Ifyou get a yearly flu shot, you willbe less susceptible to illness duringthe flu season.swin•dle (swin´dəl) vt. to get moneyor property from (another) underfalse pretenses. The man felt hehad been swindled in the cardgame and demanded that a differentplayer deal the cards.sym•me•try (sim´ə trē) n. similarity ofform or arrangement on either side.She placed identical lamps on eachof the two end tables so the livingroom would have a pleasing symmetry.syn•the•sis (sin´thə sis) n. the puttingtogether of parts or elements so asto form a whole. Because three studentsworked on the project, the resultwas a synthesis of ideas.syn•thetic (sin thet´ik) adj. not real orgenuine; artificial. She is so committedto animal rights that she willwear only synthetic leather shoes.ta•cit (tas´it) adj. not expressed or declaredopenly, but implied or understood.By keeping silent, the audiencegave their tacit approval tothe committee’s decision.tac•i•turn (tas´ə turn´) adj. almost alwayssilent; not liking to talk.Farmer Hoggett is so taciturn thathis greatest expression of enthusiasmis to say, “That’ll do.”tac•tile (tak´təl) adj. related to thesense of touch; perceptible bytouch. Tactile pleasures, such asthe feeling of fur and silk, are importantto me.tan•ta•mount (tant´ə mount´) adj.equal or equivalent (to). Althoughshe did not accuse him directly,her satirical column was tantamountto an accusation that themayor had lied.te•na•cious (tə nā´shəs) adj. persistent;stubborn. Though easygoing inmost other ways, Noreen is tenaciousin her opinions regardingeducation and taxes.ten•ta•tive (ten´tə tiv) adj. not definiteor final. Our plans to vacation inHawaii next summer will betentative until we know ourschedules.ten•u•ous (ten´yoo əs) adj. not substantial;slight; flimsy. The tenuousevidence against the suspect resultedin the police having to releasehim.ter•rain (tə rān´) n. tract of ground;the natural or topographical featuresof a tract of ground. Tostrengthen their leg muscles andimprove their endurance, crosscountryathletes run on rockyterrain.ter•ri•to•ri•al (ter´ə tôr´ē əl) adj. of,belonging to, or claiming and defendinga specific region or district.Dogs are usually territorial andwill growl or bark at strangers oreven strange dogs.thwart (thwôrt) vt. to hinder, obstruct,frustrate, or defeat (a personor plans). My broken fingerthwarted my plans to compete inthe tennis tournament onSaturday.ti•rade (tī´rād´) n. a long, vehementspeech, especially one of denunciation.When she got to the podium,instead of giving the usual complimentaryspeech, the prizewinnerunleashed a tirade about the unfairnessof the system.tox•ic (täks´ik) adj. acting as a poison;poisonous. Many household

The Ultimate Word List 105cleaners are toxic and should bekept out of the reach of children.tran•scend•ent (tran sen´dənt) adj. surpassing;excelling; extraord-inary.People often turn to religion insearch of a transcendent experience.trans•for•ma•tion (trans´fər mā´shən) n. the process of changing.Butterflies and frogs have life cyclesthat involve extraordinarytransformations.trans•fuse (trans fyooz´) vt. to transferor transmit by causing to flow.The crowd of spectators was soontransfused with the cheerleaders’energy and began joining in thecheers.trans•gres•sion (trans gresh´ən) n.breach of a law or duty; sin. Histransgression earned the shopliftera hefty fine and a night in jail.tran•si•ent (tran´shənt) adj. stayingonly for a short time. Most of theboardinghouse guests are transientpeople with no permanentties to the community.tran•si•to•ry (tran´sə tôr´ē) adj. temporary,fleeting. An adrenalinerush causes a transitory feeling ofexcitement.treach•er•ous (trech´ər əs) adj. givinga false appearance of safety or reliability.While the ocean looks calm,its treacherous riptides are extremelydangerous.trea•son (trē´zən) n. betrayal of one’scountry. Benedict Arnold, anAmerican general, committed treasonby trying to surrender WestPoint to the British during theRevolutionary War.trep•i•da•tion (trep´ə dā´shən) n. fearfuluncertainty or anxiety. My shakinghands betrayed my trepidationas I approached the snake.tres•pass (tres´pəs) vi. to go on another’sland or property withoutpermission. When the neighborcaught us in his orchard, hethreatened to sue if we trespassedagain.trite (trīt) adj. lacking freshness, originality,or novelty. In the poem I amwriting, I have tried to avoid tritefigures of speech.u•biq•ui•tous (yoo bik´wə təs) adj.present everywhere at the sametime. The tall man in the blue suitseems to be ubiquitous; I saw himeverywhere I went today.un•a•bridged (un´ə brijd´) adj. notshortened; complete. Whenever Ilisten to a book on audiotape, Imake sure it is the unabridgedversion because I don’t want tomiss anything.un•wield•y (un wēl´dē) adj. hard tomanage, handle, or deal with, as becauseof large size or heaviness, orawkward form. She tried to mail atuba to her sister but found thepackage unwieldy.u•surp (yoo zurp´) vt. to take or assume(power, a position, property,or rights) and hold in possession byforce or without right. The militaryusurped control of the governmentfrom the elected president.vac•il•late (vas´ə lāt´) vi. to sway toand fro; waver. I vacillated for awhole day, trying to decidewhether I would research dolphinsor orcas.vac•u•ous (vak´yoo əs) adj. having orshowing lack of intelligence, interest,or thought. His vacuous commentsshow that he has given thematter no thought.ven•er•ate (ven´ər āt´) vt. to regardwith deep respect and admiration. I

106How to Build a Super Vocabularyvenerate my sister for being able tomanage a successful career asa lawyer while also raising fourchildren.ver•bose (vər bōs´) adj. wordy; longwinded.The tour guide’s verboseexplanation of how the dam wasbuilt used up almost all the timewe had.ves•tige (ves´tij) n. a trace, mark, orsign of something that once existedbut has disappeared. The Mayanruins are vestiges of a civilizationthat once was great and powerful.vice versa (vī´sə vur´sə) adv. With theorder or relation reversed; conversely.I’ll help you when you needit, and vice versa.vig•i•lance (vij´ə ləns) n. watchfulness;state of being alert to danger.The security guard’s vigilance preventedthe robbers from enteringthe bank.vin•di•cate (vin´də kāt´) vt. to clearfrom criticism, blame, guilt, or suspicion.New evidence in the trialvindicated the defendant; the casewas dismissed and he was freeto go.vin•dic•tive (vin dik´tiv) adj. revengefulin spirit; inclined to seekvengeance. Watch out for Adam—he is vindictive when he loses agame.vir•u•lent (vir´yoo lənt) adj. extremelypoisonous or injurious;deadly. Black widow spider bitesare virulent and cause an immediate,painful reaction.vol•a•tile (väl´ə təl) adj. likely to shiftquickly and unpredictably; unstable;explosive. When I make a mistake,I have to be careful of my boss’svolatile temper.vol•un•tary (väl´ən ter´ē) adj. broughtabout by one’s own free choice.Because I feel sorry for homelessanimals, I make a voluntary contributionto the local shelter often.vo•ra•cious (vô rā´shəs) adj. verygreedy or eager in some desire orpursuit. It is hard to satisfy her voraciousappetite with just onesandwich.vul•ner•a•ble (vul´nər ə bəl) adj. thatcan be wounded or injured; open tocriticism or attack. Houses that arebuilt on the ocean shore are extremelyvulnerable during a hurricane.whim•si•cal (hwim´zi kəl) adj. arisingfrom caprice; oddly out of the ordinary;fanciful. My boss’s decisionsare often whimsical, instead ofbased on planning and strategy.wran•gle (ra´gəl) vi. to argue; dispute.I’ve used every defensive argumentI have and do not want towrangle with her anymore.writhe (rīth) vi. to make twisting orturning movements; squirm. Liveworms on a fishing hook writheand catch the attention of fish.yield (yēld) vt. to give; concede; grant.The accident was my fault becauseI failed to yield the right of waybefore I turned.zea•lot (zel´ət) n. a person who has anextreme or excessive devotion to acause; fanatic. Lorene is such azealot about protecting whales thatshe talks about nothing else.ze•nith (zē´nith) n. the highest point;peak. He reached the zenith of hisacting career before he was twelveand has been struggling to get backthere ever since.

INDEXAaffixes, 20–24African words, in English, 12American Indian words, in English, 12antonymsas clues to meaning, 32in dictionaries, 42appositives, as clues to meaning, 28–29Arabic words, in English, 12Bbase words, 16–17affixes, 20–24borrowed words, 11, 12Boycott, Captain C. C., 10Burnside, General Ambrose Everett, 11CChinese words, in English, 12clichés, 69–70collective nouns, 62combining forms, 19comparisons, as clues to meaning, 30–31confusing words, 48–51conjunctions, as clues to meaning, 32context clues, 27–36contrasts, as clues to meaning, 32crossword puzzles, 63DDarwin, Charles, 6definitionsin dictionaries, 40, 42–43, 73–106in sentences, 29dictionaries, 37–43, 73–106antonyms, 42citations, 40entries, 39–42etymologies, 7, 9, 40kinds, 38–39multiple meanings, treatment of, 42–43pronunciation guides, 40, 41, 42synonyms, 40, 45usage notes, 39–42using to check spelling, 48drawing, as memory aid, 59Dutch words, in English, 12Eediting, 68England, Norman Conquest of, effect onlanguage, 12eponyms, 10–11etymologies, 7, 9, 17, 40examples, as clues to meaning, 30FFerris, George W. G., 10flash cards, as memory aids, 59–60French words, in English, 11, 12GGerman words, in English, 12Gerry, Elbridge, 10Greek roots, in English, 17, 18, 19Hhomographs, 55homophones, 53–55IInuit (Eskimo) words, in English, 12Italian words, in English, 12Jjournal, vocabulary, 60–61

108IndexKkey words, as clues to meaning, 30Llanguagechanges, 6–7, 8history, 3–13origin theories, 4–6Latin roots, in English, 17, 18, 19listening, as memory aid, 60Mmapping words, 61Maverick, Samuel, 11meanings, of wordschanges, 7, 8context clues, 27–36multiple, 42–43reasoning out, 33–34memory tips, 58–60mispronunciations, 52–53mnemonics, 58–59Montagu, John, fourth earl of Sandwich,11NNorman Conquest of England, effect onlanguage, 12nounscollective, 62use as verbs, 8OOld Norse words, in English, 12onomatopoeic words, 5–6overused words, 69–70PPei, Mario, 6plurals, irregular, 54predicate nominatives, as clues to meaning,28–29prefixes, 20–22, 23pronunciationcommon mistakes, 52–53dictionary guides, 40, 41, 42, 72homographs, 55homophones, 53–55Qqualifiers, 70Rredundancy, avoiding, 67–69relationships, as clues to meaning, 32repetition, avoiding, 67Roget, Pater Mark, 44roots, of words, 15–25Russian words, in English, 12SScandinavian words, in English, 12slang, 70Spanish words, in English, 12speaking, formal, and word choice, 70spelling, 48adding suffixes, 23–24homographs, 55homophones, 53–55suffixes, 20, 22–24synonymsas clues to meaning, 30–31in dictionaries, 40, 45in thesauri, 44–45synonymies, 45Tthesauri, 44–45Vverbsformed from nouns, 8irregular, 42visual aids to building vocabulary, 59vocabulary. See also wordsbuilding, 1–2, 57–64reading and, 63writing and, 65–71vocabulary journal, 60–61

Index 109Wword families, 16, 17word games, 63word maps, 61wordiness, 67–69wordsaffixes, 20–24archaic, 7base words, 16–17borrowed, 11, 12combining forms, 19confusing, 48–51context clues to meaning, 27–36correct usage, 48definitions, in sentences, 29difficult, tackling, 47–56eponyms, 10–11etymologies, 7, 9, 17homographs, 55homophones, 53–55lively, 66–67new, 7overused, 69–70qualifiers, 70roots, 15–25slang, 70vocabulary, 73–106writingediting, 68vocabulary, 65–71