Learningexpress Vocabulary Spelling Success 4e

acme awry bane cite crux dire dupe eke elite gibe maim mete moot oust purge roil sham staid veer vie

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acme ( ak·me¯)

(noun)

the highest point, as of achievement or development When the singer was awarded the Lifetime

Achievement Award, she knew she had reached

(adv.)

in a position that is turned or twisted toward one side or away from the correct course; askew.

bane ( ba¯ n)

(noun)

fatal injury or ruin; a cause of harm, ruin, or death; a source of persistent annoyance or exasperation

The persistent beetles that continued to eat away at the crop of string beans in spite of all efforts at extermination became the of the farmer’s existence.

cite ( s¯t)

(verb)

to quote as an authority or example

The historian was careful to a number of examples in order to back her claim that revolutions happen slowly.

crux ( krəks)

(noun)

the basic or central point or feature; a puzzling or apparently insoluble problem

After hours of debate, the opponents finally arrived at the of the matter and at last the central question became clear.

dire ( d¯r)

(adj. )

warning of, or having dreadful or terrible consequences; urgent; desperate

The poorly funded hospital was in need of medical supplies given the number of neglected patients in desperate need.

dupe ( dup)

(noun)

an easily deceived person

The unsuspecting young man felt like a

when he saw his girlfriend walk by in the arms of another man.

eke ( e¯ k)

(verb)

to supplement or get with great effort; to make last by practicing strict economy

With careful management, the townspeople were able to out three more day’s use of water, although the well had virtually run dry.

(noun)

a group or class of persons or a member of such a group or class, enjoying superior intellectual, social, or economic status; the best or most skilled members of a group

The college’s students enjoyed high grades and membership in the exclusive and esteemed honors program.

gibe ( j¯b)

(verb)

to make taunting, heckling, or jeering remarks Mom made it clear that it was not acceptable to

our younger brother at the dinner table even though we insisted our taunting was in good fun.

maim ( ma¯ m)

(verb)

to disable or disfigure; to make imperfect or defective; impair

Is it possible that such a seemingly mild car accident would the driver to such proportions, causing him to lose his eyesight in one eye?

mete ( me¯ t)

(verb)

to distribute by or as if by measure; allot

It was the captain’s responsibility to carefully

out the limited rations so that each man received an equal amount.

moot ( mut)

(noun)

a hypothetical case argued as an exercise; a case no longer of actual significance

Since the position was no longer available, discussing who might better fill the spot became a

point.

oust ( au˙ st)

(verb)

To eject from a position or place; force out The community hoped to the

superintendent from the school district since his policies had proved not only ineffective, but damaging.

purge ( pərj)

(verb)

to free from impurities; purify; to rid of sin, guilt, or defilement; to clear a person of a charge; to get rid of people considered undesirable

After her candid testimony that evidenced her innocence, the woman on the stand was able to

herself of all criminal charges.

roil ( ro˙ iəl)

(verb)

to make a liquid muddy or cloudy by stirring up sediment; to displease or disturb; vex

My husband’s disturbing refusal to help with the housework began to me.

sham ( sham)

(noun)

something false or empty that is said to be genuine; one who assumes a false character; an impostor

After a year of marriage, he recognized his wife as a and sadly saw that his relationship

was based on deception and lies.

(adj.)

characterized by sedate dignity and propriety; sober. Fixed; permanent

At her mother’s funeral, Sue remained

and sober, demonstrating her unwavering determination to not show her grief.

veer ( vir)

(verb)

to turn aside from a course, direction, or purpose; swerve

The car’s driver was able to in the other direction in order to avoid a dangerous crash with an oncoming biker.

vie ( v¯)

(verb)

to strive for superiority; compete; rival

The two elite players would for the championship.

Words in Context

The following exercise will help you figure out the meaning of some words from Vocabulary List 10 by reading context clues. After you have read and understood the paragraph, explain the context clues that helped you with the meaning of the vocabulary word. Refer to the answer section at the end of this chapter for an explanation of the clues.

There is one big example that I can cite to prove that I am one of the biggest dupes that ever lived. It involves a situation with one of my friends from work. By the time I realized what a sham my so-called friend was, I wondered how I didn’t see his scheming ways all along. I tried to straighten things out between us, but everything started to go awry anyway when I realized that the money I had given him to put toward opening our own business had mysteriously disappeared. When I confronted him about it, with a lot of prying I was able to barely eke out the truth, but by then the situation had already become too dire—there was no getting my money back. Unfortunately, I have to see him—the miserable bane of my existence—every day!

Sentence Completion

Insert the correct word from Vocabulary List 10 into the following sentences.

1. When a situation goes off course, it is said to have gone .

2. To quote as an authority or an example is to

.

Answers

Words in Context

The narrator begins to explain his situation by saying that he can cite, by way of an example, that he is one of the biggest dupes that ever lived. We may infer that cite means to quote (a situation or example). We can conclude that dupe(s) refers to someone who was deceived, based on the statement, “I wondered how I didn’t see his scheming ways all along.” This same statement, along with the term “so-called friend,” can help the reader to infer that sham means someone who is scheming, or not loyal. When the narrator says that he tried to straighten things out but that they went awry anyway, it is clear that awry must mean when things go off course, or askew. When the narrator ekes out the truth, he says that it involved a lot of prying, so we can assume that eke means to get something like the truth with a lot of difficulty. By the time the narrator gets the truth, he says the situation has already become too dire. We can infer that dire means extreme or unsalvageable because the narrator says that there was no way to get his money back at that point. The last sentence describes the narrator’s “so-called friend”as a miserable bane of his existence, or a source of constant misery and annoyance.

Sentence Completion

1.awry. If you got this question wrong, refer back to the word’s definition.

2.cite. If you got this question wrong, refer back to the word’s definition.

3.bane. If you got this question wrong, refer back to the word’s definition.

4.acme. If you got this question wrong, refer back to the word’s definition.

5.dupe. If you got this question wrong, refer back to the word’s definition.

6.elite. If you got this question wrong, refer back to the word’s definition.

7.mete. If you got this question wrong, refer back to the word’s definition.

8.crux. If you got this question wrong, refer back to the word’s definition.

9.eke. If you got this question wrong, refer back to the word’s definition.

10.moot. If you got this question wrong, refer back to the word’s definition.

11.dire. If you got this question wrong, refer back to the word’s definition.

12.gibe. If you got this question wrong, refer back to the word’s definition.

13.veer. If you got this question wrong, refer back to the word’s definition.

14.maim. If you got this question wrong, refer back to the word’s definition.

15.staid. If you got this question wrong, refer back to the word’s definition.

16.roil. If you got this question wrong, refer back to the word’s definition.

17.sham. If you got this question wrong, refer back to the word’s definition.

18.oust. If you got this question wrong, refer back to the word’s definition.

19.purge. If you got this question wrong, refer back to the word’s definition.

20.vie. If you got this question wrong, refer back to the word’s definition.

Synonyms

21.e. average. Acme is the highest point of achievement or development. It is not at all average but, rather, the best one can do. Average would not be a synonym.

22.b. view. To cite is to quote or reference as an authority or an example. While cite may sound like sight and site which do relate more closely to view, view would not be a synonym for cite.

23.b. lightweight. To be (an) elite is to belong to a group or class of people who enjoy superior status. The elite are chosen, superior, or the best in a given arena. Lightweight would not be a synonym of elite.

24.a. soil. To purge is to free from impurities, to remove or to eliminate. In law, it means to clear someone of a charge. Soil means to dirty or taint and would not be a synonym of purge.

25.d. hero. A sham is something or someone false that is purported to be genuine. A hero generally possesses sincere, noble, and admirable qualities. Hero would not be a synonym for sham.

26.b. steer. To veer is to turn aside from a course, direction or purpose. Swerve and deviate also describe such derailing action. Steer implies guided control and would not be a synonym.

27.b. tired. Staid characterizes sedate dignity, and serious, sober propriety. It also means fixed or permanent. Fatigue is not necessarily associated with being staid and so, tired would not be a synonym.

28.c. cheat. To roil is to disturb or displease. It also refers to making a liquid muddy by stirring up sediment. Though one may become vexed or roiled if cheated by another, cheat is not a synonym of roil.

29.d. twist. Bane describes fatal injury or ruin. Twist would not be a synonym, as it is not necessarily the cause of harm, ruin, or death.

30.b. elevated. Awry describes a position that is turned or twisted toward one side. Askew and amiss also convey this sense. To elevate means to lift up or raise, not twist or turn, and so would not be a synonym.

Antonyms

31.acme. Acme means the highest point of achievement or development, the opposite of the meaning of the words in the group.

32.purge. Purge means to free from impurities or guilt, the opposite of soil or condemn. It also means to get rid of, the opposite of retain or keep.

33.moot. Moot means a hypothetical case, opposite of actual. It also means not longer of actual significance, opposite of the rest of the words listed.

34.oust. Oust means to eject or force out, opposite of the words listed, which mean to keep and comfort in a protected space.

35.roil. Roil means to make cloudy or stir up, the opposite of calm or clarify. It also means to disturb or vex, the opposite of please, or comfort.

36.staid. Staid means sedate, sober, fixed, or permanent, the opposite of the words in the group.

37.sham. A sham is something or someone false or an impostor, the opposite of the words in the group.

38.elite. To be elite is to enjoy superior status, the opposite of the words in the group.

39.bane. Bane is fatal injury or the cause of ruin or death, the opposite of the positive, redemptive words in the group.

40.awry. Awry means turned or twisted, or off the expected or correct course, the opposite meaning of the words in the group.