Learningexpress Vocabulary Spelling Success 4e

Across

1 oust

4 mete

6 dupe

8 maim

11 awry

13 elite

15 dire

17vie

18gibe

19crux

Down

2sham

3staid

5bane

7purge

9acme

10 moot

12 cite

14 eke

16roil

17veer

O U S T

H

A S

M E T E B

A A

I N

D U P E

U M A I M

A W R Y C O

G C M O

E L I T E T

T E

D I R E K

O V I E

G I B E

L E

C R U X

audacious (o˙ · da¯ ·shəs)

(adj.)

fearlessly, often recklessly daring, adventurous, and brave; unrestrained by convention or propriety; insolent

The student’s behavior—swearing at the teacher in class—resulted in detention for a week.

churlish ( chər·lish)

(adj.)

boorish or vulgar; having a bad disposition; surly; difficult to work with; intractable

The child was immediately punished for his bad attitude and behavior.

demure (di· myu˙ r)

(adj.)

modest and reserved in manner or behavior; shy Having always been attracted to the shy and quiet

type, James predictably fell for the woman to whom he was introduced.

(adj.)

exhibiting sorrow, grief, or pain

My friend’s expression could be explained by the painful divorce process in which she found herself.

epicurean (e·pi·kyu˙ · re¯ ·ən)

(adj.)

devoted to the pursuit of sensual pleasure, especially to good food and comfort

The feast lasted for hours as those in attendance enjoyed fine wine, delicacies, and the host’s beautiful home.

extenuating (ik·sten·yə·wa¯ t·in )

(adj.)

lessened the magnitude or seriousness of, especially by making partial excuses

After hearing the entire story surrounding the supposed crime, the judge realized there existed

circumstances that put the situation in perspective.

facetious (fə·se¯·shəs)

(adj.)

playfully jocular

“Don’t be ,” requested the girl’s mother, who was tired of her daughter’s refusal to take the situation seriously.

feisty ( f¯·ste¯)

(adj.)

touchy; quarrelsome; full of spirit; frisky or spunky Our new young puppy was extremely ,

jumping playfully all over the apartment and licking our faces.

flippant ( fli·pənt)

(adj.)

marked by disrespectful levity or casualness; pert Her remarks during the interview cost

her the job as she failed to demonstrate the necessary respect for her potential coworkers.

imperious (im· pir·e¯·əs)

(adj.)

arrogantly domineering or overbearing; dictatorial “It is my , ruthless political strategy that

will conquer all contesting factions in this city,” exclaimed the egocentric, overconfident mayor.

jaunty ( jo˙ n·te¯)

(adj.)

having a buoyant or self-confident air; brisk; crisp and dapper in appearance

The groom looked dapper in his stylish suit and hat as he confidently entered the church on his wedding day.

myriad ( mir e¯ ·əd)

(adj.)

constituting a very large, indefinite number; innumerable; composed of numerous diverse elements or facets

(noun)

a great number, countless

The species of fish, plants, and microorganisms populate the ocean.

(adj.)

having a slanting or sloping direction, course, or position; indirect or evasive; devious, misleading, or dishonest

While the president’s political maneuvers were expedient, they did not earn him the trust of the general public.

(adj.)

elaborately and often excessively ornamented; showy or flowery

The actress’s style of dress was tastelessly overdone.

palpable ( pal·pə·bəl)

(adj.)

capable of being handled, touched, or felt; tangible The tension in the room was so one felt

it could be cut with a knife.

prodigious (prə· di·jəs)

(adj.)

impressively great in size, force, or extent; extraordinary; marvelous

A talent like the great tennis player Pete Sampras doesn’t come along very often.

prone ( pro¯ n)

(adj.)

lying with the front or face downward; having a

relevant ( re·lə·vənt)

(adj.)

having a bearing on or connection with the matter at hand

Gabriel brought up a point that at first didn’t seem , but later, we all realized that it had

a direct bearing on the situation.

sardonic (sar· da·nik)

(adj.)

scornfully or cynically mocking

I tend to gravitate toward people with a

sense of humor because I, too, have a cynical outlook.

vehement ( ve¯ ·ə·mənt)

(adj.)

characterized by forcefulness of expression or intensity of emotion or conviction; fervid; intense

His reaction was , so it was clear there was no convincing him to change his mind.

Words in Context

The following exercise will help you figure out the meaning of some words from Vocabulary List 11 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.

When my young daughter, Tanya, came home one day claiming she had adopted a lost puppy, I thought this an audacious move. After all, we live in a small twobedroom apartment, and further, Tanya knows her sister is prone to allergies, especially around long-haired dogs like this pup she found. Under normal circumstances, I probably would have demanded we let the dog go. Yet, there were extenuating circumstances that seemed relevant to

the decision I had to make. The playful and feisty puppy reminded us so very much of Jelly, the playful dog next door who, three months ago, was tragically killed by a speeding car. The loss had stayed with my daughters and me; our sadness was palpable, filling our home with gloom. And so, I agreed that the sweet stray would become a member of our family.

Sentence Completion

Insert the correct word from Vocabulary List 11 into the following sentences.

1.Because James is quite shy, he tends to get along with girls who have a

nature.

8.It was clear by Paul’s

behavior that he didn’t care about the project.

9. Andrew’s tastes inspired him to go to cooking school and open his own restaurant.

10.As she served for the match, no one made a sound, and the tension in the air was

activities to choose from in New York City.