Learningexpress Vocabulary Spelling Success 4e

47.brusque. Brusque means abrupt, blunt, or short in manner or speech. Badinage is playful or joking banter.

48.plausible. Plausible means seemingly true and possible, so it would apply to a theory that the speaker believes but still wants to research further. Prehensile means adapted to seize or hold something.

49.simian. Simian means ape-like, so if the boy was acting that way, it may be an exaggeration, but the neighbor might easily be shocked and want to notify the parents. Diffident means shy and reserved, so that would not be shocking.

50.cower. Cower means tremble or cringe in fear, which could be an appropriate response to approaching bears. Succor is aid or assistance in a time of need.

Across

3 rancor

5stolid

6simian

7cower

9 ruminate

10dross

11plausible

12prehensile

13diffident

16malapropism

17extricate

18garrulous

Down

1brusque

2anomaly

4hyperbole

5succor

8badinage

11 pertinacity

14resolute

15fodder

addle ( a·dəl)

(verb)

to confuse, fluster, or muddle

He likes to his opponent by being overly confident.

ambivalent (am· bi·və·lənt) (adj.)

having at the same time two conflicting feelings or

bevy ( be·ve¯) (noun)

a group of girls or women; or a flock of birds Because Ivan was trying to find a date for the prom,

he was delighted to see that there was a large at my birthday party.

disconsolate (dis· kän(t) sə lət) (adj.)

hopeless, sad, melancholy, dejected

The grieving child was when her mother passed away.

genteel (jen· te¯ (ə)l) (adj.)

refined, polite, elegant, gentlemanly, or ladylike Though Deborah was raised in a carefree way—her

parents let her do whatever she wanted—her

guttural ( ə·tə·rəl)

(adj.)

throaty; used to describe sounds that originate in the throat, like the k in kite

When my dog wants to play, she tries to get your attention by making noises, like the beginnings of a growl.

inert (i· nərt) (adj.)

inactive, sluggish, without power to move

It was so hot last Sunday that I remained ; I lay on the couch all day and enjoyed the air conditioning.

insouciance (in· sü·se¯ ·ən(t)s) (noun)

carefree, unconcerned

Her at losing her job made us all think that she was independently wealthy.

mutable ( myu·tə·bəl)

(adj.)

changeable, unstable, variable Unfortunately, my schedule this week is not

, as I have clients coming in from out of town that I must meet.

obtuse (ab· tus) (adj.)

dull, not sharp or acute; when used to describe a person, it means slow to understand or notice, or insensitive

Even though Robert is a brilliant man, he can be about the simplest of concepts.

omniscient (am· ni·shənt) (adj.)

all-knowing; having universal knowledge of all things The Judeo-Christian God is believed to be

.

pallor ( pa·lər)

(noun)

lack of color; unnatural paleness, often used to describe a face

She was struck by the eerie of the strange man who always peered out from the windows of his dark house.

partisan ( par·tə·zən)

(adj.)

strongly in favor of one side or political party; blindly or unreasonably devoted to a party

The senator knew he would not be able to persuade

(verb) to steal

Did you that new coat you’re wearing? You can’t afford one like that!

resonant ( re·zən·ənt)

(adj.)

used to describe sounds, it usually means vibrant, full, ringing, intensified, resounding, rich

Everyone loved to hear his bass voice fill the concert hall.

rubric ( ru·brik)

(noun)

a formal way to say name or title, or a category of something; an established rule or tradition

We found what we were looking for under the general of respiratory diseases.

smidgen ( smi·jən)

(noun)

a very small particle; an insignificant piece or amount

I am not sure what it does, but my aunt always adds a of dill to the dish.

sycophant ( si·kə·fənt)

(noun)

a person who tries to get ahead by flattering people of wealth or power

Only a shameless could tell the boss that his horribly ugly orange tie is nice.

wallow ( wa·lo¯)

(verb)

to roll about pleasantly in water or mud; can also be used to mean to overindulge in something pleasurable

We watched the pigs in the mud and listened to their squeals of delight.

Words in Context

The following exercise will help you figure out the meaning of some words from Vocabulary List 14 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.

After we rang the doorbell, someone let us in, and we immediately turned on our most genteel manners. We mingled a little with the adults and some of the other kids there, and no one seemed to realize that we were crashing the party. Our plan was working smoothly when Pete suddenly erupted with a loud guffaw after Joe whispered a wisecrack in his ear. Pete’s insouciance is one of the things we love about him, but sometimes such a happy- go-lucky attitude can be a problem. He can be absolutely obtuse about when and where he ought to restrain himself. When those around us quieted and cast disapproving stares in our direction, we wandered off in search of a bevy of young ladies to entertain. We found a few in the large dining room. Pete approached one with an oddly

attractive pallor to her face, which was accentuated by her beautiful dark eyes and gorgeous black hair. He made them all laugh within a few moments, and then Pete introduced us to the pale girl’s two friends. We asked the three of them to dance. Two said yes, but the third remained inert, so I stayed to talk to her. She was disconsolate. I soon learned she had recently broken up with the boy she had been dating and had come to the party only at her friends’ insistence. She had been making a few attempts to enjoy herself, but she was ambivalent about meeting anyone or trying to have a good time. Knowing that a good remedy for an aching heart can be two moving feet, I pulled her out onto the dance floor. By the end of the party, she was laughing and singing, and on the way out all three girls thanked the hostess for inviting such charming young gentlemen to dance with. She laughed and said it was her pleasure, but as we exited past the woman’s puzzled, smiling face, I could see her confusion. Of course, when Pete said this party had been better than her last and gave the woman a goodbye kiss, it did nothing but addle her further.

Sentence Completion

Insert the correct word from Vocabulary List 14 into the following sentences.

1. I hate to be such a , but it seems the only way to get the boss to notice the hard work I am doing is to make her feel like she is the genius who came up with the idea in the first place.

2.We suspected that the suspicious looking man in the dark sunglasses was attempting to

the valuable sculpture.

3. His manners were a pleasant, new side to him we had not seen before.

4. The cord was unplugged and I knew the blades were , so I thought it was safe to try and repair the fan.

5.The manager told all the new housekeepers that he did not want to see even a

she was able to alter the nose of the statue to make it a better likeness.

9.The mother warned her children to avoid the mud, but she knew if they passed the big puddle in the back yard they would

in it until they were

filthy.

10. Even in the brightly lit laboratory, the unnatural of the corpse unnerved us.

11.Once it was clear that no rescue party would be coming, several of the survivors grew completely

,and it seemed nothing

could ease their minds.

12. When the models posed for the picture, everyone could see what a of beauties they were.

13.If she can put aside her

beliefs for the sake of the public good, I think she will make an excellent governor.

14.I am working hard on the project, but if I answer the phone it will just

me and make me lose my train of thought.

15.I wish I had my brother’s

so I would not worry so much about finding a job this summer.

16. I think that goes under the general

of “things that will get you fired in under an hour.”

17.Jill’s new guitar has such a beautiful tone.

18. I heard a from across the room, and I knew my comical uncle must have been telling some of his jokes again.

19. The pain in my side was not

; I felt sharp stabs of pain every time my torso twisted even just a bit.

Synonyms

The following exercise lists vocabulary words from this chapter. Each word is followed by five answer choices. Four of them are synonyms of the vocabulary word in bold. Your task is to choose the one that is NOT a synonym.

21.inert

a.inactive

b.sluggish

c.boisterous

d.incapable of moving

22.genteel

a.polite

b.soft

c.refined

d.well mannered

23.sycophant

a.one who is rude to the boss

b.one who flatters the boss

c.one who always showers compliments on the boss

d.one who offers to pick up the dry cleaning for the boss

24.wallow

a.roll around in

b.bask

c.indulge

d.avoid

25.insouciance

a.a carefree attitude

b.anxiety

c.lightheartedness

d.unconcern

26.resonant

a.vibrant

b.ringing

c.resounding

d.weak