VOCABULARY UNIT 8Mrs. Frazee

PENSIVE

The child sat by herself, looking pensive. Rainy days often put her in a pensive

mood.

PENSIVE

Adjective meditative, solemn, musingly or

dreamily thoughtful suggestive of sad thoughtfulness

Synonyms: dreamy, pondering, preoccupied, reflecting, serious, thinking, withdrawn

Antonyms: ignorant, shallow

PREROGATIVE

If you'd rather sell the tickets than use them, that's your prerogative .

It's a writer's prerogative to decide the fate of her characters.

PREROGATIVE

Noun an exclusive or special right, power, or

privilege: as (1) : one belonging to an office or an official body (2) : one belonging to a person, group, or class of individuals (3) : one possessed by a nation as an attribute of sovereignty

Right, Privilege

Synonyms: advantage, authority, birthright, immunity, liberty, sanction, title

Antonyms: Obligation, duty

CASTE

He was from a higher caste. The King is a member of the upper

caste.

CASTE

Noun Social Class a division of society based on differences

of wealth, inherited rank or privilege, profession, occupation, or race, the position conferred by caste standing : prestige

Synonyms: cultural level, degree, grade, lineage, order, position, race, rank, social order, status

AFFLICTION

She lost her sight and is now learning to live with her affliction.

He died from a mysterious affliction.

AFFLICTION Noun hurt condition; something that causes hurt the cause of persistent pain or distress great suffering

Synonyms: depression, difficulty, disease, disorder, distress, grief, hardship, misery, misfortune, sickness, sorrow, suffering, torment, trial, trouble

Antonyms: aid, comfort, consolation, help, relief

APPRECIABLE

THE INJURED WOMAN LOST AN APPRECIABLE AMOUNT OF BLOOD BEFORE THE PARAMEDICS ARRIVED.

APPRECIABLE Adjective Sufficient to be noticed or

measured

Synonyms: perceptible, detectable, considerable

Antonyms: slight, trivial, inconsequential

BLASPHEMY

GALILEO WAS ACCUSED OF BLASPHEMY FOR ASSERTING THAT THE SUN, AND NOT THE EARTH, IS THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE.

BLASPHEMY

Noun An act, utterance, or writing

showing contempt for something sacred

Synonyms: curse, profanity, sacrilege

Antonyms: reverence, devotion, respect

BRAWNY

IN ARTHURIAN LEGEND, ONE BRAWNY KNIGHT AFTER ANOTHER TRIES TO PULL THE SWORD EXCALIBUR FROM THE STONE, BUT NO ONE SUCCEEDS.

BRAWNY

Adjective Strong, muscular

Synonyms: broad-shouldered, strapping, husky, burly

Antonyms: slight, frail, delicate, puny

WILY

THE FUR TRAPPERS OF COLONIAL NORTH AMERICA WERE KNOWN TO BE WILY TRADERS.

WILY

Adjective Sly, shrewd, cunning

Synonyms: clever, tricky, artful, cagey Antonyms: dull-witted, dense,

straightforward

CURMUDGEON

THE OLD MAN WHO LIVED ON THE CORNER WAS WIDELY VIEWED AS A CURMUDGEON WHO NEVER HAD ANYTHING GOOD TO SAY ABOUT HIS NEIGHBORS.

CURMUDGEON

Noun A bad tempered or surly person

Synonyms: cranky, grouch, fusser, sourpuss Antonyms: optimist, Pollyanna, happy-camper

BUOYANT

WE WERE WEARY AND ANXIOUS TO GET HOME, BUT OUR FRIEND’S BUOYANT SPIRITS KEPT US GOING.

BUOYANT Adjective Able to float easily; able to hold

things up; cheerful, hopeful

Synonyms: lighthearted, animated Antonyms: downcast, depressed,

gloomy

ENRICHED ENGLISH

SYNTHETIC

SOMETIMES ONLY A JEWELER CAN DETECT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN EXPENSIVE SYNTHETIC GEM AND A NATURAL STONE.

NYLON, RAYON, AND POLYESTER ARE ALL SYNTHETICS THAT HAVE REVOLUTIONIZED THE CLOTHING INDUSTRY.

SYNTHETIC

Adjective Made or put together by people; Noun Something artificial

Synonym: (adj.) artificial Antonyms: (adj.) natural, genuine

VINDICATE

THOUGH THE ACCUSED WAS VINDICATED IN THE END, HIS CAREER WAS ALL BUT RUINED BY THE ALLEGATIONS.

VINDICATE

Verb To clear from hint or charge of

wrongdoing; to defend successfully against opposition; to justify

Synonyms: advocate, exonerate, acquit

Antonyms: convict, condemn

ELUSIVE

The truth may prove elusive. The giant squid is one of the ocean's most

elusive inhabitants. But for all their influence, D.C. lobbyists

have failed to attain one elusive goal: public respect.

ELUSIVE Adjective tending to elude: evasive, mysterious tending to evade grasp or pursuit hard to comprehend or define: hard to

isolate or identify

Synonyms: ambiguous, baffling, difficult to catch, imponderable, incomprehensible, intangible, misleading, puzzling, shifty, shy, slippery

Antonyms: attracting, confronting, encountering, enticing, facing, inviting

RUDIMENTARY

THOUGH SHE HAD READ SEVERAL BOOKS ON QUANTUM PHYSICS, SHE STILL HAD ONLY A RUDIMENTARY GRASP ON THE SUBJECT.

RUDIMENTARY Adjective Involving or limited to basic

principles; Immature, undeveloped, or basic.

Synonyms: elementary, basic, primitive, primary

Antonyms: : additional, advanced, developed, extra, nonessential

SUBVERSIVE

THE UNDERGROUND MOVEMENT CIRCULATED SUBVERSIVE PAMPHLETS THAT CRITICIZED THE GOVERNMENT.

THE ALIEN AND SEDITION ACTS ENACTED IN 1798 GAVE THE U.S. PRESIDENT THE POWER TO DEPORT ANY NONCITIZEN DEEMED SUBVERSIVE.

SUBVERSIVE

Adjective Intended to undermine or overthrow Noun One who advocates or attempts to undermine a

political system

Synonyms: (adj.)treasonous, traitor (n.) a revolutionary

Antonyms: (adj.) patriotic, loyal, true-blue