Date post: | 01-Jan-2016 |
Category: |
Documents |
Upload: | wendy-wilson |
View: | 213 times |
Download: | 0 times |
1. A pleasant, affable receptionist gives customers a positive first impression of the business.
• Parts: af (to); fab (speak); able (capable of)
• Educated Guess:
• Definition: Friendly, good-natured, or easy to talk to
• Antonyms: disagreeable, ill-tempered,morose, rude
• Variant forms: affability (n); affably (adv)
• Context Phrase:
• Affable – (adj)
• Synonyms: amiable, friendly, amicable, cordial
2. The child found it very difficult to articulate his fears to his doctor.
• Parts: articulare(to divide into joints; to utter); ate (make)
• Educated Guess:
• Definition: To express an idea or feeling fluently and coherently; To pronounce something clearly and distinctly; (adj.) - having jointed segments
• Antonyms: inarticulate, disjointed, disconnected, slur
• Variant forms: articulately (adv); articulation (n)
• Context Phrase:
• articulate - verb
• Synonyms: eloquent, well-spoken, jointed, hinged
3. Some friends will tell you what they think you want to hear, but she is known for her candor.
• Parts: cand (white, glowing); or (that which)
• Educated Guess:
• Definition: The quality of being open and honest in expression
• Antonyms:deception, falsehood, guile, ruse, finesse
• Variant forms:candid(adj), candidly (adv) candidness (n)
• Context Phrase:
• Candor- noun
• Synonyms: frankness, truthfulness, impartiality, openess
4. We need a trained mediator to conciliate this dispute
• Parts: con(together, with); calere (call); ate (make, cause)
• Educated Guess:
• Definition: To stop someone from being angry or discontented; To act as a mediator; To make compatible
• Antonyms: antagonize, roil, anger, aggravate
• Variant forms: conciliation (n); conciliative (adj)
• Context Phrase:
• conciliate – verb
• Synonyms: placate, pacify, reconcile, arbitrate
5. To avoid a war, the king decided to countermand the arrest of the rebels.
• Parts: counter (against); mand (order)
• Educated Guess:
• Definition: To cancel or reverse an order or command; To recall by a contrary order; An order or command that reverses another one (n)
• Antonyms: confirm, ratify, uphold
• Variant forms:na
• Context Phrase:
• Countermand – (v)
• Synonyms: cancel, retract, rescind
6. The President’s policy is to devolve to the states the decisions about educational issues.
• Parts: de (down); volv (turn)
• Educated Guess:
• Definition: To transfer or delegate (power) to a lower level, especially from central gov’t or local or regional administration; To degenerate or be split into
• Antonyms: na
• Variant forms: devolvement (n)
• Context Phrase:
• devolve - verb
• Synonyms: convey, consign, depute, delegate, empower
7. When the egregious abuses of the elderly were reported, the facility was immediately closed.
• Parts: e (out); greg (flock, group); ious (full of)
• Educated Guess:
• Definition: Outstandingly bad
• Antonyms: mild, restrained, minor, petty, unimportant
• Variant forms: egregiously (adv); egregiousness (n)
• Context Phrase:
• Egregious – adj.
• Synonyms: flagrant, shocking, terrible, outrageous
8. Putting alcohol on a fresh cut will truly exacerbate the pain.
• Parts: ex (out); acerbus (rough, harsh, sharp); ate (make)
• Educated Guess:
• Definition: To increase the severity of; To make something bad, worse
• Antonyms: relieve, soothe, allay, ease, alleviate
• Variant forms: exacerbation (n)
• Context Phrase:
• exacerbate – v.
• Synonyms: intensify, worsen, aggravate
9. Context usually eliminates the confusion between heteronyms such as tear (to rip) and tear (liquid from the eye).
• Parts: hetero ( different); onym (name)
• Educated Guess:
• Definition: Words that have the same spelling but different sounds and meanings; words that refer to the same thing in different geographical areas i.e. submarine/hoagie
• Antonyms: na
• Variant forms: heteronymic (adj); heteronymous (adj)
• Context Phrase:
• Heteronyms – (noun)
• Synonyms: na
10. I will incur fines because I was late filing my taxes this year.
• Parts: in (in, into); cur (run)
• Educated Guess:
• Definition: To become subject to or liable for something unwelcome or unpleasant as a result of one’s own behavior or action.
• Antonyms: avoid, circumvent, evade, escape
• Variant forms: incurrence (n.)
• Context Phrase:
• incur – v.
• Synonyms: face, undergo, attract
11. I found her first novel thought provoking and suspenseful, but this one is long and insipid.
• Parts:in(not); sapidus (tasty, savory, flavorful)
• Educated Guess:
• Definition: Lacking flavor or zest; Lacking stimulation, excitement, or interest
• Antonyms: interesting, exciting, amusing
• Variant forms: insipidity (n); insipidly (adv)
• Context Phrase:
• Insipid – ( adj.)
• Synonyms: unpalatable, dull, tasteless, monotonous
12. If we want to schedule a luminary such as Oprah Winfrey to speak at graduation, we must make the request early.
• Parts: lumin (light); ary (pertaining to)
• Educated Guess:
• Definition: A person who inspires or influences others; A natural light-giving body, especially the sun or moon; An artificial light
• Antonyms: na
• Variant forms: na
• Context Phrase:
• Luminary – (n)
• Synonyms: celebrity, dignitary, star
13. She gazed at the multitudinous stars twinkling above the trees
• Parts: multi (many); tude (state of); ous (full of)
• Educated Guess:
• Definition: Very numerous; Consisting of or containing many individuals or elements
• Antonyms: finite, limited, few, numbered
• Variant forms: multitudinously(adv)multitudinousness(n)
• Context Phrase:
• multitudinous – adj.
• Synonyms: countless, infinite, innumerable
14. My teacher thrilled me by asking to use a copy of my essay as a paragon for other students.
• Parts: para(beside);akine(whetstone)To separate good gold from bad on a touchstone
• Educated Guess:
• Definition: A person or thing regarded as a perfect example of a particular quality; A person or thing viewed as a model of excellence
• Antonyms: na
• Variant forms: na
• Context Phrase:
• Paragon - n
• Synonyms: epitome, archetype, quintessence, exemplar
15. The older we become, the less pliable are our opinions and beliefs.
• Parts: pli 9blend); able (capable of)
• Educated Guess:
• Definition: Easily bent or shaped; Receptive to change; Easily influenced, persuaded, or swayed
• Antonyms: rigid,unyielding,intractable, uncompromising
• Variant forms: pliability (n)
• Context Phrase:
• pliable - (adj.)
• Synonyms: flexible, supple, adaptable, tractable
16. Her proclivity to practice gymnastics at least four hours daily contributed to her winning the gold medal.
• Parts: pro (forth, forward);cliv (bend, slope) ity (state of)
• Educated Guess:
• Definition: A tendency to choose or do something regularly; An inclination or predisposition toward a particular thing
• Antonyms: aversion, dislike, antipathy
• Variant forms: na
• Context Phrase:
• Proclivity - adj
• Synonyms: tendency, penchant, aptitude, flair
17. Losing patience with the recalcitrant lawyer, the judge charged her with contempt of court.
• Parts: re (back); calx (heel); ant (characterized by)
• Educated Guess:
• Definition: Stubbornly resistant to authority, discipline, domination or guidance
• Antonyms: amenable, docile, obedient, cooperative
• Variant forms: recalcitrance (n); recalcitrancy (n)
• Context Phrase:
• recalcitrant – (adj)
• Synonyms: obstinate, disobedient, unruly, rebellious
18. My doctor insists that reserving time to exercise daily is important, even sacrosanct.
• Parts: sacro (holy, sacred rite), sanct (holy, sacred)
• Educated Guess:
• Definition: Regarded as too important or valuable to interfere with
• Antonyms:superfluous,unnecessary, useless, dispensable
• Variant forms: sacrosanctity (n.)
• Context Phrase:
• sacrosanct - adj.
• Synonyms: inviolable, indispensable, imperative
19. Freshmen at military academies are subservient to their upper classmen.
• Parts: sub (under); servus (slave); ent (full of)
• Educated Guess:
• Definition: Prepared to obey others unquestioningly; less important
• Antonyms: superior, dominant; greater
• Variant forms: subservience (n); subserviently (adv.)
• Context Phrase:
• Subservient – (adj.)
• Synonyms: subordinate, servile, secondary, inferior
20. Wearing jeans and sandals is rather unorthodox attire for a bride and groom
• Parts: un (not); ortho (standard, straight) dox (belief)
• Educated Guess:
• Definition: Contrary to what is usual, traditional, or accepted
• Antonyms:standard, conventional, customary, orthodox
• Variant forms: na
• Context Phrase:
• unorthodox - adj.
• Synonyms: unconventional, atypical, unusual