English Vocab Unit 6

Front 1

accede

Back 1

v

to yield to, to assume an office or dignity

Management was not willing to accede to labor's initial demands.

Front 2

brandish

Back 2

v

to wave or flourish in a menacing or vigorous fashion

I brandish my umbrella repeatedly in a vain effort to hail an empty cab.

Front 3

comprise

Back 3

v

to include or contain, to be made up of

Classical symphonies usually comprise three or four movements of varying musical form, tempo, and character.

Front 4

deft

Back 4

adj

skillful, nimble

The deft fingers of Spanish nuns produces some of the finest, most delicate lace ever seen.

Front 5

destitute

Back 5

adj

deprived of the necessities of life, lacking in

Some people fled their homes so suddenly that they arrived at the refugee camp absolutely destitute.

Front 6

explicit

Back 6

adj

definite, clearly stated

The more explicit your directions are, the Easter it will be for all of us to find our way to the campsite.

Front 7

extirpate

Back 7

v

to tear up by the roots, to destroy totally

We must do everything we can to extirpate racism from American society.

Front 8

inopportune

Back 8

adj

coming at a bad time, not appropriate

Why do my relatives always seem to turn host the most inopportune time imaginable?

Front 9

ironic

Back 9

adj

suggesting an incongruity between what might be expected and what actually happens, sarcastic

The short stories of O. Henry are famous for their ironic endings.

Front 10

musty

Back 10

adj

stale, moldy, out of date

Houses that have been closed up for a long time often have an unpleasantly musty smell about them.

Front 11

officious

Back 11

adj

meddling, excessively forward in offering services or assuming authority

The manager of the store warned the entire sales force not to be too officious when helping customers.

Front 12

ominous

Back 12

adj

unfavorable, threatening, of bad omen

The ominous sound of the distant thunder warned us of the storm's approach.

Front 13

pinnacle

Back 13

n

a high peak or point

Some pop musicians reach the pinnacle of their careers comparatively early in life.

Front 14

premeditated

Back 14

adj

considered beforehand, deliberately planned

Some crimes are spontaneous acts of passion; others are quite premeditated.

Front 15

rampant

Back 15

adj

growing without check, running wild

All kinds of off rumors run rampant during a political campaign.

Front 16

solace

Back 16

n

comfort

v

to comfort

I could find no way to solace my deeply troubled conscience.

Front 17

stately

Back 17

adj

dignified, majestic

The stately procession slowly wound its way from the palace to the cathedral.

Front 18

supple

Back 18

adj

bending easily, readily adaptable

Robert Frost wrote a famous story about swinging on a supple branch of a birch tree.

Front 19

suppress

Back 19

v

to stop by force, put down

Totalitarian governments usually take strong measures to suppress free speech.

Front 20

venal

Back 20

adj

open to or marked by bribery or corruption

The presence of even one venal official may jeopardize the integrity of an entire organization.