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50 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
- 3rd side (hint)
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To become weaker; to decrease.
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abate
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The speaker waited until the applause had abated before continuing.
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To admit the existence of.
to express recognition or thanks for. |
acknowledge
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Did the police officer acknowledge your right to remain silent?
The new Wimbledon singles champion raised her hand to acknowledge the cheers of the crowd. |
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The rapid spreading of a disease to many people at one time.
Spreading rapidly as a disease over a wide area. |
epidemic
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The flu epidemic of 1918 killed over twenty million people in the Northern Hemisphere.
AIDS became epidemic in central Africa in the 1980s. |
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To force out of property by taking legal action.
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evict
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The landlord threatened to evict the tenants for not paying the rent.
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Not favoring one side more than another; fair.
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impartial
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A judge should be impartial in the courtroom.
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Hardworking; not lazy.
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industrious
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he more industrious workers in the clothing factory were rewarded with pay raises at the end of the year.
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To make very angry.
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infuriate
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Cruelty to animals infuriates me.
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Something fake or false.
Not genuine; fake. To pretend. |
sham
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Their offer to make us rich turned out to be a sham.
Although he tried to appear sorry, his sham apology fooled no one. We shammed illness so we could stay home. |
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A long, slow, and difficult journey.
To travel slowly and with difficulty. |
trek
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The hikers were exhausted after their trek over the mountain.
Sam trekked ten miles into town after his car broke down. |
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Wise in a clever or practical way.
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astute
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An astute shopper compares prices carefully before making a purchase.
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A choice item of food.
Great consideration for the feelings of others. |
delicacy
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Smoked salmon is a delicacy.
Discussing her mistake will embarrass her unless you handle the matter with delicacy. |
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Expressing a low opinion; intended to hurt the reputation of a person or thing.
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derogatory
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His habit of making derogatory comments about his co-workers made him unpopular.
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To eat up hungrily.
To take in eagerly with the eyes or ears. |
devour
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The wolf was about to devour Little Red Riding Hood when the woodcutter arrived.
The children devoured comic books when they were younger. |
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Something that is made up in the mind but that has no connection with reality.
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figment
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The monster in the closet is a figment of the child’s imagination.
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A bird’s feathers.
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plumage
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Parrots have brightly colored plumage.
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Living by killing and eating other animals.
Living by robbing or stealing from others. |
predatory
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Crocodiles are predatory reptiles.
Predatory bands of pirates once sailed the Mediterranean seeking victims. |
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To kill in order to obtain meat.
To kill people or animals in large numbers or in a cruel way. The killing of an animal for food. The act of killing on a large scale or in a cruel way. |
slaughter
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The hogs are fattened up before they are slaughtered.
For centuries, whales were slaughtered for their oil and other valuable products. |
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The condition of being alone or at some distance from people.
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solitude
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We enjoyed the solitude of a walk on the deserted beach.
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Moving in a clumsy or awkward way.
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ungainly
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Walruses, graceful in the water, are ungainly creatures on land.
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Open to attack; easily injured physically or emotionally.
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vulnerable
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Starving people are more vulnerable to disease than those who are well fed.
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To warn.
To criticize gently. |
admonish
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Rescue workers admonished us to stay away from the flooding river.
The coach admonished me for missing practice. |
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Struck with horror; shocked.
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aghast
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We were aghast at the photographs of starving children in Africa.
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To destroy completely; to reduce to utter ruin.
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annihilate
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General Custer’s army of over 200 men was annihilated at the battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876.
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A person who provides help, especially by giving money.
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benefactor
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People who donated more than $100 were listed as benefactors of the library.
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To give as an honor; to present as a gift.
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bestow
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An Academy Award is the highest honor Hollywood can bestow on a film.
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Having many twists and turns; winding.
Sneaky; not frank or honest. |
devious
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The climbers followed a devious route up the mountain.
This devious scheme was intended to take advantage of vulnerable people. |
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Lacking; empty; entirely without.
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devoid
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Although he had experienced great misfortune, he was devoid of bitterness.
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To pay attention to.
Attention; notice. |
heed
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I hope you will heed my advice.
Pay heed to the teacher’s instructions before you begin the test. |
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A human being, especially as contrasted with a god.
Of or relating to human beings. Causing death; fatal. Very severe. |
mortal
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Achilles, a hero in Greek mythology, had a goddess for a mother and a mortal for a father.
Being mortal, he accepted the fact that one day he would die. ndia’s Prime Minister Indira Gandhi received a mortal wound delivered by an assassin in 1984. My friend wouldn’t go into the reptile house because he has a mortal fear of snakes. |
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To think about in a quiet, careful way.
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muse
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I mused over whether to sell the house.
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A deadly disease that spreads rapidly from person to person.
Anything that causes destruction or suffering. To cause suffering or distress. |
plague
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Those Londoners who could afford it fled to the country to escape the great plague of 1665.
A plague of locusts destroyed the crop. After the tryouts, I was plagued by doubts that I would make the varsity team. |
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To sink to a lower level.
To become quieter or less active. |
subside
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After the rain stopped, the floodwaters gradually subsided.
The baby’s sobs gradually subsided. |
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Not done on purpose; unintended.
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unwitting
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I tried to ignore the unwitting insult, but his comment hurt me just the same.
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Forceful anger; fury.
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wrath
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It says in the Bible that envy and wrath shorten life.
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To make an enemy of; to stir up anger or dislike.
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antagonize
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You will antagonize your classmates if you make derogatory comments about them.
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Having the ability to do what is needed.
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competent
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The mechanic is competent to work on the car’s brakes.
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To form; to make up.
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comprise
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Six states comprise New England.
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To match; to be equal to.
To exchange letters with another person. |
correspond
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The two handwriting samples correspond in every way.
Although the friends hadn’t seen each other for several years, they corresponded regularly. |
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In poor condition from neglect or age.
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dilapidated
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The shed was so dilapidated that it wasn’t worth repairing.
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Very famous; outstanding.
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illustrious
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V. S. Naipaul, the illustrious West Indian writer, received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2001.
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Unwilling; reluctant.
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loath
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I was loath to put my trust in such a devious person.
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To scold in a harsh or formal manner.
A strong scolding from someone in authority. |
reprimand
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The manager reprimanded us for being late for work.
The teacher gave us a reprimand for being absent without permission. |
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To disturb or upset.
To move with an irregular, fast, or violent action. To stir up interest in and support for a cause. |
agitate
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Talk of sharks in the water agitated swimmers at the beach.
Strong winds agitated the surface of the lake. The miners agitated for better working conditions. |
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To give in; to surrender.
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capitulate
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The airline capitulated to the baggage handlers’ demands and granted the pay raise.
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An unpleasant, cramped, and dilapidated place to live.
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hovel
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The Saxons complained that they were forced to live in hovels while their Norman conquerers had fine homes.
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Of or relating to low-level, humble work.
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menial
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Desperate for money, Oliver accepted menial work with low pay.
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A period of rest; a pause.
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respite
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The rain brought a welcome respite from the tremendous heat.
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Needing much effort; using a lot of energy.
Very active; vigorous. |
strenuous
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Chopping wood is strenuous work.
The plan to close the local school met with strenuous opposition from parents. |
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To work long and hard.
To make one’s way with difficulty. Hard and tiring labor. |
toil
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Sugar cane cutters toil in the fields from dawn to dusk.
We toiled up the steep hill. After a lifetime of toil, her retirement is a richly deserved reward. |
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Very obvious in an offensive or shameless way.
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blatant
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The governor’s promise to cut taxes if re-elected was a blatant attempt to win votes.
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