Level F

Unit 3

Verb

Definition: to have an intense dislike or hatred for

Synonyms: loath, abhor, despise, detest

Antonyms: relish, savor, esteem

Sentence: I abominate cruelty yet do not always notice when I have said something inadvertently cruel, for example, when I said, “I hate this guy.

ABOMINATE

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Adjective

Definition: resulting from chance rather than from an inherent cause or character; accidental, not essential; (medicine) acquired, not congenital

Synonyms: extrinsic, incidental, fortuitous

Antonyms: essential, intrinsic, inherent, congenital

Sentence: It was no adventitious meeting that led to their writing songs together, for in fact, two members of the band Rascal Flatts are cousins so their meeting was not by chance, but by design.

ADVENTITIOUS

The band Rascal Flatts consists of cousins Gary LeVox and Jay DeMarcus, plus pal Joe Don Rooney.

Verb

Definition: to assign or refer to (as a cause or source), attribute

Synonyms: impute, credit

Sentence: You may ascribe these holes in the yard to gophers or elves, but I give credit to the dog next door.

ASCRIBE

Verb

Definition: to sympathize with, have pity or sorrow for, share a feeling of distress

Synonyms: feel sorry for, empathize

Antonyms: feel no sympathy for

Sentence: The family commiserated with her over the loss of her loved one sharing her sorrow as each shared a memory.

COMMISERATE

Verb

Definition: to make easy, cause to progress faster

Synonyms: accelerate, facilitate, speed up

Antonyms: hinder, hamper, impede, obstruct

Sentence: Sending a package by FedEx might expedite its delivery because FedEx is known for faster delivery than the United States Postal Service.

EXPEDITE

Noun and Verb

Definition: (n.) a state of great excitement, agitation, or turbulence; (v.) to be in or work into such a state; to produce alcohol by chemical reaction

Synonyms (n.) commotion, turmoil, unrest

Antonyms (n.) peace and quiet, tranquility

Sentence: Caught in the ferment of the revolution and the excitement of the founding of a new nation, the young man enlisted in the Minutemen.

FERMENT

Adjective

Definition: resulting from or marked by lack of attention; unintentional, accidental

Synonyms: accidental

Antonyms: deliberate, intentional, premeditated

Sentence: Lack of attention to the loading of the plywood on the car resulted in an inadvertent crushing of the tires.

INADVERTENT

Adjective

Definition: existing in name only, not real; too small to be considered or taken seriously

Synonyms: token, trifling, inconsequential

Antonyms: real, actual, exorbitant, excessive

Sentence: The nominal growth in the GDP (Gross Domestic Product Index) reveals on a small change of 5.5% for the year 2008.

NOMINAL

Adjective

Definition: not decisive or definite; unwilling to take a clear position or to say yes or no.

Synonyms: uninformative, playing it safe, playing close to the vest

Antonyms: positive, definite, committed

Sentence: We questioned her quietly, carefully, and at length, but her answers remained noncommittal because she said she could not be decisive.

NONCOMMITTAL

Adjective

Definition: resistant to lawful authority; having the purpose of overthrowing an established government

Synonyms: mutinous, rebellious, subversive

Antonyms: supportive, faithful, allegiant

Sentence: The seditious nature of the thirteen colonies resulted in the rebellion against Great Britain and the establishment of the United States of America.

SEDITIOUS

Don’t Tread on Me Flag from the Revolutionary War.

Verb

Definition: thin, slender, not dense; lacking clarity or sharpness; of slight importance or significance; lacking a sound basis, poorly supported

Syonyms: flimsy, insubstantial, vague, hazy

Antonyms: strong, solid, substantial, valid

Sentence: My understanding of trigonometry was tenuous leaving me so vague on how to complete the problems that I was unable to do my homework.

TENUOUS