sat/act vocab unit1_level_c
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Improve your reading comprehension by expanding your vocabulary!TRANSCRIPT
ACT/SAT Vocabulary Unit 1 Level C
ADAGE (ad’ ij)
ADAGE Noun – a proverb, wise saying
One way to begin an informal speech or an oral report is to quote an old adage.
SYNONYMS: maxim, saw, aphorism
ADAGE
BONANZA (bə nan' zə)
BONANZA Noun – a rich mass of ore in a mine;
something very valuable, profitable, or rewarding; a source of wealth or prosperity
The thrilling adventure movie set in Alaska proved to be a box-office bonanza.
BONANZA
CHURLISH (chər' lish)
CHURLISH
Adjective - lacking politeness or good manners; lacking sensitivity; difficult to work with or deal with; rude
The store manager instructed all the salesclerks to avoid churlish replies to customers’ questions.
CHURLISH
CITADEL (sit' ə del)
CITADEL Noun – a fortress that overlooks and
protects a city; any strong or commanding place
A medieval citadel once guarded the capital city of the Greek island of Rhodes.
Synonyms: surly, ill-tempered Antonyms: courteous, civil, well-
mannered
CITADEL
COLLABORATE (kə lab' ə rāt)
COLLABORATE Verb, to work with or work together Several students plan to collaborate on a
geology project for the annual science fair.
Synonyms: team up, join forces Antonyms: work alone
COLLABORATE
DECREE (di krē)
DECREE Noun – an order having the force of law; Verb – to issue such an order; to command
firmly or forcefully “There went forth a decree from Caesar
Augustus that all the world should be taxed.” (Luke 2:1)
Why does nature always seem to decree nasty weather for our annual picnic?
Synonyms: (n) proclamation, edict; (v) proclaim DECREE
DISCORDANT (dis kôr' dənt)
DISCORDANT Adjective – disagreeable in sound,
jarring; lacking in harmony, conflicting Their little spat struck a discordant
note in our otherwise happy family get-together.
Synonyms: grating, shrill, different, divergent
Antonyms: harmonious in agreement
DISCORDANT
EVOLVE (ē välv')
EVOLVE
Verb – to develop gradually to rise to a higher level
Authors hope that their notes, descriptions, and character sketches will evolve into a book.
Synonyms: unfold, emerge Antonyms: wither, shrivel up atrophy
EVOLVE
EXCERPT (ek' sərpt)
EXCERPT Noun – a passage taken from a book,
article, etc; Verb – to take such a passage; to quote
My essay includes a long excerpt from a speech by Sojourner Truth.
If you excerpt some material from a reference book, be sure to enclose it in quotation marks.
Synonyms: (n) portion, section, extract
EXCERPT
GROPE (grōp)
GROPE
Verb – to feel about hesitantly with the hands; to search blindly and uncertainly
When the power failed, we had to grope in the dark to find a working flashlight.
Synonyms: fumble for, cast about for
GROPE
HOVER (həv' ər)
HOVER
Verb – to float or hand suspended over; to move back and forth uncertainly over or around
A large group of vultures hovered in the air above the wounded animal.
Synonyms – linger, waver, seesaw Antonyms – soar
HOVER
JOSTLE (jäs' əl)
JOSTLE
Verb to make or force one’s way by pushing or elbowing; to bump, shove, brush against; to compete for
I tried not to jostle other riders as I exited the crowded bus.
Synonym: push
JOSTLE
LAGGARD (lag' ərd)
LAGGARD Noun - a person who moves slowly or falls
behind; Adjective – falling behind; slow to move, act, or respond
Tour guides often have to urge laggards to keep up with the rest of the group.
Tenants who are laggard in paying rent run the risk of being forced to move.
Synonyms: (n) slowpoke, straggler; (adj.) sluggish Antonyms: (n) early bird; (adj.) swift, speedy,
prompt LAGGARD
PLAUDITS (plō ditz)
PLAUDITS
Noun, plural – applause, enthusiastic praise or approval
The skaters who won the gold medals gratefully accepted the plaudits of their fans.
Synonyms: cheers, acclaim Antonyms: boos, disapproval, ridicule
PLAUDITS
PRECLUDE (prē klüd)
PRECLUDE
Verb – to make impossible, prevent, shut out Three wrong answers will preclude any
contestant from entering the quiz show’s final round.
Synonyms: hinder, check, stop Antonyms: help, promote, facilitate
PRECLUDE
REVERT (rē vərt')
REVERT Verb – to return, go back Control of a property usually reverts to
the legal owner when a lease is up. Synonyms: relapse, regress Antonyms: progress, advance
REVERT
RUBBLE (rəb' əl)
RUBBLE
Noun – broken stone or bricks; ruins Bulldozers and wrecking balls soon
reduced the damaged building to a heap of smoking rubble.
Synonyms: wreckage, debris
RUBBLE
SERVILE (sər' vīl)
SERVILE Adjective – of or relating to a slave;
behaving like or suitable for a slave or a servant, menial; lacking spirit or independence, abjectly submissive.
Most serious performers prefer constructive criticism to servile flattery.
Synonyms: slavish, groveling, fawning Antonyms: masterly, overbearing
SERVILE
VIGIL (vij' əl)
VIGIL
Noun – a watch, especially at night; anyperiod of watchful attention
Thousands attended the solemn vigil at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
VIGIL
WRANGLE (raŋ' gəl)
WRANGLE Verb – to quarrel or argue in a noisy, angry way;
to obtain by argument; to heard; Noun – a noisy quarrel
My brother and sister always wrangle over whose turn it is to sit in the front seat.
The customer got into a nasty wrangle with the shopkeeper.
Synonyms: squabble, bicker Antonyms: agree, concur
WRANGLE