VOCABULARY – LEVEL E

Unit 5

altruisticDEF = (adj.) unselfish, concerned with the welfare of othersSYN = selflessANT = selfish, self-centered

WORD CONNECTION:ALtruistic = cares about ALL the people

This ALTRUISTIC little boy is sharing ice

cream and germs!

assent

DEF = (v.) to express agreement; (n.) agreement

SYN = concur, consent, accedeANT = disagree, differ, dissent

The world leaders at the United

Nations ASSENTED that

making more nuclear bombs was not in the world’s best

interest.

benefactor

DEF = (n.) one who does good to othersSYN = patron, humanitarianANT = misanthrope, malefactor

WORD CONNECTION:A benefactor benefitsother people.

chivalrous

DEF = (adj.) marked by honor, courtesy, and courage; knightlySYN = gallant, civil, valiantANT = crude, uncouth, churlish, loutish

The CHIVALROUS man held the car door open for his wife.

clemency

DEF = (n.) mercy, humaneness;

mildness, moderateness

SYN = leniency, forbearance, gentleness

ANT = harshness, severity, cruelty

WORD CONNECTION:cleMERCYcleMENCY

Every year on Thanksgiving, the

president “pardons” one

turkey, and that turkey doesn’t have

to be eaten. That turkey is

given CLEMENCY.

dearth

DEF = (n.) a lack, scarcity, inadequate supply;

a famineSYN = insufficiency, want, paucityANT = surplus, oversupply

WORD CONNECTION: A DEARTH of food couldcause DEATH

diffident

DEF = (adj.) shy, lacking in self-confidence; modest, reserved

SYN = timid, bashful, unassertive, withdrawnANT = bold, brash, audacious, self-confident

The DIFFIDENT little boy was afraid to meet

new students at his school.

discrepancy

DEF = (n.) a difference, a lack of agreement

SYN = disagreement, divergence, inconsistency

ANT = agreement, convergence, consistency

WORD CONNECTION:DIS = negative prefixDISagreement

There is a DISCREPANCY

on this tree. Some of the apples have

been eaten and some haven’t.

“He Said- She Said”2 different stories that have

DISCREPANCIES

embark

DEF = (v.) to go aboard; to make a start; to invest

SYN = commence, launch, begin, board

Literature CONNECTION:In Shakespeare’s time, a “ship” was called a “bark.” em-BARK = on-SHIP

facileDEF = (adj.) easily done or attained;

superficial; ready, fluent; easily shown but not sincerely felt

SYN = effortless, assured, poised

ANT = labored, awkward, halting

Spanish CONNECTION:

In Spanish “facil” = “easy”Donating a large amount

of money is a FACILE way for wealthy people

to give back to their communities.

altruistic facile diffidentclemency assent

1. Before you can go on the field trip, you must have your parents’ ____________ in writing.

2. Although the formula may seem _________________, it is actually a complex series of mathematical equations.

3. The _________________ young man was too nervous to ask his crush to the dance.

4. In today’s selfish, materialistic world, it is difficult to find a truly __________________ person.

5. Because the defendant was a juvenile, the judge showed him ______________ and reduced his sentence.

discrepancy dearth benefactorembark chivalrous

1. The extreme ______________ of qualified nurses left the hospital severely understaffed.

2. Many high school seniors are a bit nervous to _______________ upon the journey of adulthood that graduation brings.

3. The ________________ young man kindly held open the door for the elderly couple walking in behind him.

4. Unfortunately, the _________________ in the testimonies of the two eye witnesses gave the jury members room for reasonable doubt.

5. Sharon wouldn’t have been able to afford college, but she received a generous donation from her _________________, her Aunt Joan.

indomitable

DEF = (adj.) unconquerable; refusing to yield

SYN = unbeatable, invincible, unyieldingANT = surrendering, submissive, yieldingWORD CONNECTION:UN – Dominate-ableYou CANNOT dominate someone who is

indomitable!!!The INDOMITABLE athlete

refused to stop training until she reached her goal – the Olympics!

infallible

DEF = (adj.) free from error; absolutely dependable

SYN = unerring, certainANT = imperfect

WORD CONNECTION:InfallibleAn infallible person will never fall.An infallible person will never fail.

100% A+

Good JOB!

plod

DEF = (v.) to walk heavily or slowlySYN = lumber, trudgeANT = scamper, skip, prance

Sound-alike CONNECTION:Pilgrims would PLOD slowly behindtheir horses when they plowed their fields.

Frankenstein PLODS slowly when he walks.

pungent

DEF = (adj.) causing a sharp sensation; stinging, biting

SYN = sharp, spicy, caustic, racyANT = bland, unappetizing, colorless

The PUNGENT smell of the

skunk stung my nose and made

my eyes water.

remiss

DEF = (adj.) neglectful in performance of one’s duty, careless

SYN = negligent, lax, slackANT = scrupulous, dutiful

WORD CONNECTION:A reMISS person makes many MIStakes…

and get’s fired!

repose

DEF = (v.) to rest; lie; place; (n.) relaxation, peace of mind, calmness

SYN = (v.) sleep; (n.) tranquilityANT = (n.) exertion, wakefulness, bustle

After a long week of working hard, my father enjoys the

REPOSE of napping in his hammock on

Saturdays.

temerity

DEF = (n.) rashness, boldnessSYN = recklessness, foolhardinessANT = timidity, fearfulness

It takes a lot of TEMERITY to bungee jump toward a rocky

shore!

truculent

DEF = (adj.) fierce and cruel; aggressive; deadly, destructive; scathingly harsh

SYN = brutal, savageANT = gentle, mild, unthreatening

Sound-alike CONNECTION:

Monster TRUCK = truculent

The TRUCULENT monster truck drove aggressively over the other cars and destroyed

them.

unfeigned

DEF = (adj.) sincere, real, without pretenseSYN = genuine, heartfeltANT = insincere, phony

On reality TV shows we often see people

living their lives UNFEIGNED.

virulent

DEF = (adj.) extremely poisonous; full of malice; spiteful

SYN = venomous, hatefulANT = harmless, benign

WORD CONNECTION:a virulent VIRUs.

The H1N1 flu virus is so VIRULENT that doctor’s recommend patients get

a vaccine.

The bratty girl’s virulent tone as she spoke to her

mother was very disrespectful.

unfeigned indomitableplod truculent

1. A good school counselor must have a(n) ___________________ interest in the well-being of the students.

2. As Jimmy ________________ angrily through the mud and snow on the sidewalk, he regretted not getting to the bus stop on time.

3. The street gang was made up of ______________ band of hardened criminals.

4. The movie Rudy is the story of a small-statured football player with a(n) _________________ spirit that helps him succeed in life and in football.

virulent temerity repose

1. The ________words of the school bully echoed in the shy girl’s mind and made her feel terrible about herself.

2. The 14-year-old boy had no understanding of his own mortality and so behaved with _______.

3. I’m hoping I will be able to get rid of my cold if I get a weekend of quiet _______.

truculent pungent remiss

1. The _____ behavior of the linebacker made me very nervous when it was my turn to face him down.

2. It would be ______ of me to forget to send thank-you notes for the graduation gifts I received.

3. The _____ aroma of dirty gym clothes assaulted my nose as soon as I walked into the locker room.