UNIT 5 Definitions PDF

# UNIT 5: Definitions Note carefully the spelling, pronunciation, part(s) of speech, and definition(s) of each of the following words. Then write the word in the blank space(s) in the illustrative sentence(s) following. Finally, study the lists of synonyms and antonyms given at the end of each ent...

# UNIT 5: Definitions Note carefully the spelling, pronunciation, part(s) of speech, and definition(s) of each of the following words. Then write the word in the blank space(s) in the illustrative sentence(s) following. Finally, study the lists of synonyms and antonyms given at the end of each entry. ## Word List 1. **altruistic** *(al trü is' tik)* - (adj.) unselfish, concerned with the welfare of others - Most people support **altruistic** programs to help the less fortunate of this world. - **SYNONYM:** selfless - **ANTONYMS:** selfish, self-centered 2. **assent** *(ə sent')* - (v.) to express agreement; (n.) agreement - Workers hope that the threat of a long strike will force management to **assent** to their demands. - Romeo and Juliet knew they would never gain their feuding families' **assent** to marry. - **SYNONYMS:** (v.) concur, consent, accede - **ANTONYMS:** (v.) disagree, differ, dissent 3. **benefactor** *(ben' ə fak tər)* - (n.) one who does good to others - Without the help of many **benefactors**, most charities would be unable to carry out their work. - **SYNONYMS:** patron, humanitarian - **ANTONYMS:** misanthrope, malefactor 4. **chivalrous** *(shiv' əl rəs)* - (adj.) marked by honor, courtesy, and courage; knightly - In today's busy world, where people are often heedless of others, a **chivalrous** act is admired by all. - SYNONYMS: gallant, civil, valiant - ANTONYMS: crude, uncouth, churlish, loutish 5. **clemency** *(klem' ǝn sē)* - (n.) mercy, humaneness; mildness, moderation - Many judges are willing to show **clemency** to first offenders who express regret for their wrongdoing. - **SYNONYMS:** leniency, forbearance, gentleness - **ANTONYMS:** harshness, severity, cruelty, inflexibility 6. **dearth** *(dərth)* - (n.) a lack, scarcity, inadequate supply; a famine - An employer may complain of a **dearth** of qualified applicants for available jobs. - **SYNONYMS:** insufficiency, want, paucity - **ANTONYMS:** surplus, oversupply, glut, abundance 7. **diffident** *(dif ə dənt)* - (adj.) shy, lacking self-confidence; modest, reserved - Many a **diffident** suitor has lost his beloved to a bold rival. - **SYNONYMS:** timid, bashful, unassertive, withdrawn - **ANTONYMS:** bold, brash, audacious, self-confident, jaunty 8. **discrepancy** *(dis.krep' ǝn së)* - (n.) a difference; a lack of agreement - **Discrepancy** in the testimony of witnesses to a crime can have a decisive impact on the outcome of a trial. - **SYNONYMS:** disagreement, divergence, inconsistency - **ANTONYMS:** agreement, convergence, consistency 9. **embark** *(em bärk')* - (v.) to go aboard; to make a start; to invest - Columbus spent years raising money before he was able to **embark** on his perilous ocean voyage in search of a passage to the Far East. - **SYNONYMS:** commence, launch, begin, board 10. **facile** *(fas' ǝl)* - (adj.) easily done or attained; superficial; ready, fluent; easily shown but not sincerely felt - Writing is a **facile** process for some authors but a laborious task for others. - **SYNONYMS:** effortless, assured, poised, specious - **ANTONYMS:** labored, awkward, halting 11. **indomitable** *(in däm' ət ə bəl)* - (adj.) unconquerable, refusing to yield - All who hear of the remarkable deeds of Harriet Tubman admire her **indomitable** courage in the face of grave danger. - **SYNONYMS:** unbeatable, invincible, unyielding - **ANTONYMS:** surrendering, submissive, yielding 12. **infallible** *(in fal' ə bəl)* - (adj.) free from error; absolutely dependable - Some critics seem convinced that their expert knowledge makes them **infallible** judges of the quality of an artist's work. - **SYNONYMS:** unerring, certain - **ANTONYM:** imperfect 13. **plod** *(pläd)* - (v.) to walk heavily or slowly; to work slowly - After the blizzard, we had to **plod** through deep snowdrifts to reach the nearest stores. - **SYNONYMS:** lumber, trudge - **ANTONYMS:** scamper, skip, prance 14. **pungent** *(pən' jənt)* - (adj.) causing a sharp sensation; stinging, biting - The kitchen of the French restaurant was filled with the **pungent** aroma of onion soup. - **SYNONYMS:** sharp, spicy, piquant, caustic, racy - **ANTONYMS:** bland, unappetizing, colorless, insipid 15. **remiss** *(rē mis')* - (adj.) neglectful in performance of one's duty, careless - When I am **remiss** in doing daily chores, I have to spend a big part of the weekend catching up. - **SYNONYMS:** negligent, lax, slack - **ANTONYMS:** scrupulous, dutiful, punctilious 16. **repose** *(rē pōz')* - (v.) to rest; lie; place; (n.) relaxation, peace of mind, calmness - The mortal remains of thousands who fell in America's wars **repose** in Arlington National Cemetery. - After spending all day with others, you may wish for a **repose** before dinner. - **SYNONYMS:** (v.) sleep; (n.) tranquillity, respite - **ANTONYMS:** (n.) exertion, wakefulness, tumult, bustle, ado 17. **temerity** *(tə mer' ǝ të)* - (n.) rashness, boldness - Few of his subordinates had the **temerity** to answer the general back. - **SYNONYMS:** recklessness, foolhardiness, effrontery - **ANTONYMS:** timidity, fearfulness, diffidence, humility 18. **truculent** *(trək' yə lənt)* - (adj.) fierce and cruel; aggressive; deadly, destructive; scathingly harsh - People with **truculent** dispositions can make life miserable for those who have to work with them. - **SYNONYMS:** brutal, savage, belligerent, vitriolic - **ANTONYMS:** gentle, mild, meek, unthreatening 19. **unfeigned** *(ən fānd')* - (adj.) sincere, real, without pretense - The novelist won high praise for her ability to portray the **unfeigned** emotions of children. - **SYNONYMS:** genuine, heartfelt - **ANTONYMS:** insincere, simulated, phony 20. **virulent** *(vir' yə lənt)* - (adj.) extremely poisonous; full of malice; spiteful - The First Amendment protects the right of free speech for everyone, even those with **virulent** views that are repugnant to most people. - **SYNONYMS:** venomous, noxious, baneful, hateful - **ANTONYMS:** innocuous, harmless, benign # Completing the Sentence From the words for this unit, choose the one that best completes each of the following sentences. Write the word in the space provided. 1. Doctors attributed the epidemic to the rampant spread of a particularly __**virulent**__ strain of influenza virus. 2. My parents will not __**assent**__ to my going to the dance unless I promise faithfully to be home no later than 1:00 A.M. 3. As a school cafeteria guard, I would be __**remiss**__ in my duties if I failed to report a serious disturbance. 4. We were all impressed by your __**pungent**__ use of unusual words and expressions that you had learned only a few hours before. 5. Humor should be clever and amusing but never so __**truculent**__ that it hurts the feelings of other people. 6. The pathetic refugees __**plodded**__ along the dusty road, hoping to reach the Red Cross camp before nightfall. 7. I rarely join in the discussions, not because I lack information and ideas, but rather because I am __**diffident**__. 8. History tells us that many men and women regarded as failures in their own lifetimes were really major __**benefactors**__ of humanity. 9. The principal claimed that there were major __**discrepancies**__ between what actually happened in the school and the way the incident was reported on TV. 10. What good are __**infallible**__ principles if no real attempt is made to help people by putting those principles into practice? 11. I did not realize how beautiful the twins were until they fell asleep and I saw their faces in complete __**repose**__. 12. In view of the many able people in public life today, I do not agree that we are suffering from a(n) __**dearth**__ of capable leaders. 13. Do you really think it is __**temerity**__ to give your seat to a pretty young woman when an aged lady is standing nearby? 14. Refusing to admit defeat even when things looked completely hopeless, our football team drove eighty-five yards in the last few minutes to score the winning touchdown. 15. He is not merely unpleasant but actually dangerous whenever he gets into one of his __**truculent**__ moods. 16. The rash young lieutenant had the __**temerity**__ to disregard the express orders of the commanding officer. 17. Emphasizing the youth of the convicted man, the defense attorney pleaded for __**clemency**__. # Choosing the Right Word Circle the boldface word that more satisfactorily completes each of the following sentences. 1. American Presidents often point to one of their schoolteachers as the **(discrepancy, benefactor)** who helped shape their character and ideas. 2. We soon learned that behind his retiring-and **(truculent, diffident)** manner, there was a keen mind and a strong will. 3. In a grim old joke, a man found guilty of murdering his parents appeals for **(clemency, assent)** because he is an orphan. 4. It would be **(indomitable, remiss)** of me, as editor-in-chief of the school newspaper, not to express appreciation for the help of our faculty advisor. 5. After boasting to me of your family's great wealth, how could you have the **(clemency, temerity)** to ask me for a loan? 6. As a state legislator, you should not give your **(assent, chivalry)** to any measure unless you truly believe in it. 7. We breathed a sigh of relief when we saw the supposedly missing set of keys **(plodding, reposing)** in the desk drawer. 8. I admired the speaker's **(remiss, facile)** flow of words, but they failed to convince me that she had practical ideas to help solve our problems. 9. By 1781, George Washington's green recruits of a few years earlier had been forged into an **(infallible, indomitable)** army. 10. With all the deductions for taxes, there is a substantial **(dearth, discrepancy)** between my official salary and my weekly paycheck. 11. Planet Earth is a sort of spaceship on which billions of human beings have **(reposed, embarked)** on a lifelong voyage. 12. Great political leaders know how to appeal to people not only through self-interest but also through their sense of **(temerity, altruism)**. 13. She is a popular young woman because people realize that her interest in them is sympathetic and **(remiss, unfeigned)**. 14. The critic's **(pungent, facile)** comments during the TV panel show were not only amusing but also very much to the point. 15. You will surely win more support for your view by quiet discussion than by **(truculent, chivalrous)** attacks on your opponents. 16. He is not too well informed on most matters; but when it comes to big-league baseball, he is all but **(indomitable, infallible)**. 17. I had no inkling of your deep-seated aversion to pop music until I overheard your **(altruistic, virulent)** comments about it. 18. In the violent world of today's pro football, good sportsmanship and **(pungent, chivalrous)** behavior still have a place. 19. The lawyer **(plodded, embarked)** through hundreds of pages of the trial record, hoping to find some basis for an appeal. 20. How do you account for the **(clemency, dearth)** of old-fashioned family doctors willing to make house calls? # Synonyms and Antonyms - **Synonyms** - Choose the word from this unit that is the same or most nearly the same in meaning as the boldface word or expression in the given phrase. Write the word on the line provided. 1. **trudged** slowly up the hill 2. **launch** a political campaign 3. faced with a **paucity** of volunteers 4. found **respite** in the shade of a tree 5. refused to **accede** to the will of the majority 6. **selfless** dedication to finding a cure 7. a **caustic** response to a hostile question 8. a **brutal** band of hardened criminals 9. made **allowances** for the recklessness of youth 10. the spreading of **venomous** rumors 11. an **unerring** sense of what the public wants 12. **recognized** the difference between fact and fiction 13. **negligent** in paying their taxes 14. the patient's **unconquerable** desire to live 15. moved with **effortless** grace - **Antonyms** - Choose the word from this unit that is most nearly opposite in meaning to the boldface word or expression in the given phrase. Write the word on the line provided. 16. made a **crude** apology for his behavior 17. **harshness** in judging others 18. an **obviously insincere** expression of concern 19. wrote a **bold** letter to the person in charge 20. discovered the identity of the **malefactor**