Vocabulary Workshop Unit 2: #’s 1-20

www.vocabularyworkshop.com

adverse

• (adj.) unfavorable, negative; working against, hostile • Synonyms: difficult, trying Some people suffer an adverse reaction if they eat peanut butter or anything with peanuts.

arid

• (adj.) extremely dry; uninteresting, dull • Synonyms: waterless, parched, boring, unimaginative Although California leads the nation in farming, crops won’t grow in its most arid regions.

assailant

• (n.) a person who attacks violently (with blows or words) • Synonyms: assaulter, attacker, mugger The jogger was injured by an unknown assailant who left him immobile on the side of the road.

billow

• (n.) a large wave • Synonym: breaker • (v.) to rise or swell like a wave • Synonym: surge, bulge, balloon Fans cheered enthusiastically when they saw their team’s flags billow over the stadium.

confront

• (v.) to meet face-to-face, especially as a challenge; comes to grips with • Synonym: face, encounter In court, defendants can confront their accusers in a controlled setting.

constrain

• (v.) to force, compel, to restrain, hold back • Synonyms: pressure, restrict, confine, limit You can’t constrain me against my will.

contemporary

• (adj.) belonging to the same period of time as oneself • Synonyms: present-day, modern, current • (n.) a person of the same time • Synonyms: peer His novel used a contemporary style but had a historical setting.

Rather than ask parents for help, teens often turn to a contemporary for advice.

depict

• (v.) to portray; to represent or show in a form of a picture • Synonym: sketch, draw, picture, illustrate The painter chose to depict a plain prairie landscape using bold colors and shadows.

disinterested

• (adj.) fair-minded, free from selfish motives; indifferent • Synonyms: neutral, impartial, unbiased, apathetic A judge must remain disinterested in order to render an evenhanded and logical decision.

encompass

• (v.) to encircle, go or reach around; to enclose; to include with a certain group or class • Synonyms: surround, envelop, comprise Oceans encompass about three-fourths of the surface of our planet.

groundless

• (adj.) without any good reason or cause, unjustified • Synonyms: baseless, unsupported Joe’s groundless fear of hurting himself during exercise has left him weak and out of shape.

hypocrite

• (n.) a person who pretends to be what he or she is not or better than he or she really is; a two-faced person • Synonyms: phony, charlatan, fraud The speaker who said one thing but did something else entirely was regarded as a hypocrite.

incomprehensible

• (adj.) impossible to understand • Synonyms: baffling, confusing, bewildering Our school’s intercom system is so old that this morning’s announcements were almost incomprehensible.

manipulate

• (v.) to handle or use skillfully; to manage or control for personal gain or advantage • Synonyms: work, maneuver, exploit, influence • Scientist should not manipulate data.

maximum

• (n.) the greatest possible amount or degree • (adj.) reaching the greatest possible amount or degree • Synonyms: largest, highest, utmost • The postage scale can weigh a maximum of only five pounds.

mimic

• (n.) a person who does imitations • Synonym: copycat, impersonator • (v.) to imitate; to make fun of • Synonym: parrot, impersonate • The comedy troupe has many talented members, but it still needs to hire a good mimic.

ruffle

• (v.) to wrinkle, make uneven; to annoy, upset, to flip through • (n.) a gathered strip of material used for trimming edges; a ripple; a low drumbeat • Synonyms: (v.) disturb (n.) frill • Try not to let wisecracks ruffle your feelings.

• My favorite pillow is soft and fluffy to the touch and has a velvet ruffle.

serene

• (adj..) peaceful, calm; free of emotional upset; clear and free of storm; majestic, grand • Synonyms: tranquil, composed, fair, august How does she manage to stay so serene in the face of such chaos.

sheepish

• (adj.) embarrassed; resembling a sheep in meekness, timid • Synonyms: shamefaced, meek • His sheepish grin made the crowds cheer all the more for his unlikely victory.

stamina

• (n.) the strength needed to keep going or overcome physical or mental strain; staying power • Synonym: endurance • Marathon runners need a great deal of stamina.