Vocabulary Unit #12 Definitions and Examples
v.—to clear from blame, responsibility, or
guilt
Synonym: pardon, acquit
They assumed that their alibi would
absolve
them of suspicion.
n.—a representation, such as a drawing,
that exaggerates a subject’s
characteristic features
Synonym: cartoon
What began as a hasty newspaper
caricature
soon turned up on coffee
mugs, t-shirts, and sweatshirts.
n.—a loud ringing sound
v.—to make a loud ringing noise
Synonym: clamor, uproar
For more than a century, American grade
schools summoned children to school
with the
clangor
of a bell.
Adj.—side by side, touching; near;
adjacent in time
Synonym: next door to; abutting
Trouble arose over who should control the
weeds and bushes that grew in the lot
contiguous
to ours.
n.—an eager desire for something; greed
Synonym: avarice, lust
You say that these catalogue prices show
the quality of the goods, but I say they
show the seller’s
cupidity
.
Adj.—harmful, injurious
Synonym: detrimental, damaging
Wishing can give zest and purpose to
anyone’s life, but wishful thinking can
have a
deleterious
effect.
v.—to raise to a higher degree; to increase
the value or desirability of
Synonym: improve, elevate
She sanded and varnished the old table in
order to
enhance
its appearance and
value.
v.—to captivate, charm, hold spellbound;
to enslave; to imprison
Synonym: attract, fascinate
All the critics were
enthralled
by the
performance and wrote rave reviews.
v.—to lessen the seriousness or magnitude
of an offense by making partial excuses
Synonym: downplay, diminish
The jurors believed that the young man’s
crime had been committed under
extenuating
circumstances.
Adj.—implied or understood though
unexpressed; without doubts or
reservations, unquestioning
Synonym: inferred, unspoken
She never said so, but it was
implicit
that
she did not like conversations before her
morning coffee.
Adj.—sharp, keen, penetrating (with a
suggestion of decisiveness and
effectiveness)
Synonym: perceptive
I am truly thankful for your
incisive
remarks
about my report that I worked so
diligently to complete.
Adj.—tending to cause harm or obstruct
developments; being oppositional or
adverse
Synonym: unfriendly, hostile
Several
inimical
groups have tried to
create chaos and undermine
democratic principles.
Adj.—marked by conspicuous or
pretentious display; showy
Synonym: flashy, overdone, flamboyant
The restaurant’s interior was so
ostentatious
that the meager meal, when it came,
seemed an afterthought.
n.—a model of excellence or perfection
Synonym: ideal; good example
I may not be a
paragon
of scholarship, but
I do try my best.
Adj.—prudent, shrewdly conceived and
developed; artful; expedient
Synonym: tactful, diplomatic
In your angry state I think it would be
politic
to say nothing, at least until you have
calmed down.
Adj.—dull, lacking in distinction and
originality; straightforward; matter-of-fact
Synonym: literal
I remember his singing voice as being on
key and clear but also
prosaic
.
Adj.—extra, excess, more than is needed;
wordy, repetitive
Synonym: unnecessary; verbose
Some
redundant
expressions, such as
“hollow tubing” are acceptable in the
English language.
Adj.—making a show of virtue or
righteousness; hypocritically moralistic or
self-righteous; holier-than-thou
Synonym: self-righteous
Cautionary tales that take on a
sanctimonious
tone often achieve the
opposite of the desired result.
Adj.—sparkling, twinkling, exceptionally
brilliant (applied to mental or personal
qualities)
Synonym: glittering
She was known for her
scintillating
conversation.
Adj.—charming, attractive, pleasing (often
suggesting a childlike charm and
innocence)
Synonym: delightful; winning
When my little brother wanted something
badly, he became as
winsome
as a
puppy.
Learn the meanings of vocabulary words such as absolve, caricature, clangor, contiguous, cupidity, deleterious, enhance, enthrall, and extenuate with their synonyms and usage examples in sentences. Enhance your vocabulary with vivid imagery and contextual understanding to improve word usage in your conversations and writing.
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Presentation Transcript
absolve v. to clear from blame, responsibility, or guilt Synonym: pardon, acquit They assumed that their alibi would absolve them of suspicion.
caricature n. a representation, such as a drawing, that exaggerates a subject s characteristic features Synonym: cartoon What began as a hasty newspaper caricature soon turned up on coffee mugs, t-shirts, and sweatshirts.
clangor n. a loud ringing sound v. to make a loud ringing noise Synonym: clamor, uproar For more than a century, American grade schools summoned children to school with the clangor of a bell.
contiguous Adj. side by side, touching; near; adjacent in time Synonym: next door to; abutting Trouble arose over who should control the weeds and bushes that grew in the lot contiguous to ours.
cupidity n. an eager desire for something; greed Synonym: avarice, lust You say that these catalogue prices show the quality of the goods, but I say they show the seller s cupidity.
deleterious Adj. harmful, injurious Synonym: detrimental, damaging Wishing can give zest and purpose to anyone s life, but wishful thinking can have a deleterious effect.
enhance v. to raise to a higher degree; to increase the value or desirability of Synonym: improve, elevate She sanded and varnished the old table in order to enhance its appearance and value.
enthrall v. to captivate, charm, hold spellbound; to enslave; to imprison Synonym: attract, fascinate All the critics were enthralled by the performance and wrote rave reviews.
extenuate v. to lessen the seriousness or magnitude of an offense by making partial excuses Synonym: downplay, diminish The jurors believed that the young man s crime had been committed under extenuating circumstances.
implicit Adj. implied or understood though unexpressed; without doubts or reservations, unquestioning Synonym: inferred, unspoken She never said so, but it was implicit that she did not like conversations before her morning coffee.
incisive Adj. sharp, keen, penetrating (with a suggestion of decisiveness and effectiveness) Synonym: perceptive I am truly thankful for your incisive remarks about my report that I worked so diligently to complete.
inimical Adj. tending to cause harm or obstruct developments; being oppositional or adverse Synonym: unfriendly, hostile Several inimical groups have tried to create chaos and undermine democratic principles.
ostentatious Adj. marked by conspicuous or pretentious display; showy Synonym: flashy, overdone, flamboyant The restaurant s interior was so ostentatious that the meager meal, when it came, seemed an afterthought.
paragon n. a model of excellence or perfection Synonym: ideal; good example I may not be a paragon of scholarship, but I do try my best.
politic Adj. prudent, shrewdly conceived and developed; artful; expedient Synonym: tactful, diplomatic In your angry state I think it would be politic to say nothing, at least until you have calmed down.
prosaic Adj. dull, lacking in distinction and originality; straightforward; matter-of-fact Synonym: literal I remember his singing voice as being on key and clear but also prosaic.
redundant Adj. extra, excess, more than is needed; wordy, repetitive Synonym: unnecessary; verbose Some redundant expressions, such as hollow tubing are acceptable in the English language.
sanctimonious Adj. making a show of virtue or righteousness; hypocritically moralistic or self-righteous; holier-than-thou Synonym: self-righteous Cautionary tales that take on a sanctimonious tone often achieve the opposite of the desired result.
scintillating Adj. sparkling, twinkling, exceptionally brilliant (applied to mental or personal qualities) Synonym: glittering She was known for her scintillating conversation.
winsome Adj. charming, attractive, pleasing (often suggesting a childlike charm and innocence) Synonym: delightful; winning When my little brother wanted something badly, he became as winsome as a puppy.
