Term
admonish
Verb
3 syllables
2nd accent
The librarian had to admonish the noisy students several times before they settled down. |
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Definition
to caution or advise against something; to scold mildly; to remind of a duty
Syn: warn, call on the carpet
Ant: praise, pat on the back |
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Term
breach
noun and verb
1 syllable
No accent
Because of a serious breach of the rules, two players were ejected from the game.
Our troops were unable to breach the enemy's lines during the battle. |
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Definition
(n)an opening, gap, rupture, rift; a violation or infraction; (v)to create an opening, break through
Ant: (v) close, seal |
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Term
brigand
Noun
2 syllables
1st accent
Ancient caravans passing through desolate areas were sometimes attacked by brigands. |
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Definition
| a bandit, robber, outlaw, highwayman |
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Term
circumspect
Adjective
3 syllables
1st accent
It is important for a diplomat to behave in a manner that is both discreet and circumspect. |
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Definition
careful, cautious
Syn: wary, prudent, guarded
Ant: incautious, rash, reckless, heedless |
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Term
commandeer
Verb
3 syllables
3rd accent
Under certain circumstances the US government has the right to commandeer private property. |
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Definition
to seize for military or official use
Syn: take over, requisition, expropriate |
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Term
cumbersome
Adjective
3 syllables
1st accent
The bus was filled to capacity with holiday shoppers carrying large and cumbersome packages. |
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Definition
clumsy, hard to handle; slow-moving
Syn: unwieldy, ponderous
Ant: manageable, easy to handle |
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Term
deadlock
Noun and Verb
2 syllables
1st accent
After fifteen innings, the score remained a frustrating 3-to-3 deadlock.
The refusal of labor and management to modify their demands deadlock the contract negotiation. |
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Definition
(n) a standstill resulting from the opposition of two equal forces or factions; (v) to bring to such a standstill
Syn: (n) standoff, stalemate, impasse
Ant: (n) agreement, accord, breakthrough |
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Term
debris
Noun
2 syllables
2nd accent
After the storm, the beach was littered with driftwood and other debris. |
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Definition
scattered fragments, wreckage
Syn: rubble, detritus, flotsam and jetsam |
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Term
diffuse
Verb and Adjective
2 syllables
2nd accent
The scent of lilacs slowly diffused through the open window.
The speech was so long and diffused that the members of theg audience were thoroughly confused by it. |
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Definition
(v) to spread or scatter freely or wildly; (adj) wordy, long-winded, or unfocused; scattered or wildly spread
Syn:(v) disperse; (adj) rambling, verbose, prolix
Ant:(v) concentrate; (adj) brief, concise, succint |
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Term
dilemma
Noun
3 syllables
2nd accent
During the crisis the President found himself caught in a painful dilemma. |
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Definition
a difficult or perplexing situation or problem
Syn: predicament, quandary, pickle, bind
Ant: cinch |
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Term
efface
Verb
2 syllables
2nd accent
Time had effaced almost all signs of the struggle that took place on that famous battlefield. |
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Definition
to wipe out; to keep oneself from being noticed
Syn: blot out, erase, obliterate, expunge |
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Term
muddle
Verb and Noun
2 syllables
1st accent
Too much stress and too little sleep will almost certainly muddle a person's ability to concentrate.
The muddle was principally cause by their failure to carry out the general's orders properly. |
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Definition
(v) to make a mess of; muddle through: to get by; (n) a hopeless mess
Syn:(v) jumble, mess up; (n) confusion, disorder
Ant:(n) orderliness, tidiness, neatness |
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Term
opinionated
Adjective
5 syllables
2nd accent
My boss is not too opinionated to listen to a reasonable proposal. |
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Definition
stubborn and often unreasonable in holding to one's own ideas, having a closed mind
Syn: obstinate, pigheaded, inflexible
Ant: open-minded, reasonable |
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Term
perennial
Adjective and Verb
4 syllables
2nd accent
Pizza is a perennial favorite of young and old alike in the United States.
A garden of perennials is relatively easy to maintain.
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Definition
(adj) lasting for a long time, persistent; (n) a plant that lives for many years
Syn: enduring, recurring
Ant: brief, short-lived, fleeting, ephemeral |
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Term
predispose
Verb
3 syllables
3rd accent
My genetic makeup seems to predispose me to colds and sore throats. |
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Definition
to incline beforehand
Syn: make susceptible to
Ant: immunize against, shield from |
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Term
relinquish
Verb
3 syllables
2nd
Severe illness forced me to relinquish my role in the school play. |
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Definition
to let go, give up
Syn: surrender, abandon
Ant: hold on to, keep, retain, cling to |
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Term
salvage
Verb and Noun
2 syllables
1st accent
Fortunately, we were able to salvage a few things from the fire.
Salvage from sunken ships can be of great value to archaeologists and historians. |
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Definition
(v) to save from a shipwreck; (n) property thus saved
Syn: rescue, recover, retrieve, reclaim
Ant: anandon, scrap, junk |
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Term
spasmodic
Adjective
3 syllables
2nd accent
Spasmodic flashes of lightning and booming thunderclouds were accompanied by torrential rain. |
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Definition
sudden and violent but brief; fitful; intermittent
Syn: irregular, occasional
Ant: steady, continuous, chronic |
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Term
spurious
Adjective
3 syllables
2st accent
Manufacturers who make spurious claims for their products may face fines or lawsuits. |
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Definition
not genuine, not true, not valid
Syn: false, counterfeit, fraudulent, bogus
Ant: genuine, authentic, bona fide, valid |
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Term
unbridled
Adjective
3 syllables
2nd accent
Sometimes the unbridled enthusiasm of sports fans can get a little out of hand. |
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Definition
uncontrolled, lacking in restraint
Syn: unrestrained, unchecked
Ant: restrained, held in check, muted |
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