Term
admonish
verb
3 syllables
The librarian had to admonish the noisy students several times before they settled down. |
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Definition
(v.)to caution or advise against something; to scold mildly; to remind of duty
Syn: warn, call on the carpet
Ant: praise, pat on the back |
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Term
breach
noun, verb
1 syllable
(n.)Because of a serious breach of the rules, two players were ejected from the game.
(v.)Our troops were unable to breach the enemy's lines during 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
Ancient caravans passing through desolate areas were sometimes attacked by brigand. |
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Definition
| (n.) a bandit, robber, outlaw, highwayman |
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Term
circumspect
adjective
3 syllables
It is important for a diplomat to behave in a manner that is both discreet and circumspect. |
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Definition
(adj.) careful, cautious
Syn: wary, prudent, guarded
Ant: incautious, rash, reckless, heedless |
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Term
commandeer
verb
3 syllables
Under certain circumstances the U.S. government has the right to commandeer private property. |
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Definition
(v.) to seize for military or official use
Syn: take over, requisition, expropriate |
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Term
cumbersome
adjective
3 syllables
The bus was filled to capacity with holiday shoppers carrying large and cumbersome packages. |
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Definition
(adj.) clumsy, hard to handle; slow-moving
Syn: unwieldy, ponderous
Ant: manageable, easy to handle |
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Term
deadlock
noun, verb
2 syllables
(n.) After fifteen innings, the score remained a frustrating 3-to-3 deadlock.
(v.) The refusal of labor and management to modify their demands deadlock the contract negotiations. |
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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
After the storm, the beach was littered with driftwood and other debris. |
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Definition
(n.) scattered fragments, wreckage
Syn: rubble, detritus, flotsam and jetsam |
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Term
diffuse
verb, adjective
2 syllables
(v.) The smell of lilacs slowly diffuse through the open window.
(adj.) The speech was so long and diffuse that most members of the audience were thoroughly confused by it. |
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Definition
(v.) to spread or scatter freely or widely;
(adj.) wordy, long-winded, or unfocused; scattered or widely spread
Syn: (v.) disperse; (adj.) rambling, verbose, prolix
Ant: (v.) concentrate; (adj.) brief, concise, succinct |
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Term
dilemma
noun
3 syllables
During the crisis the President found himself caught in a painful dilemma. |
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Definition
(n.) a difficult or perplexing situation or problem
Syn: predicament, quandary, pickle, bind
Ant: cinch |
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Term
efface
verb
2 syllables
Time had effaced almost all signs of the struggle that took place on that famous battlefield. |
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Definition
(v.) to wipe out; to keep oneself from being noticed
Syn: blot out, erase, obliterate, expunge |
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Term
muddle
verb, noun
2 syllables
(v.) Too much stress and too little sleep will almost certainly muddle a person's ability to concentrate
(n.) The muddle was principally caused by their failure to carry out the general's orders property. |
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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
My boss is not too opinionated to listen to a reasonable proposal. |
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Definition
(adj.) 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, noun
4 syllables
(adj.) Pizza is a perennial favorite of young and old alike in the United States.
(n.) 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: (adj.) enduring, recurring
Ant: (adj.) brief, short-lived, fleeting, ephemeral |
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Term
predispose
verb
3 syllables
My genetic makeup seems to predispose me to colds and sore throats. |
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Definition
(v.) to incline beforehand
Syn: make susceptible to
Ant: immunize against, shield from |
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Term
relinquish
verb
3 syllables
Severe illness forced me to relinquish my role in the school play. |
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Definition
(v.) to let go, give up
Syn: surrender, abandon
Ant: hold on to, keep, retain, cling to |
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Term
salvage
verb, noun
2 syllables
(v.) Fortunately, we were able to salvage a few things from the fire.
(n.) Salvage from sunken ships can be of great value to archaeologists and historians. |
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Definition
(v.) to save from fire or shipwreck;
(n.) property thus saved
Syn: (v.) rescue, recover, retrieve, reclaim
Ant: (v.) abandon, scrap, junk |
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Term
spasmodic
adjective
3 syllables
Spasmodic flashes of lightning and booming thunderclaps were accompanied by torrential rain. |
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Definition
(adj.) sudden and violent but brief; fitful; intermittent
Syn: irregular, occasional
Ant: steady, continuous, chronic |
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Term
spurious
adjective
3 syllables
Manufacturers who make spurious claims for their products face fines or law suits. |
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Definition
(adj.) 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
Sometimes the unbridled enthusiasm of sports fans can get a little out of hand. |
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Definition
(adj.) uncontrolled, lacking in restraint
Syn: unrestrained, unchecked
Ant: restrained, held in check, muted |
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