LACONIC (Adj.)

Meaning: Using few words in speech or writing

Use: When Shawn asked Betty why she didn’t come to the project meeting, she gave him a laconic answer that she wasn’t feeling well.

PITHY (Adj.)

Meaning: Using few words in a clear and effective way

Use: Fighting for the future, for all its provocative arguments and pithy language, sometimes borders on the apocalyptic.

SUCCINCT (Adj.)

Meaning: Using few words to state or express an idea

Use: Lorene’s succinct summary at the end of the speech provided the most significant information.

BREVITY (Noun)

Meaning: shortness or conciseness of expression

Use: Brevity is essential when you send a telegram or cablegram; you are charged for every word.

GIST (Noun)

Meaning: The main point or part

Use: The gist of the lawyer’s argument was that the law was unfair to women.

PITH (Noun)

Meaning: The most important part of something

Use: Today’ s journalists are adept to focus on pith.

CRUX (Noun)

Meaning: The most important point under discussion

Use: The crux of the matter resulted in a problem for the family.

Explanation: Ruminate (verb) means to think deeply. For an animal, ruminate means to bring up and chew again what has already been chewed and swallowed. Mull (verb) means to grind or mix thoroughly. It has second meaning also. It means to ponder. Muse (verb) means to be deep in thinking. Muse (Noun) means a woman who is a source of inspiration for artists.

CONTEMPLATE (Verb)

Meaning: Action of thinking or looking at something attentively

Use: Jack contemplated moving to a bigger city, thinking that he could find a job with a better salary than he had so far in the village where he lived.

PONDER (Verb)

Meaning: Action of thinking or looking at something attentively

Use: Ponder or think about the following over a period of time.

COGITATE (Verb)

Meaning: Action of thinking or looking at something attentively

Use: When James got back to the university dormitory, he sat at his desk and started to cogitate about the science project he was supposed to complete in three days.

CEREBRATE (Verb)

Meaning: Action of thinking or looking at something attentively

Use: James was cerebrating whether to go on vacation this month or next month.

RUMINATE (Verb)

Meaning: 1) To think deeply

2) (For an animal) to bring up and chew gain what has already been chewed and swallowed

Use: Ron was ruminating about which university he would go to long before he graduated from high school.

MULL (Verb)

Meaning: 1) To grind or mix thoroughly

2) To Ponder

Use: The team mulled their chances of success

MUSE (Verb)

Meaning: To be deep in thoughts

Use: Latonya will muse upon the suggestion while she is having her morning coffee.

MUSE (Noun)

Meaning: A woman who is a source of inspiration for artists

Use: Randy’s mother was the muse for his interest in music.

MEDITATE (Verb)

Meaning: To spend time in quiet thought for religious purposes or relaxation

Use: Marion’s friend will take time every day to meditate for an hour during the morning.

CHEW OVER (Verb)

Meaning: To meditate on or to think about reflectively

Use: Yet another senator chewing over the idea of running for president.

Explanation: Grate (Verb) means to irritate someone. It has second meaning also. It also means to reduce to small particles by rubbing on something rough. Persecute (Verb) means to annoy someone. It has second meaning also. It means to treat (someone) cruelly or unfairly especially because of race or religious belief. Disgruntle (verb) means to irritate someone. It also means to alienate someone. Miff (verb) and Pique (verb) means to make someone angry. Miff (Noun) and Pique (Noun) means feeling of being annoyed or irritated. Nag (Verb) and Peeve (Verb) means to annoy or irritate someone. Nag (Noun) and Peeve (Noun) means one who irritates. Nettle (Verb) means to make someone angry or to irritate someone. This word has also been covered in series for To make someone angry.

EXASPERATE (Verb)

Meaning: To make someone very angry or annoyed

Use: Constant interruptions will only exasperate the speaker.

GRATE (Verb)

Meaning: 1) To irritate someone

2) To reduce to small particles by rubbing on something rough

Use: While the pasta boiled, Jenifer would grate the cheese for the sauce.

GRATE (Noun)

Meaning: A metal frame with bars across it that is used in a fireplace

NETTLE (Noun)

Meaning: A plant covered with stinging hairs

NETTLE (Verb)

Meaning: To make someone angry

Use: The mayor’ s recent actions have nettled some members of the community.

PESTER (Verb)

Meaning: To annoy or bother (someone) in a repeated way

Use: Leave me alone! Stop pestering me!

VEX (Verb)

Meaning: To annoy or worry someone

Use: Jimmy was vexing his sister by refusing to let her see the TV program that she wanted to watch.

PERSECUTE (Verb)

Meaning: 1) To constantly annoy or bother (someone)

2) To treat (someone) cruelly or unfairly especially because of race or religious belief

Use: The regime was known to constantly persecute those who fought against it during the uprising.

DISGRUNTLE (Verb)

Meaning: 1) To annoy someone.

2) To alienate someone.

Use: The noises made by the students in the classroom were disgruntling the teacher.

MIFF (Verb)

Meaning: To make someone angry

Use: His comments about minority groups miffed many of us.

MIFF (Noun)

Meaning: Feeling of being annoyed or irritated

Use: “No one asked you!” She retorted, with some miff.

PIQUE (Verb)

Meaning: 1) To make someone angry

2) To cause curiosity or interest

Use: It seems that brightly colored things often pique a young child’s interest.

PIQUE (Noun)

Meaning: Feeling of being annoyed or irritated

Use: Marilyn went into a pique when she didn’t get her way.

NAG (Verb)

Meaning: To annoy someone

Use: Jim’s mother is always nagging him about his hairstyle.

NAG (Noun)

Meaning: One who irritates habitually

PEEVE (Verb)

Meaning: To irritate someone

Use: She is constantly peeved while she is trying to focus on her work.

PEEVE (Noun)

Meaning: Something that annoys someone

Use: One of her peeves is people who are always late.

Explanation: We covered word Miff (Noun & Verb) and Pique (Noun & Verb) in previous serious also.

UMBRAGE (Noun)

Meaning: A feeling of being offended by what someone has said or done

Use: When Susan’s husband called up and said that he had to work late at the office again, she took umbrage and was very disturbed because she suspected that another woman was involved in his repeated delays in arriving home.

DUDGEON (Noun)

Meaning: State of being irritated or indignant

Use: The woman walked out in high dudgeon when the clerk refused to let her look at some expensive purses simply because she was black; even though she was a millionaire.

MIFF (Verb)

Meaning: To make someone angry

Use: His comments about minority groups miffed many of us.

MIFF (Noun)

Meaning: Feeling of being annoyed or irritated

Use: “No one asked you!” She retorted, with some miff.

PIQUE (Verb)

Meaning: 1) To make someone angry

2) To cause curiosity or interest

Use: It seems that brightly colored things often pique a young child’s interest.

PIQUE (Noun)

Meaning: Feeling of being annoyed or irritated

Use: Marilyn went into a pique when she didn’t get her way.

Attempt Sentence Equivalence Test 15

Based on words covered in Chapter 42, Chapter 43, Chapter 44.

Number of questions: 6

Time limit: 10 min.

……42 43 44

FELON (Noun)

Meaning: A criminal who has committed a serious crime

Use: The convicted felon was imprisoned for 10 years before his case was reviewed.

MISCREANT (Noun)

Meaning: A person who does something that is illegal or morally wrong

Use: A miscreant robbed an elderly lady after she got off the bus and was walking to her apartment.

MISCREANT (Adj.)

Meaning: Behaving criminally

Use: She had never seen so many assassins and miscreants gathered together under the same banner in order to annihilate someone.

ROGUE (Noun)

Meaning: A person who is dishonest or immoral

Use: Trudy’s father was a lovable old rogue and sometimes even a lying old rogue.

ROGUE (Adj.)

Meaning: Corrupt or dishonest

Use: People were complaining about how the rogue police were committing criminal acts.

SCOUNDREL (Noun)

Meaning: A person who is cruel or dishonest

Use: Some scoundrel stole my wallet.

Explanation: Prone (Adj.) has second meaning also. It means lying with the front of your body facing downward.

VULNERABLE (Adj.)

Meaning: Exposed to being attacked or harmed

Use: Jackie was quite vulnerable and broke out in tears when friends would mention her late husband who died just a few weeks before.

PRONE (Adj.)

Meaning: 1) Likely to suffer from

2) Lying with the front of your body facing downward.

Use: She was prone to sudden fits of anger during which she would lie prone on the floor, screaming and kicking her heels.

SENSITIVE (Adj.)

Meaning: 1) Quick to detect or be affected by slight changes.

2) Easily offended or upset.

Use: Bats are sensitive to sounds that humans can’t hear.

SUSCEPTIBLE (Adj.)

Meaning: Easily affected, influenced or harmed by something.

Use: Some teenagers are sometimes very susceptible to new ways of thinking or of behaving in ways that are unacceptable.

Explanation: Slack (Adj.) means not stretched or held in tight position. Slack (Adj.) also means careless. Slack (Verb) means to be careless. Slack (Verb) also means to lessen in amount. Derelict (Adj.) means careless or failing to do what should be done. It has second meaning also. It means something abandoned or something no longer cared. Dereliction (Noun) means an act of abandoning something. It has second meaning also. Dereliction (Noun) means the state of being careless or failure to do your duty or job.

LAX (Adj.)

Meaning: Not careful enough

Use: Both parents were lax with their supervision of the children and, as a result, the children often got into mischief.

NEGLIGENT (Adj.)

Meaning: Failing to take proper care of something or someone

Use: Her mother was a negligent housekeeper

REMISS (Adj.)

Meaning: Not showing enough care and attention

Use: He’s terribly remiss in his work.

SLAPDASH (Adj.)

Meaning: Hurried and careless

Use: This slapdash approach to the recording and construction of an album possibly could be financially related.

SLIPSHOD (Adj.)

Meaning: Very careless

Use: As a master craftsman, the carpenter prided himself on never doing slipshod work.

SLACK (Verb)

Meaning: 1) To be careless

2) To lessen in amount

Use: They need to stop slacking and get down to work.

SLACK (Adj.)

Meaning: 1) not stretched or held in tight position.

2) Careless

Use: He accused the government of slack supervision of nuclear technology.

DERELICT (Adj.)

Meaning: 1) careless or failing to do what should be done.

2) something abandoned or something no longer cared.

Use: The police officer was charged with being derelict in his duty when he failed to arrest a man for mistreating his wife.

DERELICTION (Noun)

Meaning: 1) act of abandoning something.

2) state of being careless or failure to do your duty or job

Use: A human derelict is someone who by reason of his/her actions, etc., has been abandoned by respectable people.

Explanation: Lambent (Adj.) means softly shining.

LUMINOUS (Adj.)

Meaning: Producing or seeming to produce light

Use: The night sky was the most luminous Jeff had seen during his vacation, simply glittering with starlight.

SCINTILLATING (Adj.)

Meaning: Brilliantly lively or very impressive or interesting

Use Scintillating conversation with a scintillating personality.

REFULGENT (Adj.)

Meaning: Shinning

Use: Crystal chandeliers and gilded walls made the opera house a refulgent setting for the concert.

RESPLENDENT (Adj.)

Meaning: Very bright and attractive

Use: The colorful crackers looking resplendent on a moonless night was an impressive work.

EFFULGENT (Adj.)

Meaning: Brilliant

Use: The exceptional effulgence of the harvest moon is always a striking sight.

LAMBENT (Adj.)

Meaning: Shinning softly

Use: Jan and Sam could see lambent sunlight glinting off the waves as they walked along the beach.

AFFABLE (Adj.)

Meaning: Friendly and easy to talk to

Use: As a supervisor, Mike Black was always affable with his subordinates in that he was always civil and courteous when he had conversations with them.

AMICABLE (Adj.)

Meaning: Friendly and pleasant

Use: If wars are to end, nations must learn amicable means of settling their disputes.

AMIABLE (Adj.)

Meaning: Friendly and pleasant

Use: Amiable neighbors help make a house a home.

GENIAL (Adj.)

Meaning: Friendly and cheerful

Use: This restaurant is famous and popular because of a genial proprietor, who tries to make everyone happy.

CORDIAL (Adj.)

Meaning: Politely pleasant and friendly

Use: Germany and the United States have maintained cordial relations since World War II.

CONGENIAL (Adj.)

Meaning: 1) Very Friendly

2) Pleasant and enjoyable

Use: Sharon told Mike that she found it a very congenial and agreeable atmosphere in which to work with him and his staff.

……42 43 44

Explanation: Demure (Adj.) means polite and not showy or flashy. Prim (Adj.) means formal and proper. It has second meaning also. It also means easily shocked or upset by rude behavior. Propriety (Noun) means proper behavior.

DECOROUS (Adj.)

Meaning: Correct and polite in a particular situation

Use: Jacob has always been considered a polite and decorous neighbor until he was heard yelling curses and vulgar words at his wife one evening.

DEMURE (Adj.)

Meaning: Polite and not showy or not fleshy

Use: The governess, or woman who was employed to teach and to take care of little Susie, seemed to be quite reserved and demure, but she was very watchful and protective of her young child while they were in the playground or any other place.

PRIM (Adj.)

Meaning: 1) Formal and proper

2) Easily shocked or upset by rude behavior

Use: She had the look of a prim and proper lady of the Victorian times, with all her tended hairs.

PROPRIETY (Noun)

Meaning: Proper behavior

Use: Randal’s behavior would not offend the propriety of the professional organization to which he hoped to belong.

SEEMLY (Adj.)

Meaning: Proper and appropriate for the situation

Use: For most practical purposes the exclusion is one of form, not substance, and is based on local cultural notions of what is seemly.

BEDLAM (Noun)

Meaning: Very noisy and confused state

Use: There was so much bedlam in kindergarten, that the teacher couldn’t be heard when she tried to talk to them!

PANDEMONIUM (Noun)

Meaning: Uproar

Use: When the ships collided in the harbor, pandemonium broke out among the passengers.

TUMULTUOUS (Adj.)

Meaning: Involving a lot of violence, confusion or disorder

Use: After the university administration rejected the students’ proposal to stop an increase in fees, there were tumultuous protests on the campus.

TURMOIL (Noun)

Meaning: A state of confusion or disorder

Use: The classroom was full of turmoil; as, the extremely loud children were standing on tables, chairs were turned over, the blackboard was covered with drawings, etc. because the teacher came a half hour late to the class!

TURBULENCE (Noun)

Meaning: A state of violence, confusion or disorder

Use: Avoiding excessive turbulence generated around moving objects; such as, aircraft, which can make their motion inefficient and difficult to control, is a major factor in aerodynamic designing.

TUMULT (Noun)

Meaning: A state of noisy confusion or disorder

Use: His mind was in a series of tumults revealing his emotional disturbances.

Explanation: Bombastic, Pompous and Braggart differ in meaning slightly. They mean talking in a confident way to impress others

ARROGANT (Adj.)

Meaning: Showing the insulting attitude of people who think that they are better or smarter than other people

Use: The arrogant attorney was given a warning by the judge to take it easy when cross-examining the witness.

CONCEITED (Adj.)

Meaning: Having or showing excessive pride in yourself

Use: The author of the book was a brilliant creator of novels; however, he was also considered a very conceited compiler of literature by many other writers.

EGOTISTICAL (Adj.)

Meaning: Having or showing excessively proud behavior

Use: He was vain, egotistical, boorish and gloriously insensitive.

HAUGHTY (Adj.)

Meaning: Showing the insulting attitude of people who think that they are better or smarter than other people.

Use: A haughty person treats other people as if they are inferior and not worth being around

HUBRIS (Noun)

Meaning: Excessive pride and self-confidence

Use: George started his business career as a pleasant clerk; however, by the time he became the CEO of the company years later, he showed signs of hubris which would lead to his downfall.

CONDESCENDING (Adj.)

Meaning: Behaving as if you are better than other people

Use: The customer was condescending to the saleswoman who was trying very hard to be polite and to provide the best service possible.

OSTENTATIOUS (Adj.)

Meaning: Showing excessive display

Use: Trump’ s latest casino in Atlantic City is the most ostentatious gambling place in the East.

SUPERCILIOUS (Adj.)

Meaning: Showing the insulting attitude of people who think that they are better or smarter than other people.

Use: Her mother eyed my clothes with a supercilious attitude.

VAINGLORIOUS (Adj.)

Meaning: Showing too much pride in your abilities or achievements

Use: James was a vainglorious athlete who bragged about his basketball talents whenever he was interviewed on TV or the radio.

BOMBASTIC (Adj.)

Meaning: Speaking or writing to sound important or impressive

Use: While on the campaign trail, Senator Smith frequently made bombastic speeches.

POMPOUS (Adj.)

Meaning: Speaking or writing to sound important or impressive

Use: The university newspaper expressed some of the students’ feelings that there was a pompous professor who seemed to think that he was much too qualified to teach students who had such a minimal amount of intelligence.

BRAGGART (Noun)

Meaning: A person who brags a lot or one who speaks a lot to sound important or impressive

Use: James was such a braggart that he really disturbed people because he couldn’t stop talking about winning the tennis match against a former professional player.

Explanation: Bravado (Noun) means confident or brave talk or behavior that is intended to impress other people. Swagger (Noun) means a way of walking or behaving that shows a lot of confidence. Swagger (verb) means to walk with confidence. Swagger (Adj.) means showing off.

BRAVADO (Noun)

Meaning: Confident or brave talk or behavior that is intended to impress other people

Use: I remembered his youthful bravado.

SWAGGER (Verb)

Meaning: To walk with confidence

Use: He swaggered along the corridor.

SWAGGER (Noun)

Meaning: A way of walking or behaving that shows lot of confidence

Use: After years of hard-earned success on Broadway, the brothers arrived in Hollywood with an arrogant swagger.

SWAGGER (Adj.)

Meaning: Showing off

Use: They strolled around the camp with an exaggerated swagger.

Explanation: Declaim (Verb) means to say (something) in usually a loud and formal way. Declamation (Noun) means stated loudly and in a formal way.

BRAGGADOCIO (Noun)

Meaning: Exaggerated talk of someone who is trying to sound very important or brave

Use: Tina, the new girl in the biology class, had a showy kind of character and seemed to be a braggadocio who was telling the other students about the yacht her parents had and of their traveling back and forth on the coast, but none of it was true!

GASCONADE (Noun)

Meaning: Exaggerated talk of someone who is trying to sound very important or brave

Use: Joe’s grandmother was always making a lot of gasconades about him whenever anyone asked her about how he was doing as a student at the university.

RODOMONTADE (Noun)

Meaning: Boasting or bragging speech

Use: For all of its jingoistic rodomontade, the government had no thought-out plan for the war and its aftermath.

COCKALORUM (Noun)

Meaning: Boastful talk

Use: A boxer who was as famous for his prefight cockalorum as for his knockouts in the ring.

FANFARONADE (Noun)

Meaning: Empty boasting

Use: All his talk of how he would easily win the boxing match turned out to be so much fanfaronade.

GRANDILOQUENCE (Noun)

Meaning: Extravagantly pompous or bombastic style especially in language

Use: A heavyweight champion who was famous for his entertaining grandiloquence prior to every match.

DECLAMATION (Noun)

Meaning: Stated loudly, confidently and in a formal way

Use: The local newspaper reported on the declamations of the speaker who had radical and persuasive viewpoints on the subject of climate change.