Vocabulary Unit 7Level D

1. Adieu

• (int.) “farewell”; (n.) a farewellAs my friends boarded the airplane, I waned and shouted, “ADIEU! Have a safe trip.”When the hour grew late, the last of the dinner guests made their ADIEUS to their gracious hosts.

Synonyms: “so long” good-byeAntonyms: “Hello”; greeting

2. Advent

• (n.) an arrival; a coming into place or viewThe ADVENT of spring is particularly welcome after a long, harsh winter.

Synonym: approachAntonyms: departure, going away, exodus

3. Apex

• (n.) the highest point, tipIf you want to reach the APEX of the Washington Monument, you can take the stairs or the elevator. Synonyms: peak, summit, acme, crowning point

Antonyms: bottom, nadir

4. Assimilate

• (v.) to absorb fully or make one’s own; to adopt as one’s own; to adapt fully

A well-read person ASSIMILATES knowledge of a wide range of subjects.Synonyms: digest, incorporate, blend inAntonyms: exclude, misunderstanding, misinterpret

5. Bogus

• (adj.) false, counterfeitCashiers receive special training so that they will be able to identify BOGUS currency.

Synonyms: phony, fake, spuriousAntonyms: genuine, authentic

6. Exorbitant

• (adj.) unreasonably high; excessiveManagement rejected the union’s demands for higher wages and better benefits as EXORBITANT.

Synonyms: extreme, inordinate, overpricedAntonyms: inexpensive, affordable, reasonable

7. Interim• (n.) the time between; (adj.) temporary, coming

between two points in timeIn the INTERIM between landing and takeoff, the ground crew cleaned and refueled the plane.The team played will under an INTERIM coach for the final three months of the season.Synonyms: interval, interlude; provisional, stopgap

8. Inundate

• (v.) to flood, overflow; to overwhelm by numbers or size

Torrential rains and high tides INUNDATED the streets of the seaside community.

Synonyms: submerge, deluge, swampAntonym: underwhelm

9. Malign• (v.) to speak evil of, slander; (adj.) evilIn every office, there are gossips who are only too willing to MALIGN their coworkers.The main character reveals his MALIGN motives to the audience.Synonyms: defame, vilify, badmouth; wickedAnt: praise, commend; kind, benevolent

10. Meander• (v.) to wander about, wind about; (n.) a sharp

turn or twistWhen I travel, I like to MEANDER through unfamiliar towns.Lombard Street in San Francisco is famous for its many MEANDERS.

Synonyms: ramble, roam, zigzag, twistAntonyms: stay, direct, straighten

11. Metropolis

• (n.) a large city; the chief city of an areaArcheologists have learned much about the Mayans from the ruins of the METROPOLIS.

Synonyms: large urban centerAntonyms: hamlet, village

12. Momentous

• (adj) very importantA MOMENTOUS decision by the Supreme Court in 1954 declared public school segregation unconstitutional.Synonyms: consequential, weighty, portentous

Antonyms: inconsequential, trivial, slight, unimportant

13. Obstreperous

• (adj.) noisy; unruly, disorderlyOur teacher will not tolerate OBSTREPEROUS behavior in the classroom.

Synonyms: wild, rowdy, uncontrolled, riotousAntonyms: quiet, well-behaved, docile

14. Pensive

• (adj.) thoughtful; melancholyWe admired the skill with which the artist captured the child’s PENSIVE expression.

Synonyms: dreamy, reflective, contemplative, wistful

Antonyms: negligent, ignorant, shallow

15. Perilous

• (adj.) dangerousEpisodes of old-time movie serials usually ended with the hero or heroine in PERILOUS circumstances.

Synonyms: risky, chancy, hazardous, unsafeAntonyms: safe, secure, harmless

16. Shoddy

• (adj.) of poor quality; characterized by inferior workmanship

That designer watch I bought from a street vendor turned out to be a SHODDY knockoff.

Synonyms: flimsy, cheap, tacky, imitativeAntonyms: well-made, solid, durable, superior

17. Sprightly

• (adj.) lively, full of life; spicy, flavorfulThough Grandmother is well into her eighties, she is still as SPRIGHTLY as a teenager.

Synonyms: frisky, peppy, spirited, animated, buoyant

Antonyms: sullen, spiritless, dull, morose, sluggish

18. Surly

• (adj.) angry and bad-tempered; rudePassengers stranded in an airport because their flight is canceled may become quite SURLY.Synonyms: gruff, sullen, cranky, grouchy, hostileAntonyms: polite, gracious, civil, friendly, genial

19. Tirade

• (n.) a long, angry speech, usually very criticalThe dictator’s televised TIRADE against his opponents lasted for four hours.

Synonyms: harangue, diatribe, tongue-lashingAntonyms: praise, calm, harmony

20. Vagrant• (n.) an idle wanderer, tramp; (adj.) wandering

aimlesslyDuring the Great Depression, many people lost everything and were forced to live as VAGRANTS.Advertisers continually vie with one another to capture the VAGRANT attention of fickle consumers.Synonyms: drifter, vagabond, hobo, nomadAntonyms: stay-at-home, homebody, resident