level E Unit 13-15 Choosing the Right Word – Flashcards
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Mistaking the (*SEDATE, STENTORIAN*) backfire of the truck for a sudden burst of gunfire, we ducked behind a parked car for safety.
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stentorian
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They were so (*EXUBERANT, INNOCUOUS*) in their praise that I soon began to suspect either their judgment or their sincerity.
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exuberant
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Someone's most valuable (*PROWESS, ASSET*) may be the ability to analyze complex problems quickly and competently.
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asset
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What good does it do to include all those (*STIPULATIONS, FACSIMILES*) in the agreement if there are no provisions for enforcing them?
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stipulations
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It does little good to feel (*DECORUM, COMPASSION*) for those less fortunate that ourselves if we are not willing to make sacrifices to help them.
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compassion
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Although he was (*BESET, IMBIBED*) by creditors, a tough employer, and medical problems, he never seemed to lose his zest for living.
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beset
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His (*PROWESS, DURESS*) as a speaker and debater quickly made him one of the leading figures in the Senate.
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prowess
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My study of astronomy gave me a sense of the (*INFINITESIMAL, EXUBERANT*) importance of human beings and their tiny planet in a boundless universe.
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infinitesimal
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In this synthetic world of ours, I sometimes wonder if my life is genuine or just a(n) (*ULTIMATUM, FACSIMILE*) of the real thing.
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facsimile
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Some of the lessons that we learned during the Great Depression are (*IMPLACABLE, APPLICABLE*) to our economic problems today.
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applicable
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Her sense of (*COMPASSION, DECORUM*) is so strict that she often makes other people feel stiff and uncomfortable.
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decorum
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"Here's the (*ULTIMATUM, ANTIPATHY*)," said Father, "Pass all your courses, or forget about attending the senior prom."
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ultimatum
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The authorities suspected that the hostage's statement was made not voluntarily but under (*DURESS, PATENT*).
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duress
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The politician's poor showing in the polls and the failure of her fund-raising efforts (*MILITATED, STIPULATED*) against her entering the presidential race.
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militated
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The tough leadership we need in this new century will not come from uncertain and (*APPLICABLE, INNOCUOUS*) personalities.
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innocuous
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The mistake in identification was so (*PATENT, INFINITESIMAL*) that the suspect was released with the apologies of the arresting officer
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patent
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Without actually understanding much of what the speaker was saying, the audience seemed to (*IMBIBE, BESET*) her optimism and vigor.
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imbibe
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A person's modest and (*STENTORIAN, SEDATE*) appearance may mask an iron determination and a sharp temper.
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sedate
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You are in deep trouble if you combine a strong taste for high living with an equally strong (*antipathy, asset) for hard work.
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antipathy
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As he watched his house go up in flames, he felt that he was the victim of an (*INNOCUOUS, IMPLACABLE*) fate.
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implacable
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With deep (*PANDEMONIUM, CHAGRIN*), I must confess that I was the one who neglected to hire the orchestra for the class dance.
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chagrin
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After a lot of persuading, our parents (*REPRESSED, CONCURRED*) in out plan to make a bicycle tour of New England.
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concurred
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I was startled not so much by your disapproval of my proposal as by the (*FRACAS, VEHEMENCE*) with which you denounced it.
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vehemence
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Some people seem to relish every (*SAVORY, SOMNOLENT*) morsel of gossip that comes their way.
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savory
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Some politicians are more (*ZEALOUS, VOLUBLE*) in promoting their own careers than in seeking to help the people who elected them.
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zealous
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Why is it that some people are so talkative about most things but so (*COMPLACENT, RETICENT*) about their own personal background?
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reticent
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We all have impulses to violence, but we must learn to (*REPRESS, CONCUR*) them if we are to live in a civilized society.
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repress
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The (*RECEPTIVE, COMPLACENT*) expression on the antique doll's porcelain face seemed to proclaim "All's right with the world."
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complacent
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It's not surprising that after so many years of military service, he has found it difficult to become (*ACCLIMATED, VEHEMENT*) to civilian life.
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acclimated
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A (*FRACAS, CHAGRIN*) between rival groups on the floor of the convention was swiftly quelled by security guards.
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fracas
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Mr. Sanderson is usually a man of very few words, but he was certainly (*ABRASIVE, VOLUBLE*) when we asked him about his operation.
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voluble
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Lacking a positive program of his own, he oped to gain the support of the voters by (*EXPLICATING; DEFAMING*) the other candidates.
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defaming
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Gloria's kind words put me in such a (*RECEPTIVE, SAVORY*) frame of mind that I agreed to work on the committee before I knew what I was doing.
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receptive
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He has a good deal of ability, but his (*ZEALOUS, ABRASIVE*) personality has prevented him from getting ahead in the business world.
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abrasive
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In unforgettable words, the prophet Micah called on men to (*ACCLIMATE, RENOUNCE*) the use of armed force.
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renounce
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After spending a month in the country, we could the sounds of rush-hour traffic in the big city more (*RAUCOUS, GROTESQUE*) than ever
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raucous
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(*PANDEMONIUM, DEFAMATION*) erupted when the nervous theater manager announced to the waiting crowd that the rock concert was canceled.
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pandemonium
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Will I ever again sleep as deeply as I did on those deliciously (*SOMNOLENT, RAUCOUS*) afternoons on that hot, quiet beach?
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somnolent
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The figures in the surrealistic painting that the (*GROTESQUE, RETICENT*) appearance of characters in a nightmare.
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grotesque
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For centuries scholars have argued over how to (*EXPLICATE, RENOUNCE*) certain cryptic passengers is Shakespeare's plays and poems.
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explicate
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whet
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The cake was delicious, but the serving was so small that it did little more than (elucidate, whet) my appetite.
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laud
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I see no reason to (laud, disparage) him in such glowing terms for doing no more than his duty.
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dissonant
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Observers doubted that any coalition composed of such (magnanimous, dissonant) factions could long refrain from petty infighting.
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elucidate
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Reporters asked the mayor to (elucidate, alleviate) her ambiguous remarks about her plans to seek higher office.
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loll
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Would you rather (rescind, loll) in the back seat of a chauffeured limousine or drive your own convertible.
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phlegmatic
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Only an unusually phlegmatic, vivacious) person could have remained calm in the face of such provocation.
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magnanimous
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Churchill told the British to be resolute in war, defiant in defeat, and (magnanimous, loquacious) in victory.
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disparage
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There must be a serious flaw in the character of those who have a constant need to (laud, disparage) others.
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alacrity
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Edna pretended to be indifferent about going to the dance but i noticed that she accepted Harry's invitation with (antithesis, alacrity).
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mandatory
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In the fight against air pollution, many states have made filtering devices (mandatory,droll) for all cars sold within their borders.
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alleviate
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The only truly effective way to (alleviate, appall) the poverty of developing nations is to help increase their capacity to produce wealth.
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vivacious
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Her manner of speaking is so (phlegmatic, vivacious) that even her most commonplace remarks seem to suggest charm and excitement
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bellicose
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Although Americans are not (bellicose, mandatory) people, they have proven themselves prepared to defend their nation at any cost.
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edict
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The expression "What goes up must come down" might be termed an (alacrity, edict) of nature.
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loquacious
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It is sometimes said that women are more (loquacious, bellicose) then men, but all the men I know do their full share of talking.
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appalled
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What (appalled, lolled) us even more than the fearful living conditions was the fact that the refugees seemed to have lost all hope
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droll
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His jokes were actually not too good, but his (nondescript, droll) manner of delivering them made a big hit with the audience.
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rescind
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Because of the incidents that occurred during hazing week, the school may (whet, rescind) the rules that allow fraternity initiations.
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antithesis
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In the eyes of such leaders as Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr., violence is the very (edict, antithesis) of a civilized society.
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nondescript
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The houses in that development are a mixture of (dissonant, nondescript) styles, with no particular architectural character or distinguishing features.
