vocabulary workshop unit 8: #’s 1-20
TRANSCRIPT
affluenceaffluence• (n.) wealth, riches,
prosperity; great abundance, plenty
• Synonyms: opulence
Education, hard work, and a very strong desire to succeed can raise a person from poverty to affluence.
arrearsarrears• (n., pl.) unpaid or overdue
debts; an unfinished duty
• Synonyms: in default, in the red, late, overdue
Bad spending habits and unexpected expenses left my aunt in arrears.
cascadecascade• (n.) a steep, narrow waterfall;
something falling or rushing forth in quantity
• (v.) to flow downward (like a waterfall)
• Synonyms: (v.) plunge, rush, tumble
We were thrilled when we hit the
jackpot, which produced a cascade of loudly jangling coins.I watched the clear, sparkling water cascade down the mountainside.
cringecringe• (v.) to shrink back or
hide in fear or submissiveness
• Synonym: flinch, duck, cower, fawn
My father told me to be brave and not to cringe when the doctor vaccinated me.
crotchetycrotchety• (adj.) cranky, ill-tempered;
full of odd whims• Synonyms: grumpy,
grouchy, crabby, disagreeable
It is unfortunate that the teacher asked me to work with the most crotchety partner in the class.
formatformat
• (n.) the size, shape, or arrangement of something
• Synonyms: layout, design
The clear format of the website makes it easy for users to find its key features.
immobileimmobile• (adj.) not movable; not
moving• Synonyms: fixed, stationary,
unmoving, rooted
Models must remain immobile for a long time in order for an artist to draw or paint them accurately.
impassableimpassable• (adj.) blocked so that
nothing can go through
• Synonyms: closed, impenetrable
Fallen trees formed an impassable barrier across the highway after the storm.
innovationinnovation• (n.) something new, a change; the
act of introducing a new method, idea, device, etc.
• Synonyms: novelty, modernization, new wrinkle
Our furnace has an energy-saving innovation that turns the heat on and off at certain intervals.
jovialjovial
• (adj.) good-humored, in high spirits; merry
• Synonyms: jolly, cheerful, festive
My jovial friend is very entertaining and is always the life of the party.
manaclemanacle• (n., usually pl.) a handcuff, anything
that chains or confines• (v.) to chain or restrain (as with
handcuffs) • Synonyms: (v.) put in chains, fetter
The kidnappers clamped manacles on their hostages.
The guards were told to manacle the prisoner to the chair.
martialmartial• (adj.) warlike, fond of
fighting; relating to war, the army, or military life
• Synonyms: military, hostile, bellicose
The army band plays martial music as the troops formally march past the visiting general.
minimumminimum
• (n.) the smallest possible amount
• (adj.) the lowest permissible or possible
• Synonyms: (adj.) least
I need to sleep a minimum of seven hours every night.Sixteen is the minimum age to get a driver’s license in this state.
nimblenimble• (adj.) quick and skillful in
movement, agile; clever
• Synonyms: lively, keen, flexible
As the nimble climber scaled Mount Everest, it looked as if she was barely exerting any energy at all.
onsetonset• (n.) the beginning, start
(especially of something violent and destructive); an attack, assault
• Synonyms: outset, commencement
At the onset of the heavy storm, frightened people ran to find shelter.
partitionpartition• (n.) something that divides (such
as a wall); the act of dividing something into parts or sections
• (v.) to divide or subdivide into parts or shares
• Synonyms: (n.) divider, separation
A cloth partition in the study gave each of us some privacy.
We can partition the backyard into four separate play areas.
perishableperishable
• (adj.) likely to spoil or decay
• Synonyms: short-lived, fleeting
You must keep perishable foods chilled or they will spoil.
retrieveretrieve• (v.) to find and bring back,
get back; to put right, make good
• Synonyms: recover, regain, fetch, remedy, rectify
I enjoy playing tennis, but I don’t relish having to retrieve tennis balls every time you hit them over the fence.
sinistersinister• (adj.) appearing evil or
dangerous; threatening evil or harm
• Synonyms: frightening, menacing, ominous
A sinister message left on our answering machine made us wonder if we were safe at home.
tauttaut
• (adj.) tightly drawn, tense; neat, in good order
• Synonyms: tight, strained, orderly, shipshape
A taut chain kept the curious dogs away from the swimming pool.