abhor (v) to regard with horror or loathing to hate deeply

Transcription

1 Vocabulary Unit 7

2 abhor (v) to regard with horror or loathing to hate deeply Most people abhor, or hate, war, just as most children abhor broccoli, regarding it with great loathing.

3 amend (v) to change in a formal way to change for the better modify, improve or correct When we amend, or formally change, the Constitution, it is intended to improve our country or correct a wrong included in the original document.

4 buffet (v) to slap or cuff; to strike repeatedly; to drive or force with blows; to force one s way with difficulty (n) a slap or blow Hurricane force winds buffeted, or struck, the coast for hours as the storm moved on shore.

5 chaos (n) great confusion, disorder The year my son wanted a water balloon fight at his birthday party became utter chaos, or great confusion. My driveway looked like a Civil War battlefield, with crying children sprawled on the ground in hysteria.

6 commodious (adj) roomy, spacious I would give anything to have a commodious, or spacious, kitchen with plenty of counter space to prepare meals.

7 corrosive (adj) eating away at gradually, acidlike bitterly sarcastic Just like rust corrodes, or eats away at, metal, unresolved anger can be corrosive to a human being, gradually eating away at one s peace of mind and well being until there is nothing left but bitterness.

8 discern (v) to see clearly, recognize Raise your hand when you can discern, or see clearly, both a frog and a horse in this picture.

9 extant (adj) still existing; not exterminated, destroyed or lost Although land line phones, like the black one above, are rare these days, they are extant, or still existing. However, rotary phones, like the red one above, have disappeared altogether.

10 implicate (v) to involve in to connect with or be related to When people get caught in wrongdoing, they often implicate, or involve and connect, other people to their misdeeds in order to shift the blame.

11 inter (v) to bury, commit to the earth to consign to oblivion Many dogs love to inter, or bury, not only their own treasures, but anything they can find and carry outside.

12 martinet (n) a strict disciplinarian a stickler for the rules Coach Nick Saban has a reputation for being a martinet, or strict disciplinarian, when dealing with his players.

13 obviate (v) to anticipate and prevent to remove or dispose of Every morning I take a large dose of vitamin C in an attempt to obviate, or anticipate and prevent, getting sick. Too bad it didn t work over Christmas.

14 renegade (n) one who leaves a group (n) a deserter, outlaw (adj) traitorous, unconventional, unorthodox Having curly hair is a challenge; there s always one renegade curl that insists on leaving the group and facing backward like a dog hanging out a car window.

15 reprehensible (adj) deserving blame or punishment Abuse of and cruelty to animals is an especially reprehensible crime, worthy of severe punishment for offenders.

16 somber (adj) dark, gloomy depressed or melancholy in spirit Funerals are somber, or dark and melancholy, events for all involved.

17 squalid (adj) filthy, wretched, debased Many people in this world live in squalid, or filthy, conditions on a daily basis, surrounded by garbage and deprived of clean water.

18 turbulent (adj) disorderly, riotous, violent, stormy The small fishing vessel struggled to remain upright in the turbulent, or riotous and violent, waves of the stormy Gulf.

19 vociferous (adj) loud and noisy compelling attention Chihuahuas may be among the smallest of dogs, but they make up for their small stature with their vociferous, or loud and noisy, bark. No one can ignore a chihuahua determined to be the center of attention!

20 voluminous (adj) of great size numerous writing or speaking at great length As the Harry Potter series progressed, each book became more voluminous, or greater in size and length, than the previous book.

21 waive (v) to do without or give up voluntarily to put off temporarily or defer Many cell phone carriers attempt to attract first-time customers by waiving, or giving up, activation fees, making the start-up cost cheaper for the customer. You can bet they ll recoup that money in the end, though.