Week 7  5/9

 

1.      Creditable (adj.)

Meaning: good enough to be praised

Antonyms: censurable, discreditable, illaudable

Synonyms: commendable, admirable, estimable, laudable, meritorious, praiseworthy

Sample sentence: <a creditable effort, even if it didn't succeed completely>

 

2.      Criteria (n.)

Meaning: something that is used as a reason for making a judgment or decision

Synonyms: bar, barometer, benchmark, standard, gold standard, grade, mark, measure, metric, par, touchstone, yardstick

Sample sentence: What were the criteria used to choose the winner?

 

3.      Dismiss (v.)

Meaning 1: to decide not to think about or consider (something or someone)

Meaning 2: to send (someone) away : to cause or allow (someone) to leave

Meaning 3: to officially make (someone) leave a job : to end the employment or service of (someone)

Antonyms: employ, engage, hire, retain, sign (up or on), take on

Synonyms: out, pink-slip, release, remove, retire, sack, terminate

Sample sentence: The students were dismissed early because of the snowstorm.

 

4.      Extraterrestrial (n.)

Meaning: coming from or existing outside the planet Earth

 

5.      Orbit (n.) (v.)

Meaning 1: the bony socket of the eye

Meaning 2: to travel around (something, such as a planet or moon) in a curved path : to make an orbit around (something)

Synonyms: circle, circuit, circumnavigate, circumvent, compass, girdle, encircle, ring, round

Sample sentence: The satellites orbit at different heights.

 

6.      Wobble (v.) (n.)

Meaning 1: to move with an unsteady side-to-side motion

Meaning 2: to be or become unsteady or unsure

Antonyms: dive (in), plunge (in)

Synonyms: agitate, bucket, convulse, jerk, jiggle, joggle, jolt, jounce

Sample sentence: They have been wobbling in their support of the president's policies.

 

7.      Skepticism (n.)

Meaning: an attitude of doubting the truth of something (such as a claim or statement)

Antonyms: assurance, belief, certainty, certitude, confidence, conviction, sureness, surety, trust

Synonyms: incertitude, misdoubt, misgiving, mistrust, mistrustfulness, query, reservation, doubt, suspicion, uncertainty

Sample sentence: It's good to maintain a healthy skepticism about fad diets.

 

8.      Amateur (n.)

Meaning 1: a person who does something (such as a sport or hobby) for pleasure and not as a job

Meaning 2: a person who does something poorly : a person who is not skillful at a job or other activity

Antonyms: authority, expert, pro, professional, specialist

Synonyms: dabbler, dilettante, hobbyist, layman, nonprofessional, tinkerer

Sample sentence: These photos were taken by both amateurs and professionals.

 

9.      Probe (n.) (v.)

Meaning 1: a careful examination or investigation of something

Meaning 2: a thin, long instrument that is used especially for examining parts of the body

Meaning 3: to ask a lot of questions in order to find secret or hidden information about someone or something

Meaning 4: to touch or reach into (something) by using your finger, a long tool, etc., in order to see or find something

Meaning 5: to look into or examine (something) carefully

Synonyms: delve (into), dig (into), examine, inquire (into), investigate, look (into), explore, research

Sample sentence: The FBI probe did not produce any new evidence.

 

10.  Planetarium (n.)

Meaning: a building or room in which images of stars, planets, etc., are shown on a high, curved ceiling

 

11.  Loophole

Meaning:

Antonyms:

Synonyms:

Sample sentence:

 

12.  Fundamental (adj.) (n.)

Meaning 1: forming or relating to the most important part of something

Meaning 2: of or relating to the basic structure or function of something

Meaning 3: one of the basic and important parts of something : a fundamental part

Antonyms: advanced

Synonyms: abecedarian, basal, basic, beginning, elemental, essential, elementary, introductory, meat-and-potatoes, rudimental, rudimentary, underlying

Sample sentence: There's a fundamental difference between these two political parties.

 

13.  Threshold (n.)

Meaning 1: a piece of wood, metal, or stone that forms the bottom of a door and that you walk over as you enter a room or building

Meaning 2: the point or level at which something begins or changes

Antonyms: close, conclusion, end, ending, omega

Synonyms: brink, cusp, edge, point, verge

Sample sentence: If your income rises above a certain threshold, your tax rate also rises.

 

14.  Stab (n.) (v.)

Meaning 1: a wound made by a pointed weapon (such as a knife)

Meaning 2: a sudden, strong feeling of physical or emotional pain

Meaning 3: an attempt to do something successfully

Meaning 4: to wound (someone or something) with a pointed weapon (such as a knife)

Meaning 5: to quickly or suddenly push a pointed object into or toward someone or something

Synonyms: gore, harpoon, jab, lance, peck, pick, pierce, pink, puncture, run through, skewer, spear, spike, spit, impale, stick, transfix, transpierce

Sample sentence: The victim was stabbed in the chest five times.

 

15.  Blade (n.) (v.)

Meaning 1: the flat sharp part of a weapon or tool that is used for cutting

Meaning 2: one of the flat spinning parts that are used on some machines to push air or water

Meaning 3: the wide flat part of an oar or paddle

Synonyms: sword, brand, steel

Sample sentence: <dueled with blades rather than guns>

 

16.  Aorta (n.)

Meaning: the large artery that brings blood from the heart to the rest of the body

 

17.  Artery (n.)

Meaning 1: any one of the tubes that carry blood from the heart to all parts of the body

Meaning 2: a large road, river, railroad line, etc.

Synonyms: arterial, way, avenue, boulevard, carriageway [British], drag, drive, expressway, freeway, high road, highway, pass, pike, road, roadway, route, row, street

Sample sentence: He favors local side roads over major arteries.

 

18.  Telegram (n.)

Meaning: a message that is sent by telegraph

 

19.  Conscience (n.)

Meaning 1: the part of the mind that makes you aware of your actions as being either morally right or wrong

Meaning 2: a feeling that something you have done is morally wrong

Sample sentence: The thief must have had an attack of conscience, because he returned the wallet with nothing missing from it.

 

20.  Rally (n.) (v.)

Meaning 1: a public meeting to support or oppose someone or something

Meaning 2: finance : an increase in price or value after a decrease in price or value

Meaning 3: sports : an occurrence in which a team or player that has been behind or playing badly begins to play well

Synonyms: marshaling (also marshalling), mobilization, rallying, call to arms

Sample sentence: Protesters staged an antiwar rally.

 

21.  Longevity (n.)

Meaning 1: long life : the fact of living for many years

Meaning 2: length of life

Meaning 3: the length of time that something or someone lasts or continues

Sample sentence: Better medical treatment has led to greater longevity.

 

22.  Engulf (v.)

Meaning: : to flow over and cover (someone or something)

Antonyms: drain

Synonyms: deluge, drown, flood, gulf, inundate, overflow, overwhelm, submerge, submerse, swamp

Sample sentence: The valley was engulfed in a thick fog.

 

23.  Inextricable (adj.)

Meaning: impossible to separate : closely joined

Sample sentence: He argues that there is an inextricable link between poverty and poor health

 

24.  Pledge (n.) (v.)

Meaning 1: a serious promise or agreement

Meaning 2: a promise to give money

Meaning 3: something that you leave with another person as a way to show that you will keep your promise

Meaning 4: to formally promise to give or do (something)

Meaning 5: to cause (someone) to formally promise something

Meaning 6: to give (something) as a way to show that you will keep your promise to someone

Synonyms: commit, engage, mortgage, troth

Sample sentence: Her family pledged $100,000 toward the construction of a new school.

 

25.  Lodge (v.) (n.)

Meaning 1: to provide (someone) with a place to stay for a short period of time

Meaning 2: to stay at a place for a short period of time

Meaning 3: to become stuck or fixed in a specified place or position

Meaning 4: a house or hotel in the country or mountains for people who are doing some outdoor activity

Meaning 5: the place where a beaver lives

Meaning 6: a local group that is part of a larger organization

Synonyms: auberge, caravansary (or caravanserai), hospice, hostel, hostelry, inn, hotel, public house, tavern

Sample sentence: He's a member of a Masonic lodge.