Unit 5

Word

Definition

Example

Engrossed

Giving or marked by complete attention to

The silly tutorials and goofy cast will keep children "engrossed" for hours

Poignant

Physically painful

His voice, usually a source of imitation, becomes poignant in this setting

Inundate

To cover with large amounts of water; to flood

It also provides more avenues to inundate consumers with ads

Fruitless

Useless; unproductive

This country needs wealth, not more printed money and fruitless government jobs

Garbled

Difficult to understand because it has been distorted; scrambled

Any VoIP packet out of sequence results in garbled transmissions

Sanguine

Cheerfully confident; optimistic

Will they remain sanguine when excess reserves increase to $2 trillion?

Phlegmatic

Not easily excited to action or passion; calm; sluggish

On the page, and at the table, McManus is phlegmatic at best

Corroborate

To confirm, support

The March quarter numbers are likely to strongly corroborate our thesis

Comprehensive

Broadly or completely covering; including a large proportion of something

The report is reputed to be one of the most comprehensive ratings of national competitiveness

Zealous

Full of zeal; ardent, fervent; exhibiting enthusiasm or strong passion

In 1969, Reuben was positively zealous about encouraging readers to explore new sexual frontiers

Coerce

To force to act or think in a certain way by use of pressure or intimidation

The Commission lacks powers to coerce the states and depends on persuasion

Elapse

To slip by; pass

Several years may elapse before lesions develop and before they can be clinically detected

Meticulous

Extremely careful and precise

Carey had to do meticulous research, going beyond simply reading The Great Gatsby

Domicile

A residence; a home

An elected official may only have one domicile, according to the code

Lax

Synonyms at negligent

The institute blamed game retailers for lax enforcement, citing a survey it conducted this year

Sporadic

Rare and scattered in occurrence

They've done a good job in reaching out to what we call sporadic voters

Rash

Synonyms at reckless

Dengue causes severe fevers and can lead to vomiting, nausea and body rash

Conjecture

To infer from inconclusive evidence; guess

Such conjecture is not only legitimate; it's necessary and urgent

Obviate

To do away with

In the early 1990s, some might have predicted that PCR technologies would obviate gene cloning

Lurid

Causing shock or horror; gruesome

So it wouldn't be lurid for Apple to release a new iPhone this summer

Quip

A smart sarcastic turn; a sharp or cutting jest; a severe retort; a gibe

The man was quick with a quip, which made play all the more enjoyable

Diatribe

An abusive, bitter denunciation

This diatribe is about companies with lousy customer service

Inhibition

Something that restrains, blocks, or suppresses

The mechanism of action of this drug is inhibition of virus C replication

Fortuitous

Synonyms at accidental

Her entry into the world of party crashers had been fortuitous

Incoherent

Lacking coherence or agreement; incongruous; inconsistent; not logically connected

JB has a tiny gun, and it makes him lash out in incoherent and angry ways

Ilk

Type or kind

A lead lobotomy for KSM and his ilk is almost too good for them

Prestigious

Having prestige; esteemed

NICOLA Roberts, of Girls Aloud, redefines the term prestigious in the Daily Star

Placard

A sheet of paper or cardboard with a written or printed announcement on one side for display in a public place

A stagehand stole forward and removed a placard from the rostrum that read:

Integral

Essential or necessary for completeness; constituent

Is the term integral or superfluous to the substance of these papers?

Remuneration

Something, such as a payment, that remunerates

I skimmed over the clauses regarding remuneration, extra costs and marine insurance

Nominal

Insignificantly small; trifling

Home prices are rising faster than nominal gross domestic product

Expunge

To erase or strike out

We need to expunge our great nation of these traitor

Flamboyant

Showy, bold or audacious in behaviour, appearance, etc

Twain is known for flamboyant, outrageous outfits that push the boundaries of fashion

Anathema

Something greatly detested

And of course what he had to say was anathema to a great many ears

Schism

A split or separation within a group or organization, typically caused by discord

A family schism forced her off the board by imposing age limits

Utopia

An ideally perfect place, especially in its social and moral aspects

Planetary extinction could be the penalty, but letting the proletariat enjoy Utopia is unthinkable

Timorous

Fearful, afraid, timid

In his first public adaptation Whedon is not timorous

Truncated

Cut off; cut short; maimed

Despite the truncated maternity leave, Mayer reports that everything is working out fine

Jaunty

Gay and sprightly in manner, appearance, or action; airy; also, affectedly elegant or showy

To assist a scene change, Prokofiev composed a jaunty march that lasts all of 90 seconds

Fractious

Irritable; argumentative; quarrelsome

They have had an often fractious relationship in that joint venture

Ostentatious

Showy; gaudy; intended for vain display

The performance features five identically clad bridesmaids at an ostentatious wedding reception

Importune

To ask for urgently or repeatedly

Even though his wife came to join him, he continued to importune Pip

Incontrovertible

Impossible to deny or disprove

The graph shows in incontrovertible detail how the speed of global warming has been overestimated

Surreptitious

Stealthy, furtive, well hidden, covert (especially movements)

Kate took another surreptitious look around, wishing she'd been canny enough to wear sunglasses

Haven

A shelter; an asylum; a place of safety

May we all be in haven a haft an hour before the devil knows we are dead

Subjugate

To bring under control; conquer

Don't subjugate yourself by waiting for others to act

Ultimate

Concerning the last or final thing in a series

Tonight, President Bush opens up as never before in what he calls the ultimate exit interview

Eventuate

To come out finally or in conclusion; to result; to come to pass

But the project was only written in black ink on white paper, it did not eventuate

Emit

To send out or give off

It's hard to see them if you are just looking for the optical light they emit

Subterranean

Below ground, under the earth, underground

The hotel has its own souk, a subterranean theatre and a private beach