Grade 6 College Vocabulary, Week 6

Definition: going beyond proper or reasonable limits; excessive.

From the reading: "...of which, like most little boys, he was immoderately fond..."

Synonyms:

excessive, extreme, unrestrained

Antonyms:

moderate, temperate, restrained

Root:Latin in- (not) + moderatus, "kept within measure," from modus, "measure."

Definition: causing harm or trouble, often playfully; naughty.

From the reading: "...with much warmth asked for the mischievous author..."

Synonyms:

naughty, impish, troublesome

Antonyms:

well-behaved, obedient, harmless

Root:Old French meschever, "to come to grief," from mes- (badly) + chever (to come to an end).

Definition: to happen to someone or something, usually something bad.

From the reading: "...finding out what had befallen his tree..."

Synonyms:

happen to, overtake, betide

Antonyms:

(none exact) spare, pass by

Root:Old English befeallan, "to fall upon," from be- (upon) + feallan (to fall).

Definition: To walk or stand unsteadily, as if about to fall; to shock or overwhelm someone (adjective: staggering).

From the reading: "This was a tough question, and George staggered under it for a moment..."

Synonyms:

totter, reel, waver; (second sense) astonish, overwhelm

Antonyms:

stand firm, steady; (second sense) bore, underwhelm

Root:Old Norse stakra, "to push, to totter."

Definition: too great or too deep to be put into words.

From the reading: "...with the sweet face of youth brightened with the inexpressible charm of all-conquering truth..."

Synonyms:

indescribable, unspeakable, ineffable

Antonyms:

expressible, describable, ordinary

Root:Latin in- (not) + exprimere, "to press out" (ex- "out" + premere "to press"): what cannot be pressed out into words.

Definition: a short story about a person, often told to show character; (on college tests, "anecdotal evidence" means proof that rests on stories, not on careful records).

From the reading: "A short story about a person, often told to show character." (the lesson's own definition)

Context: The cherry tree story is an anecdote. It shows honesty well, but it rests on one late, unnamed witness.

Synonyms:

tale, story, account

Antonyms:

(as evidence) record, documentation

Root:Greek anekdota, "things not published," from an- (not) + ekdotos (given out).

Definition: able to be believed; trustworthy.

Context: A letter or diary from Washington's boyhood would be a credible witness, but no such record tells of the hatchet.

Synonyms:

believable, plausible, reliable

Antonyms:

incredible, doubtful, implausible

Root:Latin credibilis, from credere, "to believe" (as in creed).

Definition: To decorate or make beautiful; to add details to a story to make it more interesting, even if they are not true.

Context: A good refutation asks whether a storyteller has embellished the facts, but it stays fair to the storyteller and to the man in the story.

Synonyms:

adorn, decorate; (second sense) exaggerate, elaborate

Antonyms:

simplify, strip; (second sense) understate

Root:Old French embellir, from en- (make) + bel (beautiful).

Definition: an outward appearance, often one put on to hide the truth; a disguise.

From the reading: "Odysseus in the guise of a beggar said..."

Synonyms:

appearance, disguise, semblance

Antonyms:

reality, true form

Root:Old French guise, "manner, way," from a Germanic word related to wise ("in no wise").

Definition: the outward look or form of something, especially when the reality is different.

From the reading: "Even as she spoke she changed from the semblance of a young man..."

Synonyms:

appearance, likeness, show

Antonyms:

reality, substance, essence

Root:Old French sembler, "to seem," from Latin similis, "like."

Definition: to plan or invent something, often cleverly.

From the reading: "And then Odysseus devised the means by which we took Priam's city..."

KJV: "A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps" (Proverbs 16:9).

Synonyms:

invent, contrive, plan

Antonyms:

(none exact) copy, imitate

Root:Old French deviser, "to divide, arrange," from Latin dividere, "to divide."

Definition: firm determination to do or not to do something.

From the reading: "...hard in his resolve not to help Agamemnon's men..."

Synonyms:

determination, firmness, purpose

Antonyms:

hesitation, indecision, weakness

Root:Latin resolvere, "to loosen, settle," from re- (again) + solvere (to loosen).

Definition: payment or reward given to make up for loss, harm or effort; to pay back.

From the reading: "You who are captains must give me a recompense..." (Agamemnon to the Greek council)

KJV: "Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men" (Romans 12:17).

Synonyms:

compensation, repayment, reward

Antonyms:

penalty, loss, forfeit

Root:Latin re- (back) + compensare (to weigh one thing against another).

Definition: very serious, painful or harmful.

From the reading: "...to bring the grievous tidings to the hut of Achilles."

KJV: "A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger" (Proverbs 15:1).

Synonyms:

severe, painful, dreadful

Antonyms:

slight, trivial, mild

Root:Old French grevos, from grever, "to burden," from Latin gravis, "heavy."

Definition: great suffering, or the cause of it.

From the reading: "...endured afflictions away from thy friends."

KJV: "Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all" (Psalm 34:19).

Synonyms:

suffering, hardship, misfortune

Antonyms:

comfort, relief, blessing

Root:Latin affligere, "to strike down," from ad- (against) + fligere (to strike).

Definition: Wealth or property; the real, important part of something, as opposed to its outward show (the test sense: "an argument of substance").

From the reading: "...the wooers who waste the substance of our house..."

Synonyms:

wealth, goods; (second sense) essence, core, reality

Antonyms:

poverty; (second sense) appearance, semblance, show

Root:Latin substantia, "that which stands under," from sub- (under) + stare (to stand).

Definition: the act of misleading someone by lying or trickery.

KJV: "Deceit is in the heart of them that imagine evil: but to the counsellors of peace is joy" (Proverbs 12:20).

Context: Odysseus's beggar's rags were a deceit used against his enemies; young George, in the legend, would use no deceit at all.

Synonyms:

deception, dishonesty, fraud

Antonyms:

honesty, truthfulness, candor

Root:Old French deceite, from Latin decipere, "to ensnare, cheat" (de- "from" + capere "to take").

Definition: something hateful and disgusting; a thing that rightly causes loathing.

KJV: "Lying lips are abomination to the LORD: but they that deal truly are his delight" (Proverbs 12:22).

Synonyms:

horror, outrage, disgrace

Antonyms:

delight, joy, blessing

Root:Latin abominari, "to shun as an ill omen," from ab- (away from) + omen.

Definition: the quality of being honest and genuine, without pretending.

KJV: "Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth" (Joshua 24:14).

Synonyms:

honesty, genuineness, earnestness

Antonyms:

hypocrisy, pretense, insincerity

Root:Latin sincerus, "pure, whole, unmixed."

Definition: open, honest frankness in speech, even when the truth is hard.

Context: A fair refutation speaks with candor: it says the cherry tree story is a legend, and it says just as plainly that Washington's honesty was real.

Synonyms:

frankness, openness, honesty

Antonyms:

deceit, evasiveness, guile

Root:Latin candor, "whiteness, brightness," from candere, "to shine" (as in candle).