Grade 6 College Vocabulary, Week 19

Definition: looking worn out and exhausted, especially from worry, grief or lack of sleep.

From the reading: "Myles knew that something very serious had happened to make Sir John so pale and haggard"

Synonyms:

gaunt, drawn, careworn

Antonyms:

fresh, hale, rested

Root:Middle French hagard, "wild," a falconer's word for an untamed hawk caught as a grown bird. Its wild, staring look gave us the modern sense.

Definition: weak, slow and lacking energy, as from sickness or weariness.

From the reading: "Presently he opened his eyes and turned them, dull and languid, to the Prince."

Synonyms:

listless, sluggish, faint

Antonyms:

energetic, lively, vigorous

Root:Latin languidus, from languere, "to be faint or weak."

Definition: lying stretched out flat on the ground, face down; (also) overcome or helpless.

From the reading: "Blunt reeled half around, and then fell prostrate upon his face"

Synonyms:

flat, prone, felled

Antonyms:

upright, erect, standing

Root:Latin prostratus, from pro- "forward" + sternere "to stretch out, lay flat."

Definition: with a sideways look of doubt, distrust or disapproval.

From the reading: "He knew it by the way they eyed him askance"

Synonyms:

suspiciously, distrustfully, sidelong

Antonyms:

trustingly, approvingly, openly

Root:Middle English, origin uncertain; it has long meant "sideways, obliquely."

Definition: boldly rude and disrespectful; shamelessly lacking proper respect.

From the reading: "Thou art a bold, impudent varlet as ever lived" (the Earl, to Myles, who has spoken up for his father's honor).

KJV: "For they are impudent children and stiffhearted" (Ezekiel 2:4).

Synonyms:

insolent, brazen, cheeky

Antonyms:

respectful, courteous, meek

Root:Latin in- "not" + pudens "ashamed" (from pudere, "to make ashamed"): without shame.

Definition: Trying to look more important, grand or learned than one really is; of a building, showy and grand.

From the reading: "The Scotland Yard of Myles Falworth's day was one of the more pretentious and commodious of the palaces of the Strand."

Synonyms:

showy, affected, grandiose

Antonyms:

modest, humble, plain

Root:French prétentieux, from Latin praetendere, "to stretch forth, put forward": putting oneself forward.

Definition: more than is needed; extra and unnecessary.

From the reading: "a room bare of ornament or adornment or superfluous comfort of any sort" (the office of stern old Sir James Lee).

KJV: "For as touching the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you" (2 Corinthians 9:1).

Synonyms:

excess, needless, redundant

Antonyms:

necessary, essential, needed

Root:Latin super "over" + fluere "to flow": overflowing.

Definition: a strong dislike or disgust.

From the reading: "had a repugnance to bathing in the general tank in the open armory court in frosty weather"

Synonyms:

aversion, revulsion, distaste

Antonyms:

liking, attraction, fondness

Root:Latin re- "back, against" + pugnare "to fight": a feeling that fights back against something.

Definition: needing much hard work and effort; (of a person) hardworking.

From the reading: "of training dull, dry, laborious. For Sir James Lee was a taskmaster as hard as iron and seemingly as cold as a stone."

Synonyms:

arduous, toilsome, strenuous

Antonyms:

easy, effortless, simple

Root:Latin laboriosus, from labor, "work, toil."

Definition: the quality of being new and unusual; (also) a new or unusual thing.

From the reading: "Myles entered into his new exercises with all the enthusiasm that novelty brings"

Synonyms:

newness, freshness, originality

Antonyms:

familiarity, routine, staleness

Root:Old French novelte, from Latin novus, "new."

Definition: about to happen at any moment (usually something dangerous). Do not confuse with eminent, "famous."

From the reading: "At the sign of imminent battle, all those not actively interested scuttled away to right and left"

Synonyms:

impending, approaching, looming

Antonyms:

distant, remote, far-off

Root:Latin imminere, "to overhang, to hang over": danger hanging over one's head.

Definition: nearness in place, time or relation.

From the reading: "Every one in the proximity of such an open quarrel feels a reflected constraint"

Synonyms:

nearness, closeness, vicinity

Antonyms:

distance, remoteness

Root:Latin proximitas, from proximus, "nearest."

Definition: a loud, confused noise, especially of shouting; (verb) to demand loudly.

From the reading: "nothing was heard but the thunderous clashing and clamor of blows"

KJV: "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice" (Ephesians 4:31).

Synonyms:

din, uproar, tumult

Antonyms:

silence, quiet, hush

Root:Latin clamor, from clamare, "to cry out."

Definition: lively, overflowing energy and cheerfulness.

From the reading: "the grim, steadfast impassiveness of the tough old warrior and Myles's passionate exuberance of youth."

Synonyms:

enthusiasm, high spirits, zest

Antonyms:

gloom, dullness, apathy

Root:Latin ex- "out, thoroughly" + uberare "to be fruitful" (from uber, "rich, fertile"): bearing fruit overflowingly.

Definition: deeply and quietly thoughtful.

From the reading: "after a little pause of meditative silence"

KJV link: The blessed man is meditative toward God's Word: "But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night" (Psalm 1:2).

Synonyms:

thoughtful, reflective, contemplative

Antonyms:

thoughtless, rash, flighty

Root:Latin meditari, "to think over, consider."

Definition: acting suddenly, without careful thought.

From the reading: "It was a false and foolish generosity, partly the fault of his impulsive youth"

Synonyms:

rash, hasty, impetuous

Antonyms:

cautious, deliberate, prudent

Root:Latin impellere, "to drive on" (in- "on" + pellere "to push, drive").

Definition: various; several different.

From the reading: "sundry minstrels making a loud noise of music." (Pyle quotes an old account of a knighting.)

KJV: "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets" (Hebrews 1:1).

Synonyms:

various, assorted, diverse

Antonyms:

single, uniform, identical

Root:Old English syndrig, "separate, apart," from sundor, "apart" (as in asunder).

Definition: spoken clearly in distinct words; (of a person) able to express ideas clearly and well.

From the reading: "She gave a half-articulate cry, and rose abruptly from the bench upon which she was sitting." (Lady Alice's cry was only half formed into words.)

Synonyms:

clear, fluent, eloquent

Antonyms:

inarticulate, mumbled, garbled

Root:Latin articulus, "a small joint," from artus, "joint": speech divided cleanly at its joints into words.

Definition: meaning exactly what the words say, not as a figure of speech.

KJV link: "All the trees of the field shall clap their hands" (Isaiah 55:12). Read in a literal way, trees would have hands. Isaiah means it figuratively: creation itself will seem to rejoice.

Synonyms:

exact, word-for-word, plain

Antonyms:

figurative, metaphorical

Root:Latin litteralis, from littera, "letter": to the letter.

Definition: using words in a non-literal way, such as in simile, metaphor or personification, to make a picture or point.

KJV link: "Let the floods clap their hands: let the hills be joyful together" (Psalm 98:8). This is figurative language: the psalmist calls all creation to praise its Maker.

Synonyms:

metaphorical, symbolic, poetic

Antonyms:

literal, plain, exact

Root:Latin figurativus, from figura, "shape, form": words given a new shape.