Grade 8 College Vocabulary, Week 32

Definition: The state of being unwilling or unable to believe something.

From the reading: "“And thou alive to tell it!” said Richard, in a tone of derisive incredulity." (The Talisman)

Synonyms:

disbelief, skepticism, doubt

Antonyms:

belief, credulity

Root:Latin incredulus, unbelieving.

Definition: The act of conquering a people or territory; something won.

From the reading: "Thus the long files marched on, and, diminished as they were by so many causes, appeared still an iron host, to whom the conquest of Palestine might seem an easy task." (The Talisman)

Synonyms:

subjugation, victory, triumph

Antonyms:

defeat

Root:Old French conquest, conqueste, French conquête, Late Latin conquistum, conquista, prop. p.p. from Latin conquirere. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: Not resulting from or achieved through deliberate planning; accidental.

From the reading: "His old dog, Pilot, lay on one side, removed out of the way, and coiled up as if afraid of being inadvertently trodden upon." (Jane Eyre)

Synonyms:

accidental, unintentional, careless

Antonyms:

deliberate, intentional

Root:Latin in-, not + advertere, to turn toward.

Definition: To feel intense dislike or disgust for.

From the reading: "Believe me, couldst thou look upon those of Europe, to whom, after Heaven, we of the order of knighthood vow fealty and devotion, thou wouldst loathe for ever the poor sensual slaves who form thy haram." (The Talisman)

KJV link: "I loathe it; I would not live alway: let me alone; for my days are vanity." (Job 7:16)

Synonyms:

detest, abhor, despise

Antonyms:

love, adore

Root:Old English (Anglo-Saxon) la to hate. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: Tedious sameness or lack of variety.

From the reading: "But he suppressed his emotion, recollecting how easily an incident so indifferent might have happened, and that it was only the uniform monotony of the movement of the choristers which made the incident in the slightest degree remarkable." (The Talisman)

Synonyms:

tedium, sameness, dullness

Antonyms:

variety

Root:Greek monos, single + tonos, tone.

Definition: A feudal lord entitled to allegiance and service; owing such allegiance.

From the reading: "We should be a babe and nurse to frighten girls with.” “We have frightened men in our time, my liege,” said De Vaux; “and, I trust, may live to frighten them again." (The Talisman)

Synonyms:

lord, sovereign, overlord

Antonyms:

vassal

Root:Old French lige, from Medieval Latin laeticus, perhaps of Germanic origin (origin uncertain): a lord owed loyal service, or his loyal vassal.

Definition: Able to perceive or feel things.

From the reading: "Say, hast thou feeling, sense, and form, Thunder thy voice, thy garments storm, As Eastern Magi say; With sentient soul of hate and wrath, And wings to sweep thy deadly path, And fangs to tear thy prey?" (The Talisman)

Synonyms:

feeling, conscious, aware

Antonyms:

insentient

Root:Latin sentiens, -entis, present participle of sentire to discern or perceive by the senses. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: To grant a title, degree, or honor; to consult together.

From the reading: "He upon whom Richard had conferred the distinction of guarding his banner was no longer an adventurer of slight note, but placed within the regard of a princess, although he was as far as ever from her level." (The Talisman)

KJV link: "And he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest: and they following Adonijah helped him." (1 Kings 1:7)

Synonyms:

bestow, grant; consult

Antonyms:

(none exact)

Root:Latin conferre to bring together, contribute, consult; con- + ferre to bear: compare French conférer. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: To come between so as to prevent or alter a result or course of events.

From the reading: "But labour and danger were doomed to intervene ere the horse or horseman reached the desired spot." (The Talisman)

Synonyms:

interfere, step in, interpose

Antonyms:

(none exact)

Root:Latin intervenire, to come between, from inter, between + venire, to come: to come between.

Definition: To recognize or point out a difference; to perceive clearly.

From the reading: "The bishop heard the doubts which De Vaux stated, with that acuteness of intelligence which distinguishes the Roman Catholic clergy." (The Talisman)

Synonyms:

differentiate, discern, tell apart

Antonyms:

confuse

Root:Latin distinguere, to mark off, from dis-, apart + stinguere, to prick: to mark apart.

Definition: Causing great horror or fear; deathly pale.

From the reading: "The sound was so ghastly that Sir Kenneth started at hearing it, and hastily demanded, in the name of God, who they were who profaned that holy place with such antic gestures and elritch exclamations." (The Talisman)

Synonyms:

grisly, gruesome, horrible

Antonyms:

pleasant

Root:Old English gastlich, gastli, fearful, causing fear, from gasten to terrify, Old English (Anglo-Saxon) gæstan. Cf. Aghast, Gast, Gaze, Ghostly. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: Tending to avoid commitment or direct answers.

From the reading: "CARBON (crimson in the face, hiding a bottle behind his back, with an evasive movement): Oh!. . ." (Cyrano de Bergerac)

Synonyms:

elusive, equivocal, indirect

Antonyms:

direct, frank

Root:Latin evadere, to escape.

Definition: To go before; to precede (often confused with forgo, to do without).

From the reading: "He paused, and could not resolve to forego an opportunity, the only one which might ever offer, to gain grace in her eyes whom he had installed as sovereign of his affections." (The Talisman)

Synonyms:

precede, go before

Antonyms:

follow

Root:. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: To be aware of something beforehand; to predict.

From the reading: "The last was not sufficient to foresee this misfortune, the former seemed ineffectual to prevent it." (The Talisman)

Synonyms:

predict, anticipate, foretell

Antonyms:

(none exact)

Root:Old English (Anglo-Saxon) foreseón; fore + seón to see. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: A person who lives a solitary life and avoids other people.

From the reading: "Still, it must be allowed that his gigantic size, the length of his unshaven locks and beard, and the fire of a deep-set and wild eye were rather attributes of a soldier than of a recluse." (The Talisman)

Synonyms:

hermit, solitary, loner

Antonyms:

socialite

Root:Latin reclus, Latin reclusus, from recludere, reclusum, to unclose, open, in Late Latin, to shut up. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: To wave or flourish something, especially a weapon, as a threat or in excitement.

From the reading: "Salisbury and his attendants were also now drawing near, with bills and partisans brandished, and bows already bended." (The Talisman)

KJV link: "Yea, I will make many people amazed at thee, and their kings shall be horribly afraid for thee, when I shall brandish my sword before them; and they shall tremble at every moment, every man for his own life, in the day of thy fall." (Ezekiel 32:10)

Synonyms:

flourish, wave

Antonyms:

(none exact)

Root:Old English braundisen, French brandir, from brand a sword, from OHG. brant brand. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: To make an unpleasant feeling less intense; to soothe or relieve.

From the reading: "A cold shudder came over the knight as he reflected what could be the foulness of the sin, what the depth of the remorse, which, apparently, such severe penance could neither cleanse nor assuage." (The Talisman)

Synonyms:

soothe, ease, allay

Antonyms:

aggravate, intensify

Root:Old English asuagen, aswagen, Old French asoagier, asuagier, from assouagier, from Latin ad + suavis sweet. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: Done by force.

From the reading: "Through this disorderly troop Richard burst his way, like a goodly ship under full sail, which cleaves her forcible passage through the rolling billows, and heeds not that they unite after her passage and roar upon her stern." (The Talisman)

KJV link: "How forcible are right words! but what doth your arguing reprove?" (Job 6:25)

Synonyms:

forced, violent, coercive

Antonyms:

gentle, voluntary

Root:Cf. Old French forcible forcible, forceable that may be forced. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: To refuse to acknowledge; to deny responsibility for.

From the reading: "He was, in other respects, a rude soldier, blunt and careless in his bearing, and taciturn--nay, almost sullen--in his habits of society, and seeming, at least, to disclaim all knowledge of policy and of courtly art." (The Talisman)

Synonyms:

renounce, disown, repudiate

Antonyms:

claim, acknowledge

Root:Anglo-French desclamer, from dis-, away + Latin clamare, to cry out: to renounce a claim.

Definition: To spread through and be perceived in every part of.

From the reading: "The love of travelling had pervaded all ranks, and carried the subjects of Britain into all quarters of the world." (The Talisman)

Synonyms:

permeate, suffuse, fill

Antonyms:

(none exact)

Root:Latin pervadere, pervasum; per + vadere to go, to walk. (Webster, 1913)