Grade 9 College Vocabulary, Week 27

Definition: The quality of being believable or trustworthy.

From the reading: "Theon’s three virtues of narration (clarity, conciseness, credibility) come from his Progymnasmata, chapter on narrative." (the lesson)

Synonyms:

believability, trustworthiness, reliability

Antonyms:

incredibility

Root:Cf. French cr. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: To cause to be loved or liked.

From the reading: "Anyhow, sight of her in that place, so endeared by recollection, would be to him a pleasure next to finding the objects of his solicitude." (Ben-Hur)

Synonyms:

commend, attract, charm

Antonyms:

alienate

Root:en-, to make + dear (Old English deore, precious): to make dear.

Definition: Tending to find and call attention to faults.

From the reading: "Those who remained yawned, talked, gossiped, consulted their tablets, and, all distinctions else forgotten, merged into but two classes—the winners, who were happy, and the losers, who were grum and captious." (Ben-Hur)

Synonyms:

faultfinding, carping, hypercritical

Antonyms:

uncritical

Root:French captieux, Latin captiosus. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: Given to sudden and unaccountable changes of mood or behavior.

From the reading: "Presently he would be in the presence of Iras; she was waiting for him; waiting with song and story and badinage, sparkling, fanciful, capricious—with smiles which glorified her glance, and glances which lent voluptuous suggestion to her whisper." (Ben-Hur)

Synonyms:

fickle, unpredictable, whimsical

Antonyms:

steady, predictable

Root:Cf. French capricleux, Italian capriccioso. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: Able to be perceived or recognized.

From the reading: "Every rib in the round body was discernible; yet the leanness was the healthful reduction so strained after in the palaestrae." (Ben-Hur)

Synonyms:

perceptible, visible, detectable

Antonyms:

imperceptible

Root:Latin discernere, to separate.

Definition: Having or showing great authority; masterly.

From the reading: "Further, the habit is, I know, to think and speak of Jerusalem as Israel, which may be likened to our finding an embroidered shred, and holding it up as a magisterial robe of Cæsar’s." (Ben-Hur)

Synonyms:

authoritative, commanding, masterly

Antonyms:

submissive, undignified

Root:Latin magisterius magisterial. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: To become noticeable in an unwelcome way; to impose oneself.

From the reading: "But the silence would obtrude itself: he listened even as he looked at the pretty object—he listened, but there was not a sound; the palace was still as a tomb." (Ben-Hur)

Synonyms:

intrude, impose, thrust

Antonyms:

(none exact)

Root:Latin obtrudere, obtrusum; ob (see Ob-) + trudere to thrust. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: Not capable of being separated.

From the reading: "And still Ben-Hur’s eyes climbed on and up—up over the roof of the Temple, to the hill Zion, consecrated to sacred memories, inseparable from the anointed kings." (Ben-Hur)

Synonyms:

indivisible, inextricable

Antonyms:

separable

Root:Latin inseparabilis: compare French inséparable. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: A pause or gap in a sequence or activity.

From the reading: "In all reflection about it heretofore there had been one hiatus which he had not been able to bridge or fill up—one so broad he could see but vaguely to the other side of it." (Ben-Hur)

Synonyms:

break, pause, interruption

Antonyms:

(none exact)

Root:Latin, from hiare, hiatum, to gape; akin to English yawn. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: Deserving or inciting pity.

From the reading: "As they were leading him off, he broke away and kissed my feet, and, by piteous dumb imploration, insisted I should go with him; and I went." (Ben-Hur)

Synonyms:

pitiful, pathetic, wretched

Antonyms:

fortunate

Root:Old English pitous, Old French pitos, French piteux. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: To be a sign or warning that something, especially something momentous or calamitous, is likely to happen.

From the reading: "Messala, on the perilous edge of the goal, heard, but dared not look to see what the awakening portended." (Ben-Hur)

Synonyms:

foreshadow, presage, bode

Antonyms:

(none exact)

Root:Latin portendere, to stretch forward, from pro-, forth + tendere, to stretch: to point ahead as an omen.

Definition: Exercising power in a cruel or arbitrary way.

From the reading: "From her love, O, reader!—her mother-love, which, if thou wilt observe well, hath this unlikeness to any other love: tender to the object, it can be infinitely tyrannical to itself, and thence all its power of self-sacrifice." (Ben-Hur)

Synonyms:

despotic, oppressive, dictatorial

Antonyms:

submissive, democratic

Root:Greek tyrannos, an absolute ruler + -ical: like a cruel ruler.

Definition: To make equal or uniform.

From the reading: "The line was stretched for the purpose of equalizing the start." (Ben-Hur)

Synonyms:

level, even, balance

Antonyms:

(none exact)

Root:Cf. French égaliser. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: The action of achieving something; an accomplishment.

From the reading: "The drill-masters in the great camp accepted me as a scholar, and were proud of my attainments in their line." (Ben-Hur)

Synonyms:

achievement, accomplishment, acquisition

Antonyms:

(none exact)

Root:Old French ataindre, from Latin attingere, to touch upon (ad-, to + tangere, to touch) + -ment: a reaching of a goal.

Definition: Worthy of being recommended or suggested; prudent or wise.

From the reading: "In view of the future, it was advisable to keep himself in hiding from the authorities, particularly the Romans." (Ben-Hur)

Synonyms:

wise, prudent, sensible

Antonyms:

inadvisable

Root:Old French aviser, to look at, from Latin ad-, to + visum, seen (videre, to see) + -able: wise to do.

Definition: The quality of being magnificent or splendid or grand; splendid or imposing in size or appearance.

From the reading: "Standing in the shade of the dull passage, and looking through the doorway, he beheld the atrium of a Roman house, roomy and rich to a fabulous degree of magnificence." (Ben-Hur)

KJV link: "So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at nought; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth." (Acts 19:27)

Synonyms:

splendor, grandeur, majesty

Antonyms:

(none exact)

Root:French magnificence, Latin magnificentia. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: A natural inclination.

From the reading: "“And how splendid his chariot!” replies a neighbor, of the same proclivities." (Ben-Hur)

Synonyms:

propensity, inclination, tendency

Antonyms:

aversion

Root:Latin proclivitas: compare French proclivité. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: Frivolous banter.

From the reading: "Presently he would be in the presence of Iras; she was waiting for him; waiting with song and story and badinage, sparkling, fanciful, capricious—with smiles which glorified her glance, and glances which lent voluptuous suggestion to her whisper." (Ben-Hur)

Synonyms:

banter, raillery

Antonyms:

(none exact)

Root:French, from badiner to joke, Old French to trifle, be silly, from badin silly. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: A flattering or pleasing statement or action used to persuade.

From the reading: "The blandishments of Rome were not for me." (Ben-Hur)

Synonyms:

flattery, cajolery, coaxing

Antonyms:

(none exact)

Root:Cf. Old French blandissement. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: Not worth considering.

From the reading: "“Well, give me now the fixing of the amount.” “With reserve, if the amount be trifling, have thy will,” answered Sanballat." (Ben-Hur)

Synonyms:

trivial, negligible, paltry

Antonyms:

important, weighty

Root:trifle (Old French trufle, a mockery or trick, origin uncertain) + -ing: of little worth.