Grade 9 College Vocabulary, Week 28

Definition: Deserving of esteem and respect.

From the reading: "Thou hast taught me but now that there are others vastly more estimable waiting me here in Judea; and”—she turned away, looking back over her shoulder—“I will go get them." (Ben-Hur)

Synonyms:

admirable, honorable, worthy

Antonyms:

contemptible

Root:French estimable, or Latin aestimabilis. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: Knobbly, rough, and twisted, especially with age.

From the reading: "Ben-Hur knew there was nothing in the place but old gnarled trees, the grass, and a trough hewn out of a rock for the treading of oil after the fashion of the country." (Ben-Hur)

Synonyms:

gnarly, knotted, knotty

Antonyms:

straight

Root:gnarl, a knot in wood (from Middle English knar, a knot) + -ed: knotted and twisted.

Definition: To gradually spread through or over.

From the reading: "At the conclusion he raised his suffused eyes in thanksgiving and prayer." (Ben-Hur)

Synonyms:

permeate, pervade, spread

Antonyms:

(none exact)

Root:Latin suffusus, p.p. of suffundere to overspread; sub under + fundere to pour. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: Dark-complexioned.

From the reading: "After a little a swarthy Arab came up leading two horses; at a sign from Ben-Hur he also drew out." (Ben-Hur)

Synonyms:

dusky, dark, sun-browned

Antonyms:

pale, fair

Root:. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: Capable of being overlooked; easily excused or forgiven.

From the reading: "I heard her say, speaking of him yesterday, ‘The follies of youth are excusable; nothing is admirable in the aged except wisdom, and when that goes from them, they should die.’ A cruel speech, fit for a Roman." (Ben-Hur)

Synonyms:

forgivable, pardonable, venial

Antonyms:

inexcusable

Root:Latin excusabilis: compare French excusable. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: Having a cheerful, lively, and self-confident air; having a sophisticated charm.

From the reading: "BOOK SEVENTH “And, waking, I beheld her there Sea-dreaming in the moted air, A siren lithe and debonair, With wristlets woven of scarlet weeds, And oblong lucent amber beads Of sea-kelp shining in her hair.” THOMAS BAILEY ALDRICH." (Ben-Hur)

Synonyms:

suave, urbane, charming

Antonyms:

uncouth

Root:Old French de bon aire, of good disposition (Latin de bona area, of good stock): gracious and charming.

Definition: Take the place or move into the position of.

From the reading: "Out of that vast tomb Christianity issued to supersede the Cæsars." (Ben-Hur)

Synonyms:

supplant, replace, displace

Antonyms:

(none exact)

Root:Latin supersedere, to sit above, to refrain, from super, above + sedere, to sit: to take the place of.

Definition: To create or prepare methodically; to express an idea in a concise way.

From the reading: "But take the question, and think of it for yourself, formulating thus: Supposing both to be equally happy, is one hour more desirable than one year?" (Ben-Hur)

Synonyms:

devise, develop, frame

Antonyms:

(none exact)

Root:Latin formula, a small form or rule (forma, shape) + -ate: to put into a set form.

Definition: Like a labyrinth; irregular and twisting; complicated.

From the reading: "None were deeper in that labyrinthine ambition, in chamber within chamber of that palace of lies that was built up around Mary Queen of Scots." (The Innocence of Father Brown)

Synonyms:

mazelike, tortuous, intricate

Antonyms:

straightforward, simple

Root:Greek labyrinthos, maze.

Definition: Tending to suggest an idea; evocative.

From the reading: "Look where she would, the view was made depressingly suggestive by tombs—tombs above her, tombs below, tombs opposite her own tomb—all now freshly whitened in warning to visiting pilgrims." (Ben-Hur)

Synonyms:

evocative, indicative, reminiscent

Antonyms:

denotative, concealing, decent

Root:Latin suggerere, to bring up from below, from sub-, under + gerere, to carry + -ive: bringing an idea to mind.

Definition: The action of violating something sacred.

From the reading: "In going, they overtook, or were overtaken by, people like themselves stirred to wrath by news of the proposed desecration." (Ben-Hur)

Synonyms:

profanation, sacrilege, defilement

Antonyms:

consecration

Root:Latin de-, away + sacrare, to consecrate (sacer, holy): a stripping away of holiness.

Definition: Softly bright or radiant.

From the reading: "BOOK SEVENTH “And, waking, I beheld her there Sea-dreaming in the moted air, A siren lithe and debonair, With wristlets woven of scarlet weeds, And oblong lucent amber beads Of sea-kelp shining in her hair.” THOMAS BAILEY ALDRICH." (Ben-Hur)

Synonyms:

luminous, glowing, radiant

Antonyms:

dull

Root:Latin lucens, present participle of lucere to shine, from lux, lucis, light. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: A spoken curse.

From the reading: "The air was filled with their cries and imprecations." (Ben-Hur)

Synonyms:

curse, malediction, execration

Antonyms:

blessing, benediction

Root:Latin imprecatio: compare French imprécation. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: To beat with a heavy club; to bully into doing something.

From the reading: "The torches and the lanterns were being borne by servants, each of whom was armed with a bludgeon or a sharpened stave." (Ben-Hur)

Synonyms:

club, batter; coerce

Antonyms:

(none exact)

Root:Cf. Ir. blocan a little block, Gael. plocan a mallet, W. plocyn, dim. of ploc block; or perh. connected with English blow a stroke. Cf. Block, Blow a stroke. (Webster, 1913)

Definition: Time spent recovering from an illness.

From the reading: "It was a divine spring, and the season contributed greatly to my convalescence." (Frankenstein)

Synonyms:

recovery, recuperation

Antonyms:

(none exact)

Root:Latin convalescere, to grow strong.

Definition: A sudden attack or violent expression of a particular emotion or activity.

From the reading: "If he but breathed heavily, or tossed his head in a paroxysm of pain, they were instantly on the alert." (Ben-Hur)

Synonyms:

fit, outburst, spasm

Antonyms:

(none exact)

Root:Greek paroxysmos, from paroxynein, to goad (para, beyond + oxynein, to sharpen): a sudden violent fit.

Definition: Without an equal in quality or extent; matchless.

From the reading: "And in its dominion there is glory such as hath not entered imagination—original, incomparable, impossible of increase.”" (Ben-Hur)

Synonyms:

matchless, peerless, unequaled

Antonyms:

ordinary

Root:Latin incomparabilis.

Definition: An unoccupied position or room; emptiness of mind.

From the reading: "In the vacancy of such a waste an object in motion could not long continue a mystery." (Ben-Hur)

Synonyms:

opening, void, emptiness

Antonyms:

(none exact)

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

Definition: Occurring with no delay.

From the reading: "It is well for us that, while writing is slow, thought is instantaneous." (Ben-Hur)

Synonyms:

instant, immediate, sudden

Antonyms:

gradual

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

Definition: Overimaginative and unrealistic; decorated in a whimsical way.

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:

imaginative, whimsical, unreal

Antonyms:

realistic, plain

Root:fancy (a contraction of fantasy, Greek phantasia, appearance) + -ful: full of fancy.