Unit 9 Vocabulary Choosing the Right Word

copious

During the depression of the 1930s, the nation seemed to take strength from President Roosevelt's (poignant/copious) energy and enthusiasm.

copious

During the scene in which the deer returns to the forest, leaving the young boy behind, our eyes filled with (brash/copious) tears.

limpid

Far from being effortless, her simple, (limpid/capricious) writing style is the result of the most painstaking effort.

inkling

George Gershwin's early songs gave only a dim (inkling/deviation) of the genius that was to express itself in Porgy and Bess.

chastise

He seems to feel that it is his mission in life to (chastise/exult) all those who fail to live up to his standards.

sophomoric

He tries hard to sound well-informed, but his superficial answers only betray his (poignant/sophomoric) knowledge of world affairs.

gnarled

I spent the better part if an hour trying to untangle a badly (gnarled/assiduous) heap of cables and electrical cords.

emaciated

In the concentration camps, the liberating troops found thousands of victims horribly (ardent/emaciated) as the result of starvation.

poignant

Lord Tennyson, the poet, speaks of "sorrow's crown of sorrow," by which he means the (copious/poignant) experience of remembering happier times.

poignant

Most of the poetry written by the students was (assiduous/poignant), filled with powerful imagery that conveyed a surprising depth of emotion.

deviate

My sister views my interest in horror films as (deviate/omnipotent) behavior.

allocate

Our meeting last week was marred by a heated debate over how to (allocate/chastise) the funds in this year's budget.

rancor

Perhaps you have been treated unfairly, but what good will it do to allow your sense of (indemnity/rancor) to control your mood and behavior?

brash

She was (assiduous/brash) enough to tell her mother she was going to the dance in spite of the doctor's orders.

palatable

Since their loud talk and crude manners were anything but (palatable/limpid) to me, I politely declined their invitation to dine with them.

indemnity

The destruction wrought by a nuclear war would be so vast that any form of (inkling/indemnity) to the injured would be impossible.

exulted

The entire student body (allocated/exulted) when our team finally won the citywide basketball championship after years of losing to our bitter rivals.

omnipotent

The lecturer explained that the UN is not (palatable/omnipotent) and that it can do only what the member states allow it to do.

capricious

The tastes of the TV audience are so (capricious/gnarled) that no one can predict in advance which programs will be successful.

inkling

Though Mom acted surprised, I think she had an (allocation/inkling) that we were going to throw her a surprise birthday party.

limpid

To make an impression on his fiancee, the young man saved his money to purchase a large faceted diamond that was sparkling and (limpid/gnarled).

deviate

We must show understanding and acceptance of those who (exult/deviate) somewhat from our own standards of what is appropriate.

assiduous

What she lacks in skill, she makes up for in (assiduous/spontaneous) attention to every last detail and requirement of the job.

ardent

Your (ardent/brash) interest in ecology shows that you care deeply about the welfare of this planet.

spontaneous

Your simple, (spontaneous/capricious) expression of appreciation meant more to me than all the elaborate, carefully phrased tributes I received.