Ten Words in Context CH 2

Retrospect (n)

a survey or review of a past course of events or period of timewished he had traveled more during his younger days. To begin with, in retrospect, as a police officer Jason should have known better than to drink and drive. In retrospect, Jack wished he had asked Krissy on a date before she started dating his roommate. As the storeowners looked around their wrecked store, they realized, in retrospect, they should have hired more security for the pop star's visit. The idea to try and capture a wolf seemed like a good one, but in retrospect, Jason realized the attempt was not worth his missing limb. Sarah loved working with children, and in retrospect, she wished she had pursued a teaching degree instead of a business degree. Unfortunately the teacher realized, in retrospect, she had not prepared her students well for the national test.

Zealot (n)

a zealous person; especially : a fanatical partisan a religious zealot a person who is fanatical and uncompromising in pursuit of their religious, political, or other ideals. synonyms: fanatic, enthusiast, extremist, radical, young Turk, diehard, true believer, activist, militant; a person who holds extreme or fanatical political or religious views, especially one who resorts to or advocates extreme action. Definition of Zealot one who is uncompromising and fanatical in pursuit of his ideals Use Zealot in a sentence The religious zealot was willing to break the law to follow his prophet's orders. When the zealot wrote his memoir, he wrote that he fought all of his wars for his god. The security camera caught the health zealot vandalizing the soft drink manufacturer's office. When the fitness zealot learned a tobacco shop was moving next door to his gym, he decided to picket the shop's corporate office. The political zealot walked over a thousand miles to get people to sign his petition. Because the zealot was unhappy with the government's policies, he threatened to blow up the capitol building.

Resilient (adj)

adjective 1. (of a person or animal) able to withstand or recover quickly from difficult conditions. "babies are generally far more resilient than new parents realize" synonyms: strong, tough, hardy 2. (of a substance or object) able to recoil or spring back into shape after bending, stretching, or being compressed. "a shoe with resilient cushioning" synonyms: flexible, pliable, supple; The community was highly spirited and resilient despite a hurricane disaster. Despite a cancer diagnosis, Mary would remain resilient and fight until the very end. A resilient individual will not be hurt by insults. Surprisingly, the stubborn little boy was resilient to change. Some small businesses were resilient following the recession; but unfortunately, many were defeated in hard economic times and had to close shop. Brick houses are more resilient to wind damage than mobile homes. Making computers resilient to viruses has proven to be difficult.

Instigate (v)

bring about or initiate (an action or event). "they instigated a reign of terror" synonyms: set in motion, get underway, get off the ground, start, commence, begin, initiate, launch, institute, set up, inaugurate, establish, organize;Justine hoped to instigate Will and Gail's separation by spreading false rumors about Will's late nights at work. Hopefully, the red band campaign will instigate a greater awareness of cancer prevention. The road construction will definitely instigate major traffic delays during rush hour. Because poor people often cannot afford things they need, poverty is a factor that is known to instigate crime. Cigarette smoke can easily instigate an asthma attack in a person who has a weak respiratory system.

Despondent (adj)

in low spirits from loss of hope or courage. synonyms: disheartened, discouraged, dispirited, downhearted, downcast, crestfallen, down, low, disconsolate, despairing, wretched;Marilyn was despondent after her husband of fifty years died. How can I help but be despondent after losing my job? My son was quite despondent when his girlfriend dumped him. As John held a gun to his head, everyone realized how despondent he was. Because I just won a huge lottery, I am no longer despondent about my financial concerns. The man on the talk show was despondent about his son's death. Whenever I feel despondent, I call my friends to make me smile.

Rudimentary (adj)

involving or limited to basic principles. "he received a rudimentary education" synonyms: basic, elementary, primary, fundamental, essential "rudimentary carpentry skills" relating to an immature, undeveloped, or basic form. "a rudimentary stage of evolution" synonyms: primitive, crude, simple, unsophisticated, rough, rough and ready, makeshift

Scoff (v)

speak to someone or about something in a scornfully derisive or mocking way. "department officials scoffed at the allegations" synonyms: mock, deride, ridicule, sneer at, jeer at, jibe at, taunt, make fun of, poke fun at, laugh at, scorn, laugh to scorn, dismiss, make light of, belittle; informalpooh-pooh "they scoffed at her article"; mockery; Definition of Scoff to sneer or laugh with scorn Use Scoff in a sentence The rude little rich girl thought it was fun to scoff at the poor children at her school. More than likely, the older arrogant professors will scoff at the ideas of their young peers. Atheists usually scoff at the concept of Christianity. Since Mabel knows psychics are not real, she could not help but scoff at the fortuneteller who offered to reveal her future for a small fee. Sometimes people will scoff at your ideas simply because they did not come up with the ideas first.

Venerate (v)

transitive verb 1 : to regard with reverential respect or with admiring deference 2 : to honor (as an icon or a relic) with a ritual act of devotion; to respect or worship someone or something Use Venerate in a sentence The Bible says we should venerate our parents and our elders. Although I do believe we should venerate honest politicians, I do not believe these individuals should be paid large salaries. Many people attend church services to venerate God. To venerate Mrs. Johnson's fifty-five years of service in the school system, the county is naming a school in her honor. The town plans to venerate the former president by naming a street after him. Because my grandfather never failed to venerate my grandmother, the couple had a happy marriage for over seventy years.

Squelch (v)

transitive verb 1 a : to fall or stamp on so as to crush b (1) : to completely suppress : quell squelch resistance (2) : silence squelched the protesters... suppress: forcibly put an end to. "the uprising was savagely suppressed" synonyms: subdue, repress, crush, quell, quash, squash, stamp out prevent the development, action, or expression of (a feeling, impulse, idea, etc.); restrain. "she could not suppress a rising panic" synonyms: conceal, restrain, stifle, smother, bottle up, hold back, control, check, curb, contain, bridle, inhibit, keep a rein on, put a lid on "she suppressed her irritation" Definition of Squelch to halt, stop, eliminate Use Squelch in a sentence When Justin runs wildly around the house, it takes every ounce of my strength to squelch my urge to slap him. You must learn to squelch your fears in the army, or you will be laughed out of the brigade. The Roman general would not tolerate the uprising, and he sent his legions to squelch it with force. The mean remark made by my uncle only served to squelch my desire to offer him any further kind of assistance. The king raged in his palace, vowing to squelch the rebellion with extraordinary force.

Collaborate (v)

work jointly on an activity, especially to produce or create something. "he collaborated with a distinguished painter on the designs" synonyms: co-operate, join forces, team up, band together, work together, participate, combine, ally