Vocabulary 5 English

The food at the party was too _____; the guests stuffed themselves, but there were still platters and bowls of food left over Weeds are ______ in Charlene's garden, but flowers are few After the actress made a racist comment, she received _____ messages from fans who said they'd never watch her show again "I'm hearing _____ complaints here," said mom at our family meeting, "but there's a dearth of constructive ideas. For the next few minutes, I'd like everyone to keep quiet unless you have something sagacious to say."

copious

The director of the talent show said gloomily, "We have a _____ of talent this year. Not one of these acts is worth putting up on stage." The _____ of snow this winter disappointed the children. They had received new sleds for Christmas but never got a chance to use them. Remy's vegetable garden yielded an uneven crop. There was a(n) _______ of tomatoes---- three, to be exact----- and about a ton of zucchini. "I'm hearing copious complaints here," said mom at our family meeting, "but there's a _______ of constructive ideas. For the next few minutes, I'd like everyone to keep quiet unless you have something sagacious to say."

dearth

Lincoln's Gettysburg address is considered one of the most _____ speeches of all time, but on the day that he gave it, many in the audience were insulted. They thought it was too short. The director of the shelter for the homeless women posted an _____ message on social media, movingly describing their plight and pleading for donations. The defense attorney's closing argument seemed both ____ and convincing, but the jury convicted his client anyway. Some of the most _____ language is also the simplest. For example, Martin Luther King's famous "I Have a Dream" speech, free of elaborate language or technical jargon, is something a child could never understand.

eloquent

The computer expert explained what was wrong with my laptop, but she used so much ______ that I had no idea what she was saying. Bernice wanted to make a home-made cooked meal for her friends but she was puzzled by all the ____ in the cook book. "What does braise mean? Or saute? Or mince?" It took Andre all night to put together the wagon he had bought for his daughter. The instructions were written in a strange ____, such as "Attach flange B to sprocket C and secure with Permacaps." Some of the most eloquent language is also the simplest. For example, Martin Luther King's famous "I Have a Dream" speech, free of elaborate language or technical _____, is something a child could never understand.

jargon

The playwright George Bernard Shaw once remarked that his method was to say very serious things, but with the "utmost ____." He wanted to convey weighty ideas through wit and humor. The guidance counselor thought Kirk's attitude showed too much _____. "You should laugh less and spend more time thinking about serious things," she said. Isabel got an unfortunate case of the giggles during the boss's speech. "This is no time for ____," a colleague hissed at her. The teammates joked with _____ before the game, but once play began, all peripheral talk stopped, and everyone became serious.

levity

levity

lightness of disposition; lack of seriousness, silliness

"Come home straight from school," Mom always said to us. "Don't ____." The brook _____ through the valley, disappearing into the underbrush, then coming into view again, and here and there even turning back on itself. During the final exam, the instructor ____ through the room, up and down the aisles, left and then right, apparently with no particular purpose- but the students knew she was keeping a sharp eye on them. After our picnic, we ____ lazily through the woods, taking delight in the tiny unobtrusive wildflowers that we found half-hidden under the dead leaves.

meander

unobtrusive

not noticeable; not readily noticeable or eye-catching; inconspicuous

peripheral

of little importance, only slightly connected with what is essential; irrelevavant

The meeting to discuss the new road went slowly because the committee kept bringing up ___ issues, such as the need for traffic lights on the old road. The speaker kept getting sidetracked because audience members repeatedly asked questions about ____ matters that had little to do with her topic. "We're supposed to be discussing the death penalty," the moderator reminded the panel. "Let's not get into ___ issues like conditions in prisons." The teammates joked with levity before the game, but once play began, all _____ talk stopped, and everyone became serious.

peripheral

eloquent

persuasive and moving, especially in speech

copious

plentiful; abundant

"If you seek damages under a "lemon law,"" the lawyer explained, "be prepared to _____ your claim that your car is a lemon. You'll need to show all your repair bills and correspondence." A man in our town claims to be 125 years old, but he's unable to _____ this. He has no birth certificate, court records, or witnesses. "Can you ____ your story that the dog ate your homework?" the teacher asked Kay. "Yes!" Kay said, and showed her the veterinarian x-rays. Although the suspect said he could _____ his story about being out of town on the night of the crime, he was not very convincing, as he continued to vacillate about whether he'd been in Maine or Georgia at the time.

substantiate

jargon

technical language, specialized language of people in the same profession

vacillate

to go back and forth, mentally, from one alternative to another; hesitate

meander

to move aimlessly; wander lazily; move along a winding course

substantiate

to verify, confirm, provide supporting evidence

The garden was full of huge, showy flowers and blooms, but I liked the tiny and ____ daisies the best. When his favorite author autographed books at the mall, Desmond expected to see a dazzlingly celebrity. Instead, she turned out to be a small, plain, _____ person with a timid smile. "The costumes must be _____," the playwright urged. "I want the audience to focus on what the actors are saying, not what they are wearing." After our picnic, we meandered lazily through the woods, taking delight in the tiny ______ wildflowers that we found half-hidden under the dead leaves.

unobtrusive

Ajay reaches decisions very slowly. For instance, when we went to get ice cream last night, he _____ between vanilla fudge and chocolate chip for 15 minutes. Should they see a movie or go bowling? Ali and Vanessa _____ so long over the decision that when they finally decided, it was too late to do either one. As he thought about what to wear to the school dance, Keith _____ between blue jeans and nicer pants. Although the suspect said he could substantiate his story about being out of town on the night of the crime, he was not very convincing, as he continued to ______ about whether he'd been in Maine or Georgia at the time.

vacillate

dearth

a lack, scarcity