GRE 3000 Word List - list14

jest

A jest is a joke. Are you a playful prankster? A jocular jokester? A witty wisecracker? Then you are definitely well versed in the art of the jest. To jest means *to banter and joke in a playful way* — like a "court jester," whose job it was in medieval times to entertain the royal court with funny stories. Today when we jest we generally joke around or gently tease. The noun's meaning evolved over time, from "idle tale" to "mocking speech," and finally to "joke." 【考法 1】 n. a frivolous mood or manner; to joke or cause laughter 笑話 玩笑 【例】 spoken in jest 【近】 butt, derision, mockery 【反】 solemnity, solemn utterance

jape

A jape is a joke. The highlight of your family get-togethers might be your funny uncle's japes. You can tell a jape, or play a jape — or a practical joke — on someone. An older sister might tell her little brother, "I'm not interested in your silly childish japes" when he shows her his whoopie cushion, for example. You could also say that you love your annual holiday party at work, because instead of the usual stress, it's all laughing and japes. The word jape most likely comes from the Old French verb japer, "to howl, bawl, or scream." 【考法 1】 v. 嘲弄: to say or do something jokingly or mockingly 【例】 The characters in Oscar Wilde's plays jape with a sophistication that is rarely encountered in real life. 【近】 jest, quip, wisecrack, banter, chaff, gag, jive, jolly, josh 【反】 revere

lachrymose

A good place to see a display of lachrymose sorrow is at a funeral — people sobbing openly or sniffling quietly into their hankies. To be lachrymose, in other words, is to be tearful. Lachrymose is not a word used much in everyday speech; you wouldn't say, for example, "I feel a bit lachrymose today." No, you'd probably say, "I feel a bit weepy today." Lachrymose is generally confined to use as a written critical term, often meaning much the same as sentimental. Books and plays and films can all be lachrymose, if their intent is to induce shameless sniveling. 【考法 1】 adj. 催人泪下的，悲伤的: tending to cause tears, mournful 【例】The lachrymose mourners at the funeral required a steady supply of tissues. 【近】doleful, lamentable, lugubrious, melancholy, mournful, tearful, teary, weepy, woeful 【反】cheerful, delighted, jocund, jovial 欢乐的，快乐的

jarring

A *loud, abrupt, shocking noise* is jarring. If the sound of your telephone ringing is jarring, it will make you jump. The jarring noise of the garbage truck screeching to a stop in front of your house might make your dog bark furiously, and a sudden jarring sound from your car's engine means you should probably pull off of the highway to find out what's wrong. Other things that shock or disturb you are also jarring. The word comes from the verb jar, "to disturb, perturb, or produce a harsh sound." 【考法 1】 adj. 刺耳的: harsh or discordant 【例】 the final chord of that song is too jarring for me 【近】 astounding, blindsiding, jolting, startling, stunning 【反】 melodious 音调优美的 【考法 2】 adj. 震惊的: causing a strong emotional reaction because of unexpectedness; making or causing a harsh and irritating sound 【例】 the jarring news that major financial institutions were on the verge of collapse 【近】 amazing, astonishing, astounding, blindsiding, dumbfounding, flabbergasting, jaw-dropping, jolting, shocking, startling, stunning

lapse

A lapse is a *temporary slip, failure or break in continuity*. Eating a second helping of cake when you're otherwise doing well on your diet is a lapse. Eating the whole cake in one sitting is a serious lapse in judgment. First used to imply a "slip of the memory," the noun lapse evolved in the sixteenth century from the Latin lapsus, meaning* "a slipping and falling, falling into error."* The connotation of "a moral slip" developed later, and the verb form came into existence even later than that. Behaving badly one day when you're usually on your best behavior is a lapse; Behaving badly again after a short stint being well-mannered means you're lapsing back into nasty old habits. 【考法 1】 n. 小过失: a slight error typically due to forgetfulness or inattention 【例】 a lapse in table manner 【近】 blunder, fumble, gaffe, miscue, oversight, peccadillo 【考法 2】 v. 结束，终止: to come to an end 【例】 The contract will lapse at the end of the year. 【近】 cease, conclude, die, end, expire, finish, stop, terminate 【反】 continue, persist, hang on

lash

A lash is a *sharp slap or strike with a rope or whip*. In some parts of the world, lawbreakers receive a certain number of lashes as punishment for their crimes. To deliver a lash is also to lash: "I instructed the jockey not to lash the horse," and another way to lash is to tie one thing securely to another. The part of a whip that actually connects with a person or animal's body is called a lash as well. When you lash out at someone, you either hit them or attack them in a figurative way, especially through angry words. 【考法 1】 n. 击打: a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument 【例】 suddenly felt the lash of her drunken husband's hand on her cheek 【近】 bang, bash, bat, beat, clap, hit, knock, punch, slam, slap, smash, stinger, stroke, swat 【考法 2】 v. 鞭打; 猛擊: to strike against with force or violence 【例】 All night long a barrage of rain lashed the windows. 【近】 baste, hammer, lace, lambaste, punch 【考法 3】 vt. 捆牢: to bind with or as if with a line 【例】 Secure the anchor by lashing it to the rail. 【反】 unbind

intrigue

An intrigue is a *secret plot*. If you ever become the monarch of a small island kingdom, keep watch for signs of any intrigue against you. Intrigue comes from the Latin verb intricare, to entangle, and is related to intricate. It can be a noun, meaning underhanded plot, or a verb for the act of plotting. Agents of two opposing powers intrigue against each other. In the late nineteenth century it also came to mean the feeling of curiosity or interest. If someone's ideas intrigue you, you want to know more about them. 【考法 1】 n. 密謀: a secret plan for accomplishing evil or unlawful ends 【例】 The intrigue was quickly discovered, and the would-be assassins were arrested. 【近】 conspiracy, design, intrigue, machination, scheme 【考法 2】 vt. 引起...的好奇心: to arouse the interest, desire, or curiosity of 【例】 The children are apparently intrigued by the tale. 【近】 appeal, attract, enthrall, entice, excite, fascinate, interest, occupy 【反】 ennui, pall 使厌倦 【派】 intriguing adj. 有趣的

languid

Describe a slow-moving river or a weak breeze or a listless manner with the slightly poetic adjective, languid. Languid comes from the Latin verb, languere *"to be weak or faint"* and is a somewhat literary word for something that doesn't use much energy. If someone says goodbye to you with a languid wave of the hand, there's not too much movement involved. You can describe yourself as languid when you have that feeling of *not being entirely awake — kind of lazy in the mind.* 【考法 1】 adj. 没精打采的，虚弱的: lacking energy or vitality; weak 【例】 be languid for weeks after surgery 【近】 debilitated, effete, enervated, feeble, frail, infirm, lackadaisical, spiritless, debilitated, sapped, enfeebled 【反】 animated, energetic, vehement, vivacious; mighty, powerful, stalwart, stout, strong

jocular

Do you like to make a lot of jokes? Are you often silly? Are you usually happy? If so, then you are a jocular person. Being jocular has to do with being both jokey and fun. A jocular suggestion is not a serious suggestion — it's a joke. Some people are more jocular than others: anyone who is ultra-serious and always frowning is not jocular. A comedian makes a job of being jocular. Class clowns can't stop being jocular, though the teacher might just see them as obnoxious. Being jocular is usually considered a good thing: it's not just about making a lot of jokes; it's about being happy and pleasant to be around. 【考法 1】 adj. 搞笑的，欢乐的: characterized by joking, playful 【例】 a jocular man who could make the most serious people laugh 【近】 blithesome, festive, gleeful, jocund, jovial, mirthful 【反】 lachrymose, saturnine; dour, dreary, morose, serious

lament

If you are *really upset or sorry about something*, you might lament it. A lament is full of *regret and grief.* If you lament something, then you *feel sorry about it*. You could lament a mistake you made, or you could lament a horrible thing that happened to a friend. Also, a lament is an expression of grief. So if you keep saying how sorry you are about something, someone could say, "Enough of your laments!" There's also an old literary form called "a lament," which expresses feelings of loss in a long dramatic poem. 【考法 1】 n. a composition expressing one's grief over a loss 輓歌 悼詞 【例】 her lament for her grandmother 【近】 dirge, elegy, requiem 【考法 2】 n. an expression of dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment 悲嘆 【例】 the career woman's lament that there aren't any good men left 【近】 carp, complaint, fuss, grievance, gripe, grouch, grouse, grumble, moan, murmur 【考法 3】 vi. to express sorrow or regret; mourn 哀悼 痛惜 【例】 lament an innocent death 【近】 bemoan, deplore, grieve, moan, mourn, wail 【反】 delight, exult, joy, rejoice

lassitude

If you are feeling lassitude, you're *weary and just can't be bothered*. Couch potatoes make lassitude into an art form. Lassitude might sound like latitude, but the two words don't mean the same thing. Latitude describes the distance of a particular location from the equator. Lassitude is the weariness you'd experience after attempting to run a marathon around the equator. Lassitude can also describe a *lack of interest*, like deciding you'd rather lie on your couch than run that marathon along the equator. 【考法 1】 n. a state or feeling of weariness, diminished energy, or listlessness 厭倦，無精打采 【例】 Symptoms of anaemia include general fatigue and lassitude. 【近】 collapse, exhaustion, frazzle, languor, listlessness, stupor, torpor, prostration 【反】 verve, vim,animation,vitality

knit

If you decide to knit a sweater, you will need yarn, knitting needles, an instruction manual, and lots of patience! Knitting involves different kinds of stitches or consecutive loops that you create in rows. The verb is derived from the Old English cnyttan, meaning "to tie with a knot, bind or fasten." While knitting can also be completed with a machine, many people knit hats, scarves, and mittens as a hobby. Knit can also mean "entwine." Two ideas or concepts can be knit together, and it could be said that a marriage knits two people together. Note that the 'k' at the beginning is silent. 【考法 1】 vt. 编織 ( 紗线): to form by interlacing yarn or thread in a series of connected loops with needles 【例】 She knitted him a sweater for Christmas. 【近】 braid, plait, weave 【反】 ravel 解开 【考法 2】 vt. 连接，联系: to join closely; unite securely 【例】 Sport knits the whole family close together. 【近】 bind, bond, combine, connect, fasten, join, link, meld, merge, tie, secure, unite 【反】 disassociate, disconnect, disjoin, divide, sever, split, sunder 分开

knack

If you have a knack for doing something, you do it well. You may have a knack for baking cakes or a knack for cracking jokes. These things come easy to you. Although the noun knack refers to a special talent, the sense is that is a more innate talent — as opposed to a certain technique. So if someone instinctively has a talent for fixing plumbing, for example, you can say they have a knack for it. If, however, they unclog a sink by having a wrench in one hand and a how-to book in the other, then they may have the technique, but they probably don't have the knack. 【考法 1】 n. 竅門: a clever trick or stratagem; a clever way of doing something 【例】 She's tried every knack in Cupid's book to get her guy to marry her. 【近】 artifice, device, gambit, ploy, scheme, sleight, stratagem 【反】 foolishness

inveterate

If you're an inveterate doodler, all your notebooks are covered with drawings. If you're an inveterate golf player, you probably get twitchy if you haven't been out on a course in a week. In Middle English inveterate was associated with chronic disease. Now it simply refers to something that is a signature habit with a person. Unless you're an inveterate gambler, drinker or smoker--in which case you're addicted and we're back to talking about being sick. 【考法 1】 adj. 根深蒂固的: firmly established by long persistence 【例】 the inveterate tendency to overlook the obvious 【近】 chronic, entrenched, ingrained, rooted, settled, hard-cored 【反】 adventitious

levelheaded

If you're levelheaded, you're *rational and calm*. When two people are arguing bitterly, they often need someone who's unbiased and levelheaded to help them come to a reasonable compromise. A levelheaded decision is one that you make after calm and judicious consideration, and if a company is looking for a levelheaded person to work in a hectic office environment, they want someone who stays unruffled even under pressure. Levelheaded dates from 1869, from the "balanced" sense of level. 【考法 1】 adj. exercising or showing good judgment 穩健的 冷靜的 明智的 【例】 a levelheaded assessment of the problem 【近】 informed, justified, logical, rational, reasonable, sensible, sober, valid, well-founded 【反】 foolish; groundless, invalid, unfounded, unjustified, unsound

lenient

If you're not overly strict, and you show tolerance and mercy when someone does something wrong, you're being lenient. Lenient means *tolerant or relaxed*, and is usually used when we're talking about someone's attitude toward discipline. In 19th-century child-rearing books, we often read about strict teachers who punish children just for squirming in their seats. These days teachers are more likely to be lenient, more understanding. If you're a big fan of discipline and punishment, however, lenient might mean "soft" or "indulgent." 【考法 1】 adj. 宽大仁慈的: inclined not to be harsh or strict; merciful, generous, or indulgent 【例】 the lenient sentences 【近】 clement, gentle, merciful, mild, sparing, tender, tolerant 【反】 harsh, merciless, severe, strict 【派】 lenience n. 仁慈

kudos

If you're really good at judo, you will get kudos, or praise and congratulations, for your speed and strength. 【考法 1】 n. 名望，名声: fame and renown resulting from an act or achievement 【例】Employees enjoy the kudos that the job brings as much as the financial rewards. 【近】 credit, distinction, homage, honor, laurels 【反】 infamy, notoriety 不好的名声 【考法 2】 n. 夸奖，赞扬: acclaim or praise for exceptional achievement 【例】 The attorney did pro bono work because it was the right thing to do, and not for any future kudos that it might bring. 【近】 acclaim, accolade, applause, credit, distinction, homage, honor, laud, laurels 【反】 belittlement, denigration, deprecation, derogation, diminishment, disparagement

jaded

If you've done something so much that it doesn't excite you anymore but just leaves you tired, consider yourself jaded. If someone says you look a little jaded, it just means that you *look tired*. The history of jaded is not clear, but perhaps it is related to the noun jade, an old term for a worn-out horse. Even if not, picturing a tired old horse may be a nice way to remember that jaded means dulled or tired from too much of something. The word can also mean cynical because of bad experiences with something, like a jaded journalist who doesn't see the person behind the politician. 【考法 1】 adj. depleted in strength, energy, or freshness 精疲力竭的 【例】 After that long bar exam, I'm too jaded for anything but a nap. 【近】drained, exhausted, fatigued, prostrate, spent, wearied, worn-out 【考法 2】 adj. having one's patience, interest, or pleasure exhausted 厭倦了的 【例】 Even jaded sci-fi fans are finding this new space adventure fresh and exciting. 【近】 bored, tired, wearied, fed up 【反】 absorbed, engaged, engrossed, interested, intrigued, rapt 有兴趣的

interregnum

Interregnum describes the period between *the reigns of two leaders*. If you're a rebel leader, you may try to gain power during an interregnum. Pronounce interregnum with the accent on the third syllable: "in-ter-REG-num." It comes from Latin: inter- means "between" and regnum means "kingship, dominion, rule, realm." An interregnum can be marked by no government at all, or it can refer to a different kind of leadership between two similar regimes. 【考法 1】 n. 过渡期: break in continuity 【例】 The democratic regime proved to be a short-lived interregnum between dictatorships. 【近】 breach, break, gap, interim, interruption, interval, interlude, parenthesis 【反】 continuation, continuity 持续

intransigent

Intransigent means *inflexible, stubborn, entrenched*. Argue all you like with an intransigent three-year-old. He will never back down from the position that he wants the lollipop NOW. Trans has to do with movement — think transportation, or a package in transit, i.e. "on the way." The in- of intransigent means "not," so something or someone who is intransigent is *not moving*. If one political party wants to raise funds to improve schools but the other is intransigent on the subject of higher taxes, the debate will get nowhere. 【考法 1】 adj. 不妥协的，固执的: characterized by refusal to compromise or to abandon an extreme position 【例】 an intransigent attitude 【近】 adamant, headstrong, intractable, obstinate, pertinacious, stubborn, uncompromising, unyielding 【反】 compliant, pliable; tractable, yielding 【派】 intransigence n.

invective

Invective is* harsh, abusive language*, like, "you dirty rotten scoundrel." I'm sure you can think of harsher and more obscene examples, but we won't get into them here. Invective comes from the Latin for "abusive." It kind of sounds like a harsh word, actually, with those sharp, dagger-like V's. People usually put a colorful verb or phrase before it. Some examples: "She spewed invective," "She hurled invective," "She burst forth into invective." You can follow it with a phrase like, "picking up her plate and throwing it across the room." 【考法 1】 adj. 侮辱性的: of, relating to, or characterized by insult or abuse, harsh, abusive language 【例】 invective comments on female activists 【近】 abusive, opprobrious, scurrile, scurrilous, truculent, vitriolic, vituperative 【反】 adulatory, flattery; complimentary 称赞的

invigorate

Invigorate means to *give strength or energy* to something or someone. If you're the new cheerleading coach, you can invigorate the team by bringing them your exciting new cheers, and the team's growing popularity will invigorate them even more. When you invigorate someone, you inspire, you breathe life into them. One of the best ways to invigorate another person is with your own enthusiasm — when you're animated and energetic, it seems to rub off on others. You might need to invigorate yourself when you first wake up in the morning, with a cup of coffee or a shower to get you going for the day. The word invigorate comes from the Latin in, "toward" and vigorare "make strong." 【考法 1】 vt. 使精神，使强 ，鼓舞激励: to impart vigor, strength, or vitality to 【例】 news that invigorates the public 【近】 animate, energize, fortify, reinforce, strengthen, vitalize 【反】 dampen, deaden, debilitate, emaciate, sap; demoralize 【派】 invigorated adj. 精力充沛的

iridescent

Iridescent is an adjective that means *lustrous and pearly*, giving off a brilliant sheen like an oil slick or, well, a pearl. Iridescent came to be in 1796, when some enthusiastic word maker took the Latin word iris, which means "rainbow," and morphed it into an English word that describes anything giving off a luminous, rainbow sheen or that changes color in the light. It's a great descriptive word — if you can resist the urge to spell it with an extra "r." 【考法 1】 adj. : displaying a play of lustrous colors like those of the rainbow 【例】 an iridescent soap bubble 彩虹色的 五颜六色的 【近】 nacreous, opalescent, pearlescent 【反】 monochromatic 单色的 【派】 iridescence n.

jaundice

Jaundice is a medical condition that causes a slight yellowing of the skin. Many newborn babies are diagnosed with slight jaundice and need to spend time in the sunlight every day for a few weeks. A patient with jaundice looks a little yellow, a condition that's caused by excess pigmentation due to deficiencies in the liver or bile duct. One common medical cause of jaundice is hepatitis, a liver condition. Another meaning of jaundice is the distortion of opinions due especially to envy or resentment: "I hope my winning another acting award won't jaundice your feelings about being in plays." The Latin root is galbinus, "greenish yellow," a color once associated with bitterness and envy. 【考法 1】 n. Prejudice; bias; a yellowish discoloration of the skin; to affect with the negativity or bitterness of jaundice (因嫉妒或厌世而产生的)偏见 【例】 the jaundice in the eyes of the two feuding neighbors 【近】 animosity, animus, antagonism, antipathy, gall, hostility, rancor 【反】 amity

jaunty

Jaunty combines *ideas such as cheerful, spiffy, upbeat, and natty* into one delightfully economical adjective that means all of those things at once! A jaunty hat is one that's stylish and cheerful at the same time, a quality that can be accentuated if the person wears it in a jaunty fashion, perhaps off to the side or over one eye. Playing the part of a jaunty person is easy if you're feeling upbeat and chipper and want the world to know it. Elves are often jaunty in their own way. Sporting their spiffy outfits and featuring that trademark cheerful spring in their step. The fact they always seem so lively and eager to chat only increases the jaunty impression they make. One can't be blamed for wanting to take a jaunt with the jaunty little guys. 【考法 1】 adj. sprightly in manner or appearance; lively, easy and carefree in manner 得意揚揚的; 快活的 【例】 a jaunty stroll 【近】 animate, brisk, energetic, frisky, perky, racy, spirited, vivacious 【反】 staid, dead, inactive, inanimate, lackadaisical, languid, languishing, leaden, limp, listless, spiritless, vapid

jettison

Jettison means to *push to the side or toss away*. If a boat is leaking or an airplane is running out of fuel, you can buy more time by jettisoning cargo, or throwing it overboard. The word jettison — dating, in its nautical meaning, from the 15th century in English — is commonly used figuratively as well as literally. You can jettison a friendship or an attitude. During the month that the Winter Olympics are aired on TV, figure-skating fans across the country jettison homework and other responsibilities in order to watch. 【考法 1】vt. to cast overboard or off; to throw goods overboard to lighten the load on a boat or an airplane 丟棄 【例】 a ship jettisoning wastes 【近】 discard, dump, junk, scrap, throwing away 【反】 keep, retain 保留

levity

Joking that your dead grandmother "never looked better" could inject some levity, or frivolity, into her funeral, but your relatives might find your joke inappropriate to the occasion. Levity literally means *"lightness,"* and it's often an attempt to inject some lightness or humor into an otherwise somber situation. Telling your Aunt Edna a joke while she recuperates from a skiing accident could provide the levity needed to brighten her mood. Yet levity is often used to describe humor that's not appropriate to the occasion, like telling your Aunt the joke, "Two corpses walk into a bar..." after her husband has just died. 【考法 1】 n. feeling an inappropriate lack of seriousness; excessive or unseemly frivolity 輕率，輕浮，輕薄 【例】 The teachers disapprove of any displays of levity during school assemblies. 【近】 facetiousness, flightiness, flippancy, frivolousness, frothiness, silliness 【反】 earnestness, gravity, seriousness, soberness, solemnity

juggernaut

Juggernaut means a massive force. If the army marching into your country is a juggernaut, you're doomed. If you're trying to market a new Cola product, you're up against corporate giant Coca-Cola, a beverage juggernaut if ever there was one. With its roots in Hindi, juggernaut originally referred to a crude statue from which the Hindu god, Brahma, turned into the living god, Krishna. There continues to be a festival in honor of this miracle, in which a statue of Krishna is carted through town. It is said that in times past, devotees would throw themselves under the cart's wheels. 【考法 1】n. 无法阻挡的力量的，摧毁一切的强大力量 an overwhelming, advancing force that crushes everything in its path 【例】 the juggernaut of industrialization 工业化无法阻挡的力量 【近】 steamroller

labile

Labile is an adjective used to describe something that is *easily or frequently changed*. Radioactive elements, such as uranium or plutonium, are labile. It is this lability that makes them unstable and dangerous. From the Latin verb lābī, "to slide or slip," labile is often found in a technical context, especially in science, to refer to some sort of instability. For example, in chemistry, a compound that can be easily broken down by heat is called labile. The term can also be used in psychology to describe someone who is emotionally unstable. 【考法 1】 adj. 易变的，不稳定的: continually undergoing chemical, physical, or biological change; unstable 【例】 labile mineral 【例】 an emotionally labile person 【近】 capricious, fluctuating, fluid, inconstant, mercurial, temperamental, unsettled, unsteady, variable, volatile 【反】 constant, immutable, invariable, stable, stationary, steady

laborious

Laborious describes something that requires a lot of hard work, such as Victor Frankenstein's laborious undertaking of digging graves to find monster parts. Laborious comes from the familiar word for work, labor, which doesn't veer far from its roots in Old French meaning "exertion of the body," and from Latin "toil, pain, exertion, fatigue." Anything that requires blood, sweat, and tears is laborious, and while it's usually a good thing to work hard, laborious can also describe something over-thought, such as the heavy-handed plot of a bad TV show. Think labor plus boring, said like an old-fashioned English aristocrat: luh-bohr-ee-uhs. 【考法 1】 adj. 勤奋的: hard-working; industrious 【例】 The volunteers have been commendably laborious in their cleanup of the beach. 【例】 He was gentle and kindly, living a laborious life in his Paris flat. 【近】 active, assiduous, bustling, diligent, engaged, industrious, occupied, sedulous 【反】 idle, inactive, indolent, inert, slothful 【考法 2】 adj. 费力的: marked by or requiring long, hard work 【例】 the laborious task of cleaning up the oil spill 【近】 arduous, challenging, demanding, difficult, exacting, formidable, grueling, heavy, labored, rigorous, rough, rugged, severe, strenuous, sweaty, toilsome, tough 【反】 easy, effortless, facile, light, mindless, simple, undemanding

lank

Lank can describe grass that is *long, hair that is limp, and people who are tall and thin.* From the Old English hlanc (which is fun to say out loud), meaning loose and empty, lank is an adjective used to describe plant life which is long and slender, hair that hangs long and limp, and people who are long and slim. So you might hire a lank basketball player with lank hair to cut the grass when it's lank. Or you might cut it yourself. 【考法 1】 adj. 细长瘦弱的: long, straight, and limp; not stiff in structure 【例】 a woman with long, lank hair 【近】 emaciated, lean, slender, svelte, tenuous, thin 【反】 fat, fleshy, gross, obese 【考法 2】 adj. 不僵硬的，柔软松弛的: not stiff in structure 【例】 Right after a shower, her lank hair hung down to her shoulders. 【近】 droopy, flaccid, floppy, lank, yielding 【反】 inflexible, rigid, stiff, sturdy, tense; resilient

largesse

Largesse is extreme generosity. If your neighbors bring you an expensive watch from Switzerland because you fed their cat while they were traveling, thank them for their largesse. Though pronounced "lar JESS," the word largesse looks sort of like largeness. That's an easy way to remember what largesse means: think of it as largeness of spirit. Largesse can describe the generosity of someone giving gifts, or it can describe the gift itself. You could dispense largess by buying your brother a flashy car from your lottery winnings. 【考法 1】 n. 捐赠物: something given to someone without expectation of a return 【例】 The alumna's huge bequest was an unexpected largess. 【近】 bestowal, donation, giveaway, present 【考法 2】 n. 慷慨: liberality in giving or willingness to give 【例】 be noted for his largesse 【近】 bountifulness, generosity, munificence, openhandedness, philanthropy 【反】 miserliness, parsimony, penury, stinginess

laudatory

Laudatory has to do with *praise*. If you do great things, then you've done praise-worthy acts and people will use laudatory words when talking about you. We all probably do something laudable at some point. If you play baseball well or just keep your room clean, then you probably receive laudatory words of encouragement. If I say, "Your dog is the cutest, nicest pooch in North America," I am saying laudatory things about your dog. When you see laudatory, think praise. 【考法 1】 adj. of, relating to, or expressing praise 表示贊美的 【例】 a laudatory review of the new play 【近】 adulatory, commendatory, complimentary, extolling, eulogistic, panegyric 【反】 derogatory, depreciatory, disparaging, pejorative 贬低的 【派】 laudable adj. 值得赞扬的

leaven

Leaven, as a noun, is that which *causes transformation*. It's the source of yeast that makes your bread rise, it's the risen bread, and it's anything that changes the nature of something else. Coming from the French verb levare, which means "to raise," leaven changes everything. It makes dough go from flat to loaf, and it's also the term to describe the risen dough before it's baked. And leaven can be anything that *causes transformation* — "Winning the lottery will be the leaven that allows you to travel the world." Additionally it's a verb: "When you bake bread, you leaven the dough to make it rise." 【考法 1】 使發酵；發生影響；使帶...氣味 【考法 2】 vt. 使...漸漸有趣: To make less heavy or serious; to mingle or permeate with some modifying, alleviating, or vivifying element 【例】 He needs to leaven his speeches with more humor. 【近】 imbue, infuse, ingrain, inoculate, inspire, permeate, steep, suffuse 【反】 extract

irradicable

Medieval Latin irrādīcābilis : Latin in-, not; see in-1 + Latin rādīx, rādīc-, root; see eradicate. 【考法 1】 adj. impossible to uproot or destroy 無法根除 【例】 Smoking has become an irradicable bad habit for him. 【例】 One, pay homage to the irradicable theory according to which is the "core" of the conflict; engage in meetings, bilaterals, conferences; be an "honest broker." 【近】 entrenched, ineradicable, ingrained, inveterate, rooted 【反】 eradicable 可根除的

irate

On the anger scale, first comes annoyed, then vexed, then irate. When cartoon characters are irate, they're so mad that smoke comes out of their ears. The first syllable of irate is ir for ire, related to the Greek word oistros which means "thing causing madness." An irate investor might sell all his or her stock in a company. Let's hope you thanked your aunt for the birthday check — otherwise you might get an irate phone call from her. When your mother is irate, you'd best get out of the way, and get busy cleaning your room. 【考法 1】 adj. 极其愤怒的: extremely angry 【例】 an irate taxpayer 【近】 aggravated, apoplectic, choleric, enraged, exasperated, infuriated, ireful, mad, wrathful 【反】 calm, halcyon; delighted, pleased 高兴的，满意的

inveigh

Picture an old man banging his fist on the dinner table, inveighing against the evils of teenagers being allowed to listen to music and dance. Inveigh means to rail against something with hostility and passion. Related to vehicle, inveigh comes from Latin in- + vehere *"to carry."* During the Vietnam War, war protesters held rallies where young men burned their draft cards and inveighed against the imperialist motives by which our country was being driven and the war's escalation without its ever being properly authorized in Congress. 【考法 1】 vi. 激烈抗议，表示强烈不满: to protest or complain bitterly or vehemently 【例】 inveighed against the bank industry 【近】 gripe, grouse, object, protest, remonstrate, repine 【反】 support; delight, rejoice 感到高兴

invidious

Something can be described as invidious when it is *resentful, discriminatory or envious*, as in: "Fred was angered by the invidious gossip about his divorce being spread by his ex-wife's allies." The adjective invidious is used to describe an act, thought, opinion or critique that is full of ill will or prejudice. It comes from a Latin word that means "hostile." When the captain of a cheerleading squad says nasty things about an opposing cheer captain's new party dress, those are invidious comments. 【考法 1】 adj. tending to cause discontent, animosity, or envy 惹人反感的 【例】 the invidious task of arbitration 【近】 abhorrent, detestable, obnoxious, odious, repugnant, repellent 【反】 agreeable, gratifying, pleasant 令人高兴的 【考法 2】 adj. causing envy; having or showing mean resentment of another's possessions or advantages 羡慕嫉妒恨的 【例】 Inevitably, his remarkable success attracted the invidious attention of the other sales representatives. 【近】 covetous, envious, jaundiced, jealous, resentful, green-eyed

invincible

Something invincible is victorious over everything. Disease, death, destruction? No match for something truly invincible. Mere humans who imagine they're invincible, however, will inevitably prove that they're not. Invincible comes ultimately from the Latin verb vincere, "to conquer." Many of the uses for invincible are for describing someone or something victorious or unbeatable at what they do. A company can be invincible when it outsells similar businesses for years, a tennis player is invincible after winning all of the majors in a year or a career, and Superman and the Indomitable Snowman are invincible as long as they stay away from kryptonite and the warm sun. 【考法 1】 adj. incapable of being conquered, overcome, or subdued 無敵的；戰無不勝的 【例】 An invincible army 常勝軍。 【例】 Invincible ignorance 無法可想的愚蠢 【例】 The soccer team proved to be invincible. 【近】 bulletproof, impregnable, invulnerable, unbeatable, unconquerable 【反】 conquerable; surmountable; vulnerable 【派】 invincibility n. 无敌

intrinsic

The intrinsic qualities of something have to do with its *nature*. An intrinsic quality of dogs is that they're loyal. Anything intrinsic comes from within. Doing a job for only money is not intrinsic. Doing a job because you love it is intrinsic; the motivation comes from within. It's good to treat people as having intrinsic value. If you like someone for intrinsic reasons, then you have no other motivation. The opposite of intrinsic is extrinsic, for things that come from the outside instead of from the inside. 【考法 1】 adj. 固有的，内在的: of or relating to the essential nature of a thing 【例】 the intrinsic worth of a gem 【近】 congenial, constitutional, immanent, inborn, inherent, innate, native, natural 【反】 adventitious, extraneous, extrinsic

ken

The noun ken means *"range of vision or comprehension."* If quantum mechanics is beyond your ken, you don't understand it, or it is beyond your scope of knowledge. Ken is rarely used today outside of the phrase, "beyond one's ken." It goes all the way back, however, to Proto Indo-European, the reconstructed ancestor of most European, Near Eastern, and South Asian languages. Coming from the root *gno- "to know," ken has many relatives in modern English such as incognito, cunning, and know itself. 【考法 1】 n. 视野范围: the range of vision 【例】 abstract words that are beyond the ken of children 【近】 sight 【考法 2】 vt. 知道、了解(人或物): to know (a person or thing) 【近】 appreciate, apprehend, cognize, comprehend, grasp, perceive, savvy, understand 【反】 misapprehend, misconceive, misinterpret, misperceive, misunderstand

kilter

The noun kilter means "balance," or "a state of working well," but you'll only find it in the phrase "out of kilter," meaning "not working right." When things are off balance or out of whack, they're out of kilter, or off-kilter. If your bike keeps pulling to one side, or your toaster is only toasting one side of the bread you insert, they're both out of kilter. If you're studying hard and forgetting to eat well and exercise, you might also feel out of kilter. The word comes from the now-obsolete kelter, although the origin of this word is unknown. 良好狀態 good condition 平衡 out of harmony or balance

irk

The verb irk means *"annoy,"* so if the incessant barking of your next door neighbor's pug is driving you crazy, you can say that the noise irks you. Being irked is an individual thing — what drives you crazy might be something your friend doesn't even notice. For example, it might irk your grammarian friend every time he hears someone says "ain't," but other people don't mind it. The earliest version of the word irk, irken, meant "to feel weary or tired," but it later came to mean "to tire of or to be disgusted with." 【考法 1】 n. 令人烦恼的事物: something that is a source of irritation 【例】 One of the prof's major irks is a cell phone that rings during a lecture. 【近】 aggravation, bother, exasperation, frustration, headache, irritant, nuisance, vexation 【考法 2】 v. 使烦恼，使厌倦: to be irritating, wearisome, or vexing to 【例】 She irked her friends by chewing her gum loudly during the movie. 【近】 annoy, bother, fret, gall, provoke, ruffle, vex 【反】 appease, assuage, pacify, placate, propitiate, soothe 平息 【派】 irksome adj. 令人厌烦的

lacerate

The verb lacerate means to cut or tear. So the envelope that gave you that nasty paper cut? It lacerated your finger. Something usually needs to be sharp or jagged to lacerate you, like broken glass or a sharp stick. You won't be getting lacerated anytime soon by lace or cotton balls, that's for sure. But watch out for sharp-tongued people hurling hateful words your way; those snide remarks and personal digs can lacerate feelings like a knife slicing through butter. 【考法 1】To tear or cut roughly 【考法 2】 vt. 使非常痛苦: to cause deep emotional pain to; distress 【例】He was born into a family already lacerated with tensions and divisions. 【近】 afflict, distress, harrow, hurt, rend, torment, torture, wound 【反】 allay, alleviate, assuage, ease, mitigate, mollify, palliate, relieve, soothe

jeopardy

To be in jeopardy is to be *in danger*. Eating three plates of nachos a day may improve your chances of winning your office's nacho-eating contest; unfortunately, it could also put your health in jeopardy. Jeopardy is a state of being, so this word is almost always preceded by the preposition "in." The phrase "in jeopardy" is just one of several ways to convey that someone is in trouble. You can also try "at risk," "in danger," or — if you're into idioms — "on thin ice," "out on a limb," or "up the creek without a paddle." 【考法 1】 n. 危险: risk of loss or injury; peril or danger 【例】 the city's firefighters routinely put their lives in jeopardy 【近】 distress, endangerment, imperilment, peril 【反】 safeness, safety, secureness, security 安全

inure

To inure is to *get used to something difficult or unpleasant*. If after spending an hour in your brother's room, you stop noticing the stinky-sock smell, you have become inured to the odor. Although the Latin roots of inure mean* "in work,"* it may be easier to think of *"in use"* when you see inure. Got new shoes that give you blisters? When they are "in use" long enough, your feet will become inured to the spots that rub, and while you may have calluses, you will not be in pain. You can be inured to more abstract things too. When weathermen constantly play up the next big snowstorm or blizzard, you become inured to it and stop paying attention to them. 【考法 1】 vt. 使习惯接受不好的东西: to accustom to accept something undesirable 【例】 children inured to violence 【近】 accustom, familiarize, habituate 【派】 inured adj. 习惯的 【考法 2】 vt. 使坚强: to make able to withstand physical hardship, strain, or exposure 【例】 The hardship of army training inured her to the rigors of desert warfare. 【近】 fortify, indurate, season, steel, strengthen, toughen 【反】 enfeeble, soften, weaken, undermine 弱化，使虚弱

invoke

To invoke is *to call up something* such as a law, a higher power, or even a ghost. In court, you might invoke the Fifth Amendment (the right not to say something that will make you look bad) if you don't want to talk. You can invoke all kinds of people or ideas, alive or dead: "She invokes the spirit of good writing when she proofreads her work." In a time of need, you might invoke a higher power. You could invoke Martin Luther King when talking about equal rights. You might even invoke the spirit of your dead cat at a séance. Just make sure you don't evoke (to bring on a strong emotional reaction) your dead cat; that would just be weird. 1. 祈求（神靈）保佑，乞靈于，用符咒召喚。 2. 懇求，乞求。 3. 行使（法權等），實行。 4. 援引（法規、條文等）。 5. 引起，產生。 【考法 1】 vt. 实施: to put into effect or operation 【例】 New train timetable has been invoked. 【近】 enforce, effect, execute, implement, perform 【反】 suspend 【考法 2】 vt. 产生，造成: to be the cause of (a situation, action, or state of mind) 【例】 We should be prepared for the possibility that any solution may invoke another set of problems. 【近】 beget, bring, catalyze, cause, create, engender, generate, induce, produce, result

irrigate

To irrigate is to supply with water, usually with ditches and channels that allow the water to flow. Irrigating is a type of watering that is important in one field in particular: farming. If a farmer has a huge number of crops, you can see how getting water to them could be difficult. The farmer irrigates by digging little channels that allow hard-to-reach spots to receive water. If there is a drought, irrigating will have to happen often to save the crops. People with large gardens might need to irrigate as well. Irrigating waters plants, keeping them alive. 【考法 1】 vt. 灌溉: to supply (dry land) with water by means of ditches, pipes, or streams; water artificially 【例】 irrigate crops periodically 【近】 water 【考法 2】 vt. 冲洗: to flush (a body part) with a stream of liquid (as in removing a foreign body or medicating) 【例】 irrigate the wound 【近】 flush, rinse, wash 【派】 irrigation n.

jibe

To jibe with *someone is to agree with them*. Jibe can also mean "be compatible with or similar to." If two people jibe, they get along quite well. A jibe can also be an insulting remark as another way to spell gibe. If someone directs that kind of jibe at you, the best response is a really good comeback. And in nautical terminology, jibe refers to a particular manner of changing the course of a ship. How did this word come to have such different meanings? Your guess is as good as ours. Just try to remember that if you want to jibe with others, don't insult them. 【考法 1】 vi. 意见一致: to be in accord: agree 【例】 Your figures jibe with mine. 【近】 accord, cohere, conform, correspond, harmonize, tally 【反】 conflict 冲突

jolt

To jolt someone is* to disturb them or make them jump*. A jolt is *sudden and jarring*. Jolting disturbs or surprises people. If you surprise someone and they jump up a little, you jolted them. Alarm clocks jolt people out of sleep. A sudden crack of thunder could provide a jolt. The unexpected barking of a dog could jolt you. Jolting is quick and not very pleasant. A jolt jars and stuns you. Some jolts are more serious: crashing your car jolts the people in the car violently. 【考法 1】 vi. 突然移动: to move or dislodge with a sudden, hard blow 【考法 2】 v. 惊吓: to cause an unpleasant surprise for 【例】 The sneak terrorist attack jolted the country out of its indolence and indifference. 【近】 appall, floor, shake up

lambaste

To lambaste is to reprimand or berate someone severely. People lambaste those who have angered or disappointed them. Have you ever watched a basketball game and noticed a coach yelling like a maniac at a referee? That coach is lambasting the referee. Lambasting is also called chewing out, taking to task, scolding, reprimanding, berating, bawling out, and chiding. Parents lambaste disobedient kids. A boss might lambaste a worker who is late all the time. Lambasting is severe and goes way beyond criticizing. When you are lambasting, you are furious at someone and letting them know it. 【考法 1】 vt. 严厉斥责: to scold sharply; berate 【例】 Critics lambasted his performance. 【近】 assail, baste, belabor, berate, castigate, excoriate, reprimand, reproach, scathe, slam, upbraid, vituperate 【反】 carol, extol, glorify, hymn, laud, magnify, praise

languish

To languish is to *become pitiful or weak* because you're sick, in love, or stuck somewhere. A prisoner might languish in jail, longing for her freedom. Languish, like languid, is from the Latin word languere which means to "be weak or faint." Your houseplants might languish in a dark dry corner. A Romantic poet might languish on a velvet couch with the back of her hand to her forehead. People in operas love to languish: The main character in La Traviatta, Violetta, languishes from longing and eventually tuberculosis. 【考法 1】 vi. 变得衰弱: to be or become feeble, weak, or enervated 【例】 languishing during the prolonged heat wave 【近】 decay, droop, emaciate, fade, fail, flag, sag, wither 【反】 burgeon, flourish, thrive, prosper

interminable

Use in*termin*able to describe something that has or seems to have *no end.* Your math class. Your sister's violin recital. A babysitting job where five kids are going through your purse and the parents didn't leave a number. Something that is interminable is often boring, annoying, or hard to bear, such as an interminable noise. A near synonym is incessant, which also refers to something unpleasant that continues without stopping. It descends from the Latin prefix in- "not," terminare "to end," and the suffix -abilis "able to." Latin terminare is also the source of the English verb terminate "to end" and the corresponding noun termination "an act of ending something." 【考法 1】 adj. 无尽头的: having or seeming to have no end 【例】 A large audience fell asleep during the interminable sermon. 【近】 continual, ceaseless, endless, everlasting, perpetual 【反】 completed 完成的

jovial

Use jovial to describe people who *show good humor and are full of joy*. Santa Claus, with his constant "ho-ho-hoing" is a jovial figure. Jocose and jocular are similar words, but they refer more to things that actually cause laughter. Jovial is from Middle French, from Late Latin jovialis "relating to Jupiter, the ancient Roman god of the sky," from Jupiter "Jupiter" plus the Latin prefix -alis "relating to." In astrology, people born under the sign of Jupiter are joyful. 【考法 1】 adj. 愉快的: markedly good-humored especially as evidenced by jollity and conviviality 【例】 a jovial host 【近】 blithesome, festive, gay, gleeful, jocular, jocund, jolly, mirthful 【反】 lachrymose, saturnine; dour, dreary, morose, serious

jejune

Use the adjective jejune to describe something that is *uninteresting or insignificant*. Many people claim to find celebrity gossip jejune, but ask them about a recent movie star scandal and chances are they know all about it. Jejune can also describe something that's immature or simplistic. All that actress could say about her latest movie was that it was "Super fun"? That's a pretty jejune comment. Basically jejune means lacking substance. It originally comes from the Latin word jejunus, which means "fasting," so when something is jejune, it's figuratively empty — devoid of intellectual nourishment. 1. 缺乏營養的；（土地等）貧瘠的。 2. （內容等）空洞的；枯燥無味的。 3. 幼稚的，不成熟的。 【考法 1】 adj. 无趣乏味的: not interesting; dull 【例】 jejune lectures 【近】 arid, drab, dreary, leaden, monotonous, ponderous, tedious, weary 【反】 absorbing, engaging, engrossing, gripping, interesting, intriguing, involving, riveting, thought provoking 【考法 2】 adj. 幼稚的: having or showing the annoying qualities (as silliness) associated with children 【例】 an essay filled with jejune, simplistic opinions about international politics 【近】 adolescent, immature, infantile, juvenile, kiddish, puerile 【反】 adult, grown-up, mature 成熟的

latitude

Use the word latitude to describe how much *freedom you have in making choices*. For example, if a teacher gives you latitude in writing your paper, you might get to choose the topic and how many sources to include. Latitude is related to the Latin word latitudo, meaning "breadth, width, extent, size." You might already know that latitude is used to indicate the distance an object is from the equator, measured from north to south. Latitude can also be used to mean "be given the space to act and decide for oneself," like the latitude parents might give responsible kids. 【考法 1】 n. freedom from normal restraints, limitations, or regulations （見解、思想、行動的）自由 【例】 Students are allowed considerable latitude in choosing courses. 【近】 authorization, license, freedom, leeway, free hand 【反】 limitation; custody

languor

When you are sick or heartbroken and too tired to get out of bed, the listlessness you feel is called languor. It's *sluggishness and slowness, but usually with cause.* The more commonly used word languish is closely related to languor. If you are languishing or becoming weaker, you are showing languor. Remember that languor implies a heaviness or slowness where there should be lightness or speed. There is no time for languor if you have an exam tomorrow, and you are just beginning to study now. And, a 100 degree day with 70% humidity can inspire languor in just about anyone. 【考法 1】 n. 懒惰: physical or mental inertness 【例】 He enjoyed the languor brought on by a hot summer afternoon. 【近】 collapse, exhaustion, frazzle, lassitude, listlessness, stupor, torpor, prostration 【反】 verve, vim,animation,vitality 有活力 【考法 2】 n. 衰弱: weakness or weariness of body or mind 【例】 The tropical heat sapped our strength, leaving us in a state of unaccustomed languor. 【近】 debilitation, enervation, enfeeblement, fragility, infirmity 【反】 robustness, strength, vivacity

lethargic

When you feel lethargic, you're sluggish or lacking energy. Being sleepy or hungry can make anyone lethargic. Being lethargic makes it hard to get anything done: you feel *weak and sleepy*. Whatever the reason, a lethargic person needs to snap out of it and get some energy, maybe by eating something or by taking a nap. Being lethargic also goes well with watching TV, since that takes almost no energy at all. When you feel lethargic, you don't have any energy to spare. 【考法 1】 adj. 没精打采的，行动迟缓的: of, relating to, or characterized by lethargy, sluggish 【例】 a big nice meal always makes me feel lethargic and sleepy 【近】 dull, inert, quiescent, sluggish, torpid 【反】 dynamic, energetic, robust, vigorous; active

jog

When you jog, you run at a moderate pace, usually to get exercise. If you jog down the street, you'll pass people who are walking and be passed by people who are sprinting. Jog can be a verb, or a noun meaning a slow-paced run: "She moved at a lazy jog around the track, in no hurry to improve her time." A jog is slower than a flat-out run. Yet another way to use the word is to mean "nudge one's memory." A courtroom attorney might hold up a piece of evidence in front of a witness and say, "Perhaps this will jog your memory." 【考法 1】vi. 唤起: to rouse or stimulate 【例】 an old photo that might jog your memory 【近】 arouse, excite, incite, instigate, pique, remind, stimulate, stir 【反】 allay, alleviate, assuage, ease, mitigate, mollify, palliate, relieve, soothe

lampoon

When you make fun of something by imitating it in a humorous way, you're lampooning it. The writers at The Onion, Saturday Night Live and FunnyOrDie.com are all experts in the art of the lampoon. Lampoon can be both a verb and a noun. To lampoon is ridicule. A lampoon is a parody or satire. Imagine you were frustrated by having your allowance reduced, so you wrote a funny play portraying mom and dad as dictators extracting lots of unfair taxes from their people. That's lampooning. And it probably won't help your allowance situation. 【考法 1】 n 讽刺: a harsh satire usually directed against an individual 【例】alampoonofthemoviebusinessatthetime 【近】 burlesque, caricature, farce, mockery, parody, ridicule, spoof, travesty 【反】 eulogy, ode, paean颂

inveigle

When you tell your boyfriend he's not just the best boyfriend ever but also the world's best driver, and this makes him offer to drive the whole way on your upcoming road trip, then congratulations. You know how to inveigle, or *use charm to coax someone into doing something.* If you successfully inveigle your sister to doing something for you, she must be so caught up in your flattering that she is blind to your true intention. In fact, inveigle comes from the Middle French word aveugler, meaning* "delude, make blind,"* which can be traced back to the Medieval Latin word ab oculis, or "lacking eyes." The people you inveigle don't see what you are really up to. 【考法 1】 vt. 诱骗: to win over by coaxing, flattery, or artful talk 【例】 inveigle consumers into buying the item 【近】 allure, bait, decoy, entice, entrap, seduce, tempt 【反】 demand 强求 【派】 inveigling adj. 诱骗性的

jitters

When you're *really anxious and jumpy*, you can say you have the jitters. Your jitters might make it hard to stand calmly in front of an audience and deliver a speech. Jitters is an informal but useful noun that captures the fidgety, nervous feeling that everyone gets sometimes. When you have the jitters, you're so nervous you can hardly sit still. This word is one of the relatively few coined in the United States, and it's thought to be influenced by chitter, in dialect "tremble or shiver," from Middle English chittern, "to twitter or chatter." 【考法 1】 n. a sense of panic or extreme nervousness 緊張不安 戰戰兢兢 顫抖 【例】 she suffered pre-wedding jitters 【近】 butterflies, dither, jimjams, nerves, shakes, shivers, willies 【反】 aplomb, calm, composure, equanimity, imperturbability, self-possession, tranquility

leery

You can use the adjective leery to describe someone who's *suspicious of a person or situation*. After his brother came out with bald spots and uneven patches of buzz-cut hair, he was leery of having the same barber get near his own head. Being leery is being distrustful. If you're leery, it will probably show on your face and in your posture. You may squint and wrinkle your brows or take a few steps back. If you're leery that someone won't keep a secret, you won't confide in them, and if you're leery about whether they'll keep a promise to you, you won't count on them. Sometimes people are leery because of some proof, but often, just having a bad feeling or instinct is enough to make a person leery. 【考法 1】 adj. 怀疑的，不信任的: suspicious or distrustful; wary 【例】 be leery of strangers 【近】 dubious, distrustful, skeptical, suspicious, wary 【反】 credulous

jocund

You know that teacher who always has a goofy smile on his face and a bad pun for the kids? He's got a jocund personality, meaning he's *merry and cheerful.* The word jocund came from the influence of two Latin words, jocundus, which means pleasant, and jocus, which is just what it sounds like: a joke. Usually the word is used to describe people, but not always. Say your family gets together every year for a big, merry barbecue — you could describe it as a jocund gathering, or a jocund weekend. It's a sort of old-fashioned word, though, so use it sparingly. 【考法 1】 adj. 欢快的，高兴的: sprightly and lighthearted in disposition, character, or quality; cheerful and lighthearted 【例】 old friends engaged in jocund teasing 【近】 blithesome, jocose, jocular, jolly, jovial, mirthful, sunny 【反】 lachrymose, saturnine; dour, dreary, morose, serious

kindred

Your kindred are your people. If you say are going to visit your kindred during the holidays, that means you are going to visit your relatives. The word kindred can be used as either an adjective or a noun. The noun version is somewhat archaic — you are more likely to encounter this word in classic literature than in casual conversation. You may be more familiar with the adjective version of the word, which has gained popular usage in the term "kindred spirit" or "kindred soul," which is used to describe those who *share similar attitudes, characteristics, or beliefs.* 1. 親屬的；親戚的；宗族的。 2. 類似的，同種的，同源的，同性質的。 【考法 1】having a similar or related origin, nature, or character 【例】 finally found people who were kindred spirits when she joined the hiking club 【近】 agreeable, amicable, compatible, congenial, frictionless, unanimous, united 【反】 disagreeable, discordant, disharmonious, disunited, incompatible, inharmonious, uncongenial