Unit 8 Choosing the Right Word

fervent

During the prolonged dry spell, the farmers' (fervent, perceptible) prayers for rain were seldom answered.

unflagging

For her (unflagging, divergent) devotion to every good cause in our community, we honor this wonderful woman.

rankled

I pretended that being ignored by the "best people in town" meant nothing to me, but actually those snubs (rankled, nullified) deeply.

scavengers

I understand that pigeons are (plummets, scavengers) by nature, but still don't like them pecking around our picnic table, looking for crumbs.

cronies

If we had a good civil service system in this town, the mayor wouldn't be able to put his (cronies, enmities) on the public payroll.

divergent

In a democracy, we expect people to have (gaunt, divergent) views and to express them openly.

infiltrate

In spite of my efforts to keep them at bay, spring weeds always manage to (infiltrate, proclaim) my vegetable garden.

proclaimed

In the unforgettable words of the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson (proclaimed, rankled) to the world that a new nation had been born.

cryptic

It didn't take me long to master the (fervent, cryptic) greetings, signs, and handshakes that were part of the club's rituals.

nullify

It is a sad fact of experience that postwar political blunders can often (nullify, infiltrate) or even reverse the results of battlefield triumphs.

proxies

Large numbers of stockholders allowed (scavengers, proxies) to vote in their place.

enmity

Let me state my absolute (stoicism, enmity) for those who seek to bring about political change through violent means.

abut

Our farm used to (stint, abut) the high school football field, but now a highway separates the two tracts of land.

plummeted

Our hopes for a winning touchdown (availed, plummeted) in the last minute when Jim fumbled and South High recovered the ball.

stoical

President Kennedy bore his pain in such a (perceptible, stoical) manner that few people realized how much he suffered from his World War II back injury.

gaunt

The (unflagging, gaunt) and leafless trees seemed to add to the gloom of that wintry scene.

perceptible

The moon is sometimes faintly (proxy, perceptible) in the morning sky.

perceptible

The two candidates are working hard to get the voter's support, but in my opinion there is no (perceptible, cryptic) difference between them.

abuts

We gave strict instructions to the work crew, telling them that, when they install the countertop, they must make sure that it (abuts, plummets) the wall

avail

We made phone calls, sent emails, and combed the neighborhood on foot, but our search for the lost dog was to no (stint, avail).

plummeted

When the temperature suddenly (plummeted, nullified) to below freezing, the hikers made the wise decision to descend the mountain.

attired

After the big snowstorm, the trees seemed to be (attired, cronies) in white lace.

avail

All the heroism of our men could not (abut, avail) against the enemy's superior forces.

stoical

Although the woman was filled with grief, she remained (gaunt, stoical) during the poignant memorial service.

stint

Before going to college, my brother did a (stint, proxy)as an apprentice radio operator on an oceangoing tanker.