Vocab G Unit 7 Choosing the Right Word
ephemeral
An emotion so fickle and (ephemeral, pertinacious) does not deserve to be categorized as "love."
coterie
As the rock star's popularity began to skyrocket, what had been a small (coterie, raiment) of admirers became an unruly mob.
allay
Effective coaches are able to (allay, embellish) the doubts of their players.
jettison
Every dynamic and successful society must be able to (allay, jettison) ideas and institutions that have outlived their usefulness.
counterpart
Often the antonym of a given English word is not so much its opposite as its (embellishment, counterpart) - for example, actor and actress.
coterie
Ralph Waldo Emerson and a(n) (coterie, effrontery) of a like-minded friends led the American transcendentalism movement in the mid-nineteenth century.
inordinate
Sadly, in our celebrity-obsessed culture, professional athletes make (pertinacious, inordinate) amounts of money while professional educators make little.
misanthrope
She has neither the starry-eyed optimism of the idealist nor the mordant cynicism of the (misanthrope, coterie).
raiment
Somehow, it depresses me to think that with the approach of winter this magnificent old tree will surrender all its leafy (raiment, effrontery).
bestial
The atrocities committed by the (garish, bestial) commanders of such concentration camps as Auschwitz appalled the civilized world.
pertinacity
The famous sleuth pursued his investigation with all the (pertinacity, conviviality) of a lion stalking its dinner.
garish
The kind of (garish, picayune) theatrical makeup used by circus clowns is not suitable for an elegant fashion model.
inordinate
The presidency is the "toughest job in the world" because it makes such (bestial, inordinate) demands on a person's time, energy, and ingenuity.
picayune
The proofreader didn't notice any significant flaws in the writing, but he did find a flaw (ephemeral, picayune) defects in the typesetting.
demur
I am flattered that you want me to chair the meeting, but I must (demur, embellish) on the grounds of my youth and inexperience.
felicitous
I can always come up with the crushing rejoinder, the dazzling witticism or the (furtive, felicitous) phrase - about an hour after I need it!
illusory
If installment buying is not carefully controlled, the benefits that can accrue from it may prove wholly (illusory, inordinate).
ephemeral
Not surprisingly, my sister's solemnly made commitment to daily clarinet practice for one month was (garish, ephemera), lasting only five days.
allay
Nothing we could say seemed to (demur, allay) her grief over the loss of her dog.
indigent
Though the Federal government does much to help the (indigent, illusory), private charities play no small part in their welfare.
convivial
To anyone as fond of horses as I am, the stable and the tack room provide as (indigent, convivial) an atmosphere as one could wish for.
felicitous
To celebrate their fiftieth anniversary, my grandfather described the (felicitous, indigent) choice he made to ask my grandmother for a first date.
furtively
When I returned to the office earlier than expected, I caught the little snoop __________ going through the papers on my desk.
embellish
When the facts of a matter speak so plainly for themselves, we shouldn't seek to (embellish, jettison) them.
effrontery
You mean you had the (effrontery, demur) to ask for a raise when everyone knows you've been goofing off lately? I asked in amazement.
