MNEMONICSUnit 10

ADEPT

(adj.) thoroughly skilled (n.) an expert

adapt and become “good at something”

ASPIRE

(v.) to have ambitious hopes or plans, strive toward a higher goal, desire earnestly; to ascend

aspire = soar I aspire to be an actor because I have

been inspired by my grandmother who starred in Broadway productions.

BLEAK

(adj.) bare, dreary, dismal

bleak = leak = water drops = rain = cloudy= dreary or dismal day

bleak = bare

CHIDE

(v.) to blame; scold chide – child = blame/scold the child

for telling a lie

DESPICABLE

(adj.) worthy of scorn, contemptible despicable = contemptible contempt = disrespect

to despise “dis-respectable” behavior

DIMINUTIVE

(adj.) small, smaller than most others of the same type

diminutive = mini

EMANCIPATE

(v.)to free from slavery; to release or liberate

emancipate = liberate = liberty= freedom

Lincoln signed Emancipation Proclamation = to free slaves = free man to participate in life as they should

ERRONEOUS

(adj.) incorrect, containing mistakes erroneous = error = incorrect/mistakes

EXPLOIT

(v.) to make use of, develop; to make improper use of for personal profit (n.) a feat or deed

exploitation = of child labor, women (to expose)

EXTEMPORANEOUS

(adj.) made or delivered on the spur of the moment

Extemporaneous = tiempo (Spanish for time) spur of the moment = spontaneous

No “extra time”

IMPAIR

(v.) to make imperfect, damage, harm impair = repair (to fix – the opposite)

INVINCIBLE

(adj.) not able to be defeated, unbeatable

Superman is invincible (except for kryptonite)

LANGUID

(adj.) drooping; without energy, sluggish

languid = lag behind -= sluggish Droopy = cartoon character – without

energy

MIRE

(n.) mud, wet, swampy ground; a tough situation

(v.) to get stuck mire = tire = The tire got stuck in the

mire.

OBTRUSIVE

(adj.) forward; undesirably prominent; thrust out

obtrusive = intrusive = intrude = undesirably forward

Intrude upon your personal space – hug from a complete stranger can be obtrusive

PREAMBLE

(n.) an introduction to a speech or a piece of writing

preamble = pre = before = amble = ramble (speech) an INTROduction to a speech

RENDER

(v.) to cause to become; to perform; to deliver officially; to process, extract

render = to deliver = sender = sends a message (delivers it)

RUGGED

(adj.) rough, irregular; severe, stern; strong, stormy

rugged = rough Brawny paper towel guy = lumberjack

= rugged, strong, “rough”

SKEPTICAL

(adj.) inclined to doubt; slow to accept something as true

skeptical = a skeptic = one who doubts One who is skeptical might look more

closely through his/her spectacles (glasses).

SLIPSHOD

(adj.) untidy in dress, personal habits, etc. careless, sloppy

slipshod = slapdash = careless - don’t care about the way one looks

slipshod = shoddy = of poor quality slipshod = slip = messy dress