Vocabulary Unit 1

Words 1 – 206th Grade

Thank you Mrs. Kind!

apparel• (n.) clothing, that which serves as dress or

decoration• Synoynms: attire, garments

• (v.) to put clothes on, dress up• Synonym: deck out

Let’s apparel our dogs for the party.

besiege• (v.) to attack by surrounding

with military forces; to cause worry or trouble.

• Synonyms: blockade, encircle, pressure

If troops besiege their stronghold, the rebel forces may be forced to surrender.

compress

• (V.) to press together; to reduce in size or volume

• Synonyms: condense, shrink

• (n.) a folded cloth or pad applied to injury

A cold compress may soothe a headache.

denounce

• (v.) to condemn openly; to accuse formally

• Synonym: criticize

The United Nations tried to publicly denounce the tyrant’s crimes against his people.

dispatch• (v.) to send off or out for a

purpose; to kill• Synonym: slay

• (n.) a official message; promptness, speed

We’ll dispatch a repair crew right away.

douse• (v.) to plunge into a liquid,

drench; to put out quickly, extinguish

• Synonyms: submerge, soak, dunk, immerse

I’ll douse the flames with the hose.

expressly• (adv.) plainly, in so many

words; for a particular purpose

• Synonyms: clearly, pointedly, explicitly

At the meeting, parents expressly stated their approval of students wearing school uniforms.

famished• (adj.) suffering severely

from hunger or lack of something

• Synonym: hungry, • starving, ravenous

The Vietnamese immigrants, new to a strange American city, were famished for new homes.

forsake• (v.) to give up, renounce; to

leave, abandon• Synonyms: desert,

disown

I will never forsake my children, no matter what they do or say.

gainful

• (adj.) profitable, bringing in money or some special advantage

• Synonyms: moneymaking, paying

I hope to find gainful employment that is pleasing to me.

immense• (adj.) very large or great;

beyond ordinary means of measurement

• Synonyms: vast, enormous

Alaska enjoys immense natural resources, but its severe climate makes those resources difficult to use.

inept• (adj.) totally without skill or

appropriateness• Synonyms: clumsy,

unskilled, incompetent

The scientist is brilliant in research laboratory but is inept at dealing with people.

ingenious

• (adj.) showing remarkable originality, inventiveness, or resourcefulness; clever

• Synonyms: imaginative, inventive, resourceful

The students found an ingenious solution to the math problem.

instantaneous• (adj.) done in an instant;

immediate• Synonyms: prompt, quick,

speedy

• Most computer software is designed so that users can obtain nearly instantaneous responses.

irk• (v.) to annoy, trouble,

make weary• Synonyms: bother, irritate,

vex

• Questions that show a student’s lack of attention irk the teacher.

libel• (n.) a written statement that

unfairly or falsely harms the reputation of the person about whom it is made;

• Synonym: slur• (v.) to write or publish such a

statement• Synonym: smear, defame• It is a crime to libel others, no

matter how you feel about them.

misgiving• (n.) a feeling of fear, doubt,

or uncertainty• Synonyms: worry, qualm,

hesitation

• They had misgivings about joining the chorus because of its demanding schedule.

oaf• (n.) a stupid person; a

big, clumsy, slow individual

• Synonyms: bonehead, dunce

He generally moved like an oaf, so I was surprised to see how graceful he was on the dance floor.

recede• (v.) to go or move

backward; to become more distant

• Synonyms: retreat, go back

• The town residents must wait for flood waters to recede before they can deal with the terrible mess left behind.

repast

• (n.) a meal, food• Synonym: victuals

• Let’s get together after the show at Callie’s Café for late night repast.