Day 9 Acquire Test-worthy Words About the Human Condition - Part III Build Your Word Bank

Ultimate word success - Peterson's 2009

Day 9 Acquire Test-worthy Words About the Human Condition
Part III Build Your Word Bank

The word narcissism refers to excessive self-admiration and vanity. It comes from the Greek myth of Narcissus. According to one version of the legend, the handsome Narcissus fell in love with his own image reflected in a pool of water. Because he was unable to embrace his image, he died from unrequited love.

The words in this chapter concern what it’s like being human. Some of the words describe our faults; others, our strengths. Many of the words come from the fields of psychology, religion, and sociology. There are also a lot of games to make learning fun—as well as help you remember the words by using them in different ways.

Learn Ten Words About Vanity and Pride

The following ten test-worthy words all concern human faults: in this case, excessive pride. As you read the chart, use each word in a sentence to help you fix it in your mind.

Word

Pronunciation

Definition

arrogant

ar-oh-gant

conceited

condescending

kon-de-send-ing

patronizing, smug

contemptuous

kun-temp-choo-us

scornful

dictatorial

dik-tuh-tor-ee-ul

domineering

haughty

haw-tee

vain and egotistical

imperious

im-peer-ee-us

overbearing

indolent

in-duh-lunt

lazy

insipid

in-sip-id

dull; unchallenging

patronizing

pay-truh-ny-zing

to treat someone in a condescending way

torpor

tor-per

dullness; inactivity

It’s Your Turn: Synonyms and Antonyms

Write a synonym (word that means the same) and antonym (word that means the opposite) for each of the following words. The answers appear on here.

Word

Synonym

Antonym

arrogant



condescending



contemptuous



dictatorial



haughty



imperious



indolent



insipid



patronizing



torpor



Give It a Try: The Blame Game

Each of the following words concerns disapproval, criticism, and punishment. Determine which of the following four phrases best describes each word in the list that follows. Write the number of your answer choice on the line to the left of each entry. The answers appear on here.

1. to free from blame

2. to disapprove, criticize, or blame

3. to criticize or condemn abusively

4. to punish or discipline

____ absolve

____ exculpate

____ ostracize

____ acquit

____ execrate

____ reprimand

____ castigate

____ exonerate

____ reproach

____ censure

____ fulminate

____ reprove

____ chastise

____ indict

____ vindicate

____ deprecate

____ inveigh

____ vituperate

____ excoriate



Time for Fun: I Cogitate (Think), Therefore I Am

Determine which of the following four words or phrases best describes each word in the list that follows. Write the number of your answer choice on the line to the left of each entry. The answers appear on here.

1. existing

2. newly existing

3. enduring or everlasting

4. temporary; not lasting

____ evanescent

____ neonate

____ tangible

____ extant

____ perdurable

____ temporal

____ inchoate

____ perennial

____ transient

____ incipient

____ protracted

____ transitory

Analyze Test-worthy Words from Psychology

The word quixotic is used to describe lofty but impractical sentiments like those of its namesake, Don Quixote. In 1605, the Spanish writer Miguel Cervantes created the novel’s tragicomic hero, nobleman Don Quixote, and his stout servant, Sancho Panza, to parody valiant knights and faithful servants created by previous writers. The elderly Don was the purest embodiment of chivalry; unfortunately, he was also pitifully unaware of his false dreams.

The following ten words are all psychological terms that often appear on standardized tests. Try to vocalize as you learn. Remember that saying the words several times aloud can help fix them in your mind.

1. angst (angst) noun, anxiety

2. catharsis (kuh-thar-sis) noun, a discharge of strong emotions

3. empathy (em-puh-thee) noun, the ability to participate in another person’s feelings and experiences and to understand them

4. euphoria (yoo-for-ee-uh) noun, a feeling of well-being or happiness

5. gestalt (guh-shtawlt) noun, a unified whole

6. libido (lih-bee-doh) noun, sexual energy

7. misogynist (mih-sah-juh-nist) noun, a person who hates women

8. neurosis (nore-oh-sis) noun, mild emotional disorder

9. subliminal (suh-blim-uh-nul) adjective, beneath the threshold of consciousness

10. vicarious (vy-kayr-ee-us) adjective, experienced indirectly through observation

Give It a Try: Word Scramble

To complete the following acrostic, first unscramble each of the vocabulary words so that it matches its definition. Then, use the words to fill in the appropriate spaces on the corresponding lines. When you have completed the entire puzzle, another vocabulary word will read vertically in the circles. The answers appear on here.

paeuorih

a feeling of well-being or happiness

Image

tiyssnomgi

a woman-hater

Image

aptrzgoniin

condescending

Image

ntsag

anxiety

Image

orrtpo

dullness; inactivity

Image

yahtugh

egotistical

Image

elloyw

a pale lemon color

Image

It’s Your Turn: A Love-Hate Relationship

For each word below, determine whether the word is closer in meaning to love (like) or hate (dislike). Indicate your choice by writing “L” for “love” or “H” for “hate” on the line to the left of each word. The answers appear on here.

L = love (like)

H = hate (dislike)

____ abhor

____ delectation

____ pique


____ abominate

____ infatuation

____ predilection


____ amity

____ loathe

____ repugnant


____ antipathy

____ odium

____ umbrage


____ captivate

____ penchant



Give It a Try: For Richer, for Poorer

Divide the following words into seven pairs of synonyms. The answers appear on here.

dowry

penurious

profligate

specie

wastrel

parsimonious

mercenary

largess

philanthropic

penury

impecunious

munificent

lucre

venal










Get the Test Writers’ Favorite Test Words About Religion

Below are some important words about religion that are sure to appear on the next standardized test you take. The words are arranged in alphabetical order for ease of use. As you study, rearrange the words into other groupings that help you learn them.

Word

Pronunciation

Part of Speech

Meaning

apostle

uh-pah-sul

noun

disciple

benediction

ben-uh-dik-shun

noun

blessing, prayer

canon

kan-un

noun

religious doctrine

cherub

chayr-ub

noun

angel, represented as a child

cleric

kler-ik

noun

member of the clergy

creed

kreed

noun

statement of religious beliefs

ecclesiastical

eh-klee-zee-as-tih-kul

adjective

pertaining to the church

ecumenical

ek-yoo-men-ih-kul

adjective

universal; worldwide

laity

lay-uh-tee

noun

non-clergy

liturgy

lih-ter-jee

noun

religious ceremonies

martyr

mar-ter

noun

one who suffers death as a penalty of refusing to renounce religious beliefs

orthodox

or-thuh-dahks

adjective

conventional; traditional

penance

pen-uns

noun

act of repentance

sect

sekt

noun

a breakaway religious group

Seventh-Inning Stretch: Multiple Choice

Select the correct meaning for each of the following boldfaced words. Circle your choice. The answers appear on here.

1. orthodox

(A) liturgy

(B) ecumenical

(C) religious ceremonies

(D) conventional; traditional

(E) radical

2. ecclesiastical

(A) pertaining to dissenters

(B) pertaining to pain

(C) pertaining to the church

(D) pertaining to fidelity

(E) pertaining to religious doubt

3. laity

(A) liturgy

(B) slothful

(C) canon

(D) clergy

(E) non-clergy

4. penance

(A) heartache

(B) anguish

(C) liturgy

(D) benediction

(E) act of repentance

5. cherub

(A) angel, represented as a child

(B) canon

(C) liturgy

(D) religious ceremonies

(E) benediction

6. apostle

(A) disciple

(B) benediction

(C) blessing

(D) curse

(E) heretic

7. canon

(A) martyr

(B) religious doctrine

(C) criterion

(D) religious test

(E) spiritual journey

8. liturgy

(A) martyr

(B) religious ceremonies

(C) sect

(D) breakaway religious group

(E) cleric

9. benediction

(A) denunciation

(B) canon

(C) blessing, prayer

(D) affliction

(E) small, poor religious meeting place

10. creed

(A) cruel

(B) martyr

(C) statement of religious doubt

(D) cream of the crop

(E) statement of religious beliefs

It’s Your Turn: Good versus Evil

Each of the following words concerns morality. For each word below, determine whether the word is closer in meaning to righteous or depraved. Indicate your choice by writing “R” for “righteous” or “D” for “depraved” on the line to the left of each word. The answers appear on here.

R = righteous

D = depraved

____ altruistic

____ infamous

____ opprobrious

____ beneficent

____ licentious

____ pious

____ benevolent

____ magnanimous

____ reprobate

____ heinous

____ nefarious

____ vile

____ ignominious

____ odious


Explore Test-worthy Words from Sociology

The following eight words come from the field of sociology, so they all describe aspects of the human condition. How many of these words do you already know?

1. anomie (an-uh-mee) noun, weakened social norms

2. caste (kast) noun, a hierarchical social system

3. ethnocentric (eth-noh-sen-trik) adjective, evaluating others according to your own ethnic group

4. guild (gild) noun, an association for the promotion of common goals

5. more (mor-ay) noun, a custom

6. stigma (stig-muh) noun, negative trait

7. taboo (tab-oo) adjective, forbidden action

8. yeoman (yoh-man) noun, farmer

Time for Fun: Word-Find Puzzle

There are twelve words hidden in this word-find puzzle. Many of the words have already been introduced in this chapter, but a few are new. To complete the puzzle, locate and circle all the words. (See the word list below.) The words may be written forward, backward, or upside down. The answers appear on here. Good luck!

s

a

t

l

a

t

s

e

g

o

l

a

t

a

b

o

o

m

o

r

e

d

i

n

i

e

n

a

m

o

e

y

e

i

b

o

g

u

i

l

d

e

l

i

v

o

i

n

m

a

e

t

s

a

c

i

o

u

d

a

a

n

o

m

i

e

a

n

a

s

o

c

Word List

1. stigma: negative trait

2. anomie: social instability caused by a breakdown in standards and values

3. taboo: forbidden action

4. guild: workers’ cooperative

5. caste: a hierarchical social system

6. yeoman: farmer

7. gestalt: a unified whole

8. more: a custom

9. odious: disgusting

10. vile: hateful

11. libido: sexual energy

12. canon: religious doctrine

Give It a Try: Relatively Speaking

Each of the following words concerns family relationships. To play this game, match each word in the left column below to the word or phrase in the right column that best describes it. Write the matching letter on the line to the left of each entry in the left column. The answers appear on here.

______ 1. affinity

a. ancestor

______ 2. consanguineous

b. produce offspring

______ 3. fecund

c. kinship

______ 4. kin

d. father

______ 5. patriarch

e. brother or sister

______ 6. procreate

f. fertile

______ 7. progeny

g. descendants

______ 8. sibling

h. related by blood

______ 9. posterity

i. a relative

______ 10. progenitor

j. future generations

It’s Your Turn: In the Mood

The following words describe moods and temperaments—your personality. To play this game, determine which of the following three words or phrases best describes each word in the list that follows. Write the number of your answer choice on the line to the left of each entry. The answers appear on here.

1. cheerful

2. irritable

3. somber or gloomy

____ acrimonious

____ despondent

____ peevish

____ bilious

____ irascible

____ pensive

____ buoyant

____ jocular

____ petulant

____ choleric

____ jocund

____ querulous

____ demure

____ lugubrious

____ saturnine

Answers and Explanations

Synonyms and Antonyms (here)

(Possible answers)

Word

Synonym

Antonym

arrogant

conceited

modest

condescending

smug

humble

contemptuous

scornful

kind

dictatorial

domineering

considerate

haughty

egotistical

modest

imperious

overbearing

obsequious

indolent

lazy

hard-working

insipid

dull

exciting

patronizing

condescending

solicitous

torpor

inactivity

activity

The Blame Game (here)

1. to free from blame

absolve: to free from blame

acquit: to clear from blame

exculpate: to free from blame

exonerate: to clear from blame

vindicate: to clear from blame

2. to disapprove, criticize, or blame

censure: to criticize severely

deprecate: to express disapproval of

indict: to charge with a crime

reprimand: to scold

reproach: to scold

reprove: to blame

3. to criticize or condemn abusively

excoriate: to denounce severely

execrate: to denounce

fulminate: to denounce

inveigh: to denounce

vituperate: to censure harshly

4. to punish or discipline

castigate: to punish

chastise: to discipline

ostracize: to banish

I Cogitate (Think), Therefore I Am (here)

1. existing

extant: outstanding

tangible: real

2. newly existing

inchoate: new

incipient: initial

neonate: newborn

3. enduring or everlasting

perdurable: permanent

perennial: lasting for a long time

protracted: prolonged

4. temporary; not lasting

evanescent: temporary

temporal: pertaining the present life

transient: of short duration

transitory: existing only for a time

Word Scramble (here)

euphoria

misogynist

patronizing

angst

torpor

haughty

yellow

Reading down: empathy

A Love-Hate Relationship (here)

Love (like)

amity: friendship

captivate: to attract

delectation: delight

infatuation: foolish love

penchant: bias

predilection: a predisposition to prefer

Hate (dislike)

abhor: to detest

abominate: to hate

antipathy: strong dislike

loathe: to detest

odium: hatred

pique: fit of displeasure

repugnant: repulsive

umbrage: offense

For Richer, for Poorer (here)

dowry: money or property given by the bride’s family to the bridegroom at marriage

largess: a generous bestowal of gifts

impecunious: penniless

penury: poverty

lucre: money

specie: coins

mercenary: available for hire

venal: mercenary

munificent: very generous

philanthropic: giving to charity

parsimonious: stingy

penurious: stingy

profligate: extravagant

wastrel: wasteful, especially with money

Multiple Choice (here)

1. D

2. C

3. E

4. E

5. A

6. A

7. B

8. B

9. C

10. E

Good versus Evil (here)

Righteous

altruistic: generous

beneficent: kind-hearted

benevolent: generous

magnanimous: generous

pious: devout

Depraved

heinous: abominable

ignominious: shameful

infamous: notorious

licentious: immoral

nefarious: wicked

odious: disgusting

opprobrious: disgraceful

reprobate: depraved

vile: evil

Word-Find Puzzle (here)

Image

Relatively Speaking (here)

1. c

2. h

3. f

4. i

5. d

6. b

7. g

8. e

9. j

10. a

In the Mood (here)

1. cheerful

buoyant: light-hearted; vivacious; cheerful

jocular: joking

jocund: merry; cheerful

2. irritable

acrimonious: caustic; bitter

bilious: ill-tempered

choleric: angry

irascible: easily provoked to anger

peevish: ill-tempered

petulant: cranky

querulous: whiny

3. somber or gloomy

demure: serious

despondent: depressed

lugubrious: sorrowful

pensive: thoughtful

saturnine: gloomy