Chapter 5 Practice Mrs. Thexton

Front

Appease

Back

To bring to a state of peace or quiet; to calm or pacify. Example: The only thing that would appease the boys' parents was imprisonment of the person who hurt their son.

Front

Mercenary

Back

A person primarily concerned with making money at the expense of ethics. Example: There have been people mercenary enough to sell their own children for the right price.

Front

Arbitrary

Back

Based on random choice or personal whim, rather than any reason or system. Example: The judge's harsh sentence was arbitrary.

Front

Tainted

Back

To contaminate or pollute something; to affect with a bad or undesirable quality. Example: The report that the halfback was addicted to drugs tainted the team's image.

Front

Euphemism

Back

A mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered to be too harsh or blunt. Example: The local undertaker calls the chapel of his funeral parlor the 'slumber room' as a euphemism.

Front

Allusion

Back

An expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly; an indirect reference. Example: The novel contains many allusions to classical literature.

Front

Banal

Back

So lacking in originality as to be obvious and boring. Example: The movie was criticized for its banal plot.

Front

Taint

Back

To spoil or ruin something. Example: The scandal tainted the politician's reputation.

Front

Assail

Back

To make a concerted or violent attack on. Example: The critics assailed the film for its lack of depth.

Front

Ethics

Back

Moral principles that govern a person's behavior or the conducting of an activity. Example: Ethical considerations are important in business practices.