CW Vocab Lists 5 & 6

VOCABULARY LIST #5

Active Verbs

1. to reduce the severity of pain or hardship and make it easier to endure

ALLEVIATE (V.)

“Intuition might tell you that, to alleviate that sensation, a designer should open up the area as much as possible.”

- “The Psychology of the New Times Square,”
The New Yorker.

Multiple Choice

If you had a migraine headache, would a strenuous workout in bright sunlight ALLEVIATE your symptoms?

• YES

• NO

1. to resent someone’s good fortune or their having something

BEGRUDGE (V.)

“If you want to reserve the word grief for the more
personal kind of loss, I won’t begrudge you that.” - “In
Praise of Social Media Mourning,” Gabriel Roth.

Multiple Choice

Which synonym best fits the definition of the word BEGRUDGE?

• give

• resent

• understand

• occupy

• rush

1. to bring up a subject for discussion or debate,
oftentimes, an uncomfortable one

BROACH (V.)

“But we have a lot of work to do before we even broach
the subject.” - Erin Brockovich

Fill in the Blanks

1. to transfer power; also, to deteriorate slowly over time

DEVOLVE (V.)

“Most marriages devolve eventually…that’s all it is, it’s a
business partnership, with the added benefit of
attraction.” - Arthur

Multiple Select

Which situation appears to have DEVOLVED? (Mark all that apply.)

• Testimony on the House floor in which members are shouting at each other

• A long-term relationship that is being celebrated with a wedding ceremony

• A friendship in which the two parties haven't spoken to each other in two years

• A new teacher's classroom of first graders who are respectful and kind to one another

1. to take a position on an issue or a person; to support
an ideology

ESPOUSE (V.)

“When it came to politics, Robbins and Sarandon tended
to espouse and admonish rather than try to persuade.” -
“Hollywood’s Liberal Heartbreak,” Lloyd Grove

Fill in the Blanks

1. to worsen a problem or a situation

EXACERBATE (V.)

“Now I realize that Dick probably can’t grasp the
literature that you gave me. And the books you send him
only...they only exacerbate the problem. They only
heighten or intensify it.” - Capote

Multiple Choice

Would spending evenings in a bar EXACERBATE your problem with alcohol or help it?

• It would exacerbate it.

• It would help it.

1. to take known facts, ponder them, and come to a
previously unconsidered conclusion

EXTRAPOLATE (V.)

“But he came across this old math book. And from this
simple text, he was able to extrapolate theories that
had baffled mathematicians for years.” - Good Will
Hunting

Multiple Select

Choose synonyms for the word EXTRAPOLATE.

• hypothesize

• deduce

• theorize

• plagiarize

1. to severely criticize someone; to harshly reprimand
someone

LAMBASTE (V.)

“He will go on the stump and lambaste Republicans for holding out on tax cuts.”

- “Who Wins a Fiscal Cliff
Showdown?,” Megan McArdle

Multiple Select

Which sentences use LAMBASTE correctly?

• Her lambaste disturbed the entire dinner party.

• The boss lambasted her for getting the report wrong.

• Lambasting a colleague publicly is not appropriate.

• If the lambaste argument between the couple goes on much longer, we'll call the police.

1. to make something happen quickly

PRECIPITATE (V.)

“Anger, alcohol, drugs, economic hopelessness, reckless driving - they can all precipitate tragedy.”

- “Why I Love
Guns,” Meghan McCain

Multiple Choice

Her descent into a gambling addiction PRECIPITATED their family's bankruptcy. (Correctly used or incorrectly used?)

• correctly used

• incorrectly used

1. to reproduce; to spread ideas or customs

PROPAGATE (V.)

“Anti-abortion organizations tend to propagate the idea that the procedure is dangerous and unproven.”



- “Abortion Complications Are Rare, No Matter What the Right Says,” Samantha Allen

1. to end something, such as a rebellion; to suppress revolt

QUELL (V.)

“Police had done almost nothing to quell the violence, leading many to accuse the military of purposely turning a blind eye.”

- “Morsi Declares Emergency Amid
Soccer-Ruling Chaos,” Vivian Salama

Multiple Choice

Would QUELLING a food fight in the cafeteria be the appropriate role of a teacher or administrator?

• yes

• no

1. to cause something destructive; to inflict violence or punishment on someone

WREAK (V.)

“Nuclear weapons wreak destruction and menace the next generation.”

“Shirley Hazzard, Novelist Who Charted
Storm-Tossed Lives, Dies at 85,” Helen T. Verongos

Multiple Choice

The expression "wreaking havoc" means _____________.

• to show or explain a difficult concept

• to hang a hammock between two trees

• to cause damage, disorder, or confusion

• None of these answers is correct.

Multiple Choice

In 2022, this country's government quelled protests by women, but their crackdown has not stopped the resistance. (They are back in the news as of January 2026!)

• Poland

• Iran

• Nepal

• Canada

Open Ended

Explain a situation that might have to be BROACHED carefully.

(For example, the parent of a college student discussing their young adult's overspending.)

VOCABULARY LIST #6

Adjectives

1. being unrelenting and industriously attentive to a task

ASSIDUOUS (ADJ.)

“As an intern at The Nation in 1989, he was an amiable and assiduous fact-checker of my copy.”
- “Britain’s New
Political Dynasty,” Norman Birnbaum.

Multiple Choice

Mariana's performance review at work noted that, though she has been late several days this month, she is an ASSIDUOUS employee. Based on this information, does the company fire her, promote her, or give her a warning about her tardies?

• They warn her.

• The promote her.

• They fire her.

1. proper under the circumstances; appropriate for the
intended purpose

EXPEDIENT (ADJ.)

“And perhaps cheating on your French philosophers
exam at the Groton School was an expedient way to get
your diploma, and perhaps it wasn’t” - Meet Joe Black

Open Ended

Though we don't know who Price and O'Hare are, explain what this sentence is expressing.

"In an email to The Dallas Morning News, O’Hare accused Price of changing her opinions based on what is politically expedient."

—Sarah Bahari, Dallas News, 23 Feb. 2022

1. refers to “tongue-in-cheek-advice” characterized by wit
and pleasantry; joking inappropriately; meant to be
funny but definitely is not

FACETIOUS (ADJ.)

“This is not by any means a facetious question: Do you
think alcohol should also be made illegal?” - “Live Chat:
Let’s Talk About Drugs,” David Frum

Open Ended

From Mignon Fogarty: The Grammar Girl:

Facetious and sarcastic have similar meanings and can describe less-than-serious comments. . . .

Neither comment is pure and earnest, but a sarcastic response is meaner than a facetious response.

The roots of the words may help you remember which is which:

Facetious comes from a Latin word that means "jest." A facetious comment is a joking comment—often inappropriate. Think of a jester or joker making a funny face at you, and remember the first part of facetious.  

Sarcastic comes from a Greek word that means "to speak bitterly or sneer." Ouch! A sarcastic response is less funny than a facetious response and more bitter and harsh.

Think of a sarcastic person sneering at you, and remember that both words start with the letter s.

SO WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SARCASM AND FACETIOUSNESS?

1. outgoing, friendly, sociable

GREGARIOUS (ADJ.)

“Street photographers tend to be gregarious in the
sense that they can go out on the street and they’re
comfortable being among people.” - Finding Vivian Maier

Open Ended

Write a sentence using the word GREGARIOUS.

Your sentence theme is Valentine's Day.

1. describes something so monumental that it essentially
cannot be expressed in words

INEFFABLE (ADJ.)

“These past three weeks have been great. I should be in
love with her, but I’m not feeling that thing. It’s
ineffable.” - How I Met Your Mother, “Return of the Shirt”

Open Ended

Read this quote using INEFFABLE from the poet Ajiveet Das:

the thing that is between you and me,

there is something between you and me...

it is ineffable what is between you and me

it is incomprehensible what is between you and me

it is indefinable what is between you and me. It is indescribable what is between you and me

but there is something between you and me

the thing that is between you and me...

WHAT IS HE EXPRESSING IN THE POEM ABOUT THIS RELATIONSHIP?

1. slow to understand; unobservant, dull-minded

OBTUSE (ADJ.)

“The energy is clearly growing to rid this country of the
fear-based rule of obtuse, aged white men.” - “The Gun
Battle Since Newtown,” Cliff Schecter

Open Ended

Watch the scene from the movie The Shawshank Redemption between a prisoner, wrongfully convicted, and a corrupt prison warden.

Explain the meaning of the word OBTUSE in the context of the scene.

1. characterized by a narrow, ostentatious concern for
book learning and formal rules

PEDANTIC (ADJ.)

“I was just curious to know whether this kind of
relentless, pedantic chat is a big hit with the other
chicks.” - The Inbetweeners Movie

Multiple Choice

A professor who assigns choose-your-own-grade projects and has flexible deadlines would be described as PEDANTIC.

• TRUE

• FALSE

1. being rebellious against the government

SEDITIOUS (ADJ.)

“Arrest warrant and automatic imprisonment for
possession of materials considered seditious.” - Gandhi

Multiple Choice

"Four members of the Oath Keepers were sentenced this week [June of 2023] on seditious conspiracy and other charges for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Their actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress that was in the process of ascertaining and counting the electoral votes related to the presidential election." (Source: The Department of Justice)

According to the U.S. Code, how many years can a person be

sentenced for a conviction of seditious conspiracy?

• Up to 5 years

• Up to 10 years

• Up to 15 years

• Up to 20 years

1. a relationship of mutual benefit or dependence

SYMBIOTIC (ADJ.)

“The symbiotic relationship between television and local
officials plates a huge role.” - “A Hurricane of Hype,”
Howard Kurtz

1. being everywhere

UBIQUITOUS (ADJ.)

“With a new era of ubiquitous drones on the way, the
company is flying some very friendly skies.” - “Google
Invests in Drone Company Airwave,” Leo Marani

Multiple Select

What items are UBIQUITOUS in the typical American high school?

• geraniums

• cell phones

• backpacks

• Corvettes

• Uncrustables

1. something so accepted, strong, and established that it
cannot be overtaken, replaced, or denied

UNASSAILABLE (ADJ.)

“It’s extremely difficult to access him remotely. His
security measures are rigorous and virtually
unassailable.” - Person of Interest, “Search and Destroy”

1. making a loud outcry; loud

VOCIFEROUS (ADJ.)

“The attacks upon me stem from a vociferous minority
which happens to control the press.” - Inherit the Wind

Multiple Choice

A VOCIFEROUS noise would not disturb the residents of an apartment building.

• TRUE

• FALSE