1. Vocabulary Workshop
Unit 1: #’s 1-20

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. denounce (v.) to condemn openly; to accuse formally Synonym: criticize
The United Nations tried to publicly denounce the tyrant’s crimes against his people.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. gainful (adj.) profitable, bringing in money or some special advantage
Synonyms: moneymaking, paying
I hope to find gainful employment that is pleasing to me.

12. 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.

13. 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.

14. ingenious
(adj.) showing remarkable originality, inventiveness, or resourcefulness; clever
Synonyms: imaginative, inventive, resourceful
The students found an ingenious solution to the math problem.

15. instantaneous (adj.) done in an instant; immediate
Synonyms: prompt, quick, speedy
Most computer software is designed so that users can obtain nearly instantaneous responses.

16. irk (v.) to annoy, trouble, make weary Synonyms: bother, irritate, vex
Questions that show a student’s lack of attention irk the teacher.

17. 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.

18. 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.

19. 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.

20. 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.

21. repast (n.) a meal, food Synonym: victuals
Let’s get together after the show at Callie’s Café for late night repast.