Unit 10. (adj.) thoroughly skilled (n.) an expert adapt and become “good at something”

MNEMONICSUnit 10

ADEPT

(adj.) thoroughly skilled (n.) an expert

adapt and become “good at something”

ASPIRE

(v.) to have ambitious hopes or plans, strive toward a higher goal, desire earnestly; to ascend

aspire = soar I aspire to be an actor because I have

been inspired by my grandmother who starred in Broadway productions.

BLEAK

(adj.) bare, dreary, dismal

bleak = leak = water drops = rain = cloudy= dreary or dismal day

bleak = bare

CHIDE

(v.) to blame; scold chide – child = blame/scold the child

for telling a lie

DESPICABLE

(adj.) worthy of scorn, contemptible despicable = contemptible contempt = disrespect

to despise “dis-respectable” behavior

DIMINUTIVE

(adj.) small, smaller than most others of the same type

diminutive = mini

EMANCIPATE

(v.)to free from slavery; to release or liberate

emancipate = liberate = liberty= freedom

Lincoln signed Emancipation Proclamation = to free slaves = free man to participate in life as they should

ERRONEOUS

(adj.) incorrect, containing mistakes erroneous = error = incorrect/mistakes

EXPLOIT

(v.) to make use of, develop; to make improper use of for personal profit (n.) a feat or deed

exploitation = of child labor, women (to expose)

EXTEMPORANEOUS

(adj.) made or delivered on the spur of the moment

Extemporaneous = tiempo (Spanish for time) spur of the moment = spontaneous

No “extra time”

IMPAIR

(v.) to make imperfect, damage, harm impair = repair (to fix – the opposite)

INVINCIBLE

(adj.) not able to be defeated, unbeatable

Superman is invincible (except for kryptonite)

LANGUID

(adj.) drooping; without energy, sluggish

languid = lag behind -= sluggish Droopy = cartoon character – without

energy

MIRE

(n.) mud, wet, swampy ground; a tough situation

(v.) to get stuck mire = tire = The tire got stuck in the

mire.

OBTRUSIVE

(adj.) forward; undesirably prominent; thrust out

obtrusive = intrusive = intrude = undesirably forward

Intrude upon your personal space – hug from a complete stranger can be obtrusive

PREAMBLE

(n.) an introduction to a speech or a piece of writing

preamble = pre = before = amble = ramble (speech) an INTROduction to a speech

RENDER

(v.) to cause to become; to perform; to deliver officially; to process, extract

render = to deliver = sender = sends a message (delivers it)

RUGGED

(adj.) rough, irregular; severe, stern; strong, stormy

rugged = rough Brawny paper towel guy = lumberjack

= rugged, strong, “rough”

SKEPTICAL

(adj.) inclined to doubt; slow to accept something as true

skeptical = a skeptic = one who doubts One who is skeptical might look more

closely through his/her spectacles (glasses).

SLIPSHOD

(adj.) untidy in dress, personal habits, etc. careless, sloppy

slipshod = slapdash = careless - don’t care about the way one looks

slipshod = shoddy = of poor quality slipshod = slip = messy dress