SNOOTS UP NOTE: You are responsible for knowing ALL words defined
in this list as well as the prefixes/suffixes and words
defined in the boxes.
arrogant. disdain • fastidious • haughty. disparage.
deprecate • condescend • supercilious. contempt.
pretentious • scoH • complacent
ARROGANT adj. proud, overbearing; snootily self-important Despite his office, President Abraham lincoln was never arrogant, but humble instead. A much later president, John F. Kennedy, said, "When power leads man toward arrogance, poetry reminds him of his limitations. " DISDAIN n. scorn; snooty disapproval or dislike; contempt v. to disdain adj. disdainful No animal can show disdain as well as a cat. If Meatloafs food is not quite right, she disdains to eat it and scratches around the bowl as if to bury the offending meal. FASTIDIOUS adj. extremely fussy and particular; meticulous A healthy cat is fastidious about its appearance and grooms its fur meticulously. A sick cat abandons this natural fastidiousness. HAUGHTY adj. openly and disdainfuUy proud; snooty n. hauteur, haughtiness You've heard that pride goes before a fall, but the old Biblical proverb actually says, "Pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall." You've seen haughtiness, that "I'm above you" attitude, right? DISPARAGE v. to belittle or downgrade (someone or something); to decry, depreciate, minimize When I was a kid, a bigger neighbor boy regularly disparaged my homemade tree house. I remember how that disparagement hurt and how it reduced my pride in my creation. 38
SNOOTS UP
ROG
derogatory-scortf.fU~
=
39 to ask
disparaging, downgrading, belittling
of a derogatory nature
a highly derogatory critique
prerogative-a special right or privilege
a ruler's prerogative
her natural prerogative as the oldest
Also: interrogate, arrogant, abrogate, surrogate
DEPRECATE v. to disapprove mildly, with regret adj.
deprecatory, hoping to avoid disapproval
It's clear that Mom deprecates the mess in my room, but she understands
that it's my space. When relatives are critical, Mom defends me with a
deprecatory shrug and a smile.
CONDESCEND v. to come down in level, unbend, stoop
Meatloaf condescends to play hide-and-seek with Dude if she thinks no
one will see her being kittenish again. Likewise, my serious, formal
grandfather will now and then condescend to listen to my rock music.
SUPERClllOUS adj. excessively proud; disdai1ffuUy superior
Explaining her role in our school play, Amy said, "I'm playing an
insufferably snooty lady, someone totally superciltous. I'm supposed to
reek of superciltousness in every speech.
RIDIRIS - to laugh
deride--to mock or make fun of; to ridicule
don't deride his shyness
humbled by his derision
risible--laughable, funny; used for laughter
a truly risible situation risible facial muscles Also: ridicule, ridiculous, risibility, derisive, derisory
40
SAT WORD FLASH CONTEMPI' n. total lack of respect; disdain; scorn
Our English class wrote essays on this Schopenhauer quote: "Hatred
comes from the heart; contempt from the head; and neither feeling is
quite within our control" That's probably true, but we can use
contempt for good purposes, such as being openly contemptuous of
those who damage our planet.
PRETENTIOUS adj. showy, self-important, pompous; insisting
on recognition, often unjustifiably
The newly rich (nouveau riche, to my French teacher) often live in
pretentious houses and drive expensive cars. Pretentiousness says,
"Look at me. I'm important."
SCOFF v. to make fun of, mock; to belittle by jeering or contemp­
tuous talk
A few times we scoffed at guys who got pinned in the first period of their
wrestling matches, but the coach stopped that. "Come out to support
each other, not to scoff," he ordered.
COMPLACENT adj. self-satisfied, smug
Dude quivers all over with complacency after chasing off an intruder. As
he returns to his position on our porch, he twitches his topknot
complacently-smug in the knowledge that he's done his duty.
MEMORY FIX
To learn these new words, write each one on a sheet of paper. Also write
a synonym or deftnition for each and say the words aloud as you work.
MATCHING
Circle the two words or phrases that best explain the meaning of each of
the words in bold type.
1. fasddious
(A) swift
(B) exceedingly particular
(C) meticulous
(0) unpleasant
3. arrogant
2. deprecate
(A) reduce
(B) deny
(C) disapprove of
(0) regret
4. condescend
(A)
(B)
(C)
(0)
(A)
(B)
(C)
(0)
prideful
questioning
thoughtless
overbearing
stoop
unbend
forgive
offend
42
SAT WORD FLASH
7. insulted by their condescending manner
8. enjoying my prerogative as the leader
9. bowing her head in a selJ-deprecatory way
10. regarding my handiwork with a certain complacence
ANALOGIES
Circle the one word pair in each list below that expresses the same
relationship as the pair in capital letters.
1. NAPOLEON: ARROGANCE
(A) Ben Franklin : hedonism
(B) Hitler : fastidiousness
(C) Tchaikovsky: bombast
2. REMARK : DISPARAGING
(A) appearance : unobtrusive
attitude : scoffing
(C) speech : articulate
(B)
3. PRIDE: HAUTEUR
(A) pretentiousness : wealth
(B) disdain : disgust
(C) sorrow: contempt
4.
DERISION: RIDICULE
(A) sweetness : indulgence
(B) disdain : honor
(C) prerogative : duty
(D) Twain : satire
(E)
Maya Angelou : journalism
(0) article : meticulous
(E) design : risible
(0) satisfaction : complacency
(E) youth : vulnerability
(0) seclusion : profusion
(E) scorn : contempt
Answers for this chapter begin on page 198.