THAT'S ME! NOTE: You are responsible for knowing ALL words defined in this list as well as
the prefixes/suffixes and words defined in the boxes.
astute. discerning • formidable. indefatigable. sage
• profound • iudicious • meticulous • painstaking •
resilient. tenacious • benevolent
ASn.rrE adj. wise, shrewd, perceptive; perspicacious
Like everyone in my class, I hope to make a fairly astute college
selection. Luckily, our guidance counselors are pros and have made
several astute suggestions that will help me to narrow my choices.
DISCERNING adj. showing wisdom and wisejudgment;
diSCriminating wisely among choices v. to discern n.
discernment
Emily Dickinson wrote, "Much Madness is divinest Sense-To a
discerning eye." My class wrote short essays on that couplet, trying to
discern its meaning. We're gradually becoming discerning readers and
interpreters of poetry.
FORMIDABLE adj. fostering respect or awe; arousing fear;
redoubtable
Because the opponents I'd normally face in our next wrestling meet are formidable beyond belief, I have to sweat down to the next lowest weight class in order to wrestle competitively. Of course, nothing helps a guy sweat like the fear of a formidable adversary! INDEFATIGABLE adj. untiring, tireless (see root of ':fatigue") Mom's indefatigable determination to learn computer programming is amazing. Our whole family is stubborn, though, so the word indefatigable often applies to us. SAGE adj. wise as a result of experience and thought; shrewd and discerning ofjudgment; prudent adj. sagacious, shrewd n. sage, wise elder Look at all the meaning sage conveys in only four letters. Perhaps author Ernest Hemingway made a very sage decision by using mostly short, punchy words. 58
THAT'S ME!
59
= light (as in weight), to raise
of control, power, or effectiveness;
referring to the use of a lever
used his pOSition as leverage in the takeover
LEV
leverag~ form
alleviate-to lessen or relieve the severity of a condition
alleviate his pain
hoping to alleviate their sorrow
Also: elevate, levitate, elevator, lever, levee, levity
PROFOUND adj. intellectuaUy deep; deeply important; complete
or aU-encompassing
Our new principal is a profoundly thoughtful man, given to uttering
profound thoughts whenever they occur to him. This talkativeness is a
profound change from his predecessor, who was extremely reticent.
JUDICIOUS adj. showing goodjudgment; wise, discreet
I always think of judge, justice, andjury when I see the rootju, an old
root ofJove and Zeus that actually means "shining sky." Of course, gods
have always been thought to live in the sky and to be the most judicious
of beings.
METICULOUS adj. particular down to the tiniest detail
Meatloaf is a meticulous groomer. This care results in a glossy fur coat
that advertises her meticulous nature.
TEN/TENT/TIN/TAIN
=
to hold, contain
tenet-a major belief, principle, or doctrine of a group
a main tenet of Judaism
one tenet of that profession
untenable-indefensible; unable to be occupied (by a tenant)
a wholly untenable theory
a rundown, untenable building
Also: tenant, tenure, content, contention, detain, detention,
contain, abstain, abstinence, sustain, sustenance
60
SAT WORD FLASH PAINSTAKING adj. revealing much care and effort
With painstaking care, I restored the used car that I inherited on my
eighteenth birthday. In the true sense of the word painstaking, I took
great pains to wash, paint, and wax every inch of this incredible treasure.
RESTI.IENT adj. elastic; able to "snap back" after change or
misfortune n. resilience
Dude's personality is reSilient; he bounces back to his cheerful,
optimistic self within minutes of being scolded. Without this natural
resilience, he'd be sorrowful much of the time, because he gets
frequently corrected.
TENACIOUS adj. perSistent in holding on (as «barnacles are
tenacious"); retentive (as "a tenacious mind") n. tenacity,
courage
lf I had a more tenacious mind, I'd be able to remember history dates
and math formulas better. Luckily, I:m a pretty tenacious wrestler-a
real bulldog.
BENEVOLENT adj. shOUJing good win (Alsofrom bene
are benefactor, benig~ beneficent, etc.)
==
good
In world history we studied Charlemagne, an educated and benevolent
French king who ruled for the good of his people. We debated the
virtues of a benevolent dictatorship in class.
MIMORYFIX
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.
FIND THI SYNONYM
From the choices offered below, select the missing synonym for each
word group and write it in the space provided.
astute
resilient
tenacious
alleviate
profound
formidable
meticulous
untenable
1. awesome
inspiring fear
tenet
redoubtable _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
2. deeply intellectual all-encompassing _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
3. indefensible
unable to be inhabited _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
62
SAT WORD FLASH 10. Discerning which chocolate chip cookies should win the blue
ribbon would be a disgusting job, _ __
11. The last quality you'd want in a fight is tenacity, _ __
ANALOGIES
Circle the one word pair in each list below that expresses the same
relationship as the pair in capital letters.
1. lAWYER: ASn.JTE
(A) artist: insightful
(B) chemist: beneficent
(C) pathologist: painstaking
2.
(0) instructor: resilient
(E) detective: awe-inspiring
PROFOUND:THOUG~
(A) meticulous: painstaking
(B) judicious: discreet
(C) shrewd: astute
(0) sagacious: bright
(E) fearful: terrified
3. SUPREME COURT: SAGACITY
(A) swimmer: tenacity
(B) bones: tension
(C) symphony: benevolence
4. FORMIDABLE: DEFENSE
(A) indefatigable: enemy
(B) perspicacious: tenant
(C) judicious: friend
(0) muscles: resilience
(E) city council : tenure
(0) discernible: traitor
(E) redoubtable: warrior
Answers for this chapter begin on page 200.
---
----