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ORKUT VERBAL DATABASE (Till June 27th)
PS: If you find any mistakes please report here.
Today's Words:
1. Shard(n) : a fragment, esp. of broken earthenware; a tough sheath or covering, such as a shell, scale, or plate; A piece of broken
pottery, especially one found in an archaeological dig; A fragment of a brittle substance, as of glass or metal.
2. Crumb(n); a small particle or portion of anything; fragment; bit; the soft inner portion of bread; a contemptible, untrustworthy, or
loathsome person.
Synonyms: scrap, shred, morsel, sliver, speck; loathsome, morsel, ort, remnant, smidgen.
3. Smirk(v): to smile in an affected, smug, or offensively familiar way; to smile in an affected, often offensively self-satisfied manner;
Synonyms: beam, grimace, grin, leer, simper, smile, sneer.
4. Adulterate(v): to debase or make impure by adding inferior materials or elements; To make impure by adding extraneous,
improper, or inferior ingredients.
Synonyms: alter, counterfeit, debase, denature, dilute, falsify, spike, spurious, taint, weaken.
5. Derision(n): Contemptuous or jeering laughter; ridicule; An object of ridicule; a laughingstock;
Synonyms: contempt, disdain, disrespect, insult, mockery, ridicule, scorn.
6. Mar(v): to damage or spoil to a certain extent; make imperfect; to impair the soundness, perfection, or integrity of; spoil.
Synonyms: blemish, botch, bruise, deform, disfigure, flaw, impair, mangle, ruin, scratch, tarnish, blot; deface.
Antonyms: enhance, adorn.
7. Corroborate(v): to make more certain; confirm; to strengthen or support with other evidence; make more certain.
Synonyms: attest, authenticate, confirm, establish, prove, strengthen, substantiate, support, sustain, validate, verify.
8. Morose(adj): gloomily or sullenly ill-humored, as a person or mood; characterized by or expressing gloom
Synonyms: moody, sour, sulky, surly; blue, choleric, churlish, crusty, dolorous, dour, glum, gruff, melancholy, moping, morbid,
saturnine, sour, splenetic, sulky, sullen, surly, unhappy.
Antonyms: cheerful.
9. Banality(n): Something that is trite, obvious, or predictable; a commonplace; the condition or quality of being banal; devoid of
freshness or originality
10. Revere(v): to regard with respect tinged with awe; venerate; to regard with awe, deference, and devotion; to feel or show great
respect for.
Synonyms: reverence, honor, adore, eligious, reverential, venerative, worshipful.
11. Succinct(adj): expressed in few words; characterized by conciseness or verbal brevity; compressed into a small area, scope, or
compass; Characterized by clear, precise expression in few words.
Synonyms: blunt, brief, compact, concise, condensed, curt, direct, short, summary, terse.
12. Ruminative(v): to chew the cud, as a ruminant; to meditate or muse; ponder; to chew again or over and over; To turn a matter over
and over in the mind; to reflect on over and over again.
Synonyms: think, reflect.
13. Reflective(adj): that reflects; reflecting; given to, marked by, or concerned with meditation or deliberation; Capable of or producing
reflection.
Synonyms: meditative, pensive, pondering, ruminative, thoughtful; contemplative, thoughtful.
Issue topic:
1. Does the history reveals that illusion between our age and their age.
ORKUT VERBAL DATABASE (Till June 25th)
1. Requite(v): to make repayment or return for (service, benefits, etc.); to make retaliation for (a wrong, injury, etc.); To set at rest; to
free, as from anything harmful or oppressive; to relieve; to clear.
Synonyms: repay, reward, recompense, compensate, remunerate, reimburse, revenge, atone, avenge, indemnify, reciprocate,
reimburse, retaliate, satisfy.
Antonyms: forgive.
2. Plausible(adj): having an appearance of truth or reason; seemingly worthy of approval or acceptance; credible; believable: Giving
a deceptive impression of truth or reliability.
Synonyms: acceptable, believable, colorable, credible, logical, probable, reasonable, specious, valid.
Antonyms: honest, sincere.
3. Occluded(v): to close, shut, or stop up; To cause to become closed; taken into and retained in another substance; To absorb or adsorb
and retain .
Synonyms: obstruct, clog, block, plug, absorb, impede, prevent, seal.
4. Conscientious(adj): controlled by or done according to conscience;careful; particular; Guided by or in accordance with the
dictates of conscience; principled
Synonyms: upright, honest, faithful, devoted, dedicated; assiduous, diligent, dutiful, fair, meticulous, painstaking, pious, punctual,
reliable, scrupulous, sedulous.
5. Kindle(v): to start (a fire); cause (a flame, blaze, etc.) to begin burning; to set fire to or ignite; to excite; stir up or set going; to
become aroused or animated; To cause to glow; light up.
Synonyms: animate, arouse, brood, excite, flock, ignite, incite, inflame, provoke, stimulate, stir.
6. Imprudent(adj): Unwise or indiscreet; not prudent; lacking discretion; incautious; rash
Synonyms: unwise, indiscreet, ill-advised, audacious, crazy, heedless, impolitic, improvident, inadvisable, incautious, injudicious,
negligent, procacious, reckless, unwise.
7. Stoic(adj): One who is seemingly indifferent to or unaffected by joy, grief, pleasure, or pain; seeming unaffected by pleasure or pain;
impassive
Synonyms: detached, dispassionate, impassive, imperturbable, patient, philosophic, phlegmatic, resolute, spartan, stolid,
unconcerned, undemonstrative, unflappable, unruffled.
8. Jaundiced(v): affected with or exhibiting prejudice, as from envy or resentment; affected with or colored by or as if by jaundice;
Affected by or exhibiting envy, prejudice, or hostility.
Synonyms: biased, bigoted, envious, hostile, jealous, prejudiced, skeptical, tainted.
9. Inept(adj): without skill or aptitude for a particular task or assignment; generally awkward or clumsy; haplessly incompetent;
inappropriate; unsuitable; out of place.
Synonyms: absurd, awkward, bumbling, bungling, clumsy, foolish, gauche, improper, inane, inappropriate, inapt, incompetent,
ineffectual, inefficient, pointless, unbecoming, unfit, unseemly, unskilled, unsuited.
Antonyms: suited.
10. Adulation(n): Excessive flattery or admiration; servile flattery; exaggerated and hypocritical praise.
11. Proficient(adj): well-advanced or competent in any art, science, or subject; skilled; Having or marked by an advanced degree of
competence, as in an art, vocation, profession, or branch of learning.
Synonyms: able, adept, competent, contour, efficient, expert, master, outline, professional, silhouette, skilled, versed; experienced,
accomplished.
Antonyms: unskilled, inept.
12. Intangible(adj): incapable of being perceived by the sense of touch; not definite or clear to the mind; Incorporeal; hard to pin
down or identify; Incapable of being realized or defined.
Synonyms: vague, elusive, fleeting, abstract, aeriform, amorphous, diaphanous, ephemeral, ethereal, immaterial, impalpable,
imperceptible, incorporeal, indefinite, insubstantial, nebulous, unapparent, unknowable, unsubstantial, vague.
13. Affable (adj): Easy and pleasant to speak to; approachable; Gentle and gracious; showing warmth and friendliness; benign;
pleasant; pleasantly easy to approach and to talk to; friendly; cordial; warmly polite.
Synonyms: accessible, agreeable, amiable, benign, charming, civil, complacent, complaisant, conversable, cordial, courteous,
gallant, genial, gracious, ingratiating, pleasant, urbane.
14. Squall(n): a sudden, violent gust of wind, often accompanied by rain, snow, or sleet; a sudden disturbance; to cry or scream
loudly and violently; to utter in a screaming tone.
Synonyms: bawl, bluster, commotion, flurry, gale, gust, scream, shriek, squawk, windstorm, yell.
15. Commotion(n): A condition of turbulent motion; An agitated disturbance; political or social disturbance; confused movement.
Synonyms: agitation, bouleversement, brouhaha, bustle, clamor, clatter, convulsion, flap, flare, flourish, fluster, fracas, fuss,
hubbub, hurly-burly, mutiny, pandemonium, perturbation, pother, racket, revolt, riot, tempest, todo, tumult, turmoil, upheaval,
uproar.
16. Exorbitant(adj): exceeding the bounds of custom, propriety, or reason, esp. in amount or extent; highly excessive
Synonyms: abnormal, enormous, excessive, expensive, extravagant, outrageous, overpriced, preposterous, steep, undue,
unreasonable; inordinate, unconscionable.
Antonyms: fair, reasonable.
17. Articulate(adj): uttered clearly in distinct syllables; capable of speech; not speechless; made clear, distinct, and precise in
relation to other parts; expressed, formulated, or presented with clarity and effectiveness.
Synonyms: convey, distinct, eloquent, enunciate, pronounce, vocalize.
Analogies:
1. Squall: Commotion
2. Actor: Playwright
3. Countless: Number
4. Exorbitant: Moderation
5. Articulate: Unclear
ORKUT VERBAL DATABASE (Till June 24th)
Today's words:
1. Tonic(n): a medicine that invigorates or strengthens; anything invigorating physically, mentally, or
morally; An agent, such as a medication, that restores or increases body tone; An invigorating,
refreshing, or restorative agent or influence.
Synonyms: stimulant, restorative, bracer, pickup, roborant, astringent, catalyst, fillip, invigorating,
stimulant.
2. Stoic(adj): Seemingly indifferent to or unaffected by pleasure or pain; Stoic Of or relating to the
Stoics or their philosophy
Synonyms: calm, detached, dispassionate, impassive, imperturbable, philosophic, phlegmatic,
resolute, spartan, stolid, unconcerned, unflappable, unruffled .
3. Rile(v): To stir up in feelings; to make angry;To stir up (liquid); roil.
Synonyms: agitate, annoy, bother, bug, gall, irk, nettle, peeve, roil, upset, vex, provoke, chafe.
4. Adamant(adj): utterly unyielding in attitude or opinion in spite of all appeals, urgings, etc. too
hard to cut, break, or pierce; determined or insistent; Impervious to pleas, appeals, or reason;
stubbornly.
Synonyms: inflexible, rigid, uncompromising, firm, immovable, relentless, stony, stubborn,
unbendable, unyielding.
Antonyms: flexible, easygoing, yielding.
5. Inept(adj): without skill or aptitude for a particular task or assignment; generally awkward or
clumsy; haplessly incompetent; inappropriate; unsuitable; out of place.
Synonyms: absurd, awkward, bumbling, bungling, clumsy, gauche, inane, inappropriate, inapt,
incompetent, ineffectual, pointless, unfit, unskilled, unsuited, stupid, pointless.
Antonyms: suited.
6. Dehydrate(v): to deprive (a chemical compound) of water or the elements of water; to remove water
from (the body or a tissue); to deprive of spirit, force, or meaning; render less interesting or effectual.
Synonyms: anhydrous, desiccate, drain, dry, evaporate, parch, preserve.
7. Mar(v): to damage or spoil to a certain extent; make imperfect; to impair the soundness, perfection,
or integrity of; spoil.
Synonyms: blemish, botch, bruise, deform, disfigure, flaw, impair, mangle, ruin, scratch, tarnish, blot;
deface.
Antonyms: enhance, adorn.
8. Repudiate(v): To reject the validity or authority of; to reject with disapproval or condemnation; To
refuse to recognize or pay; To refuse to have any dealings with; To reject emphatically as unfounded,
untrue, or unjust.
Synonyms: abandon, abjure, abrogate, annul, banish, belie, contradict, deny, disaffirm, disavow,
discard, disclaim, disinherit, forsake, recant, renounce, retract, revoke, spurn, void.
9. Teeter(v): to move unsteadily; to tip (something) up and down; move unsteadily; a seesaw motion;
To walk or move unsteadily or unsurely.
Synonyms: dangle, falter, flutter, lurch, quiver, reel, saver, seesaw, stagger, stammer, sway, topple,
totter, tremble, vacillate, wobble.
10. Abate(v): to reduce in amount, degree, intensity, etc; to put an end to or suppress; to deduct or
subtract; make less active or intense; to end; become null and void.
Synonyms: allay, alleviate, annul, assuage, deduct, diminish, ease, ebb, eradicate, invalidate, lessen,
lull, mitigate, moderate, nullify, omit, quash, recede, remit, slacken, slake, subside, taper, vitiate, void,
wane, weaken.
Antonyms: increase, intensify.
11. Abridge(v): to reduce or lessen in duration, scope, authority, etc.; diminish; to deprive; cut off; To
reduce the length of (a written text); condense; To make shorter; to shorten in duration.
Synonyms: abbreviate, capsule, condense, curtail, diminish, lessen, limit, minimize, reduce, retrench,
shrink, trim.
12. Whet(v): to make keen or eager; stimulate; to sharpen (a knife, tool, etc.) by grinding or friction.
Synonyms: animate, appetizer, arouse, awaken, excite, hone, incite, keen, pique, provoke, rouse,
sharpen, stimulate, stir.
13. Parsimonius(adj): greedy of gain; immoderately desirous of accumulating property; excessively
unwilling to spend;sparing in expenditure of money.
Synonyms: avaricious, chintzy, economical, frugal, illiberal, meager, miserly, niggardly, penny-pinching,
penurious, skimpy, stingy, thrifty, tightfisted.
ORKUT VERBAL DATABASE (Till June 23rd)
Today’s Words:
1. Blithe(adj): joyous, merry, or gay in disposition; glad; cheerful; without thought or regard; Carefree
and lighthearted; Lacking or showing a lack of due concern; casual.
Synonyms: mirthful, sprightly, light-hearted, buoyant, joyful, blithesome; bonny, cheerful, gleeful,
jocular, jolly, merry, radiant, vivacious, winsome.
Antonyms: joyless.
2. Ambivalence(n): The coexistence of opposing attitudes or feelings, such as love and hate, toward a
person, object, or idea; Uncertainty or indecisiveness as to which course to follow; mixed feelings or
emotions.
3. Thwart(v): to oppose successfully; prevent from accomplishing a purpose; to frustrate or baffle; to
oppose and defeat the efforts, plans, or ambitions of.
Synonyms: hinder, obstruct, frustrate, baffle; balk, counter, curb, foil, hamper, impede, outwit, resist,
stymie.
4. Aberrant(adj): Deviating from the proper or expected course; exceptional; abnormal; departing
from the right, normal, or usual course.
Synonyms: wandering, divergent, unusual; abnormal, anomalous, atypical, deviant, devious, different,
disparate, peculiar, strange.
5. Misdemeanor(n): an instance of misbehavior; misdeed; a crime less serious than a felony.
Synonyms: criminality, violation.
6. Posthumous(adj): Occurring or continuing after one's death; arising, occurring, or continuing after
one's death; published after the death of the author; born after the death of the father; occurring or
coming into existence after a person's death.
7. Squalor(n): A filthy and wretched condition or quality; the condition of being squalid; filth and
misery.
Synonyms: wretchedness, dirt, filth, mire, poverty, seediness, squalidness.
Antonyms: splendor.
8. Mar(v): to damage or spoil to a certain extent; make imperfect; to impair the soundness, perfection,
or integrity of; spoil.
Synonyms: blemish, botch, bruise, deform, disfigure, flaw, impair, mangle, ruin, scratch, tarnish, blot;
deface.
Antonyms: enhance, adorn.
9. Consolidate(v): to bring together (separate parts) into a single or unified whole; unite; combine; to
become solid or firm; To make strong or secure; strengthen.
Synonyms: amalgamate, blend, centralize, coalesce, compact, condense, fortify, merge, pool,
reinforce, solidify, strengthen, unify.
10. Dehydrate(v): to deprive (a chemical compound) of water or the elements of water; to remove water
from (the body or a tissue); to deprive of spirit, force, or meaning; render less interesting or effectual.
Synonyms: anhydrous, desiccate, drain, dry, evaporate, parch, preserve.
11. Garbled(v): to confuse unintentionally or ignorantly; to make unfair or misleading selections from or
arrangement of (fact, statements, writings, etc).
Synonyms: Cull, disguise, distort, jumble, mangle, misrepresent, misstate, scramble, sift, slur, twist.
12. Obscured(v): not clear or plain; ambiguous, vague, or uncertain; not clear to the understanding;
hard to perceive; not expressing the meaning clearly or plainly.
Synonyms: abstruse, ambiguous, ambivalent, arcane, cabalistic, crepuscular, cryptic, enigmatic,
equivocal, esoteric, fuliginous, incomprehensible, inscrutable, obfuscatory, recondite, transcendent,
unfathomable, vague.
Analogies:
1. Dehydrate: Water type
2. Frequency: Pitch
3. Wavelength: Color
4. Garbled: Comprehend
5. Obscured: Recognize
6. Author: playwright
ORKUT VERBAL DATABASE (Till June 20th)
Today's Words:
1. Transient
2. Cission
3. Ambivalence
4. Pinnacle
5. Puissant
6. Erudition
7. Paean
8. Taciturn
9. Volubility
10. Ponderous
11. Cacophonous
12. Hoary
Analogies:
1. Down pouring: flooding
2. Chip: stone
3. Cacophonous: harmony
4. Chatter: speaking
5. Mine: ore
6. Hoary: Old
7. Convoluted: Complexity
Issue topic:
1. Humanity is making no progress eventhough there is advancement in technology, still war,
violence and poverty are existing.
2. "No matter what the situation, it is more harmful to compromise one's beliefs than to
adhere to them."
Argument Topic:
1. The vice president for human resources at Climpson Industries sent the following
recommendation to the company's president.
"In an effort to improve our employees' productivity, we should implement electronic
monitoring of employees' Internet use from
their workstations. Employees who use the Internet from their workstations need to be
identified and punished if we are to reduce
the number of work hours spent on personal or recreational activities, such as shopping or
playing games. By installing software
to detect employees' Internet use on company computers, we can prevent employees from
wasting time, foster a better work ethic
at Climpson, and improve our overall profits."
ORKUT VERBAL DATABASE (Till June 19th)
Today's Words:
1. Irk
2. Waffle
3. Fulminate
4. Exalt
5. Roil
6. Transient
7. Emancipate
8. Dissipate
9. Extant
10. Abject
11. Vicissitude
12. Pliant
13. Recalcitrant
14. Unrelenting
15. Precarious
16. Nuance
17. Prevaricator
Analogies:
1. Impervious: Susceptible
2. Brake: Decelerate
3. Dehydrate: Water
4. Dishonesty: Integrity
5. Philanthropist: Endow
6. Prevaricator: Mislead
Antonyms:
1. Paean x Lampoon
2. Taciturn x Volubility
3. Ponderous x Lively
Issue Topic:
1. "Students should memorize facts only after they have studied the ideas, trends, and concepts that
help explain those facts. Students who have learned only facts have learned very little."
2."The primary goal of technological advancement should be to increase people's efficiency so that
everyone has more leisure time."
Argument Topic:
1. The following appeared in a newsletter about health published in the country of Sauria.
"According to Sauria's leading nutritional experts, a diet high in complex carbohydrates, and low in
fat is optimal for good health and longevity. Because this was the diet of the people who lived in
ancient Sauria, one would expect them to have had long and healthy lives. Yet the mummified remains
of Sauria's ruling classes from two to three thousand years ago show the existence of many medical
problems among the ancient Saurians, including dental problems, elevated blood pressure, obesity,
heart disease, and early mortality. Clearly, the diet of the ancient Saurians was responsible for these
problems. The high incidence of high blood pressure, obesity, and heart disease in Sauria today even
among those who have tried low-fat, high-carbohydrate diets further proves that Sauria's leading
nutritional experts are wrong."
ORKUT VERBAL DATABASE (Till June 17th)
Today's Words:
1. Iniquity(n): a violation of right or duty; wicked act; sin; morally
objectionable behavior, absence of
moral or spiritual values.
Synonyms: infamy, depravity, knavery, evil, immorality,
miscreancy, offense, vice.
2. Ponderous(adj): Having great weight; unwieldy from weight or
bulk; lacking grace or fluency.
Synonyms: heavy, boring, dreary, plodding, tedious, awkward,
bulky, cumbersome, dull, hefty,
humdrum, massive, monotonous.
Antonyms: lively, exciting.
3. Liken(v): to represent as similar or like; compare.
Synonyms: analogize, assimilate, compare, equate, identify,
match, parallel.
4. Omnipotent(adj): having very great or unlimited authority or
power, almighty or infinite in power, as
God.
Synonyms: powerful, mighty, supreme, all-powerful, almighty,
deity, unequaled, unlimited
Antonyms: impotent, powerless, helpless.
5. Dissipated(adj): indulging in or characterized by excessive
devotion to pleasure; intemperate;
dissolute.
Dissipated(v): to scatter in various directions; disperse; dispel; to
spend or use wastefully or
extravagantly; squander; deplete; To drive away.
6. Rile(v): to irritate or vex; To stir to anger; to roil.
Synonyms: irk, annoy, provoke, chafe, nettle, agitate, anger,
bother, bug, gall, needle, nettle, peeve.
7. Addendum(n): a thing to be added; an addition; an appendix
to a book; Something added or to be
added, especially a supplement to a book.
8. Glimmer(n): a faint or unsteady light; a dim perception; inkling;
To appear faintly or indistinctly; a
slight suggestion or vague understanding; to shine faintly or
unsteadily; twinkle, shimmer, or flicker.
Analogies:
1. Glimmer: light
2. Addendum:document
Issue Topic:
1. Technologies not only influence but actually determine social
customs and ethics.
Argument Topic:
1. The following appeared in a medical newsletter.
"Doctors have long suspected that secondary infections may
keep some patients from healing
quickly after severe muscle strain. This hypothesis has now been
proved by preliminary results of a
study of two groups of patients. The first group of patients, all
being treated for muscle injuries by
Dr. Newland, a doctor who specializes in sports medicine, took
antibiotics regularly throughout
their treatment. Their recuperation time was, on average, 40
percent quicker than typically expected.
Patients in the second group, all being treated by Dr. Alton, a
general physician, were given sugar
pills, although the patients believed they were taking antibiotics.
Their average recuperation time was
not significantly reduced. Therefore, all patients who are
diagnosed with muscle strain would be well
advised to take antibiotics as part of their treatment. "
ORKUT VERBAL DATABASE (Till June 12th)
Today's Words:
1. Affable(adj): pleasantly easy to approach and to talk to; friendly; showing warmth and friendliness
Synonyms: accessible, agreeable, amiable, benign, charming, complacent, complaisant, conversable, cordial, courteous, gallant,
genial, gracious, hospitable, ingratiating, urbane.
2. Indomitable(adj): Incapable of being overcome, subdued, or vanquished; unconquerable; that cannot be subdued or overcome,
as persons, will, or courage; unconquerable.
Synonyms: courageous, dogged, intrepid, invincible, invulnerable, persevering, spunky, stalwart, staunch, undaunted,
undefeatable, unyielding.
Antonyms: yielding
3. Sedulous(adj):Persevering and constant in effort or application; diligent in application or attention; persevering
Synonyms: constant, untiring, tireless, active, assiduous, diligent, industrious, laborious, painstaking, persevering, persistent,
untiring, vivacious.
4. Rant(v): To speak or write in an angry or violent manner; Violent or extravagant speech or writing; talk in a noisy, excited, or
declamatory manner
Synonyms: bombast, extravagance, declaim, harangue, mouth, perorate, rave.
5. Agrarian(adj): relating to land, land tenure, or the division of landed property; pertaining to the advancement of agricultural
groups
Synonyms: agricultural, campestral, natural, pastoral.
6. Gregarious(adj): fond of the company of others; sociable; living in flocks or herds, as animals
Synonyms: social, genial, outgoing, convivial, companionable, friendly, extroverted.
7. Absolute(adj): Perfect in quality or nature; complete; free from restriction or limitation; not limited in any way; viewed
independently; not comparative or relative; ultimate; intrinsic; positive; certain.
Synonyms: unadulterated, sheer, unqualified, undiluted, uncontaminated; total, unconditional; autocratic, dictatorial, totalitarian,
categorical; unequivocal, definite, sure.
Antonyms: imperfect, flawed, mixed, diluted, contaminated, qualified, relative.
8. Pugnacious(adj): inclined to quarrel or fight readily; quarrelsome; Combative in nature; ready and able to resort to force or
violence
Synonyms: argumentative, contentious, bellicose, aggressive, antagonistic, belligerent, cantankerous, combative, defiant, militant,
quarrelsome, rebellious, truculent.
Antonyms: agreeable.
ARGUMENT TOPIC:
1. The following appeared in a proposal from the economic minister of the country of Paraterra.
"In order to strengthen its lagging economy, last year the government of the nearby country of Bellegea began an advertising
campaign to promote ecologically sound tourism (ecotourism). This year, the number of foreign visitors arriving at Bellegea's main
airport doubled, and per capita income in Bellegea increased by ten percent. To provide more income for the population of
Paraterra and also preserve the natural environment of our tiny country, we too should begin to promote ecotourism. To ensure
that our advertising campaign is successful, we should hire the current director of Bellegea's National Tourism Office as a
consultant for the campaign."
ORKUT VERBAL DATABASE (Till June 11th)
Today's Words:
1. Pulchritude(n): Great physical beauty and appeal; that quality of appearance which pleases the eye; attractive moral excellence;
moral beauty.
Synonyms: appeal, beauty, comeliness, grace, handsomeness, loveliness.
2.Exculpate(v): to clear from a charge of guilt or fault; free from blame;
Synonyms: absolve, acquit, amnesty, dismiss, excuse, exonerate, forgive, pardon, vindicate.
3. Absolve(v): to free from guilt or blame or their consequences; to set free or release, as from some duty, obligation, or
responsibility; to grant pardon for.
Synonyms: exculpate, absolve, acquit, exonerate, acquit, discharge, excuse, exempt, liberate, overlook, pardon, remit, vindicate.
Antonyms: blame.
4. Scission(n): the act of cutting or severing; division or fission; a cutting, dividing, or splitting; division; separation.
5. Recommit(v): to commit again; to refer again to a committee.
6. pulsatile(adj): Undergoing pulsation; vibrating; Capable of being struck or beaten; played by beating or by percussion; as, a
tambourine is a pulsatile musical instrument.
7. Arabesque(n): A ballet position in which the dancer bends forward while standing on one straight leg with the arm extended
forward and the other arm and leg extended backward; a short, fanciful musical piece, typically for piano; A complex, ornate design
of intertwined floral, foliate, and geometric figures.
Analogies:
1. Crutch: Walk
2. Chip : Stone
3. Exculpate: Absolve
Issue Topic:
1. Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter
the state of facts and evidence.
2. Colleges and universities should offer more courses on popular music, film, advertising, and television because contemporary
culture has much greater relevance for students than do arts and literature of the past.
Argument Topic:
1. The following appeared in the editorial section of a health and fitness magazine.
"In a study of the effects of exercise on longevity, medical researchers tracked 500 middle-aged men over a 20-year period. The
subjects represented a variety of occupations in several different parts of the country and responded to an annual survey in which
they were asked: How often and how strenuously do you exercise? Of those who responded, the men who reported that they
engaged in vigorous outdoor exercise nearly every day lived longer than the men who reported that they exercised mildly only
once or twice a week. Given the clear link that this study establishes between longevity and exercise, doctors should not
recommend moderate exercise to their patients but should instead encourage vigorous outdoor exercise on a daily basis."
ORKUT VERBAL DATABASE (Till June 10th)
Today's Words:
1. Laconic(adj): Using or marked by the use of few words;
expressing much in few words; concise
Synonyms: brief, pithy, terse; succinct, blunt, compact, concise,
condensed, crisp, curt, pointed, succinct
Antonyms: voluble
2. Abrogate(v): to abolish by formal or official means; annul by
an authoritative act; repeal; to put aside; put an end to.
Synonyms: annul, cancel, dissolve, negate, nullify, overrule,
quash, remit, repeal, repudiate, rescind, revoke, void, rescind,
invalidate.
Antonyms: ratify, establish; preserve.
3. Bilious(adj): extremely unpleasant or distasteful; peevish;
irritable; cranky; Characterized by an excess secretion of bile;
irritable as if suffering from indigestion
Synonyms: grumpy, crabby, cross, grouchy, dyspeptic
4. Refractory(adj): hard or impossible to manage; stubbornly
disobedient, difficult to fuse, reduce, or work, as an ore or
metal.
Synonyms: bullheaded, cantankerous, contrary, difficult,
disobedient, headstrong, incorrigible, intractable, obstinate,
opinionated,
perverse, rebellious, stubborn, ungovernable, unmanageable,
unresponsive, unruly, unyielding, willful, mulish, recalcitrant,
ernable.
Antonyms: obedient, tractable.
5. Taciturn(adj): inclined to silence; reserved in speech; reluctant
to join in conversation; habitually reserved and uncommunicative
Synonyms: close-mouthed, reticent, tightlipped.
6. Voluble(adj): characterized by a ready and continuous flow of
words; fluent; glib; talkative; Turning easily on an axis;
rotating.
Synonyms: fluent, glib, loquacious, revolving, rotating, talkative,
twining, twisting, vocal, wordy; articulate, garrulous.
Antonyms: taciturn.
7. Decentralized(v): to disperse (something) from an area of
concentration; To distribute the administrative functions or
powers of
(a central authority) among several local authorities.
8. Suspend(v): to hang by attachment to something above; to
hold or keep undetermined; to defer or postpone
Synonyms: hold up, intermit, adjourn, cease, dangle, debar,
defer, delay, expel, halt, hover, interrupt, pretermit, refrain,
swing, waive.
9. Obscure(adj): not clear to the understanding; hard to perceive;
not clear or plain; indistinct to the sight or any other sense; not
readily seen, heard, etc.;
Synonyms: abstruse, ambiguous, ambivalent, arcane, cabalistic,
crepuscular, cryptic, enigmatic, equivocal, esoteric, fuliginous,
incomprehensible, inscrutable, obfuscatory, recondite,
transcendent, unfathomable, vague; dubious; blurred, veiled;
undistinguished; secluded, inconspicuous, dusky, somber.
Antonyms: certain; clear; noted; conspicuous; bright.
10. Debauchee(n): a person addicted to excessive indulgence in
sensual pleasures; one given to debauchery; a dissolute person;
usually a man who is morally unrestrained
11. Puckish(adj): mischievous; impish; naughtily or annoyingly
playful
Synonyms: impish, mischievous, mysterious, naughty, playful,
wicked.
Issue Topic:
1. High-speed electronic communications media, such as
electronic mail and television, tend to prevent meaningful and
thoughtful
communication.
2. In this age of intensive media coverage, it is no longer possible
for a society to regard any woman or man as a hero. The
reputation of anyone who is subjected to media scrutiny will
eventually be diminished.
ORKUT VERBAL DATABASE (Till June 9th)
Today's Words:
1. Flounder(v): to struggle clumsily or helplessly; walk with great difficulty; behave awkwardly; have
difficulties.
Synonyms: blunder, falter, flounce, fluke, fumble, grovel, muddle, struggle, stumble, toss, trip, wallow
2. Prolong(v): to lengthen out in time; extend the duration of; cause to continue longer
Synonyms: profuse, prolix, protractive, repetitious, sostenuto, sustaining
Antonyms 1. abbreviate
3. Insalubrious(adj): unfavorable to health; unwholesome; detrimental to health; unhealthy, unsalutary
4. Prate(v): to talk excessively and pointlessly; babble, to utter in empty or foolish talk
Synonyms: babble, blab, boast, brag, chatter, clash, drivel, gab, jabber, prattle, runon, utter, yack.
5. Dissolute(adj): indifferent to moral restraints; given to immoral or improper conduct; Lacking
moral restraint; indulging in sensual pleasures or vices.
Synonyms: corrupt, loose, debauched, wanton, abandoned, lax, lustful, profligate, rakish, slack,
unprincipled, unrestrained
6. Panorama(n): An unbroken view of an entire surrounding area; a comprehensive presentation;
a mental vision of a series of events; A picture or series of pictures representing a continuous scene,
often exhibited a part at a time by being unrolled and passed before the spectator.
Synonyms: scene, vista, prospect, compass, horizon, overview, perspective, sweep.
7. Pedestrian(adj): going or performed on foot; walking; of or pertaining to walking; lacking in vitality,
imagination, distinction, etc.; commonplace.
8. Invigorating(adj): fill with life and energy; energize; imparting strength and vitality.
Synonyms: animating, bracing, brisk, crisp, exhilarative, roborant, spurring, stimulating, zestful.
9. Aggrievance(n): Oppression; hardship; injury; grievance
10. Inexplicable(adj): not explicable; incapable of being accounted for or explained; Difficult or
impossible to explain or account for.
Synonyms: abstruse, ambiguous, enigmatic, inexplainable, mysterious, obscure, peculiar,
preternatural, strange, supermundane, unaccountable, unfathomable.
11. Placebo(n): A substance containing no medication and prescribed or given to reinforce a
patient's expectation to get well; An inactive substance or preparation used as a control in an
experiment or test to determine the effectiveness of a medicinal drug.
12. Excoriate(v): express strong disapproval of; ear or wear off the skin or make sore by abrading;
to censure strongly; denounce
Synonyms: abrade, assail, chafe, chastise, condemn, criticize, denounce, flay, gall, lambaste, scold,
strip.
13. Burgeoning(v): To grow or develop rapidly; to begin to grow or blossom; To put forth new buds,
leaves, or greenery; sprout.
14. Extol(v): to praise highly; laud;
Synonyms: glorify, exalt, applaud, approbate, commend, compliment, deify, enhance, enshrine,
eulogize, magnify, panegyrize, spiritualize, eulogistic, panegyric.
Antonyms: disparage.
15. Resilience(n): the power or ability to return to the original form, position, etc., after being bent,
compressed, or stretched; elasticity; ability to recover readily from illness, depression, adversity,
or the like; buoyancy.
Synonyms: bounce, buoyancy, elasticity, resiliency.
Issue Topic:
1. In order to improve the quality of instruction at the college and university level, all faculty should be
required to spend time working outside the academic world in professions relevant to the courses
they teach.
2. Creating an appealing image has become more important in contemporary society than is the reality
or truth behind that image
ORKUT VERBAL DATABASE (Till June 5th)
Today's Words:
1. Belie(v): to show to be false; contradict; to misrepresent.
Synonyms: refute, disprove, controvert, repudiate, confute, gainsay, besiege, betray, camouflage,
contradict, counterfeit, deceive, defame, deny, disguise, disprove, distort, slander.
Antonyms: prove, verify, support
2. Repugnant(adj): distasteful, objectionable, or offensive; making opposition; opposed or contrary,
as in nature or character.
Synonyms: antagonistic, adverse, hostile, abominable, despicable, disgusting, horrid, incompatible,
loathsome, nasty, obnoxious, odious, revolting, sordid, squalid, unsavory, vile.
3. Succinct(adj): expressed in few words; characterized by conciseness or verbal brevity.
Synonyms: concise; terse; pithy, compendious, laconic
4. Invigorating(adj): fill with life and energy; energize
Synonyms: strengthen, vitalize, animating, bracing, brisk, crisp, exhilarative, roborant, spurring,
stimulating, zestful.
5. Proffer(n): an offer or proposal; a proposal offered for acceptance or rejection.
Synonyms: volunteer, propose, suggest; bid, proposal, tender
6. Countenance(n): Appearance, especially the expression of the face; a look or expression indicative
of encouragement or of moral support.
Synonyms: appearance, comportment, lineament, mien, physiognomy, sanction, visage
7. Callous(adj): made hard; hardened; insensitive; indifferent; unsympathetic, Emotionally hardened;
unfeeling.
Synonyms: adamant, anesthetic, apathetic, brawny, horny, impertinent, indurative, inexorable,
obdurate, stubborn, torpid.
8. Fastidious(adj): excessively particular, critical, or demanding; hard to please.
Synonyms: captious, dainty, discriminating, finicky, fussy, hypercritical, meticulous, nitpicky, punctilious, queasy, squeamish, stickling.
Antonyms: indifferent, sloppy, uncouth, uncritical, undemanding.
Issue Topic
1. "People have been so encouraged by society to focus on apparent differences that they fail to see
meaningful similarities among ideas, individuals, and groups.
Argument Topic:
1."In the last decade, the dairy production in Batavia County increased by 25%. There was a
corresponding increase in the milk prices from $1.50 to $3 being sold at the Excello Food Market. The
government must regulate the prices so that the farmers dont make excessive profits."
ORKUT VERBAL DATABASE (Till June 3rd)
Today's Words:
1. Overhaul(v): To examine or go over carefully for needed repairs; to dismantle in order to make
repairs, to gain upon, catch up with, or overtake, as in a race.
2. Oblivious(adj): unmindful; unconscious; unaware; forgetful; Lacking all memory
Synonyms: withdrawn, musing, daydreaming, dreamy, forgetful, distracted, abstracted.
3. Legerdemain(n): A show of skill or deceitful cleverness; sleight of hand.
Synonyms: artfulness, conjuring, deceit, deception, magic, trickery.
4. Martinet(n): a strict disciplinarian, esp. a military one; a rigid military disciplinarian; One who
demands absolute adherence to forms and rules.
Synonyms: authoritarian, dictator, disciplinarian, ramrod, tyrant.
5. Pelf(n): money or wealth, esp. when regarded with contempt or acquired by reprehensible means;
Wealth or riches, especially when dishonestly acquired.
Synonyms: loot, lucre.
6. Impecunious(adj): having little or no money; penniless; poor, not having enough money to pay for
necessities
Synonyms: broke, destitute, impoverished, indigent, needy, penniless, poverty-stricken.
7. Eulogy(n): a speech or writing in praise of a person or thing; high praise or commendation; A
laudatory speech or written tribute, especially one praising someone who has died.
Synonyms: acclaim, address, commendation, encomium, eulogium, homage, laudation, oration,
paean, panegyric, praise, salutation, tribute.
8. Saga(n): a long, detailed story; any narrative or legend of heroic exploits.
Synonyms: adventure, edda, epic, history, legend, myth, narrative, tale, yarn.
9. Ladle(n): a long-handled utensil with a cup-shaped bowl for dipping or conveying liquids.
Synonyms: bail, calabash, cyathus, dipper, pour, scoop, serve, spoon.
ANALOGIES:
1. Soup: Ladle
2. Saga:poem
3. Date:calender
Issue topic:
1. The surest indicator of the greatness of a nation is not the achievements of its scientists, rulers or
artists but the general welfare of the people.
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