Unit 1 Vocabulary — Highlighted Words

Definition: to condemn openly; to accuse formally

Highlighted example: The United Nations decided to publicly denounce the tyrant's crimes.

Definition: to annoy, trouble, make weary

Highlighted example: Questions that show a student's lack of attention irk the teacher.

Definition: a feeling of fear, doubt, or uncertainty

Highlighted example: They had misgivings about joining the chorus because of its demanding schedule.

Definition: to go or move backward; to become more distant

Highlighted example: The town residents must wait for the flood waters to recede before they can deal with the terrible mess left behind.

Definition: to plunge into a liquid, drench; to put out quickly, extinguish

Example: I'll douse the flames with the hose.

Definition: suffering severely from hunger or from a lack of something

Example: The Vietnamese immigrants, new to a strange American city, were famished for news of home.

Definition: very large or great; beyond ordinary means of measurement

Example: Alaska enjoys immense natural resources, but its severe climate makes those resources difficult to use.

Definition: totally without skill or appropriateness

Example: The scientist is brilliant in the research laboratory but is inept at dealing with people.