LIST 7

 

The RELIEVE Cluster

ALLEVIATE: to relieve or lessen, as to alleviate pain

 

ALLAY: to relieve or lessen, as to allay someone’s fears

 

ASSUAGE: to relieve or lessen, as to assuage a person’s grief (   -SWAYJ’)

 

MITIGATE: to relieve or lessen, as to mitigate punishment

 

MOLLIFY: to relieve or lessen, as to mollify someone’s anger

 

The COMMONPLACE Cluster

TRITE: commonplace, as a trite plot

 

BANAL: commonplace, as a banal lecture

 

HACKNEYED: commonplace, as a hackneyed saying

 

PEDESTRIAN: commonplace, as a pedestrian idea

 

The INTRODUCTION Cluster

PREAMBLE: an introduction to a constitution or law

 

PREFACE: an introductory statement to a book, article or speech

 

PROLOGUE: an introduction to a poem or play

 

OVERTURE: an introduction to a musical or opera

 

PRELUDE: an introduction to an opera or musical recital

LIST 8

 

The TEMPORARY Cluster

MOMENTARY: temporary, short-lived

EPHEMERAL: “     “  -fmr-l

 

EVANESCENT: “     “

 

TRANSIENT: “     “

 

FLEETING:   “     “

 

The HASTY Cluster

IMPETUOUS: hasty, lacking caution

 

RASH:     “     “      “

 

IMPULSIVE:     “     “      “

 

PRECIPITATE:  “     “      “  (adjective; pre-SIP’-i-tit’)

 

LIST 9      17 words

 

When BENE- or BEN- is part of a word, things go WELL. BENE- is a Latin prefix meaning “well.”

 

BENEFIT: anything that promotes or enhances well-being. The benefits of the job include two

 weeks of paid vacation, free use of the company fitness center, and inexpensive health insurance.

 

BENEVOLENT: kindly, full of good will. Contributing presents to needy children is a benevolent act.

 

BENEFACTOR: one who does good by giving financial or other aid. The school’s new computer lab was

 the gift of a generous benefactor.

 

BENEDICTION: the asking of a blessing, especially the short blessing which concludes a worship

service. (The root DIC = “to say.”) The pastor gave a benediction at the end of the funeral service.

 

BENIGN: kind, gentle; harmless

 The benign grandparents gave everything they could to their spoiled, bratty grandchildren.

 The biopsy showed that the tumor was not malignant, but benign.

 

When MAL- is part of a word, things go BADLY. MAL- is a Latin prefix meaning “bad or badly.”

 

MALIGN: to speak badly of, to slander, to defame. The politicians were more interested in maligning

 each other than in debating the issues.

 

MALICIOUS: filled with malice or ill will. He was the victim of a malicious rumor spread by the

 acrimonious female student.

 

MALEVOLENT: wishing harm to others. Her malevolent remark hurt his feelings.

 

MALEDICTION: a curse or pronouncement of evil. (The root DIC = “to say.”) The malevolent wizard

 uttered a malediction against his enemies.

 

MALIGNANT: deadly; very harmful. The malignant rumors of lazy Honors students who never bothered

 to read the novel have severely damaged the reputation of GoMo.

 

MALINGERER: someone who procrastinates or avoids work. The Master Teacher designs his quizzes

with decoy answers to confound those malingerers who will not do the reading.

 

SUPER-: The SUPERhero of prefixes. SUPER- is a Latin prefix meaning “above or beyond.” The Greek equivalent is HUPER or HYPER.

 

SUPERCILIOUS: proud, disdainful. (The root CILIUM = “eyelid,” so the word  here means “above the

 eyes.”) After joining The 300 Club, the Model Student became loud, supercilious and obnoxious.

 

SUPERFICIAL: lacking depth; shallow. The Kow Man will not hire an applicant who reads Emily

 Dickinson in a superficial way.

 

SUPERSEDE: to replace or take the place of. (Combined with SEDERE, “to sit,” the roots mean “to sit

 above.”) The Master Teacher’s new Journal rules supersede the previous regulations.

List 9 is continued on the next page à List 9 is continued on the next page à List 9 is continued on the next page à

 

MIS-: The Anglo-Saxon way to say WRONGLY or BAD.

 

MISNOMER: a name unsuitably applied to a person or object. (Combined with the Latin root NOMEN,

 “name,” the roots mean “bad name.” In the army, “gun” is considered a misnomer for “rifle.”

 

MISCONCEPTION: a wrong understanding or interpretation of an idea, person or event. Many students

 have misconceptions about passing English without doing homework.

 

MISCREANT: evildoer; scoundrel. The Master Teacher finally placed The Fearsome Foursome in the