Vocabulary Review #1 – Four Context Clues (Examples, Definitions, Descriptive words, Opposites)

Each time you hear or read a word in a different sentence, you get more information about what it means. You have learned from the context of the word. The context is simply the words or ideas around an unknown word. Using context clues as your read is important for two reasons:

1) If you skip over the meaning of unfamiliar words, you may come to the end of the passage you are reading with a very fuzzy idea of what you have read. On the other hand, if you stop and look up every word you don’t know, you may become irritated at the slow rate of your reading and stop altogether. Using context helps your speed as well as your comprehension (and aids retention in vocabulary building).

2) Even when you use a dictionary, you will often find several very different definitions and will have to decide which one best fits the meaning of the sentence.

EXAMPLES

The context of a word will sometimes give examples that will give you a pretty clear idea of meaning.

Some dogs can be trained to respond to gestures instead of sounds; for example, a hand pointing in a certain direction, an open hand, palm down, or arms outstretched can be used to mean go sit or come to a well-trained dog.

DEFINITIONS

Sometimes the writer will save you the trouble of looking up a word by defining it for you. Often this kind of definition will not sound much like a dictionary definition.

It is a fact that a large number of small businesses fail because the owner hasn’t enough capital to tide him over slack periods and emergencies; that is, it takes a certain amount of working money to keep a business going.

A second kind of definition is what is called an appositive: a phrase that follows a word and explains it. But instead of being introduced by one of the definition-type expressions, this kind of phrase is set off on both sides by commas.

An aquarium needs scavenger fish, swimming garbage collectors, to keep the tank clean.

DESCRIPTIVE WORDS

You can sometimes piece together the meaning of a word by a little straight detective work.

The first impression that crossed my mind was that the young man was obese. His clothing was stretched across his vast surface of skin like a lumpy balloon straining to the bursting point.

OPPOSITES. One further way to pick up the meaning of a new word or expression is by looking for clues that tell you what the word does not mean.

He tried to smile because the mood of the party was not somber, but happy.

Sometimes the way a sentence is put together will tell you what you are looking for the opposite of a word or idea that is found in one half of the sentence.

If you can’t find anything to praise in the class, at least don’t denounce it.

Write a definition for each word based on your best guess and context clues. Identify what part of speech the word is in this usage specifically (remembering that different forms of a word may actual be spelled the same, as with inebriate, which can be the verb to make drunk, and the noun meaning someone who is drunk).

I found myself inextricably drawn to the painting and couldn’t resist returning to it again and again before I left the museum.

inextricably ( ) ______

The professor certainly likes to pontificate on small events in history. It is remarkable how long he can speak and how impressed he is with his own ideas.

pontificate ( ) ______

She isn’t a particularly eloquent speaker. She often trips over her words and loses her audience’s attention.

eloquent ( ) ______

Sue could not fathom why anyone would want to be a politician, which frustrated her because she really liked to understand the motivation of other people.

fathom ( ) ______

Jose provided an apt description of the dean, choosing just the right words to capture her essence.

apt ( ) ______

It was not a particularly intriguing book, and I really prefer to texts that capture my interest.

intriguing ( ) ______

Alex preferred to avoid a confrontation. He couldn’t stand watching people argue, and it was even worse when he was one of the two people arriving at a point of disagreement.

confrontation ( ) ______

The problem continued to vex the police. The could not figure out how to stop the increase of vandalism.

vex ( ) ______

Yara provided an ameliorating presence in the room, easily diffusing conflict and soothing participants.

ameliorating ( ) ______

The conversation at the party wasn’t exactly scintillating. Teresa was more likely to describe it as dull, lifeless, and bland.

scintillating ( ) ______