Lesson 24: Essential Words for the TOEFL

Jun 7, 2016

affordable ○ contaminated ○ discernible ○ flourishing ○ maintain ○ mediocre ○ negligible ○ parallel ○ peculiar ○ potent ○ remarkable ○ scattered ○ solid ○ somewhat ○ tedious

affordable
[adj.] able to be done, usually refers to something you can do without damage or loss
[Syn.] economical

[adv.] affordably
[v.] afford

The new dictionary is quite affordable.
He could afford the house because of current low interest rates.

contaminated
[adj.] to make something impure by adding something dirty or a poisonous substance
[Syn.] pollute

[v.] contaminate
[n.] contamination

This contaminated water supply must be closed to the public.
Bacteria and insects are frequently agents of food contamination.

discernible
[adj.] noticeable; easily seen
[Syn.] detectable

[adv.] discernibly
[v.] discern
[n.] discernment

A feeling of anxiety was discernible among the members of the team.
The new student was unable to discern the humor of the teacher’s joke.

flourishing
[adj.] active and growing; healthy
[Syn.] thriving

[v.] flourish

Small flourishing companies would be harmed by an increase in the minimum wage.
A young mind will flourish with the proper guidance.

maintain
[v.] to support; to keep in good condition
[Syn.] preserve

[n.] maintenance

The building had to be renovated because it was not well maintained.
Proper maintenance of a car’s engine will preserve its performance and value.

mediocre
[adj.] of average quality; not good or bad
[Syn.] average

[n.] mediocrity

This is a mediocre research report.
The mediocrity of his work was disappointing.

negligible
[adj.] hardly noticeable; scarcely detectable
* to ignore; to give little attention
[Syn.] insignificant

[adv.] negligibly
[adj.] neglected
[adj.] neglectful*
[adj.] negligent*
[n.] neglect*
[n.] negligence*

The presence of the first person singular in the poem was almost negligible.
His negligence caused him to lose all of the work he had done on the computer.

parallel
[adj.] being almost of the same type or time; comparable
[Syn.] similar

[v.] parallel
[n.] parallel

We have lead parallel lives.
Her background parallels mine.

peculiar
[adj.] unusual; uncommon
[Syn.] strange

[adv.] peculiarly
[n.] peculiarity

This plastic has a peculiar texture.
The puffin has many peculiarities not shared by other birds.

potent
[adj.] very strong
[Syn.] powerful

He gave a potent speech at the convention.
The venom of the coral snake is extremely potent.

remarkable
[adj.] worthy of mention; uncommon
[Syn.] exceptional

[adv.] remarkably

The invention of the radio was a remarkable achievement.
The actor was remarkably calm before his performance.

scattered
[adj.] to be spread out or separated widely
[Syn.] dispersed

[v.] scatter

Hurricane Andrew left debris scattered throughout Miami.
The crowd scattered when it began to rain heavily.

solid
[adj.] having good quality, being well made; firm; not a gas or liquid
[Syn.] steady

[adv.] solidly
[v.] solidify
[n.] solidification

The lawyer for the defense portrayed his client as a man of solid integrity.
The union attempted to solidify its position in the workplace.

somewhat
[adj.] a little
[Syn.] slight

They feel somewhat tired after the mile run.
Buying food at a convenience store can be somewhat expensive.

tedious
[adj.] long and tiring
[Syn.] monotonous

[adv.] tediously
[n.] tedium

The tedious lecture bored most of the audience.
Some people become frustrated by the tedium of daily living.

Choose the synonym.
1. discernible
  1. exceptional
  2. detectable
  3. solid
  4. negligent
2. average
  1. ample
  2. approximate
  3. slight
  4. mediocre
3. preserve
  1. maintain
  2. disperse
  3. contaminate
  4. compel
4. potent
  1. powerful
  2. reliable
  3. firm
  4. durable
5. affordable
  1. remarkable
  2. formidable
  3. economical
  4. proportional
6. similar
  1. prophetic
  2. substantial
  3. parallel
  4. varied
7. strange
  1. peculiar
  2. vanishing
  3. somewhat
  4. renowned
8. negligible
  1. exceptional
  2. intricate
  3. insignificant
  4. scattered
9. thriving
  1. flourishing
  2. vanishing
  3. polluting
  4. astounding
10. monotonous
  1. ambiguous
  2. hazardous
  3. prosperous
  4. tedious
Choose the word that is closest in meaning to the underlined word in the sentence.
1. There is a somewhat random character to the evolutionary process.
  1. potent
  2. unique
  3. slight
  4. peculiar
2. Mankind has made solid progress in the eradication of many harmful illnesses.
  1. sluggish
  2. negligible
  3. mediocre
  4. substantial
3. The inner harbor of Baltimore was once a contaminated part of the city.
  1. an affordable
  2. a polluted
  3. a secure
  4. a flourishing
4. The Inuit live in scattered settlements throughout the northern reaches of Canada.
  1. well-maintained
  2. very primitive
  3. highly organized
  4. widely dispersed
5. The history of human thought on the nature of the cosmos offers a number of remarkable lessons.
  1. inspiring
  2. identical
  3. exceptional
  4. enlightening

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