Unit 3

Roots & Words

UN-        NOT

Unqualified (adj) – Absolute or complete

Synonyms:  thorough, total

Antonyms: partial

Helpful Hints: Yes, of course, this word can also mean “Not Qualified” or “Not Able”. But in this case, remember that to qualify a statement means to make an excuse about it or to weaken it.

SAMPLE SENTENCE: The operation was an unqualified success, with the patient feeling no adverse side effects.

Unyielding (adj) – Not giving way under pressure; inflexible; firm

Synonyms:  determined, relentless

Antonyms:  flexible, yielding

Helpful Hints: If you think of someone refusing to slow down at a YIELD sign, that driver is determined to continue and cannot be stopped

SAMPLE SENTENCE: The kids were unyielding on Halloween, continuing to go to the old man’s house even though his lights were off, and he had put up a sign that read, “NO CANDY.”

AMBI-     BOTH

Ambiguous (adj) – 1. Open to having several different meanings or interpretations  2. Lacking clearness or definiteness; obscure; indistinct; vague

Synonyms:  unclear, obscure

Antonyms:  clear, unequivocal

Helpful Hints:  An ambidextrous person can use BOTH left and right hands equally well.

SAMPLE SENTENCE: When I asked for feedback, my cousin was pretty ambiguous, and I couldn’t tell whether or not she liked my performance.

Ambivalent (adj) – Having “mixed feelings” about someone or something; being unable to choose between two (usually opposing) courses of action

Synonyms:  contradictory, doubtful, hesitant

Antonyms:  certain, definite

SAMPLE SENTENCE: When given the option of traveling to San Diego or Seattle, Mary was pretty ambivalent, as she really wanted to visit both places equally.

AUTO-     SELF

Automate (v) – To make a process mechanical or mindless

Helpful Hints:  Self-operating machines, such as an ATM (automatic teller machine), enable one to perform bank transactions without the need for a bank teller.

SAMPLE SENTENCE: Some grocery stores have automated the payment process, allowing customers to insert bills and coins into a machine instead of handing it to a cashier.

Autonomy (n) – 1. Independence or freedom in one’s actions  2. Self-government; political independence

Synonyms: self-rule

Antonyms:  dependence

SAMPLE SENTENCE: The college freshman was overwhelmed by his new autonomy, and he secretly wished he still had to live under his parents’ rules.

CONTRA- / COUNTER-     AGAINST

Contradict (v) – 1. To assert the opposite of; to deny  2. To speak contrary to the assertions of another (or of oneself)

Synonyms:  dispute, differ

Antonyms:  accept, agree

SAMPLE SENTENCE: One of Emma’s more annoying characteristics is her tendency to contradict whatever I say, no matter what the topic of discussion is.

Counterfeit (adj) – Fake; made to fraudulently resemble something valuable

Synonyms:  false, phony, forged

Antonym: genuine, authentic

SAMPLE SENTENCE: Bert was disappointed to discover that the prized Renoir painting that he had inherited from his mother was in fact a counterfeit and entirely worthless.

-TY / -ITY     QUALITY OF BEING

Hilarity (n) – Great humorousness; cheerfulness; merriment

Synonyms:  amusement, mirth

Antonyms: sadness, depression, gloom

Helpful Hints:  Hilarious (adj) entertainment, such as comedians or funny TV shows, make us laugh.

SAMPLE SENTENCE: The commercials for the movie made it look like two hours of nonstop hilarity, but in reality, it was pretty lame.

Tenacity (n) – 1. The quality of holding fast; characterized by keeping a firm hold  2. Firmness of purpose; persistence

Synonyms:  determination, perseverance, stubbornness, obstinacy

Helpful Hints: For the first definition, think of a “firm hold” on a belief or a course of action, not a firm hold on an item. A small child in a tug-of-war would have tenacity if he refused to quit, but NOT because he’s gripping the rope really well.

SAMPLE SENTENCE: The talented senior thought her position on the team was secure, but when she saw the freshman’s tenacity, she knew she had to try as hard as possible to remain the starting point guard.

SUPER-    OVER, ABOVE

Superfluous (adj) – 1. Being more than is sufficient or required; excessive  2. Unnecessary or needless

Synonyms:  extra, excess, surplus

Antonyms:  needed, necessary

SAMPLE SENTENCE: Hannah began to find the gifts from her secret admirer to be superfluous—how many bouquets of flowers could she possibly receive in a single week?

Surfeit (n) – 1. An excessive or immoderate amount  2. Overindulgence, esp. in eating or drinking  3. Disgust, nausea, etc. caused by such overindulgence

Synonyms: oversupply, abundance, glut, superfluity

Antonyms:  lack, shortage, deficiency

Helpful Hints:  In plain English, a “surfeit” of anything simply means you have too much of  it (like on Thanksgiving!)

SAMPLE SENTENCE: Due to a shipping error, the store had a surfeit of loaves of bread and had to sell them at an incredibly reduced price so they wouldn’t go bad.

TRANS-     ACROSS

Transcend (v) – 1. To rise above or go beyond; exceed  2. To outdo or exceed in excellence, elevation, extent, degree, etc.

Synonyms: outdo, outshine, excel, surpass

SAMPLE SENTENCE: Natalia’s essays were always superior, but her insightful paper on Romeo and Juliet transcended even her teacher’s lofty expectations and received an A+.

Transitory (adj) – Lasting only a short time; brief

Synonyms: short-lived, temporary, transient, ephemeral

Antonyms:  long-lasting, endless, permanent, enduring 

Helpful Hints: Perhaps you will remember that a person who is “in transit” is passing between two places, and is not settling in permanently

SAMPLE SENTENCE: After the house fire, the family had to set up their transitory residence in a hotel for three weeks.

PRO-     FORWARD

Profligate (adj) – 1.  immoral, corrupt  2. recklessly extravagant

Synonyms:   1. shameless, degenerate, depraved  2. wasteful, immoderate

Antonyms: 1. good, moral, upright  2. thrifty, frugal

SAMPLE SENTENCE: Some people, upon winning the lottery, become profligate spenders, burning through large chunks of wealth in no time at all.

Profound (adj) – Of deep meaning; going beyond what is superficial and obvious

Synonyms:  deep, insightful

Antonyms:  shallow, superficial

SAMPLE SENTENCE: Sometimes it is fun to read a book that doesn’t make you think too hard, but it can be equally enjoyable to read something profound that changes the way you see the world.