Cutting Edge Upper Intermediate: Module 9

nr derivations definitions & synonyms opposites

1 oddity (n.) a strange or peculiar person or thing; the conformist

quality of being strange or peculiar
SYN: misfit, peculiarity, strangeness
oddness (n.) the quality of being strange or unexpected
odd (adj.) SYN: strange, unusual, peculiar normal, conventional
oddly (adv.)
2 coincidence (n.) a remarkable concurrence of events or
circumstances without apparent causal
connection SYN: accident, chance
coincidental (adj.) SYN: accidental, casual
coincidentally (adv.)
3 premonition (n.) a strong feeling that something is about to
happen, especially something unpleasant
SYN: apprehension
premonish (v.) inform (someone) of a possible future danger
or problem;
SYN: warn; forewarn
premonitive/ of, relating to, or conveying (a) premonition
premonitory (adj.)
4 telepathy (n.) the supposed communication of thoughts or
ideas by means other than the known senses
SYN: mind reading, thought transference

telepathic (adj.) supposedly capable of transmitting thoughts

to other people and of knowing their thoughts
SYN: psychic
telepathically (adv.)
telepath (n.) person with the ability to use telepathy
telepathize (v.) use telepathy
5 impending (adj.) SYN: imminent, upcoming
impend (v.) be about to happen
6 evacuate (v.) remove (someone) from a place of danger to a return to
safer place; leave or cause the occupants to
leave SYN: remove, leave
evacuee (n.) person evacuated from a place of danger
evacuation (n.) the action of evacuating a person or a place
SYN: removal, clearance
7 perceive (v.) interpret or regard (someone or something) in
a particular way
SYN: view, consider
become aware or conscious of (something)
SYN: discern, recognize
perceiver (n.)
perceivable (adj.)
perceivably (adv.)
perception (n.)

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nr derivations definitions & synonyms opposites

8 myth (n.) a widely held but false belief or idea SYN:

misconception
a fictitious or imaginary person or thing
mythical (adj.) fictitious SYN: imaginary real, actual
9 conspire (v.) make secret plans jointly to commit an
unlawful or harmful act
SYN: plot, collaborate
conspiracy (n.) SYN: plot, collaboration, treason
conspirator (n.) SYN: collaborator, traitor
10 dispose (v.) get rid of by throwing away or giving or retain, keep
selling to someone else
SYN: throw away; discard
disposal (n.)
disposable (adj.) SYN: expendable, replaceable
11 terrorize (v.) create and maintain a state of extreme fear
and distress in (someone); fill with terror
SYN: intimidate, frighten, persecute
terrorism (n.) the unlawful use of violence and intimidation,
especially against civilians, in the pursuit of
political aims
terrorist (n.)
terrorist (adj.)
12 burgle (v.)/ enter (a building) illegally with intent to
burglarize (Am. Eng.) commit a crime, especially theft
SYN: break into
burglar (n.) SYN: thief
burglary (n.) SYN: break-in, theft
13 authentic (adj.) of undisputed origin and not a copy; genuine; fake, unreliable,
based on facts inaccurate
SYN: original, reliable, accurate
authentical (adj.) legally valid; possessing legal force
authentically (adv.) undisputedly; genuinely
authenticate (v.) prove or show (something) to be true,
genuine, or valid
SYN: verify, validate, confirm
authenticity (n.) genuineness; reliability spuriousness
unreliability
14 interrupt (v.) stop the continuous progress of (an activity or
process); stop (someone speaking) by saying
or doing something
SYN: discontinue, cut in on, stop
interruption (n.)
interrupter (n.) a person or thing that interrupts
interruptive (adj.)
interruptible (adj.)
15 astonished (adj.) greatly surprised or impressed

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 SYN: amazed, astounded, surprised
astonishing (adj.) SYN: amazing, astounding, surprising
astonishingly (adv.)
astonish (v.) surprise or impress (someone) greatly
SYN: amaze, astound, surprise
astonishment (n.) SYN: amazement, surprise
16 obscure (adj.) not discovered or known about; uncertain; not clear, plain
clearly expressed or easily understood
SYN: unclear, vague, concealed
not important or well-known famous, renowned
SYN: unknown, unrenowned
obscurely (adv.)
obscurity (n.) SYN: darkness, unclearness, clarity, fame
insignificance
17 defect (n.) a shortcoming, imperfection, or lack
SYN: fault, flaw, imperfection
defective (adj.) SYN: faulty, flawed, imperfect working, perfect
defectively (adv.)
18 convenience (n.) the state of being able to proceed with inconvenience,
something without difficulty; the quality of disadvantage
being useful, easy, or suitable for someone
SYN: expedience, suitability, benefit

convenient (adj.) SYN: suitable, appropriate inconvenient

conveniently (adv.) in a way that fits well with particular needs,
activities, and plans
19 resolve (v.) settle or find a solution to (a problem or
contentious matter)
SYN: settle, solve
resolution (n.) the action of solving a problem or contentious continuation,
matter prolonging
SYN: settlement, ending
resolvable (adj.)
resolvability (n.)
20 malfunction (n.) a failure to function normally
SYN: crash, defect
malfunction (v.) fail to function normally
SYN: crash, break down

Word pairs: Write compound or complex sentences with each word in the following word
pairs to show the difference in meaning between them. No simple sentences allowed.

1. mysterious (adj.)/ mystical (adj.) 4. obligational (adj.) / obligatory (adj.)

2. disposal (n.) / disposability (n.) 5. resolvable (adj.)/ resolvability (n.)
3. impend (v.) / impede (v.) 6. prehistoric (adj.)/ historic (adj.)

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Paraphrasing
1. It was not a coincidence that the resolution to this specific community problem came at
a convenient time, because the impending election forces the government to be cautious
of carrying out defective plans.
2. The astonished auctioneer interrupted the troublemaker who accused the auction house
of conspiring with obscure artists who make copies of authentic artwork and selling
them for exorbitantly high prices.
3. It’s not a myth that evacuees from war-torn areas are often perceived as disposable
social oddities.
4. It wasn’t a coincidence that internal experts couldn’t resolve the malfunction in the
system as it appeared that they had been terrorized by unknown conspirators.

Proverbs and their meaning

1 Kill two birds with one stone. - Complete two tasks with one action

2 God helps those who help themselves. - Don't just wait for good things to happen to
you. Work hard to achieve your goals.
3 All's well that ends well. - The problems and pitfalls of an enterprise are justified and
forgotten, so long as everything turns out well in the end.
4 Truth will out. - The truth will become known eventually.
5 You can't get blood out of a stone. - You cannot extract what isn't there to begin with.