Barron's 1100 Words You Need to Know » Week 7 - Day 4

Word List
  • terminate [ter´ mə nāt]
    to end
    → “A continuation of such chronic lateness may lead us to terminate your employment.” Regulations of the NYC Board of Education’s Office of School Food & Nutrition Services
  • forthwith [fôrth´ with´]
    immediately
    → “Get down to your Toyota dealer forthwith and take advantage of our holiday saleabration.” Toyota advertisement, CBS TV
  • exacerbate [eg zas´ ər bāt]
    to irritate, make worse
    → “Jason Isringhausen’s injuries were exacerbated by his immaturity.” Howie Rose, Mets Baseball Announcer, Fox Sports, 6/8/99 [adapted]
  • revert [ri vėrt´]
    return
    → “She dreamily reverts to the hour when old age will throw down his frosts upon her head.” Walt Whitman, “Dreams”
  • oust [oust]
    to drive out, eject
    → “Politics will still exist as in the Republican campaign to oust Bill Clinton.” James Pinkerton, “Mediocre Pols,” Newsday, 6/17/99

Following an executive session, the school board ordered the principal to terminate the suspension and to send the boys back to class forthwith. Unless it could be shown that their presence disrupted the learning process, there was no reason to bar the boys. It was a bitter pill to swallow* for the principal whose irritation was exacerbated by the ruling. But some of the sting was taken out of the victory when the boys appeared in school the next day with their hair clipped to a respectable length. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Just as things were about to revert to normalcy, however, the same French teacher then demanded that a girl be ousted from school for wearing a mini skirt.

Sample Sentences Use the new words in the following sentences.

  1. It seemed incongruous* to __________ his employment just when he was so successful.
  2. Upon seeing the show, he called the TV studio __________ to protest.
  3. The ushers moved with alacrity* to __________ the disorderly patrons.
  4. After taking the drug, she began to __________ to the days of her childhood.
  5. The arrest of the spy did much to __________ relations between the two countries.

Definitions Match the new words with their meanings.

  1. a. to drive out, eject
  2. b. return
  3. c. to end
  4. d. immediately
  5. e. to irritate, make worse
  1. terminate __________
  2. forthwith __________
  3. exacerbate __________
  4. revert __________
  5. oust __________

Answer Key
an ax to grind—having a selfish motive in the background
I am always dubious* about the motives of a man who tells me that he has no ax to grind.

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