Words

Pronunciation

 (part of speech)

Word Charge

Word Group

Sacrosanct

\SAK roh sangkt\ (adj.)

+ charge SPIRITUAL

sacred

The president regarded his early morning exercise regimen as sacrosanct and refused to let anything interrupt it.

Safeguard

\SAY gard\ (n.)

+ charge FORMAL

precautionary measure

Safety regulators have instituted a serious of safeguards to prevent accidents at nuclear power plants.

Sagacious

\su GAY shiss\ (adj.)

+ charge INTELLIGENT

wise, shrewd

Owls have a reputation for being sagacious, perhaps because of their big eyes that resemble glasses.

Salvage

\SAL vij\ (v.)

+ charge SAVING

to recover, save from loss

Historians have been attempting to salvage the remains of the Titanic for years, but attempts to raise the ship to the surface have failed.

Sanctimonious

\sangk ti MOH nee us\ (adj.)

– charge PROUD

excessively righteous

Sanctimonious anger ripped across the room when the politician questioned his party’s agenda.

Scamper

\SKAMP er\ (v.)

= charge MOVING

run off quickly

Peter Rabbit scampered out of Farmer McGregor’s garden when he realized the old man had returned home.

Scapegoat

\SKAYP goht\ (n.)

– charge BLAME

someone blamed for every problem

Because Charlie never bothered coming to the office, his coworkers used him as the scapegoat for all their mistakes.

Scholarly

\SKOL ur lee\ (adj.)

+ charge INTELLIGENT

related to higher learning

Dr. Lee studied English literature for fifteen years and published articles in a variety of scholarly journals.

Scorn

\SKORN\ (n.)

– charge DISAPPROVE

contempt, derision

The seniors felt they were superior to the rest of the school and treated the underclassmen with scorn.

Scoundrel

\SKOWN drul\ (n.)

– charge HOSTILE

villain, rogue

George the Pirate was the meanest scoundrel ever to roam the seas.

Scour

\SKOWER\ (v.)

+ charge ORGANIZED

to scrub clean

When Kelly discovered that her in-laws were coming to visit, she scoured the house in an attempt to impress them.

Scrupulous

\SKROOP yu luss\ (adj.)

+ charge FLEXIBLE

restrained; honest; careful and precise

David could not have stolen Carmen’s money; he’s too scrupulous to do such a thing.

Scrutinize

\SKROOT in iyz\ (v.)

+ charge INTERESTED

to observe carefully

When the financial managers realized the company was losing money, they hired outside consultants to scrutinize the billing process

Scurry

\SKUR ree\ (v.)

= charge MOVING

scamper, run lightly

Robin had trouble sleeping through the noise of squirrels scurrying across the roof.

Secrete

\se KREET\ (v.)

= charge CHANGING

release fluids

The chemical secreted by the insect repelled its prey.

Sedative

\SED uh tiv\ (n.)

= charge SOOTHE

something that calms or soothes

Marie was very tense, so her doctor gave her some sedatives to help her sleep.

Sequel

\SEE kwul\ (n.)

= charge CONTINUE

literary or artistic work that continues a previous piece.

When the studios saw how successful the first movie was, they commissioned the director to make two sequels.

Serendipity

\se ren DIP ih tee\ (n.)

+ charge LUCK

habit of making fortunate discoveries by chance

Rosemary’s serendipity revealed itself in many ways, such as her habit of finding money on the street.

Serene

\se REEN\ (adj.)

+ charge PEACEABLE

calm; peaceful

The beach at the island club was serene and beautiful as we sat watching the sunset.

Serenity

\se REN ih tee\ (n.)

+ charge PEACEABLE

calmness, peacefulness

Lynette’s meditation helps her to achieve true serenity.

Servile

\SUR viyl\ (adj.)

– charge SUBSERVIENT

overly submissive

Although Jim was normally a domineering personality, around the chairman he was clearly servile.

Setback

\SET back\ (n.)

– charge WORSEN

change from better to worse

Despite several financial setbacks in the last two years, we hope to post new profits in the near future.

Severe

\se VEER\ (adj.)

– charge RIGID

harsh, strict, extreme

While the rest of the group went skiing, Morris stayed home with a severe case of the flu.

Shabby

\SHA bee\ (adj.)

– charge MESSY

worn-out, threadbare, deteriorated

In order to save money on our road trip through California, we stayed in the cheapest, shabbiest motels that we could find.

Shroud

\SHROWD\ (v.)

= charge HIDDEN

to shut off from sight

The wizard used his powers to bring down a dense cloud which shrouded the village in mist.

Shun

\SHUN\ (v.)

– charge ALONE

avoid deliberately

Walter realized it was time for him to start showering more often when he noticed that most of his friends were shunning him.

Signpost

\STYN post\ (n.)

= charge HELPFUL

indication, guide

Although all signposts indicated that he was embarking on the wrong path, instinct told him to keep going.

Skepticism

SKEP tih sizm\ (n.)

– charge FALSE

doubt, disbelief; uncertainty

Despite their onlookers’ skepticism, the Wright Brothers demonstrated that man was capable of flight.

Skirt

\SKIRT\ (v.)

= charge MOVING

to evade; pass close, circle around

We decided to skirt the town rather than enter and risk the wrath of the evil Duke.

Sluggish

SLUG ish\ (adj.)

– charge LAZY

lazy, inactive

Helga’s sluggish husband sits on the couch all day watching television instead of looking for a job.

Smug

\SMUG\ (adj.)

– charge PROUD

excessively self-satisfied

After completing the obstacle course in less time than any of his peers, Roger walked back to his seat with a smug expression on his face.

Sociable

\SO shu bul\ (adj.)

+ charge FRIENDLY

friendly, gracious

Although Yael claimed to be the least sociable person in her apartment, she was the only one regularly invited to parties.

Socialize

\so shu LIYZ\ (v.)

+ charge GROUPED

take part in group activities

Reggie felt that it was more important to finish his homework than to go out and socialize with his friends.

Solace

\SOL is\ (n.)

+ charge PEACEABLE

comfort in distress; consolation

Upset as she was by her poodle’s death, Florence took solace in the fact that he had died happy.

Solicitous

\su LIS ih tus\ (adj.)

+ charge HELPFUL

concerned, attentive; eager

The solicitous young waiter stood at the table the entire meal, waiting to receive another order.

Solitary

\SOL ih ter ee\ (adj.)

= charge ALONE

alone; remote, secluded

I love going up to the mountains in the autumn to live in my solitary cabin in the woods.

Soluble

\SOL yu bul\ (adj.)

= charge CHANGING

capable of being solved or dissolved

Sugar is soluble in cold water, but it dissolves more easily in hot water.

Soothe

\SOOTHE\ (v.)

+ charge SOOTHE

to calm, placate; comfort

When Rebecca is very tense, she finds that the sounds of the ocean soothe her most, swiftly lulling her to sleep.

Sophistication

\su FIS ti kay shun\ (n.)

+ charge EXPERIENCED

worldliness, edification, enlightenment

Despite Parker’s obvious sophistication, he had never encountered a woman quite like Princess Fiona.

Specious

\SPEE shus\ (adj.)

– charge FALSE

plausible but incorrect

While the TV show seemed to offer sound scientific theories, educated viewers knew that most of the arguments were quite specious.

Spontaneous

\spon TAY nee us\ (adj.)

= charge SPEED

on the spur of the moment, impulsive

Jean made the spontaneous decision to go to the movies instead of visiting her in-laws as she had planned.

Sprint

\SPRINT\ (v.)

= charge MOVING

dash, run quick for short distances

When Peter realized that his package had arrived, he sprinted across the lawn to the front door.

Sprout

\SPROWT\ (v.)

= charge ORGANISMS

emerge and develop rapidly; to grow

Even though we only planted the seeds last week, the stalks have already begun to sprout.

Spurious

\SPYOOR ee uss\ (adj.)

– charge FALSE

lacking authenticity, false

The besmirched businessman was outraged by the spurious accusations that he embezzled money from the company.

Squander

\SKWAN der\ (v.)

– charge WASTEFUL

to waste

While I’ve been saving for a piano, my friend Sean has been squandering all his earnings on lottery tickets.

Squelch

\SKWELCH\ (v.)

– charge AGGRESSIVE

to suppress, to put down with force

Despite the reformer’s best efforts, the company board of directors squelched all attempts to change office policy.

Stagnant

\STAG nent\ (adj.)

– charge LAZY

immobile, stale

That stagnant pond is a perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes; we should drain it.

Statute

\STA choot\ (n.)

= charge FORMAL

law, edict

According to the new town statutes, it is illegal to throw used bubble gum onto the street.

Stealth

\STELTH\ (n.)

= charge HIDDEN

act of moving in a covert way

The special unit traveled by stealth so the enemy scouts would not detect their position.

Stern

\STERN\ (adj.)

– charge BOSSY

strict, harsh, severe

The parents were comfortable leaving their children with the new camp leader because they knew her stern demeanor would command their respect.

Stifle

\STY ful\ (v.)

– charge DISCOURAGE

to smother or suffocate; suppress

Much as she longed to express her anger at the dictator, Maria stifled her protests for fear of being arrested.

Stimulate

\STIM yu layt\ (v.)

+ charge ENCOURAGE

to excite, provoke

The museum curator hung the new painting in the first spot on the wall, knowing that it would stimulate a heated debate regarding its merits.

Stoic

\STOH ik\ (adj.)

= charge RIGID

indifferent to or unaffected by emotions

While most of the mourners wept, the dead woman’s husband kept up a stoic, unemotional facade.

Stomp

\STOMP\ (v.)

= charge AGGRESSIVE

step heavily

Lucinda stomped into the room, furious that her coworkers would start the meeting without her.

Straddle

\STRAD I\ (v.)

= charge INDECISIVE

be on both sides of something

Rather than take a stand on the issue, the shrewd politician straddled the opposing arguments and maintained his base of support.

Stump

\STUMP\ (v.)

– charge INTELLIGENT

to challenge; to baffle

We tried hard, but we were unable to stump Nate with sports trivia.

Sturdy

\STUR dee\ (adj.)

+ charge STRONG

firm, well built, stout

The contractor decided that the girders already in place were sturdy enough to support the rest of the house.

Submissive

\sub MISS iv\ (adj.)

– charge SUBSERVIENT–

tending to meekness, yielding to the will of others

The submissive wolf cringed at the feet of the alpha male, the leader of the pack.

Subsist

\sub SIST\ (v.)

+ charge STRONG

stay alive; survive

The young employee complained that there was no way to subsist on such a meager salary.

Substantiate

\sub STAN she ayt\ (v.)

+ charge HELPFUL

to verify, confirm, provide supporting evidence

The ice cream she ate substantiated her allergy to dairy products.

Subterfuge

\SUB ter fyooj\ (n.)

– charge FALSE

deceptive strategy

Spies who are not skilled in the art of subterfuge are generally exposed before too long.

Subvert

\sub VERT\ (v.)

– charge DISCOURAGE

to undermine or corrupt

The traitor intended to subvert loyal citizens of the crown with the revolutionary propaganda he distributed.

Succumb

\su KUM\ (v.)

– charge SUBSERVIENT

to give in to stronger power; yield

Although the small band of warriors was clearly outnumbered, they refused to succumb to their enemies.

Suffice

\suh FTYS\ (v.)

+ charge INTELLIGENT

meet requirements, be capable

Although I would have liked to meet with the vice president of production, the vice president of marketing will suffice.

Sully

\SUL ee\ (v.)

– charge WORSEN

soil, stain, tarnish, taint

Reginald was upset to discover that the child’s sticky red lollipop had sullied his new cashmere overcoat.

Summary

\SUM uh ree\ (n.)

= charge COMMUNICATION

shortened version; abstract

The movie proved to be so complicated that the director had one of the characters give a summary of events to explain the story.

Superficial

\soo per FISH ul\ (adj.)

– charge UNIMPORTANT

hasty; shallow and phony

The politician was friendly, but in a superficial, unconvincing way.

Superstitious

\soo per STISH iss\ (adj.)

– charge BELIEF

irrationally believing that completely unrelated circumstances can influence an event

Larry, the most superstitious person I know, believes that the way he ties his shoes will affect his chances of winning the lottery.

Supplant

\su PLANT\ (v.)

– charge TAKE AWAY

replace, substitute

After his miserable performance, the young CEO was supplanted by a more experienced candidate.

Supple

\SUPI\ (adj.)

= charge FLEXIBLE

flexible, pliant

The supple stalks of bamboo swayed back and forth in the wind.

Suppress

\sup RESS\ (v.)

– charge AGGRESSIVE

to end an activity, e.g., to prevent the dissemination of information

Sue suppressed the urge to press her boss for more money for the third time in a week.

Surfeit

\SUR fit\ (n.)

– charge SAVING

excessive amount

Because of the surfeit of pigs, pork prices have never been lower.

Surplus

\SUR plus\ (n.)

+ charge GENEROUS

excess

The supermarket donated its surplus of fruit to a local homeless shelter.

Surreptitious

\sir up TISH iss\ (adj.)

– charge HIDDEN

secret, stealthy

In order to achieve revenge on his former boss, George made some surreptitious changes to the agenda for the meeting.

Surrogate

\SUR uh git\ (n.)

= charge GROUPED

a substitute; one filling in for someone else

Because Cheryl had been orphaned when she was a baby, her uncle and aunt acted as surrogates for the parents she had lost.

Suspend

\su SPEND\ (v.)

– charge INTERRUPT

to defer, interrupt; dangle, hang

Construction of the building was suspended when the contractor ran out of bricks.

Swarm

\SWARM\ (n.)

= charge GROUPED

a large number of insects traveling in a group

When we saw the swarm of bees flying toward the lemonade stand, we shouted for everyone to run away.

Swerve

\SWERV\ (v.)

– charge MOVING

to turn from a straight course

When the driver saw the pickup truck coming straight at him, he slammed on his breaks and swerved off of the road.

Sycophant

\SIK u fant\ (n.)

– charge PRAISE

self-serving flatterer; yes-man

It appears that the executive would rather have a sycophant than a truly capable assistant.

Symmetry

\SIM eh tree\ (n.)

+ charge GROUPED

equality and balance in objects

Gladys’s teachers were very impressed with the symmetry of her paintings; they thought she showed remarkable skill for a first-grader.

Synergy

\SIN er jee\ (n.)

= charge GROUPED

cooperative interaction producing greater results

Improved synergy among the team members helped to produce a better product than the same team had developed a year earlier.

Synthesize

\SIN thi siyz\ (v.)

= charge COLLECTED

to produce artificially; to create through combination of different elements

Because the guitar sounded so real, we were surprised to learn that the music had been synthesized in a computer.