Lesson 3
Freshmen Vocabulary

1. alleviate verb to make more bearable; to ease the pain
   Susan had hoped to alleviate her back pain by taking more Tylenol.
   syn: lesson    ant: exacerbate, aggravate
   
   
2. analogous adj. similar or parallel in certain ways
   To many people, the phrase "ethnic cleansing" sounds analogous to Hitler's "Final Solution."
   syn: akin     ant: dissimilar, unlike
   
   
3. dismantle verb to take apart; disassemble; to strip of furnishing or equipment
   After the young boy was injured, Max dismantled the swing set.
   ant: construct


4. distraught adj. extremely troubled or agitated; worried
   The breakup of her relationship left Jenny distraught.
   syn: anxious, frantic     ant: placid, serene
   
   
5. dormant the process of widely spreading or scattering
   The invention of the moveable printing press contributed to the diffusion of knowledge among the lower classes.


6. maim verb to disable; to cripple
   She was maimed in the car accident.
   
   
7. meticulous adj. extremely or excessively careful about details
   He was very meticulous in picking up each tiny piece of glass with tweezers.
   syn: exact. fastidious    ant: careless, imprecise, sloppy
   
   
8. murky adj. not clear; foggy, hazy; dark or gloomy
   Because the details of the plan were murky, her mother wouldn't give her permission to go.
   
   
9. narcissism noun excessive admiration of one's self; self-love
   While John thinks that Alice's constant need to look at herself in the mirror is a sign of her insecurity, others see it as a sign of Alice's narcissism.
   
   
10. squabble verb to engage in a minor quarrel; to argue noisily over a small matter
    The children squabbled over who should sit in the front seat
    syn: quarrel, bicker     ant: concur