Lesson 6
Freshmen Vocabulary

1. atrophy verb the wasting away of the body, its organs or tissue
   The therapist set up a program of leg exercises for him so his muscles would not atrophy.
   syn: waste away, wither
   
   
2. aversion noun a strong dislike for; repugnance
   Carol's aversion to seafood made it difficult for her to eat at the beach.
   syn: distaste     ant: liking
   
   
3. equivocate verb to speak ambiguously in order to mislead or deceive
   His critics accused the President of equivocating on every major issue facing the county.
   syn: evade, dodge     ant: unambiguous


4. esoteric adj. intended for or understood by only a small group of people
   The poem was so esoteric that few people besides relatives of the poet could understand it.
   syn: cryptic     ant: clear, open
   
   
5. eulogy noun a speech or written tribute praising a person or thing, especially someone who has recently died
   By the time the minister had finished the eulogy, there was not a dry eye at the graveside.
   syn: tribute, panegyric      ant: vilification


6. obtrusive adj. intruding and offensive
   Rather than appreciating all I had done for her, she said I was to mind my own business and stop being so obtrusive.
   ant: unobtrusive
   
   
7. officious adj. to be so excessively forward in offering one's services that one become annoying
   He thought he was being very helpful, but the others thought he was officious.
   syn: meddlesome
   
   
8. onomatopoeia noun the use or sound of a word that imitates or resembles what it stands for or describes
   The words "what" and "buzz" are examples of onomatopoeia.
   
   
9. overt adj. not concealed, not hidden; open
   There was nothing overt about his rude behavior, but you could sense it.
   syn: visible, ostensible     ant: hidden, covert
   
   
10. scrupulous adj. conscientious; attentive to details 
    The business owner was very scrupulous about keeping his money separate from the store's money.
    syn: meticulous    ant: careless, negligent, sloppy