Vocabulary from Latin and Greek Roots

Vocabulary from Latin and Greek Roots Unit 3

Root: Veh • Latin • Vehere, Vectum • To drag, to carry

Vehement • Adj. • Strongly emotional; fierce and passionate • Bob was vehement in his opposition to changing the company’s marketing policy. • Synonym: intense • Antonym: indifferent

Inveigh • V. • To attack strongly in words; to talk or write bitterly against • The preacher used his Sunday sermon to inveigh against the wretched mortality of his congregation. • Synonym: condemn • Antonym: praise

Root: Mis • Latin • Mittere, Misum • To send, to put

Surmise • V. • To draw a conclusion based on little or no information; to guess • Although the prosecutor surmised that money had motivated the killer, he had no evidence to prove it. • Synonym: hypothesize • Antonym: prove

Demise • N. • The end of existence; death • Captain Redtooth spent his evenings plotting the demise of his hated nemesis.

Remit • V. • To make less or weaker; to forgive or pardon • After a closer inspection of Hal’s taxes, the IRS decided to remit the amount due.

Root: Bol, Blem • Greek • Ballein • To throw, to cast

Emblematic • Adj. • Standing for another thing • For immigrants to America, the Statue of Liberty was emblematic of the freedom and prosperity of the United States. • Synonym: symbolic • Antonym: unlike

Diabolical • Adj. • Of or like the devil; very wicked or cruel • After splattering the class with red paint, little Rayna flashed a diabolical smile at her teacher. • Synonym: fiendish • Antonym: admirable

Hyperbole • N. • An exaggeration for effect • When Francine told us she would never speak to us as long as she lived, we assumed she was using hyperbole.

Root: Od • Greek • Hodos • Road, way, coming

Episodic • Adj. • Happening in parts or segments. • Millions of viewers across the country tuned into the episodic reality TV hit series during its first season on the air.

Methodical • Adj. • Orderly and regular • To be an effective statistician, one must be a methodical worker who pays close attention to detail.

Synod • N. • A council, especially of churches or church officials • Following the death of a Pope, the synod of bishops meets at St. Peter’s Basilica to elect a new one.

Vocabulary from Latin and Greek Roots