Lesson 16

having the capacity to distinguish

extremely light, delicate, and often see-through

The bride wore a veil of diaphanous lace that shimmered in the sunlight.

(of molecules) having two atoms with the same or different elements

a harsh and severe criticism or verbal attack that is aimed toward a person or thing

The article was a diatribe against the new government policy.

related to evil characteristics such as cruelty

peculiar and not like what is considered suitable or appropriate for a situation

The bright red dress was incongruous at the somber funeral.

lacking significance or importance

The typo in the report was inconsequential and did not affect the overall message.

not easily seen, noticed, or attracting attention

He tried to remain inconspicuous by sitting at the back of the room.

someone who verbally changes the words of a language into another

She hired an interpreter to assist with the business meeting in a foreign country.

to question someone in an aggressive way for a long time in order to get information

The detective decided to interrogate the suspect to uncover details about the crime.

to force someone to do something through threats or manipulation

The criminal coerced the witness into changing their testimony through intimidation.

the act of compelling someone to act against their will by using force or threats

The confession was obtained through coercion, not free will.

the month following February and preceding April

the month following February and preceding April

the act of rejecting or saying no to something that has been offered or requested

His refusal to apologize made the situation worse.

to state that something is incorrect or false based on evidence

The scientist refuted the hypothesis with empirical data.

the act of showing that someone or something is wrong by using an argument or evidence

the use of similar vowels close to each other in nonrhyming syllables as a literary device

The poet used assonance to create a melodic effect in the verse.

having an identical vowel combined with different consonants in words, often for poetic purposes

to have a close similarity in sounds, particularly vowels