Page 74 - WEBSTER Essential vocabulary

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C: SAT Words
• Look at a rectangle next to another parallelogram, and you will immediate-
ly recognize the contrast.
• Adjusting the contrast on a television will soften or harden the way objects
next to each other are differentiated.
[-ed, -ing] [Syn. compare]
contribute (kun TRIB yoot) vt. 1. to give to a common fund or cause; 2. to
write and give or sell a piece of writing to a magazine, newspaper, or other publica-
tion; 3. to furnish or donate knowledge, ideas, expertise, etc.
• Pat always contributes to cancer-fighting organizations.
• James Thurber contributed many humorous cartoons and short stories to
various editors during his lifetime.
• Many scientists of the Manhattan Project contributed the ideas and calcula-
tions that led to Robert Oppenheimer’s becoming the father of the atomic
bomb.
[-d, contributing, contribution n.]
contrite (kun TRYT) adj. 1. feeling sorrow; remorse; 2. showing or resulting
from repentance; regretting having done wrong
• Kathy was contrite for having taken Rhoda’s car without first having gotten
permission.
• Bob’s avoiding meeting Gary’s eyes after having damaged his boat was the
result of his feeling contrite.
[-ly adv., contrition n.] [Syn. penitent]
controversial (KON truh VER shee uhl) adj. subject to or likely to cause dis-
agreement; debatable
• The question of whether or not to build a new parking garage was the
most controversial subject on the agenda.
• Controversial topics are often the subject of public debate and can polarize
opinions.
[-ly adv., controversy n.]
controvert (KON truh voert) vt. 1. to argue against; dispute; deny; contradict;
2. to argue about; debate; discuss
• It is becoming increasingly difficult to controvert the notion that life might
have once existed on Mars.
• Magellan’s voyage should have been enough to controvert all notions of the
world’s being flat.
[-ed, -ing, -ible adj., -ibly adv.] [Syn. disprove]
conundrum (kuh NUHN drm) n. 1. a riddle in which the answer contains a
pun (play on words); 2. any puzzling question or problem
A conundrum’s sense #1 is illustrated in the following Q & A:
Q. What’s the difference between a jeweler and a jailer?
A. One sells watches, and the other watches cells.
• Having been invited to three different New Year’s Eve parties, and not
wanting to hurt anyone’s feelings, Olive felt that deciding how to act was a
conundrum.