Page 178 - WEBSTER Essential vocabulary
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O: SAT Words
opponent (uh POH nint) n. a person against one in a fight, argument, debate, etc.
• The navy will carry the fight to our opponent.
• The opponents sat across the chess board from each other.
• Sometimes we must sit down with our opponents and try to work things out.
[Syn. adversary, enemy, foe]
opportunity (AHP oer TOO ni tee or AHP oer TYOO ni tee) n. 1. a good
chance; 2. a set of circumstances favorable to
• Every person deserves an opportunity to succeed.
• Billy is looking for an opportunity for advancement.
• The United States has been called the land of opportunity.
[opportunities pl.]
QUICK REVIEW #59
Match the word from column 2 with the word from column 1 that means most
nearly the same thing.
1. obdurate a. remark
2. oblique b. repugnant
3. obscurity c. barrier
4. observation d. burdensome
5. obsessiveness e. vociferous
6. obstacle f. position
7. obstreperous g. vagueness
8. offensive h. preoccupation
9. office i. adversary
10. onerous j. slanted
11. opponent k. chance
12. opportunity l. stubborn
oppression* (uh PRESH in) n. 1. a weighing heavily on the mind, spirit, or soul;
worry; troubling; 2. a keeping down by cruel or unjust use of power; 3. a feeling of
being weighed down as with worries or problems
• Oppression can have a paralyzing effect on a person’s ability to act.
• The oppression of slavery was a terrible weight on many Americans prior to
the Civil War.
• The oppression of separate-but-equal educational opportunities that were
inherently unequal was not legally terminated until almost a century after
the Civil War.
[oppressive adj., oppressively adv.]