400 Must Have Words for the TOEFL » LESSON 35 - Negative Emotions

Word List
  • antipathy [ænˈtɪpəθɪ] n.
    A strong, long-lasting negative feeling
    → My antipathy toward telemarketers is so strong that I am often rude to them.
    Usage tips     Antipathy is often followed by a toward phrase.
  • arrogantly [ˈærəgəntlɪ] adv.
    In a way that shows a high opinion of oneself and a low opinion of others
    → Jenny told us about her party only one day in advance, arrogantly thinking we had nothing else to do.
    Parts of speech     arrogance n., arrogant adj.
  • berate [bɪˈreɪt] v.
    To say insulting and disrespectful things
    → The teacher lost his job because he cruelly berated students who made mistakes.
    Usage tips     You can only berate someone directly—only when he or she can hear you.
  • contemptuous [kənˈtɛmptʃuəs] n.
    Having no respect
    → Most scientists are contemptuous of reports that aliens from outer space have landed on the Earth.
    Usage tips     A very common structure is be contemptuous of.
    Parts of speech     contempt n., contemptible adj., contemptuously adv.
  • despise [dɪsˈpaɪz] v.
    Hate very much
    → Tom grew to despise his greedy and unfriendly boss.
  • humiliation [hjuːmɪlɪˈeɪʃən] n.
    An event that causes someone to feel that she or he has lost the respect of others
    → Losing the chess tournament was a great humiliation for Marie, and she never played chess again.
    Parts of speech      humiliate v.
  • obnoxious [əbˈnɒkʃəs] adj.
    Bothersome; doing small things that others don’t like
    → My obnoxious neighbor keeps talking to me while I’m trying to read in my backyard.
    Parts of speech     obnoxiously adv.
  • shame [ʃeɪm] n.
    Dishonor because one has done something wrong
    → Feeling deep shame because of their son’s crimes, the Ford family moved to a different town.
    Usage tips     Shame is often followed by an of or about phrase.
    Parts of speech     shame v., shameful adj., ashamed adj., shamefully adv.
  • stigmatize [ˈstɪgmətaɪz] v.
    To mark with a visible feature that makes other people think, perhaps incorrectly, that someone or something is wrong
    → Cadbury’s beard and tattoos stigmatized him as a bad match for Wall Street,so he couldn’t find work as a financial analyst.
    Parts of speech     stigma n.
  • vitriolic [ˌvɪtrɪˈɒlɪk] adj.
    Showing an extreme, hateful anger
    → The mayor’s vitriolic attacks against the city council only made him sound unreasonable.
    Usage tips     The origin of vitriolic is “vitriol,”a strong chemical that could cause painful burns.

TOEFL Prep I Find the word or phrase that is closest in meaning to each word in the left-hand column. Write the letter in the blank.

______ 1. arrogantly(a) very bitter and hurtful
______ 2. berate(b) to criticize and insult
______ 3. humiliation(c) annoying
______ 4. obnoxious(d) too proudly
______ 5. vitriolic(e) embarrassment

TOEFL Prep II Circle the word that best completes each sentence. Be careful: Many words in this chapter are very close in meaning to each other. Pay attention to small details in order to choose the best.

  1. As a teenager, Dean did a lot of stupid things that he now feels (humiliation / shame) about.
  2. Many foreigners feel that their appearance (stigmatizes / despises) them in this country.
  3. Because the president was (obnoxious / contemptuous) of France’s opinion long ago, the French are not eager to help him now.
  4. Mark (despises / berates) Henry and refuses to see him at all.
  5. Turkey’s historic (antipathy / shame) toward Greece may be softening with the new generation.
Answer Key
TOEFL Prep I
  1. d
  2. b
  3. e
  4. c
  5. a
TOEFL Prep II
  1. shame
  2. stigmatizes
  3. contemptuous
  4. despises
  5. antipathy
Answer Key

TOEFL Success Read the passage to review the vocabulary you have learned. Answer the questions that follow.

Some radio talk show hosts are masters of obnoxious insults. Callers to such shows should be prepared for humiliation if they dare to disagree with the host’s views. The host controls whether the caller can speak, so he can arrogantly beratethe caller without allowing the caller to respond. Some shows, especially on AM radio, have hosts who are contemptuous of nearly everyone. They regularly use vitriolic language to stigmatize whole groups of people, such as foreigners, liberals, gays, or women. Some hosts don’t actually despise the groups they insult. They simply use antipathy as a form of entertainment, and they seem to feel no shame about the damage they do.

  1. Which phrase best describes the author’s point of view?
    • a. The author enjoys listening to radio talk shows.
    • b. The author believes talk shows can cause damage.
    • c. The author thinks talk show hosts are disturbing but honest.
    • d. The author argues that hosts are ordinary people just doing their jobs.
  2. Which people are often berated on radio talk shows,according to the author?
    • a. hosts
    • b. callers
    • c. listeners
    • d. advertisers
Answer Key
Answer Key
  1. b
  2. b
Favorite Books
Barron's 1100 Words You Need to Know

The study of the English language has spread all over the world, and high school and college students everywhere have come to realize that language mastery depends on the possession of a comprehensive vocabulary. This is just what 1100 Words You Need to Know has been offering through the five earlier editions and continuing on this sixth one.

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