Webster Essential Vocabulary

extinct*(eks TEENKT) adj.1. dead; no longer active; 2. no longer in existence

• Many volcanoes, although they have not erupted in generations, are con-
  sidered dormant rather than extinct.


• The Tyrannosaurus rexis definitely extinct.


• The saber-toothed tiger is an extinctfeline ancestor.
  [Syn. vanished]
  extol*(eks TOHL) vt.to sing the praises of; laud


• Laurie could not help but extolthe flavor of her mother’s fudge brownies.


• Jonathan’s jumping into the lake and rescuing the toddler was extolledon
  all the evening news shows.
  [-led, -ling] [Syn. praise]
  extravagant(eks TRAV i gint) adj.1. excessive; beyond reasonable boundaries;

2. too fancy; 3. too expensive

• Ali’s 15-karat diamond earrings could certainly be called extravagant.


• Most of those present at Thursday’s PTA meeting felt it was extravagantof
  Principal Smith to have worn a tuxedo.


• It was very extravagantof the Department of Defense to have spent $300
  on a hammer.
  [-ly adv.] [Syn. profligate, profuse]
  extricate(EKS trik AYT) vt.to set free; to release; to disentangle


• The boat’s skipper fought hard to extricateit from the path of the oncoming
  storm.


• The activist extricatedthe beaver from the trap.


• The dolphin wriggled in its struggle to extricateitself from the commercial
  fishing net.
  [-d, extricating, extrication n., extricable adj.]

Quick Review #38.

Match the word from column 2 with the word from column 1 that means most
nearly the same thing.

110 Essential Vocabulary

1. expression


2. extent


3. extenuate


4. extinct


5. extol


6. extravagant


7. extricate

a. dead

b. disentangle

c. representation

d. praise

e. scope

f. lessen

g. excessive