Building a Better Vocabulary

ż Ambivalent PHDQV KDYLQJ PL[HG IHHOLQJV DQG GLI¿FXOW\

FKRRVLQJ7KLVZRUGDOVRFRQWDLQVWKHSUH¿[ambi-, meaning

“both.” If you’re ambivalent about going to a movie, part

of you wants to stay and part of you wants to go; you feel

both ways.

Dissemble (verb)

To disguise or conceal behind a false appearance.

z Dissemble is related to the English word resemble and comes from

the Latin simulo, meaning “pretend, assume, simulate.”

z To remember this word, highlight the semble part of dissemble

in your vocabulary notebook and relate it to resemble. Someone

who dissembles tries to resemble someone else. One world-class

dissembler was Frank Abagnale, a real-life imposter whose life

story is told in the movie Catch Me If You Can.

1. Charlie __ at great length on the subject of modern politics,
   although he seems to know little about it.


2. Caught in the act of skipping school, Steve __, telling his
   mother that classes had been canceled because of an outbreak of food
   poisoning in the cafeteria.


3. Keisha’s __ attacks on Ben’s character served only to make
   her seem deceitful and disloyal.


4. This is a portmanteau word used to refer to a form of political
   propaganda conveyed through art.


5. The mayor’s __ answers at the press conference caused
   reporters to dig deeper into the allegations of corruption in his
   administration.

Review Questions