defer, accuse, consume, attain, suspect: meanings and examples

Learn these 5 words from SAT Vocabulary Level 1 set 118. Each entry includes a definition, example sentence, pronunciation, and synonyms. Use the interactive cards above to practice them.

1. defer · verb/dɪˈfɜr/

   to put off to a later time or to yield to someone's opinion or decision

   The committee decided to defer the decision until next week to gather more information.

   Synonyms: postpone, delay, yield

   Origin: from Latin 'deferre' meaning 'to carry off, bring down, put off'.

2. accuse · verb/əˈkjuz/

   to charge someone with a fault or crime

   The lawyer decided to accuse the defendant of theft based on the evidence presented.

   Synonyms: blame, charge, allege

   Origin: Middle English 'acusen', borrowed from Latin 'accusare', meaning 'to call to account'.

3. consume · verb/kənˈsuːm/

   to use up a resource or expend energy

   The factory consumes a large amount of electricity to operate its machinery efficiently.

   Synonyms: use up, deplete, expend

   Origin: Originating from the Latin word 'consumere', which means 'to take together, use up'.

4. attain · verb/əˈteɪn/

   to achieve or reach something through effort

   After years of hard work and dedication, she finally managed to attain her dream job in the city.

   Synonyms: achieve, gain, accomplish

   Origin: Middle English 'attainen', from Old French 'ateindre', from Latin 'atteingere', meaning 'to reach, achieve'.

5. suspect · verb/səˈspɛkt/

   to believe that someone is guilty of a crime or wrongdoing

   The detective began to suspect that the man was involved in the robbery after discovering his fingerprints at the scene.

   Synonyms: doubt, distrust, infer

   Origin: From Latin 'suspectus', past participle of 'suspicere', meaning to look up at, regard with suspicion.