SAT Vocabulary Level 2 — Set 114

Set 114 of SAT Vocabulary Level 2 covers 5 words: pollute, resurrect, annihilate, backfire, appease. Each entry below includes its definition, an example sentence, and synonyms — practice them with the interactive cards above.

1. pollute · verb/pəˈluːt/

   to make something dirty or harmful to the environment

   Factory waste can significantly pollute the local water supply, harming aquatic life.

   Synonyms: contaminate, taint, pollute

   Origin: derived from the Latin word 'pollūtus', the past participle of 'polluĕre', meaning 'to defile or make unclean'

2. resurrect · verb/ˌrɛz.əˈrɛkt/

   to bring back to life or restore to a previous state

   The scientists worked tirelessly to resurrect the extinct species using advanced genetic techniques.

   Synonyms: revive, resuscitate, restore

   Origin: From Latin 'resurrectus', the past participle of 'resurgere', meaning 'to rise again'.

3. annihilate · verb/əˈnaɪ.ə.leɪt/

   to destroy completely or utterly

   The nuclear explosion could annihilate the entire city within seconds.

   Synonyms: destroy, obliterate, exterminate

   Origin: from Latin 'annihilare', meaning 'to reduce to nothing'

4. backfire · verb/ˈbækfaɪr/

   to have an opposite effect than intended

   His plan to impress his boss might backfire if he ends up making a mistake during the presentation.

   Synonyms: boomerang, rebound, misfire

   Origin: The word 'backfire' originated in the early 20th century, combining 'back' meaning toward the rear and 'fire' referring to combustion or discharge.

5. appease · verb/əˈpiːz/

   to calm or satisfy someone by giving in to their demands or requests

   To appease her child's fears about the storm, she offered to read a bedtime story.

   Synonyms: pacify, placate, soothe

   Origin: The word 'appease' comes from Middle English 'apese', derived from Old French 'apaisier', which is based on the Latin root 'pacificare', meaning 'to make peace'.