The journalist faced criticism for publishing unsubstantiated claims about the politician.
synonyms
unverifiedunsupportedbaseless
word origin — The word 'unsubstantiated' comes from the prefix 'un-' meaning 'not,' combined with 'substantiated,' which is derived from the Latin 'substantiatus,' the past participle of 'substantiare,' meaning 'to establish or give substance to.'
SAT Vocabulary Level 3 — Set 177
Set 177 of SAT Vocabulary Level 3 covers 5 words: unsubstantiated, excruciating, somber, uncharted, iconoclastic. Each entry below includes its definition, an example sentence, and synonyms — practice them with the interactive cards above.
The journalist faced criticism for publishing unsubstantiated claims about the politician.
Synonyms: unverified, unsupported, baseless
Origin: The word 'unsubstantiated' comes from the prefix 'un-' meaning 'not,' combined with 'substantiated,' which is derived from the Latin 'substantiatus,' the past participle of 'substantiare,' meaning 'to establish or give substance to.'
excruciating · adjective/ɪk'skruː.ʃi.eɪ.tɪŋ/
intensely painful or agonizing
After the accident, he was left with an excruciating pain in his back that made it difficult to move.
Synonyms: agonizing, unbearable, tormenting
Origin: from Latin 'excruciatus', meaning 'to torment' or 'to torture', from 'ex-' meaning 'out of' and 'cruciatus' meaning 'of the cross'.
somber · adjective/ˈsɑm.bɚ/
dark or dull in color or tone; gloomy
The artist chose a somber palette for his latest painting, using deep blues and grays to convey a sense of melancholy.
Synonyms: dismal, gloomy, dark
Origin: Middle English somber, from Old French sombre, from Latin subumbralis meaning 'shadowy'
uncharted · adjective/ʌnˈtʃɑrtəd/
not mapped or explored
The explorers set off into the uncharted wilderness, eager to discover new species and hidden landscapes.
Synonyms: unexplored, unknown, unmapped
Origin: The word derives from the prefix 'un-' meaning 'not' and 'charted', the past participle of 'chart', which comes from the Old French 'charte', itself derived from the Latin 'charta' meaning 'paper' or 'map'.
iconoclastic · adjective/aɪˌkɑnəˈklæstɪk/
characterized by attacking or rejecting cherished beliefs or institutions
The author's iconoclastic views on religion challenged the traditional beliefs held by many in the community.
Origin: The word 'iconoclastic' originates from the Greek 'ikonoklastēs', meaning 'image destroyer,' from 'ikon' (image) and 'klastēs' (breaker). It originally referred to the destruction of religious images in the Byzantine Empire.