The strident tones of the siren pierced through the night, waking everyone in the vicinity.
synonyms
loudharshgrating
word origin — from Latin 'stridens', present participle of 'stridere' meaning 'to creak, to screech'
SAT Vocabulary Level 3 — Set 304
Set 304 of SAT Vocabulary Level 3 covers 5 words: strident, voluble, affable, unrelenting, fetid. Each entry below includes its definition, an example sentence, and synonyms — practice them with the interactive cards above.
strident · adjective/ˈstraɪ.dənt/
loud and harsh sounding
The strident tones of the siren pierced through the night, waking everyone in the vicinity.
Synonyms: loud, harsh, grating
Origin: from Latin 'stridens', present participle of 'stridere' meaning 'to creak, to screech'
voluble · adjective/ˈvɑːl.jə.bəl/
characterized by a ready and continuous flow of words
At the dinner party, she was incredibly voluble, effortlessly engaging everyone in lively conversation.
Synonyms: talkative, loquacious, chatty
Origin: From Latin 'volubilis', meaning 'smooth-running' or 'easily turned'; related to 'volvere', meaning 'to roll' or 'to turn'.
affable · adjective/ˈæf.ə.bəl/
friendly and easy to talk to
The affable host made sure all his guests felt welcomed and engaged throughout the evening.
Synonyms: friendly, approachable, sociable
Origin: From Latin 'affabilis', meaning 'easily spoken to'; 'ad-' (to) + 'fari' (to speak).
unrelenting · adjective/ʌn.rəˈlɛn.tɪŋ/
not yielding in strength or determination
The unrelenting pressure from his competitors pushed him to innovate and improve his product continually.
Synonyms: persistent, relentless, inexorable
Origin: The word 'unrelenting' is formed from the prefix 'un-' meaning 'not' and 'relenting', which comes from the verb 'relent' (from Old French 'relentir', meaning 'to soften') and has its roots in the Latin 'relentare'.
fetid · adjective/ˈfɛt.ɪd/
having a strong unpleasant smell
The fetid smell of the decaying garbage made it impossible to stay near the alley.