assess, surmise, simulate, capitulate, evade: meanings and examples

Learn these 5 words from TOEFL Vocabulary set 178. Each entry includes a definition, example sentence, pronunciation, and synonyms. Use the interactive cards above to practice them.

1. assess · verb/əˈsɛs/

   to evaluate or estimate the nature, ability, or quality of something

   The teacher will assess the students' understanding of the material through a series of quizzes.

   Synonyms: evaluate, appraise

   Origin: from Latin 'assessare' meaning 'to sit beside, to assess', from 'ad-' + 'sessus', the past participle of 'sedere' meaning 'to sit'

2. surmise · verb/sərˈmaɪz/

   to suppose that something is true without having evidence to confirm it

   Based on his sudden change in behavior, I can only surmise that he is going through a tough time.

   Synonyms: guess, speculate, infer

   Origin: Middle English, from Old French 'surmettre', from Latin 'submittĕre' meaning 'to put under, to submit'

3. simulate · verb/ˈsɪm.jə.leɪt/

   to imitate the appearance or character of something

   The team used advanced software to simulate the effects of climate change on various ecosystems.

   Synonyms: imitate, mimic, replicate

   Origin: from Latin 'simulatus', past participle of 'simulare', meaning 'to make like, to pretend'

4. capitulate · verb/kəˈpɪtʃ.ə.leɪt/

   to surrender or cease resistance to an opponent or an unwelcome demand

   After weeks of intense negotiations, the company had no choice but to capitulate to the union's demands for higher wages.

   Synonyms: yield, surrender, submit

   Origin: from the Latin word 'capitulari', which comes from 'capitulum', meaning 'little head', referring to the chapters of a written document or the heads of various issues.

5. evade · verb/ɪˈveɪd/

   to escape or avoid something, especially by cleverness or trickery

   The clever student managed to evade the difficult questions during the exam by changing the subject.

   Synonyms: elude, dodge, avoid

   Origin: From Latin 'evadere' meaning 'to escape, flee, or get away'.