frivolous, condescending, unscrupulous, delve, replenish: meanings and examples

Learn these 5 words from Advanced Plus set 24. Each entry includes a definition, example sentence, pronunciation, and synonyms. Use the interactive cards above to practice them.

1. frivolous · adjective/ˈfrɪv.ələs/

   not having any serious purpose or value

   They spent money on frivolous things like expensive coffee and fancy clothes.

   Synonyms: trivial, silly, unserious

   Origin: from Latin 'frivolus' meaning 'worthless' or 'silly'

2. condescending · adjective/ˌkɑːn.dɪˈsen.dɪŋ/

   having or showing an attitude of patronizing superiority

   Her condescending tone made it clear that she thought she was better than everyone else.

   Synonyms: patronizing, disdainful, superior

   Origin: The word 'condescending' comes from the Latin 'condescendere', meaning 'to descend together', where 'con-' means 'with' and 'scandere' means 'to climb'.

3. unscrupulous · adjective/ʌnˈskruːp.jə.ləs/

   having or showing no moral principles; not honest or fair

   The unscrupulous businessman tricked people into buying fake products.

   Synonyms: unethical, dishonest, immoral

   Origin: The word 'unscrupulous' comes from the Latin word 'scrupulus,' meaning 'a small sharp stone' or 'anxiety,' and the prefix 'un-' meaning 'not.' It refers to a lack of moral scruples.

4. delve · verb/dɛlv/

   to investigate or research deeply

   The students will delve into their history books to learn more about the past.

   Synonyms: explore, investigate, probe

   Origin: Middle English 'delven' meaning 'to dig', from Old English 'delfan'.

5. replenish · verb/rɪˈplɛnɪʃ/

   to fill something up again or restore it to a previous level

   The gardener needs to replenish the soil with nutrients to help the plants grow.

   Synonyms: refill, restore, renew

   Origin: Middle English 'replenyshen', from Old French 'repleniss-', based on Latin 'replere', meaning 'to fill again'