Proficient Plus — Set 17

Set 17 of Proficient Plus covers 5 words: quell, recant, espouse, hasten, whet. Each entry below includes its definition, an example sentence, and synonyms — practice them with the interactive cards above.

1. quell · verb/kwɛl/

   to suppress or put an end to something

   The police used force to quell the angry crowd during the protest.

   Synonyms: suppress, extinguish, subdue

   Origin: Middle English 'quellen', from Old English 'cwellan', meaning 'to kill' or 'to put to death'.

2. recant · verb/rɪˈkænt/

   to formally withdraw a statement or belief previously held

   After a long debate, the scientist decided to recant his earlier statement about the experiment's results.

   Synonyms: renounce, withdraw, retract

   Origin: from Latin 'recantare', meaning 'to call back'

3. espouse · verb/ɪˈspaʊz/

   to adopt or support a cause, belief, or way of life

   Many teachers espouse the idea of teaching with kindness and respect.

   Synonyms: support, adopt, embrace

   Origin: Middle English espousen, from Old French espouser, from Latin sponsare, meaning 'to betroth' or 'to marry'

4. hasten · verb/ˈheɪ.sən/

   to move or act quickly to cause something to happen sooner

   To hasten the meeting, we decided to send out the documents early.

   Synonyms: speed, hurry, rush

   Origin: from Middle English 'has­ten', from Old English 'hæst', meaning 'quick'.

5. whet · verb/wɛt/

   to sharpen or stimulate interest or appetite

   The book's exciting first chapter helped to whet my appetite for more adventures.

   Synonyms: sharp, excite, stimulate

   Origin: Old English 'hwettan', meaning to encourage or urge on