foil, repine, descry, propitiate, exhume: meanings and examples

Learn these 5 words from Word Master set 33. Each entry includes a definition, example sentence, pronunciation, and synonyms. Use the interactive cards above to practice them.

1. foil · noun/fɔɪl/

   a character or object that contrasts with another to highlight particular qualities

   In the story, the brave hero has a foil who is a cowardly character, which makes his bravery stand out.

   Synonyms: counterpart, contrast, opposite

   Origin: From Middle English 'foilen', meaning 'to cover or plate,' originally referring to a type of thin metal used in fencing, later adapted to describe a contrasting character.

2. repine · verb/rɪˈpaɪn/

   to feel or express discontent or dissatisfaction

   Even though he had a good job, he would often repine over the things he didn't have.

   Synonyms: complain, whine, grumble

   Origin: Middle English 'repinen', from Old French 'repiner', from 're-' (again) + 'piner' (to pine, to suffer).

3. descry · verb/dɪˈskraɪ/

   to catch sight of or discover something that is difficult to see

   From the top of the hill, I could descry a small village in the distance.

   Synonyms: spot, see, detect

   Origin: from Old French 'descrier', meaning 'to cry out or proclaim', which is derived from the Latin 'de-' meaning 'down' and 'scribere' meaning 'to write'.

4. propitiate · verb/proʊˈpɪʃ.i.eɪt/

   to appease or placate someone or something

   The villagers made a small offering to propitiate the angry spirit of the mountain.

   Synonyms: appease, placate, soothe

   Origin: From Latin 'propitiāre', meaning 'to render favorably inclined', from 'propitius' meaning 'favorable'.

5. exhume · verb/ɪɡˈzum/

   to dig out something buried, especially a corpse

   The police decided to exhume the body to find out more about the crime.

   Synonyms: dig up, unearth, disinter

   Origin: from Latin 'exhumare', where 'ex-' means 'out of' and 'humus' means 'ground' or 'earth'.