Kings and Kingdoms
The King's beliefs in nonviolence constrained him from taking revenge on the enemies who had attempted to invade the castle.
prevented
Mrs. Ronny chided Russell for being disruptive during the lecture.
scolded
The vernacular that the doctor used was so confusing that I did not understand any of the instructions he gave me.
words, vocabulary
The earthquake in San Francisco was a calamity worse than any other natural disaster in history.
disaster
The spy succeeded only because he had a friend on the inside to abet him.
The king did not believe that his rival could round up enough partisans to overthrow the monarchy.
followers, participants
Though he actually wanted to use his parents' car to go on a date, Nick borrowed his parents' car under the pretense of attending a group study session.
lie, act, deception
The patient's heart condition was exacerbated by the fact that he ignored the doctor's recommendation to eat healthy.
worsened, made worse
The hail impinged the roof, leaving large dents.
hit, impacted, dented
It seems that everyone in the United States has a television. The technology is ubiquitous here.
Common
The ruler issued an edict requiring all of his subjects to bow down before him.
order, law, requirement
Most students find it vapid to simply sit and listen to a lecture for an entire two hour class.
boring, dull
Doctors wish there was a single panacea for every disease, but sadly there is not.
cure
As the storm began to brew, the ocean waves crashed harder, beginning to undulate to an increasing degree.
move
My day was boring, but the nadir came when I accidentally spilled a bowl of spaghetti on my head.
the lowest point of something
The knight was executed by the king for his grievous crime of attempting to assassinate him.
terrible
Everyone else in the class understood geometry easily, but John found the subject abstruse.
difficult to understand
The dark storm clouds visible on the horizon suggested that the weather would not be propitious for sailing.
good
We wanted to go outside and play, but the incessant rain kept us indoors for two days.
constant, not ending
Camaraderie among employees usually leads to success in business.
closeness, teamwork, getting along well
The army razed the enemy land during the war --they burned everything to the ground, leaving no trace of the beautiful city it once was.
destroyed
After speaking to only one of the students, the teacher was able to surmise what had caused the fight.
guess, infer
Not wanting her patient to get overly anxious, the doctor used discretion in deciding how much to tell the patient about his condition.
caution, thoughtfulness, carefulness
After climbing up the side of a live volcano, the explorer was praised for his intrepid attitude.
courageous, brave
The ice skater's scintillating rhinestone costume nearly blinded the judges.
sparkling