Learning one word doesn’t just increase your vocabulary by one, but usually by two or more, because you’ll also learn related words as part of your vocabulary study. Adjectives have associated adverbs, nouns can be turned into adjectives, some words are related through their word roots, and most words have synonyms and/or antonyms that you can – and should – memorize as part of the study process for a particular word. In yesterday’s post, we looked at the words dubious, mitigate, ambient, chronic, and utopia. When you create your flash cards for vocabulary review, you can add these words as well:

dubiously (adverb meaning “with doubt or suspicion”)
ambiance (noun meaning “surroundings, atmosphere”)
aggravate (an antonym of mitigate meaning “to make worse”)
habitual (a synonym of chronic meaning “recurring”)
utopian (adjective meaning “idyllic, perfect”)

When you’re studying today’s five words for success, keep in mind all of the related words that go along with them, and you’ll find that your efforts will bring you even more results.

incessant (in-SESS-ant) adjective
Definition: Unending, continuing without a break.
Example: I can’t concentrate on my reading because of my roommate’s incessant chatter on her cell phone.

proliferate (pro-LIFF-er-ate) verb
Definition: To increase in number.
Example: The wildflowers she planted when she was a child continue to proliferate, and now the whole meadow is covered in colorful blossoms each spring.

vindicate (VIN-dih-kate) verb
Definition: To prove the rightness of something, to justify.
Example: Alan had evidence that the shopkeeper had cheated him, but the judge said that did not vindicate his actions, and fined him for damages to pay for the door that he had kicked in.

admonish (ad-MON-ish) verb
Definition: To reprimand, to chastise.
Example: Ellen’s dog learned quickly – she only had to admonish him once after he chewed up the newspaper, and he never did it again.

truculent (TRUCK-you-lent) adjective
Definition: Fierce, combative, angry.
Example: The police were out in force to control the truculent crowds who came to protest the new city taxes on gasoline and cigarettes.