decline = v.  to move from good to bad, or from much to little; to refuse
syn. decrease; reject
n. decline

The old man's health has declined since he retired.

Serious communicable diseases are on the decline in most parts of the world.

gather   =    v. to come or bring together; to accumulate; to harvest; to come to believe
syn. collect; amass; pick; conclude, infer
n. gathering

He carefully gathered his thoughts just before the interview.

I gather from what you’ve just said that your presentation was a success.

A gathering of citizens developed outside the courthouse.

motion   =   n. the state of changing one's position
              =    v. to direct by moving
syn. movement (n.)

The motion of the flame was hypnotic.

They motioned to the spectators that they should leave the area.

partisan   =    adj. strongly supporting a group or point of view
syn. partial, one-sided, biased

Partisan political infighting caused Congress's influence to decline.

His views reflected his partisan perception of the issue.

pattern   =    n. a regular, repeated arrangement (e.g., of colors) or action
syn. habit, design
adj. patterned
v. pattern

The bright pattern of the monarch butterfly distracts its predators.

The new stadium was patterned after the old traditional ballparks.

phenomenon (pl. phenomena)    =     n. natural events or facts; strange or notable happenings
syn. occurrence, happening, event; wonder
adj. phenomenal
adv. phenomenally

Racism is a phenomenon that occurs in virtually every society.

The musician's phenomenal performance was applauded by the critics.

philanthropy      =       n. the attempt to help people, usually resulting through financial aid to charitable causes
syn. altruism, humanitarianism
n. philanthropist
adj. philanthropic

The most sincere philanthropy is done without public fanfare.

The philanthropic work of the foundation benefits all sectors of society.

placid    =      adj. quiet, not easily upset
syn. calm
adv. placidly

His placid exterior belies his tormented soul.

The waves moved placidly toward shore.

plentiful     =     adj. more than sufficient
syn. abundant, bountiful
adv. plentifully
n. plenty

Although food is plentiful in the world, many people die of starvation each year.

People often ask why, in a nation so blessed with plenty as the United States, millions of people are homeless and have to live on the streets.

reaction    =    n. an action resulting from a stimulus; a change that occurs when chemical substances are mixed
syn. response
v. react
adv. reactively
adj. reactive
adj. reactionary (in politics: the desire to revert to a previous political situation)

Many people feel that Japan’s reaction to the “Asian contagion” hasn’t been adequate.

The Board of Directors reacted to the negative statistics in the report by making some swift changes in management.

rhythm    =    n. a movement or pattern marked by regular recurrence of elements, usually in music
syn. meter, cadence pulse
adv. rhythmically
adj. rhythmic

The rhythm of the rain hitting the roof put him to sleep.

She noticed the rhythmic beating of her heart as the moment of truth arrived.

scenic    =    adj. concerning pleasant natural surroundings
syn. picturesque
adv. scenically
n. scenery
n. scene

The scenic route to the summit is much more interesting than the fastest route.

Even the flat scenery in the rural Midwest in the U.S. is impressive because of its great expanse.

shallow    =    adj. not far from top to bottom, not deep
syn. superficial
adv. shallowly
n. shallowness

Estuaries are typically shallow bodies of water.

The results of their research demonstrated the shallowness of the hypothesis.

sheltered    =     adj. kept away from danger, some type of experience, etc.
syn. protected
v. shelter
n. shelter

She has led a sheltered life because her parents have done everything for her.

Everyone looked for shelter from the blazing sun.

No one knows with certainty what caused the dinosaurs to vanish from the face of the earth except me, and I'm keeping it a secret.

The audience was astounded when the magician made the refrigerator vanish.