| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Antithesis | A direct opposite, a contrast (Good is the ____ of evil.) |
| Ascend | To move upward, rise from a lower station. ( The climbers ____ the mountain.) |
| Austere | Strict, stern; unadorned, ascetic (Pioneers usualy led an ____ existence. ) |
| Autonomous | Independent, self- contained (One who is _________ needs no help from others.) |
| Banal | Common, ordinary, lacking freshness, hackneyed ( Because of his use of overused trite remarks, his speeches are ____. ) |
| Benign | Not causing harm, of gentle disposition, beneficial. ( The minister was loved because of his ____ attitude towards all types of people. ) |
| Capricious | Changing suddenly, fickle (Her ______ moods are difficult to anticipate. ) |
| Dawdle | To waste time, to spend time idly, to move in a lackadaisical manner (Since we have a deadline, do not _____ over your work. ) |
| Defamation | Act of harming or ruining another's reputation (The ________ of anothers character is a horrible thing. ) |
| Esoteric | Understood only by a small group or a select few (The English teachers were having an _______ discussion about the correct usage of some obscure word.) |
| Exacerbate | To aggravate, to irritate, to vex (You will only _______ the situation if you try to call her.) |
| Extol | To praise, to glorify (The teacher would always _____ students to do their best. ) |
| Fastidious | Reflecting a meticulous or demanding attitude, critical to an extreme. ( He considered her _______ because she was offended by insignificant mistakes or errors.) |
| Furtive | Secret in an underhanded way, stealthy (During the test he made some _____ glances at other classmates papers) |
| Gregarious | Sociable and outgoing (He became much more _______ after he developed an interest in girls.) |
| Hypocrite | One who is insincere or deceitful (Saying one thing and then doing another is the mark of a ______.) |
| Innate | Existing from birth, inborn (He has _____ athletic talents that cannot be taught. ) |
| Lethargic | Sluggish, linguid (Having too much to drink, he was very ________ the morning after the party. ) |
| Melancholy | Depression of spirits (After Dad lost his job, he fell into a state of _____________. ) |
| Opaque | Not allowing the passage of light, not transparent; hard to understand (I am going to place something ______ in the window so that no one will be able to see into this room. ) |
| Prolific | Abundantly fruitful, marked by great productivity (Since he had written a great number of books in a short period, Stephen King is known to be a ________ writer. ) |
| Reprove | To scold or to rebute for a misdeed, usually with kindly intentions ( A teacher sometimes needs to ________ a student for talking in class. ) |
| Symmetry | Balanced proportions ( The _________ of the gardens of Versailles creates a beautiful and balanced atmosphere. ) |
| Tranquil | Peaceful, calm (Weather in Texas can quickly change from _______ to turbulent. ) |
| Venerate | To honor, to revere (Athough I did not always agree with President Kennedy, I ________ his memory. ) |
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