Vocabulary Workshop Level F Units 1-6
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120 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 approbation | (n.) the expression of approval or favorable opinion, praise; official approval Synonyms: commendation, sanction Antonyms: disapproval, condemnation, censure |
| assuage | (v.) to make easier or milder, relieve, calm, satisfy Synonyms: mitigate, alleviate, slake, allay Antonyms: intensify, aggravate, exacerbate |
| coalition | (n.) a combination, union, alliance Synonyms: alliance, league, federation, combine Antonym: splinter group |
| decadence | (n.) decline, decay, or deterioration; a condition or period of decline or decay; excessive self-indulgence Synonyms: degeneration, corruption Antonyms: rise, growth, development, maturation |
| elicit | (v.) to bring forth, bring out from some source (such as another person) Synonyms: call forth, evoke, extract, educe Antonyms: repress, quash, squelch, stifle |
| expostulate | (v.) to attempt to dissuade someone from some course or decision by earnest reasoning Synonyms: protest, remonstrate, complain |
| hackneyed | (adj.) used so often as to lack freshness or originality Synonyms: banal, trite, commonplace, corny Antonyms: new, fresh, novel, original |
| hiatus | (n.) a gap, opening, break (in the sense of having an element missing) Synonyms: pause, lacuna Antonyms: continuity, continuation |
| innuendo | (n.) a hint, indirect suggestion, or reference (often in a derogatory sense) Synonyms: insinuation, intimation Antonym: direct statement |
| intercede | (v.) to plead on behalf of someone else; to serve as a third party or go-between in a disagreement Synonyms: intervene, mediate |
| jaded | (adj.) wearied, worn-out, dulled (in the sense of being satiated by excessive indulgence) Synonyms: sated, surfeited, cloyed Antonyms: unspoiled, uncloyed |
| lurid | (adj.) causing shock, horror, or revulsion; sensational; pale or sallow in color; terrible or passionate in intensity or lack of restraint Synonyms: gruesome, gory, grisly, baleful, ghastly Antonyms: pleasant, attractive, appealing, wholesome |
| meritorious | (adj.) worthy, deserving recognition and praise Synonyms: praiseworthy, laudable, commendable Antonyms: blameworthy, reprehensible, discreditable |
| petulant | (adj.) peevish, annoyed by trifles, easily irritated and upset Synonyms: irritable, testy, waspish Antonyms: even-tempered, placid, serene, amiable |
| prerogative | (n.) a special right or privilege; a special quality showing excellence Synonyms: perquisite, perk |
| provincial | (adj.) pertaining to an outlying area; local; narrow in mind or outlook, countrified in the sense of being limited and backward; of a simple, plain design that originated in the countryside; (n.) a person with a narrow point of view; a person from an outlying area; a soldier from a province or colony Synonyms: narrow-minded, parochial, insular, naive Antonyms: cosmopolitan, catholic, broad-minded |
| simulate | (v.) to make a pretense of, imitate; to show the outer signs of Synonyms: feign, pretend, affect |
| transcend | (v.) to rise above or beyond, exceed Synonyms: surpass, outstrip |
| umbrage | (n.) shade cast by trees; foliage giving shade; and overshadowing influence or power; offense, resentment; a vague suspicion Synonyms: irritation, pique, annoyance Antonyms: pleasure, delight, satisfaction |
| unctuous | (adj.) excessively smooth or smug; trying too hard to give an impression of earnestness, sincerity, or piety; fatty, oily; pliable Synonyms: mealymouthed, servile, fawning, greasy Antonyms: gruff, blunt |
| ameliorate | (v.) to improve, make better, correct a flaw or shortcoming Synonyms: amend, better Antonyms: worsen, aggravate, exacerbate |
| aplomb | (n.) poise, assurance, great self-confidence; perpendicularity Synonyms: composure, self-possession, levelheadedness Antonyms: confusion, embarrassment, abashment |
| bombastic | (adj.) pompous or overblown in language; full of high-sounding words intended to conceal a lack of ideas Synonyms: inflated, highfalutin, high-flown, pretentious Antonyms: unadorned, simple, plain, austere |
| callow | (adj.) without experience; immature, not fully developed; lacking sophistication and poise Synonyms: green, raw, unfledged, inexperienced Antonyms: mature, grown-up, polished, sophisticated |
| drivel | (n.), (v.) saliva or mucus flowing from the mouth or nose; foolish, aimless talk or thinking; nonsense; to let saliva flow from the mouth; to utter nonsense or childish twaddle; to waste or fritter away foolishly Synonyms: (n.) balderdash, hogwash, tommyrot; (v.) slaver |
| epitome | (n.) a summary, condensed account; an instance that represents a larger reality Synonyms: abstract, digest, model, archetype |
| exhort | (v.) to urge strongly, advise earnestly Synonyms: entreat, implore, adjure Antonyms: discourage, advice against, deprecate |
| ex officio | (adj., adv.) by virtue of holding a certain office |
| infringe | (v.) to violate, trespass, go beyond recognized bounds Synonyms: encroach, impinge, intrude, poach Antonym: stay in bounds |
| ingratiate | (v.) to make oneself agreeable and thus gain favor or acceptance by others (sometimes used in a critical or derogatory sense) Synonyms: cozy up to, curry favor with Antonyms: alienate, humiliate oneself, mortify oneself |
| interloper | (n.) one who moves in where he or she in not wanted or has no right to be, an intruder Synonyms: trespasser, meddler, buttinsky |
| intrinsic | (adj.) belonging to someone or something by its very nature, essential, inherent; originating in a bodily organ or part Synonyms: immanent, organic Antonyms: extrinsic, external, outward |
| inveigh | (v.) to make a violent attack in words, express strong disapproval Synonyms: rail, harangue, fulminate, remonstrate Antonyms: acclaim, glorify, extol |
| lassitude | (n.) weariness of body or mind, lack of energy Synonyms: fatigue, lethargy, torpor, languor Antonyms: energy, vitality, animation, liveliness |
| millennium | (n.) a period of one thousand years; a period of great joy Synonyms: chiliad, golden age, prosperity, peace Antonyms: doomsday, day of judgment |
| occult | (adj.) mysterious, magical, supernatural; secret, hidden from view; not detectable by ordinary means; (v.) to hide, conceal; eclipse; (n.) matters involving the supernatural Synonyms: supernatural, esoteric, abstruse, arcane Antonyms: mundane, common, public, exoteric |
| permeate | (v.) to spread through, penetrate, soak through |
| precipitate | (v.) to fall as moisture; to cause or bring about suddenly; to hurl down from a great height, to give distinct form to; (adj.) characterized by excessive haste; (n.) moisture; the product of an action or process Synonyms: (v.) provoke, produce; (adj.) reckless, impetuous Antonyms: (adj.) wary, cautious, circumspect |
| stringent | (adj.) strict, severe; rigorously or urgently binding or compelling; sharp or bitter to the taste Synonyms: stern, rigorous, tough, urgent, imperative Antonyms: lenient, mild, lax, permissive |
| surmise | (v.) to think or believe without certain supporting evidence; to conjecture or guess; (n.) likely idea that lacks definite proof Synonyms: (v.) infer,gather; (n.) inference, presumption |
| abominate | (v.) to have an intense dislike or hatred for Synonyms: loathe, abhor, despise, detest Antonyms: relish, savor, cherish, esteem |
| acculturation | (n.) the modification of the social patterns, traits, or structures of one group or society by contact with those of another; the resultant blend Synonym: adaptation |
| adventitious | (adj.) resulting from chance rather than from an inherent cause or character; accidental, not essential; (medicine) acquired, not congenital Synonyms: extrinsic, incidental, fortuitous Antonyms: essential, intrinsic, inherent, congenital |
| ascribe | (v.) to assign or refer to (as a cause or source), attribute Synonyms: impute, credit, attribute |
| circuitous | (adj.) roundabout, not direct Synonyms: indirect, meandering, winding Antonyms: straight, direct, as the crow flies |
| commiserate | (v.) to sympathize with, have pity or sorrow for, share a feeling of distress Synonyms: feel sorry for, empathize Antonym: feel no sympathy for |
| enjoin | (v.) to direct or order; to prescribe a course of action in an authoritative way; to prohibit Synonyms: bid, charge, command, adjure Antonyms: allow, permit |
| expedite | (v.) to make easy, cause to progress faster Synonyms: accelerate, facilitate, speed up Antonyms: hinder, hamper, impede, obstruct |
| expiate | (v.) to make amends, make up for; to avert Synonyms: redeem, make amends form, atone, make reparation |
| ferment | (n.) a state of great excitement, agitation, or turbulence; (v.) to be in or work into such a state; to produce alcohol by chemical action Synonyms: commotion, turmoil, unrest Antonyms: peace and quiet, tranquility, placidity |
| inadvertent | (adj.) resulting from or marked by lack of attention; unintentional, accidental Synonyms: accidental, unconsidered Antonyms: deliberate, intentional, premeditated |
| nominal | (adj.) existing in name only, not real; too small to be considered or taken seriously Synonyms: titular, token, trifling, inconsequential Antonyms: real, actual, exorbitant, excessive |
| noncommittal | (adj.) not decisive or definite; unwilling to take a clear position or to say yes or no Synonyms: cagey, uninformative, playing it safe, playing it close to the vest Antonyms: positive, definite, committed |
| peculate | (v.) to steal something that has been given into one's trust; to take improperly for one's own use Synonyms: embezzle, defraud, misappropriate |
| proclivity | (n.) a natural or habitual inclination or tendency (especially of human character or behavior) Synonyms: natural bent, penchant, propensity |
| sangfroid | (n.) composure or coolness, especially in trying circumstances Synonyms: poise, self-assurance, equanimity Antonyms: excitability, hysteria, flappability |
| seditious | (adj.) resistant to lawful authority; having the purpose of overthrowing an established government Synonyms: mutinous, rebellious, subversive Antonyms: supportive, loyal, faithful, allegiant |
| tenuous | (adj.) thin, slender, not dense; lacking clarity or sharpness; of slight importance or significance; lacking a sound basis, poorly supported Synonyms: flimsy, insubstantial, vague, hazy Antonyms: strong, solid, substantial, valid |
| vitriolic | (adj.) bitter, sarcastic; highly caustic or biting (like a strong acid) Synonyms: withering, acerbic, mordant Antonyms: bland, saccharine, honeyed, sugary |
| wheedle | (v.) to use coaxing or flattery to gain some desired end Synonyms: cajole, inveigle, soft-soap, sweet-talk Antonyms: coerce, browbeat, intimidate, strong-arm |
| affable | adj. courteous and pleasant, sociable, easy to speak to Synonyms: genial, amicable, agreeable, cordial Antonyms: surly, cantankerous, dour, inhospitable |
| aggrandize | v. to increase in greatness, power, or wealth; to build up or intensify; to make appear greater Synonyms: augment, amplify, enhance, exalt Antonyms: reduce, decrease, diminish |
| amorphous | adj. shapeless, without definite form; of no particular type or character; without organization, unity or cohesion Synonyms: formless, unstructured, nebulous, inchoate Antonyms: definite, well-defined, clear-cut |
| aura | n. that which surrounds (as an atmosphere); a distinctive air or personal quality Synonyms: ambience, atmosphere |
| contraband | n. illegal traffic, smuggled goods; adj. illegal, prohibited Synonyms: illicit, bootleg, unlawful Antonyms: legal, lawful, licit |
| erudite | adj. scholarly, learned, bookish, pedantic Synonyms: profoundly educated, well-read Antonyms: ignorant, uneducated, illiterate |
| gossamer | adj. thin, light, delicate, insubstantial. n. a very thin, light cloth Synonyms: filmy, diaphanous, sheer, airy, feathery, gauzy Antonyms: thick, dense, solid, massive |
| infer | v. to find out by reasoning; to arrive at a conclusion on the basis of thought; to hint, suggest, imply Synonyms: gather, deduce, presume, guess, speculate |
| inscrutable | adj. incapable of being understood; impossible to see through physically Synonyms: impenetrable, incomprehensible, enigmatic Antonyms; comprehensible, intelligible, penetrable |
| insular | adj. relating to, characteristic of, or situated on an island; narrow or isolated in outlook or experience Synonyms: narrow-minded, parochial, provincial Antonyms: catholic, cosmopolitan, liberal |
| irrevocable | adj. incapable of being changed or called back Synonyms: irreversible, unrecallable, unalterable Antonyms: reversible, changeable |
| propensity | n. a natural inclination or predilection toward Synonyms: natural bent, proclivity, penchant Antonyms: natural incapacity or inability |
| querulous | adj. peevish, complaining, fretful Synonyms; petulant, touchy, cranky, irritable Antonyms: uncomplaining, stoical, serene, placid |
| remonstrate | v. to argue or plead with someone against something, protest against, object to Synonyms: reason against, expostulate |
| repudiate | v. to disown, reject, or deny the validity of Synonyms: disavow, abjure, renounce Antonyms: avow, affirm, avouch |
| resilient | adj. able to return to an original shape or form; able to recover quickly Synonyms: springy, elastic, buoyant. bouncy Antonyms: rigid, stiff, inflexible, unyielding |
| reverberate | v. to re-echo, resound; to reflect or be reflected repeatedly Synonyms: rumble, thunder, boom, echo |
| scurrilous | adj. coarsely abusive, vulgar or low (especially in language), foul mouthed Synonyms: obscene, filthy, abusive, vituperative Antonyms: decorous, seemly, tasteful, dignified |
| sedulous | adj. persistent, showing industry and determination Synonyms: assiduous, tireless, indefatigable Antonyms: lackadaisical, listless, indolent, otiose |
| sleazy | adj. thin or flimsy in texture, cheap; shoddy or inferior in quality or character; ethically low, mean, or disreputable. Synonyms: inferior, cheesy, tawdry, tatty Antonyms: superior, first-rate, quality, sturdy |
| amnesty | a general pardon for an offense against the government; in general, any act of forgiveness or absolution |
| autonomy | (n.) self-government, political control Synonym: home rule Antonyms: dependence, subjection, colonial rule |
| axiomatic | (adj.) self-evident, expressing a universally accepted principle or rule Synonym: taken for granted Antonyms: questionable, dubious, controversial |
| blazon | (v.) to adorn or embellish; to display conspicuously; to publish or proclaim widely Synonyms: broadcast, trumpet Antonyms: hide, conceal, cover up, bury |
| caveat | (n.) a warning or caution to prevent misunderstanding or discourage behavior Synonyms: admonition, word to the wise |
| equitable | (adj.) fair, just, embodying principles of justice Synonyms; right, reasonable, evenhanded Antonyms: unjust, unfair, one-sided, disproportionate |
| extricate | (v.) to free from entanglements or difficulties; to remove with effort Synonyms: disentangle, extract, disengage Antonyms: enmesh, entangle, involve |
| filch | (v.) to steal, especially in a sneaky way and in petty amounts Synonyms: pilfer, purloin, swipe |
| flout | (v.) to mock, treat with contempt Synonyms: scoff at, sneer at, snicker at, scorn Antonyms; obey, honor, revere, uphold |
| fractious | (adj.) tending to be troublesome; unruly, quarrlesome, contrary; unpredictable Synonyms: refractory, recalcitrant, peevish Antonyms: docile, tractable, cooperative |
| precept | (n.) a rule of conduct or action Synonyms: principle, maxim |
| salutary | (adj.) beneficial, helpful; healthful, wholesome Synonyms: salubrious, curative Antonyms: detrimental, deleterious, pernicious |
| scathing | (adj.) bitterly severe, withering; causing great harm Synonyms: searing, harsh, ferocious, savage Antonyms: bland, mild |
| scourge | (v) to whip, punish severely; (n) a cause of affliction or suffering; a source of severe punishment or criticism Synonyms: (v.) flog, beat; (n.) bane, plague, pestilence Antonyms: (n.) godsend, boon, blessing |
| sepulchral | funereal, typical of the tomb; extremely gloomy or dismal Synonyms: doleful, lugubrious, mortuary |
| soporific | (adj) tending to cause sleep, relating to sleepiness or lethargy; (n) something that induces sleep Synonyms: (n.) narcotic, anesthetic Antonyms: (adj.) stimulating; (n.) stimulant, stimulus |
| straitlaced | (adj.) extremely strict in regard to moral standards and conduct; prudish, puritanical Synonyms: highly conventional, overly strict, stuffy Antonyms: lax, loose, indulgent, permissive, dissolute |
| transient | (adj) lasting only a short time, fleeting; (n) one who stays only a short time Synonyms: impermanent, ephemeral, evanescent Antonyms: permanent, imperishable, immortal |
| unwieldy | (adj.) not easily carried, handled, or managed because of size or complexity Synonyms: cumbersome, bulky, clumsy, impractical Antonyms: manageable, easy to handle |
| vapid | (adj.) dull, uninteresting, tiresome; lacking in sharpness, flavor, liveliness, or force Synonyms: insipid, lifeless, colorless Antonyms: zesty, spicy, savory, colorful, lively |
| anomalous | adj. abnormal, irregular, departing from the usual Synonyms: exceptional, atypical, unusual, aberrant Antonyms: normal, regular, customary, typical, ordinary |
| aspersion | n. a damaging or derogatory statement; the act of slandering or defaming Synonyms: innuendo, calumny, denigration Antonyms: endorsement, testimonial, praise |
| bizarre | adj. extremely strange, unusual atypical Synonyms: grotesque, fantastic, outlandish Antonyms: normal, typical, ordinary, expected |
| brusque | adj. abrupt, blunt, with no formalities Synonyms: curt, tactless, ungracious, gruff, rough Antonyms: gracious, tactful, courteous, diplomatic |
| cajole | v. to coax, persuade through flattery or artifice; to deceive with soothing thoughts or false premises Synonyms: wheedle, inveigle, soft-soap, sweet-talk Antonyms: coerce, force, strong-arm |
| castigate | v. to punish severely; to criticize severely Synonyms: chastise, rebuke, censure, upbraid Antonyms: reward, honor, praise, laud |
| contrive | v. to plan with ingenuity, invent; to bring about as the result of a scheme or plan Synonyms: think up, devise, concoct, fabricate |
| demagogue | n. a leader who exploits popular prejudices and false claims and promises in order to gain power Synonyms: rabble-rouse, firebrand |
| disabuse | v. to free from deception or error, set right in ideas or thinking Synonyms: undeceive, enlighten, set straight Antonyms: deceive, delude, pull wool over one's eyes |
| ennui | n. weariness and dissatisfaction from lack of occupation or interest, boredom Synonyms: languor, world-weariness, listlessness Antonyms: enthusiasm, liveliness, excitement, intensity |
| fetter | n. a chain or shackle placed on the feet (often used in plural); anything that confines or restrains; v. to chain or shackle; to render helpless or impotent Synonyms: (n.) bond, restraint; (v.) bind, hamper Antonyms: (v.) free, liberate, emancipate |
| heinous | adj. very wicked, offensive, hateful Synonyms: evil, odious, abominable, outrageous Antonyms: excellent, wonderful, splendid |
| immutable | adj. not subject to change, constant Synonyms: unchangeable, unalterable, fixed, invariable Antonyms: changeable, inconstant, variable, fickle |
| insurgent | n. one who rebels or rises against authority; adj. rising in revolt, refusing to accept authority; surging or rushing in or on Synonyms: revolutionary, rebellious, mutinous Antonyms: loyalist, loyal, faithful |
| megalomania | n. a delusion marked by a feeling of power, wealth, talent, etc. far in excess of reality Synonym: delusions of grandeur Antonyms: humility, modesty, self-abasement |
| sinecure | n. a position requiring little or no work; an easy job Synonyms: "no-show job". cushy job, "plum" |
| surreptitious | adj. stealthy, secret, intended to escape observation; made or accomplished by fraud Synonyms: furtive, covert, clandestine, concealed Antonyms: open, frank, aboveboard, overt |
| transgress | v. to go beyond a limit or boundary; to sin, violate a law Synonyms: overstep, exceed, trespass, err Antonyms: obey, toe the line |
| transmute | v. to change from one nature, substance, or form to another Synonyms: transform, convert, translate, metamorphose Antonyms: maintain unchanged, preserve |
| vicarious | adj. performed, suffered, or otherwise experienced by one person in place of another Synonyms: surrogate, substitute, imagined, secondhand Antonyms: real, actual, firsthand |
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