vocab h cumulative test 1-15
About this set
Created by:
kemillerSUA on May 30, 2010
Description:
Vocabulary Workshop 1-15, Frank Honors Lit
...um so I guess there's 13 missing?? I think something went wrong in the importing...
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287 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 ADJunct | n. something added to something else as helpful or useful but not essential; an assistant or helper; a valuable quality or characteristic; adj, added or connected in a subordinate capacity; attached to a faculty or staff in an auxiliary capacity. SYN: associate, addition, accessory |
| BELLwether | n. the male sheep that leads the flock to the slaughterhouse; a leader, as a desperate or violent undertaking; an indicator of trends; SYN: ringleader, initiator, barometer; ANT: follower, imitator, emulator |
| CATerwaul | v. to howl or screech like a cat; to quarrel; n. a harsh or noisy cry; a racket; SYN: whine, wail, screech |
| chiMERical | adj. absurd; wildly fantastic; impossible; SYN: fanciful, visionary, quixotic, pie-in-the-sky; ANT: realistic, down-to-earth, practicable |
| eFFETE | adj. lacking in wholesome vigor or energy; worn-out or exhausted; sterile or unable to produce; out-of-date; SYN: decadent, enfeebled, outmoded; ANT: thriving, burgeoning vigorous, dynamic |
| fait accomPLI | n. an accomplished and presumably irreversible deed, fact, or action; SYN: accomplished fact |
| HIDEbound | adj. narrow-minded and rigid, especially in opinions or prejudices; stubbornly and unthinkingly conservative; SYN: intolerant, inflexible; ANT: open-minded, tolerant, liberal, progressive |
| HIerarchy | n. any system of things or people arranged or graded one above another in order of rank, wealth, class, etc.; SYN: chain of command, pecking order |
| LITurgy | n. a religious service or rite; the form of a ritual or other act of public worship; SYN: ceremony, observance |
| miRAGE | n. something illusory, without substance, or without a basis in reality; an illusion; SYN: optical illusion |
| morASS | n. a patch of low, soft, wet ground; a swamp; a confusing situation in which one is entrapped, as in quicksand; SYN: bog, quagmire; ANT: solid ground, bedrock, terra firma |
| NOIsome | adj. offensive or disgusting; foul-smelling; harmful or injurious; SYN: fetid, noxious, vile, loathsome; ANT: wholesome, pleasant, sweet-smelling |
| oBLIVious | adj. forgetful; unaware; SYN: insensible; ANT: aware, mindful, cognizant, alert |
| polTROON | n. a base coward; SYN: craven, dastard, "chicken;" ANT: hero, stalwart, gallant |
| PROSelyte | n. a convert; a disciple; SYN: novice, neophyte; ANT: master, teacher, guide, guru |
| QUAsi | adj. resembling but not actually being; seemingly but not actually or completely; SYN: kind of, semi-, as if; ANT: totally, completely, actually, in fact |
| RAIllery | n. good-humored ridicule; teasing; SYN: banter, persiflage |
| RIBald | adj. irreverently mocking; coarse, vulgar, or indecent in language; SYN: bawdy, risque; ANT: seemly, proper, decorous |
| suPINE | adj. lying flat on one's back; listless or lethargic; apathetic or passive; SYN: prone, prostrate; inert; ANT: upright, erect, perpendicular, vertical`` |
| vignETTE | n. a short description or sketch; a picture or illustration with edges that gradually shade off, a decorative design on the title page of a book or at the beginning or end of a chapter; SYN: thumbnail sketch, anecdote; ANT: epic, full-length treatment |
| AEgis | n. protection; patronage; sponsorship; SYN: auspices |
| apPRISE | v. to inform of; to make aware of by giving oral or written notice; SYN: acquaint, notify; ANT: keep secret, withhold information |
| BIBulous | adj. fond of or inclined to drink; absorbent; SYN: inebrious, alcoholic; ANT: teetotaling, abstemious, temperate |
| CLAQUE | n. a group of people hired to applaud a performer or performance; enthusiastic or fawning admirers; an opera hat; SYN: fan club, flatterers, hangers-on |
| deRACinate | v. to pull up by the roots; to root out, uproot, or dislocate; to eliminate all traces of; SYN: extirpate, eradicate, expunge; ANT: implant, nurture, foster, instill |
| eleeMOSynary | adj. charitable; dependent upon or supported by charity; derived from or provided by charity; SYN: philanthropic, beneficent; ANT: selfish, self-seeking, uncharitable |
| inDIGenous | adj. originating in the country or region where found, native; inborn; inherent; SYN: endemic, domestic, homegrown; ANT: foreign, alien, exoteric, imported |
| LACHrymose | adj. given to tears or weeping; causing to shed tears; mournful, lugubrious; SYN: tearful, doleful, dolorous; ANT: dry-eyed, cheerful, merry, hilarious |
| LEXicon | n. a dictionary of a language; the special vocabulary of a person, group, or subject; a compendium; SYN: wordbook, glossary |
| MElee | n. a confused struggle; a violent free-for-all; a tumultuous mingling; SYN: fracas, brawl, scuffle, donnybrook; ANT: friendly chat, peace and quiet |
| MIcrocosm | n. a miniature world or universe; a group or system viewed as the model of a larger group or system; SYN: epitome, world in little; ANT: universe, macrocosm, cosmos, totality |
| MINuscule | adj. very small, tiny; n. a lowercase letter; SYN: infinitesimal, insignificant; ANT: huge, massive, monumental |
| OBfuscate | v. to darken or obscure; to confuse or bewilder; SYN: muddy the waters; ANT: clarify, elucidate, explicate |
| paTERnalism | n. the policy or practice of treating or governing people in the manner of a father dealing with his children; SYN: benevolence, solicitude, fatherliness |
| POlarize | v. to cause to concentrate around two conflicting or contrasting positions; to cause light to vibrate in a pattern; SYN: split, divide, alienate, estrange; ANT: unite, unify, reconcile |
| PURview | n. the range, extent, or scope of something in law, the scope or limit of what is provided in a statute; SYN: jurisdiction, orbit |
| SANguine | adj. having a ruddy complexion; of a naturally cheerful, confident, or optimistic outlook; SYN: flushed, rosy; ANT: bloodless, ashen, pessimistic, gloomy |
| SOLecism | n. a substandard or ungrammatical usage; a breach of etiquette; any impropriety or mistake; SYN: misusage, blunder, faux pas; ANT: correct usage |
| VASsal | n. a person under the protection of a feudal lord to whom he or she owes allegiance; a subordinate or dependent; a servant; adj. subservient; SYN: menial, minion, servile; ANT: overlord; |
| verisiMILitude | n. the quality of appearing to be true, real, likely, or probably; SYN: realism, lifelikeness, authenticity |
| ANcillary | adj. subordinate or supplementary; SYN: auxiliary, subsidiary, accessory; ANT: central, key, primary, principal, main |
| BOWDlerize | v. to remove material considered offensive (from a book, play, film, etc.) SYN: censor, purge, expurgate |
| condeSCEND | v. to come down or stoop voluntarily to a lower level; to deal with people in a patronizing manner; SYN: deign |
| COZen | v. to trick; to cheat or swindle; SYN: dupe, deceive, beguile, inveigle |
| ENclave | n. an enclosed district, region, or area inhabited by a particular group of people or having a special character; SYN: island, subgroup |
| FORte | n. a person's strong point; what a person does best; SYN: gift, aptitude, specialty; ANT: weakness, shortcoming, foible |
| GRAtis | adj. free; adv. without charge; ANT: on the house; freely; ANT: for a price |
| Icon | n. a representation or image of sacred personage, often considered sacred itself; an image or picture; a symbol; a graphic symbol on a computer monitor display; an object of blind devotion; SYN: emblem, idol |
| inTERstice | n. a small, narrow space between things or parts of things; SYN: gap, slot, crevice, interval, lacuna |
| MACrocosm | n. the universe considered as a whole; the entire complex structure or something; SYN: cosmos, entirety; ANT: model, miniature, microcosm |
| MOUNtebank | n. a trickster or swindler; a charlatan; SYN: imposter, quack; ANT: sucker, dupe, "mark," "pigeon" |
| PAean | n. a song of praise, joy, or triumph; SYN: hymn, ode, anthem; ANT: dirge, elegy, lament, threnody |
| PERsiflage | n. lighthearted joking, talk, or writing; SYN: banter, jesting, repartee, badinage |
| PLETHora | n. overfullness; superabundance; superfluity; SYN: surplus, surfeit, glut, excess; ANT: shortage; paucity, dearth, scarcity |
| pragMATic | adj. concerned with practical considerations or values; dealing with actions and results rather than with abstract theory; stiff in one's opinions; SYN: down-to-earth, businesslike; ANT: idealistic, impractical, visionary |
| QUIZzical | adj. puzzled; mocking; odd; equivocal; SYN: peculiar, perplexed, mystified, derisive; ANT: unequivocal, crystal-clear, unambiguous |
| raPACity | n. inordinate greed; the disposition to obtain one's desires by force, extortion, or plunder; SYN: avarice, cupidity, voraciousness; ANT: liberality, generosity, altruism |
| SCHIsm | n. a formal split within a religious organization; any division or separation of a group or organization into hostile factions; SYN: rift, breach; ANT: united front, reconciliation |
| theraPEUtic | adj. having the power to heal or cure; beneficial; SYN: curative, salutary, salubrious; ANT: harmful, injurious, deleterious |
| virtuOso | n. a brilliant performer; a person with masterly skill or technique; adj. masterly or brilliant; SYN: expert, master, prodigy, maestro; ANT: amateur, beginner, novice, mediocre |
| afFINity | n. a natural attraction to a person, thing, or activity; a relationship, connection; SYN: inclination, penchant; ANT: distaste, aversion |
| BILious | adj. peevish or irritable; sickeningly unpleasant; SYN: choleric, irascible, peevish, splenetic; ANT: sweet-tempered, genial, pleasant, delightful |
| COGnate | adj. closely related in origin, essential in nature, or function; n. such a person or thing; SYN: allied, affiliated; relative; ANT: dissimilar, unrelated |
| CORollary | n. a proposition that follows from one already proven; a natural consequence or result; adj. resultant or consequent; SYN: deduction, conclusion; ANT: axiom, postulate, premise |
| CUL-de-sac | n. a blind alley or dead-end street; any situation in which further progress is impossible; an impasse |
| DERring-do | n. valor or heroism; daring deeds or exploits (often used to poke fun at false heroics); SYN: audacity, bravado, pyrotechnics; ANT: cowardice, timidity, poltroonery |
| diviNAtion | n. the art or act of predicting the future or discovering hidden knowledge; SYN: prophesy, augury |
| eLIXir | n. a potion once thought capable of curing all ills and maintaining life indefinitely; a panacea; a sweet liquid used as a vehicle in medicines |
| FOLderol | n. foolish talk, ideas, or procedures; nonsense; a trifle; SYN: hoopla, gibberish; ANT: sense, significance |
| GAMut | n. an entire range or series; SYN: scope, compass, sweep |
| hoi polLOI | n. the common people, the masses; SYN: rank and file; ANT: aristocracy, elite, upper class |
| inEFfable | adj. no expressible in words; too great or too sacred to be uttered; SYN: inexpressible, indescribable |
| lucuBRAtion | n. laborious study or thought, especially at night; the result of such work; SYN: burning the midnight oil, deep thought |
| mneMONic | adj. relating to or designed to assist the memory; n. a device to aid the memory; SYN: reminder, cur |
| OBloquy | n. public abuse indicating strong disapproval or censure; the disgrace resulting from such treatment; SYN: discredit, opprobrium, ignominy, dishonor; ANT: praise, acclaim, approbation |
| paRAMeter | n. a determining or characteristic element; a factor that shapes the total outcome; a limit, boundary |
| PUNdit | n. a learned person; one who gives authoritative opinions; SYN: expert, authority, savant; ANT: layman, amateur, dilettante |
| RISible | adj. pertaining to laughter; able or inclined to laugh; laughable; SYN: droll, ludicrous; ANT: depressing, poignant, heartrending |
| symptoMATic | adj. typical or characteristic; being or concerned with a symptom of a disease; SYN: indicative |
| volte-FACE | n. an about-face; a complete reversal; SYN: turnabout |
| aficionNAdo | n. an enthusiastic and usually expert follower or fan; SYN: devotee, enthusiast |
| BROWbeat | v. to intimidate by a stern or overbearing manner; to bully; SYN: cow, coerce; ANT: coax, cajole, wheedle, sweet-talk |
| comMENsurate | adj. equal in size, extent, duration, or importance; proportionate; measurable by the same standards; SYN: comparable, corresponding, coordinate |
| diAPHanous | adj. very sheer and light; almost completely transparent; SYN: translucent, gossamer; ANT: opaque, coarse, dense |
| eMOLument | n. profit derived from an office or position or from employment; a fee or salary; SYN: pay, wages, compensation |
| FORay | n. a quick raid, especially for plunder; a venture into some field of endeavor; v. to make such a read; SYN: sally, sortie; ANT: retreat, strategic withdrawal |
| GENre | n. a type, class, or variety, especially a distinctive category of literary composition; a style of painting in which everyday scenes are realistically depicted; SYN: species, sort, school |
| HOMily | n. a sermon stressing moral principles; a tedious aBORtive adj. failing to accomplish an intended aim or purpose; only partially or imperfectly developed; SYN: miscarried, fruitless, premature; ANT: successful, realized, consummated |
| BRUIT | v. to spread news, reports, or unsubstantiated rumors; SYN: noise abroad, broadcast, blazon; ANT: cover up, conceal, hush up |
| contuMElious | adj. insolent or rude in speech or behavior; insultingly abusive; humiliating; SYN: vituperative, scurrilous, excoriating; ANT: laudatory, commendatory, deferential |
| DICtum | n. a short saying; an authoritative statement; SYN: maxim, precept, aphorism, axiom |
| enSCONCE | v. to settle comfortably and firmly in position; to put or hide in a safe place; SYN; nestle, lodge, entrench; ANT: unseat, displace, oust |
| inconoCLAStic | adj. attacking or seeking to overthrow popular or traditional beliefs, ideas, or institutions; SYN: image-breaking, irreverent, heretical; ANT: orthodox, conservative, reverent |
| in MEDias res | adv. in or into the middle of a plot; into the middle of things |
| interNECine | adj. mutually destructive; characterized by great slaughter and bloodshed; SYN: murderous, savage, ruinous; ANT: peaceful, harmonious, constructive |
| malaDROIT | adj. lacking skill or dexterity; lacking tact, perception, or judgment; SYN: inept, awkward, clumsy, gauche; ANT: skillful, dexterous, deft, tactful |
| MAUDlin | adj. excessively or effusively sentimental; SYN: mushy, mawkish |
| MODulate | v. to change or vary the intensity or pitch; to temper or soften; to regulate, adjust; SYN; adapt, moderate |
| porTENtous | adj. foreshadowing an event to come; causing wonder or awe; self-consciously weighty, pompous; SYN: foreboding, ominous, pretentious; ANT: auspicious, propitious, encouraging |
| PRESCience | n. knowledge of events or actions before they happen; foresight; SYN: foreknowledge; ANT: hindsight |
| QUID pro quo | n. something given in exchange or return for something else; SYN: swap, trade |
| saLUbrious | adj. conducive to health or well-being; wholesome; SYN: beneficial, healthy, invigorating; ANT: harmful, unhealthy, deleterious, noxious |
| saturNAlian | adj. characterized by riotous or unrestrained revelry or licentiousness; SYN: dissipated, debauched, orgiastic; ANT: sedate, prim, decorous, seemly |
| TOUCHstone | n. a means of testing worth or genuineness; SYN: criterion, yardstick, benchmark |
| trauMATic | adj. so shocking to the emotions as to cause lasting an substantial psychological damage; SYN: jolting; ANT: soothing, comforting, agreeable, pleasant |
| VITiate | v. to weaken, debase, or corrupt; to impair the quality or value of; SYN: degrade, undermine; ANT: purify, strengthen, enhance |
| WAGgish | adj. fond of making jokes; characteristic of a joker; playfully humorous or droll; SYN: whimsical, jocular; ANT: serious, grave, grim, dour, humorless |
| aBEYance | n. a state of being temporarily inactive, suspended, or set aside; SYN: deferment, postponement, suspension |
| amBIValent | adj. having opposite and conflicting feelings about someone or something; SYN: equivocal, ambiguous, of two minds; ANT: unequivocal, unambiguous, clear-cut |
| beLEAguer | v. to set upon from all sides; to surround with an army; to trouble, harass; SYN: besiege, encircle, pester |
| CARTE blanche | n. full freedom or authority to act at one's own discretion; SYN: blank check, free rein |
| CATaclysm | n. a sudden, violent, or devastating upheaval; a surging flood, deluge; SYN: disaster, catastrophe |
| deBAUCH | v. to corrupt morally, seduce; to indulge in dissipation; n. an act or occasion of dissipation or vice; SYN: carouse, spree, orgy; ANT: elevate, uplift, inspire, purify |
| eCLAT | n. dazzling or conspicuous success or acclaim; great brilliance (of performance or achievement); SYN: celebrity; ANT: dullness, insipidity, mediocrity |
| faSTIDious | adj. overly demanding or hard to please; excessively careful in regard to details; easily disgusted; SYN: precise, meticulous, exacting, finicky; ANT: careless, sloppy, messy, untidy, slovenly |
| GAMbol | v. to jump or skip about playfully; SYN: frolic, romp, cavort, caper; ANT: lumber, trudge, plod |
| imBUE | v. to soak or stain thoroughly; to fill the mind; SYN: infuse, instill, inculcate; ANT: remove, expunge, eradicate, erase |
| inCHOate | adj. just beginning; not fully shaped or formed; SYN: incipient, embryonic, rudimentary; ANT: mature, developed, complete |
| lamPOON | n. a malicious satire; v. to satirize, ridicule; SYN: burlesque; parody; ANT: compliant, flattery, homage |
| MALleable | adj. capable of being formed into different shapes; capable of being altered, adapted, or influenced; SYN: pliable, impressionable, adaptable; ANT: rigid, inflexible, unyielding, intractable |
| NEMesis | n. an agent or force inflicting vengeance or punishment; retribution itself; an unbeatable rival; SYN: comeuppance, avenger; ANT: guardian angel, ally, patron |
| OPT | v. to make a choice or decision; SYN: choose, select, decide |
| PHIListine | adj. lacking in, hostile to, or smugly indifferent to cultural and artistic values or refinements; n. such a person; SYN: boorish, lowbrow; yahoo; ANT: refined, cultivated; esthete, highbrow |
| picaRESQUE | adj. involving or characteristic of clever rogues or adventurers; SYN: roguish, rascally, raking |
| QUEAsy | adj. nauseated or uneasy; causing nausea or uneasiness; troubled; SYN: unsettled; ANT: calm, untroubled, confident |
| reFRACtory | adj. stubborn; hard or difficult to manage; not responsive to treatment or cure; SYN: unruly, disobedient, willful, mulish; ANT: docile, tractable, dutiful, obedient |
| savoir-FAIRE | n. the ability to say and do the right thing in any situation; social competence; SYN; tact, finesse, suavity, sophistication; ANT: tactlessness, gaucherie, boorishness |
| aberration | n. a departure from what is proper, right, expected, or normal; a lapse from a sound mental state. syn: deviation, anomaly, irregularity |
| ad hoc | adj. for this specific purpose; improvised (adv) with respect to this. syn: makeshift Ant: permanent, longstanding |
| bane | n. source or cause of fatal injury, death, destruction, or ruin; death or ruin itself; poison; syn: spoiler, bete noire ant: blessing, comfort, solace, balm |
| bathos | n. the intrusion of a commonplace or trite material into a context whose tone is lofty or elevated; grossly insincere or exaggerated sentimentality; lowest phase, nadir, an anticlimax or comedown; syn: mawkish, mush, schmaltz |
| cantankerous | adj. ill-tempered, quarrelsome, difficult to get along or deal with. syn: cranky, testy, peevish, irascible, ornery; ant: good-natured, sweet-tempered, genial |
| casuistry | n. the determination of right and wrong in questions of conduct or conscience by the application of general ethical principles; specious argument. syn: sophistry, quibbling |
| de facto | adj. actually existing or in effect, although not legally required or sanctioned; adv- in reality, actually. syn: in actuality, in point of fact ant: de jure, by right |
| depredation | n. the act of preying upon or plundering; syn: looting, pillage, outrage |
| empathy | n. a sympathetic understanding of or identification with the feelings, thoughts, or attitudes of someone else or something else. sym: sympathy, compassion. ant: insensitivity, callousness, detachment |
| harbinger | n. a forerunner, herald. (v) to herald the approach of. syn: precursor, presage ant: aftermath, epilogue, sequel |
| hedonism | n. the belief that the attainment of pleasure is life's chief aim, devotion to or pursuit of pleasure. syn: pleasure seeking, sensuality, sybaritism ant: asceticism, puritanism, self-denial |
| lackluster | adj. lacking brilliance or vitality; dull. syn: vapid, insipid, drab, flat ant: brilliant, radiant, dazzling |
| malcontent | adj. discontented with or in open defiance of prevailing conditions. (n) such a person. syn: dissatisfied, disgruntled, grumbler. ant: satisfied, contented, complacent, smug |
| mellifluous | adj. flowing sweetly or smoothly, honeyed. syn: euphonious, musical. ant: shrill, strident, harsh, grating |
| nepotism | n. undue favoritism to or excessive patronage of one's relatives. |
| pander | v. to cater or provide satisfaction for the low tastes or vices of others, (n) a person who does this. syn: indulge, pimp, procurer |
| peccadillo | n. a minor sin or offense, a trifling fault or shortcoming. syn: indiscretion ant: felony, mortal sin, enormity, atrocity |
| piece de resistance | n. the principal dish of a meal, the principal event, incident, or item. an outstanding accomplishment |
| remand | v. to send or order back, in law, to send back to jail or to a lower court. syn: remit, return ant: forward to, send on, release |
| syndrome | n. a group of symptoms or signs that collectively characterize or indicate a disease, disorder, or abnormality, etc. syn: complex, pattern |
| beATitude | n. a state of perfect happiness or blessedness; a blessing; SYN: bliss, rapture; ANT: misery, despair |
| bete NOIRE | n. someone or something that one especially dislikes, dreads, or avoids; SYN: pet peeve, bugbear, nemesis; ANT: pet, idol |
| BODE | v. to be a omen of; to indicate by signs; SYN: presage, augur, foreshadow |
| DANK | adj. unpleasantly damp or wet; SYN: clammy, moist, soggy; ANT: dry, arid, parched, desiccated |
| ecuMENical | adj. worldwide or universal in influence or application; SYN: general, comprehensive; ANT: parochial, regional, insular |
| FERvid | adj. burning with enthusiasm or zeal; extremely heated; SYN: ardent, zealous, fervent, earnest; ANT: apathetic, indifferent, cool, blase |
| FETid | adj. having an unpleasant or offensive odor; SYN: smelly, putrid, noisome, foul, malodorous; ANT: fragrant, aromatic, perfumed, sweet |
| garGANtuan | adj. of immense size, volume, or capacity; enormous, prodigious; SYN: huge, colossal, mammoth, gigantic; ANT: tiny, minuscule, infinitesimal, dwarfish |
| HEYday | n. the period of greatest power, vigor, success, or influence; the prime years; SYN: golden age; ANT: formative years, twilight years, decline |
| INcubus | n. a demon or evil spirit supposed to haunt human beings in their bedrooms at night; anything that oppresses or weighs upon one, like a nightmare; SYN: hobgoblin, millstone, burden |
| INfrastructure | n. a basic foundation or framework; a system of public works; the resources and facilities required for an activity; permanent military installations; SYN: base, basis, underpinning; ANT: superstructure |
| inVEIgle | v. to entice, lure, or snare by flattery or artful inducements; to obtain or acquire by artifice; SYN: induce, beguile, cajole, wheedle |
| KUdos | n. the acclaim, prestige, or renown that comes as a result of some action or achievement; SYN: glory, praise, accolades; ANT: boos, disapproval, condemnation |
| LAGNiappe | n. an extra or unexpected gift or gratuity; SYN: bonus |
| proLIX | adj. long-winded and wordy; tending to speak or write in such a way; SYN: verbose, garrulous; ANT: terse, laconic, succinct, pithy |
| PROtégé | n. someone whose welfare, training, or career is under the patronage of an influential person; someone under the jurisdiction of a foreign country or government; SYN: ward, charge, disciple, trainee; ANT: sponsor, mentor, benefactor |
| PROtotype | n. an original patter or model; a primitive or ancestral form; SYN: archetype; ANT: copy, imitation |
| SYCophant | n. someone who attempts to win favors or advance him or herself by flattery or servile behavior; a slanderer, defamer; SYN: yes-man, toady, flunky, bootlicker |
| tauTOLogy | n. needless repetition of an idea by using different but equivalent words; a redundancy; SYN: pleonasm |
| TRUCKle | v. to yield or submit tamely or submissively; SYN: kowtow, stoop, grovel; ANT: resist, defy, stand up to |
| aCUmen | n. keenness of insight; quickness or accuracy of judgment; SYN; perspicacity, shrewdness, acuity; ANT: ignorance, stupidity, obtuseness |
| adJUDicate | v. to act as a judge in a matter; to settle through the use of a judge or legal tribunal; SYN: arbitrate, referee, mediate |
| aNACHronism | n. a chronological misplacing of events, objects, customs, or persons in regard to each other; SYN: chronological error |
| aPOCryphal | adj. of doubtful or questionable authenticity; SYN: fictitious, mythical, spurious, bogus; ANT: authentic, genuine, true |
| disPARity | n. a difference or inequality in age, rank, degree, amount, or quality; a dissimilarity, unlikeness; SYN: discrepancy, incongruity; ANT: similarity, likeness, congruity |
| disSIMulate | v. to hide or disguise in one's true thoughts, feelings, or intentions; SYN; dissemble, pretend, misrepresent; ANT: reveal |
| emPIRical | adj. derived from, dependent upon, or guided by practical experience, observation, or experiment, rather than by theory; so verifiable; SYN: observed, experiential, pragmatic; ANT: theoretical, hypothetical, conjectural |
| flamBOYant | adj. highly elaborate or ornate; vividly colored; strikingly brilliant or bold; SYN: showy, ostentatious, florid; ANT: staid, sedate, decorous, seemly, sober |
| FULsome | adj. offensively insincere or excessive; disgusting, sickening; SYN: inordinate, repulsive; ANT: understated, muted, restrained, agreeable |
| IMmolate | v. to kill as a sacrifice, especially by fire, to destroy or renounce for the sake of another; SYN: slay, kill; ANT: save, rescue, preserve |
| imperCEPtible | adj. extremely slight; incapable of being perceived by the senses or the mind; SYN: minimal, undetectable; ANT: conspicuous, noticeable, flagrant |
| LACKey | n. a uniformed male servant, a servile follower; SYN: footman, toady, flunky, hanger-on; ANT: lord, liege, employer, boss |
| LIaison | n. the contact or means of communication between groups; someone acting as such a contact; any close relationship; a thickening or binding agent used in cooking; SYN: intermediary, channel |
| monoLITHic | adj. characterized by massiveness, solidness, and total uniformity; SYN: undifferentiated, massive, dense; ANT: diversified, variform, multifarious |
| mot JUSTE | n. the most suitable or exact word or expression; SYN: right word; ANT: misnomer, misusage, malapropism |
| NIhilism | n. a total rejection of existing laws, institutions, and moral values; extreme radicalism; ANT: conservation |
| paTRICian | n. a member of the ruling class; a person of high or noble rank or of prominent social standing; adj. belonging to, befitting, or characteristic of such a person; SYN: aristocrat, peer, noble, highborn; ANT: peasant, commoner, plebian |
| proPITiate | v. to make someone or something favorably inclined toward oneself; to conciliate, satisfy, or appease |
| SIC | adv. thus so; intentionally written so |
| SUBlimate | v. to redirect the energy of a biological or instinctual impulse into a higher or more acceptable channel; SYN: rechannel, elevate |
| apostate | n. one who forsakes his or her religion, party, or cause syn: renegade, defector, turncoat ant: true believer, loyalist |
| bravado | n. a display of false or assumed courage syn: swagger, bluster, braggadocio ant: mettle, bravery, pluck |
| consensus | n. a collective or general agreement of opinion, feeling, or thinking syn: unanimity, concord, accord, harmony ant: dissension, discord, disagreement |
| constrict | v. to make smaller or narrower, draw together, squeeze; to stop or cause to falter syn: contract, curb, restrain ant: enlarge, dilate, expand |
| dichotomy | n. a division into two contradictory or mutually exclusive parts; a branching or forking in an ancestral line syn: schism, division, bifurcation ant: uniformity, oneness |
| effusive | adj. highly demonstrative; unrestrained syn: gushy, lavish ant: restrained, reserved, muted, subdued |
| euphoria | n. a feeling of great happiness or well-being, often with no objective basis syn: elation, bliss, ecstasy, rapture ant: melancholy, depression, gloom |
| gothic | adj. characterized by or emphasizing a gloomy setting and grotesque or violent events; such a literary or artistic style; a type of medieval architecture syn: sinister, eerie |
| impasse | n. a dead end; a position from which there is no escape; a problem to which there is no solution syn: deadlock, standoff, stalemate |
| lugubrious | adj. sad, mournful, or gloomy, especially to an exaggerated or ludicrous degree syn: doleful, melancholy, dismal, dolorous ant: merry, jovial, hilarious, funny |
| metamorphosis | n. a complete transformation, as if by magic syn: change, makeover |
| mystique | n. an aura or attitude of mystery or veneration surrounding something or someone syn: charisma |
| non sequitur | n. an interference or conclusion that does not follow logically from the facts or premises syn: illogical reference, unsound conclusion |
| parlous | adj. full of danger or risk, perilous syn: hazardous, risky, dangerous ant: safe, secure, risk-free |
| punctilio | n. a minute detail of conduct or procedure; an instant of time syn: fine point, nicety |
| quagmire | n. soft, soggy mud or slush; a difficult or entrapping situation syn: fen, marsh, bog, morass ant: bedrock, solid-fitting, terra firma |
| quixotic | adj. extravagantly or romantically idealistic, visionary without regard to practical considerations syn: fanciful, impractical, utopian ant: realistic, down-to-earth, pragmatic |
| raconteur | n. a person who tells stories and anecdotes with great skill syn: storyteller, anecdotist |
| sine qua non | n. an essential or indispensable element or condition syn: necessity, requisite, desideratum |
| vendetta | n. a prolonged feud, often between two families, characterized by retaliatory acts of revenge; any act motivated by vengeance syn: blood feud, rivalry |
| APposite | adj. appropriate; suitable; apt; SYN: relevant, pertinent, material, germane; ANT: irrelevant, immaterial, inappropriate |
| AUgur | n. a prophet or seer; v. to predict, foreshadow; SYN: oracle, bode |
| BILK | v. to defraud, cheat, or swindle; to evade payment of; to frustrate, thwart; SYN: dupe, cozen |
| chaRISma | n. the special personal magnetism that makes an individual exceptionally appealing to other people; a divinely bestowed gift or power; SYN: appeal, charm, mystique |
| deBILitate | v. to make weak or feeble; SYN: enervate, sap, exhaust, enfeeble; ANT: strengthen, fortify, invigorate |
| EXecrable | adj. utterly detestable, hateful, or abhorrent; extremely inferior; SYN: odious, abominable, reprehensible; ANT: commendable, praiseworthy, meritorious |
| imPINGE | v. to strike against or collide with violently; to encroach or obtrude upon; to make an impression upon; SYN: horn in, affect |
| LAByrinth | n. a bewildering maze; any confusing or complicated situation; SYN: tangle, mystery, enigma |
| NARcissism | n. excessive self-love; absorption in oneself; SYN: egotism, conceit, vanity, amour propre |
| NIGgardly | adj. stingy; meanly small or insufficient; SYN: tightfisted, penny-pinching, mean; ANT: generous, bountiful, magnanimous |
| pasTICHE | n. a dramatic, musical, or literary work made up of bits and pieces from other sources; a hodgepodge; SYN: medley, patchwork, melange, potpourri |
| preCARious | adj. very uncertain or unsure; dangerous or risky; SYN: perilous, dubious, ticklish; ANT: secure, safe, sturdy, firm |
| rapPORT | n. a close and harmonious relationship; SYN: bond, tie, affinity, understanding |
| utiliTARian | adj. stressing practicality over other considerations; relating to the belief that what is good or desirable is determined purely by its usefulness; SYN: practical, functional, pragmatic; ANT: nonfunctional, ornamental, decorative |
| VACuous | adj. devoid of matter, substance, or meaning; lacking ideas or intelligence; purposeless; SYN: inane, insipid, fatuous, void, empty; ANT: incisive, trenchant, perceptive, intelligent |
| VAgary | n. an unpredictable, erratic, or seemingly purposeless action, occurrence, or notion; SYN: caprice, whim, quirk |
| VIable | adj. capable of living or developing under normal circumstances; SYN: practicable, workable, feasible; ANT: impracticable, unworkable, unfeasible |
| xenoPHObia | n. undue or unreasonable fear, hatred, or contempt of foreigners or strangers or of what is foreign or strange; SYN: provinciaclity, parochialism, chauvinism |
| ZAny | adj. clownish or funny in a crazy, bizarre, or ludicrous way; n. one who plays; SYN: comical, daffy, buffoon; ANT: sedate, decorous, prim, sober, grave |
| ZEALot | n. a fanatical partisan; an ardent follower; SYN: fanatic, extremist |
| ACcolade | n. praise or approval; a ceremonial embrace or greeting; SYN: kudos, acclaim, cheers, plaudits; ANT: boos, disapproval, censure, criticism |
| aCERbity | n. sourness or bitterness of taste; harshness or severity of manner or expression; SYN: acidity, astringency, mordancy, asperity; ANT: blandness, mellowness, mildness |
| atTRITion | n. the process of wearing down by friction or gradual impairment; SYN: abrasion, erosion, exhaustion, reduction; ANT: augmentation, proliferation, enlargement |
| BROmide | n. a trite or commonplace remark; a tiresome or boring person; a sedative; SYN: cliche, platitude |
| CHAUvinist | adj. extravagantly patriotic, blindly devoted to a cause; n. such a person; SYN: super patriot, flag-waver, jingoist |
| CHRONic | adj. continuing over a long period of time or recurring often; SYN: recurrent, persistent, inveterate, habitual; ANT: transitory, transient, sporadic |
| exPOUND | v. to explain in detail; SYN: elucidate, explicate, delineate |
| FACtionalism | n. party strife and intrigue; SYN: infighting, dissension; ANT: unanimity, harmony, agreement, consensus |
| imMACulate | adj. spotless; without blemish or fault; SYN: unsoiled, impeccable; ANT: blemished, tarnished, stained, sullied |
| impreCAtion | n. a curse; the act of cursing; SYN: execration, malediction; ANT: blessing, benediction |
| ineLUCtable | adj. not able to be avoided, change, or overcome; SYN: unavoidable, inescapable, inevitable; ANT: avoidable, escapable, reversible, revocable |
| merCURical | adj. characterized by rapid and unpredictable changes of mood; fickle or inconstant; SYN: erratic, flighty, capricious, volatile; ANT: phlegmatic, sluggish, constant, steady |
| PALliate | v. to make less serious or severe by glossing over; to relieve without actually curing, mitigate; SYN: alleviate, extenuate; ANT: intensity, magnify, aggravate |
| PROtocol | n. customs and regulations dealing with official behavior and etiquette, as in a court or among diplomats; a type of international agreement; a memorandum, official account, or record; SYN: code of conduct, minutes |
| reSPLENdent | adj. shining or gleaming brilliantly; splendid or magnificent; SYN: radiant, dazzling, glorious; ANT: dull, drab, lusterless |
| STIGmatize | v. to brand or mark as in some way discreditable, disgraceful, or ignominious; SYN: sully, taint, disgrace; ANT: whitewash, laud, extol |
| sub ROsa | adv. in secret, confidentially, privately; secretive; SYN: secretly, covertly, stealthily, furtively; ANT: overtly, openly |
| VAINglory | n. excessive pride in and boastfulness about one's own accomplishments or qualities; a vain show or display; SYN: vanity, conceit, swagger, pretentiousness; ANT: humility, modesty, diffidence |
| VEStige | n. a trace or visible evidence of something that once existed but now is lost or vanished; SYN: artifact, relic, remains |
| voLITion | n. the power to choose, will, or decide; the act of choosing, willing, or deciding; SYN: free will, choice; ANT: coercion, compulsion, duress |
| acCOUtrements | n. accessory items of clothing or equipment; a soldier's outfit, usually not including arms or clothing; trappings; SYN: gear, equipage, appurtenances |
| APogee | n. the point in the orbit of a heavenly body or artificial satellite farthest from earth; the farthest or highest point; SYN: zenith, apex, summit, pinnacle; ANT: nadir, bottom, pits, perigee |
| aproPOS | adj. appropriate, opportune; adv. relevantly; incidentally, by the way; speaking of; SYN: pertinent, germane, apposite, relevant; ANT: irrelevant, inappropriate, immaterial |
| BICKer | v. to engage in a petty or peevish dispute; to move or run rapidly, rush; to flicker, quiver; SYN: squabble, wrangle, quarrel, plash; ANT: concur, agree, acquiesce |
| coaLESCE | v. to blend together or fuse so as to form one body or substance; SYN: amalgamate, merge, combine, unite; ANT: scatter, diffuse, separate |
| CONtretemps | n. an inopportune or embarrassing occurrence; a mishap; SYN: blunder, mischance, faux pas, gaffe |
| convoLUtion | n. a rolling up, coiling, or twisting together a sinuous folding or design; SYN: twist, turn, complication |
| CULL | v. to pick out or select; to gather or collect; SYN: glean, choose, pluck |
| disPARate | adj. completely distinct or different; entirely dissimilar; SYN: divergent; ANT: similar, homogeneous, uniform |
| dogMATic | adj. certain of the truth of one's own ideas; inclined to state opinions as if they were indisputable facts; SYN: opinionated, doctrinaire, authoritarian; ANT: open-minded, disinterested, dispassionate |
| liCENtious | adj. morally or sexually unrestrained; having no regard for accepted rules, customs, or laws; SYN: wanton, dissolute, lascivious; ANT: chaste, modest, restrained, prudish |
| METE | v. to distribute or apportion by or as if by measure; to allot; SYN: assign, parcel out |
| NOXious | adj. harmful to physical health or morals; SYN: pernicious, noisome, deleterious, toxic; ANT: wholesome, salubrious, beneficial |
| poLEMic | n. an aggressive attack on or refutation of a specific opinion or doctrine; SYN: diatribe, controversy |
| POPulous | adj. full of people; filled to capacity; densely populated; having a large population; SYN: crowded, teeming, swarming; ANT: uninhabited, unpeopled, deserted, barren |
| PRObity | n. complete and confirmed honesty; totally integrity; SYN: uprightness, rectitude; ANT: corruption, venality, immorality, iniquity |
| reparTEE | n. a swift, witty reply; conversion full of such remarks; skill in making such replies or conversation; SYN: retort, comeback, banter, verbal sparring |
| superVENE | v. to take place or occur as something additional or unexpected; to follow immediately after; SYN: ensue succeed; ANT: precede, antecede |
| TRUNcate | v. to shorten by or as if by cutting of, lop; SYN; trim, abbreviate, curtail; ANT: lengthen, elongate, extend, protract |
| unimPEAchable | adj. beyond doubt or reproach; unquestionable; SYN: irreproachable, irrefutable, unassailable; ANT: questionable, debatable, dubious |
| ADumbrate | v. to outline or sketch broadly; to foreshadow or prefigure; to disclose partially; SYN: indicate |
| apotheOsis | n. the elevation of a person to a divine rank or status; the glorification of a person as an ideal; SYN: deification |
| asCETic | adj. practicing strict self-denial for the sake of personal or spiritual discipline; n. one who leads a life of self-discipline, especially to express religious devotion; SYN: austere, spartan, celibate; ANT: wanton, dissolute, hedonist |
| BAUble | n. a small, showy ornament of little value or use; SYN: trifle, gewgaw, knickknack, bagatelle; ANT: gem, precious jewel, treasure |
| beGUILE | v. to mislead or deceive; to cheat; to divert; to cause to vanish unnoticed; SYN: delude, dupe, lure, while away |
| BURgeon | v. to put forth new buds, leaves, or greenery; to develop rapidly or suddenly; SYN: sprout, blossom, bloom flourish; ANT: atrophy, wither, shrivel, diminish |
| COMplement | n. something that completes a whole; the quantity or number needed to make up a whole; the full number or allowance; v. to complete; SYN: balance, round out |
| contuMAcious | adj. obstinately or willfully disobedient; openly rebellious; SYN: impudent, unruly, defiant, refractory; ANT: docile, meek, deferential, copperative |
| curMUGeon | n. an irascible, churlish person; SYN: grouch, crank, sorehead, churl |
| diDACtic | adj. intended to instruct, especially morally; inclined to moralize too much; SYN: educational, instructional, moralistic |
| disinGENuous | adj. lacking in sincerity or candor; SYN: artful, sly, two-faced, insincere; ANT: candid, frank, artless, sincere |
| EXculpate | v. to clear of guilt or blame; SYN: absolve, exonerate, acquit; ANT: convict, condemn |
| faux PAS | n. a slip in manners or conduct; a social blunder; SYN: indiscretion, gaffe; ANT: coup, tour de force |
| FULminate | v. to denounce or condemn vehemently; to explode, detonate; SYN; rail, inveigh; ANT: praise, applaud, commend, extol |
| FUStian | n. inflated or pretentious language in speech or writing; a cloth made of cotton and flax; SYN; rant, claptrap, bombast, grandiloquence |
| hauTEUR | n. haughtiness of bearing or attitude; SYN: conceit, superciliousness, snobbishness; ANT: modesty, humility, diffidence, mousiness |
| inHIBit | v. to retrain or hold back; to hinder or arrest; to prohibit; SYN: repress, check, suppress; ANT: foster, promote, expedite, facilitate. |
| jereMIad | n. an elaborate or prolonged lamentation; any tale of woe; ANT: paean, song of praise |
| opporTUnist | n. one who makes a practice of taking advantage of circumstances to further his or her own self-interest, regardless of principles or ultimate consequences; SYN: self-seeker, exploiter |
| unCONscionable | adj. not guided or restrained by conscience, prudence, or reason; unscrupulous; immoderate; SYN: unjustifiable, indefensible, unforgivable; ANT: justifiable, reasonable, honorable |
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