1.
absolve: to clear from blame, responsibility, or guilt
s: acquit, exonerate, vindicate, excuse, pardon
a: condemn, convict, incriminate, inculpate
2.
abstemious: moderate, sparing (as in eating and drinking); characterized by abstinence and self-discipline
s: temperate, sober, moderate
a: indulgent, immoderate, intemperate
3.
caricature: a representation (especially a drawing) in which the subject's characteristic features are deliberately exaggerated; to present someone or something in a deliberately distorted way
s: cartoon, burlesque, parody, lampoon
4.
censurable: deserving of blame or correction
s: blameworthy, discreditable, reprehensible
a: commendable, laudable, meritorious
5.
clangor: a loud ringing sound; to make a loud ringing sound
s: din, clamor, uproar
a: silence, stillness, peace and quiet
6.
contiguous: side by side, touching; near; adjacent in time
s: adjoining, abutting, next door to
a: detached, apart, distant, remote
7.
contingent: like but not certain to happen, possible; dependent on uncertain events or conditions; happening by chance; a representative group forming part of a larger body
s: conditional, dependent, a detachment
a: independent of, unconnected with, certain
8.
corroborate: to confirm, make more certain, bolster, substantiate, verify
a: refute, contradict, undermine, discredit
9.
cupidity: an eager desire for something; greed
s: avarice, rapacity, craving, lust
a: generosity, contentment, satiation, gratification
10.
deleterious: harmful, injurious
s: detrimental, destructive, pernicious, damaging
a: helpful, beneficial, harmless, innocuous
11.
denizen: an inhabitant, resident; one who frequents a place
s: resident, dweller, habitue
a: alien, outsider, stranger, foreigner
12.
discursive: passing aimlessly from one place or subject to another, rambling, roving, nomadic
s: digressive, diffuse, wandering, episodic
a: short and to the point, succinct
13.
disseminate: to scatter or spread widely
s: disperse, publicize, broadcast, circulate
a: bring together, concentrate, muster, conceal, hide
14.
dowdy: poorly dressed, shabby; lacking smartness and good taste
15.
enhance: to raise to a higher degree; to increase the value or desirability of
s: improve, magnify, heighten, elevate
a: diminish, reduce, lessen, degrade
16.
enthrall: to captivate, charm, hold spellbound; to enslave; to imprison
s: fascinate, enchant, attract, bewitch
a: bore to tears, repel, put someone off
17.
extenuate: to lessen the seriousness or magnitude of an offense by making partial excuses
s: moderate, mitigate, diminish, downplay
a: intensify, aggravate, worsen, exacerbate
18.
florid: highly colored, reddish; excessively ornate, showy
s: flushed, ruddy, flowery, frilly, flamboyant
a: pale, ashen, pallid, sallow, austere, stark
19.
foist: to impose by fraud; to pass off as worthy or genuine; to bring about by stealth, dishonesty, or coercion
20.
gauche: awkward, lacking in social graces, tactless, clumsy
s: inept, uncouth, maladroit
a: adroit, tactful, diplomatic, politic
21.
heresy: an opinion different from accepted belief; the denial of an idea that is generally held sacred
s: unorthodox belief, heterodoxy
a: orthodoxy
22.
implicit: implied or understood though unexpressed; without doubts or reservations, unquestioning; potentially contained in
s: inferred, tacit, unspoken, unconditional
a: explicit, expressed, stated, revealed
23.
incisive: sharp, keen, penetrating (with a suggestion of decisiveness and effectiveness)
s: acute, cutting, perceptive, trenchant
24.
inculcate: to impress on the mind by repetition, teach persistently and earnestly
25.
ostentatious: marked by conspicuous or pretentious display, showy
s: flashy, overdone, affected, flamboyant
a: modest, plain, simple, demure, retiring
26.
palpable: capable of being touched or felt; easily seen, heard, or recognized
s: tangible, plain, obvious, manifest
a: intangible, insubstantial, incorporeal
27.
paragon: a model of excellence or perfection
s: exemplar, ideal, paradigm, model, good example
28.
paraphrase: to restate in other words; a statement that presents a given idea in new language
s: reword, rephrase, a rendition, version
a: repeat verbatim, duplicate, quote
29.
perceptive: having sympathetic insight or understanding, capable of keen appreciation
s: insightful, discerning, observant
a: dense, thick, obtuse, dim-witted
30.
pernicious: extremely harmful; deadly, fatal
s: injurious, deleterious, baleful, noxious
a: harmless, innocuous, salutary, salubrious
31.
politic: prudent, shrewdly conceived and developed; artful, expedient
s: tactful, diplomatic, judicious, circumspect
a: unwise, injudicious, imprudent, rash
32.
prosaic: dull, lacking in distinction and originality; matter-of-fact, straightforward; characteristic of prose, not poetic
s: commonplace, humdrum, literal, pedestrian
a: remarkable, distinctive, poetic, inspired
33.
redundant: extra, excess, more than is needed; wordy, repetitive; profuse, lush
s: unnecessary, superfluous, verbose, prolix
a: succinct, terse, laconic, scarce, inadequate
34.
salient: leaping, jumping, or springing forth; prominent, standing out, conspicuous; a projection or bulge, a land form that projects upward or outward
35.
sanctimonious: making a showing of virtue or righteousness; hypocritically moralistic or pious, self-righteous, canting, holier-than thou
s: heartfelt, sincere, humble
36.
satiate: to satisfy completely; to fill to excess; full, satisfied
s: gratify, cloy, surfeit, gorge
a: starve, deprive entirely of
37.
scintillating: sparkling, twinkling, exceptionally brilliant (applied to mental or personal qualities)
s: stimulating, lively, glittering, flashing
a: dull, boring insipid, flat, tame, vapid
38.
sear: to make or become dry and withered; to char or scorch the surface of; to harden or make unfeeling; to parch dessicate, singe
39.
specious: deceptive, apparently good or valid but lacking real merit
s: deceptively plausible, sophistic, casuistic
a: valid, sound, solid, genuine
40.
winsome: charming, attractive, pleasing (often suggesting a childlike charm and innocence)
s: winning, engaging, delightful, prepossessing
a: unattractive, unappealing, repulsive
