Upgrade to remove ads
Only $2.99/month

Sadlier Level F - Units 11-15

Terms in this set (100)

adamant
(adj) firm in purpose or opinion, unyielding, obdurate, implacable, inflexible
(n) an extremely hard substance
A: yielding, flexible, pliable
brouhaha
(n) a confused hodgepodge of sounds, hubbub; an uproar or commotion that goes far beyond what is justified
S: hullabaloo, tumult, pandemonium
bulwark
(n) a strong defense or protection, a solid wall-like structure for defense
(v) to provide such defense or protection
S: bastion, rampart
A: breach
choleric
(adj) easily made angry, bad-tempered
S: irascible, testy, splenetic, bilious
A: affable, genial, even-tempered
cloy
(v) to spoil or destroy an appetite by too much indulgence, especially in sweet or rich things; to glut, satiate, surfeit
S: stimulate, whet
curtail
(v) to cut short, bring to a halt, or end sooner than expected; to reduce
S: limit, abbreviate, abridge, contract
A: protract, extend
deference
(n) courteous yielding to the wishes and ideas of another person; great respect marked by submission, as to a superior
S: respect, consideration
A: contempt, distain
definitive
(adj) conclusive, final, the limit of what can be done
S: exhaustive, authoritative
A: tentative
demeanor
(n) the way a person behaves, overall impression made by comportment, manner, etc.; facial appearance, mien
S: conduct, behavior, carriage
enigmatic
(adj) puzzling, perplexing, inexplicable, not easily understood
S: baffling, mysterious, inexplicable
A: intelligible, understandable, fathomable
impromptu
(adj, avb) without preparation, offhand, suddenly or hastily done
(n) an extemporaneous composition or remark; a minimal piece suggestive of improvisation
S: spontaneous, improvised, unrehearsed
A: rehearsed, planned, premeditated
mawkish
(adj) excessively and objectionably sentimental; having a mildly sickening flavor
S: sentimentalized, mushy, nauseating
A: unsentimental, callous, insensitive
mollify
(v) to soften; to calm, allay (as in emotion); reduce in intensity
S: pacify, placate
A: aggravate, exacerbate
onus
(n) something that is heavy or burdensome (especially an unwelcome responsibility); a stigma; blame
S: obligation, duty
presentiment
(n) a vague sense of approaching misfortune
S: foreboding, premonition, hunch
prolifigate
(adj) given over to dissipation and self-indulgence, immoral; recklessly extravagant
(n) a person given to wild spending
S: prodigal, improvident, spendthrift
A: penny-pinching, frugal, economical
remit
(v) to send or hand in (as money); to cancel (as a penalty or punishment), forgive; to lessen, diminish; postpone, defer
S: absolve, subside, abate, pardon
requisite
(adj) needed, necessary, regarded as essential or indispensable
S: required, obligatory, incumbent
A: nonessential, superfluous, optional
sartorial
(adj) of or pertaining to a tailor or his work; having to do with clothes or dress (especially men's)
thwart
(v) to oppose successfully; to prevent, frustrate
S: foil, baffle
A: aid, assist, abet, further
absolve
(v) to clear from blame, responsibility, or guilt
S: acquit, exonerate, vindicate, excuse, pardon
A: condemn, convict, incriminate, inculpate
caricature
(n) a representation, such as a drawing, that exaggerates a subject's characteristic features
(v) to present someone or something in a deliberately distorted way
S: cartoon, burlesque, lanpoon
clangor
(n) a loud ringing sound
(v) to make a loud ringing noise
S: din, clamor, uproar
A: silence, stillness, peace and quiet
contiguous
(adj) side by side, touching; near; adjacent in time
S: abutting, next door to
A: detached, apart, distant, remote
cupidity
(n) an eager desire for something; greed
S: avarice, craving, lust
A: contentment, satiety, gratification
deleterious
(adj) harmful, injurious
S: detrimental, destructive, pernicious, damaging
A: helpful, beneficial, harmless, innocuous
enhance
(v) to raise to a higher degree; to increase the value or desirability of
S: improve, elevate
A: diminish, degrade
enthrall
(v) to captivate, charm, hold spellbound; to enslave; to imprison
S: fascinate, attract
A: bore to tears, repel
extenuate
(v) to lessen the seriousness or magnitude of an offense by making partial excuses
S: moderate, mitigate, diminish, downplay
A: intensify, magnified, worsen, exacerbate
implicit
(adj) implied or understood though unexpressed; without doubts or reservations, unquestioning; potentially contained in
S: inferred, tacit, unspoken, unconditional
A: explicit, expressed, stated, revealed
incisive
(adj) sharp, keen, penetrating (with a suggestion of decisiveness and effectiveness)
S: acute, cutting, perceptive
inimical
(adj) tending to cause harm or obstruct developments; being oppositional or adverse
S: unfriendly, hostile, antagonistic, contrary
A: friendly, hospitable, kind
ostentatious
(adj) marked by conspicuous or pretentious display, showy
S: flashy, overdone, affected, flamboyant
A: modest, plain, simple, demure, retiring
paragon
(n) a model of excellence or perfection
S: ideal, paradigm, model, good example
politic
(adj) prudent, shrewdly conceived and developed; artful, expedient
S: tactful, diplomatic, judicious, circumspect
A: unwise, injudicious, imprudent, rash
prosaic
(adj) dull, lacking in distinction and originality; matter-of-fact, straightforward; characteristic of prose, not poetic
S: literal, pedestrian
A: remarkable, poetic
redundant
(adj) extra, excess, more than is needed; wordy, repetitive; profuse, lush
S: unnecessary, superfluous, verbose, prolix
A: terse, laconic, scarce, inadequate
sanctimonious
(adj) making a show of virtue or righteousness; hypocritically moralistic or pious, self-righteous, canting, holier-than-thou
S: heartfelt, sincere, humble
scintillating
(adj, part) sparkling, twinkling, exceptionally brilliant (applied to mental or personal qualities)
S: stimulating, glittering
A: dull, boring, insipid
winsome
(adj) charming, attractive, pleasing (often suggesting a childlike charm and innocence)
S: winning, delightful, prepossessing
A: unattractive, unappealing, repulsive
amenable
(adj) willing to follow advise or authority, tractable, submissive; responsive; liable to be held responsible
S: agreeable, compliant, docile
A: unresponsive, resistant, recalicitrant
berate
(v) to scold sharply
S: chide, rebuke, reprove, reprimand
A: praise, compliment, pat on the back
carnage
(n) large-scale slaughter or loss of life
S: butchery, bloodbath, masacre
credulous
(adj) too ready to believe, easily deceived
S: gullible, trusting
A: dubious, skeptical
criterion
(n) a rule, test; a standard for judgement or evaluation
S: yardstick, touchstone, gauge, canon
deplete
(v) to use up as a result of spending or consumption; to diminish greatly
S: exhaust, empty, drain, bankrupt
A: replenish, refill, restock, resupply
expatiate
(v) to expand on, write or talk at length or in detail; to move about freely
S: elaborate, enlarge, descant, wander, roam
A: sketch roughly, summarize, condense, adumbrate
extraneous
(adj) coming from the outside, foreign; present but not essential, irrelevant
S: incidental, extrinsic, adventitious
A: intrinsic, relevant, pertinent, germane
inception
(n) the beginning, start, earliest stage of some process, institution, etc.
S: commencement, inauguration, outset
A: completion, conclusion, termination
infirmity
(n) a weakness or ailment (physical, mental, moral, etc.)
S: affliction, malady, defect
jejune
(adj) lacking in nutritive value; lacking in interest or substance; immature, juvenile
S: puerile, childish
A: stimulating, mature
obdurate
(adj) stubborn, unyielding
S: obstinate, adamant
A: tractable, flexible
potpourri
(n) a collection of diverse or miscellaneous items; a general mixture; petals mixed with spices for scent
S: hodgepodge, farrago, medley
A: homogeneous or uniform group
precocious
(adj) showing unusually early development (especially in talents and mental capacity)
S: gifted, advanced
A: backward, slow
sadistic
(adj) delighting in cruelty, excessively cruel
S: brutal, vicious, inhuman, fiendish
A: masochistic, clement, humane, merciful
sententious
(adj) self-righteous, characterized by moralizing; given to use of maxims or adages; saying much in few words, pithy
S: aphoristic, epigrammatic, moralistic
A: discursive, diffuse, episodic
supplicate
(v) to beg earnestly and humbly
S: plead, petition, implore
surfeit
(n) an excess or overindulgence, as in eating or drinking, causing disgust
(v) to feed or supply with anything to excess
S: glut, satiate
A: dearth, paucity
tortuous
(adj) winding, twisted, crooked; highly involved, complex; devious
S: circuitous, serpentine, labyrinthine
A: direct, straight, straightfoward
turgid
(adj) swollen, bloated, filled to excess; overdecorated or excessive language
S: inflated, pompous, bombastic
A: understated, unadorned, austere
abet
(v) to encourage, assist, aid, support (especially in something wrong or unworthy)
A: hamper, hinder, impede, frustrate
aver
(v) to affirm, declare confidently
S: assert, asseverate, avouch
A: deny, repudiate, disclaim
blatant
(adj) noisy in a coarse, offensive way; obvious or conspicuous, especially in an unfavorable sense
S: flagrant, glaring, egregious, disagreeably loud
A: inconsequential, trifling, piddling, petty
broach
(v) to bring up or begin to talk about (a subject); to announce, introduce; to break the surface of the water; to turn sideways to the wind and waves; to pierce (a keg or cask) in order to draw off liquid
(n) a spit for roasting; a tool for tapping casks
buttress
(v) to support, prop up, strengthen
(n) a supporting structure
S: bolster, reinforce, brace, shore up
A: undermine, weaken, impair
carousal
(n) noisy revelry or merrymaking (often with a suggestion of heavy drinking)
S: binge, jamboree
collate
(v) to compare critically in order to note differences, similarities, etc.; to arrange in order for some specific purpose
S: sort out, cross-check
connoisseur
(n) an expert; one who is well qualified to pass critical judgments, especially in one of the fine arts
S: savant, pundit
A: ignoramus, philistine
disconsolate
(adj) deeply unhappy or dejected; without hope, beyond consolation
S: grief-stricken, inconsolable
A: cheerful, blithe, buoyant, jaunty
encumber
(v) to weigh down or burden (with difficulties, cares, debt, etc.); to fill up, block up, hinder
S: overload, clog
A: unburden, unload, relieve
foment
(v) to promote trouble or rebellion; to apply warm liquids to, warm
S: instigate, incite, stir up
A: quell, quash, squelch, suppress
grisly
(adj) frightful, horrible, ghastly
S: gruesome, gory
A: pleasant, delightful
herculean
(adj) relating to Hercules; characterized by great strength; very hard to do in the sense of requiring unusual strength
S: mighty, powerful, arduous, onerous
A: puny, Lilliputian, bandam
impassive
(adj) showing no feeling or emotion; inanimate; motionless
S: emotionless, stoical, insensible
A: emotional, passionate, exitable
inauspicious
(adj) unfavorable, unlucky, suggesting bad luck for the future
S: unpropitious, unpromising, untimely
A: propitious, favorable
incontrovertible
(adj) unquestionable, beyond dispute
S: incontestable, indisputable, indubitable
A: debatable, dubious, open to question
nonplussed
(adj, part) puzzled, not knowing what to do, at a loss
S: perplexed, stumped, flabbergasted
A: poised, confident, assured
opportune
(adj) suitable or convenient for a particular purpose; occurring at an appropriate time
S: timely, appropriate, felicitous
A: untimely, inconvenient, inappropriate
prolific
(adj) abundantly productive; abundant, profuse
S: fruitful, fecund, proliferates
A: barren, unproductive, sterile, sparse
rejoinder
(n) a reply to a reply, especially from the defendant in a legal suit
S: reply, response, riposte, retort
abstemious
(adj.) moderate, sparing (as in eating and drinking); characterized by abstinence and self-discipline
S: temperate, sober, moderate
A: indulgent, immoderate, intemperate
censurable
(adj.) deserving of blame or correction
S: blameworthy, discreditable, reprehensible
A: commendable, laudable, meritorious
contingent
(adj.) likely but not certain to happen, possible; dependent on uncertain events or conditions; happening by chance; (n.) a representative group forming part of a larger body
S: (adj) conditional, dependent; (n) a detachment
A: (adj) independent of, unconnected with, certain
corroborate
(v.) to confirm, make more certain, bolster, substantiate, verify
A: (adj) refute, contradict, undermine, discredit
denizen
(n.) an inhabitant, resident; one who frequents a place
S: dweller, habitue
A: alien, outsider, foreigner
discursive
(adj.) passing aimlessly from one place or subject to another, rambling, roving, nomadic
S: diffuse, wandering, episodic
A: short and to the point, succinct
disseminate
(v.) to scatter or spread widely
S: disperse, publicize, broadcast, circulate
A: bring together, concentrate, muster, conceal, hide
dowdy
(adj.) poorly dressed, shabby; lacking smartness and good taste
S: frumpy, frowsy
A: chic, elegant, fashionable
florid
(adj.) highly colored, reddish; excessively ornate, showy
S: flushed, ruddy, frilly, flamboyant
A: pale, ashen, pallid, sallow, austere, stark
foist
(v.) to impose by fraud; to pass off as worthy to genuine; to bring about by stealth, dishonesty, or coercion
S: pass off, palm off, fob off
gauche
(adj.) awkward, lacking in social graces, tactless, clumsy
S: inept, uncouth, maladroit
A: adroit, tactful, diplomatic, politic
heresy
(n.) an opinion different from accepted belief; the denial of an idea that is generally held sacred
S: unorthodox belief, heterodoxy
A: orthodoxy
inculcate
(v.) to impress on the mind by repetition, teach persistently and earnestly
S: instill, implant, infuse, ingrain, imbue
A: efface, extirpate, root out
palpable
(adj.) capable of being touched or felt; easily seen, heard, or recognized
S: obvious, manifest
A: intangible, insubstantial
perceptive
(adj.) having sympathetic insight or understanding, capable of keen appreciation
S: insightful, discerning
A: dense, obtuse
pernicious
(adj.) extremely harmful; deadly, fatal
S: injurious, deleterious, baleful, noxious
A: harmless, innocuous, salutary, salubrious
salient
(adj.) leaping, jumping, or springing forth; prominent, standing out, conspicuous; (n.) a projection or bulge, a land form that projects upward or outward
S: (adj) striking, notable, protrusive, obvious
A: (adj) inconspicuous, recessive
satiate
(v.) to satisfy completely; to fill to excess; (adj.) full, satisfied
S: (v) surfeit, gorge
A: (v) deprive entirely of
sear
(v.) to make or become dry and withered; to char or scorch the surface of; to hard or make unfeeling; to parch, singe
specious
(adj.) deceptive, apparently good or valid but lacking real merit
S: deceptively plausible, sophistic, casuistic
A: valid, sound, solid, genuine
THIS SET IS OFTEN IN FOLDERS WITH...