Level G Unit 4-6

atrophy

atrophy

(n) the wasting away of a body organ or tissue; any progressive decline or failure; (v) to waste away

Syn: degeneration, deterioration; wither

Ant: growth, mature

bastion

(n) a fortified place, stronghold

Syn: citadel, rampart, bulwark, parapet

concord

(n) a state of agreement, harmony, unanimity; a treaty, pact, covenant

syn: discord, strife, disagreement

consummate

(adj) complete or perfect in the highest degree; (v) to bring to a state of completion or perfection

Syn: masterful; clinch, conclude

Ant: launch, initiate, begin, kick off

disarray

(n) disorder, confusion; (v) to throw into disorder

Syn: disorganization; mess up, dishevel

Ant: organization, order, tidiness

exigency

(n) urgency, pressure; urgent demand, pressing need; an emergency

Syn: requirement, crisis

flotsam

(n) floating debris; homeless, impoverished people

Syn: floating wreckage

frenetic

(adj) frenzied, highly agitated

Syn: frantic, overwrought

Ant: calm controlled, relaxed, leisurely

glean

(v) to gather bit by bit; to gather small quantities of grain left in a field by the reapers

Syn: collect, cull, pick up

grouse

(n) a type of game bird; a complaint; (v) to grumble

Syn: gripe, kvetch, bellyache

incarcerate

(v) to imprison, confine, jail

Syn: intern, immune

Ant: liberate, free

incumbent

(adj) obligatory, required; (n) one who holds a specific office at the time spoken of

Syn: mandatory, necessary

Ant: optional, unnecessary

jocular

(adj) humorous, jesting, jolly, joking

Syn: waggish, facetious, droll, witty

Ant: solemn, grave, earnest, grim

ludicrous

(adj) ridiculous, laughable, absurd

Syn: risible, preposterous

Ant: heartrending, poignant, pathetic

mordant

(adj) biting or caustic in though, manner, or style; sharply or bitterly harsh

Syn: acrimonious, acidulous, sardonic, scathing

Ant: bland mild, gentle, soothing

nettle

(n) a prickly or stinging plant; (v) to arouse displeasure, impatience, or anger; to vex or irritate severely

Syn: peeve, annoy, incense, gall, irk

Ant: please, delight, soothe, pacify

pecuniary

(adj) consisting of or measured in money; of or related to money

Syn: monetary, financial

pusillanimous

(adj) contemptibly cowardly or mean-spirited

Syn: craven, lily-livered

Ant: stouthearted, courageous

recumbent

(adj) in a reclining position, lying down, in the posture of one sleeping or resting

Syn: prone, prostrate, supine, inactive

Ant: erect, energetic, dynamic

stratagem

(n) a scheme to outwit or deceive an opponent or to gain an end

Syn: ruse, trick, ploy, subterfuge

Acuity

(n.) Sharpness (particularly of the mind or senses)

(SYN: acuteness)

(ANT: dullness, obtuseness)

Delineate

(v.) To portray, sketch, or describe in accurate and vivid detail; to represent pictorially.

(SYN: picture, render)

Depraved

(adj.) Marked by evil and corruption, devoid of moral principles.

(SYN: perverted, degenerate, vicious, corrupt)

(ANT: moral, virtuous, upright, uncorrupted)

Enervate

(v.) To weaken or lessen the mental, moral, or physical vigor of; enfeeble, hamstring.

(SYN: impair, cripple, paralyze)

(ANT: invigorate, strengthen, buttress)

Esoteric

(adj.) Intended for or understood by only a select few, private, secret.

(SYN: cryptic, arcane, recondite)

(ANT: accessible, comprehensible, intelligible)

Fecund

(adj.) Fruitful in offspring or vegetation; intellectually productive.

(SYN: fertile, teeming, prolific)

(ANT: infertile, barren, unproductive)

Fiat

(n.) An arbitrary order or decree; a command or act of will or consciousness.

(SYN: dictum, ukase)

Figment

(n.) A fabrication of the mind; an arbitrary notion.

(SYN: invention, fancy)

Garner

(v.) To acquire as the result of effort; to gather and store away, as for future use.

(SYN: collect, accumulate, accrue)

(ANT: scatter, squander, waste, dissipate)

Hallow

(v.) To set apart as holy or sacred, sanctify, consecrate; to honor greatly, revere.

(SYN: venerate, bless)

(ANT: defile, profane, sacrilege)

Idiosyncrasy

(n.) A peculiarity that serves to distinguish or identify.

(SYN: quirk, mannerism)

Ignominy

(n.) Shame and disgrace.

(SYN: humiliation, disrepute, odium)

(ANT: honor, acclaim)

Mundane

(adj.) Earthly, worldly, relating to practical and material affairs; concerned with what is ordinary.

(SYN: prosaic, humdrum, routine, sublunary)

(ANT: heavenly, spiritual, transcendental)

Nuance

(n.) A subtle or slight variation (as in color, meaning, quality)

(SYN: shade, nicety, refinement)

Overweening

(adj.) Conceited, presumptuous; excessive, immoderate.

(SYN: arrogant, unbridled, inflated)

(ANT: restrained, understated, meek)

Penchant

(n.) A strong attraction or inclination.

(SYN: proclivity, predilection)

(ANT: disinclination, aversion)

Reputed

(adj.) According to reputation or general belief; having widespread acceptance and good reputation; (part.) alleged.

(SYN: putative, reputable)

(ANT: proven, corroborated, authenticated)

Sophistry

(n.) Reasoning that seems plausible but is actually unsound; a fallacy.

(SYN: specious reasoning)

Sumptuous

(adj.) Costly, rich, magnificent.

(SYN: lavish, munificent, opulent, splendid)

(ANT: skimpy, stingy, niggardly, spartan)

Ubiquitous

(adj.) Present or existing everywhere.

(SYN: pervasive, universal)

(ANT: restricted, limited, rare, scarce)

Abject

(adj.) Degraded; base, contemptible; cringing, servile; complete and unrelieved.

(SYN: wretched, miserable, ignoble, sheer, utter)

(ANT: noble, exalted)

Agnostic

(n.) One who believes that nothing can be known about God; a skeptic; (adj.) without faith, skeptical.

(SYN: doubter)

(ANT: believer)

Complicity

(n.) involvement in wrongdoing; the state of being an accomplice.

(SYN: connivance, collusion)

(ANT: non-involvement, innocence)

Derelict

(n.) Someone or something that is abandoned or neglected; (adj.) left abandoned; neglectful of duty.

(SYN: vagrant, delinquent)

(ANT: punctilious, conscientious, scrupulous)

Diatribe

(n.) A bitter and prolonged verbal attack.

(SYN: harangue, tirade)

(ANT: panegyric, encomium, eulogy)

Effigy

(n.) A crude image of a despised person.

(SYN: figure, figurine)

Equity

(n.) The state or quality of being just, fair or impartial; fair and equal treatment; something that is fair; the money value of a property above and beyond any mortgage or other claim.

(SYN: justice, fairness, impartiality)

(ANT: unfairness, bias, prejudice)

Inane

(Adj.) Silly, empty of meaning or value.

(SYN: idiotic, moronic, fatuous)

(ANT: sensible, meaningful, profound)

Indictment

(n.) The act of accusing; a formal accusation.

(SYN: charge, accusation)

Indubitable

(adj.) Certain, not to be doubted or denied.

(SYN: unquestionable, indisputable)

(ANT: questionable, debatable, dubious)

Intermittent

(adj.) Stopping and beginning again, sporadic.

(SYN: fitful, spasmodic, random)

(ANT: uninterrupted)

Moot (adj.) (n.) (v.)

(adj.) open to discussion and debate, unresolved; (v.) to bring up for discussion; (n.) a hypothetical law case argued by students.

(SYN: debatable, questionable, broach)

(ANT: undebatable, indisputable, self-evident)

Motif

(n.) A principal idea, feature, theme, or element; a repeated or dominant figure in a design.

Neophyte

(n.) A new convert, beginner, novice.

(SYN: tenderfoot, tyro, greenhorn)

(ANT: veteran, past master, expert, pro)

Perspicacity

(n.) Keenness in observing and understanding.

(SYN: acumen, discernment)

(ANT: dullness, obtuseness)

Plenary

(adj.) Complete in all aspects or essentials; absolute; attended by all qualified members.

(SYN: unrestricted)

(ANT: limited, restricted, incomplete)

Surveillance

(n.) A watch kept over a person; careful, close and disciplined observation.

(SYN: observation, monitoring)

Sylvan

(adj.) Pertaining to or characteristic of forests; living or located in a forest; wooded, woody.

(SYN: arcadian)

Testy

(adj.) Easily irritated; characterized by impatience and exasperation.

(SYN: irritable, peevish, waspish, petulant)

(ANT: imperturbable, unexcitable)

Travesty

(n.) A grotesque or grossly inferior imitation; a disguise, especially the clothing of the opposite sex; (v.) to ridicule by imitating in a broad or burlesque fashion.

(SYN: burlesque, caricature, farce)