Sadlier-Oxford Vocabulary Workshop Level E Unit 12

abjure

(v.) to renounce, repudiate under oath; to avoid, shun

s: forswear, retract, recant, abstain from

a: affirm, avow, avert, profess

acrid

(adj.) harsh in taste or odor; sharp in manner or temper

s: irritating, stinging, bitter, caustic

a: gentle, soothing, mild

august

(adj.) majestic, inspiring admiration and respect

s: stately, dignified, exalted, venerable

a: humble, base, mean, lowly, abject

callous

(adj.) emotionally hardened, unfeelings

s: insensitive, unsympathetic, thick-skinned

a: sensitive, compassionate, tenderhearted

clandestine

(adj.) secret, concealed; underhanded

s: covert, furtive, surreptitious, stealthy

a: open, overt, undisguised, aboveboard

compunction

(n.) remorse, regret

s: scruple, qualm, misgiving, contrition

a: shamelessness, insouciance, nonchalance

conflagration

(n.) a large destructive fire

s: holocaust, wildfire

a: deluge, flood

elated

(adj., part) in high spirits, jubilant; extremely pleased

s: overjoyed, ecstatic, tickled pink

a: depressed, crestfallen, despondent, blue

indelible

(adj.) not able to be erased or removed; memorable

s: lasting, permanent, unforgettable

a: erasable, impermanent, ephemeral

indulgent

(adj.) yielding to the wishes or demands of others

s: lenient, permissive, tolerant, liberal

a: strict, severe, inflexible, hard-nosed

inveterate

(adj.) firmly established, long-standing; habitual

s: persisting, chronic, dyed-in-the-wool

a: sporadic, intermittent, occasional

irrelevant

(adj.) not to the point, not applicable or pertinent

s: inapplicable, immaterial, beside the point

a: pertinent, material, apropos, germane

nocturnal

(adj.) of or occurring in the night; under cover of darkness

s: nighttime

a: daytime, diurnal

platitude

(n.) a commonplace, stale, or trite remark

s: cliche, truism, bromide

a: epigram, quip, witticism, bon mot

quell

(v.) to subdue, put down forcibly

s: suppress, pacify, squelch, quash, crush

a: incite, provoke, arouse, foment, stir up

quiescent

(adj.) inactive; at rest

s: still, insert, motionless, dormant, tranquil

a: active, thriving, lively, bustling, volatile

ruminate

(v.) to meditate, think about at length; to chew the cud

s: ponder, reflect, mull over, muse

tacit

(adj.) unspoken, silent; implied, inferred

s: unexpressed, unvoiced, understood, implicit

a: explicit, express, specific

tangible

(adj.) capable of being touched; real, concrete

s: preceptible, actual, evident, palpable

a: immaterial, imperceptible, insubstantial

trenchant

(adj.) incisive, keen; forceful, effective; cutting, caustic; distinct, clear-cut

s: penetrating, cutting, telling, acute

a: dull, bland, insipid, vapid, imperceptive