Mrs. Dalloway Vocab

antediluvian (adj)

of or relating to the period before the flood described in the Bible, made, evolved, or developed a long time ago, extremely primitive or outmoded

antediluvian synonyms

ancient, archaic, venerable, antique

antediluvian antonyms

modern, young, current

bravado (noun)

confident or brave talk or behavior that is intended to impress other people

bravado synonyms

arrogance, attitude, boastfulness

bravado antonyms

shyness, bashfulness, diffidence, demureness

buccaneer (noun)

someone who engages in robbery of ships at sea

buccaneer synonyms

pirate, corsair, privateer, rover, raider

burgher (noun)

as in citizen

a person who lives in a town on a permanent basis

burgher synonyms

citizen, villager, resident, occupant

burgher antonyms

tourist, foreigner, noncitizen

cotes (noun)

a shed or coop for small domestic animals and especially pigeons

cotes synonyms

folds, dovecotes, kraals, stockades

equivocation (noun)

as in ambiguity

deliberate evasion in speech

equivocation (noun)

ambiguity, shuffle, circumlocution

equivocation antonyms

frankness, candor, plainness, openness

evanescent (adj)

as in flash

lasting only for a short time

evanescent synonyms

flash, transient, ephemeral, brief, passing, transitory

evanescent antonyms

permanent, everlasting, endless, eternal

hoary (adj)

as in ancient

dating or surviving from the distant past

hoary synonyms

ancient, antique, venerable

hoary antonyms

modern, young, new, youthful

impute (verb)

as in to ascribe

to explain (something) as being the result of something else

impute synonyms

ascribe, attribute

impute antonyms

absolve, exculpate, exonerate

invective (noun)

as in abuse

harsh insulting language

invective synonyms

abuse, criticism, fulmination, vituperation, scurrility

invective antonyms

• praise

• applause

• acclaim

onerous (adj)

as in tough

difficult to endure

onerous synonyms

• tough

• harsh

• oppressive

• searing

• hard

• severe

• brutal

• rough

• burdensome

onerous antonyms

• easy

• light

• soft

• comfortable

• pleasant

pragmatic (adj)

as in practical

willing to see things as they really are and deal with them sensibly

pragmatic synonyms

• practical

• realistic

• sensible

• logical

• rational

• cynical

pragmatic antonyms

• idealistic

• impractical

• unrealistic

• utopian

• visionary

• imaginative

presentiment (noun)

as in premonition

a feeling that something bad will happen

presentiment synonyms

• premonition

• feel

• fear

• suspicion

• worry

• foreboding

presentiment antonyms

calm

propagate (verb)

as in to reproduce

to bring forth offspring

propagate synonyms

• reproduce

• multiply

• breed

• produce

• generate

• procreate

propagate antonyms

• hold (in)

• conceal

• hide

• secrete

• obscure

• veil

rectitude (noun)

as in morality

conduct that conforms to an accepted standard of right and wrong

rectitude synonyms

• morality

• integrity

• virtue

• honesty

• goodness

rectitude antonyms

• evil

• immorality

• wickedness

• sin

• badness

• villainy

somnolent (adj)

as in sleepy

desiring or needing sleep

somnolent synonyms

• sleepy

• sleeping

• resting

• drowsy

somnolent antonyms

• conscious

• awake

• wakeful

• alert

• wide-awake

• restless

staunch (adj)

as in devout

firm in one's allegiance to someone or something

staunch synonyms

• devout

• steadfast

• true

• loyal

staunch antonyms

• traitorous

• treacherous

• faithless

• disloyal

• false

• fickle

stolid (adj)

(of a person) calm, dependable, showing little emotion

stolid synonyms

• blank

• impassive

• expressionless

• enigmatic

• motionless

• vacant

stolid antonyms

• expressive

• demonstrative

• engaged

• active

• dynamic

• responsive

• interested

• energetic

• lively

suavity (noun)

being charming, confident, and elegant

suavity synonyms

• gracefulness

• gentility

• poise

• gallantry

• grace

• suaveness

• charm

• diplomacy

• tact

suavity antonyms

• awkwardness

• gracelessness

• discourtesy

• indelicacy

• thoughtlessness

• inconsiderateness

unscrupulous (adj)

having or showing no moral principles, not honest or fair

unscrupulous synonyms

• immoral

• ruthless

• corrupt

• unprincipled

• unethical

unscrupulous antonyms

• ethical

• moral

• scrupulous