Ap Seminar Unit 10-12

askance

(adv.) with suspicion, distrust, or disapproval

Synonyms: suspiciously

attenuate

(v.) to make thin or slender; to weaken or lessen in force, intensity, or value

Synonyms: thin out, dilute, water down
A: thicken, strengthen, bolster

think: you pay ATTENtion to someone starting to look thin

benign

(adj.) gentle, kind; forgiving, understanding; having a favorable or beneficial effect; not malignant

Synonyms: harmless
A: malevolent

cavil

(v.) to find fault in a petty way, carp; (n.) a trivial objection or criticism

Synonym: (v.) nitpick

charlatan

(n.) one who feigns knowledge or ability; a pretender, impostor, or quack

Synonym: mountebank

decimate

(v.) to kill or destroy a large part of

Synonym: devastate

foible

(n.) a weak point, failing, minor flaw

Synonyms: shortcoming
A: forte

forgo

(v.) to do without, abstain from, give up

Synonyms: refrain from
A: partake of

fraught

(adj.) full of or loaded with; accompanied by

Synonyms: charged with
A: lacking

inure

(v.) to toughen, harden; to render used to something by long subjection or exposure

Synonyms: acclimate

luminous

(adj.) emitting or reflecting light, glowing; illuminating

Synonyms: bright
A: dark

obsequious

(adj.) Marked by slavish attentiveness; excessively submissive, often for purely self-interested reasons

Synonyms: servile
A: candid

obtuse

(adj.) blunt, not coming to a point; slow or dull in understanding; measuring between 90 and 180 degrees; not causing a sharp impression

Synonyms: dull-witted
A: quick-witted

oscillate

(v.) to swing back and forth with a steady rhythm; to fluctuate or waver

Synonym: vibrate

penitent

(adj.) regretful for one's sins or mistakes. (n.) one who is sorry for wrongdoing

Synonyms: (adj.) regretful
A: remorseless

peremptory

(adj.) having the nature of a command that leaves no opportunity for debate, denial, or refusal; offensively self-assured, dictatorial; determined, resolute

Synonym: unconditional
ant: irresolute

rebuff

(v.) to snub; to repel, drive away; (n.) a curt rejection, a check

Synonyms: reject
A: welcome

reconnoiter

(v.) to engage in reconnaissance; to make a preliminary inspection

Synonym: scout

shambles

(n.) a slaughterhouse; a place of mass bloodshed; a state of complete disorder and confusion, mess

sporadic

(adj.) occurring at irregular intervals, having no set plan or order

Synonyms: intermittent
A: steady

ambient

(adj.) completely surrounding, encompassing.

abrogate

(v.) to repeal, cancel, declare null and void.
synonyms: annul, revoke
antonyms: renew, ratify

asperity

(n.) roughness, severity; bitterness or tartness.
synonyms: rigor, harshness
antonyms: mildness, blandness, softness, lenience

burnish

(v.) to make smooth or glossy by rubbing, polish; (n.) gloss, brightness, luster.
synonyms: (v.) shine, buff
antonyms: (v.) dull, abrade

cabal

(n.) a small group working in secret.
synonyms: ring, gang, plot, conspiracy

delectable

(adj.) delightful, highly enjoyable; deliciously flavored, savory; (n.) an appealing or appetizing food or dish.
synonym: (adj.) scrumptious
antonyms: (adj.) repugnant, repulsive, distasteful

deprecate

(v.) to express mild disapproval; to belittle.
synonyms: deplore, frown upon
antonyms: smile on, approve

detritus

(n.) loose bits and pieces of material resulting from disintegration or wearing away; fragments that result from any destruction.
synonyms: wreckage, ruins, rubble

ebullient

(adj.) overflowing with enthusiasm and excitement; boiling, bubbling.
synonyms: exhilarated, elated
antonyms: gloomy, morose, sullen, apathetic, blasé

eclectic

(adj.) drawn from different sources; (n.) one whose beliefs are drawn from various sources.
synonyms: (adj.) selective, synthetic, pick-and-choose
antonyms: (adj.) uniform, monolithic

flaccid

(adj.) limp, not firm; lacking vigor or effectiveness.
synonyms: soft, flabby
antonyms: hard, solid

impecunious

(adj.) having little or no money.
synonyms: impoverished, indigent
antonyms: affluent, wealthy, prosperous, rich

inexorable

(adj.) inflexible, beyond influence; relentless, unyielding.
synonyms: ineluctable, obdurate
antonyms: avoidable, yielding, pliant

moribund

(adj.) dying, on the way out.
synonym: obsolescent
antonym: thriving

necromancer

(n.) one who claims to reveal or influence the future through magic, especially communication with the dead; in general, a magician or wizard.
synonyms: sorcerer, conjurer

onerous

(adj.) burdensome; involving hardship or difficulty.
synonym: weighty
antonyms: light, easy, undemanding, untaxing

rife

(adj.) common, prevalent, widespread, happening often; full, abounding; plentiful, abundant, replete.
antonyms: devoid of, lacking

rudiments

(n. pl.) the parts of any subject or discipline that are learned first; the earliest stages of anything.
synonyms: basics, fundamentals

sequester

(v.) to set apart, separate for a special purpose; to take possession of and hold in custody.
synonyms: segregate, isolate, closet

winnow

(v.) to get rid of something unwanted, delete; to sift through to obtain what is desirable; to remove the chaff from the wheat by blowing air on it; to blow on, fan.
synonyms: sift, strain, filter, sort

aesthetic

(adj.) pertaining to beauty; sensitive or responsive to beauty

SYN: artistic

defunct

(adj.) no longer in existence or functioning, dead

SYN: extinct, nonexistent
ANT: alive

discomfit

(v.) to frustrate, thwart, or defeat; to confuse, perplex, or embarrass

SYN: nonplus, foil

espouse

(v.) to take up and support; to become attached to, adopt; to marry

SYN: embrace, wed
ANT: repudiate, disavow, renounce

fetish

(n.) an object believed to have magical powers; an object of unreasoning devotion or reverence

SYN: charm, obsession

gregarious

(adj.) living together in a herd or group; sociable, seeking the company of others

SYN: outgoing, extroverted
ANT: aloof, introverted, reclusive

hapless

(adj.) marked by a persistent absence of good luck

SYN: unlucky, ill-starred, unfortunate
ANT: lucky, charmed, fortunate

impeccable

(adj.) faultless, beyond criticism or blame

SYN: flawless, spotless, immaculate
ANT: grimy, soiled, spotted

importune

(v.) to trouble with demands; to beg for insistently; implore; dun; tax

SYN: implore, dun, tax

interpolate

(v.) to insert between other parts or things; to present as an addition or correction

SYN: interpose, introduce

irreparable

(adj.) incapable of being repaired or rectified

SYN: irremediable
ANT: remediable, fixable, reversible

laconic

(adj.) concise, using few words

SYN: succinct, pithy, compact
ANT: garrulous, prolix, loquacious

languish

(v.) to become weak, feeble, or dull; to droop; to be depressed or dispirited; to suffer neglect

SYN: flag, fade, pine

mendacious

(adj.) given to lying or deception; untrue

SYN: untruthful, false
ANT: veracious

nadir

(n.) the lowest point; rock bottom

SYN: rock bottom
ANT: pinnacle, zenith

omnipresent

(adj.) present in all places at all times

SYN: ubiquitous, ever-present

perfunctory

(adj.) done in a superficial or halfhearted manner; without interest or enthusiasm

SYN: slapdash, shallow
ANT: thorough, assiduous, diligent, meticulous

plaintive

(adj.) expressive of sorrow or woe, melancholy; sad

SYN: sad, lugubrious
ANT: cheerful, blithe, joyous, merry

requite

(v.) to make suitable repayment, as for a kindness, service, or favor; to make retaliation, as for an injury or wrong; to reciprocate

SYN: reimburse, avenge

tantamount

(adj.) equivalent, having the same meaning, value, or effect; indistinguishable from

SYN: indistinguishable from