Vocabulary Workshop Level F unit 9-15

abet

(v) to encourage or assist in some activity, especially a questionable one. ANT: hamper, hinder, impede, frustrate

aver

(v) to affirm, declare confidently. SYN: assert, asseverate, avouch. ANT: deny, disavow, repudiate, disclaim

blatant

(adj) noisy in a coarse, offensive way; obvious conspicuous, especially in an unfavorable sense. SYN: flagrant, glaring, egregious, disagreeably loud. ANT: 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 pierce; (n.) a spit for roasting; a tool for tapping casks

buttress

(v) to support, prop up, strengthen; (n.) a supporting structure. SYN: bolster, reinforce, brace, shore up. ANT: undermine, weaken, impair

carousal

(n) noisy revelry or merrymaking (often with a suggestion of heavy drinking). SYN: drinking bout, drunken revel, binge

collate

(v) to compare critically in order to note differences, similarities, etc.; to arrange in order for some scientific purpose. SYN: sort out, cross-check, rearrange

connoisseur

(n) an expert; one who is well qualified to pass critical judgments, especially in one of the fine arts. SYN: authority, savant, pundit. ANT: ignoramus, philistine, yahoo

disconsolate

(adj) deeply unhappy or dejected; without hope, beyond consolation. SYN: grief-stricken, inconsolable, comfortless. ANT: cheerful, blithe, buoyant, jaunty

encumber

(v) to weigh down or burden (with difficulties, cares, debt, etc.); to fill up, block up, hinder. SYN: overload, saddle, hamper, clog. ANT: unburden, unload, relieve

foment

(v) to promote trouble or rebellion; to apply warm liquids to, warm. SYN: instigate, incite, stir up. ANT: quell, quash, squelch, suppress

grisly

(adj) frightful, horrible, ghastly. SYN: gruesome, gory, hideous. ANT: pleasant, delightful, attractive

herculean

(adj) (capital H) relating to Hercules; (lowercase h) characterized by great strength; very hard to do in the sense of requiring unusual strength. SYN: mighty, powerful, arduous, onerous, colossal. ANT: puny, Lilliputian, bantam

impassive

(adj) showing no feeling or emotion; inanimate; motionless. SYN: emotionless, stoical, unemotional, insensible. ANT: emotional, passionate, excitable

inauspicious

(adj) unfavorable, unlucky, suggesting bad luck for the future. SYN: unpropitious, unpromising, untimely. ANT: propitious, favorable

incontrovertible

(adj) unquestionable, beyond dispute. SYN: incontestable, indisputable, indubitable. ANT: debatable, dubious, open to question

nonplussed

(adj., part.) puzzled, not knowing what to do, at a loss. SYN: perplexed, baffled, stumped, flabbergasted. ANT: poised, confident, assured

opportune

(adj) suitable or convenient for a particular purpose; occurring at an appropriate time. SYN: timely, appropriate, felicitous. ANT: untimely, inconvenient, inappropriate

prolific

(adj) abundantly productive; abundant, profuse. SYN: fruitful, fecund, proliferous. ANT: barren, unproductive, sterile, sparse

rejoinder

(n) a reply to a reply, especially from the defendant in a legal suit. SYN: answer, reply, response, riposte, retort

amenable

(adj) willing to follow advice or authority, tractable, submissive; responsive; liable to be held responsible. SYN: agreeable, compliant, docile. ANT: unresponsive, resistant, recalcitrant

berate

(v) to scold sharply. SYN: chide, rebuke, reprove, reprimand. ANT: praise, compliment, pat on the back

carnage

(n) large-scale slaughter or loss of life. SYN: butchery, bloodbath, massacre

credulous

(adj) too ready to believe, easily deceived. SYN: gullible. ANT: dubious, skeptical

criterion

(n) a rule, test; a standard for judgment or evaluation. SYN: yardstick, touchstone, gauge, canon

deplete

(v) to use up as a result of spending or consumption; to diminish greatly. SYN: exhaust, empty, drain, bankrupt. ANT: replenish, refill, restock, resupply

expatiate

(adj) coming from the outside, foreign; present but not essential, irrelevant. SYN: elaborate, enlarge, descant, wander, roam. ANT: sketch roughly, summarize, condense, adumbrate

extraneous

(adj) coming from the outside, foreign; present but not essential, irrelevant. SYN: incidental, extrinsic. ANT: intrinsic, relevant, pertinent, germane

inception

(n) the beginning, start, earliest stage of some process, institution, etc. SYN: commencement, inauguration, outset. ANT: completion, conclusion, termination

infirmity

(n) a weakness or ailment (physical, mental, moral, etc.). SYN: affliction, malady, defect

jejune

(adj) lacking in nutritive value; lacking in interest or substance; immature, juvenile. SYN: vapid, insipid, puerile, childish. ANT: stimulating, mature

obdurate

(adj) stubborn, unyielding. SYN: obstinate, adamant. ANT: yielding, tractable, flexible

potpourri

(n) a collection of diverse or miscellaneous items; a general mixture; petals mixed with spices for scent. SYN: hodgepodge, melange, farrago, medley. ANT: homogenous or uniform group

precocious

(adj) showing unusually early development (especially in talents and mental capacity). SYN: forward, gifted, advanced. ANT: backward, retarded, slow

sadistic

(adj) delighting in cruelty, excessively cruel. SYN: brutal, vicious, inhuman, fiendish. ANT: masochistic, clement, humane, merciful

sententious

(adj) self-righteous, characterized by moralizing; given to use of maxims or adages; saying much in few words, pithy. SYN: aphoristic, epigrammatic, moralistic. ANT: discursive, diffuse, episodic

supplicate

(v) to beg earnestly and humbly. SYN: plead, petition, implore, entreat

surfeit

(n) an excess or overindulgence, as in eating or drinking, causing disgust; (v.) to feed or supply with anything to excess. SYN: excess, glut, cloy satiate. ANT: dearth, paucity, lack

tortuous

(adj) winding, twisted, crooked; highly involved, complex; devious. SYN: circuitous, serpentine, labyrinthine. ANT: direct, straight, straightforward

turgid

(adj) swollen, bloated, filled to excess; overdecorated or excessive in language. SYN; inflated, pompous, bombastic, overblown. ANT: muted, understated, unadorned, austere

adamant

(adj) firm in purpose or opinion, unyielding, obdurate, implacable, inflexible; (n.) an extremely hard substance. ANT: yielding, flexible, pliable

brouhaha

(n) a confused hodgepodge of sounds, hubbub; an uproar or commotion that goes far beyond what is justified. SYN: furor, hullabaloo, tumult, pandemonium

bulwark

(n) a strong defense or protection, a solid wall-like structure for defense; (v.) to provide such defense or protection. SYN: stronghold, citadel, bastion, rampart. ANT: breach, weak point in the defense

choleric

(adj) easily made angry, bad-tempered. SYN: irascible, testy, splenetic, bilious. ANT: 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. ANT: stimulate, whet

curtail

(v) to cut short, bring to a halt or end sooner than expected; to reduce. SYN: limit, abbreviate, abridge, contract. ANT: protract, extend

deference

(n) courteous yielding to the wishes and ideas of another person; great respect marked by submission, as to a superior. SYN: respect, consideration, courtesy, ANT: contempt, disrespect, scorn, disdain

definitive

(adj) conclusive, final, representing the limit of what can be done. SYN: exhaustive, authoritative. ANT: tentative, inconclusive

demeanor

(n) the way a person behaves, overall impression made by comportment, manner, etc.; facial appearance, mien. SYN: conduct, behavior, bearing, carriage

enigmatic

(adj) puzzling, perplexing, inexplicable, not easily understood. SYN: baffling, mysterious, inexplicable. ANT: intelligible, understandable, fathomable

impromptu

(adj., adv.) without preparation, offhand, suddenly or hastily done; (n.) an extemporaneous composition or remark; a minimal piece suggestive of improvisation. SYN: spontaneous, improvised, unrehearsed. ANT: rehearsed, planned, prepared, premeditated

mawkish

(adj) excessively and objectionably sentimental; having a mildly sickening flavor. SYN: sentimentalized, maudlin, mushy, nauseating. ANT: unsentimental, callous, insensitive

mollify

(v) to soften, make gentle, pacify; to calm, allay (as an emotion), assuage, appease, placate; to reduce in intensity. ANT: enrage, anger, aggravate, exacerbate

onus

(n) something that is heavy or burdensome (especially an unwelcome responsibility); a stigma; blame. SYN: burden, obligation, duty, stigma

presentiment

(n) a vague sense of approaching misfortune. SYN: foreboding, premonition, hunch

profligate

(adj) given over to dissipation and self-indulgence, immoral; recklessly extravagant; (n.) a person given to self-indulgent and wild spending. SYN: prodigal, improvident, spendthrift. ANT: penny-pinching, frugal, economical

remit

(v) to send or hand in (as money); to cancel (as a penalty or punishment), forgive, pardon; to lessen, diminish; to put off, postpone, defer. SYN: pay, absolve, subside, abate

requisite

(adj) needed, necessary, regarded as essential or indispensable. SYN: required, obligatory, incumbent. ANT: 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. SYN: foil, baffle. ANT: aid, assist, abet, further

accrue

(v) to grow or accumulate over time; to happen as a natural result. SYN: collect, accumulate, proceed from. ANT: dwindle, decrease, diminish, lessen

annotation

(n) a critical or explanatory note or comment, especially for a literary work

bedlam

(n) a state or scene of uproar and confusion. SYN: commotion, pandemonium, chaos, anarchy. ANT: peace and quiet, order, tranquility

covert

(adj) hidden, disguised, purposefully kept secret; sheltered, secluded; (n) a sheltered place, a hiding place. SYN: undercover, clandestine, sub-rosa. ANT: open, overt, undisguised

debonair

(adj) pleasant, courteous, lighthearted; smooth and polished in manner and appearance. SYN: carefree, jaunty, gracious, suave, urbane. ANT: distraught, agitated, boorish, churlish

dun

(v) To demand insistently, especially in payment of a debt; (n) A creditor; (adj.) Dark, dull, drab, dingy. SYN: hound, pester, harass, nag

efficacious

(adj) effective, producing results. SYN: effectual, efficient, potent, powerful. ANT: ineffective, worthless, useless

equanimity

(n) calmness, composure, refusal to panic. SYN: tranquility, imperturbability. ANT: excitability, flappability, agitation

fortuitous

(adj) accidental, occurring by a happy chance. SYN: unintentional, unplanned, random, lucky. ANT: intentional, deliberate, premeditated

gist

(n) the essential part, main point, or essence. SYN: substance, core, nucleus

gratuitous

(adj) freely given; not called for by circumstances, unwarranted. SYN: voluntary, unjustified, uncalled-for. ANT: justified, warranted

imperious

(adj) overbearing, arrogant; seeking to dominate; pressing, compelling. SYN: domineering, magisterial, urgent, imperative. ANT: fawning, obsequious, humble, unassuming

invective

(n) a strong denunciation or condemnation; abusive language; (adj) abusive, vituperative. SYN: vituperation, abuse, diatribe, philippic. ANT: tribute, panegyric, encomium

motley

(adj) showing great variety; composed of different elements or many colors; (n) a jester's costume; a jester. SYN: variegated, heterogeneous, diverse, fool. ANT: uniform, homogenous, monochromatic

munificent

(adj) extremely generous, lavish. SYN: bounteous, liberal. ANT: stingy, miserly, tightfisted, parsimonious

procrastinate

(v) to delay, put off until later. SYN: stall, temporize, dillydally

provocative

(adj) tending to produce a strong feeling or response; arousing desire or appetite; irritating, annoying. SYN: stimulating, arousing, vexing, galling. ANT: dull, insipid, bland, unstimulating

recondite

(adj) exceeding ordinary knowledge and understanding. SYN: esoteric, arcane, profound, abstruse. ANT: simple, uncomplicated

reprobate

(n) a depraved, vicious, or unprincipled person, scoundrel; (adj) wicked, corrupt, or unprincipled; (v) to disapprove of, condemn. SYN: scoundrel, blackguard, immoral, corrupt. ANT: saint, upright, virtuous, moral

sedentary

(adj) characterized by or calling for continued sitting; remaining in one place. SYN: seated, stationary, static. ANT: active, peripatetic, migratory

abstemious

(adj) moderate, sparing; characterized by abstinence and self-discipline. SYN: temperate, sober, moderate. ANT: indulgent, immoderate, intemperate

censurable

(adj) deserving of blame or correction. SYN: blameworthy, discreditable, reprehensible. ANT: 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. SYN: conditional, dependent, a detachment. ANT: independent of, unconnected with, certain

corroborate

(v) to confirm, make more certain, bolster, substantiate, verify. ANT: refute, contradict, undermine, discredit

denizen

(n) an inhabitant, resident; one who frequents a place. SYN: resident, dweller, habitue. ANT: alien, outsider, stranger, foreigner

discursive

(adj) passing aimlessly from one place or subject to another, rambling, roving, nomadic. SYN: digressive, diffuse, wandering, episodic. ANT: short and to the point, succinct

disseminate

(v) to scatter or spread widely. SYN: disperse, publicize, broadcast, circulate. ANT: bring together, concentrate, muster, conceal, hide

dowdy

(adj) poorly dressed, shabby; lacking smartness and good taste. SYN: frumpy, tacky, frowsy, drab. ANT: chic, stylish, elegant, fashionable

florid

(adj) highly colored, reddish; excessively ornate, overdecorated, showy. SYN: flushed, ruddy, flowery, frilly, flamboyant. ANT: pale, ashen, pallid, sallow, austere, stark

foist

(v) to impose by fraud, to pass off as worth or genuine, to bring about by stealth, dishonesty, or coercion. SYN: pass off, palm off, fob off

gauche

(adj) awkward, lacking in social graces, tactless, clumsy. SYN: inept, uncouth, maladroit. ANT: adroit, tactful, diplomatic, politic

heresy

(n) an opinion different from accepted belief, the denial of an idea that is generally held sacred. SYN: unorthodox belief, heterodoxy. ANT: orthodoxy

inculcate

(v) to impress on the mind by repetition, teach persistently and earnestly. SYN: instill, implant, infuse, ingrain, imbue. ANT: efface, extirpate, root out

palpable

(adj) capable of being touched or felt, easily seen, heard, or recognized. SYN: tangible, plain, obvious, manifest. ANT: intangible, insubstantial, incorporeal

perceptive

(adj) having sympathetic insight or understanding, capable of keen appreciation. SYN: insightful, discerning, observant. ANT: dense, thick, obtuse, dim-witted

pernicious

(adj) extremely harmful, deadly, fatal. SYN: injurious, deleterious, baleful, noxious. ANT: harmless, innocuous, salutary, salubrious

salient

(adj) leaping, jumping, springing forth, prominent, standing out, conspicuous; (n) a land form that projects upwards or outwards. SYN: striking, notable, protrusive, obvious. ANT: inconspicuous, recessive

satiate

(v) to satisfy completely, fill to excess; (adj) full or satisfied. SYN: gratify, cloy, surfeit, gorge. ANT: starve, deprive entirely of

sear

(v) to make or become dry or withered, to char or scorch the surface of, to harden or make unfeeling

specious

(adj) deceptive, apparently good or valid but lacking real merit. SYN: deceptively, plausible, sophistic, casuistic. ANT: valid, sound, solid, genuine