English Vocab 4

Abhor

Abhor

(v) To regard with horror or loathing; to hate deeply

A pacifist is someone who _____ violence in all its forms

SYNONYMS: Detest, despise, abominate

ANTONYMS: Admire, cherish, respect, relish

Amend

(v) To change in a formal way; to change for the better

If you are not doing well in a particular subject, you may want to _____ your way of studying it

SYNONYMS: Modify, improve, correct

Buffet

(v) To slap or cuff; to strike repeatedly; to drive or force with blows; to force one’s way with difficulty

(n) A slap, blow

Blinding snowstorms _____ the barren landmass of Antarctica for months on end

Few figures in history or literature are as severely tested by fortune’s _____ as Job in the Old Testament

SYNONYMS: Sock, thump, pummel, toss about

Chaos

(n) Great confusion, disorder

A great many people lost their fortunes and even their lives in the _____ brought on by the French Revolution

SYNONYMS: Anarchy, turmoil

ANTONYMS: Order, regularity, tranquility

Commodious

(adj) Roomy, spacious

No one would expect a tiny studio apartment to have particularly _____ closets

SYNONYMS: Comfortable, simple, capacious

ANTONYMS: Cramped, claustrophobic, insufficient

Corrosive

(adj) Eating away gradually; acid-like; bitterly sarcastic

Sulfuric acid is one of the most _____ substances known to chemistry

SYNONYMS: Caustic, mordant, acidulous, spiteful

ANTONYMS: Bland, mild, benign, amiable

Discern

(v) To see clearly, recognize

It is a jury’s job to _____ the truth by carefully evaluating all the evidence presented at trial

SYNONYMS: Perceive, detect, distinguish

ANTONYMS: Overlook

Extant

(adj) Still existing, not exterminated, destroyed, or lost

The painted of animals and human hands in Spain’s Altamira caves are among the oldest _____ specimens of Stone Age art

SYNONYMS: Surviving, in existence

ANTONYMS: Extinct, vanished

Implicate

(v) To involve in; to connect with or be related to

The suspects never stood trial because there was no solid evidence to _____ them in the daring series of robberies

SYNONYMS: Incriminate, entangle

ANTONYMS: Absolve, exculpate

Inter

(v) To bury, commit to the earth; to consign to oblivion

Jewels and other objects once _____ with Egypt’s pharoahs can now be seen in numerous museums all over the world

ANTONYMS: Unearth, exhume

Martinet

(n) A strict disciplinarian; a stickler for the rules

When it came to drilling troops, the Revolutionary War general Baron Friedrich von Steuben was something of a _____

SYNONYMS: Taskmaster, slave driver

Obviate

(v) To anticipate and prevent; to remove, dispose of

Vaccinations can do much to _____ the dangers of childhood illnesses

SYNONYMS: Preclude, forestall, ward off

Renegade

(n) One who leaves a group; a deserter, outlaw

(adj) Traitorous; unconventional, unorthodox

Many a writer has been labeled a _____ for refusing to conform to society’s conventions

_____ senators from the President’s own part joined the opposition to defeat the bill

SYNONYMS: Turncoat, heretic

ANTONYMS: Loyalist, patriot

Reprehensible

(adj) Deserving blame or punishment

Stalin eliminated many potential rivals by accusing them of all sorts of _____ acts that they did not commit

SYNONYMS: Objectionable, blameworthy, culpable, odious

ANTONYMS: Commendable, blameless, meritorious

Somber

(adj) Dark, gloomy; depressed or melancholy in spirit

The atmosphere in the locker room of the losing team could best be described as _____

SYNONYMS: Mournful, dismal

ANTONYMS: Bright, sunny, lighthearted, jaunty

Squalid

(adj) Filthy, wretched, debased

Many laws prohibit the types of _____ working conditions found in sweatshops

SYNONYMS: Dingy, sordid, foul, vile, abject

ANTONYMS: Neat, spruce, exalted, lofty

Turbulent

(adj) Disorderly, riotous, violent; stormy

Letters and diary entries may reveal a person’s lifelong struggle to gain some control over _____ emotions

SYNONYMS: Tumultuous, unruly, agitated

ANTONYMS: Calm, placid, tranquil, still

Vociferous

(adj) Loud and noisy; compelling attention

Relief agencies regularly make _____ appealed for aid for victims of war, terrorism, and natural disasters

SYNONYMS: Clamorous, uproarious, blustering

ANTONYMS: Quiet, soft-spoken, muted, subdued

Voluminous

(adj) Of great size; numerous; writing or speaking at great length

The task of summarizing the _____ reports issues by government agencies may fall to members of a legislator’s staff

SYNONYMS: Bulky, massive, plentiful

ANTONYMS: Scant, meager

Walve

(v) To do without, give up voluntarily; to put off temporarily, defer

The senator agreed to _____ opposition to the proposed billif some of its more controversial provisions were substantially modified

SYNONYMS: Decline, relinquish, forgo

ANTONYMS: Claim, accept