Vocab. 251-300

Abolish

do away with

v. to destroy completely: do away with entirely

syn. annihilate, extinguish,

Abstemious

self-restraining

adj. sparing, especially in eating or drinking; restricted to bare necessities

syn. ascetic, self-denying, temperate

ant. overindulgent, unrestrained, gluttonous

Accolade

award

n. a mark of acknowledgment, award

syn. praise, acclaim, tribute

ant. denigration, curse

Affirmation

declaration

n. assertion, a declaration, a positive statement

syn. avowal, assertion, pronouncement

ant. denial, refutation

Amass

accumulate

v. to collect for oneself, accumulate

syn. aggregate, assemble

ant. disperse, distribute, scatter

Ambivalence

uncertainty

n. the coexistence of opposing attitudes or feelings; uncertainty, indecisiveness about which course to follow

syn. irresolution, uncertainty, fluctuation

ant. certainty, resolution

Ambulatory

able to walk

adj. relating to walking, able to walk

syn. nomadic, peripatetic, pedestrian

ant. bedridden, bedfast, stationary

Amity

goodwill

n. peaceful relations, as between nations ; friendship

syn. goodwill, benevolence, comity

ant. amnity, antipathy, hostility, animosity

Anchor

secure

v. to fasten, to secure firmly

syn. moor, secure, fix, fasten

ant. loosen, detach, free

Antediluvian

antiquated

adj. relating to the period before the flood described in the bible; antiquated

syn. obsolete, ancient, archaic

ant. fresh, new, innovative

Atrophy

deterioration

n. or v. decrease in size, wasting away of a body part or tissue from the lack of use or disease

syn. deteriorate, decline, wither

ant. strengthen, grow

Baneful

ruinous

adj. creating destruction or woe

syn. ruinous, pernicious, noxious, deadly

ant. salubrious, advantageous, beneficial

Bizzare

unusual

adj. strikingly out of the ordinary

syn. odd, eccentric, atypical, curious

ant. normal, ordinary, usual, commonplace

Blunder

goof up

n. or v. to make mistake through utter stupidity, ignorance, confusion or carelessness; a mistake

syn. bumble, botch, bungle; goof

ant. flawlessness, accuracy, perfection

Burgeon

flourish

v. to sprout, sendforth branches; expand, flourish

syn. prosper, surge, mushroom

ant. diminish, shrink, lessen, decline

Clemency

leniency

n. disposition to be merciful; act of leniency

syn. indulgence, pardon, absolution

ant. condemnation, mercilessness

Coalesce

cooperate

v. to unite into a whole; to grow together

syn. meld, bond, merge, ally

ant. separate, segregate, disjoin

Confound

perplex

v. to cause to become confused

syn. bewilder, perplex, puzzle

ant. discriminate, distinguish, clarify

Congeal

harden

v. change from a fluid to a solid state, coagulate

syn. clot, gel, solidify

ant. liquefy, dissolve, melt

Contaminate

infect

v. soil, stain, or infect by contact or association to introduce unwholesome elements

syn. taint, pollute, defile, befoul

ant. purify, cleanse

Elusive

evasive

adj. tending to avoid grasp, perception, description, or mental retention

syn. evasive

Expedient

self-serving

adj. serving to promote one’s interest; something that is a means to an end

syn. suitable, useful, strategy, scheme

ant. inconvenient

Fastidious

precise

adj. displaying careful and meticulous attention to detail; difficult to please

syn. punctilious, scrupulous

ant. imprecise, unexact

Dubious

skeptical

adj. causing doubt or uncertainty; skeptical, questionable

syn. suspicious, doubtful

ant. confident, certain

Immutable

constant

adj. not subject or susceptible to change

syn. constant

ant. changeable

Converge

meet

v. meet, come together; move toward one point or common interest

syn. focus, merge, concentrate

ant. disperse, diverge

Copious

plentiful

adj. yielding an abundance, lavish, plentiful

syn. profuse, ample, bounteous, liberal

ant. meager, scanty, sparse

Corroborate

confirm

v. to support with evidence or authority; confirm

syn. authenticate, justify, substantiate, validate

ant. contradict, question, invalidate

Corrugated

crinkled

adj. shaped into ridges, folds, wrinkles, or grooves

syn. furrowed, creased, crinkled

ant. smooth, flat

Daunt

intimidate

v. to lessen the courage of, intimidate

syn. intimidate, dismay, appall, frustrate

ant. enhearten

Debilitate

enfeeble

v. impair the strength of, enfeeble

syn. weaken, attenuate, cripple, disable, devitalize

ant. invigorate, reinforce, energize, vitalize, rejuvenate, rally

Discrepancy

difference

n. difference, disagreement

syn. dissimilarity, divergence, dissimilitude

ant. similarity, sameness

Disentangle

unscramble

v. to free from entanglement, unravel

syn. extricate, disembroil, disencumber, unscramble, untwine

ant. tangle, mingle

Disputatious

argumentative

adj. inclined to dispute, controversial

syn. contentious, argumentative, controversial, litigious, polemical

ant. agreeable

Distend

swell

v. to enlarge from internal pressure, swell, become expanded

syn. amplify, dilate, inflate, enlarge

ant. constrict, deflate, atrophy

Efface

erase

v. to make indistinct by rubbing out, erase

syn. obliterate, delete, blot out, cancel, expunge

ant. mark, soil, deface

Enhance

make greater

v. to make greater

syn. intensify, aggravate, deepen, magnify

ant. reduce, lessen, shrink

Equilibrium

balance

n. a static or dynamic state of balance between opposing forces or actions

syn. balance, equipoise, poise, stasis

ant. imbalance

Credulous

gullible

adj. disposed to believe too readily

syn. gullible

ant. suspicious, doubtful

Evacuate

relocate/vacate

v. to remove or withdraw from a dangerous area; to make empty

syn. emigrate, relocate, vacate

ant. advance, fill

Expendable

replaceable

adj. normally used up or consumed in service

syn. consumable, exhaustible, perishable

ant. irreplaceable, unique

Exclude

ostracize

v. to shut out, to bar from participation

syn. eliminate, suspend, ostracize

ant. admit, include

Facilitate

ease

v. to free from difficulties or obstacles; make easier

syn. aid, assist, ease, promote, speed

ant. hinder, impede, retard, stymie

Fallow

idle

adj. allowed to lie idle; untilled or unsown, dormant, inactive

syn. dormant, inactive, unrealized

ant. active, sown, planted, productive

Fertile

productive

adj. capable of reproducing or sustaining growth'; continuously productive

syn. fecund, fruitful, spawning, inventive

ant. infertile, sterile, barren

Cryptic

puzzling

adj. having an ambiguous or hidden meaning

syn. mystifying, secret, enigmatic

ant. unambiguous

Censure

criticism

n. or v. an expression of blame or disapproval; to criticize severely

syn. aspersion, indictment, reproach

ant. praise, compliment, applaud, extol

Stagnate

grow stale

v. grow stale from lack of activity; to fail to develop or progress

syn. vitiate, depreciate

ant. invigorate, refresh

Innate

inherent

adj. possessed at birth

syn. inborn, inherent

ant. foreign, extraneous

Esoteric

little-known

adj. intended for or understood by only a particular group

syn. confidential, cabalistic

ant. exoteric, understandable