wow words semester 2

abscond (v)

to leave quickly and secretly, so as to avoid detection

syn: flee/bolt

ant: stay/face

servile (adj)

showing an excessive willingness to serve others

syn: fawning/submissive

ant: agressive/dominant

solicitious (adj)

showing interest or concern

syn: mindful/considerate

ant: selfish/inconsiderate

somnolent (adj)

sleepy or drowsy

syn: tired/sluggish

ant: hyper/lively

respite (n)

a short period of rest during a difficult task

syn: break/recess

ant: beginning/continuation

tantamount (adj)

virtually the same as

syn: alike/comparable

ant: different/opposite

sublime (adj)

so wonderful it inspires great awe

syn: majestic/superb

ant: awful/inferior

sinuous (adj)

having many curves and turns

syn: winding/serpentine

ant: straight/direct

salve (n)

something used to soothe hurt feelings or injuries

syn: balm/cure

ant: disease/poison

acumen (n)

experience or expertise in something

syn: insight/shrewdness

ant: ignorance/stupidity

posthumous (adj)

taking place after one's death

syn: postmortem/belated

ant: antemortem/current

ogle (v)

to stare at in a gross or dirty manner

syn: leer/eyeball

ant: ignore/scorn

robust (adj)

strong and healthy

syn: vigorus/powerful

ant: weak/meek

burnish (v)

to enhance or perfect by rubbing

syn: polish/buff

ant: dull/tarnish

rotund (adj)

round or spherical

syn: dumpy/plump

ant: thin/narrow

hapless (adj)

unfortunate

syn: unlucky/jinxed

ant: lucky/charmed

lucid (syn)

easy to understand or thinking clearly

syn: evident/unambiguous

ant: confused/cloudy

malestrom (adj)

turbulence and agitation

syn: turmoil/chaos

ant: calm/peace

prowess (n)

great skill or expertise

syn: mastery/excellence

ant: inability/failure

modicum (n)

a small amount

syn: crumb/bit

ant: whole/ton

quell (v)

to put an end to something, typically with the use of force

syn: crush/extinguish

ant: encourage/enflame

quixotic (adj)

idealistic in an unrealistic way

syn: impractical/dreamy

ant: practical/sensible

wanton (adj)

deliberate but without a motive

syn: unprovoked/stray

ant: intentional/thoughtful

accost (v)

to approach with hostility or harmful intentions

syn: confront/bother

ant: ignore/avoid

platitude (n)

a statement that has been used too often to be interesting or meaningful

syn: cliche/banality

ant: insight/wisdom

affront (n)

an action or remark that causes outrage or offense

syn: insult/slight

ant: compliment/flattery

blight (n)

a thing that spoils or damages something else

syn: plague/menace

ant: blessing/boon

destitute (adj)

without the basic necessities of life

syn: poor/bankrupt

ant: wealthy/affluent

inane (adj)

silly or stupid

syn: foolish/idiotic

ant: wise/clever

bequeath (v)

to leave something to a person through a will

syn: gift/bestow

ant: take/keep

exalt (v)

to think or speak very highly of

syn: glorify/revere

ant: criticize/shame

epitome (n)

a perfect example of something

syn: model/paragon

ant: reject/flaw

indigent (adj)

poor or needy

syn: destitute/penniless

ant: rich/prosperous

benevolent (adj)

intending good for people

syn: kind/caring

ant: malevolent/unkind

malevolent (adj)

intending harm to others

syn: hostile/wicked

ant: benevolent/kind

culpable (adj)

deserving blame

syn: guilty/responsible

ant: innocent/blameless

curt (adj)

rudely brief

syn: brusque/terse

ant: polite/gracious

dearth (n)

a lack of something

syn: scarcity/shortage

ant: abundance/plenty

maganimous (adj)

very generous or forgiving

syn: selfless/charitable

ant: selfish/mean

mollify (v)

to reduce someone's anger or anxiety

syn: soothe/pacify

ant: irritate/antagonize

malleable (adj)

easily influenced; pliable

syn: impressionable/flexible

ant: rigid/inflexible

corpulence (n)

obesity

syn: fatness/portliness

ant: thinness/skininess

truncate (v)

to shorten something by clipping it

syn: trim/abridge

ant: expand/lengthen

upbraid (v)

to harshly criticize

syn: scold/admonish

ant: compliment/encourage

rapport (n)

a harmonious relationship

syn: bond/affinity

ant: coldness/distrust

defile (v)

to make foul or unclean

syn: mar/spoil

ant: cleanse/repair

conciliatory (adj)

intended or likely to placate or pacify

syn: appeasing/calming

ant: irritating/inflaming

expunge (v)

to remove completely

syn: erase/scrub

ant: create/add

extraneous (adj)

unrelated to the subject being dealt with

syn: irrelevant/unconnected

ant: essential/necessary

stupefy (v)

to make someone unable to think properly

syn: stun/daze

ant: explain/enlighten

raucous (adj)

rough and noisy

syn: harsh/loud

ant: soft/calm

raze (v)

to tear something down

syn: demolish/flatten

ant: build/construct

garish (adj)

overly bright and showy

syn: gaudy/flashy

ant: modest/refined

abide (v)

to follow or put up with

syn: accept/tolerate

ant: reject/fight

complicit (adj)

involved with others in a crime or wrongdoing

syn: conniving/scheming

ant: innocent/honest

fractious (adj)

easily irritated or bad-tempered

syn: grouchy/cross

ant: sweet/happy

neophyte (n)

a person who is new to a subject or skill

syn: newcomer/novice

ant: expert/master

nonchalant (adj)

easygoing or indifferent

syn: aloof/detached

ant: emotional/concerned

obsequious (adj)

obedient or attentive like a servant

syn: fawning/servile

ant: assertive/arrogant

emulate (v)

to imitate

syn: copy/mimic

ant: innovate/originate

pejorative (adj)

expressing disapproval or belittling someone/something

syn: rude/insulting

ant: flattering/positive

enamor (v)

to be filled with a feeling of love for

syn: enthrall/enchant

ant: disgust/repulse

inundate (v)

to flood or overwhelm

syn: engulf/drown

ant: ignore/bypass

linchpin (n)

a person or thing vital to an organization

syn: keystone/backstone

ant: accessory/extra

paradigm (n)

a typical example or model of something

syn: pattern/template

ant: exception/deviation

revel (v)

to engage in lively and joyful festivities

syn: celebrate/carouse

ant: mourn/grieve

mawkish (adj)

overly sentimental

syn: sappy/mushy

ant: stoic/unemotional

pert (adj)

attractive in a lively or bold way

syn: playful/spirited

ant: dull/drab

succinct (adj)

briefly and clearly expressed

syn: concise/pointed

ant: wordy/long-winded

usurp (v)

to take over

syn: seize/wrest

ant: give/offer

rife (adj)

overflowing

syn: abundant/rampant

ant: limited/scarce

browbeat (v)

to intimidate someone with harsh words

syn: harass/bully

ant: coax/compliment

compunction (n)

regret after doing something bad

syn: remorse/shame

ant: indifference/happiness

pithy (adj)

concise and filled with meaning

syn: wise/meaty

ant: meaningless/dumb

recant (v)

to take back something that was said

syn: rescind/retract

ant: affirm/repeat

staid (adj)

respectable, serious, and old-fashioned

syn: dignified/conservative

ant: wild/frivolous

rebuff (v)

to abruptly reject

syn: snub/nix

ant: accept/welcome

waif (n)

a poor or lost soul (typically used to describe a child)

syn: orphan/urchin

ant: nobility/ruler

ghastly (adj)

causing great horror or fear

syn: frightful/gruesome

ant: delightful/comforting

lucrative (adj)

producing a great deal of money

syn: profitable/fruitful

ant: unprofitable/worthless