Vocab Workshop - Unit 7-9

austere

(adj.)severe or stern in manner; without adornment or luxury, simple plain; harsh or sour

syn. forbidding, rigorous, puritanical, ascetic, unadorned, subdued

ant. mild, indulgent, luxurious, flamboyant

beneficent

(adj.)performing acts of kindness or charity; conferring benefits, doing good

syn. humanitarian, magnanimous, charitable

ant. selfish, cruel, harmful, deleterious

cadaverous

(adj.)pale, gaunt, resembling a corpse

syn. corpselike, wasted, haggard, emaciated, ghastly

ant. robust, portly, rosy, the picture of health

concoct

(v.)to prepare by combining ingredients, make up (as dish); to devise, invent, fabricate

syn. create, fashion, rustle up

crass

(adj.)coarse, unfeeling; stupid

syn. crude, vulgar, tasteless, oafish, obtuse

ant. refined, elegant, tasteful, polished, brilliant

debase

(v.)to lower in character, quality or value; to degrade, adulterate; to cause to deteriorate

syn. cheapen, corrupt, demean, depreciate

ant. elevate, uplift, improve, enhance

desecrate

(v.) to commit sacrilege upon, treat irreverently; to contaminate, pollute

syn. profane, defile, violate

ant. revere, honor, venerate, consecrate

disconcert

(v.)to confuse; to disturb the composure of

syn. upset, rattle, ruffle, faze, perturb

ant. relax, calm, put at ease

grandiose

(adj.)grand in an impressive or stately way; marked by pompous affectation or grandeur, absurdly exaggerated

syn. majestic, bombastic, highfalutin

ant. simple, modest, unaffected, humble

inconsequential

(adj.)trifling, unimportant

syn. trivial, negligible, petty, paltry

ant. important, essential, crucial, vital

infraction

(n.)a breaking of a law or obligation

syn. violation, transgression, breach, offense

mitigate

(v.)to make milder or softer, to moderate in force or intensity

syn. lessen, relieve, alleviate, diminish

ant. aggravate, intensify, irritate, exacerbate

pillage

(v.)to rob of goods by open force (as in war), plunder; (n.) the act of looting; booty

syn. (v.) ravage, sack, loot; (n.) booty

prate

(v.) to talk a great deal in a foolish or aimless fashion

syn. chatter, prattle, blab, blabber, palaver

ant. come to the point, not waste words

punctilious

(adj.) very careful and extract, attentive to fine points of etiquette or propriety

syn. precise, scrupulous, exacting, fussy, finicky

ant. careless, negligent, lax, prefunctory

redoubtable

(adj.) inspiring fear or awe; illustrious, eminet

syn. formidable, fearsome, awesome, august

ant. laughable, risible, contemptible

reprove

(v.) to find fault with, scold, rebuke

syn. chide, chastise, upbraid, reproach

ant. praise, commend, laud, pat on the back

restitution

(n.) the act of restoring someone or something to the rightful owner or to a former state or position; makin good on a loss or damage

syn. compensation, reimbursement, redress, restoration

stalwart

(adj.) strong and sturdy; brave; resolute; (n.) a brave, strong person; a strong supporter; one who takes an uncompromising position

syn. (adj.) sturdy, stout, intrepid, valiant; (n.) mainstay

ant. (adj.) weak, infirm, irresolute, vacillating

vulnerable

(adj.) open to attack; capable of being wounded or damaged; unprotected

syn. defenseless, exposed, unguarded

ant. invincible, protected, safe, secure

acrimonious

stinging, bitter in temper or tone

bovine

resembling a cow or ox; sluggish, unresponsive

consternation

dismay, confusion

corpulent

having a large, bulky body

disavow

to deny responsibility for or connection with

dispassionate

impartial; calm, free from emotion

dissension

disagreement, sharp difference of opinion

dissipate

to cause to disappear; to scatter, dispel; to spend foolishly, squander; to be extravagant in pursuit of pleasure

expurgate

to remove objectionable passages or words from a written text; to cleanse, purify

gauntlet

an armored or protective glove; a challenge; two line of men armed with weapons with which to beat a person forced to run between them; an ordealh

hypothetical

based on an assumption or guess; used as a provisional or tentative idea to guide or direct investigation

ignoble

mean, low, base

impugn

to call into question; to attack as false

intemperate

immoderate, lacking in self-control

odium

hatred, contempt; disgrace or infamy resulting from hateful conduct

perfidy

faithlessness, treachery

relegate

to place in a lower position; to assign, refer, turn over; to banish

squeamish

inclined to nausea; easily shocked or upset; excessively fastidious or refined

subservient

subordinate in capacity or role; submissively obedient; serving to promote some end

susceptible

open to; easily influenced; lacking in resistance

abate

to make less in amount, degree; to subside, become less; to nullify; to deduct

adulation

excessive praise or flattery

anathema

an object of intense dislike; a curse or strong denunciation

astute

shred, craft, showing practical wisdom

avarice

a greedy desire, particularly for wealth

culpable

deserving blame, worthy of condemnation

dilatory

tending to delay or procrastinate; not prompt; intended to delay or postpone

egregious

conspicuous, standing out from the mass

equivocate

to speak or act in a way that allows for more than one interpretation; to be deliberately vague or ambiguousv

evanescent

vanishing, soon passing away; light and airy

irresolute

unable to make up one’s mind, hesitating

nebulous

cloudlike; vague, confused, not distinct

novice

beginner

penury

extreme poverty; barrenness, insufficiency

pretentious

done for show, striving to make a big impression; claiming merit or position unjustifiably; ambitious

recapitulate

to review a series of facts; to sum up

resuscitate

to revive, bring back to conciousness or existence

slovenly

untidy, dirty, careless

supposition

something that is assumed or taken for granted without conclusive evidence

torpid

inactive, sluggish, dull