Sadlier-Oxford Vocabulary Workshop Level F Units 7-12

Austere

Austere

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

Synonyms: forbidding, rigorous, puritanical, ascetic, unadorned, subdued
Antonyms: mild indulgent, luxurious, flamboyant

Beneficent

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

Synonyms: humanitarian, magnanimous, charitable
Antonyms: selfish, cruel, harmful, deleterious

Cadaverous

(adj.) pale, gaunt, resembling a corpse

Synonyms: corpselike, wasted, haggard, emaciated, ghastly
Antonyms: robust, portly, rosy, the picture of health

Concoct

(verb) to prepare by combing ingredients, make up (as a dish), to devise, invent, fabricate

Synonyms: create, fashion, rustle up

Crass

(adj.) coarse, unfeeling, stupid

Synonyms: crude, vulgar, tasteless, oafish, obtuse
Antonyms: refined, elegant, tasteful, polished, brilliant

Debase

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

Synonyms: cheapen, corrupt, demean, depreciate
Antonyms: elevate, uplift, improve, enhance

Desecrate

(verb) To commit sacrilege upon, treat irreverently, to contaminate, pollute

Synonyms: profane, defile, violate
Antonyms: revere, honor, venerate, consecrate

Disconcert

(verb) to confuse; to disturb the composure of

Synonyms: upset, rattle, ruffle, faze, perturb
Antonyms: relax, calm, put at ease

Grandiose

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

Synonyms: majestic, bombastic, highfalutin
Antonyms: simple, modest, unaffected, humble

Inconsequential

(adj.) trifling, unimportant

Synonyms: trivial, negligible, petty, paltry
Antonyms: important, essential, crucial, vital

Infraction

(noun) a breaking of a law or obligation

Synonyms: violation, transgression, breach, offense

Mitigate

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

Synonyms: lessen, relieve, alleviate, diminish
Antonyms: aggravate, intensify, irritate, exacerbate

Pillage

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

Synonyms: ravage, sack, loot

Prate

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

Synonyms: chatter, prattle, blab blabber, palaver
Antonyms: come to point, not waste words

Punctilious

(adj.) very careful and exact, attentive to fine points of etiquette or property

Synonyms: precise, scrupulous, exacting, fussy, finicky
Antonyms: careless, negligent, lax, perfunctory

Redoubtable

(adj.) inspiring fear or awe, illustrious, eminent

Synonyms: formidable, fearsome, awesome, august
Antonyms: laughable, risible, contemptible

Reprove

(verb) to find fault with, scold, rebuke

Synonyms: chide, chastise, upbraid, reproach
Antonyms: praise, commend, laud, pat on back

Restitution

(noun) act of restoring someone or something to the rightful owner or to a former state or position; making good on a loan or a damage

Synonyms: compensation, reimbursement, redress, restoration

Stalwart

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

Synonyms: sturdy, stout, intrepid, valiant; mainstay
Antonyms: weak, infirm, irresolute, vacillating

Vulnerable

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

Synonyms: defenseless, exposed, unguarded
Antonyms: invincible, protected, safe, secure

Acrimonious

(adj.) stinging, bitter in temper or tone

Synonyms: biting, caustic, rancorous, hostile, peevish
Antonyms: gentle, warm, mild, friendly, cordial

Bovine

(adj.) Resembling a cow or an ox; sluggish, unresponsive

Synonyms: stolid, dull, slow stupid
Antonyms: alert, sharp, bright, keen, quick

Consternation

(noun) dismay, confusion

Synonyms: shock, amazement, bewilderment
Antonyms: calm, composure, aplomb

Corpulent

(adj.) fat; having a large, bulky body

Synonyms: overweight, heavy, obese, stout, portly
Antonyms: slender, lean, spare, gaunt, emaciated

Disavow

(verb) to deny responsibility for or connection with

Synonyms: disown, disclaim, retract, abjure
Antonyms: acknowledge, admit, grant, certify

Dispassionate

(adj.) impartial; calm, free from emotion

Synonyms: unbiased, disinterested, cool, detached
Antonyms: committed, engaged, partial, biased

Dissension

(noun) disagreement, sharp difference of opinion

Synonyms: strife, discord, contention
Antonyms: agreement, accord, harmony

Dissipate

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

Synonyms: disperse, strew, diffuse, waste
Antonyms: gather, collect, conserve, husband

Expurgate

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

Synonyms: purge, center, bowlderize

Gauntlet

(noun) an armored or protective glove; a challenge; two lines of men armed with weapons with which to beat a person forced to run between them; an ordeal

Synonyms: dare, provocation, trial, punishment

Hypothetical

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

Synonyms: assumed, supposed, conjectural, conditional
Antonyms: actual, real, tested, substantiated

Ignoble

(adj.) mean, low, base

Synonyms: inferior, unworthy, dishonorable, sordid
Antonyms: admirable, praiseworthy, lofty, noble

Impugn

(verb) to call in to question; to attack as false

Synonyms: challenge, deny, dispute, query, question
Antonyms: confirm, prove, verify, validate

Intemperate

(adj.) immoderate, lacking in self-control; inclement

Synonyms: excessive, extreme, unrestrained, inordinate
Antonyms: moderate, restrained, cool and collected

Odium

(noun) hatred, contempt; disgrace or infamy resulting from hateful conduct

Synonyms: abhorrence, opprobrium, shame, ignominy
Antonyms: esteem, admiration, approbation

Perfidy

(noun) faithlessness, treachery

Synonyms: betrayal, disloyalty, treason, duplicity
Antonyms: faithfulness, loyalty, steadfastness

Relegate

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

Synonyms: transfer, consign, demote, exile
Antonyms: promote, elevate, advance, recall

squeamish

(adj.) inclined to nausea; easily shocked or upset; excessively fastidious or refined

Synonyms: nauseated, queasy, delicate, oversensitive, priggish

Subservient

(adj.) subordinate in capacity or role; submissively obedient; serving to promote some end

Synonyms: secondary, servile, obsequious, useful
Antonyms: primary, principle, bossy, domineering

Susceptible

(adj.) open to; easily influenced; lacking in resistance

Synonyms: vulnerable, receptive, impressionable
Antonyms: resistant, immune

Abate

(verb) to make less in amount, degree, ect; to subside, become less, to nullify, to deduct, omit

Synonyms: diminish, decrease, subside, let up
Antonyms: intensify, increase, magnify, wax

Adulation

(noun) praise or flattery that is excessive

Synonyms: adoration, idolization, hero-worship
Antonyms: ridicule, derision, scorn, odium

Anathema

(noun) an object of intense dislike, a curse or strong denunciation

Synonyms: malediction, imprecation, abomination
Antonyms: benediction, blessing

Astute

(adj.) shrewd, crafty, showing particular wisdom

Synonyms: acute, sagacious, judicious, wily
Antonyms: obtuse, doltish, empty-headed, dumb

Avarice

(noun) a greedy desire, particularly for wealth

Synonyms: cupidity, rapacity, acquisitiveness

Culpable

(adj.) deserving blame, worthy of condemnation

Synonyms: guilty, delinquent, peccant
Antonyms: blameless, innocent, laudable, meritorious

Dilatory

(adj.) tending to delay or procrastinate, not prompt, intended to delay or postpone

Synonyms: stalling, slow, tardy, laggard
Antonyms: prompt, punctual, speedy, expeditious

Egregious

(adj.) conspicuous, standing out from the mass

Synonyms: glaring, flagrant, blatant
Antonyms: unnoticeable, paltry, piddling

Equivocate

(verb) to speak or act in a way that allows for more than one interpretation; to be deliberately vague or ambiguous

Synonyms: to talk out of both sides of one's mouth, palter, hedge
Antonyms: To speak one's mind plainly

Evanescent

(adj.) vanishing, soon passing away, light and airy

Synonyms: ephemeral, transient, transitory
Antonyms: everlasting, immortal, imperishable

Irresolute

(adj.) unable to make up one's mind, hesitating

Synonyms: indecisive, vacillating, wavering
Antonyms: determined, decisive, unwavering

Nebulous

(adj.) cloudlike, resembling a cloud; clouding in color, not transparent; vague, confused, indistinct

Synonyms: hazy, fuzzy, cloudy vague, murky opaque, indeterminate
Antonyms: definite, distinct clear, sharply focused

Novice

(noun) one who is just a beginner at some activity requiring skill and experience

Synonyms: neophyte, tyro, trainee, apprentice
Antonyms: veteran, past master, pro, expert

Penury

(noun) extreme poverty; barrenness, insufficiency

Synonyms: destitution, want, indigence
Antonyms: affluence, abundance, luxury, opulence

Pretentious

(adj.) done for show, striving to make a big impression; claiming merit or position unjustifiably; making demands on one's skill or abilities, ambitious

Synonyms: inflated, ostentatious, affected
Antonyms: unassuming, unaffected, modest

Recapitulate

(verb) to review a series of facts, to sum up

Synonyms: review, summarize, go over

Resuscitate

(verb) to revive, bring back to consciousness or existence

Synonyms: revitalize, reanimate, restore, reactivate

Slovenly

(adj.) untidy, dirty, carless

Synonyms: unkempt, slatternly, slipshod, lax
Antonyms: neat, tidy, careful, meticulous

Supposition

(noun) Something that is assumed or taken for granted without conclusive evidence

Synonyms: assumption, presumption, hypothesis

Torpid

(adj.) inactive, sluggish, dull

Synonyms: lethargic, otiose, languid
Antonyms: energetic, dynamic, vigorous

Accure

(verb) to grow or accumulate over time; to happen as a natural result

Synonyms: collect, accumulate, proceed from
Antonyms: dwindle, decrease, diminish, lessen

Annotation

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

Bedlam

(noun) a state or scene of uproar and confusion

Synonyms: commotion, pandemonium, chaos, anarchy

Covert

(adj.) hidden, disguised, purposefully kept secret; sheltered, secluded

Synonyms: undercover, clandestine, sub-rosa
Antonyms: open, overt, undisguised

Debonair

(adj.) pleasant, courteous, lighthearted; smooth and polished in manner and appearance

Synonyms: carefree, jaunty, gracious, suave, urbane
Antonyms: distraught, agitated, boorish, churlish

Dun

(verb/noun/adj) to demand insistently (usually in payment of debt); a creditor; dark, dull, drab, dingy

Synonyms: hound, pester, harass, nag

Efficacious

(adj.) effective, producing results

Synonyms: effectual, efficient, potent, powerful
Antonyms: ineffective, worthless, useless

Equanimity

(noun) calmness, composure, refusal to panic

Synonyms: tranquility, imperturbability
Antonyms: excitability, flappability, agitation

Fortuitous

(adj.) accidental, occurring by happy chance

Synonyms: unintentional, unplanned, random, lucky
Antonyms: intentional, deliberate, premeditated

Gist

(noun) the essential part, main point, or essence

Synonyms: substance, core, nucleus

Gratuitous

(adj.) freely given, not called for by circumstances, unwarranted

Synonyms: voluntary, unjustified, uncalled for
Antonyms: justified, warranted

Imperious

(adj.) overbearing, arrogant; seeking to dominate; pressing; compelling

Synonyms: domineering, magisterial, urgent, imperative
Antonyms: fawning, obsequious, humble, unassuming

Invective

(noun) a strong denunciation or condemnation, abusive language; abusive, vituperative

Synonyms: vituperation, abuse, diatribe, philippic
Antonyms: tribute, panegyric, encomium

Motley

(adj.) showing great variety; composed of different elements or many colors; a jester's costume; a jester

Synonyms: variegated, heterogeneous, diverse, a fool
Antonyms: uniform, homogenous, monochromatic

Munificent

(adj.) extremely generous, lavish

Synonyms: bounteous, liberal
Antonyms: stingy, miserly, tightfisted, parsimonious

Procrastinate

(verb) to delay, put off until later

Synonyms: stall, temporize, dillydally

Provocative

(adj.) tending to produce a strong feeling or response; arousing desire or appetite; irritating, annoying

Synonyms: stimulating, arousing, vexing, galling
Antonyms: dull, insipid, bland

Recondite

(adj.) exceedingly ordinary knowledge and understanding

Synonyms: esoteric, arcane, profound, abstruse
Antonyms: simple, uncomplicated

Reprobate

(noun) a depraved, vicious or unprincipled person, scoundrel; wicked, corrupt; to disapprove of, condemn

Synonyms: immoral, corrupt
Antonyms: saint, upright, virtuous, moral

Sedentary

(adj.) Characterized by or calling for continued sitting; remaining in one place

Abstemious

(adj.) moderate, sparing; characterized by abstinence and self-discipline

Synonyms: temperate, sober, moderate
Antonyms: indulgent, immoderate, intemperate

Censurable

(adj.) deserving of blame or correction

Synonyms: blameworthy, discreditable, reprehensible
Antonyms: commendable, laudable, meritorious

Contingent

(adj.) likely but not certain to happen, possible; dependent on uncertain events or conditions; happening by chance; a representative group forming part of a larger body

Synonyms: conditional, dependent; a detachment
Antonyms: independent, unconnected, certain

Corroborate

(verb) to confirm, make more certain, bolster, substantiate, verify

Antonyms: refute, contradict, undermine, discredit

Denizen

(noun) An inhabitant, resident

Synonyms: dweller, habitue
Antonyms: alien, outsider, stranger, foreigner

Discursive

(adj.) passing aimlessly from one place or subject to another; rambling, roving nomadic

Synonyms: disgressive, diffuse, wandering, episodic
Antonyms: short and to the point, succinct

Disseminate

(verb) to scatter or spread widely

Synonyms: disperse, publicize, broadcast, circulate
Antonyms: bring together, concentrate, muster, conceal, hide

Dowdy

(adj.) poorly dressed, shabby; lacking smartness and good taste

Synonyms: frumpy, tacky, frowsy, drab
Antonyms: elegant, stylish, chic, fashionable

Florid

(adj.) highly colored, reddish; excessively ornate, showy

Synonyms: flushed, ruddy, flowery frilly, flamboyant
Antonyms: pale, ashen, pallid, sallow, austere, stark

Foist

(verb) to impose by fraud, to pass off as worthy or genuine, to bring about by stealth, dishonestly or coercion

Synonyms: pass off, palm off, fob off

Gauche

(adj.) awkward, lacking in social graces, tactless, clumsy

Synonyms: inept, uncouth, maladriot
Antonyms: adroit, tactful, diplomatic, politic

Heresy

(noun) an opinion different from accepted belief; the denial of an idea that is generally held sacred

Synonyms: unorthodox belief, heterodoxy
Antonyms: orthodoxy

Inculcate

(verb) to impress on the mind by repetition, teach persistently and earnestly

Synonyms: instill, implant, infuse, ingrain, imbue
Antonyms: efface, extirpate, root out

Palpable

(adj.) capable of being touched or felt; easily seen, heard, or recognized

Synonyms: tangible, plain, obvious,, manifest
Antonyms: intangibile, insubstantial, incorporeal

Perceptive

(adj.) having sympathetic insight or understanding, capable of keen appreciation

Synonyms: insightful, discerning, observant
Antonyms: dense, thick, obtuse, dim-witted

Pernicious

(adj.) extremely harmful, deadly, fatal

Synonyms: injurious, deleterious, baleful, noxious
Antonyms: harmless, innocuous, salutary, salubrious

Salient

(adj.) leaping, jumping, or springing forth; prominent, standing out, conspicuous; a projection or bulge, a land form that projects upward/outward

Synonyms: striking, notable, protrusive, obvious
Antonyms: inconspicuous, recessive

Satiate

(verb) to satisfy completely, to fill to excess; full satisfied

Synonyms: gratify, cloy, surfeit, gorge
Antonyms: starve, deprive entirely of

Sear

(verb) to make or become dry and withered; to char or scorch the surface of; to harden or make unfeeling; to parch, dessicate, singe

Specious

(adj.) deceptive, apparently good or valid but lacking real merit

Synonyms: deceptively plausible, sophistic, casuistic
Antonyms: valid, sound, solid, genuine