Unit 4 Vocab

incinerate

(v) to burn to ashes

(syn) burn up, cremate, reduce to ashes

precipice

(n) a very steep cliff; the brink or edge of disaster

(syn) cliff, crag, bluff, promontory, ledge (ant) abyss, chasm, gorge

reprieve

(n) a temporary relief or delay;

(v) to grant a postponement

(syn) (n) stay, respite; (v) postpone, delay

(ant) (v) proceed

rectify

(v) to make right, correct

(syn) remedy, set right

(ant) mess up, botch, bungle

pliant

(adj) bending readily; easily influenced

(syn) supple, flexible, elastic, plastic

(ant) rigid, stiff, inflexible, set in stone

pompous

(adj) overly self-important in speech and manner; excessively stately and ceremonious

(syn) pretentious, highfalutin, bombastic (ant)unpretentious, unaffected,plain

anarchy

(n) a lack of government and law, confusion

(syn) chaos, disorder, turmoil, pandemonium

(ant) law and order, peace and quiet

biased

(adj) favoring one side unduly; prejudiced

(syn) unfair, partial, bigoted

(ant) fair, impartial, unprejudiced, just

auspicious

(adj) favorable; fortunate

(syn) promising, encouraging, propitious

(ant) ill-omened, ominous, sinister

access

(n) approach or admittance to places, person, things,: an increase;

(v) to get at, obtain

(syn) (n) entry, admittance, entrée

(ant) (n) total exclusion

larceny

(n) theft

(syn) stealing, robbery, burglary

disentangle

(v) to free from tangles or complications

(syn) unravel, unwind, unscramble, unsnarl

(ant) tangle up, ensnarl, snag

hoodwink

(v) to mislead by a trick, deceive

(syn) dupe, put one over on

(ant) undeceive, disabuse, clue in

inanimate

(adj) no having life; without energy or spirit

(syn) lifeless, dead, inert, spiritless

(ant) living , alive, energetic, lively, sprightly

intrepid

(adj) very brave, fearless, unshakable

(syn) valiant, courageous, audacious, daring

(ant) timid, cowardly, craven, pusillanimous

revile

(v) to attack with words, call bad names

(syn) inveigh, against, malign, vilify, denounce

(ant) praise, acclaim, revere, idolize

abscond

(v) to run off and hide

(syn) bolt, make off, skip town

fated

(adj) determined in advance by destiny or fortune

(syn) destined, preordained, doomed (ant) accidental, fortuitous, chance, random

daunt

(v) to overcome with fear, intimidate; to dishearten, discourage

(syn) dismay,

(ant)encourage, embolden, reassure

arduous

(adj) hard to do, requiring much effort

(syn)hard, difficult, laborious, fatiguing

(ant) easy, simple, effortless