Sadlier Level E Units 4, 5, 6

altruistic

(adj) Unselfish, concerned with others' welfare;
SYNONYM: selfless;
ANTONYMS: selfish, self-centered

assent

(verb) to express agreement;
SYNONYMS: consent, concur;
ANTONYMS: disagree, differ, dissent

assent

(noun) an agreement

benefactor

(noun) one who does good to others
SYNONYMS: patron, humanitarian
ANTONYMS: misanthrope, malefactor

chivalrous

(adj) marked by honor, courtesy, and courage; knightly
SYNONYMS: civil, valiant, courtly
ANTONYMS: uncouth, churlish, loutish

clemency

(noun) mercy, humaneness, mildness, moderateness
SYNONYMS: leniency, forbearance, gentleness
ANTONYMS: harshness, severity, cruelty, inflexibility

dearth

(noun) a lack, scarcity, inadequate supply; a famine
SYNONYMS: insufficiency, want, paucity
ANTONYMS: surplus, oversupply, glut, abundance

diffident

(adj) shy, lacking self-confidence; modest, reserved
SYNONYMS: timid, bashful, unassertive, withdrawn
ANTONYMS: bold, brash, audacious, self-confident, jaunty

discrepancy

(noun) a difference, lack of agreement
SYNONYMS: disagreement, divergence, inconsistency
ANTONYMS: agreement, convergence, consistency

embark

(verb) to go aboard, make a start; to invest
SYNONYMS: commence, begin, board

facile

(adj) easily done or attained; superficial; ready, fluent; easily shown but not sincerely felt
SYNONYMS: effortless, assured, poised, specious
ANTONYMS: labored, awkward, halting

indomitable

(adj) unconquerable; refusing to yield
SYNONYMS: unbeatable, invincible, unyielding
ANTONYMS: surrendering, submissive, yielding

infallible

(adj) free from error; absolutely dependable
SYNONYMS: unerring, certain
ANTONYMS: imperfect

plod

(verb) to walk heavily or slowly; to work slowly
SYNONYMS: lumber, trudge
ANTONYMS: scamper, skip, prance

pungent

(adj) causing a sharp sensation; stinging, biting
SYNONYMS: sharp, spicy, piquant, racy
ANTONYMS: unappetizing, colorless, insipid

remiss

(adj) neglectful in performance of one's duty, careless
SYNONYMS: negligent, lax, slack
ANTONYMS: scrupulous, dutiful, punctillious

repose

(verb) to rest, lie, place
SYNONYMS: sleep

repose

(noun) relaxation, peace of mind, calmness
SYNONYMS: tranquility, respite
ANTONYMS: exertion, wakefulness, tumult, bustle, ado

temerity

(noun) rashness, boldness
SYNONYMS: recklessness, foolhardiness, effrontery
ANTONYMS: timidity, fearfulness, diffidence, humility

truculent

(adj) fierce and cruel; aggressive, deadly, destructive; scathingly harsh
SYNONYMS: savage, belligerent, vitriolic
ANTONYMS: gentle, mild, unthreatening

unfeigned

(adj) sincere, real, without pretense
SYNONYMS: genuine, heartfelt
ANTONYMS: insincere, simulated, phony

virulent

(adj) extremely poisonous, full of malice, spiteful
SYNONYMS: noxious, baneful, hateful
ANTONYMS: harmless, benign

affiliated

(adj., part.) associated, connected



Syn.: attached, related, jointed

Ant.: dissociated, unconnected

ascertain

(verb) to find out



Syn.: discover, determine, establish

attainment

(noun) an accomplishment, the act of achieving

Syn.: achievement, fulfillment
Ant.: failure, defeat, frustration

bequeath

(verb) to give or pass on as an inheritance

Syn.: transmit, bestow, hand down

cogent

(adj.) forceful, convincing; relevant, to the point

Syn.: persuasive, compelling
Ant.: weak, unconvincing, ineffective, irrelevant

converge

(verb) to move toward one point, approach nearer together

Syn.: meet, unite, intersect, merge
Ant.: diverge, separate

disperse

(verb) to scatter, spread far and wide

Syn.: break up, dispel
Ant.: collect, congregate, assemble, muster

esteem

(verb) to regard highly; (noun) a highly favorable opinion or judgment

Syn.: (verb) respect, admire, honor, revere
Ant.: (verb) disdain, scorn; (noun) contempt

expunge

(verb) to erase, obliterate, destroy

Syn.: delete, efface, annihilate
Ant.: insert, mark, imprint, impress

finite

(adj.) having limits; lasting for a limited time

Syn.: bounded, measurable
Ant.: unlimited, immeasurable, everlasting, eternal

invulnerable

(adj.) not able to be wounded or hurt; shielded against attack

Syn.: impregnable, impervious, immune
Ant.: exposed, unprotected, defenseless

malevolent

(adj.) spiteful, showing ill will

Syn.: malicious, wicked, sinister, malignant
Ant.: kind, benevolent, compassionate

nonchalant

(adj.) cool and confident, unconcerned

Syn.: composed, unruffled, indifferent, blase
Ant.: perturbed, agitated, disconcerted, abashed

omniscient

(adj.) knowing everything; having unlimited awareness or understanding

Syn.: wise, all-knowing
Ant.: ignorant, unknowing

panacea

(noun) a remedy for all ills; cure-all; an answer to all problems

Syn.: universal cure, easy solution

scrupulous

(adj.) exact, careful, attending thoroughly to details; having high moral standards, principled

Syn.: painstaking, meticulous, conscientious
Ant.: careless, negligent, remiss, dishonest

skulk

(verb) to move about stealthily; to lie in hiding

Syn.: lurk, slink, prowl

supercilious

(adj.) proud and contemptuous; showing scorn because of a feeling of superiority

Syn.: snobbish, patronizing, overbearing
Ant.: humble, meek, deferential, servile

uncanny

(adj.) strange, mysterious, weird, beyond explanation

Syn.: eerie, inexplicable, spooky

venial

(adj.) easily excused; pardonable

Syn.: excusable, forgivable
Ant.: inexcusable, unforgivable, unpardonable

accede

(verb) to yield to; to assume an office or dignity

Management was not willing to __________ to labor's initial demands, thus increasing the likelihood of a long and bitter strike.

Syn.: consent, concur, comply, assent
Ant.: demur, balk at

brandish

(verb) to wave or flourish in a menacing or vigorous fashion

I __________ my umbrella repeatedly in a vain effort to hail an empty cab.

Syn.: swing, shake

comprise

(verb) to include or contain; to be made up of

Classical symphonies usually __________ three or four movements of varying musical form, tempo, and character.

Syn.: compose, constitute, encompass
Ant.: exclude

deft

(adj.) skillful, nimble

The __________ fingers of Spanish nuns produced some of the finest, most delicate lace ever seen.

Syn.: dexterous, adroit, proficient, clever, masterful
Ant.: clumsy, awkward, bungling, inept

destitute

(adj.) deprived of the necessities of life; lacking in

Some people fled their homes so suddenly that they arrived at the refugee camp absolutely __________.

Syn.: wanting, devoid, impoverished, penniless
Ant.: rich, wealthy, luxurious, bountiful, full, replete

explicit

(adj.) definite, clearly stated
The more _________ your directions are, the easier it will be for all of us to find our way to the campsite.
Syn.: distinct, forthright, unambiguous, clear
Ant.: vague, ambiguous, implied, implicit

extirpate

(verb) to tear up by the roots; to destroy totally

We must do everything we can to __________ racism from American society.

Syn.: uproot, eradicate, wipe out, excise
Ant.: implant, sow, foster, nourish

inopportune

(adj.) coming at a bad time; not appropriate

Why do my relatives always seem to turn up at the most __________ time imaginable?

Syn.: ill-timed, inconvenient, inappropriate, unsuitable
Ant.: timely, convenient, felicitous, opportune

ironic

(adj.) suggesting an incongruity between what might be expected and what actually happens; given to irony, sarcastic

The short stories of O. Henry are famous for their __________ endings.

Syn.: incongruous, satiric, sardonic, wry
Ant.: straightforward, unequivocal

musty

(adj.) stale, moldy; out-of-date

Houses that have been closed up for a very long time often have an unpleasantly __________ smell about them.

Syn.: hackneyed, antiquated
Ant.: fresh, sweet-smelling, up-to-date, brand-new

officious

(adj.) meddling; excessively forward in offering services or assuming authority

The manager of the store warned the entire sales force not to be too _________ when helping customers.

Syn.: meddlesome, prying, impertinent, obtrusive
Ant.: reserved, diffident, timid, aloof

ominous

(adj.) unfavorable, threatening, of bad omen

The __________ sound of distant thunder warned us of the storm's approach.

Syn.: unpropitious, inauspicious, portentous
Ant.: propitious, auspicious, promising

pinnacle

(noun) a high peak or point

Some pop musicians reach the __________ of their careers comparatively early in life.

Syn.: apex, acme, summit, apogee
Ant.: nadir, perigee, low point

premeditated

(adj., part.) considered beforehand, deliberately planned

Some crimes are spontaneous acts of passion; others are quite __________.

Syn.: preplanned, rehearsed, calculated, prearranged
Ant.: unplanned, spontaneous, impromptu

rampant

(adj.) growing without check, running wild

All kinds of odd rumors run _________ during a political campaign.

Syn.: widespread, unrestrained, extravagant, prevalent
Ant.: controlled, restrained

solace

(noun) comfort, relief; (verb) to comfort, console

Many world leaders seek __________ from the cares of state in the pages of great literature.
I could find no way to __________ my deeply troubled conscience.

Syn.: (verb) soothe, reassure, cheer up
Ant.: (verb) vex, aggravate, upset

stately

(adj.) dignified, majestic

The __________ procession slowly wound its way from the palace to the cathedral.

Syn.: grand, magnificent, imposing
Ant.: lowly, humble, servile, abject

supple

(adj.) bending easily; bending with agility; readily adaptable; servile

Have you ever read Robert Frost's famous poem about swinging on the __________ branches of a birch tree?

Syn.: flexible, limber, pliable, pliant
Ant.: stiff, rigid, unbending, hidebound

suppress

(verb) to stop by force, put down

Totalitarian governments usually take strong measures to __________ free speech.

Syn.: subdue, crush, stifle, squelch, quash, silence
Ant.: provoke, spur, arouse, incite, instigate

venal

(adj.) open to or marked by bribery or corruption

The presence of even one __________ official may jeopardize the integrity of an entire organization.

Syn.: dishonest, bribable, corruptible, mercenary
Ant.: honest, incorruptible, scrupulous