Vocabulary Level G Unit 10-12

abrogate

to repeal, cancel, declare null and void

syn - cancel, revoke

ant - renew

aesthetic

pertaining to beauty; sensitive or responsive to beauty

syn - artistic

ambient

completely surrounding, encompassing

syn - encompassing

askance

with suspicious, distrust, or disapproval

syn - suspiciously

asperity

roughness, severity; bitterness or tartness

syn - harshness

ant - mildness

attenuate

to make thin or slender; to weaken or lessen in force, intensity, or value

syn - to weaken, thin out, dilute

ant - thicken, strengthen

benign

gentle, kind; forgiving, understanding; having a favorable or beneficial effect; not malignant

syn - benevolent, harmless

ant - malevolent

burnish

to make smooth or glossy but rubbing, polish; gloss, brightness, luster

syn - shine, buff

ant - dull

cabal

a small group working in secret

syn - conspiracy

cavil

to find fault in a petty way, carp; a trivial objection or criticism

syn - nitpick

charlatan

one who feigns knowledge or ability; a pretender, impostor, or quack

syn - a pretender, mountebank

decimate

to kill or destroy a large part of

syn - devastate, wipe out

defunct

no longer in existence or functioning, dead

syn - extinct

ant - alive

delectable

delightful, highly enjoyable; deliciously flavored, savory; an appealing or appetizing food or dish

syn - scrumphous

ant - repulsive, distasteful

deprecate

to express mind disapproval; to belittle

syn - to belittle

ant - approve

detritus

loose bits and pieces of material resulting from disintegration or wearing away; fragments that result from any destruction

syn - wreckage, ruins, rubble

discomfit

to frustrate, thwart, or defeat; to confuse, perplex, or embarrass

syn - make uneasy

ebullient

overflowing with enthusiasm and excitement; boiling, bubbling

ant - gloomy, morose

eclectic

drawn from different sources; one whose beliefs are drawn from various sources

syn - hodge podge, random

ant - uniform

espouse

to take up and support; to become attached to, adopt; to marry

syn - embrace

ant - renounce

fetish

an object believed to have magical powers; an object of unreasoning devotion or reverence

syn - obsession

flaccid

limp, not firm; lacking vigor or effectiveness

syn - soft, flobby

ant - hard, solid

foible

a weak point, failing, minor flaw

syn - shortcoming, quirk

ant - virtue

forgo

to do without, abstain from, give up

syn - refrain from

ant - indulge in

fraught

full of or loaded with, accompanied by

syn - charged with

ant - devoid of, lacking

gregarious

living together in a herd or group; sociable, seeking the company of others

syn - outgoing

ant - introverted, reclusive

hapless

marked by a persistent absence of good luck

syn - unlucky, unfortunate

ant - lucky, fortunate

impeccable

faultless, beyond criticism or blame

syn - flawless

ant - grimy, soiled

impecunious

having little or no money

syn - impoverished, poor

ant - wealthy, prosperous, rich

importune

to trouble with demands; to beg for insistently

syn - implore

inexorable

inflexible, beyond influence; relentless, unyielding

syn - inflexible, unyielding

ant - pliant

interpolate

to insert between other parts or things; to present as an addition or correction

syn - introduce

inure

to toughen, harden; to render used to something by long subjection or exposure

syn - accustom, acclimate

irreparable

incapable of being repaired or rectified

syn - irremediable

ant - fixable, reversible

laconic

concise, using few words

syn - succinct

ant - garrulous, loquacious

languish

to become weak, feeble, or dull; to droop; to be depressed or dispirited; to suffer neglect

syn - fade

luminous

emitting or reflecting light, glowing; illuminating

syn - bright, refulgent, lustrous

ant - dark, opaque, murky

mendacious

given to lying or deception; untrue

syn - untruthful, false

ant - truthful

moribund

dying, on the way out

syn - obsolete, dying

nadir

the lowest point

syn - rock bottom

ant - pinnacle, apex

necromancer

one who claims to reveal or influence the future through magic, especially communication with the dead; in general, a magician or wizard

syn - wizard

obsequious

marked by slavish attentiveness; excessively submissive, often for purely self-interested reasons

syn - submissive, fawning

ant - assertive, candid, Frank, independent

obtuse

blunt, not coming to a point; slow or dull in understanding; measuring between 90 and 180; not causing a sharp impression

syn - thick, dull-witted

ant - perceptive, quick-witted

omnipresent

present in all places at all times

syn - ubiquitous, ever-present

onerous

burdensome; involving hardship or difficulty

syn - weighty

ant - light, easy, undemanding

oscillate

to swing back and forth with a steady rhythm; to fluctuate or waver

syn - to fluctuate

penitent

regretful for one’s sins or mistakes; one who is sorry for wrongdoing

syn - remorseful, regretful

ant - remorseless

peremptory

having the nature of a command that leaves no opportunity for debate, denial, or refusal; offensively self-assured, dictatorial; determined, resolute

syn - unconditional

ant - irresolute, mild

perfunctory

done in a superficial or halfhearted manner; without interest or enthusiasm

syn - slapdash

ant - diligent, meticulous

plaintive

expressive of sorrow or woe, melancholy

syn - sad

ant - cheerful, joyous

rebuff

to snub; to repel, drive away; a curt rejection, a check

syn - reject, setback, rejection

ant - accept, welcome

reconnoiter

to engage in reconnaissance; to make a preliminary inspection

syn - scout

requite

to make suitable repayment, as for a kindness, service, or favor; to make retaliation, as for an injury or wrong; to reciprocate

syn - reimburse

rife

common, prevalent, widespread, happening often; full, abounding; plentiful, abundant, replete

syn - plentiful

ant - devoid of, lacking

rudiments

the parts of any subject or discipline that are learned first; the earliest stages of anything

syn - basics, fundementals

sequester

to set apart, separate for a special purpose; to take possession of and hold in custody

syn - seregate, isolate

shambles

a slaughterhouse; a place of mass bloodshed; a state of complete disorder and confusion, mess

syn - mess

sporadic

occurring at irregular intervals, having no set plan or order

syn - intermittent, spasmodic

ant - steady, continuous

tantamount

equivalent, having the same meaning, value, or effect

syn - equivalent

winnow

to get rid of something unwanted, delete; to sift through to obtain what is desirable; to remove the chaff from the wheat by blowing air on it; to blow on, fan

syn - sift, strain, filter, sort