NLN PAX

ABANDON

To give up completely

Synonyms: relinquish, forgo, forsake

ABASH

To lose self-confidence; to confuse, put to shame

Synonyms: fluster, disconcert, discomfit, discompose

Antonym: (adj.) self-possessed

ABDICATE

To give up claim to

Synonyms: renounce, abandon, relinquish

ABET

To encourage -or support -

Synonyms: spur, incite

Antonym: deter

ABRIDGE

To shorten

Synonyms: curtail, diminish, retrench

Anthonyms: protract, elongate, amplify

ABROGATE

To abolish or render void

Synonyms: annul, nullify, rescind, void

ABSTEMIOUS

Moderate in the use of food or drink

Synonym: temperate

ACADEMIC

Pertaining to school

Synonym: scholastic

ACCEDE

To agree to

Synonym: assent

Antonym: demur

ACCELERATE

To quicken, speed tip

Synonym: expedite (adj. expeditious)

Antonym: retard

ACCOLADE

An award or salute

Synonyms: tribute, ovation

ACCORD

Agreement or harmony

Antonyms:dissension, discord

ACRIMONIOUS

Sharp or harsh in language or temper

Synonyms:caustic, acerb, pungent, tart, mordant, acrid; (noun) asperity

Antonyms:suave, affable

ACUMEN

Keenness of mind or insight

Synonyms:perspicacity, discernment, perception

Antonym:obtuseness

ADMONISH

To warn or find fault gently

Synonyms:chide, caution, reprimand, reprehend, reproach

ADVERSARY

An opponent

Synonym:antagonist

Antonyms:cohort, confederate, ally, accomplice

ADVERSITY

Misfortune

Synonyms:affliction, mischance, reverses

AESTHETIC

Pertaining to the beautiful

AFFABLE

Sociable, courteous, and agreeable in manner a much admired.

Synonyms: civil, complaisant, benign, gracious, genial, urbane, cordial

AFFLUENT

Prosperous, flourishing; copious

Synonyms:opulent, profuse

Antonyms:destitute, impecunious

AGGRESSIVE

self-assertive; attacking, offensive

Synonyms:bumptious, officious, obtrusive

Antonyms:meek, humble, retiring, diffident

ALACRITY

Eagerness; cheerful promptness

Synonyms:celerity, briskness, energy, animation

Antonyms:apathy, nonchalance, sluggishness, lethargy, phlegmatism

ALIENATE

To estrange

ALLAY

To calm; to lessen in severity

Synonyms:appease, alleviate, pacify, assuage, abate, mitigate, propitiate, mollify, placate

Antonyms:intensify, aggravate

ALLUDE

To refer to indirectly

Synonyms:insinuate, intimate, imply

Antonyms:refer, cite

ALLURE

To tempt by flattery or an attractive offer

Synonyms:lure, decoy, inveigle, entice, seduce, wheedle, beguile, cajole

Antonym:repel

AMBIGUOUS

Uncertain, vague, capable of being inter- in more than one way

Synonyms:hazy, obscure, equivocal, dubious, nebulous

Antonyms:explicit, unquestionable

AMENABLE

Obedient; willing to submit

Synonyms:tractable, docile, responsive

Antonyms:intractable, refractory, recalcitrant

AMIABLE

Good-natured; friendly

Synonym:complaisant

ANACHRONISM

A thing placed or occurring out of its normal time

ANALOGY

A relation between two things shown in the resemblance not of the things themselves but of their characteristics

Synonyms:correspondence, affinity

Antonym: anomaly (a deviation from the general rule)

ANARCHY

State of confusion or lawlessness

Synonyms: chaos, pandemonium

ANIMUS

A feeling of hatred-

Synonyms: enmity, rancor, malevolence, animosity

Antonym: amity

ANNALS

Historical records

ANONYMOUS

Of unknown authorship

ANTHOLOGY

A collection of choice literary works

ANTITHESIS

Contrast; the direct opposite

APATHY

Lack of feeling, emotion, or interest

Synonyms: torpor, lethargy, sluggishness, listlessness, languor, lassitude, dispassion; (verb) languish

Antonyms:zeal, animation

APPREHENSIVE

Fearful

APPRISE

To inform

APPROBATION

Approval; praise

Synonyms:sanction, commendation

Antonym:disapprobation

APT

(1) Likely; inclined or disposed Synonym: prone

(2) Fit, suitable

Synonyms: appropriate, felicitous

(3) Skillful, expert

Synonyms: deft, dextrous, adept. Antonym: inept

ARBITER

A person who has authority to decide matters in dispute

Synonyms: mediator, arbitrator

ARCHETYPE

An original pattern

Synonym: prototype

Antonyms: Stereotype, facsimile, replica

ARID

Dry; barren

Synonyms. jejune, parched

Antonyms: arable, fertile

ARISTOCRACY

Government by the best people;

Synonym: oligarchy

Antonym: democracy

ARMISTICE

A temporary suspension of hostilities.

Synonym: truce

ARTFUL

Sly; crafty

Synonyms: cunning, wily, adroit, ingenious, guileful

Antonyms: guileless, ingenuous, artless

ARTICULATE

(verb): To speak clearly or distinctly

(adj.): Capable of speech; distinct, clear

ASCETIC

Rigorously self-denying

Synonyms: austere, abstinent

Antonyms: wanton, self-indulgent

ASKANCE

With distrust

ASSEVERATE

To declare positively; to confirm

Synonyms:assert, avouch, aver, avow, allege

Antonyms:gainsay, controvert, recant, rescind, abjure, disavow

ASSIDUOUS

Industrious

Synonyms:sedulous, attentive, diligent, indefatigable

Antonyms:indolent, slothful

ASYLUM

A place offering shelter and retreat

Synonyms:sanctuary, refuge

ATHEIST

One who denies that God exists

Synonyms:infidel, agnostic, skeptic

ATTRIBUTE

(verb): Assign

Synonym: ascribe

(noun): An inherent quality

AUGMENT

To increase or enlarge

Synonyms: enhance, amplify - Antonyms: abate, curtail

AUSPICIOUS

Indicating a happy outcome

Synonyms:propitious, fortunate

Antonyms:ominous, foreboding

AUTHENTIC

Genuine

Synonyms:veritable, bona fide

Antonyms;apocryphal, counterfeit, spurious, bogus

AUTOCRATIC

Despotic

Synonym:tyrannical

Antonym:benevolent

AVARICE

Excessive greed

Synonyms:covetousness, cupidity, avidity

Antonym:magnanimity

AWRY

Unsymmetrical; not straight

Synonym:askew

BANAL

Lacking in freshness, originality, or vigor

Synonyms:commonplace, hackneyed, prosaic, trite, stereotyped, vapid

Antonyms:racy, original, vivid

BANEFUL

Destructive, poisonous

Synonyms: deleterious, pernicious, virulent, noxious, toxic

Antonym:beneficent

BANTER

Good-natured teasing or ridicule

Synonyms:raillery, chaff

BATON

A stick or staff

BELIE

To give a false idea of

Synonym:misrepresent

BELLICOSE

Inclined to quarrel; warlike

Synonyms: pugnacious, contentious, disputatious

Antonyms: pacific, conciliatory

BELLIGERENT

Engaged in war

BENEVOLENT

Kindly; charitable

Synonyms: benign, benignant, gracious, magnanimous

Antonyms: malevolent, malignant

BEREAVE

To deprive or leave desolate by loss

BESMIRCH

To soil or dirty

Synonyms: stilly, defile, smirch, bespatter

BIASED

Prejudiced

Synonyms:bigoted, arbitrary, partial, partisan

Antonyms:disinterested, equitable

BIBLIOPHILE

A lover of books

Antonym: bibliophobe

BIZARRE

Queer; unusual in appearance

Synonyms:odd, fantastic, grotesque, eccentric

BLAND

Gentle; polite; agreeable

Synonyms: mild, suave (affable or persuasive in manner), soothing, non-irritating

Antonyms: piquant, tart, racy, caustic, acrid, pungent

BLANDISHMENT

A flattering speech or act

BLEMISH

(verb): To scar or spoil

(noun): A disfigurement, defect

BLIGHT

To ruin or decay

Synonyms:wither, blast

BLITHE

Gay and light-hearted in spirit or mood

Synonyms: jocund, merry, joyous

Antonyms: dejected, forlorn, abject

BOG

A swamp

Synonyms: morass, fen, quagmire, mire

BOMBASTIC

High-sounding; pretentious in language flown words.

Synonyms: ranting, pompous, fustian

BOORISH

Unrefined in speech or manners

Synonyms:churlish, uncouth. uncultured, crass

Antonym: suave

BUCOLIC

Pertaining to the country

Synonyms:pastoral, rustic, rural

BUFFOON

A clown

Synonym: harlequin

BULWARK

1 An embankment used as a fortification Synonym: rampart

2 A person, idea, or object serving as a protection

BUMPTIOUS

Obnoxiously conceited or self-assertive

Synonyms: aggressive, arrogant, contumelious, overbearing

CABAL

A small group of persons engaged in plotting

Synonyms: junto, faction

CACOPHONOUS

Unharmonious sounding

Synonyms: dissonant, discordant, blatant, strident, raucous Antonyms: mellifluous, euphonious, dulcet

CADAVEROUS

Corpselike; hence, haggard, pale

Synonyms: ghastly, gaunt, pallid (noun: pallor), wan, ashen

Antonyms: rubicund, florid

CALLOUS

Unfeeling or insensitive

Synonyms: insensible, obdurate

CALUMNIATE

To accuse falsely or maliciously in order to injure another's reputation; slander

Synonyms: asperse, vilify, defame, scandalize

CANDID

Frank, outspoken;

Synonyms: artless, ingenuous, unbiased

Antonyms: guileful, evasive

CANTANKEROUS

Ill-natured; quarrelsome

Synonyms:petulant, peevish, contentious, pugnacious, testy, choleric, fretful

Antonyms:amiable, affable, equable

CAPRICIOUS

Inclined, through some whim or fancy change the mind, purpose, or actions suddenly

Synonyms:fickle, fitful, changeable, erratic, inconstant, crotchety, whimsical, mercurial

Antonyms:steadfast, constant, even-tempered

CAPTIOUS

Quick to find fault about trifles

Synonyms:hypercritical, carping, carviling, censorious

CARICATURE

A picture or other description of a person which exaggerates ludicrously one or more of his distinctive features

CASTIGATE

To punish or criticize severely

Synonyms:reprove, upbraid, reprehend, censure, reprimand, chasten

Antonyms:commend, eulogize, laud

CELESTIAL

Pertaining to the sky; heavenly

Synonyms:ethereal; (noun) firmament

CHAUVINIST

An extreme patriot-

Synonym:jingoist