world lit 2 wow words

abscond (v.)

to leave quickly and secretly, so as to avoid detection s:flee/bolt a:stay/face

servile (adj)

showing an excessive willingness to serve others s:fawning/submissive a:agreezive/dominant

solicitous (adj)

showing interest or concern s: mindful/considerate a:selfish/inconsiderate

somnolent (adj)

sleepy or drowsy s:tired/sluggish a:hyper/lively

respite (n.)

a short period of rest during a difficult task s: break/recess a:beginning/continuation

tantamount (adj.)

virtually the same as s:alike/comparable a:different/opposite

sublime (adj.)

so wonderful it inspires great awe s: majestic/superb a:awful/inferior

sinuous (adj.)

having many curves and turns s: winding/serpentine a:straight/direct

salve (n.)

something used to soothe injuries s: balm/cure a: disease/poison

acumen (n.)

experience or expertise in something s:insight/shrewdness a:ignorance/stupidity

posthumous (adj.)

taking place after one’s death s: postmortem/belated a: antemortem/current

ogle (v.)

to stare at in a gross or dirty manner s: leer/eyeball a: ignore/scorn

robust (adj.)

strong and healthy s: vigorous/powerful a: weak/meek

burnish (v.)

to enhance or perfect by rubbing s: polish/buff a: dull/tarnish

rotund (adj.)

round or spherical s: dumpy/plump a: thin/narrow

hapless (adj)

unfortunate s:unlucky/jinxed a: lucky/charmed

lucid (adj.)

easy to understand or thinking clearly s: evident/unambiguous a: confused/cloudy

maelstrom (n.)

turbulence and agitation s:turmoil/chaos a:calm/peace

prowess (n.)

great skill or expertise s: mastery/excellence a: inability/failure

modicum (n.)

a small amount s: crumb/bit a: whole/ton

affront (n.)

an action or remark that causes outrage or offense s: insult/slight a: compliment/flattery

blight (n.)

a thing that spoils or damages something else s: plague/menace a: blessing/boon

destitute (adj.)

without the basic necessities of life s: poor/bankrupt A: wealthy/affluent

inane (adj.)

silly or stupid s: foolish/idiotic a:wise/clever

bequeath (v.)

to leave something to a person through a will s: gift/bestow a:take/keep

exalt (v.)

to think or speak very highly of s: glorify/revere a:criticize/shame

epitome (n.)

a perfect example of something s:model/ideal a: reject /flaw

indigent (adj.)

poor or needy s:destitute/penniless a:rich/prosperous

benevolent (adj.)

intending good for people s:kind.caring a:unkind/harsh

malevolent (adj.)

intending harm to others s:hostile/wicked a:benevolent/kind

culpable (adj.)

deserving blame s:guilty/responsible a: innocent/blameless

curt (adj.)

rudely brief s:brusque/terse a:polite/gracious

dearth (n.)

a lack of something s:scarity/shortage a:abundance/plenty

magnanimous (adj.)

very generous or forgiving s:selfless/charitable a:selfish/mean

mollify (v.)

to reduce someone’s anger or anxiety s:soothe/pacify a:irritate/antagonize

quixotic (adj.)

idealistic in an unrealistic way S:impratical/dreamy a:practical/sensible

wanton (adj.)

deliberate but without a motive s:unprovoked/stray a:intentional/thoughtful

accost (v.)

to approach with hostility or harmful intentions s:confront/bother a:ignore/avoid

platitude (n.)

a statement that has been used too often to be interesting or meaningful s:cliche/banality a:insight/wisdom

hapless (adj.)

unfortunate s:unlucky/jinxed a:lucky/charmed

malleable (adj.)

easily influenced, pliable s:impressionable/flexible a:rigid/inflexible

truncate (v.)

to shorten something by clipping it s:trim/abridge a:expand/length

upbraid (v.)

to harshly criticize s:scold/admonish a:compliment/encourage

corpulence (n.)

obesity s:fatness/portliness a:thinness/skinniness

rapport (n.)

a harmonious relationship s: bond/affinity a: coldness/distrust

defile (v.)

to make foul or unclean s: mar/spoil a:cleanse/repair

conciliatory (adj.)

intended or likely to placate or pacify s:appeasing/calming a:irritating/inflaming

expunge (v.)

to remove completely s:erase/scrub a:create/add

extraneous (adj.)

unrelated to the subject being dealt with s:irrelevant/unconnected a:essential/necessary

stupefy (v.)

to make someone unable to think clearly s:stun/daze a:explain/enlighten

raucous (adj.)

rough and noisy s:harsh/loud a:soft/calm

raze (v.)

to tear something down s: demolish/flatten a: build/construct

garish (adj.)

overly bright and showy s: gaudy/flashy a:modest/refined

abide (v.)

to follow or put up with s:accept/tolerate a:reject/fight

complicit (adj.)

involved with others in a wrongdoing or a crime s:conniving/scheming a: innocent/honest

pejorative (adj.)

expressing disapproval or belittling someone/something s: rude/insulting a: flattering/positive

enamor (v.)

to be filled with a feeling of love for s: enthrall/enchant a: disgust/repulse

inundate (v.)

to flood or overwhelm s: engulf/drown a: ignore/bypass

linchpin (n.)

a person or thing vital to an organization s: keystone/backbone a: accessory/extra

paradigm (n.)

a typical example or model of something s: pattern/template a: exception/ deviation

revel (v.)

to engage in lively or joyful festivities s: celebrate/carouse a: mourn/grieve

mawkish (adj.)

overly sentimental s: sappy/mushy a: stoic/ unemotional

pert (adj.)

attractive in a lively or bold way s: playful/spirited a: dull/drab

succinct (adj.)

briefly and clearly expressed s: concise/pointed a: wordy/ long-winded

usurp (v.)

to take over s: seize/wrest a: give/ offer

rife (adj.)

overflowing s: abundant/rampant a: limited/scarce

browbeat (v.)

to intimidate someone with harsh words s: harass/bully a: coax/compliment

compunction (n.)

regret after doing a bad thing s: remorse/shame a: indifference/ happiness

pithy (adj)

concise and filled with meaning s: wise/meaty a: meaningless/dumb

recant (v.)

to take back something that was said s: rescind/ retract a: affirm/ repeat