English IIII Unit 1 Sadlier

approbation

(n.) the expression of approval or favorable opinion, praise; official approval
S: commendation, sanction
A: disapproval, condemnation, censure

assuage

(v.) to make easier or milder, relieve; to quiet, calm; to put an end to, appease, satisfy, quench
S: mitigate, alleviate, slake, allay
A: intensify, aggravate, exacerbate

coalition

(n.) a combination, union, or merger for some specific purpose
S: alliance, league, federation, combine
A: splinter group

decadence

(n.) decline, decay, or deterioration; a condition or period of decline or decay; excessive self-indulgence
S: degeneration, corruption
A: rise, growth, development, maturation

elicit

(v.) to draw forth, bring out from some source (such as another person)
S; call forth, evoke, extract, educe
A: repress, quash, squelch, stifle

expostulate

(v.) to attempt to dissuade someone from some course of decision by earnest reasoning
S: protest, remonstrate, complain

hackneyed

(adj.) used so often as to lack freshness or originality
S: banal, trite, commonplace, corny
A: new, fresh, novel (new), original

hiatus

(n.) a gap, opening, break (in the sense of having an element missing)
S: pause, lacuna (a gap or pause)
A: continuity, continuation

innuendo

(n.) a hint, indirect suggestion, or reference (often in a derogatory sense)
S: insinuation, intimidation
A: direct statement

intercede

(v.) to plead on behalf of someone else; to serve as a third party or go-between in a disagreement
S: intervene, mediate

jaded

(adj.) wearied, worn-out, dulled (in the sense of being satiated by excessive indulgence)
S: sated, surfeited, cloyed
A: unspoiled, uncloyed

lurid

(adj.) causing shock, horror, or revulsion; sensational; pale or sallow in color; terrible or passionate in intensity or lack of restraint
S: gruesome, gory, grisly, baleful, ghastly
A: pleasant, attractive, appealing, wholesome

meritorious

(adj.) worthy, deserving recognition and praise
S: praiseworthy, laudable, commendable
A: blameworthy, reprehensible, discreditable

petulant

(adj.) peevish, annoyed by trifles, easily irritated and upset
S: irritable, testy, waspish
A: even-tempered, placid, serence, amiable

prerogative

(n.) a special right or privilege; a special quality showing excellence
S: prerequisite, perk

provincial

(adj.) pertaining to an outlying area; local; narrow in mind or outlook, countrified in the sense of being limited and backward; of a simple, plain design that originated in the countryside; (n.) a person with a narrow point of view; a person from an outlying area; a soldier from a province or colony
S: (adj.) narrow-minded, parochial, insular, naive
A: (adj.) cosmopolitan, catholic, broad-minded

simulate

(v.) to make a pretense of, imitate; to show the outer signs of
S: feign, pretend, affect

transcend

(v.) to rise above or beyond, exceed
S: surpass, outstrip

umbrage

(n.) shade cast by trees; foliage giving shade; an overshadowing influence or power; offense, resentment, a vague suspicion
S: irritation, pique, annoyance
A: pleasure, delight, satisfaction

unctuous

(adj.) excessively smooth or smug; trying too hard to give an impression of earnestness, sincerity, or piety; fatty oily; pliable
S: mealy-mouthed, servile, fawning, greasy
A: gruff, blunt