vocab sem 2

acclamation

acclamation

(n) a shout of welcome; an overwhelming verbal vote of approval; SYNONYMS: ovation, cheering, plaudits; ANTONYMS: booing, hissing, jeers, catcalls

bucolic

(adj) characteristic of the countryside, rural; relating to shepherds and cowherds, pastoral; SYNONYM: rustic, country; ANTONYM: metropolitan, urban

calumniate

(v) to slander; to accuse falsely and maliciously; SYNONYMS: defame, libel; ANTONYMS: flatter, whitewash, praise

chary

(adj) extremely cautious, hesitant, or slow (to); reserved, diffident; SYNONYMS: skittish, wary; ANTONYMS: heedless, reckless, incautious

collusion

(n) secret agreement or cooperation; SYNONYMS: conspiracy, plot, connivance, cahoots

dilettante

(n) a dabbler in the arts; one who engages in an activity in an amateurish, trifling way; (adj) superficial

imperturbable

(adj) not easily excited; emotionally steady; SYNONYMS: unflappable, unexcitable, serene, unruffled; ANTONYM: excitable

increment

(n) an enlargement, increase, addition; SYNONYM: accretion, gain; ANTONYMS: reduction, decrease, loss

mandate

(n) an authoritative command, formal order, authorization; (v) to issue such an order; SYNONYM: directive; ANTONYMS: (v) forbid, ban, outlaw

paltry

(adj) trifling, insignificant; mean, despicable; inferior, trashy; SYNONYMS: measly, meager, piddling, trivial; ANTONYMS: gigantic, immense, colossal

paroxysm

(n) a sudden outburst; a spasm, convulsion; SYNONYMS: fit, seizure

pedantry

(n) a pretentious display of knowledge; overly rigid attention to rules and details; SYNONYMS: nit-picking, pettifoggery, hairsplitting

peregrination

(n) the act of traveling; an excursion, especially on foot or to a foreign country; SYNONYMS: journey, wandering, odyssey

redolent

(adj) fragrant, smelling strongly; tending to arouse memories or create an aura; SYNONYMS: evocative, reminiscent, aromatic; ANTONYMS: unevocative, odorless

refulgent

(adj) shining, radiant, resplendent; SYNONYM: splendid, luminous; ANTONYMS: dim, dark, obscure, dingy, dull

shibboleth

(n) a word, expression, or custom that distinguishes a particular group of persons from all others; a commonplace saying or truism; SYNONYMS: password, slogan, catchphrase

tyro

(n) a beginner, novice; one with little or no background or skill; SYNONYM: neophyte; ANTONYMS: veteran, past master, expert

unremitting

(adj) not stopping, maintained steadily, never letting up, relentless; SYNONYMS: incessant, unrelenting, constant; ANTONYMS: desultory, intermittent

vacillate

(v) to swing indecisively from one idea or course of action to another, to waver weakly in mind or will; SYNONYMS: fluctuate, oscillate, seesaw; ANTONYMS: persevere, stabilize

vituperative

(adj) harshly abusive, severely shocking; SYNONYMS: abusive, scurrilous, insulting; ANTONYMS: complimentary, laudatory, flattering

askance

(adv) with suspicion, distrust, or disapproval; SYNONYMS: distrustfully, suspiciously, skeptically

attenuate

(v) to make thin or slender; to weaken or lessen in force, intensity, or value; SYNONYMS: thin out, dilute, water down; ANTONYMS: thicken, strengthen, bolster

benign

(adj) gentle, kind; forgiving, understanding; having a favorable or beneficial effect; not malignant; SYNONYMS: benevolent, salubrious, harmless, salutary; ANTONYMS: malevolent, deleterious

cavil

(v) to find fault in a petty way, carp; (n) a trivial objection or criticism; SYNONYM: (v) nitpick, quibble

charlatan

(n) one who feigns knowledge or ability; a pretender, impostor, or quack; SYNONYMS: mountebank, fraud

decimate

(v) to kill or destroy a large part of; SYNONYM: devastate

foible

(n) a weak point, failing, minor flaw; SYNONYMS: shortcoming, quirk, defects; ANTONYMS: forte, virtue

forgo

(v) to do without, abstain from, give up; SYNONYMS: refrain from, renounce; ANTONYMS: indulge in, partake of

fraught

(adj) full of or loaded with, accompanied by; SYNONYM: charged with; ANTONYMS: devoid of, lacking, deficient in

inure

(v) to toughen, harden; to render used to something by long subjection or exposure; SYNONYMS: accustom, acclimate

luminous

(adj) emitting or reflecting light, glowing; illuminating; SYNONYMS: bright, refulgent, lustrous; ANTONYMS: dark, opaque, dim, murky

obsequious

(adj) marked by slavish attentiveness; excessively submissive, often for purely self-interested reasons; SYNONYMS: fawning, servile, sycophantic, mealymouthed; ANTONYMS: assertive, bumptious, candid, frank, independent

obtuse

(adj) blunt, not coming to a point; slow or dull in understanding; measuring between 90º and 180º; not causing a sharp impression; SYNONYMS: thick, mild, imperceptive; ANTONYMS: perceptive, quick-witted, acute

oscillate

(v) to swing back and forth with a steady rhythm; to fluctuate or waver; SYNONYMS: vibrate, vacillate

penitent

(adj) regretful for one’s sins or mistakes; (n) one who is sorry for wrongdoing; SYNONYMS: (adj) remorseful, regretful, rueful, sorry; ANTONYMS: (adj) remorseless, unrepentant

peremptory

(adj) having the nature of a command that leaves no opportunity for debate, denial, or refusal; offensively self-assured, dictatorial; determined, resolute; SYNONYM: unconditional, high-handed; ANTONYMS: irresolute, mild, unassuming, tentative

rebuff

(v) to snub; to repel, drive away; (n) a curt rejection, a check; SYNONYMS: (v) repulse, reject, spurn, (n) setback; ANTONYMS: (v) accept, welcome

reconnoiter

(v) to engage in reconnaissance; to make a preliminary inspection; SYNONYM: scout

shambles

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

sporadic

(adj) occurring at irregular intervals, having no set plan or order; SYNONYMS: intermittent, spasmodic; ANTONYMS: steady, continuous, uninterrupted

abrogate

(v) to repeal, cancel, declare null and void; SYNONYMS: annul, revoke; ANTONYMS: renew, ratify, reaffirm

ambient

(adj) completely surrounding, encompassing

asperity

(n) roughness, severity; bitterness or tartness; SYNONYMS: rigor, harshness; ANTONYMS: mildness, blandness, softness, lenience

burnish

(v) to make smooth or glossy by rubbing, polish; (n) gloss, brightness, luster; SYNONYMS: (v) shine, buff; ANTONYMS: (v) dull, abrade

cabal

(n) a small group working in secret; SYNONYMS: ring, gang, plot, conspiracy, clique

delectable

(adj) delightful, highly enjoyable; deliciously flavored, savory; (n) an appealing or appetizing food or dish; SYNONYM: (adj) scrumptious; ANTONYMS: (adj) repugnant, repulsive, distasteful

deprecate

(v) to express mild disapproval; to belittle; SYNONYMS: deplore, frown upon; ANTONYMS: smile on, approve, countenance

detritus

(n) loose bits and pieces of material resulting from disintegration or wearing away; fragments that result from any destruction; SYNONYMS: wreckage, ruins, rubble, debris

ebullient

(adj) overflowing with enthusiasm and excitement; boiling, bubbling; SYNONYMS: exhilarated, elated, exuberant; ANTONYMS: gloomy, morose, sullen, apathetic, blasé

eclectic

(adj) drawn from different sources; (n) one whose beliefs are drawn from various sources; SYNONYMS: (adj) selective, synthetic, pick-and-choose; ANTONYMS: (adj) uniform, monolithic

flaccid

(adj) limp, not firm; lacking vigor or effectiveness; SYNONYMS: soft, flabby; ANTONYMS: hard, solid, firm

impecunious

(adj) having little or no money; SYNONYMS: impoverished, indigent, penniless; ANTONYMS: affluent, wealthy, prosperous, rich

inexorable

(adj) inflexible, beyond influence; relentless, unyielding; SYNONYMS: ineluctable, obdurate, inescapable; ANTONYMS: avoidable, yielding, pliant

moribund

(adj) dying, on the way out; SYNONYMS: obsolescent, fading; ANTONYMS: thriving, flourishing

necromancer

(n) one who claims to reveal or influence the future through magic, especially communication with the dead; in general, a magician or wizard; SYNONYMS: sorcerer, conjurer

onerous

(adj) burdensome; involving hardship or difficulty; SYNONYMS: weighty, oppressive; ANTONYMS: light, easy, undemanding, untaxing

rife

(adj) common, prevalent, widespread, happening often; full, abounding; plentiful, abundant, replete; ANTONYMS: devoid of, lacking

rudiments

(n. pl.) the parts of any subject or discipline that are learned first, the earliest stages of anything; SYNONYMS: basics, fundamentals

sequester

(v) to set apart, separate for a special purpose; to take possession of and hold in custody; SYNONYMS: segregate, isolate, closet, seclude

winnow

(v) 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; SYNONYMS: sift, strain, filter, sort

aesthetic

(adj) pertaining to beauty; sensitive or responsive to beauty; SYNONYM: artistic

defunct

(adj) no longer in existence or functioning, dead; SYNONYMS: extinct, nonexistent; ANTONYM: alive

discomfit

(v) to frustrate, thwart, or defeat; to confuse, perplex, or embarrass; SYNONYMS: nonplus, foil, disconcert

espouse

(v) to take up and support; to become attached to, adopt; to marry; SYNONYMS: embrace, wed; ANTONYMS: repudiate, disavow, renounce

fetish

(n) an object believed to have magical powers; an object of unreasoning devotion or reverence; SYNONYMS: charm, obsession

gregarious

(adj) living together in a herd or group; sociable, seeking the company of others; SYNONYMS: outgoing, extroverted; ANTONYMS: aloof, introverted, reclusive

hapless

(adj) marked by a persistent absence of good luck; SYNONYMS: unlucky, ill-starred, unfortunate; ANTONYMS: lucky, charmed, fortunate

impeccable

(adj) faultless, beyond criticism or blame; SYNONYMS: flawless, spotless, immaculate; ANTONYMS: grimy, soiled, spotted

importune

(v) to trouble with demands; to beg for insistently; SYNONYMS: implore, dun, tax, entreat

interpolate

(v) to insert between other parts or things; to present as an addition or correction; SYNONYMS: interpose, introduce, interject

irreparable

(adj) incapable of being repaired or rectified; SYNONYM: irremediable; ANTONYMS: remediable, fixable, reversible

laconic

(adj) concise, using few words; SYNONYMS: succinct, pithy, compact, terse; ANTONYMS: garrulous, prolix, loquacious, verbose

languish

(v) to become weak, feeble, or dull; to droop; to be depressed or dispirited; to suffer neglect; SYNONYMS: flag, fade, pine, wilt

mendacious

(adj) given to lying or deception; untrue; SYNONYMS: untruthful, false, dishonest; ANTONYM: veracious

nadir

(n) the lowest point; SYNONYMS: rock bottom; ANTONYMS: pinnacle, zenith

omnipresent

(adj) present in all places at all times; SYNONYMS: ubiquitous, ever-present

perfunctory

(adj) done in a superficial or halfhearted manner; without interest or enthusiasm; SYNONYMS: slapdash, shallow, cursory; ANTONYMS: thorough, assiduous, diligent, meticulous

plaintive

(adj) expressive of sorrow or woe, melancholy; SYNONYMS: sad, lugubrious, doleful; ANTONYMS: cheerful, blithe, joyous, merry

requite

(v) to make suitable repayment, as for a kindness, service, or favor; to make retaliation, as for an injury or wrong; to reciprocate; SYNONYMS: reimburse, avenge, recompense; ANTONYMS: spurn

tantamount

(adj) equivalent, having the same meaning, value, or effect; SYNONYMS: indistinguishable from, equal

abstruse

(adj) extremely difficult to understand; SYNONYMS: arcane, recondite, occult, esoteric; ANTONYMS: simple, straightforward

affront

(n) an open or intentional insult; a slight; (v) to insult to one’s face; to face in defiance, confront; SYNONYMS: (n) offense; (v) offend; ANTONYMS: (n., v.) compliment, praise

canard

(n) a false rumor, fabricated story; SYNONYM: hoax

captious

(adj) excessively ready to find fault; given to petty criticism; intended to trap, confuse, or show up; SYNONYMS: faultfinding, carping, nit-picking; ANTONYM: uncritical

cognizant

(adj) aware, knowledgable, informed; having jurisdiction; SYNONYMS: acquainted, conscious; ANTONYMS: unaware, unconscious, oblivious

contrite

(adj) regretful for some misdeed or sin; plagued by a sense of guilt; thoroughly penitent; SYNONYMS: remorseful, rueful; ANTONYMS: unapologetic, impenitent, unrepentant

cynosure

(n) the center of attraction, attention, or interest; something that serves to guide or direct; SYNONYM: focus

decorous

(adj) well behaved, dignified, socially proper; SYNONYMS: seemly, becoming, tasteful; ANTONYMS: unbecoming, improper, tasteless, unseemly

deign

(v) to think it appropriate or suitable to one’s dignity to do something; to condescend; SYNONYMS: deem, stoop

desiccated

(adj., part.) thoroughly dried out; divested of spirit or vitality; arid and uninteresting; SYNONYMS: dehydrated, shriveled, parched; ANTONYMS: sodden, waterlogged, drenched, soggy

efficacy

(n) the power to produce a desired result; SYNONYMS: effectiveness, potency, reliability; ANTONYMS: impotence

engender

(v) to bring into existence, give rise to, produce; to come into existence, assume from; SYNONYMS: generate, cause, form, beget; ANTONYMS: stop, deter

ethereal

(adj) light, airy, delicate; highly refined; suggesting what is heavenly (rather than earthbound); SYNONYMS: heavenly, celestial, gossamer; ANTONYMS: infernal, hellish, thick, heavy

facade

(n) the front or face of a building; a surface appearance (as opposed to what may lie behind); SYNONYMS: exterior, surface, mask; ANTONYM: interior

ghoulish

(adj) revolting in an unnatural or morbid way; suggestive of someone who robs graves or otherwise preys on the dead; SYNONYMS: barbarous, monstrous, fiendish

incongruous

(adj) not in keeping, unsuitable, incompatible; SYNONYMS: discordant, jarring; ANTONYMS: compatible, harmonious, consistent

machination

(n) a crafty, scheming, or underhanded action designed to accomplish some (usually evil) end; SYNONYMS: plot, maneuver, scheme

mesmerize

(v) to hypnotize, entrance; to fascinate, enthrall, bewitch

opprobrium

(n) disgrace arising from shameful conduct; contempt, reproach; SYNONYMS: infamy, dishonor, odium, shame; ANTONYMS: acclaim, honor, glory, renown

putative

(adj) generally regarded as such; reputed; hypothesized, inferred; SYNONYMS: supposed, presumed; ANTONYMS: corroborated, confirmed, known