Sadlier-Oxford Level F - Unit 12

absolve

absolve

to clear from blame, responsibility, or guilt \n \n S: acquit, exonerate, vindicate, excuse, pardon \n A: condemn, convict, incriminate, inculpate

caricature

a representation (especially a drawing) in which the subject's characteristic features are deliberately exaggerated; to present someone or something in a deliberately distorted way \n \n S: cartoon, burlesque, parody, lampoon

clangor

a loud ringing sound; to make a loud ringing noise \n \n S: din, clamor, uproar \n A: silence, stillness, peace and quiet

contiguous

side by side, touching, near; adjacent in time \n \n S: adjoining, abutting next door to \n A: detached, apart, distant, remote

cupidity

an eager desire for something; greed \n \n S: avarice, rapacity, craving, lust \n A: generosity, contentment, satiation, gratification

deleterious

harmful, injurious \n \n S: detrimental, destructive, pernicious, damaging \n A: helpful, beneficial, harmless, innociousenthrall

enhance

to raise to a higher degree; to increase the value or desirability of \n \n S: improve, magnify, heighten, elevate \n A: diminish, reduce, lessen, degrade

enthrall

to captivate, charm, hold spellbound; to enslave; to imprison \n \n S: fascinate, enchant, attract, bewitch \n A: bore to tears, repel, put someone off

extenuate

to lessen the seriousness or magnitude of an offense by making partial excuses \n \n S: moderate, mitigate, diminish, downplay \n A: intensify, aggravate, worsen, exacerbate

implicit

implied or understood tough unexpressed; without doubts or reservations, unquestioning; potentially contained in \n \n S: inferred, tacit, unspoken, unconditional \n A: explicit, expressed, stated, revealed

incisive

sharp, keen, penetrating (with a suggestion of decisiveness and effectiveness \n \n S: acute, cutting, perceptive, trenchant

ostentatious

marked by a conspicuous or pretentious display, showy \n \n S: flashy, overdone, affected, flamboyant \n A: modest, plain, simple, demure, retiring

paragon

a model of excellence or perfection \n \n S: exemplar, ideal, paradigm, model, good example

paraphrase

to restate in other words; a statement that presents a given idea in new language \n \n S: reword, rephrase, a rendition, version \n A: repeat verbatim, duplicate, quote

politic

Prudent, shrewdly conceived and developed; artful, expedient \n \n S: tactful, diplomatic, judicious, circumspect \n A: unwise, injudicious, imprudent, rash

prosaic

dull, lacking in distinction and originally; matter-of-fact, straightforward; characteristic of prose, not poetic \n \n S: commonplace, humdrum, literal, pedestrian \n A: remarkable, distinctive, poetic, inspired

redundant

extra, excess, more than is needed; wordy, repetitive; profuse, lush S: unnecessary, superfluous, verbose, prolix A: succinct, terse, laconic, scarce, inadequate

sanctimonious

making a show of virtue or righteousness; hypocritically moralistic or pious, self-righteous, canting, holier-than-thou \n \n A: heartfelt, sincere, humble

scintillating

sparkling, twinkling, exceptionally brilliant (applied to mental or personal qualities) \n \n S: stimulating, lively, glittering, flashing \n A: dull, boring, insipid, flat, tame, vapid winsome

winsome

charming, attractive, pleasing (often suggesting a childlike charm and innocence) \n \n S: winning, engaging, delightful, prepossessing \n A: unattractive, unappealing, repulsive