VocabularyWorkshop (copy)

F 4-6

affable

(adj) courteous and pleasant, sociable, easy to speak to. SYN: genial, amicable, agreeable, cordial. ANT: surly, cantankerous, dour, inhospitable

aggrandize

(v) to increase in greatness, power, or wealth; to build up or intensify; to make appear greater. SYN: augment, amplify, enhance, exalt. ANT: reduce, decrease, diminish

amorphous

(adj) shapeless, without definite form; of no particular type or character; without organization, unity, or cohesion. SYN: formless, unstructured, nebulous, inchoate. ANT: definite, well-defined, clear-cut

aura

(n) that which surrounds (as an atmosphere); a distinctive air or personal quality. SYN: ambience, atmosphere

contraband

(n) illegal traffic, smuggled goods; (adj) illegal, prohibited. SYN: illicit, bootleg, unlawful. ANT: legal, lawful, licit

erudite

(adj) scholarly, learned, bookish, pedantic. SYN: profoundly educated, well-read. ANT: ignorant, uneducated, illiterate

gossamer

(adj) thin, light, delicate, insubstantial; (n) a very thin, light cloth. SYN: flimsy, diaphanous, sheer, airy, feathery, gauzy. ANT: thick, dense, solid, massive

infer

(v) to find out by reasoning; to arrive at a conclusion on the basis of thought; to hint, suggest, imply. SYN: gather, deduce, presume, guess, speculate

inscrutable

(adj) incapable of being understood; impossible to see through physically. SYN: impenetrable, incomprehensible, enigmatic. ANT: comprehensible, intelligible, penetrable

insular

(adj) relating to, characteristic of, or situated on an island; narrow or isolated in outlook or experience. SYN: narrow-minded, parochial, provincial. ANT: catholic, cosmopolitan, liberal

irrevocable

(adj) incapable of being changed or called back. SYN: irreversible, unrecallable, unalterable. ANT: reversible, changeable

propensity

(n) a natural inclination or predilection toward. SYN: natural bent, proclivity, penchant. ANT: natural incapacity or inability

querulous

(adj) peevish, complaining, fretful. SYN: petulant, touchy, cranky, irritable. ANT: uncomplaining, stoical, serene, placid

remonstrate

(v) to argue or plead with someone against something, protest against, object to. SYN: reason against, expostulate

repudiate

(v) to disown, reject, or deny the validity of. SYN: disavow, abjure, renounce. ANT: avow, affirm, aver, avouch

resilient

(adj) able to return to an original shape or form; able to recover quickly. SYN: springy, elastic, buoyant, bouncy. ANT: rigid. stiff, inflexible, unyielding

reverberate

(v) to re-echo, resound; to reflect or be reflected repeatedly. SYN: rumble, thunder, boom, echo

scurrilous

(adj) coarsely abusive, vulgar or low (especially in language), foul-mouthed. SYN: obscene, filthy, abusive, vituperative. ANT: decorous, seemly, tasteful, dignified

sedulous

(adj) persistent, showing industry and determination. SYN: assiduous, tireless, indefatigable. ANT: lackadaisical, listless, indolent, otiose

sleazy

(adj) thin or flimsy in texture; cheap; shoddy or inferior in quality or character; ethically low, mean, or disreputable. SYN: inferior, cheesy, tawdry, tatty. ANT: superior, first-rate, quality, sturdy

amnesty

(n) a general pardon for an offense against a government; in general, any act of forgiveness or absolution

autonomy

(n.) self-government, political control. SYN: home rule. ANT: dependence, subjection, colonial status

axiomatic

(adj) self-evident, expressing a universally accepted principle or rule. SYN: taken for granted. ANT: questionable, dubious, controversial

blazon

(v) to adorn or embellish; to display conspicuously; to publish or proclaim widely. SYN: broadcast, trumpet. ANT: hide, conceal, cover up, bury

caveat

(n) a warning or caution to prevent misunderstanding or discourage behavior. SYN: admonition, word to the wise

equitable

(adj) fair, just, embodying principles of justice. SYN: right, reasonable, evenhanded. ANT: unjust, unfair, one-sided, disproportionate

extricate

(v) to free from entanglements or difficulties; to remove with effort. SYN: disentangle, extract, disengage. ANT: enmesh, entangle, involve

filch

(v) to steal, especially in a sneaky way and in petty amounts. SYN: pilfer, purloin, swipe

flout

(v) to mock, treat with contempt. SYN: scoff at, sneer at, snicker at, scorn. ANT: obey, honor, revere, uphold

fractious

(adj) tending to be troublesome; unruly, quarrelsome, contrary; unpredictable. SYN: refractory, recalcitrant, peevish. ANT: docile, tractable, cooperative

precept

(n) a rule of conduct or action. SYN: principle, maxim

salutary

(adj) beneficial, helpful; healthful, wholesome. SYN: salubrious, curative. ANT: detrimental, deleterious, pernicious

scathing

(adj) bitterly severe, withering; causing great harm. SYN: searing, harsh, ferocious, savage. ANT: bland, mild

scourge

(v) to whip, punish severely; (n) a cause of affliction or suffering; a source of severe punishment or criticism. SYN: flog, beat, bane, plague, pestilence. ANT: godsend, boon, blessing

sepulchral

(adj) funereal, typical of the tomb; extremely gloomy or dismal. SYN: doleful, lugubrious, mortuary

soporific

(adj) tending to cause sleep, relating to sleepiness or lethargy; (n) something that induces sleep. SYN: narcotic, anesthetic

straitlaced

(adj) extremely strict in regard to moral standards and conduct; prudish, puritanical. SYN: highly conventional, overly strict, stuffy. ANT: lax, loose, indulgent, permissive, dissolute

transient

(adj) lasting only a short time, fleeting; (n) one who stays only a short time. SYN: impermanent, ephemeral, evanescent. ANT: permanent, imperishable, immortal

unwieldy

(adj) not easily carried, handled, or managed because of size or complexity. SYN: cumbersome, bulky, clumsy, impractical. ANT: manageable, easy to handle

vapid

(adj) dull, uninteresting, tiresome; lacking in sharpness, flavor, liveliness, or force. SYN: insipid, lifeless, colorless. ANT: zesty, spicy, savory, colorful, lively

anomalous

(adj) abnormal, irregular, departing from the usual

aspersion

(n) a damaging or derogatory statement; the act of slandering or defaming

bizarre

(adj) extremely strange, unusual, atypical

brusque

(adj) abrupt, blunt, with no formalities

cajole

(v) to coax, persuade through flattery or artifice; to deceive with soothing thoughts or false promise. SYN: wheedle, inveigle, soft-soap, sweet-talk. ANT: coerce, force, strong-arm

castigate

(v) to punish severely; to criticize severely

contrive

(v) to plan with ingenuity, invent; to bring about as the result of a scheme or plan

demagogue

(n) a leader who exploits popular prejudices and false claims and promises in order to gain power

disabuse

(v) to free from deception or error, set right in ideas or thinking

ennui

(n) weariness and dissatisfaction from lack of occupation or interest, boredom

fetter

(n) a chain or shackle placed on the feet (often used in plural); anything that confines or restrains; (v) to chain or shackle; to render helpless or impotent

heinous

(adj) very wicked, offensive, hateful

immutable

(adj) not subject to change, constant

insurgent

(n) one who rebels or rises against authority; (adj) rising in revolt, refusing to accept authority; surging or rushing in or on

megalomania

(n) a delusion marked by a feeling of power, wealth, talent, etc., far in excess of reality

sinecure

(n) a position requiring little or no work; an easy job

surreptitious

(adj) stealthy, secret, intended to escape observation; made or accomplished by fraud

transgress

(v) to go beyond a limit or boundary; to sin, violate a law

transmute

(v) to change from one nature, substance, or form to another

vicarious

(adj) performed, suffered, or otherwise experienced by one person in place of another