Vocab Unit 5 & 6

delineate

(v.) to portray, sketch, or describe in accurate and vivid detail; to represent pictorially

syn. picture, render

depraved

(adj.) marked by evil and corruption, devoid of moral principles

syn. perverted, degenerate, vicious, corrupt

ant. moral, virtuous, upright, uncorrupted

esoteric

(adj.) intended for or understood by only a select few, private, secret

sin. cryptic, arcane, recondite

ant. accessible, comprehensible, intelligible

figment

(n.) a fabrication of the mind; an arbitrary notion

syn. invention, fancy

garner

(v.) to acquire as the result of effort; to gather and store away, as for future use

syn. collect, accumulate, accrue

ant. scatter, squander, waste, dissipate

hallow

(v.) to set apart as holy or sacred, sanctify, consecrate; to honor greatly, revere

syn. venerate, bless

ant. defile, profane

idiosyncrasy

(n.) a peculiarity that serves to distinguish or identify

syn. quirk, mannerism

mundane

(adj.) earthly, worldly, relating to practical and material affairs; concerned with what is ordinary

syn. prosaic, humdrum, routine, sublunary

ant. heavenly, spiritual, transcendental

nuance

(n.) a subtle or slight variation (as in color, meaning, quality), delicate gradation or shade of difference

syn. shade, nicety, refinement

sumptuous

(adj.) costly, rich, magnificent

syn. lavish, munificent, opulent, splendid

ant. skimpy, stingy, niggardly, spartan

abject

(adj.) degraded; base, contemptible; cringing, servile; complete and unrelieved

syn. wretched, miserable, ignoble, sheer, utter

ant. noble, exalted

complicity

(n.) involvement in wrongdoing; the state of being an accomplice

syn. connivance, collusion

ant. noninvolvement, innocence

derelict

(n.) someone or something that is abandoned or neglected; (adj.) left abandoned; neglectful of duty

syn. (n.) vagrant; (adj.) delinquent

ant. (adj.) punctilious, conscientious, scruplous

effigy

(n.) a crude image of a despised person

syn. figure, figurine

indictment

the act of accusing; a formal accusation

syn. charge, accusation

intermittent

(adj.) stopping and beginning again, sporadic

syn. fitful, spasmodic, random

ant. uninterrupted

moot

(adj.) open to discussion and debate, unresolved; (v.) to bring up for discussion; (n.) a hypothetical law case argued by students

syn. (adj.) debatable, questionable; (v.) broach

ant. (adj.) undebatable, indisputable, self-evident

motif

(n.) a principal idea, feature, theme, or element; a repeated or dominant figure in a design

surveillance

(n.) a watch kept over a person; careful, close, and disciplined observation

syn. observation, monitoring

testy

(adj.) easily irritated; characterized by impatience and exasperation

syn. irritable, peevish, waspish, petulant

ant. imperturbable, unexcited