(adj). subordinate or supplementary SYN: auxiliary, subsidiary, accessory ANT: central, key, primary, principal, main
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bowdlerize
(v). to remove material considered offensive (from a book, play, film, etc.) SYN: censor, purge, expurgate
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condescend
(v). to come down or stoop voluntarily to a lower level; to deal with people in a patronizing manner SYN: deign, talk down to
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cozen
(v). to trick; to cheat or swindle SYN: dupe, decieve, beguile, inveigle
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enclave
(n). an enclosed district, region, or area inhabited by a particular group of people or having a special character SYN: island, subgroup
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forte
(n). a person's strong point; what a person does best SYN: gift, aptitude, specialty ANT: weakness, shortcoming, foible
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gratis
(adj). free; (adv). without charge SYN: (adj). on the house; (adv). freely ANT: (adv). for a price
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icon
(n). a representation or image of a sacred personage, often considered sacred itself; an image or picture; a symbol; a graphic symbol on a computer monitor display; an object of blind devotion SYN: emblem, idol
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interstice
(n). a small, narrow space between things or parts of things SYN: gap, slot, crevice, interval, lacuna
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macrocosm
(n). the universe considered as a whole; the entire complex structure of something SYN: cosmos, entirety ANT: model, miniature, microcosm
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mountebank
(n). a trickster or swindler; a charlatan SYN: impostor, quack ANT: sucker, dupe, "mark," "pigeon"
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paean
(n). a song of prase, joy, or triumph SYN: hymn, ode, anthem ANT: dirge, elegy, lament, threnody
(adj). concerned with practical considerations or values; dealing with actions and results rather than with abstract theory; stiff in one's opinions SYN: down-to-earth, businesslike ANT: idealistic, impractical, visionary
(n). inordinate greed; the disposition to obtain one's desires by force, extortion, or plunder SYN: avarice, cupidity, voraciousness ANT: liberality, generosity, altruism
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schism
(n). a formal split within a religious organization; any division or separation of a group or organization into hostile factions SYN: rift, breach ANT: united front, reconciliation
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therapeutic
(adj). having the power to heal or cure; beneficial SYN: curative, salutary, salubrious ANT: harmful, injurious, deleterious
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virtuoso
(n). a brilliant performer; a person with masterly skill or technique; (adj). masterly or brilliant SYN: expert, master, prodigy, maestro ANT: amateur, beginner, novice; (adj). mediocre
(v.) To inform of; to make aware of by giving oral or written notice SYN: acquaint ANT: keep secret, withhold information
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Bibulous
(adj.) Fond of or inclined to drink; absorbent SYN: inebrious ANT: abstemious, temperate
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Claque
(n.) A group of people hired to applaud a performer of performance; enthusiastic of fawning admirers; an opera hat SYN: fan club, flatterers ANT: critics, detractors, slanderers
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Deracinate
(v.) To pull up by the roots; to root out, uproot, or dislocate; to eliminate all traces of SYN: extirpate, eradicate, expunge ANT: implant, nurture, foster, instill
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Exegesis
(n.) An explanation or critical interpretation (especially of a text) SYN: analysis, explication ANT: mystification
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Indigenous
(adj.) Originating in the country or region where found, native; inborn; inherent SYN: endemic, domestic, homegrown ANT: foreign, alien, exoteric, imported
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Lachrymose
(adj.) Give to tears or weeping; causing to shed tears; mournful, lugubrious SYN: tearful, doleful, dolorous ANT: dry-eyed, merry, hilarious
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Lexicon
(n.) A dictionary of a language; the special vocabulary of a person, group, or subject; a compendium SYN: wordbook, glossary
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Melee
(n.) A confused struggle; a violent free-for-all; a tumultuous mingling SYN: fracas, brawl, scuffle, donnybrook ANT: friendly chat, peace and quiet
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Microcosm
(n.) A miniature world or universe; a group or system viewed as the model of a larger group or system SYN: epitome, world in little ANT: macrocosm, cosmos, totality
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Minuscule
(adj.) Very small, tiny; (n.) A lowercase letter SYN: (adj.) infinitesimal, insignificant ANT: (adj.) huge, massive, monumental
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Obfuscate
(v.) To darken or obscure; to confuse or bewilder SYN: muddy the waters ANT: elucidate, explicate, clarify
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Paternalism
(n.) The policy or practice of treating or governing people in the manner of a father dealing with his children SYN: benevolence, solicitude, fatherliness
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Polarize
(v.) To cause to concentrate around two conflicting or contrasting positions; to cause light to vibrate in a pattern SYN: split, alienate, estrange ANT: unite, unify, reconcile
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Purview
(n.) The range, extent or scope of something; in law, the scope or limit of what is provided in a statue SYN: orbit
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Sanguine
(adj.) Having a ruddy complexion; of a naturally cheerful, confident, or optimistic outlook SYN: flushed, rosy ANT: bloodless, ashen, pessimistic, gloomy
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Solecism
(n.) A substandard or ungrammatical usage; a breach of etiquette; any impropriety or mistake SYN: misusage, blunder
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Vassal
(n.) A person under the protection of a feudal lord to whom he or she owes allegiance; a subordinate or dependent; a servant; (adj.)Subservient SYN: (n.) minion; (adj.) servile ANT: (n.) overlord
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Verisimilitude
(n.) The quality of appearing to be true, real, likely or probable SYN: realism, lifelikeness, authenticity
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adjunct
(n) something added to something else as helpful or useful but not essential; an assistant or helper; a valuable quality or characteristic; (adj) added or connected in a subordinate capacity; attached to a faculty or staff in an auxiliary capacity SYN: (n.) associate, addition, accessory
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bellwether
(n) the male sheep that leads the flock to the slaughterhouse; a leader, as in a desperate or violent undertaking; an indicator of trends SYN: ringleader, initiator, barometer ANT: follower, imitator, emulator
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caterwaul
(v) to howl or screech like a cat; to quarrel; (n) a harsh or noisy cry; a racket SYN: (v.) whine; (n.) screech
(adj) lacking in wholesome vigor or energy; worn out or exhausted; sterile or unable to produce; out of date SYN: decadent, enfeebled ANT: thriving, burgeoning, vigorous, dynamic
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fait accompli
(n) an accomplished and presumably irreversible deed, fact, or action SYN: accomplished fact
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hidebound
(adj) narrow-minded and rigid, especially in opinions or prejudices; stubbornly and unthinkably conservative SYN: intolerant, inflexible ANT: open-minded, tolerant, progressive, liberal
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laissez-faire
(adj.) a philosophy or practice characterized by a usually deliberate abstention from direction or interference, especially with individual freedom of choice and action SYN: noninterventional, nonrestrictive, hands-off
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liturgy
(n) a religious service or rite; the form of a ritual or other act of public worship SYN: obervance
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morass
(n) a patch of low, soft, wet ground; a swamp; a confusing situation in which one is entrapped, as in quicksand SYN: bog ANT: solid ground, bedrock, terra firma
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noisome
(adj) offensive or disgusting; foul-smelling; harmful or injurous SYN: fetid, noxious, vile, loathsome ANT: wholesome, sweet-smelling
(adj) irreverently mocking; coarse, vulgar, or indecent in language SYN: risque ANT: seemly, proper, decorous
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supine
(adj) lying flat on one's back; listless or lethargic; apathetic or passive SYN: prone, prostrate, inert ANT: upright, erect, perpendicular, vertical
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vignette
(n) a short description or sketch; a picture or illustration with edges that gradually shade off; a decorative design on the title page of a book or at the beginning or end of a chapter SYN: thumbnail sketch, anecdote ANT: epic, full-length treatment
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hierarchy
(n) any system of things or people arranged or graded one above another in order of rank, wealth, class, etc. SYN: chain of command
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