12 Titus Vocab 1-3 Review

ancillary

(adj). subordinate or supplementary
SYN: auxiliary, subsidiary, accessory
ANT: central, key, primary, principal, main

bowdlerize

(v). to remove material considered offensive (from a book, play, film, etc.)
SYN: censor, purge, expurgate

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

cozen

(v). to trick; to cheat or swindle
SYN: dupe, decieve, beguile, inveigle

enclave

(n). an enclosed district, region, or area inhabited by a particular group of people or having a special character
SYN: island, subgroup

forte

(n). a person's strong point; what a person does best
SYN: gift, aptitude, specialty
ANT: weakness, shortcoming, foible

gratis

(adj). free; (adv). without charge
SYN: (adj). on the house; (adv). freely
ANT: (adv). for a price

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

interstice

(n). a small, narrow space between things or parts of things
SYN: gap, slot, crevice, interval, lacuna

macrocosm

(n). the universe considered as a whole; the entire complex structure of something
SYN: cosmos, entirety
ANT: model, miniature, microcosm

mountebank

(n). a trickster or swindler; a charlatan
SYN: impostor, quack
ANT: sucker, dupe, "mark," "pigeon"

paean

(n). a song of prase, joy, or triumph
SYN: hymn, ode, anthem
ANT: dirge, elegy, lament, threnody

persiflage

(n). lighthearted joking, talk, or writing
SYN: banter, jesting, repartee, badinage

plethora

(n). overfullness; superabundance; superfluity
SYN: surplus, surfeit, glut, excess
ANT: shortage, paucity, dearth, scarcity

pragmatic

(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

quizzical

(adj). puzzled; mocking; odd; equivocal
SYN: peculiar, perplexed, mystified, derisive
ANT: unequivocal, crystal-clear, unambiguous

rapacity

(n). inordinate greed; the disposition to obtain one's desires by force, extortion, or plunder
SYN: avarice, cupidity, voraciousness
ANT: liberality, generosity, altruism

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

therapeutic

(adj). having the power to heal or cure; beneficial
SYN: curative, salutary, salubrious
ANT: harmful, injurious, deleterious

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

Aegis

(n.) Protection; patronage; sponsorship
SYN: auspices

Apprise

(v.) To inform of; to make aware of by giving oral or written notice
SYN: acquaint
ANT: keep secret, withhold information

Bibulous

(adj.) Fond of or inclined to drink; absorbent
SYN: inebrious
ANT: abstemious, temperate

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

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

Exegesis

(n.) An explanation or critical interpretation (especially of a text)
SYN: analysis, explication
ANT: mystification

Indigenous

(adj.) Originating in the country or region where found, native; inborn; inherent
SYN: endemic, domestic, homegrown
ANT: foreign, alien, exoteric, imported

Lachrymose

(adj.) Give to tears or weeping; causing to shed tears; mournful, lugubrious
SYN: tearful, doleful, dolorous
ANT: dry-eyed, merry, hilarious

Lexicon

(n.) A dictionary of a language; the special vocabulary of a person, group, or subject; a compendium
SYN: wordbook, glossary

Melee

(n.) A confused struggle; a violent free-for-all; a tumultuous mingling
SYN: fracas, brawl, scuffle, donnybrook
ANT: friendly chat, peace and quiet

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

Minuscule

(adj.) Very small, tiny; (n.) A lowercase letter
SYN: (adj.) infinitesimal, insignificant
ANT: (adj.) huge, massive, monumental

Obfuscate

(v.) To darken or obscure; to confuse or bewilder
SYN: muddy the waters
ANT: elucidate, explicate, clarify

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

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

Purview

(n.) The range, extent or scope of something; in law, the scope or limit of what is provided in a statue
SYN: orbit

Sanguine

(adj.) Having a ruddy complexion; of a naturally cheerful, confident, or optimistic outlook
SYN: flushed, rosy
ANT: bloodless, ashen, pessimistic, gloomy

Solecism

(n.) A substandard or ungrammatical usage; a breach of etiquette; any impropriety or mistake
SYN: misusage, blunder

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

Verisimilitude

(n.) The quality of appearing to be true, real, likely or probable
SYN: realism, lifelikeness, authenticity

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

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

caterwaul

(v) to howl or screech like a cat; to quarrel; (n) a harsh or noisy cry; a racket
SYN: (v.) whine; (n.) screech

chimerical

(adj) absurd; wildly fantastic; impossible
SYN: visionary, quixotic, pie-in-the-sky
ANT: realistic, down-to-earth, practicable

effete

(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

fait accompli

(n) an accomplished and presumably irreversible deed, fact, or action
SYN: accomplished fact

hidebound

(adj) narrow-minded and rigid, especially in opinions or prejudices; stubbornly and unthinkably conservative
SYN: intolerant, inflexible
ANT: open-minded, tolerant, progressive, liberal

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

liturgy

(n) a religious service or rite; the form of a ritual or other act of public worship
SYN: obervance

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

noisome

(adj) offensive or disgusting; foul-smelling; harmful or injurous
SYN: fetid, noxious, vile, loathsome
ANT: wholesome, sweet-smelling

oblivious

(adj) forgetful; unaware
SYN: insensible
ANT: aware, cognizant, mindful, alert

poltroon

(n) a base coward
SYN: craven, dastard, "chicken"
ANT: stalwart, gallant

proselyte

(n) a convert; a disciple
SYN: novice, neophyte
ANT: master, teacher, guide, guru

quasi

(adj) resembling but not actually being; seemingly but not actually or completely
SYN: kind of, as if
ANT: totally, completely, actually, in fact

raillery

(n) good-humored ridicule; teasing
SYN: persiflage

ribald

(adj) irreverently mocking; coarse, vulgar, or indecent in language
SYN: risque
ANT: seemly, proper, decorous

supine

(adj) lying flat on one's back; listless or lethargic; apathetic or passive
SYN: prone, prostrate, inert
ANT: upright, erect, perpendicular, vertical

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

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