Sadlier Units 13-15

Abet

(v.) to encourage, assist, aid, support (especially in something wrong or unworthy)

Antonym: Hamper, Hinder, Impede, Frustrate

Aver

(v.) to affirm, declare confidently

Synonym: Assert, Asseverate, Avouch

Antonym: Deny, Disavow, Repudiate, Disclaim

Blatant

(adj.) noisy in a coarse, offensive way; obvious or conspicuous, especially in an unfavorable sense

Synonym: Flagrant, Glaring, Egregious, Disagreeably Loud

Antonym: Inconsequential, Trifling, Piddling, Petty

Broach

(v.) to bring up or begin to talk about (a subject); to announce, introduce; to break the surface of the water; to pierce; (n.) a spit for roasting; a tool for tapping casks

Buttress

(v.) to support, prop up, strengthen; (n.) a supporting structure

Synonym: Bolster, Reinforce, Brace, Shore Up

Antonym: Undermine, Weaken, Impair

Carousal

(n.) Noisy revelry or merrymaking (often with a suggestion of heavy drinking)

Synonym: Drinking Bout, Drunken Revel, Binge

Collate

(v.) to compare critically in order to note differences, similarities, etc.; to arrange in order for some scientific purpose

Synonym: Sort Out, Cross-Check, Rearrange

Connoisseur

(n.) an expert; one who is well qualified to pass critical judgments, especially in one of the fine arts

Synonym: Authority, Savant, Pundit

Antonym: Ignoramus, Philistine, Yahoo

Disconsolate

(adj.) deeply unhappy or dejected; without hope, beyond consolation

Synonym: Grief-Stricken, Inconsolable, Comfortless

Antonym: Cheerful, Blithe, Buoyant, Jaunty

Encumber

(v.) to weigh down or burden (with difficulties, cares, debt, etc.); to fill up, block up, hinder

Synonym: Overload, Saddle, Hamper, Clog

Antonym: Unburden, Unload, Relieve

Foment

(v.) to promote trouble or rebellion; to apply warm liquids to, warm

Synonym: Instigate, Incite, Stir Up

Antonym: Quell, Quash, Squelch, Suppress

Grisly

(adj.) frightful, horrible, ghastly

Synonym: Gruesome, Gory, Hideous

Antonym: Pleasant, Delightful, Attractive

Herculean

(adj.) (capital H) relating to Hercules; (lowercare h) characterized by great strength; very hard to do in the sense of requiring unusal strength

Synonym: Mighty, Powerful, Arduous, Onerous, Colossal

Antonym: Puny, Lilliputian, Bantam

Impassive

(adj.) showing no feeling or emotion; inanimate; motionless

Synonym: Emotionless, Stoical, Unemotional, Insensible

Antonym: Emotional, Passionate, Excitable

Inauspicious

(adj.) unfavorable, unlucky, suggesting bad luck for the future

Synonym: Unpropitious, Unpromising, Untimely

Antonym: Propitious, Favorable

Incontrovertible

(adj.) unquestionable, beyond dispute

Synonym: Incontestable, Indisputable, Indubitable

Antonym: Debatable, Dubious, Open to question

Nonplussed

(adj., part.) puzzled, not knowing what to do, at a loss

Synonym: Perplexed, Baffled, Stumped, Flabbergasted

Antonym: Poised, Confident, Assured

Opportune

(adj.) suitable or convenient for a particular purpose; occuring at an appropriate time

Synonym: Timely, Appropriate, Felicitous

Antonym: Untimely, Inconvenient, Inappropriate

Prolific

(adj.) abundantly productive; abundant, profuse

Synonym: Fruitful, Fecund, Proliferous

Antonym: Barren, Unproductive, Sterile, Sparse

Rejoinder

(n.) a reply to a reply, especially from the defendent in a legal suit

Synonym: Answer, Reply, Response, Riposte, Retort

amenable

adj. willing to follow advice or authority, tractable, submissive, responsive; liable to be held responsible

berate

v. to scold sharply

carnage

n. large scale slaughter or loss of life

credulous

adj. too ready to believe, easily deceived

criterion

n. a rule, test; a standard for judgment or evaluation

deplete

v. to use up as a result of spending or consumption; to diminish greatly

expatiate

v. to expand on, to write or talk at length or in detail; to move about freely

extraneous

adj. coming from the outside, foreign; present but not essential, irrelevant

inception

n. the beginning, start, earliest stage of some process, institution, etc.

infirmity

n. a weakness or ailment (physical, mental, moral, etc.)

jejune

adj. lacking in nutritive value; lacking in interest or substance, immature, juvenile

obdurate

adj. stubborn, unyielding

potpourri

n. a collection of diverse or miscellaneous items; a general mixture, petals mixed with spices or scent

precocious

adj. showing unusually early development (especially in talents and mental capacity)

sadistic

adj. delighting in cruelty, excessively cruel

sententious

adj. self-righteous, characterized by moralizing; given to use of maxims or adages; saying much in few words, pithy

supplicate

v. to beg earnestly and humbly

surfeit

n. an excess or overindulgence, as in eating or drinking, causing disgust; v. to feed or supply with anything to excess

tortuous

adj. winding, twisted, crooked, highly involved, complex; devious

turgid

(adj) swollen, bloated, filled to excess; over decorated or excessive language

adamant

firm in purpose or opinion, unyielding, obdurate, implacable, inflexible; an extremely hard substance

brouhaha

a confused hodgepodge of sounds, hubbub; an uproar or commotion that goes far beyond what is justifies

bulwark

a strong defense or protection, a solid wall-like structure for defense; to provide such defense or protection

choleric

easily made angry, bad-tempered

cloy

to spoil or destroy an appetite by too much indulgence, especially in sweet or rich things; to glut, satiate, surfeit

curtail

to cut short, bring to a halt, or end sooner than expected; to reduce

deference

courteous yielding to the wished and ideas of another person; great respect marked by submission, as to a superior

definitive

conclusive, final, the limit of what can be done

demeanor

the way a person behaves, overall impression made by comportment, manner, etc.; facial appearance, mien

enigmatic

puzzling, perplexing, inexplicable, not easily understood

impromptu

without preparation, offhand, suddenly of hastily done; an extemporaneous composition or remark; a minimal piece suggestive of improvisation

mawkish

excessively and objectionably sentimental; having a mildly sickening flavor

mollify

to soften; to calm, allay (as an emotion); reduce in intensity

onus

something that is heavy or burdensome (especially an unwelcome responsibility); a stigma, blame

presentiment

a vague sense of approaching misfortune

profligate

given over to dissipation and self-indulgence, immoral; recklessly extravagant; a person given to wild spending

remit

to send or hand in (as money); to cancel (as a penalty of punishment), forgive; to lessen, diminish; postpone, defer

requisite

needed, necessary, regarded as essential or indispensable

sartorial

of or pertaining to a tailor or his work; having to do with clothes or dress ( especially men's)

thwart

to oppose successfully; to prevent, frustrate