sadlier level g units 1-5

Acquisitive

(adj) able to get and retain ideas or information; concerned with acquiring wealth or property

syn: greedy, avaricious, retentive

ant: altruistic

arrogate

(v) to claim or take without right

syn: expropriate, commandeer

ant: renounce, abdicate, abandon

Acquisitive

(adj) able to get and retain ideas or information; concerned with acquiring wealth or property

syn: greedy, avaricious, retentive

ant: altruistic

arrogate

(v) to claim or take without right

syn: expropriate, commandeer

ant: renounce, abdicate, abandon

banal

(adj) hackneyed, trite, commonplace

syn: stale, insipid

ant: fresh, original, new

belabor

(v.) To work on excessively; to thrash soundly

syn: overwork

carping

(adj.) Tending to find fault, especially in a petty, nasty, or hairsplitting way; (n.) petty, nagging criticism

syn: (adj) nit-picking, caviling

ant: (adj) approving, uncritical

coherent

(adj.) Holding or sticking together; making a logical whole; comprehensible, meaningful

syn: connected, unified, consistent, cohesive

ant: muddled, chaotic, disjointed

congeal

(v.) To change from liquid to solid, thicken; to make inflexible or rigid

syn: harden, jell, solidify

ant: liquefy

emulate

(v.) To imitate with the intent of equaling or surpassing the model

syn: copy, mimic, rival, match, measure up to

encomium

(n.) A formal expression of praise, a lavish tribute

syn: panegyric, eulogy

ant: condemnation, castigation, criticism

eschew

(v.) To avoid, shun, keep away from

syn: abstain from, steer clear of, forgo

ant: embrace, adopt

germane

(adj.) Relevant, appropriate, apropos, fitting

syn: pertinent

ant: irrelevant, extraneous, inappropriate

insatiable

(adj.) So great or demanding as not to be satisfied

syn: unquenchable, ravenous

intransigent

(adj.) Refusing to compromise, irreconcilable

syn: uncompromising, unyielding, obdurate

ant: lukewarm, halfhearted, yielding

invidious

(adj.) Offensive, hateful; tending to cause bitterness and resentment

syn: malicious spiteful, prejudicial, pejorative

ant: flattering, ameliorative

largesse

(n.) Generosity in giving; lavish or bountiful contributions

syn: liberality, bounty

ant: stinginess, miserliness, niggardliness

reconnaissance

(n.) A survey made for military purposes; any kind of preliminary inspection or examination

syn: exploration

substantiate

(v.) To establish by evidence, prove; to give concrete or substantial form to

syn: confirm, validate, authenticate

ant: refute, disprove, invalidate

taciturn

(adj.) Habitually silent or quiet, inclined to talk very little

syn: tight-lipped, uncommunicative, laconic

ant: garrulous, loquacious, prolix, verbose

temporize

(v.) To stall or act evasively in order to gain time, avoid a confrontation, or postpone a decision; to compromise

syn: dillydally, procrastinate

tenable

(adj.) Capable of being held or defended

syn: defensible, justifiable, maintainable

ant: indefensible, unjustifiable

accost

(v.) to approach and speak to first; to confront in a challenging way

syn: buttonhole, approach

ant: avoid, shun

animadversion

(n.) a comment indicating strong criticism or disapproval

Syn: rebuke, reproof

ant: praise, compliment

avid

(adj.) desirous of something to the point of greed; intensely eager

syn: keen, enthusiastic, grasping

ant: reluctant, indifferent, unenthusiastic

brackish

(adj.) having a salty taste and unpleasant to drink

syn: saline

ant: clear, sweet

celerity

(n.) swiftness, rapidity of motion or action

syn: promptness, speed

ant: slowness, sluggishness, dilatoriness

devious

(adj.) straying or wandering from a straight or direct course; done or acting in a shifty or underhanded way

syn: roundabout, indirect, tricky, sly, artful

ant: direct, straightforward, open, abovebroad

gambit

(n.) in chess, an opening move that involves risk or sacrifice of a minor piece in order to gain later advantage; any opening move of this type

syn: ploy, ruse, maneuver

halcyon

(n.) a legendary bird identified with the kingfisher; (adj.) of or relating to the halcyon; calm, peaceful; happy, golden; prosperous, affluent

syn: (adj) tranquil, placid, palmy

ant: (adj) turbulent, tumultuous

histrionic

(adj.) pertaining to actors and their techniques; theatrical, artificial; melodramatic

syn: affected, stagy

ant: muted, untheatrical, subdued

incendiary

(adj.) deliberately setting or causing fires; designed to start fires; tending to stir up strife or rebellion; (n.) one who deliberately sets fires, arsonist; one who causes strife

syn: (adj) inflammatory, provocative, (n) firebrand

ant: (adj) soothing, quieting (n) peacemaker

maelstrom

(n.) a whirlpool of great size and violence; a situation resembling a whirlpool in violence and destruction

syn: chaos, turbulence, tumult

myopic

(adj.) nearsighted; lacking a broad, realistic view of a situation; lacking foresight or discernment

syn: shortsighted

ant: farsighted

overt

(adj.) open, not hidden, expressed or revealed in a way that is easily recognized

syn: clear, obvious, manifest, patent

ant: clandestine, covert, concealed

pejorative

(adj.) tending to make worse; expressing disapproval or disparagement, derogatory, deprecatory, belittling

ant: complimentary, ameliorative

propriety

(n.) the state of being proper, appropriateness; (pl.) standards of what is proper or socially acceptable

syn: fitness, correctness

ant: unseemliness, inappropriateness

sacrilege

(n.) improper or disrespectful treatment of something held sacred

syn: desecration, profanation, defilement

summarily

(adv.) without delay or formality; briefly, concisely

syn: promptly, peremtorily

suppliant

(adj.) asking humbly and earnestly; (n.) one who makes a request humbly and earnestly, a petitioner, suitor

talisman

(n.) an object that serves as a charm or is believed to confer magical powers, and amulet, fetish

undulate

(v.) to move in waves or with a wavelike motion; to have a wavelike appearance or form

syn: fluctuate, rise and fall

cavort

(v) to romp or prance around exuberantly; to make merry

syn: gambol

credence

(n) belief, mental acceptance

syn: credit, trust, confidence

ant: disbelief, skepticism, incredulity

decry

(v) to condemn, express strong disapproval; to officially depreciate

syn: denounce, censure, devalue

ant: tout, commend, extol, laud, praise

dissemble

(v) to disguise or conceal, deliberately give a false impression

syn: dissimulate, mask, feign

distraught

(adj) very much agitated or upset as a result of emotion or mental conflict

syn: distracted

ant: calm, collected

eulogy

(n) a formal statement or commendation; high praise

syn: panegyric, encomium, tribute

ant: philippic, invective

evince

(v) to display clearly; to make evident, to provoke

syn: exhibit, manifest, occasion

exhume

(v) to remove from a grave; to bring to light

syn: disinter, unearth, uncover

ant: bury, inter

feckless

(adj) lacking in spirit and strength; ineffective, weak; irresponsible, unreliable

syn: feeble, incompetent, ineffectual

ant: competent, capable, effective

murky

(adj) dark and gloomy, obscure; lacking in clarity and precision

syn: dim, cloudy

ant: clear, transparent, lucid, limpid

nefarious

(adj) wicked, depraved, devoid of moral standards

syn: iniquitous, reprehensible

ant: virtuous, honorable, praiseworthy, meritorious

piquant

(adj) stimulating to the taste or mind, spicy, pungent; appealing provocative

syn: zestful, tangy

ant: bland, insipid, tasteless, mild

primordial

(adj) developed or created at the very beginning; or going back to the most ancient times or earliest age’ fundamental, basic

syn: original, primal

propinquity

(n) nearness in place or time; kinship

syn: similarity

ant: remoteness, distance

substantive

(adj) real, having a solid basis; considerable in number or amount; meaningful and on topic

syn: firm, substantial, meaty

ant: imaginary, unreal, meaningless

unwonted

(adj) not usual or expected; not in character

syn: unusual, uncommon, unexpected, atypical

ant: usual, customary, typical

utopian

(adj) founded upon or involving a visionary view of an ideal world; impractical

syn: idealistic

ant: realistic, pragmatic

verbiage

(n) language that is too wordy or inflated in proportion to the sense of content, wordiness; a manner of expression
syn: prolixity, diction, jargon

verdant

(adj) green in tint or color; immature in experience or judgment

syn: artless, naive

ant: scorched, sere, barren

viscous

(adj) having a gelatinous or gluey quality, lacking in easy movement or fluidity

syn: sticky, thick

ant: watery, aqueous

atrophy

(n) the wasting away of a body organ or tissue; any progressive decline or failure; (v) to waste away

syn: (n) degeneration, deterioration (v) wither

ant: (n) growth, (v) mature

bastion

(n) a fortified place, stronghold

syn: citadel, rampart, parapet

concord

(n) a state of agreement, harmony, unanimity; a treaty, pact, covenant

ant: disagreement, strife, discord

disarray

(n) disorder, confusion; (v) to throw into disorder

syn: (n) disorganization; (v) dishevel, mess up

ant: (n) organization, order, tidiness

consummate

(adj) complete or perfect in the highest degree; (v) to bring a state of completion or perfection

syn: (adj) masterful; (v) clinch, conclude

ant: (v) launch, initiate, begin, kick off

exigency

(n) urgency, pressure; urgent demand, pressing need; an emergency

syn: requirement, crisis

flotsam

(n) floating debris; homeless, impoverished people

syn: floating wreckage

frenetic

(adj) frenzied, highly agitated

syn: frantic, overwrought

ant: clam, controlled, relaxed, leisurely

glean

(v) to gather bit by bit; to gather small quantities of grain left in a field by the reapers

syn: cull, pick up

grouse

(n) type of game bird; a complaint; (v) to complain, grumble

syn: (v) kvetch, bellyache

incarcerate

(v) to imprison, confine, jail

syn: intern

ant: liberate, free

incumbent

(adj) obligatory, required; (n) one who holds a specific office at the time spoken of

syn: (adj) mandatory, necessary

ant: (adj) optional, unccessary

jocular

(adj) humorous, jesting, jolly, joking

syn: waggish, facetious, droll

ant: solemn, grave, earnest, grim

ludicrous

(adj) ridiculous, laughable, absurd

syn: risible, preposterous

ant: heartrending, poignant, pathetic

mordant

(adj) biting or caustic in thought, manner or style; sharply or bitterly harsh

nettle

(n) a prickly or stinging plant; (v) to arouse displeasure, impatience, or anger; to vex or irritate severely

syn: (v) to peeve, annoy, incense, gall

ant: (v) please, delight, soothe, pacify

pecuniary

(adj) consisting or or measured in money; of or related to money

syn: monetary

pusillanimous

(adj) contemptibly cowardly or mean spirited

syn: lily-livered

ant: stouthearted, courageous

recumbent

(adj) in a reclining position, lying down, in the posture of one sleeping or resting

stratagem

(n) a scheme to outwit or deceive an opponent or to gain an end

syn: trick, ploy, subterfuge

acuity

(n.) sharpness (particularly of the mind or senses)

syn: keenness, acuteness

ant: dullness, obtuseness

delineate

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

syn: depict, picture, render

depraved

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

syn: perverted, degenerate, vicious, corrupt

ant: moral, virtuous, upright, uncorrupted

enervate

(v.) to weaken or lessen the mental, moral, or physical vigor of; enfeeble, hamstring

syn: impair, cripple, paralyze

ant: invigorate, strengthen, buttress

esoteric

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

syn: occult, cryptic, arcane, recondite

ant: accessible, comprehensible, intelligible

fecund

(adj.) fruitful in offspring or vegetation; intellectually productive

syn: fertile, teeming, prolific

ant: infertile, barren, unproductive

fiat

(n.) arbitrary order or decree; a command or act of will or consciousness

syn: edict, dictum, ukase

figment

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

syn: creation, 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: desecrate, defile, profane

idiosyncrasy

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

syn: eccentricity, quirk, mannerism

ignominy

(n.) shame and disgrace

syn: dishonor, humiliation, disrepute, odium

ant: honor, glory, acclaim

mundane

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

syn: prosaic, humdrum, routine, sublunary

ant: heavenly, unworldly, spiritual, transcendental

nuance

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

syn: shade, nicety, refinement

overweening

(adj.) conceited, presumptuous; excessive, immoderate

syn: arrogant, unbridled, inflated

ant: restrained, understated, modest, meek

penchant

(n.) a strong attraction or inclination

syn: proclivity, propensity, predilection

ant: disinclination, aversion

reputed

(adj.) according to reputation or general belief; having widespread acceptance and good reputation; (part.) alleged

syn: putative, reputable, supposed

ant: proven, corroborated, authenticated

sophistry

(n.) reasoning that seems plausible but is actually unsound; a fallacy

syn: specious reasoning

sumputous

(adj.) costly, rich, magnificent

syn: lavish, munificent, opulent, splendid

ant: skimpy, meager, stingy, niggardly, spartan

ubiquitous

(adj.) present or existing everywhere

syn: omnipresent, pervasive, universal

ant: restricted, limited, rare, scarce