Units 7-9

austere

(adj.)severe or stern in manner; without adornment or luxury, simple plain; harsh or sour
syn. forbidding, rigorous, puritanical, ascetic, unadorned, subdued
ant. mild, indulgent, luxurious, flamboyant

beneficent

(adj.)performing acts of kindness or charity; conferring benefits, doing good
syn. humanitarian, magnanimous, charitable
ant. selfish, cruel, harmful, deleterious

cadaverous

(adj.)pale, gaunt, resembling a corpse
syn. corpselike, wasted, haggard, emaciated, ghastly
ant. robust, portly, rosy, the picture of health

concoct

(v.)to prepare by combining ingredients, make up (as dish); to devise, invent, fabricate
syn. create, fashion, rustle up

crass

(adj.)coarse, unfeeling; stupid
syn. crude, vulgar, tasteless, oafish, obtuse
ant. refined, elegant, tasteful, polished, brilliant

debase

(v.)to lower in character, quality or value; to degrade, adulterate; to cause to deteriorate
syn. cheapen, corrupt, demean, depreciate
ant. elevate, uplift, improve, enhance

desecrate

(v.) to commit sacrilege upon, treat irreverently; to contaminate, pollute
syn. profane, defile, violate
ant. revere, honor, venerate, consecrate

disconcert

(v.)to confuse; to disturb the composure of
syn. upset, rattle, ruffle, faze, perturb
ant. relax, calm, put at ease

grandiose

(adj.)grand in an impressive or stately way; marked by pompous affectation or grandeur, absurdly exaggerated
syn. majestic, bombastic, highfalutin
ant. simple, modest, unaffected, humble

inconsequential

(adj.)trifling, unimportant
syn. trivial, negligible, petty, paltry
ant. important, essential, crucial, vital

infraction

(n.)a breaking of a law or obligation
syn. violation, transgression, breach, offense

mitigate

(v.)to make milder or softer, to moderate in force or intensity
syn. lessen, relieve, alleviate, diminish
ant. aggravate, intensify, irritate, exacerbate

pillage

(v.)to rob of goods by open force (as in war), plunder; (n.) the act of looting; booty
syn. (v.) ravage, sack, loot; (n.) booty

prate

(v.) to talk a great deal in a foolish or aimless fashion
syn. chatter, prattle, blab, blabber, palaver
ant. come to the point, not waste words

punctilious

(adj.) very careful and extract, attentive to fine points of etiquette or propriety
syn. precise, scrupulous, exacting, fussy, finicky
ant. careless, negligent, lax, prefunctory

redoubtable

(adj.) inspiring fear or awe; illustrious, eminet
syn. formidable, fearsome, awesome, august
ant. laughable, risible, contemptible

reprove

(v.) to find fault with, scold, rebuke
syn. chide, chastise, upbraid, reproach
ant. praise, commend, laud, pat on the back

restitution

(n.) the act of restoring someone or something to the rightful owner or to a former state or position; makin good on a loss or damage
syn. compensation, reimbursement, redress, restoration

stalwart

(adj.) strong and sturdy; brave; resolute; (n.) a brave, strong person; a strong supporter; one who takes an uncompromising position
syn. (adj.) sturdy, stout, intrepid, valiant; (n.) mainstay
ant. (adj.) weak, infirm, irresolute, vacillating

vulnerable

(adj.) open to attack; capable of being wounded or damaged; unprotected
syn. defenseless, exposed, unguarded
ant. invincible, protected, safe, secure

acrimonious

(adj.) stinging, bitter in temper or tone

synonyms: biting, caustic, rancorous, hostile, peevish

antonyms: gentle, warm, mild, friendly, cordial

bovine

(adj.) resembling a cow or ox; sluggish, unresponsive

synonyms: stolid, dull, slow, stupid

antonyms: alert, sharp, bright, keen, quick

consternation

(n.) dismay, confusion

synonyms: shock, amazement, bewilderment, dismay

antonyms: calm, composure, aplomb

corpulent

(adj.) fat; having a large, bulky body

synonyms: overweight, heavy, obese, stout, portly

antonyms: slender, lean, spare, gaunt, emaciated

disavow

(v.) to deny responsibility for or connection with

synonyms: disown, disclaim, retract, abjure

antonyms: acknowledge, admit, grant, certify

dispassionate

(adj.) impartial; calm, free from emotion

synonyms: unbiased, disinterested, cool, detached

antonyms: committed, engaged, partial, biased

dissension

(n.) disagreement, sharp difference of opinion

synonyms: strife, discord, contention

antonyms: agreement, accord, harmony

dissipate

(v.) to cause to disappear; to scatter, dispel; to spend foolishly, squander; to be extravagant in pursuit of pleasure

synonyms: disperse, strew, diffuse, waste

antonyms: gather, collect, conserve, husband

expurgate

(v.) to remove objectionable passages or words from a written text; to cleanse, purify

synonyms: purge, censor, bowdlerize

gauntlet

(n.) an armored or protective glove; a challenge; two lines of men armed with weapons with which to beat a person forced to run between them; an ordeal

synonyms: dare, provocation, trial, punishment

hypothetical

(adj.) based on an assumption or guess; used as a provisional or tentative idea to guide or direct investigation

synonyms: assumed, supposed, conjectural, conditional

antonyms: actual, real, tested, substaniated

ignoble

(adj.) mean, low, base

synonyms: inferior, unworthy, dishonorable, sordid

antonyms: admirable, praiseworthy, lofty, noble

impugn

(v.) to call into question; to attack as false

synonyms: challenge, deny, dispute, query, question

antonyms: confirm, prove, verify, validate

intemperate

(adj.) immoderate, lacking in self-control; inclement

synonyms: excessive, extreme, unrestrained, inordinate

antonyms: moderate, restrained, cool, and collected

odium

(n.) hatred, contempt; disgrace or infamy resulting from hateful conduct

synonyms: abhorrence, opprobrium, shame, ignominy

antonyms: esteem, admiration, approbation

perfidy

(n.) faithlessness, treachery

synonyms: betrayal, disloyalty, treason, duplicity

antonyms: faithfulness, loyalty, steadfastness

relegate

(v.) to place in a lower position; to assign, refer, turn over; to banish

synonyms: transfer, consign, demote, exile

antonyms: promote, elevate, advance, recall

squeamish

(adj.) inclined to nausea; easily shocked or upset; excessively fastidious or refined

synonyms: nauseated, queasy, delicate, oversensitive, priggish

subservient

(adj.) subordinate in capacity or role; submissively obedient; serving to promote some end

synonyms: secondary, servile, obsequious, useful

antonyms: primary, principal, bossy, domineering

susceptible

(adj.) open to; easily influenced; lacking in resistance

synonyms: vulnerable, receptive, impressionable

antonyms: resistant, immune

abate

(v.) to make less in amount, degree, etc.; to subside, become less; to nullify; to deduct, omit

synonyms: diminish, decrease, subside, let up

antonyms: intensify, increase, magnify, wax

adulation

(n.) praise or flattery that is excessive

synonyms: adoration, idolization, hero-worship

antonyms: ridicule, derision, scorn, odium

anathema

(n.) an object of intense dislike; a curse or strong denunciation (often used adjectivally without the article)

synonyms: malediction, imprecation, abomination

antonyms: benediction, blessing

astute

(adj.) shrewd, crafty, showing practical wisdom

synonyms: shrewd, acute, sagacious, judicious, wily

antonyms: obtuse, doltish, empty-headed, dumb

avarice

(n.) a greedy desire, particularly for wealth

synonyms: cupidity, rapacity, acquisitiveness

culpable

(adj.) deserving blame, worthy of condemnation

synonyms: guilty, delinquent, peccant, blameworthy

antonyms: blameless, innocent, laudable, meritorious

dilatory

(adj.) tending to delay or procrastinate, not prompt; intended to delay or postpone

synonyms: stalling, slow, tardy, laggard

antonyms: prompt, punctual, speedy, expeditious

egregious

(adj.) conspicuous, standing out from the mass (used particularly in an unfavorable sense)

synonyms: glaring, flagrant, blatant

antonyms: unnoticeable, paltry, piddling

equivocate

(v.) to speak or act in a way that allows for more than one interpretation; to be deliberately vague or ambiguous

synonyms: to talk out of both sides of one's mouth, palter, hedge

antonyms: to speak one's mind plainly

evanescent

(adj.) vanishing, soon passing away; light and airy

synonyms: ephemeral, transient, transitory

antonyms: everlasting, immortal, imperishable

irresolute

(adj.) unable to make up one's mind, hesitating

synonyms: indecisive, vacillating, wavering

antonyms: determined, decisive, unwavering

nebulous

(adj.) cloudlike, resembling a cloud; cloudy in color, not transparent; vague, confused, indistinct

synonyms: hazy, fuzzy, cloudy, vague, murky, opaque, indeterminate

antonyms: definite, distinct, clear, sharply focused

novice

(n.) one who is just a beginner at some activity requiring skill and experience (also used adjectivally)

synonyms: neophyte, tyro, trainee, apprentice

antonyms: veteran, past master, pro, expert

penury

(n.) extreme poverty; barrenness, insufficiency

synonyms: destitution, want, indigence

antonyms: affluence, abundance, luxury, opulence

pretentious

(adj.) done for show, striving to make a big impression; claiming merit or position unjustifiably; making demands on one's skill or abilities, ambitious

synonyms: inflated, ostentatious, affected

antonyms: unassuming, unaffected, modest

recapitulate

(v.) to review a series of facts; to sum up

synonyms: review, summarize, sum up, go over

resuscitate

(v.) to revive, bring back to consciousness or existence

synonyms: revitalize, reanimate, restore, reactivate

slovenly

(adj.) untidy, dirty, careless

synonyms: unkempt, slatternly, slipshod, lax

antonyms: neat, tidy, careful, meticulous

supposition

(n.) something that is assumed or taken for granted without conclusive evidence

synonyms: assumption, presumption, hypothesis

torpid

(adj.) inactive, sluggish, dull

synonyms: sluggish, lethargic, otiose, languid

antonyms: energetic, dynamic, vigorous