vocab

1. altruistic — al tru IS tik
Definition: unselfishly concerned for the welfare of others; generous
Synonyms: —
Antonyms: belligerent; stingy; selfish
Example: Nuns and nurses are usually very altruistic people since they seek ways to help people.
Derivatives: altruism, altruist, altruistically

2. ambivalent — am BIV uh lunt
Definition: having contrary feelings or attitudes; uncertain as to a course of action
Synonyms: undecided
Antonyms: certain; firmly convinced
Example: I am ambivalent about a permanent relationship with him, because I like him one day and don't the next.
Derivatives: ambivalence

3. angular — ANG gyuh ler
Definition: lean; sharp-cornered; gaunt
Synonyms: —
Antonym: rotund
Example: The patient has lost so much weight that his face has become quite angular.
Derivatives: angulate, angularity, angulation, angulator

4. arrogant — AIR uh gunt
Definition: overbearingly assuming; insolently proud
Synonyms: presumptuous, haughty, imperious, brazen
Antonyms: meek, modest
Example: Because the girl was so arrogant, she had few friends.
Derivatives: arrogance, arrogancy, arrogantly

5. aversion — uh VER shun
Definition: strong disinclination; disliking
Synonyms: hesitance, loathing, reluctance
Antonym: inclination
Example: I have an aversion to getting married.
Derivatives: averseness, averse, aversely

6. discern — deh SURN
Definition: to differentiate between two or more things
Synonyms: —
Antonyms: to ignore; to be oblivious to
Example: Because of the fog, I was barely able to discern the landing strip.
Derivatives: discerner, discernible, discernable, discernibleness, discernibly, discernably, discerningly, discernment

7. disdain — dis DANE
Definition: intense dislike; to treat with scorn or contempt; to reject as unworthy
Synonyms: arrogant, haughty, high-handed, insolent, lordly
Antonyms: favor, admiration; love
Example: Never having had to do manual labor, he disdained the idea of becoming a cotton picker.
Derivatives: disdained, disdaining, disdainer, disdainful, disdainfully, disdainfulness

8. disparage — deh SPAR ij
Definition: to degrade; to speak of someone or something in a derogatory manner
Synonyms: belittle, decry, deprecate
Antonym: to praise profusely
Example: His disparaging remarks about me caused the committee to give the job to another person.
Derivatives: disparagement, disparager, disparagingly

9. disparity — deh SPAR eh tee
Definition: inequality; the condition or fact of being unequal in age, rank, or degree
Synonyms: —
Antonym: similarity
Example: The couple got married even though there was a great disparity in their ages.
Derivatives: disparate, disparately, disparateness, disparatum

10. embellish — em BEL ish
Definition: to decorate; to make beautiful with ornamentation
Synonyms: deck, garnish, ornament, adorn
Antonym: to abbreviate
Example: He would embellish his narratives with anecdotes about famous people.
Derivatives: embellisher, embellishment

11. engender — en JEN der
Definition: to cause, to produce, to create
Synonyms: —
Antonym: to squelch
Example: His angry words engendered strife in his relationship with his wife.
Derivatives: engendered, engenderer, engenders, engendering

12. innocuous — eh NOK yoo us
Definition: harmless; producing no injury
Synonyms: —
Antonyms: dangerous; injurious
Example: Since the drink is innocuous, it is okay for us to have some.
Derivatives: innocuously, innocuousness

13. insipid — in SIP id
Definition: boring and stupid
Synonyms: banal, flat, inane, jejune, vapid
Antonyms: spirited and animated; zestful
Example: I am bored by your insipid talk.
Derivatives: insipidity, insipidly, insipidness

14. lament — luh MENT
Definition: to mourn or to express sorrow in a demonstrative manner
Synonyms: bemoan, bewail, deplore
Antonym: to rejoice
Example: She lamented the death of her father in a very lachrymose manner.
Derivatives: lamented, lamenting, lamentation, lamentable

15. laud — LAWD
Definition: to praise; to extol
Synonym: revere
Antonym: to defame
Example: Her performance was lauded by all of the critics.
Derivatives: laudability, laudable, laudableness

16. obscure — ub SKYOOR
Definition: difficult to see; vague
Synonyms: abstruse, ambiguous, cryptic, enigmatic, equivocal, recondite
Antonyms: clear; apparent
Example: Because the meaning of the play was obscure, I was unable to enjoy it.
Derivatives: obscuration, obscurative, obscuredly, obscurely, obscurement, obscureness, obscurity

17. ostentatious — os ten TAY shus
Definition: showy; pretentious
Synonym: pompous
Antonym: modest
Example: The ostentatious socialite wore her mink fur coat even during the warmest days of August.
Derivatives: ostentation, ostentate, ostentatiously, ostentatiousness, ostentative

18. prodigal — PROD uh gul
Definition: wasteful; a person given to extravagance
Synonyms: lavish, lush, luxuriant, profuse
Antonym: thrifty individual
Example: The prodigal son squandered his inheritance.
Derivatives: prodigality, prodigally, prodigalize

19. repudiate — reh PYOO dee ate
Definition: to reject, to disown, to disavow
Synonyms: —
Antonym: to adopt
Example: He announced that he would repudiate all debts that had been created by his wife.
Derivatives: repudiation, repudiationist, repudiator

20. reticence — RET uh suns
Definition: restraint in speech; reluctance to speak
Synonyms: reserve, taciturnity
Antonym: candor
Example: A lawyer must have great reticence in discussing matters that could violate his client's rights.
Derivatives: reticency, reticent, reticently

21. revere — reh VERE
Definition: to honor; to regard with respect
Synonyms: adore, venerate, worship
Antonym: to despise
Example: Nearly all Catholics revere the Pope.
Derivatives: reverence, reverent, reverentness, reverential, reverentiality, reverentially

22. serene — suh REEN
Definition: calm; placid
Synonym: tranquil
Antonym: agitated
Example: The mountain on a clear spring morning is a serene setting.
Derivatives: serenely, sereneness, serenity

23. subtle — SUT ul
Definition: delicate, elusive, not obvious
Synonyms: —
Antonyms: obvious; gross; blunt
Example: To avoid being obtrusive in the elegant restaurant, he used subtle gestures to call the waiter to his table.
Derivatives: subtilist, subtility, subtilization, subtilize, subtilizer, subtleness, subtlety

24. superfluous — soo PUR floo us
Definition: beyond what is needed or required; an overflow
Synonyms: —
Antonym: necessary
Example: The meeting lasted so long because of many superfluous comments by some of the speakers.
Derivatives: superfluously, superfluousness, superfluent, superfluity

25. taciturn — TAS eh turn
Definition: quiet; not verbose
Synonyms: reserved, reticent
Antonyms: loquacious; talkative
Example: A shy person is usually taciturn.
Derivatives: tacit, tacitly, tacitness, taciturnity, taciturnly