Vocab test 12

Vocabulary List 12

1. absolve (v.)
   To clear from blame, responsibility, or guilt
   Example: They assumed that their alibi would __________________ them of suspicion.
   SYNONYMS: acquit, exonerate, vindicate, excuse, pardon
   ANTONYMS: condemn, convict, incriminate, inculpate

2. caricature (n.)
   A representation, such as a drawing, that exaggerates a subject’s characteristic features
   (v.) To present someone or something in a deliberately distorted way
   Example: What began as a hasty newspaper _________________ soon turned up on coffee mugs, T-shirts, and sweatshirts.
   Example: The satirical television program _________________ the movie star and made him seem clumsier than he really was.
   SYNONYMS: (n.) cartoon, burlesque, lampoon

3. clangor (n.)
   A loud ringing sound
   (v.) To make a loud ringing noise
   Example: For more than a century, American grade schools summoned children to school with the __________________ of a bell.
   SYNONYMS: (n.) din, clamor, uproar
   ANTONYMS: (n.) silence, stillness, peace and quiet

4. contiguous (adj.)
   Side by side, touching; near; adjacent in time
   Example: Trouble arose over who should control the weeds and bushes that rioted in the lot ___________________ to ours.
   SYNONYMS: abutting, next door to
   ANTONYMS: detached, apart, distant, remote

5. cupidity (n.)
   An eager desire for something; greed
   Example: You say that these catalogue prices show the quality of the goods, but I say they show the seller’s ____________________.
   SYNONYMS: avarice, rapacity, craving, lust
   ANTONYMS: contentment, satiety, gratification

6. deleterious (adj.)
   Harmful, injurious
   Example: Wishing can give zest and purpose to anyone’s life, but wishful thinking can have a ____________________ effect.
   SYNONYMS: detrimental, destructive, pernicious, damaging
   ANTONYMS: helpful, beneficial, harmless, innocuous

7. enhance (v.)
   To raise to a higher degree; to increase the value or desirability of
   Example: She sanded and varnished the old table in order to ____________________ its appearance and value.
   SYNONYMS: improve, elevate
   ANTONYMS: diminish, degrade

8. enthrall (v.)
   To captivate, charm, hold spellbound; to enslave; to imprison
   Example: All the critics were __________________ by the performance and wrote rave reviews.
   SYNONYMS: fascinate, attract
   ANTONYMS: bore to tears, repel

9. extenuate (v.)
   To lessen the seriousness or magnitude of an offense by making partial excuses
   Example: “Do not _____________________ the circumstances!” my mom said when I explained I had been studying rather than cleaning my room.
   SYNONYMS: moderate, mitigate, diminish, downplay
   ANTONYMS: intensify, magnify, worsen, exacerbate

10. implicit (adj.)
    Implied or understood though unexpressed; without doubts or reservations, unquestioning; potentially contained in
    Example: She never said so, but it was ___________________ that she did not like conversations before her morning coffee.
    SYNONYMS: inferred, tacit, unspoken, unconditional
    ANTONYMS: explicit, expressed, stated, revealed

11. incisive (adj.)
    Sharp, keen, penetrating (with a suggestion of decisiveness and effectiveness)
    Example: I am truly thankful for your _____________________ comments about my report.
    SYNONYMS: acute, cutting, perceptive

12. inimical (adj.)
    Tending to cause harm or obstruct developments; being oppositional or adverse
    Example: Several ____________________ groups have tried to create chaos and undermine democratic principles.
    SYNONYMS: unfriendly, hostile, antagonistic, contrary
    ANTONYMS: friendly, hospitable, kind

13. ostentatious (adj.)
    Marked by conspicuous or pretentious display, showy
    Example: The restaurant’s interior was so _____________________ that the meager meal, when it came, seemed an afterthought.
    SYNONYMS: flashy, overdone, affected, flamboyant
    ANTONYMS: modest, plain, simple, demure, retiring

14. paragon (n.)
    A model of excellence or perfection
    Example: I may not be a __________________ of scholarship, but I do try my best.
    SYNONYMS: ideal, paradigm, model, good example

15. politic (adj.)
    Prudent, shrewdly conceived and developed; artful, expedient
    Example: In your angry state, I think it would be _________________ to say nothing, at least until you have calmed down.
    SYNONYMS: tactful, diplomatic, judicious, circumspect
    ANTONYMS: unwise, injudicious, imprudent, rash

16. prosaic (adj.)
    Dull, lacking in distinction and originality; matter-of-fact, straightforward; characteristic of prose, not poetic
    Example: I remember his singing voice as being on key and clear, but also ______________________.
    SYNONYMS: literal, pedestrian
    ANTONYMS: remarkable, poetic

17. redundant (adj.)
    Extra, excess, more than is needed; wordy, repetitive; profuse, lush
    Example: Some ___________________ expressions, such as “hollow tubing,” are acceptable in the English language.
    SYNONYMS: unnecessary, superfluous, verbose, prolix
    ANTONYMS: terse, laconic, scarce, inadequate

18. sanctimonious (adj.)
    Making a show of virtue or righteousness; hypocritically moralistic or pious, self-righteous, canting, holier-than-thou
    Example: Cautionary tales that take on a _________________ tone often achieve the opposite of the desired effect.
    ANTONYMS: heartfelt, sincere, humble

19. scintillating (adj.)
    Sparkling, twinkling, exceptionally brilliant (applied to mental or personal qualities)
    Example: She was known for her ______________________ conversation.
    SYNONYMS: stimulating, glittering
    ANTONYMS: dull, boring, insipid

20. winsome (adj.)
    Charming, attractive, pleasing (often suggesting a childlike charm and innocence)
    Example: When my little brother wanted something badly, he became as _____________________ as a puppy.
    SYNONYMS: winning, delightful, prepossessing
    ANTONYMS: unattractive, unappealing, repulsive