vocab U8-11

Annotation→ (n.) a critical or explanatory note or comment, especially for a literary work 

1. Synonyms: n/a 

2. Antonyms: n/a 

3. Laurence Sterne’s novel Tristram Shandy has almost as many __________ as lines of text. 

Covert→ (adj.) hidden, disguised, purposefully kept secret; sheltered, secluded; (n.) a sheltered place, a hiding place 

1. Synonyms: (adj.) undercover, clandestine, sub-rosa

2. Antonyms: (adj.) open, overt, undisguised 

3. Napoleon was an expert at making __________ preparations to attack unsuspecting opponents. 

Debonair→ (adj.) pleasant, courteous, lighthearted; smooth and polished in manner and appearance

1. Synonyms: carefree, jaunty, gracious, urbane 

2. Antonyms: distraught, agitated, boorish, churlish 

3. Quite a few __________ young men asked my cousin to dance. 

Efficacious→ (adj.) effective, producing results 

1. Synonyms: effectual, efficient, potent, powerful 

2. Antonyms: ineffective, worthless, useless 

3. Not the most charming of senators, he nevertheless wielded the most __________ knowledge of statecraft. 

Fortuitous→ (adj.) accidental, occurring by a happy chance 

1. Synonyms: unintentional, unplanned, random, lucky

2. Antonyms: intentional, deliberate, premeditated 

3. Due to a _________ drop in oil prices, the shipping company showed healthy profits for the year.  

Gist→ (n.) the essential part, main point, or essence

1. Synonyms: substance, core, nucleus 

2. Antonyms: n/a

3. Would the talented fellow who keeps the back row in stitches please repeat the __________ of what I said? 

Gratuitous→ (adj.) freely given; not called for by circumstances, unwarranted 

1. Synonyms: voluntary, unjustified 

2. Antonyms: justified, warranted 

3. Though she had hoped to leave the lecture early, several members of the audience asked __________ questions, delaying her by an hour. 

Procrastinate→ (v.) to delay, put off until later 

1. Synonyms: stall, temporize, dillydally  

2. Antonyms: n/a

3. We all want to __________ when a task is no fun, but some people make delaying a way of life. 

Recondite → (adj/) exceeding ordinary knowledge and understanding 

1. Synonyms: arcane, abstruse

2. Antonyms: simple, uncomplicated

3. The theories of relativity can seem __________, even for people who are well versed in the sciences. 

Sedentary→ (adj.) characterized by or calling for continued sitting; remaining in one place 

1. Synonyms: static, stationary 

2. Antonyms: active, peripatetic 

3. She exchanged her __________ job for a position as a swimming instructor 

Contingent→ (adj.) likely but not certain to happen, possible; dependent on uncertain events or conditions; happening by chance; (n.) a representative group forming part of a larger body 

1. Synonyms: (adj.) conditional, dependent; (n.) a detachment 

2. Antonyms: (adj.) independent of, unconnected with, certain 

3. The meeting was delayed due to the late arrival of the California _______. 

Corroborate→ (v.) to confirm, make more certain, bolster, substantiate, verify 

1. Synonyms: n/a 

2. Antonyms: (adj.) refute, contradict, undermine, discredit 

3. He could tell the court where I was and for how long, but he needed a witness to __________ his statements. 

Discursive→ (adj.) passing aimlessly from one place or subject to another, rambling, roving, nomadic 

1. Synonyms: diffuse, wandering, episodic 

2. Antonyms: short and to the point, succinct 

3. Within the __________ account of his life, there was a fairly complete history of the whole village. 

Disseminate→ (v.) to scatter or spread widely 

1. Synonyms: disperse, publicize, broadcast, circulate 

2. Antonyms: bring together, concentrate, muster, conceal, hide 

3. I decided that it was a bad idea to use my position in order to __________ my personal views. 

Dowdy→ (adj.) poorly dressed, shabby; lacking smartness and good taste 

1. Synonyms: frumpy, frowsy 

2. Antonyms: chic, elegant, fashionable 

3. The actor wore __________ clothing and sunglasses so that no one would recognize him. 

Gauche→ (adj.) awkward, lacking in social graces, tactless, clumsy

1. Synonyms: inept, uncouth, maladroit 

2. Antonyms: adroit, tactful, diplomatic, politic 

3. Though he was sincere when he thanked his guest for having stayed an extra week, his comment was considered __________. 

Heresy→ (n.) an opinion different from accepted belief; the denial of an idea that is generally held sacred 

1. Synonyms: unorthodox belief, heterodoxy

2. Antonym: orthodoxy 

3. Saving money to accumulate interest seems to be a form of __________ in these days of instant credit. 

Palpable→ (adj.) capable of being touched or felt, easily seen, heard, or recognized 

1. Synonyms: obvious, manifest 

2. Antonyms: intangible, insubstantial 

3. The energy and excitement in the stands was almost __________ during the football game. 

Perceptive→ (adj.) having sympathetic insight or understanding, capable of keen appreciation 

1. Synonyms: insightful, discerning

2. Antonyms: dense, obtuse 

3. His __________ eye took in the roomful of noisy children and settled on the one child who was ill at ease. 

Salient→ (adj.) leaping, jumping, or springing forth; prominent, standing out, conspicuous; (n.) a projection or bulge, a land form that projects upward or outward

1. Synonyms: (adj.) striking, notable, protrusive, obvious 

2. Antonyms: (adj) inconspicuous, recessive 

3. I think the most __________ feature of the new plan is its similarity to the old plan.

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

1. Synonyms: diminish, decrease, subside, let up 

2. Antonyms: intensify, increase, magnify, wax

3. We stood on the dock on that moonless night, waiting for the storm to ____________. 

Adulation→ (n.) praise or flattery that is excessive 

1. Synonyms: adoration, idolization, hero-worship 

2. Antonyms: ridicule, derision, odium 

3. Athletes have little voice but to enjoy the sometimes puzzling _____________ of their fans.  

Astute→ (adj.) shrewd, crafty, showing practical wisdom 

1. Synonyms: acute, sagacious, judicious, wily 

2. Antonyms: obtuse, doltish, empty-headed, dumb 

3. The _____ management of money is a valuable skill but may not by itself make a good executive.  

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

1. Synonyms: glaring, flagrant, blatant

2. Antonyms: unnoticeable, paltry, piddling 

3. Whoever allowed that man on a stage is guilty of an ______ blunder  

Irresolute→ (adj.) unable to make up one’s mind, hesitating 

1. Synonyms: indecisive, vacillating, wavering 

2. Antonyms: determined, decisive, unwavering 

3. In Hamlet, the prince is _______ about whether to obey his father’s ghost or to go on as if nothing has happened.  

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

1. Synonyms: hazy, fuzzy, cloudy, opaque, indeterminate 

2. Antonyms: definite, distinct, clear, sharply focused

3. By the time everyone had expressed an opinion, the original idea had become somewhat ____________.  

Pretentious→ (adj.) done for show, striving to make a big impression; claiming merit or position unjustifiably;  ambitious 

1. Synonyms: ostentatious, inflated 

2. Antonyms: unaffected, modest

3. Talking about one’s wealth is thought to be ____________ and in poor taste. 

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

1. Synonyms: Review, summarize, go over 

2. Antonyms: n/a

3. Don’t bother to _____ the plot of the book; instead, tell me if you liked it.  

Resuscitate→ (v.) to revive, bring back to consciousness  

1. Synonyms: revitalize, reanimate, restore, reactivate 

2. Antonyms: n/a

3. We need someone who can _____ our neighborhood’s community spirit. 

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

1. Synonyms: assumption, presumption, hypothesis 

2. Antonyms: n/a 

3. Guided by a _____ that turned out to be false, they made some disastrous decisions. 

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

1. Synonyms: stolid, dull, slow, stupid 

2. Antonyms: sharp, bright, keen, quick 

3. After I told him what had happened, he sat there with a _______________ expression and said nothing. 

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

1. Synonyms: overweight, heavy, obese, stout, portly 

2. Antonyms: slender, lean, spare, gaunt, emaciated 

3. Though she had grown _________________ with the years, the opera singer’s voice and her way with a song were the same. 

Dispassionate→ (adj.) impartial; calm, free from emotion 

1. Synonyms: unbiased, disinterested, cool, detached 

2. Antonyms: committed, engaged, partial, biased 

3. Being a neighbor but not quite a family friend, he was called in to give a _____________ view of our plan. 

Dissension→ (n.) disagreement, sharp difference of opinion 

1. Synonyms: strife, discord, contention 

2. Antonyms: agreement, accord, harmony 

3. The political party was torn by ______________ and finally split into two wings.

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

1. Synonyms: disperse, stew, diffuse, waste 

2. Antonyms: gather, collect, conserve, husband 

3. As chairman he is fair and open, but he ____________ his energies on trivial things. 

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 

1. Synonyms: dare, provocation, trial, punishment 

2. Antonyms: N/A

3. In the Middle Ages, a knight threw down his _______________ as a challenge, and another knight picked it up only if he accepted

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

1. Synonyms: assumed, supposed, conditional 

2. Antonyms: actual, real, tested, substantiated

3. Science is not based on ________ assumptions, but on proven facts 

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

1. Synonyms: transfer, consign, demote, exile

2. Antonyms: promote, elevate, advance, recall 

3. Even if they _______ him to a mere clerical job, he is determined to make his presence felt. 

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

1. Synonyms: secondary servile, obsequious, useful 

2. Antonyms: primary, principal, bossy, domineering 

3. The officers were taught to be respectful of but not blindly ____ to their superior’s wishes. 

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

1. Synonyms: vulnerable, receptive, impressionable 

2. Antonyms: resistant, immune 

3. The trouble with being ____ to flattery is that you can never be sure that the flatterer is sincere.