Abject (adjective) degraded; base, contemptible; cringing, servile; complete and unrelieved

• Synonyms: wretched, miserable, ignoble, sheer, utter

• Antonyms: noble, exalted

• In the American dream, those who work hard can escape lives of ___________ poverty.

  
  

Agnostic (noun) one who believes that nothing can be known about God, a skeptic; (adjective) without faith, skeptical

• Synonym: (n.): doubter

• Antonym: (n.): believer

• Although he was a confirmed _____________, he supported the rights of others to practice their religion.

  • Her ______________ tendencies made it difficult for her to subscribe to any set of religious beliefs. 

Derelict  (noun) someone or something that is abandoned or neglected; (adjective) left abandoned; neglectful of duty 

• Synonyms: (n.) vagrant; (adj.) delinquent

• Antonyms: (adj.) punctilious, conscientious, scrupulous

  • The family complained about the unsightly collection of ________________ cars in its neighbor’s driveway. 

Diatribe (noun) a bitter and prolonged verbal attack

• Synonyms: harangue, tirade 

• Antonyms: panegyric, encomium, eulogy

  • The senator’s speech was more of a ___________________ than a reasoned address.

Equity (noun) the state or quality of being just, fair, or impartial; fair and equal treatment; something that is fair; the money value of a property above and beyond and mortgage or other claim

• Synonyms: justice, fairness, impartiality

• Antonyms: unfairness, bias, prejudice

  • Prompted by considerations of ______________, the father decided to divide his estate equally among his children.

Inane (adjective) silly, empty of meaning or value

• Synonyms: idiotic, moronic, fatuous

• Antonyms: sensible, meaningful, profound

  • The politician made an ________________ reply to the interviewer’s probing question. 

Indubitable (adjective) certain, not to be doubted or denied

• Synonyms: unquestionable, indisputable

• Antonyms: questionable, debatable, dubious

  • You cannot argue with _______________ truths.

Intermittent (adjective) stopping and beginning again, sporadic

• Synonyms: fitful, spasmodic, random

• Antonym: uninterrupted

  • She had ___________________ back pains for a week. 

Surveillance (noun) a watch kept over a person; careful, close, and disciplined observation

• Synonyms: observation, monitoring 

  • The police kept the suspect under strict ____________ after she was released.

Travesty (noun) a grotesque or grossly inferior imitation; a disguise, especially the clothing of the opposite sex; (verb) to ridicule by imitating in a broad or burlesque fashion. 

• Synonyms (noun):  burlesque, caricature, farce

  • Instead of modernizing Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, they made a ______________ of it.