Vocab #1 for honors english

efface

(v.) to wipe out; to keep oneself from being noticed

admonish

(v.) to caution or advise against something; to scold mildly; to remind of a duty

breach

(n.) an opening, gap, rupture, rift; a violation or infraction; (v.) to create an opening, break through

Brigand

(n.) a bandit, robber, outlaw, highwayman

circumspect

careful, cautious

commandeer

to seize for military or official use

cumbersome

(adj.) clumsy, hard to handle; slow-moving

Deadlock

(n.) a standstill resulting from the opposition of two equal forces or factions; (v.) to bring to such a standstill

debris

scattered fragments, wreckage

diffuse

(v.) to spread or scatter freely or widely; (adj.) wordy, long-winded, or unfocused; scattered or widely spread

dilemma

a difficult or perplexing situation or problem

muddle

(v.) to make a mess of; muddle through: to get by; (n.) a hopeless mess

opinionated

stubborn and often unreasonable in holding to one's own ideas, having a closed mind

perennial

(adj.) lasting for a long time, persistent; (n.) a plant that lives for many years

predispose

to incline to beforehand

relinquish

to let go, give up

salvage

(v.) to save from fire or shipwreck; (n.) property thus saved

spasmodic

(adj.) sudden and violent but brief; fitful; intermittent

spurious

not genuine, not true, not valid

unbridled

(adj.) uncontrolled, lacking in restraint

Jeer

to make fun of rudely or unkindly syn: mock, taunt ant: applause

sully

to soil, stain tarnish, besmirch syn: pollute, taint ant: cleanse, purify

adjourn

to stop proceedings temporarily; move to another place syn: postpone, suspend ant: open, call to order

alien

a citizen of another country; foreign, strange syn: exotic, unfamiliar ant: native

comely

have a pleasing appearance syn: good-looking ant: plain, ugly

compensate

to make up for; to repay for services syn: pay back, recompense ant: fail to reward

dissolute

loose in one's morals or behavior syn: immoral ant: moral, virtuous

erratic

not regular or consistent; different from what is ordinarily expected; syn: undependable, unconsistent ant: steady, consistent

expulsion

the process of driving or forcing out syn: ejection, ant: admittance

feint

a deliberately deceptive movement; a pretense syn: trick, bluff

fodder

food for horses or cattle; raw material for a designated purpose syn: feed

fortify

to strengthen, build up syn: reinforce, ant: weaken

illegible

difficult or impossible to read syn: unreadable ant: readable, legible

lucrative

bringing in money; profitable syn: gainful, moneymaking ant: losing

mediocre

average, ordinary (syn.) ant: exceptional

proliferate

to reproduce, increase, or spread rapidly syn: multiply ant: decrease, diminish

subjugate

to conquer by force, bring under complete control syn: subdue, vanquish ant: submit, surrender

tantalize

to tease, torment by teasing syn: tempt, lead on ant: satisfy, fulfill

terse

brief and to the point syn: concise, crisp ant: wordy

unflinching

firm, showing no signs of fear, not drawing back syn: resolute, steadfast ant: Irresolute, wavering

Abridge

To make shorter Syn: Shorten, condense, abbreviate Ant: Expand, enlarge, augment

Semblance

(n.) a likeness; an outward appearance; an apparition Syn: Apperance, air, aura, veneer, facade Ant: Dissimilarity, contrast, total lack

Cherubic

(adj.) resembling an angel portrayed as a little child with a beautiful, round, or chubby face; sweet and innocent Syn: Angelic, seraphic, baetific Ant: implish, devilish, diabolic, fiendish

Altercation

(n.) an angry argument. SYNONYMS: quarrel, dispute, squabble. ANTONYMS: agreement, accord.

Usurp

to seize and hold a position by force or without right Syn: Seize, illegally, commandeer, supplant

Exorcise

(v.) to drive out by magic; to dispose of something troublesome, menacing, or oppressive Syn: Expel, Dispel

Condone

(v.) to pardon or overlook. SYNONYMS: ignore, wink at, look the other way. ANTONYMS: censure, condemn, disapprove, deprecate.

Pauper

(n.) an extremely poor person. SYNONYMS: destitute person. ANTONYM: billionaire.

Adherent

(n.) a follower, supporter; (adj.) attached, sticking to Ant: Disciple Syn:opponent, adversary, critic, detractor

Trite

(adj.) commonplace; overused, stale. SYNONYMS: banal, hackneyed, corny. ANTONYMS: original, innovative.

marauder

(n.) a raider, plunderer. SYNONYMS: looter, pirate.

Fabricate

(v.) to make, manufacture; to make up, invent. SYNONYMS: put together, devise, contrive, concoct. ANTONYMS: take apart, undo, destroy, demolish.

Irate

(adj.) angry. SYNONYMS: incensed, infuriated, enraged, livid. ANTONYMS: calm, composed, cool, unruffled.

Pilfer

(v.) to steal in small quantities. SYNONYMS: rob, swipe, purloin.

terminate

(v.) to bring to an end. SYNONYMS: conclude, finish, discontinue. ANTONYMS: begin, commence.

Surmount

v. to overcome, rise above synonyms: conquer, triumph over antonyms: be vanquished, be defeated, succumb to

Dissent

(v.) to disagree; (n.) disagreement. SYNONYMS: (v.) differ, dispute (n.) opposition, objection. ANTONYMS: (v.) agree, concur; (n.) unanimity, harmony.

gluttony

(n.) engaging in extreme eating or drinking; greedy overindulgence Syn: overeating, ravenous, rapaciousness Ant: abstemiousness

Rift

(n.) a split, break, breach. SYNONYMS: crack, fissure, gap, cleft. ANTONYM: reconciliation.

Eminent

(adj.) famous, outstanding, distinguished; projecting Syn: illustrious, renowned Ant: obscure, nameless, unsung, lowly, humble