Unit 1-6 Vocab

(adj.) able to get and retain ideas or information; concerned with acquiring wealth or property syn: greedy, avaricious, retentive ant: altruistic

acquisitive

(v) to claim or take without right syn: expropriate, commandeer ant: renounce, abdicate, abandon

arrogate

(adj) hackneyed, trite, commonplace syn: stale, insipid ant: fresh, original, new

banal

(v) to work on excessively; to thrash soundly syn: overwork

belabor

(adj) tending to find fault, especially in a petty, nasty, or hairsplitting way; (n) petty, nagging criticism syn: nit-picking, caviling ant: approving, uncritical

carping

(adj) holding or sticking together; making a logical whole; comprehensible, meaningful syn: connected, unified, consistent, cohesive ant: muddled, chaotic, disjointed

coherent

(v) to change from liquid to solid, thicken; to make inflexible or rigid syn: harden, jell, solidify ant: liquefy

congeal

(v) to imitate with the intent of equaling or surpassing the model syn: copy, mimic, rival, match

emulate

(n) a formal expression of praise, a lavish tribute syn: panegyric, eulogy ant: condemnation, castigation, criticism

encomium

(v) to avoid, shun, keep away from syn: abstain from, steer clear of, forgo ant: embrace, adopt

eschew

(adj) relevant, appropriate, apropos, fitting syn: pertinent ant: irrelevant, extraneous, inappropriate

germane

(adj) so great or demanding as not to be satisfied syn: unquenchable, ravenous

insatiable

(adj) refusing to compromise, irreconcilable syn: uncompromising, unyielding, obdurate ant: lukewarm, halfhearted, yielding

intransigent

(adj) offensive, hateful; tending to cause bitterness and resentment syn: malicious, spiteful ant: flattering

invidious

(n) generosity in giving; lavish or bountiful contributions syn: liberality, bounty ant: stinginess

largesse

(n) a survey made for military purposes; any kind of preliminary inspection or examination syn: exploration

reconnaissance

(v) to establish by evidence, prove; to give concrete or substantial form syn: confirm, validate ant: refute, disprove

substantiate

(adj) habitually silent or quiet, inclined to talk very little syn: uncommunicative ant: verbose, prolix

taciturn

(v) to stall or act evasively in order to gain time, avoid a confrontation, or postpone a decision; to compromise syn: procrastinate

temporize

(adj) capable of being held or defended syn: defensible, justifiable ant: indefensible

tenable

(v) to approach and speak to first; to confront in a challenging or aggressive way syn: buttonhole, approach ant: avoid, shun

accost

(n) a comment indicating strong criticism or disapproval syn: rebuke, reproof ant: praise, compliment

animadversion

(adj) desirous of something to the point of greed; intensely eager syn: keen, enthusiastic ant: reluctant, indifferent

avid

(adj) having a salty taste and unpleasant to drink syn: saline ant: clear, sweet

brackish

(n) swiftness, rapidity of motion or action syn: promptness, speed ant: slowness, sluggishness

celerity

(adj) straying or wandering from a straight or direct course; done or acting in a shifty or underhanded way syn: roundabout, indirect ant: direct, straightforward

devious

(n) in chess, an opening move that involves risk or sacrifice of a minor piece in order to gain a later advantage; any opening move of this type syn: ploy, ruse, maneuver

gambit

(n) a legendary bird identified with the kingfisher; (adj) calm, peaceful, happy, golden syn: tranquil, placid ant: turbulent, tumultuous

halcyon

(adj) pertaining to actors and their techniques; theatrical, artificial, melodramatic syn: affected, stagy ant: muted, untheatrical

histrionic

(adj) deliberately setting or causing fires; designed to start fires; tending to stir up strife or rebellion; (n) one who deliberately sets fires, arsonist syn: inflammatory, provocative; (n) firebrand ant: soothing, quieting; (n) peacemaker

incendiary

(n) a whirlpool or great size and violence; a situation resembling a whirlpool in violence and destruction syn: chaos, turbulence

maelstrom

(adj) nearsighted; lacking a broad, realistic view of a situation; lacking foresight or discernment syn: shortsighted ant: farsighted

myopic

(adj) open, expressed or revealed in a way that is easily recognized syn: clear, obvious, patent ant: clandestine, covert

overt

(adj) tending to make worse; expressing disapproval or disparagement ant: complimentary, ameliorative

pejorative

(n) the state of being proper, appropriateness syn: fitness, correctness ant: unseemliness, inappropriateness

propriety

(n) improper or disrespectful treatment of something held sacred syn: desecration, profanation, defilement

sacrilege

(adv) without delay or formality; briefly, concisely syn: promptly, peremptorily

summarily

(adj) asking humbly and earnestly; (n) one who makes a request humbly and earnestly, a suitor

suppliant

(n) an object that serves as a charm or is believed to confer magical powers

talisman

(v) to move in waves or with a wavelike motion syn: fluctuate

undulate

(v) to romp or prance around exuberantly; to make merry syn: gambol, frolic

cavort

(n) belief, mental acceptance syn: credit, trust, confidence ant: disbelief, skepticism

credence

(v) to condemn, express strong disapproval; to officially depreciate syn: denounce, censure, devalue ant: tout, commend, extol

decry

(v) to disguise or conceal, deliberately give a false impression syn: dissimulate, mask, feign

dissemble

(adj) very much agitated or upset as a result of emotion or mental conflict syn: distracted ant: calm, collected

distraught

(n) a formal statement of commendation; high praise syn: panegyric, encomium, tribute ant: philippic, inventive

eulogy

(v) to display clearly, to make evident, to provoke syn: exhibit, manifest, occasion

evince

(v) to remove from a grave, to bring to light syn: disinter, unearth ant: bury

exhume

(adj) lacking in spirit and strength syn: feeble ant: competent

feckless

(adj) dark and gloomy, obscure syn: dim, cloudy ant: clear, transparent

murky

(adj) wicked, depraved syn: iniquitous, reprehensible ant: virtuous, honorable

nefarious

(adj) stimulating to the taste or mind syn: zestful, tangy ant: bland, mild

piquant

(adj) developed or created at the very beginning syn: original

primordial

(n) nearness in place or time; kinship syn: similarity ant: remoteness, distance

propinquity

(adj) real, having a solid basis; considerable in amount syn: firm, substantial ant; imaginary, meaningless

substantitive

(adj) not usual or expected syn: unusual, uncommon ant: usual, customary

unwonted

(adj) founded upon or involving a visionary view of an ideal world syn: idealistic ant: realistic

utopian

(n) language that is too wordy or inflated in proportion to the sense or content syn: prolixity, diction, jargon

verbiage

(adj) green in tint or color; immature in experience or judgement syn: artless, naive ant: scorched, barren

verdant

(adj) having a gelatinous or gluey quality syn: sticky, thick ant: watery, aqueous

viscous

(n) the wasting away of a body organ or tissue; (v) to waste away syn: degeneration, wither ant: growth, mature

atrophy

(n) a foritfied place syn: rampart, parapet

bastion

(n) a state of agreement syn: disagreement

concord

(adj) complete or perfect in the highest degree; to bring to a state of completion or perfection syn: masterful (v) to complete ant: launch, initiate

consummate

(n) disorder, confusion (v) to throw into disorder syn: (n) disorganization (v) dishevel ant: organization, order

disarray

(n) urgency, pressure syn: requirement, crisis

exigency

(n) floating debris, unimportant material syn: debris

flotsam

(adj) frenzied, highly agitated syn: frantic ant: calm, controlled

frenetic

(v) to gather bit by bit syn: cull, pick up

glean

(n) a type of game bird; a complaint; (v) to complain syn: (v) kvetch, bellyache

grouse

(v) to imprison syn: intern ant: liberate

incarcerate

(adj) obligatory, required; (n) one who holds a specific office at the time spoken of syn: mandatory ant: optional

incumbent

(adj) humorous, jesting syn: waggish, droll ant: solemn, grave

jocular

(adj) ridiculous, laughable, absurd syn: risible, preposterous ant: heartrending, poignant

ludicrous

(adj) biting or caustic in thought, manner or style; sharply or bitterly harsh syn: acrimonious, scathing ant: bland, mild

mordant

(n) a prickly or stinging plant; (v) to arouse displeasure syn: peeve, annoy ant: please, delight

nettle

(adj) consisting of or measured in money syn: monetary

pecuniary

(adj) contemptibly cowardly or mean spirited syn: lily-livered ant: corageous

pusillanimous

(adj) in a reclining position, lying down syn: prone, inactive ant: erect, energetic

recumbent

(n) a scheme to outwit or deceive an opponent syn: trick, ploy

stratagem

(n) sharpness syn: acuteness ant: dullness

acuity

(v) to portray, sketch, or describe in accurate detail syn: render

delineate

(adj) marked by evil and corruption syn: degenerate, vicious ant: moral, virtuous

depraved

(v) to weaken or lessen syn: impair, cripple ant: invigorate, strengthen

enervate

(adj) intended for only a select few syn: cryptic ant: accessible

esoteric

(adj) fruitful in offspring or vegetation syn: fertile, teeming ant: infertile, barren

fecund

(n) an arbitrary order or decree syn: dictum

fiat

(n) fabrication or the mind syn: invention, fancy

figment

(v) to acquire as a result of effort syn: collect, accumulate ant: scatter

garner

(v) to set apart as holy or scared syn: bless ant: defile

hallow

(n) a peculiarity that serves to distinguish or identify syn: quirk

idiosyncrasy

(n) shame and disgrace syn: humiliation, disrepute ant: honor

ignominy

(adj) earthly, worldly syn: humdrum ant: heavenly, spiritual

mundane

(n) a subtle or slight variation syn: refinement, shade

nuance

(adj) conceited, presumptuous syn: arrogant ant: restrained, meek

overweening

(n) a strong attraction or inclination syn: proclivity ant: disinclination, aversion

penchant

(adj) according to reputation or general belief syn: putative ant: proven

reputed

(n) reasoning that seems plausible but is actually unsound syn: specious reasoning

sophistry

(adj) present or existing everywhere syn: universal ant: restricted

ubiquitous

(adj) costly, rich syn: lavish, splendid ant: skimpy, stingy

sumptuous

(adj) degraded; base, contemptible syn: wretched, miserable ant: noble, exalted

abject

(n) one who believes that nothing can be known about god; (adj) without faith syn: doubter ant: believer

agnostic

(n) involvement in wrongdoing syn: connivance ant: innocence, noninvolvement

complicity

(n) someone or something that is abandoned (adj) left abandoned syn: vagrant, delinquent ant: punctilious

derelict

(n) a bitter and prolonged verbal attack syn: harangue, tirade ant: panegyric

diatribe

(n) a crude image of a despised person syn: figurine

effigy

(n) the state of being just syn: justice ant: unfairness

equity

(adj) silly, empty of meaning or value syn: idiotic ant: sensible

inane

(n) the act of accusing syn: charge

indictment

(adj) certain, not doubted syn: unquestionable ant: questionable

indubitable

(adj) stopping and beginning again syn: spasmodic ant: uninterrupted

intermittent

(adj) open to discussion (v) to bring up for discussion (n) a hypothetical law case argued by students syn: debatable ant: undebatable

moot

(n) principal idea repeat in a design

motif

(n) beginner syn: tenderfoot ant: veteran, expert

neophyte

(n) keenness in observing and understanding syn: acumen ant: dullness

perspicacity

(adj) complete in all aspects or essentials syn: unrestricted ant: limited

plenary

(n) a watch kept over a person syn: observation

surveillance

(adj) pertaining to forests syn: arcadian

sylvan

(adj) easily irritated syn: irritable ant: imperturbable

testy

(n) a grotesque imitation (v) to ridicule by imitating syn: burlesque, mockery

travesty