Malinger
to evade resposibility by pretending to be ill A common way to avoid the draft was by malingering-pretending to be mentally or physically ill so as to avoid being taken by the Army.
Malleable
capable of being shaped Gold is the most malleable of precious metal; it can easily be formed into almost any shape.
Similar: adaptable,pliable,ductile,plastic,pliant
Metaphor
a figure of speech comparing two different things, a symbol The metaphor ' a sea of troubles' suggests a lot of troubles by comparing their number to the vastness of the sea.
Similar: analogy, comparison
Meticulous
extremely careful about details The investigators were instructed to find all the clues at the crime scene, so they meticulously covered every inch of the area.
Similar: conscientious, precise, scrupulous
Misanthrope
a person who dislikes others The Grinch was such a misanthrope that even the sight of children singing made him angry.
Mitigate
to soften, to lessen A judge may mitigate a sentence if she decides that a person committed a crime out of need.
Similar: alleviate, lighten,assuage,palliate,temper
Mollify
to calm or make less severe Their arguement was so intense that is was difficult to believe any compromise would mollify them.
Similar: appease,conciliate,assuage,pacify
Monotony
no variation, tediously the same The monotomy of the sound of the dripping faucet almost drove the research assistant crazy.
Similar: drone, tedium
Naive
lacking sophistication or experience Having never traveled before, the hillbillies were totally naive to the customs of Beverly Hills.
Similar: artless, credulous,simple,guileless,unaffected,ingenuous
Obdurate
hardened in feeling, resistant to persuasion The President was completely obdurate on the issue, and no amount of persuasion would change his mind.
Similar: inflexible, tenacious,intransigent,recalcitrant
Obsequious
overly-submissive and eager to please The obsequious new associate made sure to compliment her supervisor's tie and agree with him on every issue
Similar: compliant,servile,deferential,subservient
Obstinate
stubborn, unyeilding The obstinate child could not be made to eat any food which he preceived to be 'yucky'.
Similar: intransigent,mulish,pertinacious,persistant,tenacious
Obviate
to prevent; to make unnecessary The river was shallow enough to wade across at many points, which obviated the need for a bridge.
Similar:forestall,preclude,prohibit
Occlude
to stop up, prevent the passage of A shadow is thrown across the Earth's surface during a solar eclipse, when the light from the sun is occluded by the moon.
Similar: barricade, obstruct,block,close
Onerous
troublesome and oppressive; burdensome THe assignment was so extensive and difficult to manage that it proved onerous to the team in charge of it.
Similar: arduous,cumbersome,formidable,oppresive,taxing,burdensome
Opaque
Impossible to see through, preventing the passage of light The heavy build-up of dirt and grime on the windows made them almost opaque.
Similar: obscure
Opprobrium
public disgrace After the scheme to embezzle the elderly was made public, the treasure resigned in utter opprobrium.
Similar: discredit,obloquy,ignominy,dishonor,shame,infamy
Ostentation
excessive showiness The ostentation of the Sun's King court is evident in the lavish decoration and luxuriousness of his palace Versailles.
Similar: conspicuousness, pretentiousness,flashiness,showiness
Paradox
a contradiction or dilemma It is a paradox that those most in need of medical attention are often those least able to obtain it.
Similar: incongruity, ambiguity
Paragon
model of excellence or perfection He is the paragon of what a judge should be; honest, intelligent, hardworking and just.
Similar: apotheosis,ideal,quintessence,standard
Pedant
somone who shows off learning The graduate instructor's tedious and excessive commentary on the sublect soon gain her a reputation as a pedant.
Perfidious
willing to betray one's trust The actress's perfidous companion revealed all of her intimate secrets to the gossp columnist.
Similar: disloyal,treacherous,faithless,traitorous
Perfunctory
done in a routine way; indifferent The machine-like teller processed the transaction and gave the waiting customer a perfunctory smile.
Similar: apathetic, automatic,mechanical
Permeate
to penetrate The miraculous new cleaning fliud is able to permeate stains and dissolve them in minutes.
Similar: imbue,pervade,infuse,suffuse
Pervasive
to be present throughout, to permeate Four spices-cumin, turmeric, coriander and cayenne- pervade almost every Indian dish, and give the cuisine its distinctive flavor.
Similar: imbue,permeate,infuse,penetrate,suffuse
Philanthropy
charity , a desire or effort to promote goodness The Metropolitan Museum of Art owes much of its collection to the philanthropy of private of private collectors who willed their estates to the museum.
Similar: humanitarianism,altruism
Phlegmatic
calm and unemotional in temperament Although the bomb could go off at any moment, the phlegmatic demolition expert remained calm nad unafriad.
Similar: apathetic,impassive,indifferent,emotionless,passionless
Placate
to soothe or pacify The burglar tried to placate the snarling dog by refferring to it as a 'nice doggy' and offerring it a treat.
Similar: appease,conciliate,mollify
Plastic
able to be molded, altered or bent The new material was very plastic and could be formed into products of vastly different shape.
Similar:adaptable,malleable,ductile,pliant
Plethora
excess Assuming that more was better, the defendant offered the judge a plethora of excuses.
Similar: glut, superfluity,overabunace,surfeit
Pragmatic
practical as opposed to idealistic While idealistic gamblers think they can get rich by frequenting casinos, pragmatic gamblers realize that the odds are heavily stacked against them. Similar : realistic, rational
Precipitate
to throw violently or bring about abrublty; lackin deliberation Theirs was a precipitate marrige-they had only known each other for two weeks befor they wed.
Similar: abrupt,rash,hasty,impetuous,headlong,impulsive,hurried,prompt
Prevaricate
to lie or deviate from the truth Rather than admit that he had overslept again, the employee prevaricated and claimed that heavy traffic had prevented him from arriving at work on time.
Similar: equivocate,lie,perjure
Pristine
fresh and clean, uncorrupted Since concerted measures had been taken to prevent looting, the archeological site was still pristine when researchers arrived.
Similar:innocent,undamaged
Probity
complete honesty and intergrity George Washington's reputation for probity is illustrated in the legend about his inability to lie after he chopped down the cherry tree.
Similar: integrity,virtue,rectitude,uprightness
Porclivity
a natural inclination or predisposition Her childhood love of acting, singing and adoration indicated a proclivity for the theater in later life.
Similar:leaning, prejudice,propensly,partiality,penchant,bias
Prodigal
lavish, wasteful The Prodigal Son quickly wasted all of his inheritance on a lavish lifestyle devoted to pleasure.
Similar: lavish,spenthrift,profligate,extravagant
Proliferate
to increase in number quickly Although he only kept two guinea piga intially, they proliferated to such an extent that he soon had dozens.
Similar:breed,proagate,multiply,procreate,spawn
Propitiate
to conciliate, to appease Because their gods were angry and vengeful, the Vikings propitiated them with many sacrafices.
Similar: appease,pacify,conciliate,mollify,placate
Propriety
acting in a proper manner, obeying rules and customs The aristocracy maintained a high level of propriety, adhering to even the most minor social rules.
Similar: decency, decorum,modesty,seemly
Prudence
wisdom, caution or restraint The college student exhibited prudence by obtaining practical experience along with her studies, which greatly strengthened her resume.
Similar: astuteness,judiciousness,thrift,discretion,providence
Pungent
sharp and irritating to the senses The smoke rom the burning tires was extremely pungnet.
Similar:piquant,caustic,poignant,acrid,stinging
