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pandemic
- DEFINITION: an epidemic that is geographically widespread an affects a large proportion of the population
- SENTENCE: The Spanish flu in the early 1900s was pandemic, despite its name; millions of people across Europe died as a result of it.
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fortitude
- DEFINITION: strength of mind that allows one to endure pain or adversity with courage
- SENTENCE: Despite having lost his mother and father in one tragic accident, Ian held on with fortitude and never showed any tears.
- SYNONYMS: endurance, resolution, perseverance
- ANTONYMS: cowardice, helplessness, weakness
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diminutive
- DEFINITION: very small
- SENTENCE: Minions, though diminutive creatures, often cause lots of trouble.
- SYNONYMS: tiny, petite, little
- ANTONYMS: enormous, gigantic, large
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archaic
- DEFINITION: old-fashioned; out of date; no longer part of contemporary usage; antiquated
- SENTENCE: The archaic language of Beowulf made it really hard to read, although it was still a form of English.
- SYNONYMS: ancient, obsolete, antique
- ANTONYMS: modern, new, relevant
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exhort
- DEFINITION: to encourage; urge; implore; give a pep talk
- SENTENCE: Alyssa frequently exhorts both staff and students to do their best.
- SYNONYMS: encourage, advise, persuade
- ANTONYMS: impede, discourage, thwart
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antipathy and animosity
- DEFINITION: strong dislike; ill will; the state of detesting someone
- SENTENCE: The animosity between Sully and Mike in Monsters U was resolved when they became friends.
- SYNONYMS: abhorrence, enmity, hatred
- ANTONYMS: love, rapport, friendliness
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digress
- DEFINITION: to depart from a subject; wander; ramble
- SENTENCE: Professors in college frequently digress from the topic, making the lecture longer and unfocused.
- SYNONYMS: get sidetracked, go off on a tangent, get off the subject, ramble
- ANTONYMS: focus, concentrate, zero-in
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tenacious
- DEFINITION: characterized by holding fast; showing great determination in holding on to something that is valued
- SENTENCE: Roald Amundsen's tenacious spirit allowed him to become the first person to reach the North Pole despite numerous casualties along the way.
- SYNONYMS: adamant, dogged, steadfast
- ANTONYMS: weak, surrendering, yielding
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indulgent
- DEFINITION: characterized by excessive generosity; overly tolerant
- SENTENCE: The child's mother was indulgent beyond belief; as a result, the boy was the worst brat I'd ever seen.
- SYNONYMS: permissive, leinent, tolerant
- ANTONYMS: harsh, unforgiving, strict
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divisive and polarize
- DEFINITION: to create disunity or dissension; to break up into opposing factions or groups
- SENTENCE: The question of abortion is extremely divisive in the United States; there is zero middle ground.
- SYNONYMS: alienating, discordant, disruptive
- ANTONYMS: unifying, cohesive, synthesizing
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nebulous
- DEFINITION: vague; cloudy; misty; lacking a fully developed form
- SENTENCE: The politician spoke in nebulous terms, never speaking clearly about anything lest it be used against him somehow.
- SYNONYMS: ambigiuous, amorphous, murky
- ANTONYMS: clear, apparent, plain
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analogy and analogous
- DEFINITION: a similarity or likeness
- SENTENCE: The way Ali spoke was completely analogous to her mother's, proving that blood is indeed thicker than water.
- SYNONYMS: correlation, likeness, association
- ANTONYMS: dissimilar, unlikeness, difference
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fleeting and ephemeral
- DEFINITION: very brief; lasting for a short time
- SENTENCE: In the Notebook, Noah lives his entire life holding on to the memories of the ephemeral moments he shared with Allie.
- SYNONYMS: cursory, passing, fleeting
- ANTONYMS: lasting, enduring, lengthy
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penchant and predilection
- DEFINITION: a liking or preference for something; an inclination
- SENTENCE: Angelina Jolie has a penchant for tattoos and adopting children.
- SYNONYMS: affinity, bias, propensity
- ANTONYMS: indifference, impartial, neutral
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capricious and mercurial
- DEFINITION: very changeable; fickle; characterized by constantly-shifting moods
- SENTENCE: Though the British public originally loved Susan Boyle, the capricious voters saw her finish in 2nd place on Britain's Got Talent.
- SYNONYMS: variable, erratic, volatile
- ANTONYMS: constant, steadfast, dependable
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boorish and uncouth
- DEFINITION: vulgar; characterized by crude behavior and deplorable manner
- SENTENCE: Stan's boorish uncle was the embarrassment of his family at every public event when he endlessly told crude jokes.
- SYNONYMS: rude, barbaric, uncouth
- ANTONYMS: civilized, refined, cultured
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indignant
- DEFINITION: characterized by outrage at something that is perceived as unjust
- SENTENCE: Stan's boorish uncle was the embarrassment of his family at every public event when he endlessly told crude jokes.
- SYNONYMS: rude, barbaric, uncouth
- ANTONYMS: civilized, refined, cultured
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innuendo
- DEFINITION: a veiled reference; an insinuation
- SENTENCE: The sexual innuendos that were cleverly hidden throughout the movie made her uncomfortable.
- SYNONYMS: allusion, hint, insinuation
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thwart and stymie
- DEFINITION: to stop, frustrate, prevent
- SENTENCE: Lily Potter's love thwarted Lord Voldemort's attempt to kill her one-year-old son, Harry.
- SYNONYMS: impede, block, deter
- ANTONYMS: encourage, goad, help
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adroit and deft
- DEFINITION: to have or show great skill; dexterous; nimble
- SENTENCE: Gob Bluth claims to be a great magician although he clearly is not adroit or deft with his hands.
- SYNONYMS: skillful, proficient, adept
- ANTONYMS: clumsy, awkward, inept
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admonish
- DEFINITION: to earnestly caution; to warn against (another) to avoid a course of action
- SENTENCE: Calvin's parents always admonish him for his rascally behavior with his stuffed tiger, Hobbes.
- SYNONYMS: scold, chide, berate
- ANTONYMS: applaud, praise, approve
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incontrovertible
- DEFINITION: indisputable; beyond doubt
- SENTENCE: Although the DNA sample should have been incontrovertible evidence against O.J. Simpson, he still went free.
- SYNONYMS: incontestable, undeniable, unquestionable
- ANTONYMS: questionable, uncertain, ambiguous
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voracious and ravenous
- DEFINITION: a huge appetite that cannot be satisfied; insatiable
- SENTENCE: Homer Simpson has a voracious appetite for doughnuts.
- SYNONYMS: ravenous, insatiable, gluttonous
- ANTONYMS: quenched, satisfied, satiated
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callous
- DEFINITION: emotionally hardened; insensitive; unfeeling
- SENTENCE: Tom Buchanan callously ruins four lives while recklessly pursuing his own selfish pleasures.
- SYNONYMS: tough, insensitive, harsh
- ANTONYMS: compassionate, sensitive, tender
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intrepid and undaunted
- DEFINITION: courageous, resolute, and fearless
- SENTENCE: Luke Skywalker was undaunted by the Empire's seemingly invincible Death Star.
- SYNONYMS: brave, daunting, daring
- ANTONYMS: timid, cowardly, meek
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