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Approbation
the expression of approval/favorable opinion, praise; approval
ANT: disapproval, condemnation, censure
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Assauge
to make easier/milder, relieve; to quiet, calm; appease, satisfy, quench
ANT: intensify, aggravate, exacerbate
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Coalition
- combination, union, or merger for some purpose
- ANT: splinter a group
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Decadence
- decline, decay, deterioration; condition/period of a decline, decay; excessive self indulgence
- ANT: rise, growth, maturation
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Elicit
- to draw forth, to bring out from a source
- ANT: repress, stifle, quash, squelch
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Expostulate
- to attempt to dissaude someone from decision by earnest reasoning
- SYN: protest, complain, remonstrate
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Hackneyed
- used so often as to lack freshness or originality
- ANT: new, fresh, novel, original
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Hiatus
- gap, opening, break (something missing)
- ANT: continuity, continuation
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Innuendo
- hint, suggestion, reference
- ANT: direct statement
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Intercede
to plead on behalf of someone else; to serve as a third party or go-between in a disagreement
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Jaded
- wearied, worn out, dulled
- ant: unspoiled, uncloyed
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Lurid
- causing shock, horror, revulsion; sensational, pale or sallow in color; terrible or passionate in intensity/lack of restraint
- ANT: pleasant, attractive
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Meritorious
- worthy, deserving recognition or praise
- SYN: praiseworthy, laudable
- ANT: reprehensible, discreditable, blame worthy
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Petulant
- peevish, annoyed by trifles, easily irritated and upset
- ANT: even tempered, placid, serene, amiable
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Prerogative
special right, privilege, special quality, showing excellence
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Provincial
- pertaining to an outlying area; local, narrow in mind or outlook; countried in the sense of being limited, backward
- ANT: cosmopolitan, catholic, broad minded
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Simulate
- to make a pretense of; imitate
- SYN: feign, pretend, affect
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Transcend
- to rise above/beyond, exceed
- SYN: surpass, outstrip
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Umbrage
shade cast by trees, foliage giving shade, overshadowing influence/power, resentment, vague suspicion
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Unctuous
- excessively smooth, smug; trying too hard to give an impression of earnestness, sincerity or peity; fatty, oily, pliable.
- SYN: mealymouthed, servile, fawning, greasy
- ANT: gruff, blunt
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Ameliorate
- to improve, make better, correct a flaw or shortcoming
- SYN: amend, better
- ANT: Worsen, aggravate, exacerbate
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aplomb
- poise, assurance, great self-confidence; perpendicularity
- ANT: confusion, embarassment
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Bombastic
- pompous or overblown in language, full of highsounding words intended to conceal a lack of ideas.
- SYN: inflated, highfalutin, pretentious
- ANT: unadorned, simple, plain
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Callow
without exerience; imature, not fully developed, lacking sophistication and poise. without feathers
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inveigh
- to make a violent attack in words, express strong disapproval
- SYN: rail, harangue, fulminate
- ANT: acclaim, glorify, extol
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lassitude
- weariness of body/mind, lack of energy
- ANT: energy, vitality, animation
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millenium
a period of 1000 years
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occult
- mysterious, magical, supernatural, secret, hidden from view
- ANT: mundane, common, public
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permeate
to spread through, penetrate, soak through
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precipitate
- to fall as moisture, to cause or bring about suddenly
- ANT: wary, cautious, cirmcumspect
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stringent
- strict, severe, rigorously or urgently binding or compelling; sharp/bitter in taste
- ANT: lenient, mild, lax
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surmise
to think/believe, any evidence; to guess
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drivel
- saliva/mucus from the mouth or nose; foolish, aimless talk/thinking utter nonsense. to waste/fritter away
- SYN: balderdash, hogwash, tommyrot
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epitome
- a summary, condensed account; an instance that represents a larger reality
- SYN: abstract, digest, model, archetype
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exhort
- to urge strongly, advise earnestly
- ANT: discourage, advise against, deprecate
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ex officio
by virtue of holding a certain office
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infringe
- to violate, trespass, go beyond recognized bounds
- ANT: stay in bounds
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ingratiate
to make oneself agreeable and thus gain favor or acceptance by others (sometimes used critically/derogatorily)
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interloper
one who moves in where he or she is not wanted or has no right to be; intruder
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intrinsic
belonging to someone or something by its very nature, essential, inherent; originating in a bodily agent
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expiate
- to make ammends, make up for; to avert
- SYN: redeem, atone
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ferment
- a state of great excitement, agitation or turbulence to be in or work into such state; to produce alcohol by chem. action.
- SYN: commotion, turmoil, unrest
- ANT: peace, quiet, tranquility
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inadvertent
resulting from/marked by no attention, accidental
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nominal
- existing in name only, not real, too small to be considered
- SYN: titular, taken, trifling
- ANT: real, actual, exorbitant
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noncommital
- not decisive/definite, unwilling to take a clear position
- SYN: cagey
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peculate
- to steal something that has been given into one's trust
- SYN: embezzle, defraud
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proclivity
- natural/ habitual inclination or tendency
- SYN: natural bent, penchant
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sangfroid
- compusure/coolness
- SYN: poise, self assurance
- ANT: excitability, hysteria
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abominate
- to have an intense dislike or hatred for
- SYN: loathe, abhor, despise, detest
- ANT: relish, savor, cherish
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acculturation
- modification of social patterns, traits, or structures of one group/society by contact with another
- SYN: adaptation
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adventitious
- resulting from chance rahter than an inherent cause; accidental, not essential (medicine=acquired)
- SYN: extrinsic, incidental, fortutous
- ANT: essential, intrinsic
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ascribe
- to assign/refer to; attribute
- SYN: impute, credit, attribute
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circuitous
- roundabout; not direct
- ANT: straight, direct
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commiserate
- sympathize with, have pity for, sharing feeling of distress
- SYN: empathize
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enjoin
- to direct/order/prescrive course of action in an authoritative way; to prohibit
- SYN: bid, charge, command
- ANT: allow, permit
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expediate
- to make easy, cause to progress faster
- SYN: accelerate, facilitate, speed up
- ANT: hinder, hamper, obstruct
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seditous
- resistant to lawful authority; having purpose of overthrowing an established government
- SYN: mutinous, rebellious
- ANT: supportive, loyal, faithful
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tenuous
thin, slender, not dense; lacking clarity/sharpness; of slight importance, poorly supported
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vitriolic
bitter, sarcastic, caustic or biting
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wheedle
- to use coaxing/flattery to gain some desired end
- SYN: cajole, sweet talk
- ANT: coerce, intimidate
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affable
- courteous and pleasant, sociable, easy to speak to
- SYN: genial, amicable, cordial
- ANT: surly, cantankerous
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aggrandize
- to increase in greatness, power or wealth; to build up or intensify, to make appear greater
- ANT: reduce, decrease
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amorphous
- shapeless with no definite form, of no particular type or character; without organization, unity or cohesion
- SYN:formless, unstructured
- ANT: definite, well defined
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aura
- that which surrounds (as an atmosphere)l a distinctive air or personal quality
- SYN: ambience, atmosphere
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contraband
- illegal traffic, smuggled goods, illegal, prohibited
- SYN: illicit, bootleg, unlawful
- ANT: legal, lawful, licit
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erudite
- scholarly, learned, bookish, pedantic
- ANT: ignorant, uneducated, illiterate
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gossamer
- thin, light, delicate, insubstantial; very thin, light cloth
- ANT: thick, dense, solid, massive
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infer
to find out by reasoning; to arrive at a conclusion on the basis of thought; to hint, suggest, imply
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inscrutable
- incapable of being understood; impossible to see through physically
- SYN: impenetrable, incomprehensible
- ANT: comprehensible, intelligible, penetrable
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insular
- relating to, characteristic of, or suited on an island; narrow or isolated in outlook/experience
- SYN: narrowminded, parochial, provincial
- ANT:catholic, cosmopolitan, liberal
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irrevocable
- incapable of being changed or called back
- SYN: irreversible, unchangeable
- ANT: reversible, changeable
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propensity
- a natural inclination or predilection toward
- SYN: natural bent, proclivity, penchant
- ANT: natural incapacity, inability
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querolous
- peevish, complaining, fretful
- SYN: petulant, touchy, cranky, irritable
- ANT: uncomplaining, stoic, serene
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remonstrate
- to argue/plead with someone against something, protest against, object to
- SYN: reason against, expostulate
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repudiate
- to disown, reject, or deny the validity of
- SYN: disavow, abjure, renounce
- ANT: avow, affirm, avouch
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resilient
- able to return to an original shape or form, able to recover quickly
- SYN: springy, elastic, buoyant, bouncy
- ANT: rigid, stiff, inflexible
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reverberate
- to re-echo, resound; to reflect or be reflected repeatedly
- SYN: rumble, thunder, boom, echo
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scurrilous
- coarsely abusive, vulgar or low; foul mouthed
- SYN: obscene, filthy, abusive,
- ANT: decorous, seemly, tasteful, dignified
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sedulous
- persistant, showing industry and determination
- SYN: assiduous, tireless, indefatigable
- ANT: lackadaisical, listless, indolent
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sleazy
- thin/flimsy in texture; cheap; shoddy or inferior in quality or character; ethically low/mean/disreputable
- SYN: inferior, cheesy, tawdry
- ANT: superior, first rate, quality
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amnesty
a general pardon for an offense against a government; any act of forgiveness or absolution
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autonomy
- self government, political control
- SYN: home rule
- ANT: dependence, subjection
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Axiomatic
- self evident, expressing a universally accepted principle/rule
- SYN: taken for granted
- ANT: questionable, dubious, controversial
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blazon
- to adorn/embellish; display conspiculousy; publish/proclaim widely
- ANT: to hide, conceal, bury
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caveat
- warning/caution to prevent misunderstanding/ discourage behavior
- SYN: admonition, word to the wise
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equitable
- fair, just, embodying principles of justice
- SYN: right, reasonable, evenhanded
- ANT: unjust, unfair
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extricate
- to free from entanglements, to remove with effort
- SYN: disentangle, extract
- ANT: entangle
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filch
- to steal; sneakily and in petty amounts
- SYN: pilfer, purloin
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flout
- to moc, treat with contempt
- SYN: scoff at, scorn, sneer at
- ANT: obey, honor, revere
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fractious
- tending to be troublesome, unruly, contrary; unpredictable
- SYN: refractory, recalcitrant
- ANT: docile, tractable
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precept
- rule of conduct or action
- SYN: principle
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salutary
- beneficial, helpful, healthful
- SYN: salubrious, curative
- ANT: detrimental
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scathing
- bitterly severe, withering, causing great harem
- SYN: searing, harsh, ferocious
- ANT: bland,mild
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scourge
- to whip, punish severely; a cause of afflication/ suffering, source of severe punishment, criticism
- SYN: flog, beat, bane, plague
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sepulchral
- funereal, typical of a tomb, gloomy or dismal
- SYN: doleful, lugubrious, mortuary
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soporific
- tending to cause sleep, relating to sleepiness/lethargy
- SYN: narcotic, anesthetic
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straitlaced
- extremely strict in morals
- SYN: conventional, stuffy
- ANT: lax, loose
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Transient
- lasting only a short time
- SYN: impermanent, ephemeral
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unwieldy
- not easily carried
- SYN: cumbersome, bulky, clumsy
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vapid
dull, uninteresting, tiresome
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disabuse
- to free from error/deception; set right in ideas/thinking
- SYN:undecieve, enlighten
- ANT: decieve delude
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ennui
- weariness/dissatisfaction from lack of occupation or interest; boredom
- SYN: languor, listlestness
- ANT: enthusiasm, liveliness
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fetter
- chain/shackle placed on feet; anything that confines/ restrains, to render helpless/ impotent
- ANT: free, liberate
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heinous
- wicked, offensive
- SYN: evil, odious, abominable
- ANT: excellent, splendid
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immutable
- not changeable, constant
- ANT: variable, fickle
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insurgent
- a rebel against authority, rising in revolt, refusing to accept authority
- SYN: revolutionary, rebellious
- ANT: loyalist, faithful
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megalomania
- delusion marked by a feeling of power, wealth, talent
- SYN: delusions of granduer
- ANT:humility
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sinecure
- easy job; job requiring little work
- SYN: "noshow" job
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surreptitious
- stealthy, secret, intended to escape observation, made/accomplished by fraud
- SYN: furtive, covert, clandestine
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transgress
- to go beyond a limit or boundary, to sin, violate a law
- SYN: overstep, exceed
- ANT: obey
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transmute
- to change from one nature, substance or form to another
- SYN: transform, convert, metamorph
- ANT: preserve
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vicarious
- performed, suffered, otherwise experienced by one person in place of another
- SYN: surrogate, substitute, secondhand
- ANT: real, actual
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austere
- severe or stern in manner, without adornment or luxury, simple, plain, harsh/sour flavored
- ANT: mild, indulgent, luxurious
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beneficent
- performing acts of kindness/charity, doing good
- SYN: humanitarian, charitable
- ITS AN ADJ.
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cadaverous
pale, guant, resembling a corpse
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concoct
- to prepare by combining ingredients, make up, devise, fabricate
- SYN: create, fashion
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crass
- coarse, infeeling, stupid
- SYN: crude, vulgar, tasteless, oafish
- ANT: refined, elegant, tasteful
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debase
- (ruining)
- to lower in character, quality, or value; to degrade, adulturate; to cause to deteriorate
- SYN: cheapen, corrupt, demean
- ANT: elevate, uplift, improve
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desecrate
- to commit sacrilege upon; treat irreverently, to contaminate, pollute
- SYN: profane, defile, violate
- ANT: revere, honor, venerate
- (used religiously)
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disconcert
- to confuse; disturb composure
- SYN: upset, rattle, ruffle, perturb
- ANT: relax, calm
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grandiose
- grand in an impressive/stately way; marked by pompous affection or grandeur, absurdly exaggerated
- ANT: humble
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inconsequential
trifling, unimportant
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infraction
- a breaking of law or obligation
- SYN: breach, transgression
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mitigate
- to make milder/softer, moderate in force/intensity
- SYN: lessen, alleviate, diminish
- ANT: aggravate, intensify
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pillage
- to rob of goods by open force, plunder; the act of looting booty
- SYN: ravage, sack, loot
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prate
- to talk a great deal in a foolish/aimless fashion
- SYN: chatter, blab
- ANT: to the point
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punctilious
- very careful and exact, attentive to the fine pts of etiquette
- SYN: precise, scrupulous
- ANT: lax, perfunctory
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redoubtable
inspring fear/awe, illustrious, eminent
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reprove
- to find fault with, scold, rebuke
- SYN: chastise, chide
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restitution
- to act of restoring someone/something to the rightful owner or former state; making good on a damage
- SYN: compensation, reimbursement
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stalwart
- strong/sturdy, brave, resolute; a brave strong person, strong supporter, one who takes an uncompromising position
- SYN: sturdy, stout, intrepid
- ANT: weak, vacillating
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vulnerable
open to attack, capable of being wounded or damaged, unprotected
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anomalous
abnormal, irregular, departin from the usual
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aspersion
- damaging/derogatory statement, act of slandering/defaming
- SYN: innuendo
- ANT: endorsement, testimonial
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bizarre
- extremely strange, unusal, atypical
- SYN: grotesque, fantastic
- ANT: normal, typical
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brusque
- abrupt, blunt, with no formalities
- ANT: gracious, tactful
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cajole
- to coax, persuade through flattery/artifice; to deceive with soothing thoughts
- SYN: wheedle, inveigh
- ANT: coerce, force
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castigate
- to punish severely, criticize
- SYN: chastise, rebuke
- ANT: reward, honor
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contrive
- to plan with ingenuity, to bring about as the result of a scheme or plan
- SYN: concoct, devise
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demagogue
- leader who eploits popular predjudices and false claims and promises in order to gain power
- SYN: firebrand
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intemperate
- immoderate, lacking in self control, inclement
- SYN: excessive, extreme, unrestrained
- ANT: moderate, restrained, and collected
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ignoble
- mean, low, base
- SYN: inferior, unworthy, dishonorable
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gauntlet
- an armored/protective glove, a challenge; 2 lines of men armed with weapons; an ordeal
- SYN: dare, provocation
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impugn
- to call into question; to attack as false
- SYN: challenge, deny, dispute
- ANT: confirm, prove, validate
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hypothetical
- based on an assumption or guess; use as a provisional or tentative idea to guide or direct investigation
- SYN: assumed, supposed, conjecture
- ANT: actual, real, tested
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expurgate
to remove objectionable passages/words; from a written test
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odium
- hatred, contempt, disgrace or infamy resulting from hateful conduct
- SYN: abhorrence
- ANT: esteem, admiration, approbation
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bovine
- resembling a cow or ox; sluggish, unresponsive
- SYN: stolid, dull, slow, stupid
- ANT: alert, sharp
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squeamish
inclined to nausea; easily shocked/upset, excessively fastidious, refined
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dissipate
- to cause to disappear, scatter, dispel, squander, spend foolishly
- ANT: gather, collect
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acrimonious
- stinging, bitter in temper or tone
- SYN: biting, caustic, peevish
- ANT: gentle, warm, mild
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consternation
- dismay, confusion
- SYN: shock, amazement, bewilderment
- ANT: calm, aplomb
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disavow
- to deny responsibility for or connection with
- SYN: disown, disclaim, retract
- ANT: acknowledge, admit
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dissension
- disagreement, sharp difference of opinion
- SYN: strife, discord
- ANT: accord, harmony
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subservient
subordinate in capacity or role; submissively obiedient
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relegate
- to place in a lower position to assign, refer, turn over-banish
- SYN: transfer, consign, demote
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corpulent
fat; having a large, bulky, body
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dispassionate
- impartial, calm, free from emotion
- SYN: unbiased, cool, detached
- ANT: engaged, committed
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perfidy
faithlessness, treachery
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