-
EFFERVESCENT (adj)
Kate's effervescent personality made her the perfect choice for her dream profession: hosting a talk show.
- bubbly; lively
- syn
: fizzy, resilient, carbonated, ebullient, animated, excited, exuberant, gleeful - ant: flat, stale, languid, dead, stagnant, dull, lifeless, sluggish
-
COVERT (adj)
The fictitious James Bond was a master of covert operations.
- secretive; veiled
- syn: camoflauged, clandestine, concealed, disguised, shrouded, incognito
- ant: open, overt, public, uncovered, unveiled, unhidden, above board
-
SOPORIFIC (adj)
The biology lecture proved to be so soporific that soon I found myself dozing.
- causing sleep
- syn: boring, tiring, dull, mesmerizing, numbing, sedative, tranquilizing, somniferous
- ant: exciting, awakening, exhilarating, energizing, revitalizing, lively, stimulating, invigorating
-
IRASCIBLE (adj)
We learned to keep quiet around the irascible old man; we knew anything we said would make him angry.
- easily angered; hot tempered
- syn: irritable, hostile, querlous, cranky, petulant, grouchy, cantakerous
- ant: calm, tranquil, peaceful, placid, kind, amiable, sweet, friendly
-
DISDAIN (n)
Those who did not share the government's beliefs treated the soldiers with disdain.
- scorn; contempt
- syn: hatred, loathing, disgust, insolence, ridicule, derision, snobbishness, antipathy, haughtiness, superciliousness
- ant: love, acceptance, caring, charity, honor, admiration, reverence, respect, approval, praise
-
LUGUBRIOUS (adj)
The young men wore a lugubrious expression for weeks after his favorite musician died.
- exaggeratedly mournful
- syn: dejected, damnhearted, melancholy, depressed
- ant: elated, euphoric, exhilarated, liveful, gleeful
-
ASSIDUOUS (adj)
She was not a natural athlete, but with assiduous effort, she became the best soccer player at the school.
- hard-working;diligent
- syn: attentive, tenacious, untiring, industrious, perserving, laborious
- ant: lazy, negligent, indifferent, neglectful, disinterested, idle
-
RECALCITRANT (adj)
The recalcitrant young man refused to perform any of the requested tasks; he was as stubborn as a mule.
- stubbornly resistant to authority or restraint
- syn: disobedient, intractable, defiant, pigheaded, unmanageable, obstinate
- ant: amenable, pliant, compliant, docile, flexible, conforming
-
TENACIOUS (adj)
After years of physical therapy, the tenacious polio victim eventually walked again.
- persistent; resolute
- syn: adamant, determined, stubborn, forceful, inflexible, obstinate, relentless, staunch
- ant: surrendering, weak, yielding, submissive, weak, timid, deferring
-
INTUITIVE (adj)
My mother's talent with decorating is completely intuitive; she's never taken a decorating course.
- instinctive; untaught
- syn: innate, understood, automatic, habitual, inherent, natural, involuntary, visceral
- ant: taught, learned, obtuse, dense, conscious, deliberate, imperceptive
-
VOCIFEROUS (adj)
The baseball commissioner continued his speech despite the vociferous protests of the players and fans.
- loud or vehement; noisy
- syn: cacophonous, clamorous, boisterous, raucous, riotous, uproarious, rambunctious, ranting
- ant: harmonious, euphonious, quiet, meek, silent, restrained, subtle, calm
-
PROSAIC (adj)
The student's prosaic writing style bored her literature teacher so much that he disliked grading her essays.
- dull; ordinary; run-of-the-mill
- syn: banal, boring, commonplace, lackluster, hackneyed, mundane, routine, uninteresting
- ant: flashy, exciting, flamboyant, vibrant, extraordinary, original, extravagant
-
RAVENOUS (adj)
After three days of being trapped underground, the cool miners were ravenous.
- hungry; very eager
- syn: voracious, starving, famished, anxious, anticipating
- ant: full, satisfied, content, satiated, comfortable
-
LOQUACIOUS (adj)
The students on the debate team were naturally loquacious which often led to long discussions.
- talkative
- syn: verbose, garrulous, chatty, extroverted, jabbering, communicative, blabbering, gabby
- ant: silent, reticent, mute, shy, meek, laconic, curt, succinct
-
INCONGRUOUS (adj)
The frilly party dress seemed incongruous in the closet filled with jeans and sweatshirts.
- not compatible or harmonious; out of place
- syn: conflicting, misplaced, incompatible, dissimilar, foreign, discordant, disparate
- ant: similar, fitting, compliant, logical, congruent, compatible, harmonious
-
RECLUSIVE (adj)
The reclusive tendencies of the billionaire caused him to abandon his city life and move to an isolated area of the country.
- withdrawn; hermit-like
- syn: shy, introverted, isolated, separated, anti-social, solitary, alienated, secluded
- ant: extroverted, friendly, sociable, included, outgoing, gregarious, effervescent, ebullient
-
HACKNEYED (adj)
Although the images and metaphors used in the holiday poem are hackneyed, the rhyme is still fun to recite.
- overused; clichéd
- syn: stereotyped, trite, typical, common, dull, unoriginal, pedestrian, stale
- ant: rare, original, uncommon, innovative, fresh, new, unusual, interesting
-
IMPETUOUS (adj)
The impetuous stockbroker sold off his holdings as soon as the market dipped slightly.
- acting suddenly with little thought
- syn: spontaneous, impulsive, capricious, hasty, reckless, rash, whimsical, hurried
- ant: meticulous, premeditated, thought-out, scrupulous, planned, deliberate, cautious, considered
-
ERUDITE (adj)
Geoff's father was an erudite scholar; he had read almost everything printed about Shakespeare.
- very learned
- syn: scholarly, educated, knowledge, intelligent, sagacious, savvy, wise
- ant: unintelligent, ignorant, stupid, uneducated, dense, moronic, idiotic
-
CONDESCENDING (adj)
The hostess's condescending look and tone of voice caused us to leave the restaurant.
- patronizing
- syn: arrogant, haughty, egotistical, supercilious, uppity, superior
- ant: approachable, friendly, humble, reticent, shy, polite
-
ARCANE (adj)
The arcane rituals and beliefs of the tribe were passed down from generation to generation.
- secret; mysterious
- syn: mystifying, strange, puzzling, obscure, veiled, hidden, unexplained
- ant: known, obvious, explained, public, common, blatant, straightforward
-
EGREGIOUS (adj)
The algebra textbook contained several egregious errors, so it was pulled from school shelves.
- conspicuously bad
- syn: terrible, awful, ghastly, atrocious, deplorable, heinous, flagrant
- ant: minor, slight, little, small, inconspicuous, mild, moderate
-
OSTRACIZE (v)
After making rude comments at several games, Martin was ostracized by the team.
- to exclude from a group; to banish
- syn: avoid, reject, snub, ban, isolate, relegate, excommunicate, shun
- ant: accept, adopt, embrace, invite, keep, welcome, allow, permit
-
DIGRESSION (n)
The instructor's recounting of his war experience was an interesting digression from historic lecture.
- a straying from the main point
- syn: circumvention, departure, diversion, deviation, rambling, variation, distraction
- ant: focus, directness, consistency, conformity, regularity, precision
-
LETHARGY (n)
My parents say I'm famous for my lethargy because all I do is sit on the couch all day.
- lack of energy; abnormal drowsiness
- syn: laziness, listleness, idleness, lassitude, languor, sleepiness, disinterest, apathy
- ant: energy, hyperactivity, perkiness, exuberance, resilience, enthusiasm, stimulation, excitement
-
TIMOROUS (adj)
Bobby was a timorous little boy who relied on his older brothers to speak up for him and fight his battles.
- easily frightened
- syn: apprehensive, cowardly, fearful, meek, craven, wimpy, unafraid, scared
- ant: fearless, courageous, bold, daring, brave, confident, intrepid, heroiz
-
HEDONIST (n)
The hedonist did not care about the poverty that surrounded the resort.
- a pleasure seeker
- syn: epicurean, glutton, libertine, pleasure monger, sensualist, thrill-seeker, voluptuary
- ant: masochist, sadist, ascetic, puritan
-
FORMIDABLE (adj)
The soldiers fighting the guerilla war turned out to be a formidable enemy.
- causing fear or dread
- syn: ferocious, menacing, fierce, threatening, intimidating, imposing, daunting, scary
- ant: comforting, simple, soothing, inviting, futile, agreeable, pleasing, warm
-
ADULATION (n)
After the spelling bee, the audience lavished the ten-year-old winner with adulation
- high praise
- syn: acclaim, commendation, laudation, flattery, honor, kudos, ovation, approbation
- ant: criticism, condemnation, loathing, derision, abuse, insult, libel, hate
-
PRECARIOUS (adj)
The mountain climber lost her precarious grip on the force of the cliff and fell 20 feet to the ledge below.
- uncertain; dependent upon chance
- syn: unstable, risky, dangerous, insecure, unsafe, unsure, perilous
- ant: certain, firm, secure, stable, safe
-
INDOLENT (adj)
The employer's indolent habits and inability to meet goals cost him his job.
- lazy
- syn: languid, lethargic, lax, tired, slothful, inactive, sluggish, idle
- ant: energized, assiduous, motivated, stimulating, active, robust, vital, vibrant
-
OBSTINATE (adj)
He was an obstinate little boy, adamantly refusing to eat any vegetables.
- stubborn
- syn: headstrong, inflexible, intractable, adamant, contradictory, dogmatic, immovable, obdurate
- ant: yielding, pliant, submissive, amendable, compliant, accommodating, acquiescing, cooperative
-
CURTAIL (v)
When Deb strained her ankle, she had to curtail all physical activity for two weeks.
- to shorten; to reduce
- syn: abbreviate, truncate, summarize, contract, diminish, abridge, lessen, minimize
- ant: expand, increase, elongate, lengthen, prolong, enlarge, amplify, augment
-
ENERVATE (v)
The Special Forces team hoped that the night raids would enervate the enemy.
- to tire; to weaken
- syn: debilitate, devitalize, exhaust, enfeeble, fatigue, incapacitate, disable, weary
- ant: activate, empower, energize, invigorate, strengthen, fortify
-
CAPRICIOUS (adj)
The young prince was quite capricious; his friends never knew what his next adventure would be.
- impulsive; unpredictable
- syn: whimsical, spontaneous, intrepid, daring, impetuous, adventures, fickle, unpredictable, arbitrary, indiscriminate
- ant: premeditated, predictable, expected, mundane, planned, constant, stable, dependable, steady, boring
-
NEFARIOUS (adj)
The attorney was known for using nefarious tactics; She seemed to enjoy her negative reputation.
- evil; vicious
- syn: malicious, horrendous, atrocious, devious, wicked, malevolent, vile, odious
- ant: benevolent, virtuous, good, ethical, honorable, principled, trustworthy, moral
-
CIRCUITOUS (adj)
The taxi driver took a circuitous route through the city to avoid rush-hour traffic on the main streets.
- indirect; roundabout
- syn: complicated, rambling
- ant: direct, clean
-
AUSTERE (adj)
The lack of decoration made the newly constructed church seem austere.
- stern; unadorned
- syn: cold, formal, plain, grim, harsh, serious, sober, strict
- ant: elaborate, extravagant, indulgent, luxurious, florid, gilded, lush, comfortable
-
HARBINGER (n)
After a long winter in New England, the robin is a harbinger of spring.
- a forerunner; a herald
- syn: omen, portent, precursor, sign, signal, messenger, augury
- ant:
-
PLACATE (v)
The father tried to placate the hungry child by offering him candy and cookies.
- to soothe; to pacify
- syn: appease, satisfy, calm, console, comfort, assuage, settle, tranquilize
- ant: aggravate, annoy, pester, provoke, upset, irritate, rouse, fluster
-
MAGNANIMOUS (adj)
After watching the World War II documentary, we could appreciate the magnanimous suffering of the Battle of the Bulge soldiers.
- showing courageous spirit, especially in forgiving insult or injury; not selfish
- syn: giving, altruistic, benevolent, charitable, generous, kind, munificent
- ant: selfish, egotistical, greedy, self-centered, unsacrificing, cold hearted, unkind
-
SUPERFLUOUS (adj)
The speaker's explanation of the process was superfluous; the audience already understood the objective.
- beyond what is necessary; excessive
- syn: extra, gratuitous, nonessential, needless, unnecessary, unneeded, surplus, frivolous
- ant: minimal, sparse, necessary, significant, imperative, indispensable, irreplaceable, bare
-
INSIPID (adj)
The restaurant critic claimed that many items on the restaurant's menu were insipid, lacking any kind of spice.
- bland
- syn: bland, dull, tasteless, unsavory, flat, ordinary, stale, plain
- ant: flavorful, interesting, exciting, pleasing, exhilarating, tasty, seasoned, delicious
-
AUGMENT (v)
The writer augmented his royally earnings with speaking engagements at bookstores.
- to expand; to make larger
- syn: widen, increase, magnify, expand, intensity, enlarge, broaden, enhance, amplify, supplement
- ant: decrease, diminish, reduce, withdraw, degrade, lessen, remove, lower
-
FERVID (adj)
The fans of the championship soccer team were particularly fervid, doing everything they could to catch a glimpse of their heroes.
- passionate; intense
- syn: enthusiastic, eager, impassioned, vehement, avid, fierce, intense, zealous
- ant: apathetic, frigid, unenthusiastic, mundane, dispassionate, indifferent, prosaic, cold
-
CIRCUMVENT (v)
The fans figured out a way to circumvent security and slipped backstage.
- to avoid by going around
- syn: detour, avoid, bypass, avert, dodge, evade, elude, eschew
- ant: encounter, face, seek, accept, address, meet, want, embrace
-
EXASPERATION (n)
The choreographer couldn't hide her exasperation when the dancers made a mess of her dance routine.
- irritation; frustration
- syn: annoyance, frustration, discontent, vexation, aggravation, bother, displeasure, irritation
- ant: happiness, exuberance, serenity, tranquility, delight, pleasure, calm, ecstasy
-
VINDICATE (v)
Marie felt vindicated when her dire predictions about the coming flood came true.
- to clear from blame
- syn: pardon, dismiss, forgive, exonerate, excuse, acquit, absolve, exculpate
- ant: accuse, prosecute, blame, charge, convict, condemn, censure, impeach
-
DELETERIOUS (adj)
The deleterious effects of the new drug continued long after the patients stopped using it.
- harmful
- syn: bad, injurious, damaging, destructive, detrimental, pernicious, malicious, malevolent
- ant: advantageous, beneficial, benevolent, good, helpful, healthy
-
LANGUID (adj)
The languid group sat slumped and dozing on the porch, barely noticing the passing neighbors.
- sluggish; drooping
- syn: apathetic, comatose, enervated, feeble, lethargic, listless, weak, weary
- ant: vivacious, lively, blithe, animated, energetic, spirited, alert, active, enlivened, sprightly
-
INTREPID (adj)
In spite of poor visibility, the intrepid explorer continued his climb up the snow-covered mountain.
- fearless; bold
- syn: brave, daring, courageous, dauntless, heroic, gallant, valiant
- ant: scared, fearful, timid, timorous, afraid, meek, cowardly
-
TORTUOUS (adj)
It was difficult for the jury to follow the tortuous path of the conspiracy that unfolded in the courtroom.
- winding; twisting; devious
- syn: circuitous, crooked, curved, indirect, bent, serpentine, roundabout, convoluted
- ant: straight, unswerving, direct, clear, easy, obvious, plain, simple
-
OPULENT (adj)
The opulent lifestyle of the business tycoon was evident in his luxurious mansion on the ocean.
- demonstrating great wealth; extravagant
- syn: snowy, lavish, luxurious, ostentatious, grandiose, affluent, plush, rich
- ant: drab, modest, meager, shabby, humble, spartan, sparse, cheap
-
PULCHRITUDE (adj)
Helen of Troy was admired for her pulchritude; hers was the "face that launched a thousand ships."
- physical beauty
- syn: allure, attraction, charm, elegance, loveliness, exquisiteness, prettiness, refinement
- ant: ugliness, homeliness, offensiveness, dowdiness, frumpiness, dullness, simplicity
-
PROLIFIC (adj)
Tom Clancy, a prolific writer, seems to produce a bestseller every year!
- productive; fertile
- syn: fruitful, bountiful, plentiful, copious
- ant: lazy, unproductive, unfertile, barren, scant
-
CONFLAGRATION (n)
After the conflagration had finally subsided, those who still had homes returned to them.
- a large, destructive fire
- syn: inferno, wildfire, blaze, holocaust, pyre
- ant: downpour, deluge, flood, torrent
-
PROPITIOUS (adj)
January was not the most propitious time to advertise our holiday pumpkin pie.
- favorable
- syn: advantageous, auspicious, beneficial, fortunate, lucky, opportune, prosperous, useful
- ant: inauspicious, unfortunate, unfavorable, inopportune, ominous, harmful, useless, untimely
-
FLORID (adj)
The florid writing style of the author was in sharp contrast to the space concise writing of the editor.
- flushed; ornate
- syn: elaborate, decorative, embellished, flamboyant, flowery, pretentious, grandiloquent
- ant: dull, insipid, bland, austere, plain, bare, unadorned
-
EBULLIENT (adj)
The children became so ebullient during the holiday party that the teacher had to ask for five minutes of silence.
- overflowing with enthusiasm, or excitement
- syn: energetic, joyous, gleeful, enthusiastic
- ant: dull, lifeless, bored, depressed
-
MUNDANE (adj)
The mundane concerns of day-to-day life occupied Jan's thoughts, whereas his sister's interest was in unusual, extraordinary events.
- ordinary; common
- syn: banal, commonplace, everyday, normal, prosaic, routine, insipid, tired
- ant: new, innovative, exciting, extraordinary, fresh, new, original, interesting
-
TRANSITORY (adj)
Most of our relationships with neighbors are transitory because we move so frequently.
- of brief duration; fleeting
- syn: temporary, short-lived, momentary, swift, rushed, quick, ephemeral
- ant: permanent, long-lasting, lengthy, perpetual, sustained, steady, eternal
-
ANECDOTE (n)
Sitting around the campfire, the leaders entertained the scouts with anecdotes of other trips.
- a short account of an event
- syn: summary, narrative, synopsis, story, sketch, tale, yarn
- ant: epic, tome, navel, saga
-
BOMBASTIC (adj)
The press accused the senator of bombastic speech-full of outrageous claims that had no basis in fact.
- pretentious; pompous
- syn: grandiloquent, loudmouthed, arrogant, boastful, conceited, egotistical, bragging, vainglorious
- ant: humble, reserved, quiet, restrained, understated, modest, timid, subtle
-
WHET (v)
My brief trip to Europe served to whet my appetite for more travel.
- to sharpen; to stimulate
- syn: awaken, excite, incite, kindle, pique, provoke, rouse, spark
- ant: blunt, dull, tranquilize, bore, calm, lull, pacify, quiet
-
PERFIDIOUS (adj)
The candidate's perfidious advisor revealed all of his boss's secret strategies to the reporter.
- disloyal
- syn: treacherous, deceitful, deceptive, corrupt, untrustworthy, traitorous, faithless, insidious
- ant: decent, ethical, honest, honorable, moral, principled, scrupulous, trustworthy
-
SAGACIOUS (adj)
John prides himself on being a sagacious judge of character, but his brother has difficulty understanding people.
- shrewd
- syn: intelligent, astute, sharp, cunning, brilliant, smart, knowledge, clever
- ant: witless, stupid, dull, dimwitted, moronic, slow, ignorant, idiotic
-
GREGARIOUS (adj)
Jennifer is an extremely gregarious person who spends most of her free time attending parties and other social events.
- social; liking companionship
- syn: extroverted, affable, convivial, congenial, outgoing, neighborly, amiable, cordial
- ant: introverted unfriendly, inhospitable, unsociable, antagonistic, foreign, hostile, abrasive
-
INFER (v)
From the teacher's frown, the students inferred that they had not done well on the state test.
- to conclude, to deduce
- syn: ascertain, conjecture, construe, derive, goutier
- ant: misunderstood, misconstrue, misinterpret, doubt, misconceive
-
VERACITY (n)
The congressman had a reputation for veracity, so everyone believed his campaign statements.
- truthfulness; accuracy
- syn: accuracy, authenticity, correctness, credibility, integrity, truthfulness, verisimilitude
- ant: falsehood, inaccuracy, mendacity, deception
-
QUERULOUS (adj)
The querulous old man was a habitual complainer who was never satisfied with his workers.
- irritable
- syn: complaining, petulant, grumpy, surly, irascible, disgruntled, vexed, annoyed
- ant: content, pleased, placid, peaceful, tranquil, calm, agreeable, friendly
-
BENEVOLENT (adj)
After the hurricane, many benevolent volunteer groups assisted the victims.
- kindly; charitable
- syn: altruistic, beneficent, caring, compassionate, considerate, generous, helpful, philanthropic
- ant: malevolent, malicious, mean, unkind, greedy, unsacrificing, misanthropic, cold-hearted
-
PRECOCIOUS (adj)
The precocious child was able to speak several foreign languages by the time she was eight.
- brilliant or expert at an early age
- syn: advanced, intelligent, quickly, gitted, bright, mature, prodigious, genius
- ant: standard, slow, unintelligent, behind, average, ignorant, challenged, obsolete
-
SURREPTITIOUS (adj)
The kind was unaware of the many surreptitious plots being planned by the members of his court.
- characterized by secrecy
- syn: clandestine, incognito, hidden, furtive, stealthy, veiled, covert, discreet, masked, undercover
- ant: overt, obvious, blunt, honest, unconcealed, blatant, well-known, open, public, straightforward
-
EPHEMERAL (adj)
When times are difficult, memories of happiness seem ephemeral.
- momentary; fleeting
- syn: temporary, transitory, brief, short-lived, transient, passing, impermanent, evanescent
- ant: everlasting, permanent, perpetual, eternal, continuing, ongoing, enduring, lasting
-
DILIGENT (adj)
The rescuers were diligent in their efforts to save the museum paintings from the rising flood-waters.
- hardworking
- syn: assiduous, careful, steadfast, eager, industrious, pain stalking, persistent, unrelenting
- ant: inactive, languid, lazy, lethargic, negligent, disinterested, idle, neglectful
-
PRETENTIOUS (adj)
The pretentious home and cars gave Gatsby false sense of importance.
- self-important; pompous
- syn: snobbish, conceited, bombastic, ostentatious, flaunting, inflated, lofty, grandiloquent
- ant: humble, modest
-
ABSTAIN (v)
During training the wrestler had to abstain foods because he didn't want to gain any extra weight.
- to refrain from doing something
- syn: allure, avoid, forgo, refuse, spurn, stop, withhold, reject
- ant: indulge, partake, use, embrace, invite, imbibe, surrender, participate
|
|
