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40 Cards in this Set
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heresy
(n) "During the Inquisition, those found guilty of heresy were sometimes burned at the stake." |
Definition: the crime of holding a belief that goes against established doctrine
Synonym: Antonym: orthodoxy |
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docile
(adj) "The poodle, usually docile, went mad and attacked its owner." |
Definition: easy to teach or manage
Synonym: submissive; compliant Antonym: unmanageable; willful |
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libation
(n) "When we visited the vineyard, we were offered a small libation at the end of our tour." |
Definition: a drink, especially an alcoholic one
Synonym: intoxicant Antonym: |
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anathema
(n) 1. "Cannibalism is anathema to almost every society on the planet." 2. "The prisoner sprouted anathemas at the guards as they dragged him to the gallows." |
Definition:
1. a hated, repellent person or thing 2. a formal curse Synonym: 1. abhorration; detestation 2. condemnation Antonym: 1. beloved 2. blessing; praise |
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banter
(n) "At the reunion, Ruth enjoyed listening to the banter of her husband and his old college roommate." |
Definition: teasing; playful conversation
Synonym: joshing; badinage; raillery Antonym: vituperation |
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castigate
(v) "The parson castigated the boy for noisily chewing gum in church." |
Definition: to criticize or punish for the purpose of correction
Synonym: reprimand; chastise; scold Antonym: praise |
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gauche
(adj) "Some people use a fork to eat pizza because they think it is gauche to use their fingers." |
Definition: lacking social graces; tactless
Synonym: awkward Antonym: graceful |
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ignominy
(n) "The mayor fell from acclaim to ignominy in a week when her cocaine habit was discovered." |
Definition: public shame, disgrace, or dishonor
Synonym: disgrace; infamy Antonym: renown; eminence; repute |
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motley
(adj) "The international clown convention was a motley sight in the otherwise dull exhibition center." |
Definition: made up of different, dissimilar parts; being of many colors
Synonym: varied Antonym: uniform; homogeneous; similar |
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emaciated
(adj) "Dead from starvation, the emaciated prisoner was buried in the camp cemetery." |
Definition: extremely thin; wasted away
Synonym: withered Antonym: plump; fattened |
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avarice (n) "He became a doctor, not to save lives but to appease his avarice." |
Definition: greed; desire for wealth Synonym: acquisitiveness Antonym: largesse |
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furtive (adj) "Not wanting to be rude, Jean cast a furtive glance at the man's prominent scar." |
Definition: stealthy; secretive Synonym: surreptitious; sneaky Antonym: largesse |
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bacchanalian (adj) "Adam paid for his bacchanalian weekend we he flunked the exam on Monday." |
Definition: wild and drunken Synonym: Antonym: restrained |
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extradite (v) "After two months of incarceration in Sacramento, the suspect was extradited to Florida," |
Definition: to turn over or deliver to the legal jurisdiction of another government or authority Synonym: deport Antonym: |
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copious (adj) "It is good to drink a copious amount of water before and after working out." |
Definition: numerous; large in quantity Synonym: profuse Antonym: sparse |
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irascible (adj) "We walked on eggshells around Marty because he is so irascible." |
Definition: easily angered Synonym: irritable; ill-tempered Antonym: easygoing |
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mercenary (n) "Though American by birth, the mercenary fought for France." |
Definition: a professional soldier hired by a foreign army Synonym: Antonym: volunteer |
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bastion (n) "The Unites States has been called the bastion of democracy." |
Definition: a strong defense or fort (or one likened to it) Synonym: stronghold Antonym: |
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jettison (v) "The passengers quickly jettisoned the heavy cargo from the damaged plane." |
Definition: to cast overboard Synonym: deploy; throw away Antonym: retain |
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ostracize (v) "The strict religious community ostracized Eli when he married a woman of another faith." |
Definition: to banish; to shut out from a group or society by common consent Synonym: exile Antonym: accept |
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bigot (n) "The bigot refused to share a cab with anyone of a different race." |
Definition: one who is intolerant of differences in others Synonym: racist; extremist Antonym: |
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expunge (v) "If Moni can stay out of trouble for one year, her criminal record will be expunged." |
Definition: to erase or eliminate Synonym: obliterate Antonym: add |
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candid (adj) "He gave a candid speech about the time he had spent in prison." |
Definition: outspoken; blunt Synonym: frank; direct Antonym: evasive |
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argot (n) "Don't agree to "a trip to the East River" proposed by anyone speaking Mafia argot." |
Definition: special words or phrases used by a specific group of people Synonym: jargon Antonym: |
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negligence (n) "Sara's negligence allowed her toddler to fall from the hotel balcony." |
Definition: careless neglect, often resulting in injury Synonym: carelessness Antonym: care; attention |
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appease (v) "The small snack before dinner did nothing to appease Shane's appetite." |
Definition: to calm; to make satisfied (often only temporarily) Synonym: mollify Antonym: aggravate |
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strident (adj) "Lisa's strident voice gave us all headaches." |
Definition: harsh sounding; grating Synonym: shrill Antonym: soothing |
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chaos (n) "The new teacher was expected to end the chaos and restore order in the classroom." |
Definition: complete disorder Synonym: confusion; jumble Antonym: order; harmony |
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augment (v) "I had to take a second job to augment my income after buying the new SUV." |
Definition: to enlarge; to increase in amount or intensity Synonym: expand; supplement Antonym: order; harmony |
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jingoism (n) "Because of this jingoism, the candidate lost the support of voters." |
Definition: extreme, chauvinistic patriotism, often favoring an aggressive, warlike foreign policy Synonym: Antonym: |
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rancor (n) "Whelan's double-dealing had Jack seething; he had never before felt so much rancor toward a lawyer." |
Definition: extreme hatred or ill will Synonym: animosity; enmity Antonym: amity; sympathy |
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inexorable (adj) "Decades of harsh weather caused the inexorable erosion of the tombstone." |
Definition: unrelenting; unavoidable Synonym: relentless; certain Antonym: avoidable; preventable |
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extol (v) "Emily extolled the virtues of her personal hero and mentor." |
Definition: to praise highly Synonym: exalt; loud Antonym: chastise |
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clement (adj) "Despite the abhorrent nature of the crime, the judge handed down a surprisingly clement sentence." |
Definition: merciful; lenient Synonym: forbearing; benign Antonym: malevolent; harsh |
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cliche (n) "The candidate promised new ideas, but spouted the same old cliches after her election." |
Definition: a worn-out idea or overused expression Synonym: platitude; banality Antonym: |
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adamant (adj) "Despite the protests of the entire city council, the mayor remained adamant." |
Definition: unyielding; firm in opinion Synonym: stubborn Antonym: amenable; flexible |
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diffident (adj) "The diffident student hated to speak in front of the class." |
Definition: lacking in self-confidence; shy Synonym: timid Antonym: outgoing |
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opus (n) "My favorite composition by Antonin Dvorak is Opus 95" |
Definition: a creative work, especially a numbered composition Synonym: Antonym: |
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ostensible (adj) "The ostensible reason for inviting her up to his room was to show her his bottle cap collection." |
Definition: professed but not necessarily true Synonym: supposed Antonym: actual |
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disparity (n) "My wife is twelve years older than I am, but we get along well despite the disparity in out ages." |
Definition: inequality; difference Synonym: gap Antonym: similarity |
