Asvab Vocabulary Words 1

Front 1

Ajar

Back 1

open

Front 2

juvenile

Back 2

youth

Front 3

aquire

Back 3

obtain or receive

Front 4

mended

Back 4

correct, improve , fix, or ameliorate

Front 5

preamble

Back 5

introduction

Front 6

insignificant

Back 6

not important; of no consequence , paltry

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blemish

Back 7

flaw, defect

Front 8

egret

Back 8

wild bird

Front 9

gale

Back 9

violent storm

Front 10

customary

Back 10

usual ,regular ,orthodox ,traditional

Front 11

cliche

Back 11

oversude, hackneyed phrase

Front 12

slipshod

Back 12

careless, lackadaisical, haphazard

Front 13

deter

Back 13

inhibit, prevent, restrict

Front 14

bog down

Back 14

stick; become stuck

Front 15

fortnight

Back 15

occurring every two weeks

bi-weekly, two weeks
fortnightly, once every two weeks, twice monthly

Front 16

forthcoming

Back 16

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: expected, imminent

Synonyms: accessible,
anticipated, approaching, at hand, available, awaited, coming, destined, fated, future, impending, in evidence, in preparation, in prospect, in store, in the cards, in the wind, inescapable, inevitable, nearing, obtainable, on tap, oncoming, open, pending, predestined, prospective, ready, resulting, upcoming

Antonyms: bygone, distant, gone, past

Front 17

prospect

Back 17

Part of Speech: noun

Definition: outlook for future

Synonyms: anticipation,
calculation, chance, contemplation, expectancy, expectation, forecast, future, hope, in the cards, irons in the fire, likelihood, odds, opening, plan, possibility, presumption, probability, promise, proposal, thought

Front 18

poignant

Back 18

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: affecting, painful

Synonyms: agitating, agonizing, bitter, distressing, disturbing, emotional, heartbreaking, heartrending, impressive, intense, moving, passionate, pathetic, perturbing, piteous, pitiful, sad, sentimental, sorrowful, touching, upsetting

Antonyms: calm, numb, pleasant, soothing, unaffecting

Front 19

devout

Back 19

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: sincerely believing; devoted

Synonyms: adherent, adoring, ardent, deep, earnest, faithful, fervent, fervid, genuine, godly, goody two-shoes, goody-goody, heart-and-soul, heartfelt, holy, intense, orthodox, passionate, pietistic, pious, prayerful, profound, religious, reverent, revering, serious, sincere, venerating, worshiping, zealous

Antonyms: insincere, irreligious, unbelieving

Front 20

boisterous

Back 20

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: noisy and mischievous

Synonyms: bouncy, brawling, clamorous, disorderly, effervescent, impetuous, loud, obstreperous, rambunctious, raucous, riotous, rollicking, rowdy, strident, tumultous/tumultuous, unrestrained, unruly, uproarious, vociferant, vociferous, wild

Antonyms: calm, quiet, restrained, silent

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diligent

Back 21

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: persevering, hard-working
Synonyms: active, assiduous, attentive, busy, careful, conscientious, constant, eager, eager beaver, earnest, grind*, indefatigable, industrious, laborious, occupied, operose, painstaking, persistent, persisting, pertinacious, plugging, sedulous, steadfast, studious, tireless, unflagging, unrelenting, untiring

Antonyms: inactive, indifferent, languid, lazy, lethargic, negligent

Front 22

digress

Back 22

Part of Speech: verb
Definition: stray, deviate
Synonyms: aberrate, be diffuse, beat about the bush, circumlocute, depart, divagate, drift, excurse, get off the point, get off the subject, get sidetracked, go by way of, go off on a tangent, long way, meander, ramble, roam, swerve, turn aside, veer, wander, wander away
Antonyms: be direct, stay

Front 23

merchants

Back 23

Part of Speech: noun
Definition: person who sells goods
Synonyms: broker, businessperson, consigner, dealer, exporter, handler, jobber, marketer, operator, retailer, salesperson, seller, sender, shipper, shopkeeper, storekeeper, trader, tradesperson, trafficker, tycoon, vendor, wholesaler
Antonyms: buyer, customer

Front 24

startled

Back 24

Part of Speech: verb
Definition: frighten, surprise
Synonyms: affright, agitate, alarm, amaze, astonish, astound, awe, bolt, consternate, floor, fright, give a turn, jump, make jump, rock, scare, scare to death, shake up, shock, spook, spring, spring something on, stagger, start, stun, take aback, terrify, terrorize
Antonyms: calm, comfort, compose, expect

Front 25

inferior

Back 25

Part of Speech: adjective
Definition: less in rank, importance
Synonyms: back seat, bottom, bottom-rung, entry-level, junior, less, lesser, lower, menial, minor, minus, nether, peon, second, second-banana, second-fiddle, second-string, secondary, smaller, subjacent, subordinate, subsidiary, under, underneath
Antonyms: best, better, extraordinary, first-class, first-rate, foremost, superior

Front 26

inhibit

Back 26

Part of Speech: verb

Definition: restrict, prevent

Synonyms: arrest, avert, bar, bit, bridle, check, constrain, cramp, curb, discourage, enjoin, faze, forbid, frustrate, hang up, hinder, hog-tie, hold back, hold down, hold in, impede, interdict, keep in, obstruct, outlaw, prohibit, put on brakes, repress, restrain, sandbag, stop, stymie, suppress, taboo*, ward, withhold

Antonyms: aid, allow, approve, assist, free, help

Front 27

intrigue

Back 27

Part of Speech: noun

Definition: scheme

Synonyms: artifice, cabal, chicanery, collusion, complication, conspiracy, contrivance, deal, design, dodge, double-dealing, fix, frame-up, fraud, game, graft, hookup, little game, machination, maneuver, manipulation, plan, plot, ruse, stratagem, trickery, wile

Front 28

conviction

Back 28

Part of Speech: noun

Definition: belief, opinion

Synonyms: confidence, creed, doctrine, dogma, eye, faith, feeling, judgment call, mind, persuasion, principle, reliance, say so, sentiment, slant, tenet, view

Front 29

retention

Back 29

Part of Speech: noun
Definition: custody

Synonyms: confinement, detainment, detention, holding, reservation, withholding

Front 30

flounder

Back 30

Part of Speech: verb

Definition: struggle; be in the dark

Synonyms: blunder, bobble, cast about, come apart at the seams, drop the ball, fall down, flop, flummox, foul up, fumble, go at backwards, go to pieces, grope, labor, lurch, make a mess of, miss one's cue, muddle, plunge, pratfall, screw up, slip up, snafu, strive, stub one's toe, stumble, thrash, toil, toss, travail, trip up, tumble, wallow, work at
Notes: founder means to sink, while flounder means to flail helplessly

Antonyms: do well, succeed

Front 31

impose

Back 31

Part of Speech: verb

Definition: set, dictate

Synonyms: appoint, burden, charge, command, compel, constrain, decree, demand, encroach, enforce, enjoin, establish, exact, fix, foist, force, force upon, horn in, inflict, infringe, institute, introduce, intrude, lade, lay, lay down, lay down the law, levy, move in on, oblige, obtrude, ordain, order, place, prescribe, presume, promulgate, put, put foot down, read riot act, require, saddle, take advantage, trespass, visit, wish, wreak, wreck

Front 32

strident

Back 32

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: harsh, shrill

Synonyms: blatant, boisterous, clamorous, clashing, discordant, grating, hoarse, jangling, jarring, loud, noisy, obstreperous, rasping, raucous, screeching, squawky, squeaky, stentorian, stertorous, stridulant, stridulous, unmusical, vociferant, vociferous
Antonyms: low, mild, moderate, soft

Front 33

relinquish

Back 33

Part of Speech: verb

Definition: give up, let go

Synonyms: abandon, abdicate, abnegate, back down, cast, cast off, cede, cut loose, desert, discard, ditch*, drop, drop like hot potato, drop out, dump*, forbear, forgo, forsake, forswear, hand over, kick, kiss good-bye, lay aside, leave, opt out, quit, quit cold turkey, release, renounce, repudiate, resign, retire from, sacrifice, shed, stand down, surrender, swear off, take the oath, take the pledge, vacate, waive, withdraw, yield
Antonyms: hold, keep, take

Front 34

vanish

Back 34

Part of Speech: verb

Definition: disappear

Synonyms: be lost, become invisible, clear, dematerialize, die, die out, dissolve, evanesce, evaporate, exit, fade, fade away, go away, melt
Antonyms: appear, arrive, come

Front 35

banish

Back 35

Part of Speech: verb

Definition: expel from place or situation

Synonyms: ban, cast out, deport, discard, discharge, dislodge, dismiss, dispel, drive away, eject, eliminate, eradicate, evict, exclude, excommunicate, exile, expatriate, expulse, extradict, get rid of, isolate, ostracize, oust, outlaw, proscribe, relegate, remove, rusticate, sequester, shake off, shut out, transport
Antonyms: allow, keep, welcome

Front 36

garnish

Back 36

Part of Speech: noun

Definition: embellishment, improvement

Synonyms: adornment, decoration, enhancement, furbelow, gingerbread, ornament, ornamentation, tinsel, trim, trimming
Antonyms: decrease, divestment, plainness

Front 37

frolic

Back 37

Part of Speech: noun

Definition: amusement, revel

Synonyms: antic, drollery, escapade, fun, fun and games, gaiety, gambol, game, high jinks, joke, joviality, lark, merriment, monkeyshines, play, prank, romp, shenanigan, skylarking, sport, spree, tomfoolery*, trick

Front 38

prolific

Back 38

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: fruitful, productive

Synonyms: abounding, abundant, bountiful, breeding, copious, creative, fecund, fertile, generating, generative, luxuriant, profuse, proliferant, rank, reproducing, reproductive, rich, spawning, swarming, teeming, yielding
Antonyms: barren, fruitless, impotent, unfruitful, unproductive

Front 39

wry

Back 39

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: sarcastic, distorted

Synonyms: askew, aslant, awry, contorted, crooked, cynical, deformed, droll, dry, ironic, mocking, sardonic, twisted, uneven, warped
Antonyms: straight, straightforward

Front 40

propagate

Back 40

Part of Speech: verb

Definition: breed, reproduce

Synonyms: bear, beget, engender, father, fecundate, fertilize, generate, grow, impregnate, increase, inseminate, make pregnant, mother, multiply, originate, procreate, produce, proliferate, raise, sire
Antonyms: destroy, kill

Front 41

portray

Back 41

Part of Speech: verb
Definition: represent, imitate
Synonyms: act like, characterize, copy, delineate, depict, describe, draw, duplicate, figure, illustrate, image, impersonate, interpret, limn, mimic, paint, parody, photograph, picture, render, reproduce, simulate, sketch

Front 42

composure

Back 42

Part of Speech: noun

Definition: calmness, collectedness

Synonyms: accord, aplomb, assurance, balance, calm, contentment, control, cool head, cool*, coolheadedness, coolness, dignity, dispassion, ease, equanimity, equilibrium, even temper, evenness, fortitude, harmony, imperturbability, inexcitability, levelheadedness, moderation, nonchalance, peace of mind, placidity, poise, polish, presence of mind, quiet, quietude, repose, sang-froid, sedateness, self-assurance, self-control, self-possession, serenity, sobriety, stability, tranquility
Antonyms: agitation, arousal, discomposure, excitement, perturbedness, upset

Front 43

poise

Back 43

Part of Speech: noun

Definition: self-composure, dignity

Synonyms: address,
aplomb, assurance, balance, bearing, calmness, confidence, cool, coolness, delicatesse, diplomacy, elegance, equability, equanimity, equilibrium, grace, gravity, polish, presence, presence of mind, sangfroid, savoir faire, self-assurance, self-possession, serenity, stasis, tact, tactfulness, tranquility
Antonyms: excitedness

Front 44

impetuous

Back 44

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: acting without thinking

Synonyms: abrupt, ardent, eager, fervid, fierce, furious, going off deep end, hasty, headlong, hurried, impassioned, impulsive, passionate, precipitant, precipitate, precipitous, rash, restive, rushing, spontaneous, spur-of-the-moment, subitaneous, sudden, swift, unbridled, unexpected, unplanned, unpremeditated, unreflecting, unrestrained, unthinking, vehement, violent
Antonyms: calm, cautious, circumspect, considerate, reflective, sensible, thoughtful, wise

Front 45

appraisal

Back 45

Part of Speech: noun

Definition: judgment, estimation

Synonyms: appraisement, assessment, estimate, evaluation, opinion, pricing, rating, reckoning, stock, survey, valuation

Front 46

credible

Back 46

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: believable

Synonyms: aboveboard, colorable, conceivable, conclusive, creditable, dependable, determinative, honest, honest to God, imaginable, likely, plausible, possible, probable, probably, rational, reasonable, reliable, satisfactory, satisfying, seeming, sincere, solid, sound, straight, supposable, tenable, thinkable, trustworthy, trusty, up front, valid
Notes: credible means 'believable' and credulous means 'gullible'
Antonyms: implausible, impossible, improbable, inconceivable, incredible, unbelievable, unimaginable, unlikely, untenable

Front 47

imperative

Back 47

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: necessary

Synonyms: acute, burning, clamant, clamorous, compulsory, critical, crucial, crying, essential, exigent, immediate, important, importunate, indispensable, inescapable, insistent, instant, no turning back, obligatory, pressing, urgent, vital
Antonyms: inessential, optional, secondary, unnecessary, voluntary

Front 48

intrepid

Back 48

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: brave, nervy

Synonyms: audacious, bodacious, bold, courageous, daring, dauntless, doughty, fearless, gallant, game, gritty, gutsy, heroic, impavid, lionhearted, nerveless, plucky, resolute, spunky*, stalwart, unafraid, undaunted, unflinching, valiant, valorous
Antonyms: cowardly, meek, timid

Front 49

pert

Back 49

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: lively, bold

Synonyms: animated, audacious, brash, brazen, breezy, bright, brisk, cheeky*, dapper, daring, dashing, disrespectful, flip*, flippant, forward, fresh, gay, impertinent, impudent, insolent, jaunty, keen, nervy, perky, presumptuous, sassy*, saucy*, smart, smart-alecky, spirited, sprightly, vivacious, wise
Antonyms: dull, humble, lifeless

Front 50

disdain

Back 50

Part of Speech: noun

Definition: hate; indifference

Synonyms: antipathy, arrogance, aversion, contempt, contumely, derision, despisal, despisement, despite, dislike, disparagement, hatred, haughtiness, hauteur, insolence, loftiness, pride, ridicule, scorn, sneering, snobbishness, superbity, superciliousness
Notes: contempt is a more engaged, more involved feeling of disapproval than disdain

Antonyms: admiration, esteem, favor, like, love, praise, respect

Front 51

petty

Back 51

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: trivial, insignificant

Synonyms: base, casual, cheap, contemptible, frivolous, inconsequent, inconsiderable, inessential, inferior, irrelevant, junior, lesser, light, little, lower, measly, minor, narrow-minded, negligible, nickel-and-dime, niggling, paltry, peanut, penny-ante, pettifogging, picayune, piddling, scratch, secondary, shabby, shallow, shoestring, slight, small, small-minded, subordinate, trifling, two-bit, unimportant

Notes: paltry means not worth considering or contemptibly small in amount; petty means inferior in rank or status or contemptibly narrow in outlook

Antonyms: consequential, important, major, necessary, prominent, significant, useful

Front 52

pity

Back 52

Part of Speech: noun

Definition: feeling of mercy toward another

Synonyms: benevolence, charity, clemency, comfort, commiseration, compassion, compunction, condolement, condolence, dejection, distress, empathy, favor, forbearance, goodness, grace, humanity, kindliness, kindness, lenity, melancholy, mercy, philanthropy, quarter, rue, ruth, sadness, solace, sorrow, sympathy, tenderness, understanding, warmth
Antonyms: disdain, malevolence, mercilessness

Front 53

pithy

Back 53

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: brief, to the point

Synonyms: cogent, compact, concise, crisp, curt, down to brass tacks, effective, epigrammatic, expressive, honed, laconic, meaningful, meaty, pointed, short, short-and-sweet, significant, succinct, terse, trenchant

Antonyms: long-winded, verbose, wordy

Front 54

apathy

Back 54

Part of Speech: noun

Definition: uncaring attitude, lack of interest

Synonyms: aloofness, coldness, coolness, detachment, disinterest, dispassion, disregard, dullness, emotionlessness, halfheartedness, heedlessness, indifference, insensibility, insensitivity, insouciance, lassitude, lethargy, listlessness, passiveness, passivity, stoicism, unconcern, unresponsiveness
Antonyms: care, concern, feeling, interest, passion, sensitivity, sympathy, warmth

Front 55

sly

Back 55

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: clever, devious

Synonyms: arch, artful, astute, bluffing, cagey, calculating, canny, captious, conniving, covert, crafty, crooked, cunning, deceitful, deceptive, delusive, designing, dishonest, dishonorable, dissembling, double-dealing, elusive, foxy, furtive, guileful, illusory, impish, ingenious, insidious, intriguing, mean, mischievous, plotting, roguish, scheming, secret, sharp, shifty, shrewd, slick, smart, smooth, sneaking, stealthy, subtle, traitorous, treacherous, tricky, underhand, unscrupulous, wily
Antonyms: honest, open, simple, straight, straightforward, uncleve

Front 56

advantageous

Back 56

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: favorable

Synonyms: auspicious, beneficial, expedient, for the best, fortunate, helpful, opportune, profitable, propitious, worthwhile

Front 57

self-sufficient

Back 57

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: able to take care of oneself

Synonyms: arrogant, closed, competent, conceited, confident, doing one's own thing, efficient, egotistic, haughty, independent, individual, on one's own, out for number one, self-confident, self-dependent, self-sufficing, self-supported, self-supporting, self-sustained, self-sustaining, smug, unit
Antonyms: incapable, needy, unable

Front 58

cumbersome

Back 58

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: clumsy, awkward

Synonyms: bulky, burdensome, clunker, clunking, clunky, cumbrous, embarrassing, galumphing, heavy, hefty, incommodious, inconvenient, leaden, massive, oppressive, ponderous, tiresome, unhandy, unmanageable, unwieldy, wearisome, weighty
Antonyms: graceful

Front 59

optional

Back 59

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: possible; available as choice

Synonyms: alternative, arbitrary, discretional, discretionary, elective, extra, facultative, free, no strings attached, noncompulsory, nonobligatory, not required, open, unforced, unrestricted, up to the individual, volitional, voluntary
Antonyms: compulsory, forced, required

Front 60

verbose

Back 60

Part of Speech: adjective


Definition: wordy, long-winded
Synonyms: bombastic, circumlocutory, diffuse, flowery, full of air, fustian, gabby, garrulous, grandiloquent, involved, loquacious, magniloquent, palaverous, periphrastic, pleonastic, prolix, redundant, repeating, repetitious, repetitive, rhetorical, talkative, talky, tautological, tautologous, tedious, tortuous, windy, yacking
Antonyms: concise, succinct

Front 61

incite

Back 61

Part of Speech: verb

Definition: encourage, provoke

Synonyms: abet, activate, actuate, agitate, animate, arouse, coax, craze, drive, egg on, encourage, excite, exhort, fan the fire, foment, force, forward, further, get to, goad, impel, induce, inflame, influence, inspire, inspirit, instigate, juice*, key up, motivate, persuade, prick, promote, prompt, provoke, psych, push, put up to, raise, rouse, set, set off, solicit, spur, stimulate, stir up, talk into, taunt, trigger, urge, whip up, work up
Notes: incite means to provoke or stir up while insight means clear or deep perception of a situation
Antonyms: delay, deter, discourage, prohibit

Front 62

garrison

Back 62

Part of Speech: noun

Definition: military post, fort

Synonyms: barracks, base, camp, citadel, command post, encampment, fortification, fortress, stronghold

Front 63

deplore

Back 63

Part of Speech: verb

Definition: regret; condemn

Synonyms: abhor, be against, bemoan, bewail, carry on, censure, complain, cry, denounce, deprecate, disapprove of, eat one's heart out, grieve for, hate, hurt, lament, moan, mourn, object to, repent, rue, sing the blues, sorrow over, take on, weep
Antonyms: approve, be happy, delight, praise, rejoice, revel

Front 64

implore

Back 64

Part of Speech: verb

Definition: beg

Synonyms: appeal, beseech, conjure, crave, entreat, go on bended knee, importune, plead, pray, solicit, supplicate, urge
Antonyms: answer

Front 65

hysterical

Back 65

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: very upset, excited

Synonyms: agitated, berserk, beside oneself, blazing, carried away, convulsive, crazed, crazy, delirious, distracted, distraught, emotional, fiery, frantic, frenzied, fuming, furious, impassioned, impetuous, in a fit, incensed, irrepressible, mad, maddened, nervous, neurotic, overwrought, panic-stricken, passionate, possessed, rabid, raging, rampant, raving, seething, spasmodic, tempestuous, turbulent, uncontrollable, uncontrolled, unnerved, unrestrained, uproarious, vehement, violent, wild, worked up
Antonyms: calm, controlled, serene

Front 66

grim

Back 66

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: hopeless, horrible in manner, appearance

Synonyms: austere, barbarous, bleak, cantankerous, churlish, crabbed, cruel, crusty, dogged, ferocious, fierce, forbidding, foreboding, formidable, frightful, funereal, ghastly, gloomy, glowering, glum, grisly, grouchy, gruesome, grumpy*, harsh, hideous, horrid, implacable, inexorable, intractable, merciless, morose, ominous, relentless, resolute, ruthless, scowling, severe, shocking, sinister, somber, sour, splenetic, stern, stubborn, sulky, sullen, surly, terrible, truculent, unrelenting, unyielding
Antonyms: bright, cheerful, happy, hopeful, joyful, sunny

Front 67

unanimous

Back 67

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: in agreement; uncontested

Synonyms: accepted, accordant, agreed, agreeing, as one, assenting, collective, combined, common, communal, concerted, concordant, concurrent, consensual, consentient, consistent, consonant, harmonious, homogeneous, in complete accord, like-minded, of one mind, popular, public, shared, single, solid, undisputed, undivided, unified, united, universal, unquestioned, with one voice
Antonyms: split

Front 68

clemency

Back 68

Part of Speech: noun

Definition: forgiveness

Synonyms: caritas, charity, compassion, endurance, equitableness, fairness, forbearance, gentleness, grace, humanity, indulgence, justness, kindness, lenience, leniency, lenity, lifesaver, mercifulness, mercy, mildness, moderation, soft-heartedness, sufferance, tenderness, tolerance, toleration
Antonyms: no mercy

Front 69

abate

Back 69

Part of Speech: verb

Definition: lessen, grow or
cause to grow less

Synonyms: allay, chill
out, coast*, cool, cool it, decline, decrease, diminish, dull, dwindle, ebb, go with the flow, hang easy, hang loose, lay back, let go, let it all hang out, let up, mellow out, moderate, quell, recede, reduce, slacken, slow, subdue, subside, take it easy, taper, taper off, unlax, wane
Antonyms: amplify, enhance, enlarge, extend, increase, intensify, magnify, prolong, revive, rise

Front 70

abet

Back 70

Part of Speech: verb

Definition: assist, help in wrongdoing

Synonyms: advocate, back, condone, egg on, encourage, endorse, goad, incite, instigate, prod, promote, provoke, sanction, spur, support, urge
Antonyms: counter, deter, discourage, frustrate, hinder, hurt, impede, obstruct, resist

Front 71

sullen

Back 71

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: brooding, upset

Synonyms: bad-tempered, cheerless, churlish, crabbed, crabby, cross, cynical, dismal, dour, dull, fretful, frowning, gloomy, glowering, glum, gruff, grumpy*, heavy, hostile, ill-humored, inert, irritable, malevolent, malicious, malign, mean, moody, morose, obstinate, ornery*, out of sorts, peevish, perverse, pessimistic, petulant, pouting, pouty, querulous, saturnine, silent, somber, sour, sourpussed, stubborn, sulking, sulky, surly, tenebrific, tenebrous, ugly, unsociable, uptight*
Antonyms: bright, cheerful, grinning, happy

Front 72

obligatory

Back 72

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: essential, required

Synonyms: binding, coercive, compulsatory, compulsory, de rigueur, enforced, imperative, imperious, mandatory, necessary, requisite, unavoidable
Antonyms: nonessential, optional, unrequired, voluntary

Front 73

clandestine

Back 73

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: secret, sly

Synonyms: artful, cloak-and-dagger, closet, concealed, covert, foxy, fraudulent, furtive, hidden, hush-hush, illegitimate, illicit, in holes and corners, on the Q. T., on the quiet, private, sneaky, stealthy, surreptitious, under wraps, under-the-counter, undercover, underground, underhand
Antonyms: aboveboard, forthright, open, truthful

Front 74

deduce

Back 74

Part of Speech: verb

Definition: figure out, understand

Synonyms: add up, analyze, assume, be afraid, boil down, cogitate, collect, conceive, conclude, consider, deduct, deem, derive, draw, fancy, figure, gather, glean, have a hunch, imagine, infer, judge, make, make out, presume, presuppose, ratiocinate, read into, reason, regard, surmise, take to mean

Notes: deduce means to conclude by reasoning or in logic; adduce means to cite as proof or evidence; deduct means to take away from or subtract from another

Front 75

ditto

Back 75

Part of Speech: noun

Definition: the same; duplicate

Synonyms: clone, copy, double, duplication, facsimile, likewise, reproduction, the above, the very words

Front 76

ardent

Back 76

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: very enthusiastic

Synonyms: agog, avid, blazing, burning, desirous, eager, fervent, fervid, fierce, fiery, horny*, hot*, hungry, impassioned, intense, keen, lovey-dovey, lusty, passionate, spirited, thirsty, vehement, warm, zealous
Antonyms: cold, cold-blooded, cool, dispassionate, frigid, indifferent, lukewarm, unenthusiastic

Front 77

laudable

Back 77

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: admirable

Synonyms: commendable, creditable, deserving, estimable, excellent, mean, meritable, meritorious, of note, praisable, praiseworthy, stellar, terrific, thankworthy, worthy
Notes: laudable means deserving praise; laudatory means expressing praise
Antonyms: bad, blameable

Front 78

laconic

Back 78

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: short, to the point

Synonyms: breviloquent, brief, brusque, compact, compendiary, compendious, concise, crisp, curt, pithy, sententious, short and sweet, succinct, terse
Antonyms: long-winded, verbose, wordy

Front 79

tyranny

Back 79

Part of Speech: noun

Definition: dictatorship

Synonyms: absolutism, authoritarianism, autocracy, coercion, cruelty, despotism, domination, fascism, high-handedness, imperiousness, monocracy, oligarchy, oppression, peremptoriness, reign of terror, severity, terrorism, totalitarianism, totality, unreasonableness
Antonyms: democracy

Front 80

berate

Back 80

Part of Speech: verb

Definition: criticize hatefully

Synonyms: bawl out, blister, call down, castigate, censure, chew out, chew*, chide, cuss out, eat out, give one hell, give what for, jaw, jump all over, rail at, rake over the coals, rate, rebuke, reprimand, reproach, reprove, revile, scold, scorch, tell off, tongue-lash, upbraid, vituperate
Antonyms: compliment, hail, praise

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indistinct

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Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: obscure, ambiguous

Synonyms: bleared, bleary, blurred, confused, dark, dim, doubtful, faint, fuzzy, hazy, ill-defined, inaudible, inconspicuous, indefinite, indeterminate, indiscernible, indistinguishable, inexact, misty, muffled, murky, out of focus, shadowy, unclear, undefined, undetermined, unheard, unintelligible, vague, weak
Antonyms: apparent, certain, defined, definite, discernible, distinct, evident, explicit, plain, positive, sure

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vigorous

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Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: energetic, powerful

Synonyms: active, athletic, ball of fire, bouncing, brisk, dashing, driving, dynamic, effective, efficient, enterprising, exuberant, flourishing, forceful, forcible, hale, hard-driving, hardy, healthy, hearty, intense, lively, lusty, mettlesome, peppy, persuasive, potent, red-blooded, robust, rugged, snappy, sound, spanking, spirited, steamroller, strapping, strenuous, strong, strong as an ox, sturdy, take-charge, take-over, tough, vital, zealous, zippy
Notes: rigorous means demanding strict attention to rules and procedures; vigorous means strong and active physically or mentally
Antonyms: enervated, idle, impotent, inactive, lethargic, weak

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entourage

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Part of Speech: noun

Definition: followers

Synonyms: associates, attendants, companions, company, cortege, court, courtiers, escort, following, groupies, hangers-on, retainers, retinue, staff, suite, sycophants, toadies, train
Antonyms: leader

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frugal

Back 84

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: economical

Synonyms: Spartan, abstemious, canny, careful, chary, conserving, discreet, meager, meticulous, mingy, niggardly, parsimonious, penny-pinching, penny-wise, preserving, provident, prudent, saving, scrimping, sparing, stingy, thrifty, tight, tightwad, unwasteful, wary

Notes: frugal refers more directly to practicing economy in the course of shopping for goods or services, whereas thrifty applies more to the preservation of funds

Antonyms: generous, lavish, spendthrifty, uneconomical, wasteful

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provision

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Part of Speech: noun

Definition: supplies, supplying

Synonyms: accouterment, arrangement, catering, emergency, equipping, fitting out, foundation, furnishing, groundwork, outline, plan, prearrangement, precaution, preparation, procurement, providing, stock, store, supplying
Antonyms: removal, taking

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marauder

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Part of Speech: noun

Definition: pillager, raider

Synonyms: bandit, buccaneer, corsair, freebooter, looter, outlaw, pirate, plunderer, ravager, robber, thief

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vindictive

Back 87

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: hateful, revengeful

Synonyms: avenging, cruel, grim, grudging, implacable, malicious, malignant, merciless, rancorous, relentless, resentful, retaliatory, ruthless, spiteful, unforgiving, unrelenting, vengeful, venomous, wreakful
Antonyms: forgiving, helpful, kind, nice

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apprehension

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Part of Speech: noun

Definition: anxiety, fear

Synonyms: alarm, apprehensiveness, concern, disquiet, doubt, dread, foreboding, misgiving, mistrust, premonition, presage, presentiment, suspicion, trepidation, uneasiness, worry
Antonyms: calmness, ease

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fiscal

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Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: monetary

Synonyms: budgetary, commercial, economic, financial, money, pecuniary, pocket
Notes: monetary means 'pertaining or relating to money or currency' and fiscal means 'pertaining or relating to finance and financial matters, especially of government and taxes

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chic

Back 90

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: fashionable

Synonyms: chichi*, clean*, current, dap, dapper, dashing, elegant, exclusive, faddish, last word, latest thing, mod, modern, modish, natty, sharp, smart, stylish, swank, trendy, voguish, with-it
Antonyms: dull, old-fashioned, out-moded, unfashionable

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empathy

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Part of Speech: noun

Definition: understanding

Synonyms: affinity, appreciation, being on same wavelength, being there for someone, communion, community of interests, compassion, comprehension, concord, cottoning to, good vibrations, hitting it off, insight, picking up on, pity, rapport, recognition, responsiveness, soul, sympathy, warmth

Notes: empathy denotes a deep emotional understanding of another's feelings or problems, while sympathy is more general and can apply to small annoyances or setbacks
sympathy means the stimulation in a person of feelings that are similar in kind to those that affect another person; empathy means a mental or affective projection into the feelings or state of mind of another person

Antonyms: apathy, misunderstanding, unfeelingness

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camaraderie

Back 92

Part of Speech: noun

Definition: friendship

Synonyms: cheer, companionability, companionship, comradeship, conviviality, esprit de corps, fellowship, gregariousness, intimacy, jollity, sociability, togetherness

Antonyms: bad blood, dislike, hate

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cauterize

Back 93

Part of Speech: verb

Definition: disinfect by burning

Synonyms: burn, sear, singe

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benefactor

Back 94

Part of Speech: noun

Definition: donor

Synonyms: Santa Claus, aid, altruist, angel, assistant, backer, contributor, fairy godparent, fan, good Samaritan, grubstaker, helper, humanitarian, mark*, patron, philanthropist, promoter, protector, sponsor, subscriber, subsidizer, supporter, well-wisher
Notes: a benefactor is someone who provides a gift; a beneficiary is someone who receives benefits or favors
Antonyms: antagonist, opponent, opposer

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benevolent

Back 95

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: charitable, kind

Synonyms: all heart, altruistic, beneficent, benign, big, big-hearted, bounteous, bountiful, caring, chivalrous, compassionate, considerate, generous, helpful, humane, humanitarian, kindhearted, liberal, magnanimous, philanthropic, tenderhearted, warmhearted, well-disposed
Antonyms: greedy, malevolent, mean, selfish, spiteful, unkind

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benign

Back 96

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: kindly

Synonyms: amiable, beneficent, benevolent, benignant, complaisant, congenial, favorable, friendly, generous, genial, gentle, good, goodhearted, gracious, kind, liberal, merciful, mild, obliging, sympathetic
Notes: benign refers to a trait or characteristic; benignant to a tendency or disposition
Antonyms: hateful, hostile, hurtful, injurious, malignant, unkind

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beneficial

Back 97

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: advantageous

Synonyms: benign, constructive, favorable, favoring, gainful, good, good for what ails you, healthful, helpful, profitable, propitious, salubrious, salutary, serviceable, toward, useful, valuable, what the doctor ordered, wholesome, worthy
Antonyms: disadvantageous, harmful, hurting, unfortunate, unhelpful, unrewarding

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stagnant

Back 98

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: motionless, dirty

Synonyms: brackish, dead, dormant, filthy, foul, idle, immobile, inactive, inert, lifeless, listless, passive, putrid, quiet, sluggish, stale, standing, static, stationary, still, unmoving
Antonyms: moving

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diaphonous

Back 99

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: fine, see-through

Synonyms: chiffon, clear, cobweblike, delicate, filmy, flimsy, gauzy, gossamer, light, pellucid, pure, sheer, thin, translucent, transparent
Antonyms: opaque, thick

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shoddy

Back 100

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: in bad shape

Synonyms: base, broken-down, cheap, cheesy*, common, dilapidated, dingy, discreditable, disgraceful, dishonorable, disreputable, gaudy, ignominious, inferior, inglorious, junky, makeshift, mean, not up to snuff, paltry, plastic, poor, pretentious, run-down, scruffy, second-rate, seedy, shabby, shady, shameful, sleazy*, slipshod, tacky*, tawdry, trashy, unrespectable
Antonyms: fine, good, nice

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marsupial

Back 101

Part of Speech: noun

Definition: pouched mammal

Synonyms: bandicoot, euro, kangaroo, koala, opossum, possum, wallaby, wombat

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languid

Back 102

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: drooping, dull, listless

Synonyms: apathetic, blah*, blahs, comatose, dopey, easy, energyless, enervated, faint, feeble, heavy, impassive, inactive, indifferent, inert, infirm, lackadaisical, laid-back, languishing, languorous, lazy, leaden, leisurely, lethargic, limp, moony, nebbish, phlegmatic, pining, sickly, sleepyhead, slow, sluggish, snoozy, spiritless, supine, torpid, unconcerned, unenthusiastic, unhurried, uninterested, weak, weary, wimpy
Notes: languid is limp or listless; limpid means clear or calm
Antonyms: alert, animated, energetic, lively, spirited, vivacious

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paramount

Back 103

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: principal, superior

Synonyms: ascendant, capital, cardinal, chief, commanding, controlling, crowning, dominant, eminent, first, foremost, headmost, leading, main, outstanding, overbearing, predominant, predominate, preeminent, premier, preponderant, prevalent, primary, prime, regnant, sovereign, supreme
Notes: paramount means 'primary, top'; tantamount means 'equivalent to, same as'; paramount first meant 'highest in jurisdiction'
Antonyms: inferior, last, least, less, lesser, lowest, minor, secondary, smallest, trivial

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exploit

Back 104

Part of Speech: noun

Definition: achievement

Synonyms: accomplishment, adventure, attainment, coup, deed, do, effort, enterprise, escapade, feat, job, maneuver, performance, stroke, stunt, tour de force, venture

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concoction

Back 105

Part of Speech: noun

Definition: creation, blend

Synonyms: brew, combination, compound, contrivance, intention, medley, mixture, plan, preparation, project, solution

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relent

Back 106

Part of Speech: verb

Definition: die down; let up

Synonyms: acquiesce, be merciful, capitulate, cave in, change one's mind, come around, comply, cool it, cry uncle, die away, drop, ease, ease off, ease up on, ebb, fall, fold, forbear, give in, give quarter, give some slack, give up, give way, go along with, go easy on, have mercy, have pity, lay back, let go, let it happen, lighten up, mellow out, melt, moderate, quit, relax, say uncle, show mercy, slacken, slow, soften, subside, wane, weaken, yield
Antonyms: build, increase, rise

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relentless

Back 107

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: cruel, merciless

Synonyms: adamant, bound, bound and determined, dead set on, determined, dogged, ferocious, fierce, go for broke, grim, hang in, hang-tough, hard, harsh, implacable, inexorable, inflexible, inhuman, mortal, obdurate, pitiless, remorseless, rigid, rigorous, ruthless, single-minded, stiff, stop at nothing, strict, stringent, unappeasable, unbending, uncompromising, undeviating, unflinching, unforgiving, unrelenting, unstoppable, unyielding, vindictive
Antonyms: kind, merciful, sympathetic, understanding

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anthology

Back 108

Part of Speech: noun

Definition: literary collection

Synonyms: album, analect, compendium, compilation, digest, garland, omnibus, selection, treasury

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peculiar

Back 109

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: characteristic,
distinguishing

Synonyms: appropriate, diacritic, diagnostic, distinct, distinctive, endemic, exclusive, idiosyncratic, individual, intrinsic, local, particular, personal, private, proper, restricted, special, specific, typical, unique

Antonyms: abnormal, uncharacteristic

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proprietry

Back 110

Part of Speech: noun

Definition: solution to problem, often health

Synonyms: aid, alleviation, antidote, assistance, catholicon, corrective, counteractant, counteragent, countermeasure, drug, elixir, elixir vitae, fix, healing, healing agent, help, medicament, medicant, medication, medicine, nostrum, panacea, pharmacon, physic, placebo, proprietary , quick fix, recovery, redress, remedy, reparation, restora-tive, therapeutic, treatment
Antonyms: disease, problem

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inhibit

Back 111

Part of Speech: verb

Definition: restrict, prevent

Synonyms: arrest, avert, bar, bit, bridle, check, constrain, cramp, curb, discourage, enjoin, faze, forbid, frustrate, hang up, hinder, hog-tie, hold back, hold down, hold in, impede, interdict, keep in, obstruct, outlaw, prohibit, put on brakes, repress, restrain, sandbag, stop, stymie, suppress, taboo*, ward, withhold
Antonyms: aid, allow, approve, assist, free, help

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systematic

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Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: orderly

Synonyms: analytical, arranged, businesslike, complete, efficient, logical, methodic, methodical, ordered, organized, out-and-out, precise, regular, standardized, systematized, thoroughgoing, well-ordered
Notes: systemic means 'deep-seated, integral, built into the system'; systematic means 'periodic, occurring with regularity'
Antonyms: chaotic, confused, disorderly, mixed up, unmethodical, unsystematic

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orthodox

Back 113

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: accepted, traditional

Synonyms: according to the book, acknowledged, admitted, approved, authoritative, buttoned-down, by the numbers, canonical, conformist, conservative, conventional, correct, customary, devout, die-hard, doctrinal, established, in line, legitimate, official, old-line, pious, proper, punctilious, reactionary, received, recognized, religious, right, rightful, sanctioned, sound, square, standard, straight, straight arrow, traditionalistic, true, well-established
Antonyms: heterodox, unconventional, unorthodox, untraditional

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crimson

Back 114

Part of Speech: noun

Definition: red

Synonyms: bloody, blush, color, dye, maroon, redden, rose, rouge
Notes: crimson comes from a Sanskrit word which had to do with the red color of an insect; crimson is a deep red, while scarlet is a bright red

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decoy

Back 115

Part of Speech: noun

Definition: bait, trap

Synonyms: allurement, attraction, beard, blind, blow off, booster, camouflage, catch, chicane, chicanery, come-on, deception, drawing card, ensnarement, enticement, facade, fake, front, imitation, inducement, inveiglement, lure, nark, plant, pretense, seducement, shill, sitting duck, snare, stick, stool pigeon, stoolie, temptation, trick, trickery

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venture

Back 116

Part of Speech: noun

Definition: gamble, attempt

Synonyms: adventure, baby*, chance, deal, endeavor, enterprise, essay, experiment, exploit, feat*, hazard, header, investment, jeopardy, peril, pet project, project, proposition, pursuit, risk, setup, shot*, spec, speculation, stab*, stake, test, thing*, trial, undertaking, wager

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coherent

Back 117

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: understandable

Synonyms: articulate, comprehensible, consistent, identified, intelligible, logical, lucid, meaningful, orderly, organized, rational, reasoned, sound, systematic
Antonyms: disorganized, incomprehensible, irrational, not understandable, unintelligible, unrational, unsystematic

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unorthodox

Back 118

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: abnormal; other than accepted

Synonyms: beatnik, crazy*, different, dissident, eccentric, far-out, flaky*, heretical, heterodox, irregular, kinky*, nonconformist, off the beaten path, schismatic, sectarian, unconventional, uncustomary, unusual, unwonted, way-out, weird*
Antonyms: conventional, normal, orthodox, standard

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defer

Back 119

Part of Speech: verb

Definition: hold off, put off

Synonyms: adjourn, block, delay, detain, extend, give rain check, hang fire, hinder, hold up, impede, intermit, lay over, lengthen, obstruct, postpone, procrastinate, prolong, prorogue, protract, put on back burner, put on hold, put on ice, remit, retard, set aside, shelve, slow, stall, stay, suspend, table, waive
Antonyms: advance, expedite, forge, forward, hasten, hurry

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audit

Back 120

Part of Speech: noun

Definition: inspection of financial records

Synonyms: analysis, balancing, check, checking, examination, investigation, report, review, scrutiny, survey, verification, view

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ethical

Back 121

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: moral, righteous

Synonyms: Christian, clean, conscientious, correct, decent, elevated, equitable, fair, fitting, good, high-principled, honest, honorable, humane, just, kosher*, moralistic, noble, principled, proper, respectable, right, right-minded, square, straight, true blue, upright, upstanding, virtuous
Antonyms: corrupt, dishonest, immoral, improper, unethical, unjust, unrighteous

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ascetic

Back 122

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: self-denying

Synonyms: Spartan, abstaining, abstemious, abstinent, austere, disciplined, puritanical, strict

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austere

Back 123

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: severe in manner

Synonyms: ascetic, astringent, cold, earnest, exacting, forbidding, formal, grave, grim, hard, harsh, inexorable, inflexible, obdurate, rigid, rigorous, serious, sober, solemn, somber, stern, stiff, strict, stringent, unfeeling, unrelenting
Antonyms: bland, calm, gentle, meek, mild

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flatter

Back 124

Part of Speech: verb

Definition: compliment excessively

Synonyms: adulate, beslaver, blandish, bootlick, brownnose, build up*, butter up, cajole, cater to, charm, con, court, fawn*, get next to, glorify, grovel, humor, inveigle, jolly, lay it on thick, massage, oil, overpraise, play up to, praise, rub the right way, salve, sell, snow*, soft-soap, soften*, spread it on, stroke, suck up to, sweet-talk, sweeten up, toady, wheedle, work on, work over
Antonyms: belittle, castigate, condemn, criticize, denounce, insult, offend

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analogy

Back 125

Part of Speech: noun

Definition: agreement, similarity

Synonyms: affinity, alikeness, comparison, correlation, correspondence, equivalence, homology, likeness, metaphor, parallel, relation, relationship, resemblance, semblance, simile, similitude
Notes: analogy is when two different things share characteristics that lead to a comparison between them; an analogue is one of the things compared
Antonyms: disagreement, dissimilarity, unlikeness

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robust

Back 126

Part of Speech: adjective


Definition: healthy, strong
Synonyms: able-bodied, athletic, boisterous, booming, brawny, built, concentrated, fit, fit as fiddle, flourishing, full-bodied, hale, hardy, hearty, hefty, husky, in fine fettle, in good health, in good shape, in the pink, live, lusty, muscular, peppy, potent, powerful, powerhouse, prospering, prosperous, roaring, robustious, robustuous, rough, rugged, sinewy, snappy, sound, stout, strapping, sturdy, thriving, tiger, tough, vigorous, vital, well, wicked*, zappy, zippy
Antonyms: flabby, infirm, soft, unhealthy, weak

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haphazard

Back 127

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: without plan or
organization

Synonyms: accidental, aimless, all over the map, any old way, any which way, arbitrary, careless, casual, chance, designless, desultory, devil-may-care, disorderly, disorganized, erratic, fluke, helter-skelter, hit-or-miss, incidental, indiscriminate, irregular, loose, offhand, purposeless, random, reckless, slapdash, slipshod, spontaneous, sudden, unconcerned, unconscious, unconsidered, uncoordinated, unexpected, unmethodical, unorganized, unpremeditated, unsystematic, unthinking, willy-nilly
Antonyms: careful, designed, intentional, methodical, organized, planned, straight, systematic, thought-out

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martyrdom

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Part of Speech: noun

Definition: suffering endured for
sake of a cause

Synonyms: affliction, agonizing, agony, anguish, crucifixion, devotion, distress, mortification, ordeal, pain, persecution, sacrifice, self-immolation, self-sacrifice, torment, torture, unselfishness
Antonyms: contentment, happiness, satisfaction

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chief

Back 129

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: most important, essential

Synonyms: arch, capital, cardinal, central, champion, consequential, controlling, crucial, effective, especial, first, foremost, grand, head, highest, key, leading, main, major, momentous, number one, outstanding, paramount, potent, predominant, preeminent, premier, primal, primary, prime, principal, ruling, significant, star, stellar, superior, supreme, telling, uppermost, vital, weighty
Antonyms: inessential, minor, secondary, subordinate, unimportant, unnecessary

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flagship

Back 130

Part of Speech: noun

Definition: leader

Synonyms: bellwether, chief, crown jewel, flotilla leader, forerunner, front runner, head, lead ship, mother ship

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cornerstone

Back 131

Part of Speech: noun

Definition: vital element

Synonyms: anchor, base, essential, foundation, key element, keystone, linchpin, main ingredient, mainspring, mainstay, pillar

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integral

Back 132

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: necessary, basic

Synonyms: component, constituent, elemental, essential, fundamental, indispensable, intrinsic, requisite
Antonyms: extrinsic, secondary, supplemental, unnecessary

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peril

Back 133

Part of Speech: noun

Definition: danger, risk

Synonyms: cause for alarm, double trouble, endangerment, exposure, hazard, insecurity, jeopardy, liability, menace, openness, pitfall, risky business, uncertainty, vulnerability
Antonyms: safeness, safety, security

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chagrin

Back 134

Part of Speech: noun

Definition: displeasure

Synonyms: annoyance, balk, blow, crushing, discomfiture, discomposure, disgruntlement, dismay, disquiet, dissatisfaction, embarrassment, fretfulness, frustration, humiliation, ill-humor, irritation, letdown, mortification, peevishness, shame, spleen, upset, vexation
Antonyms: delight, gladness, happiness, joy, pleasure, triumph

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ransack

Back 135

to search thoroughly or vigorously through (a house, receptacle, etc.): They ransacked the house for the missing letter.

2.to search through for plunder; pillage: The enemy ransacked the entire town.



Part of Speech: verb

Definition: turn inside out in search; ravage

Synonyms: appropriate, comb, despoil, explore, ferret, filch, go over with a fine-tooth comb, go through, gut, hunt, investigate, lay waste, leave no stone unturned, lift, look all over for, look high and low, look into, loot, make off with, maraud, overhaul, peer, pilfer, pillage, pinch, plunder, poach, probe, pry, purloin, raid, rake, rape, ravish, rifle, rob, rummage, rustle, sack, scan, scour, scrutinize, search, seek, seize, shake down, sound, spoil, spy, steal, strip, take away, thieve
Antonyms: care for, clean, neaten, tidy

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beseech

Back 136

Part of Speech: verb

Definition: beg

Synonyms: adjure, appeal, ask, call upon, crave, entreat, implore, importune, invoke, petition, plead, pray, solicit, sue, supplicate
Antonyms: give, offer

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besiege

Back 137

Part of Speech: verb

Definition: surround; assault

Synonyms: assail, attack, beleaguer, beset, blockade, come at from all sides, confine, congregate, encircle, encompass, environ, hem in, invest, lay siege to, shut in, trap, work on, work over
Antonyms: leave alone

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disdain

Back 138

Part of Speech: noun

Definition: hate; indifference

Synonyms: antipathy, arrogance, aversion, contempt, contumely, derision, despisal, despisement, despite, dislike, disparagement, hatred, haughtiness, hauteur, insolence, loftiness, pride, ridicule, scorn, sneering, snobbishness, superbity, superciliousness
Notes: contempt is a more engaged, more involved feeling of disapproval than disdain
Antonyms: admiration, esteem, favor, like, love, praise, respect

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conspicuous

Back 139

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: obvious, easily seen

Synonyms: apparent, clear, discernible, distinct, evident, manifest, noticeable, open-and-shut, patent, perceptible, plain, visible
Antonyms: concealed, hidden, imperceptible, inconspicuous, obscure, secret, unnoticeable, unremarkable, unseen

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blatant

Back 140

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: obvious; brazen

Synonyms: arrant, bald, barefaced, brassy, clear, conspicuous, crying, flagrant, flashy, flaunting, garish, gaudy, glaring, glitzy, impudent, loud, meretricious, naked, obtrusive, ostentatious, outright, overbold, overt, plain, prominent, pronounced, protrusive, screaming, shameless, sheer, showy, snazzy, unabashed, unblushing, unmitigated
Notes: flagrant implies shocking and reprehensible, while blatant is obvious, contrived, and usually obnoxious; flagrant is a stronger term than blatant
Antonyms: inconspicuous, quiet, subtle, unpronounced

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notorious

Back 141

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: known for a trait, often an

Synonyms: blatant, dishonorable, disreputable, flagrant, glaring, ill-famed, infamous, leading, noted, obvious, opprobrious, overt, patent, popular, prominent, questionable, scandalous, shady, shameful, unadmirable one belled, undisputed, wanted, well-known, wicked

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adversity

Back 142

Part of Speech: noun

Definition: bad luck, situation

Synonyms: affliction, bad break, bummer, calamity, can of worms, catastrophe, clutch, contretemps, crunch, difficulty, disaster, distress, downer, drag*, evil eye, hard knocks, hard times, hardship, hurting, ill fortune, jam, jinx, kiss of death, misery, misfortune, mishap, on the skids, pain in the neck, poison*, reverse, sorrow, suffering, the worst, tough luck, trial, trouble
Antonyms: aid, encouragement, favor, fortune, good luck, help, prosperity

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wary

Back 143

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: careful, cautious

Synonyms: alert, attentive, cagey, calculating, canny, chary, circumspect, considerate, discreet, distrustful, doubting, frugal, gingerly, guarded, handling with kid gloves, heedful, keeping on one's toes, leery, on guard, on the lookout, on the qui vive, provident, prudent, safe, saving, sly, sparing, suspicious, thinking twice, thrifty, unwasteful, vigilant, walking on eggs, watchful, watching one's step, watching out, wide-awake
Notes: to be wary is to be cautious or watchful; weary means fatigued or tired
Antonyms: careless, foolish, heedless, incautious, indiscreet, rash, reckless

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weary

Back 144

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: tired

Synonyms: all in, beat*, bone-tired, bored, burned out, bushed, dead tired, dead*, discontented, disgusted, dog-tired, done in, drained, drooping, drowsy, enervated, exhausted, fagged, fatigued, fed up, flagging, had it, impatient, indifferent, jaded, knocked out, out of gas, overworked, pooped, punchy, ready to drop, sick, sick and tired, sleepy, spent*, taxed, wearied, wearing, wiped out, worn out, zonked
Notes: to be wary is to be cautious or watchful; weary means fatigued or tired
Antonyms: activated, energetic, fresh, lively, untired

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solace

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Part of Speech: noun

Definition: comfort, peace

Synonyms: alleviation, assuagement, condolement, condolence, consolation, pity, relief
Notes: solace is a form of comfort given to one who is in sorrow or distress; consolation is an act of offering such comfort, or the result of such comfort having been provided
Antonyms: discord, disharmony

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tantrum

Back 146

Part of Speech: noun

Definition: fit

Synonyms: anger, animosity, conniption, dander, flare-up, hemorrhage, huff, hysterics, outburst, storm*, temper, temper tantrum, wax
Antonyms: calm, contentment, peace

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whimsical

Back 147

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: playful, fanciful

Synonyms: amusing, arbitrary, capricious, chancy, chimerical, comical, curious, dicey, droll, eccentric, erratic, fantastic, flaky*, freakish, funny, kinky*, mischievous, odd, peculiar, quaint, ******, quizzical, singular, uncertain, unpredictable, unusual, waggish, wayward, weird*
Antonyms: behaving, reasonable, sensible

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voluptuous

Back 148

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: given to sensual pleasure; pleasurable to the senses

Synonyms: appealing, attractive, delightful, desirable, enticing, erotic, fleshly, hedonist, hedonistic, indulgent, lubricious, luxurious, pleasing, salacious, self-indulgent, sensuous, sexy, sybaritic, wanton
Antonyms: flat, underdeveloped

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opulent

Back 149

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: rich, luxurious, profuse

Synonyms: abundant, affluent, copious, deluxe, extravagant, exuberant, frilly, lavish, luscious, luxuriant,
moneyed, ostentatious, palatial, plentiful, plush, pretentious, prodigal, profusive, prolific, prosperous, rich, riotous, showy, sumptuous, swank, upholstered, velvet*, wealthy, well-heeled, well-off, well-to-do
Antonyms: depressed, destitute, poor

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exhort

Back 150

Part of Speech: verb

Definition: urge, warn

Synonyms: admonish, advise, beseech, bid, call upon, caution, counsel, egg on, encourage, enjoin, entreat, goad, incite, insist, persuade, plead, preach, press, pressure, prick, prod, prompt, propel, spur, stimulate

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entreat

Back 151

Part of Speech: verb

Definition: plead with

Synonyms: appeal to, ask, beg, beseech, blandish, coax, conjure, crave, enjoin, exhort, implore, importune, invoke, pester, petition, plague, pray, press, request, supplicate, urge, wheedle
Antonyms: answer, command, demand

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solicit

Back 152

Part of Speech: verb

Definition: plead for; try to sell

Synonyms: accost, apply, approach, ask, beg, beseech, bespeak, bum, cadge, call, canvass, challenge, claim, come on to, crave, demand, desire, drum up, drum, entreat, exact, go, hawk, hit on, hit up, hustle, implore, importune, inquire, mooch, panhandle, pass the hat, peddle, petition, postulate, pray, promote, proposition, query, question, refer, request, require, requisition, resort, seduce, seek, sponge, steer, sue for, supplicate, touch, tout, turn, whistle for
Antonyms: disapprove, refuse, reject

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compel

Back 153

Part of Speech: verb

Definition: force to act

Synonyms: bulldoze, coerce, concuss, constrain, crack down, dragoon, drive, enforce, exact, hustle, impel, make, make necessary, necessitate, oblige, put the arm on, put the chill on, restrain, shotgun, squeeze, throw weight around, turn on the heat, urge
Notes: impel means to urge or encourage while compel means to take action as a result of pressure or coercion; impel is very similar in meaning to compel but suggests even more strongly an inner drive to do something and often a greater urgency in the desire to act
Antonyms: block, check, delay, deter, hinder, impede, obstruct, stop

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foreman

Back 154

Part of Speech: noun

Definition: overseer

Synonyms: Big Brother, boss, boss man, executive, head, head honcho, head man, honcho, manager, overseer, pit boss, pusher, slave driver, straw boss, superintendent, supervisor, taskmaster
Antonyms: worker

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chaos

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Part of Speech: noun

Definition: utter confusion

Synonyms: anarchy, ataxia, bedlam, clutter, disarray, discord, disorder, disorganization, entropy, free-for-all, holy mess, lawlessness, misrule, mix-up, mobocracy, muddle, pandemonium, rat's nest, snarl, topsy-turviness, tumult, turmoil, unruliness
Antonyms: calm, harmony, normality, order, organization, quiet, system

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prime

Back 156

Part of Speech: noun

Definition: best part of existence

Synonyms: best, best days, bloom, choice, cream*, elite, fat*, flower*, flowering, height, heyday, maturity, peak, perfection, pink*, prize, spring, springtime, top, verdure, vitality, zenith
Antonyms: downfall

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dormant

Back 157

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: inactive; sleeping

Synonyms: abeyant, asleep, closed down, comatose, down, fallow, hibernating, inert, inoperative, latent, lethargic, lurking, on the shelf, out of action, passive, potential, prepatent, quiescent, sidelined, slack, sluggish, slumbering, smoldering, suspended, torpid
Antonyms: active, lively

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grosteque

Back 158

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: ugly, misshapen

Synonyms: aberrant,
abnormal, absurd, antic, bizarre, deformed, distorted, eerie, extravagant, extreme, fanciful, fantastic, flamboyant, freakish, grody, gross*, incongruous, ludicrous, malformed, monstrous, odd, outlandish, perverted, preposterous, *****, ridiculous, strange, surrealistic, uncanny, unnatural, weird, whimsical
Antonyms: beautiful, nice, pretty, shapely

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abhor

Back 159

Part of Speech: verb

Definition: regard with contempt or disgust

Synonyms: abominate, be allergic to, be down on, be grossed out by, despise, detest, hate, have no use for, loathe, scorn
Antonyms: admire, adore, approve, cherish, desire, enjoy, like, love, relish

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ambiguous

Back 160

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: having more than one meaning

Synonyms: clear as dishwater, cryptic, doubtful, dubious, enigmatic, enigmatical, equivocal, inconclusive, indefinite, indeterminate, inexplicit, muddy, multivocal, obscure, opaque, polysemous, puzzling, questionable, tenebrous, uncertain, unclear, unintelligible, vague
Notes: ambiguous is vague by accident or intent; equivocal is vague by intent
Antonyms: clear, definite, explicit, lucid

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subsequent

Back 161

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: after

Synonyms: consecutive, consequent, consequential, ensuing, following, later, next, posterior, postliminary, proximate, resultant, resulting, sequent, sequential, serial, subsequential, succeeding, successional, successive
Antonyms: anteceent, earlier, former, previous, prior

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ratify

Back 162

Part of Speech: verb

Definition: affirm, authorize

Synonyms: accredit, approve, authenticate, bear out, bind, bless, certify, commission, confirm, consent, corroborate, endorse, establish, give stamp of approval, go for, license, okay*, rubber stamp, sanction, sign, substantiate, uphold, validate
Antonyms: deny, disaffirm, disagree, renounce, revoke, veto

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candor

Back 163

Part of Speech: noun

Definition: complete honesty

Synonyms: artlessness, directness, fairness, forthrightness, frankness, glasnost, guilelessness, honesty, impartiality, ingenuousness, naiveté, openness, outspokenness, probity, simplicity, sincerity, straightforwardness, truthfulness, unequivocalness, uprightness, veracity
Antonyms: artifice, deception, falsehood, guile, lying

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vetoed

Back 164

Part of Speech: verb

Definition: refuse permission

Synonyms: ban, blackball, burn, cut, decline, defeat, deny, disallow, disapprove, discountenance, forbid, give thumbs down, interdict, kill, negate, negative, nix, not go for, pass, pass by, pass on, prohibit, put down, refuse, reject, rule out, shoot down, throw away, throw out, thumbs down, turn down
Antonyms: allow, approve, ok, permit, ratify, sanction

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mundane

Back 165

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: ordinary

Synonyms: banal, commonplace, day-to-day, earthly, everyday, humdrum*, lowly, normal, prosaic, routine, workaday, workday, worldly
Antonyms: exciting, extraordinary, heavenly, supernatural, wonderful

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germane

Back 166

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: appropriate

Synonyms: ad rem, akin, allied, applicable, applicative, applicatory, apposite, apropos, apt, cognate, connected, fitting, kindred, kosher*, legit, material, on target, on the button, on the nose, pertinent, proper, related, relating, relevant, right on, suitable, that's the ticket, to the point, to the purpose
Notes: germane and relevant indicate pertinence to a matter, but may not be essential; material means pertinent and necessary
Antonyms: improper, inappropriate, irrelevant, unfitting, unrelated, unsuitable

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ambiguity

Back 167

Part of Speech: noun

Definition: uncertainty of meaning

Synonyms: anagram, double meaning, double-entendre, doubt, doubtfulness, dubiety, dubiousness, enigma, equivocacy, equivocality, equivocation, incertitude, inconclusiveness, indefiniteness, indeterminateness, obscurity, polysemousness, polysemy, puzzle, tergiversation, uncertainty, unclearness, vagueness
Antonyms: certainty, clarity, clearness, definiteness, explicitness, lucidity

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interchangeable

Back 168

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: identical, transposable

Synonyms: changeable, commutable, compatible, converse, convertible, correspondent, equivalent, exchangeable, fungible, interconvertible, mutual, reciprocal, reciprocative, same, substitutable, synonymous, workalike
Antonyms: different, dissimilar

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interchangeably

Back 169

Part of Speech: adverb

Definition: correspondently

Synonyms: conversely, mutually, reciprocally, vice versa

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propensity

Back 170

Part of Speech: noun

Definition: inclination, weakness

Synonyms: ability, aptness, bent*, bias, capacity, competence, disposition, flash, inclining, leaning, liability, partiality, penchant, predilection, predisposition, proclivity, proneness, susceptibility, sweet tooth, talent, tendency, thing*, tilt, yen
Notes: a propensity is a tendency while a predilection is a partiality - thus, a propensity (from Latin meaning 'hanging toward') is a behavioral predisposition whereas a predilection is a personal characteristic (from Latin meaning 'choose or love before others')
Antonyms: antipathy, disinclination, dislike, hate

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lucid

Back 171

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: evident, obvious

Synonyms: apprehensible, clear, clear-cut, comprehendible, comprehensible, crystal clear, distinct, explicit, fathomable, graspable, intelligible, knowable, limpid, luminous, pellucid, plain, translucent, transparent, transpicuous, unambiguous, unblurred, understandable
Antonyms: clouded, obscure, unclear, vague

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monotonous

Back 172

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: all the same, remaining the same

Synonyms: banausic, blah*, boring, colorless, dreary, droning, dull, dull as dishwater, flat, flat as pancake, ho-hum, humdrum*, monotone, nothing, pedestrian, plodding, prosaic, puts one to sleep, recurrent, reiterated, repetitious, repetitive, samely, sing-song, soporific, tedious, tiresome, toneless, treadmill, unchanged, unchanging, uniform, uninflected, uninteresting, unrelieved, unvaried, unvarying, wearisome, wearying
Antonyms: changing, ever-changing, exciting, lively, variable, versatile

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coy

Back 173

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: very modest

Synonyms: backward, bashful, blushing, coquettish, demure, diffident, evasive, flirtatious, humble, kittenish, overmodest, prudish, rabbity, reserved, retiring, self-effacing, shrinking, shy, skittish, timid, unassertive
Antonyms: aggressive, forward, immodest, impudent, unshy

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demure

Back 174

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: reserved, affected

Synonyms: backward, bashful, blushing, close, coy, decorous, diffident, earnest, humble, modest, nice, prim, prissy, proper, prudish, reticent, retiring, sedate, serious, shy, silent, skittish, sober, solemn, staid, strait-laced, timid, unassertive, unassuming, unassured
Notes: demur is the verb 'to object or voice opposition' while demure is the adjective meaning 'modest, shy'
Antonyms: aggressive, bold, extroverted, outgoing, shameless, strong

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audacity

Back 175

Part of Speech: noun

Definition: recklessness, daring

Synonyms: adventurousness, audaciousness, boldness, bravery, courage, dauntlessness, enterprise, fearlessness, guts, intrepidity, nerve, rashness, valor, venturesomeness
Antonyms: care, carefulness, caution, reserve, timidity

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animosity

Back 176

Part of Speech: noun

Definition: extreme dislike, hatred

Synonyms: acrimony, animus, antagonism, antipathy, bad blood, bitterness, displeasure, enmity, hate, hostility, ill will, malevolence, malice, malignity, rancor, resentment, virulence
Antonyms: good will, love

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ironic

Back 177

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: sarcastic

Synonyms: acrid, alert, arrogant, backbiting, biting, bitter, burlesque, caustic, chaffing, clever, contemptuous, contradictory, critical, cutting, cynical, defiant, derisive, disparaging, double-edged, exaggerated, implausible, incisive, incongruous, jibing, keen, mocking, mordant, paradoxical, pungent, quick-witted, ridiculous, sardonic, satiric, satirical, scathing, scoffing, sharp, sneering, spicy, trenchant, twisted, uncomplimentary, witty, wry
Antonyms: considerate, deferential

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scarcity

Back 178

Part of Speech: noun

Definition: deficiency

Synonyms: dearth, drought, exiguity, famine, inadequacy, infrequency, insufficiency, lack, paucity, rareness, rarity, scantiness, shortage, sparsity, stringency, uncommonness, want
Antonyms: abundance, commonness, excess, surplus

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auspicious

Back 179

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: encouraging; favorable

Synonyms: advantageous, bright, favorable, felicitous, fortunate, golden, halcyon, happy, hopeful, lucky, opportune, promising, propitious, prosperous, rosy, timely, well-timed
Notes: auspicious implies success in the future while propitious means favorable conditions are present; auspicious means promising or of good omen - not just special or memorable
Antonyms: inauspicious, inopportune, ominous, unfortunate, unhappy, unlucky

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desert

Back 180

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: barren, uncultivated

Synonyms: arid, bare, desolate, infertile, lonely, solitary, sterile, uninhabited, unproductive, untilled, waste, wild
Notes: that impoverished stretch of sand called a desert can only afford one 's'; that rich gooey extra thing at the end of the meal called a dessert indulges in two of them
Antonyms: cultivated, fertile, productive

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desertion

Back 181

Part of Speech: noun

Definition: abandonment

Synonyms: abrogation, absconding, apostasy, avoidance, backsliding, betrayal, castoff, defecting, departing, departure, derelict, dereliction, disaffection, disavowal, disavowing, divorce, elusion, escape, evasion, falling away, falseness, flight, forsaking, going back on, leaving, marooning, perfidy, recreancy, rejection, relinquishment, renunciation, repudiation, resignation, retirement, retreat, running out on, secession, tergiversation, treachery, truancy, withdrawal
Antonyms: aid, assistance, help, staying

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strive

Back 182

Part of Speech: verb

Definition: try for, exert oneself

Synonyms: aim, assay, attempt, bear down, bend over backward, break one's neck, compete, contend, do one's best, do one's utmost, drive, endeavor, essay, fight, go after, go all out, go for broke, go for the jugular, go the limit, hassle, jockey, knock oneself out, labor, leave no stone unturned, make every effort, moil, offer, push, scramble, seek, shoot for, strain, struggle, sweat, tackle, take on, toil, try hard, tug, work
Antonyms: forget, skip

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asylum

Back 183

Part of Speech: noun

Definition: refuge

Synonyms: cover, den, harbor, haven, hideaway, hideout, hole, ivory tower, port, preserve, refuge, retreat, safe house, safety, sanctuary, security, shelter

Front 184

incite

Back 184

Part of Speech: verb

Definition: encourage, provoke

Synonyms: abet, activate, actuate, agitate, animate, arouse, coax, craze, drive, egg on, encourage, excite, exhort, fan the fire, foment, force, forward, further, get to, goad, impel, induce, inflame, influence, inspire, inspirit, instigate, juice*, key up, motivate, persuade, prick, promote, prompt, provoke, psych, push, put up to, raise, rouse, set, set off, solicit, spur, stimulate, stir up, talk into, taunt, trigger, urge, whip up, work up
Notes: incite means to provoke or stir up while insight means clear or deep perception of a situation
Antonyms: delay, deter, discourage, prohibit

Front 185

desert

Back 185

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: barren, uncultivated

Synonyms: arid, bare, desolate, infertile, lonely, solitary, sterile, uninhabited, unproductive, untilled, waste, wild
Notes: that impoverished stretch of sand called a desert can only afford one 's'; that rich gooey extra thing at the end of the meal called a dessert indulges in two of them
Antonyms: cultivated, fertile, productive

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desertion

Back 186

Part of Speech: noun

Definition: abandonment

Synonyms: abrogation, absconding, apostasy, avoidance, backsliding, betrayal, castoff, defecting, departing, departure, derelict, dereliction, disaffection, disavowal, disavowing, divorce, elusion, escape, evasion, falling away, falseness, flight, forsaking, going back on, leaving, marooning, perfidy, recreancy, rejection, relinquishment, renunciation, repudiation, resignation, retirement, retreat, running out on, secession, tergiversation, treachery, truancy, withdrawal
Antonyms: aid, assistance, help, staying

Front 187

strive

Back 187

Part of Speech: verb

Definition: try for, exert oneself

Synonyms: aim, assay, attempt, bear down, bend over backward, break one's neck, compete, contend, do one's best, do one's utmost, drive, endeavor, essay, fight, go after, go all out, go for broke, go for the jugular, go the limit, hassle, jockey, knock oneself out, labor, leave no stone unturned, make every effort, moil, offer, push, scramble, seek, shoot for, strain, struggle, sweat, tackle, take on, toil, try hard, tug, work
Antonyms: forget, skip

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perpetuate

Back 188

Part of Speech: verb

Definition: keep going

Synonyms: bolster, conserve, continue, eternalize, eternize, immortalize, keep, keep alive, keep in existence, keep up, maintain, preserve, secure, support, sustain
Antonyms: cease, halt, prevent, stop

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console

Back 189

Part of Speech: verb

Definition: relieve, comfort

Synonyms: animate, assuage, buck up, calm, cheer, condole with, encourage, express sympathy, gladden, inspirit, lift, solace, soothe, tranquilize, untrouble, upraise
Antonyms: agitate, annoy, antagonize, depress, discourage, dispirit, disturb, hurt, sadden, trouble, upset

Front 190

cogent

Back 190

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: effective

Synonyms: apposite, apt, compelling, conclusive, consequential, convictive, convincing, fitting, forceful, forcible, inducing, influential, irresistible, justified, meaningful, momentous, persuasive, pertinent, potent, powerful, puissant, relevant, satisfactory, satisfying, significant, solid, sound, strong, suasive, telling, urgent, valid, weighty, well-grounded
Antonyms: impotent, ineffective, invalid, weak

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omnipresent

Back 191

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: all-present

Synonyms: everywhere, infinite, pervading, pervasive, ubiquitary, ubiquitous, universal
Notes: omnipresent means present in all places at the same time; omniscient means infinitely wise or all-knowing; omnipotent means having unlimited power

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unanimous

Back 192

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: in agreement; uncontested

Synonyms: accepted, accordant, agreed, agreeing, as one, assenting, collective, combined, common, communal, concerted, concordant, concurrent, consensual, consentient, consistent, consonant, harmonious, homogeneous, in complete accord, like-minded, of one mind, popular, public, shared, single, solid, undisputed, undivided, unified, united, universal, unquestioned, with one voice
Antonyms: split

Front 193

vex

Back 193

Part of Speech: verb

Definition: distress, bother

Synonyms: abrade, afflict, aggravate, agitate, anger, annoy, be at, chafe, depress, displease, disquiet, disturb, eat*, embarrass, exasperate, fret, gall*, get in one's hair, get under one's skin, give a bad time, give a hard time, grate on, harass, harry, hassle, infuriate, irk, irritate, molest, needle, nettle, offend, peeve, perplex, pester, pique, plague, provoke, put out, rasp, ride, rile, tease, tick off, torment, trouble, turn off, upset, worry
Antonyms: aid, assist, help, please, soothe

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detest

Back 194

Part of Speech: verb

Definition: hate; feel disgust toward

Synonyms: abhor, abominate, be allergic to, despise, dislike intensely, down on, execrate, feel aversion toward, feel hostility toward, feel repugnance toward, have no use for, loathe, recoil from, reject, repudiate
Notes: one would tend to detest someone for behavior, despise someone for character
Antonyms: adore, cherish, like, love, prize, respect

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delegate

Back 195

Part of Speech: noun

Definition: representative, often
governmental
Synonyms: agent, alternate, ambassador, appointee, catchpole, commissioner, consul, deputy, emissary, envoy, factor, front*, legate, member, member of congress, minister, mouthpiece, nominee, people's choice, pinch hitter, plenipotentiary, proxy, regent, rep, replacement, senator, spokesperson, stand-in, substitute, surrogate, vicar, viceroy
Notes: as a noun, delegate is a person appointed or elected to represent others - as a verb delegate means to transfer power or authority to someone; relegate means to refer to another person for decision or judgment or assign to a lower position or reduce in rank
a delegation differs from a legation in that the members of a delegation are usually not charged with a specific mission but merely with the overall task of representing the interests of a body of people, often at a conference during an assembly's regular session; a legate usually acts alone while a delegate acts as part of a group

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revision

Back 196

Part of Speech: noun

Definition: change; rewriting

Synonyms: afterlight, alteration, amendment, correction, editing, emendation, homework, improvement, modification, overhauling, polish, recension, reconsideration, rectification, rectifying, redaction, redraft, reediting, reexamination, rescript, restyling, retrospect, retrospection, review, revisal, revise, updating

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jeer

Back 197

Part of Speech: verb

Definition: heckle

Synonyms: banter, comeback, contemn, deride, dig*, fleer, flout, gibe, hector, hoot, jab, jest, laugh at, make a crack, mock, poke fun, put down, put on, quip, ridicule, scoff, sneer, snipe, taunt

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apparatus

Back 198

Part of Speech: noun

Definition: equipment with a purpose

Synonyms: accoutrement, appliance, black box, contraption, device, dingbat, doodad, doohickey, furnishings, gaff, gear, gimcrack, gimmick, gizmo, grabber, habiliments, idiot box, implement, jigger, job*, machine, machinery, means, mechanism, outfit, paraphernalia, provisions, setup, stuff, supplies, tackle, thingamajig, tools, utensils, whatchamacallit, whatsis, whosis, widget

Front 199

cordial

Back 199

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: friendly, sociable

Synonyms: affable, affectionate, agreeable, amicable, buddy-buddy, cheerful, clubby, companionable, congenial, convivial, cozy, earnest, genial, glowing, gracious, happy, heart-to-heart, heartfelt, hearty, invigorating, jovial, mellow, neighborly, palsy-walsy, polite, red-carpet, responsive, sincere, social, sympathetic, tender, warm, warmhearted, welcoming, wholehearted
Antonyms: aloof, cool, disagreeable, hostile, indifferent, inhospitable, uncordial, unfriendly, unpleasant, unsociable

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arbiter

Back 200

Part of Speech: noun

Definition: person who settles dispute

Synonyms: adjudicator, arbitrator, fixer, go-between, holdout, judge, maven, mediator, middleperson, moderator, referee, umpire
Notes: an arbitrator is appointed; an arbiter has no such authority but his/her opinion is valued

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repress

Back 201

Part of Speech: verb

Definition: keep back, hold in

Synonyms: black out, bottle, chasten, check, collect, compose, control, cool*, cork, crush, curb, gridlock, hinder, hold back, inhibit, jam up, keep in, keep in check, keep under wraps, kill*, lock, master, muffle, overcome, overpower, quash, quelch, quell, rein, restrain, shush, silence, simmer down, smother, squelch, stifle, subdue, subjugate, suppress, swallow, throw cold water on, tie up
Antonyms: allow, let go, permit

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imminent

Back 202

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: at hand, on the way

Synonyms: about to happen, approaching, brewing, close, coming, expectant, fast-approaching, following, forthcoming, gathering, handwriting-on-the-wall, immediate, impending, in store, in the air, in the cards, in the offing, in the wind, in view, ineluctable, inescapable, inevasible, inevitable, likely, looming, menacing, near, nearing, next, nigh, on its way, on the horizon, on the verge, overhanging, possible, probable, see it coming, threatening, to come, unavoidable, unescapable
Notes: if you mean 'famous' or 'superior,' you want eminent ; if you mean 'impending, about to happen' that is imminent ; and if you mean 'present, inherent,' your word is immanent
imminent is 'about to happen' and immanent is 'inherent' or 'pervading the material world'
Antonyms: distant, doubtful, far, future, later

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boldness

Back 203

Part of Speech: noun

Definition: audacity

Synonyms: adventurousness, bravery, chutzpah, courage, daring, dauntlessness, determination, fearlessness, nerve, recklessness
Antonyms: cowardice, fear

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bold

Back 204

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: brave

Synonyms: adventurous, assuming, audacious, aweless, bantam, courageous, daring, dauntless, enterprising, fearless, forward, gallant, heroic, intrepid, resolute, unafraid, undaunted, valiant, valorous
Antonyms: afraid, cowardly, fearful, meek, shy, timid, weak

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misfortune

Back 205

Part of Speech: noun

Definition: bad luck; disaster

Synonyms: accident, adversity, affliction, annoyance, anxiety, bad break, bad news, blow*, burden, calamity, casuality, cataclysm, catastrophe, contretemps, cross, crunch, debacle, disadvantage, disappointment, discomfort, dole, failure, hard luck, hardship, harm, inconvenience, infelicity, loss, misadventure, mischance, misery, nuisance, reverse, rotten luck, setback, stroke of bad luck, tough luck, tragedy, trial, tribulation, trouble, unpleasantness, visitation, worry
Antonyms: advantage, benefit, blessing, fortune, good luck

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precursor

Back 206

Part of Speech: noun

Definition: something that indicates outcome or event beforehand

Synonyms: forerunner,
harbinger, herald, messenger, outrider, usher, vanguard

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insipid

Back 207

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: dull, uninteresting

Synonyms: anemic, arid, banal, beige, blah*, bland, characterless, colorless, commonplace, dead*, drab, driveling, dry, feeble, flat, ho-hum, inane, innocuous, jejune, lifeless, limp, mild, mundane, nebbish, nothing, ordinary, plain, pointless, prosaic, prosy, slight, soft*, spiritless, stale, stupid, subdued, tame, tedious, tenuous, thin, tired, trite, unimaginative, vapid, watery, weak, weariful, wearisome, wishy-washy
Notes: sipid - of pleasing taste, flavor, or character - is the opposite of insipid
Antonyms: exciting, exhilarating, interesting, pleasing

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coherent

Back 208

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: understandable

Synonyms: articulate, comprehensible, consistent, identified, intelligible, logical, lucid, meaningful, orderly, organized, rational, reasoned, sound, systematic
Antonyms: disorganized, incomprehensible, irrational, not understandable, unintelligible, unrational, unsystematic

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saturate

Back 209

Part of Speech: verb

Definition: drench, wet through

Synonyms: bathe, douche, douse, imbue, immerse, impregnate, infuse, overfill, penetrate, percolate, permeate, pervade, sate, satiate, soak, sop, souse, steep, suffuse, surfeit, transfuse, wash, waterlog
Antonyms: dehydrate, dry

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illegible

Back 210

Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: unreadable

Synonyms: cacographic, crabbed, cramped, difficult to read, faint, hard to make out, hieroglyphic, indecipherable, indistinct, obscure, scrawled, unclear, undecipherable, unintelligible
Notes: eligible means qualified for or allowed or worthy of being chosen while illegible means hard to read or not legible
illegible refers to bad handwriting, while unreadable refers to poor writing
Antonyms: decipherable, legible, readible, understandable

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bias

Back 211

Part of Speech: noun

Definition: belief in one way;
partiality

Synonyms: bent, bigotry, chauvinism, disposition, favoritism, flash, head-set, illiberality, inclination, intolerance, leaning, mind trip, mind-set, narrowmindedness, one-sidedness, penchant, preconception, predilection, predisposition, preference, prejudice, prepossession, proclivity, proneness, propensity, spin, standpoint, tendency, tilt, turn, unfairness, viewpoint
Notes: a person's bias is based on facts, but prejudice occurs without a person knowing or examining the facts
Antonyms: fairness, impartiality, justness

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theory

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Part of Speech: noun

Definition: hypothesis, belief

Synonyms: approach, argument, assumption, base, basis, code, codification, concept, conditions, conjecture, doctrine, dogma, feeling, formularization, foundation, grounds, guess, guesswork, hunch, idea, ideology, impression, method, outlook, philosophy, plan, position, postulate, premise, presentiment, presumption, proposal, provision, rationale, scheme, shot*, speculation, stab*, supposal, suppose, supposition, surmise, suspicion, system, systemization, theorem, thesis, understanding
Antonyms: certainty, fact, proof, reality
* = informal/non-formal usage

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ubiquitous

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Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: ever-present

Synonyms: all-over, everywhere, omnipresent, pervasive, ubiquitary, universal, wall-to-wall
Antonyms: rare, scarce

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advantage

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Part of Speech: noun

Definition: benefit, favored position or circumstance

Synonyms: aid, ascendancy, asset, assistance, authority, avail, blessing, boon, break, choice, comfort, convenience, dominance, edge, eminence, expediency, favor, gain, good, gratification, help, hold, improvement, influence, interest, lead, leeway, leg-up, leverage, luck, mastery, odds, position, power, pre-eminence, precedence, preference, prestige, prevalence, profit, protection, recognition, resources, return, sanction, starting, superiority, support, supremacy, upper hand, utility, wealth
Notes: advantage is a relatively favorable position; superiority of means while vantage is a position, condition, or opportunity that is likely to provide superiority or an advantage
Antonyms: disadvantage, drawback, handicap, hindrance, loss, obstacle, restriction

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fret

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Part of Speech: verb

Definition: worry, be annoyed

Synonyms: affront, agonize, anguish, bleed, bother, brood, carp, carry a heavy load, chafe, chagrin, distress oneself, eat one's heart out, fume, fuss, get into a dither, grieve, lose sleep over, mope, pother, stew, sweat it out, take on, torment, upset oneself
Antonyms: calm, comfort, soothe

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percolate

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Part of Speech: verb

Definition: seep, drip (liquid)

Synonyms: bleed, bubble, charge, drain, exude, filter, filtrate, impregnate, leach, ooze, pass through, penetrate, perk, permeate, pervade, saturate, strain, sweat, transfuse, transude, weep

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wavered

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Part of Speech: verb

Definition: shift back and forth; be indecisive

Synonyms: be irresolute, be unable to decide, blow hot and cold, change, deliberate, dilly-dally, dither, falter, flicker, fluctuate, halt, hedge, hem and haw, hesitate, oscillate, palter, pause, pussyfoot around, quiver, reel, run hot and cold, seesaw, shake, stagger, sway, teeter, totter, tremble, trim, undulate, vacillate, vary, waffle, wave, weave, whiffle, wobble, yo-yo
Notes: waver is a verb meaning to vacillate or be indecisive; a waiver is a relinquishment of a claim, privilege, or right

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abscond

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Part of Speech: verb

Definition: run away, depart
secretly

Synonyms: beat it, bolt*, break, clear out, cut and run, decamp, disappear, dog it, duck out, escape, fade*, flee, fly the coop, get, go AWOL, go south, hightail, jump*, leave, make a break, make off, make scarce, pull out, quit, run off, scram, skedaddle, skip out, slip, sneak away, split*, steal away, take off, vamoose, vanish
Antonyms: abide, continue, endure, give up, remain, stay, stop, yield

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bewilder

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Part of Speech: verb

Definition: confuse

Synonyms: addle, baffle, ball up, befuddle, bemuse, confound, daze, disconcert, distract, floor*, fluster, mess with one's head, mix up, muddle, mystify, perplex, puzzle, rattle, snow*, stump, stupefy, throw, upset
Antonyms: clear up, explain, orient

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berate

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Part of Speech: verb

Definition: criticize hatefully

Synonyms: bawl out, blister, call down, castigate, censure, chew out, chew*, chide, cuss out, eat out, give one hell, give what for, jaw, jump all over, rail at, rake over the coals, rate, rebuke, reprimand, reproach, reprove, revile, scold, scorch, tell off, tongue-lash, upbraid, vituperate

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scold

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Part of Speech: verb

Definition: find fault with

Synonyms: abuse, admonish, asperse, berate, blame, castigate, cavil, censure, chasten, chide, criticize, denounce, disparage, dress down, expostulate, give a talking-to, jump on, keep aft, lay down the law, lecture, light into, nag, objurate, preach, put down, rail, rake over the coals, rate, ream, rebuke, recriminate, reprimand, reproach, reprobate, reprove, revile, take to task, taunt, tell off, upbraid, vilify, vituperate
Antonyms: compliment, flatter, praise

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blithe

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Part of Speech: adjective

Definition: happy

Synonyms: animated, buoyant, carefree, cheerful, cheery, chirpy, gay, gladsome, gleeful, jaunty, jocund, jolly, jovial, joyful, lighthearted, merry, mirthful, sprightly, sunny, vivacious
Antonyms: heavyhearted, morose, sad, sorrowful, unhappy