English Vocabulary, Chapter 15

Front 1

abyss

Back 1

(n)
a deep or bottomless pit

syn: chasm, gorge
ant: summit, promontory, pinnacle

Front 2

befall

Back 2

(v)
to happen, occur; to happen to

syn: come to pass

Front 3

crucial

Back 3

(adj)
of supreme importance, decisive, critical

syn: pivotal, vital
ant: insignificant, inconsequential

Front 4

dregs

Back 4

(n.pl)
the last remaining part; the part of least worth

syn: grounds, lees, residue, leftovers

ant: elite, upper crust, cream of the crop

Front 5

embody

Back 5

(v)
to give form to; to incorporate, include; to personify

syn: encompass

Front 6

exasperate

Back 6

(v)
to irritate, annoy, or anger

syn: vex, try one's patience
ant: soothe, mollify, please, delight

Front 7

fiasco

Back 7

(n)
the complete callapse or failure of a project

syn: disaster, flop, bomb
ant: complete success, triumph, hit

Front 8

garnish

Back 8

(v)
to adorn or decorate, especially food
(n)
an ornament or decoration, especially for food

syn: (v) embellish, gussy up

Front 9

heritage

Back 9

(n)
an inheritance; a birthright

syn: legacy, descent, pedigree

Front 10

inert

Back 10

(adj)
lifeless, unable to move or act; slow, inactive

syn: motionless, sluggish, lethargic
ant: vigorous, energetic, volatile, lively

Front 11

mercenary

Back 11

(adj)
acting or working for self-gain only
(n)
a hired soldier; a soldier of fortune

syn: (adj) grasping, avaricious
ant: (adj) unselfish, disinterested, altruistic

Front 12

negligent

Back 12

(adj)
marked by carelessness or indifference; failing to do what should be done

syn: careless, neglectful, remiss, derelict

ant: careful, attentive, conscientious

Front 13

oblivion

Back 13

(n)
forgetfulness, disregard; a state of being forgotten; an amnesty, general pardon

syn: obscurity, nothingness
ant: fame, renown, celebrity

Front 14

opus

Back 14

(n)
an impressive piece of work, especially a musical composition or other work of art

syn: work, composition, piece, oeuvre

Front 15

pallid

Back 15

(adj)
pale, lacking color; weak and lifeless

syn: colorless, bloodless, ashen, dull
ant: ruddy, sanguine, racy, colorful

Front 16

rational

Back 16

(adj)
based on reasoning; able to make use of reason; sensible, reasonable

syn: logical
ant: mad, insane, illogical, absurd

Front 17

reciprocal

Back 17

(adj)
shared; involving give-and-take between two ersons or things; working in both directions;
(n)
(math) =a number that, when multipleed by another number, gives 1

syn: (adj) mutual
ant: (adj) one-sided, unilateral

Front 18

stricture

Back 18

(n)
a limitation or restriction; a criticism; (medicine)= a narrowing of a passage in the body.

syn: restraint
ant: compliment, praise, accolade, swelling

Front 19

parable

Back 19

(n)
a short narrative designed to teach a moral lesson

syn: moral tale, fable, allegory

Front 20

veneer

Back 20

(n)
a thin outer layer; a surface appearance or decoration;
(v)
to cover with a thin layer

syn: (n) facing, overlay, facade, pretense
ant: (n) nucleus, inner core