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20 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
- 3rd side (hint)
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adj. giving assistance or support;
n. a helper, aid syn: adj. additional, back-up n. reserve, accessory ant: adj. main, primary, principal |
auxiliary
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If the main motor fails, the instructions say to turn on the auxiliary (adj) motor. Someone second in command is an auxiliary (n) to the person in charge.
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adj. frank, sincere; impartial; unposed
syn: forthright, plainspoken, unbiased ant: insincere, evasive, misleading, artful |
candid
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It is safe to be candid about our faults with friends and loved ones.
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n. a small room or compartment
syn: enclosure, hole-in-the-wall ant: vast hall, auditorium |
cubicle
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The tiniest cubicle is usually assigned to the newest employee.
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n. work that is hard and tiresome
syn: toil, labor, grind ant: play, frolic, amusement, recreation, fun |
drudgery
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Trade unions lobby to relieve the endless drudgery of factory workers.
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n. a representative or messenger (as of a government)
syn: agent, ambassador, emissary, minister |
envoy
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On more than one occasion, a former President has been asked to act as a special envoy.
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v. to elevate; to increase in intensity
syn: climb, raise, ascend, mount ant: decrease, lessen, descend, defuse |
escalate
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A small dispute can escalate into a major conflict unless opposing parties sit down and talk.
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n. a means to an end;
adj. advantageous, useful syn: n. contrivance, device; adj. inconvenient, untimely, disadvantageous |
expedient
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As an expedient (n), we chose to use a rock as a makeshift hammer.
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v. to pretend
syn: fake, sham, affect, simulate |
feign
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Children sometimes feign illness to avoid going to school.
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n. a natural quality, talent, or skill; a distinctive style
syn: aptitude, bent, knack, gift, style, panache ant: inability, incapacity |
flair
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An opera singer needs a flair for the dramatic as well as a good voice.
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adj. causing sorrow or pain; serious
syn: painful, heartrending, onerous, flagrant ant: joyful, uplifting, cheery, upbeat, comforting |
grievous
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Reporters should take careful notes when interviewing to avoid making grievous errors in print.
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adj. composed of different kinds, diverse
syn: miscellaneous, mixed, variegated ant: uniform, homogeneous, of a piece |
heterogeneous
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Most college admissions officers actively seek a student body that is both talented and heterogeneous.
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n. a vast number (as of people); a throng
syn: crowd, mass, multitude, host, swarm ant: few, handful |
horde
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When the doors opened, a horde of shoppers headed towards the sales racks.
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v. to force, drive forward
syn: urge, push, spur, propel, incite ant: discourage, check, restrain, curb |
impel
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Hunger often impels people to leave their homes in search of food.
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adj. disbelieving, skeptical
syn: dubious, mistrustful, doubting ant: believing, trustful, gullible |
incredulous
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When the testimony of a witness contradicts the evidence you can expect incredulous stares from the jury.
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v. to write or engrave; to enter a name on a list
syn: imprint, enroll, enlist ant: erase, rub out, delete, efface, obliterate |
inscribe
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The young man asked the jeweler to inscribe the locket with his fiancee's name.
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n. a speech by one actor; a long talk by one person
syn: soliloquy, recitation ant: dialogue, conversation, colloquy |
monologue
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By means of a monologue, a playwright shares a character's private thoughts with the audience.
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n. a forecast of the probable course and outcome of a disease or situation
syn: prediction, projection |
prognosis
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Doctors are particularly happy to deliver a prognosis of a speedy recovery.
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adj. with a harsh, grating
sound n. a harsh sound syn: adj. scratchy, scraping, abrasive, gravelly ant: adj. sonorous, smooth, satiny, silky, mellow |
rasping
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Chronic bronchitis can lead to a rasping cough that is difficult to cure.
The rasping of metal scraping against metal sets my teeth on edge. |
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adj. offensive, disagreeable, distasteful
syn: hateful, odious, revolting, repulsive ant: pleasing, attractive, tempting, wholesome |
repugnant
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Despite their repugnant lack of cleanliness, pigs are endearing to many people.
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v. to sink a ship by cutting holes in it; to get rid of something in a decisive way; to run hastily, scurry
n. a pail syn: v. abandon, discard, scrap, ditch, dump ant: v. keep afloat, salvage, rescue, preserve |
scuttle
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Pirates would not wish to scuttle a captured galleon before looting its cargo.
Years ago, it was possible to buy a scuttle of coal at the corner grocery store. |
