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85 Cards in this Set
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Ascertain (Verb) "My theory is that the way you cope with the depths will ascertain the heights that you reach - they are intimately connected - and if you have a lust for life, you are also going to have a lust for death" -Sebastian Horsley |
Definition: To learn with certainty. Synonyms: Confirm, determine Antonyms: Invalidate, disprove |
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Aberration (Noun) "The greatest minds, as they are capable of the highest excellencies, are open likewise to the greatest aberrations" -Rene Descartes |
Definition: Deviating from the "right" path, or the normal path. Synonyms: Wandering, divergence Antonyms: Conformity, normality |
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Hedonist (Noun) "I have a wonderfully hedonistic appetite, and if I wasn't really strict with myself, I'd weigh 300 pounds. I'm not good with moderation" -Nick Offerman |
Definition: A person who pursues pleasure and self-satisfaction. Synonyms: Glutton, sensualist Antonyms: Puritan, ascetic |
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Presage (Noun) "How strange the stars have grown; The presage of extinction glows on their crests And they are beautied with impermanence" -1916 'The Height of Land'. |
Definition: A foresight that warns of future events Synonyms: Forecast, forewarning Antonyms: Calculate, insure |
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Surfeited (Verb) "Joy surfeited turns to sorrow" -Danish Proverb |
Definition: Overeating or drinking to excess; overindulging. Synonyms: Indulge, gorge Antonyms: Abstain, deprive |
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Benefaction (Noun) "Let him who desires to see others happy, make haste to give while his gift can be enjoyed, and remember that every moment of delay takes away something from the value of his benefaction" -Samuel Johnson |
Definition: A person who donates to or helps another cause. Synonyms: Patron, supporter Antonyms: Opponent, antagonist. |
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Ablution (Noun) "Let him eat while his feet are , yet wet , from the ablution , but let him not go to bed with wet feet. He who eats while his feet are , still wet, will attain long life." -Guru Nanak |
Definition: washing Synonyms: bath, cleansing Antonyms: Dirty, contamination |
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Baneful (Adjective) "If some books are deemed most baneful and their sale forbid, how then with deadlier facts, not dreams of doting men Those whom books will hurt will not be proof against events. Events, not books should be forbid." -Herman Melville |
Definition: Ruinous, destructive Synonyms: calamitous, disastrous Antonyms: Beneficial, fortunate |
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Respite (Noun) "What was sleep? A blessing, a respite from life, an echo of death, a demanding nuisance?" -Colleen McCullough |
Definition: Delay or break from something, an time of relief Synonyms: Recess, relief Antonyms: Advance, continuation |
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Tarries (Verb) "Next time, to tarry,While the Ages steal --Slow tramp the Centuries,And the Cycles wheel!" -Emily Dickinson |
Definition: To stay in a place, to wait/ Synonyms: Abide, dwell Antonyms: Advance, continue |
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Castigation (Verb) "Criticism is properly the rod of divination a hazel switch for the discovery of buried treasure, not a birch twig for the castigation of offenders." -Arthur Symons |
Definition: To criticize or scold severely Synonyms: Scold, reprove Antonyms: Complement, approve |
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Venerable (Adjective) "Nothing is more noble, nothing more venerable than fidelity. Faithfulness and truth are the most sacred excellences and endowments of the human mind." |
Definition: Respected Synonyms: Esteemed, revered Antonyms: Common, unimpressive |
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Blight (Noun) "One man's blight is another man's castle. Without proper restrictions and well-defined parameters, governments will exploit the blight loophole and continue to abuse eminent domain power." -Peyton Knight |
Definition: Disease, or plague Synonyms: Affliction, infestation Antonyms: Cleanliness, goodness |
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Soothsayer (Noun) "I wasn't in any way a kind of soothsayer or not surprised when Sept. 11 happened. I was absolutely shocked." -Jon Ronson |
Definition: Synonyms: Antonyms: |
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Vehement (Adjective) "We are least open to precise knowledge concerning the things we are most vehement about." Eric Hoffer |
Definition: Having a passionate feeling towards something. Synonyms: Angry, enthusiastic Antonyms: Apathetic, calm |
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Disheveled (adjective) "But tomorrow, dawn will come the way I picture her,barefoot and disheveled, standing outside my window in one of the fragile cotton dresses of the poor." -William Collins |
Definition: Something that is messy or unkempt in appearance Synonyms: Bedraggled, messy Antonyms: Clean, neat |
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Covetousness (Adjective) "There is no austerity equal to a balanced mind, and there is no happiness equal to contentment; there is no disease like covetousness, and no virtue like mercy." -Chanakya |
Definition: Wrongly desiring material things such as wealth
Synonyms: Greed, cupidity Antonyms: Nonmaterialistic, charitable |
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Goads (Verb) "My goal is to goad people into saying something that ruins their life." -Don Imus |
Definition: Something that causes or forces an animal or a human to do something.
Synonyms: Coerce, harass Antonyms: Aid, calm |
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Insolence (Noun) "Your depression is connected to your insolence and refusal to praise." -Rumi |
Definition: Rude behavior Synonyms: Arrogance, contemptuousness Antonyms: Humility, manners |
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Austere (Adjective) "I'm not shy in the spotlight. I might seem austere and even arrogant, but far from it, I'm actually shy." -Riccardo Muti |
Definition: Rigorously self-disciplined Synonyms: Stringent, rigid Antonyms: Calm, flexible |
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Jocular (Adjective) "Nor am I greatly moved by jocular inquiries such as, 'Where will you put all the mosquitoes?' -- a question to be answered on its own level by pointing out that, if the worst came to worst, a heaven for mosquitoes and a hell for men could very conveniently be combined.” -CS Lewis |
Definition: Funny
Synonyms: Comical, humorous Antonyms: Depressed, gloomy |
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Indolence (Adjective) "I like the word 'indolence'. It makes my laziness seem classy." -Bernard Williams |
Definition: Being unwilling to exert yourself; being slothful.
Synonyms: Idleness, laziness Antonyms: Diligence, hardworking |
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Haughtily (Adjective) "Never be haughty to the humble or humble to the haughty." -Jefferson Davis |
Definition: Proud to the point of snobbiness
Synonyms: Arrogant, boastful Antonyms: Humble, polite |
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Supplicate (Verb) "Praise is the best auxiliary to prayer; and he who most bears in mind what has been done for him by God will be most emboldened to supplicate fresh gifts from above." -Henry Melvill |
Definition: To pray with humility, to make an earnest request.
Synonyms: Appeal, beseech Antonyms: Refuse, answer |
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Palliative (Adjective) "The belief that it is useless to employ partial and palliative means against radical evils, because they only remedy them in part, is an article of faith never preached unsuccessfully by meanness to simplicity, but it is none the less absurd." -Theodor Mommsen |
Definition: Something that is relieving pain without dealing with the actual cause of the pain.
Synonyms: Curative, remedial Antonyms: Damaging, harmful |
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Ad inifinitum (Adjective or Adverb) "Desire wills its perpetuation ad infinitum." -Susan Sontag |
Definition: To infinity; without a limit; neverending Synonyms: Ceaselessly, continuously Antonyms: Stop, cease |
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Concede (Verb) "If you never concede a goal, you're going to win more games than you lose" -Bobby Moore |
Definition: To yield to pressure; to admit defeat Synonyms: Accept, yield Antonyms: Defend, reject |
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Perverse (Adjective) "There seems to be some perverse human characteristic that likes to make easy things difficult" -Warren Buffett |
Definition: Persistent in accepting what is wrong. Synonyms: Wicked, contradictory Antonyms: Compliant, reasonable |
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Sordid (Adjective) “It is through Art and through Art only that we can realize our perfection; through Art and Art only that we can shield ourselves from the sordid perils of actual existence” -Oscar Wilde |
Definition: Selfish, dirty, wretched Synonyms: Nasty, shameful Antonyms: Clean, decent |
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Apportion (Verb) “Blames create no change; winners don't apportion blames; only losers have the potentials to do that!” -Israelmore Ayivor |
Definition: To distribute proportionally Synonyms: Allot, distribute Antonyms: Withhold, monopolize |
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Congenial (Adjective) "I don't ask myself, is the life congenial to me? But, am I fitted for, am I called to, the Ministry?" -Wilfred Owen |
Definition: Compatible, pleasing in nature Synonyms: Favorable, agreeable Antonyms: Unpleasant, discordant |
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Prelude (Noun) "Group conformity scares the pants off me because it's so often a prelude to cruelty towards anyone who doesn't want to - or can't - join the Big Parade" -Bette Midler |
Definition: Any action or event that comes before something else. Antonyms: Conclusion, ending |
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Untenable (Adjective) "In order to maintain an untenable position, you have to be actively ignorant. One motto on the show is, 'Keep your facts, I'm going with the truth" -Stephen Colbert |
Definition: Something, typically an argument, that is incapable of being defended. Synonyms: Illogical, unsound Antonyms: Logical, sound |
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Bona fide (Adjective) "I'm passionate about everything, like my family and friends. Anybody I am talkin' to is gonna be bona fide real. There is no substitution for happiness. Period." -Suge Knight |
Definition: Something done in good faith, without fraud or deception Synonyms: Authentic, genuine Antonyms: Fake, illegitimate |
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Lofty (Adjective) "Great men are like eagles, and build their nest on some lofty solitude" -Arthur Schopenhauer |
Definition: Elevated high in the air Synonyms: Soaring, towering Antonyms: Below, beneath |
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Rancid (Adjective) "And oh, could he smell them. It wasn't just the stench of body sweat. It was the rancid odor of human meat. With every breath they gave it off. Blood under their tongue. Long pork between their teeth. Eau de cannibal." -Chuck Wendig |
Definition: Having an extremely unpleasant smell or taste Synonyms: Contaminated, fetid Antonyms: Clean, fresh |
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Versatile (Adjective) "Life is about being a versatile athlete and training in all realms of life." -Ray Lewis |
Definition: Capable of adapting easily Synonyms: Adjustable, adaptable Antonyms: Incapable, inept |
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Buoyant (Adjective) "In the ocean of life, God is our buoyant force. No matter how strong the wind and how gigantic the waves are, we will not sink because we are anchored to Him." -Frank Green |
Definition: Something that is capable of floating in a liquid Synonyms: Floatable, unsinkable Antonyms: Heavy, sinkable |
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Migration (Noun) "As always on this boulevard, the faces were young, coming annually in an endless migration from every country, every continent, to alight here once in the long journey of their lives" -Brian Moore |
Definition: The process of migrating, or moving, to another place Synonyms: Exodus, journey Antonyms: Idleness, inaction |
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Rustic (Adjective) "I've always been known for bold flavors and rustic cooking, but there is another side to me. As you evolve as a cook, you understand life and how serious it is. There comes a point where there's got to be a better balance" -Emeril Lagasse |
Definition: Relating to, or living in the country; rural Synonyms: Primitive, simple Antonyms: Sophisticated, urban |
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Vindicate (Verb) "There is no greater challenge than to have someone relying upon you; no greater satisfaction than to vindicate his expectation" -Kingman Brewster, Jr. |
Definition: To clear someone from an accusation or suspicion; to prove someone's innocence Synonyms: Absolve, defend Antonyms: Blame, charge |
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Clique (Noun) "I don't know if I've ever been in a clique. The older I've gotten, the more I've realized what a true friend really is. So my friendship circle has changed a bit." -Aimee Teegarden |
Definition: A small, exclusive group of people Synonyms: Clan, faction Antonyms: Inclusive, individual |
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Perceive (Verb) "The world we see that seems so insane is the result of a belief system that is not working. To perceive the world differently, we must be willing to change our belief system, let the past slip away, expand our sense of now, and dissolve the fear in our minds." -William James |
Definition: To become aware of something; to notice Synonyms: Discern, realize Antonyms: Ignore, disregard |
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Sever (Verb) "If the Union is once severed, the line of separation will grow wider and wider, and the controversies which are now debated and settled in the halls of legislation will then be tried in fields of battle and determined by the sword." -Andrew Jackson |
Definition: To cut something apart; to separate Synonyms: Detach, disconnect Antonyms: Unite, attach |
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Wane (Verb) “Freedom to many means immediate betterment, as if by magic. Unless I can meet at least some of these aspirations, my support will wane and my head will roll just as surely as the tickbird follows the rhino.” -Julius K. Nyerere |
Definition: To diminish or lessen Synonyms: Fade, decrease Antonyms: Brighten, expand |
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Annex (Verb) "Every other sin hath some pleasure annexed to it, or will admit of an excuse: envy alone wants both" -Robert Burton |
Definition: To add something in order to make something larger or more important. Synonym: Adjoin, attach Antonyms: Detach, disconnect |
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Devitalize (Verb) “Truth is used to vitalize a statement rather than devitalize it. Truth implies more than a simple statement of fact. "I don't have any whiskey," may be a fact but it is not a truth.” -William S. Burroughs |
Definition: To take away the vitality or important properties of something; to make something lifeless Synonym: Deaden, destroy Antonyms: Aid, animate |
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Improvise (Verb) "Life is a lot like jazz... it's best when you improvise" -George Gershwin |
Definition: To perform something without previous preparation Synonym: Invent, devise Antonyms: Design, plan |
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Precipitous (Adjective) "We Americans are world leaders and we must lead by example - particularly in times that require careful deliberation before any precipitous action - lest we fail to walk in the shoes of those we might injure" -Peter Yarrow |
Definition: Extremely or impassably steep Synonym: Craggy, dizzying Antonyms: Calm, flat |
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Cleave (Verb) “For this cause shall a man leave father and mother and shall cleave unto his wife” -Bible |
Definition: To stick closely to something Synonym: Adhere, attach Antonyms: Detach, disconnect |
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Embroil (Verb) “Truth of a modest sort I can promise you, and also sincerity. That complete, praiseworthy sincerity which, while it delivers one into the hands of one's enemies, is as likely as not to embroil one with one's friends.” -Joseph Conrad |
Definition: To be involved in strife or conflict Synonym: Ensnare, involve Antonyms: Exclude, free |
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Incite
(Verb) "In poverty and other misfortunes of life, true friends are a sure refuge. The young they keep out of mischief; to the old they are a comfort and aid in their weakness, and those in the prime of life they incite to noble deeds" -Aristotle |
Definition: To stimulate an action; to encourage or provoke Synonym: Encourage, inspire Antonyms: Dampen, prevent |
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Profuse
(Adjective) “A feast not profuse but elegant; more of salt [refinement] than of expense.” -Michel de Montaigne |
Definition: Doing something in excess or in abundance Synonym: Excessive, abundant Antonyms: Sparse, lacking |
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Cordial
(Adjective) “The music that can deepest reach, And cure all ill, is cordial speech” -Ralp Waldo Emerson |
Definition: Courteous and gracious Synonym: Affectionate, gracious Antonyms: Unsympathetic, rude |
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Exonerate
(Verb) “Forgiveness is not a matter of exonerating people who have hurt you. They may not deserve exoneration. Forgiveness means cleansing your soul of the bitterness of ‘what might have been,’ ‘what should have been,’ and ‘what didn’t have to happen" -Harold S. Kushner |
Definition: To clear someone of an accusation Synonym: Vindicate, absolve Antonyms: Blame, condemn |
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Influx
(Noun) "The constant influx of new cultures, new ideas and new ways of looking at old problems is a big part of the reason why America has been the most dynamic economy in the world for well over a century" -Gary Locke |
Definition: An inflow, an act of flowing in. Synonym: Inflow, arrival Antonyms: Retreat, departure |
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Reconcile
(Verb) "Everything about me is a contradiction, and so is everything about everybody else. We are made out of oppositions; we live between two poles. There's a philistine and an aesthete in all of us, and a murderer and a saint. You don't reconcile the poles. You just recognize them" -Orson Welles |
Definition: To settle a dispute, to make peace Synonym: Appease, resolve Antonyms: Agitate, argue |
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Cornerstone
(Noun) "Doing what you love is the cornerstone of having abundance in your life" -Wayne Dyer |
Definition: Something that is essential or a stone that marks that starting place in the construction of a monumental building Synonym: Foundation, essential Antonyms: Useless, weak |
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Glib
(Adjective) “Leadership is not magnetic personality/that can just as well be a glib tongue. It is not making friends and influencing people /that is flattery. Leadership is lifting a person's vision to higher sights, the raising of a person's performance to a higher standard, the building of a personality beyond its normal limitations” -Peter F. Drucker |
Definition: Slick, easy or unconstrained Synonym: Articulate, eloquent Antonyms: Quiet, inarticulate |
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Pallor
(Noun) "Beauty had this penalty - it came too readily, came too completely. It stilled life - froze it. One forgot the little agitations; the flush, the pallor, some queer distortion, some light or shadow, which made the face unrecognizable for a moment and yet added a quality one saw for ever after" Virginia Woolf |
Definition: Extreme paleness Synonym: Colorlessness, whiteness Antonyms: Colorful, vivid |
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Shackle
(Noun) "Well married a person has wings, poorly married shackles" -Henry Ward Beecher |
Definition: A ring for securing the wrist, ankle, etc.; a restraint. Synonym: Handcuff, chain Antonyms: Frese, freedom |
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Debacle
(Noun) “Mankind's true moral test, its fundamental test (which lies deeply buried from view), consists of its attitude towards those who are at its mercy: animals. And in this respect mankind has suffered a fundamental debacle, a debacle so fundamental that all others stem from it” -Milan Kundera |
Definition: A sudden downfall, a breakup, a collapse; a catastrophe Synonym: Breakdown, collapse Antonyms: Accomplishment, success |
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Haphazard
(Adjective) "If I have learnt anything, it is that life forms no logical patterns. It is haphazard and full of beauties which I try to catch as they fly by, for who knows whether any of them will ever return?" -Margot Fonteyn |
Definition: Lack of order or planning, irregularity, randomness Synonym: Aimless, disorganized Antonyms: Deliberate, planned |
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Pedigree
(Noun) “And Moses and Aaron took these men which are expressed by their names: / And they assembled all the congregation together on the first day of the second month, and they declared their pedigrees after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, by their polls" -Bible |
Definition: An ancestral line; a genealogical table that depicts the ancestral line Synonym: Lineage, ancestry Antonyms: End, outgrowth |
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Threadbare
(Adjective) “If honor be your clothing, the suit will last a lifetime; but if clothing be your honor, it will soon be worn threadbare” -William Arnot |
Definition: Something so worn out that the bare threads of the item are shown Synonym: Shabby, worn Antonyms: Fresh, new |
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Abase (Verb) “Cast abroad the rage of thy wrath: and behold every one that is proud, and abase him.” -The Bible |
Definition: To deprive of self-esteem or confidence
Synonyms: Belittle, degrade Antonyms: Encourage, compliment |
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Combatant (Noun) “No wise combatant underestimates their antagonist.” -Johann Wolfgang von Goethe |
Definition: A fighter
Synonyms: Adversary, assailant Antonyms: Ally, friend |
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Impenitent (Adjective) "Piano, n. A parlour utensil for subduing the impenitent visitor. It is operated by depressing the keys of the machine and the spirits of the audience" -Ambrose Gwinett Bierce |
Definition: Someone who is unrepentant
Synonyms: Hardened, remorseless Antonyms: Repentant, guilty |
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Probe (Noun) "I look only to the good qualities of men. Not being faultless myself, I won't presume to probe into the faults of others" -Mahatma Gandhi |
Definition: An in-depth investigation
Synonyms: Examination, exploration Antonyms: Glimpse, deficient |
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Actuate (Verb) "Curiosity is natural to the soul of man and interesting objects have a powerful influence on our affections. Let these influencing powers actuate, by the permission or disposal of Providence, from selfish or social views, yet in time the mysterious will of Heaven is unfolded, and we behold our conduct, from whatever motives excited, operating to answer the important designs of heaven" -Daniel Boone |
Definition: Start a function or action
Synonyms: Initiate, activate Antonyms: Calm, delay |
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Dormant (Adjective) "Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents, which in prosperous circumstances would have lain dormant" -Horace |
Definition: Being inactive Synonyms: Asleep, comatose Antonyms: Active, alert |
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Knave (Noun) "It is a just political maxim, that every man must be supposed a knave" -David Hume |
Definition: A mischievous rascal Synonyms: Lowlife, fraud Antonyms: Decent, polite |
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Protract (Verb) "Good character is not formed in a week or a month. It is created little by little, day by day. Protracted and patient effort is needed to develop good character" -Heraclitus |
Definition: To extend or to draw something out Synonyms: Prolong, extend Antonyms: Complete, finish |
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Avert (Verb) "Veterans report that service dogs help break their isolation. People will often avert their eyes when they see a wounded veteran. But when the veteran has a dog, the same people will come up and say, 'Hi' to pet the dog and then strike up a conversation" -Al Franken |
Definition: To avoid something
Synonyms: Avoid, deter Antonyms: Aid, allow |
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Dubious (Adjective) "I love sports. When I'm not playing, I'm watching, reading, or otherwise obsessing about them. This probably stems from growing up in Indiana, where if you didn't at least attempt to play basketball, you were considered of dubious moral character" -Mark Waters |
Definition: The act of being doubtful
Synonyms: Debatable, skeptical Antonyms: Positive, believing |
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Legion (Adjective/noun) "Ethnically, Tuareg describe themselves as white. And they don't look Arab or black. Many Tuareg have light skin, light eyes and sharp angular noses and cheekbones. They are cousins of the Berbers of North Africa. Some legends say the Tuareg are the decedents of an ancient Roman legion that disappeared into the desert two millennia ago" -Richard Engel |
Definition: Numerous, a mass amount of people
Synonyms: Myriad, countless Antonyms: Scarce, few |
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Quarry (Noun) "Not the quarry, but the chase, Not the trophy, but the race" -Proverb |
Definition: A goal
Synonyms: Aim, motive Antonyms: Aimless, reasonless |
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Boorish (Adjective) "Most young people think they are natural when they are only boorish and rude" -Francois de la Rochefoucauld |
Definition: Being unmannered, crude, awkward
Synonyms: Barbaric, churlish Antonyms: Civilized, gentle |
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Harangue (Noun) “He's a wonderful talker, who has the art of telling you nothing in a great harangue.” -Moliere |
Definition: A long lecture
Synonyms: Discourse, spiel Antonyms: Short, abrupt |
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Liberality (Noun) “As Mankind becomes more liberal, they will be more apt to allow that all those who conduct themselves as worthy members of the community are equally entitled to the protections of civil government. I hope ever to see America among the foremost nations of justice and liberality” -George Washington |
Definition: An act of generosity
Synonyms: Alms-giving, generousness Antonyms: Malevolence, selfishness |
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Spurn (Verb) "Despise not any man, and do not spurn anything for there is no man who has not his hour, nor is there anything that has not its place" -Ben Azai |
Definition: To turn away from something; to ignore
Synonyms: Despise, dismiss Antonyms: Accept, admire |
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Brunt (Noun) "I'm always annoyed about why black people have to bear the brunt of everybody else's contempt. If we are not totally understanding and smiling, suddenly we're demons" -Toni Morrison |
Definition: On the bad end of a situation
Synonyms: Burden, impact Antonyms: Ease, peace |
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Harry (Verb) "Those who boast about their high grades only serve to harry those who don't" -Myself |
Definition: To pester, to annoy
Synonyms: Attack, badger Antonyms: Aid, comfort |
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Plaintiff (Noun) "I'm always annoyed about why black people have to bear the brunt of everybody else's contempt. If we are not totally understanding and smiling, suddenly we're demons" -Toni Morrison |
Definition: An accuser
Synonyms: Prosecutor, litigant Antonyms: Vindicate, exonerate |
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Subterfuge (Noun) "Art is a form of communication that insinuates.We expect the artist to have more to say than what he communicated and suspect that what he said was a subterfuge for hiding something" -Unknown |
Definition: Acts of cheating
Synonyms: Deception, cheat Antonyms: Honesty, fairness |
