Unit 2

Front 1

Ameliorate

Back 1

(v) to improve, make better, correct a flaw or shortcoming.
A hot meal can ameliorate the discomforts of even the coldest day.
Synonyms: amend, better
Antonyms: worsen, aggravate, exacerbate

Front 2

Aplomb

Back 2

(n) poise, assurance, great self-confidence; perpendicularity.
Considering the family's tense mood, you handled the situation with aplomb.
Synonyms: compuser, self-possesion, levelheadedness
Antonyms: confusion, embarrassment, abashment

Front 3

Bombastic

Back 3

(adj) pompous or overblown in language; full of high-sounding words intended to conceal a lack of ideas.
He delivered a bombastic speech that did not even address our problems.
Synonyms: inflated, highfalutin, high-flown, pretentious
Antonyms: unadorned, simple, plain, austere

Front 4

Callow

Back 4

(adj) without experience; immature, not fully developed; lacking sophistication and poise; without feathers
They entered the army as callow recruits and left as seasoned veterans
Synonyms: green, raw, unfledged, inexperienced
Antonyms: mature, grown-up, polished, sophisticated

Front 5

Drivel

Back 5

(n) saliva or mucus flowing from the mouth or nose; foolish, aimless talk or thinking; nonsense; (v) to let saliva flow from the mouth; to utter nonsense or childish twaddle; to waste or fritter away foolishly
To me, my dream made perfect sense, but when I told it to my friend it sounded like drivel
Knowing that his time was nearly up, we kept silent and let him drivel on
Synonyms: (n.) balderdash, hogwash, tommyrot; (v) slaver

Front 6

Epitome

Back 6

(n.) a summary, condensed account; an instance that represents a larger reality
Admitting when you have been fairly defeated is the epitome of sportsmanship.
Synonyms: abstract, digest, model, archetype

Front 7

Exhort

Back 7

(v.) to urge strongly, advise earnestly
With dramatic gestures, our fans vigorously exhorted the team to play harder.
Synonyms: Entreat, implore, adjure
Antonyms: discourage, advise against, deprecate

Front 8

Ex officio

Back 8

(adj., adv) By virtue of holding a certain office
The president is the ex officio commander-in-chief of the armed forces in time of war.

Front 9

Infringe

Back 9

(v) To violate, trespass, go beyond recognized bounds
If you continue to infringe on my responsibilities, will you also take the blame for any mistakes?
Synonyms: Encroach, impinge, intrude, poach
Antonyms: stay in bounds

Front 10

Ingratiate

Back 10

(v.) to make oneself agreeable and thus gain favor or acceptance by others (sometimes used in a critical or derogatory sense)
It is not a good idea to ingratiate oneself by paying cloying complements.
Synonyms: Cozy up to, curry favor with
Antonyms: Alienate, humiliate oneself, mortify oneself

Front 11

Interloper

Back 11

(n.) one who moves in where he or she is not wanted or has no right to be, an intruder
The crowd was so eager to see the band perform that they resented the opening singer as an interloper
Synonyms: Trespasser, meddler, buttinsky

Front 12

Intrinsic

Back 12

(adj.) belonging to someone or something by its very nature, essential, inherent; originating in a bodily organ or part
It had been my father's favorite book when he was my age, but for me it held little intrinsic interest.
Synonyms: Immanent, organic
Antonyms: Extrinsic, external, outward

Front 13

Inveigh

Back 13

(v.) to make a violent attack in words, express strong disapproval.
You should not inveigh against the plan with quite so much vigor until you have read it.
Synonyms: Rail, harangue, fulminate, remonstrate
Antonyms: Acclaim, glorify, extol

Front 14

Lassitude

Back 14

(n.) weariness of body or mind, lack of energy
On some days I am overcome by lassitude at the thought of so many more years of schooling.
Synonyms: Fatigue, lethargy, torpor, languor
Antonyms: Energy, vitality, animation, liveliness

Front 15

Millennium

Back 15

(n.) a period of one thousand years; a period of great joy
In 1999 an argument raged over whether 2000 or 2001 would mark the beginning of the new millennium
Synonyms: chilliad, golden age, prosperity, peace
Antonyms: Doomsday, day of judgment

Front 16

Occult

Back 16

(adj.) mysterious, magical, supernatural; secret, hidden from view; not detectable by ordinary means; (v.) to hide, conceal; eclipse; (n.) matters involving the supernatural
One need not rely on occult knowledge to grasp why things disappear in a house where two cats live
Much of his talk about the occult seems grounded in nothing but trick photography and folklore
Synonyms: (adj.) supernatural, esoteric, abstruse, arcane
Antonyms: (adj.) mundane, common, public, exoteric

Front 17

Permeate

Back 17

(v.) to spread through, penetrate, soak through
The rain permeated all of my clothing and reduced the map in my pocket to a pulpy mass

Front 18

Precipitate

Back 18

(v.) to fall as moisture; to cause or bring about suddenly; to hurl down from a great height; to give distinct form to; (adj.) characterized by excessive haste; (n.) moisture; the produce of an action or process
Synonyms: (v.) provoke, produce; (adj.) reckless, impetuous
Antonyms: (adj.) wary, cautious circumspect

Front 19

Stringent

Back 19

(adj.) strict, severe; rigorously or urgently binding or compelling; sharp or bitter to the taste
Some argue that more stringent laws against speeding will make our streets safer.
Synonyms: Stern, rigorous, tough, urgent, imperative
Antonyms: Lenient, mild, lax permissive

Front 20

Surmise

Back 20

(v.) to think or believe without certain supporting evidence; to conjecture or guess; (n.) likely idea that lacks definite proof
I cannot be sure, but I surmise that she would not accept my apology even if I made it on my knees.
The police had no proof, nothing to go on but a suspicion, a mere surmise.
Synonyms: (v.) infer, gather; (n.) inference, presumption