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20 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
- 3rd side (hint)
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Austere
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severe or stern in manner; without adornment or luxury, simple, plain; harsh or sour in flavor
Syn:forbidding,rigorous,puritanical, ascetic,unadorned,subdued Ant:mild,indulgent,luxurious,flamboyant |
The austere clothing and conduct of the Puritans expressed their religious humility.
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Beneficent
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performing acts of kindness or charity; conferring benefits, doing good
Syn: humanitarian, magnanimous, charitable Ant: selfish, cruel, harmful, deleterious |
From them I learned that purely beneficent acts can require as much hard work as a nine-to-five job.
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Cadaverous
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pale, gaunt, resembling a corspe
Syn: corspelike, wasted, haggard, emancipated, ghasty Ant: robust, portly, rosy, the picture of health |
Weak from hunger and cadaverous in appearance, the rescued captives were carried from the plane.
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Concoct
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to prepare by combining ingredients, made up(cooking); to devise, invent, fabricate
Syn: create, fashion, rustle up |
He concocted a savory stew with fresh herbs and vegetables from the garden.
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Crass
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coarse, unfeeling,; stupid
Syn: crude, vulgar, tasteless, oafish, obtuse Ant: refined, elegant, tasteful, polished, billiant |
We feel that the positions of our representives show a crass indifference to our problems.
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Debase
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to lower in character, quality, or value; to degrade, adulterate; to cause to deteriorate
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Every time a new rule is introduced in a popular sport, there are fans who say it will debase the game.
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Desecrate
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to commit sacrilege upon, treat irreverently; to contaminate, pollute
Syn: profane, defile, violate Ant: revere, honor, venerate, consecrate |
The search continues for the vandals who desecrate the cemetery
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Disconcert
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to confuse; to disturb the composure of
Syn: upset, rattle, ruffle, faze, perturb Ant: relax, calm, put at ease |
They had hoped to disconcert him with unexpected questions, but he was well prepared.
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Grandiose
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grand in a inpressive or stately way; marked by pompous affection or grandeur, absurdly exaggerated
Syn: majestic, bombastic, highfalutin Ant: simple, modest, unaffected, humble |
In how many stories, I wonder, does an ambitious villian become the vitim of grandiose plans?
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Inconsequential
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trifling, unimportant
Syn: trivial, negligible, petty, paltry Ant: important, essential, crucial, vital |
Free to igorne the inconsequential detains, provided that you know exactly which ones they are.
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Infraction
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a breaking of a law or obligation
Syn: violation, trangression, breach, offense |
His uncle paid a fine foe his infraction of the local recycling regulations.
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Mitigate
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to make milder or softer, to moderate in force or intensity
Syn: lessen,relieve,alleviate, diminish Ant: aggressive, intensify, irritate, exacerbate |
I had hoped to mitigate her anger by offering an appology.
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Pillage
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(v)to rob of goods by open force(war), plunder; (n) the act of looting; booty
Syn: (v)ravage,sack,loot; (n)booty |
The commanding officer warned his his troops not to pillage the conquered city
Pillage and murder became a fact of life in Europe during the Dark Ages. |
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Prate
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to talk a great deal in a folish or aimless fashion
Syn:chatter,prattle,blab,blabber, palaver Ant:come to the point, not waste words |
He would prate endlessly about the past but say nothing useful about our present dilemma.
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Punctilious
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very careful and exact, attentive to fine points of etiquette or propriety
Syn: precise,scrupulous,exacting,fuss, finicky Ant: careless, negligent, lax, perfunctory |
The clerk was so punctilious in obeying court rules that led to remind him why he was there.
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Redoubtable
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inspiring fear or awe; illustrious, eminent
Syn: formidable, fearsome, awesome, august Ant: laughable,risible, comtemptible |
As a ruler he was redoubtable but, like all such rulers, not much loved.
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Reprove
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to find fault with, scold, rebuke
Syn: chide, chastise, upbraid, reproach Ant: praise, commend, laud, pat on the back |
She reproved her staff for having followed orders blindly.
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Restitution
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the act of restoring someone or someting to the rightful owner or to a former state or position; making good on a loss or damage
Syn: compensation, reimbursement, redress, restoration |
They made restitution for the damage to the car but never fully regained the friendship of its owner.
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Stalwart
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(adj)strong and sturdy; brave; resolute; (n)a brave, strong person; a strong supporter; one who takes a uncompromising position
Syn: (adj)sturdy,stout,intrepid, valiant; (n)mainstay Ant: (adj)weak,infirm,irresolute, vacillating |
She became as stalwart on the basketball court as she was quick at mathematical puzzles.
The enemy had broken through our first line but repulsed by the stalwart defending the gates. |
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Vulnerable
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open at attack; capable of being wounded or damaged; unprotected
Syn: defenseless, exposed, unguarded Ant: invincible, protected, safe, secure |
Those brave enough to have opposed the dictator's rise now found themselves in a vulnerable position
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