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20 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Abate
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(v) to make less in amount, degree,etc; to subside, become less, to nullify;to deduct, omit
Syn: subside Ant: wax, magnify We stood on the dock, waiting for the storm to abate. |
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Adulation
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(n) praise or flattery that is excessive
Syn: hero-worship Ant: odium, derision Athletes have little choice but to enjoy the adulation of their fans |
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Anathema
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(n) an object of intense dislike; a curse or strong denunciation
Syn: malediction, imprecation Ant: benediction, blessing The author's view on bringing up children are anathema to my dad. |
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Astute
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(adj) shrewd, crafty, showing practical wisdom
Syn: sagacious, judicious, wily Ant: doltish, empty-headed The astute management of money is a valuable skill. |
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Avarice
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(n) a greedy desire, particularly for wealth
Syn: acquisitiveness, rapacity, cupidity Her career exhibited both the miser's ever-growing avarice and the miser's charm. |
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Culpable
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(adj) deserving blame, worthy of condemnation
Syn: peccant, delinquent, blameworthy Ant: laudable, innocent, blameless It was the inspectors' culpable neglect of duty that led to the disaster. |
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Dilatory
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(adj) tending to delay or procrastinate, not prompt; intended to delay or postpone
Syn: tardy, stalling, slow, laggard Ant: expeditious, prompt, punctual She hired an assistant because, on her own, she was always dilatory in paying her bills. |
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Egregious
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(adj) conspicious, standing out from the mass
Syn: blatant, flagrant Ant: paltry, piddling Whoever allowed that man on a stage is guilty of an egregious blunder. |
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Equivocate
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(v) to speak or act in a way that allows for more than one interpretation; to be deliberately vague or ambiguous
Syn: hedge, palter Ant: to speak one's mind plainlly I won't soon give my vote a candidate who shows such a marked tendency to equivocate. |
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Evanescent
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(adj) vanishing, soon passing away; light and airy
Syn:ephemeral, transient, transitory Ant: immortal Looking back, I see that the magic of that summer was evanescent. |
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Irresolute
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(adj) unable to make up one's mind, hesitating
Syn: vacillating, wavering Ant: unwavering, decisive In Hamlet, the prince is irresolute about whether to obey his father's ghost. |
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Nebulous
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(adj) cloudlike, resembling a cloud; cloudy in color, not transparent; vague, confused, indistinct
Syn: opaque, indeterminate Ant: distinct By the time that everyone present had expressed an opinion, the original idea had become somewhat nebulous. |
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Novice
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(n) one who is just a beginner at some activity requiring skill and experience
Syn:neophyte, tyro Ant: veteran, pro You must be patient and realize that all his mistakes are typical of a novice in this line of work. |
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Penury
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(n) extreme poverty; barrenness, insufficiency
Syn: destitution, want, indigence Ant:opulence, affluence We never seem to tire of stories people who go from penury to sudden wealth. |
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Pretentious
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(adj) done for show, striving to make a big impression; claiming merit or position unjustifably; making demands on one's skill or abilities.
Syn: ostentatious, affected, inflated Ant: unassuming, unaffected, modest Talking about one's wealth is thought to be pretentious and in poor taste. |
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Resuscitate
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(v) to revive, bring back to consciousness or existence
syn: reanimate We need someone who can resuscitate our neighborhood council. |
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Slovenly
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(adj) untidy, dirty, careless
syn: slatternly, slipshod, lax ant:meticulous Her room was in slovenly state, and it took her an entire Saturday to clean it. |
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Supposition
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(n) something that is assumed or taken for granted without conclusive evidence
Syn: hypothesis Guided by a supposition that turned out to be false, they made bad decisions. |
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Torpid
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(adj) inactive, sluggish, dull
Syn: otiose, languid, lethargic Ant: vigorious, dynamic We all felt torpid after that long lecture |
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Recapitulate
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(v) to review a series of facts, to sum up
Syn: sum up Dont bother to recapitulate the plot of the book. |
