Vocan Chapter 14

Front 1

antipathy-

Back 1

(n.) a strong dislike, hostile feeling
(syn.)- hostility, enmity, aversion, bad blood
(ant.)- attraction, appeal, allure, sympathy
I must admit that I feel a strong antipathy toward anyone whose table manners are as bad as Sid’s

Front 2

applicable

Back 2

(adj.) capable of being applied; relevant, suitable
(syn.)- appropriate, relevant, fit, apt, apposite
(ant.)- inappropriate, unsuitable, irrelevant
The reference material you have given me is interesting, but most of it is not applicable to my term paper.

Front 3

asset

Back 3

(n.) something of value; a resource, an advantage
(syn.)- a property, possession, holding, endowment
(ant.)- a drawback, handicap, liability
His chief assets both in business and in social life are his excellent appearance and pleasant manner.

Front 4

beset

Back 4

(v.) to attack from all sides; to surround, hem in; (part.) harassed, troubled; studded (as with
jewels)
(syn.)- to assail, harass, badger, pester, torment
(ant.)- none
How can you expect her to concern herself with your problems when she is so beset with troubles of her own!

Front 5

compassion

Back 5

(n.) sympathy for another’s suffering; pity
(syn.)- concern, pity, commiseration, empathy
(ant.)- indifference, callousness, heartlessness
Dr, Albert Schweitzer had not only great scientific ability but a deep sense of compassion for suffering humanity.

Front 6

decorum

Back 6

(n.) proper behavior, good taste; orderliness
(syn.)- seemliness, good form, propriety
(ant.)- impropriety, bad form, bad taste
I enjoy Don’s jokes, but he ought to bear in mind that there are certain standards of decorum to be observed at graduation.

Front 7

duress

Back 7

(n.) compulsion by threat; forcible confinement
(syn.)- compulsion, intimidation, coercion
(ant.)- persuasion, coaxing, sweet talk, cajolery
American law forbids a suspect to be arrested and held in any form of duress without being formally charged.

Front 8

exuberant

Back 8

(adj.) high spirited, enthusiastic, unrestrained; excessive, abundant
(syn.)- lively, ebullient, irrepressible; lavish
(ant.)- depressed, despondent, sulky
How quickly their exuberant holiday mood became quiet and sober when they had to return to work on Monday morning!

Front 9

facsimle

Back 9

(n.) an exact copy
(syn.)- a replica, duplicate, reproduction, clone
(ant.)- a variation, modification, permutation
The artist’s latest work acclaimed by the critics seemed to me to be no more than a facsimile of a cardboard cereal box.

Front 10

imbibe

Back 10

(v.) to drink, take in, absorb
(syn.)- to swallow, gulp, quaff; to assimilate, digest
(ant.)- to eject, emit, expel, discharge
During the long summer afternoons, we used to sit on the shaded veranda, imbibing iced drinks and talking about life

Front 11

implacable

Back 11

(adj.) not to be satisfied or pacified; unyielding
(syn.)- relentless, inexorable, unappeasable
(ant.)- lenient, indulgent, permissive; flexible
His refusal to discuss even the possibility of a compromise convinced me that I was faced with an implacable opponent.

Front 12

infinitesimal

Back 12

(adj.) so small as to be almost immeasurable; minute
(syn.)- tiny, minuscule, microscopic; unnoticeable
(ant.)- vast, immense, huge, infinite
he has his shortcomings, but as compared with his great services to his community and nation, they seem all but infinitesimal.

Front 13

innocuous

Back 13

(adj.) harmless, inoffensive; insignificant
(syn.)- feeble, impotent; unobjectionable; insipid
(ant.)- harmful, dangerous, pernicious, toxic, virulent
The “monster” that frightened you so much during the hike last week was just an innocuous water snake.

Front 14

militate

Back 14

(v.) to have effect or force on or against someone or something
(syn.)- to counter, oppose, work against
(ant.)- none
The player’s chronic shoulder injury militated against the idea of extending his baseball career for another season.

Front 15

patent

Back 15

(n.) exclusive rights over an invention; copyright; (v.) to arrange or obtain such rights; (adj.) plain, open to view; copyrighted
(syn.)- an exclusive license; evident, plain
(ant.)- concealed, hidden, secret, clandestine
I am well on the road to becoming a millionaire because I have just been awarded the patent for an automatic homework machine.

Front 16

prowess

Back 16

(n.) distinguished bravery; superior skill or ability
(syn.)- valor, courage, heroism; mastery, proficiency
(ant.)- cowardice; incompetence, ineptitude
If only he could match his prowess on the basketball court with a high level of excellence in the classroom!

Front 17

sedate

Back 17

(adj.) quiet, settled, sober; (v.) to administer a tranquilizer
(syn.)- unruffled, composed, cool and collected
(ant.)- loud, bras; flashy, flamboyant; flighty, giddy
I was amazed to see how a few years had transformed an unruly tomboy into a well-bred, sedate young lady.

Front 18

stentorian

Back 18

(adj.) extremely loud
(syn.)- thundering, booming, deafening, earsplitting
(ant.)- hushed, inaudible, whispered, mute
We could hear the quarterback’s stentorian signals even above the roar of the crowd.

Front 19

stipulate

Back 19

(v.) to arrange specifically; to require as a condition of agreement
(syn.)- to specify, require, contract, provide for
(ant.)- none
If the contract was framed by a good lawyer, it will stipulate exactly when, where, and how payment is to be made.

Front 20

ultimatum

Back 20

(n.) a final proposal or statement of conditions
(syn.)- final terms
(ant.)- none
The landlord’s ultimatum was simple and direct: Pay the rent increase or get out.