Tuesday, March 29, 2011


      

Word
Meaning
Synonyms
Antonyms
Abysmal
Adj. Bottomless Use : His arrogance is exceeded only by his abysmal ignorance
Terrible, awful, dreadful, appalling, very bad,
Superb
acronym
n. A word formed by the initial letters of a multi-word name
Contraction, ellipsis,
 
admonish
v. warn strongly, reprove Use: He admonished his listeners to change their wicked ways
Reprove, reprimand, chide, rebuke, usurp
Approve
Circumspect
v. Investigation before acting,
Use:  She tried always to be circumspect
Cutious, prudent, careful, guarded, wary, judicious, vigilant,
reckless
Conciliation
n.  the act of placating
Appeasement, pacification, propitiation
Incitement
Connotation
n. Suggested or implied meaning of an expression. Use: Foreigners frequently are unaware of the connotations of the words they use.
Nuance, suggestion, implication, undertone, overtone, subtext,
 
covert
Adj.  secret or hidden, not openly practiced or vowed n. a covering that serves to conceal or shelter something  Use: Investigations of CIA reveal that such covert operations can get out of control
Clandestine, concealed, stealthy, underground, copse, wood, thicket
Open
Covetous
Adj. avaricious, eagerly desirous of Use: The child was covetous by nature and wanted to take the toys belonging to his classmates
envious,  jealous, desirous, greedy
Generous, temperate
Deprecate
V .express disapproval of, protest against, belittle Use: A firm believer of old-fashioned courtesy, Miss Post, deprecated the modern tendency to address new acquaintances by their first names.
Denounce, deplore, condemn, censure, denigrate, decry, belittle.
Approve
Diligence
n. care and perseverance in carrying out tasks. Use :  Her employers were greatly impressed by her diligence and offered her a partnership in the firm
Hard-working, assiduousness, meticulousness, conscientiousness, painstakingness
Laziness, carelessness,
negligence
Discretion
n. ability to adjust action to circumstances Use: Use your discretion in this matter and do not discuss the matter with anyone.
Prudence, caution, acumen, predilection, sagacity, wariness, volition
Indiscretion
dispel
v. scatter, drive away, cause to vanish Use: The bright sunlight eventually dispelled the morning mist
Disperse
Attract
Dissemination
v. Opening to public discussion or debate, the act of spreading something, Use: By their use of the internet, propagandists, have been able to disseminate their pet doctrines to new audiences around the globe
Broadcasting, diffusion, propagation,
 
Dogmatic
Adj. Opinionated Use: We tried to discourage him from being so dogmatic, but nothing could convince him that his opinions might be wrong
Arbitrary, doctrinal, unbending, inflexible, authoritarian,
Flexible
echelon
n. A body of troops arranged in a line
Level, stratum, rank, height
 
fallible
Adj. Liable to err. Use: I Know I am fallible, but I feel confident that I am right this time
Imperfect, unsound, mortal, weak, frail,
Perfect
Harbinger
n. an indication of the approach of something or someone, forerunner v. fore shadow or presage Use: The crocus is an early harbinger of spring
Forerunner, herald, potent, omen,
 
illustrious
Adj. Widely known and esteemed
Memorable, well-known, famous
Inglorious, shameful
impetus
n. A force that moves something along, incentive, stimulus Use: A new federal highway program would create jobs and will give added impetus to our economic recovery
Momentum, thrust, motivation
inertia
Intermittent
Adj. Periodic Use: The outdoor wedding reception had to be shifted indoor to avoid the intermittent showers that fell on and of all afternoon.
Alternating, sporadic
Constant
Latent
Adj. Potentially existing, but not presently evident or realized Use: Polaroid pictures are popular at the parties because you can see the latent photographic image gradually appear before your eyes
Dormant, embryonic, suppressed, undeveloped,
Overt
Latitude
n. freedom from narrow limitations Use: I think you have permitted your son too much latitude in this manner
Leeway, freedom, autonomy, liberty, room, rope
 
Manifestation
n. outward demonstration, indication Use: Mozart’s early attraction to the harpsichord was the first manifestation  of his pronounced musical bent
Sign, demonstration, expression, symptom,
 
mitigate
v. lessen or try to lessen the seriousness or extent of Use: Nothing he could do to mitigate her anger, she refused to  forgive him
Appease, alleviate, allay, assuage, mollify, extenuate, palliate
Aggravate,  exacerbate
motley
Adj. Multicolored or mixed Use: he wore a motley tunic, red and green and blue and gold all patched together haphazardly
Assorted, diverged, mixed, dissimilar,
Uniform, homogenous, monochrome
pensive
Adj. Dreamily thoughtful, thoughtful with a hint of sadness Use: The pensive lover gazed at the portrait of his beloved and sighed deeply.
Brooding, pondering, meditative, contemplative
 
prolific
 Adj. Abundantly fruitful Use: She was a prolific writer, who produced as many as three books a years
Productive, abundant, fecund
Unproductive, scarce
relinquish
v. give up something with reluctance, yield Use: once you get used to fringes like expense account meal and company car, it is very difficult to relinquish them
Surrender, renounce, abandon, repudiate, cede,
 
Vanquish, retain,
solicit
v. request earnestly, seek Use: The Mayor telephoned all the member of the city council to solicit their votes
Importune, implore, crave, beseech,
Grant
tractable
Adj. Docile, easily managed, susceptible to suggestion  Use: Although Susan seemed to be a tractable young woman, she had a stubborn streak of independence
Obedient, dutiful, well-mannered
Disobedient, intractable
veer
v. change in direction Use: After what seemed to be en eternity, the wind veered to the east and the storm abated
Turn, swerve
 
Vehement
Adj. Forceful, intensely emotional; with marked vigor Use: He became so Vehement in describing what had happened with him that he started jumping up and down
Fervent, passionate,
Apathetic
Caprice
n. whim, a sudden desire. Use: She was an unpredictable creature, acting on caprice, never taking thought of consequences
Whim, impulse, quirk, fad, fancy, notion
 
stifle
v. suppress, extinguish, inhibit Use: Halfway through the boring picture, Laura gave up trying to stifle he yawns.
Smother, asphyxiate, choke, suffocate, strangle, curb, restrain, repress,
Let out
concur
v. agree Use: Did you concur with the decision of the court or did you find it unfair?
Agree, harmonize, coincide, assent, acquiesce
Conflict, resist
lethargy
v. lack of vitality or energy Use: A complete days work left him in a state of lethargy
Stupor, indolence, weariness
Get-up-and-go
Furtive
Adj. stealthy, sneaky, secret and sly or sordid Use: noticing the furtive glance the customer gave the diamond bracelet on the counter, the jeweler wondered whether he had a potential shoplifter in his hands
Surreptitious, clandestine
open
efface
v. wipe out or make dim Use: The coin had been handled so many times that its date had been effaced
Obliterate, eradicate,
Engrave
Pretentious
Adj. Intended to attract notice and impress others, making unjustified claims, overambitious Use: The other prize winner isn’t wearing her medal; isn’t it a bit pretentious of you to wear yours?
Ostentatious, pompous, conceited
Down-to-earth
compunction
n. a feeling of deep regret (usually of some misdeed) Use: The judge was especially sever in his sentencing as the criminal had shown no compunction for his heinous crime
Regret, scruple, qualm, guilt, reluctance, hesitation,










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