ABANDON: To give up completely - abandoned the sinking ship. Synonyms: relinquish, forgo, forsake ABASH: To lose self-confidence; to confuse, put to shame – abashed before the assembled dignitaries. Synonyms: fluster, disconcert, discomfit, discompose. Antonym: (adj.) self-possessed ABDICATE: To give up claim to - abdicated the throne. Synonyms: renounce, abandon, relinquish ABET: To encourage -or support - treacherously abetted the enemy. Synonyms: spur, incite. Antonym: deter ABRIDGE: To shorten - abridged his lengthy speech. Synonyms: curtail, diminish, retrench. Antonyms: protract, elongate, amplify ABROGATE: To abolish or render void - a treaty abrogated by mutual consent. Synonyms: annul, nullify, rescind, void. ABSTEMIOUS: Moderate in the use of food or drink - abstemious in his habits. Synonym: temperate ACADEMIC: Pertaining to school; theoretical academic interests; an academic discussion, with no practical implications. Synonym: scholastic ACCEDE: To agree to - accede to a request. Synonym: assent. Antonym: demur ACCELERATE: - To quicken, speed tip - took an accelerated course in order to graduate early. Synonym: expedite (adj. expeditious). Antonym: retard. ACCOLADE: An award or salute - a tremendous accolade for a returning hero. Synonyms: tribute, ovation ACCORD: Agreement or harmony - in full accord with his view. Synonyms: concord, concurrence. Antonyms: dissension, discord ACRIMONIOUS: Sharp or harsh in language or temper - stung by the acrimonious remark. Synonyms: caustic, acerb, pungent, tart, mordant, acrid; (noun) asperity. Antonyms: suave, affable, ACUMEN: Keenness of mind or insight - showing exceptional business acumen. Synonyms: perspicacity, discernment, perception. Antonym: obtuseness. ADMONISH (noun: ADMONITION): To warn or find fault gently - admonishing the unruly child. Synonyms: chide, caution, reprimand, reprehend, reproach. ADVERSARY: (adj.: ADVERSE): An opponent - his adversary in a bitter debate. Synonym: antagonist. Antonyms: cohort, confederate, ally, accomplice. ADVERSITY: Misfortune - calm in the face of adversity. Synonyms: affliction, mischance, reverses. AESTHETIC: Pertaining to the beautiful - interested in aesthetic values rather than in purely practical affairs. AFFABLE: Sociable, courteous, and agreeable in manner a much admired, affable gentleman. Synonyms: civil, complaisant, benign, gracious, genial, urbane, cordial. Antonyms: curt, brusque, rude, boorish, surly. AFFLUENT: Prosperous, flourishing; copious - a large bequest from an affluent grandfather. Synonyms: opulent, profuse. Antonyms: destitute, impecunious. AGGRESSIVE (noun: AGGRESSION. an unprovoked attack): self-assertive; attacking, offensive - annoyed people by his aggressive attitude. Synonyms: bumptious, officious, obtrusive. Antonyms: meek, humble, retiring, diffident. ALACRITY: Eagerness; cheerful promptness - responded to the flattering offer with alacrity. Synonyms: celerity, briskness, energy, animation. Antonyms: apathy, nonchalance, sluggishness, lethargy, phlegmatism. ALIENATE: To estrange - alterated by his gruff manner. ALLAY: To calm; to lessen in severity - at ease now that his fears have been allayed. Synonyms: appease, alleviate, pacify, assuage, abate, mitigate, propitiate, mollify, placate. Antonyms: intensify, aggravate. ALLUDE (noun: ALLUSION): To refer to indirectly - alluded quite subtly to his friends misfortune. Synonyms: insinuate, intimate, imply. Antonyms: refer, cite. ALLURE: To tempt by flattery or an attractive offer - allured by the prospect of a new job. Synonyms: lure, decoy, inveigle, entice, seduce, wheedle, beguile, cajole. Antonym: repel. AMBIGUOUS: Uncertain, vague, capable of being inter- in more than one way - puzzled by the ambiguous statement. Synonyms: hazy, obscure, equivocal, dubious, nebulous. Antonyms: explicit, unquestionable. AMENABLE: Obedient; willing to submit - amenable to the suggestion. Synonyms: tractable, docile, responsive. Antonyms: intractable, refractory, recalcitrant. AMIABLE: Good-natured; friendly - attracted friends by his amiable disposition. Synonym: complaisant. ANACHRONISM: A thing placed or occurring out of its normal time - A machine gun at the Battle of Yorktown would be an anachronism. ANALOGY (adj.: ANALOGOUS): A relation between two things shown in the resemblance not of the things themselves but of their characteristics - He indicated points of analogy between the two situations. Synonyms: correspondence, affinity. Antonym: anomaly (a deviation from the general rule). ANARCHY: State of confusion or lawlessness - a country brought to utter anarchy by civil war. Synonyms: chaos, pandemonium. ANIMUS: A feeling of hatred-felt no animus, even against the enemy. Synonyms: enmity, rancor, malevolence, animosity. Antonym: amity. ANNALS: Historical records - in the annals of literature. ANONYMOUS: Of unknown authorship-an anonymous publication. ANTHOLOGY: A collection of choice literary works – an anthology of modern poetry. ANTITHESIS (adj.: ANTITHETICAL): Contrast; the direct opposite - His selfish attitude seemed to me the antithesis o patriotism. APATHY (adj.: APATHETIC): Lack of feeling, emotion, or interest - attributed his failure to apathy, rather than lack of ability. Synonyms: torpor, lethargy, sluggishness, listlessness, languor, lassitude, dispassion; (verb) languish. Antonyms: zeal, animation. APPREHENSIVE (verb: APPREHEND): Fearful - Being unprepared, John is apprehensive of the examination. APPRISE: To inform –apprised his lieutenants of the new situation. APPROBATION: Approval; praise -a plan that met with hearty approbation. Synonyms: sanction, commendation. Antonym: disapprobation. APT (noun: APTITUDE, APTNESS): ((1) Likely; inclined or disposed - apt to succeed. Synonym: prone. (2) Fit, suitable - an apt remark. Synonyms: appropriate, felicitous. (3) Skillful, expert - apt at woodcarving. Synonyms: deft, dextrous, adept. Antonym: inept. ARBITER: A person who has authority to decide matters in dispute - a fair decision rendered by the arbiter. Synonyms: mediator, arbitrator ARCHETYPE: An original pattern - copies reproduced from the archetype. Synonym: prototype. Antonyms: Stereotype, facsimile, replica. ARID: Dry; barren - the arid desert land. Synonyms: jejune, parched. Antonyms: arable, fertile. ARISTOCRACY: Government by the best people; a privileged class -special privileges enjoyed by the aristocracy. Synonym: oligarchy. Antonym: democracy. ARMISTICE: A temporary suspension of hostilities. The armistice halted the war. Synonym: truce ARTFUL: Sly; crafty - attained his mean objective by artful measures. Synonyms: cunning, wily, adroit, ingenious, guileful. Antonyms: guileless, ingenuous, artless. ARTICULATE (verb): To speak clearly or distinctly - articulated slowly so that he could not be misunderstood. (adj.): Capable of speech; distinct, clear – an articulate man, always ready to give his views. ASCETIC: Rigorously self-denying - pursued the ascetic life of a monk. Synonyms: austere, abstinent. Antonyms: wanton, self-indulgent. ASKANCE: With distrust - looked askance at the forged signature. ASSEVERATE: To declare positively; to confirm - asseverated his views with conviction. Synonyms: assert, avouch, aver, avow, allege. Antonyms: gainsay, controvert, recant, rescind, abjure, disavow. ASSIDUOUS: Industrious - an assiduous worker, toiling long hours. Synonyms: sedulous, attentive, diligent, indefatigable. Antonyms: indolent, slothful. ASYLUM: A place offering shelter and retreat - found asylum from persecution. Synonyms: sanctuary, refuge. ATHEIST: One who denies that God exists - The atheist declared, There is no God. Synonyms: infidel, agnostic, skeptic. ATTRIBUTE (verb): Assign -attributed his success to bard work. Synonym: ascribe (noun): An inherent quality -Generosity was his outstanding attribute. AUGMENT: To increase or enlarge - an army augmented by numerous enlistments. Synonyms: enhance, amplify. Antonyms: abate, curtail. AUSPICIOUS: Indicating a happy outcome - The prospect for this project appears auspicious. Synonyms: propitious, fortunate. Antonyms: ominous, foreboding. AUTHENTIC: Genuine -proved to be an authentic document. Synonyms: veritable, bona fide. Antonyms: apocryphal, counterfeit, spurious, bogus. AUTOCRATIC: Despotic - feared by the masses as an autocratic ruler. Synonym: tyrannical. Antonym: benevolent. AVARICE: Excessive greed - a fortune accumulated by avarice and miserliness. Synonyms: covetousness, cupidity, avidity. Antonym: magnanimity. AWRY: Unsymmetrical; not straight - the picture, hanging awry on the wall. Synonym: askew.
Posted on: Fri, 18 Oct 2013 07:03:05 +0000