2-3 Vocab Flashcards
maelstrom
whirlpool; turbulence; agitated state of mind
emendation
n. a correction
syn: improvement, amendment
effete
adj. worn out, barren
syn: exhausted, spent and sterile
ant: vital, vigorous
shard
n. a fragment
bland
adj. mild, tasteless, dull
syn: smooth, agreealbe
ant: exciting, thrilling
nihilism
n. a total rejection of established law
pedestrian
adj. ordinary or dull
syn: commonplace, mediocre
ant: imaginative, compelling
bona fide
adj. in good faith
syn: legitimate, genuine
ant: fraudulent, phony
adventitious
adj. accidental, nonessential
syn: incidental
fecund
adj. fertile, productive
syn: prolific
ant: sterile
deviate
v. to turn aside from a course, to stray
syn: digress
impotent
adj. powerless; lacking strength
syn: ineffective, helpless
ant: potent, powerful
antithesis
n. an exact opposite; an opposite extreme
syn: converse
ant: same
chagrin
n. embarrassment, a complete loss of courage
bauble
n. a showy but useless thing
syn: trinket
diaphanous
adj. very sheer and light
syn: transparent, gossamer
ant: opaque
labyrinth
a complicated network of winding passages, a maze
gloat
v. to look at or think about with great satisfaction
impediment
n. a barrier, obstruction
syn: obstacle, hindrance
ant: aid
bestial
adj. savage, brutal
syn: brutish, vile, cruel
ant: humane, kind
obfuscate
v. to confuse, to bewilder
impale
v. to pierce with a sharp stake through the body
extenuate
v. to lessen seriousness by providing partial excuses
parochial
adj. local, narrow, limited
syn: provincial, narrow-minded
ant: universal, catholic
glower
v. to stare angrily
syn: frown, scowl
ant: grin
edify
v. improve someone morally
ambiguous
adj. open to more than one interpretation
syn: unclear, uncertain, vague
ant: explicit, definite
cataclysm
n. a violent change
syn: disaster, catastrophe
ant: triumph, boon
optimum
adj. best, most favorable, ideal
importune
v. to ask persistently, to beg
syn: appeal, badger
