Chapter 7 Flashcards
(26 cards)
1
Q
ALLEY
Verb.
A
- to calm or pacify, set to rest; to lessen or relive.
- The politician made a speech in order to _________ his constituents’ fear.
- SYNONYMS: reduce, alleviate, moderate
- ANTONYMS: aggravate, exacerbate, intensity
2
Q
BESTIAL
adjective
A
- beast-like; beastly, brutal; subhuman in intelligence and sensibility
- in beating their prisoner, the guards were guilty of a truly ______ act.
- SYNONYMS: animal, depraved, loathsome
- ANTONYMS: human, humane, clement, virtuous, upright.
3
Q
CONVIVIAL
adjective
A
- festive, sociable, having fun together, genial
- thanksgiving dinner at grandmas house is always a ______ family gathering.
- SYNONYMS: fun-loving, jovial, merry
- ANTONYMS: dour, grim, sullen, unsociable
4
Q
COTERIE
noun
A
- a circle of acquaintances; a close-knit, often exclusive, group of people with a common interest
- Robert Browning and his ____ had ideas about poetry that seemed revolutionary in their day.
- SYNONYMS: clique, set
5
Q
COUNTERPART
noun
A
- a person of thug closely resembling or corresponding to another; a complement
- I have to admit I was frightened of my _________ on the other team because she had the high-jump record.
- SYNONYM: match
6
Q
DEMUR
verb
Noun
A
• to object or to take an exception to; on objection
- The rank and file will ____ if they not consulted regularly by the union leadership.
- The speech in favor of the proposal was drowned out by a chorus of ____ from the senate floor.
- SYNONYMS: protest, object to
- ANTONYMS: assent to, consent to, accept, agree to
7
Q
EFFRONTERY
Noun
A
- shameless boldness, impudence
- After having been suspended for disrespectful behavior the student had the ____ to talk back to his teacher again
- SYNONYMS: gall, chutzpah, nerve, impertinence, cheek
- ANTONYMS: shyness, diffidence, timidity
8
Q
EMBELLISH
verb
A
- to decorate, adorn, touch up; to improve by adding details
- the best story tellers ______ their tales in ways that help readers visualize the setting
- SYNONYMS: ornament, garnish
- ANTONYMS: strip, mar, disfigure
9
Q
EPHEMERAL
adjective
A
- lasting only a short time, short-lived
- only the greatest of writers and artists achieve anything other than ______ popularity.
- SYNONYMS: fleeting, transient, evanescent, transitory
- ANTONYMS: inappropriate, inept, graceless, unhappy
10
Q
FELICITOUS
adjective
A
- appropriate, apt, well chosen; marked by well-being or good fortune, happy
- in view of the high prices for home heating oil, the mild winter was a ______ turn of events.
- SYNONYMS: fortunate, well-put
- ANTONYMS: inappropriate, inept, graceless, unhappy
11
Q
FURTIVE
adjective
A
- done slyly or stealthily, sneaky, secret, shifty; stolen
- the girl was caught taking a ______ glance at the test paper of the student sitting next to her.
- SYNONYMS: clandestine, covert, surreptitious
- ANTONYMS: forthright, aboveboard, open
12
Q
GARNISH
adjective
A
- glaring; tastelessly showy of overdecorated in a vulgar or offensive way.
- the storefront was painted in ______ colors so that it would attract the attention of passersby.
- SYNONYMS: gaudy, flashy, tawdry
- ANTONYMS:subdued, muted, understand, quiet
13
Q
ILLUSORY
adjective
A
- misleading, deceptive; lacking in or not based on reality
- police state tactics provide an _____ sense of security in an unjust society.
- SYNONYMS: specious, spurious, fanciful, imaginary
- ANTONYMS: actual, real, factual, objective
14
Q
INDIGENT
adjective
A
- needy, impoverished
- the number of homeless and _____ persons had increased since the economy took a downturn
- SYNONYMS: penniless, poverty-stricken, destitute
- ANTONYMS: wealthy, affluent, prosperous
15
Q
INORDINATE
adjective
A
- far too great, exceeding reasonable limits, excessive
- the press showered the popular actor with _____ praise for what seemed a rather ordinary performance.
- SYNONYMS:exorbitant, extravagant
- ANTONYMS: moderate, reasonable, equitable
16
Q
JETTISON
verb
A
- to cast overboard, get rid of as unnecessary or burdensome
- the captain ordered the crew to ______ the ballast so the ship could move more quickly through the water
- SYNONYMS: cast off, discard, dump, junk, abandon
- ANTONYMS: conserve, retain, hold on to, keep
17
Q
MISANTHROPE
noun
A
- a person who hates or despises people
- the millionaire _____ left all her money to an animal shelter and not a penny to a single human
- SYNONYMS: people-hater
18
Q
PERTINACIOUS
adjective
A
- very persistent; holding firmly to a course of action or a set of beliefs; hard to get rid of, refusing to be put off or denied
- the defense attorney was as _____ as a bulldog in a cross-examination of the witness
- SYNONYMS:stubborn, dogged, determined
19
Q
PICAYUNE
adjective
A
- of little value or importance, paltry, measly; concerned with trifling matters, small-minded
- a supervisor who fusses about every ______ fault of the workers will lower morale and productivity
- SYNONYMS: inconsequential, piddling, trifling
- ANTONYMS: important, significant, huge, gigantic
20
Q
RAIMENT
noun
A
- clothing, garments
- when the chorus in the Greek tragedy hears that the kind has died, they tear their ______ in anguish
- SYNONYMS: apparel, attire
21
Q
ALLEGE
Verb
A
- to assert without proof or confirmation
- the newspaper tabloid ______ the the movie star and the director were having creative differences.
- SYNONYMS: claim, contend
- ANTONYMS: prove, deny
22
Q
ARRANT
Adjective
A
- thoroughgoing, out-and-out; shameless, blatant
- in Shakespeare’s tragedy the audience sees clearly that logo is an ______ scoundrel, but Othello is blind to his treachery
- SYNONYMS: egregious, unmitigated
23
Q
BADINAGE
noun
A
- light and playful conversation
- I enjoy the delightful ______ between stars like Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn in 1940s movies
- SYNONYMS:banter, persiflage, repartee
- ANTONYMS: sermon
24
Q
CONCILIATE
verb
A
- to overcome the distrust of, win over; to appease, pacify; to reconcile, make consistent
- because of the weakness of our army, we had to try to _____ the enemy
- SYNONYMS: placate, mollify, propitiate
- ANTONYMS: antagonize, alienate, estrange
25
COUNTERMAND
| Verb
* to cancel or reverse one order or command with another that is contrary to the first
* today's directive clearly _____ all previous instructions on how to exit the building in case of fire
* SYNONYMS: recall, revoke
* ANTONYMS: reaffirm, reassert
26
ECHELON
| noun
* one of a series of grades in an organization or field of activity; an organized military unit; a steplike formation or arrangement
* although the civil servant began in the lower _____ of government service he rose quickly through the ranks
* SYNONYMS: level, rank
