E6 Vocab 9 Flashcards
accelerate
to speed up, cause to move faster; to bring out more quicklysyn: step up, quicken, hastenant: slow down, retard, decelerate
bystander
one who looks on or observes, a person present but not taking partsyn: observer, spectator, onlookerant: active participant
canvass
to go through an area in order to procure votes, sales or opinions; to go over in detail, to discusssyn: poll, survey, solicit
casual
happening by chance or on an irregular basis; showing little concern; informalsyn: accidental, haphazard, offhandant: formal, serious, premeditated, intentional
downtrodden
treated unfairly and cruelly, oppressedsyn: mistreated, ground underfootant: uplifted, liberated
entice
to attract, temptsyn: lure, beguileant: nauseate, sicken, revolt, repel
erode
to wear away gradually, eat awaysyn: corrode, abradeant: nurture, promote, encourage
flounder
to thrash about in a clumsy or ineffective waysyn: wallow, struggle
graphic
lifelike, vivid; relating to the pictorial artssyn: lively, colorful, descriptiveant: dull, boring, unrealistic, colorless
gruesome
horrible, revolting, ghastlysyn: gory, hideous, grislyant: pleasant, delightful, appealing
melancholy
sad, gloomy, unhappy; sadness, gloominesssyn: depressed, dejectedant: merry, happy. cheerful, joy, elation
ordeal
a difficult or painful experience, a trialsyn: test, hardshipant: pleasure, cinch
parch
to make dry and thirsty, to shrivel with heatsyn: dry up, dehydrate, desiccateant: soak, drench, saturate, waterlog
persist
to continue steadily in a course of action, refuse to stop or be changed; to last, remainsyn: persevere, keep at it, endureant: give up, discontinue
puny
of less than normal strength or size; of no importancesyn: undersized, pint-size, small, weakant: robust, brawny, mammoth, gigantic
quibble
to evade or belittle a point by twisting words or raising minor objections; a petty objectionsyn: nitpick, split hairs, cavil, squabble
ratify
to approve, give formal approval to, confirmsyn: endorse, sanction, upholdant: cancel, repeal, annul, veto