Unit 4 Flashcards
affable
(adj.) courteous and pleasant, sociable, easy to speak to
We spent a pleasant afternoon with our ___ neighbors.
Synonyms: genial, amicable, cordial
Antonyms: surly, cantankerous, dour, inhospitable
aggrandize
(v.) to increase in greatness, power, or wealth; to build up or intensify; to make appear greater
John D. Rockefeller worked to ___ his empire by purchasing oil wells, refineries, and pipelines.
Synonyms: augment, amplify, enhance, exalt
Antonyms: reduce, decrease, diminish
amorphous
(adj.) shapeless, without definite form; of no particular type of character; without organization, unity, or cohesion
The ___ body of the amoeba was fascinating to watch under the microscope.
Synonyms: formless, unstructured, inchoate
Antonyms: definite, well-defined, clear-cut
archetype
(n.) an original model on which something was patterned or replicated; the ideal example of a particular type of person or thing
Sherlock Holmes was an ___ of a clever detective who always solves the case.
Synonyms: model, prototype, epitome
aura
(n.) that which surrounds (as an atmosphere); a distinctive air or personal quality
What people thought was her ___ of mystery was actually a mask for her shyness.
Synonyms: ambience, atmosphere
contraband
(n.) illegal traffic, smuggled goods; (adj.) illegal, prohibited
Three jeweled combs from the 17th century were among the ___ seized by the police.
Synonyms: (adj.) bootleg, unlawful
Antonyms: (adj.) legal, lawful, licit
erudite
(adj.) scholarly, learned, bookish, pedantic
For my paper, I would like to find an ___ history of the subject written in a clear and unbiased manner.
Synonyms: profoundly educated, well-read
Antonyms: ignorant, uneducated, illiterate
gossamer
(adj.) thin, light, delicate, insubstantial; (n.) a very thin, light cloth
Ghosts are often depicted in literature as wearing ___ clothing that makes them seem all the more ethereal.
The book was so old that each finely printed page seemed only the weight of ___.
Synonyms: (adj.) filmy, diaphanous, sheer, airy, feathery, gauzy
Antonyms: (adj.) dense, solid, massive
inscrutable
(adj.) incapable of being understood; impossible to see through physically
I could not tell by her ___ smile whether she was pleased or only amused with me.
Synonyms: impenetrable, incomprehensible, enigmatic
Antonyms: comprehensible, intelligible, penetrable
insular
(adj.) relating to, characteristic of, or situated on an island; narrow or isolated in outlook or experience
You seem too sophisticated to hold such ___ opinions.
Synonyms: narrow-minded, parochial, provincial
Antonyms: catholic, cosmopolitan, liberal
irrevocable
(adj.) incapable of being changed or called back
We tend to think of court verdicts as ___ but they are often overturned by higher courts.
synonyms: unrecallable, unalterable
antonyms: reversible, changeable
propensity
(n.) a natural inclination or predilection toward
Queen Elizabeth I showed a strong ___ for putting off decisions in the hopes that they would resolve themselves.
Synonyms: natural bent, proclivity, penchant
Antonyms: natural incapacity or inability
querulous
(adj.) peevish, complaining, fretful
Some flight attendants dread a ___ airline passenger more than they do rough weather.
synonyms: petulant, irritable
Antonyms: uncomplaining, stoical
remonstrate
(v.) to argue with someone against something, protest against
Slowly, carefully, keeping his voice down, he argued with the caller as one might ___ with a child.
Synonyms: reason against, expostulate
repudiate
(v.) to disown, reject, or deny the validity of
He was forced to ___ a statement he had made before he’d had all the information.
Synonyms: disavow, renounce
Antonyms: avow, affirm, aver
