Unit 9 Flashcards
abate
(v.) to make less in amount, degree etc,; to subside, become less; to nullify; to deduct, omit
We stood on the dock on that moonless night, waiting for the storm to ___.
Synonyms: diminish, decrease, subside, let up
Antonyms: intensify, increase, magnify, wax
adulation
(n.) praise or flattery that is excessive
Athletes have little choice but to enjoy the sometimes puzzling ___ of their fans.
Synonyms: adoration, idolization, hero-worship
Antonyms: ridicule, derision, odium to my
anathema
(n.) an object of intense dislike; a curse or strong denunciation (often used adjectivally without the article)
The author’s views on bringing up children are ___ to my dad but a delight to my mother.
Synonyms: malediction, imprecation, abomination
Antonyms: benediction, blessing
astute
(adj.) shrewd, crafty, showing practical wisdom
The ___ management of money is a valuable skill but may not by itself make a good executive.
Synonyms: acute, sagacious, judicious, wily
Antonyms: obtuse, doltish, empty-headed, dumb
avarice
(n.) a greedy desire, particularly for wealth
Her career exhibited both the miser’s ever-growing ___ and the miser’s diminishing charm.
Synonyms: cupidity, rapacity, acquisitiveness
culpable
(adj.) deserving blame, worthy of condemnation
It was the inspectors’ ___ neglect of duty that left such old buses in service.
Synonyms: guilty, delinquent, peccant, blameworthy
Antonyms: blameless, innocent, laudable, meritorious
dilatory
(adj.) tending to delay or procrastinate; not prompt; intended to delay or postpone
She hired an assistant because, on her own, she was always ___ in paying her bills.
Synonyms: stalling, slow, tardy, laggard
Antonyms: prompt, punctual, speedy, expeditious
egregious
(adj.) conspicuous, standing out from the mass (used particularly in an unfavorable sense)
Whoever allowed that man on a stage is guilty of an ___ blunder.
Synonyms: glaring, flagrant, blatant
Antonyms: unnoticeable, paltry, piddling
equivocate
(v.) to speak or act in a way that allows for more than one interpretation; to be deliberately vague or ambiguous
I won’t soon give my vote to a candidate who shows such a marked tendency to ___.
Synonyms: to talk out of both sides of one’s mouth, palter, piddling
evanescent
(adj.) vanishing, soon passing away; light and airy
Looking back, I see that the magic of that summer was ___.
Synonyms: ephemeral, transient, transitory
Antonyms: everlasting, immortal, imperishable
irresolute
(adj.) unable to make up one’s mind, hesitating
In Hamlet, the prince is ___ about whether to obey his father’s ghost or to go on as if nothing has happened,
Synonyms: indecisive, vacillating, wavering
Antonyms: determined, decisive, unwavering
nebulous
(adj.) cloudlike, resembling a cloud; cloudy in color, not transparent; vague, confused, indistinct
By the time everyone had expressed an opinion, the original idea had become somewhat ___.
Synonyms: hazy, fuzzy, cloudy, opaque, indeterminate
Antonyms: definite, distinct, clear, sharply focused
novice
(n.) one who is just a beginner at some activity requiring skill and experience (also used adjectivally)
You must be patient and realize that all his mistakes are typical of a ___ in this line of work.
Synonyms: neophyte, tyro, trainee, apprentice
Antonyms: veteran, past master, pro, expert
penury
(n.) extreme poverty; barrenness, insufficiency
We never seem to tire of stories of people who go from ___ to sudden wealth.
Synonyms: destitution, indigence
Antonyms: affluence, luxury
pretentious
(adj.) done for show, striving to make a big impression; claiming merit or position unjustifiably; ambitious
Taking about one’s wealth is thought to be ___ and in poor taste.
Synonyms: ostentatious, inflated
Antonyms: unaffected, modest
