Vocab 14 Flashcards
hoax (hōks) n.
a practical joke; a trick
The sighting of Elvis at the Bowl-O-Rama turned out to be a hoax.
syn: fraud; fake
levity (lev´ i tē) n.
lightness of disposition; lack of seriousness
Kent brought an air of levity to the otherwise somber proceedings by cracking a few jokes.
syn: frivolity ant: sobriety; somberness
amicable (am´ i kə bəl) adj.
friendly; peaceable
Commerce will suffer until the two nations establish amicable relations.
syn: agreeable; amiable ant: quarrelsome; warlike
obstreperous (ob strep´ ər əs) adj.
aggressively boisterous; stubborn and defiant
The obstreperous mob of looters was finally subdued by an icy blast from the fire hose.
ant: meek; tractable
enraptured (en rap´ chərd) adj.
delighted beyond measure
Sasha was enraptured by the performance of the visiting ballet troupe.
syn: ecstatic
marital (mar´ i təl) adj.
having to do with marriage
Marital problems can sometimes be solved by a session with a marriage counselor.
syn: wedded ant: single
bask (bask) v.
to expose oneself to pleasant warmth During the Florida vacation, all she did was bask in the sun.”“8. genial (jēn´ yəl) adj. friendly; amiable
Our new neighbors were so genial that we felt we had known them for years.
syn: cordial ant: unfriendly
charlatan (shär´ lə ten) n.
one who pretends to have knowledge in order to swindle others
The supposed doctor endorsing the fat-burning “miracle drug” was actually a charlatan.
syn: quack; fraud ant: professional
mundane (mun dān´) adj.
commonplace; earthly and not spiritual
Virginia thought herself too good an artist to be expected to deal with mundane things like earning a living.
syn: boring ant: unique
fickle (fik´ əl) adj.
likely to change on a whim or without apparent reason
Because she never kept one boyfriend for long, her friends said Keisha was fickle.
syn: vacillating; capricious ant: steadfast
juggernaut (jug´ ər nôt) n.
a terrible destructive or irresistible force
The Nazi juggernaut swept through Belgium and into France.
naïve (nä ēv´) adj.
simple in outlook; not affected or worldly; especially innocent
Old movies usually portray country girls in the city as naïve and vulnerable.
syn: unsophisticated; unsuspecting ant: sophisticated; cunning
nocturnal (nok tûr´ nəl) adj.
having to do with the night; occurring at night
Owls are[…]”“Owls are nocturnal creatures; they sleep during the day.
ant: diurnal
novice (nov´ is) n.
a beginner; one who is inexperienced”“The older lawyer took the novice under her wing and showed him the ropes.
syn: apprentice; tyro ant: master”
