Vocab 17 Flashcards
zephyr (zef´ ər) n.
a gentle breeze (sometimes specifically the West Wind)
A sweet-smelling zephyr ruf”“ruffled the laundry on the line.
ant: gale
circumspect (sûr´ kəm spekt) adj.
careful; heedful; attentive to all points
Although I tried to be circumspect when packing for camp, I never guessed that I should have packed an extra clock.
syn: judicious; prudent ant: rash; foolhardy
renegade (ren´ i gād) n.
one who deserts one side in favor of another; traitor; outlaw
The members of the old party called him a renegade; the members of his new party called him a patriot.
syn: turncoat; defector ant: loyalist
retribution (ret rə byōō´ shən) n.
something justly deserved, especially a punishment
The boys had to spend the”
“weekend picking up litter in retribution for having spray-painted graffiti on the bus.
syn: reprisal ant: reward
hurtle (hûr´ tl) v.
to move or to fling swiftly and with great force
The big fullback hurtled his way through the defensive line and scored the winning touchdown.
syn: hurl
scourge (skûrj) n.
a person or thing that causes great trouble or misfortune
Cancer remains one of the worst scourges of mankind.”“syn: torment; bane; curse ant: boon; blessing
caustic (kô´ stik) adj.
biting; stingingly sharp or sarcastic
Because of his caustic comments, his wife finally left him.
syn: acidic; harsh ant: mild; pleasant
taciturn (tas´ i tûrn) adj.
not fond of talking; usually silent
We were amazed when the taciturn young man signed up for public speaking.
syn: reticent; reserved ant: garrulous; loquacious; talkative”
agnostic (ag nos´ tik) n.
one who believes that the existence of God can neither be proved nor disproved
Although he did not officially believe in God, the agnostic sometimes prayed “just in case.”
syn: skeptic ant: believer
terse (tûrs) adj.
brief and to the point
Julia didn’t give me any details about her break-up, just a terse, “it’s over.”
syn: abbreviated; curt ant: verbose; rambling
uncanny (un kan´ ē) adj.
weird; strange; so keen or acute as to seem bizarre
Tess had an uncanny memory for details; she knew exactly what she had worn on any given day in the past eleven years.
syn: eerie
exodus (ek´ sə dəs) n.
a mass departure or emigration
The many defeated tribes made a speedy exodus from the war-torn valley.
ant: return
penitent (pen´ i tənt) adj.
remorseful; sorry for having”“done wrong
Seeing the boy’s penitent expression, the judge was easier on him than he might otherwise have been.
syn: apologetic ant: unrepentant
vindicate (vin´ di kāt) v.
to clear of suspicion or accusations
Darren sued for libel in order to vindicate his reputation.
syn: exonerate; acquit ant: besmirch; implicate
. raillery (rā´ lə rē) n.
good-humored ridicule or teasing
James much prefers Carson’s”
“raillery to the cynical slurs of other comedians.
syn: banter”
