Vocab 200 Flashcards
Accessible (adj)
Easy to reach or to approach
The introduction to the complex novel was, thankfully, written in clear accessible language.
Synonyms: approachable, attainable
Accommodate (verb)
To give consideration to
The hospitable couple was happy to accommodate the needs of their finicky guest.
Synonyms: oblige, abet
Advantageous (adj)
Giving an advantage
The house’s location in the best school district was advantageous to the seller.
Synonyms: favorable, beneficial
Adversary (noun)
One who opposes or resists
Franklin hoped to defeat his adversary in the afternoon’s tennis match.
Synonyms: opponent, enemy
Absolve (verb)
To forgive; to free from guilt
Marta felt greatly relieved after her mother absolved her for breaking the vase.
Synonyms: exculpate, pardon
Accentuate (verb)
To emphasize
Carla used red ribbons to accentuate the coppery tones in her hair.
Synonyms: highlight, stress
Aerate (verb)
To supply with air
Every spring, Soloman used his tiller to aerate the compact soil.
Synonyms: oxygenate, carbonate
Aesthete (noun)
Person having or affecting sensitivity to beauty
Consuela’s friends called her an aesthete when she claimed that Monet’s paintings made her cry.
Synonyms: connoisseur, epicure
Anthology (noun)
A collection of selected literary pieces
The writer was thrilled when his story was included in an anthology of American masterpieces.
Synonym: collection, compilation
Antidote (noun)
Something that relieves or counteracts
Veronique found that listening to French music was an antidote for her homesickness.
Synonyms: cure, remedy
Apathetic (adj)
Showing little or no emotion
Carmine was concerned about his usually cheerful brother’s apathetic attitude.
Synonyms: impassive, indifferent.
Appalling (adj)
Inspiring dismay or disgust
Hector found his roommate’s habit of leaving his dirty socks on the floor appalling.
Synonyms: dreadful, awful
Appraise (verb)
To evaluate the worth of
Simone, an expert in African sculpture, was asked to appraise the ambassador’s collection of masks.
Synonyms: assess, review
Archaic (adj)
Characteristic of an earlier time
In the world of high fashion, two-year-old shoes are considered positively archaic.
Synonyms: antiquated, ancient
Archetypal (adj)
Characteristic of the original model or perfect example
Shakespeare’s sonnets are considered archetypal love poems
Synonyms: classic, consummate
Augment (verb)
To make greater
Wanda read the dictionary every night to augment her vocabulary.
Synonyms: enhance, amplify
Authoritarian (adj)
Favoring absolute obedience to authority
Marco’s authoritarian mother never allowed him to watch more than one hour of television a day.
Synonyms: strict, despotic
Avian (adj)
Relating to birds
The old man affectionately referred to pigeons as his “avian friends.”
Synonyms: bird-like
Awe (noun)
Emotion combining dread and wonder
Charlie was in awe of his uncle, a professional football player and chess champion.
Synonyms: veneration, amazement
Belated (adj)
Past the normal or proper time
Even though I forgot his birthday, I hoe my father accepts my belated card.
Synonyms: tardy, overdue
Benefactor (noun)
One who offers financial help
Michael’s aunt and benefactor paid his college tuition.
Synonym: patron
Beneficial (adj)
Helpful
there is no doub that eating vegetables is beneficial to one’s health.
Synonyms: advantageous, salutary
Benevolent (adj)
Kind, helpful
Sherman revealed his benevolent side when he offered to help Carter with his homework.
Synonyms: altruistic, generous
Brandish (verb)
To shake or wave menacingly
The baseball player was fined for brandishing his bat at the opposing pitcher.
Synonyms: flourish, swing
Buffer (noun)
Protective barrier
The dense trees acted as a buffer against the heavy rain.
Synonyms: cushion, mediator
Buffoonery (noun)
Foolish behavior
Clarence, an irrepressible comic, was held after cass for his buffoonery.
Synonyms: jocularity, clowning
Camaraderie (noun)
Spirit of friendship
The manager hoped the retreat would increase the camaraderie among the feuding workers.
Synonyms: sociability, espirit de corps
Catastrophic (adj)
Relating to extreme misfortune
The effects of the massive hurricane were catastrophic.
Synonyms: devastating, disastrous
Celebrated (adj)
Widely known, respected
The fans waited for hours to catch a glimpse of the celebrated actress.
Synonyms: admired, famous
Censure (verb)
To find fault with
The critical teacher was quick to censure her students for even small mistakes.
Synonyms: blame, criticize
Civility (noun)
Politeness
The usually unruly Thomas acted with great civility when his favorite uncle visited.
Synonyms: courtesy, consideration
Clairvoyance (noun)
Ability to see things beyond ordinary perception
Rosa used her clairvoyance to help Alexander find his lost keys.
Synonyms: divination, foretelling
Clairty (noun)
Clearness
The refreshing water in the mountain stream was remarkable for its clarity.
Synonyms: lucidity, limpidity
Colossal (adj)
Immense, enormous
After pushing with all his might, Frank realized he could never move the colossal boulder.
Synonyms: gigantic, tremendous
Combative (adj)
Eager to fight
The teacher suggested the combative student channel his aggression into boxing.
Synonyms: aggressive belligerent
Combustion (noun)
Act of burning
Campers must use fire with great caution to prevent combustion of the parched brush.
Synonyms: igniting, kindling
Commemorate (verb)
To mark by a ceremony
Each year, the Franklins commemorate their anniversary by visiting the site of their first date.
Synonyms: observe, remember
Comparable (adj)
Similar, equivalent
Helen will only accept something of comparable value for her ticket to the concert.
Synonyms: akin, analogous
Composed (adj)
Calm
Although her stomach was in knots, the actress appeared perfectly composed when she took the stage.
Synonyms: serene, unperturbed
Comprehensible (adj)
Understandable
Shannon spoke slowly so her directions would be comprehensible to her foreign visitor.
Synonyms: intelligle, coherent
Compulsion (noun)
An irresistible impulse
Tamar, a shoe fanatic, could not resist the compulsion to buy the shiny red boots.
Synonyms: urge, obligation
Condone (verb)
To treat as acceptable
Crystal condoned her friend’s late arrival because she found it hard to be on time herself.
Synonyms: excuse, sanction
Conduit (noun)
Means for transmitting or distributing
Jason, a notorious gossip, was a conduit for information about his friends.
Synonyms: channel, pipeline
Corrective (adj)
Intended to correct
The school decided to take corrective measures to prevent truancy.
Synonyms: remedial, curative
Corroborate (verb)
To support with evidence
“Unless you can corroborate your story, it will not be admissible in court,” the attorney told his client.
Synonyms: verify, prove
Corrosive (adj)
Bitingly sarcastic
The cruel Estella’s corrosive comments made Pip cry.
Synonyms: caustic, sardonic
Cunning (adj)
Showing clever insight
The general devised a cunning strategy to outfox the enemy.
Synonyms: crafty, ingenious
Curtail (verb)
To make less
Doreen decided to curtail her spending after she bounced a check.
Synonyms: shorten, reduce
Deferment (noun)
The act of delaying
Sybil was frustrated by the deferment of her much anticipated vacation.
Synonyms: postponement, reprieve
Defiant (adj)
Showing bold resistance
The defiant toddler refused to leave the park.
Synonyms: impudent, disobedient
Demean (verb)
To lower status
The embarrassing photograph demeaned the candidate in the eyes of the voters.
Synonyms: humble, degrade
Demeanor (noun)
Behavior towards others
Carlos was well liked because of his charming demeanor.
Synonyms: disposition, comportment
Derelict (adj)
Abandoned
The derelict house was condemned as a public hazard.
Synonyms: destitute, forsaken
Derivative (adj)
Lacking originality
Critics panned the movie as a derivative version of last year’s Best Picture.
Synonyms: banal, cliche
Diffident (adj)
Lacking self-confidence
The diffident student never raised her hand in class, even when she knew the answer.
Synonyms: timid, bashful
discern (verb)
To recognize as separate as distinct
The pastry connoisseur was able to discern Swiss from Belgian chocolate.
Synonyms: detect, discriminate
Disconcert (verb)
To throw into confusion
Jennifer’s outspoken criticism of the meal disoncerted the waiter.
Synonyms: unnerve, bewilder
Disdain (noun)
Feeling of contempt
The arrogant writer did not hide his disdain for his uneducated dinner companion.
Synonyms: scorn, discersion
Distortion (noun)
The act of twisting out of shape
The story about the actress in the gossip column was a distortion of the truth.
Synonyms: contortion, mutilation
Drab (adj)
Dull, monotonous
The drab winter scene made Keisha long for the vibrant colors of spring.
Synonyms: dreary, colorless
Drub (verb)
To defeat decisively
The powerful young boxer drubbed the longtime champion.
Synonyms: beat, thrash
Dubious (adj)
Questionable
Karl found Kevin’s claim that he was sick dubious, as he had just seen him playing football.
Synonyms: suspect, doubtful
Duplicity (noun)
Deceptive thought, speech, or action
The life of an undercover detective is filed with necessary duplicity.
Synonyms: deceit, dishonesty
Ecstatic (adj)
Overwhelmingly emotional
They were ecstatic when their team won the championship game in the last second.
Synonyms: overjoyed, rapturous
Egotist (noun)
Self-important person
Darren dreaded carpooling with the egotist Shelly, who talked about herself nonstop.
Synonyms: blowhard, braggart
Elate (verb)
To fill with joy
It elated Margaret to be awarded first place in the science fair.
Synonyms: delight, thrill
Eloquent (adj)
Fluent, expressive
Kim, an eloquent speaker, was the best choice to make the presentation for the group.
Synonyms: articulate, persuasive
Elusive (adj)
Hard to grasp
The words to the song are elusive, as the singer tends to mumble.
Synonyms: evasive, obscure
Embellish (verb)
To decorate
Sari embellished the plain curtains with satin ribbons and tassels.
Synonyms: adorn, garnish
Entangle (verb)
To involve in trouble
Jonah regretted entangling Parker in his legal difficulties.
Synonyms: embroil, implicate
Epistolary (adj)
Contained or carried on in letters
The shoebox filled with letters was the ony remains of Ming’s epistolary friendship with Emile.
Epitaph (noun)
Brief statement honoring a dead person
“Beloved by all,” was the epitaph Edgar chose for his wife’s tombstone.
Synonyms: inscription, eulogy
Equitable (adj)
Fair and equal
The judge made an equitable decision dividing the estate evenly among the sisters.
Synonyms: impartial, unbiased
Ethical (adj)
Conforming to accepted standards
Mary did the ethical thing and turned in the diamond necklace she found.
Synonyms: honorable, moral
Eulogy (noun)
Speech or writing in praise of deceased
Ernesto delivered a moving eulogy at his uncle’s funeral.
Synonyms: homage, panegyric
Euphoria (noun)
Feeling of great happiness
Cassandra was overcome with euphoria when she met her long-lost sister.
Synonyms: elation, ebullience
Exalt (verb)
To elevate by praise
The fireman was publicly exalted for his heroism.
Synonyms: glorify, honor
Exasperation (noun)
The state of being irritated
The longer Jorge waited in line at the ticket counter, the more his exasperation grew.
Synonyms: irritation, frustration
Exception (noun)
A case to which the rule does not apply
The teacher made an exception and let Gina eat her snack in class.
Synonyms: anomaly, deviation
Extant (adj)
Currently existing
Some consider Clint Eastwood the greatest extant American director.
Synonyms: living, surviving
Extenuating (adj)
Partially excusing
The extenuating circumstance of Calviin’s illness caused the teacher to excuse his lateness.
Synonyms: mitigating, qualifying
Extol (verb)
To praise highly
The statesman extolled the ambassador who single-handedly negotiated the peace treaty.
Synonyms: glorify, exalt
Facade (noun)
false or superficial appearance
Emily’s smile is just a facade masking her broken heart.
Synonyms: mask, deceit
Fidelity (noun)
State of being faithful
Unlike her fickle friend Benji, May Belle was known for her fidelity.
Synonyms: loyalty, devotion
Finite (adj)
Having definite limits
The exasperated mother had finite patience for her toddler’s tantrums.
Synonyms: limited, circumscribed
Flagrant (adj)
Noticeably offensive
The executive was fired for his flagrant abuse of the company expense account.
Synonyms: glaring, outrageous
Flaunt (verb)
To display showily
Sheila, who could not resist bragging, flaunted the “A” marked on her test paper.
Synonyms: parade, brandish
Flaw (noun)
An imperfection
The otherwise perfect diamond had a tiny flaw that reduced its value.
Synonyms: defect, blemish
Flourish (verb)
To make bold, sweeping gestures
The fairy godmother flourished her wand and turned the pumpkin into a carriage.
Synonyms: brandish, wave
Foil (noun)
One that enhances or underscores by contrast
The sweet cookie was a perfect foil to the sour lemon sorbet.
Synonyms: complement
Fragile (adj)
Delicate
Jade placed the fragile vase out of reach of her rambunctious boys.
Synonyms: frail, brittle
Fraud (noun)
Trick
The con man’s fraud involved selling swampland to gullible investors.
Synonyms: deceit, racket
Frugal (adj)
Thrifty, cheap
The frugal shopper only bought items that were on sale.
Synonyms: sparing, provident
Futile (adj)
Without purpose, completely ineffective
Arguing with Andrew is futile because he never changes his mind.
Synonyms: hopeless, vain
Gargantuan (adj)
Gigantic
The gargantuan monster towered over the ten-story bulding.
Synonyms: enormous, colossal
Garish (adj)
Offensively bright
The garish wallpaper offended Jerome, who preferred subtle colors.
Synonyms: gaudy, loud
Genial (adj)
Sympathetic, friendly
The genial host warmly greeted his many guests.
Synonyms: pleasant, cordial
Grandiose (adj)
With an affectation of grandeur
The sweeping, grandiose staircase looked preposterous in the modest entry hall.
Synonyms: pretentious, pompous
Gravity (noun)
Importance, significance
Understanding the gravity of his error, Ken offered his humblest apology.
Synonyms: seriousness, magnitude
Gruff (adj)
Rough or stern in manner or speech
Heidi’s grandfather was gruff, barking stern orders and hardly smiling.
Synonyms: surly, brusque
Hedonism (noun)
Belief that pleasure is the sole aim of life
The hedonism of the emperoro, who spent all his time giving parties, caused his downfall.
Synonyms: sensualism, libertinism
Heed (verb)
To pay attention to
“Heed my advice,” the fortuneteller warned Sebastian when he tried to ignore her prophecy.
Synonyms: mind, mark
Heinous (adj)
Shockingly evil
Eduardo’s heinous betrayal of Lydia shocked even Latasha, who knew his evil ways.
Synonyms: odious, villainous
Illuminate (verb)
To make clear
Her excellent lecture illuminated the complicated subject of nuclear physics.
Synonyms: elucidate, edify.
Immoderate (adj)
Beyond usual or proper limits
Bob’s immoderate appetite shocked the guests at the wedding banquet.
Synonyms: excessive, intemperate
Impenitent (adj)
Lacking remorse
The impenitent criminal received a harsh penalty, but his remorseful accomplice was released.
Synonyms: obdurate, unrepentant
Implausible (adj)
Unbelievable
Claudia’s implausible excuse failed to convince her teacher.
Synonyms: improbable, doubtful
Implement (verb)
To carry out or accomplish
All Randolph needed to implement his plan was a moonless night and a long rope.
Synonyms: execute, realize
Inauspicious (adj)
Not favorable
Gary believed the black foreboding sky was an inauspicious sign.
Synonyms: ominous, portentous
incidental (adj)
Minor
The accountant advised Justine not to report her incidental expenses.
Synonyms: petty, insignificant
Incisive (adj)
Impressively direct and decisive
Samir’s incisive leadership made him the natural choice for president of the company.
Synonyms: keen, acute
Incongruous (adj)
Not harmonious, incompatible
Sadie’s cowboy hat was incongruous with her black cocktail dress.
Synonyms: inappropriate, absurd
Incumbent (adj)
It was incumbent on Jack to attend his father’s retirement party.
Synonyms: oblilgatory, compulsory
Indecorous (adj)
In bad taste
My parents banned Chad from our house because of his indecorous behavior at dinner.
Synonyms: vulgar, uncouth
Induce (verb)
To influence or cause
The loud blast of the cannon induced an avalanche.
Synonyms: incite, spur
Inflammatory (adj)
Tending to excite anger
Garth’s inflammatory remarks at the party made Gwen furious.
Synonyms: seditious, hostile
Insinuate (verb)
To suggest indirectly
Sinead, who did not like confrontation, insinuated that Beth was lying.
Synonyms: imply, allude
Insolence (noun)
Boldness or rudeness
The boy’s insolence to the policeman embarrassed his mother.
Synonyms: impudence, impertinence
Interminable (adj)
Never ending, or seemingly endless
The impatient Zoe found the longwinded lecture interminable.
Synonyms: ceaseless, monotonous
Intricate (adj)
Having complex and interrelated parts
The intricate poem baffled most readers with its numerous obscure metaphors.
Synonyms: complicated, convoluted
Inviolable (adj)
Secure from assault of trespass
Situated on a mountain, with sixteen-foot walls, the castle was inviolable.
Synonyms: untouchable, sacrosanct
Iridescent (adj)
Having a lustrous or attractivve quality
The movie star’s iridescent presence charmed even the hardened reporter.
Synonyms: shimmering, sparkling
Lenient (adj)
Mild or tolerant
The judge issued a lenient sentence because it was Frank’s first offense.
Synonyms: merciful, clement
Liability (noun)
Kevin’s growing fatigue was a liability as he attempted to climb the steep hill.
Synonyms: handicap, encumbrance
Lurid (adj)
Causing horror, shocking
The lurid photos of the crime scene upset the jury.
Synonyms: gruesome, sensational
Mandate (noun)
Martha reluctantly obeyed the mandate to vacate her apartment.
Synonyms: command, decree
Manifest (adj)
Obvious
James finally made his affection manifest when he handed Jessica a red rose.
Synonyms: evident, unmistakable
Mediate (verb)
To come between parties in order to reconcile
The diplomatic Henry was able to mediate between the quarreling sisters.
Synonyms: arbitrate, negotiate
Melee (noun)
A tumultuous fight among several people
After the game, a melee broke out between fans of the opposing teams.
Synonyms: brawl, skirmish
Melodious (adj)
Having a pleasing melody
The melodious sounds of the symphony soothed Tim after his trying day.
Synonyms: dulcet, mellifluous
Methodical (adj)
Performed in an orderly manner
Oscar’s methodical approach exasperated his free-spirited friend Ben.
Synonyms: systematic, meticulous
Meticulous (adj)
Extrememly careful regarding details
The meticulous detective found every shred of evidence at the crime scene.
Synonyms: fastidious, painstaking
Moderate (adj)
Tending toward the average
The best-selling writer was disappointed; his new novel was only a moderate success.
Synonyms: medium, mediocre
Mundane (adj)
Practical, ordinary
The flighty Caroline could not be troubled with mundane tasks such as paying her bills.
Synonyms: commonplace, earthly
Naive (adj)
Lacking worldy wisdom
The naive Simon assumed that everyone was as simple and kind as he was.
Synonyms: artless, credulous
Negate (verb)
To make invalid
Paula negated Tiffany’s argument by proving that her main premise was false.
Synonyms: neutralize, annul
Nurture (verb)
To further the development of
Our cat made a nest of blankets to nurture her newborn kittens.
Synonyms: foster, cultivate
Oblivious (adj)
Lacking awareness
Love-struck Charlie was oblivious to everyone but the object of his affection.
Synonyms: careless, heedless
Obnoxious (adj)
Highly offensive
The manager asked the obnoxious diner to leave the restaurant.
Synonyms: objectionable, repugnant
Onset (noun)
Beginning
Crocuses bloom at the onset of spring, sometimes even before the snow melts.
Synonyms: start, commencement
Opportune (adj)
Suitable or convenient
Quan stepped onto the platform at the most opportune time, just as the train pulled in.
Synonyms: propitious, fortunate
Pallid (adj)
Lacking color
The nurse was worried by the patient’s pallid face and shallow breathing.
Synonyms: pale, wan
Pantomime (noun)
Telling a story through gestures
The jealous actress called her understudy’s performance a ridiculous pantomime.
Synonyms: charade
Parity (noun)
Equality
Hilda, to avoid squabbles, aimed for parity in the slices of birthday cake.
Synonyms: sameness, equivalence
Pathos (noun)
Sympathetic pity
The soldiers cherished the kindly Nurse Nightingale for her pathos.
Synonyms: compassion
Penurious (adj)
Extrememly stingy
Ebenezer Scrooge was most penurious, refusing to give even a penny to charity.
Synonyms: frugal, parsimonious
Perception (noun)
Capacity for seeing or understanding
His incredible perception made him the best detective on the force.
Synonyms: cognition, discernment
Periodic (adj)
Occurring at regular intervals
The periodic innterruptions of the cuckoo clock prevented Li from concentrating.
Synonyms repeated, recurrent
Placebo (noun)
An inactive substance used in medical testing
Tom, who had taken the placebo, found that his allergy symptoms did not go away.
Plaudits (noun)
Enthusiastic approval
Allison’s painting met with plaudits from the critics, who had dismissed her earlier work.
Synonyms: kudos, acclaim
Ploy (noun)
A contrived plan
Sarah thought George’s ploy of borrowing her notes was a cowardly way to ask her out.
Synonyms: strategem, ruse
Polarize (verb)
To break up into opposing groups
Thelma tended to polarize discussions rather than to encourage compromise.
Synonyms: divide
Pomp (noun)
Showy display
Jan couldn’t help enjoying the pomp of the elaborate wedding ceremony.
Synonyms: pageantry, grandeur
Precept (noun)
A general rule of action
All the students know Mrs. Brown’s strict precept; no talking in class.
Synonyms: rule, axiom
Preclude (verb)
To rule out in advance
“Having cake now will preclude dessert later,” said Amber’s mother.
Synonyms: prevent, hinder
Pretense (noun)
False intention or purpose
The jewel theif entered the mansion under the pretense of fixing a leaky faucet.
Synonyms: cover, charade
Pretentious (adj)
Making unjustified claims
The pretentious boy said that he was the fastest runner, but he finished last in the race.
Synonyms: pompous, showy
Procrastinate (verb)
To put off intentionally
Yvonne’s father urged, “Don’t procrastinate. Clean your room right away.”
Synonyms: delay, stall
Prominence (noun)
Importance
The singer’s prominence ensured that the concert would sell out.
Synonyms: renown, eminence
Promote (verb)
To contribute to the growth or prosperity of
The promote peace, the diplomat hosted a talk between the warring nations.
Synonyms: advance, forward
Proximity (noun)
Closeness
The proximity of Tia’s house to school meant that she could walk there in five minutes.
Synonyms: nearness, propinquity
Prudent (adj)
Marked by wisdom, shrewd
Su-yong was happy she followed Greg’s prudent advice to study, as the test was difficult.
Synonyms: judicious, sagacious
Prune (verb)
To reduce by removing excess
The candidate pruned his speech so he would not exceed the time limit.
Synonyms: trim, truncate
Punctual (adj)
On time
Ron was worried when the usually punctual Amanda was late for the show.
Synonyms: prompt, dependable
Rhapsody (noun)
State of great happiness
Lorraine was in rhapsody when she was accepte to the college of her dreams.
Synonyms: ecstasy, rapture
Fickle (adj)
Lacking constancy, changeable
The fickle Senji had a new best friend every month.
Synonyms: erratic, capricious
Salvage (verb)
To save from ruin
After the fire, Mrs. Han tried to salvage her family photos from the wreckage.
Synonyms: rescue, recover
Rail (verb)
To scold in harsh language
Clay began to cry as his irate manager railed at him for missing the deadline.
Synonyms: upbraid, berate
Ramble (verb)
To wander, physically or in language
Professor Tan rambled during his lectures, frequently straying from the subject.
Synonyms: roam, meander
Rancorous (adj)
Marked by deep ill-will
The rancorous competition between the two chess clubs actually ended in a brawl.
Synonyms: bitter, vicious
Raspy (adj)
rough, grating
After shouting to his players through the long game, the coach’s voice was raspy.
Synonyms: harsh, abrasive
Raucous (adj)
Noisy, rowdy
Serena, who preferred quiet conversation, left the rancous party.
Recrimination (noun)
A retaliatory accusation
Frank, who was wounded by Sally’s remark, made a bitter recrimination.
Synonyms: counterclaim
Redouble (verb)
To make twice as great
As the sun began to set, Brittany redoubled her effort to find the necklace she had dropped in the field.
Synonyms: intensify, strengthen
Refurbish (verb)
To brighten or freshen
Leeanne cleaned and mended all weekend to refurbish the shabby apartment.
Synonyms: renovate, renew
Regale (verb)
To amuse
My clever brother Jeffrey regaled the dinner guests with tales of his adventures.
Synonyms: entertain, delight
Regurgitate (verb)
To pour out or throw back
The teacher wanted us to examine ideas rather than to regurgitate memorized facts.
Synonyms: spew, disgorge
Rehash (verb)
To discuss again
“Sandra,” said her mother, “I am tired of rehashing this same topic over and over.”
Synonym: review
Repel (verb)
To resist, reject
The soldiers made a massive charge to repel the invaders.
Synonyms: repulse, rebuff
Repentant (adj)
Feeling regret
The repentant Dana admitted to cheating on the test.
Synonyms: contrite, penitent
Retroactive (adj)
effective as of a prior time or condition
The retroactive law made even past infractions punishable.
Synonym: retrograde
Revive (verb)
To bring back to life
Hank tried to revive Clare’s interest in the project, but her enthusiasm had expired.
Synonyms: reanimate, quicken
Revoke (verb)
To cancel by taking back
After Kal’s father revoked his allowance, he had no money for the movies.
Synonyms: rescind, annul
Scamper (verb)
To run quickly
The frightened kitten scampered away from the butterfly.
Synonyms: dash, scurry
Scapegoat (noun)
Someone who bears the blame for others
Audrey used her innocent baby brother as a scapegoat for the missing cookies.
Synonyms: dupe, victim
Serenity (noun)
Calmness
The serenity of the glassy sea soothed the sailors after the big storm.
Synonyms: peace, tranquility
Servile (adj)
Fearfully submissive
Felicia’s servile attitude annoyed her boss, who preferred an assistant with more backbone.
Synonyms: slavish, menial
Sociable (adj)
Inclined to seek companionship
The sociable Glenda was delighted to receive the party invitation.
Synonyms: genial, gregarious
Solace (noun)
Source of consolation
Parents’ weekend was a solace to Marjorie, whose beloved daughter had left for college.
Synonyms: comfort, relief
Stealth (noun)
The act of moving secretly or unnoticed
The cat burglar took the ring by stealth, slipping it from the sleeping woman’s finger.
Synonyms: furtiveness, slyness
Stern (adj)
Harsh, severe
The stern principal canceled the prom after the seniors played a silly prank.
Synonyms: strict, adamant
Stifle (verb)
To repress or discourage
Amy tried ineffectively to stifle her giggles after she read Susan’s note in class.
Synonyms: suppress, check
Straddle (verb)
To favor opposing sides
Kia straddled the issue, not wanting to say whether James or Tara was right.
Synonyms: waffle, equivocate
Supple (adj)
Flexible
The supple leather coat draped like soft cloth around her shoulders.
Synonyms: pliant, elastic
Surplus (noun)
Excess
Trevor decided to freeze the surplus chili for next week’s tailgate party.
Synonyms: surfeit, remainder
Trove (noun)
Valuable collection
Walter’s trove of vintage baseball cards was worth thousands of dollars.
Synonyms: cache, treasure
Turmoil (noun)
Extreme confusion, agitation
The windstorm caused such turmoil in the lake that the sailboat capsized.
Synonyms: chaos, tumult
Turpitude (noun)
Essential baseness, depravity
The turpitude of the villain in the movie offended most audiences.
Synonyms: corruption, perversion
Unscrupulous (adj)
Lacking principles
The unscrupulous salesman was fired for lying to his customers.
Synonyms: corrupt, immoral
Untenable (adj)
Not able to be defended
Rashid made the untenable statement that George Washington was the second president of the United States.
Synonyms: baseless, implausible
