Vocab: Lesson 1 Flashcards
Ambivalent
Adj: having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone.
“Some loved her, some hated her, few were ambivalent about her”
synonyms: equivocal, uncertain, unsure
Antonym: unequivocal, certain
Altruistic
Adj-showing a disinterested and selfless concern for the well-being of others; unselfish.
“It was an entirely altruistic act”
Synonyms: unselfish, selfless, compassionate
Antonyms: selfish, un sacrificing
Angular
Adj: having angles or sharp corners.
“The man had an angular jaw line”
Synonyms: sharp-cornered, pointed, V-shaped
Antonym: plump, curvy
Arrogant
Adj: having or revealing an exaggerated sense of one’s own importance or abilities.
“He’s arrogant and opinionated”
Synonyms: haughty, conceited, self-important
Antonyms: modest, humble
Aversion
Noun: a strong dislike or disinclination.
“He had a deep-seated aversion to most forms of exercise”
Synonyms: dislike of, antipathy for, distaste for, abhorrence of
Antonyms: liking, fondness, affection
Discern
V: perceive or recognize (something).
“I can discern no difference between the two policies”
Synonyms: perceive, observe, pick out
Antonyms: disregard, neglect, overlook
Disdain
Noun: the feeling that someone or something is unworthy of one’s consideration or respect; contempt.
“Her upper lip curled in disdain”
Synonyms: contempt, scorn, scornfulness
Antonyms: respect, esteem, regaurd
Disparage
V: regard or represent as being of little worth.
“He never missed an opportunity to disparage his competitors”
Synonyms: belittle, denigrate, deprecate
Antonyms: praise, overrate, complimentary
Disparity
Noun: a great difference.
“Economic disparities between different regions of the country”
Synonyms: discrepancy, inconsistency, imbalance
Antonyms: similarity, resemblance, likeness
Embellish
V: make something more attractive by the addition of decorative details or features.
“Blue silk embellished with golden embroidery”
Synonyms: decorate, adorn, ornament
Antonyms: deface, disfigure, mar
Engender
V: cause or give rise to (a feeling, situation, or condition)
“The issue engendered continuing controversy”
Synonyms: cause, lead to, produce, rouse
Antonyms: destroy, finish, halt, kill
Innocuous
Adj: harmless
“Thank you for the completely innocuous essay you presented today”
Synonyms: banal, bland, flat, innocent
Antonyms: bad, damaging, destructive, harmful
Insipid
Adj: dull, uninteresting
“Artificial and insipid as the play now seems, its combination of emotion, action and theory was considered a revelation”
Synonyms: arid,feeble,innocuous, lifeless, jejune
Antonyms: exciting, exhilarating, interesting, pleasing
Lament
V: to mourn or grieve deeply
“Some businesses lament this fact when bad reviews start costing them business”
Synonyms: bawl, bewail, hurt, rue, sob
Antonyms: celebrate, compliment, laud, praise
Laud
V: acclaim, praise
“They laud his decisions”
Synonyms: admire, adore, approve, eulogize, glorify, honor
Antonyms: blame, castigate, criticize
Obscure
Adj: Definition: not easily understood
“Most years, because of their brief duration, moonlight or cloudy conditions obscured the show”
Synonyms:esoteric, incomprehensible, inexplicable, unclear, unfathomable
Antonyms: apparent, clear, explicit, obvious
Ostentatious
Adj: Definition: flashy, showy
“The city lacks ostentatious palaces, temples, or monuments”
Synonyms: boastful, conspicuous, jaunty, tony, uptown, vain
Antonyms: modest, plain, quiet, reserved
Prodigal
Adj: wasteful
“At a garden party the food is often much more prodigal than at a tea in town”
Synonyms: excessive, extravagant, lavish, profligate, reckless
Antonyms: careful, thrifty
Repudiate
V: Definition: reject; turn one’s back on
“Our leaders-and would-be leaders-should repudiate this sort of fatalism”
Synonyms: abjure, banish, decline, disavow, reprobate, retract
Antonyms: admit, approve
Reticence
Noun: silence
“All my instincts run toward reticence, to protecting my family from invasions of our private space”
Synonyms: closeness, hesitation, reserve, restraint, shyness
Antonyms: communicative, forward, unrestrained
Revere
V: feel deep respect or admiration for (something).
“Cézanne’s still lifes were revered by his contemporaries”
Synonyms: respect, admire, honor, think highly of
Antonyms: despise
Serene
Adj: calm, peaceful, and untroubled; tranquil.
“Her eyes were closed and she looked very serene”
Synonyms: calm, composed, tranquil, peaceful
Antonyms: agitated, disturbed, excited, troubled
Subtle
Adj: (especially of a change or distinction) so delicate or precise as to be difficult to analyze or describe.
“His language expresses rich and subtle meanings”
Synonyms: fine, fine-drawn, nice, hair-splitting
Antonyms
Superfluous
Adj: unnecessary, especially through being more than enough.
“The purchaser should avoid asking for superfluous information”
Synonyms: surplus, nonessential, redundant, unneeded
Antonyms:
Taciturn
Adj: (of a person) reserved or uncommunicative in speech; saying little.
Synonyms: untalkative, uncommunicative, reticent, unforthcoming
Antonyms: talkative
