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vocab for english
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| admonish | (v) to caution or advise against something; to scold mildly; to remind of a duty S: reprimand, call on the carpet A: praise, pat on the back |
| breach | D:(n) an opening, gap, rupture, rift; a violation or infraction: (V.) to create an opening, break through A: (v): close, seal |
| brigand | D: (n) a bandit, robber, outlaw, highwayman |
| circumspect | D: (adj.) careful, cautious S: wary, prudent,guarded A: incautious, rash, reckless, heedless |
| commandeer | D: (v) to seize for military or official use S: take over, requisition, expropriate |
| cumbersome | D: (adj) clumsy, hard to handle; slow-moving S: ponderous, difficult, uncomfortable A: manageable, easy to handle |
| deadlock | D: (n) a standstill resulting from the opposition of two equal forces or factions; (v) to bring to such a standstill S: (n) standoff, impasse A: (n) agreement, accord, breakthrough |
| debris | D: (n) scattered fragments, wreckage S: remains, detritus, flotsam and jetsam |
| diffuse | D: (v) to spread or scatter freely or widely; (adj) wordy, long-winded, or unfocused; scattered or widely spread S: (v) disperse; (adj) brief A: (v) concentrate; (adj) brief, concise, succinct |
| dilemma | D:(n) a difficult or perplexing situation or problem S: predicament, quandary, pickle, bind A: cinch |
| efface | D: (v) to wipe out; to keep oneself from being noticed S: blot out, erase, expunge |
| muddle | D: (v) to make a mess of; muddle through: to get by; (n) a hopeless mass S: (v) jumble, mess up; (n) confusion, disorder A: (n) orderliness, neatness |
| opinionated | D: (adj) stubborn and often unreasonable in holding to one's own ideas, having a closed mind S: onstinate, pigheaded, inflexible A: open-minded, reasonable |
| perennial | D: (adj) lasting for a long time, persistent; (n) a plant that lives for many years S: A: |
| predispose | D:(v) to incline to beforehand S: tending to, liable to A: immunize against, shield from |
| relinquish | D: (v) to let go, give up S: surrender A: hold on to, keep, cling to |
| salvage | D: (v) to save from fire or shipwreck; (n) property thus saved S: (v) recover, retrieve, reclaim A: (v) abandon, scarp, junk |
| spasmodic | D: (adj) sudden and violent but brief; fitful; intermittent S: irregular, occasional A: steady, continuous, chronic |
| spurious | D: (adj) not genuine, not true, not valid S: false, counterfeit, fraudulent, bogus A: genuine, authentic, bona fide, valid |
| unbridled | D: (adj) lacking in restraint S: unrestrained, unchecked A: restrained, held in check, muted |
| adjourn | D: (v) to stop proceedings temporarily; move to another place S: postpone, discontinue A: open, call to order |
| alien | D: (n) a citizen of another country; (adj) foreign, strange S: (adj) exotic A: (adj) native, endemic |
| comely | D: (adj) having a pleasing appearance S: good-looking, attractive, bonny A: plain, homely, ugly, repulsive |
| compensate | D: (v) to make up for; to repay for services S: pay back, recompense A: fail to reward, stiff |
| dissolute | D: (adj) loose in one's morals or behavior S: dissipated, debauched, immoral, corrupt A: chaste, moral, seemly, proper |
| erratic | D: (adj) not regular or consistent; different from what is ordinarily expected; undependable S: irregular, inconsistent A: steady, consistent, dependable |
| expulsion | D: (n) the process of driving or forcing out S: ejection, removal, eviction A: admittance, admission |
| feint | D: (n) a deliberately deceptive movement; a pretense; (v) to make a deceptive movement; to make a pretense of S: (n) trick, ruse, subterfuge, bluff |
| fodder | D: (n) food for horses or cattle; raw material for a designated purpose S: provender |
| fortify | D: (v) to strengthen, build up S: reinforce, shore up A: weaken, undermine, sap, impair |
| illegible | D: (adj)) difficult or impossible to read S: unreadable, scribbled A: readable, distinct, clear |
| jeer | D: (v) to make fun of rudely or unkindly; (n) a rude remark of derision S: (v) laugh at, mock, taunt (n) gibe, insult A: applaud, praise (n) applause, plaudits |
| lucrative | D: (adj) bringing in money; profitable S: gainful, moneymaking A: unprofitable, losing, in the red |
| mediocre | D: (adj) average, ordinary, undistinguished S: run-of-the-mill A: outstanding, distinguished |
| proliferate | D: (v) to reproduce, increase, or spread rapidly S: multiply, mushroom, burgeon A: decrease, diminish, dwindle, slack off |
| subjugate | D: (v) to conquer by force, bring under complete control S: subdue, vanquish A: be conquered, submit |
| sully | D: (v) to soil, stain, tarnish, defile, besmirch S: pollute, taint, smear A: cleanse, purify, decontaminate |
| tantalized | D: (v) to tease, torment by teasing S: tempt, lead on, make one's mouth water A: satisfy, fulfill, gratify |
| terse | D: (adj) brief and to the point S: succinct, crisp, short and sweet A: wordy, diffuse, prolix |
| unflinching | D: (adj) firm, showing no signs of fear, not drawing back S: resolute, steadfast, unwavering A: irresolute, wavering, vacillating |
| abridge | D: (v) to make shorter S: shorten, condense, abbreviate A: expand, enlarge, augment |
| adherent | D: (n) a follower, supporter; (adj) attached, sticking to S: (n) disciple A: (n) opponent, adversary, critic, detractor |
| altercation | D: (n) an angry argument S: quarrel, dispute, squabble A: agreement, accord |
| cherubic | D: (adj) resembling an angel portrayed as a little child with a beautiful, round, or chubby face; sweet and innocent S: beatific A: impish, devilish, diabolic, fiendish |
| condone | D: (v) to pardon or overlook S: ignore, wink at, look the other way A: censure, condemn, disapprove, deprecate |
| dissent | D: (v) to disagree; (n) disagreement S: (v) differ, dispute A: (v) agree, concur; (n) unanimity |
| eminent | D: (adj) famous, outstanding, distinguished; projecting S: illustrious, renowned A: nameless, unsung, lowly, humble |
| exorcise | D: (v) to drive out by magic; to dispose of something troublesome, menacing or oppressive S: expel A: |
| fabricate | D: (v) to make, manufacture; to make up, invent S: put together, devise, contrive, concoct A: take apart, undo, destroy, demolish |
| gluttony | D: (n) engaging in extreme eating or drinking; freedy overindulgence S: overeating, ravenousness, rapaciousness A: abstemiousness |
| irate | D: (adj) angry S: incensed, infuriated, livid A: calm, composed cool, unruffled |
| marauder | D: (n) raider, plunderer S: looter, pirate |
| pauper | D: (n) an extremely poor person S: destitute person A: billionaire |
| pilfer | D: (v) to steal in small quantities S: rob, swipe, purloin |
| rift | D: (n) a split, break, breach S: crack, fissure, gap, cleft A: reconciliation |
| semblance | D: (n) a likeness; an outward appearance; apparition S: air, aura, facade A: dissimilarity, contrast, total lack |
| surmount | D: (v) to overcome, rise above S: conquer, triumph over A: be vanquished, be defeated, |
| terminate | D: (v) to bring to an end S: conclude, finish, discontinue A: begin, commence |
| trite | D: (adj) commonplace; overused, stale S: banal, hackneyed, corny A: original, innovative |
| usurp | D: (v) to seize and hold position by force or without right S: seize illegally, supplant |
| abscond | D: (v) to run off and hide S: bolt, make off, skip town |
| access | D: (n) approach or admittance to places, persons, things; and increase; (v) to get at, obtain S: (n) entry, ingress A: (n) total exclusion |
| anarchy | D: (n) a lack of government and law; confusion S: chaos, disorder, turmoil, pandemonium A: law and order, peace and quiet |
| arduous | D: (adj) hard to do, requiring much effort S: hard, difficult, laborious, fatiguing A: easy, simple, effortless |
| auspicious | D: (adj) favorable; fortunate S: promising, encouraging, propitious A: ill-omened, sinister |
| daunt | D: (v) to overcome with fear, intimidate; to dishearten, discourage S: dismay, cow A: encourage, embolden, reassure |
| disentangle | D: (v) to free from tangles or complications S: unravel, unwind, unscramble, unsnarl A: tangle up, ensnarl, snag |
| fated | D: (adj) determined in advance by destiny or fortune S: destined, preordained, doomed A: fortuitous, chance, random |
| hoodwinked | D: (v) to mislead by a trick, swindle S: put on over on, fool A: disabuse |
| inanimate | D: (adj) not having life; without energy or spirit S: dead, spiritless A: living, alive, energetic, sprightly |
| incinerate | D: (v) to burn to ashes S: burn up, cremate, reduce to ashes |
| intrepid | D: (adj) very brave, fearless, unshakeable S: valiant, audacious, daring A: timid, cowardly, craven, pusillanimous |
| larceny | D: (n) theft S: stealing, robbery |
| pliant | D: (adj) bending readily; easily influenced S: supple, flexible, elastic, plastic A: rigid, stiff, inflexible, set in stone |
| pompous | D: (adj) overly self-important in speech and manner; excessively stately or ceremonious S: highfalutin, bombastic A: unpretentious, plain |
| precipice | D: (n) a very steep cliff; the brink or edge of disaster S: crag, bluff, ledge A: abyss, chasm, gorge |
| prototype | D: (n) an original model on which later versions are patterned S: example, sample A: copy |
| rectify | D: (v) to make right, correct S: set right A: mess up, botch, bungle |
| reprieve | D: (n) a temporary relief or delay; (v) to grant a postponement S: (n) stay, respite; (v) delay A: (v) proceed |
| revile | D: (v) to attack with words, call bad names S: inveigh against, malign, vilify A: praise, acclaim, revere, idolize |
| accomplice | D: (n) a person who takes part in a crime S: partner in crime |
| annihilate | D: (v) to destroy completely S: obliterate, decimate A: foster, promote, encourage, nurture |
| arbitrary | D: (adj) unreasonable; based on one's wished or whims without regard for reason or fairness S: capricious, high-handed, autocratic A: reasoned, rational, objective, equitable |
| brazen | D: (adj) shameless, impudent; made of brass S: saucy, bold A: deferential, respectful, self-facing |
| catalyst | D: (n) a substance that causes or hastens a chemical reaction; any agent that causes change S: stimulus, spur, instigator |
| exodus | D: (n) a large-scale departure or flight S: escape, hegira A: immigration, influx, arrival, entrance |
| facilitate | D: (v) to make easier; to assist S: ease, smooth the way, simplify A: hamper, hinder. obstruct, impede |
| incorrigible | D: (adj) not able to be corrected; beyond control S: unruly, intractable, incurable, inveterate A: tractable, docile, curable, reparable |
| latent | D: (adj) hidden, present but not realized S: dormant, inactive, undeveloped A: exposed, manifest, evident |
| militant | D: (adj) given into fighting; active and aggressive in support of a cause; (n) an activist S: (adj) truculent A: (adj) unassertive, peaceable, passive |
| morose | D: (adj) having a gloomy or sullen manner; not friendly or sociable S: morbid A: blithe, jaunty, buoyant |
| opaque | D: (adj) not letting light through; not clear or lucid; dense, stupid S: hazy, cloudy, foggy, murky, dull, obtuse A: transparent, clear, bright, perceptive |
| paramount | D: (adj) chief in importance, above all others S: supreme, primary, dominant A: secondary, subordinate, ancillary |
| prattle | D: (v) to talk in an aimless, foolish, or simple way; to babble; (n) baby talk; babble S: (n) twaddle, gibberish, piffle A: |
| rebut | D: (v) to offer arguments or evidence that contradict an assertion; to refute S: disapprove, confute, shoot holes in A: confirm, corroborate, substantiate |
| reprimand | D: (v) to scold; find fault with; (n) a rebuke S: (v) reproach; (n) reproof A: (v) pat on the back |
| servitude | D: (n) slavery, forced labor S: bondage, thralldom A: liberty |
| slapdash | D: (adj) carless and hasty S: cursory, perfunctory, slipshod A: painstaking, thorough, in-depth |
| stagnant | D: (adj) not running or flowing; foul from standing still; inactive S: still, motionless, inert, sluggish, dull A: flowing, running, fresh, sweet |
| succumb | D: (v) to give way to superior forve, yield S: submit, die, expire A: overcome, master, conquer |
| atone | D: (v) to make up for S: expiate |
| bondage | D: (n) slavery; any state of being bound or held down S: servitude, subjection, dependence A: freedom, liberty, independence |
| credible | D: (adj) believable S: plausible, acceptable, likely A: unbelievable, implausible, improbable |
| defray | D: (v) to pay for S: bear the cost, foot the bill |
| diligent | D: (adj) hardworking, industrious, not lazy S: assiduous, sedulous A: lazy, indolent, cursory, perfunctory |
| doleful | D: (adj) sad; dreary S: sorrowful, mournful, dolorous A: blithe, jaunty, buoyant |
| ghastly | D: (adj) frightful, horrible; deathly pale S: dreadful. appalling, grisly A: pleasant, agreeable, attractive |
| hamper | D: (v) to hold back S: hinder, obstruct, impede, inhibit A: facilitate, ease, smooth the way |
| hew | D: (v) to shape or cut down with an ax; to hold to S: chop, hack fell, adhere, conform |
| impoverished | D: (adj) poor, in a state of poverty; depleted S: poverty-stricken, destitute, indigent A: rich, wealthy, affluent, prosperous |
| incessant | D: (adj) never stopping, going on all the time S: ceaseless, constant, uninterrupted A: occasional, sporadic, intermittent |
| intricate | D: (adj) complicated; difficult to understand S: convoluted A: simple, uninvolved, uncomplicated |
| lucid | D: (adj) easy to understand, clear; rational, sane S: limpid, intelligible A: murky, muddy, obscure, unintelligible |
| posthumous | D: (adj) occurring or published after death A: prenatal |
| prim | D: (adj) overly neat, proper, or formal; prudish S: fussy, fastidious, squeamish A: dowdy, frumpy, sloppy, untidy, loose |
| sardonic | D: (adj) grimly or scornfully mocking, bitterly sarcastic S: mordant, acerbic, wry A: bland, saccharine, good-natured |
| superfluous | D: (adj) exceeding what is sufficient or required, excess S: surplus, supererogatory A: necessary, essential, vital, indispensable |
| supplant | D: (v) to take the place, supersede S: replace, displace, oust |
| taunt | D: (c) to jeer at, mock; (n) an insulting or mocking remark S: (v) ridicule (n) insult A: (v) cheer, acclaim (n) praise |
| tenacious | D: (adj) holding fast; holding together firmly S: obstinate, stubborn, dogged A: yielding, weak, gentle, slack |
| adieu | D: (int) "Farewell"; (n) a farewell S: (int) "So long"; (n) goody-bye A: (int) "Hello"; (n) greeting |
| advent | D: (n) an arrival; a coming into place or view S: approach A: departure, going away, exodus |
| apex | D: (n) the highest point, tip S: peak, summit, acme A: nadir, lowest point |
| assimilate | D: (v) to absorb fully; to adopt as one's own; to adapt fully S: digest, blend in |
| bogus | D: (adj) false, counterfeit S: phony, fake, suspicious A: genuine, authentic |
| exorbitant | D: (adj) unreasonably high S: extreme, inordinate, overpriced A: inexpensive, affordable, reasonable |
| interim | D: (n) the time between; (adj) temporary, coming between two points in time S: (n) interval, interlude; (adj) provisional, stopgap |
| inundate | D: (v) to flood, over; to overwhelm by numbers or size S: submerge, deluge, swamp |
| malign | D: (v) to speak evil of, slander; (adj) evil S: (v) defame, vilify, badmouth; (adj) wicked A: (v) praise, commend; (adj) kind, benevolent |
| meander | D: (v) to wander about, wind about; (n) a sharp turn or twist S: (v) ramble, zig-zag twist |
| metropolis | D: (n) a large city; the chief city of an area S: large urban center A: hamlet, village |
| momentous | D: (adj) very important S: consequential, weighty A: inconsequential, trivial, slight, unimportant |
| obstreperous | D: (adj) noisy; unruly, disorderly S: wild, uncontrolled, riotous A: quiet, well-behaved, docile |
| pensive | D: (adj) thoughtful; melancholy S: dreamy, contemplative |
| perilous | D: (adj) dangerous S: risky, chancy, hazardous, unsafe A: safe, secure, harmless |
| shoddy | D: (adj) of poor quality; characterized by inferior workmanship S: cheap, tacky, imitative A: well-made, solid, durable, superior |
| sprightly | D: (adj) lively, full of life; spicy, flavorful S: frisky, peppy, spirited, buoyant A: sullen, spiritless, dull, morose, sluggish |
| surly | D: (adj) angry and bad-tempered; rude S: gruff, sullen, cranky, grouchy, hostile A: polite, gracious, civil, friendly, genial |
| tirade | D: (n) a long, angry speech, usually very critical S: diatribe, tongue-lashing |
| vagrant | D: (n) an idle wanderer, tramp; (adj) wandering aimlessly S: (n) vagabond, hobo, nomad A: (n) stay-at0home, resident |
Created by:
amberei
Popular English Vocabulary sets