Term | Definition | |
Antithesis | a direct opposite, a contrast | Good is the antithesis of evil. |
Ascend | to move upward, to rise from a lower station | The climbers ascended the mountain. |
Austere | strict, stern; unadorned, ascetic | Pioneers usually led an austere existence. |
Autonomous | independent, self-conatined | One who is autonomous needs no help from others. |
Banal | common, ordinary, lacking freshness, hackneyed | Because of his use of overused trite remarks, his speeches are banal and put me to sleep. |
Benign | not causing harm, of gentle disposition, beneficial | The minister was loved because of his benign attitude toward all types of people. |
Capricious | changing suddenly, fickle | Her capricious moods are difficult to anticipate since they change by the minute. |
Dawdle | to waste time, to spend time idly, to move in a lackadaisical manner | Since we have a deadline, do not dawdle with your work. |
Defamation | act of harming or ruining another's reputation | The defamation of another's character through lies is a horrible thing. |
Esoteric | understood only by a small group or a select few | The English teachers were having an esoteric discussion about the correct use of some obscure word. |
Exacerbate | to aggravate, to irritate, to vex | You will only exacerbate the the wound if you keep touching it. |
Extol | to praise, to glorify | The teacher would always extol students who did their best. |
Fastidious | reflecting a meticulous or demanding attitude, critical to an extreme | He considered her fastidious because she was offended by insignificant mistakes or errors. |
Furtive | secret in an underhanded way, stealthy; sneaky | During the test, he made some furtive glances at other classmates' papers. |
Gregarious | sociable, outgoing | Greg was very gregarious and made friends wherever he went. |
Hypocrite | one who is insincere or deceitful | Saying one thing and doing another is the mark of a hypocrite. |
Innate | existing from birth, inborn | He has innate athletic talents that cannot be taught. |
Lethargic | sluggish, languid | Having had too much to drink, he was very lethargic the morning after the party. |
Melancholy | depression of spirits | After he lost his wife of 50 years, he fell into a state of melancholy. |
Opaque | not allowing the passage of light, not transparent; hard to understand | Glass in shower stalls is usually opaque. |
Prolific | abundantly fruitful, marked by great productivity | Stephen King is a prolific writer, since he has written a number of books in a short period of time. |
Reprove | to scold or rebuke for a misdeed usually kindly intent | The teacher had to reprove the student for talking during class. |
Symmetry | balanced proportions | The symmetry of the gardens of Versailles creates a beautiful and balanced atmosphere. |
Tranquil | peaceful, calm | Weather in Texas can quickly change from tranquil to turbulent. |
Venerate | to honor, to revere | Although I did not always agree with President Kennedy, I venerate his memory. |