Word | Def. | Sentence |
ambulatory | (adj) able to walk; up and about | The ambulatory patients were led to the basement shelters, but the bedridden patients had to wait for stretcher-bearers to carry them below. |
diatribe | (n) a bitter and abusive criticism | When he began his customary diatribe about shiftless and rude teenagers, I just walked out. |
didactic | (adj) intended to instruct, guide or teach | Her poetry was so didactic that, although one learned a great deal about the topic, the poetry wasn't very good. |
diffident | (adj) timid, shy; lacking in confidence; reserved (ant -- confident, aggressive) | Unlike her sister, who is quite outgoing, Jan was a little diffident. |
garrulous | (adv) very talkative; verbose, loquacious (ant -- reticent, taciturn) | Susan was so garrulous that Steve couldn't get a word in edgewise. |
mandatory | (adj) required, obligatory; compulsory (ant -- voluntary, optional) | In order to protect innocent victims, most states have mandatory auto insurance laws. |
morbid | (adj) preoccupied with gruesome or gloomy matters; grisly; horrible; morose, glum (ant -- cheerful) | It was such a morbid story that it depressed me. |
munificent | (adj) very generous in giving; lavish; liberal (ant -- stingy, penurious, parsimonious) | While the oil company's officer was munificent, the senator could not accept it because the maximum contribution was $1,000. |
scoff | (v) to show derision or mocking contempt; ridicule, deride (ant -- praise) | He scoffed at the notion of taking a lower-paying job, but eventually he was forced to do so. |
acclaim | (v) to greet with loud approval or praise; laud, extol (ant -- deride) | It was the most acclaimed movie of that summer. |
acquiesce | (v) to agree or consent quietly without protest, but without enthusiasm; yield, accede (ant -- disagree, resist) | Once Jack acquiesced, construction on the park was able to begin. |
assimilate | (v) to take in, or to be taken in by a larger group | During the nineteenth century, European immigrants became assimilated more easily than Asian immigrants. |
delirious | (adj) extreme mental confusion or excitement | When they found him wandering in the desert, he was delirious. |
diffusion | (n) the process of widely spreading or scattering; dispersal (ant -- concentration) | The invention of the moveable printing press contributed to the diffusion of knowledge among the lower classes. |
diminution | (n) the act or process of lessening or decreasing (ant -- augmentation) | The diminution of supplies made it difficult for the Red Cross to attend to the earthquake victims. |
disdain | (n) aloof contempt or scorn; look down upon; despise (ant -- respect, admire) | She had great disdain for those girls who weren't cheerleaders. |
magnanimous | (adj) noble in heart and mind; rising above pettiness or meanness (ant -- mean-spirited, vile, vindictive, petty) | To show what a magnanimous person he could be, Ralph contributed more money than he could afford |
malignant | (adj) having an evil influence; very harmful; likely to cause death (ant -- benign) | His attitude was so malignant that everyone avoided him whenever possible. |
meander | (v) to wander aimlessly and idly; ramble | After dropping out of college, Paul seemed to meander through life. |
alleviate | (v) to make more bearable; to ease the pain; lessen (ant -- exacerbate, aggravate) | Susan had hoped to alleviate her back pain by taking more Tylenol. |
analogous | (adj) similar or parallel in certain ways; akin (ant -- dissimilar, unlike) | To many people, the phrase "ethnic cleansing" sounds analogous to Hitler's "Final Solution." |
dismantle | (v) to take apart; disassemble; to strip of furnishing or equipment (ant - construct) | After the young boy was injured, Max dismantled the swing set. |
distraught | (adj) extremely troubled or agitated; worried; anxious, frantic (ant - placid, serene) | The breakup of her relationship left Jenny distraught. |
dormant | (adj) a sleep-like condition during which life processes slow down; inactive | Although the volcano is dormant, it could still erupt. |
maim | (v) to disable; to cripple | She was maimed by the car accident. |
meticulous | (adj) extremely or excessively careful about details; exact, fastidious (ant - careless, imprecise, sloppy) | He was very meticulous in picking up each tiny piece of glass with tweezers. |
murky | (adj) not clear; foggy, hazy; dark or gloomy (ant - clear, bright) | Because the details of the plan were murky, her mother wouldn't give her permission to go. |
narcissism | (n) excessive admiration of one's self; self-love | While John thinks that Alice's constant need to look at herself in the mirror is a sign of her insecurity, others see it as a sign of Alice's narcissism. |
squabble | (v) to engage in a minor quarrel; to argue noisily over a small matter; quarrel, bicker (ant - concur) | The children squabbled over who should sit in the front seat. |
abstinence | (n) the practice of abstaining; doing without; self-denial (ant -- indulgence) | Although the preacher talked about abstinence a great deal, it was well-known that he would have a drink now and then. |