Abominate Def: To have an

intense dislike or hatred for

Syn: loathe, abhor, despise, detest

ANT: relish, savor, cherish

acculturationDef: The modification of the

social patterns, traits, or structures of one group or society by contact with those of another

SYN: adaptation

Ant- none

adventitious

• Resulting from chance rather than from an inherent cause or character; accidental, not congenital

• Syn- extrinsic, incidental

• Ant- essential, intrinsic

http://www.wilderdom.com/games/descriptions/Dice.html

Ascribe Def- to

assign or refer to, attribute

Syn- impute, credit, attribute

Ant- none

circuitous

Def- roundabout, not direct

Syn- indirect, meandering, winding

Ant- straight, direct

commiserate

Def- to sympathize with, have pity or sorrow for, share a feeling of distress

Syn- feel sorry for, empathize

Ant- feel no sympathy for

enjoin• Def- to direct or order; to

prescribe a course of action in an authoritative way

• Syn- bid, charge, command• Ant- allow, permit

expedite

Def- to make easy, cause to progress faster

Syn- accelerate, facilitate, speed up

Ant- hinder, hamper, impede

wheedle

Def- To use coaxing or flattery to gain some desired end

SYN: cajole, inveigle, soft-soap, sweet-talk

ANT: coerce, browbeat, intimidate,

vitriolic

• Def- Bitter, sarcastic; highly caustic or biting (like a strong acid)

• SYN: withering, acerbic, mordant

• ANT: bland, saccharine, honeyed, sugary

tenuousDef: Thin, slender, not

dense; lacking clarity or sharpness; of slight importance or significance; lacking a sound basis, poorly supported

SYN: flimsy, insubstantial, vague, hazy

ANT: strong, solid, substantial, valid

seditious• Def- Resistant

to lawful authority

• SYN: mutinous, rebelious,

subversive

• ANT: loyal, supportive, faithful, allegiant

SangfroidDef: composure or coolness, esp in trying circumstances;

Syn- poise, self assurance Ant- excitability, hysteria

proclivity

• A natural or habitual inclination or tendency (especially of human character or behavior)

• SYN: natural bent, penchant, propensity

• ANT: inability or incapacity

peculateDef- To steal something that has been given into one’s trust; to take improperly for one’s own use

Syn: Embezzle, defraud, misappropriate

noncommittal

• Not decisive or definite; unwilling to take a clear position, or to say yes or no.

• SYN: cagey, uninformative, playing it safe, playing it close to the vest

• ANT: positive, definite, committed

Inadvertent •Def- resulting from or marked by lack of attention, unintentional, accidental•Syn- accidental, unconsidered•Ant- deliberate, intentional

nominal• Existing in name only,

not real; to small to be considered or taken seriously

• SYN: titular, token, trifling, inconsequential

• ANT: real, actual, exorbitant, excessive

ferment

• Def-A state of great excitement or to be in or work into such a state; to produce alcohol by chemical action

• Syn- commotion, turmoil

• Ant- peace and quiet, tranquility

Expiate

• Def- to make ammends; make up for; avert

• Syn- redeem, atone, make reparation

ameliorate

(v) To make better improve

No matter how bad things get, there’s always something you can do to ameliorate the situation.

aplomb

(n) great self-confidence

•levelheadedness•composure

The outstanding candidate responded to harsh criticism with aplomb.

bombastic

(adj) pompous; high-sounding language

•pretentious•inflated

My teacher wants me to write clear, direct responses, not just fill up lines with bombastic blabber.

callow

(adj) without experience; immature

•inexperience•green

Fans complained about the bad calls made by the callow NFL referees.

drivel

(n) Saliva or mucus

(v) To let saliva flow; to waste foolishly

hogwash

nonsense

I usually don’t pay attention to his meaningless drivel.

epitome

(n) A condensed account; an instance that represents a larger reality

•model•archetype

The Queen of England is the epitome of a proper lady.

exhort

(v) To urge strongly• implore•entreat

I exhorted my companion to swim faster as I saw the shark catching up to him.

ex officio

(adj or adv) by virtue of holding a certain office

The President is the ex officio commander-in-chief of the armed forces.

Mr. Whitehead is an ex officio member of the KHS Standleaders.

The company's elected treasurer may be, ex

officio, a member of the Finance Committee.

infringe

(v) To violate or trespass•Intrude•encroach

You can do anything you want as long as you don’t infringe on anyone else’s rights.

ingratiate

(v) To make oneself agreeable to and

accepted by others•cozy up to

Betsy tried to ingratiate herself to her new team members by bringing them cupcakes.

interloper

(noun) one who moves in where he is not wanted

•trespasser•intruder

Mr. Joe build a large

fence to keep out

the interlopers.

intrinsic

(adj) essential; inherent; naturally occurring

• immanent•organic

It’s hard to comprehend a person’s intrinsic beauty until you get to know him.

inveigh

(v) To make a violent verbal attack; express strong disapproval

•remonstrate•rail

The students inveighed against the new dress code.

lassitude

(Noun) lack of energy•fatigue•lethargy

All of the students in my 7th period class appear to suffer from lassitude.

millennium

(noun) a period of a thousand years;

a period of great joy

•Chiliad•Golden age

His heart was broken when she told him she’d return his love in the next millennium.

occult

(adj) mysterious, magical

(verb) to hide or conceal

•supernatural•esoteric

There were rumors that the old woman had occult powers.

permeate

(verb) to spread through, penetrate, soak in

•penetrate

The smell of Axe Body Spray permeated

throughout the middle school.

precipitate

(v) To fall as moisture; to bring about suddenly

(adj) excessive haste

(noun) moisture

(v) provoke; produce

(adj) reckless

The verbal argument precipitated the fist fight.

Her precipitate essay writing resulted in a poor essay.

stringent

(adj) strict; severe•stern•tough

Some students think that the dress code at Klein is too stringent.

surmise

(v) to guess without support or proof

(n) Idea that lacks proof

•infer•gather

After looking at the test scores, I surmise that some students did not study.