English 12: Unit 3 Vocabulary

Decry

DEFINITION: (v.) To condemn or denounce openly SYNONYMS: criticize; opprobriate; belittle; calumniate ANTONYMS: praise; laud; extol; compliment

Exhume

DEFINITION: (v.) To dig out of the earth (what has been buried) SYNONYMS: dig up; unbury; unearth; disinter ANTONYMS: bury; entomb; sepulcher

Cavort

DEFINITION: (v.) To have lively or boisterous fun; romp SYNONYMS: frolic; monkey around; gambol; play ANTONYMS: restrain; behave; hold back; repress

Dissemble

DEFINITION: (v.) To hide by pretending something different SYNONYMS: pretend; fake; cover up; camouflage ANTONYMS: expose; reveal; uncover; evince

Articulate

DEFINITION: (v.) To pronounce clearly and distinctly; (adj.) Expressing oneself easily in clear and effective language SYNONYMS: clear; comprehensible; intelligible; eloquent ANTONYMS: incoherent; obscure; unclear; vague

Evince

DEFINITION: (v.) To show in a clear manner SYNONYMS: show; illustrate; brandish; emblazon ANTONYMS: conceal; hide; mask; dissemble

Distraught

DEFINITION: (adj.) Bewildered SYNONYMS: upset; troubled; worried; muddled ANTONYMS: composed; relaxed; tranquil; untroubled

Piquant

DEFINITION: (adj.) Charming, interesting, or attractive; also spicy SYNONYMS: flavorful; appealing; savory; stimulating ANTONYMS: bland; dull; insipid; uninteresting

Intractable

DEFINITION: (adj.) Difficult to alleviate, remedy, or cure SYNONYMS: difficult; stubborn; uncompromising; indomitable ANTONYMS: easy; facile; painless

Utopian

DEFINITION: (adj.) Excellent or ideal but impracticable; visionary SYNONYMS: ideal; quixotic; romantic; visionary ANTONYMS: realistic; practical; down-to-earth

Derogatory

DEFINITION: (adj.) Expressive of low opinion SYNONYMS: offensive; defamatory; slanderous; contumelious ANTONYMS: appreciative; complimentary; flattering; praising

Viscous

DEFINITION: (adj.) Having relatively high resistance to flow; sticky like syrup SYNONYMS: sticky; thick; gelatinous; gooey ANTONYMS: watery; fluid; dilute; runny

Verdant

DEFINITION: (adj.) Inexperienced and immature SYNONYMS: inexperienced; unskilled; green; callow ANTONYMS: old; experienced; mature; accomplished

Murky

DEFINITION: (adj.) Lacking clarity or distinctness; cloudy or obscure SYNONYMS: obscure; dismal; gloomy; tenebrous ANTONYMS: clear; obvious; straightforward

Feckless

DEFINITION: (adj.) Lacking purpose or vitality; feeble or ineffective SYNONYMS: useless; ineffective; futile; inefficacious ANTONYMS: responsible; accountable; reliable

Unwonted

DEFINITION: (adj.) Out of the ordinary; unusual SYNONYMS: unusual; abnormal; odd; prodigious ANTONYMS: usual; common; ordinary; regular

Primordial

DEFINITION: (adj.) Primary or fundamental; original SYNONYMS: earliest; original; primary; first ANTONYMS: modern; cutting edge; avant-garde

Nefarious

DEFINITION: (adj.) Wicked in the extreme SYNONYMS: sinful; dreadful; infamous; iniquitous ANTONYMS: saintly; good; admirable; scrupulous

Eulogy

DEFINITION: (n.) A spoken or written laudation of a person's life or character SYNONYMS: praise; accolade; encomium; glorification ANTONYMS: condemnation; damning; vilification; insult

Credence

DEFINITION: (n.) Belief SYNONYMS: trust; confidence; faith; reliance ANTONYMS: doubt; mistrust; skepticism; suspicion

Propinquity

DEFINITION: (n.) Proximity, nearness; kinship SYNONYMS: closeness; nearness; contingence; juxtaposition ANTONYMS: distance; separation; apartness

Verbiage

DEFINITION: (n.) Use of many words without necessity SYNONYMS: repetition; redundancy; wordiness; prolixity ANTONYMS: brevity; conciseness; curtness; succinctness