Sadlier Oxford Level G Unit 10

charlatan

(n.) one who feigns knowledge or ability; a pretender, impostor, or quack. synonyms: fraud, mountebank

decimate

(v.) to kill or destroy a large part of [originally, in the Roman army, ten percent, hence the prefix "deci," as in "decade" or "decimal"]. synonyms: ravage, devastate

attenuate

(v.) to make thin or slender; to weaken or lessen in force, intensity, or value. synonyms: thin out, dilute, water down antonyms: thicken, strengthen, bolster

obtuse

(adj.) blunt, not coming to a point; slow or dull in understanding; measuring between 90 and 180 degrees; not causing a sharp impression. synonyms: stupide, dumb, thick, mild, dull-witted antonyms: acute, perceptive, quick-witted

luminous

(adj.) emitting or reflecting light, glowing; illuminating. synonyms: radiant, bright, refulgent, lustrous antonyms: dark, opaque, dim, murky

fraught

(adj.) full of or loaded with; accompanied by. synonyms: charged with antonyms:devoid of, lacking, deficient in

benign

(adj.) gentle, kind; forgiving, understanding; having a favorable or beneficial effect; not malignant. synonyms: benevolent, salutary, salubrious, harmless antonyms: malevolent, deleterious

peremptory

(adj.) having the nature of a command that leaves no opportunity for debate, denial, or refusal; offensively self-assured, dictatorial; determined, resolute. synonyms: high-handed, unconditional antonyms: irresolute, tentative, mild, unassuming

obsequious

(adj.) marked by slavish attentiveness; excessively submissive, often for purely self-interested reasons. synonyms: fawning, serville, sycophantic, mealymouthed antonyms: assertive, bumptious, overbearing, candid, frank, independent

sporadic

(adj.) occurring at irregular intervals, having no set plan or order. synonyms: intermittent, spasmodic antonyms: constant, steady, continuous, uninterrupted

penitent

(adj.) regretful for one's sins or mistakes. (n.) one who is sorry for wrongdoing. synonyms: remorseful, regretful, rueful, sorry antonyms: unrepetent, remorseless

askance

(adv.) with suspicion, distrust, or disapproval [used especially with glances]. synonyms: distrustfully, suspiciously, skeptically

shambles

(n.) a slaughterhouse; a place of mass bloodshed; a state of complete disorder and confusion, mess.

foible

(n.) a weak point, failing, minor flaw. synonyms: shortcoming, defect, quirk antonyms: torte, virtue

oscilate

(v) to swing back & forth with a steady rhythm; to fluctuate or waver synonyms: vibrate, vaccilate.

forgo

(v.) to do without, abstain from, give up. synonyms: refrain from, renounce antonyms: indulge in, partake of

reconnoiter

(v.) to engage in reconnaissance; to make a preliminary inspection. synonyms: scout

cavil

(v.) to find fault in a petty way, carp; (n.) a trivial objection or criticism. synonyms: nitpick, quibble

rebuff

(v.) to snub; to repel, drive away; (n.) a curt rejection, a check. synonyms: spurn, repulse, reject, setback antonyms: accept, welcome

inure

(v.) to toughen, harden; to render used to something by long subjection or exposure. synonyms: accustom, acclimate