English: Vocabulary 2/3

scintillating

adj. animated; vivacious; effervescent S: brilliant, dazzling, exciting, lively, sparkling A: dull blah Ex. As we watched the [scintillating] fireworks, we we (dazzled) by the (brilliant) flashes.

superfluous

adj. being more than is sufficient or required; excessive. S:excessive, expendable, gratuitous, unneeded A: useful, reasonable, important Ex. On top of the outside reading book, vocabulary quizzes, and essay writing, the students thought the (busy-work) crossword was [superfluous.]

jocular

adj. given to, characterized by, intended for, or suited to joking or jesting; waggish; facetious: S:cheerful, joking, humorous, teasing A: depressed, gloomy, sad, serious Ex. He is the great sportsman, the incomparable archer, the (lover) of the greenwood and of a free life, brave, (adventurous), [jocular], open-handed, a protector of women.

benign

adj. having a kindly disposition; gracious; favorable; propitious. S: good, kindly, benignant, benevolent, tender, humane, gentle, compassionate. A: sinister, harmful, harsh, unfriendly Ex: EuSacµovia, literally the state of being under the (protection) of a [benign] spirit, a "(good) genius", in ethics, the name applied to theories of morality which find the chief (good of man) in some form of happiness.

infamous

adj. having an extremely bad reputation S: disgraceful, egregious, hateful A: friendly, gentle, good, kind Ex. In colonial times, wearing a scarlet letter "A" deemed you [infamous]; and many stayed away from them for their (bad reputation).

inextricable

adj. incapable of being disentangled, undone, loosed, or solved: S: complex, intricate, involved A: untangled, simple Ex. This zoological group includes Gordian worms which are found swimming in an undulatory manner or (coiling round water-weeds) in ponds and puddles, or (knotted together) in an apparently [inextricable] coil.

indefatigable

adj. incapable of being tired out; not yielding to fatigue; untiring. S:tireless, inexhaustible, persevering. A: changing, idle, inactive Ex. With [indefatigable] (energy) he at once attempted to grapple with the difficulties of the situation, and (refused to settle) until her found a solution.

languid

adj. lacking in vigor or vitality; slack or slow; lacking in spirit or interest; listless S: inactive, inert, sluggish, torpid, spirtless A: active, energetic, vigorous Ex. A slow, [languid] smile crossed his face as he was trying to polite although was (uninterested).

incongruity

adj. not harmonious in character; inconsonant; lacking harmony of parts S: contrary, contradictory A: consistent Ex. After learning the piece from two very (different) dancers, I quickly saw the [incongruity] in how each portrayed the movement.

ponderous

adj. of great weight; heavy; massive. S: bulky, clumsy, weighty, burdensome A: clever, dexterous, graceful, small Ex. It may be mentioned that the Bactrian camel, which is a shorter-legged and more [ponderous] animal than the Arabian species, grows an (enormously long) and (thick) winter coat, which is shed in blanket-like masses in spring.

ominous

adj. portending evil or harm; foreboding; threatening; inauspicious S: apocalyptic, prophetic, dangerous, sinister A: pleasant, encouraging, cheerful, auspicious Ex. Thunder tumbled down the San Juan Mountains, heralding the arrival of pelting rain that turned the Jeep road into a (surging stream) and the sky to an [ominous] shade of raven (black).

inviolable

adj. prohibiting violation; secure from destruction, violence, infringement, or desecration S: sacrosanct, holy, sacred A: profane, violable Ex. The contract was sacred and [inviolable], undertaken in the name of Jupiter Hospitalis, and could (only be dissolved by a formal act.)

abyss

n. a deep, immeasurable space, gulf, or cavity; vast chasm. S: void, depth, hole A: apex, bliss, close Ex. thoughts of a person trapped in the twisted wreckage, prompted him to strain his eyes in the gathering (darkness) and search the [abyss] below.

import

n. great significance; importance. S: importance, significance, consequence, momentousness, magnitude A: insignificance Ex. The full [import] of his actions hit her, bringing a flood of warmth to her face as she realized his (intentions.)

piety

n. reverence for God or devout fulfillment of religious obligations: S: respect, veneration, awe. A: apathy, atheism, disbelief Ex. But later times nearly strangled Zoroastrian [piety], not only by laws of ritual purity but also by newly evolved secondary (deities) - personified attributes, and the like.

expiate

v. to atone for; make amends or reparation for: S: remedy, forgive, rectify A: harm, injure, worsen Ex. From that time Conselheiro was a victim of remorse, and to [expiate] his (sin) became a missionary in the sertao or interior of Brazil among the wild Jagunco people and constantly (asked for forgiveness.)

solace

v. to comfort, console, or cheer (a person, oneself, the heart, etc.). S: pity, condolence, relief A: discord, disharmony Ex. When she found out her dad had died, her friends ran to [solace] her; she felt relief as the (comforted) her with warm hugs and kind words.

abate

v. to reduce in amount, degree, intensity, etc.; lessen; diminish: S: slow, slacken, wane, dwindle A: increase, grow, enlarge Ex. Once the package of cupcakes was opened, they [abated] (one by one) until they were (gone.)

estrange

v. to remove to or keep at a distance; alienate the affections of. S: alienate, divorce, disunify, separate A: combine, connect, join Ex: When CPS [estranged] the children from their abusive mother, they were told they would (never be with her again.)

furrow

v.to make wrinkles in (the face) S: hollow, gutter, ridge A: smooth, even, flat Ex. The man stepped out and those piercing blue eyes questioned her silently from under [furrowed] brows causing (wrinkles) to form on his forehead.