Level F Vocab Unit 2

aplomb

(n.) poise, assurance, great self-confidence; perpendicularity Considering the family's tense mood, you handled the situation with ____________________. Synonyms: composure, self-possession, levelheadedness Antonyms: confusion, embarrassment, abashment

intrinsic

(adj.) belonging to someone or something by its very nature, essential, inherent; originating in a bodily organ or part It had been my father's favorite book when he was my age, but for me it held little ________________ interest. Synonyms : immanent, organic Antonyms: extrinsic, external, outward

bombastic

(adj.) pompous or overblown in language; full of high-sounding words intended to conceal a lack of ideas He delivered a _______________ speech that did not even address our problems. Synonyms: inflated, highfalutin, pretentious Antonyms: unadorned, simple, plain, austere

occult

(adj.) secret, hidden from view; not detectable by ordinary means; mysterious, magical, uncanny; (v.) to hide, cover up; eclipse; (n.) matter involving the supernatural Astronomers did not notice the small moon, which was often _________________ by the planet around which it orbited. Much of his talk about the _____________ seems grounded in nothing but trick photography and folklore. Synonyms: (adj.) esoteric, abstruse, arcane Antonyms: (adj.) mundane, common, public, exoteric

stringent

(adj.) strict, severe; rigorously or urgently binding or compelling; sharp or bitter to the taste Some argue that more _______________ laws against speeding will make our streets safer. Synonyms: stern, rigorous, tough, urgent Antonyms: lenient, mild, lax, permissive

callow

(adj.) without experience; immature, not fully developed; lacking sophistication and poise; without feathers They entered the army as ________________ recruits and left as seasoned veterans. Synonyms: green, raw, unfledged, inexperienced Antonyms: mature, grown-up, polished, sophisticated

ex officio

(adj., adv.) by virtue of holding a certain office The President is the ________________ commander-in-chief of the armed forces in time of war.

millennium (millennia)

(n.) a period of one thousand years; a period of great joy In 1999 an argument raged over whether 2000 or 2001 would mark the beginning of the new ___________________. Synonyms: chiliad, golden age Antonyms: doomsday

epitome

(n.) a summary, condensed account; an instance that represents a larger reality Admitting when you have been fairly defeated is the _____________________ of sportsmanship. Synonyms: abstract, digest, archetype

interloper

(n.) one who moves in where he or she is not wanted or has no right to be, an intruder The crowd was so eager to see the band perform that they resented the opening singer as an _________________. Synonyms: trespasser, meddler, buttinsky

drivel

(n.) saliva or mucus flowing from the mouth or nose; foolish, aimless talk or thinking; nonsense; (v.) to let saliva flow from the mouth; to utter nonsense or childish twaddle; to waste or fritter away foolishly To me, my dream made perfect sense, but when I told it to my friend, it sounded like _______________. Knowing that his time was nearly up, we kept silent and let him _______________ on. Synonyms: (n.) balderdash, tommyrot; (v.) slaver

lassitude

(n.) weariness or body or mind, lack of energy On some days I am overcome by ________________ at the thought of so many more years of schooling. Synonyms: fatigue, lethargy, torpor, languor Antonyms: energy, vitality, animation, liveliness

precipitate

(v.) to fall as moisture; to bring about suddenly; to hurl down from a great height; to give distinct form to; (adj.) characterized by excessive haste; (n.) moisture; the product of an action or process Scholars, often disagree over which event or events ____________________ an historic moment. I admit that my outburst was ___________________. Too many eggs in this particular pudding will leave a messy ___________________ in the baking pan. Synonyms: (v.) provoke, produce; (adj.) reckless, impetuous Antonyms: (adj.) wary, circumspect

ameliorate

(v.) to improve, make better, correct a flaw or shortcoming A hot meal can ________________ the discomforts of even the coldest day. Synonyms: amend, better Antonyms: worsen, aggravate, exacerbate

inveigh

(v.) to make a violent attack in words, express strong disapproval You should not _________________ against the plan with quite so much vigor until you have read it. Synonyms: harangue, remonstrate Antonyms: acclaim, glorify, extol

ingratiate

(v.) to make oneself agreeable and thus gain favor or acceptance by others (sometimes used in a critical or derogatory sense) It is not a good idea to _____________________ oneself by paying cloying compliments. Synonyms: cozy up to, curry favor with Antonyms: humiliate oneself

permeate

(v.) to spread through, penetrate, soak through The rain _______________ all of my clothing and reduced the map in my pocket to a pulpy mass.

surmise

(v.) to think or believe without certain supporting evidence; to conjecture or guess; (n.) likely idea that lacks definite proof I cannot be sure, but I _________________ that she would not accept my apology even if I made it on my knees. The police had no proof, nothing to go on but a suspicion, a mere _________________. Synonyms: (v.) infer, gather; (n.) inference, presumption

exhort

(v.) to urge strongly, advise earnestly With dramatic gestures, our fans vigorously __________________ the team to play harder. Synonyms: entreat, implore, adjure Antonyms: discourage, advise against, deprecate

infringe

(v.) violate, trespass, go beyond recognized bounds If you continue to ___________________ on my responsibilities, will you also take the blame for any mistakes? Synonyms: encroach, impinge, intrude Antonyms: stay in bounds, comply