Vocab

Philanthropist (noun)

Definition: a wealthy person who gives money and time to help make life better for others Synonyms: Benefactor; doner; sponser; contributor Antonyms: criminal; thief Other forms: philanthropy (noun) the act of giving... Example: Many actors and politicians become philanthropists and donate huge sums of money to schools and charities.

Affable (adjective)

Definition: being pleasant, at ease, and/or friendly Synonyms: easygoing; mellow; agreeable Antonyms: high-strung; uptight Other forms: affability (noun); affably (adverb) Example: Sven and Olaf from Frozen are extremely affable characters which cause the audience to love them.

Virulent (adjective)

Definition: full of hate/anger; extremely harsh/strong; extremely dangerous/ deadly and spreading quickly Synonyms: Malevolent; malicious; malignant Antonyms: Benevolent; benign Other forms: virulently (adverb) Example: Ebola is a virulent illness that is wreaking havoc in western Africa

Eccentric (adjective)

Definition: out of the ordinary; behaving unusually Synonyms: odd; quirky; bizarre Antonyms: Commonplace; ordinary Other forms: eccentric (noun) a person who... Example: The eccentric billionaire spent his entire fortune on sculptures made from used chewing gum.

Acuity (noun)

Definition: the ability to see, hear, or understand something easily (sharpness of perception or mind) Synonyms: perceptiveness; acuteness Antonyms: ignorance; insensitivity Other forms: acuities (plural) Example: Sherlock Holmes' mental acuity made him an extraordinary detective

Pontificate (verb)

Definition: to speak in a way that shows you think you are always right Synonyms: Preach, moralize; lecture Antonyms: Praise Other forms: pontificator (noun), pontification (noun) Example: The students had to listen to the chef pontificate about the best way to chop an onion

Disparage (verb)

Definition: to speak poorly of or describe something as unimportant Synonyms: Belittle; deprecate Antonyms: Acclaim; applaud Other forms: disparagement(noun); disparager(noun); disparaging(adj); disparagingly(adverb) Example: Voters do not like political advertisments in which opponents disparage one another

Squander (verb)

Definition: to use in a foolish or wasteful way Synonyms: lavish; waste; fritter (away) Antonyms: conserve Other forms: squanderer (noun) Examples: When the boy inherited $10,000 from his Great Aunt, he vowed not to squander the money

Credulous (adjective)

Definition: too ready to believe something; easily fooled Synonyms: Gullible, unquestioning Antonyms: Skeptical, suspicious Other forms: credulously (adverb) Example: The guileful con artist was accused of swindling credulous investors

Zeal (noun)

Definition: a strong feeling of interest that makes one eager or determined to do something Synonyms: enthusiasm; passion; fanaticism Antonyms: apathy; indifference; disinterest Other forms: zealous (adj); zealot (noun) Example: A judge typically had zeal for truth and justice