English 2 Vocabulary: Level F Unit 6

insurgent

one who rebels or rises against authority (n.) rising in revolt, refusing to accept authority; surging or rushing in on (adj.) Synonyms: revolutionary, rebellious, mutinous Antonyms: loyalist, loyal, faithful George Washington and his contemporaries were _________________ against Britain. The army was confident that they could crush the ____________ forces.

vicarious

performed, suffered, or otherwise experienced by one person in place of another (adj.) Synonyms: surrogate, substitute, imagined, secondhand Antonyms: real, actual, firsthand In search of ______________ excitement, we watched movies of action and adventure.

surreptitious

stealthy, secret, intended to escape observation; made or accomplished by fraud (adj.) Synonyms: furtive, covert, clandestine, concealed Antonyms: open, frank, aboveboard, overt The movie heroine blushed when she noticed the _______________ glances of her admirer.

transmute

to change from one nature, substance or form to another (v.) Synonyms: transform, convert, translate, metamorphose Antonyms: maintain, unchanged, preserve To _______________ distrust into friendship along that war-torn border will take more than wise politicians.

cajole

to coax, persuade through flattery or artifice; to deceive with soothing thoughts or false promises (v.) Synonyms: wheedle, inveigle, soft-soap, sweet-talk Antonyms: coerce, force, strong-arm With a smile, a joke, and a second helping of pie, she would ____________ him into doing what she wanted.

disabuse

to free from deception or error, set right in ideas or thinking (v.) Synonyms: undeceive, enlighten, set straight Antonyms: deceive, delude, pull wool over one's eyes He thinks that all women adore him, but my sister will probably ___________ him of the idea.

transgress

to go beyond a limit or boundary; to sin, violate a law (v.) Synonyms: overstep, exceed, trespass, err Antonyms: obey, toe the line The penitent citizens promised to never again ____________ the laws of the land.

contrive

to plan with ingenuity, invent; to bring about as the result of a scheme or plan (v.) Synonyms: think up, devise, concoct, fabricate Antonyms: She can ____________ wonderful excuses, but when she tries to offer them, her uneasiness gives her away.

castigate

to punish severely; to criticize severely (v.) Synonyms: chastise, rebuke, censure, upbraid Antonyms: reward, honor, praise, laud After he __________d the unruly children, they settled down to study quietly

heinous

very wicked, offensive, hateful (adj.) Synonyms: evil, odious, abominable, outrageous Antonyms: excellent, wonderful, splendid A town so peaceful, quiet, and law-abiding was bound to be horrified by so ______________ a crime.

ennui

weariness and dissatisfaction from lack of occupation, interest, or boredom (v.) Synonyms: languor, world-weariness, listlessness Antonyms: enthusiasm, liveliness, excitement, intensity A feeling of ___________ is likely to overcome an unemployed worker who sits idly at home every day.

fetter

a chain or shackle placed on the feet (often used in plural); anything that confines or restrains (n.) to chain or shackle to; to render helpless or impotent (v.) Synonyms: bond, restraint; bind, hamper Antonyms: free, liberate, emancipate The old phrase "chain gang" refers to prisoners made to work. each joined to the next by linked ___________s. It is said that good inventors do not ____________ themselves with conventional thinking.

aspersion

a damaging or derogatory statement; the act of slandering or defaming (n.) Synonyms: innuendo, calumny, denigration Antonyms: endorsement, testimonial, praise Think twice before casting ___________s on his honesty, for he might be telling the truth.

megalomania

a delusion marked by a feeling of power, wealth, talent, etc., far in excess of reality (n.) Synonyms: delusions of grandeur Antonyms: humility, modesty, self-abasement Sudden fame and admiration make people feel unworthy - or it can bring on feelings of _________________.

demagogue

a leader who exploits popular prejudices and false claims and promises in order to gain power (n.) Synonyms: rabble-rouser, firebrand Antonyms: Some historians have labeled Napoleon a ______________ because of his conquering countries to gain power.

sinecure

a position requiring little or no work; an easy job (n.) Synonyms: "no show" job, cushy job, "plum" Antonyms: The office of Vice President of the United States was once considered little more than a _______________.

anomalous

abnormal, irregular, departing from the usual (adj.) Synonyms: exceptional, atypical, unusual, aberrant Antonyms: normal, regular, customary, typical, ordinary When the results of a test are __________, the procedure is usually repeated.

brusque

abrupt, blunt, with no formalities (adj.) Synonyms: curt, tactless, ungracious, gruff, rough Antonyms: gracious, tactful, courteous, diplomatic His request for a large loan for an indefinite length of time was met with a ____________ refusal.

bizarre

extremely strange, unusual, atypical (adj.) Synonyms: grotesque, fantastic, outlandish Antonyms: normal, typical, ordinary, expected Years from now I will look at this picture and wonder what sort of _____________ costume I was wearing.

immutable

not subject to change, constant (adj.) Synonyms: unchangeable, unalterable, fixed, invariable Antonyms: changeable, inconstant, variable, fickle Scientists labored to discover a set of _______________ laws of the universe.