FARIH's GRADE 12 VOCABULARY LESSON 16-23 PROJECT

empirical

(adjective) based on experiment and observation; based entirely on practical experience rather than theory synonym: existential, experiential, experimental, objective, observational; checkable, confirmable, demonstrable, provable, supportable, sustainable, verifiable antonym: nonempirical, theoretical (also theoretic), unempirical; indemonstrable, insupportable, unprovable, unsupportable, unsustainable, unverifiable The English chemist and physicist John Dalton (1766-1844) developed theories from _______ evidence gathered through years of meticulous real-world research.

clandestine

(adjective) concealed, usually for a forbidden purpose; secret; covert synonym: "done without attracting observation," "implies secrecy usually for an evil, illicit, or unauthorized purpose and often emphasizes the fear of being discovered." backstairs, behind-the-scenes, covert, furtive, hole-and-corner, hugger-mugger, hush-hush, private, privy, secret, sneak, sneaking, sneaky, stealth, stealthy, surreptitious, undercover, underground, underhand, underhanded antonym: open, overt, public I wanted to talk to her in private. While no one was noticing us, we went upstairs for a ________ meeting.

cadaverous

(adjective) corpselike; pale and ghastly; thin and gaunt; haggard synonym: ashen, ashy, blanched, doughy, livid, lurid, mealy, pale, paled, pallid, pasty, peaked, wan; emaciated, gaunt, haggard, skeletal, wasted antonym: blooming, florid, flush, full-blooded, glowing, red, rosy, rubicund, ruddy, sanguine; emaciated, gaunt, haggard, skeletal, wasted "This is Joe," said Uncle Derek, pointing to a picture of a man who was so sickly that he seemed hardly alive. His _________ face seemed to stare at me from the old photograph.

moot

(adjective) debatable; resolved and not worth further discussion or consideration synonym: arguable, controvertible, debatable, disputable, doubtable, doubtful, issuable, negotiable, questionable antonym: accomplished, certain, hands-down, inarguable, incontestable, incontrovertible, indisputable, indubitable, irrefragable, positive, questionless, settled, sure, unanswerable, unarguable, unchallengeable, undebatable, undeniable, unquestionable Gandhi's argument for a single, unified India was not _________; it was disputed by people all over the world.

devoid

(adjective) entirely without; empty; totally lacking synonym: bankrupt, bare, barren, bereft, destitute, void; bare, blank, clean, empty, stark, toom [chiefly Scottish], vacant, vacuous, void antonym: filled, flush, fraught, full, replete, rife; full Although the British called the fort at Surat a factory, there was nothing in the fort to suggest that it was devoted to manufacturing; the fort was, in fact, _______ of industrial equipment.

profuse

(adjective) giving freely, extravagant; plentiful synonym: "giving or given out in great abundance," "implies pouring forth without restraint." copious, galore, gushing, lavish, riotous antonym: dribbling, trickling "Some of them were _______ in their apologies, though it was now too late to take their words back."

fervid

(adjective) giving off intense heat; impassioned, enthusiastic synonym: "showing intense feeling," "suggests warmly and spontaneously and often feverishly expressed emotion." ardent, blazing, burning, charged, demonstrative, emotional, fervent, feverish, fiery, flaming, glowing, hot-blooded, impassioned, incandescent, intense, passional, passionate, perfervid, red-hot, religious, superheated, torrid, vehement, warm, warm-blooded; ardent, boiling, broiling, burning, fervent, fiery, hot, piping hot, red, red-hot, roasting, scalding, scorching, searing, sultry, superheated, sweltering, torrid, ultrahot, white-hot antonym: cold, cool, dispassionate, emotionless, impassive, unemotional; algid, arctic, bitter, bone-chilling, cold, freezing, frigid, frozen, glacial, ice-cold, iced, icy The heat that day was ________, and I wanted to stay inside where it was cooler, so I looked around for my friend Leslie.

rampant

(adjective) growing without check or restraint; flourishing; widespread synonym: lush, luxuriant, prosperous, rank, weedy; abandoned, intemperate, raw, runaway, unbounded, unbridled, unchecked, uncontrolled, unhampered, unhindered, unrestrained antonym: bridled, checked, constrained, controlled, curbed, governed, hampered, hindered, restrained, temperate; sparse From one book I learned that Britain took control of India during the ___________, uncontrolled fighting of the Seven Years' War.

scathing

(adjective) harsh or caustic; extremely severe or bitter synonym: "stingingly incisive," acerb, acerbic, acid, acidic, acidulous, acrid, barbed, biting, caustic, corrosive, cutting, mordant, pungent, sarcastic, sardonic, satiric (or satirical), scalding, sharp, smart-aleck, smart-alecky, smart-mouthed, snarky, tart antonym: amusing, droll, merry, playful, sportive, waggish, gentle, mild, bland, good-humored, good-natured, diplomatic, polite, smooth, suave, urbane, affable, cordial, genial, gracious, hospitable, sociable In a _________ criticism of Robert Boyle's atomic theory, science historian Stephen F. Mason claims that Boyle failed to give a complete and accurate description of known chemical properties.

strident

(adjective) having or making a harsh sound; shrill synonym: "so loud or insistent as to compel attention," "suggests harsh and discordant noise." blatant, boisterous, clamorous, obstreperous, and vociferous antonym: calm, hushed, noiseless, quiet, silent, soundless, still, muffled, muted, softened, toned (down) "For many British, the _________ sounds of air-raid sirens became a piercing reminder of their determination to win the war."

esoteric

(adjective) intended for or understood by only a few; confidential; private synonym: abstruse, arcane, deep, hermetic (also hermetical), profound, recondite; behind-the-scenes, confidential, hush-hush, hushed, inside, intimate, nonpublic, private, privy, secret antonym: shallow, superficial; common, open, public Tom motioned me to him as if he were going to give me some ________ or secret bit of knowledge

cosmopolitan

(adjective) international; beyond national boundaries; having great worldly experience; sophisticated; at home anywhere synonym: smart, sophisticated, worldly, worldly-wise antonym: guileless, ingenuous, innocent, naive (or naïve), unsophisticated, untutored, unworldly, wide-eyed Gandhi's humble demeanor and the loincloth he usually wore made it easy to forget his _________ background. His experiences in other countries made him more knowledgeable than his appearance suggested.

facetious

(adjective) joking; said in fun; meant to be amusing synonym: "provoking or intended to provoke laughter," "stresses a desire to produce laughter and maybe derogatory in implying dubious or ill-timed attempts at wit or humor." clever, humorous, jocular, smart, witty; cute, flip, flippant, pert, smart, smart-aleck, smart-alecky, smart-ass, smart-assed, smarty-pants, wise, wiseass antonym: humorless, unamusing, uncomic, unfunny; earnest, sincere Nonetheless, Princeton professor Charles Coulson Gillispie, seeing the humor in his subject, writes in a ________ tone about John Dalton's inexact chemical methods.

mottled

(adjective) marked with spots, blotches, or streaks of different colors synonym: blotched, blotchy, dappled (also dapple), marbled, piebald, pied, pinto, splotched, spotted, dappled (also dapple), dotted, flecked, freckled, specked, speckled, splotchy, spotted, spotty, stippled, variegated antonym: monochromatic, monochrome, monochromic, solid; unspotted Bits of soot covered Tom's face. His ______ face and tired expression looked comical in the moonlight.

irrevocable

(adjective) not capable of being retracted, recalled, or withdrawn; unalterable synonym: irreplaceable, irrecoverable, irredeemable, irremediable, irreparable, irretrievable, irreversible, unrecoverable, unredeemable, unredeemed antonym: corrected, fixed, recovered, remedied, repaired, correctable, corrigible, fixable, redeemable, remediable, repairable, reparable, retrievable, undoable "What happened is hisotry," Alan said," and it can't be changed. The past is __________."

impassive(ly)

(adjective) not feeling or showing emotion synonym: "unresponsive to something that might normally excite interest or emotion," "stresses the absence of any external sign of emotion in action or facial expression." affectless, apathetic, cold-blooded, emotionless, impassible, numb, passionless, phlegmatic, stoic (or stoical), stolid, undemonstrative, unemotional; blank, catatonic, deadpan, empty, expressionless, inexpressive, numb, stolid, vacant antonym: demonstrative, emotional, fervent, fervid, hot-blooded, impassioned, passional, passionate, vehement; expressive According to Jay's mother, cases of alleged slander are never presented ________; they always involve strong feelings.

menial

(adjective) of or suited to a servant; servile; (noun) a domestic servant; a servile person synonym: daily [British], domestic, flunky (also flunkey or flunkie), lackey, retainer, servant, slavey [dated], steward antonym: master, mistress Like other colonialists, the British in India had all their ________ tasks such as housework done by the local people.

reticent

(adjective) reserved; reluctant, discreet synonym: "showing restraint in speaking," "implies a reluctance to speak out or at length, especially about one's own affairs." close, closemouthed, dark, secretive, tight-mouthed, uncommunicative; closemouthed, dumb, laconic, reserved, silent, taciturn, tight-lipped, uncommunicative antonym: communicative, open; blabby, chatty, communicative, conversational, gabby, garrulous, loquacious, motormouthed, mouthy, talkative, talky, unreserved I was afraid that Leslie would be _________ in speaking of the problem with me, but she showed no hesitation.

commodious

(adjective) roomy; spacious synonym: "larger in extent or capacity than the average," "stresses roominess and comfortableness." ample, capacious, roomy, spacious antonym: confined, cramped, incommodious, limited, narrow, restricted, small, snug, tight, tiny A few days after my return from London, I went to the ____________ public library and settled myself in the expansive interior to do my research on India.

solicitous

(adjective) showing concern or worry; anxiously concerned; eager synonym: attentive, considerate, kind, thoughtful; agog, antsy, anxious, ardent, athirst, avid, crazy, desirous, eager, enthused, enthusiastic, excited, geeked [slang], great, greedy, gung ho, hepped up, hopped-up, hot, hungry, impatient, juiced, keen, nuts, pumped, raring, stoked [slang], thirsty, voracious, wild antonym: heedless, inconsiderate, thoughtless, unthinking; apathetic, indifferent, uneager, unenthusiastic Leslie was unexpectedly _________ toward me, upset that I had been uneasy about her talks with the board.

tenuous

(adjective) thin; not substantial; flimsy synonym: "not thick, broad, abundant, or dense," "implies extreme thinness, sheerness, or lack of substance and firmness." "lacking strength, permanence, or resilience" slender, slight, slim, and thin antonym: firm, hard, rigid, solid, substantial, unyielding, elastic, flexible, resilient, rubberlike, rubbery, springy, stretch, stretchable, supple, infrangible, nonbreakable, strong, sturdy, tough, unbreakable After Gandhi popularized the concept of Indian independence, the British hold on India became increasingly weak and _________.

officious

(adjective) too ready to please, praise, or obey; meddlesome; offering unwanted or unneeded advice or comments synonym: "given to thrusting oneself into the affairs of others," "implies the offering of services or attentions that are unwelcome or annoying." busy, interfering, intruding, intrusive, meddlesome, meddling, nosy (or nosey), obtrusive, presuming, presumptuous, protrusive, prying, pushing, pushy, snoopy antonym: unobtrusive When chemists submit their articles to scholarly journals, they must expect that at least one ________ critic will make trivial or worthless comments.

inexorable

(adjective) unalterable; relentless synonym: relentless, unremitting, unstoppable, certain, ineluctable, ineludible, inescapable, inevitable, necessary, sure, unavoidable, unescapable, decided, definite, settled, likely, possible, probable, destined, fated, foreordained, predestined, predetermined, preordained antonym: preventable (also preventible), improbable, unlikely, avoidable, evadable, uncertain, unsure, doubtful, dubious, questionable, shaky, unclear, undecided, unsettled Mohandas "Mahatma" Gandhi challenged the seemingly _________ power of British imperialism in India by condemning the nonstop mechanization of industry.

sedentary

(adjective) used to sitting much of the time; moving little and rarely; staying in one place synonym: dormant, immobile, inanimate, motionless, resting, static, stationary, still, dull, inactive, inert, lethargic, quiescent, sleepy, sluggish, torpid, ambitionless, apathetic, indolent, languorous, lazy, lazyish, listless, shiftless, slack, slothful, sluggard, sluggardly, dead, dopey (also dopy), drugged, asleep, drowsy, somnambulant, catatonic, comatose antonym: active, mobile, busy, engaged, occupied, working, animated, bouncing, dynamic, energetic, kinetic, lively, peppy, perky, spirited, sprightly, springy, vigorous, vital, vivacious, zippy, assiduous, diligent, hardworking, industrious, sedulous She was rarely _________ as she researched and prepared the case. She was always on the go.

obnoxious

(adjective) very disagreeable; highly offensive; hateful synonym: "causing intense displeasure, disgust, or resentment", abhorrent, abominable, appalling, awful, disgusting, distasteful, dreadful, evil, foul, fulsome, gross, hideous, horrendous, horrible, horrid, loathsome, nasty, nauseating, nauseous, noisome, noxious, obscene, odious, offensive, rancid, repellent (also repellant), repugnant, repulsive, revolting, scandalous, shocking, sickening, ugly; "provoking or likely to provoke protest", censurable, exceptionable, objectionable, offensive, reprehensible antonym: innocuous, inoffensive, unobjectionable "That's a _______ idea, Micah said, obviously offended. "It wasn't Saint Joan's death but her life that interested and inspired Shaw- and that led to her being named a saint."

virulent

(adjective) very poisonous or harmful; deadly; intensely bitter or spiteful synonym: bad [slang], bitchy, catty, cruel, despiteful, hateful, malevolent, malicious, malign, malignant, mean, nasty, spiteful, vicious antonym: benevolent, benign, benignant, loving, unmalicious "I am sure the officers regretted their vicious attacks on his character," said Uncle Derek. "There had been no cause for their ________ words.

repository

(noun) a center for storage; a place where things are put for safekeeping; a person to whom something is confined or entrusted synonym: depository, depot, magazine, storage, storehouse, warehouse The British port at Surat was once a _______ of goods that were being kept for shipment to Europe.

pestilence

(noun) a contagious and often fatal disease that spreads rapidly; an illness of epidemic proportions; a destructive or evil influence or factor synonym: pest, plague An attitude of European superiority can spread like a __________, and, like a dangerous disease, have disastrous effects.

calumny

(noun) a false statement made to injure someone's reputation; slander synonym: aspersing, blackening, calumniation, character assassination, defamation, defaming, libel, libeling (or libelling), maligning, slander, smearing, traducing, vilification, vilifying antonym: acclaim, accolade, applause, commendation, praise, esteem, honor, respect, adulation, flattery, adoration, reverence, veneration, worship The case involved a woman who was upset by the _________ she swore was uttered against her by her employer. She sued him for his wrongful statement.

treatise

(noun) a formal, written discussion of a subject synonym: monograph, tract, article, composition, essay, paper, theme, discourse, discussion, exposition, prolegomenon, study, primer, text, textbook, causerie, column, commentary, editorial, feature, report, review, write-up, dissertation, thesis Robert Boyle's ________ The Skeptical Chemist (1661), widely read in its day, paved the way for the science of modern chemistry.

demagogue

(noun) a leader who stirs up people by appealing to their emotions; a rabble-rouser synonym: agitator, exciter, firebrand, fomenter, incendiary, inciter, instigator, kindler, provocateur, rabble-rouser antonym: peacemaker, reconciler, uniter "Mr. Durand, since Joan was a leader who inflamed people by playing on their emotions, wasn't she really a ____________?" Alan asked smugly.

gauntlet

(noun) a long, heavy, protective glove; a metal-plated glove, part of a knight's armor synonym: cross, crucible, fire, ordeal, trial, baptism of fire "Your hand coverings don't look sturdy enough for that work," I told Tom. "What you need is a knight's metal ________!"

propensity

(noun) a natural tendency or ability synonym: "a strong instinct or liking for something," "implies a deeply ingrained and usually irresistible inclination." leaning, aptness, proneness, penchant, and proclivity antonym: averseness, disinclination, dislike, indisposition; allergy, aversion, disfavor, disliking, disrelish, distaste, detachment, impartiality, neutrality, objectivity, apathy, disinterestedness, indifference, insouciance, nonchalance, unconcern The woman did not have a ________ for litigation. It was not her inclination to confront, and she would have preferred to work out the matter without going to court.

regimen

(noun) a particular form of government; a systematic procedure; a regulated system for improving health synonym: administration, authority, governance, government, jurisdiction, regime (also régime), rule Gandhi prescribed a ________ for the Indian people that included the wearing of only handspun and hand-woven cloth. This prescribed procedure was just one of the methods the Indians used to protest British rule.

epitome

(noun) a person or thing typical of an entire class; an ideal example; a summary synonym: abstract, avatar, embodier, embodiment, externalization, genius, icon (also ikon), image, incarnation, incorporation, instantiation, manifestation, objectification, personification, personifier; acme, apotheosis, beau ideal, byword, classic, exemplar, ideal, perfection, quintessence; abstract, breviary, brief, capsule, conspectus, digest, encapsulation, inventory, outline, précis, recap, recapitulation, résumé (or resume also resumé), roundup, run-through, rundown, sum, sum-up, summa, summarization, summary, summing-up, synopsis, wrap-up antonym: archetype, exemplar, model, paradigm, pattern; amplification, enlargement, expansion, addendum, supplement The British East India Company was the __________ of the workings of British imperialism; it embodied all the qualities that made colonial power so relentless and all-encompassing.

incorrigible

(noun) a person who will not be reformed; (adjective) Incapable of being corrected or reformed; persistently bad synonym: hopeless, incurable, irrecoverable, irredeemable, irreformable, irremediable, irretrievable, unrecoverable, unredeemable antonym: curable, reclaimable, recoverable, redeemable, reformable, remediable, retrievable, savable (or saveable) "The British saw Hitler as an ___________," said Uncle Derek. " They began to see that he was incapable of being changed."

vantage point

(noun) a position that allows a clear view or understanding, an advantageous position synonym: angle, eye view, outlook, perspective, shoes, slant, standpoint, viewpoint, frame of reference, point of view "Well, from my ______ _____, acquired by experience, sweeping is cleaning, and I'm cleaning with the stiff brush on this pole," Tom replied, pausing to glance at the sky, now becoming cloudy.

contingency

(noun) a possible happening; a chance event; something that depends on chance or uncertain conditions synonym: "a critical or crucial time or state of affairs," "implies an emergency or exigency that is regarded as possible but uncertain of occurrence." case, contingence, contingent, event, eventuality, possibility She tried to prepare for every ________ because she didn't know exactly what might occur during the trial.

testimonial

(noun) a recommendation of a person or product; a tribute to a person's accomplishments synonym: attestation, confirmation, corroboration, documentation, evidence, proof, substantiation, testament, testimony, validation, voucher, witness; dedicatory, epitaphial, epitaphic, canonizing, enshrining, exalting, glorifying, ommemorating, commemorative, honorary, memorial, memorializing antonym: disproof The statue of John Dalton in Manchester, England, is a ________ to his scientific contributions.

vestige

(noun) a slight remnant; a trace of something that no longer exists; a minute quality synonym: "a perceptible sign made by something that has passed," "applies to a tangible reminder such as a fragment or remnant of what is past and gone." echo, ghost, relic, shadow, trace; footmark, footprint, footstep, step, trace "I'm concerned about the ________, or hint, of hostility that exists between the library board and the Literary Guild," she said.

hiatus

(noun) a space where something is missing; any break in continuity synonym: breach, break, discontinuity, gap, gulf, hole, interstice, interval, opening, rent, rift, separation, void; gap, hole, lacuna, space, void; discontinuity, gap, hiccup (also hiccough), interim, interlude, intermission, interregnum, interruption, interstice, interval, parenthesis antonym: completeness, fullness; continuation, continuity There was a twenty-minute intermission during the library program. We were told that the discussion about Lady Montagu would resume after the ________.

misnomer

(noun) a wrong name; an error in naming a person, place, or thing "Isn't it a _______ to call you a chimney sweep?" I asked. "I mean, you don't really sweep the chimney."

auspices

(noun) approval and support; patronage synonym: aegis (also egis), backing, patronage, sponsorship Leslie explained, "I want future series to be held under the _______ of the Literary Guild, which is eager to support programs like this and willing to double our funding.

detriment

(noun) damage; harm; injury; anything that causes damage or injury synonym: affliction, damage, harm, hurt, injury; despite, disadvantage, disfavor, penalty antonym: healing, recovery, cure, fix, remedy; advantage, favor "It is more complicated than that," Mr. Durand said. "She was a ____________ to the English, who were afraid she would cause even greater problems for them in the future."

chauvinism

(noun) fanatical patriotism; biased belief in the superiority of one's own group, sex, or nation synonym: jingoism, nationalism, superpatriotism antonym: internationalism British ___________ was demonstrated in the belief that Britain was better fit to rule India than India itself was.

quiescence

(noun) inactivity; quietness; stillness synonym: abeyance, cold storage, deep freeze, doldrums, dormancy, holding pattern, latency, moratorium, suspended animation, suspense, suspension; dormancy, idleness, inaction, inactivity, inertness, nonaction antonym: continuance, continuation; action, activeness, activity The Victorian era was not a time of _______ in the field of chemistry. On the contrary, there was great activity, and the number of recognized chemical elements increased steadily throughout the period.

disparity

(noun) inequality; difference; unlikeness synonym: contrast, difference, disagreement, discrepancy, disparateness, dissimilarity, dissimilitude, distance, distinction, distinctiveness, distinctness, diverseness, diversity, otherness, unlikeness antonym: alikeness, analogousness, analogy, community, likeness, resemblance, sameness, similarity Only recently has the _________ between women's scientific achievements and the actual recognition of these achievements been acknowledged.

sagacity

(noun) keen, sound judgement; mental acuteness; shrewdness synonym: discernment, insight, perception, perceptiveness, perceptivity, sagaciousness, sageness, sapience, wisdom antonym: density, dullness (also dulness), obtuseness, brainlessness, folly, foolishness, idiocy, imbecility, mindlessness, silliness, simplemindedness, simpleness, stupidity, witlessness, illogic, irrationality, unreasonableness, unsoundness, craziness, insanity, lunacy, madness, preposterousness, senselessness, zaniness Gandhi's ________ eventually convinced many British people of India's right to govern itself, for they recognized that Gandhi was an astute leader.

temerity

(noun) reckless (shameless) boldness; rashness; foolhardiness synonym: "conspicuous or flagrant boldness," "suggests boldness arising from rashness and contempt of danger." audaciousness, audacity, brashness, brass, brassiness, brazenness, cheek, cheekiness, chutzpah (also chutzpa or hutzpah or hutzpa), crust, effrontery, face, gall, nerve, nerviness, pertness, presumption, presumptuousness, sauce, sauciness antonym: bashfulness, diffidence, faintheartedness, hesitancy, modesty, shyness, timidity, timidness, timorousness, civility, courteousness, courtesy, gentility, graciousness, mannerliness, manners I felt loyal to the library board and couldn't believe my own _______ in speaking to Leslie, but my assertiveness didn't seem to upset her.

terra firma

(noun) solid earth; firm ground synonym: dirt, dust, earth, ground, land, soil "If I could, I'd stay up on a roof all day and all night," Tom said with a sigh as he climbed down the ladder to ______ ______.

anarchy

(noun) the absence of government or law; political disorder synonym: lawlessness, misrule antonym: law, law-abidingness, lawfulness, legality, legitimacy, rule, calmness, harmony, order, orderliness, peace, peaceableness, peacefulness, quiet, tranquillity (or tranquility) The company acted as an unofficial government agency and prevented __________ by providing order throughout India.

elocution

(noun) the art of public speaking; a style or manner of public speaking or reading synonym: oratory, public speaking "Joe then devoted himself to ___________. Following the example of Churchill, he inspired us with his speeches."

ethnology

(noun) the branch of anthropology that deals with recent societies or language groups, their distribution, characteristics, and cultures According to the field of _________, which deals with customs and cultures, colonialism has far-reaching effects on both the conquered and the conquerors.

litigation

(noun) the carrying on of a lawsuit; a lawsuit synonym: action, proceeding, suit, case, cause, complaint, counterclaim, countersuit, cross action, cross-claim Jay's mother, an attorney, cited an excerpt from Mary Astell's book in a _________ she filed for a client.

subversion

(noun) the overthrowing or undermining of something established, such as a government synonym: insurgency, insurrection, mutiny, overthrow, overturn, rebellion, revolt, revolution, unrest, uprising, upset, sabotage, coup, coup d'état (or coup d'etat) "Hitler hoped the bombing would cause a ____________ of our defense, but our plans were not altered."

nadir

(noun) the point in the celestial sphere directly below the observer and opposite the zenith; the lowest possible point synonym: bedrock, bottom, depth, rock bottom, zero; base, basement, foot antonym: acme, apex, climax, crown, culmination, head, height, high-water mark, meridian, peak, pinnacle, summit, tip-top, top, zenith; head, top, vertex Many Indians came to view British rule as the __________ of their history.

harbinger

(verb) to announce; to indicate what will follow; (noun) a forerunner; a herald synonym: "one that goes before or announces the coming of another," "apply, chiefly figuratively, to one that proclaims or announces the coming or arrival of a notable event," adumbrate, forerun, foreshadow, herald, prefigure "I don't know about that. But she certainly was a ____________ for a new day in France," Mr. Durand replied. "Dressed in armor, she was an imposing agent of change."

bode

(verb) to be a sign or omen of; to port synonym: augur, forebode (also forbode), promise, bid fair "I'd better hurry," he said. "Those clouds signal a change in the weather-they may _______ more snow."

vindicate

(verb) to clear of suspicion or blame; to justify or support synonym: absolved, acquitted, cleared, exculpated, exonerated; argued, attested, authenticated, bore out, certified, confirmed, corroborated, substantiated, supported, validated, verified antonym: criminated, incriminated; disproved, rebutted, refuted I wanted to give her a chance to ________ herself if she was not in the wrong.

coerce

(verb) to compel; to force; to dominate or restrain by force synonym: blackjack, compel, constrain, dragoon, drive, force, impel, impress, make, muscle, obligate, oblige, press, pressure, sandbag antonym: allow, let, permit, argue, convince, induce, move, persuade, prevail (on or upon), satisfy, talk (into), win (over) "I can't ______ you into getting your chimney cleaned regularly," he continued, "but what has happened tonight should impel you to do so."

repudiate(s)

(verb) to completely reject; to disown; to refuse to accept synonym: "to turn away by not accepting, receiving, or considering," "implies a casting off or disowning as untrue, unauthorized, or unworthy of acceptance." contradict, deny, disaffirm, disallow, disavow, disclaim, disconfirm, disown, gainsay, negate, negative, refute, reject; deny, disavow, disclaim, disown; balk (at), decline, deselect, disapprove, negative, nix, pass, pass up, refuse, reject, reprobate, spurn, throw out, throw over, turn down; abjure, abnegate, forswear (also foreswear), recant, renege, renounce, repeal, retract, take back, unsay, withdraw antonym: acknowledge, admit, allow, avow, concede, confirm, own; claim, recognize; accept, agree (to), approve; adhere (to) "My client does not agree with her employer's attitude toward women," Jay's mother wrote. "In fact, she strongly ________ it."

consign(ing)

(verb) to deliver; to deliver as goods to be sold; to send; to hand over; to assign to an undesirable position or place synonym: "to assign to a person or place for a definite purpose," "suggests removing from one's control with formality or finality." dispatch, pack (off), send, ship, shoot, transfer, transmit, transport; commend, commit, confide, delegate, deliver, entrust (also intrust), give, give over, hand, hand over, leave, pass, recommend, repose, transfer, transmit, trust, turn over, vest antonym: accept, receive, hold, keep, retain "During the bombing of London, Joe was in charge of ____________, or giving out, goods to the soldiers," Uncle Derek continued.

prevaricate(d)

(verb) to evade the truth synonym: "to tell an untruth," "softens the bluntness of lie by implying quibbling or confusing the issue." fabricate, fib, lie antonym: assert, swear, testify, authenticate, confirm, substantiate, validate, verify "When she was questioned, she should have _______________ to save herself," Micah said. "She might not have had to tell a direct lie."

deplore

(verb) to feel very sorry about; to regret deeply; to lament; to disapprove of synonym: "to express grief or sorrow for something," "implies regret for the loss or impairment of something of value." bemoan, bewail, grieve (for), lament, mourn, wail (for); regret, repent, rue antonym: delight (in), enjoy, relish, revel (in), savor (also savour); exult (in), glory (in), joy, rejoice (in) "In his play, does Shaw make you _________ Joan's death?" Mr. Durand asked. "If so. how does he lead you to lament her fate?"

foment(ing)

(verb) to foster trouble, rebellion, or strife; to stir up; to incite synonym: "to spur to action," "implies persistence in goading." abet, brew, ferment, incite, instigate, pick, provoke, raise, stir (up), whip (up), set in motion antonym: bridle, check, constrain, curb, discourage, hold, inhibit, regulate, rein (in), restrain, tame, allay, calm, quiet, settle, soothe, still, subdue, tranquilize (also tranquillize) I had heard that Leslie had been ________ agitation and getting the library board angry.

mete

(verb) to give according to measure or one's judgement; to allot or distribute synonym: administer, allocate, apportion, deal (out), dispense, distribute, dole out, hand out, parcel (out), portion, prorate antonym: misallocate "I have some advice to _______ out to you--burn your wood hotter and clean your chimney more often," Tom said.

renounce(ed)

(verb) to give up; to abandon; to cast off something; to disown; to repudiate synonym: "to give up a position with no possibility of resuming it," "may replace it but often implies additionally a sacrifice for a greater end." abdicate, abnegate, cede, relinquish, resign, step aside (from), step down (from), surrender; abjure, abnegate, forswear (also foreswear), recant, renege, repeal, repudiate, retract, take back, unsay, withdraw antonym: appropriate, arrogate, assume, claim, confiscate, seize, take over, usurp, wrest, defend, guard, protect, safeguard, secure; adhere (to) Chemistry became possible when scientists, starting in about the sixteenth century, ________ their alchemical practices, turning their backs on the futile quest to turn base metals into gold.

emanate(ing)

(verb) to issue from; to originate from synonym: "to come up or out of something into existence," "applies to the coming of something immaterial (such as a thought) from a source." cast, discharge, emit, evolve, exhale, expel, expire [archaic], give out, irradiate, issue, radiate, release, send (out), shoot, throw out, vent antonym: absorb, inhale, soak (up), sponge, suck (up), take up "It seems that courage just poured out of her She was like a solitary light _________ from an otherwise dark house," remarked Ima.

promulgate/promulgation

(verb) to make known to the public, declare; to make widespread synonym: "to make known publicly," "implies the proclaiming of a dogma, doctrine, or law." advertise, announce, annunciate, blare, blaze, blazon, broadcast, declare, enunciate, flash, give out, herald, placard, post, proclaim, publicize, publish, release, sound, trumpet antonym: conceal, hush (up), silence, suppress, withhold recall, recant, retract, revoke "People rallied together. The ____________ of hope for a peaceful future was the only compensation for the deaths of those they loved," he said

differentiate

(verb) to make or become different; to tell the difference between; to note differences synonym: difference, discern, discriminate, distinguish, secern, separate antonym: confuse, mistake, mix (up) We can ________ chemical engineering from chemistry in the following way: chemical engineering applies the principles of chemistry to industrial uses.

impair

(verb) to make worse; to damage or weaken synonym: "to affect injuriously," "suggests a making less complete or efficient by deterioration or diminution." blemish, bloody, break, compromise, crab, cripple, cross (up), damage, deface, disfigure, endamage, flaw, harm, hurt, injure, mar, spoil, vitiate antonym: doctor, fix, mend, patch, rebuild, recondition, reconstruct, renovate, repair, revamp Being conquered can ________ a people's sense of themselves and undermine their confidence.

cajole(d)

(verb) to persuade by pleasant words; to coax with flattery and insincere talk; to wheedle synonym: "to influence or persuade by pleasing words or actions," "suggests the deliberate use of flattery to persuade in the face of reluctance or reasonable objections." blandish, blarney, coax, palaver, soft-soap, sweet-talk, wheedle antonym: bug, harass, nag, pester, tease, browbeat, bulldoze, bully, cow, intimidate, coerce, compel, constrain, demand, force, make, oblige, require In 1773, the East India Company __________, or con vinced, the British Parliament to put it in control of India.

intercede

(verb) to plead, or petition, on another's behalf; to act as a mediator in a dispute synonym: "to come or go between," "implies acting for an offender in begging mercy or forgiveness." intermediate, interpose, intervene, mediate antonym: stand by, avoid, eschew, shun, disregard, ignore, overlook "During the play's trial scene, I kept wishing someone would ________ and negotiate on Joan's behalf," Ima said.

burnish(ed)

(verb) to polish; to make shiny by rubbing; (noun) a glossy finish; a luster synonym: buff, dress, furbish, gloss, grind, polish, rub, shine, smooth, smoothen antonym: rough (up), roughen, ruffle, scuff (up) "These poles will do," Tom said, pointing to long instruments that he had brought with him. He must have ________ them because they gleamed.

chastise(d)

(verb) to punish; to criticize severely; to scold synonym: "to inflict a penalty on in requital for wrongdoing," "may apply to either the infliction of corporal punishment or to verbal censure or denunciation," castigate, chasten, correct, discipline, penalize, punish; baste, bawl out, berate, call down, castigate, chew out, dress down, flay, hammer, jaw, keelhaul, lambaste (or lambast), lecture, rag, rail (at or against), rant (at), rate, ream (out), rebuke, reprimand, reproach, scold, score, tongue-lash, upbraid antonym: excuse, pardon, spare; approve, endorse, also indorse), sanction, extol (also extoll), laud, praise "The English could have simply _________ her," Janel said. "But I guess a severe reprimand would never have stopped Joan!"

extricate

(verb) to release from an entanglement or a difficulty; to set free synonym: "to free from what binds or holds back," "implies the use of care or ingenuity in freeing from a difficult position or situation." clear, disembarrass, disengage, disentangle, free, liberate, release, untangle antonym: embroil, entangle Some Indians managed to _________, or liberate themselves, from feelings of inferiority.

retaliate

(verb) to return an injury for an injury; to get even synonym: "to give back usually in kind or in quantity," "usually implies a paying back of injury in exact kind, often vengefully." avenge, redress, requite, revenge, venge [archaic] antonym: absolve, condone, excuse, forgive, pardon, remit The employer said the woman was just trying to pay him back for reducing her work hours. But it was not her intention to _________.

mollify/mollified

(verb) to soothe the temper of; to appease; to pacify synonym: "to ease the anger or disturbance of," "implies soothing hurt feelings or rising anger." appease, assuage, conciliate, disarm, gentle, pacify, placate, propitiate; allay, alleviate, assuage, ease, help, mitigate, palliate, relieve, soothe antonym: anger, enrage, incense, inflame (also enflame), infuriate, ire, madden, outrage; aggravate, exacerbate "She will not be ________ by pleasing but empty words. As Mary Astell said, women have 'the faculty of thinking.'"

recant

(verb) to take back formally or publicly; to withdraw or retract an opinion expressed in the past synonym: "to withdraw one's word or professed belief," "stresses the withdrawing or denying of something professed or taught." abjure, abnegate, forswear (also foreswear), renege, renounce, repeal, repudiate, retract, take back, unsay, withdraw antonym: adhere (to) Since the employer would not openly admit to being wrong and would not ______ his slanderous comments, the woman had to go to court.

maim(ed)

(verb) to wound or injure seriously; to disable in some way; to mutilate; to cripple synonym: "to injure so severely as to cause lasting damage," "implies the loss or injury of a bodily member through violence." cripple, disable, incapacitate, lame, mutilate antonym: cure, heal, rehabilitate, remedy, doctor, fix, mend, patch, rejuvenate, renew, repair, restore "Joe was ________ during an attack, and the wound left him permanently disabled," Uncle Derek said.