Sadlier Oxford Level F Unit 15

definitive

(adj.) conclusive, final, representing the limit of what can be done S: exhaustive, authoritative A: tentative

sartorial

(adj.) of or pertaining to a tailor or his work; having to do with clothes or dress

adamant

(adj.) firm in purpose or opinion, unyielding, obdurate, implacable, inflexible; (n.) an extremely hard substance A: yielding, flexible, pliable

profligate

(adj.) given over to dissipation and self-indulgence; (n.) a person given to self-indulgent and wild spending S: prodigal, improvident, spendthrift A: penny-pinching, frugal, economical

enigmatic

(adj.) puzzling, perplexing, inexplicable, not easily understood S: baffling, mysterious, inexplicable A: intelligible, understandable, fathomable

impromptu

(adj. adv.) without preparation, offhand, suddenly or hastily done; (n.) an extemporaneous composition or remark; a minimal piece suggestive of improvisation S: spontaneous, improvised, unrehearsed A: rehearsed, planned, premeditated

choleric

(adj.) easily made angry, bad-tempered S: irascible, testy, splenetic, bilious A: affable, genial, even-tempered

mawkish

(adj.) excessively and objectionably showing to many feelings; having a mildly sickening flavor S: sentimentalized, mushy, nauseating A: unsentimental, callous, insensitive

requisite

(adj.) needed, necessary, regarded as essential or indispensable S: required, obligatory, incumbent A: nonessential, superfluous, optional

brouhaha

(n.) a confused hodgepodge of sounds, hubbub; an uproar or commotion that goes far beyond what is justified S: hullabaloo, tumult, pandemonium

bulwark

(n.) a strong defense or protection; (v) to provide such defense or protection S: bastion, rampart A: breach

presentiment

(n.) a vague sense of approaching misfortune S: foreboding, premonition, hunch

deference

(n.) courteous yielding to the wishes and ideas of another person; great respect marked by submission, as to a superior S: respect, consideration A: contempt, disdain

onus

(n.) something that is heavy or burdensome(responsibility); a stigma; blame S: obligation, duty

demeanor

(n.) the way a person behaves, overall impression made by manner, facial appearance, mien S: conduct, behavior, carriage

curtail

(v.) to cut short, bring to a halt or end sooner than expected; to reduce S: limit, abbreviate, abridge, contract A: protract, extend

thwart

(v.) to oppose successfully; to prevent, frustrate S: foil, baffle A: aid, assist, abet, further

remit

(v.) to send or hand in (as money); to cancel (as a punishment), forgive, pardon; to lesson, diminish; to put off, postpone, defer S: absolve, subside, abate, pardon

mollify

(v.) to soften, make gentle, pacify; to calm; to reduce in intensity S: pacify, placate A: aggravate, exacerbate

cloy

(v.) to spoil or destroy an appetite by too much indulgence, especially in sweet or rich things, to glut, satiate, surfeit A: stimulate, whet