Adamant (adjective) Firm in purpose or opinion, unyielding, obdurate, implacable, inflexible; (noun) an extremely hard substance Antonyms: yielding, flexible, pliable My mother was adamant that I complete the community service requirements without her help.

Brouhaha This is the South Korean Senate floor. If C-Span aired brouhahas like this, I would watch senate hearings more often. Obama backhands Senator Tom Daschle, and drop kicks Arlen Spectre. (noun) a confused hodgepodge of sounds, hubbub; an uproar or commotion that goes far beyond what is justified Synonyms: furor, hullabaloo, tumult, pandemonium

Bulwark (noun) a strong defense or protection, a solid wall-like structure for defense; (verb) to provide such a defense or protection Synonyms: stronghold, citadel, bastion, rampart Antonyms: breach weak point in the defense Our nation’s greatest bulwark against the mistreatment of its citizens is the value we place on democracy and our Bill of Rights.

Choleric (adjective) easily made angry, bad-tempered. Synonyms: irascible, testy, splenetic, bilious Antonyms: affable, genial, even-tempered He’s grown so accustomed to his elderly grandfather’s choleric temper that he seldom bothers to converse with him.

Cloy (verb) to spoil or destroy an appetite by too much indulgence in sweet or rich things; to glut, satiate, surfeit Antonyms: stimulate, whet My mother was right; the giant sundae I ate during the afternoon did indeed cloy my appetite for dinner.

Curtail (verb) to cut short, bring to a halt or end sooner than expected; to reduce Synonyms: limit, abbreviate, abridge, contract Antonyms: protract, extend Despite her completion of a treatment program, Ellen was unable to curtail her alcohol consumption.

Deference (noun) courteous yielding to the wishes and ideas of another person; great respect marked by submission, as to a superior Synonyms: respect, consideration, courtesy Antonyms: contempt, disrespect, scorn, disdain When the rock start failed to bow during his visit to the queen, he was roasted in the press for his failure to show proper deference to roysalty.

Definitive (adjective) conclusive, final, representing the limit of what can be done Synonyms: exhaustive, authoritative Antonyms: tentative, inconclusive Dad’s answer was definitive: I would not be attending Andy’s party unless his parents would be present the entire time.

Demeanor (noun) the way a person behaves, overall impression made by comportment, manner, etc.; facial appearance, mien. Synonyms: conduct, behavior, bearing, carriage Most people enjoyed being around Marie due to her easy-going demeanor.

enigmatic (adjective) puzzling, perplexing, inexplicable, not easily understood Synonyms: baffling, mysterious, inexplicable Antonyms: intelligible, understandable, fathomable No matter how many times he tried, the solution to the Rubik’s cube remained enigmatic to Alan.

Impromptu (adjective) without preparation, offhand, suddenly or hastily done; (noun) an extemporaneous composition or remark; a minimal piece suggestive of improvisation Synonyms: spontaneous, improvised, unrehearsed Antonym: rehearsed, planned, prepared, premeditated. Emily was shocked when her professor announced the day’s lesson plan involved performing impromptu speeches on topics draw from a hat.

Mawkish (adjective) excessively and objectionably sentimental; having a mildly sickening flavor. Synonyms: sentimentalized, maudlin, mushy, nauseating Antonyms: unsentimental, callous, insensitive After a few weeks, Erin’s mawkish reminiscences of their departed classmates became difficult to endure. After all, she’d barely known him.

Mollify (verb) to soften, make gentle, pacify; to calm, allay (as an emotion), assuage, appease, placate; to reduce intensity Synonyms: enrage, anger, aggravate, exacerbate Her words did little to mollify her parents’ anger; they simply couldn’t believe that despite their many warnings, she’d failed to study for what she knew would be a difficult Chem final.

Onus (Noun) something that is heavy or burdensome (especially an unwelcome responsibility); stigma; blame. Synonyms: burden, obligation, duty, stigma The onus for the team’s unexpected loss fell squarely on the quarterback, who, despite excellent protection from his offensive line, simply couldn’t complete the sorts of passes that should have been routine.

Presentiment Red sky in morning… (noun) a vague sense of approaching misfortune Synonyms: foreboding, premonition, hunch The clouds collecting over the schoolyard were a presentiment of things to come for Mary. She was unprepared for the day’s exams, and she knew it.

Profligate (adjective) given over to dissipation and self-indulgence, immoral; recklessly extravagant; (noun) a person given to self-indulgent and wild spending Synonyms: prodigal, improvident, spendthrift Antonyms: penny pinching, frugal, economical Profligate spenders seem to care little what they buy, only that they buy– in the greatest amounts possible.

Remit (verb) to send or hand in (as money); to cancel (as a penalty or punishment) forgive, pardon; to lessen, diminish; to put off, postpone, defer . Synonyms: pay, absolve, subside, abate Mrs. Fortkamp failed to remit payment for her Driver’s License renewal before the March 25 deadline. As a result, her license expired.

Requisite (adjective) needed, necessary, regarded as essential or indispensable Synonyms: required, obligatory, incumbent Antonyms: nonessential, superfluous, optional Chris was dropped from Spanish 102 during first semester after it was discovered that he lacked the requisite test scores for enrollment.

Sartorial Bob’s next stop is the salon for a little eyebrow shaping. (adjective) of or pertaining to a tailor or his work; having to do with clothes or dress (especially men’s) Cab Calloway was not only a skilled musician, but was known as a dapper dresser who was frequently praised for his sartorial choices.

Thwart (verb) to oppose successfully, to prevent, frustrate Synonyms: foil baffle Antonyms: aid, assist, abet, further Despite their small stature, the opposing team repeatedly thwarted their opponents attempts to score, confusing their offence with constantly changing coverage.