Vocabulary Unit 9 Level F

What do you know? We stood on the dock that moonless night, waiting for the storm to abate. Athletes have little choice but to enjoy the sometimes puzzling adulation of their fans. The author’s views on bringing up children are anathema to my dad but a delight to my mother.

Abate  V. to make less in amount, degree, etc.; to subside, become less; nullify; to deduct, omit Syn: diminish, decrease, subside, let up Ant: Intensify, increase, magnify, wax

adulation N. praise or flattery that is excessive Syn: Adoration, idolization, hero-worship Ant: ridicule, derision, odium

anathema  N. an object of intense dislike ; a curse or strong denunciation Syn: Malediction, imprecation, abomination Ant: benediction, blession

What do you know? The astute management of money is a valuable skill but may not by itself make a good executive. Her career exhibited both the miser’s ever-growing avarice and the miser’s diminishing charm. It was the inspectors’ culpable neglect of duty that left such old buses in service.

astute Adj. shrewd, crafty, showing practical wisdom Syn: Acute,sagacious, judicious, wily, Ant: Obtuse, doltish, empty-headed, dumb

avarice N. a greedy desire, particularly for wealth Syn: cupidity, rapacity, acquisitiveness

culpable Adj. deserving blame, worthy of condemnation Syn: guilty, blameworthy, peccant, Ant: blameless, innocent, laudable, meritorious Who is culpable for Michigan's loss? Who is culpable for FSU’s loss?

What do you know? She hired an assistant because, on her own, she was always dilatory in paying her bills. Whoever allowed that man on a stage is guilty of an egregious blunder. I won’t soon give my vote to a candidate who shows such a marked tendency to equivocate. Looking back, I see that the magic of that summer was evanescent.

dilatory Adj. tending to delay or procrastinate, not prompt; intended to delay or postpone Syn: stalling, slow, tardy, laggard Ant: prompt, punctual, speedy, expeditious,

egregious Adj. conspicuous, standing out from the masses Syn: glaring, flagrant, blatant, Ant: unnoticeable, paltry, piddling

equivocate  V. to speak or act in a way that allows for more than one interpretation; to be deliberately vague or ambiguous Syn: Talk out of both sides of one’s mouth, palter, hedge Ant: To speak one’s mind plainly

evanescent Adj. vanishing, soon passing away, light and airy Syn: ephemeral, transient, transitory, Ant: elverlasting, immortal, imperishable

irresolute Adj. unable to make up one’s mind, hesitating Syn- Indecisive, Vacilating, Ant- Determined, decisive

nebulous Adj. cloud-like, resembling a cloud, cloudy in color, vague,  confused, indistinct Synonym: Hazy, fuzzy, cloudy, opaque. ANT: distinict, definite, clear

novice Ant- Veteran, Pro, expert N. one who is a beginner at some activity requiring skill or experience Syn-Neophyte, Trainee, aprentice, (scrub!) Ant- Veteran, Pro, expert

penury N. extreme poverty, barrenness, insufficiency Syn-Destitution, indigence, Ant- affluence, luxury

pretentious Adj. done for show, striving to make a big impression; claiming merit or position unjustifiably; making demands on one’s skill or abilities, ambitious Syn-Ostentatious, Inflated Ant- Unaffected, modest

recapitulate V. to review a series of facts, to sum up Syn- Summarize, review, go over

resuscitate V. to revive, bring back to consciousness or existence SYN- revitalize, reanimate, restore, reactivate

slovenly Adj. dirty, untidy, careless Syn- Unkempt, slatternly, lax. Ant- Neat, meticulous

supposition N. something that is assumed or taken for granted without conclusive evidence Syn- assumption, presumption, hypothesis

torpid Adj. inactive, sluggish, dull Syn: Lethargic, languid Ant: energetic, vigorous