Altruistic (adj.) unselfish, concerned with the welfare of others. S: selfless A: selfish, self-centered Ghandi is known for his altruistic love for needy people around the world.

Assent (v.) to express agreement (n.) agreement S: concur, consent, accede A: disagree, differ, dissent After the meeting, a poll was taken to determine the number of people who assented with the speaker. The coach’s assent with the referee caused the players to stop complaining about the call.

benefactor (n.) one who does good to others S: patron, humanitarian A: misanthrope, malefactor One of the school’s benefactors bequeathed enough money to fund a new gym.

chivalrous (adj.) marked by honor, courtesy, and courage; knightly S: gallant, civil, valiant A: crude, uncouth, churlish, loutish Most of us agree that Hector is a more chivalrous character than Achilles.

clemency (n.)mercy, humaneness; mildness, moderateness S: leniency, forbearance, gentleness A: harshness, severity cruelty, inflexibilty The convict begged for clemency from the judge after the jury found him guilty as charged.

dearth (n.) a lack, scarcity, inadequate supply; a famine S: insufficiency, want, paucity A: surplus, oversupply, glut, abundance An employer may complain of a dearth of qualified applicants for available jobs.

diffident (adj.)shy, lacking self-confidence; modest, reserved S: timid, bashful, unassertive, withdrawn A:bold, brash, audacious, self-confident, jaunty Many a diffident suitor has lost his beloved to a bold rival.

discrepancy (n.) a difference; a lack of agreement S: disagreement, divergence, inconsistency A: agreement, convergence, consistency Discrepancies in the testimony of witnesses to a crime can have a decisive impact on the outcome of a trial.

embark (v.)to go abroad, to make a start; to invest S: commence, launch, begin, board Heroes embark on journeys in which they prove their heroism.

facile (adj.) easily done or attained; superficial; ready; fluent; easily shown but not sincerely felt S:effortless, assured, poised, specious A:labored, awkward, halting Math is a facile subject for some and difficult for others.

indomitable (adj.) unconquerable, refusing to yield S: unbeatable, invincible, unyielding A: surrendering, submissive, yielding When it comes to fighting, Achilles’ indomitable spirit leads him to victory against Hector. Let’s beat our opponent and be an indomitable baseball team tomorrow!

infallible (adj.) free from error, absolutely dependable S: unerring, certain A: imperfect Many people didn’t like Fred because he considered himself infallible when it came to almost every topic.

plod (v.) to walk heavily or slowly; to work slowly S: lumber, trudge A: scamper, skip, prance The injured bear plodded toward its den. When it comes to geometry, I plod through the concepts with great difficulty.

pungent (adj.) causing a sharp sensation, stinging, biting S: sharp, spicy, piquant, caustic, racy A: bland, unappetizing, colorless, insipid Pungent jokes can be offensive to some people. Certain cheeses have pungent aromas.

remiss (adj.) neglectful in performance of one’s duty, careless S: negligent, lax, slack A: scrupulous, dutiful, punctilious When I am remiss about completing my school- work, my grades suffer. (ALLUSION: a reference to historical art, literature, something everyone knows)

repose (v.) to rest; lie; place. (n.) relaxation, peace of mind, calmness S: sleep; (n.) tranquility, respite A: (n.) exertion, wakefulness, tumult, bustle * When Friday arrives, I am ready for a period of repose. * The cremated remains of renown heroes repose in graves marked with piled stones.

temerity (n.) rashness, boldness S: recklessness, foolhardiness, effrontery A: timidity, fearfulness, diffidence, humility Too much temerity in the workplace might lead to a stern talk from the boss.

truculent (adj.) fierce and cruel; aggressive; deadly, destructive, scathingly harsh S: brutal, savage, belligerent, vitriolic A: gentle, mild, meek, unthreatening The Nazi party during WWII is known for committing truculent crimes against humanity.

unfeigned (adj.) sincere, real, without pretenses: S: genuine A: insincere, simulated, phony The woman’s unfeigned horror at the sight of the car accident indicated that it was worse than it appeared to be.

virulent (adj.) extremely poisonous; full of malice; spiteful S: venomous, noxious, baneful, hateful A: innocuous, harmless, benign Adolf Hitler spread his virulent beliefs throughout Europe.