adj. courteous and pleasant, sociable, easy to speak to Synonyms: genial, amicable, agreeable, cordial Antonyms: surly, cantankerous, dour, inhospitable I was relieved to find that my new roommate was quite affable. AFFABLE

v. To increase in greatness, power, or wealth; to build up or intensify; to make appear greater Synonyms: augment, amplify, enhance, exalt Antonyms: reduce, decrease, diminish During World War II Adolf Hitler was able to aggrandize himself because of his powerful rhetorical skills. Donald Trump was able to aggrandize his wealth with countless real estate transactions. AGGRANDIZE

adj. shapeless, without definite form; of no particular type or character; without organization Synonyms: formless, unstructured, nebulous, inchoate Antonyms: definite, well- defined, clear-cut In science class, I made an amorphous glob of liquid that would turn into a solid if you applied pressure. Everyone can remember watching the amorphous body of the amoeba under the microscope. AMORPHOUS

 (n) an original model on which something was patterned or replicated; the ideal example  Synonyms: model, prototype, epitome Achilles is the archetype of the epic hero. To many people, James Dean was the archetype for the “bad boy” we see in movies.

n. That which surrounds (as an atmosphere); a distinctive air or personal quality Synonyms: ambience, atmosphere Despite his hard life, the child had an aura of kindness about him. AURA

n. illegal traffic, smuggled goods; adj. illegal, prohibited Synonyms: illicit, bootleg, unlawful Antonyms: legal, lawful, licit Tom Buchanan accused Jay Gatsby of selling contraband through a chain of drug stores CONTRABAND

adj. scholarly, learned, bookish, pedantic Synonyms: profoundly educated, well-read Antonyms: ignorant, uneducated, illiterate While Albert Einstein was extremely erudite, he also had a fun side. For your research papers, you will find erudite articles which will shed new perspectives on your topics. ERUDITE

adj. thin, light, delicate, insubstantial n. A very thin, light cloth Synonyms: filmy, diaphanous, sheer, airy, feathery, gauzy Antonyms: thick, dense, solid, massive Flowers and lace tend to be extremely gossamer.

(adj.) incapable of being understood; impossible to see through physically Synonyms: impenetrable, incomprehensible, enigmatic Antonyms: comprehensible, intelligible, penetrable For inscrutable papers I usually write the phrase, “If I can’t read it, I can’t grade it”. The Mona Lisa is known for her inscrutable smile

(adj.) relating to, characteristic of, or situated on an island; narrow or isolated outlook or experience Synonyms: narrow-minded, parochial, provincial Antonyms: catholic, cosmopolitan, liberal The survivors became very insular after having been on the island for ten years. The religious views of the Puritans were very insular and did not embrace the views of others.

(adj.) incapable of being changed or called back Synonyms: irreversible, unrecallable, unalterable Antonyms: reversible, changeable In most cases, getting a tattoo is irrevocable, so be sure to think it through before getting one. The official’s call was irrevocable.

(n.) a natural inclination or predilection toward Synonyms: natural bent, proclivity, penchant Antonyms: natural incapacity or inability My brother, who has a propensity for aimlessly driving around, refused to stop and ask for directions.

(adj.) peevish, complaining, fretful Synonyms: petulant, touchy, cranky, irritable Antonyms: uncomplaining, stoical, serene, placid The children were querulous on the road trip to their grandma’s house.

(V.) to argue or plead with someone against something, protest against, object to. The students remonstrated with their teacher to postpone the test, but to no avail. Synonyms: reason against, expostulate

REPUDIATE (V.) to disown, reject, or deny the validity of After making a false accusation, I had to repudiate my earlier statement to set things straight. Synonyms: disavow, abjure, renounce Antonyms: avow, affirm, aver, avouch. I repudiate Ben Roethlisberger’s off- field behavior, but I can’t help but admire the fact that he did make it to the Super Bowl.

(Adj.) able to return to an original shape or form; able to recover quickly Synonyms: springy, elastic, buoyant, bouncy Antonyms: rigid, stiff, inflexible, unyielding. After the biking accident, resilient Emily was able to compete in the race after just two weeks of recovery.

(V.) to re-echo, resound; to reflect or be reflected repeatedly The choirs’ singing reverberated off of the walls of the enormous church. Synonyms: rumble, thunder, boom, echo

(Adj.) Coarsely abusive, vulgar or low (especially in language), foul mouthed Synonyms: obscene, filthy, abusive, vituperative Antonyms: decorous, seemly, tasteful, dignified His scurrilous words left me frozen with my mouth hanging open. The marauders launched a scurrilous attack on the townspeople as they began their looting.

(Adj.) persistent, showing industry and determination Synonyms: assiduous, tireless, indefatigable Antonyms: lackadaisical, listless, indolent, otiose She was a very sedulous student who turned in all of her work on time.

(Adj.) thin or flimsy in texture; cheap; shoddy or inferior in quality or character; ethically low, mean, or disreputable. Synonyms: inferior, cheesy, tawdry, tatty Antonyms: superior, first-rate, quality, sturdy The sleazy news reporter was so desperate that he took a random picture and started making up a story without the facts.