Beatitude (n) State of perfect happiness or blessedness; a blessing Syn: bliss, rapture Ant: misery, despair **Beauty

Bête noire (n) Someone or something that one especially dislikes, dreads or avoids syn: pet peeve, nemesis ant: pet, idol **Bete! No – you can’t marry him. I hate him!

Bode (v) To be an omen of; to indicate by signs Syn: presage, foreshadow **red sun at night, sailor’s delight

Dank (adj) Unpleasantly damp or wet syn: moist, soggy ant: dry, parched **damp, rank

Ecumenical (adj) Worldwide or universal in influence or application syn: general, comprehensive ant: parochial, regional **universal

Fervid (adj) Burning with enthusiasm or zeal; extremely heated syn: zealous, fervent ant: indifferent, cool **fever, fervor

Fetid (adj) Having an unpleasant or offensive odor syn: smelly, putrid, foul ant: fragrant, aromatic, perfumed **smelly feet, feta cheese

Gargantuan (adj) Of immense size, volume, or capacity; enormous, prodigious syn: huge, colossal, mammoth ant: tiny, miniscule ** gigantic

Heydey (n) The period of greatest power, vigor, success; the prime years syn: golden age ant: declining years ** Yeah day!

Incubus (n) A demon or evil spirit supposed to haunt human beings in their bedrooms at night; something that weighs upon one, like a nightmare syn: hobgoblin, burden ***Riding “In a bus” instead of driving can be a burden

Infrastructure (n) A basic foundation or framework; a system of public works; resources required for an activity syn: base, basis ant: superstructure **inner structure

Inveigle (v) To entice, lure, or snare by flattery or artful inducements; to obtain or acquire by artifice Syn: induce, beguile, cajole wheedle

Kudos (n) The acclaim, prestige, or renown that comes as a result of some action or achievement syn: glory, praise, accolades ant: boos, disapproval **kudos to you!!

Lagniappe (n) An extra or unexpected gift or gratuity syn: bonus **lucky chap

Prolix (adj) Long-winded and wordy; tending to speak or write in such a way syn: verbose, garrulous ant: terse, laconic, succinct ***pro-longed speech

Protégé (n) Someone whose welfare, training or career is under patronage of an influential person syn: ward, charge, trainee ant: sponsor, mentor ***protected by another

Prototype (n) An original pattern or model; a primitive or ancestral form syn: archetype ant: copy, imitation **original type

Sycophant (n) Someone who attempts to win favors or advance him/herself by flattery or servile behavior; a slanderer, defamer syn: yes-man, bootlicker ** a “psycho fan” of someone would be this

Tautology (n) Needless repetition of an idea by using different words; a redundancy syn: pleonasm ***tau tau logy

Truckle (v) To yield or submit tamely or submissively syn: kowtow, stoop, grovel ant: resist, defy, stand up to **buckle down in front of…