(v.) to have an intense dislike or hatred for Synonyms: loathe, abhor, despise, detest Antonyms: relish, savor, cherish, esteem Even though my sister and I frequently fight, we don’t abominate each other.

 (n.) the modification of the social patterns, traits, or structures of one group or society by contact with those of another; the resultant blend  Synonyms: adaptation When the Pilgrims came over from England, they went through a process of acculturation with the Indians.

(adj.) resulting from chance rather than from an inherent cause of character; accidental, not essential; (medicine) acquired, not congenital. Synonyms: extrinsic, incidental, fortuitous Antonyms: essential, intrinsic, inherent, congenital Randomly picking the numbers that landed him the winnings, Jethro won the lottery with an adventitious ticket. ADVENTITIOUS

Ascribe  (v.) to assign or refer to (as a cause of source), attribute  Synonyms: impute, credit, attribute  To avoid plagiarizing, ascribe different works of literature to their authors on the Works Cited page.

Circuitous (adj.) roundabout, not direct Synonyms: indirect, meandering, winding Antonyms: straight, direct, as the crow flies Lizzy was circuitous when describing where she had been all night because she knew would get in trouble for staying out past curfew.

Commiserate  (v.) to sympathize with, have pity or sorrow for, share a feeling of distress  Synonyms: feel sorry for, empathize  Antonym: feel no sympathy for  After the earthquake that devastated Haiti, many Americans expressed their commiseration for the Haitians by sending food, water, and aid.

Enjoin  (v.) to direct or order; to prescribe a course of action in an authoritative way; to prohibit  Synonyms: bid, charge, command, adjure  Antonyms: allow permit  As the man of the house, my father enjoins me to do different chores to help out the family.

EXPEDITE (v.) to make easy, cause to progress faster Synonyms: accelerate, facilitate, speed up Antonyms: hinder, hamper, impede, obstruct New highways and wider lanes help expedite the commute from my house to Spaghetti Junction.

Expiate (v.) to make amends, make up for; to avert Synonyms: redeem, make amends for, atone, make reparation Prayer is a common way to expiate for one’s sins.

Ferment  (n.) A state of great excitement, agitation, or turbulence; (v.) to be in or work into such a state; to produce alcohol by chemical action.  Synonym: (n.) commotion, turmoil, unrest  Antonym: (n.) peace and quiet, tranquility, placidity The scent of the fresh baked cookies sent the child in to a ferment.

INADVERTENT (adj.) resulting from or marked by lack of attention; unintentional, accidental. Synonyms: accidental, unconsidered Antonyms: deliberate, intentional, premeditated After dozing off while behind the wheel, the driver inadvertently put himself in this predicament.

Nominal O Existing in name only, not real; too small to be considered or taken seriously O Synonyms: titular, token, trifling, inconsequential O Antonyms: real, actual, exorbitant, excessive Although nominal, his heart and confidence led him to the super lightweight championship 3 years in a row.

Noncommittal  (adj.) not decisive or definite; unwilling to take a clear position or to say yes or no  Synonyms: cagey, uninformative, playing it safe, playing it close to the vest.  Antonyms: positive, definite, committed With the upcoming elections looming, many voters are noncommittal.

Peculate (V.) to steal something that has been given into one’s trust; to take improperly for one’s use Synonyms: Embezzle, Defraud, Misappropriate His heart full of greed, the man peculated $ from the Booster Club.

Proclivity Synonyms: natural bent, penchant, propensity Antonyms: inability or incapacity (n.) a natural or habitual inclination or tendency (especially of human character or behavior) I have a terrible proclivity of biting my nails, especially when I am nervous.

(n.) composure or coolness, especially in trying circumstances Synonyms: poise, self- assurance, equanimity Antonyms: excitability, hysteria, flappability

Seditious (adj.) resistant to lawful authority; having the purpose of overthrowing an established government Synonyms: mutinous, rebellious, subversive Antonyms: supportive, loyal, faithful, allegiant The rebels drew on Uncle Sam to show their seditious feelings toward the government.

Tenuous ( adj.) thin, slender, not dense; lacking clarity or sharpness; of slight importance or significance; lacking a sound basis, poorly supported Antonyms: strong, solid, substantial, valid His argument tenuous, Jeffrey realized that he needed to do some more research on modern day advertising’s influence on teens.

vitriolic Synonyms: withering, acerbic, mordant Antonyms: bland, saccharine, honeyed, sugary (adj.) Bitter, sarcastic; highly caustic or biting(like a strong acid) His vitriolic use of sarcasm will anger even the most aplomb!

Wheedle (v.) to use coaxing or flattery to gain some desired end Synonyms: cajole, inveigle, soft-soap, sweet-talk Antonyms: coerce, browbeat, intimidate, strong arm The woman wheedled the student to try out for theater because she knew he had great potential.