1. ACT Power Plus Vocabulary Lesson Twelve

2. halacyon – (adj.) calm; pleasant The severe windstorm interrupted the otherwise halcyon week. Synonyms tranquil unruffled Antonyms troubled tumultuous

3. fastidious – (adj.) hard to please; fussy My neighbor is a fastidious housekeeper. Synonyms meticulous exacting Antonyms casual lax

4. badinage – (n.) playful, teasing talk What began as badinage quickly escalated to cutting insults. Synonyms chaff joking

5. malapropism – (n.) a word humorously misused He used a malapropism when he said “conspite” in place of “inspire.” Synonyms Bunkerism

6. garner – v.) to gather; to acquire During the fall harvest, extra workers were hired to garner the crops. Synonyms collect harvest

7. kismet – (n.) destiny; fate; fortune (one’s lot in life) She thought her kismet was to be a veterinarian until she failed her biology lab.

8. hegira – (n.) flight; escape The flooding caused a mass hegira from the city.

9. paradigm – (n.) a model; an example The class regarded Kate as a paradigm of good manners.

10. debauchery – (n.) corruption; self- indulgence Jonas was once wealthy, but a life of gambling and debauchery left him with nothing. Synonyms excess dissipation

11. milieu – (n.) environment; setting The poet felt that his proper milieu was the untouched wilderness of Alaska.

12. regress – (v.) to move backward If he took the job offer, Tyler felt that his career might regress rather than move forward.

13. bilious – (adj.) bad tempered; cross No one could stand being in the same room with Sam when he was in a bilious mood. Synonyms grouchy cantankerous Antonyms pleasant

14. necromancy – (n.) magic, especially that practiced by a witch Puritans often executed people who had supposedly practiced necromancy. Synonyms black magic conjuring

15. gumption – (n.) courage and initiative; common sense It takes a lot of gumption to succeed in this fast- paced society. Synonyms enterprise aggressiveness drive

16. blandishment – (n.) flattery The salesman’s blandishments did not convince me to buy the expensive watch. Synonyms overpraise bootlicking