1. Accolade (n) Praise or approval; a ceremonial embrace or greeting
Syn: kudos, cheers
Ant: boos, criticism
**acclaim

2. Acerbity
(n) Sourness or bitterness of taste; harshness or severity of manner or expression
Syn: astringency
Ant: blandness, mildness
**acidity

3. Attrition
(n) The process of wearing down by friction or gradual impairment
Syn: erosion, reduction
Ant: enlargement, proliferation
**attrition by friction

4. Bromide
(n) A trite or commonplace remark; a tiresome or boring person; a sedative
Syn: cliché, platitude
**boring

5. Chauvinist
(adj) extravagantly patriotic; blindly devoted to a cause; (n) such a person
Syn: (n) super patriot, flag-waver, jingoist
**chauvinist pig

6. Chronic (adj) continuing over a long period of time or recurring often
Syn: recurrent, persistent, habitual
Ant: transient, sporadic
**constant pain or illness

7. Expound (v) To explain in detail Syn: elucidate, explicate, delineate

8. Factionalism (n) Party strife and intrigue Syn: infighting, dissention
Ant: unanimity, harmony, consensus
**fractions

9. Immaculate (adj) spotless; without blemish or fault Syn: unsoiled
Ant: blemished, tarnished
**impeccable

10. Imprecation (n) A curse; the act of cursing
Syn: execration, malediction
Ant: blessing, benediction

11. Ineluctable (adj) not able to be avoided, changed, or overcome
Syn: unavoidable, inevitable, inescapable
Ant: avoidable, reversible
***inevitable

12. Mercurial
(adj) characterized by rapid and unpredictable changes of mood; fickle or inconstant
Syn: erratic, flighty, volatile
Ant: sluggish, constant, steady
***mercury in thermometer goes up and down with temp

13. Palliate
(v) To make less serious or severe by glossing over; to relieve without actually curing, mitigate
Syn: alleviate, extenuate
Ant: intensify, aggravate
***alleviate

14. Protocol
(n) Customs and regulations dealing with official behavior and etiquette, as in a court or among diplomats;
Syn: code of conduct, minutes
***call of duty

15. Resplendent
(adj) shining or gleaming brilliantly; splendid or magnificent
Syn: radiant, dazzling, glorious
Ant: dull, drab, lusterless ***splendid

16. Stigmatize
(v) To brand or mark as in some way discreditable, disgraceful, or ignominious
Syn: sully, taint, disgrace
Ant: whitewash, laud, extol **stigma

17. Sub rosa (adv) in secret; confidentially; privately; (adj) secretive
Syn: (adv) secretly covertly, stealthily
Ant: overtly, openly
**sub – below surface

18. Vainglory
(n) Excessive pride in and boastfulness about one’s own accomplishments or qualities; a vain show or display
Syn: vanity, pretentiousness
Ant: humility, modesty
**vanity

19. Vestige
(n) A trace or visible evidence of something that once existed but now is lost or vanished
Syn: artifact, relic, remains

20. Volition
(n) The power to choose, will, or decide; the act of choosing, willing, or deciding
Syn: free will, choice
Ant: coercion, compulsion, duress
***own vote