1. Adamant
(adjective) Firm in purpose or opinion, unyielding, obdurate, implacable, inflexible; (noun) an extremely hard substance
Antonyms: yielding, flexible, pliable
My mother was adamant that I complete the community service requirements without her help.

2. Brouhaha
This is the South Korean Senate floor.
If C-Span aired brouhahas like this, I would watch senate hearings more often.
Obama backhands Senator Tom Daschle, and drop kicks Arlen Spectre.
(noun) a confused hodgepodge of sounds, hubbub; an uproar or commotion that goes far beyond what is justified
Synonyms: furor, hullabaloo, tumult, pandemonium

3. Bulwark
(noun) a strong defense or protection, a solid wall-like structure for defense; (verb) to provide such a defense or protection
Synonyms: stronghold, citadel, bastion, rampart
Antonyms: breach weak point in the defense
Our nation’s greatest bulwark against the mistreatment of its citizens is the value we place on democracy and our Bill of Rights.

4. Choleric (adjective) easily made angry, bad-tempered.
Synonyms: irascible, testy, splenetic, bilious
Antonyms: affable, genial, even-tempered
He’s grown so accustomed to his elderly grandfather’s choleric temper that he seldom bothers to converse with him.

5. Cloy
(verb) to spoil or destroy an appetite by too much indulgence in sweet or rich things; to glut, satiate, surfeit
Antonyms: stimulate, whet
My mother was right; the giant sundae I ate during the afternoon did indeed cloy my appetite for dinner.

6. Curtail
(verb) to cut short, bring to a halt or end sooner than expected; to reduce
Synonyms: limit, abbreviate, abridge, contract
Antonyms: protract, extend
Despite her completion of a treatment program, Ellen was unable to curtail her alcohol consumption.

7. Deference
(noun) courteous yielding to the wishes and ideas of another person; great respect marked by submission, as to a superior
Synonyms: respect, consideration, courtesy
Antonyms: contempt, disrespect, scorn, disdain
When the rock start failed to bow during his visit to the queen, he was roasted in the press for his failure to show proper deference to roysalty.

8. Definitive
(adjective) conclusive, final, representing the limit of what can be done
Synonyms: exhaustive, authoritative
Antonyms: tentative, inconclusive
Dad’s answer was definitive: I would not be attending Andy’s party unless his parents would be present the entire time.

9. Demeanor
(noun) the way a person behaves, overall impression made by comportment, manner, etc.; facial appearance, mien.
Synonyms: conduct, behavior, bearing, carriage
Most people enjoyed being around Marie due to her easy-going demeanor.

10. enigmatic
(adjective) puzzling, perplexing, inexplicable, not easily understood
Synonyms: baffling, mysterious, inexplicable
Antonyms: intelligible, understandable, fathomable
No matter how many times he tried, the solution to the Rubik’s cube remained enigmatic to Alan.

11. Impromptu
(adjective) without preparation, offhand, suddenly or hastily done; (noun) an extemporaneous composition or remark; a minimal piece suggestive of improvisation
Synonyms: spontaneous, improvised, unrehearsed
Antonym: rehearsed, planned, prepared, premeditated.
Emily was shocked when her professor announced the day’s lesson plan involved performing impromptu speeches on topics draw from a hat.

12. Mawkish
(adjective) excessively and objectionably sentimental; having a mildly sickening flavor.
Synonyms: sentimentalized, maudlin, mushy, nauseating
Antonyms: unsentimental, callous, insensitive
After a few weeks, Erin’s mawkish reminiscences of their departed classmates became difficult to endure. After all, she’d barely known him.

13. Mollify
(verb) to soften, make gentle, pacify; to calm, allay (as an emotion), assuage, appease, placate; to reduce intensity
Synonyms: enrage, anger, aggravate, exacerbate
Her words did little to mollify her parents’ anger; they simply couldn’t believe that despite their many warnings, she’d failed to study for what she knew would be a difficult Chem final.

14. Onus
(Noun) something that is heavy or burdensome (especially an unwelcome responsibility); stigma; blame.
Synonyms: burden, obligation, duty, stigma
The onus for the team’s unexpected loss fell squarely on the quarterback, who, despite excellent protection from his offensive line, simply couldn’t complete the sorts of passes that should have been routine.

15. Presentiment Red sky in morning…
(noun) a vague sense of approaching misfortune
Synonyms: foreboding, premonition, hunch
The clouds collecting over the schoolyard were a presentiment of things to come for Mary. She was unprepared for the day’s exams, and she knew it.

16. Profligate
(adjective) given over to dissipation and self-indulgence, immoral; recklessly extravagant; (noun) a person given to self-indulgent and wild spending
Synonyms: prodigal, improvident, spendthrift
Antonyms: penny pinching, frugal, economical
Profligate spenders seem to care little what they buy, only that they buy– in the greatest amounts possible.

17. Remit
(verb) to send or hand in (as money); to cancel (as a penalty or punishment) forgive, pardon; to lessen, diminish; to put off, postpone, defer .
Synonyms: pay, absolve, subside, abate
Mrs. Fortkamp failed to remit payment for her Driver’s License renewal before the March 25 deadline. As a result, her license expired.

18. Requisite
(adjective) needed, necessary, regarded as essential or indispensable
Synonyms: required, obligatory, incumbent
Antonyms: nonessential, superfluous, optional
Chris was dropped from Spanish 102 during first semester after it was discovered that he lacked the requisite test scores for enrollment.

19. Sartorial
Bob’s next stop is the salon for a little eyebrow shaping.
(adjective) of or pertaining to a tailor or his work; having to do with clothes or dress (especially men’s)
Cab Calloway was not only a skilled musician, but was known as a dapper dresser who was frequently praised for his sartorial choices.

20. Thwart (verb) to oppose successfully, to prevent, frustrate
Synonyms: foil baffle
Antonyms: aid, assist, abet, further
Despite their small stature, the opposing team repeatedly thwarted their opponents attempts to score, confusing their offence with constantly changing coverage.