1. simplistic (adjective)
Variants: simplistically (adverb)
Definition: oversimplified; avoiding or ignoring complexities
Synonym: unsophisticated, naive
Antonym: sophisticated, complicated
His simplistic plan for economic improvement failed to account for foreign investment and the GNP.

2. incredulous (adjective)
Variants: incredulously (adverb); incredulousness (noun)
Definition: unwilling or unable to believe; showing disbelief
Synonym: skeptical
Antonym: credulous, gullible
The politician’s lavish promises provoked incredulous responses rather than the admiration he sought.

3. ascetic (adjective) Variants: ascetically (adverb)
Definition: Reflecting self-denial (as in religious discipline); choosing minimal comforts
Synonyms: austere, Spartan
Antonym: self-indulgent, hedonistic
Her modest room reflected the ascetic values she advocated.

4. vicarious (adjective)
vicariously (adverb), vicariousness (noun)
Definition: Experienced through someone else rather than first hand; endured as substitute for someone else; delegated
synonym: second-hand [experience]
antonym: actual [experience]
Because she loved her son, she found vicarious pleasure in his tremendous successes.

5. allocation (noun)
Variants: allocate (verb), allocatable (adjective); allocator (noun)
Definition: the act of setting aside for a special purpose; designation
Synonym: allotment, apportionment
Antonym: abandonment
Sentence: The mayor insisted the park district include an allocation of land in order to build a playground.
The mayor insisted the parked district allocate land for a playground.

6. admonish (transitive verb)
Variants: admonishment (noun)
Definition: To caution, criticize, or counsel gently against
Synonym: chastise, reproach, rebuke
Antonym: approve, commend, praise
The anti-tobacco lobbyist admonished the President for his inability to quit smoking.

7. presumptuous (adjective)
presumptuously (adv.), presumptuousness (noun)
overconfident, excessively forward, taking too much for granted
Syn: arrogant
Ant: humble, modest
Darcy’s presumptuous manner understandably offends Elizabeth Bennet.

8. subversive (adjective,noun)
variants: subvert (verb), subversively (adverb)
Definition: tending or seeking to subvert, overthrow or destroy (an established government, institution, belief, etc)
Synonym: rebellious, disloyal
Antonym: loyal, faithful
Sentence: The Canadian government—indeed, the majority of Canadian citizens—believed the Nisei to be subversive operatives.

9. vacuous (adjective) Variants: vacuously (adverb)
Definition: without contents, empty
Synonym: bare, blank, devoid
Antonym: full, abundant
Sentence: When the class looked at her with vacuous stares, the teacher knew the lesson had failed.

10. avocation (noun) Variants: avocational (adjective)
Definition: something a person does in addition to a principal occupation, especially for pleasure
Synonym: pastime, hobby
Antonym: job, occupation
Sentence: Oddly enough, the math teacher’s avocation was the study of Old Norse epics.

11. impetus (noun) Variants: Definition: a moving force; impulse, stimulus
Synonym: encouragement, incentive, motivation
Antonym: hindrance, block
Sentence: Dr. Martin Luther King’s speeches were the impetus behind the civil rights movement.

12. reticent (adjective) Variants: reticently (adverb), reticence (noun)
Definition: inclined to keep one’s thoughts and feelings to oneself, secretive, quiet
Synonym: reluctant, restrained, reserved
Antonym: communicative, forward, unrestrained
Sentence: The reticent student hid in the back row, unwilling to participate in the class discussion.

13. physiognomy (noun)
Variants: physiognomic (adj), physiognomically (adv)
Definition: The features of somebody’s face especially used as indicators of character or temperament.
Synonym: aspect, look, visage
Antonym: none
Sentence: In Great Expectations, Pip is frightened by the convict, for his physiognomy is menacing.

14. insipid (adjective) Variants: insipidness (noun), insipidly (adverb)
Definition: without distinctive, interesting, or stimulating qualities
Synonym: bland, dull
Antonym: exhilarating
Sentence: Cauliflower’s insipid taste requires cheese or spices to make it palatable.

15. tedium (noun) Variants: tedious (adjective), tediously (adverb)
Definition: quality or condition of being wearisome or boring
Synonym: dullness, monotony
Antonym: entertainment, excitement, diversion
Sentence: In order to take the tedium out of exercise, aerobic instructors rely on loud, exciting music.

16. cajole (verb) Variants: cajolery(noun), cajolingly(adverb)
Definition: to persuade by flattery or promises
Synonym: wheedle, coax, flatter
Antonym: bully, force, repel
Sentence: The boy cajoled her into giving him some of her cookies.

17. blasé (adjective) Variants: none
Definition: not impressed or worried by something, usually because of previous experience
Synonym: unconcerned, nonchalant
Antonym: uptight, worried
Sentence: Paris Hilton’s blasé attitude towards spending money is typical of the very wealthy: they do not have to worry about paying bills.

18. indolent (adjective) Variants: indolence (n), indolently (adv)
Definition: Lethargic and not showing any interest. Also describes a disease that is slow to develop and causes no pain.
Synonym: sluggish, apathetic, lazy
Antonym: industrious, productive
Sentence: It is difficult to move from summer’s indolence to the necessary productivity of the school year.

19. choleric (adjective) Variants: choler (noun)*, cholerically (adverb)
*NOT cholera—that’s a disease!
Definition: showing or tending to show anger or irritation
Synonym: bad-tempered, irascible
Antonym: phlegmatic, impassive
Sentence: Ivan Ilyich’s choleric manner intimidates his family.

20. phlegmatic (adjective)
Variants: phlegmatically (adverb)
Definition: unemotional, difficult to excite to action or display of emotion
synonym: indifferent, undemonstrative
antonym: energetic, lively
Sentence: Obasan’s phlegmatic approach to life irritates the crusading Emily.

21. impasse (noun ) Variants: none
Definition: predicament from which there is no escape; impassible road or way
Synonym: stalemate, deadlock
Antonym: progress
Sentence: After days of deliberation, the jury reached an impasse, necessitating a new trial.

22. adulation (noun) Variants: adulate (verb)
Definition: excessive flattery or adoration
Synonym: obsequiousness, sycophancy
Antonym: insult, offense
Sentence: Robert Pattinson is the object of young girls’ adulation.

23. censure (noun, verb) Variants: censure (transitive verb)
Definition: judgment involving condemnation
Synonym: rebuke, reproach
Antonym: honor, acclamation
Sentence: Following the lawyer’s emotional outburst, the judge had no choice but to censure him.

24. dissimulation (noun)
Variants: dissimulate (verb), dissimulative (adjective), dissimulator (noun)
Definition: act of deceiving/concealing true feelings and intentions
synonym: deception, deceit, disguise, dissembling
antonym: frankness, honesty, truthfulness
Sentence: As he becomes more desperately ill, Ivan Ilyich finds dissimulation more difficult, and his family is frightened by the anger he reveals.

25. droll (adjective)
variants: droller, drollest (more adjectives), drolly (adverb)
definition: humorous, amusing in an odd way
synonym: amusing, clownish, comical
antonym: serious
sentence: The professor entertained the class with his droll impersonations of literary characters.

26. expectorate (verb) variants: expectoration (noun), expectorant (noun)
definition: to expel matter, esp. phlegm
synonym: flush out, eject
antonym: inject, inhale, consume
sentence: The doctor instructed the patient to expectorate regularly to speed healing.

27. surfeit (noun) variants: surfeiter (I have never seen this!)
definition: too great an amount or supply; excess; overindulgence, esp. in food or drink
synonym: satiate, excess, surplus
antonym: deficit, insufficiency
sentence: In the child’s opinion, his plate held a surfeit of vegetables.