1. Vocabulary 2

2. Liniment a medicinal liquid rubbed into the skin to relieve aches or pain Syn. ointment, salve My grandfather always used the smelliest liniment for the pain in his knees.

3. Skeptically Skeptic Skeptical showing doubt; tending to question things instead of accepting them to be true Syn. distrustfully, suspiciously Ant. trustingly, unquestioningly He was looking at the worker skeptically because he didn’t think she was really out with the flu.

4. Grizzled having fur or hair streaked with gray His grizzled beard showed his age. Syn. graying Ant. youthful

5. Mollified to be calmed or soothed; to make something less intense or angry Syn. placate, appease Ant. enrage, rile Syn. placate, appease Ant. enrage, rile A customer was unhappy, and the store manager mollified her by returning her money.

6. Pugnacious inclined to fight or be aggressive; quarrelsome The pit bull is a nasty, pugnacious dog. Syn. truculent, belligerent Ant. peaceful, amiable Syn. truculent, belligerent Ant. peaceful, amiable

7. Gingerly in a careful, cautious way She gingerly picked up the expensive glass vase.

8. Ominously threateningly; suggesting that something bad is going to happen Syn. portentously, gloomily Ant. favorably The black clouds were ominously hanging over the area. Ominous

9. Slough swampy area deep despair something that is shed or discarded; dead skin Syn. dispense with, dispose of Ant. keep Once she went to an Ivy League school she decided to slough off her former friends.

10. Derogatory expressing criticism or a low opinion of someone His derogatory comments were hurtful and cruel. Syn. disparaging, deprecating Ant. complimentary, admiring Syn. disparaging, deprecating Ant. complimentary, admiring

11. Plaintively expressing sadness or sounding sad or sorrow Syn. mournfully, melancholy Ant. happily, joyfully He heard the child crying plaintively outside the back door. Plaintive

12. Contorted twisted out of shape After doing my yoga exercises my body felt so contorted that I could not stand straight. Syn. bent, distorted Ant. straight Contort Contortionist

13. Apprehensive fearful, worried that something bad will happen My mother grew more and more apprehensive, as she awaited my arrival because she had no idea where I was at. Syn. anxious, uneasy Ant. confident, unconcerned

14. Disengage to disconnect one thing from another; to mentally detach yourself The technician had to disengage the wiring from a large device. Syn. extricate, unfasten Ant. fasten, connect

15. seriousness; solemnity in attitude; grave consequences After looking at the information, they realized the gravity of the oncoming storm. Syn. enormity, magnitude; earnestness Ant. insignificance; cheerfulness

16. Profound showing great understanding of something; very strong or intense or deep Syn. thoughtful, reflective, acute Ant. superficial, shallow Syn. thoughtful, reflective, acute Ant. superficial, shallow I give you my profound thanks for saving my life.

17. Complacently self-satisfied or unconcerned; eager to please She sat complacently waiting for her husband to return. Syn. contentedly, smugly Ant. discontentedly, sullenly Syn. contentedly, smugly Ant. discontentedly, sullenly complacent