1. Aghast People were aghast at the senseless brutality of the crime.

2. Adj – filled w/ amazement, disgust, fear or terror Syn – shocked, horrified Ant – delighted, overjoyed

3. ample Thanks to the wet spring weather, squirrels will have an ample supply of acorns.

4. Adj – more than enough Syn – sufficient, adequate Ant – insufficient, inadequate

5. apparition The vivid apparition seemed so real that it completely unnerved me.

6. N – a ghost or ghostly figure Syn – phantom, spector

7. assert The defendant firmly asserted her innocence to the jury.

8. V – to declare or state as truth Syn – affirm, avow

9. cower The tiny kittens cowered in the corner, afraid of the big dog.

10. V – to crouch or shrink away from in fear or shame Syn – cringe, flinch Ant – stand up to

11. disdain Fair-minded people have only disdain for racism in all forms. I emphatically disdain their cowardly behavior.

12. N – a feeling of contempt v – to look upon w/ scorn Syn – spurn, reject Ant – respect, revere

13. epitaph Most people never stop to consider the words that might one day appear on their epitaph.

14. N – brief statement written on a tombstone Syn – tombstone inscription

15. ethical New developments in medicine often lead to discussions of important ethical questions.

16. Adj – having to do w/ morals, values, right and wrong Syn – upright, honorable Ant – immoral, dishonest

17. facetious We had to laugh at her facetious remarks.

18. Adj – humorous, not meant seriously Syn – comical, witty Ant – serious, humorless

19. inaudible Some high-frequency sounds are inaudible to the human ear.

20. Adj – not able to be heard Syn – faint, indistinct Ant – audible, easily heard

21. indiscriminate The indiscriminate slaughter of right whales brought that species to the brink of extinction.

22. Adj – w/out restraint Syn – haphazard, random Ant – selective, discriminating

23. intrigue Investigators uncovered a shocking network of lies and international intrique.

24. N – crafty doings, underhanded plotting; v – to form and carry out plots Syn – scheme, ploy Ant – fair play

25. Jurisdiction Cases involving robbery and assault are usually tried under the jurisdiction of the state courts.

26. N – an area of authority or control; the right to administer justice Syn -- purview

27. plausible Their story didnt sound plausible to me.

28. Adj – appearing true, reasonable, or fair Syn –believable, probable Ant – improbable, far-fetched

29. prodigal We have a tight budget, we make an exception for prodigal celebrations on family birthdays.

30. Adj – wastefully extravagant; lavishly or generously abundant n – one who is wasteful Syn – improvident; wastrel Ant – frugal, stingy, miserly

31. plebeian At one time, the plebeians of ancient Rome were excluded from holding public office of any kind.

32. Adj – common, vulgar; belonging to the lower class n – a common person Syn – lowborn, coarse, unrefined Ant – aristocratic, cultivated

33. proximity People with children often choose a house because of its proximity to schools.

34. N – nearness; closeness Ant – distance, remoteness

35. pulverize At many old mills in Vermont, granite stones were used to pulverize the grain.

36. V – to grind or pound to a powder or dust Syn n– crush, demolish

37. sequel Readers are eagerly awaiting a sequel to the authors best – selling mystery novel.

38. N – that which follows; a result Syn == follow up, continuation Ant – prelude, curtain-raiser

39. volatile A person who is usually calm and collected may nevertheless sometimes behave in a volatile manner.

40. Adj – highly changeable, explosive Syn – unstable, erratic Ant – stable, steady