adversary (n.) an enemy, opponent S: antagonist, rival, foe A: friend, ally, supporter, confederate A best friend off the tennis court can be a fierce adversary on it.

alienate (v.) to turn away; to make indifferent or hostile; to transfer, convey S: separate, drive apart, estrange A: befriend, attract, captivate, reconcile Gossiping and backbiting are bad habits that are bound to alienate friends.

artifice (n.) a skillful or ingenious device, a clever trick; a clever skill; trickery S: ruse, stratagem, contrivance Even the most renowed art experts were completely taken in by the forger’s artifice.

coerce (v.) to compel, force S: pressure, bully, intimidate, constrain A: persuade, cajole Dictators try to coerce their subjects into obedience by threatening them or their families with punishment. .

craven (adj.) cowardly; (n.) a coward S: fearful, fainthearted, pusillanimous A: brave, courageous, valiant It is a mistake to assume that everyone who refuses to go to war is a craven who lacks patriotism. Those who urged Great Britain to make peace with Hitler were criticized for their craven attitude.

culinary (adj.) of or related to cooking or the kitchen Cooking shows on television have helped many people to master the secrets of the culinary arts.

demise (n.) a death, especially of a person in a lofty position; ending S: decease, passing away; downfall A: birth, beginning, commencement Traditionally, tolling of church bells has announced the demise of a monarch.

exhilarate (v.) to enliven, cheer, give spirit or liveliness to S: stimulate, excite, gladden A: discourage, dispirit, dishearten, inhibit The first landing on the moon, in the summer of 1969, exhilarated the nation. Loser

fallow Farmer Fred fallowed the fallow fallow. (adj.) plowed but not seeded; inactive; reddish-yellow; (n.) land left unseeded; (v) to plow but not seed S: unproductive, inert, dormant A: productive, fertile, prolific Farmer Fred fallowed the fallow fallow.

harass (v.) to disturb, worry; to trouble by repeated attacks S: annoy, pester, bedevil, beleaguer The judge repeatedly cautioned the prosecuting attorney not to harass the witness.

inclement (adj.) stormy, harsh; severe in attitude or action S: blustery, tempestuous, implacable A: mild, gentle, balmy, tranquil During an inclement New England winter, heavy snowfalls may bring highway traffic to a halt.

liquidate (v.) to pay a debt, settle a debt; eliminate . S.: reconcile, pay, cancel, exterminate A.: invest, collect The owners were ordered to liquidate the company and pay their creditors. The company is liquidating its assets. .

muse (v.) to think about in a dreamy way, ponder S: meditate, contemplate, daydream Philosophers have always mused on the meaning of life. ** In Greek mythology, poetry and literature, muses are the goddesses of the inspiration of literature, science, and the arts.

negligible (adj.) so unimportant that it can be disregarded S: trivial, inconsequential, insignificant A: significant, crucial, momentous After taxes are deducted, a small raise in salary may result in a negligible increase in take-home pay.

perpetuate (v.) to make permanent or long lasting S: continue, preserve, prolong indefinitely A: discontinue, abolish, abandon In many cultures, writers perpetuate the valiant deeds of ancient heroes by retelling stories such as The Iliad, which depicts the heroic actions of Hector and Achilles in The Trojan War.

precedent (n.) an example that may serve as a basis for imitation or later action S: guide, tradition, model We hope that students at other schools in our city will follow our precedent in volunteer work and charitable contributions.

punitive (adj.) inflicting or aiming at punishment S: penalizing, retaliatory The general lead a punitive expedition against the rebel forces.

redress (v.) to set right, remedy; (n.) relief from wrong or injury S: rectify, correct, mitigate The accident victims will seek redress for the injuries they suffered in the train crash. An apology can go a long way to redress the hurt feelings caused by an insensitive comment or thoughtless act.

sojourn (n.) a temporary stay; (v.) stay for a time S: visit, stopover, brief stay No matter how short your sojourn in Paris, you must take time to go to the Louvre. Many American college graduates sojourn abroad before they begin working full-time at home.

urbane (adj.) refined in manner or style, suave S: elegant (Brad Pitt, John Legend, Emma Watson, Angelina?, Jennifer Anniston, Will Smith, Selena Gomez, The Obamas) A: crude, uncouth, boorish (Justin Bieber, Lindsey Lohan, Floyd Mayweather, Kardashians, Miley Cyrus) An urbane host puts guests at ease by appearing totally confident and unruffled no matter what happens.