English 1H Vocabulary Units 4-6

1. abscond (v.) to run off and hide SYN: bolt, make off, skip town

2. access (n.) approach or admittance to places, persons, things; an increase (v.) to get at, obtain SYN : (n.) entry, admittance, entrée ANT: (n.) total exclusion

3. anarchy (n.) a lack of government and law; confusion SYN: chaos, disorder, turmoil, pandemonium ANT: law and order, peace and quiet

4. arduous (adj.) hard to do, requiring much effort SYN: hard, difficult, laborious, fatiguing ANT: easy, simple, effortless

5. auspicious (adj.) favorable; fortunate SYN: promising, encouraging, propitious ANT: ill-omened, ominous, sinister

6. biased (adj.) favoring one side unduly; prejudiced SYN: unfair, partial, bigoted ANT: fair, impartial, unprejudiced, just

7. daunt (v.) to overcome with fear, intimidate; to dishearten, discourage SYN: dismay, cow ANT: encourage, embolden, reassure

8. disentangle (v.) to free from tangles or complications SYN: unravel, unwind, unscramble, unsnarl ANT: tangle up, ensnarl, snag

9. fated (adj.) determined in advance by destiny or fortune SYN: destined, preordained, doomed ANT: accidental, fortuitous, chance, random

10. hoodwink (v.) to mislead by a trick, deceive SYN: dupe, put one over on ANT: undeceive, disabuse, clue in

11. inanimate (adj.) not having life; without energy or spirit SYN: lifeless, dead, inert, spiritless ANT: living, alive, energetic, lively, sprightly

12. incinerate (v.) to burn ashes SYN: burn up, cremate, reduce to ashes

13. intrepid (adj.) very brave, fearless, unshakable SYN: valiant, courageous, audacious, daring ANT: timid, cowardly, craven, pusillanimous

14. larceny (n.) theft SYN: stealing, robbery, burglary

15. pliant (adj.) bending readily; easily influenced SYN: supple, flexible, elastic, plastic ANT: rigid, stiff, inflexible, set in stone

16. pompous (adj.) overly self- important in speech and manner; excessively stately or ceremonious SYN: pretentious, highfalutin, bombastic ANT: unpretentious, unaffected, plain

17. precipice (n.) a very steep cliff; the brink or edge of disaster SYN: cliff, crag, bluff, promontory, ledge ANT: abyss, chasm, gorge

18. rectify (v.) to make right, correct SYN: remedy, set right ANT: mess up, botch, bungle

19. reprieve (n.) a temporary relief or delay (v.) to grant a postponement SYN: (n.) stay, respite; (v.) postpone, delay ANT: proceed

20. revile (v.) to attack with words, call bad names SYN: inveigh against, malign, vilify, denounce ANT: praise, acclaim, revere, idolize You’re a stinky, mouse loving sack of kitty litter! Well, you’re a flea-brained hairball!

1. accomplice (n.) a person who takes part in a crime SYN: partner in crime, confederate

2. annihilate (v.) to destroy completely SYN: obliterate, decimate, demolish ANT: foster, promote, encourage, nurture

3. arbitrary (adj.) unreasonable; based on one’s wishes or whims without regard for reason or fairness SYN: capricious, high- handed, autocratic ANT: reasoned, rational, objective, equitable

4. brazen (adj.) shameless, impudent; made of brass SYN: saucy, bold ANT: deferential, respectful, self- effacing

5. catalyst (n.) a substance that causes or hastens a chemical reaction; any agent that causes change SYN: stimulus, spur, instigator

6. exodus (n.) a large-scale departure or flight SYN: emigration, escape, hegira ANT: immigration, influx, arrival, entrance

7. facilitate (v.) to make easier; to assist SYN: ease, smooth the way, simplify ANT: hamper, hinder, obstruct, impede

8. incorrigible (adj.) not able to be corrected; beyond control SYN: unruly, intractable, incurable, inveterate ANT: tractable, docile, curable, reparable

9. latent (adj.) hidden, present but not realized SYN: dormant, inactive, undeveloped ANT: exposed, manifest, evident Latent Manifest

10. militant (adj.) given to fighting; active and aggressive in support of a cause (n.) an activist SYN: (adj.) truculent ANT: (adj.) unassertive, peaceable, passive

11. morose (adj.) having a gloomy or sullen manner; not friendly or sociable SYN: morbid, doleful ANT: cheerful, blithe, jaunty, buoyant

12. opaque (adj.) not letting light through; not clear or lucid; dense, stupid SYN: hazy, cloudy, foggy, murky, dull, obtuse ANT: transparent, clear, bright, perceptive

13. paramount (adj.) chief in importance, above all others SYN: supreme, foremost, primary, dominant ANT: secondary, subordinate, ancillary

14. prattle (v.) to talk in an aimless, foolish, or simple way; to babble (n.) baby talk; babble SYN: (v.) chatter; (n.) twaddle, gibberish, piffle

15. rebut (v.) to offer arguments or evidence that contradicts an assertion; to refute SYN: disprove, confute, shoot holes in ANT: confirm, corroborate, substantiate If the glove don’t fit, you must acquit.

16. reprimand (v.) to scold; find fault with (n.) a rebuke SYN: (v.) reprove, reproach; (n.) reproof ANT: (v.) praise, pat on the back

17. servitude (n.) slavery, forced labor SYN: captivity, bondage, thralldom ANT: freedom, liberty

18. slapdash (adj.) careless and hasty SYN: cursory, perfunctory, sloppy, slipshod ANT: painstaking, meticulous, thorough, in-depth

19. stagnant (adj.) not running or flowing; foul from standing still; inactive, sluggish, dull SYN: still, motionless, inert, fetid ANT: flowing, running, fresh, sweet

20. succumb (v.) to give way to superior force, yield SYN: submit, die, expire ANT: overcome, master, conquer

1. atone (v.) to make up for SYN: expiate, make amends for

2. bondage (n.) slavery; any state of being bound or held down SYN: servitude, captivity, subjection, dependence ANT: freedom, liberty, independence

3. credible (adj.) believable SYN: plausible, acceptance, likely ANT: unbelievable, implausible, improbable Not Credible

4. defray (v.) to pay for SYN: settle, bear the cost, foot the bill

5. diligent (adj.) hardworking, industrious, not lazy SYN: assiduous, sedulous ANT: lazy indolent, cursory, perfunctory

6. doleful (adj.) sad; dreary SYN: sorrowful, mournful, melancholy, dolorous ANT: cheerful, blithe, jaunty, buoyant

7. ghastly (adj.) frightful, horrible; deathly pale SYN: dreadful, appalling, gruesome, grisly ANT: pleasant, agreeable, attractive, delightful

8. hamper (v.) to hold back SYN: hinder, obstruct, impede, inhibit ANT: facilitate, ease, smooth the way

9. hew (v.) to shape or cut down with an axe; to hold to SYN: chop, hack, fell, adhere, conform

10. impoverished (adj.) poor, in a state of poverty; depleted SYN: poverty-stricken, destitute, indigent ANT: rich, wealthy, affluent, prosperous

11. incessant (adj.) never stopping, going on all the time SYN: ceaseless, constant, uninterrupted ANT: occasional, sporadic, intermittent

12. intricate (adj.) complicated; difficult to understand SYN: complex, convoluted ANT: simple, uninvolved, uncomplicated

13. lucid (adj.) easy to understand, clear; rational, sane SYN: limpid, intelligible ANT: murky, muddy obscure, unintelligible

14. posthumous (adj.) occurring or published after death SYN: postmortem ANT: prenatal

15. prim (adj.) overtly neat, precise, proper, or formal; prudish SYN: fussy, fastidious, squeamish

16. sardonic (adj.) grimly or scornfully mocking, bitterly sarcastic SYN: caustic, mordant, acerbic, wry ANT: bland, mild, saccharine, good- natured

17. superfluous (adj.) exceeding what is sufficient or required, excess SYN: surplus, supererogatory ANT: necessary, essential, vital, indispensable

18. supplant (v.) to take the place of, supersede SYN: replace, displace, oust

19. taunt (v.) to jeer at, mock (n.) an insulting or mocking remark SYN: (v.) ridicule, deride ANT: (v.) cheer, applaud, acclaim

20. tenacious (adj.) holding fast; holding together firmly; persistent SYN: obstinate, stubborn, dogged ANT: yielding, weak, gentle, lax, slack