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

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

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

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

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

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

assert The defendant firmly asserted her innocence to the jury.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

facetious We had to laugh at her facetious remarks.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

plausible Their story didnt sound plausible to me.

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

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

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

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

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

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

N – nearness; closeness Ant – distance, remoteness

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

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

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

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

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

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