Vocab: Unit 1

• give up formally, as an office, duty, power or claim
• synonyms: relinquish (unwilling), resign (hopelessness), divest

• encourage or assist, especially in wrongdoing
• phrase: with the connivane of, in league with

• to regard with horror and loathing; to hate intensely (usually moral)
• synonyms: abominate
• antonyms: dote on
• phrases: look askance at

• wretched, miserable, degrading, humiliating; mean spirited, base, despicable, contemptible; complete and unrelieved
• phrases: abject liar, abject apology
• synonyms: craven, thoroughgoing

• clear of guilt or blame
• synonyms: exculpate, vindicate
• antonyms: inculpate, indite

• refrain completely and voluntarily
• synonyms: forbear, eschew, abstemious, temperate, ascetic
• antonyms: intemperate
• usage: abstemious, forbearing, temperate and sparing mean restraint, not abstinence

• pertaining to institution of learning, scholarly; theoretical rather than practical, unrealistic
• synomyms: scholastic, speculative

• yield to, agree to; enter upon an office or dignity
• synonyms: acquiesce, comply
• antonyms: demur, bark at

• get used to (an environment/situation)
• synonyms: habituate

habit-forming practice or pursuit that is usually damaging (physically or morally); habitual use of, or devotion to, something

close formally; put off to another time/place

• hostile in purpose or effect, unfavorable
• synonyms: antipathetic, inimical
• antonyms: propitious

• speak or argue in favor of, give active support to; person pleading in the interest of a cause or individual
• synonyms: espouse

pertaining to a sense of beauty, artistic

• courteous and agreeable in manner, easy to talk to or approach
• synonyms: genial
• antonyms: surly, testy

• pretentious display of manners or sentiments that are not genuine, peculiar habit of dress or behavior meant to impress others
• synonyms: pose, mannerism
• phrases: put on airs

• prosperous, wealthy
• synonyms: opulent
• antonyms: destitute, indigent
• phrases: living off the hog, as rich as Croesus, to serve Mammon

list or progream of things to be done or acted upon

• total amount or sum of individual parts; gather or merge into a single whole, amount to; total, collective
• synonyms: amalgamation

• swift and light in action, movement or thought
• synonyms: limber, lithe, spry (agility despite age)
• antonyms: torpid
• phrases: limber one's muscles, look chipper

• to cause hostility or indifference where love or friendliness existed previously
• synonyms: antagonize
• antonyms: captivate
• phrases: ingratiate oneself with

• claim that something is true without any proof
• synonyms: avow, asseverate, aver

• refer to indirectly
• synonyms: insinuate, intimate

• surrounding or pervading atmosphere, tone and spirit of an environment
• synonyms: milieu

• wavering or uncertain because of an inability to make a choice between two contradictory feelings regarding a person, thing or action
• synonyms: equivocal, vacillating
• antonyms: unequivocal

• official pardon granted to offenders against the government, especially for political offenses
• synonyms: remission (of punishment), absolution (of sin)

• misplacing of an object or event in a period to which it cannot possibly belong, anything out of its proper time frame
• synonyms: incongruity, contradicition, throwback

• absence of a governmental authority, general political and social disorder
• synonyms: pandemonium

• curse or strong denunciation; person or thing cursed, any object of intense dislike
• synonyms: malediction, execration, imprecation, abomination
• antonyms: blessing, benediction, enconium, extol

• brief account of some interesting or amusing incident, especially one containing biographical or historical details
• synonyms: vignette, raconteur