Abject
Syn.: wretched, miserable, ignoble, sheer, utter
Ant.: noble, exalted: degraded; base, contemptible; cringing, servile; complete and unrelieved
(adj.) degraded; base, contemptible; cringing, servile; complete and unrelieved.
Agnostic
Syn.: doubter
Ant.: believer
(n.) one which believes that nothing can be known about God; a skeptic; (adj.) without faith, skeptical.
Complicity
Syn.: connivance, collusion
Ant.: non-involvement, innocence
(n.) involvement in wrongdoing; (adj.) the state of being an accomplice.
Derelict
Syn.: vagrant, delinquent
Ant.: punctilious, conscientious, scrupulous
(n.) someone or something that is abandoned or neglected; (adj.) left abandoned; neglectful of duty.
Diatribe
Syn.: harangue, tirade
Ant.: panegyric, encomium, eulogy
(n.) a bitter and prolonged verbal attack.
Effigy
Syn.: figure, figurine
(n.) a crude image of a despised person.
Equity
Syn.: justice, fairness, impartiality
Ant.: unfairness, bias, prejudice
(n.) the state or quality of being just, fair, or impartial; fair and equal treatment; something that is fair; the money value of a property above and beyond any mortgage or other claim.
Inane
Syn.: idiotic, moronic, fatuous
Ant.: sensible, meaningful, profound
(adj.) Silly, empty of value or meaning.
Indictment
Syn.: charge, accusation
(n.) the act of accusing; a formal accusation.
Indubitable
Syn.: unquestionable, indisputable
Ant.: questionable, debatable, dubious
(adj.) certain, not to be doubted or denied.
Intermittent
Syn.: fitful, spasmodic, random
Ant.: uninterrupted
(adj.) Stopping and beginning again, sporadic.
Moot
Syn.: debatable, questionable, broach
Ant.: undebatable, indisputable, self-evident
(adj.) open to discussion and debate, unresolved; (v.) to bring up for discussion; (n.) a hypothetical law case argued by students.
Motif
Syn.: main idea, goal
(n.) a principal idea, feature, theme, or element; a repeated or dominant figure in a design.
Neophyte
Syn.: tenderfoot, tyro
Ant.: veteran, past master, expert, pro
(n.) a new convert, beginner, novice.
Perspicacity
Syn.: acumen, discernment
Ant.: dullness, obtuseness
(n.) keenness in observing and understanding.
Plenary
Syn.: unrestricted
Ant.: limited, restricted, incomplete
(adj.) complete in all aspects or essentials; absolute; attended by all qualified members
Surveillance
Syn.: observation, monitoring
(n.) a watch kept over a person; careful, close, and disciplined observation
Sylvan
Syn.: arcadian
(adj.) pertaining to or characteristic of forests; living or located in a forest; wooded, woody.
Testy
Syn.: irritable, peevish, waspish, petulant
Ant.: imperturbable, unexcitable
(adj.) easily irritated; characterized by impatience and exasperation.
Travesty
Syn.: Burlesque, caricature, farce
(n.) a grotesque or grossly inferior imitation; a disguise, especially the clothing of the opposite sex; (v.) to ridicule by imitating in a broad or burlesque fashion.
acuity
Syn.: acuteness
Ant.: dullness, obtuseness
(n.) sharpness (particularly of the mind or senses)
delineate
Syn.: picture, render
(v.) to portray, sketch, or describe in accurate and vivid detail; to represent pictorially
depraved
Syn.: perverted, degenerate, vicious, corrupt
Ant.: moral, virtuous, upright, uncorrupted
(adj.) marked by evil and corruption;devoid of moral principles
Enervate
Syn.: impair, cripple, paralyze
Ant.: invigorate, strengthen, buttress
(v.) to weaken or lessen the mental, moral, or physical vigor of; enfeeble, hamstring
Esoteric
Syn.: cryptic, arcane, recondite
Ant.: accessible, comprehensible, intelligible
(adj.) intended for or understood by only a select few
Fecund
Syn.: fertile, teeming, prolific
Ant.: infertile, barren, unproductive
(adj.) fruitful in offspring or vegetation; intellectually productive
fiat
Syn.: dictum, ukase
(n.) an arbitrary order or decree; a command or act of will or consciousness
figment
Syn.: invention, fancy
(n.) a fabrication of the mind; an arbitrary notion
garner
Syn.: collect, accumulate, accrue
Ant.: scatter, squander, waste, dissipate
(v.) to acquire as the result of effort; to gather and store away as for future use
hallow
Syn.: venerate, bless
Ant.: defile, profane
(v.) to set apart as holy or sacred, sanctify, consecrate; to honor greatly, revere
idiosyncrasy
Syn.: quirk, mannerism
(n.) a peculiarity that serves to distinguish or identify
ignominy
Syn.: humiliation disrepute, odium
Ant.: honor, acclaim
(n.) shame and disgrace
mundane
Syn.: prosaic, humdrum, routine, sublunary
Ant.: heavenly, spiritual, transcendental
(adj.) earthly, worldly, relating to practical and material affairs; concerned with what is ordinary
nuance
Syn.: shade, nicety, refinement
(n.) a subtle or slight or slight variation, delicate gradation or shade of difference
overweening
Syn.: arrogant, unbridled, inflated
Ant.: restrained, understated, meek
(adj.) conceited, presumptuous; excessive, immoderate
penchant
Syn.: proclivity, predilection
Ant.: disinclination, aversion
(n.) a strong attraction or inclination
reputed
Syn.: putative, reputable
Ant.: proven, corroborated, authenticated
(adj.) according to reputation or general belief; having widespread acceptance and good reputation; (part) alleged
sophistry
Syn.: specious reasoning
(n.) reasoning that seems plausible but is actually unsound; a fallacy
sumptuous
Syn.: lavish, munificent, opulent, splendid
Ant.: skimpy, stingy, niggardly, spartan
(adj.) costly, rich, magnificent
ubiquitous
Syn.: pervasive, universal
Ant.: restricted, limited, rare, scarce
(adj.) present or existing everywhere
atrophy
Syn.: (n.) degeneration, deterioration; (v.) wither
Ant.: (n.) growth; (v.) mature
(n.) the wasting away of a body organ or tissue; any progressive decline or failure; (v.) to waste away
bastion
Syn.: citadel, rampart, parapet
(n.) a fortified place, stronghold
concord
Ant.: disagreement, strife, discord
(n.) a state of agreement, harmony, unanimity; a treaty, pact
consummate
Syn.: (adj.) masterful; (v.)
Ant.: (v.) launch, initiate, begin, kick off
(adj.) complete or perfect in the highest degree; (v.) to bring to a state of completion or perfection
disarray
Syn.: disorganization; (v.) dishevel, mess up
Ant.: organization, order, tidiness
(n.) disorder, confusion; (v.) to throw into disorder
exigency
Syn.: requirement, crisis
(n., often pl) urgency, pressure; urgent demand, pressing need; an emergency
flotsam
Syn.: floating wreckage
(n.) floating debris; homeless, impoverished people
frenetic
Syn.: frantic, overwrought
Ant.: calm, controlled, relaxed, leisurely
(adj.) frenzied, highly agitated
glean
Syn.: cull, pick up
(v.) to gather bit by bit; to gather small quantities of grain left in a field by the reapers
grouse
Syn.: kvetch, bellyache
(n.) a type of game bird; complaint; (v.) to complain, grumble
incarcerate
Syn.: intern
Ant.: liberate, free
(v.) to imprison, confine, jail
incumbent
Syn.: (adj.) mandatory, necessary
Ant.: (adj.) optional, unnecessary
(adj.) obligatory, required; (n.) one who holds a specific office at the time spoken of
jocular
Syn.: waggish, facetious, droll
Ant.: solemn, grave, earnest, grim
(adj.) humorous, jesting, jolly, joking
ludicrous
Syn.: risible, preposterous
Ant.: heartrending, poignant, pathetic
(adj.) ridiculous, laughable, absurd
mordant
Syn.: acrimonious, acidulous, sardonic, scathing
Ant.: bland, mild, gentle, soothing
(adj.) biting or caustic in thought, manner, or style; sharply or bitterly harsh
nettle
Syn.: peeve, annoy, incense, gall
Ant.: please, delight, soothe, pacify
(n.) a prickly or stinging plant; (v.) to arouse displeasure, impatience, or anger; to vex or irritate severely
pecuniary
Syn.: monetary
(adj.) consisting of or measured in money; of or related to money
pusillanimous
Syn.: lily-livered
Ant.: stouthearted, courageous
(adj.) contemptibly cowardly or mean-spirited
recumbent
Syn.: prone, supine, inactive
Ant.: erect, energetic, dynamic
(adj.) in a reclining position, lying down, in the posture of one sleeping or resting
stratagem
Syn.: trick, ploy, subterfuge
(n.) a scheme to outwit or deceive an opponent or to gain an end