animosity
(n.) strong dislike; bitter hostility
The deep animosity between the Montagues
and the Capulets could not prevent Romeo
and Juliet from falling in love.
SYN: enmity, rancor, antipathy
ANT: affection, fondness, rapport, amity
apathy
(n.) a lack of feeling, emotion, or interest
I was horrified when the sales force greeted
my great idea for an ad campaign with total
apathy.
SYN: indifference, disinterest, detachment
ANT: enthusiasm, fervor, ardor, concern
apprehensive
(adj.) fearful or anxious, especially about the future
As the hurricane approached, apprehensive
residents all along the coast prepared for the
worst.
SYN: worried, nervous, fretful, jittery
ANT: unworried, assured, confident, certain
commend
(v.) to praise, express approval; to present as worthy of attention; to commit to the care of
The mayor commended the young people
for their volunteer work at local hospitals and
soup kitchens.
SYN: applaud; entrust
ANT: abhor, loathe
compatible
(adj.) able to get along or work well together; capable of use with some other model or system
Eyewitness accounts of an accident rarely
are totally compatible.
SYN: harmonious, in agreement, like-minded
ANT: mismatched, incongruous, antagonistic
condolence
(n.) an expression of sympathy
A few well-chosen words of condolence
can be a great comfort to someone who has
lost a loved one.
SYN: commiseration, solace, sympathy
consecrate
(v.) to make sacred, hallow; to set apart for a special purpose
Traditionally most religious denominations
hold special ceremonies to consecrate
a new house of worship.
SYN: devote, dedicate, sanctify
ANT: desecrate, defile, profane, dishonor
decrepit
(adj.) old and feeble; worn-out, ruined
"I may be aging," the famous movie star
replied, "but I am hardly decrepit."
SYN: infirm, broken-down, rickety, dilapidated
ANT: vigorous, robust, sturdy
deride
(v.) to ridicule, laugh at with contempt
Most people find jokes that deride
somebody's national origin or social
background extremely offensive.
SYN: mock, scorn, disparage, jeer at
ANT: praise, extol, acclaim, applaud
ingenuous
(adj.) innocent, simple; frank, sincere
In his novels, Dickens has harsh words for
those who take cruel advantage of
ingenuous young people.
SYN: naive, artless, guileless, candid
ANT: artful, crafty, worldly, sophisticated
multifarious
(adj.) having great variety; numerous and diverse
Leonardo da Vinci's notebooks reveal that
he was a man of multifarious interests.
SYN: varied, manifold, heterogeneous
ANT: unvaried, uniform, homogeneous
obsolete
(adj.) out-of-date, no longer in use
In order to remain competitive,
manufacturing companies periodically
replace obsolete machinery.
SYN: outmoded, antiquated, pass�
ANT: current, up-to-date, brand-new
omnivorous
(adj.) eating every kind of food; eagerly taking in everything, having a wide variety of tastes
An omnivorous animal has a greater
chance of survival than one that depends on
a single food source.
SYN: all-devouring, voracious
parsimonious
(adj.) stingy, miserly; meager, poor, small
Many people who lost money in the Great
Depression later adhered to a
parsimonious lifestyle, even during more
prosperous times.
SYN: frugal, niggardly, penny-pinching, cheap
ANT: generous, open handed
quandary
(n.) a state of perplexity or doubt
Try as I might, I could see no way out of the
ethical quandary in which I found myself.
SYN: confusion, dilemma, predicament
recalcitrant
(adj.) stubbornly disobedient, resisting authority
A recalcitrant individual may have great
difficulty adjusting to a job that requires a
good deal of teamwork.
SYN: unruly, obstinate, contrary, ornery
ANT: obedient, docile, cooperative, compliant
reprisal
(n.) an injury done in return for injury
The Highland clans of Scotland engaged in
cattle rustling in reprisal for real or
imagined injuries.
SYN: retaliation, revenge, retribution
revel
(v.) to take great pleasure in; (n.) a wild celebration
Some movie stars to not revel in the
attention their fans and the media pay
them.
All around the world, the new millennium
was ushered in with both prayers and
revel.
SYN: (v.) relish, savor, bask in
stultify
(v.) to make ineffective or useless, cripple; to have a dulling effect on
Oppressive heat may stultify the mind
and spirit as well as the body.
SYN: smother, stifle, neutralize, negate
ANT: arouse, excite, inspire, stimulate
suave
(adj.) smoothly agreeable or polite; pleasing to the senses
Nick Charles, the clever detective in the
Thin Man movies, is a suave man-about-
town.
SYN: sophisticated, urbane, polished
ANT: crude, clumsy, unpolished, oafish, loutish