affinity
(n.) a natural attraction to a person, thing, or activity; a relationship, connection
SYN: inclination, penchant
ANT: distaste, aversion
bilious
(adj.) peevish or irritable; sickeningly unpleasant
SYN: choleric, irascible, peevish, splenetic
ANT: sweet-tempered, genial, pleasant, delightful
cognate
(adj.) closely related in origin, essential nature, or function; (n.) such a person or thing
SYN: (adj.) allied, affiliated; (n.) relative
ANT: (adj.) dissimilar, unrelated
corollary
(n.) a proposition that follows from one already proven; a natural consequence or result; (adj.) resultant or consequent
SYN: (n.) deduction, conclusion
ANT: (n.) axiom, postulate, premise
cul-de-sac
(n.) a blind alley or dead-end street; any situation in which further progress is impossible; an impasse
derring-do
(n.) valor or heroism; daring deeds or exploits (often used to poke fun at false heroics)
SYN: audacity, bravado, pyrotechnics
ANT: cowardice, timidity, poltroonery
divination
(n.) the art or act of predicting the future or discovering hidden knowledge
SYN: prophecy, augury
elixir
(n.) a potion once thought capable of curing all ills and maintaining life indefinitely; a panacea; a sweet liquid used as a vehicle in medicines
SYN: cure-all. nostrum, tonic
folderol
(n.) foolish talk, ideas, or procedures; nonsense; a trifle
SYN: hoopla, gibberish
ANT: sense, significance
gamut
(n.) an entire range or series
SYN: scope, compass, sweep
hoi polloi
(n.) the common people, the masses
SYN: rank and file
ANT: aristocracy, elite, upper class
ineffable
(adj.) not expressible in words; too great or too sacred to be uttered
SYN: inexpressible, indescribable
lucubration
(n.) laborious study or thought, especially at night; the result of such work
SYN: burning the midnight oil, deep thought
mnemonic
(adj.) relating to or designed to assist the memory; (n.) a device to aid the memory
SYN: (n.) reminder, cue
obloquy
(n.) public abuse indicating strong disapproval or censure; the disgrace resulting from such treatment
SYN: discredit, opprobrium, ignominy, dishonor
ANT: praise, acclaim, approbation
parameter
(n.) a determining or characteristic element; a factor that shapes the total outcome; a limit, boundary
pundit
(n.) a learned person; one who gives authoritative opinions
SYN: expert, authority, savant
ANT: layman, amateur, dilettante
risible
(adj.) pertaining to laughter; able or inclined to laugh; laughable
SYN: droll, ludicrous
ANT: depressing, poignant, heartrending
symptomatic
(adj.) typical or characteristic; being or concerned with a symptom of a disease
SYN: indicative
votte-face
(n.) an about-face; a complete reversal
SYN: turnabout
aficionado
(n.) an enthusiastic and usually expert follower or fan
SYN: devotee, enthusiast
browbeat
(v.) to intimidate by a stern or overbearing manner; to bully
SYN: cow, coerce
ANT: coax, cajole, wheedle, sweet-talk
commensurate
(adj.) equal in size, extent, duration, or importance; proportionate; measurable by the same standards
SYN: comparable, corresponding, coordinate
diaphanous
(adj.) very sheer and light; almost completely transparent
SYN: translucent, gossamer
ANT: opaque, coarse, dense
emolument
(n.) profit derived from an office or position or from employment; a fee or salary
SYN: pay, wages, compensation
foray
(n.) a quick raid, especially for plunder; a venture into some field of endeavor; (v.) to make such a raid
SYN: (n.) sally, sortie
ANT: (n.) retreat, strategic withdrawal
genre
(n.) a type, class, or variety, especially a distinctive category of literary composition; a style of painting in which everyday scenes are realistically depicted
SYN: species, sort, school
homily
(n.) a sermon stressing moral principles; a tedious moralizing lecture or discourse
immure
(v.) to enclose or confine within walls; to imprison; to seclude or isolate
SYN: incarcerate, mew up
ANT: release, liberate, emancipate
insouciant
(adj.) blithely indifferent or unconcerned; carefree; happy-go-lucky
SYN: nonchalant, blase, devil-may-care
ANT: worried, careworn, agitate, distraught
matrix
(n.) a mold; the surrounding situation or environment
SYN: pattern, model
obsequies
(n.) funeral rites or ceremonies
SYN: last rites, funeral services
panache
(n.) a confident and stylish manner, dash; a strikingly elaborate or colorful display
SYN: style, verve, elan, eclat, flamboyance
persona
(n.) a character in a novel or play; the outward character or role that a person assumes
SYN: personality, image, role
philippic
(n.) a bitter verbal attack
SYN: harangue, tirade, diatribe
ANT: encomium, panegyric, tribute
prurient
(adj.) having lustful desires or interests; tending to arouse sexual desires
SYN: lascivious, salacious, lewd, titillating
ANT: prudish, demure, innocent
sacrosanct
(adj.) very sacred or holy; inviolable; set apart or immune from questioning or attack
systemic
(adj.) of or pertaining to the entire body; relating to a system or systems
SYN: extensive, comprehensive, system-wide
ANT: localized, specific, isolated, confined
tendentious
(adj.) intended to promote a particular point of view, doctrine, or cause; biased or partisan
SYN: partial
ANT: fair, impartial, equitable, disinterested
vicissitude
(n.) a change, variation, or alteration; (pl.) successive or changing phases or conditions
SYN: fluctuation, vacillation
ANT: sameness, evenness
abortive
(adj) failing to accomplish an intended aim or purpose; only partially or imperfectly developed
SYN: miscarried, fruitless, premature
ANT: successful, realized, consummated
bruit
(v.) to spread news, reports, or unsubstantiated rumors
SYN: noise abroad, broadcast, blazon
ANT: cover up, conceal, hush up
contumelious
(adj) insolent or rude in speech or behavior; insultingly abusive; humiliating
SYN: vituperative, scurrilous, excoriating
ANT: laudatory, commendatory, deferential
dictum
(n.) a short saying; an authoritative statement
SYN: maxim, precept, aphorism, axiom
ensconce
(V.) To settle comfortably and firmly in position; to put or hide in a safe place
SYN: nestle, lodge, entrench
ANT: unseat, displace, oust
iconoclastic
(adj.) attacking or seeking to overthrow popular or traditional beliefs, ideas, or institutions
SYN: image-breaking, irreverent, heretical
ANT: orthodox, conservative, reverent
in medias res
(adv.) in or into the middle of a plot; into the middle of things
internecine
(adj.) mutually destructive; characterized by great slaughter and bloodshed
SYN: murderous, savage, ruinous
ANT: peaceful, harmonious, cinstructive
maladroit
(adj.) lacking skill or dexterity; lacking tact, perception, or judgment
SYN: inept, awkward, clumsy, gauche
ANT: skillful, dexterous, deft, tactful
maudlin
(adj.) excessively or effusively sentimental
SYN: mushy, mawkish
modulate
(v.) to change or vary the intensity or pitch; to temper or soften; to regulate, adjust
SYN: adapt, moderate
portentous
(adj.) foreshadowing an event to come; causing wonder or awe; self-consciously weighty, pompous
SYN: forboding, ominoius, pretenstious
ANT: auspicious, propitious, encouraging
prescience
(n.) knowledge of events or actions before they happen; foresight
SYN: foreknowledge
ANT: hindsight
quid pro quo
(n.) something given in exchange or return for something else
SYN: swap, trade
salubrious
(adj.) conducive to health or well-being; wholesome
SYN: beneficial, healthy, invigorating
ANT: harmful, unhealthy, deleterious, noxious
saturnalian
(adj.) characterized by riotous or unrestrained revelry or licentiousness
SYN: dissipated, debauched, orgiastic
ANT: sedate, prim, decorous, seemly
touchstone
(n.) a means of testing worth or genuineness
SYN: criterion, yardstick, benchmark
traumatic
(adj.) so shocking to the emotions as to cause lasting and substantial psychological damage
SYN: jolting
ANT: soothing, comforting, agreeable, pleasant
vitiate
(v.) to weaken, debase, or corrupt; to impair the quality or value of
SYN: degrade, undermine
ANT: purify, fortify, strengthen, enhance
waggish
(adj.) fond of making jokes; characteristic of a joker; playfully humorous or droll
SYN: whimsical, jocular
ANT: serious, grave, grim, dour, humorless