abrogate
(v.) to repeal, cancel, declare null and void
syn: annul, revoke
ant: reaffirm, renew, ratify
ambient
(adj.) completely surrounding, encompassing
asperity
(n.) roughness, severity; bitterness or tartness
syn: rigor, harshness
ant: mildness, blandness, softness, lenience
burnish
(v.) to make smooth or glossy by rubbing, polish;
(n.) gloss, brightness, luster
syn: (v.) shine, buff
ant: (v.) tarnish, dull, abrade
cabal
(n.) a small group working in secret
syn: clique, ring, gang, plot, conspiracy
delectable
(adj.) delightful, highly enjoyable; deliciously flavored, savory;
(n.) an appealing or appetizing food or dish
syn: (adj.) delicious, scrumptious
ant: (adj.) repugnant, repulsive, distasteful
deprecate
(v.) to express mild disapproval; to belittle
syn: deplore, frown upon
ant: smile on, countenance, approve
detritus
(n.) loose bits and pieces of material resulting from disintegration or wearing away; fragments that result from any destruction
syn: debris, wreckage, ruins, rubble
ebullient
(adj.) overflowing with enthusiasm and excitement; boiling, bubbling
syn: exhilarated, elated, exuberant
ant: gloomy, morose, sullen, apathetic, BLASE
eclectic
(adj.) drawn from different sources;
(n.) one whose beliefs are drawn from various sources
syn: (adj.) selective, synthetic, pick-and-choose
ant: (adj.) uniform, monolithic
flaccid
(adj.) limp, not firm; lacking vigor or effectiveness
syn: soft, flabby
ant: hard, firm, solid
impecunious
(adj.) having little or no money
syn: penniless, impoverished, indigent
ant: affluent, wealthy, prosperous, rich
inexorable
(adj.) inflexible, beyond influence; relentless, unyielding
syn: inescapable, ineluctable, obdurate
ant: avoidable, yielding, PLIANT
moribund
(adj.) dying, on the way out
syn: obsolescent
ant: flourishing, thriving
necromancer
(n.) one who claims to reveal or influence the future through magic, especially communication with the dead; in general, a magician or wizard
syn: sorcerer, conjurer
onerous
(adj.) burdensome; involving hardship or difficulty
syn: oppressive, weighty
ant: light, easy, undemanding, untaxing
rife
(adj.) common, prevalent, widespread, happening often; full, abounding; plentiful, abundant, REPLETE
ant: devoid of, lacking
rudiments
(n. pl.) the parts of any subject or discipline that are learned first; the earliest stages of anything
syn: fundamentals, basics
sequester
(v.) to set apart, separate for a special purpose; to take possession of and hold in custody
syn: seclude, segregate, isolate, closet
winnow
(v.) to get rid of something unwanted, delete; to sift through to obtain what is desirable; to remove the chaff from the wheat by blowing air on it; to blow on, fan
syn: sift, strain, filter, sort