acquisitive
adj. able to get and retain ideas or information; concerned with acquiring wealth or property.
syn: greedy, grasping, avaricious, retentive.
ant: altruistic, unretentive
arrogate
v. to claim or take without right
syn: expropriate, usurp, commandeer
ant: relinquish, renounce, abdicate, abandon
banal
adj. hackneyed, trite, commonplace
syn: stale, insipid
ant: fresh, novel, original, new
belabor
v. to work on excessively; to thrash soundly
syn: overwork
carping
adj: tending to find fault, esp in a petty, nasty, or hairsplitting way. n: petty, nagging criticism
syn: nit-picking, caviling
adj: approving, uncritical
coherent
adj. holding or sticking together; making a logical whole; comprehensible, meaningful
syn: connected, unified, consistent, cohesive
ant: muddled, chaotic, disjointed
congeal
v. to change from liquid to solid, thicken; to make inflexible or rigid
syn: harden, jell, coagulate, solidify
ant: melt, liquefy
emulate
v. to imitate with the intent of equaling or surpassing the model
syn: copy, mimic, rival, match, measure up tp
encomium
n. a formal expression of praise, a lavish tribute
syn: panegyric, eulogy, commendation
ant: condemnation, castigation, criticism
eschew
v. to avoid, shun, keep away from
syn: abstain from, steer clear of, forgo
ant: embrace, adopt
germane
adj: relevant, appropriate, apropos, fitting
syn: pertinent
ant: irrelevant, extraneous, inappropriate
insatiable
adj. so great or demanding as not to be saitisfied
syn: unquenchable, ravenous, voracious
intransigent
adj. refusing to compromise, irreconcilable
syn: uncompromising, unyielding, obdurate
ant: lukewarm, halfhearted, yielding
invidious
adj. offensive, hateful; tending to cause bitterness amd resentment
syn: malicious, spiteful, prejudicial, pejorative
ant: complimentary, flattering, ameliorative
largesse
n. generosity in giving; lavish or bountiful contributions
syn: liberality, munificence, bounty
ant: stinginess, miserliness, niggardliness
reconnaisaance
n. a survey made for military purposes; any kind of preliminary inspection or examination
syn: scouting expedition
substantiate
v. to establish by evidence, prove; to give concrete or substantial form to
syn: verify, confirm, validate, authenticate
ant: refute, disprove, invalidate
taciturn
adj. habitually silent or quiet, inclined to talk very little
syn: tight-lipped, uncommunicative, laconic
ant: garrulous, loquacious, prolix, verbose
temporize
v. to stall or act evasively in order to gain time, avoid a confrontation, or postponse a decision; to compromise
syn: hedge, dillydally, procrastinate
tenable
adj. capable of being held or defended
syn: defensible, justifiable, maintainable
ant: indefensible, unjustifiable
accost
v. to approach and speak to first; to confront in a challenging or aggressive way
syn: buttonhole, approach, confront
ant: evade, avoid, shun
animadversion
n. a comment indicating strong criticism or disapproval
syn: rebuke, reproof
ant: praise, compliment
avid
adj. desirous of something to the point of greed; intensely eager
syn: keen, enthusiastic, grasping
ant: reluctant, indifferent, unenthousiastic
brackish
adj. having a salty taste and unpleasant to drink
syn: briny, saline
ant: fresh, clear, sweet
celerity
n. swiftness, rapidity of motion or action
syn: promptness, alacrity, speed
ant: slowness, sluggishness, dilatoriness
devious
adj. straying or wandering from a straight or direct course; done or acting in a shifty or underhanded way
syn: roundabout, indirect, tricky, sly, artful
ant: direct, straighforward, open, aboveboard
gambit
n. in chess, an opening move that involves risk or sacrifices of a minor piece in order to gain a later advantage; any opening move of this type
syn: ploy, stratagem, ruse, maneuver
halcyon
n. a legendary bird identified with the kingfisher; adj. of or relating to the halcyon; calm, peaceful; happy, golden; prosperous, affluent
syn: tranquil, serene, placid, palmy
ant: trubulent, chaotic, tumultuous
histrionic
adj. pertaining to actors and their techniques; theatrical, artificial; melodramatic
syn: affected, stagy
ant: low-keyed, muted, untheatrical, subdued
incendiary
adj. deliberately setting or causing fires; designed to start fires; tending to stir up strife or rebellion; n. one who deliberateky sets fires, arsonist; one who causes strife
syn: inflammatory, provocative, firebrand
ant: soothing, quieting, peacemaker
maelstrom
n. a whirlpool of great size and violence; a situation resembling a whirlpool in violence and destruction
syn: vortex, chaos, trubulence, tumult
myopic
adj. nearsighted; lacking a broad, realistic, view of a situation; lacking foresight or discernment
syn: shortsighted
ant: farsighted
overt
adj. open, not hidden, expressed or revealed in a way that is easily recognized
syn: clear, obvious, manifest, patent
ant: secret, clandestine, covert, concealed
pejorative
adj. tending to make worse; expressing disapproval or disparagement, derogative, deprecatory, belittling
ant: complimentary, ameliorative
propriety
n. the state of being proper, appropriateness; pl. standards of what is proper or socially acceptable
syn: fitness, correctness, decorum
ant: unseemliness, inappropriateness
sacrilege
n. improper or disrepectful treatment of something held sacred
syn: desecration, profanation, defilement
summarily
adv. without delay/formality; briefly, concisely
syn. promptly, peremptorily, abruptly
suppliant
adj. asking humbly and earnestly; n. one who makes a request humbly and earnestly, a petitioner, suitor
talisman
n. an object that serves as a charm or is believed to confer magical powers, an amulet, fetish
undulate
v. to move in waves or with a wavelike motion; to have a wavelike appearance or form
syn: ripple, fluctuate, rise and fall
articulate
v. to pronounce distinctly; to express well in words; to connect by a joint or joints; adj. expressed clearly and forcefully; able to employ language clearly and forcefully; jointed
syn: pronounce, elucidate, eloquent
ant: mumble, slur, tongue-tied, halti
cavort
v. to romp or prance around exuberantly; to make merry
syn: gambol
credence
n. belief, mental acceptance
syn: credit, trust, confidence
ant: disbelief, skepticism, incredulity
decry
v. to condemn, express strong disapproval; to officially depreciate
syn: denounce, censure, devalue
ant: tout, commend, extol, laud, praise
dissemble
v. to disguise or conceal, deliberately give a false impression
syn: dissimulate, mask, feign
distraught
adj. very much agitated or upset as a result of emotion or mental conflict
syn: frantic, distraced
ant: calm, composed, collected
eulogy
n. a formal statement of commendation; high praise
syn: panegyric, encomium, tribute, testimonial
ant: philippic, diatribe, invective
evince
v. to display clearly, to make evident, to provoke
syn: to exhibit, manifest, occasion
exhume
v. to remove from a grave, to bring to light
syn: disinter, unearth, uncover
ant: bury, inter
feckless
adj. lacking in spirit and strength; ineffective, weak; irresponsable, unreliable
syn: feeble, helpless, incomptent, ineffectual
ant: competent, capable, effective
murky
adj. dark and gloomy, abscure; lacking in clarity and precision
syn: dim, cloudy, unclear
ant: clear, transparent, lucid, limpid
nefarious
adj. wicked, depraved, devoid of moral standards
syn: iniquitous, reprehensible
ant: virtuous, honorable, praiseworthy, meritorious
piquant
adj. stimulating to the taste or mind; spicy, pungent; appealingly provocative
syn: tangy, zestful
ant: bland. insipid, tasteless, mild
primordial
adj. developed or created at the very beginning; going back to the most ancient times or earliest stage; fundamental, basic
syn: original, primeval, primal
propinquity
n. nearness in place or time; kinship
syn: proximity, similarity
any: remoteness. distance
unwonted
adj. not usual or expected; not in character
syn: unusual, uncommon, unexpected, atypical
ant: usual, customary, typical
utopian
adj. founded upon or involving a visionary view fo an ideal world; impractical
syn: idealistic
ant: realistic, pragmatic
verbiage
n. language that is too wordy or inflated in proportion to the sense of content, wordiness; a manner of expression
syn: verbosity, prolixity, diction, jargon
verdant
adj. greenish; immature in experience or judgment
syn: artless, naive
ant: scorched, sere, barren, arid
viscous
adj. having a gelatinous or gluey quality, lacking in easy movement or fluidity
syn: gummy, sticky, thick
ant: runny, watery, aqueous
acquisitive
adj. able to get and retain ideas or information; concerned with acquiring wealth or property.
syn: greedy, grasping, avaricious, retentive.
ant: altruistic, unretentive
arrogate
v. to claim or take without right
syn: expropriate, usurp, commandeer
ant: relinquish, renounce, abdicate, abandon
banal
adj. hackneyed, trite, commonplace
syn: stale, insipid
ant: fresh, novel, original, new
belabor
v. to work on excessively; to thrash soundly
syn: overwork
carping
adj: tending to find fault, esp in a petty, nasty, or hairsplitting way. n: petty, nagging criticism
syn: nit-picking, caviling
adj: approving, uncritical
coherent
adj. holding or sticking together; making a logical whole; comprehensible, meaningful
syn: connected, unified, consistent, cohesive
ant: muddled, chaotic, disjointed
congeal
v. to change from liquid to solid, thicken; to make inflexible or rigid
syn: harden, jell, coagulate, solidify
ant: melt, liquefy
emulate
v. to imitate with the intent of equaling or surpassing the model
syn: copy, mimic, rival, match, measure up tp
encomium
n. a formal expression of praise, a lavish tribute
syn: panegyric, eulogy, commendation
ant: condemnation, castigation, criticism
eschew
v. to avoid, shun, keep away from
syn: abstain from, steer clear of, forgo
ant: embrace, adopt
germane
adj: relevant, appropriate, apropos, fitting
syn: pertinent
ant: irrelevant, extraneous, inappropriate
insatiable
adj. so great or demanding as not to be saitisfied
syn: unquenchable, ravenous, voracious
intransigent
adj. refusing to compromise, irreconcilable
syn: uncompromising, unyielding, obdurate
ant: lukewarm, halfhearted, yielding
invidious
adj. offensive, hateful; tending to cause bitterness amd resentment
syn: malicious, spiteful, prejudicial, pejorative
ant: complimentary, flattering, ameliorative
largesse
n. generosity in giving; lavish or bountiful contributions
syn: liberality, munificence, bounty
ant: stinginess, miserliness, niggardliness
reconnaisaance
n. a survey made for military purposes; any kind of preliminary inspection or examination
syn: scouting expedition
substantiate
v. to establish by evidence, prove; to give concrete or substantial form to
syn: verify, confirm, validate, authenticate
ant: refute, disprove, invalidate
taciturn
adj. habitually silent or quiet, inclined to talk very little
syn: tight-lipped, uncommunicative, laconic
ant: garrulous, loquacious, prolix, verbose
temporize
v. to stall or act evasively in order to gain time, avoid a confrontation, or postponse a decision; to compromise
syn: hedge, dillydally, procrastinate
tenable
adj. capable of being held or defended
syn: defensible, justifiable, maintainable
ant: indefensible, unjustifiable
accost
v. to approach and speak to first; to confront in a challenging or aggressive way
syn: buttonhole, approach, confront
ant: evade, avoid, shun
animadversion
n. a comment indicating strong criticism or disapproval
syn: rebuke, reproof
ant: praise, compliment
avid
adj. desirous of something to the point of greed; intensely eager
syn: keen, enthusiastic, grasping
ant: reluctant, indifferent, unenthousiastic
brackish
adj. having a salty taste and unpleasant to drink
syn: briny, saline
ant: fresh, clear, sweet
celerity
n. swiftness, rapidity of motion or action
syn: promptness, alacrity, speed
ant: slowness, sluggishness, dilatoriness
devious
adj. straying or wandering from a straight or direct course; done or acting in a shifty or underhanded way
syn: roundabout, indirect, tricky, sly, artful
ant: direct, straighforward, open, aboveboard
gambit
n. in chess, an opening move that involves risk or sacrifices of a minor piece in order to gain a later advantage; any opening move of this type
syn: ploy, stratagem, ruse, maneuver
halcyon
n. a legendary bird identified with the kingfisher; adj. of or relating to the halcyon; calm, peaceful; happy, golden; prosperous, affluent
syn: tranquil, serene, placid, palmy
ant: trubulent, chaotic, tumultuous
histrionic
adj. pertaining to actors and their techniques; theatrical, artificial; melodramatic
syn: affected, stagy
ant: low-keyed, muted, untheatrical, subdued
incendiary
adj. deliberately setting or causing fires; designed to start fires; tending to stir up strife or rebellion; n. one who deliberateky sets fires, arsonist; one who causes strife
syn: inflammatory, provocative, firebrand
ant: soothing, quieting, peacemaker
maelstrom
n. a whirlpool of great size and violence; a situation resembling a whirlpool in violence and destruction
syn: vortex, chaos, trubulence, tumult
myopic
adj. nearsighted; lacking a broad, realistic, view of a situation; lacking foresight or discernment
syn: shortsighted
ant: farsighted
overt
adj. open, not hidden, expressed or revealed in a way that is easily recognized
syn: clear, obvious, manifest, patent
ant: secret, clandestine, covert, concealed
pejorative
adj. tending to make worse; expressing disapproval or disparagement, derogative, deprecatory, belittling
ant: complimentary, ameliorative
propriety
n. the state of being proper, appropriateness; pl. standards of what is proper or socially acceptable
syn: fitness, correctness, decorum
ant: unseemliness, inappropriateness
sacrilege
n. improper or disrepectful treatment of something held sacred
syn: desecration, profanation, defilement
summarily
adv. without delay/formality; briefly, concisely
syn. promptly, peremptorily, abruptly
suppliant
adj. asking humbly and earnestly; n. one who makes a request humbly and earnestly, a petitioner, suitor
talisman
n. an object that serves as a charm or is believed to confer magical powers, an amulet, fetish
undulate
v. to move in waves or with a wavelike motion; to have a wavelike appearance or form
syn: ripple, fluctuate, rise and fall
articulate
v. to pronounce distinctly; to express well in words; to connect by a joint or joints; adj. expressed clearly and forcefully; able to employ language clearly and forcefully; jointed
syn: pronounce, elucidate, eloquent
ant: mumble, slur, tongue-tied, halti
cavort
v. to romp or prance around exuberantly; to make merry
syn: gambol
credence
n. belief, mental acceptance
syn: credit, trust, confidence
ant: disbelief, skepticism, incredulity
decry
v. to condemn, express strong disapproval; to officially depreciate
syn: denounce, censure, devalue
ant: tout, commend, extol, laud, praise
dissemble
v. to disguise or conceal, deliberately give a false impression
syn: dissimulate, mask, feign
distraught
adj. very much agitated or upset as a result of emotion or mental conflict
syn: frantic, distraced
ant: calm, composed, collected
eulogy
n. a formal statement of commendation; high praise
syn: panegyric, encomium, tribute, testimonial
ant: philippic, diatribe, invective
evince
v. to display clearly, to make evident, to provoke
syn: to exhibit, manifest, occasion
exhume
v. to remove from a grave, to bring to light
syn: disinter, unearth, uncover
ant: bury, inter
feckless
adj. lacking in spirit and strength; ineffective, weak; irresponsable, unreliable
syn: feeble, helpless, incomptent, ineffectual
ant: competent, capable, effective
murky
adj. dark and gloomy, abscure; lacking in clarity and precision
syn: dim, cloudy, unclear
ant: clear, transparent, lucid, limpid
nefarious
adj. wicked, depraved, devoid of moral standards
syn: iniquitous, reprehensible
ant: virtuous, honorable, praiseworthy, meritorious
piquant
adj. stimulating to the taste or mind; spicy, pungent; appealingly provocative
syn: tangy, zestful
ant: bland. insipid, tasteless, mild
primordial
adj. developed or created at the very beginning; going back to the most ancient times or earliest stage; fundamental, basic
syn: original, primeval, primal
propinquity
n. nearness in place or time; kinship
syn: proximity, similarity
any: remoteness. distance
unwonted
adj. not usual or expected; not in character
syn: unusual, uncommon, unexpected, atypical
ant: usual, customary, typical
utopian
adj. founded upon or involving a visionary view fo an ideal world; impractical
syn: idealistic
ant: realistic, pragmatic
verbiage
n. language that is too wordy or inflated in proportion to the sense of content, wordiness; a manner of expression
syn: verbosity, prolixity, diction, jargon
verdant
adj. greenish; immature in experience or judgment
syn: artless, naive
ant: scorched, sere, barren, arid
viscous
adj. having a gelatinous or gluey quality, lacking in easy movement or fluidity
syn: gummy, sticky, thick
ant: runny, watery, aqueous