animosity
(noun) strong dislike; bitter hostility
The deep __________ between the Montagues and Capulets could not prevent Romeo and Juliet from falling in love.
Syn.: enmity, rancor, antipathy
Ant.: affection, fondness, rapport, amity
apathy
(noun) a lack of feeling, emotion, or interest
I was horrified when the sales force greeted my great idea for an ad campaign with total __________.
Syn.: indifference, disinterest, detachment
Ant.: enthusiasm, fervor, ardor, concern
apprehensive
(adj.) fearful or anxious, especially about the future
As the hurricane approached, __________ residents all along the coast prepared for the worst.
Syn.: worried, nervous, fretful, jittery
Ant.: unworried, assured, confident, certain
commend
(verb) to praise, express approval; to present as worthy of attention; to commit to the care of
The mayor __________ 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 __________.
Syn.: harmonious, in agreement, like-minded
Ant.: mismatched, incongruous, antagonistic
condolence
(noun) an expression of sympathy
A few well-chosen words of __________ can be a great comfort to someone who has lost a loved one.
Syn.: commiseration, solace, sympathy
consecrate
(verb) to make sacred, hallow; to set apart for a special purpose
Traditionally most religious denominations hold special ceremonies to __________ 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 __________."
Syn.: infirm, broken-down, rickety, dilapidated
Ant.: vigorous, robust, sturdy
deride
(verb) to ridicule, laugh at with contempt
Most people find jokes that __________ 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 __________ 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 __________ 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 __________ machinery.
Syn.: outmoded, antiquated, passe, old hat
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 __________ 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 __________ lifestyle, even during more prosperous times.
Syn.: frugal, niggardly, penny-pinching, cheap
Ant.: generous, openhanded
quandary
(noun) a state of perplexity or doubt
Try as I might, I could see no way out of the ethical __________ in which I found myself.
Syn.: confusion, dilemma, predicament
recalcitrant
(adj.) stubbornly disobedient, resisting authority
A __________ 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
(noun) an injury done in return for injury
The Highland clans of Scotland engaged in cattle rustling in __________ for real or imagined injuries.
Syn.: retaliation, revenge, retribution
revel
(verb) to take great pleasure in; (noun) a wild celebration
Some movie stars do not __________ in the attention their fans and the media pay them.
All around the world, the new millennium was ushered in with both prayers and __________.
Syn.: (verb) relis
stultify
(verb) to make ineffective or useless, cripple; to have a dulling effect on
Oppressive heat may __________ 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 __________ man-about-town.
Syn.: sophisticated, urbane, polished
Ant.: crude, clumsy, unpolished, oafish, loutish