Unit 6

Abject

adj.) degraded; base, contemptible; cringing, servile; complete and relieved
syn: wretched, miserable, ignoble, sheer, utter
ant: noble, exalted

Agnostic

n.) one who believes that nothing can be known about God; a skeptic
adj.) without faith, skeptical
syn: n) doubter
ant: n) believer

Complicity

n.) involvement in wrongdoing; the state of being an accomplice
syn: connivance, collusion
ant: noninvolvement, innocence

Derelict

n.) someone or something that is abandoned or neglected
adj.) left abandoned; neglectful of duty
syn: n) vagrant, adj) delinquent
ant: adj) punctilious, conscientious, scrupulous

Diatribe

n.) a bitter and prolonged verbal attack
syn: harangue, tirade
ant: panegyric, encomium, eulogy

Effigy

n.) a crude image of a despised person
syn: figure, figurine

Equity

n.) the state or quality of being just, fair, or impartial; fair and equal treatment; something that is fair; the money value of a property above and beyond any mortgage or other claim
syn: justice, fairness, impartiality
ant: unfairness, bias, prejudice

Inane

adj.) silly, empty of meaning or value
syn: idiotic, moronic, fatuous
ant: sensible, meaningful, profound

Indictment

n.) the act of accusing; a formal accusation
syn: charge, accusation

Indubitable

adj.) certain, not to be doubted or denied
syn: unquestionable, indisputable
ant: questionable, debatable, dubious

Intermittent

adj.) stopping and beginning again, sporadic
syn: fitful, spasmodic, random
ant: uninterrupted

Moot

adj.) open to discussion and debate, unresolved
v.) to bring up for discussion
n.) a hypothetical law case argued by students
syn: adj) debatable, questionable, v) broach
ant: adj) undebatable, indisputable, self evident

Motif

n.) a principal idea, feature, theme or element; a repeated or dominant figure in a design

Neophyte

n.) a new convert, beginner, novice
syn: tenderfoot, tyro
ant: veteran, past master, expert, pro

Perspicacity

n.) keenness in observing and understanding
syn: acumen, discernment
ant: dullness, obtuseness

Plenary

adj.) complete in all aspects or essentials; absolute; attended by all qualified members
syn: unrestricted
ant: limited, restricted, incomplete

Surveillance

n.) a watch kept over a person; careful, close and disciplined observation
syn: observation, monitoring

Sylvan

adj.) pertaining to or characteristic of forests; living or located in a forest; wooded, woody
syn: arcadian

Testy

adj.) easily irritated; characterized by impatience and exasperation
syn: irritable, peevish, waspish, petulant
ant: imperturbable, unexcitable

Travesty

n.) a grotesque or grossly inferior imitation; a disguise, especially in the clothing of the opposite sex
v.) to ridicule by imitating in a broad or burlesque fashion
syn: n) burlesque, caricature, farce