Term
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Definition
sharpness (particularly of the mind or senses)
S: keenness, acuteness
A: dullness, obtuseness
The acuity of my hearing is increasing. |
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Term
delineate - v.
(di lin' e at) |
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Definition
to portray, sketch, or describe in accurate and vivid detail; to represent pictorially
S: depict, picture, render
A: ---
The artist will delineate the house. |
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Term
depraved - adj.
(di pravd') |
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Definition
marked by evil and corruption, devoid of moral principals
S: perverter, degenerate, vicious, corrupt
A: moral, virtuous, upright, uncorrupted
The depraved politician won the election by bribery. |
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Term
enervate - v.
(en' er vate) |
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Definition
to weaken or lessen the mental, moral, or physical vigor of; enfeeble, hamstring
S: impair, cripple, paralyze
A: invigorate, strengthen, buttress
The mans mind was enervated by the disease late in life. |
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Term
esoteric - adj.
(es e ter' ik) |
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Definition
intended for or understood by only a select few, private, secret
S: occult, cryptic, arcane, recondite
A: accessible, comprehensible, intelligible
The society had many esoteric rites that were know by few. |
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Term
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Definition
fruitful in offspring or vegetation; intellectually productive
S: fertile, teeming, prolific
A: infertile, barren, unproductive
Albert Einstein had a fecund mind. |
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Term
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Definition
an arbitrary order or decree; a command or act of consciousness
S: edict, dictum, ukase
A: ---
The ruler introduced several new fiats. |
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Term
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Definition
a fabrication of the mind; an arbitrary notion
S: creation, invention, fancy
A: ---
The dragon was a figment of his imagination. |
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Term
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Definition
to acquire as the result of effort; to gather and store as for future use
S: collect, accumulate, accrue
A: scatter, squander, waste, dissipate
Arthur garnered the sword in the stone. |
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Term
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Definition
to set apart as holy or sacred, sanctify, consecrate; honor greatly, revere
S: venerate, bless
A: desecrate, defile, profane
The king hallowed the battlefield where the brave men died. |
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Term
idiosyncrasy - n.
(id e o sin' kre se) |
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Definition
a peculiarity that serves to distinguish or identify
S: eccentricity, quirk, acclaim
A: ---
Many grammatical things about the English language are idiosyncrasies. |
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Term
ignominy - n.
(ig' na min e) |
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Definition
shame and disgrace
S: dishonor, humiliation, disrepute, odium
A: honor, glory, acclaim
He went from glory to ignominy. |
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Term
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Definition
earthly, worldly, relating to practical and material and concerned with what is ordinary
S: prosaic, humdrum, routine, sublunary
A: heavenly, unworldly, spiritual, transcendental
He left all of his mundane things to his brother after death. |
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Term
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Definition
a subtle or slight variation(as in color, meaning, quality), delicate gradation or shade of difference
S: shade, nicety, refinement
A: ---
The poet paid close attention to every nuance of meaning in the words he chose. |
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Term
overweening - adj.
(o ver we' ning) |
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Definition
conceited, presumptuous, excessive, immoderate
S: arrogant, unbridled, inflated
A: restrained, understated, modest, meek
The overweening confidence of the candidate led to his downfall. |
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Term
penchant - n.
(pen' chent) |
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Definition
a strong attraction or inclination
S: proclivity, propensity, predilection
A: disinclination, aversion
A teacher with a penchant for pointing out the obvious is bound to be boring. |
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Term
reputed - adj.
(ri pyut' id) |
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Definition
according to reputation or general belief; having widespread acceptance and good reputation; alleged
S: putative, reputable, supposed
A: proven, corroborated, authenticated
Although he is a reputed head of the crime syndicate, he has never spent time in jail. |
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Term
sophistry - n.
(saf' e stre) |
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Definition
reasoning that seems plausible bit is actually unsound; a fallacy
S: specious reasoning
A: ---
The clever sophistry of the salesman led the man to buy a new car. |
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Term
sumptuous - adj.
(semp' chu es) |
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Definition
costly, rich, magnificent
S: lavish, munificent, opulent, splendid
A: skimpy, meager, stingy, niggardly, spartan
The sumptuous feast was in honor of the king. |
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Term
ubiquitous - adj.
(yu bik' we tes) |
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Definition
present or existing everywhere
S: omnipresent, pervasive, universal
A: restricted, limited, rare, scarce
Christians believe God is ubiquitous. |
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