abhor 

(ab-HOR) 

If there is one particular food I abhor, it is hominy.             

Verb 

to regard with extreme repugnance (aversion); to detest (loathe) utterly; to loathe 

Synonyms: despise, abominate (dislike) 

Antonyms: to admire

accolade

(AK-uh-layd)

He received many accolades for being an excellent teacher.

Noun 

praise, an award 

Synonyms: disitinction, kudos, approval 

Antonyms: censure (vehement, disapproval)

ascetic 

(uh-SET-ik) 

The rich playboy could not understand the ascetic life led by a monk.

Adjective 

one who leads a life of self-denial and contemplation; absent of luxury 

Synonyms: austere (strict), severe, stern 

Antonyms: sensual

bequeath

(buh-KWEETH) 

I bequeathed my gym shorts to by brother after I graduated from high school.

Verb 

to hand down, to give or to leave in a will
Synonyms: bestow, entrust, hand down, impart, pass on 

Antonyms: to keep; to horde

charlatan 

(SHAR-luh-tun) 

The side show featured a charlatan posing as a mind reader.

Noun 

one who claims to know something that he does not; a quack 

Synonyms: conartist, cheat, swindler

Antonym: a professional; authentic authority 

conflagration 

(kon-fluh-GRAY-shun) 

Some believe that the earth will be destroyed by a large conflagration. 

Noun 

a large fire 

Synonyms: blaze, bonfire, inferno, wildfire 

Antonyms: small flame 

dearth 

(DERTH) 

The dearth of water in the arid country led to numerous deaths. 

Noun 

a lack, a scarcity 

Synonyms: paucity (smallness of quantity) 

Antonyms: adequate supply

diffidence

(DIF-eh-duns) 

Because fo his diffidence, he would not any girl to the prom.

Noun

shyness, reserve, unassertiveness

Synonyms- bashfulness,modesty

Antonyms- confidence

effervescent

(ef-ur-VES-unt)

She put me in a good mood because she was always so effervescent.

Adjective

showing high spirits 

Synonyms- bubbly, animated, bouncy

Antonyms-dull, serious

etheral

(eh-THER-ee-ul)

The ethereal sounds of the music soothed and calmed the patient.

Adjective

heavenly, unusually delicate, light, lacking material substance, intangible.

Synonym- airy, celestial, exquisite.

Antonym- poor, earthly, indelicate

expunge

(ik-SPUNJ)

Their names were expunged from the social register after they were convicted of selling cocaine.

Verb

to remove, to erase

Synonyms- abolish, annul (void an agreement), cancel, abrogate( formally put an end to)

Antonyms- to add to

guile

(GILE)

The woman was the unfortunate victim of guile and deceit when she lost her money to that swindler.

Noun

deceitfulness, duplicity

Synonyms- trickery, dishonesty, chicanery (trickery)

Antonyms- openness, candor

implausible

(im-PLAU-zuh-bul)

His explanation of the incident is so implausible that no jury will believe him.

Adjective

not believable

Synonyms- dubious, farfetched, flimsy

Antonyms-believable, convincing, credible

incongruity

(in-kon-GROO-eh-tee)

The incongruity between the two series led me to doubt the accuracy of either report.

Noun

nonconformity, disagreement, imcompatibility

Synonyms- inconsistency, discrempancy, difference

Antonyms- agreement

insularity

(in-suh-LAR-eh-tee)

The insularity of the president made it difficult to get a motion passed.

Adjective

qualties of an island; narrow-mindedness of opinion

Synonyms- narrowness, bias, bigotry

Antonyms- broad-mindedness

morose

(muh-ROSE)

He was very morose after his wife left him.

Adjective

being sullen or gloomy

Synonyms- crabbed, glum, saturnine (dejected),sulky, surly

Antonyms- cheerful

placate

(PLAY-kate)

My wife is so angry at me that I cannot placate her.

Verb

to appease or to pacify by making concessions

Synonyms- conciliate, mollification (appeasement), propitiate

Antonyms- to antagonize

poignant

(POIN-yunt)

The man's poignant words struck the very heart of the matter.

Adjective

piercing, incisive (intelligent), and keen

Synonyms- piquant (flavorful), pungent ( sharp in speech), racy (energetic, zestful)

Antonyms- dull

provincial

(pruh-VEN-shul)

Her parents are so provincial tha they believe they should arrange their marriage.

Adjective

lacking sophistication, narrow-minded

Synonyms- local, rural, bucolic

Antonyms- sophisticated

reiterate

(ree-IT-uh-rate)

I hope that I am not becoming redundant by again reiterating the key facts.

Verb

to repeat

Synonyms- come again, recap, repeat, resay

Antonyms-take back

spontaneous 

(spon-TAY-nee-us)

He knew exactly what I was thinking because my reaction was so spontanteous.

Adjective

having no external cause, acting on impulse

Synonyms- casual,impromptu, unplanned

Antonyms-planned

synthesis

(SIN-thuh-sis)

Before the project is complete, we need to establish synthesis.

Noun

combining parts into a whole

Synonyms- amalgam (mixture), fusion

Antonyms-disjoining

toxic

(TOK-sik)

Carbon monoxide is toxic to animal life.

Adjective

poisonous

Synonyms- deadly, harmful, lethal

Antonyms- healthful, harmless

vigilant

(VIJ-uh-lunt)

I have been vigilant in trying to find the theif.

Adjective

very alert, watchful

Synonyms- anxious, attentive, aware

Antonyms- unconcerned, unattentive

voluble

(VOL-yuh-bul)

A disc jockey needs to be a voluble speaker.

Adjective

ability to use words easily, fluent and glib.

Synonyms- garrulous, loquacious

Antonyms- taciturn