LIST OF SYNONYMS AND ANTONYMS

ABANDON: To give up completely - abandoned the sinking ship.

Synonyms: relinquish, forgo, forsake

ABASH: To lose self-confidence; to confuse, put to shame – abashed before the assembled
dignitaries.
Synonyms: fluster, disconcert, discomfit, discompose.
Antonym: (adj.) self-possessed

ABDICATE: To give up claim to - abdicated the throne.

Synonyms: renounce, abandon, relinquish

ABET: To encourage -or support - treacherously abetted the enemy.

Synonyms: spur, incite.
Antonym: deter

ABRIDGE: To shorten - abridged his lengthy speech.

Synonyms: curtail, diminish, retrench.
Antonyms: protract, elongate, amplify

ABROGATE: To abolish or render void - a treaty abrogated by mutual consent.

Synonyms: annul, nullify, rescind, void.

ABSTEMIOUS: Moderate in the use of food or drink - abstemious in his habits.

Synonym: temperate

ACADEMIC: Pertaining to school; theoretical academic interests; an academic discussion, with

no practical implications.
Synonym: scholastic

ACCEDE: To agree to - accede to a request.

Synonym: assent.
Antonym: demur

ACCELERATE: - To quicken, speed tip - took an accelerated course in order to graduate early.
Synonym: expedite (adj. expeditious).
Antonym: retard.

ACCOLADE: An award or salute - a tremendous accolade for a returning hero. Synonyms:

tribute, ovation

ACCORD: Agreement or harmony - in full accord with his view.

Synonyms: concord, concurrence.
Antonyms: dissension, discord

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ACRIMONIOUS: Sharp or harsh in language or temper - stung by the acrimonious remark.
Synonyms: caustic, acerb, pungent, tart, mordant, acrid; (noun) asperity.
Antonyms: suave, affable,

ACUMEN: Keenness of mind or insight - showing exceptional business acumen.

Synonyms: perspicacity, discernment, perception.
Antonym: obtuseness.

ADMONISH (noun: ADMONITION): To warn or find fault gently - admonishing the unruly
child.
Synonyms: chide, caution, reprimand, reprehend, reproach.

ADVERSARY: (adj.: ADVERSE): An opponent - his adversary in a bitter debate.

Synonym: antagonist.
Antonyms: cohort, confederate, ally, accomplice.

ADVERSITY: Misfortune - calm in the face of adversity.

Synonyms: affliction, mischance, reverses.

AESTHETIC: Pertaining to the beautiful - interested in aesthetic values rather than in purely
practical affairs.

AFFABLE: Sociable, courteous, and agreeable in manner a much admired, affable gentleman.
Synonyms: civil, complaisant, benign, gracious, genial, urbane, cordial.
Antonyms: curt, brusque, rude, boorish, surly.

AFFLUENT: Prosperous, flourishing; copious - a large bequest from an affluent grandfather.

Synonyms: opulent, profuse.
Antonyms: destitute, impecunious.

AGGRESSIVE (noun: AGGRESSION. an unprovoked attack): self-assertive; attacking, offensive -

annoyed people by his aggressive attitude.
Synonyms: bumptious, officious, obtrusive.
Antonyms: meek, humble, retiring, diffident.

ALACRITY: Eagerness; cheerful promptness - responded to the flattering offer with alacrity.
Synonyms: celerity, briskness, energy, animation.
Antonyms: apathy, nonchalance, sluggishness, lethargy, phlegmatism.

ALIENATE: To estrange - alterated by his gruff manner.

ALLAY: To calm; to lessen in severity - at ease now that his fears have been allayed.
Synonyms: appease, alleviate, pacify, assuage, abate, mitigate, propitiate, mollify, placate.
Antonyms: intensify, aggravate.

ALLUDE (noun: ALLUSION): To refer to indirectly - alluded quite subtly to his friend's
misfortune.
Synonyms: insinuate, intimate, imply.
Antonyms: refer, cite.

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ALLURE: To tempt by flattery or an attractive offer - allured by the prospect of a new job.
Synonyms: lure, decoy, inveigle, entice, seduce, wheedle, beguile, cajole.
Antonym: repel.

AMBIGUOUS: Uncertain, vague, capable of being inter- in more than one way - puzzled by the
ambiguous statement.
Synonyms: hazy, obscure, equivocal, dubious, nebulous.
Antonyms: explicit, unquestionable.

AMENABLE: Obedient; willing to submit - amenable to the suggestion.

Synonyms: tractable, docile, responsive.
Antonyms: intractable, refractory, recalcitrant.

AMIABLE: Good-natured; friendly - attracted friends by his amiable disposition.

Synonym: complaisant.

ANACHRONISM: A thing placed or occurring out of its normal time - A machine gun at the
Battle of Yorktown would be an anachronism.

ANALOGY (adj.: ANALOGOUS): A relation between two things shown in the resemblance not
of the things themselves but of their characteristics - He indicated points of analogy between
the two situations. Synonyms: correspondence, affinity.
Antonym: anomaly (a deviation from the general rule).

ANARCHY: State of confusion or lawlessness - a country brought to utter anarchy by civil war.
Synonyms: chaos, pandemonium.

ANIMUS: A feeling of hatred-felt no animus, even against the enemy.

Synonyms: enmity, rancor, malevolence, animosity.
Antonym: amity.

ANNALS: Historical records - in the annals of literature.

ANONYMOUS: Of unknown authorship-an anonymous publication.

ANTHOLOGY: A collection of choice literary works – an anthology of modern poetry.

ANTITHESIS (adj.: ANTITHETICAL): Contrast; the direct opposite - His selfish attitude seemed
to me the antithesis o patriotism.

APATHY (adj.: APATHETIC): Lack of feeling, emotion, or interest - attributed his failure to
apathy, rather than lack of ability. Synonyms: torpor, lethargy, sluggishness, listlessness,
languor, lassitude, dispassion; (verb) languish. Antonyms: zeal, animation.

APPREHENSIVE (verb: APPREHEND): Fearful - Being unprepared, John is apprehensive of the

examination.

APPRISE: To inform –apprised his lieutenants of the new situation.

APPROBATION: Approval; praise -a plan that met with hearty approbation. Synonyms:

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sanction, commendation. Antonym: disapprobation.

APT (noun: APTITUDE, APTNESS): ((1) Likely; inclined or disposed - apt to succeed. Synonym:
prone. (2) Fit, suitable - an apt remark. Synonyms: appropriate, felicitous. (3) Skillful, expert -
apt at woodcarving. Synonyms: deft, dextrous, adept. Antonym: inept.

ARBITER: A person who has authority to decide matters in dispute - a fair decision rendered
by the arbiter. Synonyms: mediator, arbitrator

ARCHETYPE: An original pattern - copies reproduced from the archetype. Synonym:

prototype. Antonyms: Stereotype, facsimile, replica.

ARID: Dry; barren - the arid desert land. Synonyms: jejune, parched. Antonyms: arable, fertile.

ARISTOCRACY: Government by the best people; a privileged class -special privileges enjoyed
by the aristocracy. Synonym: oligarchy. Antonym: democracy.

ARMISTICE: A temporary suspension of hostilities. The armistice halted the war. Synonym:
truce

ARTFUL: Sly; crafty - attained his mean objective by artful measures. Synonyms: cunning,
wily, adroit, ingenious, guileful. Antonyms: guileless, ingenuous, artless.

ARTICULATE (verb): To speak clearly or distinctly - articulated slowly so that he could not be
misunderstood. (adj.): Capable of speech; distinct, clear – an articulate man, always ready to
give his views.

ASCETIC: Rigorously self-denying - pursued the ascetic life of a monk. Synonyms: austere,
abstinent. Antonyms: wanton, self-indulgent.

ASKANCE: With distrust - looked askance at the forged signature.

ASSEVERATE: To declare positively; to confirm - asseverated his views with conviction.

Synonyms: assert, avouch, aver, avow, allege. Antonyms: gainsay, controvert, recant, rescind,
abjure, disavow.

ASSIDUOUS: Industrious - an assiduous worker, toiling long hours. Synonyms: sedulous,

attentive, diligent, indefatigable. Antonyms: indolent, slothful.

ASYLUM: A place offering shelter and retreat - found asylum from persecution. Synonyms:
sanctuary, refuge.

ATHEIST: One who denies that God exists - The atheist declared, "There is no God." Synonyms:
infidel, agnostic, skeptic.

ATTRIBUTE (verb): Assign -attributed his success to bard work. Synonym: ascribe (noun): An
inherent quality -Generosity was his outstanding attribute.

AUGMENT: To increase or enlarge - an army augmented by numerous enlistments. Synonyms:

enhance, amplify. Antonyms: abate, curtail.

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AUSPICIOUS: Indicating a happy outcome - The prospect for this project appears auspicious.
Synonyms: propitious, fortunate. Antonyms: ominous, foreboding.

AUTHENTIC: Genuine -proved to be an authentic document. Synonyms: veritable, bona fide.

Antonyms: apocryphal, counterfeit, spurious, bogus.

AUTOCRATIC: Despotic - feared by the masses as an autocratic ruler. Synonym: tyrannical.

Antonym: benevolent.

AVARICE: Excessive greed - a fortune accumulated by avarice and miserliness. Synonyms:

covetousness, cupidity, avidity. Antonym: magnanimity.

AWRY: Unsymmetrical; not straight - the picture, hanging awry on the wall. Synonym: askew.
BANAL: Lacking in freshness, originality, or vigor-bored by his banal remarks. Synonyms:
commonplace, hackneyed, prosaic, trite, stereotyped, vapid. Antonyms: racy, original, vivid.

BANEFUL (noun: BANE: poison; source of harm): Destructive, poisonous - a baneful effect,
causing serious injury. Synonyms: deleterious, pernicious, virulent, noxious, toxic. Antonym:
beneficent.

BANTER: Good-natured teasing or ridicule-The two wits I exchanged banter, to the

amusement of the audience. Synonyms: raillery, chaff

BATON: A stick or staff - The conductor wielded his baton gracefully.

BELIE: To give a false idea of - His gracious manner belled his evil purpose. Synonym:
misrepresent

BELLICOSE; Inclined to quarrel; warlike - His bellicose attitude often got John into fights.
Synonyms: pugnacious, contentious, disputatious. Antonyms: pacific, conciliatory.

BELLIGERENT: Engaged in war - two belligerent nations warring fiercely.

BENEVOLENT: Kindly; charitable - like a benevolent monarch, bestowing many favors.
Synonyms: benign, benignant, gracious, magnanimous. Antonyms: malevolent, malignant.

BEREAVE: To deprive or leave desolate by loss - a widow just bereaved of her husband.

BESMIRCH: To soil or dirty - besmirched his opponent's good name with vile epithets.
Synonyms: stilly, defile, smirch, bespatter.

BIASED: Prejudiced - misled by a biased point of view. Synonyms: bigoted, arbitrary, partial,
partisan. Antonyms: disinterested, equitable.

BIBLIOPHILE: A lover of books - The bibliophile fingered the old book fondly. Antonym:
bibliophobe.

BIZARRE: Queer; unusual in appearance- bizarre clothes, outlandish in the extreme.

Synonyms: odd, fantastic, grotesque, eccentric.

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