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UNIT 2 VOCABULARY
Adroit(adj.) Skillful, expert in the use of the hands or
mind
Synonyms: Clever, deft, dexterous, slick
Antonyms: Clumsy, inept, all thumbs
Pronunciation
The members of the Carolina Crown Drum Line are extremely adroit while playing.
Amicable(adj.) peaceable, friendly
Synonyms: congenial, neighborly, cordial
Antonyms: hostile, antagonistic
Pronunciation
Averse(adj.) opposed, unwilling; having a deep-
seated distaste
Synonyms: disinclined, loath
Antonyms: favorably disposed, eager, keen
Pronunciation
He has always been averse to eating healthy
food.
Belligerent(adj.) given to fighting, warlike; combative, aggressive;
(n.) one at war, one engaged in war
Synonyms: assertive, truculent, pugnacious
Antonyms: peaceful, conciliatory, placid
Pronunciation
Benevolent(adj.) Kindly, charitable
Synonyms: benign, well-meaning
Antonyms: malicious, spiteful, malevolent
Pronunciation
Cursory(adj.) hasty, not thorough
Synonyms: quick, superficial, perfunctory
Antonyms: thorough, painstaking, careful
Pronunciation
Duplicity(n.) treachery, deceitfulness
Synonyms: fraud, double-dealing, chicanery
Pronunciation
We found it difficult to believe that our good friend could be capable of such duplicity.
Extol(v.) to praise extravagantly
Synonyms: glorify, applaud, acclaim, hail
Antonyms: criticize, belittle, disparage
Pronunciation
Feasible(adj.) possible, able to be done
Synonyms: workable, practicable, viable
Antonyms: unworkable, impractical
Pronunciation
Is this feasible?
Grimace(n.) a wry face, facial distortion;
(v.) to make a wry face
Synonyms: pained expression, facial contortion
Antonyms: (n.) smile, grin; (v.) beam
Pronunciation
Holocaust(n.) a large-scale destruction, especially by fire;
a vast slaughter; a burnt offering
Synonyms: conflagration, devastation, annihilation
Antonyms: deluge, inundation
Pronunciation
Impervious(adj.) not affected or hurt by; admitting of no
passage or entrance
Synonyms: impenetrable, resistant, proof against
Antonyms: porous, permeable, vulnerable
Pronunciation
Impetus(n.) a moving force, impulse, stimulus
Synonyms: impulse, incentive, spur
Antonyms: curb, hindrance, impediment, constraint
Pronunciation
Saving the elephants should get the same impetus as the “save
the whales” movement!
Jeopardy(n.) danger
Synonyms: risk, hazard, peril
Antonyms: safety, security
Pronunciation
Meticulous(adj.) extremely careful; particular about details
Synonyms: fussy, painstaking, fastidious
Antonyms: careless, negligent, sloppy
Pronunciation
The old man was meticulous when it came to his lawn.
Nostalgia(n.) a longing for something past; homesickness
Looking at old scrapbooks and reading old letters can bring on a vague sense of nostalgia for days
gone by and friends no longer near.
Pronunciation
Quintessence(v.) the purest essence or form of something; the
most typical example
Synonyms: paragon, exemplar
Pronunciation
Risking one’s own life to save lives of others is considered the quintessence of a selfless hero.
Retrogress(v.) to move backward; to return to an earlier
condition
Synonyms: revert, degenerate, decline
Antonyms: advance, evolve, progress
Pronunciation
Scrutinize(v.) to examine closely
Synonyms: inspect, pore over
Antonyms: skim, scan, glance at
Pronunciation
Tepid(adj.) lukewarm, unenthusiastic, marked by an
absence of interest
Synonyms: insipid, halfhearted, wish-washy
Antonyms: heated, excited, enthusiastic
Pronunciation
The water is tepid.