Spitball in the Eye (2)
1. Obsequious
[adjective]
Definition: overly flattering
Synonyms: sycophantic, brown-nosing, fawning
Antonyms: assertive, noncompliant
 Sentence: Joshua believed that the best
way to win Esmeralda’s love was to be
completely obsequious, groveling before
her like the worm he was.
 Sentence: Don’t be an obsequious person
who fawns over others whether or not they
really deserve it.
2. Beguiled
[verb or adjective]
Definition: past tense of beguile, to charm
deceptively
Synonyms: bewitched, enchanted
 Sentence: With sweet whispers, Leslie
beguiled Egbert into the elementary
school’s utility closet. Later, the janitor
found what remained of Egbert bubbling in
a mop bucket.
 Sentence: Yellowstone National Park had a
multitude of attractions that beguiled me
on my vacation trip.
3. Baneful
[adjective]
Definition: harmful or poisonous
Synonyms: toxic, lethal
Antonyms: healing, therapeutic
 Sentence: The venom of this black mamba
snake is the most baneful in nature; one
bite can kill a healthy man by the time he
can finish this…
 Sentence: Anything baneful is seriously
harmful, probably fatal; better you
shouldn’t play with it, dahling.
4. Stolid
[adjective]
Definition: expressing little emotion
Synonyms: stoic, indifferent
Antonyms: emotional, expressive
 Sentence: While some feel Jamison’s stolid
personality is the result of his rigid British
upbringing, others blame it on the coma.
 Sentence: One of my more stolid friends is
Buford Birdbrain who always remains
impassive and unmoved in a crisis.
5. Stoic
[adjective or noun]
Definition: unemotional, resigned, patient
Synonyms: stolid, unmoved
Antonyms: easily moved, emotional
 Sentence: Buford appeared stoic and
steely-eyed before the firing squad, but
when asked if he had any last requests, he
collapsed in a whimpering heap, sobbing,
“Please let me go. I’ll be your best friend.”
 Sentence: Think Mr. Spock from Star Trek
for a perfect example of someone who is a
stoic.
6. Tangible
[adjective]
Definition: capable of being felt
Synonyms: palpable, touchable
Antonyms: intangible, impalpable
 Sentence: Because the police were unable
to locate any tangible evidence of foul
play—such as a murder weapon or rubber
gloves—Sir Regis Watercracker was able to
keep his tee time.
 Sentence: The science experiments are
finally yielding tangible results.
7. Palpable
[adjective]
Definitive: capable of being felt
Synonyms: tangible, touchable
Antonyms: impalpable, insubstantial
 Sentence: The tension at the treaty
negotiation was palpable as everyone
waited to see who would make a move on
the last grazed chocolate donut.
 Sentence: The palpable feeling of danger
made us move cautiously and slowly
through the dark alley.
8. Quixotic
[adjective]
Definition: foolishly impractical
Synonyms: dreamy, unrealistic, rash
Antonyms: rational, practical, down-to-earth
 Sentence: Antoine’s quixotic dream of
being Superman led him to squeeze into his
sister’s leotards; admiring the fit, he
decided he’d rather imitate Wonder
Woman.
 Sentence: You must remain level-headed
and not have a quixotic approach to solving
the problem before you.
***Note: This word comes from the comic
Spanish novel Don Quixote. The main character,
Quixote, lived in a dream world where he
believed himself to be a great hero and was
always embarking on impossible quests; at one
point he attacked a windmill, thinking it was a
dragon. The word has therefore come to describe
someone who’s foolishly and romantically
impractical, often in an amusing way.
9. Redress
[noun or verb]
Definition #1: relief from pain or distress
Synonyms: remedy, reparation
Antonyms: compensation
 Sentence: The only redress for a broken
heart is to constantly pester the jerk that
dumped you with aggravating phone calls
every hour on the hour.
Definition #2: compensation
Synonyms: payback, restitution
 Sentence: Outraged vegetarians demanded
redress from Nature’s Goodsome Foods,
Inc. when it was discovered that their
“Hawaiian Sunrise Fruit Salad” was really
just a can of pineapple-flavored pig eyes.
10. Summoned
[verb]
Definition: past tense of summon, to call forth
Synonyms: invoked, beckoned
Antonyms: dismissed
 Sentence: Whenever Buford was
summoned from the bench, he appeared
quickly at the coach’s side; although he
never actually touched the ball, Buford’s
promptness was the stuff of legends.
 Sentence: Penelope was summoned to
appear in court for the speeding tickets she
had failed to pay.