Acclamation (n)
A shout of welcome; and overwhelming verbal vote of approval
Syn: ovation, cheering, plaudits
Ant: booing, hissing, jeers, catcalls
** a claim of greatness
Bucolic (adj)
Characteristic of the countryside, rural; relating to shepherds and
cowherds, pastoral
Syn: rustic
Ant: urban, metropolitan
**where you see BUlls and COLlies
Calumniate (v)
To slander; to accuse falsely and maliciously
Syn: defame, libel
Ant: flatter, whitewash, praise
**a tabloid column about someone
Chary (adj)
Extremely cautious, hesitant, or slow (to); reserved, diffident
Syn: wary, skittish
Ant: heedless, reckless, incautious
Collusion (n)
Secret agreement or cooperation
Syn: conspiracy, plot, connivance, cahoots
**people in collusion try to create an illusion that all is well
Dilettante (n) (adj)
A dabbler in the arts; one who engages in an
activity in an amateurish, trifling way; (adj)
superficial
Syn: amateur
Ant: professional
Imperturbable (adj)
Not easily excited; emotionally steady
Syn: unflappable, unexcitable, serene,
unruffled
Ant: excitable
**can’t be perturbed or disturbed
Increment (n)
An enlargement, increase, addition
Syn: accretion, gain
Ant: loss, reduction, decrease
**increase
Mandate (n) (v)
An authoritative command, formal order, authorization; (v) to issue such
an order
Syn: (n) directive
Ant: (v) forbid, ban, outlaw
**order that is mandatory – must be followed
Paltry (adj)
Trifling, insignificant; mean, despicable; inferior
Syn: measly, meager, piddling, trivial
Ant: gigantic, immense, colossal
**the paltry piece of poultry didn’t fill me up
Paroxysm (n)
A sudden outburst; a spasm,
convulsion
Syn: fit, seizure
Pedantry (n)
A pretentious display of knowledge; overly rigid attention to rules and
details
Syn: nit-picking, hairsplitting
Peregrination (n)
The act of traveling; an excursion, especially on foot or to a foreign
country
Syn: journey, wandering, odyssey
**migration to a destination
Redolent (adj)
Fragrant, smelling strongly; tending to arouse memories or create an
aura
Syn: evocative, reminiscent, aromatic
Ant: unevocative, odorless
**red(odor)lent
Refulgent (adj)
Shining, radiant, resplendent
Syn: luminous, splendid
Ant: dim, dark, dingy, dull, murky
**detergent makes things shine!
Shibboleth (n)
A word, expression, or custom that distinguishes a
particular group of persons from all others; a
commonplace saying or truism
Syn: catchphrase, password, slogan
Tyro (n)
A beginner, novice; one with little or no background or skill
Syn: neophyte
Ant: veteran, past master, expert
** a tyro tries something new
Unremitting (adj)
Not stopping, maintained steadily, never letting up, relentless
Syn: constant, incessant, unrelenting
Ant: desultory, intermittent
**uninterrupted, unending
Vacillate (v)
To swing indecisively from one idea or
course of action to another; to waver
weakly in mind or will
Syn: seesaw, fluctuate, oscillate
Ant: persevere
**oscillating fan changes direction
Vituperative (adj)
Harshly abusive, severely scolding
Syn: abusive, scurrilous, insulting
Ant: complimentary, laudatory,
flattering
**like a viper – poisonous