Day 3 - Vocabulary List
pandemic
DEFINITION: an epidemic that is geographically widespread an affects a large proportion of
the population
SENTENCE: The Spanish flu in the early 1900s was pandemic, despite its name; millions of
people across Europe died as a result of it.
fortitude
DEFINITION: strength of mind that allows one to endure pain or adversity with courage
SENTENCE: Despite having lost his mother and father in one tragic accident, Ian held on with
fortitude and never showed any tears.
SYNONYMS: endurance, resolution, perseverance
ANTONYMS: cowardice, helplessness, weakness
diminutive
DEFINITION: very small
SENTENCE: Minions, though diminutive creatures, often cause lots of trouble.
SYNONYMS: tiny, petite, little
ANTONYMS: enormous, gigantic, large
archaic
DEFINITION: old-fashioned; out of date; no longer part of contemporary usage; antiquated
SENTENCE: The archaic language of Beowulf made it really hard to read, although it was still
a form of English.
SYNONYMS: ancient, obsolete, antique
ANTONYMS: modern, new, relevant
exhort
DEFINITION: to encourage; urge; implore; give a pep talk
SENTENCE: Alyssa frequently exhorts both staff and students to do their best.
SYNONYMS: encourage, advise, persuade
ANTONYMS: impede, discourage, thwart
antipathy and animosity
DEFINITION: strong dislike; ill will; the state of detesting someone
SENTENCE: The animosity between Sully and Mike in Monsters U was resolved when they
became friends.
SYNONYMS: abhorrence, enmity, hatred
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Day 3 - Vocabulary List
ANTONYMS: love, rapport, friendliness
digress
DEFINITION: to depart from a subject; wander; ramble
SENTENCE: Professors in college frequently digress from the topic, making the lecture longer
and unfocused.
SYNONYMS: get sidetracked, go off on a tangent, get off the subject, ramble
ANTONYMS: focus, concentrate, zero-in
tenacious
DEFINITION: characterized by holding fast; showing great determination in holding on to
something that is valued
SENTENCE: Roald Amundsen's tenacious spirit allowed him to become the first person to reach
the North Pole despite numerous casualties along the way.
SYNONYMS: adamant, dogged, steadfast
ANTONYMS: weak, surrendering, yielding
indulgent
DEFINITION: characterized by excessive generosity; overly tolerant
SENTENCE: The child's mother was indulgent beyond belief; as a result, the boy was the worst
brat I'd ever seen.
SYNONYMS: permissive, leinent, tolerant
ANTONYMS: harsh, unforgiving, strict
divisive and polarize
DEFINITION: to create disunity or dissension; to break up into opposing factions or groups
SENTENCE: The question of abortion is extremely divisive in the United States; there is zero
middle ground.
SYNONYMS: alienating, discordant, disruptive
ANTONYMS: unifying, cohesive, synthesizing
nebulous
DEFINITION: vague; cloudy; misty; lacking a fully developed form
SENTENCE: The politician spoke in nebulous terms, never speaking clearly about anything lest
it be used against him somehow.
SYNONYMS: ambigiuous, amorphous, murky
ANTONYMS: clear, apparent, plain
analogy and analogous
DEFINITION: a similarity or likeness
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Day 3 - Vocabulary List
SENTENCE: The way Ali spoke was completely analogous to her mother's, proving that blood is
indeed thicker than water.
SYNONYMS: correlation, likeness, association
ANTONYMS: dissimilar, unlikeness, difference
fleeting and ephemeral
DEFINITION: very brief; lasting for a short time
SENTENCE: In the Notebook, Noah lives his entire life holding on to the memories of the
ephemeral moments he shared with Allie.
SYNONYMS: cursory, passing, fleeting
ANTONYMS: lasting, enduring, lengthy
penchant and predilection
DEFINITION: a liking or preference for something; an inclination
SENTENCE: Angelina Jolie has a penchant for tattoos and adopting children.
SYNONYMS: affinity, bias, propensity
ANTONYMS: indifference, impartial, neutral
capricious and mercurial
DEFINITION: very changeable; fickle; characterized by constantly-shifting moods
SENTENCE: Though the British public originally loved Susan Boyle, the capricious voters saw
her finish in 2nd place on Britain's Got Talent.
SYNONYMS: variable, erratic, volatile
ANTONYMS: constant, steadfast, dependable
boorish and uncouth
DEFINITION: vulgar; characterized by crude behavior and deplorable manner
SENTENCE: Stan's boorish uncle was the embarrassment of his family at every public event
when he endlessly told crude jokes.
SYNONYMS: rude, barbaric, uncouth
ANTONYMS: civilized, refined, cultured
indignant
DEFINITION: characterized by outrage at something that is perceived as unjust
SENTENCE: Stan's boorish uncle was the embarrassment of his family at every public event
when he endlessly told crude jokes.
SYNONYMS: rude, barbaric, uncouth
ANTONYMS: civilized, refined, cultured
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Day 3 - Vocabulary List
innuendo
DEFINITION: a veiled reference; an insinuation
SENTENCE: The sexual innuendos that were cleverly hidden throughout the movie made her
uncomfortable.
SYNONYMS: allusion, hint, insinuation
thwart and stymie
DEFINITION: to stop, frustrate, prevent
SENTENCE: Lily Potter's love thwarted Lord Voldemort's attempt to kill her one-year-old son,
Harry.
SYNONYMS: impede, block, deter
ANTONYMS: encourage, goad, help
adroit and deft
DEFINITION: to have or show great skill; dexterous; nimble
SENTENCE: Gob Bluth claims to be a great magician although he clearly is not adroit or deft
with his hands.
SYNONYMS: skillful, proficient, adept
ANTONYMS: clumsy, awkward, inept
admonish
DEFINITION: to earnestly caution; to warn against (another) to avoid a course of action
SENTENCE: Calvin's parents always admonish him for his rascally behavior with his stuffed
tiger, Hobbes.
SYNONYMS: scold, chide, berate
ANTONYMS: applaud, praise, approve
incontrovertible
DEFINITION: indisputable; beyond doubt
SENTENCE: Although the DNA sample should have been incontrovertible evidence against O.J.
Simpson, he still went free.
SYNONYMS: incontestable, undeniable, unquestionable
ANTONYMS: questionable, uncertain, ambiguous
voracious and ravenous
DEFINITION: a huge appetite that cannot be satisfied; insatiable
SENTENCE: Homer Simpson has a voracious appetite for doughnuts.
SYNONYMS: ravenous, insatiable, gluttonous
ANTONYMS: quenched, satisfied, satiated
callous
DEFINITION: emotionally hardened; insensitive; unfeeling
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Day 3 - Vocabulary List
SENTENCE: Tom Buchanan callously ruins four lives while recklessly pursuing his own selfish
pleasures.
SYNONYMS: tough, insensitive, harsh
ANTONYMS: compassionate, sensitive, tender
intrepid and undaunted
DEFINITION: courageous, resolute, and fearless
SENTENCE: Luke Skywalker was undaunted by the Empire's seemingly invincible Death Star.
SYNONYMS: brave, daunting, daring
ANTONYMS: timid, cowardly, meek
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