 GROUP 1 
BRAGGART: n. one who boasts a great deal
- Leo is such a braggart; he boasts all day about his exploits on the basketball
court.
- Even if you are a champion swimmer, avoid sounding like a braggart on your
college application essay.
Synonym: egotist
Antonym: milquetoast
INSIPID: adj. lacking in qualities that interest, stimulate, or challenge; dull
- The conversation at dinner was so insipid that Monica fell asleep at the table.
- What kept the Hagans from going to church on Sunday was the minister,
whose insipid sermons made them want to go back to bed.
Synonym: boring
Antonym: fascinating
PUGNACIOUS: adj. eager to fight; belligerent
- Walter and Willa are a pugnacious pair, always squabbling and fighting.
- Beware of pugnacious salesmen who’ll bully you into buying things you don’t
need.
Synonym: argumentative
Antonym: passive
NEFARIOUS: adj. very mean and wicked
- Of all the rotten scoundrels in the story, Sebastian was the most nefarious.
- His desire to get a conviction caused the nefarious police officer to plant
incriminating evidence at the scene of the crime.
Synonym: heinous
Antonym: admirable
EXTOL: v. to praise highly; laud
- It’s my intention to extol Bonnie’s successful attempt to get into Harvard.
- In his eulogy, Marc Antony said that he came to bury Caesar not to extol him.
Synonym: acclaim
Antonym: disparage
TORPID: adj. lacking energy; relating to inactivity; feeling sluggish
It was not hot and muggy—a torpid, sleep-inducing day.
Harold felt too torpid to do anything but sit on the beach and count the
waves.
Lying in the sun, a sweet torpidity overcame me, and I soon fell asleep.
Synonym: lazy
Antonym: energetic
ZEALOUS: adj. filled with enthusiasm; fervent
- A zealous bodybuilder, Derek works out in the weight room during every
spare moment.
- If everyone was as zealous a worker as Scott, there would be no need for a
supervisor.
Synonym: passionate
Antonym: apathetic
VORACIOUS: adj. greedy; gluttonous; ravenous; insatiable
- Because Molly skipped breakfast and lunch, she had a voracious appetite at
dinner.
- Tucker is a voracious eater. Every day he polishes off a half-dozen
hamburgers, a pound of potato salad, and a giant bowl of chocolate mousse.
- Sally reads mysteries voraciously. No sooner does she finish one than she
starts a reading another.
Synonym: hungry
Antonym: satisfied
PRUDENT: adj. careful; cautious; and wise
- It is prudent not to drive when the roads are covered with ice.
- Because he was tired and sleepy, Charles made the prudent decision to stop
for coffee.
Synonym: judicious
Antonym: reckless
EXPEDITE- v. To make easy and quick; to speed up.
- In order to expedite matters we hired three additional workers.
- When someone is preparing our favorite dishes, we like to come into the kitchen
to help expedite the meal.
Synonym: facilitate
Antonym: delay