Honors Humanities
Vocabulary List 2
amicable (adj.): characterized or showing goodwill; friendliness. Although the senators
had opposing viewpoints on the bill, they reached an amicable agreement that
pleased both parties.
Synonyms: civil, cordial
Antonyms: hostile, unfriendly
avuncular (adj.): of or pertaining to the characteristics of an uncle. The avuncular
counselor was always willing to give students good advice.
bravado (n.): a pretense of courage; swaggering or defiant behavior. Caught in a lie,
she tried to escape punishment with a show of bravado.
Synonyms: bluster, bombast, braggadocio
conflate (v.t.): to combine into one entity; merge. Some scholars conflate the high
middle ages and the Renaissance into one period.
Synonyms: commingle, fuse, meld
Antonyms: segregate, separate
decorum (n.): appropriate behavior or conduct. Everyone thought he was a perfect
gentleman, displaying perfect decorum in any situation.
Synonyms: civility, gentility, propriety
Antonyms: impoliteness, rudeness
delirium (n.): a temporary state of mental confusion and fluctuating consciousness
resulting from high fever, intoxication, shock or other causes.
Synonyms: derangement, mania
Antonyms: balance, calmness
desecrate (v.t.): to violate the sacredness of something; to profane. The invading
army desecrated their opponent’s temple by driving livestock into it.
Synonyms: blaspheme, defile, pollute
Antonyms: honor, sanctify
extraneous (adj.): inessential; not pertinent; irrelevant. Some people refuse to be
distracted by extraneous facts when creating a theory.
Synonyms: adventitious, needless, superfluous
Antonyms: integral, pertinent
imperceptible (adj.): so subtle or gradual a change as to be barely (or not at all)
noticeable. The imperceptible change in temperature failed to make the weather
any more bearable.
Synonyms: indiscernible, infinitesimal, trivial
Antonyms: conspicuous, striking
indeterminate (adj.): indefinite; uncertain; vague; not established; not settled.
Despite the fact that his parents regularly nagged him, his plans for the future
remained indeterminate.
Synonyms: ambiguous, undefined
Antonyms: exact, fixed
insurrection (n.): an act of revolt, resistance or revolution against authority. The
threat of insurrection causes the despot to take severe actions against the
population.
Synonyms: insurgency, mutiny, uprising
Antonyms: compliance, obedience, subordination
irrevocable (adj.): unable to be revoked, reversed or changed. The student’s decision
to accept early admission to college was irrevocable.
Synonyms: binding, immutable, indelible, unalterable
Antonyms: changeable, mutable
marauding (adj.): engaged in raiding for plunder. The marauding Vikings sailed
throughout Northern Europe invading all wealthy areas.
Synonyms: despoiling, ransacking, ravaging
mull (v.i., v.t.): to think about carefully; to study. The student mulled over her choices
at the cafeteria.
Synonyms: meditate, ponder, ruminate
Antonyms: ignore, neglect
pathos (n.): a quality that arouses pity, sympathy, tenderness or sorrow. The pathos
of the old man’s situation made us all want to relieve his suffering.
Synonyms: pitifulness, plaintiveness, poignancy
Antonyms: glee, happiness
permeate (v.t.): to spread or flow through every part of something. Water permeated
everything in the house after the flooding.
Synonyms: imbue, pervade, saturate
rudimentary (adj.): in the earliest stages of development; undeveloped. He had only
the most rudimentary knowledge of ten-dimension string theory.
Synonyms: elementary, embryonic, incipient, vestigal
Antonyms: advanced, mature
sangfroid (n.): coolness and composure, especially in adverse situations. The senior
demonstrated a remarkable sangfroid while waiting to hear about the college
admissions department.
Synonyms: aplomb, equanimity, unflappability
Antonym: anxiety
shore (v.t.): to support by propping up. The homeowner used cinderblocks to shore up
the sagging porch.
Synonyms: brace, bulwark, buttress
spontaneity (n.): the quality of acting in from a natural impulse or tendency, without
effort or premeditation. Every moment in class was completely planned; the
teacher left no chance for spontaneity.
Synonym: improvisation
Antonym: discipline