UNIT 2 VOCABULARY
Adroit
Pronunciation
(adj.) Skillful, expert in the use of the hands or
mind
The members of the Carolina
Crown Drum Line are
extremely adroit while
playing.
Synonyms: Clever, deft, dexterous, slick
Antonyms: Clumsy, inept, all thumbs
Amicable
Pronunciation
(adj.) peaceable, friendly
Synonyms: congenial, neighborly, cordial
Antonyms: hostile, antagonistic
Averse
Pronunciation
(adj.) opposed, unwilling; having a deepseated distaste
He has always been
averse to eating healthy
food.
Synonyms: disinclined, loath
Antonyms: favorably disposed, eager, keen
Belligerent
Pronunciation
(adj.) given to fighting, warlike; combative, aggressive;
(n.) one at war, one engaged in war
Synonyms: assertive, truculent, pugnacious
Antonyms: peaceful, conciliatory, placid
Benevolent
Pronunciation
(adj.) Kindly, charitable
Synonyms: benign, well-meaning
Antonyms: malicious, spiteful, malevolent
Cursory
Pronunciation
(adj.) hasty, not thorough
Synonyms: quick, superficial, perfunctory
Antonyms: thorough, painstaking, careful
Duplicity
Pronunciation
(n.) treachery, deceitfulness
We found it difficult to
believe that our good
friend could be capable of
such duplicity.
Synonyms: fraud, double-dealing, chicanery
Extol
Pronunciation
(v.) to praise extravagantly
Synonyms: glorify, applaud, acclaim, hail
Antonyms: criticize, belittle, disparage
Feasible
Pronunciation
(adj.) possible, able to be done
Is this feasible?
Synonyms: workable, practicable, viable
Antonyms: unworkable, impractical
Grimace
Pronunciation
(n.) a wry face, facial distortion;
(v.) to make a wry face
Synonyms: pained expression, facial
contortion
Antonyms: (n.) smile, grin; (v.) beam
Holocaust
Pronunciation
(n.) a large-scale destruction, especially by fire; a
vast slaughter; a burnt offering
Synonyms: conflagration, devastation,
annihilation
Antonyms: deluge, inundation
Impervious
Pronunciation
(adj.) not affected or hurt by; admitting of no
passage or entrance
Synonyms: impenetrable, resistant, proof against
Antonyms: porous, permeable, vulnerable
Impetus
Pronunciation
(n.) a moving force, impulse, stimulus
Saving the elephants should get
the same impetus as the “save
the whales” movement!
Synonyms: impulse, incentive, spur
Antonyms: curb, hindrance, impediment, constraint
Jeopardy
Pronunciation
(n.) danger
Synonyms: risk, hazard, peril
Antonyms: safety, security
Meticulous
Pronunciation
(adj.) extremely careful; particular about details
The old man was
meticulous when it
came to his lawn.
Synonyms: fussy, painstaking, fastidious
Antonyms: careless, negligent, sloppy
Nostalgia
Pronunciation
(n.) a longing for something past; homesickness
Looking at old scrapbooks and reading old letters
can bring on a vague sense of nostalgia for days
gone by and friends no longer near.
Quintessence
Pronunciation
(v.) the purest essence or form of something; the
most typical example
Risking one’s own life to save
lives of others is considered the
quintessence of a selfless hero.
Synonyms: paragon, exemplar
Retrogress
Pronunciation
(v.) to move backward; to return to an earlier
condition
Synonyms: revert, degenerate, decline
Antonyms: advance, evolve, progress
Scrutinize
Pronunciation
(v.) to examine closely
Synonyms: inspect, pore over
Antonyms: skim, scan, glance at
Tepid
Pronunciation
(adj.) lukewarm, unenthusiastic, marked by an
absence of interest
The water is tepid.
Synonyms: insipid, halfhearted, wish-washy
Antonyms: heated, excited, enthusiastic