LEARN WORDS

Pretense:  (noun)  the act of giving false appearance
Synonyms: falsehood, charade
Antonyms: reality, honesty
Usage: To attend that lavish party she was under the pretense to be his biggest well-wisher.

Nondescript: (adj.)  lacking distinct or individual characteristics
Synonyms: unremarkable, ordinary
Antonyms: extraordinary, distinguished
Usage: This document is nondescript as it doesn’t provide the basics.

Effrontery: (noun) audacious behavior that you have no right to
Synonyms: arrogance, brashness
Antonyms: care, caution
Usage: The apparent effrontery in the public place cannot be unnoticed.

Prowess: (noun) skill learned by study and practice and observation
Synonyms: aptitude, dexterity
Antonyms: failure, inability
Usage: She  took ten years to prove her prowess.

Infirm: (adj.) lacking strength
Synonyms: feeble, ailing
Antonyms: healthy, sound
Usage: In old age generally people get infirmed towards any task.

Snub : (verb) refuse to acknowledge
Synonyms: disregard, ignore
Antonyms: welcome, respect
Usage: It is better to snub people who are grumpy.

Improvise : (verb) create or perform spontaneously without any preparation
Synonyms: extemporize, ad lib
Antonyms: plan, design
Usage: Rahul is a consummate professional, always prepared yet ready to improvise.

Purport :  (verb) appear or claim to do something especially falsely
Synonyms: claim, intend
Antonyms: insignificance, meaninglessness
Usage: The closing letters do not purport to be an exhaustive list of all possible problematic areas.

Scanty : (adj.)  lacking in amplitude or quantity
Synonyms: insufficient, limited
Antonyms: adequate, sufficient
Usage: Due to less rain maize production is scanty.

Hapless : (adj.) deserving or inciting pity
Synonyms: unlucky, woeful
Antonyms: happy, fortunate
Usage: The hapless bureaucrat was forced to eat his own words.

Browbeat : (verb) to frighten, threat                                                                     
Synonyms : coerce, bully, intimidate
Antonyms : boost, help
Usage : They were browbeaten into accepting the offer.

Cacophony : (noun) harsh, displeasing sound
Synonyms : noise, clamour
Antonyms : silence, peace
Usage :  The businessmen chose the quiet park for their meeting in order to avoid the cacophony of their offices.

Fulsome : (adj.) exaggerated or excessive
Synonyms : bombastic, flattering
Antonyms : reasonable, sincere
Usage : The fulsome expressions of gratitude that she showered on him made everyone feel slightly sick.

Impotent : (adj.) lacking power or ability
Synonyms: ineffective, powerless
Antonyms: capable, competent
Usage: The magician claims that his secret potion prevents his powers from becoming impotent.

Invective : (noun) abusive language
Synonyms : criticism, abuse
Antonyms : praise, compliment
Usage : We should refrain from using invective in our speeches.

Diaphanous: (adj.) a very transparent cloth
Synonyms: flimsy, sheer
Antonyms: opaque, thick
Usage: A diaphanous silk veil looks very graceful.

Disputatious: (adj.) fond of argument
Synonyms: argumentative, quarrelsome
Antonyms: peaceful, calm
Usage: She is very disputatious by nature and just falls for any bait.

Dilate: (verb) cause to expand
Synonyms: augment, amplify
Antonyms: abridge, compress
Usage: The doctors put the eye drops in order to dilate the pupils before surgery.

Dowdy: (verb) not neat or smart in dress
Synonyms: shabby, unkempt
Antonyms: bright, good, neat
Usage: A good wardrobe though necessary, is not a sufficient condition to change a person who is dowdy.

Extol: (verb) laud
Synonyms: acclaim, applaud
Antonyms: castigate, blame
Usage: The Ramayana extols the virtues of Lord Rama.

Sluggish : (adj.) slow moving or inactive
Synonyms : lethargic, slow,
Antonyms : active, energetic
Usage : The real problem is that many people are struggling because of the sluggish economy.

Amiss : (adj.) not quite right; inappropriate
Synonyms : improper, untoward
Antonyms : proper, suitable
Usage : There is something seriously amiss here and it has nothing to do with science.

Antecedent : (noun) A thing or event that existed before or logically precedes another
Synonyms : precedent, anterior, former
Antonyms : current, present
 Usage : It's fairly common to write a sequel, but not so common to write an antecedent.

Abetment : (noun) encourage or assist to do something wrong
Synonyms : assist, help, support
Antonyms : discouragement, stop
Usage : Lawyers believe many of these convictions related to the suicide of a dowry victim were secured after proving the abetment charge.

Sabotage : (verb) deliberately destroys, damage, or obstructs (something).
Synonyms : damage, disrupt
Antonyms : fix, devotion
Usage : Investigators are looking at theories including hijacking, mechanical failure, sabotage and pilot action.

Immolation : (noun)  killing or offering  as a sacrifice
Synonyms :  sacrifice, offering
Antonyms : increase, rise
Usage : Superstition leads to immolation and there are many places where it takes place.

Disgruntled : (adj.)  in a state of sulky dissatisfaction
Synonyms :  annoyed, irritated
Antonyms : pleased, satisfied
Usage : Ronn was disgruntled when his boss didn’t appreciate him for his commendable task.

Vent : (verb) give expression or utterance to
Synonyms : ventilator, utter
Antonyms : closure
Usage : In the vent of anger she had heated argument with her colleague.

Throttle : (verb) place limits on  (extent or access)
Synonyms :  strangle, inhibit
Antonyms : encourage, release
Usage : Some big companies have long agreed to throttle back their consumption at times of peak demand.

Ludicrous : (adj.) broadly or extravagantly humorous
Synonyms : comical, absurd
Antonyms : serious, ordinary
Usage :  It is ludicrous to call cottage a mansion.

Replete : (adj.) well filled, stuffed
Synonyms: satiated, overflowing
Antonyms: unfilled, empty
Usage: The apartment was replete with expensive antiques.

Palpable : (adj.) tangible, obvious
Synonyms: apparent, blatant
Antonyms: ambiguous, concealed
Usage: The tension in the room was almost palpable.

Meticulous : (adj.) extremely careful
Synonyms: fastidious, diligent, punctilious
Antonyms: careless, inaccurate
Usage: The painting had been executed with meticulous attention to detail.

Impertinent : (adj.) rude
Synonyms: impolite, uncivil
Antonyms: Kind, mannered
Usage: No teacher can tolerate impertinent behavior.

Exalt : (adj.) celebrating, promote, praise
Synonyms: extol, glorify
Antonyms: blame, castigate
Usage:  The allowance of such a claim would exalt form over substance.

 Bawdy: (adj.) indecent
Synonyms: erotic, lewd
Antonyms: decent, moral
Usage: They got arrested once, for singing bawdy songs in a cemetery.

Cagey: (adj.) to be secretive about something
Synonyms: crafty, secretive
Antonyms: honest, naive
Usage:  He is cagey about his future plans; perhaps he is serious about a career in politics.

Defalcate: (verb) to steal or misuse funds
Synonyms: pilfer, misuse
Antonyms: give, receive
Usage: The bureaucrat who was indicted for defalcation was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment.

Filch: (verb) to steal
Synonyms: steal, rob
Antonyms: give, receive
Usage: Raj should be checked of his compulsive habit of filching.

Quack: (noun) an untrained person who practices medicine fraudulently
Synonyms: impostor, fake
Antonyms: real, genuine
Usage: I have got a check-up with the quack next week.

Paucity : (noun) an insufficient quantity or number
Synonyms : dearth, shortage
Antonyms : plenty, affluence
Usage : In many regions there is paucity of water.

Venerate : (verb) regard with feelings of respect and reverence
Synonyms : esteem, cherish
Antonyms : denounce, abhor
Usage : The Bible says we should venerate our parents and our elders.

Clad : (adj.) having an outer covering especially of thin metal
Synonyms : attired, covered
Antonyms :  exposed, unclad
Usage : Turn left where you see the three-story metal-clad police box.

Ensue : (verb) issue or terminate
Synonyms : arise, befall
Antonyms : half, ceased
Usage : Unless the politicians move fast, more turmoil could ensue.

Contrive: (verb) make or work out a plan for
Synonym: fabricate, devise
Antonym: break, dissuade
Usage: In a decidedly contrived episode, Biel then abruptly leaves the consulate and disappears.

Horrendous: (adj.) causing fear or dread or terror
Synonyms: atrocious, terrible
Antonyms: pleasant, wonderful
Usage: His friends cheated him of everything and then discarded him in a most horrendous way.

Malodorous: (adj.) having an unpleasant smell
Synonyms: stinking, foul, decayed
Antonyms: aromatic, perfumed
Usage: There lie tons of malodorous garbage bags in that street.

Mellifluous: (adj.) pleasing to the ears
Synonyms: smooth, honeyed, melodious
Antonyms: harsh
Usage: I grew up around people who had wonderful, mellifluous voices.

Obtuse: (adj.) slow to understand
Synonyms: imperceptive, dumb
Antonyms: bright, intelligent
Usage: The obtuse remark left everyone perplexed!

Pauper: (noun) a person who is very poor
Synonyms: beggar, bankrupt
Antonyms: rich, wealth
Usage: He did die a pauper and is buried in an unmarked grave.
 

Gamut : (noun) a complete extent of range
Synonyms : spectrum, range
Usage :  Ronn depicts the gamut of human emotions in his poem.

Garrulous : (adj.) full of trivial conversation
Synonyms : chatty, loquacious, talkative
Antonyms : quiet, silent
Usage :  The lady I met at the restaurant was garrulous, but I enjoyed listening to her various anecdotes.

Discern : (verb) detect with the senses
Synonyms : anticipate, determine
Antonyms : overlook, confuse
Usage :  I could discern an air of tension in the room.

Deter : (verb) turn away by persuasion
Synonyms : discourage, obstruct
Antonyms : encourage, assist
Usage : The high price of the service could deter people from seeking advice.

Mawkish : (adj.) effusively emotional
Synonyms : sentimental, emotional
Antonyms : unemotional, serious
Usage :  A sordid, sentimental plot unwinds, with an inevitable mawkish ending.

Opportunistic : (adj.) to exploit a situation for personal gain
Synonyms : strategic, gracious
Antonyms : rude, artless
Usage :  Beware of him, he is very opportunistic.

Nonchalant : (adj.) to appear calm and unruffled
Synonyms : casual, unconcerned
Antonyms : biased, careful
Usage : He appeared nonchalant when his mother handed him the exam timetable, aggravating her fears.

Obnoxious : (adj.) extremely unpleasant, offensive
Synonyms : horrible, unbearable
Antonyms : decent, friendly
Usage : The people at my table were so obnoxious that I simply had to change my seat.

Pragmatic : (adj.) concerned with practical matters
Synonyms : logical, realistic
Antonyms : impractical, irrational
Usage : The company took pragmatic decision based on local conditions.

Gaffe : (noun) a social or diplomatic blunder
Synonyms : blunder, faux pas
Antonyms : correction
Usage : The senator committed a gaffe when he turned down the dinner invitation.

Bedazzle : (verb) to cause someone to lose clear vision, especially from intense light
Synonyms : daze, confuse, dumbfound
Antonyms : clear
Usage : The bright lights bedazzled her.

Callous : (adj.) emotionally hardened
Synonyms : insensitive, apathetic, impassive
Antonyms :  caring, concerned
Usage : He is accused of consistently and callously ill-treating his wife.

Dawdle: (verb) to waste time; take one’s time, proceed slowly
Synonyms : procrastinate, loiter
Antonyms : rush, forward, hasten
Usage : They dawdled along by the river, laughing and talking.

Doff : (verb) take off
Synonyms : remove, uncover
Antonyms : cover, put on
Usage : The gentleman doffed his hat in presence of the gracious lady.

Fidelity : (noun) the quality of being faithful
Synonyms : loyalty, devotion
Antonyms : faithlessness, infidelity
Usage : The dog is one animal that is known for its fidelity.

Bedazzle: (verb) to cause someone to lose clear vision, especially from intense light
Synonyms: daze, confuse, dumbfound
Antonyms: clear
Usage: The bright lights bedazzled her.

Callous: (adj.) emotionally hardened
Synonyms: insensitive, apathetic, impassive
Antonyms:  caring, concerned
Usage: He is accused of consistently and callously ill-treating his wife.

Dawdle: (verb) to waste time; take one’s time, proceed slowly
Synonyms: procrastinate, loiter
Antonyms: rush, forward, hasten
Usage: They dawdled along by the river, laughing and talking.

Doff: (verb) take off
Synonyms: remove, uncover
Antonyms: cover, put on
Usage: The gentleman doffed his hat in presence of the gracious lady.

Fidelity: (noun) the quality of being faithful
Synonyms: loyalty, devotion
Antonyms: faithlessness, infidelity
Usage: The dog is one animal that is known for its fidelity.

Grapple : (verb) come up against a situation
Synonyms : challenge, confront, encounter
Antonyms : support, assist
Usage : The government is failing to grapple with terrorism.

Replenish : (verb) fill something that had previously been emptied
Synonyms : refill, restock
Antonyms : damage, deplete
Usage : Researchers have identified stem cells in brain cancer tumors that replenish the tumors and keep them growing.

Excavate : (verb) remove the inner part or the core of; dig up
Synonyms : unearth, uncover
Antonyms : cover, fill
Usage : He had been working at a site there for a few years and was looking for another place to excavate.

Brandish : (verb) flaunt, swing around
Synonyms : flash, display
Antonyms : guard, protect
Usage : When companies brandish maps of their conquests, trouble usually follows.

Bolster : (verb) support and strengthen
Synonyms : boost, cushion
Antonyms : discourage, block
Usage : Only a few handfuls got quickly added to bolster the numbers.