Adjective- Doing something different than
the conventional or established form
Synonyms- odd, weird, differentAntonyms- normal, conventional,
same
Sentence-
The girl with the green hair is eccentric.
“Rather the bite of a friend than the miss of an enemy.”--Lord Chesterfield
“Most people enjoy the inferiority of their friends.”
--Lord Chesterfield
Adjective- Can’t stand or tolerate; incapable
of being enduredSynonyms- intolerable, unbearable,
painfulAntonyms- sufferable, tolerable,
pleasant
Sentence-
Having homework every night is insufferable.
“All cruelty springs from weakness.”
--anonymous
Adjective
- Laughable or hilarious because of obvious absurdity
Synonyms- absurd, ridiculous
Antonyms- logical, reasonable, sensible
Sentence-
Mooning the Governor of Kentucky is ludicrous.
“It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.”
--anonymous
Insatiable- Adjective
- Impossible to satisfy; greedy
Synonyms- wanting, unsatisfied
Antonyms- fulfilled, pleased, satisfied
Sentence-
His insatiable thirst drove him straight to the water fountain when the bell rang.
“A good scare is worth more to a man than good advice.”
--Ed Howe
Meticulous- Adjective- Extremely careful about details;
pickySynonyms- precise, attentive,
painstakingAntonyms- careless, messy,
undetailed.
MeticulousSentence-
In order to be a goodwriter one must bemeticulous about his or her work.
“Minds are like parachutes, they only function when they are open.”
--Sir James Dewar
Emulate- verb-to strive to equal or excel beyond
another, especially through imitation.
Synonyms- imitate, copy, simulateAntonyms- original, new, fresh
EmulateSentence-
A lot of young people try to emulate their peers.
“There are a thousand reasons for failure, but not a single excuse.”
--anonymous
Havoc- noun
-widespread destruction; chaos
Synonyms- mayhem, violence, disturbance
Antonyms- order, peace
Sentence-
The tornado wreaked havoc in the small town of Morehead.
“The only learning that really sticks is that which is self-
discovered.”--Carl Rogers
Charisma - noun
-a special and rare quality of personal magnetism and charm
Synonyms- grace, charm, allure
Antonyms- dull, plain, drab
Sentence-
The beauty pageant winner was chosen because she had charisma.
“Remember, no one can
make you feel inferior
without your consent.”--Eleanor Roosevelt
Facetious- adjective
joking; witty; humorous
Synonyms- silly, foolish
Antonyms- formal, serious
Sentence-
When the teacher said,
“You don’t have to do any
more work this year!” she
was being facetious.
“Always keep your head up, but be careful to keep your nose at a friendly level.”
--Max Foreman
adjectivebeing persistent to one’s occupation
or studiesSynonyms- energetic, hard-working,
active, lively Antonyms- inactive, lazy, negligent,
idle
Sentence-
If you are diligent, you willfind yourself very successful in school andin life.
“Experience is what you get when you don’t get what you want.”
--Dan Stanford
Incredulous- adjective-disbelieving; skeptical; expressing
disbeliefSynonyms- doubtful, amazement,
suspiciouslyAntonyms- believable, gullible, naïve,
unsuspicious
Sentence-
I find it incredulous that
she saw a flying saucer.
“If it blows up, it’s chemistry; if it dies, it’s biology; if it doesn’t work, it’s physics; if it isn’t finished, it’s writing.”
--anonymous
Obscure- adjective
-hidden; not noticed; dark
Synonyms- dim, faint, unknown
Antonyms- clear, revealing
Sentence-
A black cat in a coal mine is certainly obscure.
“The essence of true friendship is to make allowances for another’s little lapses.”
--anonymous
empathy--noun empathize-verb empathetic-adjective
Being able to identify with or experience feelings or thoughts of anotherSynonyms- understanding, sympathy, Antonyms- animosity, unfriendly
EmpathySentence-
Counselors must be able to empathize with their clients in order to help them.
“We cannot control or change the things that happen around us; we can only change how we react to them.”
--anonymous
adjective
fallen into partial ruin or decay,as
from neglect
Synonyms- broken, decayed
Antonyms- rebuilt, new
Sentence-
The old, dilapidated house
reminded me of a place I knew
that had been abandoned for
years.
“The greatest of all faults, I should say, is to be conscious of none.”
--anonymous
adjectivepossessing or showing sound judgment and keen perceptionSynonyms- wise, smart, sensibleAntonyms- foolish, ignorant
SagaciousSentence-
A judge must be sagaciousto do a good job.
“It’s not what you are that keeps you from succeeding
in life; it’s what you think you’re not.”
--anonymous
adjective
Bad beyond reform; can’t be fixed
Synonyms- hopeless; incurable
Antonyms- manageable; reformable; curable
Sentence-
The incorrigible little boy bit
the teacher on the arm
when she tried to pull him
off the table.
“The secret of contentment is realizing that life is a gift, not a right.”
--anonymous
Adjective
holding to firmly; cohesive
Synonyms- inflexible, determined; strong; stubborn; persistent
Antonyms- flexible, surrendering, weak
Sentence-
That man is tenacious of his opinions and turns away from new ideas.
“You cannot build a reputation on what you’re
going to do.”--anonymous
adjective
secure or satisfied with one’s self
Synonyms- smug, confident
Antonyms- insecure, unsure
Sentence-
Michael Jordan, former basketball star, was very complacent in his decisionto retire.
“There are always two choices; one is easy, and its only reward is that it is easy.”
--anonymous
adjective
extremely bold or daring; adventurous
Synonyms- brave, reckless
Antonyms- cautious, timid
Sentences-
She had the audacity to ask my boyfriend to the prom.
He audaciously chased the lionout of the jungle.
“To be loved; be lovable.”
--anonymous
adjective
clearly expressed in few words
Synonyms- concise, compact, brief
Antonyms- wordy, lengthy
Sentence-
Her succinct style made
her a great speaker and
writer.
“You are only young once, but you can stay
immature forever.”-anonymous
Verb
To give up or give in to
Synonyms- yield, surrender, collapse
Antonyms- conquer, overcome,
win
Sentence-
The tree succumbed to the tremendous weight of the snow causing its branches to break.
“The nice thing about egotists is that they don’t talk about other people.”
-Lucille S. Harper
Verb
To examine closely; to inspect critically
Synonyms- analyze, investigate, probe
Antonyms- glance
“The test of courage comes when we are in the minority.”
-Anonymous
Sentence-
I hate it when my parents
constantly scrutinize my
every move.
Adjective
exceptionally bad, monstrous, evil
Synonyms- awful, beastly, revolting
Antonyms- inoffensive, beautiful, pleasing
“The sun never sets. It is we who rise and think to shine.”
--Earle Birney
The atrocious deed left the
man without a head—the
axe murderer had won.
Adjective-Having two or more possible meanings
Synonyms- puzzling, unclear, vague
Antonyms- clear, definite, explicit
The sentence “Mike decided to take his new convertible to the drive-in movie, which turned out to be a real horror story” is an ambiguous statement.
“It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts.”
-John Wooden
Adjective/noun
Of the highest order, quality, or degree; superior to all others
Synonyms- best, accomplished, supreme
Antonyms- lowest, second-class
Sentence-
Brightest is the
superlative of bright.
“Lots of folks confuse bad management with destiny.”
-Kim Hubbard
Adjective- dependent upon
conditions or events not yet
established
Synonyms- possible, likely
Antonyms- certain, definite,
Sentence-
The baseball game iscontingent on the weather.
“If a window of opportunity appears, don’t pull down the shade.”
-Anonymous
AdjectiveShowing forceful expression or
intense emotion; strongSynonyms- powerful, emotional,
intenseAntonyms- apathetic, weak,
impassionate
Sentence-
Her vehement denial of the crime made me believe she was innocent.
“Often the best way to win is to forget to keep score.” --Marianne Espinosa Murphy
Adjective
Having an oddly dreamlike or unreal quality
Synonyms- bizarre, unreal
Antonyms- realistic, tangible
Sentence-
The gray, floating clouds made things appear surreal.
“Remember that everyone you meet is afraid of something and has lost something.”
-anonymous
Adjective
Eager to fight; hostile or aggressive
Synonyms- argumentative, combative, warlike, quarrelsome
Antonyms- cooperative, helpful, kind, nice
Sentence-
Because the student was being belligerent, the teacher sent him to the office.
“Success is not the result of spontaneous combustion. You must first set yourself
on fire.” -anonymous
Noun
Conclusion, finale, end, outcome
Synonyms- solution, resolution
Antonyms- beginning, origin
Sentence-
I cried during the denouement of the play.
“If you think you can, you can. If you think you can’t, you’re right.”
-anonymous
“Kindness is a language we all understand. Even the blind can see it and the deaf can hear it.”
-Mother Teresa
