aghast people were aghast at the senseless brutality of the crime
TRANSCRIPT
Aghast
People were aghast at the senseless brutality of the crime.
Adj – filled w/ amazement, disgust, fear or terror
Syn – shocked, horrified
Ant – delighted, overjoyed
ample
Thanks to the wet spring weather, squirrels will have an ample
supply of acorns.
Adj – more than enough
Syn – sufficient, adequate
Ant – insufficient, inadequate
apparition
The vivid apparition seemed so real that it completely unnerved
me.
N – a ghost or ghostly figure
Syn – phantom, spector
assert
The defendant firmly asserted her innocence to the jury.
V – to declare or state as truth
Syn – affirm, avow
cower
The tiny kittens cowered in the corner, afraid of the big dog.
V – to crouch or shrink away from in fear or shame
Syn – cringe, flinch
Ant – stand up to
disdain
Fair-minded people have only disdain for racism in all forms.
I emphatically disdain their cowardly behavior.
N – a feeling of contemptv – to look upon w/ scorn
Syn – spurn, reject
Ant – respect, revere
epitaph
Most people never stop to consider the words that might one
day appear on their epitaph.
N – brief statement written on a tombstone
Syn – tombstone inscription
ethical
New developments in medicine often lead to discussions of important ethical questions.
Adj – having to do w/ morals, values, right and wrong
Syn – upright, honorable
Ant – immoral, dishonest
facetious
We had to laugh at her facetious remarks.
Adj – humorous, not meant seriously
Syn – comical, witty
Ant – serious, humorless
inaudible
Some high-frequency sounds are inaudible to the human ear.
Adj – not able to be heard
Syn – faint, indistinct
Ant – audible, easily heard
indiscriminate
The indiscriminate slaughter of right whales brought that species
to the brink of extinction.
Adj – w/out restraint
Syn – haphazard, random
Ant – selective, discriminating
intrigue
Investigators uncovered a shocking network of lies and
international intrique.
N – crafty doings, underhanded plotting;
v – to form and carry out plots
Syn – scheme, ploy
Ant – fair play
Jurisdiction
Cases involving robbery and assault are usually tried under the
jurisdiction of the state courts.
N – an area of authority or control; the right to administer
justiceSyn -- purview
plausible
Their story didn’t sound plausible to me.
Adj – appearing true, reasonable, or fair
Syn –believable, probable
Ant – improbable, far-fetched
prodigal
We have a tight budget, we make an exception for prodigal
celebrations on family birthdays.
Adj – wastefully extravagant; lavishly or generously
abundantn – one who is wasteful
Syn – improvident; wastrel
Ant – frugal, stingy, miserly
plebeian
At one time, the plebeians of ancient Rome were excluded from holding public office of any kind.
Adj – common, vulgar; belonging to the lower class
n – a common person
Syn – lowborn, coarse, unrefined
Ant – aristocratic, cultivated
proximity
People with children often choose a house because of its proximity
to schools.
N – nearness; closeness
Ant – distance, remoteness
pulverize
At many old mills in Vermont, granite stones were used to
pulverize the grain.
V – to grind or pound to a powder or dust
Syn n– crush, demolish
sequel
Readers are eagerly awaiting a sequel to the author’s best –
selling mystery novel.
N – that which follows; a result
Syn == follow up, continuation
Ant – prelude, curtain-raiser
volatile
A person who is usually calm and collected may nevertheless sometimes
behave in a volatile manner.
Adj – highly changeable, explosive
Syn – unstable, erratic
Ant – stable, steady