Hot Words #3Hot Words #3

1. Antagonism (n.)1. Antagonism (n.)

hostility, active opposition.hostility, active opposition.

Teenagers sometimes show Teenagers sometimes show antagonismantagonism toward parental toward parental suggestions that they clean up their suggestions that they clean up their rooms.rooms.

2. Antithesis (n.)2. Antithesis (n.)

Direct opposite.Direct opposite.

Surprisingly, Donna is the Surprisingly, Donna is the antithesisantithesis of her twin, Debby.of her twin, Debby.

3. Apocryphal (adj.)3. Apocryphal (adj.)

Of doubtful authenticity; counterfeit. Of doubtful authenticity; counterfeit.

The story of George Washington and The story of George Washington and the cherry tree is the cherry tree is apocryphalapocryphal, no , no doubt.doubt.

4. Arduous (adj.)4. Arduous (adj.)

Hard to do; strenuous.Hard to do; strenuous.

Until Hercules accomplished it, Until Hercules accomplished it, cleaning the Augean Stables was cleaning the Augean Stables was considered an considered an arduous arduous task.task.

5. Articulate (adj.)5. Articulate (adj.)

Able to put one’s thoughts into words Able to put one’s thoughts into words easily and clearly.easily and clearly.

Being Being articulate, articulate, Ellyn was able to do Ellyn was able to do well on her job interviews.well on her job interviews.

6. Assuage (v.)6. Assuage (v.)

To calm or soothe; to satisfy.To calm or soothe; to satisfy.

Mother hastened to the bedroom to Mother hastened to the bedroom to assuage assuage Beth’s fears.Beth’s fears.

7. Atrophy (v.)7. Atrophy (v.)

To waste away.To waste away.

Failure to exercise your muscles may Failure to exercise your muscles may cause them to cause them to atrophy.atrophy.

8. Augment (v.)8. Augment (v.)

To increase or enlarge; to become To increase or enlarge; to become greater in size.greater in size.

You can You can augment augment your income by your income by working overtime.working overtime.

9. Austere (adj.)9. Austere (adj.)

Stern in manner or appearance; strict Stern in manner or appearance; strict in morals.in morals.

When the When the austereaustere lifestyle proved to lifestyle proved to be too arduous to maintain, Alberto be too arduous to maintain, Alberto left the monastery.left the monastery.

10. Authoritarian (n.)10. Authoritarian (n.)

A person who supports the principle A person who supports the principle of subjection to authority instead of of subjection to authority instead of individual freedom.individual freedom.

As the family As the family authoritarianauthoritarian, my , my eldest brother succeeded in eldest brother succeeded in alienating the rest of us.alienating the rest of us.