Vocabulary IVA Flashcards
(24 cards)
abstract (adj)
not concrete, theoretical
synonym: translucent
antonym: tangible
sentence: the abstract painting left a lot to imagination, and everybody had a different interpretation of what the actual meaning was.
abstemious (adj)
eating and drinking in moderation; restricted to bare necessities
synonym: frugal
antonym: gluttonous
sentence: she had to follow an abstemious diet because she wanted to lose weight and couldn’t splurge on any of her food intake.
abstruse (adj)
difficult to understand
synonym: complex
antonym: obvious
sentence: when i got a new retainer, my speech was abstruse because i had a lisp and no one could understand what i was saying.
acclaim (v)
applaud: announce with great approval
synonym: recognition
antonym: denounce
sentence: the principal acclaimed the student as valedictorian of the high school class, displaying his approval.
accolade (n)
award of merit
synonym: honor
antonym: demerit
sentence: the movie received many accolades and a lot of prestige because it was extremely well done and notable.
acknowledge (v)
recognize; admit
synonym: accept
antonym: ignore
sentence: as soon as you can acknowledge and own up to your mistake, we can begin to solve this problem.
acquiesce (v)
agree without protest
synonym: accede
antonym: protest
sentence: she acquiesced to the plan even though everyone expected her to protest because she was known for starting up arguments.
adulation (n)
excessive flattery or admiration
synonym: sycophancy
antonym: criticism
sentence: when she won the lottery, there was a lot of adulation directed towards her because everyone wanted to get on her good side and receive money.
adversary (n)
opponent
synonym: rival
antonym: ally
sentence: competitive people often think of everyone they meet as adversaries and are pushed to perform better in order to beat said opponents.
adversity (n)
hardship; misfortune
synonym: difficulty
antonym: prosperity
sentence: in the midst of adversity, it’s easy to feel discouraged, but if you remain optimistic your misfortune will soon turn into prosperity.
advocate (v)
argue in favor of
synonym: defend
antonym: criticize
sentence: the best debaters can advocate for any topic even if they don’t agree with what they’re arguing for.
aesthetic (adj)
pertaining to art or beauty
synonym: attractive
antonym: displeasing
sentence: the product came in a beautifully wrapped box to increase the aesthetic value so more people were likely to buy it.
affable (adj)
easily approachable; very friendly
synonym: amiable
antonym: impolite
sentence: people are often less intimidated by affable, friendly people than they are by angry, rude people.
affirmation (n)
declaring something to be true; positive statement
synonym: confirmation
antonym: denial
sentence: they say that receiving affirmation is very good for your self esteem, but too much can result in becoming conceited and too cocky.
aggregate (n)
total
synonym: cumulation
antonym: individual
sentence: the aggregate number of people who signed up for the class was so pitiful that they canceled it because it would cost too much money to run it for such a small number of people.
alleviate (v)
relieve
synonym: assuage
antonym: aggravate
sentence: while this allergy medicine claims to alleviate all of your symptoms, unless you take it every day you won’t see a difference in your allergies.
aloof (adj)
apart; reserved
synonym: distant
antonym: sociable
sentence: whenever she was in a bad mood, she would be aloof and isolate herself from everybody around her.
altruistic (adj)
unselfishly generous; concerned for others
synonym: considerate
antonym: selfish
sentence: many thought she was altruistic and cared for other people, but in reality she was selfish and liked to suck up.
ambiguous (adj)
unclear or doubtful in meaning
synonym: dubious
antonym: concise
sentence: because the couch assembly instruction manual was ambiguous, she had a hard time putting the couch together and had to reread the manual five times before she understood it.
ambivalence (n)
having contradictory or conflicting emotional attitudes
synonym: indecisiveness
antonym: decisiveness
sentence: her ambivalence towards the new dress code made it hard for her to pick a side because she was so indecisive.
amorphous (adj)
formless; lacking shape or definition
synonym: nondescript
antonym: definite
sentence: while my sculpture looks amorphous right now, it will soon begin to take shape and look more like a person.
analogous (adj)
comparable
synonym: tantamount
antonym: unlike
sentence: many say that using hydrogen peroxide to remove a stain is analogous to using bleach, however I think hydrogen peroxide is much more efficient.
anarchist (n)
a person who seeks to overturn the established government: a person who favors abolishing authority
synonym: insurgent
antonym: pacifist
sentence: the anarchist’s idea of overturning the government began growing more and more popular to those who didn’t approve of the new president.
animosity (n)
bitter hostility: active hatred
synonym: rancor
antonym: love
sentence: she regarded him with animosity and hatred when he put her down extremely rudely.
