Term
Admonish
The librarian had to _____ the noisy students several times before they settled down |
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Definition
| v.) to caution and advise against something; to scold mildly; to remind of a duty - SYNONYMS: warn, call on the carpet - ANTONYMS: praise, pat on the back |
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Term
Breach
Because of a serious ____ of the rules, two players were ejected from the game. |
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Definition
| (n.) an opening, gap, rupture, rift; a violation or infraction; (v.) to create a opening, break through - ANTONYMS: (v.) close, seal |
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Term
Brigade
Ancient caravans passing through desolated areas were sometimes attacked by _______. |
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Definition
| (n.) a bandit, robber, outlaw, highwayman |
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Term
Circumspect
It is important for a diplomat to behave in a manner that is both discreet and ______. |
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Definition
| (adj.) careful, cautious - SYNONYMS: wary, prudent, guarded - ANTONYMS: incautious, rash, reckless, heedless |
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Term
Commandeer
Under certain circumstances the U.S. government has the right to ______ private property. |
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Definition
| (v.) to seize for military or official use - SYNONYMS: take over, requisition, expropriate |
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Term
Cumbersome
The bus was filled to capacity with holiday shoppers carrying large and ______ packages. |
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Definition
| (adj.) clumsy, hard to handle; slow-moving - SYNONYMS: unwieldy, ponderous - ANTONYMS: manageable, easy to handle |
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Term
Deadlock
After fifteen innings, the score remained a frustrating 3-to-3 __________. |
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Definition
| (n.) a standstill resulting from the opposition of two equal forces or factions; (v.) to bring to such a standstill - SYNONYMS: standoff, stalemate, impasse |
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Term
Debris
After the storm, the beach was littered with driftwood and other _______. |
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Definition
| (n.) scattered fragments, wreckage - SYNONYMS: rubble, detritus, flotsam and jetsam |
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Term
Diffuse
the scent of lilacs slowly ______ through the open window. |
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Definition
| (n.) scattered fragments, wreckage - SYNONYMS: rubble, detritus, flotsam and jetsam |
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Term
Dilemma
During the crisis the President found himself caught in a painful __________. |
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Definition
| (n.) a difficult or perplexing situation or problem - SYNONYMS: predicament, quandary, pickle, bind - ANTONYM: cinch |
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Term
Efface
Time had _______ almost all signs of the struggle that took place in that famous battlefield. |
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Definition
| (v.) to wipe out; to keep oneself from being noticed - SYNONYMS: blot out, erase, obliterate, expunge |
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Term
Muddle
Too much stress and too little sleep will almost certainly _________ a person's ability to concentrate. |
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Definition
| (v.) to make a mess of; muddle though: to get by; (n.) a hopeless mess - SYNONYMS: (v.) jumble, mess up; (n.) confusion, disorder - ANTONYMS: (n.) orderliness, tidiness, neatness |
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Term
Opinionated
My boss is not too _________ to listen to a reasonable proposal. |
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Definition
| adj.) stubborn and often unreasonable in holding to ones own ideas, having a closed mind. - SYNONYMS: obstinate, pigheaded, inflexible - ANTONYMS: open-minded, reasonable |
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Term
Perennial
Pizza is a ________ favorite of young and old alike in the United States. |
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Definition
| (v.) to make a mess of; muddle though: to get by; (n.) a hopeless mess - SYNONYMS: (v.) jumble, mess up; (n.) confusion, disorder - ANTONYMS: (n.) orderliness, tidiness, neatness |
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Term
Predispose
My genetic makeup seems to ______ me to colds and sore throats. |
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Definition
| (v.) to incline to beforehand - SYNONYM: make susceptible to - ANTONYMS: immunize against, shield from |
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Term
Relinquish
Severe illness forced me to _________ my role in the school play. |
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Definition
| (v.) to let go, give up - SYNONYMS: surrender, abandon - ANTONYMS: hold on to, keep, retain, cling to |
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Term
Salvage
Fortunately, we were able to __________ a few things from the fire. |
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Definition
| (v.) to save from fire or shipwreck; (n.) property thus saved - SYNONYMS: (v.) rescue, recover, retrieve, reclaim - ANTONYMS: (v.) abandon, scrap, junk |
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Term
Spasmodic
__________ flashes of lightning and booming thunderclaps were accompanied by torrential rain. |
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Definition
| (adj.) sudden and violent but brief; fitful; intermittent - SYNONYMS: (v.) irregular, occasional - ANTONYMS: steady, continuous, chronic |
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Term
Spurious
Manufacturers who make ________ claims for their products may face fines or lawsuits. |
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Definition
| (adj.) not genuine, not true, not valid - SYNONYMS: false, counterfeit, fraudulent, bogus - ANTONYMS: genuine, authentic, bona fide, valid |
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Term
Unbridled
Sometimes the ___________ enthusiasm of sports fans can get a little out of hand. |
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Definition
| (adj.) uncontrolled, lacking in restraint - SYNONYMS: unrestrained, unchecked - ANTONYMS: restrained, held in check, muted |
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