| A | B |
|---|
| alacrity | (n) a cheerful readiness; brisk and eager action (syn) promptness, willingness, dispatch, celerity (ant) reluctance, unwillingness, hesitancy |
| alleviate | (v) to relieve, make more bearable (syn) lessen, lighten, allay, mitigate, assuage |
| antithesis | (n) the direct opposite direction, a sharp contrast (syn) contrary, antipode |
| appall | (v) to fill with dismay or horror (syn) shock, stun, stupefy, horrify (ant) please, cheer, gladden, elate, exhilarate |
| bellicose | (adj) warlike in manner or temperament; quarrelsome (syn) aggressive, combative, belligerent (ant) amicable, peaceable, conciliatory, pacific |
| disparage | (v) to belittle, speak slightingly of; to undervalue (syn) degrade, decry, run down, underrate (ant) praise, extol, laud, plug |
| dissonant | (adj) not in harmony; disagreeing, at odds (syn) grating, strident, unmelodious, irreconcilable (ant) harmonious, agreeing, euphonious |
| droll | (adj) amusingly odd (syn) comical, humorous,whimsical, zany (ant) humorless, solemn, dour |
| edict | (n) an order issued by someone in authority (syn) command, decree, proclamation |
| elucidate | (v) to clarify, explain (syn) interpret, expound, explicate (ant) obscure, becloud, muddy, obfuscate |
| laud | (v) to praise (syn) hail, extol, glorify, exalt (ant) criticize, censure, belittle, disparage |
| loll | (v) to act in a lazy manner; to lounge; to recline, droop (syn) loaf, loiter, sag, dangle |
| loquacious | (adj) talkative, wordy, fond of talking (syn) gossipy, voluble, garrulous, long-winded (ant) silent, reticent, closemouthed, terse, taciturn |
| magnanimous | (adj) generous in forgiving, above small meanness (syn) unselfish, charitable, noble, bighearted (ant) petty, selfish, unforgiving, spiteful |
| mandatory | (adj) required, obligatory (syn) compulsory, requisite, imperative (ant) optional, voluntary,discretionary |
| nondescript | (adj) ordinary, not outstanding; not easily classified (syn) plain, unremarkable, unimpressive (ant) distinctive, remarkable, vivid, prepossessing |
| phlegmatic | (adj) slow-moving, sluggish; unemotional (syn) lethargic, indolent, torpid, stolid, impassive (ant) emotional, sensitive, thin-skinned, excitable |
| rescind | (v) to repeal, cancel (syn) withdraw, revoke, retract, annul, abrogate (ant) affirm, endorse, uphold, ratify |
| vivacious | (adj) lively, sprightly, full of energy (syn) spirited, animated, ebullient (ant) dull, spiritless, listless, indolent, languid |
| whet | (v) to sharpen, put an edge on; to make keen or eager (syn) hone, excite, stimulate (ant) dull, blunt, deaden, stifle, dampen |
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