Aver v
To affirm, declare confidently
+ assert, asseverate, avouch
- deny, disavow, repudiate, disclaim
Abet v
To encourage, assist, aid, support (especially in something wrong or unworthy)
- hamper, hinder, impede
Blatant adj
Noisy in a coarse, offensive way;
Obvious or conspicuous, especially in an unfavorable sense
+ flagrant, glaring, egregious
- inconsequential, trifling, piddling
Broach v
To bring up or begin to talk about To announce, introduce To break the surface of the water To open a keg or cask to take the liquid (n) a pit for roasting A tool for tapping casks
Buttress v
To support, strengthen
(N) a supporting structure
+ bolster, reinforce, brace, shore up
- undermine, weaken, impair
Carousal n
Noisy revelry or merrymaking ( often with a suggesting of heavy drinking)
+ drinking bout, drunken revel, binge
Collate v
To compare critically in order to note differences, similarities…
To arrange in order for some specific purpose
+ sort out, cross-check, rearrange
Connoisseur n
An expert
+ authority, savant, pundit
-ignoramus, philistine, yahoo
Disconsolate adj
Deeply unhappy or dejected
Without hope, beyond consolation
+ grief-stricken, inconsolable, comfortless
- cheerful, blithe, buoyant, jaunty
Encumber v
To weigh down or burden ( with difficulties, cares, debt)
To fill up, block up, hinder
+ overload, saddle, hamper, clog
- unburden, unload, relieve
Foment v
To promote trouble or rebellion To apply warm liquid to To warm \+ instigate, incite, stir up - quell, quash, squelch, suppress
Grisly adj
frightful, horrible, ghastly
+ gruesome, gory, hideous
- pleasant, delightful, attractive
Herculean adj
Characterized by great strength
Very hard to do in the sense of requiring unusual strength
+ mighty, powerful, arduous, onerous, colossal
- puny, Lilliputian, bantam
Impassive adj
showing no feeling or emotion
Inanimate, motionless
+ emotionless, stoic, unemotional, insensible
- emotional, passionate, excitable
Inauspicious adj
Unfavorable, suggesting bad luck for the future
+ Unpropitious, unpromising, untimely
- propitious, favorable
Incontrovertible adj
Unquestionable, beyond dispute
+ incontestable, indisputable, indubitable
- debatable, dubious
Nonplussed adj
puzzled, not knowing what to do, at a loss
+ perplexed, baffled, stumped, flabbergasted
- poised, confident, assured
Opportune adj
Suitable or convenient for a particular purpose
Occurring at an appropriate time
+ timely, appropriate, felicitous
- untimely, inconvenient
Prolific adj
abundantly productive abundant profuse \+ fruitful, fecund, proliferous - barren, unproductive, sterile, sparse
rejoinder n
a reply to a reply, especially from the defendant in a legal suit
+ answer, reply, response, riposte, retort
amenable adj
willing to follow advice or authority tractable, submissive, responsive liable to be held responsible \+ agreeable, compliant, docile - unresponsive, resistant, recalcitrant
berate v
to scold sharply
+ chide, rebuke, reprove, reprimand
- praise, compliment, pat on the back
carnage n
large-scale slaughter or loss of life
+ butchery, bloodbath, massacre
credulous adj
too ready to believe, easily deceived
+ gullible
- dubious, skeptical
criterion n
a rule, test
a standard for judgement or evaluation
+yardstick, touchstone, gauge, canon
deplete v
to use up as a result of spending or consumption
to diminish greatly
+ exhaust, empty, drain, bankrupt
- replenish, refill, restock, resupply
expatiate v
to expand on, write or talk at length or in detail
to move about freely
+ elaborate, enlarge, descant, wander, roam
- sketch rougly, summarize, condense, adumbrate
extraneous adj
coming from the outside, foreign
present but not essential or relevant
+ incidental, extrinsic
- intrinsic, relevant, pertinent, germane
inception n
the beginning, start, earliest stage of some process, institution etc
+ commencement, inauguration, outset
- completion, conclusion, termination
infirmity n
a weakness or ailment ( physical, mental, moral…)
+ affliction , malady, defect
jejune adj
lacking in nutritive value lacking in interest or substance immature, juvenile \+ valipid, insipid, puerile, childish - stimulating, mature
obdurate adj
stubborn, unyielding
+ obstinate, adamant
- yielding, tractable, flexible
potpourri n
a collection of diverse or miscellaneous items
a general mixture
petlas mixed with spices for scent
+hodgepodge, melange, farrago, medley
precocious adj
showing unusually early development (especially in talents and mental capacity )
+ forward, gifted, advanced
- backward, retarded, slow
sadistic adj
delighting in cruelty, excessively cruel
+ brutal, vicious, inhuman, fiendish
- masochistic, clement, humane merciful
sententious adj
Tính chất châm ngôn Lên mặt dạy đời Trang trọng giả tạo \+ aphoristic, epigrammatic, moralistic - discursive, diffuse, episodic
supplicate v
to beg earnestly and humbly
+ plead, petition, implore, entreat
surfeit n
an excess or overindulgence (drinking + eating ), causing disgust
(v) to feed or supply with anything to excess
+ (n) excess, glut (v) cloy, satiate
- (n) dearth, paucity, lack
tortuous adj
winding, twisted, crooked
highly involved, complex, devious
+ circuitous, serpentine, labyrinthe
- direct, straight
turgid adj
swollen, bloated, filled to excess
over decorated or excessive in language
+ inflated, pompous, bombastic, overblown
-muted, understated, unadorned, austere
adamant adj
firm in purpose or opinion, unyielding, obdurate, implacable, inflexible
(n) an extremely hard substance
+ yielding, flexible, pliable
brouhaha n
a confused hodgepodge of sounds, hubbub
an uproar or commotion that goes far beyond what is justified
+ frir, hullabaloo, tumult, pandemonium
bulwark n
a strong defense or protection
a solid wall-like structure for defense
(v0 to provide such defense or protection
+ (n) stronghold, citadel, bastion, rampart
- (n) breach, weak point in defense
choleric adj
easily made angry, bad-tempered
+ irascible, testy, splenetic, bilious
-affable, genia
cloy v
to spoil or destroy an appetite by too much indulgence, especially in sweet or rich things
to glut, satiate, surfeit
- stimulate, whet
curtail v
to cut short to bring to a halt or end sooner than expect to reduce \+ limit, abbreviate, abridge, contract -protract, extend
deference n
courteous yielding to the wishes and ideas of another person
great respect marked by submission, as to a superior
+ respect, consideration. courtesy
- contempt, disrespect, scorn, disdain
definitive adj
conclusive, final, representing the limit of what can be done
+ exhaustive, authoritative
- tentative, inconclusive
demeanor n
the way a person behaves, overall impression made by comportment, manner…
facial appearance, mien
+ conduct, behavior, bearing, carriage
enigmatic adj
puzzling, perplexing, inexplicable
+ baffling, mysterious, inexplicable
- intelligible, understandable, fathomable
impromptu adj adv
without preparation, offhand, suddenly or hastily
+ spontaneous, improvised, unrehearsed
- rehearsed, planned, premeditated
mawkish adj
excessively and objectionably sentimental
having a mildly sickening flavor
+ sentimentalized, maudlin, mushy, nauseating
- unsentimental, callous, insensitive
mollify v
to soften, pacify
to calm, allay ( emotion ), assuage, appease, placate
to reduce in intensity
- enrage, anger, aggravate, exacerbate
onus n
something that is heavy or burdensome (esp an unwelcome responsibility )
+ burden, obligation, duty, stigma
presentiment n
a vague sense of approaching misfortune
+ foreboding, premonition, hunch
profilgate adj
given over to dissipation and self-indulgence
immoral
recklessly extravagant
(n) a person given to self-indulgent and wild spending
+ (adj) prodigal, improvident (N) sendthrift
- (adj) penny-pinching, frugal, economical
remit v
to send or hand in (money ) to cancel ( a penalty, punishment ), forgive, pardon to lesson, dimish to put off, postpone , defer \+ pay, absolve, subside, abate
requisite adj
needed, necessary, regarded as essential or indispensable
+ required, obligatory, incumbent
- nonessential, superfluous, optional
sartorial adj
of or pertaining to a tailor or his work
having to do with clothes or dress (esp men’s )
thwart v
to oppose succesfully
to prevent, frustrate
+ foil, baffle
- aid, assist, abet, further