Lesson 9

1. benign blithe bumpkin corroborate culpable frenetic hortatory indecorous orotund penultimate pervasive provocative recrimination soporific toady Lesson 9

2. provocative • Tending to excite or stimulate • Syn: provoking; exciting • Ant: dull; boring

3. bumpkin • An unsophisticated, awkward person • Syn: yokel; hayseed; rube • Ant: intellectual

4. toady • A person who flatters for personal gain • Syn: sycophant; flatter

5. culpable • Deserving blame or condemnation; guilty • Syn: blameworthy; liable • Ant: innocent; blameless

6. hortatory • Encouraging; inciting • Syn: exhorting • Ant: discouraging; dampening

7. penultimate • Next to last

8. orotund • Full and rich in sound (in speech) • Syn: resonant; resounding • Ant: quiet; reserved

9. blithe • Carefree and lighthearted • Syn: cheerful; radiant • Ant: burdened; worried; troubled

10. Soporific • Tending to induce sleep. • Syn: somniferous; monotonous • Ant: dramatic; exciting; stimulating

11. pervasive • Permeating; spreading throughout • Syn: sweeping; persistent • Ant: contained; restricted; limited

12. benign • Beneficial; favorable • Syn: benevolent; harmless • Ant: harmful; malevolent

13. frenetic • Wildly excited • Syn: frenzied; frantic • Ant: calm, composed

14. Recrimination • A counteraccusation • Syn: countercharge

15. indecorous • Lacking good taste; improper • Syn: inappropriate; vulgar • Ant: decent

16. corroborate • To strengthen by adding evidence • Syn: confirm; substantiate; validate • Ant: contradict.

17. circuitous circumlocution depredate indolent largesse luminous majordomo perambulate perquisite polemical probity tacit timorous untenable veneer Lesson 10

18. majordomo • A chief butler or assistant

19. untenable • Impossible to defend or justify • Syn: groundless; unsupported; indefensible • Ant: sound; irrefutable

20. perambulate • To walk about; to stroll • Syn: saunter; wander

21. veneer • A thin, attractive layer that conceals something common or coarse • Syn: disguise; gloss; façade.

22. timorous • timid • Syn: bashful; sheepish; reticent • Ant: bold; confident; courageous

23. luminous • Emitting light • Syn: glowing; radiant • Ant: dim; dark

24. circuitous • Indirect; roundabout • Syn: meandering • Ant: direct; straight

25. perquisite • Tip or payment in addition to regular wages • Syn: fringe benefit; perk; benefit

26. probity • Integrity; respectability • Syn: rectitude; decency; trustworthiness • Ant: wickedness; impeity

27. polemical • Relating to controversy or argument. • Syn: controversial; contentious • Ant: indisputable; agreeable

28. tacit • Indicated but not expressed; implied silently • Syn: hinted; suggested; unspoken • Ant: explicit; frank

29. largesse • generosity • Syn: magnanimity; munificence • Ant: stinginess

30. indolent • lazy • Syn: torpid; idle; lethargic • Ant: industrious; busy; productive

31. circumlocution • Unnecessarily wordy or evasive language • Syn: discursiveness; indirectness; evasion • Ant: conciseness; brevity

32. depredate • To plunder and pillage • Syn: pilfer; ransack, revenge • Ant: enhance