Level FVocabulary Unit #6

anomalous

(adj.) abnormal, irregular, departing from the usual

Syn: •abnormal

•atypical

•Aberrant

•exceptional

Ant:

Ordinary

customary

If you find an anomalous mole on yourself, you should probably go see a doctor.

aspersion(n.) a damaging or derogatory statement; the act of slandering or defaming

Syn:

•Innuendo (unit #1)•denigration

Ant

•Testimonials•Praise

•Endorsement

Girls are known for making aspersions about each other.

bizarre

(adj.) extremely strange, unusual, atypical

Syn

•Outlandish

•fantastic

Lady Gaga wears a lot of bizarre outfits.

brusque

(adj.) abrupt, blunt, with no formalities

Syn

•gruff

•Rough

•Curt

•tactless

Ant:

•Gracious

•courteous

The waiter was brusque and quiet rude when I asked for a refill.

cajole(v.) to coax, persuade through flattery or artifice; to deceive with soothing thoughts or false promises

Syn

•Wheedle (unit #3)

•Sweet-talk

Ant:

•Force

•coerce

Sometimes teenagers cajole their parents into letting them stay out later than curfew.

castigate

(v.) to punish severely; to criticize severely

Syn:

•chastise

•censure

•rebuke

My mother castigated me when I came home after curfew.

contrive(v.) to plan with ingenuity, invent; to bring about as the result of a scheme or plan

Syn

•concoct

•Fabricate

•Think up

He contrived a way to come up with the money to buy a new car.

demagogue(n.) a leader who exploits popular prejudices and false claims and promises in order to gain power;

Syn (as def)

•Rabble-rouser

•firebrand

Hitler was a demagogue who manipulated an entire nation and played on their prejudices to achieve power.

disabuse(v.) to free from deception or error, set right in ideas

dis (no/not) + abuse

or thinking

Syn:

•Undeceive

•enlighten

We have all been disabused of the thinking Lance Armstrong is such an athletic hero.

ennui(n.) weariness and dissatisfaction from lack of occupation or interest, boredom

Syn

•Listlessness

•languor

Ant

•enthusiasm

•excitement

When I have to listen to Talk Radio in the car with my husband, he can see the ennui look on my face the whole time.

fetter(n.) a chain or shackle placed on the feet; anything that confines or restrains

(v.) to chain or shackle; to render helpless or impotent

Syn

•Bond

•bind

•Chain

Ant

•Free

•liberate

The rules at work fetter my ability to dye my hair blue.

heinous

(adj.) very wicked, offensive, hateful

Syn:•Abominable (unit #3)

•Evil

Ant

•Excellent

•wonderful

The TV series, Criminal Minds, displays people doing the most heinous crimes you could imagine.

immutable

(adj.) not subject to change, constant

Syn

•unchangable

•invariable

The school’s rule on cheating and plagiarism is immutable, and no excuses are acceptable.

insurgent(n.) one who rebels or rises against authority

(adj.) rising in revolt, refusing to accept authority; surging or rushing in or on•surging in

Syn•Revolutionary

•rebellious

Ant

•Loyalist

•Faithful

One of my favorite books, Fahrenheit 451, is about an insurgent who fights to free himself and others from oppression.

megalomania(n.) a delusion marked by a feeling of power, wealth, talent, etc., far in excess of reality

•mega maniac

Syn

•Delusions of grandeur

Ant:

•Humility

•modesty

The movie star suffered from megalomania and believed she was perfect.

sinecure(n.) a position requiring little or no work; an easy job

Syn

•cushy job

•“plum”

I am jealous of my cousin’s sinecure, because she gets paid to sit at home all day watching and reviewing movies.

surreptitious(adj.) stealthy, secret, intended to escape observation; made or accomplished by fraud

Syn

•Furtive

•Covert

•concealed

Ant

•Open

•frank

The boy was surreptitious when he took a money from the store.

transgress(v.) to go beyond a limit or boundary; to sin, violate a law

Syn:

•Trespass

•overstep

The cop caught her transgressing the speed limit when she was driving 167mph in a 50mph zone.

transmute(v.) to change from one nature, substance, or form to another

Syn:

•transform

•translate

The science teacher tried to transmute lead into gold to make himself rich.

vicarious(adj.) performed, suffered, or otherwise experienced by one person in place of another; surrogate, substitute

Syn

•surrogate

•imagined

I get a vicarious thrill watching other people ride roller coasters, because I’m too afraid to ride one.

As I watched the slideshow, I had a vicarious sensation that I had actually gone on the trip.