Awesome antonyms

Kim B.
20 words 8 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. anomaly
    deviation from the normal or common order, form, or rule
    These recent killings of civilians or allies are, after all, in one sense, anomalies. Slate (Mar 12, 2012)
  2. benign
    kind in disposition or manner
    “Some are benign, but some cause enormous damage.” New York Times (May 17, 2012)
  3. cursory
    hasty and without attention to detail; not thorough
    But he deserves more than that cursory glance on paper.
  4. decorum
    propriety in manners and conduct
    Order and decorum were things he insisted on. King, Charles
  5. effusive
    uttered with unrestrained enthusiasm
    Ms. Woods, known for her effusive warmth in greeting customers, ran the business until her retirement at 80. New York Times (Jul 19, 2012)
  6. incarcerate
    lock up or confine, in or as in a jail
    The defendant was sentenced to 22 years in prison, and remains incarcerated. New York Times (Jun 12, 2012)
  7. jocund
    full of or showing high-spirited merriment
    It was lovely in the fresh morning light to look out over this jocund land. Knowles, J. Harris (John Harris)
  8. laconic
    brief and to the point
    He uttered a few laconic words in a deep toned voice, and in Pushtu. Mitford, Bertram
  9. malevolent
    wishing or appearing to wish evil to others
    The expression of his great hungry eyes was malevolent. Bull, Charles Livingston
  10. maudlin
    very sentimental or emotional
    Yet the show somehow avoids becoming overly maudlin. Seattle Times (Feb 17, 2012)
  11. ostensible
    appearing as such but not necessarily so
    We have two standards of conduct—the ostensible and the actual. Train, Arthur Cheney
  12. placate
    cause to be more favorably inclined
    He placated trouble makers, and dispensed justice in an endeavor to give universal satisfaction. Johnson, Willis Fletcher
  13. plethora
    extreme excess
    This plethora of choices can make things confusing to IT organizations.  Forbes (Feb 15, 2012)
  14. recalcitrant
    stubbornly resistant to authority or control
    He turns his back to you, and pretends to have great difficulty in getting his money out of his recalcitrant purse. O'Rell, Max
  15. reprehensible
    bringing or deserving severe rebuke or censure
    UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said that any thought of using chemical weapons would be "reprehensible".
  16. sporadic
    recurring in scattered or unpredictable instances
    Rioters have continued sporadic attacks, setting homes on fire.
  17. succinct
    briefly giving the gist of something
    Some players are direct and succinct in their instructions to the clothing makers. New York Times (Jul 8, 2012)
  18. truculent
    defiantly aggressive
    The earth was inhabited by a race of brutal and truculent savages. Raine, William MacLeod
  19. veracity
    unwillingness to tell lies
    In other words, I believe in intellectual veracity and also in mental hospitality. Ingersoll, Robert Green
  20. vitriolic
    harsh, bitter, or malicious in tone
    An outside consultant said his vitriolic attacks created a toxic workplace. New York Times (Jul 30, 2012)
Created on Sat Sep 15 00:55:35 EDT 2012 (updated Sat Sep 15 15:47:30 EDT 2012)

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