NAME ___________________________________
WORD BANK
affable
aggrandize
amorphous
aura
contraband
erudite
gossamer
infer
inscrutable
insular
Sadlier-Oxford Vocabulary Workshop, Level F: Unit IV (4)
irrevocable
propensity
querulous
remonstrate
repudiate
resilient
reverberate
scurrilous
sedulous
sleazy
1. AFFABLE (adj.) courteous and pleasant, sociable, easy to speak to
a. We spent a pleasant afternoon with our _______________ neighbors.
b. Synonyms: genial, amicable, agreeable, cordial
c. Antonyms: surly, cantankerous, dour, inhospitable
2. AGGRANDIZE (v.) to increase in greatness, power, or wealth; to build up or intensify; to make appear
greater
a. John D. Rockefeller worked to _______________ his empire by purchasing oil wells, refineries,
and pipelines.
b. Synonyms: augment, amplify, enhance, exalt
c. Antonyms: reduce, decrease, diminish
3. AURA (n.) that which surrounds (as an atmosphere); a distinctive air or personal quality
a. What people thought was her _______________ of mystery was actually a mask for her shyness.
b. Synonyms: ambience, atmosphere
4. INFER (v.) to find out by reasoning; to arrive at a conclusion on the basis of thought; to hint, suggest,
imply
a. I can _______________ nothing from his odd behavior.
b. Synonyms: gather, deduce, presume, guess, speculate
5. INSULAR (adj.) relating to, characteristic of, or situated on an island; narrow or isolated in outlook or
experience
a. You seem too sophisticated to hold such _______________ opinions.
b. Synonyms: narrow-minded, parochial, provincial
c. Antonyms: catholic, cosmopolitan, liberal
6. GOSSAMER (n.) thin, light, delicate, insubstantial; (n.) a very thin, light cloth
a. Ghosts are often depicted in literature as wearing _______________ clothing that makes them
seem all the more ethereal
b. The book was so old that each finely printed page seemed only the weight of_______________.
c. Synonyms: filmy, diaphanous, sheer, airy, feathery, gauzy
d. Antonyms: thick, dense, solid, massive
7. PROPENSITY (n.) a natural inclination or predilection toward
a. Queen Elizabeth I showed a strong _______________ for putting off decisions in the hopes that
they would resolve themselves.
b. Synonyms: natural bent, proclivity, penchant
c. Antonyms: natural incapacity or inability
8. REMONSTRATE (v.) to argue or plead with someone against something, protest against, object to
a. Slowly, carefully, keeping his voice down, he argued with the caller as one might _______________
with a child.
b. Synonyms: reason against, expostulate
9. IRREVOCABLE (adj.) incapable of being changed or called back
a. We tend to think of court verdicts as _______________, but they are often overturned by higher
courts.
b. Synonyms: irreversible, unrecallable, unalterable
c. Antonyms: reversible, changeable
10. RESILIENT (adj.) able to return to an original shape or form; able to recover quickly
a. The development of lightweight, _______________ plastics revolutionized the design of many
durable goods.
b. Synonyms: springy, elastic, buoyant, bouncy
c. Antonyms: rigid, stiff, inflexible, unyielding
NAME ___________________________________
Sadlier-Oxford Vocabulary Workshop, Level F: Unit IV (4)
11. SEDULOUS (adj.) persistent, showing industry and determination
a. No one could say that he was lazy, for he was a careful, _______________ copier of other people’s
work.
b. Synonyms: assiduous, tireless, indefatigable
c. Antonyms: lackadaisical, listless, indolent, otiose
12. REVERBERATE (v.) to re-echo, resound to; to reflect or be reflected repeatedly
a. From the construction site, the noise of bulldozers and dump trucks _______________ across the
valley.
b. Synonyms: rumble, thunder, boom, echo
13. AMORPHOUS (adj.) shapeless, without definite form; of no particular type or character; without
organization, unity, or cohesion
a. The _______________ body of the amoeba was fascinating to watch under the microscope.
b. Synonyms: formless, unstructured, nebulous, inchoate
c. Antonyms: definite, well-defined, clear-cut
14. CONTRABAND (n.) illegal traffic, smuggled goods; (adj.) illegal, prohibited
a. Three jeweled combs from the 17th century were among the _______________ seized by the
police.
b. Synonyms: illicit, bootleg, unlawful
c. Antonyms: legal, lawful, licit
15. INSCRUTABLE (adj.) incapable of being understood; impossible to see through physically
a. I could not tell by her _______________ smile whether she was pleased or only amused by me.
b. Synonyms: impenetrable, incomprehensible, enigmatic
c. Antonyms: comprehensible, intelligible, penetrable
16. ERUDITE (adj.) scholarly, learned, bookish, pedantic
a. For my paper, I would like to find an _______________ history of the subject written in a clear
and unbiased manner.
b. Synonyms: profoundly educated, well-read
c. Antonyms: ignorant, uneducated, illiterate
17. SLEAZY (adj.) thin or flimsy in texture; cheap; shoddy or inferior in quality or character; ethically low,
mean, or disreputable
a. The old lady made her clothes at home in order to avoid the _______________ goods sold in the
general store.
b. Synonyms: inferior, cheesy, tawdry, tatty
c. Antonyms: superior, first-rate, quality, sturdy
18. SCURRILOUS (adj.) coarsely abusive, vulgar, or low (especially in language), foul-mouthed
a. Days passed and unrest grew, and soon the rebels began a _______________ attack on their absent
leader.
b. Synonyms: obscene, filthy, abusive, vituperative
c. Antonyms: decorous, seemly, tasteful, dignified
19. REPUDIATE (v.) to disown, reject, or deny the validity of
a. He was forced to _______________ a statement he had made before he’d had all the information.
b. Synonyms: disavow, abjure, renounce
c. Antonyms: avow, affirm, aver, avouch
20. QUERULOUS (adj.) peevish, complaining, fretful
a. Some flight attendants dread a _______________ airline passenger more than they do rough
weather.
b. Synonyms: petulant, touchy, cranky, irritable
c. Antonyms: uncomplaining, stoical, serene, placid