Lesson Two---Antithesis to Venerate

Lesson Two---Antithesis to VenerateAntithesis: a direct opposite; a contrastAscend: to move upward; rise from a lower stationAustere: strict; stern; unadorned; unembellishedautonomous: independent, self-containedbanal: common, ordinary, lacking freshness, benign: not causing harm, beneficialcapricious: changing suddenly, fickledawdle: to waste time, to spend time idly, defamation: act of harming or ruining another's reputationesoteric: understood only by a small group or a select fewexacerbate: to aggravate, to irritate, to vexextol: to praise, to glorifyLesson Twofastidious: reflecting a meticulous or demanding attitude, critical to an extremefurtive: secret in an underhanded way, stealthygregarious: sociable and outgoinghypocrite: one who is insincere or deceitfulinnate: existing from birth, inbornlethargic: sluggish, languidmelancholy: depression of spiritsopaque: not allowing the passage of light, not transparent, hard to understandprolific: abundantly fruitful, marked by a great productivityreprove: to scold or to rebuke for a misdeed usually with kindly intentsymmetry: balanced proportionstranquil: peaceful, calmvenerate: to honor, to revere

antithesis(noun ) Direct opposite; contrast

The antithesis of peace is war.

ascendTo move upward; rise above(verb)My grades are currently in the dumps; I sure hope they ascend soon.

austereStrict; stern; unadorned(adj)

The Puritan lifestyle was austere compared to most periods of culture and literature.autonomousIndependent-(adj)

The teen longed to be autonomous from her parents and couldnt wait until she could drive by herself.

banalPlain; ordinary; not fresh; hackneyed or clichedMake sure the essay you write for college is not banal; no one wants to read about how you would be an asset to the school.

benignInnocuous; not harmfulWe were so relieved to hear that her tumor was benign.

capriciousChanging suddenly; fickle

The capricious girl had two dates to the homecoming dance and rejected both guys at the last minute.

dawdleTo waste time; spend time idly (verb)

Dont dawdle when you leave the room with a pass to go to the restroom.

defamationThe act of harming or disparaging anothers reputation (noun)

The actress sued the Inquirer magazine for defamation of character after it doctored photos of her from her teen years.

esotericUnderstood by only a select fewShe liked to read about esoteric subjects so that she could impress her friends.

exacerbateTo make worse; to worsen; to aggravate

The problems with the economy were exacerbated by the falling house prices.

extolTo praise; laud (verb)

The health benefits of exercise are widely extolled.

fastidiousParticular; fussy about details (adj)

We hired Martha to clean, because she was the most fastidious, and we could count on her to make things immaculate.

furtiveSneaky (adj)

I prefer dogs to cats, because cats can be quite furtive when they are in the house.

gregariousSocial; affable; outgoing

You have to be gregarious in your first year of college if you want to meet friends.

Hypocrite (noun)Duplicitous; two-faced; says one thing but does the other

The expression the pot calling the kettle black refers to someone who is hypocritical by calling someone out for lying or doing something wrong, when he is in fact doing the same thing or worse.innateIn-born; naturalHer artistic ability is innate; her parents are artists as well.

lethargicLazy; slow; fatigued

This flu has left me feeling so lethargic, it is an effort to walk.

melancholySadness; despair; state of lamentHis melancholy mood was evident by the way she dressed in dark, baggy clothing.

opaqueTransparent (adj)

Many people decorate the windows or doors of their homes with stained glass or other forms of opaque screening so that light gets in but the view is obscured.

prolificAbundant; copious; productive

Shakespeare is one of the most prolific writers in English literature.

reproveTo scold; castigate; criticize

His mother reproved him for leaving dishes in the sink.

symmetryState of balance

Symmetry in our landscape, our writing, and our furnishings engenders a feeling of peace and balance.

tranquilQuiet; taciturnThe tranquil serenity of the ocean was disrupted by the loud group of motorcyclists.

venerateTo honor; revere

We venerate the heroes of the past and study their accomplishments.