Vocab Master Day – 42

1.Riposte

Meaning: a quick and clever reply

Synonym: comeback, repartee, retort

Sentence: he’s known for having a brilliant riposte to

nearly any insult

2.petulant

Meaning: (of a person or their manner) childishly sulky or

bad-tempered

Synonym: short-tempered, peevish,

Antonym: affable, companionable, cordial, extroverted

Sentence: “he was moody and petulant”

3. Vacillation

Meaning: fluctuation

Synonym: hesitation, doubt, indecision

Antonym: certainty, sure

Sentence: I vacillate between the red truck and the blue

one

4.Discernible

Meaning: able to be discerned; perceptible.

Synonym: visible, detectable, noticeable

Antonym: imperceptible

Sentence: “the scandal had no discernible effect on his

career”

5. Sojourn

Meaning: a temporary stay., stay somewhere

temporarily.

Synonym: stay, visit, stop, stopover, residence;

Sentence: “her sojourn in Rome”

6. Orthodox

Meaning: following or conforming to the traditional or

generally accepted rules or beliefs of a religion,

philosophy, or practice.

Synonym: conservative, traditional, observant,

conformist

Antonym: unconventional, unorthodox, nonconformist

Sentence: “Burke’s views were orthodox in his time”

7. Pernicious

Meaning: having a harmful effect, especially in a gradual

or subtle way.

Synonym: harmful, damaging, destructive, injurious

Antonym: beneficial, benign, favorable

Sentence: “the pernicious influences of the mass media”

8. Peremptory

Meaning: insisting on immediate attention or obedience,

especially in a brusquely imperious way.

Synonym: high-handed, brisk, abrupt, summary,

commanding, authoritative,

Antonym: humble, meek, modest, unassuming

Sentence: “‘Just do it!’ came the peremptory reply”

9.Espouse

Meaning: support

Synonym: adopt, maintain, defend

Antonym: attack, reject

Sentence: He was an optimist or he never would have

espoused the American cause.

10.Sporadic

Meaning: on and off

Synonym: occasional, infrequent, irregular

Antonym: common, constant, frequent

Sentence: At first resistance to Western encroachment

was sporadic and uncoordinated.