- QUAINT (adjective)
Meaning: attractively unusual or old-fashioned.
Synonyms: picturesque, charming, attractive, unconventional.
Antonyms: ordinary, common, usual, prosaic
Usage: The quaint village does not appear to have changed since it was first settled - PROTEAN (adjective)
Meaning: tending or able to change frequently or easily.
Synonyms: variable, inconsistent, erratic, fluctuating.
Antonyms: consistent. continual, incessant, constant.
Usage: I am unable to make a final decision because of my protean nature which makes me indecisive. - ARRANT (adjective)
Meaning: Complete, utter.
Synonyms: total, absolute, thorough, sheer.
Antonyms: minor, light, unclear, obscure.
Usage: These people crumble when their arrant nonsense is confronted with simple common sense. - STARK (adjective)
Meaning: Unpleasantly or sharply clear.
Synonyms: blunt, plain, unembellished, harsh.
Antonyms: lush, bleak, cheerful, opulent.
Usage: His evidence in chief stood in stark contrast to his evidence on cross-examination. - PREPONDERANCE (noun):
Meaning: the quality or fact of being greater in number, quantity, or importance.
Synonyms: prevalence, predominance, majority.
Antonyms: subservience, disability, inferiority, flaw
Usage: The preponderance of unemployed workers is linked to the manufacturer’s desire to cut costs by sending jobs overseas. - POLEMICAL (Adjective)
Meaning: of or involving strongly critical or disputatious writing or speech.
Synonyms: critical, hostile, bitter, polemic, virulent
Example: Unlike most academic philosophy much of it is personal, polemical, poetical or allusive. - DECRY (Verb) –
Meaning: publicly denounce.
Synonyms: denounce, condemn, criticize, censure, damn, attack
Antonyms: praise, overrate
Example: He is impatient with those who decry the scheme. - RANCOUR (Noun)
Meaning: bitterness or resentfulness, especially when long standing.
Synonyms: bitterness, hatred, resentment, malice
Antonyms: amicability
Example: Even though my mother despised her twin sister, she always spoke about her without rancour. - SCOFF (Verb)
Meaning: speak to someone or about something in a scornfully derisive or mocking way.
Synonyms: mock, deride, ridicule
Antonyms: flatter, praise, compliment
Example: The rude little rich girl thought it was fun to scoff at the poor children at her school. - SULKY (Adjective)
Meaning: morose, bad-tempered, and resentful; refusing to be cooperative or cheerful.
Synonyms: Sullen, surly, pouting, petulant
Antonyms: cheerful, amiable
Example: Jay was quite sulky at the graduation party, but he tried to hide his apathetic attitude. - IDIOMS
“heavy heart”
BODY IDIOM
Meaning: sadness
Sentence:
She left him with a heavy heart.
“in over your head”
BODY IDIOM
Meaning: trying something that is much too difficult for one’s ability
Sentence: You’re in over your head. You can’t beat the computer at chess.
“keep an eye on”
BODY IDIOM
Meaning: watch carefully or take care of
Sentence:
Please keep an eye on the kettle. It will boil soon.
