Heterogeneous: composed of different
kinds, diverse
• Synonyms: miscellaneous,
mixed, variegated
• Antonyms: uniform,
homogeneous
Most college admissions
officers actively seek a
student body that is both
talented and heterogeneous.
Horde: a vast number (as of people);
a throng
• Synonyms: crowd, mass,
multitude, host, swarm
• Antonyms: few handful
When the doors opened, a
horde of shoppers headed
towards the sales rack.
Impel: to force, drive forward
• Synonyms: urge, push, spur,
propel, incite
• Antonyms: discourage,
check, restrain, curb
• Hunger often impels people
to leave their homes in
search of food.
• A strong sense of fair play
should impel you to admit
your mistake.
• Was it boredom, or a desire
to show off, that impelled
the students to misbehave
in class?
Incredulous: disbelieving, skeptical
• Synonyms: dubious,
mistrustful, doubting
• Antonyms: believing,
trustful, gullible
My lame excuse for failing to
complete my homework was
greeted with incredulous looks
from my teacher.
Inscribe: to write or engrave; to enter
a name on a list
• Synonyms: imprint, enroll,
enlist
• Antonyms: erase, rub out,
delete, efface, obliterate
The young man asked the
jeweler to inscribe the
locket with his fiancée's
name.
Monologue: a speech by one actor; a
long talk by one person
• Synonyms: soliloquy,
recitation
• Antonyms: dialogue,
conversation, colloquy
In his opening monologue, the
talk show host often pokes fun
at celebrities.
Prognosis: a forecast of the probable course and
outcome of a disease or situation
• Synonyms: prediction,
projection
After being hit by a car, the
doctor said his prognosis
looked good.
Rasping: (adj) with a harsh, grating
sound; (n) a harsh sound
• Synonyms: scratchy,
scraping, abrasive, gravelly
• Antonyms: sonorous,
smooth, satiny, silky, mellow
• Her voice is so rasping that I
find it painful to listen to
her speak.
• Chronic bronchitis can lead
to a rasping cough that is
difficult to cure.
• As soon as I heard rasping
noises coming from the
workshop, I knew someone
was using a saw or a file.
Repugnant: offensive, disagreeable,
distasteful
• Synonyms: hateful, odious,
revolting, repulsive
• Antonyms: pleasing,
attractive, tempting,
wholesome
Despite their repugnant lack
of cleanliness, pigs are
endearing to many people.
Scuttle: (v) to sink a ship by cutting holes in it; to get rid
of something in a decisive way; to run hastily, scurry;
(n) a pail
• Synonyms: abandon,
discard, scrap, ditch, dump
• Antonyms: keep afloat,
salvage, rescue, preserve
Hopelessly cut off from the main
fleet, the captain of the vessel
decided to scuttle his ship rather
than allow it to fall into enemy
hands.