The Cadwaladr Quests

by S L Ager

301 quest (n) long or difficult search for something; mission, adventure, crusade, expedition, journey.

  302 taunt (v) provoke or challenge someone; criticise, mock, tease, goad, gibe, sneer, insult. (ant) compliment.

  303 brim (v) be full of a particular feeling or quality; burst, abound, overflow, swell, fill, teem. (ant) drain, empty.

  304 icon (n) a symbol on a screen; image, logo, emblem, representation, sign, badge, motif, insignia, design.

  305 chime (n) melodious ringing sound; ring, clang, peal, ding, noise, tinkle.

  306 permit (v) allow to do something; approve, authorise, let, sanction, consent, OK, facilitate. (ant) forbid.

  307 luxury (n) comfort, elegance or treat; boon, bonus, indulgence, extra, amenity. (ant) necessity, austerity.

  308 feline (adj) resembling a cat; catlike, subtle, slinky, graceful, elegant, stealthy, sly.

  309 luscious (adj) appealing to look at; delectable, distinctive, exquisite, divine, luxurious. (ant) poor, awful.

  310 emerald (adj) a rich bright green colour; emerald green, pea green.

  311 dub (v) give a nickname to; designate, entitle, call, label, name, term, tag, style, knight.

  312 musical (n) a play or film involving singing and dancing; show.

  313 gush (v) speak or write quickly and enthusiastically; enthuse, effuse, pour, babble, admire. (ant) drawl.

  314 chirp (v) speak cheerfully; cheep, squeak, twitter, pipe, sound, tweet. (ant) lament, groan.

  315 jingle (n) a short, memorable verse, tune or slogan; ditty, song, refrain, chorus, rhyme.

  316 warble (v) make a trilling (chirping) or quavering (wobbling) birdlike sound; sing, tweet, chirrup.

  317 pixel (n) one of many minute areas of illumination on a display screen; dot.

  318 smuggled (adj) brought in secretly; snuck in, hidden, rustled, slipped, stolen.

  319 savour (v) taste and enjoy, especially by lingering over eating it; relish, appreciate. (ant) detest.

  320 reassure (v) remove doubt and fear; assure, comfort, soothe, cheer. (ant) discourage, unnerve, alarm.

  321 conscientious (adj) working well and thoroughly; hardworking, dutiful, diligent, attentive. (ant) careless.

  322 meaningful (adj) serious and worthwhile; significant, consequential. (ant) insignificant, meaningless.

  323 study (n) time and attention spent on learning a subject; revision, homework, work.

  324 flutter (v) flap or wave; float, waft, drift, sail, glide, flitter, fall, ripple.

  325 shallow (adj) having little depth; light, thin, slight, superficial, depthless. (ant) deep, significant, profound.

  2. The Note

  1 project (v) cause light or shadow to fall onto a surface (sometimes creating an image); cast.

  2 shard (n) a piece of something broken, creating sharp edges or fragments; sliver, splinter, spike.

  3 haze (n) mental confusion; mist, blur, fog, obscurity, fuzziness, cloudiness. (ant) clarity, clearness, lucidity.

  4 bleary (adj) unfocused and dull from sleeping; hazy, fuzzy, blurry, sleepy, groggy, unclear. (ant) lively, clear.

  5 hectic (adj) busy or frantic activity; boisterous, chaotic, confused, frenetic, feverish. (ant) calm, orderly.

  6 pandemonium (n) noisy disorder and confusion; chaos, bedlam, mayhem, uproar, tumult. (ant) calm, order.

  7 tizzy (n) nervous excitement or agitation; flap, state, panic, dither. (ant) calm, control, ease, cheer.

  8 punctual (adj) on time; prompt, dependable, accurate, timely, ready. (ant) late, tardy, unpunctual.

  9 astonished (adj) greatly impressed or surprised; astounded, amazed, dumbfounded. (ant) underwhelmed.

  10 deserted (adj) abandoned or left empty; vacated, unoccupied. (ant) inhabited, full, crowded, populous.

  11 trace (n) a mark or object indicating the passing or existence of something; evidence, sign, hint.

  12 tame (v) control; curb, restrain, temper, train, subdue, moderate. (ant) unleash, liberate.

  13 unruly (adj) disorderly and uncontrollable; wild, unmanageable, wilful. (ant) orderly, well behaved.

  14 anxiety (n) worried and nervous feeling; apprehension, unease, disquiet. (ant) calmness, reassurance.

  15 uncharacteristically (adv) in an uncharacteristic (unusual) way; strangely, unexpectedly. (ant) typically.

  16 abnormally (adv) in an abnormal (unusual) way; oddly, peculiarly, uncharacteristically. (ant) normally.

  17 allied (adj) joined together, cooperative in a friendly manner; connected, associated. (ant) unrelated, hostile.

  18 sentry (n) a soldier placed to guard; lookout, sentinel, patrol, watchman.

  19 squint (v) look with one’s eyes screwed up or partly closed; scan, peer, peek, glance.

  20 distracted (adj) with diverted attention; sidetracked, preoccupied, disturbed. (ant) focused, attentive.

  21 weave (v) twist and turn while moving to avoid obstructions; wind, entwine, lace, intermingle.

  22 high-pitched (adj) high in pitch or sound frequency; screechy, shrill, piercing. (ant) low-pitched, deep.

  23 tentative (adj) done without confidence; cautious, hesitating, faltering, reluctant, unsure. (ant) sure, certain.

  24 customary (adj) usual or typical practices; expected, habitual, characteristic. (ant) unusual, uncharacteristic.

  25 miscellany (n) a group or mixture of different items; assortment, collection, array, variety. (ant) uniformity.

  26 brow (n) area on the head comprising (consisting of) the forehead and temples.

  27 disconcert (v) unsettle or confuse; agitate, perturb, confound, fluster, discombobulate. (ant) reassure.

  28 steep (adj) sharply rising or falling slope; sheer, bluff, precipitous, vertical, vertiginous. (ant) gentle, gradual.

  29 panic (n) uncontrollable anxiety or fear; fright, dread, alarm, consternation, horror. (ant) calm, self-control.

  30 fraught (adj) stressed and extremely anxious; tense, apprehensive, troubled, upset, uptight. (ant) calm.

  31 affectionate (adj) showing fondness and tenderness; warm, friendly, demonstrative, kind. (ant) cold, unkind.

  32 constant (adj) continuing without stopping; consistent, continual, steady, perpetual. (ant) intermittent, brief.

  33 compel (v) force or oblige someone to do something; impel, make, drive, obligate.

  34 almond (n) the edible oval seed of an almond tree, the shape of an almond; oval.

  35 bore (v) drill a hole into (often used figuratively); stare, pierce, penetrate, burrow, mine.

  36 jut (v) protrude (stick out from); poke out, project, extend, overhang. (ant) indent, depress, recede.

  37 buff (adj) yellowish-beige colour; fawn, manila, camel, off-white.

  38 reticently (adv) in a reticent (hesitant) way; warily, reluctantly, cagily, guardedly. (ant) easily, confidently.

  39 tremor (n) involuntary shake (tremble); flutter, quake, wobble, quiver, vibrate.

  40 fabric (n) cloth; fibre, material, textile, drapery.

  41 velvety (adj) like velvet cloth; soft, smooth, silky, downy, furry. (ant) rough, coarse, bumpy, uneven.

  42 frayed (adj) unravelled or worn; tattered, distressed, eroded, shredded, deteriorated.

  43 tinge (v) tint with a certain colour or shade; stain, shade, colour, pigment, dye.

  44 delicately (adv) in a delicate (careful) way; daintily, precisely, dexterously, deftly, adroitly. (ant) clumsily.

  45 gloriously (adv) in a glorious (magnificent) way; splendidly, superbly, wonderfully, grandly. (ant) plainly.

  46 script (n) handwriting; words, calligraphy, lettering, inscription, text, print, font.

  47 absence (n) not being at an occasion or a place; absenteeism, nonattendance. (ant) presence, attendance.

  48 endangered (adj) in danger; jeopardised, risked, threatened, compromised. (ant) protected, guarded.

  49 enormity (n) scale and seriousness; extent, size, magnitude, significance. (ant) insignificance, triviality.

  50 abide (v) follow or accept; adhere to, stick
to, observe, comply with. (ant) flout, reject, disobey.

  51 dresser (n) sideboard with shelves; cupboard, tallboy, cabinet.

  52 haste (n) speed or urgency, hurry; swiftness, briskness, dash, alacrity, rapidity. (ant) slowness, delay.

  53 scour (v) look or search thoroughly; scrutinise, study, review, inspect, read, revise, rifle. (ant) overlook.

  54 hoax (n) deception, trick or deceit; joke, jest, prank, ruse, con, fraud, swindle.

  55 poised (adj) prepared; primed, placed, positioned, ready, set, briefed, assembled.

  56 frantic (adj) incredibly scared, anxious or worried; panicky, desperate, hysterical, frenzied. (ant) calm.

  57 rummage (v) search untidily through something; hunt, dig, ransack, forage, delve.

  58 adjust (v) alter or move slightly to fit; tailor, adapt, change, modify, vary.

  59 stave off (v) put off or delay something bad; prevent, avert, counteract, foil, halt. (ant) assist, encourage.

  60 queasy (adj) feeling slightly sick (nauseous) or uneasy; odd, unsettled, troubled. (ant) well, untroubled.

  61 unease (n) want or lack of ease; anxiety, angst, apprehension, dread, foreboding, jitters. (ant) calmness, ease.

  62 baffling (adj) difficult to understand; confusing, perplexing, bewildering, befuddling. (ant) comprehensible.

  63 ridiculously (adv) in a ridiculous (silly) manner; absurdly, comically, laughably. (ant) sensibly, reasonably.

  64 restriction (n) a limiting condition; constraint, control, restraint, limitation. (ant) freedom, liberation.

  65 sole (adj) one and only; singular, solitary, single, individual, lone, solo. (ant) numerous, many.

  66 companion (n) someone one spends time with; friend, acquaintance, ally, buddy, chum. (ant) foe, enemy.

  67 gloomy (adj) dark and dismal; bleak, dreary, overcast, grey, miserable, ominous. (ant) bright, clear, sunny.

  68 brooding (adj) darkly menacing; threatening, ominous, gloomy, heavy, dark, dismal. (ant) bright, cheerful.

  69 dismal (adj) dark and dreary, causing gloom or depression; miserable, gloomy, dull. (ant) bright, light, clear.

  70 stomp (v) tread heavily; stamp, clump, plod, clomp, trudge, crush. (ant) tiptoe.

  71 nippy (adj) quick and nimble; fast, speedy, rapid, swift, fleet, sprightly, lithe, deft, hasty. (ant) slow, plodding.

  72 speck (n) tiny dot or particle; fleck, spot, blot, blob, scrap, jot. (ant) mass.

  73 loom (v) appearing vaguely from the distance; emerge, materialise, emanate, show. (ant) recede, leave.

  74 insistent (adj) demanding something, not refusing; assertive, resolute, unrelenting. (ant) weak, relenting.

  75 obstinate (adj) not changing one’s mind easily; stubborn, determined, adamant. (ant) compliant, submissive.

  76 pity (n) sorrow for the misfortunes of others; sympathy, compassion, understanding, mercy. (ant) cruelty.

  77 prior to (prep) before or previous to; in advance of, earlier than, ahead of. (ant) later than, after.

  78 levy (v) impose a fine or tax; demand, charge, collect, gather, place, set. (ant) remit.

  79 clatter (v) make a continuous rattling sound; clack, clank, jangle, clash, bump, hurtle, clang.

  80 outskirts (n) outer parts of a town or city; bounds, border, edge, suburbs, fringes, peripheries. (ant) centre.

  81 dense (adj) crowded together; populous, crammed, packed, full, compressed. (ant) sparse, empty.

  82 teem (v) be full of or swarming with; brim, bustle, crawl, overflow, abound. (ant) disperse, empty.

  83 commuter (n) a person who regularly travels some distance to work; traveller.

  84 eerie (adj) strange and scary; spooky, creepy, weird, uncanny, peculiar, paranormal. (ant) normal, earthly.

  85 concourse (n) a large accessible and open area; foyer, entrance, forecourt, walkway.

  86 elevated (adj) raised or in a higher position; heightened, lifted, hoisted, aloft. (ant) lowered, dropped.

  87 departure (n) the moment of leaving or starting a journey; parting, exodus, exit, removal. (ant) arrival.

  88 confident (adj) feeling certain about one’s abilities; self-assured, self-reliant, assertive. (ant) insecure, timid.

  89 clamber (v) climb or move awkwardly; scale, mount, crawl, scramble, ascend.

  90 irresistible (adj) hard to resist (must-have); tempting, enticing, tantalising. (ant) unappealing, resistible.

  91 traipse (v) move reluctantly or in a tired manner; trudge, plod, lumber, amble.

  92 elderly (adj) ageing or old; aged, retired, grey, mature, senior. (ant) young, youthful, childlike.

  93 aisle (n) passageway between rows of seats; walkway, gangway, corridor, lane, gap.

  94 tatty (adj) shabby and worn; scruffy, ragged, frayed, dog-eared, moth-eaten. (ant) smart, spruce, tidy.

  95 heightened (adj) increased; intensified, strengthened, amplified, enhanced. (ant) lessened, reduced.

  96 alert (n) state of watching for possible danger; vigilance, readiness, observance. (ant) inattentiveness.

  97 allay (v) calm or diminish a fear or worry; dispel, alleviate, assuage, relieve, mollify. (ant) stimulate, incite.

  98 curiosity (n) a desire to know or learn; inquisitiveness, interest, nosiness. (ant) apathy, indifference.

  99 bulky (adj) large and unwieldy; cumbersome, heavy, awkward, substantial, ungainly. (ant) light, manageable.

  100 formal (adj) official in attitude or appearance; conventional, stiff, prim. (ant) informal, unconventional.

  101 hue (n) colour, tone or shade; complexion, aspect, tinge, tint.

  102 funereal (adj) characteristic of a funeral; mournful, melancholy, sombre, solemn. (ant) cheerful, bright.

  103 Dickensian (adj) like or portraying similarity to the time of Charles Dickens; Victorian.

  104 undertaker (n) a person who prepares the dead for funerals; mortician, embalmer.

  105 avert (v) turn away; turn aside, look away, divert.

  106 scaly (adj) flaking because of dryness; peeling, crusty, scabby, encrusted, scaling. (ant) smooth.

  107 scalp (n) the skin that covers the head (not the face).

  108 parallel (adj) side by side, having equal distance between; aligned, lateral, alongside. (ant) perpendicular.

  109 casual (adj) unconcerned and relaxed; informal, laid back, nonchalant, cool. (ant) tense, concerned.

  110 air (n) a portrayal, quality, manner or impression; appearance, aura, mood, tone, look.

  111 dour (adj) unfriendly, gloomy or miserable; sour, stern, severe, grim. (ant) kindly, friendly, cheerful.

  112 stealthy (adj) done so as not to be seen or heard; quiet, cautious, covert, surreptitious. (ant) blatant, overt.

  113 absurdity (n) something ridiculous or very unreasonable; illogicality, irrationality. (ant) logic, sensibleness.

  114 obscured (adj) concealed, not able to be seen; hidden, veiled, covered, blocked, unclear. (ant) clear, distinct.

  115 unique (adj) unlike anything else; exclusive, distinctive, particular, individual, one-off. (ant) common.

  116 mere (adj) having no greater extent than, barely; meagre, measly, only, sheer.

  117 cluster (n) similar things bunched or occurring together; group, array, bunch, collection. (ant) dispersal.

  118 disused (adj) no longer in use; empty, abandoned, derelict, deserted, neglected. (ant) occupied, in use.

  119 graffiti (n) writings or drawings illicitly (without permission) done in public spaces; doodle.

  120 masterpiece (n) outstanding piece of art or work; classic, treasure, masterstroke.

  121 uniformity (n) the state or quality of being consistent (the same); regularity, sameness. (ant) inconsistency.

  122 suburban (adj) characteristic of a suburb (outlying residential district of a city); outskirt. (ant) central, urban.

  123 disperse (v) distribute, spread or scatter over a wide area; separate, diffuse, dissipate. (ant) assemble.

  124 lush (adj) (of grass) growing luxuriantly; green, verdant, abundant, thriving,
flourishing, fertile. (ant) barren.

  125 limb (n) arm, leg or wing (of an animal); appendage, member, offshoot.

  126 gurgling (n) a hollow bubbling sound; burble, murmur, rumble, splosh, slosh, ripple.