by S L Ager
83 gruelling (adj) extremely demanding and tiring; exhausting, arduous, strenuous, harrowing. (ant) easy.
84 gradient (n) degree of steepness; incline, pitch, angle, leaning.
85 vertical (adj) at right angles to a horizontal plane; perpendicular, erect, upright, plumb. (ant) horizontal.
86 vantage (n) a position or place offering the best view; viewpoint, angle, stance.
87 cinch (n) an easy task; breeze, nothing, doddle, gift, snap, cakewalk. (ant) difficulty, nightmare, hardship.
88 exhausted (adj) extremely tired; drained, shattered, fatigued, debilitated. (ant) refreshed, energised.
89 pulpy (adj) soft and mushy; springy, spongy, pliable, cushiony, yielding. (ant) firm, rigid, unyielding.
90 winded (adj) having difficulty breathing due to exertion or a blow to the stomach; breathless.
91 foliage (n) lots of plant leaves together (collectively); greenery, vegetation, verdure, flora.
92 relentlessly (adv) in a relentless (persistent) way; insistently, ceaselessly, harshly, inexorably. (ant) slackly.
93 desperately (adv) in a desperate (hopeless) way; frantically, frenziedly, urgently. (ant) calmly, moderately.
94 grapple (v) engage in a struggle; wrestle, fight, battle, tussle, scuffle. (ant) surrender.
95 momentum (n) the impetus (speed) gained by a moving object; force, motion, thrust. (ant) inertia.
96 mercilessly (adv) in a way that shows no mercy or clemency (forgiveness); cruelly, harshly. (ant) kindly.
97 clutch (v) grab or grasp something tightly; hold, grip, seize, clench, grapple. (ant) release, let go.
98 bark (n) the tough outer protective sheath of woody trees and shrubs.
99 friction (n) resistance when two surfaces rub together; scraping, chafing, rubbing, abrasion.
100 sear (v) scorch or burn the surface of with intense heat; singe, char, blister, sizzle. (ant) cool, freeze.
101 smarting (adj) feeling sharp, stinging pain; burning, hurting, throbbing, aching. (ant) soothed, eased.
102 hurtle (v) move at speed, typically in an uncontrolled way; career, bolt, bowl, dash, careen. (ant) dawdle.
103 wedge (v) force between or into a narrow space; lodge, jam, cram, push, thrust, fix, hold. (ant) dislodge.
104 chaotic (adj) in a state of confusion and disorder; muddled, haywire, messy, untidy. (ant) orderly.
105 exertion (n) mental or physical effort; action, toil, labour, hard work. (ant) ease, rest, inaction.
106 avail (n) benefit or use; advantage, reward, purpose, gain, profit, help, boon, edge. (ant) uselessness.
107 ensnare (v) catch or seize as though in a trap; capture, entangle, snare, trap, enmesh. (ant) release.
108 parry (v) ward (fight) off an attack with a countermove; deflect, block, dodge, prevent. (ant) take, allow.
109 deflect (v) cause to deviate from a course; repel, avert, divert, prevent, ward off.
110 surpass (v) be better or greater than; beat, eclipse, exceed, overshadow, transcend. (ant) follow, fail.
111 hoist (v) raise or haul up; lift, erect, heave, winch, elevate. (ant) lower, drop.
112 liberate (v) set free; detach, release, unfetter, disengage, unhook. (ant) restrain, confine, limit, prevent.
113 ease (n) absence of difficulty or effort; easiness, efficiency, nonchalance, simplicity. (ant) difficulty.
114 protest (n) an expression of disapproval, disagreement or objection; complaint, fuss. (ant) approval.
115 glade (n) an open space in a forest or wooded area; clearing, opening, gap, dell.
116 writhe (v) twist and turn, contort the body; squirm, wriggle, struggle, thrash. (ant) still, relax.
117 gag (v) put a gag over or into someone’s mouth to stop them speaking; restrain, muzzle, tape.
118 enmity (n) a state or feeling of active hostility; hate, animosity, rancour. (ant) friendship, amity, goodwill.
119 overwhelm (v) have a strong emotional effect; overcome, shake, disturb, stagger. (ant) underwhelm.
120 unrelenting (adj) not relenting (giving in); unyielding, inexorable, relentless, merciless. (ant) relenting.
121 survey (v) look closely at or examine; study, inspect, analyse, assess, evaluate, consider. (ant) overlook.
122 credible (adj) able to be believed; believable, convincing, plausible, realistic. (ant) unbelievable.
123 conjure (v) make something appear unexpectedly or from nowhere; summon, raise, rouse. (ant) dispel.
124 brink (n) the point at which something is about to happen; verge, threshold, edge, precipice, brim.
125 contrived (adj) created by deliberate use of skill and pretence; concocted, fabricated, devised. (ant) natural.
126 ironically (adv) in a paradoxical, unexpected or coincidental way; paradoxically, unexpectedly, coincidentally.
127 contribute (v) give something to help; assist, aid, influence, support, fortify. (ant) obstruct, detract, harm.
128 glibly (adv) in a glib (easy) manner; fluently, neatly, persuasively, smoothly, slickly, casually. (ant) hesitantly.
129 lurid (adj) presented in a shocking or sensational way; ghastly, exaggerated, vivid, revolting. (ant) pleasant.
130 gnash (v) (the teeth) grind together in anger; clench, grit, grate, rub, rasp, groan, gnaw.
131 soil (v) make dirty; foul, sully, muck, muddy, stain, spot. (ant) cleanse.
132 squat (v) crouch down with bent knees; cower, bend, hunch, stoop, hunker. (ant) stand, straighten.
133 relish (v) enjoy greatly and savour; admire, revel, like, appreciate, delight in. (ant) detest, dislike, loathe.
134 revulsion (n) dislike, loathing and disgust; repulsion, repugnance, aversion, distaste. (ant) attraction, like.
135 dawn (v) become evident, be perceived or understood by the mind; realise, strike, occur. (ant) obscure.
136 odious (adj) extremely unpleasant; abominable, revolting, repulsive, offensive, abhorrent. (ant) delightful.
137 stench (n) a strong and horrid smell; stink, reek, pong, malodour. (ant) perfume, fragrance.
138 pervade (v) spread throughout, be present and apparent; permeate, infiltrate, encompass. (ant) evacuate.
139 feigned (adj) simulated or pretend; affected, fake, bluffed, artificial, insincere. (ant) real, sincere.
140 maximum (adj) the most; full, greatest, supreme, utmost, top, largest. (ant) minimum, least.
141 thicket (n) a dense group of shrubs, trees or bushes; copse, coppice, grove, wood, clump.
142 clump (n) a small group of trees or shrubs growing together; cluster, mass, thicket, batch.
143 clasp (n) a device that fastens things together; catch, clip, fastener, buckle.
144 lout (n) an aggressive, thuggish or uncouth boy or man; thug, yob, brute, oaf, bully. (ant) sophisticate.
145 albeit (con) although; though, notwithstanding, even though, while.
146 crude (adj) rudimentary (basic) or makeshift; simple, rough, unsophisticated. (ant) sophisticated.
147 lasso (n) a rope with a noose at one end, used for catching animals; loop, lariat, tether.
148 trajectory (n) the course followed by a moving projectile (missile); route, flight, path, line.
149 pounce (v) spring forward to attack or seize; tackle, ambush, swoop, strike, surge, dive, bound. (ant) recoil.
150 felled (adj) cut down or toppled; chopped, floored, decked. (ant) raised, upright.
151 jeopardy (n) danger of harm, loss or failure; risk, threat, trouble, peril, hazard, difficulty. (ant) safety.
152 landmark (n) object or feature of a landscape that is seen or recognisable; marker, sign, pointer.
153 parched (adj) dried up from sun exposure or lack of water; dehydrated, shrivelled. (ant) hydrated.
154 slug (n) a drink of something taken in a large swig or draught; gulp, glug, glassful, mouthful, hit. (ant) sip.
155 drain (v) drink the entire contents of something; empty, finish, consume, deplete. (ant) fill, replenish.
156 ration (v) allow only a
fixed amount of something; limit, restrict, control, save, keep. (ant) lavish.
157 reprieve (n) a cancellation or postponement (delay) of punishment; pardon, abatement. (ant) continuation.
158 peripheral (adj) relating to or situated on the periphery (edge); fringe, outer, bordering. (ant) central.
159 affirm (v) confirm or uphold; sustain, proclaim, assert, guarantee, declare, support, verify. (ant) deny, reject.
160 qualm (n) a feeling of doubt or unease; misgiving, foreboding, trepidation, apprehension. (ant) confidence.
161 ascend (v) go up or climb up; mount, scale, rise. (ant) descend, drop.
162 apex (n) the top or highest part of something, especially one forming a point; summit, peak. (ant) base.
163 unceremoniously (adv) done without ceremony (nicety); casually, easily, inelegantly. (ant) formally.
164 plaster (v) coat or cover something with a substance; daub, spread, smear. (ant) uncover.
165 filthy (adj) very dirty; grimy, mucky, muddy, grubby, soiled, messy. (ant) clean, neat, pristine, sterile.
166 soggy (adj) wet or soft; damp, moist, squelchy, sodden, mushy, pulpy. (ant) dry, arid, hard, dehydrated.
167 soporific (adj) inducing drowsiness or sleep; sedative, hypnotic, calming, tranquilising. (ant) invigorating.
168 sheer (adj) so steep as to be perpendicular or nearly so; vertical, precipitous, sharp. (ant) gentle, moderate.
169 rim (n) the upper or outer edge of an object; border, lip, parameter, circumference. (ant) centre.
170 circumference (n) the curved line that forms the boundary of a circle; edge, border. (ant) middle.
171 diameter (n) a straight line passing through the centre of a circle (or a sphere); width, span, breadth.
172 discern (v) see or recognise; perceive, observe, fathom, detect, spot. (ant) miss, overlook, disregard.
173 crater (n) a cavity or hole in a surface, a large bowl-shaped cavity in the ground; hollow, pit. (ant) mound.
174 dormant (adj) temporarily inactive; sleeping, resting, quiet, latent, idle, inert, quiescent. (ant) active.
175 sparse (adj) thinly dispersed or scattered about; scarce, scant, light, bare, scrubby. (ant) dense, thick.
176 wilderness (n) wild or uncultivated land; wasteland, wilds, outback. (ant) city, metropolis.
177 rubble (n) waste or rough fragments of stone, brick or concrete; debris, wreckage, ruins.
178 metallic (adj) relating to or resembling something metal; metal-like. (ant) non-metallic.
179 magnitude (n) the large size or extent of something; enormity, scale, extent, degree, level. (ant) smallness.
180 in reverse (adv) backwards; rearwards. (ant) forward.
181 bloke (n) informal word for a man; chap, guy, lad, fellow, fella, dude. (ant) woman.
182 lad (n) informal word for a young male or boy; guy, kid, youth, juvenile. (ant) lass, girl.
183 accusing (adj) reproachful (blaming someone); alleging, indicting, condemning. (ant) absolving.
184 vulgar (adj) lacking sophistication or good taste; tasteless, gross, crude, offensive, improper. (ant) decent.
185 outwit (v) deceive by greater ingenuity; outsmart, outmanoeuvre, outfox, defeat, beat. (ant) lose.
186 desist (v) stop doing something; cease, abstain, refrain, halt, discontinue, end, quit. (ant) continue.
187 flatly (adv) in a flat (lifeless) manner; unenthusiastically, blandly, dully. (ant) animatedly, brightly.
188 impassive (adj) not feeling or showing emotion; inexpressive, unrevealing, expressionless. (ant) expressive.
189 retort (v) say something in answer to a remark; reply, snap, counter, retaliate, riposte, bite back. (ant) ask.
190 sarcasm (n) use of irony (opposite) to mock or convey dislike; derision, scorn, disdain. (ant) flattery.
191 roughly (adv) in an approximate (rough) way; more or less, about, around, generally. (ant) exactly.
192 bold (adj) (of colour, design or shape) having a clear appearance; strong, vivid, striking. (ant) indistinct.
193 din (n) a loud, irritating and prolonged noise; uproar, racket, commotion, hubbub. (ant) silence.
194 don (v) put on or get dressed in; throw on, slip on, change into, wear. (ant) take off, remove.
195 gyrate (v) move rapidly in a circle or spiral; rotate, revolve, spin, whirl, twirl, turn.
196 turbulent (adj) (of air or water) moving unsteadily; unstable, tempestuous, blustery. (ant) settled, still.
197 resort (v) adopt a course of action to resolve a difficult situation; employ, apply, use, affect, try.
198 rudimentary (adj) involving basic principles or forms; elementary, fundamental, simple. (ant) complex.
199 squirm (v) wriggle or twist the body; writhe, fidget, wiggle, shift, skew, struggle. (ant) relax.
200 varied (adj) incorporating different types or elements; various, diverse, assorted. (ant) samey, identical.
201 necessity (n) the state or fact of being required; prerequisite, obligation, need, requirement. (ant) option.
202 barren (adj) (of land) producing little or no vegetation; arid, austere, bare, bleak, deserted. (ant) productive.
203 environment (n) the area surrounding a place or thing; setting, location, situation, surroundings, terrain.
204 cultivate (v) prepare and use (land) for crops or gardening; sow, plant, grow, tend, nurture. (ant) neglect.
205 haven (n) a place of safety or refuge; sanctuary, shelter, asylum, cover, harbour. (ant) hell-hole, war zone.
206 quarry (n) a deep pit from which stone or other materials are extracted; mine, excavation, shaft.
207 undetectable (adj) unable to be detected, seen or noticed; invisible, unnoticeable, unseen. (ant) obvious.
208 screen (v) hide with a screen or something forming a screen; conceal, cover, shield, shelter. (ant) reveal.
209 mass (n) a large body of matter with no definite shape; amount, quantity, area, accumulation. (ant) bit.
6. Above and Below the City
1 afoot (adj) in preparation or progress; stirring, brewing, around, existent, circulating.
2 declare (v) say in a serious and clear manner; proclaim, announce, state, assert, affirm. (ant) withhold.
3 rotor (n) a rotary part of a machine (part that turns); blade, propeller, turbine. (ant) stator.
4 dwindle (v) become smaller; decrease, decline, abate, fade, diminish, reduce, disappear. (ant) increase.
5 prospect (n) a future or anticipated event; thought, vision, idea, contemplation.
6 vulnerability (n) the state of being exposed to possible harm; weakness, susceptibility. (ant) invulnerability.
7 sceptical (adj) not easily convinced, having doubts; dubious, cynical, uncertain, questioning. (ant) certain.
8 misconception (n) an incorrect view or opinion; mistake, misunderstanding, error, delusion. (ant) accuracy.
9 surreptitiously (adv) in a surreptitious (secret) way; furtively, slyly, covertly. (ant) overtly, openly.
10 sensation (n) a physical feeling or perception; sense, impression, awareness.
11 permeate (v) pass or spread throughout something; pervade, enter, fill, flood, penetrate. (ant) evacuate.
12 pride (n) feeling of satisfaction; enjoyment, pleasure, fulfilment, gratification, joy. (ant) shame.
13 insurmountable (adj) too great to overcome; invincible, impossible, unbeatable. (ant) easy, surmountable.
14 mammoth (adj) extremely large; huge, colossal, stupendous, monumental, gargantuan. (ant) tiny.
15 inspire (v) fill with the desire to do or feel something; motivate, encourage, enthuse. (ant) discourage.
16 liberated (adj) free from convention or usual ideas; untied, released, unfettered. (ant) shackled, confined.
17 picturesque (adj) visually attractive place; quaint, charming, delightful, scenic, pleasing. (ant) unattractive.
18 grime (n) dirt that is ingrained (stuck) on the surface of something; filth, muck, stain. (ant) cleanliness.
19
skyline (n) an outline of buildings and land defined against the sky; horizon, distance, vista, silhouette.
20 expansive (adj) covering a wide area in terms of space or scope; extensive, broad, sweeping. (ant) narrow.