Toefl Vocabulary C-D
C
CABAL: A small group of persons engaged in plotting - a cabal of prominent persons united to overthrow the government.
Synonyms: junto, faction
CACOPHONOUS: Unharmonious sounding - a cacophonous blare of trumpets, noisy and discordant.
Synonyms: dissonant, discordant, blatant, strident, raucous Antonyms: mellifluous, euphonious, dulcet
CADAVEROUS: Corpselike; hence, haggard, pale -His face appeared cadaverous from long imprisonment.
Synonyms: ghastly, gaunt, pallid (noun: pallor), wan, ashen
Antonyms: rubicund, florid
CALLOUS: Unfeeling or insensitive - made callous by long suffering.
Synonyms: insensible, obdurate
CALUMNIATE: To accuse falsely or maliciously in order to injure another's reputation; slander - calumniated his political opponent by spreading false rumors.
Synonyms: asperse, vilify, defame, scandalize
CANDID (noun: CANDOR): Frank, outspoken; impartial a candid reply that could hardly be more forthright.
Synonyms: artless, ingenuous, unbiased
Antonyms: guileful, evasive
CANTANKEROUS: Ill-natured; quarrelsome – showed a cantankerous and sullen disposition.
Synonyms:petulant, peevish, contentious, pugnacious, testy, choleric, fretful
Antonyms:amiable, affable, equable
CAPRICIOUS: Inclined, through some whim or fancy change the mind, purpose, or actions suddenly - a capriciousperson, undependable in mood or temper.
Synonyms:fickle, fitful, changeable, erratic, inconstant, crotchety, whimsical, mercurial
Antonyms:steadfast, constant, even-tempered
CAPTIOUS: Quick to find fault about trifles- a captious critic pouncing on slight laws.
Synonyms:hypercritical, carping, carviling, censorious
CARICATURE: A picture or other description of a person which exaggerates ludicrously one or more of his distinctive features - not a realistic portrait but a malicious caricature.
CASTIGATE: To punish or criticize severely - castigated for using improper language.
Synonyms:reprove, upbraid, reprehend, censure, reprimand, chasten
Antonyms:commend, eulogize, laud
CELESTIAL: Pertaining to the sky; heavenly-a celestial pageant of bright stars.
Synonyms:ethereal; (noun) firmament
CHAUVINIST. An extreme patriot-a chauvinist with most pride in his country.
Synonym:jingoist
CHICANERY: Trickery, deception,- practised chicanery all his shady dealings.
Synonyms:duplicity, craft, stratagem, wile, subterfuge
CHRONIC: Continuing a long time; habitual-a. chronic complaint, persisting for years.
Synonyms:persistent, unremitting, inveterate, incessant, constant
Antonyms:intermittent, sporadic, infrequent
CIRCUMSPECT: Cautious - looked about him circumspectly.
Synonyms:prudent, vigilant, discreet, wary
Antonyms:rash, indiscreet, reckless, precipitate, foothardy, temerarious, headstrong
CIRCUMVENT: To gain an advantage by the use of trick to evade by the use of deception; to go around -circumvented the law by evasive practices.
Synonyms:thwart, balk, outwit, delude
CIVIL:
1. Of or having to do with citizens or the state - We I civil duties as well as civil liberties.
2. Polite, courteous - answered in a civil fashion.
Synonyms: respectful, gracious
CLAMOROUS: Loud and noisy - a clamorous outburst the crowd outside.
Synonyms: vociferous, obstreperous, blatant, raucous, strident
Antonyms: muted, quiet
CLANDESTINE: Secret; stealthy - a clandestine meeting known only to a few.
Synonyms: furtive, covert, surreptitious
Antonyms: overt, manifest, above-board
CLEMENT: Merciful; gentle - a clement judge who tempered justice with leniency.
Synonyms: compassionate, forbearing
Antonyms: relentless, ruthless
COALITION (verb: COALESCE): Alliance; merging of various units into one unit - three parties forming acoalition to rule the country.
Synonyms: amalgamation, consolidation, fusion
COERCION: Compelling a person by physical force or other means to do something against his will - rendered his services without the slightest coercion.
Synonyms: constraint, restraint, impelling
COGENT: Having the force to compel, usually by appealing to reason - persuaded by cogent arguments.
Synonym: persuasive
COLLUSION: Working together secretly for an evil purpose - acted in collusion to overthrow the government.
Synonyms: collaboration, conspiracy, conniving, machination
COMMODIOUS: Roomy - a commodious apartment.
Synonyms: spacious, capacious, ample
COMPATIBLE: Harmonious; able, to get along together parted company because they were not compatible.
Synonyms: congruous, consistent
Antonyms: incongruous, discordant, incompatible
COMPENDIUM (adj.: COMPENDIOUS): A brief summary of the main ideas of a larger work - a compendium of chemistry in a slim volume.
Synonyms: synopsis, digest, precis, abstract, epitome
COMPENSATION: Payment for services - just compensation for his labor.
Synonyms: stipend, remuneration, recompense, emolument
COMPLACENT: Self-satisfied - looked on his own performance with a complacent smile.
Synonym: smug
COMPUNCTION: Regret for wrongdoing - displayed slight compunction for his misdeed.
Synonyms: contrition, penitence, atonement, remorse, qualm
CONCEDE: To yield; to admit as true; to grant - conceded victory to a superior force.
Synonyms: acquiesce, capitulate
CONDIGN: Well-deserved (applied chiefly to punishment) - received condign punishment for his crime.
CONDOLE (noun: CONDOLENCE): To express sympathy with another in sorrow, pain, or misfortune - condoledwith each other in their grief.
Synonyms: commiserate, show compassion, solace
CONDONE: To forgive or overlook (an offense) - condoned the deed, in view of the offender's age.
Synonyms: extenuate, palliate, mitigate, gloss
CONFEDERATE (noun): A person allied with others for a special purpose (frequently a bad one) - joined hisconfederate in secret enterprise.
Synonyms: collaborator, accomplice
(adj.): United or allied in a conspiracy - two confederate groups hurrying to their rendezvous.
CONGENIAL:
(1) Possessing similar interests and tastes; able to get on well with others - congenial people with similar backgrounds.
Synonym: compatible
(2) Agreeable - congenial to his taste.
CONJECTURE: To guess - Without facts, we can only conjecture about his guilt.
Synonyms: surmise, presume
CONSECRATE:
(1) To set apart as sacred - consecrate the battlefield with a monument to the dead heroes. Synonyms: hallow, sanctify Antonym: desecrate
(2) To devote or dedicate to some aim - consecrated his life to teaching.
CONSENSUS. General agreement - The consensus of the committee was that no action should be taken.
Synonym: accord
CONSTERNATION: Amazement; lack of courage caused by fearful prospect - The threat struck deepconsternation into John.
Synonyms: dismay, bewilderment
CONSTRUE (noun: CONSTRUCTION): To interpret, explain the sense of, or analyze - construed the statement to his own advantage.
CONSUMMATE (adj.): Perfect or highly accomplished - achieved with consummate skill.
Antonyms: botched. bungled, inept
(verb): To complete, bring to perfection - consummated the deal without delay.
CONTEMPTUOUS: Expressive of contempt (an emotion involving anger and disgust) - cast a contemptuous look at his subordinate.
Synonyms: supercilious, scornful, disdainful, contumelious
CONVIVIAL: Festive; gay - a convivial party.
Synonyms: jovial, jocund, mirthful
Antonyms: lugubrious, dolorous, mirthless
COPIOUS: Plentiful - shed copious tears at the bad news.
Synonyms. profuse, bountiful, abundant
Antonyms: meager, scant
CORPULENT: Fat - corpulent due to excessive eating.
Synonyms: obese, portly
Antonyms: gaunt, lank, emaciated, peaked
COSMOPOLITAN (noun): One who is at home in all countries - A cosmopolitan can feel at ease anywhere in the world.
(adj.): Free from local prejudices - a world-wide traveler, cosmopolitan in tastes and attitudes.
Synonyms: Catholic
Antonyms: parochial, provincial
COTERIE: A group of people joined by common interests a coterie of select friend.
Synonym: clique
COUNTENANCE (noun): A face - His countenance expressed his complete disgust.
Synonym: visage
(verb): To approve - refused to countenance disrespectful conduct.
Synonym: sanction
CRASS: Coarse and stupid - displayed crass ignorance.
Synonym: gross
CRAVEN (noun): Coward - the deed of a craven, motivated by fear.
Synonym. Poltroon
(adj.): Cowardly - a craven act which shocked the world.
Synonyms: pusillanimous, dastardly.
Antonyms: stalwart, intrepid, valiant, stout-hearted
CREDENCE: Trust or belief - gave little credence to the rumor.
Synonym: conviction
Antonym: skepticism
CREDIBLE: Worthy of belief - a credible story, true to life.
Antonym: incredible
CREDITABLE: Deserving or reflecting Credit or honor - applauded for his creditable performance.
Synonyms: praiseworthy, meritorious, commendable
Antonyms: discreditable, infamous, opprobrious, ignominious
CREDULOUS: Inclined to believe anything; easily imposed upon - a credulous fool whom anyone can dupe.
Synonym: gullible
Antonyms: incredulous, skeptical
CRINGE: To shrink in fear - cringing before superior force.
Synonyms, cower, flinch, fawn, truckle, wince
CRUCIAL: Decisive or critical; difficult - the crucial event that decided the outcome.
CRYPTIC: Containing hidden meaning - a cryptic message, difficult to decipher.
Synonyms: occult, enigmatic
Antonyms: palpable, manifest
CULPABLE: Deserving blame or censure - removed from office for culpable negligence.
Synonyms: censurable, reprehensible
CUMBROUS: Burdensome and clumsy - a cumbrous knapsack, impeding his march.
Synonyms: cumbersome, unwieldy, bulk
CURB: To control, check, or restrain - forcibly curbed the people's protest.
Synonyms: repress, subdue
CURSORY: Hurried; hence, superficial - Time permitted only a cursory examination.
Antonyms: painstaking, meticulous
CURT: Rudely abrupt -offended by the curt response.
Synonyms: blunt, brusque, bluff
Antonyms: affable, civil
CYNICAL: Sneeringly distrustful of the good motives or conduct of others - belittled the hero with a cynicalremark.
Synonyms: sarcastic, surly
D
DEARTH: Scarcity - a dearth of news, brought about by censorship.
Antonyms: plethora, abundance
DEFERENCE: Submitting to the wishes or judgment of another - yielded out of deference to the old man.
Synonyms: respect, complaisance, veneration
Antonym: recalcitrance
DEITY: A god -The sun was a deity to ancient peoples.
Synonym: divinity
DELECTABLE: Very pleasing - a delectable meal, tastefully prepared.
DELETE: To erase or cancel, take out or remove - deletedan offensive phrase.
Synonyms: expunge, censor, efface, eradicate
DELINEATE: To sketch or portray - striking features, delineated by a master artist.
DELINQUENT (noun): An offender - found to be a delinquent by the court.
(adj.): Failing to fulfill an obligation - too many people who are delinquent in meeting their civic duties.
Synonym: derelict
DELUGE: A great flood; downpour - a spring deluge which caused the river to overflow.
DEMAGOGUE: A leader who tries to stir the passions of people for his own purposes - the mob roused by an unprincipled demagogue.
DEMEANOR: Behavior; bearing - carrying himself with a proud demeanor.
Synonyms: deportment, mien
DEMURE: Affectedly or falsely modest or prim; serious demure as a Victorian maiden.
Synonyms: sedate, staid, decorous, prudish, coy
Antonyms: immodest, frivolous
DENOUNCE (noun: DENUNCIATION): To speak against - denounced by the press as a traitor.
Synonyms: stigmatize, censure, reprehend, castigate
Antonyms: laud, eulogize
DEPLETE: To empty or to use up - depleted the public treasury by vast building programs.
Synonyms: exhaust, drain
Antonyms: replenish; (adj.) replete
DEPLORE: To express sorrow or grief over - a lamentable situation deplored by all parties.
Synonyms: lament, decry, grieve
DEPRAVED: Of low morals; corrupt - a depraved mind, devising evil.
Synonyms: debased, wicked, vicious, perverted
DEPRECATE: To plead or argue against a certain course of action - deprecated the proposal severely.
Synonyms: remonstrate, protest, decry, expostulate
Antonym: sanction
DEPRECIATE: To belittle or speak slightingly of - depreciated John's acting ability.
Synonyms: disparage, derogate (adj. derogatory)
Antonyms: enhance, magnify, extol, laud, eulogize
DEVASTATION: Widespread ruin - the city left in utter devastation by war.
Synonyms: destruction, desolation
DEVIOUS:
(1) Winding; indirect - took a devious, rather than the direct way home.
Synonym: circuitous
(2) Straying from the right course - used devious means to attain his wicked ends.
Synonyms: crooked, erring
DEVOID: Lacking in; not possessing - a speech devoid of even a trace of ill-will.
Synonym: destitute
Antonyms: abounding, prevalent
DEVOUT: Devoted to religious observances - devout in his regularity of attendance at worship.
Synonyms: pious, religious
Antonym: impious
DICTUM: Art authoritative statement; a saying-an imperial dictum demanding instant compliance.
DIDACTIC: Designed to teach, imparting a lesson - a poem with a didactic purpose.
Synonym: pedagogical
DIFFIDENT: Lacking in self-confidence- too diffident to lead a group.
Synonyms: shy, timid, reserved, reticent, retiring
Antonyms: forward, aggressive
DILEMMA: A situation calling for a choice between two equally difficult alternatives; hence, a difficult or perplexing situation - faced with a dilemma defying solution.
Synonyms:predicament, quandary, plight
DILETTANTE: One who dabbles in the fine arts for amusement only and without concentrated study - a doctor by profession, a dilettante in art.
Synonyms:amateur, connoisseur
DISCONCERT: To confuse; to embarrass - disconcerted by his suspicious stare.
Synonyms:perturb, discomfit, discompose, abash, disquiet, fluster
DISCONSOLATE: Depressed; without hope or possibility of consolation - made disconsolate by abject poverty.
Synonyms:inconsolable, dejected
Antonyms:blithesome, carefree
DISCOURSE: To converse or talk; to discuss - discoursed at length on the rise of political parties.
DISCRETE: Separate - two discrete issues, totally unrelated.
DISCURSIVE: Rambling from one subject to another - a discursive letter, covering many topics.
Synonyms:desultory, digressive
DISPARITY (adj.: DISPARATE): Inequality; difference in image, quantity, character, or rank - great disparitybetween promise and performance.
DISPASSIONATE: Free from feeling or partiality - coldly dispassionate as the chairman of the meeting
Synonyms:palm, impartial
Antonym:partial
DISPATCH (verb): To do speedily; to send off - dispatched with remarkable promptness.
Synonym: expedite
(noun): A speedy performance; the sending off of something - done with all possible dispatch.
Synonyms: celerity, alacrity
DISPEL: To drive away; to scatter - dispelled a doubt that had lingered.
Synonyms:dissipate, disperse, diffuse
DISSENT (noun: DISSENSION): To disagree; to differ in opinion - He dissented violently, rejecting compromise.
DISSOLUTE: Living loosely; unrestrained in conduct or morals - his life wasted by dissolute conduct.
Synonyms:debauched, dissipated, profligate
DISTRAUGHT: Mentally distressed; distracted - distraught by trials and tribulations.
Synonym: harassed
DIVERSE: (verb: DIVERSIFY; noun: DIVISIBILITY): Varied; different - two diverse characters; one candid, the other insincere.
Synonym: multifarious
DIVERTING: Entertaining - a diverting one of the most amusing I've ever seen.
DIVULGE: To make public or reveal - refused to divulge his source of information.
Synonyms: disclose, impart
DOGMATIC: Positive in expressing an opinion; asserting an opinion as though it were an undisputed fact - spokendogmatically, as if the speaker considered himself infallible.
Synonyms: overbearing, opinionated, peremptory, dictatorial
DOLOROUS: Sorrowful; mournful - a dolorous song full of sorrow for past joys.
Synonyms: doleful, lugubrious, grievous
Antonyms: jocund, blithe, mirthful
DYNAMIC: Forceful - possessed dynamic energy, tireless and powerful.
Synonym: energetic
Antonyms: static, inert, dormant, torpid, sluggish, quiescent