1. Flimsy – insubstantial and easily damaged.
Synonyms: fragile, breakable, frail, shaky, unstable, wobbly, ramshackle
Antonyms: sturdy, strong, plausible, tough
Usage: I never place flowers in that flimsy vase, it tips over so easily.
2. Dissect – analyse (a text or idea) in minute detail.
Synonyms: examine, study, inspect, scrutinize, probe, explore, investigate
Usage: He dissected the Prime Minister’s statement and revealed the truth behind it
3. Austere – severe or strict in manner or attitude.
Synonyms: stern, strict, harsh, stony, steely, flinty, rigorous, stringent
Antonyms: luxurious, gentle, adorned, extravagant
Usage: Even though she appeared austere, my teacher was a very kind woman.
4. Brew – To be in a state of preparation
Synonyms: concoction, compound, gather, impend, mixture
Usage: Tensions were brewing within the Gulf Cooperation Council for the past six years
5. Sanguine – optimistic or positive, especially in an apparently bad or difficult situation.
Synonyms: bullish, hopeful, buoyant, positive, confident, cheerful, cheery
Antonyms: pessimistic, gloomy
Usage: He is sanguine about prospects for the global economy.
6. Facade – a deceptive outward appearance.
Synonyms: pretence, simulation, affectation, semblance, illusion, posture,
Antonyms: conversely, interior, candid
Usage: Although the facade of the monument looks pretty, its construction quality is below average.
7. Piquant – pleasantly stimulating or exciting to the mind.
Synonyms: intriguing, stimulating, interesting, fascinating, exciting, sparkling,
Antonyms: bland, insipid, dull
Usage: I found the piquant picture so appealing that I readily paid the photographer’s high asking price.
8. Overture – an introduction to something more substantial.
Synonyms: preliminary, prelude, precursor, forerunner, harbinger, herald
Antonyms: conclusion, epilogue, addendum, concealment
Usage: The talks were no more than an overture to a long debate
9. Siege – a circumstance in which a group, usually a military or law enforcement agency, surrounds an area or building in an attempt to take it over
Synonyms: annoy, bedevil, beset, plague, badger, blockade, bother, gnaw
Antonyms: relief
Usage: Soldiers killed hundreds of people while the town was under siege.
10. Gravest – giving cause for alarm; serious.
Synonyms: serious, important, profound, significant, momentous, weighty
Antonyms: trivial, carefree, cheerful
Usage: A matter of grave concern