1. Lugubrious – looking or sounding sad and gloomy
Synonyms: mournful, doleful, Eeyorish, melancholy, sorrowful, morose
Antonyms: cheerful, joyful
Usage: In his first novel, the mysterious postman is the perfect example of a lugubrious character.
2. Vagrant – an individual who lacks regular work and moves around frequently
Synonyms: transient, roving, floating, unsettled, footloose, itinerant
Usage: The vagrant does not appear to work and frequently asks tourists for money.
3. Confluence – a circumstance where two things merge or occur simultaneously
Synonyms: convergence, meeting, junction, concourse, conflux
Antonyms: isolation, departure, division, avulsion
Usage: The confluence of warm and cold temperatures is going to create a powerful storm.
4. Strident – loud and harsh
Synonyms: raucous, rough, grating, rasping, jarring, blatant, stentorian
Antonyms: soft, dulcet
Usage: The elderly politician was a strident man who constantly yelled at his staff members.
5. Sublime – something of such excellence, impressive or awe-inspiring
Synonyms: exalted, elevated, noble, lofty, awesome, majestic, magnificent
Antonyms: poor, lowly, ordinary
Usage: After the sublime meal, we asked to see the chef so that we could give him our compliments.
6. Restive – feeling bored or impatient while waiting for something to happen or change
Synonyms: restless, fidgety, edgy, tense, uneasy, nervous, agitated, anxious
Antonyms: calm, biddable, peaceable
Usage: Since the words are actually opposites, don’t make the common mistake of thinking restful and restive mean the same thing.
7. Blasphemy – great disrespect shown to God or something holy
Synonyms: profanity, sacrilege, irreverence, swearing, curse, cursing, impiety
Antonyms: reverence
Usage: The minister preached for hours about the sins of blasphemy against the church.
8. Insolent – rude or impolite
Synonyms: impertinent, impudent, cheeky, insubordinate, contemptuous
Antonyms: polite
Usage: Because William was insolent to the principal, he got suspended from school for three days.
9. Egalitarian – symbolized by the idea that all individuals should have the same rights
Synonyms: democratic, equal , classless, impartial, mandarin, democrat
Antonyms: elitist, snobbish, exceptionalism
Usage: Before new laws granted all citizens equal rights, the country was not an egalitarian nation.
10. Parochial – having a restricted outlook
Synonyms: narrow-minded, provincial, insular, conservative, conventional
Antonyms: cosmopolitan, broad-minded, liberal
Usage: Since the professor tends to be parochial, he is often unwilling to listen to theories other than his own.