Syn: comical, humorous, whimsical, zany

Ant: humorless, solemn, dour

Syn: compulsory, requisite, imperative

Ant: optional, voluntary, discretionary

Syn: contrary, antipode

At the assembly, the principal ____________ both students and teachers for the school wide improvement in reading scores.

The assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963 ____________ the nation and the world.

Syn: gossipy, voluble, garrulous, long-winded

Ant: silent, reticent, closemouthed, terse, taciturn

Syn; spirited, animated, ebullient

Ant: blunt, deaden, stifle, dampen

Only in fairy tales can human unhappiness and misery be banished forever by royal _______________.

Sloths are such ____________ creatures that they have earned the reputation of being the slowest animals on Earth.

The doctors and nurses did everything they could to ______________ the patient's severe pain.

Neighbors responded with ______________ to the woman's cries for help.

Syn: aggressive, combative, belligerent

Ant: amicable, peaceable, pacific

There is nothing I would rather do on a hot, humid summer afternoon than ____________ in hammock under a tree.

Syn: interpret, expound, explicate

Ant: obscure, becloud, muddy, obfuscate

In most mystery novels, the first chapter is designed to ____________ your curiosity to find out "who done it".

Syn: plain, unremarkable, unimpressive

Ant: remarkable, vivid, prepossessing

Syn: degrade, decry, run down, underrate

Ant: praise, extol, laud, plug

Syn: grating, unmelodious, irreconcilable

Ant: harmonious, agreeing, euphonious

Syn: unselfish, charitable, noble, bighearted

Ant: petty, selfish, unforgiving, spiteful

Syn: withdraw, retract, annul, abrogate

Ant: affirm, endorse, uphold, ratify