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 capricious person, 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: Of or having to do with citizens or the state - We I civil duties as well as civil liberties

.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 a coalition 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 - condoled with 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 his confederate 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 deep consternation 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 cynical remark.

Synonyms: sarcastic, surly