Vocabulary

Level F Unit 5

amnesty• (noun) a general pardon for an offense against a government; in general, any act of forgiveness or absolution

autonomy• (noun) self- government, political control

• SYN: home rule

• ANT: dependence, subjection, colonial status

axiomatic

“All men are created equal” is axiomatic.

• (adjective) self- evident, expressing a universally accepted principle or rule

• SYN: taken for granted

• ANT: questionable, dubious, controversial

blazon• (verb) to adorn or embellish; to display conspicuously; to publish or proclaim widely

• SYN: broadcast, trumpet

• ANT: hide, conceal, cover up, bury

caveat• (noun) warning or caution to prevent misunderstanding or discourage behavior

• SYN: admonition, word to the wise

equitable• (adjective) fair, just, embodying principles of justice

• SYN: right, reasonable, evenhanded

• ANT: unjust, unfair, one-sided, disproportionate

extricate• (verb) to free from entanglements or difficulties; to remove with effort

• SYN: disentangle, extract, disengage

• ANT: enmesh, entangle, involve

filch• (verb) to steal, especially in a sneaky way and in petty amounts

• SYN: pilfer, purloin, swipe

flout• (verb) to mock, treat with contempt

• SYN: scoff at, sneer at, snicker at, scorn

• ANT: obey, honor, revere, uphold

fractious• (adjective) tending to be troublesome; unruly, quarrelsome, contrary; unpredictable

• SYN: refractory, recalcitrant, peevish

• ANT: docile, tractable, cooperative

precept• (noun) a rule of conduct or action

• SYN: principle, maxim

salutary• (adjective) beneficial, helpful, healthful, wholesome

• SYN: salubrious, curative

• ANT: detrimental, deleterious, pernicious

scathing• (adjective) bitterly severe, withering; causing great harm

• SYN: searing, harsh, ferocious, savage

• ANT: bland, mild

scourge• (verb) to whip, punish severely; (noun) a cause of affliction suffering; a source of severe punishment or criticism

• SYN: (verb) flog, beat; (noun) bane, plague, pestilence

• ANT: (noun) godsend, boon, blessing

sepulchral• (adjective) funereal, typical of the tomb; extremely gloomy or dismal

• SYN: doleful, lugubrious, mortuary

soporific• (adjective) tending to cause sleep, relating to sleepiness or lethargy; (noun) something that induces sleep

• SYN: narcotic, anesthetic

• ANT: (adjective) stimulating; (noun) stimulant, stimulus

straitlaced• (adjective) extremely strict in regard to moral standards and conduct; prudish, puritanical

• SYN: highly conventional, overly strict, stuffy

• ANT: lax, loose, indulgent, permissive, dissolute

transient• (adjective) lasting only a short time, fleeting; (noun) one who stays only a short time

• SYN: (adjective) impermanent, ephemeral, evanescent

• ANT: (adjective) permanent, imperishable, immortal

unwieldy• (adjective) not easily carried, handled, or managed because of size or complexity

• SYN: cumbersome, bulky, clumsy, impractical

• ANT: manageable, easy to handle

vapid• (adjective) dull, uninteresting, tiresome; lacking in sharpness, flavor, liveliness, or force

• SYN: insipid, lifeless, colorless

• ANT: zesty, spicy, savory, colorful, lively