UNIT 12 Flashcards
abdicate
(v.) to resign, formally give up uan office or a duty; to disown, discard
SYN step down, relinquish, renounce
ANT retain
The mayor abdicated his place in office
bestow
(v.) to give as a gift; to provide with lodgings
SYN grant, confer, lodge, put up
ANT receive, take, take back, take away
The honor of best teacher was bestowed on the teacher favored by the students.
capacious
(adj.) able to hold much, roomy
SYN spacious, commodious
ANT cramped, confined, restricted, narrow
My room isn’t capacious so I have to squeeze by the desk
caustic
(adj.) able to burn or eat away by chemical action; biting, sarcastic
SYN burning, corrosive, sharp
ANT bland, mild, sugary, saccharine
The man on stage was rude and caustic.
crusade
(n.) strong movement to advance a cause or idea; (v.) to campaign, work vigorously SYN (n.) campaign, organized movement
SYN (n.) campaign, organized movement
Les Miserables is a movie about a crusade in France.
deface
(v.) to injure or destroy the surface or appearance of; to damage the value, influence, or effect of; to face down, outshine
SYN mar, disfigure
ANT repair, restore, renovate, recondition
The boys defaced the statue of the famous person.
embargo
(n.) an order forbidding the trade in or movement of commercial goods; any restraint or hindrance; v. to forbid to enter or leave port; to forbid trade with
SYN stoppage, ban, boycott
The congress issued an embargo.
fallacy
(n.) a false notion or belief; an error in thinking
SYN misconception
ANT sound reasoning, logic
The child had a fallacy about Christmas.
levity
(n.) a lack of seriousness or earnestness, especially about things that should be treated with respect; buoyancy, lightness in weight
SYN giddiness, flippancy, frivolity, fickleness
ANT seriousness, humorlessness, solemnity
The man had a levity about anything serious.
mendicant
(n.) beggar; (adj.) depending on begging for a living
SYN (n.) panhandler
ANT (n.) millionaire, philanthropist
The homeless man spent his life as a mendicant.
nauseate
(v.) to make sick to the stomach; to fill with disgust
SYN sicken, disgust
ANT delight, tickle pink
The smell of garbage nauseates me.
negate
(v.) to nullify, deny, bring to nothing
SYN cancel, invalidate, annul
ANT affirm, confirm, corroborate, buttress
The law was negated.
pivotal
(adj.) vitally important, essential
SYN crucial, critical, decisive, seminal
ANT unimportant, insignificant’
Water is pivotal for life.
recipient
(n.) one who receives; (adj.) receiving; able or willing to receive
SYN (n.) receiver, beneficiary
ANT (n.) donor, benefactor, contributor
Sara was the recipient of the gift.
ruse
(n.) an action designed to confuse or mislead, a trick
SYN stratagem, subterfuge, dodge
Her sickness was a ruse so she could skip school.
