UNIT 5 Flashcards
amnesty
(n.) a general pardon for an offense against a government; in general, any act of forgiveness or absolution
SYNONYM: reprieve
autonomy
(n.) self-government, political control
SYNONYM: home rule
ANTONYMS: dependence, subjection
axiomatic
(adj.) self-evident, expressing a universally accepted principle
SYNONYM: taken for granted
ANTONYMS: questionable, dubious
blazon
(v.) to adorn or embellish; to display conspicuously; to publish or proclaim widely
SYNONYMS: broadcast, trumpet
ANTONYMS: hide, conceal, bury
caveat
(n.) a warning or caution to prevent misunderstanding or discourage behavior
SYNONYMS: admonition, word to the wise
equitable
(adj.) fair, just, embodying principles of justice
SYNONYMS: right, reasonable, evenhanded
ANTONYMS: unjust, unfair, one-sided, disproportionate
extricate
(v.) to free from entanglements or difficulties; to remove with effort
SYNONYMS: disentangle, extract
ANTONYMS: enmesh, entangle
filch
(v.) to steal, especially in a sneaky way and in petty amounts
SYNONYMS: pilfer, purloin, swipe
flout
(v.) to mock, treat with contempt
SYNONYMS: sneer at, snicker at, scorn
ANTONYMS: obey, honor
fractious
(adj.) tending to be troublesome; unruly, quarrelsome, contrary; unpredictable
SYNONYMS: refractory, recalcitrant peevish
ANTONYMS: docile, tractable, cooperative
precept
(n.) a rule of conduct or action
SYNONYMS: principle, maxim
salutary
adj.) beneficial, helpful; healthful, wholesome
SYNONYMS: salubrious, curative
ANTONYMS: detrimental, deleterious
scathing
(adj.) bitterly severe, withering; causing great harm
SYNONYMS: searing, harsh, savage
ANTONYMS: bland, mild
scourge
(v.) to whip, punish severely; (n.) a cause of affliction or suffering; a source or severe punishment or criticism
SYNONYMS: (v.) flog, beat; (n.) bane, plague, pestilence
ANTONYMS: (n.) godsend, boon, blessing
sepulchral
(adj.) funereal, typical of the tomb; extremely gloomy or dismal
SYNONYMS: lugubrious, mortuary
soporific
(adj.) tending to cause sleep, relating to sleepiness or lethargy; (n.) something that induces sleep
SYNONYMS: (n.) narcotic, anesthetic
ANTONYMS: (adj.) stimulating; (n.) stimulant, stimulus
straitlaced
(adj.) extremely strict in regard to moral standards and conduct; prudish, puritanical
SYNONYMS: highly conventional, overly strict, stuffy
ANTONYMS: lax, loose, indulgent, permissive, dissolute
transient
(adj.) lasting only a short time, fleeting; (n.) one who stays only a short time
SYNONYMS: (adj.) impermanent, ephemeral, evanescent
ANTONYMS: (adj.) permanent, imperishable, immortal
unwieldy
(adj.) not easily carried, handled, or managed because of size or complexity
SYNONYMS: bulky, clumsy, impractical
ANTONYMS: manageable, easy to handle
vapid
(adj.) dull, uninteresting, tiresome; lacking in sharpness, flavor, liveliness, or force
SYNONYMS: lifeless, colorless
ANTONYMS: zesty, spicy, colorful
