Vocabulary Level F - Unit 5

Amnesty

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

S: reprieve

Blazon

(v) to adorn or embellish; to display conspicuously; to publish or proclaim widely

S: broadcast, trumpet
A: hide, conceal, bury

Equitable

(adj) fair, just, embodying principles of justice

S: right, reasonable, evenhanded
A: unjust, unfair, one-sided, disproportionate

Filch

(v) to steal, especially in a sneaky way and in petty amounts

S:pilfer, purloin, swipe

Fractious

(adj) tending to be troublesome; unruly, quarrelsome, contrary; unpredictable

S: refractory, recalcitrant, peevish
A: docile, tractable, cooperative

Precept

(n) a rule of conduct or action

S: principle, maxim

Scathing

(adj) bitterly severe, withering; causing great harm

S: searing, harsh, savage
A: bland, mild

Soporific

(adj) tending to cause sleep, relating to sleepiness or lethargy

(n) something that induces sleep

S: narcotic, anesthetic
A: stimulating, stimulant, stimulus

Straitlaced

(adj) extremely strict in regard to moral standards and conduct; prudish, puritanical

S: highly conventional, overly strict, stuffy
A: lex, loose, indulgent, permissive, dissolute

Vapid

(adj) dull, uninteresting, tiresome; lacking in sharpness, flavor, liveliness, or force

S: lifeless, colorless
A: zesty, spicy, colorful

Autonomy

(n) self-government, political control

S: home rule
A: dependence, subjection

Axiomatic

(adj) self-evident, expressing a universally accepted principle

S: taken for granted
A: questionable, dubious

Caveat

(n) a warning or caution to prevent misunderstanding or discourage behavior

S: admonition, word to the wise

Extricate

(v) to free from entanglements or difficulties; to remove with effort

S: disentangle, extract
A: enmesh, entangle

Flout

(v) to mock, treat with contempt

S: sneer at, snicker at, scorn
A: obey, honor

Salutary

(adj) beneficial, helpful; healthful, wholesome

S: salubrious, curative
A: detrimental, deleterious

Scourge

(v) to whip, punish severely

(n) a cause of affliction or suffering; a source of severe punishment or criticism

S: flog, beat, bane, plague, pestilence
A: godsend, boon, blessing

Sepulchral

(adj) funereal, typical of the tomb; extremely gloomy or dismal

S: lugubrious, mortuary

Transient

(adj) lasting only a short time, fleeting

(n) one who stays only a short time

S: impermanent, ephemeral, evanescent
A: permanent, imperishable, immortal

Unwieldy

(adj) not easily carried, handled, or managed because of a size or complexity

S: bulky, clumsy, impractical
A: manageable, easy to handle