Sadlier-Oxford Vocab: Level F: Unit 5

amnesty

(n.) a general pardon for an offense against a government; any act of forgiveness or absolution
Syn: reprieve

autonomy

(n.) self-government, political control
Syn: home rule
Ant: dependence, subjection

axiomatic

(adj.) self-evident, expressing a universally accepted principle
Syn: taken for granted
Ant: questionable, dubious

blazon

(v.) to adorn or embellish; to display conspicuously; to publish or proclaim widely
Syn: broadcast, trumpet
Ant: hide, conceal, bury

caveat

(n.) a warning or caution to prevent misunderstanding or discourage behavior
Syn: admonition, word to the wise

equitable

(adj.) fair, just, embodying principles of justice
Syn: right, reasonable, evenhanded
Ant: unjust, unfair, one-sided, disproportionate

extricate

(v.) to free from entanglements or difficulties; to remove with effort
Syn: disentangle, extract
Ant: enmesh, entangle

filch

(v.) to steal, especially in a sneaky way or in petty amounts
Syn: pilfer, purloin, swipe

flout

(v.) to mock, treat with contempt
Syn: sneer at, snicker at, scorn
Ant: obey, honor

fractious

(adj.) tending to be troublesome; unruly; quarrelsome; unpredictable
Syn: refractory, recalcitrant, peevish
Ant: docile, tractable, cooperative

precept

(n.) a rule of conduct or action
Syn: principle, maxim

salutary

(adj.) beneficial, helpful; healthful, wholesome
Syn: salubrious, curative
Ant: detrimental, deleterious

scathing

(adj.) bitterly severe, withering; causing great harm
Syn: searing, harsh, savage
Ant: bland, mild

scourge

(v.) to whip, punish severely
(n.) a cause of affliction or suffering; a source of severe punishment or criticism
Syn: (v.) flog, beat (n.) bane, plague, pestilence
Ant: (n.) godsend, boon, blessing

sepulchral

(adj.) funereal; typical of the tomb; extremely gloomy or dismal
Syn: lugubrious, mortuary

soporific

(adj.) tending to cause sleep; relating to sleepiness or lethargy
(n.) something that induces sleep
Syn: (n.) narcotic, anesthetic
Ant: (adj.) stimulating (n.) stimulant, stimulus

straitlaced

(adj.) extremely strict in moral standards and conduct; prudish, puritanical
Syn: highly conventional, overly strict, stuffy
Ant: lax, loose, indulgent, permissive, dissolute

transient

(adj.) lasting only a short time, fleeting
(n.) one who stays only a short time
Syn: impermanent, ephemeral, evanescent
Ant: permanent, imperishable, immortal

unwieldy

(adj.) not easily carried, handled, or managed because of size or complexity
Syn: bulky, clumsy, impractical
Ant: manageable, easy to handle

vapid

(adj.) dull, uninteresting, tiresome; lacking in sharpness, flavor, liveliness, or force
Syn: lifeless, colorless
Ant: zesty, spicy, colorful