Vocabulary Unit #5

amnesty

N.—a general pardon for an offense against a government in general, any act of forgiveness or absolutionSynonym—reprieve

Many political prisoners were freed under the amnesty granted by the new regime.

autonomy

n.—self-government, political controlSynonym—home rule

After the colonies gained autonomy from England, many Americans still clung to English traditions.

axiomatic

Adj.—self-evident, expressing a universally accepted principleSynonym—taken for granted

One should not accept the idea that the camera never lies as an axiomatic truth.

blazon

v.—to adorn or embellish; to display conspicuously; to publish or proclaim widelySynonym—broadcast

They will blazon the results of the election across the Internet and every television set in the land.

caveat

n.—a warning or caution to prevent misunderstanding or discourage behaviorSynonym—admonition

The well-known Latin phrase “caveat emptor” means, “Let the buyer beware.”

equitable

Adj.—fair, just, embodying principles of justiceSynonym—right; reasonable

He did more work, so a sixty-forty split of the profits seemed an equitable arrangement.

extricate

v.—to free from entanglements or difficulties; to remove with effortSynonym—disentangle; extract

The ring must have slid off my finger as I was trying to extricate the fish from the net.

filch

v.—to steal, especially in a sneaky way and in petty amountsSynonym—pilfer; swipe

If you filch pennies from the cash drawer, you will be tempted to steal larger amounts one day.

flout

v.—to mock, treat with contemptSynonym—sneer at; snicker at

She chose to ignore my advice, not because she wanted to flout my beliefs, but because she had strong opinions of her own.

fractious

Adj.—tending to be troublesome; unruly; quarrelsome, contrary; unpredictableSynonym—peevish; recalcitrant

It seems as if even the smoothest-running organizations contain one or two fractious elements.

precept

n.—a rule of conduct or actionSynonym—principle; maxim

Many philosophies follow the precept that it is important to treat others as you would like to be treated.

salutary

Adj.—beneficial, helpful; healthful, wholesomeSynonym—helpful

The cute new puppy had a salutary effect on her health.

scathing

Adj.—bitterly severe, withering; causing great harmSynonym—harsh; savage

Sometimes a reasoned discussion does more to change people’s minds than a scathing attack.

scourge

v.—to whip, punish severelyn.—a cause of affliction or suffering; a source of severe punishment or criticismSynonym—flog, beat

Reverend Dimmesdale used a scourge to punish himself for his sins.

sepulchral

Adj.—funereal; typical of the tomb; extremely gloomy or dismalSynonym—mortuary

In a severe and sepulchral tone of voice, my sister announced that we were out of cookies.

soporific

Adj.—tending to cause sleep, relating to sleepiness or lethargyN.—something that induces sleep

He claimed that the musical was soporific and that he had slept through the entire second act.

straitlaced

Adj.—extremely strict in regard to moral standards and conduct; prudish; puritanicalSynonym—overly strict; stuffy

Travelers may find people overseas straitlaced in some ways but surprisingly free in others.

transient

Adj.—lasting only a short time, fleetingN.—one who stays only a short timeSynonym—evanescent

His bad mood was transient, and by the time he’d finished his breakfast, he was smiling.

unwieldy

Adj.—not easily carried, handled, or managed because of size or complexitySynonym—bulky; clumsy

We loaded the truck with the chairs and the coffee table, but the grand piano was too unwieldy.

vapid

Adj.—dull, uninteresting, tiresome; lacking in sharpness, flavor, liveliness, or forceSynonym—lifeless; colorless

While critics called the movie vapid, I thought the performers were very compelling.