Unit 12 Vocab

abdicate

v. to resign, formally give up an office or a duty; to disown, discard
syn. step down, relinquish, renounce
ant. retain

bestow

v. to give as a gift; to provide with lodgings
syn. grant, confer, lodge, put up
ant. receive, take, take back, take away

capacious

adj. able to hold much, roomy
syn. spacious, commodious
ant. cramped, confined, restricted, narrow

caustic

adj. able to burn or eat away by chemical action;biting, sarcastic
syn. burning, corrosive, sharp
ant. bland, mild, sugary, saccharine

crusade

n. a strong movement to advance a cause or idea
syn. campaign, organized movement

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

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
syn. stoppage, ban, boycott

fallacy

n. a false notion or belief, an error in thinking
syn. misconception
ant. sound reasoning, logic

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

mendicant

n. beggar, depending on begging for a living
syn. panhandler
ant. millionaire, philanthropist

nauseate

v. to make sick to the stomach, to fill with disgust
syn. sicken, disgust
ant. delight, tickle pink

negate

v. to nullify, deny bring to nothing
syn. cancel, invalidate, annul
ant. affirm, confirm, corroborate, buttress

pivotal

adj. vitally important, essential
syn. crucial, critical, decisive, seminal
ant. unimportant, insignificant

recipient

n. one who receives, adj. receiving;able or willing to receive
syn. receiver, beneficiary
ant. donor, benefactor, contributor

ruse

n. an action designed to confuse or mislead, a trick
syn. stratagem, subterfuge, dodge

teem

v. to become filled to overflowing; to be present in large quantities
syn. abound, swarm, overflow
ant. lack, be wanting

tenet

n. an opinion, belief, or principle held to be true
syn. doctrine, precept

tractable

adj. easily managed, easy to deal with, easily wrought, malleable
syn. submissive, docile, yielding, amenable
ant. unruly, obstreperous, refractory

ungainly

adj. clumsy, awkward, unwieldy
syn. graceless
ant. nimble, agile, supple, graceful

voracious

adj. having a huge appetite, greedy, ravenous, excessively eager
syn. gluttonous, insatiable, avid
ant. indifferent, apathetic