Sadlier Oxford Level C Vocabulary Unit 12 Definitions, Synonyms, and Antonyms

Caustic

(adj.) able to burn or eat away by chemical action; biting, sarcastic Synonyms: burning, corrosive, sharp Antonyms: bland, mild, sugary, saccharine All caustic household liquids, such as drain cleaners, must be kept out of the reach of children.

Capacious

(adj.) able to hold much, roomy Synonyms: spacious, commodious Antonyms: cramped, confined, restricted, narrow A mansion is very capacious

Ungainly

(adj.) clumsy, awkward; unwieldy Synonym: graceless Antonyms: nimble, agile, supple, graceful I am very ungainly, at dinner time I always spill something.

Tractable

(adj.) easily managed, easy to deal with; easily wrought, malleable Synonyms: submissive, docile, yielding, amenable Antonyms: unruly, obstreperous, refractory We watched a dog for a week and he was very tractable.

Voracious

(adj.) having a huge appetite, greedy, ravenous; excessively eager Synonyms: gluttonous, insatiable, avid Antonyms: indifferent, apathetic The chef was and amazing cook and is voracious.

Pivotal

(adj.) vitally important, essential Synonyms: crucial, critical, decisive, seminal Antonyms: unimportant, insignificant Drinking water everyday is pivotal.

Fallacy

(n.) a false notion or belief; an error in thinking Synonym: misconception Antonyms: sound reasoning, logic She forgot what she was going to say and had a fallacy in her mind.

Levity

(n.) a lack of seriousness or earnestness, especially about things that should be treated with respect; buoyancy, lightness in weight Synonyms: giddiness, flippancy, frivolity, fickleness Antonyms: seriousness, humorlessness, solemnity She was the class clown and was very levity.

Crusade

(n.) a strong movement to advance a cause or idea; (v.) to campaign, work vigorously Synonyms: (n.) campaign, organized movement The club advisor and her fellow colleagues did a crusade.

Ruse

(n.) an action designed to confuse or mislead, a trick Synonyms: stratagem,, subterfuge, dodge On April Fools Day many people try to ruse their friends.

Tenet

(n.) an opinion, belief, or principle held to be true Synonyms: doctrine, precept The two workers had different tenets.

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 with Synonyms: (n.) stoppage, ban, boycott In history I learnt that people embargoed things to make a point.

Mendicant

(n.) beggar; (adj.) depending on begging for a living Synonym: (n.) panhandler Antonyms: (n.) millionaire, philanthropist She was mendicant to get her way.

Recipient

(n.) one who receives; (adj.) receiving; able or willing to receive Synonyms: (n.) receiver, beneficiary, contributor

Teem

(v.) to become filled to overflowing; to be present in large quantities Synonyms: abound, swarm, overflow Antonyms: lack, be wanting Our national parks teem with visitors during the summer months.

Bestow

(v.) to give as a gift; to provide with lodgings Synonyms: grant, confer, lodge, put up Antonyms: receive, take, take back, take away He bestowed her a necklace for her birthday.

Deface

(v.) to injure or destroy the surface or appearance of; to damage the value, influence, or effect of; to face down, outshine Synonyms: mar, disfigure Antonyms: repair, restore, renovate, recondition She had a really bad fall and defaced her nose.

Nauseate

(v.) to make sick to the stomach; to fill with disgust Synonyms: sicken, disgust Antonyms: delight, tickle pink The woman got car sick and was nauseated.

Negate

(v.) to nullify, deny, bring to nothing Synonyms: cancel, invalidate, annul Antonyms: affirm, confirm, corroborate, buttress The Carrie Diaries was negated from the Television network the CW.

Abdicate

(v.) to resign, formally give up an office or a duty; to disown, discard Synonyms: step down, relinquish, renounce Antonym: retain In 1974, Richard Nixon abdicated his presidency