Grade 7 College Vocabulary, Week 9

Definition: A speech or essay of blame, the mirror of the encomium; harsh, abusive language aimed at someone (the common test sense).

From the reading: "...a commonplace argues that a criminal should be punished, while an invective only blames."

Synonyms:

denunciation, censure, tirade

Antonyms:

encomium, praise, panegyric

Root:Latin invehi, "to attack with words," literally "to carry oneself against" (in- "against" + vehere "to carry").

Definition: to declare publicly that someone or something is wrong or evil; to accuse openly.

From the reading: "Cicero Denounces Catiline" (the title of this lesson's picture study, Cesare Maccari's fresco of 1889).

Synonyms:

condemn, accuse, decry

Antonyms:

praise, commend, defend

Root:Latin denuntiare, "to announce, threaten," from de- (fully) + nuntiare (to report), from nuntius, "messenger."

Definition: something granted or admitted, especially a point yielded to the other side in an argument.

From the reading: "It was almost a concession! almost a half-surrender of the permission granted her by the Church at Poitiers to dress as a man." (Twain). In this lesson, a concession is "Honestly granting what was good in the person you blame."

Synonyms:

admission, acknowledgment, allowance

Antonyms:

denial, refusal, rejection

Root:Latin concedere, "to give way, yield," from con- (wholly) + cedere (to go, yield).

Definition: The art of speaking or writing well in order to persuade; speech that sounds impressive but is empty or insincere (a common test sense).

From the reading: "Slander also fails as rhetoric. A reader who catches you in one lie or one cheap shot stops trusting the rest."

Synonyms:

oratory, eloquence, persuasion; (second sense) bombast, empty talk

Antonyms:

(second sense) plain speech, substance, sincerity

Root:Greek rhetorike (techne), "the art of the public speaker," from rhetor, "orator."

Definition: the crime of betraying one's own country, especially by helping its enemies in war.

From the reading: "...in spite of those who would work treason and mischief against the kingdom." (Joan's letter to the English at Orléans)

KJV: "...and Athaliah rent her clothes, and cried, Treason, Treason." (2 Kings 11:14). Athaliah, who had seized the throne by murder, cries treason only when her own wrong is undone.

Synonyms:

sedition, disloyalty, betrayal

Antonyms:

loyalty, allegiance, fidelity

Root:Old French traison, from Latin traditio, "a handing over," from tradere, "to hand over, betray."

Definition: the betrayal of trust; deceitful, disloyal conduct by someone who was trusted.

From the reading: "She had said once that all she feared for her cause was treachery. It had struck its first blow now."

Synonyms:

perfidy, betrayal, double-dealing

Antonyms:

faithfulness, loyalty, constancy

Root:Old French trecherie, from trechier, "to cheat, trick."

Definition: the act of breaking faith with someone who trusted you, or handing them over to an enemy.

From the reading: "The more a man received, the darker his betrayal looks."

KJV: "But Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?" (Luke 22:48)

Synonyms:

treachery, disloyalty, double-cross

Antonyms:

faithfulness, loyalty, devotion

Root:be- (thoroughly) + Middle English traien, "to betray," from Latin tradere, "to hand over," the same root as treason.

Definition: failure to be thankful for kindness or gifts received; repaying good with neglect or evil.

From the reading: "...warning him not to let “unbelief, ingratitude, or other injustice” hinder or impair the divine help sent through her."

Synonyms:

thanklessness, ungratefulness, unappreciativeness

Antonyms:

gratitude, thankfulness, appreciation

Root:Latin in- (not) + gratitudo, from gratus, "thankful, pleasing."

Definition: A formal written charge accusing someone of a crime; anything that shows something to be bad or wrong ("an indictment of greed").

From the reading: "Let us note some of the particulars in the new indictment--the Twelve Lies."

Synonyms:

charge, accusation, arraignment

Antonyms:

acquittal, exoneration, vindication

Root:Anglo-French enditer, "to accuse," from Latin indicere, "to proclaim," from in- + dicere (to say).

Definition: deserving or causing hatred and disgust; extremely unpleasant.

From the reading: "...turning these waters of life to poison, this gold to dross, these proofs of a noble and beautiful life to evidences of a foul and odious one." This is Isaiah 5:20 in action: the accusers called good evil.

Synonyms:

hateful, detestable, repugnant

Antonyms:

delightful, admirable, lovable

Root:Latin odiosus, from odium, "hatred."

Definition: Morally low, selfish or greedy in motive; dirty and wretched in condition.

From the reading: "That she and her family had been ennobled by the King was charged against her as evidence that the source of her deeds were sordid self-seeking." Joan answered that she had never asked for the honor. Her accusers guessed at a secret motive, which is one of the marks of slander.

Synonyms:

base, mercenary, ignoble; (second sense) squalid, filthy

Antonyms:

noble, honorable, selfless

Root:Latin sordidus, "dirty," from sordes, "filth."

Definition: Wishing or doing evil to others; of a disease, tending to spread and kill.

From the reading: "So the malignant Bishop set himself to work to plan it." (a fourth trial against Joan)

Synonyms:

malicious, spiteful, malevolent

Antonyms:

benign, kindly, benevolent

Root:Latin malignare, "to act spitefully," from malus, "evil," + gignere, "to beget": "born of evil."

Definition: the act of declaring someone guilty and deserving punishment; strong public disapproval.

From the reading: "Cauchon burst out upon her with an awful threat--the threat of instant condemnation unless she obeyed."

KJV: "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." (Romans 8:1). Compare: "He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the LORD." (Proverbs 17:15)

Synonyms:

censure, denunciation, conviction

Antonyms:

acquittal, approval, pardon

Root:Latin condemnare, from con- (wholly) + damnare (to declare guilty), from damnum, "loss, penalty."

Definition: to take back formally and publicly something one has said or believed.

From the reading: "She was asked if she would not recant those of her words and deeds which had been pronounced evil by her judges."

Synonyms:

retract, withdraw, abjure

Antonyms:

affirm, maintain, reassert

Root:Latin recantare, "to sing back, revoke," from re- (back) + cantare (to sing).

Definition: to refuse to accept or be bound by; to reject or disown completely.

From the reading: "...the proces verbal compromise which Cauchon was so anxious to repudiate and creep out of..."

Synonyms:

reject, disown, renounce

Antonyms:

accept, embrace, acknowledge

Root:Latin repudiare, "to cast off, divorce," from repudium, "a casting off."

Definition: skilled at clever, sly tricks to gain an advantage; crafty.

From the reading: "The wily court shifted to another matter: to pursue this one at this time might call Joan's attention to her small mistake..."

KJV link: The Gibeonites tricked Joshua with old sacks and worn-out shoes: "They did work wilily, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors" (Joshua 9:4).

Synonyms:

crafty, cunning, sly

Antonyms:

guileless, artless, naive

Root:Middle English wile, "a trick," probably from Old Norse vél, "craft, device."

Definition: an opinion formed before the facts are known or fairly weighed; an unfair leaning for or against someone.

From the reading: "I’m not saying these things out of prejudice, for I don’t allow myself to have prejudices against people." The boastful Paladin says this in the middle of running down his friend Noël. Twain is joking at his expense.

Synonyms:

bias, partiality, preconception

Antonyms:

fairness, impartiality, open-mindedness

Root:Latin prae- (before) + judicium (judgment): judging before the case is heard.

Definition: A strong, sometimes blind supporter of a side or cause; as an adjective, biased in favor of one side.

From the reading: "Loyseleur was smuggled into her presence, and in the character of priest, friend, and secret partisan of France and hater of England, he spent some hours in beseeching her..." He was only pretending, so the deceit itself was the deed to blame.

Synonyms:

supporter, adherent, champion; (adjective) biased, one-sided

Antonyms:

neutral, impartial, nonpartisan

Root:Italian partigiano, from parte, "part, side," from Latin pars.

Definition: complete honesty and moral uprightness that can be tested and trusted.

From the reading: "His loyalty was sincere; his probity was above suspicion..." (of the Constable Richemont)

Synonyms:

integrity, uprightness, honesty

Antonyms:

dishonesty, corruption, duplicity

Root:Latin probitas, "goodness," from probus, "upright, honest" (the same root as prove and probe).

Definition: to express sharp disapproval to someone about something wrong he has done; such a reproof.

From the reading: "But what a stinging rebuke it was, what an arraignment of French character and French royalty!" An English soldier's blunt outburst at the trial shamed the French, who had abandoned Joan.

KJV: "Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him." (Leviticus 19:17). "Open rebuke is better than secret love." (Proverbs 27:5)

Synonyms:

reprimand, admonish, reprove

Antonyms:

praise, commend, applaud

Root:Anglo-French rebuker, "to beat back," from re- (back) + buker (to strike).