Malcolm X: Ballot or the Bullet - Vocabulary

Malcolm X - The Ballot or the Bullet (Vocabulary)

• Submerge: To cause something to be underwater or to completely cover or obscure something (verb). Synonyms include engulf, immerse, and drown. Antonyms include float, rise, and ascend.
• To catch hell: To be yelled at or criticized in a very angry and severe way (verb). Synonym: to be scolded. Antonym: to be praised / commended.
• Boulevard: A wide street, often with trees or parks (noun). Synonyms include avenue and street. Antonyms include alley and narrow street.
• Oppression: Cruel or unjust use of authority or power (noun). Synonyms include tyranny, suppression, and persecution. Antonyms include freedom, equality, liberation, and fairness.
• Exploitation: Using someone unfairly to benefit yourself, often in a selfish or harmful way (noun). Synonyms include manipulation, taking the advantage of one, and oppression. Antonyms include respect, consideration, equality, and fairness (fair treatment).
• Degradation: The process of something becoming worse, weaker, or less respected (noun). Synonyms include humiliation, dishonor, and decline. Antonyms include improvement, honor, elevation, advancement, and respect.
• Agnostics: People who aren't sure if God exists because they believe there isn't enough proof (noun). Synonyms include skeptics, doubters, and non-believers. Antonyms include believers, theists, faithful, and religious.
• Ballot: A method of voting, often in secret (noun). Synonyms include vote, poll, and survey. Antonyms include protest and rejection.
• Bullet: A small, metal projectile fired from a gun (noun). Synonyms include shot and cartridge. Antonyms include shield, protection and armor.
• Negro community: Historically referred to a group of people of African descent within the U.S. during the 19th & 20th centuries (noun). Synonyms include African American Community and Black Community. Antonyms include White Community and Non-Black Community.
• Jiving: Talking in a playful or deceptive way, often using exaggerated or misleading words (verb). Synonyms include fooling, deceiving, bluffing, and teasing. Antonyms include telling the truth, being honest, and sincere.
• Crooks: Dishonest people, often criminals who engage in deceitful or illegal activities (noun). Synonyms include criminals, thieves, fraudsters, and scammers. Antonyms include honest people, law-abiding citizens.
• Letdown: A feeling of disappointment or dissatisfaction, often when something doesn't meet expectations (noun). Synonyms include disappointment, displeasure, setback, frustration, and blow. Antonyms include success, satisfaction, achievement, triumph, and joy.
• To abide: To accept, follow, or endure something, especially rules or a situation (verb). Synonyms include tolerate, endure, and follow. Antonyms include disobey, reject, ignore, resist, and defy.
• Treachery: Betrayal or deceit, especially when someone acts in a dishonest or unfaithful way (noun). Synonyms include betrayal, deceit, dishonesty, and backstabbing. Antonyms include loyalty, faithfulness, and honesty.
• Trickery: Use of dishonest or deceptive actions to achieve something (noun). Synonyms include deception, fraud, cheating, and dishonesty. Antonyms include honesty, truthfulness, and sincerity.
• Odds: The probability or likelihood of something happening or the difference between two possible outcomes (noun). Synonyms include likelihood, probability, and chances. Antonyms include certainty, assurance, and surety.
• Deceptive: Something that tricks or misleads you (adjective). Synonyms include fake, misleading, and dishonest. Antonyms include honest, clear, and truthful.
• To deceive: To trick or lie to someone (verb). Synonyms include lie, mislead, and fool. Antonyms include tell the truth, and inform.
• Integrity: Being honest and doing the right thing (adjective). Synonyms include honesty, truthfulness and honor. Antonyms include dishonesty, corruption and lying.
• Nourish: To provide food or other substances necessary for health and growth (verb). Synonyms include feed, sustain, nurture, support, and enrich. Antonyms include starve, weaken, and deprive.
• Honkies: A term sometimes used to refer to white people, often in a negative or offensive way (noun).
• Deluding: To mislead someone into believing something untrue (verb). Synonyms include misleading, fooling, tricking, and confusing. Antonyms include honest, straightforward, clear.
• Legislation: Laws or rules made by a government or other authority (noun). Synonyms include lawmaking and regulation. Antonyms include lawlessness, anarchy, and disorder.
• Amendments: Changes or additions made to a law, document, or agreement (noun). Synonyms include alterations, modifications and changes. Antonyms include stagnation and rigidity.
• Stagnation: The state of not flowing or moving / lack of activity, growth, or development (noun). Synonyms include inaction and inactiveness. Antonyms include development and progress.
• Civil-rights filibustering: Stopping laws about civil rights by talking a lot or blocking them (noun). Synonyms include block and delay. Antonyms include support and approval.
• Disguised: Someone who has changed their appearance or identity to hide true intentions or nature (adjective). Synonyms include hidden, camouflaged and concealed. Antonyms include revealed, exposed and open.
• Hypocrisy: Pretending to have moral standards or beliefs that one does not actually possess (noun). Synonym is dishonesty. Antonym is honesty.
• Flag-saluter: Someone who shows excessive or insincere patriotism, often in a performative manner (noun). Synonyms include patriot, nationalist, loyalist. Antonyms include critic and rebel.
• To allude: To refer to something indirectly or hint at something without mentioning it directly (verb). Synonyms: hint, suggest, imply, and mention. Antonyms: state, declare, and specify.
• Dishonest: Not truthful or pretending to be something you're not (adjective). Synonyms: lying, deceitful, and fake. Antonyms: honest, truthful, and sincere.
• Bastard: A person that behaves cruelly and dishonestly (noun). Synonyms: illegitimate, scoundrel, and villain. Antonyms: legitimate and honorable.
• Scoundrel: A dishonest or immoral person who behaves badly (noun). Synonyms: villain and rogue. Antonyms: hero and good person.
• Rogue: Someone who behaves in a dishonest or mischievous way, often outside the law (noun). Synonyms: misfit, scoundrel, and villain. Antonyms: hero, good person, and law-abiding.
• Despicable: Deserving hatred or contempt because of one's actions or behavior (adjective). Synonyms: contemptible, vile, and hateful. Antonyms: admirable, respectable, and honorable.
• Contempt: A strong feeling of disrespect or dislike for someone/something (noun). Synonyms: disrespect, hatred, and displeasure. Antonyms: respect, admiration, and approval.
• To imply: To suggest or hint at something without saying it directly (verb). Synonyms: suggest and hint. Antonyms: state, declare, and announce.
• To veto: To reject or forbid something, especially a decision or proposal (verb). Synonyms: reject, forbid, disapprove, and block. Antonyms: approve, accept, and endorse.
• Vetoed: That someone in authority has rejected or refused to approve a proposal or law (adjective). Synonyms: rejected, refused, and blocked. Antonyms: approved, accepted, and endorsed.
• Endorsed: Something that has been approved openly (adjective). Synonyms: supported, approved, and authorized. Antonyms: rejected, refused, and denied.
• Suburb: A residential area located on the outskirts of a city or town (noun). Synonym: outskirts. Antonyms: city center and urban area.

Angela Davis - The Gates to Freedom (Vocabulary)

• Dungeons: Dark, underground prison or cell, often found in castles (noun). Synonyms: prison, cell, and vault. Antonyms: palace and freedom.
• Microcosmic: Something that represents a small version of a larger whole (adjective). Synonyms: miniature, small-scale, and symbolic. Antonyms: macrocosmic and large-scale.
• Analogy: a comparison to show how two things are alike (noun). Synonyms: comparison, similarity, and parallel. Antonyms: difference and contrast.
• Bombastic: using big, fancy words to sound important, but without real meaning (adjective). Synonyms: pretentious and inflated. Antonyms: simple, humble, and straightforward.
• Proclamation: public announcement/statements (noun). Synonyms: declaration, announcement, and statement. Antonyms: silence, secrecy, concealment.
• Rhetoric: the art of speaking or writing in a persuasive way (noun). Synonyms: persuasion, speechmaking, and argument. Antonyms: simplicity, plainness, and honesty.
• Accumulated: gathered or collected over time (adjective). Synonyms: collected and built up. Antonyms: lost, scattered, and discarded.
• Avarice: an extreme desire for wealth or material gain (noun). Synonyms: greed, cupidity, and selfishness. Antonyms: generosity and selflessness.
• Irrational: not based on reason or logic; unreasonable (adjective). Synonyms: illogical, senseless, and unreasonable. Antonyms: rational, logical, and sensible.
• Ventures: business projects/risky activities (noun). Synonyms: enterprises, projects, and undertakings. Antonyms: inactivity, idleness, and stagnation.
• Radical: very different from the usual, often in a dramatic/extreme way (adjective). Synonyms: extreme, drastic, and revolutionary. Antonyms: moderate, conservative, and traditional.
• Barrios: Poor neighborhoods, especially in Spanish-speaking countries (noun). Synonyms: districts, neighborhoods. Antonyms: rich areas, upscale neighborhoods.
• Sophisticated: Highly developed or refined; elegant or complex (adjective). Synonyms: advanced, cultured, and refined. Antonyms: simple, unsophisticated.
• Ghettos: Poor, crowded urban areas often inhabited by minority groups (noun). Synonyms: poor areas, underprivileged neighborhoods. Antonyms: affluent areas, rich neighborhoods.
• To redirect: To change the direction or focus of something (verb). Synonyms: reroute, shift, and change course. Antonyms: maintain, continue, and stay
• Devoid: Lacking or empty of something (noun). Synonyms: empty, lacking, and barren. Antonyms: full, complete.
• Supremacist: A person who believes one race or group is superior to others (noun). Synonym: racist. Antonyms: egalitarian, humanitarian, inclusive.
• Humane: Showing kindness, compassion, and care for others (adjective). Synonyms: compassionate, kind, and merciful. Antonyms: cruel, inhumane, harsh.
• Harmonious: In agreement or balance, without conflict (adjective). Synonyms: peaceful, balanced, and cooperative. Antonyms: disruptive, chaotic, conflicting.
• Attendant: Someone who helps or serves (adjective). Synonyms: assistant, supportive, and helpful. Antonyms: independent, self-sufficient.
• Liberation: The act of setting someone free from control or oppression (noun). Synonyms: freedom, release, and emancipation. Antonyms: captivity, imprisonment, oppression.
• Excruciating: very painful or uncomfortable (adjective). Synonyms: intense, severe, and agonizing. Antonyms: mild, comfortable, painless.
• Agony: Extreme pain or suffering (noun). Synonyms: pain, torment, and suffering. Antonyms: comfort, relief, and ease.
• Realms: Areas or domains of activity or knowledge (noun). Synonyms: territories, areas, and domains. Antonyms: limits, boundaries, and restrictions.
• Idleness: The state of not being active or working (noun). Synonyms: inactivity, laziness, and leisure. Antonyms: activity, work, and effort.
• Refined: Elegant and cultured; free from impurities (adjective). Synonyms: polished, sophisticated, and cultured. Antonyms: rude and unrefined.
• Unsophisticated: Simple, not complex, or lacking refinement/knowledge (adjective). Synonyms: simple and naive. Antonyms: sophisticated, cultured, and elegant.
• To forfeit: Lose or be deprived of (property, a right, or privilege) as a penalty for wrongdoing (verb). Synonym: surrender. Antonyms: keep, retain, gain.
• To Acquire: To gain or obtain something (verb). Synonyms: obtain, get, gain, and receive. Antonyms: lose, forfeit, surrender, and give up.
• Wrongdoing: Illegal or dishonest behavior (noun). Synonyms: crime, misbehaving, and lawbreaking. Antonyms: innocence, blamelessness, righteousness.
• Elemental: Basic, fundamental, or relating to the essential parts of (adjective). Synonyms: fundamental, basic, and primary. Antonyms: complex, advanced, elaborate, and complicated.
• Strivings: efforts, struggles, or attempts to achieve something (noun). Synonyms: efforts, struggles, and endeavors. Antonyms: indifference, apathy, relaxation, and inactivity.
• Solitude: being alone, often in a peaceful way (noun). Synonyms: isolation, seclusion, and loneliness. Antonyms: company, crowds, togetherness.

Nelson Mandela's statement in his defence - Supreme Court, 1964

• Dock is a platform on water (where ships are loaded, unloaded, or repaired), a section in court (place where an accused person stands during a trial). The Synonym for dock is defendant's stand or courtroom box . The antonym is freedom, acquittal.