ACT Humanities - Immoral Behavior

Here you will learn some English words related to immoral behavior, such as "infamous", "heinous", "treachery", etc. that will help you ace your ACTs.

review

flashcard

spelling

quiz

start-learning

monstrosity [noun]

an action, behavior, or entity that is extremely wicked, evil, or morally reprehensible

Ex: The abuse of power by the corrupt officials was a moral monstrosity that demanded immediate action .

prejudice [noun]

an unreasonable opinion or judgment based on dislike felt for a person, group, etc., particularly because of their race, sex, etc.

Ex: Overcoming prejudice requires education and understanding .

intolerance [noun]

the state of being reluctant to accept ideas, thoughts, or behaviors that differ from one's own

stigma [noun]

a mark of shame attached to a person or condition, often resulting in exclusion or discrimination

Ex: Poverty should not be a stigma , but a call for compassion .

vanity [noun]

the act of taking excessive pride in one's own achievements or abilities

Ex: The artist 's vanity was apparent in his constant need for praise .

scheme [noun]

a secret plan, particularly one that is made to deceive other people

Ex: The detectives investigated the elaborate scheme to defraud investors .

treason [noun]

the act of betraying someone or something's trust or loyalty

Ex: The employee 's leaking of confidential information was seen as a treason by his colleagues .

assassination [noun]

the deliberate killing of a famous or important person, often for political or ideological reasons

Ex: The plot to carry out the assassination was uncovered by intelligence agencies just in time .

corruption [noun]

the process of abandoning moral principles and behaving immorally

Ex: Exposure to criminal activities resulted in the corruption of the once-law-abiding community members .

notoriety [noun]

the state of having a widespread negative reputation due to a bad or disapproving behavior or characteristic

Ex: Tales of the pirate 's plundering exploits spread his notoriety throughout the Caribbean .

brute [noun]

a person who is cruel, violent, or lacking in human sensibility

Ex:

treachery [noun]

the act of showing disloyalty to someone's trust

collusion [noun]

secret agreement particularly made to deceive people

Ex: Their collusion was exposed when the secret meetings were leaked to the press .

deceitfulness [noun]

the quality of being dishonest and misleading

Ex: His deceitfulness in business dealings caused him to lose many clients .

ruse [noun]

a cunning or deceptive strategy or action intended to deceive or trick someone

Ex: The magician 's performance relied on the use of various ruses to create illusions and deceive the audience .

humiliation [noun]

the state of being made to feel ashamed or losing respect and dignity, often in front of others

Ex: She avoided social events due to the humiliation caused by the scandal .

injustice [noun]

a behavior or treatment that is unjust and unfair

Ex: The documentary shed light on the systemic injustices faced by marginalized communities .

deviation [noun]

separation from accepted norms, standards, or expected patterns of conduct

Ex: Her sudden deviation from her usual routine worried her friends and family .

cruelty [noun]

a deliberate action or treatment that causes physical or mental pain or suffering in others

Ex: He has treated her with extreme cruelty , leaving emotional scars .

atrocity [noun]

the extreme brutality of an action or behavior

Ex: The atrocity of the terrorist attack was condemned by leaders worldwide .

savagery [noun]

a violent act marked by extreme cruelty and aggression

Ex: The dictator 's regime was notorious for its savagery and human rights abuses .

deceptive [adjective]

giving an impression that is misleading, false, or deceitful, often leading to misunderstanding or mistaken belief

Ex: The company faced legal consequences for its deceptive marketing practices .

devious [adjective]

causing someone to have a wrong idea or impression, usually by giving incomplete or false information

Ex: She felt betrayed by the devious way her colleague twisted the facts .

fraudulent [adjective]

dishonest or deceitful, often involving illegal or unethical actions intended to deceive others

Ex: The fraudulent charges on her credit card statement were reported to the bank immediately .

hypocritical [adjective]

acting in a way that is different from what one claims to believe or value

Ex: It 's hypocritical for him to advocate for environmental protection while driving a gas-guzzling SUV .

unscrupulous [adjective]

having no moral principles and willing to do anything to achieve one's goals

Ex: With a complete lack of regard for safety standards , the unscrupulous contractor cut corners to maximize profits .

heinous [adjective]

extremely evil or shockingly wicked in a way that deeply disturbs or offends

Ex: The murderer was sentenced to life in prison for his heinous deeds .

dismissive [adjective]

showing a lack of interest or respect by ignoring or minimizing someone or something's importance

Ex: The manager 's dismissive attitude towards employee concerns fostered resentment in the workplace .

oppressive [adjective]

having an unfair or harsh control over others, often involving cruelty or severe restrictions

Ex: The oppressive landlord imposed unreasonable rules and harsh penalties on tenants .

malicious [adjective]

intending to cause harm or distress to others

Ex: The vengeful ex-partner made malicious threats against her former lover .

unwarranted [adjective]

unfair and lacking a valid reason

Ex: The sudden increase in prices was seen as unwarranted by many customers .

fiendish [adjective]

wickedly cruel and inhuman

Ex: The fiendish scheme involved tricking innocent people out of their life savings .

glib [adjective]

persuasive in a way that is deceitful

Ex: The CEO was glib when addressing the shareholders about the scandal .

vulgar [adjective]

having an indecent quality or being socially unacceptable in expression

Ex: The vulgar graffiti on the walls of the building shocked passersby .

sordid [adjective]

relating to a disgraceful and corrupted action

Ex:

infamous [adjective]

well-known for a bad quality or deed

Ex: The hotel gained an infamous reputation after a series of scandals involving its management .

unethical [adjective]

involving behaviors, actions, or decisions that are morally wrong

Ex: He made an unethical decision by lying to the board of directors .

outrageous [adjective]

extremely unusual or unconventional in a way that is shocking

Ex: The outrageous price of the luxury car left many people speechless .

controversial [adjective]

causing a lot of strong public disagreement or discussion

Ex: The controversial film explored sensitive social issues , prompting both praise and criticism from viewers .

contentious [adjective]

causing disagreement or controversy among people

Ex: The contentious decision to raise taxes divided opinions among citizens .

gory [adjective]

involving a lof of blood and violence

Ex: His gory descriptions of the accident made everyone uncomfortable .

to trick [verb]

to deceive a person so that they do what one wants

Ex: She tricked her friend into believing they had won the lottery as a prank .

to purport [verb]

to claim or suggest something, often falsely or without proof

Ex: The email purports to be from the bank , asking for personal information , but it 's likely a scam .

to betray [verb]

to be disloyal to a person, a group of people, or one's country by giving information about them to their enemy

Ex: The double agent betrayed both sides by playing them against each other for personal gain .

to double-cross [verb]

to betray a person that one is in cooperation with, often when they want to do something illegal together

Ex:

to slaughter [verb]

to kill a large number of people, often in a harsh and heartless manner

Ex: In the tragic event , a lone gunman attempted to slaughter innocent bystanders .

to despoil [verb]

to take valuables by force

Ex: During the conquest , the soldiers despoiled the temples .

to violate [verb]

to not respect someone's rights, privacy, or peace

Ex: The police officer violated his constitutional rights during the arrest .

to counterfeit [verb]

to make a false copy of something with the intent to deceive

Ex: She was accused of trying to counterfeit artwork for profit .

to plagiarize [verb]

to take and use the work, words or ideas of someone else without referencing them

Ex: The author faced severe consequences after it was discovered that he had plagiarized entire paragraphs from another book in his novel .

to manipulate [verb]

to control or influence someone cleverly for personal gain or advantage

Ex: The dictator manipulated the media to spread propaganda and control public opinion .

notoriously [adverb]

in a way that is widely known or recognized typically for negative reasons

Ex: The politician was notoriously known for making promises that were seldom fulfilled .

ACT Humanities
History and Archaeology	Literature and Culture	Art and Craft	Performance Arts and Media
Music	Social Sciences	Business and Management	Politics and Legislature
Power and Ruling	Law and Obligations	Conflict and Compliance	Challenges and Struggles
Damage and Danger	Religion and Beliefs	Moral Behavior	Immoral Behavior
Regularity and Rationality	Irregularity and Irrationality	Certainty and Uncertainty	Causality and Intentionality
Communication	Interaction