pardon
To forgive someone for something they have done wrong.
pardon in a sentence
- The king agreed to pardon the thief, letting him go free instead of punishing him.
- Mum decided to pardon Jack for breaking the vase because he owned up straight away.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to pardon?
- Acondemn
- Bforgive
- Cpunish
Show the answer
B: forgive. The other three mean the opposite of pardon.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to pardon?
- Aexcuse
- Bpunish
- Cfree
- Dforgive
Show the answer
B: punish. The other three mean nearly the same as pardon.
Words that mean something similar
forgive, excuse, free
Words that mean the opposite
punish, condemn
More words about behaviour & manners
- pester: To annoy someone by bothering them again and again.
- plunder: To steal goods by force, especially during a battle or raid.
- prim: Very neat, proper and easily shocked by rude things.
- privilege: A special right or advantage that only some people have.
- prohibit: To officially say that something is not allowed.
- provoke: To deliberately make someone angry or cause a reaction.
- quell: To calm or put an end to something, such as fear or a fight.
- rash: Acting too quickly without thinking about what might happen.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test