"I Have a Dream," by Martin Luther King Jr.: List 1

Learn the vocabulary that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. used to inspire a generation to break free from the "manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination."

On August 28, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech. Speaking from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., King stood before an estimated quarter of a million people who had gathered to demonstrate for passage of the Civil Rights Act.

This list focuses on King's use of figurative language in paragraphs 1 through 5 of the speech.
15 words 1253 learners

Learn words with Flashcards and other activities

Definition First
Print Flashcards

Other learning activities

Answer a few questions about each word. Use this to prep for your next quiz! Compete with other teams in real time to see who answers the most questions correctly! Test your spelling acumen. Read the definition, listen to the word and try spelling it!

Teaching tools

Create and assign quizzes to your students to test their vocabulary. Assign learning activities including Practice, Vocabulary Jams and Spelling Bees to your students, and monitor their progress in real-time.

Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. sear
    become superficially burned (also figurative)
    This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice.
  2. withering
    wreaking or capable of wreaking complete destruction
    This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice.
  3. injustice
    the practice of being unfair
    This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice.
  4. manacle
    shackle that can be locked around the wrist
    One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination.
  5. segregation
    the act of keeping apart
    One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination.
  6. poverty
    the state of having little or no money and possessions
    One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity.
  7. vast
    unusually great in size or amount or extent or scope
    One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity.
  8. prosperity
    the condition of having good fortune
    One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity.
  9. architect
    someone who creates plans to be used in making something
    When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir.
  10. republic
    a form of government whose head of state is not a monarch
    When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir.
  11. promissory
    relating to a verbal commitment by one person to another
    When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir.
  12. default
    fail to pay up
    It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned.
  13. insufficient
    of a quantity not able to fulfill a need or requirement
    Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds."
  14. funds
    assets in the form of money
    Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds."
  15. bankrupt
    financially ruined
    But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt.
Created on Tue Jun 03 14:52:06 EDT 2025 (updated Tue Jun 03 15:25:09 EDT 2025)

Sign up now (it’s free!)

Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, Vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.