Catcher in the rye vocab Flashcards
Phony
Adj
“She probably knew what a phony slob he was.”
Not genuine or real; intended to deceive or mislead
I thought he was on my side but he was actually a very phony person and betrayed me.
Ostracize
verb
“The whole team ostracized me the whole way back on the train.”
To exclude someone from a group or society; to reject or shun
I lost the game so my teammates at dinner ostracized me from the group.
Sadistic
adj
“I was pretty sadistic with him quite often.”
Taking pleasure in the infliction of pain, punishment, or humiliation on others.
My brother punched me in the face with his phone and started laughing at me sadistically.
Qualm
noun
“Do you have any particular qualms about leaving Pencey?”
An uneasy feeling of doubt, worry, or fear, especially about one’s own conduct; a misgiving.
I had many qualms about my brother bungee jumping off of that dam.
Monotonous
adj
“He started talking in this very monotonous voice, and picking at all his pimples.”
Dull, tedious, and repetitious; lacking in variety or interest; unvarying in tone or pitch.
When my brother presented his presentation, it sounded very monotonous so I fell asleep.
Unscrupulous
adj
“I’d double-dated with that bastard a couple of times, and I know
what I’m talking about. He was unscrupulous. He really was.”
Having or showing no moral principles; not honest or fair
I was walking through Boston when this very unscrupulous guy stole my mom’s purse, what a shame.
Gripe
verb
“He came in griping about how cold it was out”
To complain or grumble about something, especially something trivial or small.
The new season of the TV show was stalled from releasing, that’s when the critics hit up reddit and began to gripe about the delay.
Conscientious
adj
“Some of the faculty are pretty conscientious.”
Characterized by extreme care and great effort; wishing to do what is right, especially to do one’s work or duty well and thoroughly
I did some very conscientious work today in English class, I got an A + +.
Adapt
verb
“He adapts himself very well to things.”
To become adjusted to new conditions; to make fit or change to suit a new purpose
I had to adapt my swing because the pitcher was throwing only curveballs.
Fiend
noun
“Listen,” I said, “do you feel like playing a little Canasta?” He was a Canasta fiend.
A person who is excessively fond of or addicted to something
My brother was a videogame fiend, now he only plays 8 hours a day instead of 12.
Suave
adj
“I said it suave as hell.”
Charming, confident, relaxed, and elegant
When me and my friends arrived at homecoming, we looked very suave.
Lavish
adj
“I have this grandmother that’s quite lavish with her dough.”
Giving or using a large amount of something; extra generous or abundant; rich, elaborate, or luxurious
The lavish people next door gave me their new bugatti for my birthday.
