ethan frome vocab

Question 1

taciturnity

Answer 1

the state or quality of being reserved or reticent in conversation.

Question 2

undulations

Answer 2

an act of undulating; a wavelike motion.

Question 3

reticent

Answer 3

disposed to be silent or not to speak freely; reserved.

Question 4

querulously

Answer 4

full of complaints; complaining

Question 5

suppleness

Answer 5

bending readily without breaking or becoming deformed; pliant; flexible:

Question 6

oracle

Answer 6

(especially in ancient Greece) an utterance, often ambiguous or obscure, given by a priest or priestess at a shrine as the response of a god to an inquiry.

Question 7

fatuity

Answer 7

complacent stupidity; foolishness

Question 8

incredulous

Answer 8

not credulous; disinclined or indisposed to believe; skeptical

Question 9

disdainfully

Answer 9

full of or showing disdain; scornful.

Question 10

obstinate

Answer 10

firmly or stubbornly adhering to one’s purpose, opinion, etc.; not yielding to argument, persuasion, or entreaty

Question 11

inarticulate

Answer 11

lacking the ability to express oneself, especially in clear and effective speech:

Question 12

cessation

Answer 12

a temporary or complete stopping; discontinuance

Question 13

convivial

Answer 13

friendly; agreeable:

Question 14

taciturn

Answer 14

inclined to silence; reserved in speech; reluctant to join in conversation.

Question 15

prudence

Answer 15

the quality or fact of being prudent, or wise in practical affairs, as by providing for the future.

Question 16

contagion

Answer 16

the communication of disease by direct or indirect contact.

Question 17

feigned

Answer 17

pretended; sham; counterfeit

Question 18

insatiable

Answer 18

not satiable; incapable of being satisfied or appeased:

Question 19

gaunt

Answer 19

extremely thin and bony; haggard and drawn, as from great hunger, weariness, or torture; emaciated.

Question 20

countenance

Answer 20

appearance, especially the look or expression of the face

Question 21

perfunctory

Answer 21

performed merely as a routine duty; hasty and superficial:

Question 22

ministrations

Answer 22

the act of ministering care, aid, religious service, etc.

Question 23

felicitous

Answer 23

well-suited for the occasion, as an action, manner, or expression; apt; appropriate:

Question 24

wan

Answer 24

adjective, wan·ner, wan·nest.

of an unnatural or sickly pallor; pallid; lacking color:

Question 25

conferred

Answer 25

to consult together; compare opinions; carry on a discussion or deliberation

Question 26

inexorable

Answer 26

unyielding; unalterable:

Question 27

vehemence

Answer 27

the quality of being vehement; ardor; fervor.

Question 28

compunction

Answer 28

a feeling of uneasiness or anxiety of the conscience caused by regret for doing wrong or causing pain; contrition; remorse.

Question 29

affability

Answer 29

pleasantly easy to approach and to talk to; friendly; cordial; warmly polite:

Question 30

incessant

Answer 30

continuing without interruption; ceaseless; unending

Question 31

ebullition

Answer 31

a seething or overflowing, as of passion or feeling; outburst.

Question 32

discursively

Answer 32

passing aimlessly from one subject to another; digressive; rambling

Question 33

audacity

Answer 33

boldness or daring, especially with confident or arrogant disregard for personal safety, conventional thought, or other restrictions.

Question 34

abhorrent

Answer 34

causing repugnance; detestable; loathsome:

Question 35

languidly

Answer 35

lacking in vigor or vitality; slack or slow: