Short Stories Vocab

Question 1

Profusely

Answer 1

1) adverb 2) exhibiting great abundance; bountiful 3) “The flowers were blossoming profusely and the grass was richly green” (738).

Question 2

Boisterous

Answer 2

1) adjective 2) (of a person, event, or behavior) noisy, energetic, and cheerful; rowdy 3) “They tended to gather together quietly for a while before they broke into boisterous play” (738).

Question 3

Reprimand

Answer 3

1) noun 2) a rebuke, especially an official one 3) “Their talk was still of the classroom and the teacher, of books and reprimands” (738).

Question 4

Civic

Answer 4

1) adjective 2) relating to the duties or activities of people in relation to their town, city, or local area 3) “Mr. Summers, who had time and energy to devote to civic activities” (739).

Question 5

Jovial

Answer 5

1) adjective 2) cheerful and friendly 3) “He was a round-faced, jovial man and he ran the coal business” (739).

Question 6

Paraphernalia

Answer 6

1) noun 2) miscellaneous articles, especially the equipment needed for a particular activity 3) “The original paraphernalia for the lottery had been lost long ago” (739).

Question 7

Perfunctory

Answer 7

1) adjective 2) (of an action or gesture) carried out with a minimum of effort or reflection 3) “A perfunctory, tuneless chant that had been rattled off duly each year” (740).

Question 8

Interminably

Answer 8

1) adverb 2) in a way that lasts a very long time and is therefore boring or annoying 3) “As he talked interminably to Mr. Graves and the Martins” (740).

Question 9

Surly

Answer 9

1) adjective 2) bad-tempered and unfriendly 3) “So me and Sugar leaning on the mailbox being surly, which is a Miss Moore word” (196).

Question 10

Ferocious

Answer 10

1) adjective 2) (of a conflict) characterized by or involving aggression, bitterness, and determination 3) “But then he tries to take off with Junebug foot still in the door so we talk about his mama something ferocious” (197).

Question 11

Notion

Answer 11

1) noun 2) a conception of or belief about something 3) “And Big Butt ain’t got the first notion” (197).

Question 12

Recitation

Answer 12

1) noun 2) the action of repeating something aloud from memory 3) “I read it again for myself just in case the group recitation put me in trance” (198).

Question 13

Treachery

Answer 13

1) noun 2) betrayal of trust; deceptive action of nature 3) “Miss Moore is besides herself and I am disgusted with Sugar’s treachery” (201).

Question 14

Furtive

Answer 14

1) adjective 2) attempting to avoid notice or attention, typically because of guilt or a belief that discovery would lead to trouble; secretive 3) “Furtive boys in pink shirts hanging about on washday after school” (169).

Question 15

Cowering

Answer 15

1) verb 2) crouch down in fear 3) “She stoops down quickly and lines up picture after picture of me sitting there in front of the house with Maggie cowering behind me” (170).

Question 16

Doctrines

Answer 16

1) noun 2) a belief or set of beliefs held and taught by a Church, political party, or other group 3) “Hakim-a-barber said, ‘I accept some of their doctrines, but farming, and raising cattle is not my style’” (171).

Question 17

Clabber

Answer 17

1) noun 2) milk that has naturally clotted on souring 3) “She jumped up from the table and went over in the corner where the churn stood, the milk in it clabber by now” (171).

Question 18

Dasher

Answer 18

1) noun 2) a person who dresses or acts flamboyantly or stylishly 3) “When she finished wrapping the dasher the handle stuck out” (172).

Question 19

Heritage

Answer 19

1) noun 2) property that is or may be inherited; an inheritance 3) “‘Your heritage,’ she said” (174).

Question 20

Trifles

Answer 20

1) noun 2) a thing of little value or importance 3) “‘Oh, well,’ said Mrs. Hale’s husband, with good-natured superiority, ‘women are used to worrying over trifles’” (821).

Question 21

Disdainful

Answer 21

1) adjective 2) showing contempt or lack of respect 3) “Then, as if releasing herself from something strange, Mrs. Hale began to arrange the frosty pans under the sink, which the county attorney’s disdainful push of the foot, had deranged” (823).

Question 22

Acquiescence

Answer 22

1) noun 2) the reluctant acceptance of something without protest 3) “‘Of course it’s no more than their duty,’ said the sheriff’s wife, in her manner of timid acquiescence” (823).

Question 23

Detained

Answer 23

1) verb 2) keep (someone) from proceeding; hold back 3) “Mrs. Hale stood examining the clothes the woman who was being detained in town had said she wanted” (824).

Question 24

Shabby

Answer 24

1) adjective 2) in poor condition through long or hard use or lack of care 3) “‘I s’pose she felt she couldn’t do her part; and then, you don’t enjoy things when you feel shabby’” (824).

Question 25

Indecisive

Answer 25

1) adjective 2) not settling an issue 3) “But the next moment she moved, and said in her thin, indecisive way:” (827).

Question 26

Apprehensive

Answer 26

1) adjective 2) anxious or fearful that something bad or unpleasant will happen 3) “Again their eyes met-startled, questioning, apprehensive” (828).

Question 27

Incisively

Answer 27

1) adjective 2) in a clear and direct way that shows good understanding of what is important 3) “‘No, Peter’s,’ said the county attorney incisively; ‘it’s all perfectly clear, except the reason for doing it’” (832).

Question 28

Evasion

Answer 28

1) noun 2) the action of evading something 3) “There was a moment when they held each other in a steady, burning look in which there was no evasion nor flinching” (833).

Question 29

Facetiously

Answer 29

1) adjective 2) treating serious issues with deliberately inappropriate humor; flippant 3) “‘Well, Henry,’ said the county attorney facetiously,’ at least we found out that she was not going to quilt it” (834).

Question 30

Pungent

Answer 30

1) adjective 2) having a sharply strong taste or smell 3) “My brothers and I would peer into the medicinal herb shop, watching old Li dole out onto a stiff sheet of white paper the right amount of insect shells, saffron-colored seeds, and pungent leaves for his ailing customers” (225).

Question 31

Solemnity

Answer 31

1) noun 2) the state or quality of being serious and dignified 3) “I nodded back with equal solemnity” (226).

Question 32

Pawn

Answer 32

1) noun 2) chess piece of the smallest size and value 3) “As we discovered later, it was missing a black pawn and a white knight” (227).

Question 33

Benevolently

Answer 33

1) adverb 2) in a way that is kind and helpful 3) “‘Little sister, been a long time since I play with dolls,’ he said, smiling benevolently” (229).

Question 34

Retort

Answer 34

1) verb 2) say something in answer to a remark, typically in a sharp or angry manner 3) “I quickly put the box down next to him on the bench and displayed my retort” (229).

Question 35

Prodigy

Answer 35

1) noun 2) a person, especially a young one, endowed with exceptional qualities or abilities 3) “But I was touted as the Great American Hope, a child prodigy and a girl to boot” (231).

Question 36

Malodorous

Answer 36

1) adjective 2) smelling very unpleasant 3) “He wore a dark, malodorous suit” (231).