The Great Gatsby Vocab quiz 1-3

Question 1

Feign, v.

Answer 1

to pretend, to give a false impression- she feigned being scared

Question 2

Supercilious, adj.

Answer 2

one thinks they are superior to others or looks down upon- The supercilious, stuck-up woman demands special treatment for being pretty.

Question 3

Incredulous (incredulity), adj.

Answer 3

disbelieving, doubtful- someone unwilling to believe something- 1. The lottery winner was incredulous and could not believe his good fortune. 2. All of the audience shook their heads incredulously as the unattractive contestant was crowned beauty queen.

Question 4

Complacent (complacency), adj.

Answer 4

self-satisfied/satisfaction with yourself- she was too complacent to even check if she had answered it right

Question 5

Intimation, n.

Answer 5

a hint or implication- it can be any time from the earliest intimation of fall, when wetland maples turn a searing red

Question 6

Levity, n.

Answer 6

humor, light-heartedness- “as an attempt to introduce a note of levity, the words were a disastrous flop”

Question 7

Fractious(ness), adj.

Answer 7

disorderly, undisciplined, difficult to control- “they fight and squabble like fractious children”

Question 8

Pungent (pungency), adj.

Answer 8

strong-smelling- the pungent smell of frying onions

Question 9

Infinitesimal, adj.

Answer 9

tiny, miniscule- an infinitesimal pause

Question 10

Extemporize, v.

Answer 10

to speak informally, without preparation- it wasn’t a good idea to extemporize her presentation to the class

Question 11

Devoid, adj.

Answer 11

empty, lacking- Lisa kept her voice devoid of emotion

Question 12

Peremptory, adj.

Answer 12

bossy, forceful in speech- “Just do it!” came the peremptory reply

Question 13

Unobtrusive, adj.

Answer 13

not noticeable, subtle- the test corrections should be unobtrusive. I don’t want other people to know you are raising your score.

Question 14

Transcendent, adj.

Answer 14

extreme, surpassing limits, outshining all else- the search for a transcendent level of knowledge

Question 15

Contiguous, adj.

Answer 15

next to, adjoining- Russia and Ukraine are contiguous

Question 16

Cower, v.

Answer 16

to shrink in fear- children cowered in terror as the shoot-out erupted

Question 17

Interpose, v.

Answer 17

to interfere, interrupt- She interposed the conversation with her rude comment

Question 18

Apathetic, adj.

Answer 18

uninvolved, not showing interest, unenthusiastic- he was very apathetic about the play, he just wanted to go home.

Question 19

Languid, adj.

Answer 19

lacking energy, weak, limp-He turned with her, watching her languid walk.

Question 20

Strident, adj.

Answer 20

noisy and squawky, harsh-sounding- The song opens with a strident guitar

Question 21

Deft, adj.

Answer 21

skillful and swift- the ornament is composed of straw and designs painted with the deft fingers of the artist

Question 22

Hauteur, n.

Answer 22

arrogance, superiority- once she had been put off by his hauteur, she left

Question 23

Sumptuous, adj.

Answer 23

lavish, extravagant, luxurious- his palace was more sumptuous than the temples of the gods,

Question 24

Permeate, v.

Answer 24

to fill with, to pervade-

the aroma of the soup permeated the air

Question 25

Innuendo, n.

Answer 25

hint, implication, insinuation (usually negative and/or sexual)- she’s always making sly innuendoes

Question 26

Vehement, adj.

Answer 26

forceful, strong (usually speech or ideas)- her voice was low but vehement

Question 27

Cordial, adj

Answer 27

warm, friendly, heartfelt, amiable (similar to convivial)-the atmosphere was cordial and relaxed

Question 28

Impetuous, adj.

Answer 28

impulsive, acting without thought- Don’t be too impetuous when adopting an iguana; be sure you have time and space to care for a creature that can grow to ten feet long.

Question 29

Vacuous, adj.

Answer 29

empty, blank, mindless (usually facial expression or mental state), not showing much intelligence- When I see vacuous faces after posing a question, I suspect that no one has read the assigned pages.

Question 30

Corpulent, adj.

Answer 30

fat, full-bodied- The corpulent gentleman could not find a suit that was big enough to fit.

Question 31

Ravage, v.

Answer 31

to destroy, ruin, or ransack- The hungry students ravaged the snacks before the faculty could get
anything to eat.

Question 32

Prodigality, n.

Answer 32

wastefulness (with money), extravagence- The prodigality of Gatsby’s parties shocked the economical attendees.

Question 33

Florid, adj.

Answer 33

1. rosy, having a red or pink complexion 2. overly elaborate or intricate- Thoreau would prefer a simple country cottage to the florid décor of Gatsby’s
   mansion.

Question 34

Convivial, adj.

Answer 34

sociable, jolly, companionable, genial- A convivial host makes sure to speak warmly to every guest.

Question 35

staid, adj.

Answer 35

proper, serious- Dancing in the hotel fountain is the opposite of the staid behavior prescribed by Miss Manners for dinner dances.