The Great Gatsby Vocab quiz 1-3 Flashcards
Feign, v.
to pretend, to give a false impression- she feigned being scared
Supercilious, adj.
one thinks they are superior to others or looks down upon- The supercilious, stuck-up woman demands special treatment for being pretty.
Incredulous (incredulity), adj.
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.
Complacent (complacency), adj.
self-satisfied/satisfaction with yourself- she was too complacent to even check if she had answered it right
Intimation, n.
a hint or implication- it can be any time from the earliest intimation of fall, when wetland maples turn a searing red
Levity, n.
humor, light-heartedness- “as an attempt to introduce a note of levity, the words were a disastrous flop”
Fractious(ness), adj.
disorderly, undisciplined, difficult to control- “they fight and squabble like fractious children”
Pungent (pungency), adj.
strong-smelling- the pungent smell of frying onions
Infinitesimal, adj.
tiny, miniscule- an infinitesimal pause
Extemporize, v.
to speak informally, without preparation- it wasn’t a good idea to extemporize her presentation to the class
Devoid, adj.
empty, lacking- Lisa kept her voice devoid of emotion
Peremptory, adj.
bossy, forceful in speech- “Just do it!” came the peremptory reply
Unobtrusive, adj.
not noticeable, subtle- the test corrections should be unobtrusive. I don’t want other people to know you are raising your score.
Transcendent, adj.
extreme, surpassing limits, outshining all else- the search for a transcendent level of knowledge
Contiguous, adj.
next to, adjoining- Russia and Ukraine are contiguous
Cower, v.
to shrink in fear- children cowered in terror as the shoot-out erupted
Interpose, v.
to interfere, interrupt- She interposed the conversation with her rude comment
Apathetic, adj.
uninvolved, not showing interest, unenthusiastic- he was very apathetic about the play, he just wanted to go home.
Languid, adj.
lacking energy, weak, limp-He turned with her, watching her languid walk.
Strident, adj.
noisy and squawky, harsh-sounding- The song opens with a strident guitar
Deft, adj.
skillful and swift- the ornament is composed of straw and designs painted with the deft fingers of the artist
Hauteur, n.
arrogance, superiority- once she had been put off by his hauteur, she left
Sumptuous, adj.
lavish, extravagant, luxurious- his palace was more sumptuous than the temples of the gods,
Permeate, v.
to fill with, to pervade-
the aroma of the soup permeated the air
Innuendo, n.
hint, implication, insinuation (usually negative and/or sexual)- she’s always making sly innuendoes
Vehement, adj.
forceful, strong (usually speech or ideas)- her voice was low but vehement
Cordial, adj
warm, friendly, heartfelt, amiable (similar to convivial)-the atmosphere was cordial and relaxed
Impetuous, adj.
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.
Vacuous, adj.
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.
Corpulent, adj.
fat, full-bodied- The corpulent gentleman could not find a suit that was big enough to fit.
Ravage, v.
to destroy, ruin, or ransack- The hungry students ravaged the snacks before the faculty could get
anything to eat.
Prodigality, n.
wastefulness (with money), extravagence- The prodigality of Gatsby’s parties shocked the economical attendees.
Florid, adj.
- 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.
Convivial, adj.
sociable, jolly, companionable, genial- A convivial host makes sure to speak warmly to every guest.
staid, adj.
proper, serious- Dancing in the hotel fountain is the opposite of the staid behavior prescribed by Miss Manners for dinner dances.
