Vocab for MDG, SI, and AH Flashcards
Naive
-Adjective
-Unaffectedly simple, unsophisticated
-The most dangerous game
“One does not expect to find a young man of the educated class, even in America, with such a naive, and, if I may say so, mid-victorian point of view”
Grotesque
-Adjective
-Distorted or fantastic in appearance, shape, etc
-The most dangerous game
“The light from the windows sent a flickering illumination that made grotesque patterns on the courtyard below, and Rainsford could see moving about there a dozen or so huge black shapes; as they turned towards him, their eyes glittered greenly.”
Indolently
-Adverb
-Idle; lazy
-The most dangerous game
“Rainsford, reclining in a steamer chair, indolently puffed on his favorite brier.”
Scruples
-Noun
-Doubt in deciding what is right
-The most dangerous game
“But I think I can show you your scruples are quite ill-founded”
Futile
-Adjective
-Pointless, incapable of producing any useful result
- The the most dangerous game
“He saw that straight flight was futile; inevitable it would bring him face to face with the sea”
Palpable
-Adjective
-Capable of being touched or felt
-The most dangerous game
“‘Can’t see it,’ remarked Rainsford, trying to peer through the dark tropical night that was palpable as it pressed its thick warm blackness around the yacht.”
Imminent
-Adjective
-Likely to happen soon
-The Scarlet Ibis
“With success so imminent, we decided not to tell anyone until he could actually walk”
Infallibility
-Noun
-Condition of not being likely to fail
-The Scarlet Ibis
“Once I had succeeded in teaching Doodle to walk, I began to believe my own infallibility and I prepared a terrific development program for him”
Precariously
-Adjective
-Insecurely
- The Scarlet Ibis
“On the topmost branch a bird the size of a chicken, with scarlet features and long legs, was perched precariously”
Tenement
-Noun
-Apartment house, often run-down
-American History
“The Puerto Rican tenement known as El Building was one block up from Straight”
Profound
- Adjective
- Deep, intense
- “But the day President Kennedy was shot there was a profound silence in El Building; even the abusive tongues of viragoes, the cursing of the unemployed, and the screeching of small children had been somehow muted”
Discreet
-Adjective
-Careful about one’s actions; prudent; keeping silent or preserving confidences
-American History
“Once school started I looked for him in all my classes, but P.S. 13 was a huge, overpopulated place and it took me days and many discreet questions to discover that Eugene was in honors classes”
Vigilant
-Adjective
-Watchful
-American History
“Since I had turned fourteen… my mother had been more vigilant than ever. SHe acted as if I was going to go crazy or explode or something if she didn’t watch me and nag me all the time about being a senorita now.”
Elation
-Adjective
-Exultant joy or pride; high spirits
-American History
“I could not fight the feeling of elation that stirred in my chest. Today was the day I was to visit Eugene in his house”
