vocabulary (historical) ೄྀ࿐ ˊˎ- Flashcards
malevolent
wishing evil or harm to another or others; showing ill will; ill-disposed; malicious
example: “his failures made him malevolent toward those who were successful”
repel
to force someone or something to stop moving towards you or attacking you: force or drive back
example: “repel the attacker”
jest
to speak in a joking/amusing way
example: “he laughed uproariously at his own jest”
woe
great sorrow or distress
example: “he related his tale of woe to me”
lest
used to say that you do not want something to happen.
example: he was concerned lest anyone think that he was guilty
reputed
widely known and well thought of
example:
1. “a reputed budget of $165 million”
2. “a highly reputed company”
viper
a venomous snake with large hinged fangs, typically having a broad head and stout body, with dark patterns on a lighter background.
scullery
a small kitchen or room at the back of a house used for washing dishes and other dirty household work.
exalted
in a state of extreme happiness
example: “I felt exalted and newly alive”
brute
a savagely violent person or animal
example: “he was a cold-blooded brute”
impudence
the trait of being rude and impertinent; inclined to take liberties: lacking modesty
example: “his arrogance and impudence had offended many”
bore
to make weary and restless by being dull or monotonous
clod
describes a mass or ball of dirt or an over annoyingly awkward person
example:
1. “She intended to plant vegetables in her yard, but found the soil was full of hard clods and stones.”
- “He always says the wrong thing — he’s such a clod.”
dolt
refers to a person who isn’t very smart
vexed
much discussed or disputed; difficult to resolve or understand; contentious
example: citizens showed increasing frustration with the corruption-vexed government.
churlish
describes boorish or surly behavior
purgatory
a purgatory is the place where the soul is cleansed of all impurities
amiss
wrong, not suitable, or not as expected
example: I could see by the look on their faces that something was amiss.
comport
to behave in a particular way
example: she comported herself with great dignity at her husband’s funeral.
bade
welcoming, greetings, goodbyes
example: then the officer went and bade farewell to us.
vermin
small animals and insects that can be harmful and are difficult to control when they appear in large numbers (cockroaches, mosquitoes, flies)
inauspicious
suggesting a positive and successful future
example: “they won their first match of the season 5–1 which was an auspicious start/beginning.”
inaugural
an inaugural is a ceremony inducting someone into a new position, especially the president
nay/naysayers
someone who says something is not possible, is not good, or will fail
example: he ignored the naysayers & persevered
patois
describes the way you talk, like the patois of New Englanders who tend to drop the letter r: “Drive yah cah to Hahvahd Yahd,” while others say, “Drive your car to Harvard Yard.”
insinuate
to suggest, without being direct, that something unpleasant is true
example: are you insinuating (that) I’m losing my nerve?
botched
done very badly
example: our landlord redecorated the bedroom, but it was such a botched job that we decided to redo it.
sacriledge
treating something holy or important with disrespect
example: muslims consider it sacrilege to wear shoes inside a mosque.
keeled
to fall in or as if in a faint
pry
to try to find out private facts about a person
example: as a reporter, I was paid to pry into other people’s lives.
deign
to agree to do something although you consider yourself too important to have to do it
example: mr. clinton did not deign to reply
quibble
to argue about, or say you disapprove of, something that is not important
example: there’s no point quibbling about/over a couple of dollars
conduct
to cause (oneself) to act or behave in a particular and especially in a controlled manner
example: conducted herself in a professional manner
cad
a man who behaves badly or dishonestly, especially to women
eunuch
servants or slaves who had been castrated to make them less threatening servants of a royal court where physical access to the ruler could wield great influence.
besmirch
to damage someones reputation
example: he had besmirched the good name of his family
odious
extremely unpleasant; repulsive.
bilious
spiteful, bad tempered
example: “his bilious temperament”
effegies
a sculpture or model of a person.
recuperate
recover from illness or exertion.
example: “she has been recuperating from a knee injury”
confinement
derived from the word confining; a hospice to keep or restrict someone/ something within certain limits.
example: “he was immediately released from his confinement”
impunity
freedom from punishment, harm, or loss
example: they broke the law with (complete/total) impunity.
bewitched
cast a spell over (someone); enchant and delight (someone).
example:
“a handsome prince who had been bewitched by a sorceress”
tarry
to linger in expectation.
finite
having certain limits; not infinite
delectable
(to food/drink) delicious.
example: “delectable handmade chocolates”
prodding
stimulate or persuade (someone who is reluctant or slow) to do something.
to poke with a finger, foot, or pointed object.
example: “he prodded her in the ribs”
correspondence
a close similarity, connection, or equivalence.
example: “there is a simple correspondence between the distance of a focused object from the eye and the size of its image on the retina”
connoisseur
an expert judge in matters of taste.
example: “a connoisseur of music”
vice
immoral or wicked behaviour or involving in criminal activities such as drugs, etc etc.
example: “an open sewer of vice and crime”
providence
the protective care of God or of nature as a spiritual power.
example:”they found their trust in divine providence to be a source of comfort”
alibi
a claim or piece of evidence that one was elsewhere when an act, especially a criminal one, is alleged to have taken place.
example: “you’re late again – what’s your alibi this time?”
keeper
a person who manages or looks after something or someone, sort of like a guardian
hovel
a small squalid or simply constructed dwelling. (a house, flat, or other place of residence.)
example: “people were living in rat-infested hovels”
prudent
acting with or showing care and thought for the future; oneself is sensible, wise.
remiss
lacking care or attention to duty; negligent.
example: “it would be very remiss of me not to pass on that information”
entourage
a group of people attending or surrounding an important person.
example: The opera singer traveled with an entourage of 20 people
boor
a rough and bad-mannered person.
example: “at last the big obnoxious boor had been dealt a stunning blow for his uncouth and belligerent manner”
beck
a small stream or river
tribulations
a cause of great trouble or suffering.
example: “the tribulations of being a celebrity; are extremely exhausting to deal with”
verisilimitude
Verisimilitude is the idea that literature should somehow be true to reality: the idea that textual elements—characters, dialogue, setting, images—should be believable, plausible, authentic, lifelike.
confidante
a person with whom one shares a secret or private matter, trusting them not to repeat it to others.
example: “a close confidante of the princess”
adamant
refusing to be persuaded or to change one’s mind
example: “he is adamant that he is not going to resign”
