Vocabulary U10

Question 1

acquiesce

Answer 1

(v) to accept without protest; to agree or submit

The king simply acquiesced to Noor’s suggestion, much to the surprise of the court.

Question 2

allure

Answer 2

(v) to entice, tempt; to be attractive to
(n) a strong attraction; the power to attract, charm

The prince flashed his dazzling smile in hopes to allure the young princess.
Noor rolled her eyes, immune to the allure of Prince Saad.

Question 3

askew

Answer 3

(adj, adv) twisted to one side, crooked; disapprovingly

Mariam tilted her head askew, as if trying to examine why the queen was trying to sneak out to go to the slums.

Question 4

blithe

Answer 4

(adj) cheerful, lighthearted, casual, unconcerned

Before her father had been murdered in cold blood, Noor had been a blithe young princess.

Question 5

contentious

Answer 5

(adj) quarrelsome, inclined to argue

Noor wasn’t trying to be contentious, she was merely protesting against the unfair rule that a queen needed a king to rule.

Question 6

covet

Answer 6

(v) to desire something belonging to another

Prince Zavian covets the kingdom of Erupia, with all its riches and all its hidden gold.

Question 7

crestfallen

Answer 7

(adj) discouraged, dejected, downcast

As her father shook his head in disapproval, Noor became crestfallen.

Question 8

disheveled

Answer 8

(adj) rumpled, mussed; hanging in disorder

Noor took in Rian’s disheveled appearance. This boy could not be the long-lost prince of Aedimor.

Question 9

exponent

Answer 9

(n) one who advocates, speaks for, explains, or interprets; (math) the power to which a number, symbol, or expression is to be raised

Noor served as an exponent for the poor, which is what made her such an excellent queen.

Question 10

garrulous

Answer 10

(adj) given to much talking, tediously chatty

King Arshad was disappointed to say that the girl before him was rather garrulous.

Question 11

insuperable

Answer 11

(adj) incapable of being overcome

The idea of not having an heir to their throne was one that had become insuperable to the king and queen of Aedimor.

Question 12

lamentable

Answer 12

(adj) to be regretted or pitied

Aedimor had fallen into a lamentable reputation.

Question 13

misnomer

Answer 13

(n) an unsuitable or misleading name

When Noor had first met Rian, she told him that his name—meaning “Little King”—was a misnomer. There was nothing kingly about him at all.

Question 14

profess

Answer 14

(v) to affirm openly; to state belief in, to claim, pretend

Behind the curtains, unaware of the thousand pairs of ears listening to his words, Zavian professed to his crime of murdering his wife’s father.

Question 15

respite

Answer 15

(n) a period of relief or rest

Amidst the murder of King Aabad and the War of Light, the kingdoms barely had any respite.

Question 16

retribution

Answer 16

(n) a repayment; a deserved punishment

For what King Zavian had done, there was no better retribution than death.

Question 17

sinuous

Answer 17

(adj) winding, having many curves, lithe and flexible

The trunk of the tree was almost completely encased in sinuous wisteria vines.

Question 18

sonorous

Answer 18

(adj) full, deep, or rich in sound; impressive in style

His sonorous voice captured Noor’s attention quickly, but deterred her for only a moment.

Question 19

vanguard

Answer 19

(n) the foremost part of an army; the leading position in any field

And at the vanguard, vengeful Noor of Aedimor stormed towards the palace.

Question 20

wastrel

Answer 20

(n) a wasteful person, spendthrift; a good for nothing

“Kings like you are simply greedy wastrels that care only for power and gold, not your people. We sit on an empire made of gold, but your fakirs and homeless taste none of the riches.”