English Vocab Part 4

  1. Pungent
    Sharp smell.
  2. Palimpsest
    Parchment used multiple times, being erased and then written on over again.
  3. Fraternize
    Associate in a friendly way.
  4. Pedantic
    Overly concerned with minute details.
  5. Reproach
    To find fault, with a person, group, etc.
  6. Chamois
    Soft, pliable leather.
  7. Servile
    Slavishly submissive, fawning. Characteristic of slaves.
  8. Whimsical
    Given to fanciful notion.
  9. Wheedling
    To influence by smooth, flattering words or acts.
  10. Conspiratorial
    Planning (usually done in secret).
  11. Orthodox
    Conforming to an ideology, philosophy, etc.
  12. Ravenous
    Extremely hungry.
  13. Incognito
    Concealing one's identity.
  14. Obscurity
    Being unknown, unusual or uncommon.
  15. Facade
    False front.
  16. Obscenity
    Vulgar, rude, or inappropriate.
  17. Martyr
    Person who willingly suffers death rather than renounce their religion.
  18. Piously
    Earnest wish to fulfil religious obligations.
  19. Memento Mori
    Remember that you must die.
  20. Anachronism
    Something/someone not in its correct historical time.
  21. Cassock
    Long, close-fitting garment worn by memeber of the clergy.
  22. Sect
    A group or party united by a shared religious faith; religious denomination.
  23. Conspicuous
    Easily seen or noticed.
  24. Tremulous
    Shaking or quivering out of fear.
  25. Treacherous
    Guilty of deception or betrayal; unpredictable danger.
  26. Ingratiate
    Flattering or trying to please someone to raise their opinion of you; "suck up".
  27. Parley
    A discussion or conference between opposing sides; an agreement of terms.
  28. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum
    Do not let the bastards grind you down.
  29. Stagnant
    Showing no activity; dull, sluggish. Not moving.
  30. Obligatory
    Required by a legal or moral rule; compulsory.
  31. Generic
    Not specific, relating a vague term to a class or group; common, universal.
  32. Voyeur
    Someone who gains sexual pleasure from watching another person undress and/or have sex.
  33. Fen
    A swampy or flooded area of land.
  34. Sloughed
    Dropped off, shed, or discarded.
  35. Lithe
    Suppple or graceful.
  36. Bracken
    A large fern plant with coarse leaves.
  37. Espionage
    Act of spying, especially government spies.
  38. Quakers
    Protestant Christian sect.
  39. Amulet
    Piece of jewellery or ornament, meant to ward of evil, disease, etc.
  40. Mangy
    Poor condition or shabby.
  41. Protocol
    Established code of action or behaviour in a community or organization.
  42. Genial
    Pleasant, cheerful.
  43. Innocuous
    Not harmful or offensive.
  44. Incendiary
    Designed to cause civil unrest; or something that contains chemicals that cause fires; highly flammable substances that will cause a fire on impact.
  45. Tableau
    A vivid and wide-ranging description or display; picturesque display.
  46. Benevolence
    Showing kindness or goodwill.
  47. Juncture
    A point in time, especially an important one; or a place where two or more things join.
  48. Effigy
    A carved representation of a person.
  49. Revile
    To use insulting or abusive language.
  50. Emaciated
    Extremely thin, especially because of starvation or illness.
  51. Quaint
    Something that has attractive charming old-fashioned quality.
  52. Furtive
    Secretive; done in a way that is intending to escape notice; shifty.
  53. Absolve
    To forgive somebody’s sins; to pronounce somebody blameless.
  54. Vindicate
    To clear somebody of blame or suspicion; to show that somebody is justified/correct.
  55. Foliage
    the leaves of a plant/tree.
  56. Approbation
    The official approving authorizing, or sanctioning of something; or a favourable opinion about somebody.
  57. Fervour
    Extremely passionate enthusiasm.
  58. Foolhardy
    Showing boldness but not good sense.
  59. Collusion
    Secret cooperation between people in order to do something illegal.
  60. Wimple
    A cloth covering for a woman’s head and neck.
  61. Audacity
    lack of respect in somebody’s behaviour toward another person; impudence; daring to challenge assumptions or conventions, or tackle something difficult.
  62. Concubine
    A woman who is the lover of a wealthy married man but with the social status of a subordinate form of wife.
  63. Courtesan
    A prostitute associated with a rich and powerful man who provides her with luxuries and status.
  64. Ambulatory
    Walking or moving around.
  65. Chalice
    A metal drinking cup or goblet; a cup used at communion or Mass.
  66. Futility
    Pointless action; an action that has no use, purpose, or effect.
  67. Blitzkrieg:
    A swift military offensive using ground and air forces.
  68. Kamikaze
    A reckless person often somebody whose actions seem self-defeating or self-destructive.
  69. Penance
    Self-punishment for committed sin, or an act of religious devotion performed to show sorrow for having done a sin.
  70. Plumage
    The feathers that cover a bird’s body.
  71. Sibilant
    Describes consonants that are pronounced with a hissing sound, or something producing a hissing sound.
  72. Fetish
    • 1. An object, idea, or activity that somebody is irrationally obsessed with or attached to.
    • 2. Something that arouses sexual excitement in somebody.
  73. Peccadillo
    A minor or trifling offence.
  74. Opaque
    Not transparent or translucent; dull and without lustre.
  75. Ovoid
    Something with the shape or form of an egg.
  76. Connoisseur
    An expert in an area of the fine or domestic arts, or somebody with discriminating taste in such a specialty.
  77. Indoctrination
    To teach somebody a belief, doctrine, or ideology thoroughly and systematically, especially with the goal of discouraging independent thought or the acceptance of other opinions.
  78. Reproach
    Criticism or disapproval for doing something wrong.
  79. Banal
    Dull and unoriginal.
  80. Wince
    To make an expression of pain with the face because of seeing or thinking of something unpleasant or embarrassing. (A facial expression of pain or fear).
  81. Whim
    A sudden thought, idea, or desire, especially one based on impulse rather than reason or necessity.
  82. Perfunctory
    Done as a matter of duty or custom, without thought, attention, or genuine feeling.
  83. Indecorous
    Impolite; somewhat rude or shocking because of being considered socially unacceptable.
  84. Malicious
    Motivated by or resulting from a desire to cause harm or pain to another; deliberately harmful.
  85. Compunction
    Feelings of shame and regret about doing something wrong; shame.
  86. Amalgamated
    Combined to form one structure, organization, or whole.
  87. Ignominious
    Involving a total loss of dignity and self-respect, and making somebody or something appear shamefully weak and ineffective; shameful; despicable; deserving condemnation and contempt.
  88. Sedition
    Actions intended to provoke rebellion against government authority.
  89. Subversion
    An action intended to undermine a government.
  90. Blasphemy
    Disrespect for God or sacred things.
  91. Heresy
    An opinion that contradicts established religious teachings, especially one the is officially condemned by a religious authority.
  92. Poaching
    To encroach on somebody’s right or territory in order to appropriate or remove another person or thing.
  93. Scruples
    A moral or ethical consideration that tends to restrain behaviour.
  94. Utopia
    An ideal and perfect place where everyone lives in harmony and everything is for the best.
  95. Antiquarian
    Relating to or dealing with antiques, especially rare and old books.
  96. Totemistic
    A venerated emblem or symbol.
  97. Obstinate
    Determined not to agree with other people’s wishes or accept their suggestion; stubborn.
  98. Patronize
    To treat somebody as if they were less intelligent than yourself.
  99. Prude
    Somebody who is easily offended by matters related to sex and nudity.
  100. Perfunctory
    Done as a matter of duty or custom; without thought, attention or genuine feeling; done routinely.
  101. Semaphore
    a system for sending message using flags.
  102. Penultimate
    Second to last in a sequence.
  103. Archaic
    Belonging to a much earlier period; no longer useful or efficient.
  104. Precocity
    Developed, especially mentally at an usually early age. It also describes a plant or tree that blossoms before its leaves appear.
  105. Approbation
    A favourable opinion about something or somebody.
  106. Animosity
    A feeling of hostility and resentment.
  107. Repertoire
    Range of resources that somebody has.
  108. Gluttony
    The act or practice of eating and drinking to excess.(One of the seven deadly sins).
  109. Furtive
    Presenting the appearance, or giving the impression, of somebody who has something to hide; shifty.
  110. Illicit
    Considered wrong or unacceptable by prevailing social customs; illegal.
  111. Flippant
    Showing a lack of seriousness that is thought inappropriate.
  112. Aesthetic
    Pleasing in appearance.
  113. Anglo-Saxon
    A member of a West Germanic people; a white speaker of English as a first language.
  114. Obliterate
    To destroy something so that nothing remains; destroy utterly.
  115. Abasement
    To make somebody feel belittled or degraded, or t behave in a way that lowers your sense of self-esteem.
  116. Torah
    The collective body of Jewish teachings. Jewish bible.
  117. Tallith
    A shawl with ritually knotted fringe at each of the four corners traditionally worn by Jewish males.
  118. Perfidy
    Deliberate treachery or deceit.
  119. Manacled
    To be restrained by a pair of metals rings around the wrists attached together by chain.
  120. Affable
    Easygoing; good-natured; friendly.
  121. Coquette
    A flirtatious woman.
  122. Subservience
    Too submissive or eager to follow the wishes of others.
  123. Querulous
    Inclined to complain or find fault; whining.
  124. Prurience
    Having or intending to arouse an unwholesome interest in sexual matters.
  125. Fluke
    Something surprising or unexpected that happens by accident.
  126. Ostentatious
    Marked by a vulgar display of wealth and success designed to impress people; rich and showy.
  127. Camaraderie
    A feeling of close friendship and trust among a group of people.
  128. Pertinent:
    Relevant to the matters being considered.
  129. Trajectory
    The way in which a process or event develops over a period of time.
  130. Maudlin
    Overly or tearfully sentimental, especially because affected by alcohol.
  131. Inscrutable
    Not expressing anything clearly and thus hard to interpret; mysterious.
  132. Deferential
    Showing respect.
  133. Melange
    A mix of something, an assortment of things (French).
  134. Imperceptible
    Impossible to see, hear, smell, etc.; inconspicuous.
  135. Homogeneous
    Alike; similar. Consisting of all the same parts.
  136. Incorrigible
    Not able to be corrected, made better, improved.
  137. Assimilated
    Absorb and integrate, take in and understand.
  138. Volition
    Using your own will
  139. Gallant
    Brave and heroic.
  140. Lassitude
    Lack of energy, state of fatigue.
  141. Molt
    Shed feathers, hair, skin, etc.
  142. Tawdry
    Looks fancy but is actually poor quality/cheap; gaudy.
  143. Travesty
    False or distorted impression of something.
  144. Inertia
    doing nothing, remaining unchanged.
  145. Adroit
    skilful in using hands or mind.
  146. Abstinence
    Practice of restraining yourself from doing something.
  147. Somnambulant
    Sleepwalking.
  148. Munificent
    Larger or more generous than necessary.
  149. Sardonic
    Mocking or cynical.
  150. Cordon
    Circle of police officers keeping people away from something (area or building).
  151. Taciturn
    Reserved or uncommunicative; shy.
  152. Talisman
    Object (usually ring or necklace) thought to have magical properties. Brings good luck.
Author
Birdnut
ID
142195
Card Set
English Vocab Part 4
Description
Vocab for the Handmaids Tale
Updated