Vocabulary TKaM Chs 1-7
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v |
to ease, make less painful or burdensome |
"His generosity toward a group of young graffiti writers was, perhaps, one way to assuage his guilt" (Phoebe Hoban, Basquiat: A Quick Killing in Art). |
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taciturn |
adj |
habitually untalkative; habitually reserved or uncommunicative |
"She is taciturn and her husband is a talker; they turn the standard male-female stereotypes on their heads." |
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adj |
pure, undefiled, unmarked |
"He has worked hard to keep his family's reputation unsullied." |
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adj |
departing from the conventional norm; deviating from some established pattern or from accepted conduct/usage |
"Thus we came to know Dill as a pocket Merlin, whose head teemed with eccentric plans, strange longings, and quaint fancies." (Scout in TKaM) |
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adj |
dull, uninteresting |
"I found her personality to be dull and vapid; all she wished to do was gossip about others." |
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adj |
wishing evil upon others; malicious, evil, harmful or injurious |
"Inside the house lived a malevolent phantom." |
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n |
partiality; preference or tendency; tendency to think favorably of something |
"He had a predilection for redheads." |
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adj |
of, relating to, or characteristic of disease; characterized by gloomy or unwholesome ideas; focused on death |
"Dead baby jokes are a morbid form of humor." |
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adj |
hazy, vague, indistinct or confused |
Think "nebula" = clouds. |
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n |
a source of irritation or annoyance |
"Mosquitoes are a source of great vexation." |
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adj |
irritable, peevish, or quarrelsome; likely to cause trouble or be unruly |
Root: fract/frag= to break or shatter |
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contentious |
adj |
tending to argue |
"Don't pay no 'tention to Lula, she's contentiousbecause Reverend Sykes threatened to church her." (Calpurnia in TKaM) |
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adj |
friendly, cordial, agreeable, congenial |
"Judge Taylor looked like most judges I had ever seen: amiable, white-haired, slightly ruddy-faced...." (Scout in TKaM) |
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adj |
having or exercising sound judgment; wise & sensible; prudent & discreet |
"a judicious use of one's money" / "a judiciouschoice of words" |
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v |
to envy another's possession or enjoyment of something |
In the parable of the Prodigal Son, the obedient brother at first begrudges his returning brother's warm welcome. |
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adj |
marked by favorable circumstances |
"an auspicious time to ask for a raise in salary" / "an auspicious beginning to the campaign" |
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melancholy |
adj/n |
sad, gloomy; sadness or gloom |
"A deep melancholy settled on the family once they knew they would lose their home." |
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aloof |
adj |
uninvolved; at a distance (physically or emotionally) |
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n |
a sudden, quick raid or attack, esp. for taking plunder |
"our midnight foray to Taco Bell for the 4th meal…." |
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adj |
understood without being spoken; implied |
Most friends have a tacit understanding that they won't hit on each others' boy/girlfriends. |
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adv |
calmly;serenely; tranquilly |
In the movie, Lake Placid was incorrectly named! |
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adj |
foolish, unintelligent, or silly; stupid |
"It is surprising that supposedly intelligent people can make such asinine comments." (This was the favorite word of one of Mrs. H's friends growing up, because it was a put-down that sounded even worse than it was! |
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n |
exceptional valor, bravery, or ability, esp. in combat; exceptional ability or skill |
prowess as a public speaker; prowess on the battlefield |
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adj |
incomprehensible; difficult or impossible to understand; difficult or impossible to measure |
"...there is nothing more unfathomable than the heart of man." (Homer) |