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BNW - Vocab
Vocabulary from Brave New World.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| pallid | (adj) pale, usu. from poor health |
| soliloquize | (v) to talk to oneself without an audience |
| geniality | (n) the quality of having a friendly and cheerful demeanor |
| prodigious | (adj) remarkably or impressively great in size, extent, or degree |
| viviparous | (adj) (of an animal) bringing forth live young that have developed inside the body of the parent |
| largesse | (n) generosity in bestowing gifts or money upon others; money or gifts given generously |
| tremulous | (adj) shaking or quivering slightly; timid or nervous |
| ruddy | (adj) (of a person) having a healthy red color |
| procession | (n) a number of people or vehicles moving forward in an orderly fashion |
| sultry | (adj) hot and humid |
| decant | (v) to gradually pour from one container to another, esp. as to not disturb the sediment in either container |
| ingenuous | (adj) (of a person or action) innocent and unsuspecting |
| apoplectic | (adj) overcome with anger; extremely indignant |
| curt | (adj) rudely brief in speech or abrupt in manner; concise; terse; laconic |
| suffuse | (v) to gradually spread through or over |
| spasmodic | (adj) occurring or done in brief, irregular bursts |
| gratuitous | (adj) uncalled for; unwarranted; lacking good reason; given or done free of charge |
| elapse | (v) (of time) to pass or go by |
| sibilant | (adj) making or characterized by a hissing sound |
| inculcate | (v) to instill (an attitude, idea, or habit) by persistent instruction |
| indefatigable | (adj) (of a person or their efforts) persisting tirelessly |
| incredulity | (n) the state of being unwilling or unable to believe something |
| surreptitous | (adj) kept secret, esp. because it would not be approved of |
| effusive | (adj) expressing feelings of gratitude, pleasure, or approval in an unrestrained or heartfelt manner |
| discarnate | (adj) (of a person or being) not having a physical body |
| derision | (n) contemptuous ridicule or mockery |
| midden | (n) a dunghill or refuse heap |
| truculent | (adj) eager or quick to argue or fight; aggressively defiant |
| furtive | (adj) attempting to avoid notice or attention, typically because of guilt; suggestive of guilty nervousness; secretive |
| sentitious | (adj) given to moralizing in a pompous or affected manner |
| copulate | (v) to have sexual intercourse |
| loll | (v) to sit, lie, or stand in a lazy, relaxed way; to hang loosely; to droop |
| vitrify | (v) to convert (something) into glass or a glass-like structure, typ. with heat |
| crucible | (n) a ceramic or metal container in which other materials may be melted or otherwise exposed to high temperatures; a situation of severe trial, usu. in which different elements interact, leading to the creation of something new |
| asceticism | (n) severe self-discipline and avoidance of all forms of indulgence, typ. for religious reasons |
| incessant | (adj) (of something regarded as unpleasant) continuing without pause or interruption |
| pullulate | (v) to breed or produce freely; swarm; teem |
| zenith | (n) the time at which something is most powerful or successful; the point in the sky or celestial sphere directly above an observer |
| diminuendo | (n) a decrease in loudness |
| perennial | (adj) lasting or existing for a long or apparently infinite time; enduring or continually recurring |
| lout | (n) an uncouth or aggressive man or boy |
| plangent | (adj) (of a sound) loud, reverberating, and often melancholy |
| quaff | (v) to drink (something, esp. an alcoholic drink) heartily |
| galvanic | (adj) relating to or involving electric currents caused by chemical action; sudden and dramatic |
| taut | (adj) stretched or pulled tight; not slack; (of writing, music, etc.) concise and controlled |
| liturgical | (adj) of or relating to liturgy or public worship |
| croon | (v) to hum or sing in a soft, low voice, esp. in a sentimental manner; (n) a soft, low voice or tone |
| cajolery | (n) coaxing or flattery attempting to persuade someone to do something |
| solecism | (n) a grammatical mistake in speech or writing; a breach of good manners; a piece of incorrect behavior |
| indignation | (n) anger or annoyance provoked by what is perceived as unfair treatment |
| inexorable | (adj) impossible to stop or prevent; (of a person) impossible to persuade by request or entreaty |
| tawny | (adj) of an orange-brown or yellowish-brown color |
| fulminate | (v) to express vehement protest |
| precipitous | (adj) dangerously high or steep; (of an action) done suddenly and without careful consideration |
| straggle | (n) an untidy or irregularly arranged mass or group of something; (v) to move along slowly, typ. in a small, irregular group, so as to remain some distance behind the person or people in front |
| diadem | (n) a jeweled crown or headband worn as a symbol of sovereignty |
| gaudy | (adj) extravagantly bright or showy, typ. so as to be tasteless |
| incarnadine | (adj) of a crimson or pinkish-red color |
| pensive | (adj) engaged in, involving, or reflecting deep or serious thought |
| recapitulate | (v) to summarize and state again the main points of; to repeat (an evolutionary or other process) through development and growth |
| blithe | (adj) showing a casual or cheerful indifference considered to be callous or improper; happy or joyous |
| veneer | (n) something that hides something unpleasant or unwanted |
| jaunty | (adj) having or expressing a lively, cheerful, and self-confident manner |
| portentous | (adj) done in a pompously or overly solemn manner so as to impress |
| ignominy | (n) public shame or disgrace |
| titter | (v) to give a short, half-suppressed laugh; to giggle |
| demur | (v) to raise doubts or objections or to show reluctance |
| sonorous | (adj) (of a person’s voice or other sound) imposingly deep and full; capable of producing a deep or ringing sound; (of a speech or style) using imposing language |
| gibe | (n) an insulting or mocking remark; a taunt |
| cadge | (v) to ask for or to obtain (something to which one is not strictly entitled) |
| abject | (adj) (of a person or their behavior) completely without pride or dignity; self-abasing; (of something bad) experienced or present to the maximum degree |
| interminable | (adj) endless (often used metaphorically) |
| carping | (adj) difficult to please; critical |
| alight | (v) to descend from a train, bus, or other form of transportation |
| mirth | (n) amusement, esp. as expressed in laughter |
| venerable | (adj) accorded a great deal of respect, esp. because of age, wisdom, or character |
| modulation | (n) the exertion of a modifying or controlling influence on something; variation in the strength, pitch, or tone of one’s voice |
| languor | (n) the state or feeling, oft. pleasant, of tiredness or inertia; an oppressive stillness of the air |
| temperament | (n) a person’s or animal’s nature, esp. as it permanently affects their behavior |
| wheedle | (v) to employ endearments or flattery to persuade someone to do something or to give one something |
| scathing | (adj) witheringly scornful; severely critical |
| collation | (n) a light, informal meal |
| sepulchral | (adj) gloomy; dismal; relating to a tomb or internment |
| sportive | (adj) playful; lighthearted |
| plaintive | (adj) sounding sad and mournful |
| magnanimity | (n) generosity |
| odious | (adj) extremely unpleasant; repulsive |
| mollify | (v) to appease the anger or anxiety of (someone); to reduce to severity of (something); to soften |
| reproachful | (adj) expressing disapproval or disappointment |
| apprehensive | (adj) anxious or fearful that something bad or unpleasant will happen |
| abstemious | (adj) not self-indulgent, esp. when eating and drinking |
| rakish | (adj) having or displaying a dashing, jaunty, or slightly disreputable quality or appearance |
| ginger | (adj) showing great care or caution |
| moribund | (adj) (of a person) at the point of death; (of a thing) in terminal decline; lacking vitality or vigor |
| clamber | (v) to climb, move, or get in or out of something in an awkward and laborious way, typically using both hands and feet |
| obstinate | (adj) stubbornly refusing to change one’s opinion or chosen course of action despite attempts to persuade one to do so; (of an unwelcome phenomenon or situation) very difficult to change or overcome |
| sublime | (adj) of such excellence, grandeur, or beauty as to inspire great admiration or awe |
| vestibule | (n) an antechamber, hall, or lobby next to the outer door of a building |
| peremptory | (adj) (especially of a person’s manner or actions) insisting on immediate attention or obedience, esp. in a brusquely imperious way |
| propitiate | (v) to win or regain the favor of (a god, spirit, or person) by doing something that pleases them |
| ardor | (n) enthusiasm or passion |
| carapace | (n) the hard upper shell of a turtle, crustacean, or arachnid |
| valediction | (n) the action of saying farewell; a statement of address made at or as a farewell |
| impunity | (n) exemption from punishment or freedom from the injurious consequences of an action |
| squalid | (adj) (of a place) extremely dirty and unpleasant, esp. as a result of poverty or neglect |
| chary | (adj) cautiously or suspiciously reluctant to do something |
| paroxysm | (n) a sudden attack or violent expression of a particular emotion or activity |
| sedulous | (adj) (of a person or action) showing dedication and diligence |
| approbation | (n) approval or praise |
| providence | (n) the protective care of God or of nature as a spiritual power; God or nature as providing protective or spiritual care; timely preparation for future eventualities |
| postulate | (n) a thing suggested or assumed as true as the basis of reasoning, discussion, or belief |
| plumbless | (adj) (of a body of water) extremely deep |
| flagrant | (adj) (of something considered wrong or immoral) conspicuously or obviously offensive |
| weal | (n) a red, swollen mark left on flesh by a blow or pressure |
| compunction | (n) a feeling of guilt or moral scruple that prevents or follows the doing of something bad |
| coquettish | (adj) behaving in such a way as to suggest a playful, sexual attraction; flirtatious |
| disconcerting | (adj) causing one to feel unsettled |
| importunate | (adj) persistent, esp. to the point of annoyance or intrusion |
| wanton | (adj) (of a cruel and violent act) deliberate and unprovoked; (esp. Of a woman) sexually immodest or promiscuous |
| stupor | (n) a state of near-unconsciousness or insensibility |
| incongruous | (adj) not in harmony or keeping with the surroundings or other aspects of something |
| turpitude | (n) depravity; wickedness |
Created by:
cogn
Popular English Vocabulary sets