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Romeo & Juliet Act I
Vocabulary List
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| mutiny | open rebellion against the proper authorities, especially by soldiers or sailors against their officers. "a mutiny by those manning the weapons could trigger a global war" |
| partisan | prejudiced in favor of a particular cause. a strong supporter of a party, cause, or person. |
| pernicious | having a harmful effect, especially in a gradual or subtle way. |
| canker | A canker is a kind of sore. Some people are prone to getting cankers on their mouths. Canker can also refer to anything that is terrible and difficult to get rid of. |
| fray | The word fray is all about friction. A frayed rope has been rubbed so much its fibers are wearing away. People experiencing friction are involved in a fray, or a noisy fight. |
| covert | Covert means secret or hidden. Soldiers might take part in a covert mission to infiltrate an enemy camp — and you might take part in a covert mission to steal your brother's leftover Halloween candy. |
| portentous | The black crows slowly circling the front entrance to your office building at 6:00 am may have a portentous quality, meaning it seems like they’re an omen indicating something bad will happen. |
| importune | importune is to beg, but use it only when you're talking about going beyond mere begging into more urgent territory. The woman importuned the judge to release her innocent brother from jail. |
| propagate | To propagate is to be fruitful and multiply, by the usual routes of reproduction, or by spreading something around — like a rumor. |
| discreet | Discreet describes someone or something that is appropriately quiet, prudent, and restrained. If you are wearing a discreet gray suit, it is unlikely that anyone at that business meeting will notice you. |
| gall | Gall describes something irritating, like someone very rude. If you barge into a bakery and cut in front of a sweet old lady, then you have gall. |
| assail | To assail is to attack or assault — with throwing stars, fists, words or, less tangibly but just as violently, with troubles or doubts. |
| chaste | If you belong to a chastity club, you might have to take a pledge to be chaste until marriage. Chaste can be defined as "pure and virtuous," but basically it means "not having sex." |
| posterity | Posterity is a noun meaning "future generations." These people of the future could be your children and great-great grandchildren, or any people who are born after you. |
| foreswear | To forswear is to give up an idea, belief, or habit that you’ve had previously. New Year’s is a popular time to forswear anything from sweets to bad relationships. |
| languish | To languish is to become pitiful or weak because you're sick, in love, or stuck somewhere. A prisoner might languish in jail, longing for her freedom. |
| heretic | If your friend became interested in Hinduism, with its many gods and rituals, her Catholic mother might be worried that her daughter was a heretic, or a person whose religious beliefs are in contrast to the fundamental beliefs of her church. |
| lineament | A lineament is a fancy, literary word that means "a part of a person's face," like his eyes, ears, or nose. |
| extremity | An extremity is a limb or appendage of the body, particularly the hands and feet. If the weather is cold, you have to be sure to protect your extremities from frostbite by wearing gloves, warm socks, and boots. |
| beseech | If you're begging for something but you want to sound formal and a little old-fashioned, say "I beseech you!" It really captures how urgent and desperate you are, yet perhaps saves a shred of your dignity. |
| prolixity | If someone likes to talk but they're really boring, they've got prolixity. It's not something to be proud of. |
| boisterous | Boisterous is a word used to describe someone spirited, loud, and slightly out of control — like someone with a spring in their step and a song in their heart singing to strangers on the street. |
| visage | Visage is a literary term for referring to someone's face or facial features. You may notice that some face creams use the word visage to try to sound fancier than they are. |
| mire | A mire is mushy ground like quicksand, so if you feel yourself trapped in a sticky situation, consider yourself mired. One gets mired IN something — like in a dispute or in a love triangle. |
| reverence | Reverence is a feeling of deep respect or awe — like what you have for a president, a hero, or a favorite football player. |
| anon | Although the word anon sounds old (it is, it is!), it can still be used today to indicate "soon." If you say, "I hear you calling and I will come anon," the person calling you might still be impatient, but they'll be impressed. |
| bode | The verb bode suggests forecasting. Something bodes well when the clues or signs imply a favorable outcome. But if something bodes ill, you’d better watch out! |
| revel | Revel means to take great pleasure. If you revel in something, you're not just pleased or even excited; you're overwhelmed by joy. |
| untimely | Something untimely has occurred prematurely, and it's usually not good news. If you hear about someone's untimely death, it must mean it was an unexpected death. |
| trencher | A trencher is an old-fashioned wooden plate for serving or eating food. It was most common to use a trencher in Medieval Europe. |
| nuptial | You can describe something related to a wedding, or nuptials, using nuptial. After the wedding, you might experience nuptial bliss. |
| rapier | A rapier is a sword which has two edges on its narrow blade. In the time of Shakespeare, a rapier was a common weapon — it's even used by some of his characters. |
| antic | An antic is a prank to the extreme. It’s outrageous, but it’s usually meant to be funny. |
| disparagement | Disparagement is belittlement. When Prince William married Catherine Middleton, there was some disparagement by the public of her non-royal background. Snobs. |
| semblance | Semblance is all about illusion. Cramming all of your dirty clothes into the closet gives the semblance, or false appearance, that you've done your laundry — but the stench might give you away. |
| saucy | You can use saucy to describe someone who likes to cause trouble, but usually in a playful and funny way. Saucy is also a good word for a person who really likes to flirt. |
| trifling | If something is trifling it's really unimportant, of no consequence — "a trifling detail." |
| prodigious | Something exceptional, substantial, or great is prodigious. A blizzard includes prodigious wind and snow. A prodigious writer is one who can write a lot and do it well. |
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