Literature and Writing Vocabulary Set
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Created by:
Kartik_Mendiratta on September 7, 2011
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90 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 crestfallen | depressed, dejected |
| derision | mockery ridicule |
| contemptuously | expressing contempt or disdain; scornfully |
| woodenly | stiffly, without spirit |
| pugnacious | quarrelsome; inclined to fight |
| morose | gloomy |
| lumber | to walk heavily |
| gingerly | cautiously |
| plaintively | pleadingly |
| brusque | abrupt in manner; blunt, rough |
| rapt | deeply engrossed |
| reprehensible | blameworthy |
| bemused | confused |
| wry | bitterly ironic; lopsided in facial features |
| apprehension | suspicion or fear of future events |
| archly | mischievously |
| grizzled | gray or part gray |
| belligerent | war-like |
| ostensibly | supposedly |
| complacent | self-satisfied |
| vex | to annoy, irritate, provoke |
| cordial | hearty; warmly friendly |
| flinty | hardened against persuasion or tender feelings |
| morbid | unwholesomely gloomy |
| quell | to extinguish; to quiet (feelings) |
| inordinate | excessive |
| tarry | to be tardy in starting, coming, or acting |
| obstreperous | resisting control in a noisy manner |
| vehemently | impassioned in feelings, actions or speech |
| nebulous | unclear |
| passé | out-of-date |
| livid | pale; very angry; grayish blue |
| umbrage | offence given or taken (to"take umbrage") |
| rectitude | rightness in principle or practice |
| antagonize | to oppose; to make hostile |
| assuage | to lessen |
| procure | to obtain by effort |
| predilection | preference |
| tirade | long, vehement (passionate) speech, usually condemning something |
| aberration | deviation from the normal course |
| beholden | obligated |
| cantankerous | quarrelsome; fractious |
| interdict | an order forbidding some action |
| contentious | quarrelsome |
| innate | in-born |
| tedious | tiresome, as from length or repetition |
| prerogative | right or privilege ties to some office or position |
| myopic | short-sighted in planning |
| curt | rudely brief |
| fortitude | moral strength under temptation or difficulty |
| sundry | variety; various |
| volition | self-will |
| elucidate | to clarify |
| akimbo | arms bent and hands on hips |
| acquiesce | to give-in; to succumb |
| discourse | discussion |
| conjecture | an opinion formed without adequate evidence |
| tacit | understood but unspoken |
| countenance | facial expression |
| taciturn | not inclined to talk |
| earnest | sincere |
| condescend | to lower oneself |
| wallow | to luxuriate in |
| placid | calm, peaceful |
| mortified | deeply ashamed |
| haughty | proud, arrogant |
| genial | cordial, warmly friendly |
| impudent | disrespectful |
| acrimonious | bitter in feeling |
| temerity | reckless boldness |
| stolid | not easily moved or stirred mentally |
| sordid | morally dirty or filthy; meanly selfish or self-seeking |
| gracious | kind; courteous; merciful or compassionate |
| compel | to force or drive; especially to a course of action |
| spurious | counterfeit; not genuine or true; not authentic |
| terse | neatly and effectively concise; curt, brusque |
| indigenous | characteristic of a particular region or country |
| meek | tame, overly submissive; gentle, kind |
| mollify | to soften in feeling or temper; to appease |
| arid | extremely dry; lacking interest or imagination |
| induce | to lead or move by persuasion; to bring about or produce |
| expunge | to wipe out, erase, destroy |
| indignant | feeling strong displeasure or something unjust |
| presently | soon, in a little while |
| cynical | bitterly distrustful or pessimistic |
| harried | harassed |
| valor | bravery, especially in battle |
| reckoning | a time when one will atone for one's sins |
| baleful | destructive, menacing |
| beguiling | coaxing by flattery or cunning |
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