English 3 Vocabulary Lesson 2
1st Six Weeks: Sept. 21-25
Wed.: Vocab. Wkbk. pages 9-10
Fri.: 10 sentences
Next Week.: Vocab on the next quiz
1. Allegory
N meaning a symbolic story in which people, settings, or actions represent ideas or moral
qualities.
Ways It Is Often Used: To compare a fictional story to something real.
Sample Sentence: Have you ever heard anyone say that “The Wizard of Oz” is actually an allegory which
symbolizes Kansas politics in the 19th century?
2. Conjecture
N meaning an opinion without proof; guesswork; v. to speculate; to guess.
Ways It Is Often Used: You’re guessing, but you have a pretty good idea that you’re right, without proof.
Sample Sentence: It’s just conjecture, but I’m betting that the Texas Longhorns will have a better team this year.
3. Despicable
ADJ meaning contemptible; deserving of scorn; vile.
Ways It Is Often Used: This is a way to describe somebody who is just really, really bad.
Sample Sentence: The Grinch could easily be described as being despicable.
4. Dissolute
ADJ meaning lacking moral restraint; very wicked; immoral; undisciplined.
Ways It Is Often Used: This is a fancier way of saying someone has no morals stopping him/her from doing
really evil things. This is worse than despicable.
Sample Sentence: Some of the horrible things ISIS is rumored to be doing are truly dissolute.
5. Ferocity
N meaning the quality or state of being fierce, savage, or relentless.
Ways It Is Often Used: This is the NOUN form of the ADJ fierce, so you can use it instead of writing fierceness.
Sample Sentence: Nobody expected our defense to have the ferocity that it showed Friday night.
6. Incongruous ADJ meaning not suitable or appropriate; not consistent; not conforming to a pattern.
Ways It Is Often Used: This is a good word to use when you’re describing something that does not follow a
pattern, something kind of random that’s hard to predict, or just doesn’t go with the rest of the group.
Sample Sentence: Your bright yellow shoes are quite incongruous with the rest of your outfit.
7. Misanthrope N meaning an individual who dislikes or distrusts other human beings.
Ways It Is Often Used: This is a fancy, one-word way to say somebody who just doesn’t trust anybody.
Sample Sentence: I’ve been burned so many times by other people in my grade that you can just call me a
misanthrope, since I just don’t trust anybody anymore.
8. Prologue
N meaning introductory lines of a play; the preface to a literary work; an introductory or
preceding event.
Ways It Is Often Used: Prologue is the official word for the part of a story, found before Chapter 1, which gives
us some necessary back story.
Sample Sentence: Sometimes I’ll go back and reread the prologue as I read a book, to better follow what’s
happening in the plot.
9. Protagonist
N meaning the main character in a story or play; a person who plays a leading or active part in
something.
Ways It Is Often Used: This is another way to say “Main Good Guy” in the story.
Sample Sentence: Probably my favorite protagonist is Jack Ryan, from “The Hunt for Red October.”
10. Terse
ADJ meaning brief and to the point (in writing or speaking); concise.
Ways It Is Often Used: Not only is this supposed to brief, but it also carries a little attitude with it.
Sample Sentence: Jeff did not waste words with his terse reply; he got straight to the point.