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The Importance of Being Earnest
Vocabulary Act One
Set one
languid
•  His lack of interest was apparent with the languid manner in
which he sulked across the stage.
•  In the summer months, the great heat makes people languid
and lazy.
languid
•  Definition: lacking spirit or liveliness
•  POS: Adjective
•  Synonyms: relaxed, lethargic
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•  Antonyms: energetic, vibrant
invalid
•  My father was an invalid the last ten years of his life.
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•  The old man was an invalid, he could no longer take care of
himself.
invalid
•  Definition: someone who is incapacitated by a chronic illness
or injury
•  POS: Noun
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earnest
•  He was earnest in his desire to become a doctor so he studied
countless hours a day.
•  He was earnest about improving his GPA so he asked for
extra credit assignments to bring up his grades
earnest
•  Definition: serious in intention, purpose, or effort
•  POS: Adjective
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•  POS: Adjective
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•  Synonyms: sincere, devout, passionate
•  Antonyms: thoughtless, unconcerned, indifferent
lax
•  The airport had very lax security, and patrons were permitted
to bring bottles on the plane.
•  The doctor's care was rather lax, and the patient suffered
greatly because of the errors in care that resulted.
lax
•  Definition: lacking in rigor or strictness
•  POS: Adjective
•  Synonyms: negligent, careless, casual
•  Antonyms: attentive, caring, concerned
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•  Bob is a sententious crank who has written countless letters to
the editor about the decline of family values.
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•  Much to the annoyance of the class, the professor
sententiously rambled on about morality for forty-five minutes.
sententious
•  Definition: having or expressing strong opinions about what
people should and should not do
•  POS: Adjective
•  Synonyms: moralistic, pious, self-righteous
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cynical
•  After a pep talk one day and a lay off the next the remaining
staff was very cynical about the company.
•  After being dumped by his girlfriend, Jack was cynical about
dating other women.
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•  After being dumped by his girlfriend, Jack was cynical about
dating other women.
cynical
•  Definition: believing that people are motivated by self-interest;
distrustful of human sincerity or integrity
•  POS: Adjective
•  Synonyms: doubtful, superstitious, negative
•  Antonyms: hopeful, trusting, optimistic
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delicate
•  The eggs of some animals have delicate shells and must be
handled with great care.
•  Butterfly wings are beautiful and delicate.
delicate
•  Definition: easy broken or damaged or destroyed
•  POS: Adjective
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•  Synonyms: fragile, gentile
•  Antonyms: strong, tough
disposition
•  Although she was having a bad day, she had a surprisingly
pleasant disposition.
•  Whenever my uncle was feeling ill, his friendly disposition
disappeared.
disposition
•  Definition: a person's inherent qualities of mind and character
•  POS: Noun
•  Synonyms: mood, temperament, personality
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contempt
•  He showed his contempt for his job by doing it badly.
•  Because Abby came from a wealthy family, it was not
surprising she looked at homeless people with contempt.
contempt
•  Definition: the feeling that a person or a thing is beneath
consideration, worthless, or deserving scorn
•  POS: Noun
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Synonyms: disrespect, loathing, hatred
Antonyms: approval, honor, praise
indignation
•  After receiving the test back with a big red F on it, the student
was full of indignation.
•  After receiving a letter of rejection, Lucy was filled with
indignation.
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indignation
•  Definition: anger or annoyance provoked by what is perceived
as unfair treatment
•  POS: Noun
•  Synonyms: displeasure, fury, rage
•  Antonyms: calm, delight, happiness
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