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VOCABULARY>>
Vocabulary Development
Great Words
of
Literature
KNOW (10) MORE WORDS
By Jennifer Dignan
No doubt you’ve heard that reading is a good way to build your vocabulary. The 10 words below, and
the example sentences provided, come from classic books. You are likely to have read at least some
of them; if not, you are likely to read a few before you graduate. So use this feature as a refresher on
words you’ve already encountered, as preparation for future reading—or both!
assuage (uh-SWAYG) verb 1. to make something
painful or unpleasant less severe 2. to satisfy
(hunger or thirst) 3. to calm or pacify
Quote: “When it healed, and Jem’s fears of never
being able to play football were assuaged, he was
seldom self-conscious about his injury.” —To Kill a
Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
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beleaguer (bi-LEE-gur)
verb 1. to harass 2. to
surround with troops;
besiege
Quote: “I was
beleaguered by
females in those
days.” —The Glass
Menagerie, by
Tennessee Williams
felicitous (fi-LISS-uh-tuhss) adjective 1. well suited or
expressed 2. pleasant or delightful
Quote: “The felicitous idea occurred to me a morning
or two later when I woke, that the best step I could
take towards making myself uncommon was to get out
of Biddy everything she knew.” —Great Expectations,
by Charles Dickens
ignominious (ig-nuh-MIN-ee-uhss) adjective 1. marked
by shame or disgrace 2. deserving shame or disgrace;
despicable 3. degrading or humiliating
26 APRIL 2005 Literary Cavalcade
Quote: “‘Thus she will be a living sermon against
sin, until the ignominious letter be engraved upon
her tombstone.’” —The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel
Hawthorne
impetus (IM-puh-tuhss) noun 1. a driving force;
stimulation or encouragement that results in
increased activity 2. the force or energy associated
with a moving body
Quote: “I was poised for flight, but I was waiting for
some event, some word, some act, some circumstance to furnish the impetus.” —Black Boy, by
Richard Wright
incognito (in-kog-NEE-toh)
adverb & adjective with
one’s identity concealed
Quote: “‘Well, the thing
is, I don’t want to stay at
any hotels on the East Side
where I might run into some
acquaintances of mine. I’m traveling incognito,’ I said.” —The
Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger
ineluctable (in-uh-LUK-tuh-buhl) adjective not to be
escaped, changed or resisted; inevitable
Quote: “She lay there thinking of it, the pain was
deep, deep and ineluctable.” —Cry, the Beloved
Country, by Alan Paton
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maxim (MAK-sim) noun a succinct formulation of a
general truth, fundamental principle, or rule of conduct
Quote: “After much thought Snowball declared that
the Seven Commandments could in effect be reduced
to a single maxim, namely: ‘Four legs good, two legs
bad.’” —Animal Farm, by George Orwell
punctilious (puhngk-TIL-ee-uhss) adjective marked by
strict attention to details; precise or scrupulous
Quote: “. . . yet, never mind how much like an old
Mesopotamian family these whalemen may, in some
primitive instances, live together; for all that, the
punctilious externals, at least, of the quarter-deck
are seldom materially relaxed, and in no instance
done away.” —Moby Dick, by Herman Melville
wizened (WIZ-uhnd) adjective withered, dried up, or
shriveled (also seen as wizen)
Quote: “The tent flaps opened
and a wizened woman
came out—a face wrinkled
as a dried leaf and eyes
that seemed to flame in
her face, black eyes
that seemed to look out
of a well of horror.”
—The Grapes of Wrath, by
John Steinbeck
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SKILL DRILL
FILL IN THE BLANKS WITH ONE OF YOUR NEWLY ACQUIRED
VOCABULARY WORDS.
assuage
incognito
beleaguered
ineluctable
felicitous
maxim
ignominious
punctilious
impetus
wizened
1. That woman is only 47 but has the __________ face of someone much older.
2. Much to the frustration of my father, who believes in __________ adherence to all
directions, regulations, and conventions, I take “rules are meant to be broken” as a
__________ to live by.
3. Adam didn’t want Julie to see him at her poetry reading, so he showed up at the café
wearing sunglasses and a fake mustache. His attempt to go __________ failed,
however: Julie recognized his red hair immediately.
4. __________ by questions about security, the politician did everything she could to
__________ the public’s concerns.
ILLUSTRATIONS BY TERRY COLON
5. Rafael and Jesse’s breakup was the __________ outcome of Jesse’s move to California.
6. Perhaps last night’s __________ defeat will provide the __________ for our school to
finally find a new soccer coach.
7. Rachel’s decision about where to go to college was made easy when she received the
__________ news that she had been awarded a full scholarship to Northwestern.
Literary Cavalcade APRIL 2005
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