1st Term Vocabulary

Important Note: Vocabulary counts for 40% on every test you will take in this class. Therefore, it is important to study vocabulary carefully. Do not wait until exam time. Start studying the vocabulary TODAY. Try to study five new words a day in order to make sure you know the words well enough by exam time. About half of the words will be on the first midterm in May, but every vocabulary word on this list (185 words in total) will be on the first term final exam in July.

My recommendation: Look up definitions for the words on this list using Merriam-Webster Dictionary. In place of definitions, you can write two or three synonyms, as long as they define the words adequately. If the word you look up has several meanings in the dictionary, try to use the meaning that best fits the word’s usage in the book. On tests, you may also be asked to write your own original example sentences using these words. Start practicing writing sentences now. Feel free to make them funny and creative. That’s the best way to remember them. On tests, I may give extra credit for creative or funny sentences.

LORD OF THE FLIES

Chapter 1

clamber: to climb awkwardly (as by scrambling) <clambered over the rocks>

prominent

vainly

quiver (v): to shake or move with a slight trembling motion <Her lips quivered when she heard the bad news.>

decorous: marked by propriety and good taste : correct <decorous conduct>

interpose

strident

speculate

clamor: noisy shouting, a loud continuous noise <A clamor outside woke them in the night.>

pallor

surmount: to prevail over : overcome <surmount an obstacle>; to get to the top of : climb

The definitions provided are taken from Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Try to find good synonyms for these words, to help you remember them for the test

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1st Term Vocabulary lavish

reluctant: feeling or showing aversion, hesitation, or unwillingness <reluctant to get involved>; also : having or assuming a specified role unwillingly <a reluctant hero>

tendency

savor

contradict

Chapter 2

scornfully

officious: volunteering one's services where they are neither asked nor needed : interfering, meddlesome <an officious little man who was always telling everyone else how to do their jobs>

tumult

evacuation: withdrawal or escape from a place in an organized way especially for protection

incompetence

gleaming

perpendicular: standing at right angles; exactly upright <She lives on the street that is perpendicular to mine.>

gesticulate

leeward: facing away from the blowing wind <we moved to the leeward side of the ship so that we wouldn't have the wind in our faces>

windward: (opposite of leeward) facing toward the blowing wind <The windward side of the mountain was rocky and treeless.>

The definitions provided are taken from Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Try to find good synonyms for these words, to help you remember them for the test

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1st Term Vocabulary

indignant

differentiate

dubiety

conspire: to join in a secret agreement to do a wrongful act <accused of conspiring to overthrow the government>

spontaneous

Chapter 3

festoon: decorate, adorn <We festooned the halls with leaves and Christmas lights.>

oppressive: unreasonably burdensome or severe; overwhelming or depressing to the spirit or senses <The situation was extremely tense; no one said a word, and the silence was oppressive.>

inscrutable: not readily investigated, interpreted, or understood : mysterious <an inscrutable smile> <inscrutable motives>

bewilder

flaunt

furtive:

glimmer

antagonism

vicissitudes: the up’s and down’s; alternating changes in succession: a fluctuation of state or condition <the vicissitudes of my life as a student at Kokusai>

brimming

The definitions provided are taken from Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Try to find good synonyms for these words, to help you remember them for the test

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1st Term Vocabulary

incredulous: unwilling to admit or accept what is offered as true : not credulous : skeptical <Many people were incredulous that such a small fire could have caused so much damage.>

rapt

tacit: expressed or carried on without words or speech <the blush was a tacit answer — Bram Stoker>

baffled

Chapter 4

mirage

whimper

croon

preposterous

caper

implication: suggestion, something being expressed indirectly <I'm offended by his implication that women can't be good at mathematics.>

shrill

malevolent

belligerence

chastise

myriad

swarthy

The definitions provided are taken from Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Try to find good synonyms for these words, to help you remember them for the test

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1st Term Vocabulary

ravenous

engulf

snivel: to speak or act in a whining, sniffling, tearful, or weakly emotional manner; to snuff mucus up the nose audibly <millionaires sniveling about their financial problems>

omission: something left out or unmentioned <The omission of important details from the street directions caused them to get lost>

assert

timidity

procession: a group of individuals moving along in an orderly often ceremonial way <The cars moved in procession to the cemetery.>

outwit

errant: straying outside the proper path or bounds <an errant calf> moving about aimlessly or irregularly

beckon

liberate

palpable

blatant

momentum: strength or force gained by motion or by a series of events <The company has had a successful year and hopes to maintain its momentum by introducing new products.>

Chapter 5-6

obscure

The definitions provided are taken from Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Try to find good synonyms for these words, to help you remember them for the test

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1st Term Vocabulary

opaque: blocking the passage of light, unclear; hard to understand or explain <the opaque water of the muddy river> <The opaque language in some parts of this book>

gnaw

formulate

articulate

gibbering

improvise: to ad-lib, to make or compose something in the moment <He had to improvise his opening speech when he forgot his notes.> <Good jazz musicians know how to improvise.>

lamentable

reverence

ineffectual

perilous

taut

tremulous

diffident

leviathan: a large sea animal; something large or formidable <The factory is a towering leviathan in the middle of the town>

jeering

convulsion

perpetual

solemnThe definitions provided are taken from Merriam-Webster Dictionary.

Try to find good synonyms for these words, to help you remember them for the test

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1st Term Vocabulary

subdue

ludicrous

transparency

compelling

expansive

effigy: an image or representation especially of a person; especially : a crude figure representing a hated person <The protesting 2U students marched through the streets burning effigies of Ash after he gave them too much homework>

tempestuous: stormy, fierce and turbulent <in terms of social change, the 1960s are generally considered the most tempestuous decade in recent American history>

discursive: moving from topic to topic without order : rambling <Ash’s discursive lecture was impossible for me to understand!>

emphatic

embroil

Chapter 7-8

infuriating

sage

blunder (v): to move unsteadily or confusedly <We blundered along through the woods until we finally found the trail.>

skewer (v): to pierce through with a sharp pin of wood or metal <he skewered the pieces of chicken in order to make yakitori>

The definitions provided are taken from Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Try to find good synonyms for these words, to help you remember them for the test

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1st Term Vocabulary iridescent: lustrous rainbowlike play of color caused by differential refraction of light waves (as from

an oil slick, soap bubble, or fish scales) that tends to change as the angle of view changes

vex

uncompromising

floundering

demure

fervor

rebuke

laden

sanctity

obtuse: (of an angle ): exceeding 90 degrees but less than 180 degrees, (opposite of acute); (of a person) lacking sharpness or quickness of sensibility or intellect : insensitive, stupid

jumble

loiter

intimidating

impervious

contemptuous: manifesting, feeling, or expressing deep hatred or disapproval <loutish tourists who are contemptuous of the ways and traditions of their host countries>

cynicism: having an attitude contemptuously distrustful of human nature and motives <those cynical men who say that democracy cannot be honest and efficient — F. D. Roosevelt>; based on or reflecting a belief that human conduct is motivated primarily by self-interest <a cynical ploy to win votes>

The definitions provided are taken from Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Try to find good synonyms for these words, to help you remember them for the test

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1st Term Vocabulary

anonymous

Chapter 9-10

steadfast

corruption: impairment of integrity, virtue, or moral principle : depravity; a departure from the original or from what is pure or correct <There are rumors of widespread corruption in the city government.>

stifle

shudder

smother

brood: to dwell gloomily on a subject <After the argument, she sat in her bedroom, brooding.>

indignity

protrude

derision

superficial: concerned only with the obvious or apparent : shallow; presenting only an appearance without substance or significance <They had a superficial knowledge of the topic.> <All he cares about is how he looks in front of his friends: he is so superficial!>

inquisitive

assimilate: to take in and utilize as nourishment : absorb into the system <Children need to assimilate new ideas.>; to absorb into the culture or mores of a population or group <They found it hard to assimilate to American society.>

theological: of or relating to religion or religious ideas <Astrophysicist Stephen Hawking occasionally makes references to common theological beliefs when he talks about his theories of the Universe.>

The definitions provided are taken from Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Try to find good synonyms for these words, to help you remember them for the test

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1st Term Vocabulary speculate: to meditate or ponder a subject: to consider the possibilities with reference to something not known

or well understood <We don't know what happened—we can only speculate.>

subside prosper

glum

prim: stiffly formal and proper : decorous <Her aunts were very prim and proper.>

impaired

Chapter 11-12

myopia: short-sightedness; a lack of foresight or discernment : a narrow view of something <She wears eyeglasses to correct her myopia.>

thicket: a dense growth of shrubbery or small trees <a dense thicket of rosebushes>

ululation: howl, wail <Arab women ululating with grief.>

incantation: a use of spells or verbal charms spoken or sung as a part of a ritual of magic <hovering over the sick child, the witch doctor muttered mysterious incantations>

wriggle

propitiate

truculent

luminous

wield

inimical

goad

The definitions provided are taken from Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Try to find good synonyms for these words, to help you remember them for the test

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1st Term Vocabulary

cordon (v): to form a protective or restrictive cordon around —usually used with off <police cordoned off the area around the crime scene>

SUPPLEMENTARY VOCABULARY TERMS Look up the definitions of the following vocabulary words from articles we are reading this term:

From Bullying 

COERCION

UBIQUITOUS

SUBMISSIVE

From Mussolini Biography 

TURBULENT

DISBAND

From What is Hegemony? 

DISSEMINATE

SUPPRESS

SUPPLANT

From Milgram Experiment 

The definitions provided are taken from Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Try to find good synonyms for these words, to help you remember them for the test

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1st Term Vocabulary

 ADAMANT 

ACCOMPLICE

DISTRAUGHT

BANALITY OF EVIL– ‘Banality’ in this case means ‘that which is normal, everyday, or commonplace.’ The Banality of Evil refers to the thinking among certain psychologists that many of the great evils in history were committed by ordinary people who were simply following orders, following rules, or performing roles defined for them by a person, organization, or state which had authority over them. (For example: the behavior or Nazis) 

ADMINISTER

From Stanford Prison Experiment 

DEHUMANIZATION

DEINDIVIDUATION – The loss of one’s own sense of uniqueness and individuality when in a group situation, especially in cases in which one’s identity is lost in favor of the role one is performing.

GARNER

From “The End of the Party” by Graham Greene

premature (adj):

supercilious (adj):

slink (verb, past tense form: slunk):

malinger (verb):

The definitions provided are taken from Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Try to find good synonyms for these words, to help you remember them for the test

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1st Term Vocabulary ostentation (noun):

ordeal (noun):

retort (noun):

meticulous (adj):

radiance (noun):

imminence (noun):

upbraid (verb):

conceit (noun):

impulsive (adj):

sibilance (noun):

altruistic (adj)

jargon (noun):

paradox (noun):

The definitions provided are taken from Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Try to find good synonyms for these words, to help you remember them for the test

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