Second Six Weeks Vocab

Lesson 2

Quiz on Friday, October 22

scrupulouscareful; painstaking

Abraham Lincoln was so scrupulous about honesty that he would walk

several miles to return something he had borrowed.

obsequiousoverly obedient; submissive

I have no respect for those who bully inferiors, but act obsequious to those in

authority over them.

malleablecapable of being shaped

The goo that the dentist squirted into my mouth to make a mold for my braces was very malleable, but it

soon set up and hardened.

amiableagreeable; likable

He was an amiable person, always smiling and happy.

vehementlyemphatically; with

extreme emotion/passion

“I did NOT cheat on the test,” Paula replied vehemently when accused by

the teacher.

placidcalm; quiet

It was a relief to the young mother to have her baby calm and placid

instead of cranky and crying from an ear infection.

reiteratedrepeated

I reiterated the directions for those who were not listening the first time.

torporinactive period

The overheated classroom and the boring lecture combined to almost

sedate the students and lull them into a state of torpor.

fidelityaccuracy or faithfulness

When you marry someone, one of the main vows is fidelity.

conscientiouscareful and honest

A conscientious student is one who carefully writes down all his

homework, takes notes, studies, and completes all assigned homework.

eloquencewell-articulated,

persuasive speech

The preacher’s eloquence persuaded all of the congregation that they should go help the unfortunate.

musingsmeditations

Much of the poet’s everyday musings are recorded in her journal; we were

able to find her thoughts that prompted her poems.

insensiblenot able to be perceived

with the senses

The victim of the motorcycle accident lay insensible in the hospital. No one knew how long the coma would last.

patriarchthe father (male head) of

a family or tribe

My grandfather is considered the patriarch of our family.

seerone who supposedly tells

the future; a prophet

Some people consult fortunetellers or seers because they desire to know

what the future holds.

abodea home or residence

Birds live in trees; wolves live in dens, but humans make their abode in

houses.

dismemberedsomething or someone

that has been cut to pieces

In horror movies there is often at least one person who is dismembered by

the villain or monster.

impunityfreedom from punishment or

harmBecause Jack was the captain of the football

team and its most valuable player, he felt he could skip practice with impunity

because the coach and team needed him so much; he was wrong.

assiduitydiligence; perseverance;

carefulness

His assiduity led to his receiving an “A” for the first time in English.

metamorphosedtransformed

The summer between junior high and high school my sister metamorphosed

from a shy, plain wallflower into an outgoing, beautiful “Miss Popularity.”