SCARLET LETTER VOCAB
By Allen Doyle
Mrs. P
2nd Period
Preternatural
Syn: strange, uncommon, abnormal
Ant: normal, natural, regular
Definition: beyond what is normal or natural
Sentence: Autumn had arrived with preternatural speed.
To Caper
Syn: to skip, to dance, to frolic
Definition: To skip or dance in a lively way
Sentence: The children started to caper after hearing the were getting Ice Cream.
Extant
Syn: surviving, remaining, undestroyed
Ant: Nonexistent, destroyed, gone
Definition: existing
Sentence: Their house was the only one extant after the hurricane.
Pestilence
Syn: disease, sickness
Definition: Plague
Sentence: Millions died of the pestilence.
Vista
Syn: Sight, outlook, scenery
Definition: View
Sentence: There was a great vista from the hotel balcony.
Depravity
Syn: Dishonesty, fraudulence, unscrupulousness
Ant: Honesty
Definition: Corruption
Sentence: The political system has a lot of depravity.
Mountebank
Syn: Swindler, fraud, imposter, trickster
Definition: “Con” Man
Sentence: A shady mountebank from La Vegas ripped us all off!
Profane
Syn: Secular
Ant: Religious, Sacred
Definition: Unholy
Sentence: Skipping church on Sundays to go to football games is profane.
Scrupulous
Syn: Careful, Meticulous
Ant: Careless
Definition: Conscientious
Sentence: The painter had a scrupulous attention to detail.
Sagacity
Syn: Intelligence, Knowledge
Ant: Ignorance
Definition: Wisdom
Sentence: The president is a man of great political sagacity.
To Vilify
Syn: To speak ill of, Criticize,
Bad Mouth
Ant: To commend
Definition: To slander
Sentence: The NFL player was upset, because the announcer always finds a way to vilify him in every game.
Decorous
Syn: Tasteful, Appropriate
Ant: Unseemly
Definition: Proper
Sentence: Big Smo concerts are not decorous.
To Bestow
Syn: To grant,
To endow someone with
Ant: To take, To receive
Definition: To give
Sentence: The ribbon girl is supposed to bestow a ribbon to
the winning horse.
Repose
Syn: relaxation, sleep
Ant: Work
Definition: Rest
Sentence: On the vacation, all she was looking for was repose.
Machination
Syn: Schemes
Definition: Plot
Sentence: The Bloods were always wary of the machinations of rival gangs.
To Abase
Syn: to humiliate
Ant: to praise
Definition: to humble
Sentence: The lady decided that to become a better person, she needed to abase herself.
Pristine
Syn: immaculate, perfect, in mint condition
Ant: Dirty, Spoiled
Definition: Unspoiled
Sentence: Amy's clothes are always so pristine.
To accost
Syn: To speak to
Ant: To ignore
Definition: To greet
Sentence: After not seeing his friend for thirty years, when she showed up at his house, he had to accost him.
Propinquity
Syn: Closeness
Ant: Distance
Definition: Nearness
Sentence: During their camping trip, they grew in their propinquity.
Dexterity
Syn: Ability, Talent
Definition: Skill
Sentence: While in China she perfected her dexterity with chopsticks.
Petulant
Syn: bad-tempered
Ant: good-humored
Definition: Peevish
Sentence: He's as petulant as a spoiled child.
Cadence
Syn: Beat
Definition: Rhythm
Sentence: There was a thumping cadence of the engines
To mollify
Syn: to ease, to reduce
Ant: to inflame
Definition: to soften
Sentence: They doctor tried to mollify the pain of the surgery.
To vex
Syn: To irritate
Ant: To please
Definition: To annoy
Sentence: Alice was vexed by the commercial.
To requite
Syn: To return
Definition: To repay
Sentence: The gambler had to requite his debts.
Probity
Syn: Trustworthiness
Ant: dishonesty
Definition: honesty
Sentence: The preacher is known for his probity.
Mien
Syn: aura, demeanor
Definition: Manner
Sentence: The teacher with a sober mien told him he had failed the test.
Fortitude
Syn: Bravery
Ant: faint-heartedness
Definition: Courage
Sentence: Hunting lions takes great fortitude.
Auditor
Definition: Listener
Sentence: Jim’s voice was so low that his auditors had to give it close attention.
Venerable
Syn: honored, esteemed
Ant: Disrespect
Definition: Respected
Sentence: Peyton Manning is a
venerable quarterback.