AmLit Great Gatsby Vocab

feign

give false appearance of

fractious

irritable, unruly, tening to be troublesome

incredulous

skeptical or disbelieving

levity

lack of seriousness with humor

supercilious

acting like your better than someone else

conscientious

careful

infinitesimal

extraodinarily small

extemporize

improvise

contemptous

deep hatered or disapproval

privy

sharing in the knowledge of something secret

marred

ruin the perfection of something

libel

false statement about someone

revelation

a surprising fact that had become known in a dramatic way

languid

slow; relaxed

deft

skillful in one’s movements

regal

resembling a monarch

saunter

walk in a slow manner

perceptible

seen or noticed

incessant

continuing without pause

shiftless

lacking ambition

punctilious

great attention to detail or correct behavior

gaudy

excessively bright

impenetrable

impossible to pass through

vehemently

with strong passion

caterwauling

making a shrill, howling noise

homogeneity

quality of being uniform

jovial

cheerful and friendly

engrossed

fully consumed

prodigal

wastefully extravagant

elicit

draw out a response

sporadic

occuring irregularly

tortuous

complicated and lengthy

erroneous

incorrect or mistaken

vitality

state of being strong and active

indignant

demonstrating anger at something perceived as unfair

elude

escape or evade in a skillful way

convivial

friendly, lively

poignant

evoking deep emotion, normal sadness

disconcerting

unease or confusion

modesty

being humble or moderate in one’s abilities or achievements

superfluous

unnecessary; exceeding what is sufficient

solidarity

unity (as a group) that produces or is based on community of interests, objectives, or standards

ineffable

indescribable; incapable of being expressed in words

laudable

worthy of praise; commendable

notorious

generally known and talked of (often unfavorably so)

insidious

subtle, having a gradual and cumulative effect

defunct

no longer existing or functioning

labyrinth

a maze

senile

relating to old age

cordial

politely pleasant

relinquish

to give up or let go of something

contingent

dependent on something else

disquienting

disturbing; alarming

obstinate

stubbornly adhering to an opinion in spite of reason or persuasion

ravenous

extremly hungry

tact

a good sense of what to do or say in order to maintain positive relations with others or avoid offense

fluctuate

shift back and forth uncertainly

innuendo

indirect or subtle remark that implies something, often suggestive, critical, or humorous, without stating it explicitly

harrowing

distressing

fortuitous

happening by chance/luck

paragon

model of excellence

cacophony

harshy mixture of sounds

cavalier

lack of concern

foray

attempt to be involved in a new activity

pensive

engaged in deep thought

tedious

long, slow, or dull

inextricable

impossible to separate

nascent

coming into existence and begining to display signs of potential

macabre

disturbing due to involvement with death andinjury

derived

recieve from a specified source

perpetual

never ending or never changing

dissipate

disappear or cause to disappear

altruistic

unselfish, self-less concern for the fell-being of others

alluring

powerfully and mysteriously attractive or fascinating

deteriorate

become worse over time

imminent

about to happen

heinous

evil or wicked

vex

make someone annoyed or worried, especially with non-significant matters

brood

think deeply about something that makes one unhappy

epitomize

be perfect example of