Gatsby Chapter 3 Vocab

permeate

to spread through something or pass through it completely

ex: The smell of popcorn began to permeate the whole house

prodigality

the habit of spending too much money or using things in a wasteful way

ex: His prodigality left him with no savings by the end of the year.

erroneous

wrong; incorrect

ex: The teacher corrected the erroneous answer on the test.

contempous

• showing strong dislike or disrespect toward someone or something

• feeling that someone/something does not deserve respect

ex: His contemptuous tone made it clear he did not respect the rules.

immpetuously

suddenly, impulsively

ex: He impetuously agreed to the challenge without considering the risks.

hilarity

loud laughter or great amusement

ex: Everyone burst into hilarity when the puppy chased its own tail.

vacuous

stupidly empty

ex: Her vacuous comment didn’t add anything to the discussion

provocation

an action, statement, or event designed to elicit a strong negative emotional reaction, such as anger, fear, or frustration

ex: The insult was a clear provocation that started an argument.

provincial

lacking the manners, experience, or sophistication often associated with people from cities; not very polished or refined

ex: He felt provincial when visiting the fancy restaurant because he didn’t know the dining etiquette.

convivial

cheerful and friendly

ex: Hotel guests enjoy the relaxed and convivial atmosphere

jauntiness

feeling liveliness and having self-confidence

ex: She walked with a certain jauntiness that showed she was confident about her interview

dissension

strong disagreement

ex: The new rules caused dissension among the team members

discordant

disagreeing, quarrelsome

ex: The meeting became tense when several discordant voices argued loudly about what decision to make.

din

a loud continous noise

ex: The children were making a terrible din upstairs

retracted

taken back or withdrawn

ex: She retracted her original statement that taking care of children is easy.

subterfuge

a trick or dishonest plan used to achieve one’s goal

ex: The spy used subterfuge to enter the building