Antigone Test Vocab - October 16, 2026

Adulate

To praise or admire someone excessively, slavishly, or beyond what they deserve.

Acheron

One of the rivers of the Greek underworld, often called the river of woe or pain.

Augury

An omen or sign that predicts the future; also, the ancient practice of interpreting signs to foretell events.

Bacchanalia

Wild festivals held in honor of Bacchus, the Roman god of wine and ecstasy.

Bacchanalian

Wild, rowdy, and uninhibited, especially involving excessive drinking and revelry.

Bacchus

The Roman god of wine, fertility, ritual madness, and religious ecstasy; equivalent to the Greek god Dionysus.

Betroth

To formally promise or pledge two people to be married.

Blest

An archaic or poetic spelling of blessed.

Bower

A shady, leafy shelter or recess in a garden or wood; sometimes a secluded cottage or private chamber.

Bridal bower

A leafy or flower-adorned wedding shelter, or a private bridal chamber for newlyweds.

Caparisoned

Adorned or covered with rich, decorative trappings, especially for ceremonial occasions or horses.

Carrion

The decaying flesh of a dead animal.

Chafing

To make skin sore through rubbing, or to feel irritated and impatient with restrictions.

Choler

Great anger, wrath, irritability, or a bad temper.

Connoisseur

An expert with deep knowledge and refined judgment in a particular subject, such as art, food, or wine.

Crag

A steep, rugged, or projecting rock formation or cliff.

Crest

A prominent raised ridge or projection; also, the top or highest point of something.

Dirge

A slow, solemn song or poem expressing grief or mourning for the dead.

Dither

To hesitate or struggle to make a decision because of nervousness or uncertainty.

Dio

An apparent reference to Dios, the Greek genitive form of Zeus, meaning “of Zeus” or “Zeus’s.”

Dodder (verb)

To walk unsteadily or shakily, especially because of age or weakness.

Dower

A widow's legal provision or property interest intended to provide financial support after her husband's death.

Edict

An official order or proclamation issued by someone in authority, often carrying the force of law.

Ekkuklema

A wheeled platform used in ancient Greek theatre to reveal an interior scene, often displaying characters or bodies that could not be shown directly onstage.

Firebrand

A person who passionately promotes a cause and may provoke conflict, challenge authority, or encourage rebellion.

Fish-wife

Historically, a woman who sold fish; figuratively, a derogatory term for a loud, coarse, or scolding woman.

Fish-wife's set-to

A loud, vigorous, and often unpleasant argument or fight.

Foolhardy

Recklessly taking unnecessary risks without considering the dangers or consequences.

Fulminant

Sudden and severe, especially describing something that develops with great intensity.

Genitive

A grammatical form indicating possession, ownership, origin, or another close relationship between words.

Haemon

The son of Creon and Eurydice, and Antigone's betrothed in Sophocles' Antigone.

Herald

A person or thing that announces, signals, or foreshadows an important event.

Hephaestus

The Greek god of blacksmiths, metalworking, craftsmanship, fire, and volcanoes.

House of Amphion

A mythological royal lineage associated with Amphion and his wife Niobe; Niobe's insult to Leto led Apollo and Artemis to kill her children, bringing catastrophic grief upon the family.

House of Cadmus

The founding royal dynasty of Thebes, descended from Cadmus; its generations suffered repeated tragedies, culminating in the downfall of Oedipus and his children.

Interdict

An authoritative prohibition or official order forbidding a particular action.

Ismene

The daughter of Oedipus and sister of Antigone, Eteocles, and Polyneices.

Laden

Heavily loaded, burdened, or carrying a large amount of something.

Lancing

Cutting, piercing, or opening something with a sharp instrument.

Lèse-majesté

An offense against the dignity or authority of a sovereign, monarch, or state; historically, an act of treason or disloyalty against the ruler.

Maenad

A female follower of Dionysus, associated with ecstatic religious rites, frenzied dancing, and wild celebrations.

Mattock

A heavy hand tool with a blade used for digging, chopping, and breaking hard soil or roots.

Mount Sipylus

A mountain in modern-day Turkey associated in Greek mythology with Tantalus and the punishment of his family.

Panegyric

A formal speech or piece of writing offering elaborate praise of a person, group, or institution.

Panoply

An impressive or extensive collection, display, or array of things; historically, a complete suit of armor.

Persephone

The Greek goddess of spring growth and queen of the underworld, daughter of Demeter.

Phrygian

Relating to ancient Phrygia, a civilization in Anatolia (modern-day Turkey); also, a term for a musical mode.

Platitude

A dull, overused statement presented as if it were original or profound.

Portent

A sign or omen that something significant, often disastrous, is about to happen.

Promulgate

To officially announce, declare, or put a law, rule, or policy into effect.

Promulgation

The formal public announcement or declaration of a law, rule, or official policy.

Regent

A person who temporarily governs a country or kingdom when its rightful monarch cannot rule.

Resplendent

Shining brilliantly or having an impressively beautiful, grand, or colorful appearance.

Sacrament

A sacred religious rite or ceremony that symbolizes or conveys divine grace and spiritual commitment.

Semele

A mortal princess of Thebes who became the mother of Dionysus through Zeus in Greek mythology.

Set-to

A brief but vigorous fight, argument, or dispute, either verbal or physical.

Strophe

A structural section of a poem or song; in Greek choral poetry, the portion traditionally associated with the chorus's movement in one direction.

Sunshaft

A visible beam of sunlight streaming through clouds, trees, or another obstruction.

Tantalus

A king in Greek mythology who was punished in the underworld by being unable to reach food and water that remained tantalizingly close.

Tempest

A violent storm, especially one involving powerful winds.

Unsepulchred

Not buried, entombed, or laid to rest in a grave.

Ubiquitous

Present or seeming to be present everywhere at the same time.

Vicissitudes

The unpredictable changes, difficulties, and ups and downs of life or fortune.

Creon

The ruler of Thebes in Antigone, uncle of Antigone and Ismene, father of Haemon, and husband of Eurydice.

Eurydice

The wife of Creon and mother of Haemon in Antigone.

Eteocles

The son of Oedipus who fought against his brother Polyneices for control of Thebes; both brothers died in battle.

Polyneices

The son of Oedipus who attacked Thebes after being denied his share of power and was forbidden burial by Creon.

Oedipus

The former king of Thebes and father of Antigone, Ismene, Eteocles, and Polyneices; his life is marked by tragic prophecies and revelations.