AP Literature Never Let Me Go Vocab Quiz 1

Crestfallen

adjective; sad and disappointed

Crestfallen Example

“He came back empty-handed and crestfallen.”

Provisional

adjective; serving for the time being, temporary

Provisional Example

“I’ve made a provisional booking for next weekend.”

Acquisitive

adjective; strongly desirous of acquiring and possessing

Acquisitive Example

“Most of the money comes from rich and acquisitive individuals.”

Reproachful

adjective; expressing disapproval or disappointment

Reproachful Example

“She gave him a reproachful look.”

Ambivalent

adjective; having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone

Ambivalent Example

“Some loved her, some hated her, few were ambivalent about her.”

Coerce

verb; cause to do through pressure or necessity, by physical, moral or intellectual means

Coerce Example

“The police coerced the man into confessing.”

Complacent

adjective; showing smug or uncritical satisfaction with oneself or one's achievements

Complacent Example

“The man looked complacent about his success.”

Incongruous

adjective; not in harmony or keeping with the surrounding or other aspects of something

Incongruous Example

“It felt incongruous wearing such a large coat in the middle of the summer.”

Reluctant

adjective; feeling or showing aversion, hesitation, or unwillingness

Reluctant Example

“She was reluctant to go bungee jumping.”

Taboo

noun; a social or religious custom prohibiting or forbidding discussion of a particular practice or forbidding association with a particular person, place, or thing

Taboo Example

“The burial ground was seen as a taboo place.”

Resentful

adjective; full of or marked by indignant ill will

Resentful Example

“He gave me a resentful glare when I took the last piece of cake.”

Despondent

adjective; feeling or showing extreme discouragement, dejection, or depression

Despondent Example

“She was despondent after losing her job.”

Conciliatory

adjective; intended or likely to placate or pacify

Conciliatory Example

“The company made a conciliatory gesture by offering the employees a bonus if they ended the strike.”

Anecdote

noun; a short amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person

Anecdote Example

“She opened the speech with an anecdote about her first day of work.”

Idyllic

adjective; extremely happy, peaceful, or picturesque

Idyllic Example

“The couple went on an idyllic vacation to the mountains.”

Bemusement

noun; the fact or condition of being bemused; puzzlement

Bemusement Example

“The challenging case left the detective in a state of bemusement.”

Indulgent

adjective; a tendency to be overly generous to or lenient with someone

Indulgent Example

“My father is very indulgent and rarely punishes me for my mistakes.”

Intermediary

noun; a person who acts as a link between people in order to try to bring about an agreement or reconciliation

Intermediary Example

“The diplomat served as an intermediary between the two nations.”

Disillusioned

adjective; disappointed in someone or something that one discovers to be less good than one had believed

Disillusioned Example

“The outcome of the case left him feeling disillusioned.”

Yearning

noun; a feeling of intense longing for something

Yearning Example

“The travelers felt a deep yearning for their homeland.”