Dorian Gray & Tone Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards from Dorian Gray and Tone lectures.

abdicate

to give up or renounce (authority, duties, an office, etc)

ardent

glowing, shining; passionate, fervent

asceticism

rigorous self-denial; extreme abstinence; austerity

aristocracy

highest, ruling class; nobility

atonement

amends or reparation made for an injury or wrong; expiation

brevity

briefness/shortness in words

bulwark

defensive wall

caprice

an impulsive change of mind sudden seemingly unmotivated action; whim

cognizance

conscious knowledge or recognition; awareness

comely

pleasing and wholesome in appearance; attractive

cosmopolitan

pertinent or common to the whole world

dandy

a man who affects extreme elegance in cloths and manners

decadence

excessive indulgence in pleasure or luxury

defile

to corrupt the purity or perfection of

dowager

a widow who holds a title or property derived from her deceased husband

ennui

boredom

epigram

a short, witty poem expressing a single thought or observation

Faustian

sacrificing values for power or material gain; selling one’s soul to the Devil

guffaw

laugh boisterously

hedonism

pursuit or devotion to pleasure

infamy

a shamefully malign, detestable act or circumstance; shamefulness

inquest

an investigation or examination

iteration

verbal repetition

languorous

characterized by lack of energy or vitality, lack of interest

lionize

to treat someone as a celebrity

lithe

flexible and supple

misanthrope

a hater of humankind

munificent

generous

petulant

sulky, bad-tempered

poignant

keen or strong in mental appeal; affecting or moving the emotions

proletariat

middle class

raiment

clothing, garments

rebuke

sharp, stern disapproval; reprimand

sanguine

cheerfully optimistic, hopeful or confident

sordid

squalid; wretchedly poor and run-down

tawdry

gaudy and cheap in nature or appearance

truculent

disposed to fight; pugnacious

ambivalent

uncertainty or fluctuation

blithe

joyous; merry in disposition

benevolent

sympathetic; tolerant; generous; caring; well meaning

brusque

abrupt in manner; blunt

callous

cruel disregard; unfeeling; uncaring; indifferent; ruthless

didactic

instructive

docile

compliant; submissive; deferential; accommodating

dubious

questionable motives; inclined to doubt

ebullient

overflowing with enthusiasm; high-spirited

facetious

inappropriate; flippant

incensed

enraged

indignant

expressing strong displeasure at something considered unjust, offensive, or insulting

irreverent

lacking respect for things that are generally taken seriously

supercilious

disdainful or contemptuous

terse

neatly or effectively concise; brief and pithy