the scarlet letter vocab!

depravity

(n) moral corruption; wickedness (also in a christian context it's the innate corruption of human nature)

capricious

(adj) tending to have sudden and unaccountable changes of mood/behavior (think on your period)

indefatigable

(adj) persisting tirelessly

inviolable

(adj) describes something that should never be broken, infringed, or dishonored

inclement

(adj) (when the weather, specifically, is) unpleasantly cold or wet

edifice

(n) a building, especially if it's large and scary OR a complex belief system

superfluous

(adj) unnecessary, especially by being more than enough

propensity

(n) an inclination or natural tendency to behave a certain way

effervescent

(adj) vivacious, enthusiastic, lively

obviate

(v) to remove (a need or difficulty) OR to avoid/prevent

impunity

(n) exemption from punishment, freedom from the bad consequences of an action

exigency

(n) an urgent need/demand

tome

(n) literally just a huge academic book aka textbook

propinquity

(n) the state of being close to someone/something, proximal OR a close kinship (dimmesdale and chillingworth!)

predilection

(n) a preference or special liking for something, a bias in favor of something

ignominy

(n) public shame or disgrace

iniquity

(n) immoral or insanely unfair behavior

affinity

(n) a spontaneous, natural liking/sympathy for someone/something

beguile

(v) to charm or enchant, sometimes deceptively

incredulity

(n) the state of being unwilling or unable to believe someone (say ong type mentality)

vitiate

(v) to spoil or impair the quality or efficiency of (also to spoil/impair the legal validity of)

ascetic

(adj) characterized by/suggesting the practice of severe self-discipline and avoiding all forms of indulgence, usually for religious reasons (dimmesdale!)

prolific

(adj) present in large numbers or quantities, plentiful

alacrity

(adj) brisk and cheerful readiness

wan

(adj) pale, giving the impression of illness or exhaustion - usually describing a person's complexion/appearance OR used to describe weak light or a weak smile

erudite

(adj) having or showing great knowledge or learning (a person described as this would possess many tomes!)

lurid

(adj) very vivid in color, especially to the point that it's harsh or unnatural, OR describing something in very shocking/explicit detail

abstruse

(adj) difficult to understand; obscure

zenith

(n) the highest point/peak of something, the time at which something is at its best OR the point in the sky directly above an observer (eg dimmesdale saw the meteor appeared at the ______)

auger/augur

so this word actually isn't in the book, but the second word is! used as a verb, to describe if an event/circumstance indicates a good or bad outcome (eg this event _____ed well!)

palliate

(v) make less severe or unpleasant without removing the cause (usually describes diseases/symptoms)

misanthrope

(n) a person who dislikes humankind and avoids human society (fr)

inextricable

(adj) impossible to disentangle/separate/escape from

austerity

(n) sternness or severity of manner or attitude OR extreme plainness and simplicity of style/appearance

malefactress

(n) a woman who commits a crime or does evil

deleterious

(adj) causing harm/damage

dearth

(n) scarcity, a lack of something

antipathy

(n) a strong feeling of dislike; aversion to something

amenable

(adj) describes someone open and responsive to suggestion; easily persuaded or controlled OR describing something being susceptible to something else (eg. his sickness was ________ to medicine)

penance

(n) voluntary self-punishment inflicted as an outward expression of repentance for having done wrong, like a scarlet letter, perhaps (think public act) OR a christian sacrament where a member of the church confesses sins to a priest and gets pardoned for them

penitence

(n) the action of feeling or showing sorrow and regret for having done wrong (think internal feelings/state of mind)

enmity

(n) the state/feeling of being actively opposed/hostile to someone/something

precocious

(adj) when a kid develops certain abilities/habits at an earlier age than usual, indicative of early development

esoteric

(adj) intended for or likely to be understood by only a small number of people with a specialized knowledge/interest (inside joke but serious)

dissemble

(v) conceal one's true motives, feelings, or beliefs

expiation

(n) the act of making amends for guilt or wrongdoing; atonement

replete

(adj) filled/well-supplied with something

sedulous

(adj) showing dedication and diligence, usually a person or action

loquacity

(n) talkativeness, yap

auspicious

(adj) favorable, likely to be successful