Ch. I Vocabulary: The Last to See Them Alive

Haphazard

Not planned; random

Ramshackle

In bad condition; falling apart

Impinge

To have an effect on something; to touch

Severance

The act of cutting off or separating

Abstemious

Not indulging in too much food or drink; moderate

Equanimity

Calmness, especially in difficult situations

Pungent

Strong smell or taste; sharp

Despondent

Feeling sad and hopeless

Connote

To suggest or imply something beyond the literal meaning

Brooding

Thinking deeply about something, often in a worried way

Invariably

Always; without exception

Wan

Pale or weak in appearance

Affront

An action or remark that causes offense

Reticent

Not revealing one’s thoughts or feelings easily

Prim

Very formal and proper

Ineffable

Too great to be expressed in words

Agog

Very eager or excited to hear or see something

Modest

Not overly proud or confident; humble

Gewgaw

A showy but useless thing; a trinket

Dote

To show excessive love of fondness

Secular

Not religious; wordly

Fastidious

Very attentive to detail; hard to please

Itinerant

Traveling from place to place; wandering

Wanton

Reckless of unrestrained; often used negatively

Coterie

A small group of people with shared interests

Quibble

To argue or raise objections about a trivial matter

Encumberance

A burden or hindrance

Rankle

To cause annoyance or resentment

Decrepit

Worn out or weakened by age

Overt

Open and observable; not hidden

Secretive

Attempting to avoid notice

Rumination

Deep or careful thought

Repertoire

A collection of skills or works

Sullen

Bad tempered or gloomy

Usurp

To take a position of power by force/illegally

Poignant

Emotionally moving or touching

Languid

Weak or faint; lacking energy

Unassuming

Modest; not pretentious

Caustic

Sarcastic in a scathing way; able to burn/corrode

Candor l

Openness and honesty in expression