Joy Luck Club Vocab

Vocab for Joy Luck Club

Arpeggio (noun)

a chord whose notes are played in rapid succession rather than simultaneously

Avant-garde (adj/noun)

radically new or original; any creative group active in the innovation and application of new concepts and techniques (especially in the arts)

Barb (noun)

a point facing opposite from the main point that makes an arrowhead hard to remove; an aggressive remark directed at a person like a missile and intended to have a telling effect

Betrothed (adjective)

pledged to be married

Docile (adjective)

easily handled or managed; ready and willing to be taught

Dowry (noun)

money or property brought by a woman to her husband at marriage

Guileless (adjective)

free of deceit, naive

Haggle (verb)

wrangle, negotiate (over a price, terms of an agreement, etc.)

Innuendo (noun)

an indirect (and usually malicious or inappropriate) implication

Inviolable (adjective)

incapable of being transgressed or dishonored; treated as if holy and kept free from violation or criticism

Kowtow (noun)

bend the knees and bow in a servile manner; try to gain favor by cringing or flattering (based on a former Chinese custom of touching the ground with the forehead as a sign of respect or submission called "k’o-t’ou")

Lilting (adjective)

characterized by a buoyant rhythm; happy, sweet-sounding cadence

Listless (adjective)

lacking zest or vivacity

Longevity (noun)

the property of being long-lived

Lustrous (adjective)

reflecting light; made smooth and bright by or as if by rubbing; reflecting a sheen or glow

Malignant (adjective)

dangerous to health; characterized by progressive and uncontrolled growth (especially of a tumor); showing malicious ill will and a desire to hurt; motivated by spite

Penance (noun)

voluntary self-punishment in order to atone for some wrongdoing

Pretext (noun)

something serving to conceal plans; a fictitious reason that is concocted in order to conceal the real reason

Verbatim (adv/adj)

using exactly the same words

Yin (noun)

the dark, negative feminine principle in Chinese dualistic cosmology (yang is complement, the bright, positive masculine principle associated w/heaven)