Scarlet Letter Vocab - AP Lang

augur

predict from an omen

behoove

be appropriate or necessary

betoken

be a signal for or a symptom of

brazen

not held back by conventional ideas of behavior

capricious

determined by chance or impulse rather than by necessity

contrivance

the faculty of inventive skill

contumacious

willfully obstinate; stubbornly disobedient

dearth

an insufficient quantity or number

deportment

the way a person behaves toward other people

edifice

a structure that has a roof and walls

emaciated

very thin especially from disease or hunger or cold

erudite

having or showing profound knowledge

evanescent

short-lived; tending to vanish or disappear

extant

still in existence; not extinct or destroyed or lost

frailty

the state of being weak in health or body

gentility

elegance by virtue of fineness of manner and expression

grisly

shockingly repellent; inspiring horror

haughty

having or showing arrogant superiority

heterodox

characterized by departure from accepted standards

ignominious

deserving or bringing disgrace or shame

immaterial

lacking importance; not mattering one way or the other

impediment

something immaterial that interferes with action or progress

impropriety

the condition of being unsuitable or offensive (misconduct)

inauspicious

boding ill (unfavorable)

indubitably

in a manner or to a degree that could not be doubted

abashed

feeling or caused to feel uneasy and self-conscious

adornment

decorating oneself with something colorful and interesting