Jane Eyre Literary Vocabulary & Contextual Guide

Vocabulary practice flashcards based on the 19th-century literary lexicon from Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre.

Slatternly

Untidy, dirty, or slovenly in appearance or habits, particularly regarding a woman's dress or domestic manners.

Gloaming

Twilight or dusk; the soft faint light lingering in the sky after sunset.

Penurious

Extremely poor; destitute; or characterized by miserly, stingy frugality.

Perfidious

Deceitful, untrustworthy, or guilty of deliberate treachery and breach of faith.

Approbation

Official approval, praise, or warm commendation.

Tenacious

Holding firm to a purpose or opinion; persistent, stubborn, or highly retentive.

Fetid

Smelling extremely unpleasant, stale, offensive, or putrid.

Ostensible

Stated or appearing to be true on the surface, but not necessarily so; plausible or professed.

Soporific

Tending to induce drowsiness or sleep; causing heaviness and lethargy.

Hamlet

A small settlement or village, specifically one smaller than a parish without its own church.

Demurely

Done in a reserved, modest, quiet, or coyly decorous manner.

Cachinnation

Loud, harsh, unrestrained, or immoderate laughter.

Belied

Contradicted, gave a false impression of, or failed to give a true idea of something.

Caprice

A sudden, unpredictable change of mood, mind, or behavior; a whim.

Piquant

Pleasantly stimulating, sharp, or appetizing to the mind or senses; delightfully provocative or witty.

Assiduous

Showing great care, attention, persistent effort, and perseverance.

Celerity

Swiftness and promptness of movement or action; speed.

Brook

To tolerate, endure, or allow (typically used in negative constructions like "brook no delay").

Palliate

To make an offense or crime seem less serious; to excuse, mitigate, or cloak guilt.

Salubrious

Health-giving, wholesome, or favorable to physical well-being.

Sententious

Given to moralizing in a pompous, concise, or preachy manner.

Arrogate

To take, claim, or assume for oneself without justification or right.

Expiating

Making amends, atoning for, or paying the penalty for a guilt or sin.

Charlatan

A person falsely claiming to have special knowledge or skill; a fraud or quack.

Sardonically

In a grimly mocking, cynical, or disdainful manner.