A Christmas Carol Vocabulary STAVE THREE, PART TWO

12.9.24 hutson ela

mirth

Merriment; glee; spontaneous amusement or gaiety, especially when accompanied by laughter; happiness; levity; amusement.

desolation

(1) Loneliness; deprived of companionship; solitary misery; dreariness. (2) in a state of ruin or devastation, such as an area or abandoned dwellings.

tarry

To delay in coming or going; remain or stay; to linger or loiter; to remain temporarily or briefly; sojourn.

abyss

A deep, immeasurable space, as the depth of the ocean; a vast chasm; anything infinite, with no perceived end.

profound

Having deep understanding or insight; having deep meaning; originating from the depths of one's being, such as grief; serious; thorough; enlightened.

affability

Friendliness; agreeableness; having a friendly, approachable nature; congeniality; politeness; possessing warmth, as a friendly personality.

contortions

Acts of bending, twisting, or drawing out of shape, especially in a strained manner; deformities; convulsions; knots.

credulity

Willingness to believe or trust too readily, especially without adequate evidence; gullibility; unquestioning acceptance or loyalty; faithfulness.

affront

A deliberate act or display of disrespect; an intentional insult; an offense to one's pride and dignity; a put-down.

vile

Highly offensive; unpleasant; objectionable; wretchedly bad; filthy; horrible; disgusting; morally despicable; execrable.

elicited

Drew out or brought forth; brought to light, as the truth; extracted; obtained. (Not to be confused with illicit: unlawful; not permitted for moral or ethical reasons.)

menagerie

A collection of wild or unusual animals, especially for exhibition; an unusual and varied group of people; a wildlife park; a zoological garden.

diverted

Went in a different direction; turned aside from a path or direction; turned the attention of, especially from something unpleasant to something pleasant; detracted; redirected.

imperceptibly

Having the power to escape being detected, especially by the senses; the ability to remain hidden or undetected.

inaudible

Unhearable; incapable of being heard by the human ear; hushed; muffled; mumbled; muted; noiseless.

refuge

Shelter or protection from danger or trouble; a place of shelter, protection, or safety; (Not to be confused with refugee: a person seeking shelter, as from war or natural disaster)

wretched

(1) Miserable; pitiful; very unfortunate in condition or circumstances; characterized by misery or sorrow; (2) Despicable or mean, as a miser. (3) Worthless or of poor quality, as carpentry.

abject

Utterly hopeless, miserable, humiliating, or wretched, as abject poverty; forlorn; dejected; deplorable.

hideous

Extremely ugly; frightful or horrible to the senses; shocking or revolting to the moral senses.

degradation

The act of being humiliated or having one's dignity brought down, as by extreme poverty and helplessness; the act of being weakened or disgraced.

appalled

Disgusted; outraged by an injustice or degradation; horrified; alarmed; shocked; dismayed.