Great Gatsby Vocab - 1 & 2

Levity

— humor or lightness, especially in a serious situation

Riotous

— very wild, noisy, or disorderly

Epigram

— a short, clever saying or statement

Effeminate

— having qualities traditionally considered feminine, especially when describing a man

Buoyed

— lifted up or made happier/confident

Cadet

— a student training to become an officer in the military

Extemporizing

— speaking or performing without preparing beforehand

Rotogravure

— a method of printing using engraved cylinders

Privy

— aware of or having knowledge of something

Fractiousness

— being easily irritated, argumentative, or difficult to control

Wan

— pale, weak, or unhealthy-looking

Languidly

— in a slow, relaxed, or tired way

Peremptorily

— in a commanding way that does not allow disagreement

Corroborated

— confirmed or supported by additional evidence

Supercilious

— acting as if you are better or more important than others

Proprietor

— the owner of a business or property

Anaemic (Anemic)

— lacking energy or strength; weak or pale

Jovially

— in a cheerful, friendly, and happy way

Grotesque

— strange, ugly, or distorted in a shocking or unnatural way

Impenetrable

— impossible to enter, pass through, or understand

Hauter

— arrogance or a proud, superior attitude

Strident

— loud, harsh, and unpleasant

Facet

— one part or aspect of something

Smoldering

— burning slowly without flames; also, holding strong feelings that are not openly expressed

Disdain

— a feeling that someone or something is unworthy of respect

Shiftless

— lazy and lacking ambition or purpose

Incessant

— continuing without stopping

Ectoplasm

— a substance believed by some to come from a medium's body during a séance