ciccone my antonia vocab

Interminable

adjective / seeming to have no end; endless
Sentence: The interminable drive across the prairie seemed like it would never end.

Disposition

noun / a person’s usual mood or temperament
Sentence: Ántonia’s cheerful disposition made her enjoyable to be around.

Encumbered

adjective / weighed down or burdened; having difficulty moving because of something

Sentence: The traveler was encumbered by several heavy bags as he walked through the snow.

Desperado

noun / a reckless or dangerous criminal
Sentence: The desperado robbed the bank and escaped before the police arrived.

Strident

adjective / harsh, loud, and unpleasant to hear
Sentence: The strident alarm woke everyone in the house.

Clambered

verb / climbed awkwardly using both hands and feet
Sentence: The children clambered over the rocks to reach the top of the hill.

Sinister

adjective / suggesting that something bad or evil may happen
Sentence: The dark, abandoned house had a sinister appearance.

Endurance

noun / the ability to continue through difficulty, pain, or hardship
Sentence: Running a marathon requires great endurance.

Anarchist

noun / a person who believes governments and organized authority should be abolished
Sentence: The anarchist argued that people should be able to govern themselves without a central government.

Doleful

adjective / very sad or mournful
Sentence: The puppy gave a doleful whimper after being separated from its owner.

Fetid

adjective / having an extremely unpleasant smell
Sentence: The fetid garbage had been sitting outside in the summer heat for days.

Furtive

adjective / secretive or attempting to avoid being noticed
Sentence: He gave a furtive glance toward the teacher before looking at his friend’s paper.

Heady

adjective / exciting or intoxicating; causing a strong feeling of excitement
Sentence: Winning the championship gave the team a heady feeling of success.

Lariat

noun / a long rope with a loop used for catching animals
Sentence: The cowboy threw his lariat toward the runaway horse.

Loathsome

adjective / extremely unpleasant, disgusting, or hateful
Sentence: The rotten food had a loathsome smell that made everyone leave the kitchen.

Supposition

noun / an idea or belief based on limited evidence; an assumption
Sentence: Her supposition that it would rain was based on the dark clouds in the sky.

Taper

noun / a thin candle that becomes narrower toward one end
Sentence: She lit a taper to provide light when the power went out.

Tawny

adjective / yellowish-brown or light brown in color
Sentence: The tawny grass covered the prairie as far as we could see.

Torpor

noun / a state of physical or mental inactivity; sluggishness
Sentence: After staying awake all night, he sat at his desk in a state of torpor.

Exorbitant

adjective / unreasonably or excessively expensive
Sentence: The store charged an exorbitant price for a simple bottle of water.

Emaciated

adjective / extremely thin or weak because of illness, hunger, or lack of food
Sentence: The emaciated dog was taken to a shelter where it could receive food and care.

Hermitage

noun / a secluded place where a person lives alone, especially for religious reasons
Sentence: The monk lived peacefully in a small hermitage far from the village.

Arroyo

noun / a small, usually dry stream or channel
Sentence: After the storm, water rushed through the normally dry arroyo.

Quinsy

noun / a severe inflammation or abscess of the throat, usually caused by an infection
Sentence: His quinsy made swallowing so painful that he needed medical treatment.

Vindictive

adjective / seeking revenge or wanting to hurt someone in return for a wrong
Sentence: The vindictive student spread rumors about her former friend after their argument.

Obliterate

verb / to destroy or completely wipe out
Sentence: The powerful storm obliterated several buildings along the coast.

Venerable

adjective / respected because of age, wisdom, or character
Sentence: The venerable professor had taught at the university for more than fifty years.

Boisterous

adjective / noisy, energetic, and cheerful
Sentence: The boisterous crowd cheered loudly when the team scored.

Mourned

verb / expressed deep sadness after someone’s death or loss
Sentence: They mourned Mr. Shimerda after his death.

Persuade

verb / to convince someone to do or believe something
Sentence: I tried to persuade my friend to study for the test instead of going out.

Perplexing

adjective / confusing or difficult to understand
Sentence: The perplexing instructions left the students unsure of what they were supposed to do

Mutilated

adjective…verb / badly damaged or disfigured; severely injured or ruined
Sentence: The accident left the car mutilated and unable to be repaired.

Propitiatory

adjective / intended to make someone less angry or to restore peace
Sentence: He offered a propitiatory apology to his friend after their argument.

Remorse

noun / deep regret or guilt for something wrong that one has done
Sentence: She felt intense remorse after realizing that her careless words had hurt her friend.

Taciturn

adjective / tending to say very little; quiet and reserved
Sentence: The taciturn man rarely spoke during family gatherings.

Magnanimity

noun / generosity and forgiveness, especially toward someone who has wronged you