English Great Expectations Vocab Words

Abeyance

On pause or temporary stop.

Acquiesce

To give in or agree without fuss.

Adamant

Stubborn, won't budge.

Affable

Friendly and easy to talk to.

Affinity

A natural connection or bond.

Amiable

Friendly and good-natured.

Animosity

Strong dislike or hatred.

Apprise

To inform or notify.

Approbation

Official approval or praise.

Ascend

To move up.

Assiduous

Hardworking and attentive.

Audacity

Boldness, often in a shocking way.

Augment

To increase or make larger.

Avarice

Extreme greed for wealth.

Beguile

To deceive or charm.

Benevolence

Kindness, generosity, charity.

Blighted

Destroyed or caused by decline or decay.

Blithe

Lighthearted, joyous, glad, cheerful, free of spirit.

Candid

Blunt, sincere honesty.

Clemency

Leniency.

Commodious

Affording ample space and room; adapted to or suitable for use.

Complacency

The state of being self-satisfied.

Conciliate

To reconcile, to pacify, to renew a friendship.

Conflagration

A large fire.

Contempt

Scorn, extreme dislike or disdain.

Contrite

Extremely apologetic, remorseful, repentant.

Copious

Abundant.

Corrugated

Bent into folds.

Cupidity

Greed.

Derision

Scoffing at, mockery, ridicule.

Desolate

Deserted, without inhabitants.

Despicable

Very bad, contemptible.

Despondency

Depression, low spiritedness.

Dexterous

Skillful and active with the hands.

Diffidence

Shyness, reserve.

Discern

To differentiate between two or more things.

Disconcerting

Upsetting, frustrating.

Discrepant

Disagreeing, inconsistent.

Disdain

Intense dislike, to reject as unworthy.

Disparage

To degrade, to speak of someone or something in a disrespectful or mean manner.

Disparity

Inequality, the condition or fact of being unequal to someone or something.

Dissipation

Wasteful spending.

Edifying

Instructing and improving spiritually or morally.

Engender

To cause, produce, or create.

Entreaty

A plea or sincere request.

Exalt

To glorify, to praise, to raise in rank.

Execrable

Extremely bad, deserving of hate.

Extricate

To free, to disentangle.

Feint

A false appearance, a fake punch to occupy defenses allowing a real blow.

Felicitous

Happy or delightful.

Ferment

State of agitation, commotion.

Fortuitous

Something usually good that happens by accident or chance.

Frivolous

Lacking in seriousness or importance.

Gentility

State of refinement, member of the upper class or gentry.

Gluttonous

Greedy for food and drink.

Goad

To urge on in a negative sense.

Guileless

Without deceit, not hiding the truth.

Hackneyed

Overused, lacking freshness, lack of originality to the point it’s boring.

Ignominy

Disgraceful or dishonorable conduct.

Impel

To urge or drive forward (usually with moral pressure).

Imperious

Extremely overbearing.

Impertinent

Insolently rude, not within the proper bounds of good taste or manners.

Impetuous

Violent, hasty, rash, impulsive.

Impregnable

Incapable to be taken by assault, unconquerable.

Incongruity

Nonconformity, disagreement, incompatibility.

Indignation

Anger as a result of something unjust.

Induce

To bring on or to bring about.

Infallible

Incapable of error.

Infamous

Having a reputation of the worst kind, fame for something bad.

Ingenuity

Cleverness, inventiveness,

Ingrate

An ungrateful person.

Inscrutable

Difficult to understand; mysterious.

Insolence

Insulting or contemptuous behavior.

Inveterate

Firmly established, habitual, deep-rooted.

Lament

To mourn or to express sorrow in a demonstrative manner.

Languid

Slow, sluggish, weak.

Latent

Not visible, normal things slowed down to appear inactive.

Loiter

To stand idly or to linger aimlessly.

Lustrous

Shining or gleaming without sparkling.

Magnanimity

Having a lofty, generous, and courageous spirit.

Malevolence

Ill will or evil intentions.

Malice

Desire to harm others.

Malign

To say harmful and misleading reports about someone or something.

Melancholy

A feeling of deep sadness.

Meritorious

Deserving of honor or praise.

Mollify

To soothe or appease.

Monotony

Sameness.

Moribund

Close to death.

Morose

Being sullen or gloomy.

Mortify

To humiliate, to experience shame.

Obdurate

Extremely stubborn, unwilling to accept advice.

Obscure

Difficult to see, vague.

Obsequious

Overly attentive.

Obstinate

Not giving way to pressure regardless of reason or logic, adamant.

Obtrude

To thrust out or forward.

Obtuse

Dull of mind, insensitive, stupid.

Odious

Deserving hate or contempt.

Ominous

Threatening.

Omnipotent

Having unlimited power.

Ostentatious

Showy, pretentious.