A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens Vocabulary

acuity

sharpness of perception

advocacy

support of an idea or cause

affable

friendly, courteous, amiable

antipathy

a dislike, distaste, or enmity

apocryphal

of doubtful origin or authenticity, not genuine

approbation

official approval, praise, commendation

ardent

expressing strong feelings, impassioned, zealous

ardor

warmth or heat of emotion; extreme force, vigor, or energy

ascend

to move upward, to rise from a lower station

atheist

one who does not believe in God

auspicious

favorable

aversion

strong disinclination, disliking

beguile

to deceive, to mislead, to persuade with charm

benign

not causing harm, of gentle disposition, beneficial

blasphemous

irreverent, profane

blunderbuss

a clumsy and careless person; an obsolete firearm with a bell muzzle

capitulate

to surrender

compatriot

a fellow countryman

complacency

the state of being self-satisfied

conflagration

a large fire

consecrate

to dedicate or to declare sacred

corroboration

confirmation

debauchery

moral corruption

deference

courteous going along with the opinions or wishes of another

demented

insane

demur

to hesitate, to delay, to object

deprecate

to disapprove regretfully, to belittle

desolate

deserted, without inhabitants, barren

despoil

to take possessions by force, to plunder

despondency

depression, dejection

diffidence

shyness, reserve, unassertiveness

discern

to differentiate between two or more things

disconcerting

upsetting, frustrating

disdain

intense dislike; to treat with scorn or contempt, to reject as unworthy

disparage

to degrade, to speak of someone or something in a derogatory manner

dissociate

separate

dissolution

disintegration, decomposition and dispersion

docile

easily managed, obedient, passive

edifice

a very large building

elicit

to bring out a response, to evoke

emaciated

very thin (usually as a result of starvation), wasting away

embellish

to decorate, to make beautiful with ornamentation

emulate

to try to equal or to be like (usually through imitation)

engender

to cause, to produce, to create

engrossed

completely occupied or absorbed

entreaty

a plea, an earnest request

evanescent

fleeting; impermanent

execrable

extremely bad, deserving of hate

expeditious

done with speed and efficiency

felicitous

happy or delightful

ferocity

savagery

florid

flowery, flushed with color

forbearance

patience, lenience

foreboding

premonition of evil, an ominous omen

forensic

pertaining to debate or argument

furtive

secret in an underhanded way, stealthy

galling

very irritating

gaunt

very thin, emaciated, angular

gravity

seriousness, importance

hideous

very ugly, offensive, shocking

impel

to urge or to drive forward (usually with moral pressure)

implacable

incapable of being appeased

impute

to blame or to charge

incorrigible

incapable of being reformed or improved

infallible

incapable of error

infamous

having a reputation of the worst kind, vicious, notoriously bad

infernal

relating to hell

ingenuity

cleverness, inventiveness, resourcefulness

insolence

insulting or contemptuous behavior

inundate

to flood, to overflow

inviolable

secure from violation or from being profaned

irresolute

indecisive, unsure of how to proceed

juncture

a point of joining

knotty

so complicated that it can probably not be solved; full of knots

laconic

using a minimum of words; concise to the point of seeming rude

lament

to mourn or to express sorrow in a demonstrative manner

latent

not visible, dormant

lethargic

sluggish, languid

levity

excessive frivolity, flippancy

magnanimity

having a lofty, generous, and courageous spirit

malady

a disease or unwholesome condition

modicum

limited quantity

morose

being sullen or gloomy

munificent

very generous

muse

to ponder

myriad

a very large and indefinite number

oblivion

state of being forgotten

obscure

difficult to see, vague

obsequious

overly attentive, like a sycophant, servile

ominous

threatening

ostentatious

showy, pretentious

palpable

tangible, perceptible, easily noticeable

peevish

fretful, obstinate

penitent

showing or feeling regret for wrongdoing, repentant

pernicious

very destructive or harmful, deadly

perpetuate

to prolong the existence of something

placid

peaceful, calm

plaintive

mournful and expressing sorrow

portent

a sign or forewarning

potentate

a monarch, very powerful ruler, sovereign