To Kill a Mockingbird {chapters 13-19 vocabulary} ~ Review

tactful

tactful

(adj) careful not to offend or upset other people

Sentence: The moment I said, "Won't you miss him?" I realized that this was not a ____________ question. Uncle Jimmy present or Uncle Jimmy absent made not much difference, he never said anything.

prerogative

(n) a right or privilege

Sentence: She was never bored, and given the slightest chance she would exercise her royal _________________: she would arrange, advise, caution, and warn.

caste system

(noun) a social structure in which classes are determined by heredity

Sentence: There was indeed a ______________ in Maycomb, but to my mind it worked this way: the older citizens, the present generation of people who had lived side by side for years and years, were utterly predictable to one another: they took for granted attitudes, character shadings, even gestures, as having been repeated in each generation and refined by time.

antagonize

(verb) to cause (someone) to feel hostile or angry; to irritate or upset (someone)

Sentence: "Scout, try not to _________________ Aunty, hear?"

infallible

(adj) not capable of being wrong or making mistakes; certain to work properly or succeed

Sentence: He traveled with the show all over Mississippi until his __________________ sense of direction told him he was in Abbott County, Alabama, just across the river from Maycomb. He walked the rest of the way.

ominous

(adj) suggesting that something bad is going to happen in the future

Sentence: There was a murmur among the group of men, made more _______________ when Atticus moved back to the bottom front step and the men drew nearer to him.

acquiescence

(noun) the reluctant acceptance of something without protest

Sentence: We were accustomed to prompt, if not always cheerful ____________ to Atticus's instructions, but from the way he stood Jem was not thinking of budging.

impassive

(adj.) not showing emotion

Sentence: Atticus said nothing. I looked around and up at Mr. Cunningham, whose face was equally ____________. Then he did a peculiar thing. He squatted down and took me by both shoulders.

formidable

(adj.) very powerful or strong: deserving serious attention and respect

Sentence: Why they objected to Miss
Maudie's yard was a mystery, heightened in my mind because for someone who spent all the daylight hours outdoors, Miss Maudie's command of Scripture was ______________.

amiably

(adv.) friendly and pleasant

Sentence: Atticus was proceeding __________, as if he were involved in a title dispute.

acrimonious

(adj.) angry and bitter

Sentence: We could tell, however, when debate became more _____________ than professional, but this was from watching lawyers other than our father.

benignly

(adv.) not causing harm or damage; gentle and kind

Sentence: He turned slowly in his swivel chair and looked ___________ at the witness. "Are you the father of Mayella Ewell?" he asked, in a way that made the laughter below us stop suddenly.

genially

(adv.) cheerful and pleasant

Sentence: "Just a minute, sir," said Atticus __________. "Could I ask you a question or two?"

mollified

(verb) to make (someone) less angry; to calm (someone) down

Sentence: ____________, Mayella gave Atticus a final terrified glance and said to Mr. Gilmer, "Well sir, I was on the porch and—and he came along and, you see, there was this old chiffarobe in the yard Papa'd brought in to chop up for kindlin'—Papa...

arid

(adj.) very dry; lacking life, interest, or imagination

Sentence: Atticus's voice had lost its comfortableness; he was speaking in his _________, detached professional voice. "Do you remember him beating you about the face?"

wrathfully

(adv.) in an extremely angry way

Sentence: Mayella sniffed ___________ and looked at Atticus. "I'll answer any question you got—get me up here an' mock me, will you? I'll answer any question you got—"

volition

(noun) the power to make your own choices or decisions

Sentence: He seemed to be a respectable Negro, and a respectable Negro would never go up into somebody's yard of his own ____________.

subtlety

(noun) a small detail that is usually important but not obvious - usually plural

Sentence: Until my father explained it to me later, I did not understand the __________ of Tom's predicament: he would not have dared strike a white woman under any circumstances and expect to live long, so he took the first opportunity to run—a sure sign of guilt.

expunge

(verb) to remove (something) completely

Sentence: Judge Taylor told the reporter to ____________ anything he happened to have written down after Mr. Finch if you were a n**** like me you'd be scared too, and told the jury to disregard the interruption.

candid

(adj.) expressing opinions and feelings in an honest and sincere way

Sentence: "You're very ___________ about this, why did you run so fast?" "I says I was scared, suh."

impudent

(adj.) failing to show proper respect and courtesy: very rude

Sentence: "No suh, scared I'd hafta face up to what I didn't do." "Are you being ___________ to me, boy?" "No suh, I didn't go to be."