Pride and Prejudice VOCAB quiz

1. Scrupulous

  • Definition: Characterised by extreme care and great effort.

  • Part of Speech: Adjective

  • Derivatives:

  • Scrupulously (Adverb)

  • Scrupulousness (Noun)

  • Contextual Examples:

  • (Original) "You are over-scrupulous, surely. I dare say Mr Bingley will be very glad to see you..."

  • (Adverb) The accountant scrupulously checked every line of the tax return to ensure there were no errors.

  • (Noun) Her scrupulousness regarding hygiene meant her kitchen was always spotless.

2. Deign

  • Definition: Do something that one considers to be below one's dignity.

  • Part of Speech: Verb

  • Derivatives:

  • Deigned (Past Tense Verb)

  • Contextual Examples:

  • (Original) Mrs Bennet deigned not to make any reply, but, unable to contain herself, began scolding one of her daughters.

  • (Verb) The celebrity would not deign to sign autographs for the fans waiting in the rain.

  • (Verb) After the argument, he finally deigned to look at me, though he still wouldn't speak.

3. Circumspection

  • Definition: The trait of being cautious and sensible.

  • Part of Speech: Noun

  • Derivatives:

  • Circumspect (Adjective)

  • Circumspectly (Adverb)

  • Contextual Examples:

  • (Original) "I honour your circumspection. A fortnight's acquaintance is certainly very little."

  • (Adjective) The politician gave a circumspect answer, careful not to offend any potential voters.

  • (Adverb) The deer approached the open clearing circumspectly, sniffing the air for predators.

4. Ostentation

  • Definition: Being pompous and puffed up with vanity.

  • Part of Speech: Noun

  • Derivatives:

  • Ostentatious (Adjective)

  • Ostentatiously (Adverb)

  • Contextual Examples:

  • (Original) "But to be candid without ostentation or design... belongs to you alone."

  • (Adjective) The billionaire’s ostentatious display of wealth included a gold-plated sports car.

  • (Adverb) He ostentatiously checked his expensive watch every five minutes during the meeting.

5. Supercilious

  • Definition: Having or showing arrogant superiority.

  • Part of Speech: Adjective

  • Derivatives:

  • Superciliously (Adverb)

  • Superciliousness (Noun)

  • Contextual Examples:

  • (Original) For, though elated by his rank, it did not render him supercilious...

  • (Adverb) The waiter looked at our clothes superciliously before showing us to a table near the kitchen.

  • (Noun) His superciliousness made it difficult for his colleagues to enjoy working with him.

6. Entreaty

  • Definition: Earnest or urgent request.

  • Part of Speech: Noun

  • Derivatives:

  • Entreat (Verb)

  • Entreatingly (Adverb)

  • Contextual Examples:

  • (Original) After a song or two, and before she could reply to the entreaties of several that she would sing again...

  • (Verb) I entreat you to reconsider your decision before it is too late.

  • (Adverb) The puppy looked up entreatingly, begging for a piece of the sandwich.

7. Pedantic

  • Definition: Marked by a narrow focus on or display of learning.

  • Part of Speech: Adjective

  • Derivatives:

  • Pedant (Noun - the person)

  • Pedantically (Adverb)

  • Pedantry (Noun - the behaviour)

  • Contextual Examples:

  • (Original) Mary had neither genius nor taste... it had given her likewise a pedantic air and conceited manner...

  • (Noun) He is so pedantic that he interrupts conversations just to correct people's grammar.

  • (Adverb) She pedantically explained the history of the fork while everyone else just wanted to eat dinner.

8. Decorum

  • Definition: Propriety in manners and conduct.

  • Part of Speech: Noun

  • Derivatives:

  • Decorous (Adjective)

  • Decorously (Adverb)

  • Contextual Examples:

  • (Original) "It seems to me to show an abominable sort of conceited independence, a most country-town indifference to decorum."

  • (Adjective) The guests engaged in polite, decorous conversation during the formal tea.

  • (Adverb) The children sat decorously on the bench, waiting for the ceremony to begin.

9. Affinity

  • Definition: Inherent resemblance between persons or things.

  • Part of Speech: Noun

  • Derivatives:

  • Affinities (Plural Noun)

  • Contextual Examples:

  • (Original) Whatever bears affinity to cunning is despicable.

  • (Noun) She felt a strong affinity for the ocean, having grown up in a coastal town.

  • (Noun) There is a close affinity between the two programming languages, making it easy to learn the second one.

10. Laudable

  • Definition: Worthy of high praise.

  • Part of Speech: Adjective

  • Derivatives:

  • Laud (Verb)

  • Laudably (Adverb)

  • Contextual Examples:

  • (Original) "...what is there so very laudable in a precipitance which must leave very necessary business undone...?"

  • (Verb) The critics lauded the director’s new film as a masterpiece.

  • (Adverb) The team performed laudably, despite having several injured players.

11. Alacrity

  • Definition: Liveliness and eagerness.

  • Part of Speech: Noun

  • Derivatives:

  • Alacritous (Adjective - rare)

  • Contextual Examples:

  • (Original) Miss Bingley moved with alacrity to the pianoforte...

  • (Noun) He accepted the job offer with alacrity, packing his bags that very night.

  • (Noun) The volunteers worked with such alacrity that the project was completed two days ahead of schedule.

12. Reprehensible

  • Definition: Bringing or deserving severe rebuke or censure.

  • Part of Speech: Adjective

  • Derivatives:

  • Reprehensibly (Adverb)

  • Reprehension (Noun)

  • Contextual Examples:

  • (Original) She could only imagine... there was a something about her more wrong and reprehensible... than in any other person present.

  • (Adjective) Stealing from the charity money was a reprehensible act.

  • (Adverb) The company acted reprehensibly by hiding the safety data from the public.

13. Approbation

  • Definition: Official acceptance or agreement.

  • Part of Speech: Noun

  • Derivatives:

  • Approbative (Adjective)

  • Contextual Examples:

  • (Original) She liked him too little to care for his approbation.

  • (Noun) The student smiled when she saw the nod of approbation from her teacher.


14. Implacable

  • Definition: Incapable of being appeased or pacified.

  • Part of Speech: Adjective

  • Derivatives:

  • Implacably (Adverb)

  • Implacability (Noun)

  • Contextual Examples:

  • (Original) Implacable resentment is a shade in a character.

  • (Adjective) Despite their apologies, the customer remained implacable and demanded a refund.

  • (Noun) The implacability of the storm forced the residents to evacuate immediately.

15. Laconic

  • Definition: Brief and to the point.

  • Part of Speech: Adjective

  • Derivatives:

  • Laconically (Adverb)

  • Laconicism (Noun)

  • Contextual Examples:

  • (Original) But their father, though very laconic in his expressions of pleasure, was really glad to see them...

  • (Adverb) "Yes," he replied laconically, giving no further details about his trip.

  • (Adjective) His laconic wit made him popular at parties; he could be funny without dominating the conversation.

16. Veneration

  • Definition: A feeling of profound respect for someone or something.

  • Part of Speech: Noun

  • Derivatives:

  • Venerate (Verb)

  • Venerable (Adjective)

  • Contextual Examples:

  • (Original) ...the respect which he felt for her high rank, and his veneration for her as his patroness...

  • (Verb) Many cultures venerate their ancestors through annual ceremonies.

  • (Adjective) The venerable professor had been teaching at the university for fifty years.

17. Incumbent

  • Definition: Necessary as a duty or responsibility; morally binding.

  • Part of Speech: Adjective (can also be a Noun meaning the holder of an office)

  • Derivatives:

  • Incumbency (Noun)

  • Contextual Examples:

  • (Original) "...she felt it incumbent on her to hint, was likely to be very soon engaged."

  • (Adjective) It is incumbent upon all citizens to vote in the election.

  • (Noun) During his incumbency as mayor, the city built three new parks.

18. Corroborate

  • Definition: Support with evidence or authority, or make more certain.

  • Part of Speech: Verb

  • Derivatives:

  • Corroboration (Noun)

  • Corroborative (Adjective)

  • Contextual Examples:

  • (Original) Mr Darcy corroborated it with a bow...

  • (Noun) The police needed corroboration from a witness before they could make an arrest.

  • (Adjective) The forensic evidence provided corroborative proof of the suspect's guilt.

19. Redress

  • Definition: The act of correcting an error or a fault, or an evil.

  • Part of Speech: Noun (also used as a Verb)

  • Derivatives:

  • Redressed (Verb - Past Tense)

  • Contextual Examples:

  • (Original) "How could his will be disregarded? Why did you not seek legal redress?"

  • (Verb) He tried to redress the balance by paying for everyone's dinner after losing the bet.

  • (Noun) The employees sought redress for the unfair working conditions through the union.

20. Incessantly

  • Definition: Without interruption.

  • Part of Speech: Adverb

  • Derivatives:

  • Incessant (Adjective)

  • Incessancy (Noun)

  • Contextual Examples:

  • (Original) Lydia talked incessantly of lottery tickets, of the fish she had lost and the fish she had won...

  • (Adjective) The incessant noise from the construction site gave me a headache.

  • (Adverb) It rained incessantly for three days, causing the river to overflow.

21. Veracity

  • Definition: Unwillingness to tell lies. (Also: conformity to facts; accuracy).

  • Part of Speech: Noun

  • Derivatives:

  • Veracious (Adjective)

  • Veraciously (Adverb)

  • Contextual Examples:

  • (Original) ...it was not in her nature to question the veracity of a young man of such amiable appearance as Wickham.

  • (Adjective) The witness was known to be veracious, so the jury trusted her testimony.

  • (Noun) We questioned the veracity of the rumour since no one could find the original source.

22. Hauteur

  • Definition: Overbearing pride with a superior manner toward inferiors.

  • Part of Speech: Noun

  • Derivatives:

  • Haughty (Adjective - related root)

  • Haughtily (Adverb - related root)

  • Contextual Examples:

  • (Original) A deeper shade of hauteur overspread his features, but he said not a word...

  • (Adjective) Her haughty attitude alienated her from her coworkers.

(Noun) The aristocrat’s hauteur was evident in the way he refused to speak to the shopkeeper directly.