Frankenstein Vocab

(50).

dogmatism (n.): The tendency to assert that one’s beliefs are true without considering the evidence

or the opinions of others; arrogant assertion of opinion as truth. In M. Waldman I found a true friend.

His gentleness was never tinged by dogmatism, and his instructions were given with an air of frankness and good

nature, that banished every idea of pedantry (51).

bestow (v.): To give as a gift; to bequeath or confer a gift, honor, or right. Note: The word bestow is

usually followed by the proposition upon. I became myself capable of bestowing animation upon lifeless matter

(53).

ardent (adj.): Characterized by a warmth or intensity of feeling. I will not lead you on, unguarded and

ardent as I then was, to your destruction and infallible misery (54).

exalt (v.): To praise highly; to raise in rank, stature, or power. I doubted at first whether I should attempt

the creation of a being like myself, or one of simpler organization; but my imagination was too much exalted by my

first success to permit me to doubt of my ability to give life to an animal as complex and wonderful as man (54).

magnitude (n.): The size, extent, or importance of something. I was encouraged to hope my present

attempts would at least lay the foundations of future success. Nor could I consider the magnitude and complexity of

my plan as any argument of its impracticability (54).

disquiet (v.): To make someone worried or nervous. [T]he same feelings which made me neglect the scenes

around me caused me also to forget those friends who were so many miles absent, and whom I had not seen for so long a

time. I knew my silence disquieted them (56).

engross (v.): To engage the whole attention of someone. I did not watch the blossom or the expanding

leaves — sights which before always yielded me supreme delight — so deeply was I engrossed in my occupation (57).

impel (v.): To feel a strong desire to do something; to urge or drive forward. I did not dare return to the

apartment which I inhabited, but felt impelled to hurry on, although drenched by the rain which poured from a black

and comfortless sky (60).

convalescence (n.): To return to health after an illness or injury. It was a divine spring; and the season

contributed greatly to my convalescence. I felt also sentiments of joy and affection revive in my bosom (63).

verdant (adj.): Green with growing plants. A serene sky and verdant fields filled me with ecstasy. The

present season was indeed divine; the flowers of spring bloomed in the hedges, while those of summer were already in bud

(71).

decisive (adj.): So important as to determine what the result of something will be; pivotal or

determinative. One sudden and desolating change had taken place; but a thousand little circumstances might have

by degrees worked other alterations, which although they were done more tranquilly, might not be less decisive (76).

intently (adv.): Done with a clear and deliberate intention; purposefully. I perceived in the gloom a figure

which stole from behind a clump of trees near me; I stood fixed, gazing intently: I could not be mistaken. A flash of

lightning illuminated the object, and discovered its shape plainly to me (77).

conception (n.): An idea or concept; the act of thinking abstractly. Could he be (I shuddered at the

conception) the murderer of my brother? (78).

sentiment (n.): An emotion or feeling. Her garb was rustic, and her cheek pale; but there was an air of dignity

and beauty, that hardly permitted the sentiment of pity (79).

acquit (v.): To decide that someone is not guilty of a crime. ‘She is to be tried today, and I hope, I sincerely

hope, that she will be acquitted’ (81).

endow (v.): To provide someone with a certain personality trait or physical feature. Note: The verb

endow is usually followed by the preposition with. We were soon joined by Elizabeth. Time had altered her

since I last beheld her; it had endowed her with loveliness surpassing the beauty of her childish years (81).

exculpate (v.): To prove that someone is not guilty; to clear from alleged fault or guilt. A thousand

times rather would I have confessed myself guilty of the crime ascribed to Justine; but I was absent when it was

committed, and such a declaration would have been considered as the ravings of a madman, and would not have

exculpated her who suffered through me (83).

earnestly (adv.): Done in a sincere and serious state of mind. [W]hen one enquired where she had passed

the night, she replied that she had been looking for the child and demanded earnestly if any thing had been heard

concerning him (84).

irreproachable (adj.): Perfectly innocent; having no fault and deserving no blame. Elizabeth saw even

this last resource, her excellent dispositions and irreproachable conduct, about to fail the accused, when, although

violently agitated, she desired permission to address the court (85).

perpetrate (v.): To carry out a crime; to do something bad to others. ‘I thought with horror, my sweet

lady, that you should believe your Justine, whom your blessed aunt had so highly honored and whom you loved, was a

creature capable of a crime which none but the devil himself could have perpetrated’ (88).

immoderate (adj.): Excessive; going beyond reasonable limits; not moderate. No one could love a child more than I loved your brother' — tears came into his eyes as he spoke — but is it not a duty to the survivors that we should refrain from augmenting their unhappiness by an appearance of immoderate grief? (94). 

ephemeral (adj.): Lasting a very short time. It was during an access of this kind that I suddenly left my home, and bending my steps towards the near Alpine valleys, sought in the magnificence, the eternity of such scenes, to forget myself and my ephemeral [. . .] sorrows (97). 

sublime (n.): So beautiful as to be overwhelming; striking, stunning, or awe-inspiring. [A]s I ascended higher, the valley assumed a more magnificent and astonishing character. [...] But it was augmented and rendered sublime by the mighty Alps, whose white and shining pyramids and domes towered above all, as belonging to another earth (97). 

congregate (v.): To come together or gather into a group. They congregated [a]round me; the unstained snowy mountain-top, the glittery pinnacle, the pine woods, and ragged bare ravine, the eagle, soaring amidst the clouds 

they all gathered [a]round me and bade me be at peace (99). 

duty (n.): A sense of moral obligation; something that you must do because it is morally right or because the law requires it. Do your duty towards me, and I will do mine towards you and the rest of mankind' (102). 

docile (adj.): Obedient or compliant; easily led or managed. I am thy creature, and I will be even mild and docile to my natural lord and king, if thou wilt also perform thy part, the which thou owest me (102-103). 

clemency (n.): Merciful treatment; a merciful or lenient disposition in one who has the power to administer punishment. Oh, Frankenstein, be not equitable to every other and trample upon me alone, to whom thy justice, and even thy clemency and affection, is most due (103). 

indistinct (adj.): Blurry, fuzzy, unclear, or indefinite. It is with considerable difficulty that I remember the original era of my being: all the events of that period appear confused and indistinct' (105). 

assuage (v.): To make less painful or intense; to appease or quench. Food, however, became scarce; and I often spent the whole day searching in vain for a few acorns to assuage the pangs of hunger' (107). 

adjacent (adj.): Close by or next to something; sharing a border. As soon as morning dawned, I crept from my kennel, that I might view the adjacent cottage and discover if I could maintain in the habitation I had found' (109).

venerable (adj.): Old and highly respected; deserving of respect due to one's age and achievements. Nothing could exceed the love and respect which the younger cottagers exhibited towards their venerable companion (113). 

arbiter (n.): A person invested with the power to settle an argument or make a decision; a person whose judgment is considered authoritative. I looked upon them as superior beings, who would be the arbiters of my future destiny (117). 

cursory (adj.): Hasty or rapid; done or made quickly. The book from which Felix instructed Safie was Volney's Ruins of Empires. [...] Through this work I obtained a cursory knowledge of history and a view of the several empires at present existing in the world' (122). 

virtuous (adj.): Morally good; having or showing virtue. Was man, indeed, at once so powerful, so virtuous, and magnificent, yet so vicious and base?' (122). 

esteem (v.): To regard very highly; to admire or respect someone or something. I learned that the possessions most esteemed by your fellow creatures were high and unsullied descent united with riches' (122-123). 

mutual (adj.): Shared in common; directed by each toward the other; between two or more people or groups. I heard [...] how all the life and cares of the mother were wrapped up in the precious charge; how the mind of youth expanded and gained knowledge; of brother, sister, and all the various relationships which bind one human being to another in mutual bonds' (124). 

kindle (v.): To ignite a fire; to spark, arouse, or start something. The Turk, amazed and delighted, endeavored to kindle the zeal of his deliverer by promises of reward and wealth' (126). 

aspire (v.): To want to have or achieve something. She instructed her daughter in the tenets of her religion and taught her to aspire to higher powers of intellect and an independence of spirit forbidden to the female followers of Mahomet' (126-127). 

former (n.): The first of two things just mentioned. Note: The antonym of the former is the latter, which refers to the second of two things just mentioned. Felix had procured passports in the name of his father, sister, and himself. He had previously communicated his plan to the former, who aided the deceit by quitting his house, under the pretense of a journey and concealing himself, with his daughter, in an obscure part of Paris' (127). 

loathe (v.): To feel intense hatred toward someone or something. He loathed the idea that his daughter should be united to a Christian; but he feared the resentment of Felix if he should appear lukewarm' (127). 

emblem (n.): A symbol representing an idea; an object or picture used to represent something. Many times I considered Satan as the fitter emblem of my condition; for often, like him, when I viewed the bliss of my protectors, the bitter gall of envy rose within me' (132). 

decipher (v.): To decode a hidden message; to make out the meaning of something despite its obscurity. Soon upon my arrival in the hovel, I discovered some papers in the pocket of the dress which I had taken from your laboratory. At first I had neglected them; but now that I was able to decipher the characters in which they 

were written, I began to study them with diligence' (132). 

sagacity (n.): Wisdom; discernment; keen understanding. I had sagacity enough to discover [. . .] that the unnatural hideousness of my person was the chief object of horror with those who had formerly beheld me' (134). 

irresolute (adj.): Uncertain of how to act or proceed; undecided or uncommitted. I knew that every minute was precious to me, yet I remained irresolute in what manner to commence the interview (135). 

exertion (n.): Physical or mental effort. I became fatigued with excess of bodily exertion, and sank on the damp grass in the sick impotence of despair' (138). 

visage (n.): A person's face; a facial expression. My travels were long, and the sufferings I endured intense. [- ..] I travelled only at night, fearful of encountering the visage of a human being' (141). 

extort (v.): To obtain something by resorting to threats and/or blackmail. [N]o torture shall ever extort a consent from me. [. . .] [Y]ou may torture me, but I will never consent' (147). 

sympathy (n.): The act of sharing the feelings of another person; the act of exhibiting sensitivity to the feelings of another person. I swear to you, by the earth which I inhabit, and by you that made me, that with the companion you bestow I will quit the neighborhood of man, and dwell, as it may chance, in the most savage of places. My evil passions will have fled, for I shall meet with sympathy!' (149). 

undulation (n.): A wavelike motion; a rising and falling of waves. I saw him descend the mountain with greater speed than the flight of an eagle, and quickly lost among the undulations of the sea of ice (150). 

hasten (v.): To increase the speed with which one is doing something; to move or travel in a quick or hurried manner; to cause something to happen earlier than it normally would. I knew that I ought to hasten my descent towards the valley, as I should soon be encompassed by darkness; but my heart was heavy, and my steps slow' (150-151).

impulse (n.): A sudden strong desire to do something. [T]hrough the whole period during which I was the

slave of my creature[,] I allowed myself to be governed by the impulses of the moment (159).

machination (n.): A crafty plan to do something, esp. something evil. Note: The word machination

is usually used in the plural: machinations. I allowed myself to be governed by the impulses of the moment; and my

present sensations strongly intimated that the fiend would follow me, and exempt my family from the danger of his

machinations (159).

indolence (n.): Laziness, slothfulness, idleness. After some days spent in listless indolence, during which I

traversed many leagues, I arrived at Strasburgh where I waited two days for Clerval (159).

variegated (adj.): Characterized by many different colors or markings; full of variety. This part of the

Rhine, indeed, presents a singularly variegated landscape. In one spot you see rugged hills, ruined castles overlooking

tremendous precipices, with the dark Rhine rushing beneath; and, on the sudden turn of a promontory, flourishing

vineyards with green sloping banks and a meandering river and populous towns occupy the scene (160).

replete (adj.): Filled or plentiful; having a lot of something. Note: The word replete is usually followed

by the preposition with. Has this mind, so replete with ideas, imaginations fanciful and magnificent, which

formed a world, whose existence depended on the life of its creator — has this mind perished? (161).

insurmountable (adj.): Impossible to solve, overcome, or surmount. I saw an insurmountable

barrier placed between me and my fellow-men (163).

inquisitive (adj.): Curious and eager to learn more; inclined to ask questions. But in Clerval I saw the

image of my former self; he was inquisitive, and anxious to gain experience and instruction (163).

ennui (n.): A feeling of extreme boredom, weariness, or lassitude. During my youthful days discontent

never visited my mind; and if I was ever overcome by ennui, the sight of what is beautiful in nature, or the study of

what is excellent and sublime in the productions of man, could always interest my heart, and communicate elasticity to

my spirits (165).

frenzy (n.): A bout of wild and uncontrolled activity. During my first experiment, a kind of enthusiastic

frenzy had blinded me to the horror of my employment; my mind was intently fixed on the consummation of my labor,

and my eyes shut to the horror of my proceedings (169).

foreboding (n.): A feeling that something bad is going to happen. Note: Although Shelley uses it in

the plural, the word foreboding is usually used in the singular. I looked towards its completion with a

tremulous and eager hope, which I dared not trust myself to question, but which was intermixed with obscure

forebodings of evil, that made my heart sicken in my bosom (169).

loiter (v.): To remain in an area when you do not have a particular reason to be there; to delay an

activity with idle stops and pauses. Yes, he had followed me in my travels; he had loitered in forests, hid

himself in caves, or taken refuge in wide and desert heaths (171).

endure (v.): To suffer misfortune without yielding or giving up. ‘I have endured incalculable fatigue, and

cold, and hunger’ (172).

irresolution (n.): Undecided about how to act; not resolute or determined about how to act. ‘The

hour of my irresolution is past, and the period of your power is arrived. Your threats cannot move me to do an act of

wickedness; but they confirm me in a determination of not creating you a companion in vice (172).

elude (v.): To escape or avoid something or someone, often by being quick, clever, or skillful. I

would have seized him; but he eluded me, and quitted the house with precipitation (173).

malice (n.): A desire to cause harm to another person. In that hour I should die, and at once satisfy and

extinguish my malice (173).

ravenous (adj.): Extremely hungry. The sun had far descended, and I still sat on the shore, satisfying my

appetite, which had become ravenous, with an oaten cake, when I saw a fishing-boat land close to me (174).

resolve (v.): To make a firm decision to do something. I had resolved in my own mind [. . .] that to create

another like the fiend I had first made would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness; and I banished

from my mind every thought that could lead to a different conclusion (175).

mutable (adj.): Prone to change or to be changed frequently; changeable liable to mutate. How

mutable are our feelings, and how strange is that clinging love we have of life even in the excess of misery! (177).

inhospitable (adj.): Not welcoming or hospitable to guests. ‘[S]urely it is not the custom of Englishmen to

receive strangers so inhospitably’ (178).

deposition (n.): A formal statement taken under oath so that it can be used in court; testimony given

in court. The first part of his deposition did not in the least interest me; but when the mark of the fingers was

mentioned, I remembered the murder of my brother and felt myself extremely agitated (180).

yield (v.): To give in, surrender, or relinquish control. My father yielded at length to my desire to avoid

society, and strove by various arguments to banish my despair (189).

futility (n.) Uselessness, ineffectiveness, or pointlessness. My father [. . .] endeavored to prove to me the

futility of pride (188).

disclose (v.): To reveal or make known publicly. I could not bring myself to disclose a secret which would

fill my hearer with consternation, and make fear and unnatural horror the inmates of his breast (190).

entreat (v.): To implore or plead; to request something of another person. “My dear son, I entreat you

never to make such an assertion again” (190).

confide (v.): To share a secret with a person deemed trustworthy; to reveal something in confidence.

I will confide this tale of misery and terror to you the day after our marriage shall take place, for, my sweet cousin,

there must be perfect confidence between us (194).

dissipate (v.): To separate into parts and fade away; to cause to spread thin and gradually vanish.

She looked forward to our union with placid contentment, not unmingled with a little fear, which past misfortunes had

impressed, that what now appeared certain and tangible happiness, might soon dissipate into an airy dream, and

leave no trace but deep and everlasting regret (195).

jeer (v.): To speak or cry with derision or mockery. A grin was on the face of the monster; he seemed to jeer,

as with his fiendish finger he pointed towards the corpse of my wife.

habitation (n.): A dwelling place; the act of inhabiting a place. [D]uring many months, as I understood, a

solitary cell had been my habitation.

incredulity (n.): A feeling of being unable to believe something; the state of being incredulous;

disbelief. He had heard my story with that half kind of belief that is given to a tale of spirits and supernatural

events; but when he was called upon to act officially in consequence, the whole tide of his incredulity changed (203).

proportionate (adj.): Having a size, number, or amount that is appropriate or well-suited to

something. ‘[I]f it is in my power to seize the monster, be assured that he shall suffer punishment proportionate

to his crimes’ (203).

extricate (v.): To liberate someone from an entanglement or difficult situation. I was cursed by some

devil, and carried about with me my eternal hell; yet still a spirit of good followed and directed my steps and, when I

most murmured, would suddenly extricate me from seemingly insurmountable difficulties (207).

repast (n.): A meal; a plate of food. Sometimes, when [I was in] nature, overcome by hunger, sunk under the

exhaustion, a repast was prepared for me in the desert, that restored and inspirited me (207).

instigate (v.): To cause something to begin; to incite or stir others to undertake certain actions,

especially mischievous actions. Sometimes, indeed, he left marks in writing on the barks of the trees, or cut in

stone, that guided me, and instigated my fury (208).

adversary (n.): An enemy or opponent. I knelt down, and, with a full heart, thanked my guiding spirit for

conducting me in safety to the place where I hoped, notwithstanding my adversary’s gibe, to meet and grapple with

him (209).

curdle (v.): To form curds or lumps; to thicken and separate into liquids and solids. You have read this

strange and terrific story, Margaret; and do you not feel your blood congeal with horror, like that which even now

curdles mine? (212).

peril (n.): Danger; circumstances that put one at risk of injury. [B]ehold, with the first imagination of

danger, or, if you will, the first mighty and terrific trial of your courage, you shrink away, and are content to be handed

down as men who had not strength enough to endure cold and peril (217).

stigma (n.): A taint of shame or discredit. Do not return to your families with the stigma of disgrace marked

on your brows (217).

pardon (v.): To excuse an offense; to forgive someone for something. Oh, Frankenstein! [G]enerous

and self-devoted being! [W]hat does it avail that I now ask thee to pardon me? I, who irretrievably destroyed thee by

destroying all thou lovedst (221).

conscience (n.): The part of the mind that determines whether something is right or wrong; the

internal faculty that makes moral judgments and provokes feelings of guilt. ‘Your repentance,’ I said, ‘is

now superfluous. If you had listened to the voice of conscience, and heeded the stings of remorse, before you had urged

your diabolical vengeance to this extremity, Frankenstein would yet have lived’ (222).

hypocritical (adj.): Characterized by self-contradiction; the behavior of people who do things that

they tell other people not to do. You throw a torch into a pile of buildings; and when they are consumed, you sit

among the ruins, and lament the fall. Hypocritical fiend! (223).