Ethan Frome Vocab

conspicuously

obviously

mien

manner

taciturnity

habitual silence or reserve

shock

a thick, heavy mass

assented

agreed

sardonically

mockingly scornful or cynical

perceptible

obvious

inference

reaching conclusions from factual knowledge or evidence

habitable

capable of being lived in

chafed

felt irritated or discontented

torrents

floods or outpourings

garrison

troops stationed at a military post

capitulating

surrendering

beleagured

worn out; exhausted

colloquially

informally

portico

a doorway

ebb

a decline

wan

feeble, weak

chronicle

a narrative or fictional account

faculty

ability, power

innocuous

harmless

anecdote

a short story of an interesting, amusing, or biographical subject

reticent

uncommunicative in speech; reluctant to talk

insurmountable

incapable of being overcome

oracle

a person who gives wise or authoritative opinions; sage

provocation

arousal, stimulation

bay

a reddish-brown horse

queer

strange, weird

runners

blades on a sled or sleigh

melancholy

sad, depressed, dejected

incarnation

a version

woe

sadness

sentient

aware; perceptive of feelings

fast

firmly; tightly

inflection

tone of voice

aggrieved

troubled

poignant

affecting the feelings or emotions

intercourse

contact; communication

rejoined

repeated sharply

exanimate

spiritless; lifeless

spume

froth, foam

wraith

a ghost; specter; shadow

deciduous

shedding, not lasting

forlorn

sad; depressed

consolatory

comforting

wistful

sad, melancholy

pretence

a claim or insincere attempt

reserve

restraint with words or actions

gale

a very strong wind

floundered

stumbled

obscurity

darkness

querulously

constantly whining or complaining

undulations

wavy appearances; waves

peristyle

an opening surrounding a building or court

arcade

an arched, covered passageway

furrows

narrow grooves or trenches in the ground

tenuous

feeble, flimsy, weak

fancy

to imagine

tramp

footsteps

declivity

a descending slope

thronged

crowded

vexed

annoyed

impudent

bold, rude

suppleness

adaptability, compliance

effrontery

shameless boldness

rapt

wholly absorbed

demurred

objected; hesitated

revelry

partying

fatuity

foolishness

oblique

devious or obscure

intangible

not being able to be touched

disquieting

disturbing, alarming

effacement

inconspicuousness

obstinately

stubbornly

incisively

directly and decisively

apprehensions

worries

discern

to detect

loutish

ill-mannered and graceless

cutter

a light sleigh

incredulous

skeptical

irresolutely

unsurely, uncertainly

pantomime

acting without speaking using gestures

eluded

escaped

disdainfully

proudly, arrogantly

misgivings

feelings of doubt or despair

faltered

stammered; fumbled

indignation

anger aroused by something unjust, unworthy, or mean; outraged

larches

pine trees

suffused

spread over or through

quavered

shook, trembled

prolongation

an expansion of scope of vision, emotion, etc.

tremulous

affected by timidity

repugnant

disgusting

scintillating

sparkling, dazzling

draughts

[drafts] cold gusts of wind

indentured

contracted one person to work for another

exacting

making severe demands

tangible

able to be felt or touched; real

imperceptible

unable to be sensed

merino

soft wool

sedentary

usually sitting, idle

valise

a suitcase; bag

laden

burdened, loaded

preclude

to rule out

plaintively

woefully, sadly

sorrel

a reddish-brown animal

flux

a state of change; a continuous flow

pretext

an act to hide one's real intentions

imprudence

lacking discretion or judgment

unfounded

groundless; lacking evidence

inarticulate

incapable of expressing oneself through speech

marrow

the core

cessation

a stop or pause

convivial

relating to good times; having friendly and light-hearted fun

volubility

talkativeness

pathological

caused by disease

inevitable

unavoidable

forebodings

bad predictions or omens

scrupulously

meticulously

opulence

wealth; prosperity

genial

gracious and friendly

cupolo

[cupola] a vaulted ceiling or roof

roan

a reddish colored horse

discomfiture

embarrassment

epitaph

the inscription on a tombstone

unbidden

uninvited; not wished or asked for

contagion

the spreading of an attitude or emotion

feigned

pretended

insatiable

impossible to satisfy

implored

begged

disconsolately

gloomily, sadly; unable to be consoled

subdued

hushed, quieted

indolent

lazy

gaunt

extremely thin

countenance

an appearance, expression

wainscot

a paneling for walls (usually wooden)

languidly

lazily, slowly

derision

ridicule; scorn

mused

considered thoughtfully

deigned

lowered to a level considered inappropriate to maintaining one's dignity

aver

to prove

heedless

unaware; oblivious

ponderous

heavy and slow-moving

perfunctory

routinely, automatically

ministrations

attention

squalid

dirty and degraded

loth

reluctant

ominous

having a menacing or frightening aspect

stoicism

an indifference to pleasure and pain

consecrated

dedicated to a specific purpose; devoted

felicitous

pleasant, delightful

succumb

to yield to an overpowering force

resolute

bold and steady

foist

to impose (force) a burden on someone

recrimination

a counter accusation; returning one accusation with another

checked

stopped

inexorable

unchanging

vehemence

intensity

peril

a source of possible harm; danger, risk

antipathy

dislike

abhor

to hate strongly; to loathe

smote

attacked sharply

compunction

anxiety from guilt

wrath

anger

ingratiatingly

pleasantly, agreeably

regaled

entertained, amused

affability

pleasantness

desolately

joylessly, sadly

emitted

uttered, voiced, expressed

evocation

the act of calling forth, evoking

injunction

a command, direction

huckabuck

a coarse fabric

ebullition

a sudden outburst

benevolence

good will or deeds

lumbago

a severe backache (usually located in the lower back)

oxydized

rusted; decayed

curtly

using a short and rude tone

mottlings

clumps; blotches

boles

trunks of trees

facetious

funny, humorous

uncouth

plain; not fancy; common

nigh

nearly

adjured

pleaded

discursively

off the subject

feint

a pretension; ploy

contemptuously

boldly

audacity

boldness; arrogance

exultantly

joyfully, happily, jubilantly

avowal

a declaration

heeded

obeyed

cowered

crouched, cringed, recoiled

drone

a continuous monotonous sound

slatternly

drab and dirty

swarthy

dark

austere

somber and grave