The Midwife’s Apprentice
Vocabulary
from Dictionary.com
List One
1. Heedless- adjective
careless; thoughtless; unmindful: Heedless of the danger, he returned to the burning building to save
his dog.
Synonyms
oblivious, indifferent; negligent, uncaring, unconcerned.
Antonyms
cautious, mindful, heedful
2. Diligent- adjective
constant in effort to accomplish something; attentive and persistent in doing
anything: The student made a diligent search of the files.
Synonyms
industrious, assiduous, sedulous. See busy. 2. indefatigable, untiring, tireless, unremitting.
Antonyms
careless
3. Diffident- adjective
lacking confidence in one's own ability, shy.
Synonyms
self-conscious, self-effacing, abashed, embarrassed, modest, unassuming, unconfident. See shy1 .
Antonyms
boastful
4. Dire- adjective
terrible trouble, disaster, misfortune; urgent; desperate: After the party we were in dire need of
food.
5. Cordial- adjective
courteous and gracious; friendly; warm: Their invitation to the wedding was cordial.
6. Privyadjective
participating in the knowledge of something private or secret
(usually followed by to ): Many persons were privy to the plot.
noun
outhouse
7. Grovel- verb
1. to humble oneself or act as in great fear or utter servility (like a servent).
2. to lie or crawl with the face downward
8. Abundant- adjective
1. present in great quantity; more than adequate; oversufficient: an abundant supply of water,
a river abundant in salmon.
Synonyms
copious, profuse, overflowing. See plentiful. teeming, rich.
Antonyms
sparse, scarce.
9. Turmoil- noun
a state of great commotion, confusion, or disturbance; tumult; agitation; disquiet: mental
turmoil caused by difficult decisions.
Synonyms
turbulence, disorder, uproar. See agitation.
Antonyms
order, quiet.
10. Compelling- adjective
overpowering: compelling reasons; having a powerful and irresistible effect; requiring
acute admiration, attention, or respect: a man of compelling integrity; a compelling drama.
The Midwife’s Apprentice
Vocabulary
from Dictionary.com
List Two
11. Haggle- verb
to bargain in a petty, quibbling, and often contentious manner: They spent hours haggling over
the price of fish.
12. Flounder- verb
to struggle clumsily or helplessly (usually followed by about, along, on, through, etc.): He saw the
child floundering about in the water. He floundered helplessly on the first day of his new job.
Synonyms
falter, waver, muddle.
13. Conscientious- adjective
careful and painstaking; particular; meticulous a conscientious judge; conscientious application
to the work at hand.
Synonyms
just, upright, honest, faithful, devoted, dedicated.
14. Meddle- verb
to involve oneself in a matter without right or invitation; interfere officiously and
unwantedly: Stop meddling in my personal life!
Synonyms
intervene, intrude, pry.
15. Efficacy- noun
The ability to produce a desired result or effect; effectiveness: The drug was a remedy of great
efficacy.
16. Revelry- noun
lively festivity: Their revelry could be heard across the river.
Synonyms
merrymaking, celebration, carousal, spree.
17. Whorl- noun
a circular arrangement of like parts, anything shaped like a coil.
18. Meander- verb
to wander aimlessly; ramble: The stream meandered through the valley. The talk meandered on.
verb (used with object)
19. Bustle- verb
to move or act with a great show of energy (often followed by about ): He bustled about
cooking breakfast.
Synonyms
ado, flurry, agitation, fuss.
20. Ample- adjective
plentiful; enough: an ample supply of water; ample time to finish.
Synonyms
1.See plentiful. 2. generous, free, abounding, lavish, plenteous, overflowing. AMPLE, LIBERAL, COPIOUS,
PROFUSE describe degrees of abundant provision. AMPLE implies a plentiful provision: to give ample praise.
LIBERAL implies provision from a generous supply (more than AMPLE but less than COPIOUS ): Liberal
amounts of food were distributed to the needy. COPIOUS implies an apparently inexhaustible and lavish
abundance: a copious flow of tears. PROFUSE implies a still more unrestrained abundance of provision or
flow: profuse in his apologies. 3. extensive, vast, great, capacious.
Antonyms
scanty, meager.
21. Compendium- noun
a summary, epitome, or abridgment; a full list or inventory: a compendium of their complaints.
The Midwife’s Apprentice
Vocabulary
from Dictionary.com
List Three
22. Stanch- verb
to stop the flow of (a liquid, especially blood).
23. Derivative- adjective
not original; Chemistry . a substance or compound obtained from, or regarded as derived from,
another substance or compound.
24. Disreputable- adjective
having a bad reputation: a disreputable barroom. Dishonorable; shabby or shoddy; of poor quality
or condition: disreputable clothes.
Synonyms
disgraceful, ignoble, unprincipled, objectionable, low, shameful, debased.
25. Tumultuous- adjective
full of disturbance and uproar: a tumultuous celebration. a tumultuous crowd of students.
Synonyms
uproarious, turbulent, violent. 2. boisterous. 3. unquiet.
Antonyms
calm, quiet.
26. Resound- verb
echo, reverberate, ring, make noise, noise A gong resounded. His name resounds in the pages of
history.
27. Tantalize- verb
to torment with, or as if with, the sight of something desired but out of reach; tease by
arousing expectations that are repeatedly disappointed.
Synonyms
provoke, taunt, tempt; frustrate.
Antonyms
satisfy.
28. Abide- verb
to remain; continue; stay: Abide with me.
to put up with; tolerate; stand: I can't abide dishonesty!
to remain steadfast or faithful to; keep: If you make a promise, abide by it.
Synonyms
1. tarry. 2. live. 3. persevere, endure. 4. bear, endure, brook; support.
29. Boon- noun
something to be thankful for; blessing; benefit.
30. Sham- noun
something that is not what it seems to be; a spurious imitation; fraud or hoax.
Synonyms
1. pretense. 4. spurious, make-believe, simulated, mock. See false. 6. imitate. 7. feign, fake.
Antonyms
4. genuine.
31. Incompetent- adjective
lacking qualification or ability; incapable: an incompetent candidate.
His incompetent acting ruined the play.
Synonyms
unqualified, inadequate, unfit. See incapable.
Antonyms
able, qualified.