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Mr. Pisano
English 9
Vocabulary Study Sheet
The Laughing Man
J.D. Salinger
(cover the right side of the sheet to quiz yourself)
acute -- as in: acute pain
sharp (a severely negative event) -- often with a rapid onset
acute pain
anonymous
unnamed so others will not know who did something -- for
example, the name of an author or the name of a donor
an anonymous gift
apparent
clear or obvious; or appearing as such but not necessarily so
The effects of the drought are apparent to anyone who sees the
parched fields.
appropriate -- as in: it is appropriate
suitable (fitting) for a particular situation
These clothes aren`t appropriate for work.
ascetic
someone who practices self-denial (often to encourage
spiritual growth); or relating to such self-denial
The ascetic life has been more pronounced in Hinduism and
Buddhism than in other major religions.
or:
severely plain (without decoration)
audible -- as in: barely audible
capable of being heard
She spoke in a barely audible whisper.
compassion
sympathy for another`s suffering and wanting to help
She looked on without compassion.
credible
appearing to merit belief or acceptance
a credible witness
disconcerting
disrupt composure -- such as to confuse or worry
It was disconcerting to realize the experts don`t really
understand what is going on either.
eloquent
powerful use of language
Her eloquence is unquestioned even amongst those who
disagree with her.
fastidious
giving careful attention to detail
fastidious attention to detail
or:
excessively concerned with cleanliness or matters of taste
flaunt
the act of displaying something ostentatiously (showing off)
flaunt
She is more wealthy than her neighbors, but never flaunts it.
hideous
extremely ugly, offensive, and/or frightening
hideous fangs
impartial
without favoritism or bias
An impartial judge is necessary for a fair trial.
incisive
incisive comments
indicator
direct, clear, and sharp in thinking or expression -- often
indicating a decisive person (makes decisions quickly) or a
penetrating mind
something that shows, expresses, or demonstrates
something else
Experts think the economy will get worse because leading
economic indicators are down.
ingenious
showing inventiveness and skill
an ingenious solution to the problem
intuitive
known instinctively rather than through reasoning
The were perfect partners -- one highly intuitive and the other
highly analytical.
invariably
consistently or without variation
I tell myself to go to sleep early, but I invariably end up
watching television late into the night.
liberate
to set free -- as from prison or political oppression
working to liberate the religious minority from persecution
literal -- as in: in the most literal sense
She thinks the creation story in the Bible is a literal description;
while he thinks it is poetic.
loathe
true in various senses:
actually true (not an exaggeration or metaphor) -- as
in "We literally jumped for joy."
to intensify what is said -- especially a metaphor -- as
in "During the Super Bowl, our eyes were literally
pinned to the television."
word for word -- as in "The literal translation of the
French vin aigre is `sour wine`."
true in its explicit meaning without reading anything
else into it -- as in "She believes in the truth of
Bible`s creation story without believing it is literally
true.
detest or intensely dislike (find repugnant or disgusting)
I loathe that man
profuse
abundant (a lot of something)
It grows profusely in this area.
rationalize -- as in: easier to rationalize than
change
to use reason to make excuses for bad behavior -- often
done without realizing the reasoning is invalid
change
Criminals typically rationalize their behavior. Even when
convicted, many blame others for their decisions.
solemn
serious, dignified and sincere in manner
He took a solemn oath.
species
a similar group of animals or plants identified as separate
from others because they can interbreed with each other
It is an endangered species.
stifle
to suppress (prevent something from happening)
rules that stifle creativity
or:
to smother (prevent someone from breathing)
summon
I was summoned to the principal`s office.
trifling -- as in: a trifling matter
to call forth -- such as:
summon to court -- officially demand that someone
appear in court (call them to court)
summon the team to a meeting -- call upon the team
members to attend a meeting
summon help -- call others to come and help
summon her courage -- call forth her courage from
within
something of small importance; or a small quantity
such trifles may be disregarded
wistful
showing longing or unfulfilled desire
Sitting in her wheelchair, she looked wistfully at the dancers.
©2012