Lord of the Flies vocabulary
Chapters 4-6
Ineffectual (adj)
• Useless; powerless
• “Piggy tiptoed to the triangle, his
ineffectual protest made, and joined the
others.”
Leviathan (n)
• Something very large; (based on a giant
sea creature in the Bible)
• “Then the sleeping leviathan breathed
out, the waters rose, the weed streamed,
and the water boiled over the table rock
with a roar.”
Clamor (n)
• A loud outcry; a great disorder
• “Tall trunks bore unexpected pale flowers
all the way up to the dark canopy where
life went on clamorously.”
Incredulous (adj)
• Skeptical; disbelieving
• “They were twins, and the eye was
shocked and incredulous at such cheery
duplication.”
Gyrate (v)
• To revolve or spin
• “Jack broke out of his gyration and stood
facing Ralph.”
Opaque (adj)
• Impenetrable by light
• “The opaque, mad look came into his
eyes again.”
Lamentation (n)
• Weeping due to mourning
• "At first he was a silent effigy of sorrow;
but then the lamentation rose out of him."
Diffidently (adv)
• With hesitation
• "Diffidently, Simon allowed his pace to
slacken until he was walking side by side
with Ralph and looking up a him through
the coarse black hair..."
Effigy (n)
• A representation
• Most often, the word is used when
someone is burned in effigy
• "At first he was a silent effigy of sorrow;
but then the lamentation rose out of him."
Swarthy (adj)
• Darkness (of skin)
• "When Roger opened his eyes and saw
him [Jack], a darker shadow crept beneath
the swarthiness of his skin..."
Interminable (adj)
• Seemingly without end
• "An interminable dawn faded the stars
out, and at last light, sad and gray, filtered
into the shelter."