Ender’s Game Vocabulary
Here are twenty-five words related to Ender’s Game. Please find the context in which the word
appears (yes, write the sentence from the text), identify its part of speech (verb, noun,
adjective), and write an appropriate definition (in your own words).
Chapter One
Malleable – (adjective) "Same with the sister. And there are doubts about him. He's too malleable. Too
willing to submerge himself in someone else's will."
Definition: Too easy to be pushed to do something or be influenced.
Chapter Two
Peripheral – (noun) Ender couldn't see it coming, except a slight shift of Peter's weight; the mask cut out
his peripheral vision.
Definition: The vision that you have off to the side of your vision when you are looking straight forward.
Chapter Three
Incredulous – (adjective) Mother was incredulous. "Putting the Stilson boy in the hospital? What would
you have done if Andrew had killed him, given him a medal?"
Definition: disbelief
Ambiguous – (adjective) They both renounced their religions— your mother was a Mormon— but in fact
their feelings are still ambiguous.
Definition: Open minded or acceptance of other ideas or beliefs.
Chapter 4
Purge – (verb) "That's where you're mistaken. He's even sweeter. But don't worry. We'll purge that in a
hurry."
Definition: Get rid of something that is not wanted.
Defiant – (adjective) Anderson was defiant. "We're going to make him the best military commander in
history."
Definition: Resisting or keeping to your idea.
Chapter 5
Lure – (verb) Lie in wait at one trap. Lay seven traps and then lure them like this.
Definition: Lead to something with temptation.
Emulate – (verb) The boys who had been so trained by the computer that even when they played
against each other they each tried to emulate the computer.
Definition: Copy, mimic or imitate
Chapter 6
Chasm – (noun) "I don't care. His fault or not, he's poisoning that group. They're supposed to bond, and
right where he stands there's a chasm a mile wide."
Definition: Something different or odd about something; it doesn’t seem right
Sluggishness – (adjective) He noticed that along with the sluggishness, the suit had an amplifying effect
on movement.
Definition: Moving slowly or barely moving
Chapter Seven
Malicious – (adjective) Ender remembered burrowing through the eye when it had been alive and
malicious and intelligent.
Definition: An intend to do harm
Sullen - There were other boys near him, tired-looking boys, sullen, the ones least valued.
Definition: In a bad mood and gloomy
Chapter 8
Insubordinate – (adjective) "So everything Bonzo said about you was a lie. You're not only short and
incompetent, you're insubordinate, too."
Definition: Rebellious or disobedient
Hegemony – (noun) "Because as long as people are afraid of the buggers, the IF can stay in power, and
as long as the IF is in power, certain countries can keep their hegemony.
Definition: Rule over a place; power or leadership
Chapter 9
Façade – (noun) The facade of peace and cooperation had been undisturbed almost since the bugger
wars began.
Definition: Something appealing used to shield or hide something that is not pleasant or shows reality.
Incognito – (adjective) What worried her most was the comment of an Englishman: "Whether he likes it
or not, Demosthenes cannot remain incognito forever.
Definition: Hide your true identity through a false identity.
Chapter 10
Adroit – (adjective) The littlest kid, the one who had been last out of the door, was the first to arrive at
the correct wall, and he caught himself adroitly.
Definition: Skills with using your hands or mind.
Archaic – (adjective) "Cubit! Has God been telling you to build a boat or something? Or are you in an
archaic mood?"
Definition: Old – fashioned
Chapter 11
Tedious – (adjective) A few of them spontaneously began to wrestle — the gym, instead of being
tedious, was suddenly fun, because of the battle to come.
Definition: Tiring, long and slow
Solemn – (adjective) He looked very solemn as he offered Ender the teacher hook that was ritually given
to the victor in the game.
Definition: Serious and without a smile.
Chapter 12
Disingenuous – (adjective) "Do not be disingenuous with me, Colonel Graff. Americans are quite apt at
playing stupid when they choose to, but I am not to be deceived. You know why I am here."
Definition: Acting dumb as if you don’t know what is going on or what is being talked about.
Chapter 13
Conciliatory – (adjective) Demosthenes is definitely the girl, but Graff says the girl was rejected for Battle
School because she was too pacific, too conciliatory, and above all, too empathic."
Definition: Make peace.
Fastidious – (adjective) There were still water birds taking their fastidious little steps in the saltwater,
where mossy trees dipped down as if to drink.
Definition: Accurate and clean
Chapter 14
Apathy - He looked at Ender with an expression that bespoke only apathy.
Definition: Not interested or isn’t enthusiastic or not concerned
Chapter 15
Jaded - "You're wrong, Ender. You think you're grown up and tired and jaded with everything, but in
your heart you're just as much a kid as I am.
Definition: Tired after having too much of something.