PART I blithe – cheerful
Ex. It is more fun to be with a blithe person than a morose person. blatant – obvious
Ex. George was blatant about his dislike of that political party. benevolent – charitable
Ex. Giving blankets to the homeless was a benevolent gesture. antithesis – the opposite
Ex. The antithesis of good is evil. vindication – clearance of blame
Ex. The verdict was a vindication for the man accused. writhed – twisted and turned
Ex. He writhed in agony after being shot. surly – bad-tempered
Ex. Mr. Higgins is surly before he has his morning coffee. terse – abruptly concise
Ex. He gave a terse command, and the dog obeyed. welfare – well-being, benefit
Ex. Charities look after the welfare of those in need. workhouse – a kind of prison where petty offenders are made to work
Ex. Those who owed money were sent to workhouses until they paid off their debts. infamous – having a bad reputation
Ex. Antonio is infamous for arriving late.
PART II cliché – overused expression
Ex. The language of the speech was not fresh; it was full of clichés. ponderous – heavy or weighty
Ex. The decision to attend private school was a ponderous one. destitute – poor and needy
Ex. The destitute man carried his belongings in a shopping cart. incredulous – expressing doubt
Ex. He looked incredulous as he held up the winning lottery ticket. countenance – facial expression
Ex. Her tranquil countenance masked her inner turmoil. frugal – thrifty
Ex. Joanie is a frugal shopper; she always buys things on sale. garish – overly fancy
Ex. The dress was garish, having a lot of ruffles and bows. despicable – deserving to be hated
Ex. Scrooge was a despicable character in the story. entreated – begged
Ex. The children entreated their parents to go to Disney World. maudlin – overly sentimental
Ex. The card was maudlin, so I chose to write my own verse. avarice – greed
Ex. Because of his avarice, he did not give to charities.

At the end of this unit, I’m going to quiz you individually on your own personal vocabulary list.
Throughout the reading of this book, I want you to pull out two words per stave that you are unsure of or never heard before. Record them here, then look up their part of speech, definition, and copy down how it is used in the text of A Christmas Carol. As we read, I may ask you to record other words that are important to our class discussions. These will also be part of your personal vocabulary quiz, so make sure to use the extra space at the bottom.
Word #1
Definition
Quote
Word #2
Definition
Quote
Word #3
Definition
Quote
Word #4
Definition
Quote
Word #5
Definition
Quote
Word #6
Definition
Quote
Word #7
Definition
Quote
Word #8
Definition
Quote
Word #9
Definition
Quote
Word #10
Definition
Quote
Part of Speech
Part of Speech
Part of Speech
Part of Speech
Part of Speech
Part of Speech
Part of Speech
Part of Speech
Part of Speech
Part of Speech
Stave
Stave
Stave
Stave
Stave
Stave
Stave
Stave
Stave
Stave