Vocabulary List #4
Words from To Kill a Mockingbird
impertinence n. (im PER tin ence) disrespect; rude boldness
Miss Caroline was finally fed up with Burris’s impertinence and sent him home
for the rest of the day.
The defendant’s impertinence towards the judge—calling him names and rolling
his eyes—was probably the reason his punishment was extra harsh.
notoriety n. (no to RYE itee) fame
Because of the star’s notoriety, he was flocked by screaming fans wherever he
went and every move he made was scrutinized by the media.
With notoriety comes the responsibility to be a good role model, because many
children look up to famous people.
volition n. (vo LISH uhn) free will; the ability to choose
After seeing his face all over television, James knew he would eventually be
caught; he walked into the police station of his own volition and turned himself
in.
I exercised my volition when I decided to quit piano lessons; I was tired of
always being the good little girl who pleases her parents.
complacent adj. (com PLAY sent) satisfied to a fault (in a bad way); self-satisfied
and unconcerned
It bothered the guidance counselor that Margo was so complacent about the fact
that she had failed all her classes senior year; Mrs. Tellman had hoped she
would be a little more concerned about her future.
Not only did the new employee not finish all of his work in time for the crucial
deadline, but he acted so complacent about it that his boss fired him on the
spot.
furtive adj. (FUR tiv) secretive; sneaky
Melanie’s furtive behavior caught the teacher’s attention just before she was
able to pass a note to her friend.
The burglars used furtive movements as they gingerly crept around the house,
piling precious loot into their bags.
futile adj. (FYOO tile ) useless or pointless
The stranded motorist knew that no one would be traveling on this highway so
late at night; therefore waiting in her car for someone to drive by and help her
was futile.
Mr. O’Connor made a futile attempt to get Mrs. O’Connor’s attention; once
Jacoby Ellsbury stepped up to the plate, nothing could compel her to take her
eyes off of him.
irascible adj. (ih RASSS ible) easily angered; grouchy
Mrs. Dubose is so irascible, that even when Jem tries be to polite to her, she
launches into a tirade about how awful the Finch family is.
You can tell when my teacher is in an irascible mood, because she will glare at
any student who even dares to sneeze in the middle of class.
squalid adj. (SCWA lid) miserable and filthy (used to describe the condition of a
place)
The family was desperately trying to fix up the squalid shack they had been living in
ever since the Depression hit.
When police found the missing child, they were horrified to see the squalid basement
where the kidnappers had kept her for months.
uncouth adj. (un COOTH) crude; impolite
The man I sat next to at my friend’s party was incredibly uncouth; he ate his
dinner with his hands and made rude jokes throughout the evening.
Bob Ewell is so uncouth it’s no surprise his son, Burris, swore at Miss Caroline
and treated her with such effrontery.
stolidly adv. (STALL id lee) without emotion
I couldn’t tell whether Susan was angry with me when I confessed to having
wrecked her car, because she only stared at me stolidly and shook her head.
Ron sat so stolidly as his parents scolded him for breaking curfew that they
began to wonder if he felt bad at all for what he had done.