The Crucible
Vocabulary
Acts I-IV
inert
• adjective
• Having no power of
action, motion or
resistance; inactive
or unable to react
• She was lying inert
in her bed when her
mother tried to wake
her for school.
somber
• adjective
• Gloomily dark;
depressing or dismal;
serious
• The mood at her
grandmother’s funeral was
somber.
theocracy
• noun
• A form of government in
which God is recognized
as the supreme civil ruler
• The Puritans lived under a
theocracy; therefore,
worshipping Satan was
against the law.
hearty
• adjective
• vigorous and healthy;
warm-hearted and
affectionate
• Our mother cooked us a
hearty meal consisting of
meat, potatoes, and
vegetables.
dissemble
• verb
• To give a false or
misleading appearance; to
conceal the truth
• Abigail Williams has an
endless capacity for
dissembling because she is
living a lie.
faction
• noun
• A group or clique within
a larger group; strife or
trouble within a group
• There was a faction
against Thomas Putnam in
Salem.
abomination
• noun
• A vile, shameful, horrible,
detestable action; anything
disliked as evil or hated
• Dancing in the forest was
considered an abomination to
the Puritans.
vindictive
• adjective
• Inclined or likely to get
revenge; showing a
vengeful spirit
• Many vindictive Puritans of
Salem used witchcraft
accusations to get back at
those with whom they had a
conflict
corroborate
• verb
• To make certain; to
confirm, authenticate or
validate
• The two scientists
corroborated their
hypothesis about global
warming
intimation
• noun
• A hint or suggestion
• Her father had a slight
intimation about the
party she had the night
before.
formidable
• adjective
• Causing fear, apprehension,
or dread; of awesome
strength or size
• The undefeated football team
was a formidable opponent.
• Cleaning her room as a
formidable task.
trepidation
• noun
• Tremulous fear, alarm;
trembling or quivering
• Her trepidation about giving
the speech increased as she
took the stage.
prodigious
• adjective
• Extraordinary in size,
amount, or extent;
wonderful or marvelous;
monstrous
• The prodigious Rocky
Mountains are a well-known
natural beauty.
inquisitive
• adjective
• Given to asking
questions;; eager for
knowledge; intellectually
curious; prying
• Her inquisitive nature came
in handy when she became
a reporter.
arbitrate
• verb
• To determine or settle an
argument or dispute
• Since she was skilled at
arbitration, she decided to
become a counselor.
squabble
• Verb and noun
• To engage in a petty
quarrel or fight
• The family’s
squabble over money
lasted for years.
iniquity
• Noun
• An injustice or
wickedness; a violation;
sin
• Because of her numerous
iniquities, she was known
as a sinner and thought to
be worshipping the devil.
defamation
• Noun
• The act of injuring the good
reputation of another, as by
slander (using language/insult)
• When she made up the rumor
about her friend, it was
undoubtedly a cruel act of
defamation.
anarchy
• Noun
• A state of society without
government or law; lack
of obedience to an
authority
• When her parents were
gone, the home was in a
complete state of anarchy.
licentious
• Adjective
• Sexually unrestrained;
immoral or going beyond
proper bounds or limits;
disregarding rules
• Her promiscuously immoral
habits caused her to be
known as a licentious
trouble maker.
Act II
condemnation
• Noun
• An expression of
disapproval; a judgment; an
accusation
• He expressed his
condemnation after he
witnessed her horrible
behavior.
scoff
• Verb
• To mock or speak badly
about; to belittle
• When her daughter asked
for a new car, the mother
scoffed at the idea.
conviction
• Noun
• A fixed or firm belief
• Her convictions allowed
her to live an honest life.
ameliorate
• Verb
• To make or become
better or more bearable;
to improve
• He hoped to ameliorate
the situation by lending a
helping hand.
compact
• Noun
• A formal agreement
between two or more
parties or states; a
contract
• Tituba claimed to have
made a compact with the
Devil.
base
• Adjective
• Morally low;
immoral;
dishonorable
• John Proctor asked
his wife if she
thought he was
base for his
indiscretions.
pious
• Adjective
• Showing a reverence for
God; extremely religious
• Rebecca Nurse was known
as a pious woman who
went to church and prayed
regularly.
wily
• adjective
• Full of tricks; tricky or sly;
deceitful
• Abigail Williams is a wily
girl who tells lies to get
power.
trifle
• noun
• A matter or thing of little
value or importance; a
small thing
• When they went for coffee,
they talked of trifles.
covet
• verb
• To desire wrongfully; to
want to wish for eagerly
• Thomas Putnam
coveted the land of
others, so he accused
them of witchcraft.
quail
• verb
• To shrink in fear; to
cower
• When she saw a
spirit, she quailed in
fear.
evasively
• adverb
• Avoiding ; not answering
straightforwardly
• She evasively answered
his difficult questions.
gingerly
• adverb
• Done with great care;
carefully
• She gingerly placed
the eggs into her
basket so as not to
break them.
calamity
• noun
• A great disaster or
catastrophe; a
misfortune
• Many people’s homes
were left in ruins after
the calamity of
Hurricane Sandy.
vengeance
• noun
• Infliction of harm; violent
revenge; desire for
revenge
• Thomas Putnam sought
vengeance and began
accusing innocent people
of witchcraft.
menacingly
• adverb
• Harmfully, dangerously;
done in a way that
causes harm;
threateningly
• Government soldiers in
armored vehicles
menacingly drove
through the streets firing
into crowds.
blasphemy
• noun
• Cursing or disrespecting
God or sacred things
• Blasphemy is a serious
crime in Puritan society
and could cause one to be
accused of witchcraft.
lechery
• noun
• Unrestrained sexual
desire; excessive
indulgence; lust
• John Proctor committed an
act of lechery when he
had the affair with Abigail
Williams.
pretense
• noun
• Pretending; make believe
• The girls in Salem were
never punished for
excessive pretense
providence
• noun
• Luck or divine
intervention; fate; The
care and guidance of
God or nature over the
creatures of the earth
• The Puritans believed
there was providence in
Salem, so they behaved
according to the laws of
God
Act III
abundant
• adjective
• Present in great quantity;
well supplied; plentiful
• She had such an abundant
supply of clothes that she
gave things away to her
friends.
scorn
• noun
• Disrespect or
despisal of something
• Religious people
expressed their
scorn for the Devil.
remorseless
• adjective
• Without guilt in spite of
wrongdoing; inhuman
• When Abigail Williams
seemed remorseless when
she accused Tituba of
making her conjure.
daft
• adjective
• Senseless; stupid or foolish;
insane or crazy
• Elizabeth thought her husband
John had gone daft when he
cheated
contentious
• adjective
• Tending to argue; causing
conflict or arguments
• The relationship between the
Putnams and most other
people in Salem is
contentious because the
Putnams always have conflict
with others.
affidavit
• noun
• A written declaration upon
oath used for evidence in
court; testimony; a sworn
statement
• Giles Corey was asked by the
judges to submit his affidavit
that his wife is not a witch.
contempt
• noun
• Antipathy (not caring);
aversion; disrespect; hatred
of something
• Many people in Salem were
arrested on charges of
contempt, which is
disrespect of the court.
baffle
• verb
• To confuse or bewilder; to
frustrate or perplex
• Judge Danforth appears baffled
when he hears that the girls
were pretending
deferentially
• adverb
• Respectfully following
judgment or opinion of others;
respectful or courteous regard.
• The people of Salem have to
approach the judges
deferentially, or they might
otherwise be arrested.
summon
• verb
• To call into action; to
command or gather
• Many people in Salem were
summoned to the court on
charges of witchcraft.
effrontery
• noun
• Shameless boldness; audacity
• Judge Danforth exclaims that
he will not have any effrontery
in his court, so most people
kept to themselves.
incredulously
• adverb
• Skeptically; done in a way that
shows disbelief
• Many watched incredulously as
Elizabeth Proctor, a good
woman, was taken away on
charges of witchcraft.
solemn
• adjective
• Grave or serious as a person
in speech, tone, or mood
• His manner was solemn at
his grandmother’s funeral
while he read the elegy.
pretense
• noun
• Pretending; make believe
John Proctor tries to tell
Reverend Hale that
everything the girls do is
pretense and that no one
should believe them.
apprehensively
• adverb
• Uneasy or fearful about
something that might happen
• Elizabeth Proctor
apprehensively opened the
door for Reverend Hale to
come in and question her
about her religious nature.
vengeance
• noun
• Infliction of injury or harm to
another; the desire for revenge
• The Putnams are famously
known for seeking vengeance
on many of those in Salem by
accusing them of witchcraft.
deception
• noun
• Misleading by a false
appearance; unfaithfulness
• Abigail Williams is an expert
at deception because she is
able to trick many of those
around her.
allegiance
• noun
• Loyalty or devotion to
something or someone
• Tituba is pressured into
admitting that she has an
allegiance to the Devil.
befoul
• verb
• To make dirty or
filthy; defile; to soil
• The judges agree
that witchcraft has
befouled many
people in Salem.
denounce
• verb
• To condemn or disapprove of
something publicly; to make a
formal accusation against
• At the end of act three, Reverend
Hale denounces the
proceedings and quits the court.
Act IV
gaunt
• adjective
• Extremely thin and bony, as
from great hunger, weariness,
or torture; emaciated
• After he had been in jail for
months, John Proctor wasn’t
eating and became very gaunt.
excommunication
• noun
• To sentence a member of
the church to exclusion
from the church or
community
• John Proctor was
excommunicated from
the church in Salem
because of the
accusations against him.
beguile
• verb
• To influence by trickery
or flattery; to mislead,
charm, or divert
• The judges don’t want to
admit they’ve been
beguiled by the girls.
retaliate
• verb
• To take action against,
especially by returning
some injury or wrong
• John Proctor was the only
one willing to retaliate
against the judges.
adamant
• adjective
• Unyielding in attitude or
opinion in spite of urgings; not
willing to change
• Reverend Hale was adamant
about trying to get people to
confess to save their lives.
indictment
• noun
• A formal accusation or
charge
• Many people in Salem
faced false indictments.
spite
• noun
• Malicious (negative) desire
to harm, frustrate, or annoy
another
• John Proctor would not
confess out of spite.
penitence
• noun
• Regret for one’s wrongdoing
or sinning
• The judges seemed to have
no penitence for what they
had done and only cared
about themselves.
salvation
• noun
• The act of saving or
protecting from harm, risk,
loss, or destruction
• John Proctor would rather die
than gain salvation from the
corrupt church.
incredulous
• adjective
• Skeptical or unsure;
showing disbelief
• The judges were
incredulous when it came
to hearing testimonies.