The Great Gatsby
VOCABULARY
asunder- adv. 1. into parts or pieces. 2. in different directions; apart. adj. separated; not close; apart.
benediction- n. 1. a blessing. 2. an invocation of divine blessing. 3. a giving of thanks; grace. 4. blessedless 5. in the Roman Catholic Church, a special ritual of blessing.
ceaselessly- adv. unceasing; continual.
colossal- adj. like a colossus in size; huge; gigantic: used loosely, as in the motion-picture industry, to denote approval.
complacency- n. 1. quiet satisfaction; contentment. 2. self-satisfaction; smugness.
corpulent- adj. fat; fleshy; stout; obese.
elude- v. 1. to avoid or escape from by quickness. cunning, etc. 2. to escape detection by; evade; baffle: as, the point that you're trying to make eludes me.
ether- n. 1. an imaginary substance regarded by the ancients as filling all space beyond the sphere of the moon, and making up the stars and planets. 2. the upper regions of spaces; clear sky. 3. [Rare] the air.
extemporizing- v. to speak, perform, or compose extempore; improvise.
feigned- adj. 1. fictitious; imagined. 2. pretended; simulated; sham.
florid- adj. 1. rosy; ruddy; highly colored; said of the complexion. 2. highly decorated; gaudy; showy; ornate: as, a florid passage on music, etc. 3. [Rare], decorated with flowers; flowery.
implore- v. 1. to ask or beg earnestly for; beseech. 2. to ask or beg (a person) to do something; entreat.
infinitesimal- adj. too small to be measured; infinitely small.
jaunty- adj. 1. stylish; chic. 2. easy and careless; gay and swaggering; sprightly; perky.
languidly- adv. 1. without vigor or vitality; drooping; weak. 2. without interest or spirit; listless; indifferent. 3. sluggish; dull; slow.
laudable- adj. worthy of being lauded; praiseworthy; commendable.
levity- n. lightness or gaiety of disposition, conduct or speech; lack of seriousness; frivolity. 2. fickleness; instabilty.
meretricious- adj. 1. originally, of, like, or character of a prostitute. 2. alurring by false, showy charms, seriously attractive; flashy; tawdry.
prodigality- n. 1. reckless wastefullness 2. abundent generosity or liberality; lavishness. 3. extreme abundance.
punctilious- adj. 1. careful in the observance of the nice points of behavior and cermony. 2. very exact; scrupulous.
receded- v. 1. to go or move back. 2. to withdraw. 3. to slope backward. 4.to become more distant.
rent- n. 1. a stated return or payment for the temporary possession or use of a house, land or other property, made, usually at fixed intervals by the tenant or user to the owner. 2. a real estate or other property yeilding an income. v. 1. to get temporary possession and use of (a house, land, etc.) in return for stated payments, usually at fixed intervals. 2. to give temporary possession and use of in return for such payments; lease or let for rent.
reproach- v. 1. to accuse of and blame for a fault; rebuke; reprove; censure; upbraid. 2. to bring shame and disgrace upon; be a cause of discredit to.
supercilious- adj. disdainful or contemptuous; full of or characterized by pride or scron; haughty; arrogant.
vacuous- adj. 1. empty 2. having or showing lack of intelligence. interest or thought; stupid; senseless; innane. 3. characterized by lack of purpose; idle.
vinous- adj. of, having the nature of, or characteristic of wine. 2. addicted to drinking wine.
wan- adj. 1. sickly pale; pallid; colorless. 2. idicative or suggestive of a sickly condition or great wariness, grief. 3. dark; gloomy; sad. v. to make or become sickly pale.
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