Short Story Vocabulary Flashcards
(26 cards)
Finesse
(Noun)
Skill and cleverness shown by how someone handles a situation.
Her finesse in the game of volleyball led to her becoming captain.
Incessant / Incessantly
(Adjective)
Nonstop; without ending.
His incessant persuading to join the club was overwhelming.
(Verb)
describes an action that is nonstop.
She would incessantly invite me to play cards with her.
Odious
(Adjective)
Describing something deserving hatred.
The odious prisoner was arrested for first degree murder.
Nocturnal
(Adjective)
Describes something that is active at night.
He wandered about the corridor as if a nocturnal animal.
Palpable
(Adjective)
Able to be touched or felt.
Her palpable fear was growing stronger as it approached her.
Tangible
(Adjective)
Describes something that has substance or reality. Capable of being touched or identified.
The tangible book was thought to be better than reading the story on the internet.
Disarming
(Adjective)
Describes something that removes feeling of unfriendliness or mistrust.
The disarming remarks on her essay made her feel at ease.
Analytical
(Adjective)
Describes something that is skilled in breaking a whole into it’s parts and examining their relationship.
The scientist used an analytical approach to her study of genetics.
Futile
(Adjective)
Describes something that has no result of effect.
The futile experiment could not support our hypothesis.
Condone
(Verb)
To forgive, overlook, or allow an offense.
The teacher condones the students poor behavior.
Preclude
(Verb)
To prevent or make impossible beforehand.
The secret nature of his work precluded official recognition.
Retribution
(Noun)
Punishment for doing something wrong.
Retribution is sweet to those who seek vengeance over criminals.
Avenge
(Verb)
To get revenge by punishing the wrongdoer.
He seeked to avenge me for lurking on his property.
Avenger
(Noun)
Someone who avenges a wrong.
The avenger found himself caught between what was right, and what was easy.
Connoisseur
(Noun)
A person who has a high level of knowledge or skill in a field.
The connoisseur helped us rebuild the section on the rocket that had overheated.
Accost
(Verb)
To approach or speak in a challenging or aggressive way.
He would accost to the other participants before a competition.
Murmur
(Noun)
A soft, indistinct sound.
The murmur the car made when turned off did not wake the kids.
Annihilate
(Verb)
To destroy, utterly obliterate.
The farmer’s job was to completely annihilate the population of poisonous insects around the crops.
Expendable
(Adjective)
Designed to be used once, than abandoned or destroyed.
The expendable contraption was not even put to use because of a lack of time.
Correlate
(Verb)
To have a mutual relationship or connection in which one thing depends on another; to coordinate or match.
We correlated outfits the previous night to score points for our class.
Paradox
(Noun)
Something such as a situation that is made up or of two things that seem impossible.
The paradox that had occurred in Kaylee’s short story for English was based off of her summer reading book.
Delirium
(Noun)
Sudden or servere confusion.
She went into a state of delirium after the car had crashed, and she was in the emergency room.
Resilient
(Adjective)
Able to recall or spring back into a shape after bending. Able to become strong or successful after something bad.
The resilient troopers ran after the enemy once their camp had been attacked.
Undulate
(Verb)
To move into a smooth, wave light motion.
The undulate clouds moved across the sky gracefully.
