The Giver / Vocabulary Ch. 1-5

1. in·trigue n. secret, interesting plans: There was intrigue in the palace when the queen decided to steal power from the king.-v. -trigued, -triguing, -trigues to cause interest or curiosity: The man intrigued me, so I asked him to my house for dinner.

2. ad·her·ence n. 1 attention to laws, rules, etc., (syn.) obedience: He pays strict adherence to the rules in his work. 2 ability to hold, such as glue, (syn.) adhesion: The glue does not have enough adherence to stick to the surface of the wall.
                                                                                                                                                   3. mys·ti·fy v. -fied, -fying, -fies to confuse, puzzle: Everyone was mystified by his sudden disappearance. -n. mystification                                                                                              

4. i·ron·ic adj. having a meaning opposite to what actions or words are showing: I find it ironic that you don't like children, but you teach kindergarten. See: irony .
                                                                                                                                                   
5. ap·ti·tude n. capacity for, to be good at doing s.t.: That student has an aptitude for mathematics.

6. grav·i·tate v. -tated, -tating, -tates 1 to react to the force of gravity: Objects gravitate naturally downward toward the ground. 2 to feel attracted to: The major industries gravitated toward the outer parts of the city where rents were cheap

7. se·rene adj. 1 (of a place) very calm, peaceful: The lakes in Maine are serene on hot summer mornings. 2 (of a person) unworried, peaceful: After she told him that she loves him, he became serene with relief and happiness.

8. pal·pa·ble adj. 1 capable of being felt: Bumps on his head from a fall were palpable to the touch. 2 easy to see or notice, obvious: The soldier's fear was palpable. -adv. palpably.

9. dis·traught adj. very upset, extremely troubled: She was distraught by the death of her aunt.

10. ap·pre·hen·sion n. [U;C] worry, fear: The parents were filled with apprehension about letting their 19-year-old daughter drive across country alone. -adj. apprehensive

11. chas·tise v. -tised, -tising, -tises 1 to punish, as by beating 2 to criticize severely: The newspaper chastised the politician for bad behavior. -n.  chastisement                       

12. chor·tle v. n. -tled, -tling, -tles to laugh softly with delight: I <v.> chortled at his funny joke.

13. in·sight n. ability to see or know the truth, intelligence about s.t., (syn.) perception: By moving to Washington, the senator gained insight into how politics really work. -adj. insightful      

14. trans·gres·sion noun: an act, process, or instance of transgressing: as a : infringement or violation of a law, command, or duty

15. hu·mil·i·ate v. -ated, -ating, -ates 1 to embarrass, (syn.) to humble: The actor forgot his lines, and that mistake humiliated him. 2 to disgrace, shame: A prison sentence humiliated the thief and his family. -n. humiliation

16. rit·u·al  n. a ceremony or rite done to mark a serious or sacred event or day: A common ritual at a wedding is giving and receiving wedding rings. 2  an act or actions that one repeats often: His morning ritual is to make coffee, take a shower, eat breakfast, and brush his teeth. -v. ritualize.

17. non·de·script adj. common, ordinary, with no outstanding features: Her office is in a nondescript building on the main street.

18. re·morse n. a very strong feeling of sadness or guilt about: He was filled with remorse after he stole the watch, so he returned it to the owner. -adj. remorseful; -adv. remorsefully.