The Great Gatsby Vocabulary

Derick Chan
Period 2
Mrs. Bonilla
2/28/15

Amorphous (Adj) Lacking definite form, shapeless The water is amorphous, unless you pour it
into a container.
Appall (Verb) To fill or overcome with horror The detectives were appalled by the ruthlessness
of the murder.
Apparition (Noun) A supernatural appearance of a thing or ghost. The apparition of the ghost
terrified the child.
Corpulent (Adjective) Large or bulky of body The corpulent man struggled to climb the stairs.
(In)discreet (Adjective) To be reckless in ones speech or actions, possibly causing offense to
another. His indiscreet remarks greatly offended the manager.
Florid (Adjective) Reddish or rosy. She flushed florid as his compliments.
Flounce (Verb) To go with exaggerated or impatient movements. She flounced out of the store,
knocking things over.
Garrulous (Adjective) Excessively talkative in a rambling, roundabout manner The politician
had a garrulous and boring speech, yet the morons in the crowd clapped and cheered for him.
Incredulous (Adjective) Skeptical, disinclined to believe His story drew many incredulous
reactions from his listeners.
Lethargic (Adjective) Drowsy, sluggish The lethargic speech nearly put me to sleep.
Menagerie (Noun) A collection of wild animals for decoration or display The drug lords
mansion contained a menagerie, according to the investigators.
Nebulous (Adjective) Hazy, vague, or indistinct. His explanation was nebulous at most.
Obtrusive (Adjective) Noticeable or prominent in an unwelcome or intrusive way. Her obtrusive
entrance into the argument was met with irritation.
Rancor (Noun) Bitter, ill will, with hatred or malice that can be long standing. His rancor for
him persisted over the decades.
Refuse (Verb) To decline or reject He politely refused his offer to take him out to dinner.
Reproach (Verb) To speak to one in a way to show disappointment The reproach in the teachers
voice was obvious, as the student hung his head in shame.

The Great Gatsby Vocabulary

Revere (Verb) To regard with respect and awe. The North Korean citizens revered their leader.
Saunter (Verb) To walk leisurely She sauntered through the street, feeling confident for her
interview.
Shiftless (Adjective) Lazy, characterized by lack of ambition. His was so shiftless, refusing to
go search for a job.
Swank (Noun) Dashing smartness, as in dress or appearance. The Jazz Age was characterized
by swank men and sultry women.
Tumultuous (Adjective) Disorderly or noisy, causing a commotion. The party was extremely
tumultuous, with fights breaking out all over.
Turbulent (Adjective) State of agitation or disturbance. The breakup caused both of them to
become turbulent.
Vestige (Noun) A mark, trace, or visible evidence of something that is no longer there.
Stonehenge is a vestige to a civilization that no longer exists.
Vicariously (Adjective) Experienced in the imagination through the feelings or actions of another
person. He vicariously lived his life after the incident.
Wan (Noun) Of an unnatural or sickly pallor, pale He looked extremely wan when he arrived to
school.