Hamlet Act I Vocabulary
1. jocund: (adj.) merry or cheerful Synonyms elated jolly Antonyms sad He is a rigid temperance man, although he is jocund and whole-souled to a fault.
2. avouch: (v) to cite as authority. Synonyms claim declare Antonyms deny I had a note from my doctor avouching that my medical condition did indeed disqualify me from gym class.
3. martial: (adj.) related to or suited for war. Synonyms pugnacious combative Antonyms peaceful The ancient Romans were a martial people.
4.portentous: (adj.) eliciting amazement or wonder; shadowy or ominous. Synonyms astounding intriguing Antonyms insignificant As an explanation for such a portentous mystery, this has to be too mundane.
5. harbingers: (n.) foreshadows what is to come. Synonyms omen sign Antonyms unknown Frost is a harbinger of winter.
6. dirge: (n.) song of grief; mournful piece of music. Synonyms lament Antonyms happy song The autumn wind sang the dirge of summer.
7. impious: (adj.) lacking in reverence or proper respect. Synonyms disrespectful wicked Antonyms pious The film doesn't utter a single pious or even impious thought about politics from beginning to end.
8. circumscribed: (v./adj.) to surround by a boundary. Synonyms restrict confine Antonyms free Her social activities are circumscribed by school regulations.
9. apparition: (n.) a ghostly figure Synonyms spirit phantom Antonyms being He came toward me, a blurred figure looming like a dark apparition.
10. precepts: (n.) noun1.a commandment or direction given as a rule of action or conduct. (v) to take beforehand; to instruct Synonyms principle direction Antonyms nonsense To live according to the precepts of a stringent religion can be difficult.