Vocabulary Words World Literature Week 6

Wan Everyone thought Sheila was not feeling well because of the gray and wan expression on her face.

Wan Definition: adj.—Sickly pale or faint, colorless Synonym: ashen, pallid, gray, waxen Antonym: rosy, vivid

Emphatically In the last seconds of the game, the coach emphatically yelled for the quarterback to call a time out to stop the clock.

Emphatically Definition: adv.—forcefully, assertively: used for emphasis Synonym: insistently, vigorously, adamantly Antonym: hesitantly, halfheartedly

Cliché The speech given by the candidate was full of corny clichés and not very original.

Cliché Definition: n.—an overused idea or expression (lost its original effectiveness or power from overuse) : a trite (corny) saying Synonym: truism, formula, saying, expression Antonym: original

Charisma While some considered Kennedy to be too young and inexperienced, his charisma and charm helped him win the election.

Charisma Definition: adj.—a special quality of leadership or special charm that captures the public imagination and devotion Synonym: personality, magnetism, allure Antonym: revulsion, dislike

Mien The substitute teacher had such an intimidating mien in the classroom that even the more rowdy students were well-behaved.

Mien Definition: n.—facial expression or general appearance, bearing, or posture, taken as an indication of mood or character Synonym: appearance, demeanor, presence

Qualm I was surprised that my best friend had no qualms about sky diving as I was terrified.

Qualm Definition: n.—an uneasiness, misgiving or doubt Synonym: fear, apprehensiveness, foreboding, disquiet Antonym: certainty, confidence

Zephyr The beautiful hike was made even more pleasant by the gentle zephyr that kept us cool.

Zephyr Definition: n.—a gentle wind, a mild breeze Synonym: wind, draft, waft

Axiom My grandfather quoted many axioms about life as a way of sharing sound and truthful advice.

Axion Definition: n.—a statement assumed to be true Synonym: maxim, proverb, adage, truism Antonym: absurdity, nonsense

Inclement Everyone was disappointed that the picnic was cancelled due to inclement weather.

Inclement Definition: adj.—without mercy: rough or stormy Synonym: severe, extreme, foul Antonym: pleasant

Latitude My history teacher gave us a great deal of latitude in choosing a topic for our group projects.

Latitude Definition: n.—enough scope or leeway for some freedom of choice, action, or thinking Synonym: freedom, scope, liberty, autonomy Antonym: restriction