The Great Gatsby Vocabulary II

euphemism noun inoffensive expressions that stand in for potentially offensive ones To avoid embarrassment, my neighbor used the euphemism “let go” instead of saying he’d been fired.

insidious  adjective  treacherous; harmful, but enticing  The insidious bait on the hook enticed the large-mouth bass.

profusion noun abundance; of great supply A profusion of snowflakes obliterated our view of the road.

libertine noun a person unrestrained by conventions or morality Tom Buchanan, an unrepentant libertine, paid no heed to the marriage vows he had made.

morbid adjective gloomy; gruesome The morbid discussion at lunch about the fatal accident depressed me.

commensurate adjective proportionate; equal in measure or extent A fair punishment is commensurate to the crime.

fortuitously adverb happening by chance Tom and Jane’s meeting was fortuitous since neither one knew the other was in California.

protégé noun person trained, influenced, and helped along by others The Chief of Surgery took a special interest in the promising young surgeon and taught his protégé everything he knew.

superfluous  adjective  excessive; unnecessary  Her superfluous descriptions were so detailed and tiresome that I quit listening.

surmise noun idea based on little evidence; conjecture His surmise did not hold up in court because no one else corroborated it.