To Kill a Mockingbird Vocabulary: Chapters 1-8

Apothecary (noun) One who prepares and sells medicines

Assuaged (verb) Made less severe or burdensome

Indigenous (adjective) Occurring or living naturally in an area

Malevolent (adjective) Having or exhibiting hatred

Piety (noun) Religious devotion and reverence to God

Sojourn (noun) A brief, temporary stay

Unsullied (adjective) Spotlessly clean and fresh

Vexations (noun) Irritations or annoyances

Wallowing (verb) Heavily indulging in; rolling in

Abominable (adjective) Detestable; unpleasant

Amiable (adjective) pleasant; good-natured

Auspicious (adjective) Presenting favorable circumstances

Contentious (adjective) Tending to fight; quarrelsome

Dispensation (noun) A special allowance; privilege

Expansively (adverb) With a willingness to talk; share

Fractious (adjective) Inclined to make trouble; unruly

Persevere (verb) To persist in a purpose, idea, or task

Tranquility (noun) State of calm, peacefulness, serenity

Tyranny (noun) A government in which a single person assumes absolute control

Aloof (adjective) Distant; unfeeling

Benevolence (noun) Inclination to perform charitable acts

Benign (adjective) Compassionate; incapable of causing harm

Bewilderment (noun) Condition of being confused

Cherub (noun) A winged, chubby angel

Ensuing (verb) Following immediately afterward

Morbid (adjective) Gruesome, gloomy, or dark

Obliged (verb) Under force of necessity; obligated

Prowess (noun) Superior skill or ability; strength or courage

Tacit (adjective) Unspoken; understood without being expressed

Aberrations (noun) Deviations from the proper course

Accosted (verb) Approached in a harsh manner; assaulted

Ascertaining (verb) Discovering with certainty; determining

Cleaved (verb) Adhered to closely; clung to

Embalming (verb) Treating with preservatives to prevent decay

Feeble (adjective) Physically weak from age or sickness; frail

Meditative (adjective) Given to contemplation or deep thought

Unfathomable (adjective) Difficult or impossible to understand

Vigil (noun) Wakefulness maintained in reverence to another person, usually after one’s death

Whittle (verb) To carve or shape