1. Dante’s Inferno Vocabulary Definitions

2. 1 malice: hatred, spite, meanness, anger 2 fraud: dishonesty, deception, trickery, cheat 3 ambition: desire and motivation to strive for improvement regardless of who may be in the way 4 overindulgence: greed, excess, loss of control, too much desire

3. 5 purgatory: afterlife between Heaven and Hell where sinners must be cleansed of sin before going to Heaven 6 impede: to prevent, to stop, to deny 7 ravenous: predatory due to starvation 8 famished: extreme hunger, starvation 9 sage: a person who has great wisdom 10 sinister: evil, wicked

4. 11 eternal: lasting forever, immortal 12 despair: extreme sadness, depression, total loss of hope 13 summit: the highest point of a mountain 14 Contrapasso: when the punishment fits the crime 15 vanquished: totally beaten or destroyed

5. 16 woe: tremendous sadness and sorrow 17 abyss: a bottomless pit 18 Baptized: to be Christened in church 19 merit: distinction of excellence, value for high achievement 20 tempest: a raging storm 21 infernal: hellish, wicked, related to evil or diabolical deeds

6. 22 tempestuous: stormy, violent, passionate 23 implore: to beg for help 24 enthralled: captivated by, amazed by, mesmerized by 25 treachery: an act of betrayal, of breaking someone’s trust, of being a traitor

7. 26 prone: lying down sprawled on the floor 27 dexterously: able to do things equally with both hands 28 rebuke: to speak out against, to punish with words 29 intellect: wisdom, intelligence 30 delinquent: a young lawbreaker, troublemaker