1. Macbeth Week 1 Vocabulary

2. Assailable, adj
Easy to attack, conquerable, exposed Synonym: vulnerable, defenseless Antonym: unassailable, secure The politician’s assailable character was brought on by a multitude of lies he had told in the past.

3. Benediction, n.
An utterance of good wishes. The form of blessing pronounced by a minister (or one likened to it). Synonym: blessing Antonym: condemnation The congregation responded to the benediction with an “amen”.

4. Virtue, n. Moral excellence; goodness; righteousness
Synonym: incorruptibility, rectitude
Antonym: immorality, dishonor
Because he was known for his virtue, the king had no problem knighting the nobleman, for the king knew he would only do good for the kingdom.

5. Largesse, n. Generosity, charitableness
Synonym: benevolence, magnanimity
Antonym: stinginess
Out of largesse, the philanthropist sold her estate to donate the proceeds to the community food bank.

6. Verity, n The state or quality of being true; accordance with reality
Synonym: accuracy, veracity
Antonym: falseness, fallacy
The teacher doubted the verity of the student’s excuse for being absent as the student is absent nearly every day.

7. Cloistered, adj Isolated, reclusive Synonym: sequestered, insulated
Antonym: unsecluded, social
Prince Prospero’s abbey was cloistered from the town which helped keep the sick away.

8. Malevolent, adj wishing evil or harm to another or others;
showing ill will
Synonym: malicious, pernicious, wicked
Antonym: benevolent, pleasant, amiable
The malevolent Darth Vader tried to turn his own son to “the dark side.”

9. Usurp, v
to seize and hold (a position, office, power, etc.) by force or without legal right
Synonym: seize, commandeer
Macdonwald tries to usurp the throne from King Duncan.

10. Redress, v Righting wrongs; relief from wrong or injury.
Synonym: amend, reconcile
Antonym: hurt, hinder
In redress of the vase he broke, he sent her a dozen roses in a new vase.

11. Incense, v To make angry, to provoke
Synonym: antagonize, aggravate, infuriate
Antonym: cheer up, comfort
She was incensed that he had broken her vase, especially since she suspected that he broke it on purpose.

12. Compunctious, adj Apologetic, penitent Synonym: repentant, contrite
But, really, he did feel compunctious for being so careless - having knocked the vase off of the table when he set down his coffee.

13. Blaspheming, v to speak disrespectfully of (God or sacred things).
to speak evil of; slander; abuse.
Synonym: heresy, sacrilege
Antonym: piety, godliness
He was considered an anathema for blaspheming against the church in the church; no one would speak to him from that point forward.

14. Censure, n or v
A strong or vehement expression of disapproval; To criticize or reproach in a harsh manner Synonym: condemnation; rebuke Antonym: compliment; sanction The congregation censured the blaspheming man, and told him never to come back.

15. Surmise, v to think or infer without certain or strong
evidence; conjecture; guess.
Synonym: hunch; notion; supposition
Antonym: certainty; fact
The congregation could only surmise that the man was trying to pick a fight with them, for why else would he go to a place where he knew everyone would disagree with him?

16. Jocund, adj cheerful; merry; glad Synonym: blithe, jocose
Antonym: dolorous, sad
The balloons changed the sick little girl’s gloomy mood to a jocund one.