Literary Words: English Vocabulary List

an ability or skill that has been developed through training or practice

"The acquirement of skills takes time."

"The acquirement of new language skills requires consistent practice and dedication every day."

knowledgeable or skilled in a particular field or activity, typically as a result of experience or study

"She is well versed in literature."

"She is well versed in French literature and history."

very courageous and not afraid of situations that are dangerous

"The intrepid explorer climbed the mountain."

"The intrepid explorer crossed the desert alone without any fear."

the quality of being foolishly or rudely bold

"He had the temerity."

"He spoke with great temerity against the powerful leader during the public meeting."

fair in judgment or treatment

"The judge was evenhanded."

"The judge was evenhanded and treated both sides fairly during the trial."

condemned to suffer or face misfortune as a result of supernatural punishment

"The accursed witch cast a spell."

"The accursed witch cast an evil spell on the entire village."

hard to manage or endure

"This is a trying time."

"The trying circumstances tested their patience but they remained calm and worked together to find a way out of the mess."

demanding or requiring a considerable amount of effort and energy to deal with

"The work is taxing."

"The final exam was very taxing for the students because it covered six months of material and required intense concentration."

the clothes or attire that someone wears, often chosen for a specific occasion or purpose

"His ceremonial garb was colorful."

"The actor wore strange garb to play the role of an ancient king in the movie."

a tightly packed or clustered group or mass

"Clump of trees."

"We rested under a clump of trees during the hot afternoon hike in the forest."

a meal with fine food, typically for many people, celebrating a special event

"The feast was huge."

"The family prepared a grand feast for Thanksgiving including turkey stuffing and pumpkin pie."

a short, thick, coarse hair growing naturally on an animal or person

"Animal bristle shown."

"He would bristle with anger whenever someone questioned his authority in the office."

a collection of different kinds of items gathered together without any particular order

"We bought sundry items at the store."

"We bought sundry items like soap paper and toothpaste at the store."

a relatively small degree of a good and desirable thing

"Modicum of truth."

"There was only a modicum of truth in the story he told us yesterday."

to be pulled along by a leading force

"Hikers trail behind the group leader."

"The children trailed behind their parents as they walked slowly through the busy zoo looking at the animals."

a person who regularly enjoys drinking alcohol, often seen indulging in social settings

"The old tippler sat at the bar."

"The old tippler spent most of his time drinking in the local tavern every evening."

(of food, particularly cake and bread) not fresh anymore, due to exposure to air or prolonged storage

"The bread is stale."

"The bread was stale and hard so we could not make sandwiches and had to throw it away."

showing a formal stiffness, often without a natural flow

"The conversation felt stilted."

"The conversation felt stilted because nobody knew what to say to each other."

the forward part of a ship or boat, typically pointed and leading ahead through the water

"The ship's prow cut."

"The ship's prow sliced through the choppy waves as it sailed towards the distant horizon."

to make someone feel uneasy and ashamed

"The compliment abashed the shy girl."

"The unexpected praise from the famous author abashed the young writer who was not used to receiving such compliments."

to secretly cooperate or conspire with others, typically to commit wrongdoing or deceit

"They connived to steal the money."

"The two employees connived together to steal money from the company by creating fake invoices and pocketing the payments."

a person who signs a bond to guarantee another's fulfillment of obligations

"The bondsman paid the bail."

"The old bondsman worked hard to pay off his debt many years ago."

a large crowd of people gathered closely together

"A throng of fans gathered outside."

"A large throng of people gathered in the square to celebrate the national holiday."

to search a place thoroughly, often in a rough or disorderly manner, especially with the intention of stealing or causing damage

"Burglars ransacked the entire house."

"The burglars ransacked the entire house looking for valuable items to steal and left a huge mess behind."

to express one's disagreement, refusal, or reluctance

"She demurs when asked to lead the group."

"She wanted to accept the job offer but demurred because the salary was much lower than she had expected."

to approach or address someone aggressively or boldly, often with an intent to engage in conversation

"A stranger accosted him on the street."

"A stranger accosted me on the street and asked for money, but I quickly walked away without giving him anything."

the state of being unhappy and despairing

"A deep despondency settled over him after he lost his job."

"Despondency is a state of profound hopelessness and dejection"

characterized by remarks or actions that diminish or belittle something's value or significance

"He made a deprecatory comment about himself."

"He made a deprecatory comment about his own cooking skills at dinner."

to treat someone disrespectfully by showing a lack of attention or consideration

"He felt slighted by her remark."

"She felt slighted when her friend did not invite her to the party even though everyone else in their group was invited."

having a rich color between dark blue and purple

"She wore an indigo dress."

"She wore an indigo dress that matched the color of the night sky."

a large stack of wood used for burning the body of a dead person at a funeral

"They placed the body on the funeral pyre."

"The body was placed on the funeral pyre and the flames rose high into the dark night sky."

a feeling of happiness, joy, or amusement

"The room was filled with laughter and mirth at the party."

"Mirth is a lighthearted amusement and gladness expressed through laughter"

to sing in a soft, gentle, and melodious manner, often with a sentimental or romantic tone

"She crooned a lullaby to the baby."

"The grandfather crooned a soft lullaby to his sleepy granddaughter as he gently rocked her in his arms."

to wait for something or someone

"They await the bus."

"The excited children eagerly await the arrival of Santa Claus on Christmas Eve."

in a manner lacking energy, enthusiasm, or interest

"He lay listlessly on the couch."

"He lay listlessly on the couch and did not move for hours because he was feeling very tired and unmotivated."

impressive and great in size

"The mansion is stately."

"The stately mansion had been in the family for generations and it was filled with antique furniture and old portraits of ancestors."

to travel or proceed on a course, especially slowly or indirectly

"We wend our way home slowly."

"The lost hikers slowly wended their way through the dense forest hoping to find the main trail before dark."

to show a facial expression that signifies shame or pain

"He winced as the needle pricked his arm."

"She could not help but wince when the dentist began to drill into her sensitive tooth even though she had received a local anesthetic injection."

a strong and violent storm characterized by high winds, heavy rain, thunder, and lightning

"The ship sank during the tempest."

"The violent tempest destroyed many houses and trees in the coastal village last night."

an indication or evidence of the former presence or existence of something

"There was no trace of the missing cat."

"There was only a small trace of poison found in the laboratory test results."

related to a state of intense or suppressed anger that is simmering beneath the surface, often not openly expressed

"His smouldering gaze."

"Despite his calm demeanor, his smouldering resentment towards his boss was evident in his sharp remarks."

a pleasant shady place under trees or climbing plants in a garden or wood

"The couple sat in a shady bower."

"They sat together in the garden bower enjoying the beautiful flowers and fresh air."

in a manner that is dishonorable, mean, or morally low

"He acted basely for money."

"He acted basely for money and betrayed his friends and family without any guilt or remorse for his actions."

to officially decide and declare in a law court that someone is not guilty of a crime

"The jury decided to acquit the defendant."

"The jury took only two hours to acquit the defendant because there was simply not enough evidence to prove that he was guilty."

to directly address someone or something in a passionate or emotional manner

"He apostrophized the absent friend in his speech."

"The poet apostrophized the moon in his verse addressing it as if it were a living being capable of understanding his words."

to lose consciousness temporarily, often due to strong emotion, heat, or exhaustion

"She swooned at the romantic gesture."

"The teenage fans began to swoon when the handsome young actor walked onto the stage to greet them."

a circular arrangement of flowers, leaves, or other materials, often used as a decoration or tribute

"She hung a wreath on the door."

"She placed a beautiful flower wreath on her grandmother's grave during the visit."

to spoil, harm, or destroy something, such as a plant, crop, or place, typically due to disease, pests, or unfavorable conditions

"The disease blighted the entire crop."

"The terrible disease blighted the entire potato crop causing a devastating famine in the region."

(of a law, regulation, rule, etc.) extremely limiting and strict

"The rules are stringent."

"The stringent safety rules must be followed by everyone who works in the laboratory."

a quality that evokes deep emotions, particularly feelings of pity, sorrow, or empathy

"The actor's performance was full of pathos."

"The story was told with great pathos that moved everyone to tears."

describing someone or something having qualities associated with prophecy or foresight

"The prophet made vatic predictions."

"The prophet made vatic predictions about the future of the kingdom."

used to indicate that something will happen or be done soon, without delay

"I will see you anon."

"I will see you anon which is an old fashioned way of saying that I will see you soon."

a large, imposing building, especially one that is impressive in size or appearance

"The ancient edifice was built of marble."

"The ancient edifice had stood for over a thousand years and was a testament to Roman engineering."

to clearly express or show a feeling, quality, or attitude through words, actions, or appearance

"His smile evinced his happiness."

"The defendant's nervous behavior during the trial seemed to evince his guilt even before the jury heard all of the evidence."

in a manner that lacks good judgment or discretion

"He injudiciously spent all his savings."

"He injudiciously spent all his savings on a risky investment and lost everything when the company went bankrupt."

wearing clothes, especially in a particular manner or material

"The knight is clad in armor."

"The knight was clad in shining armor from head to toe."

a place where alcoholic drinks and sometimes food are served, often for socializing

"We stopped for ale at the tavern."

"The old tavern was a popular meeting place for travelers and locals in the village."

to disagree or deny that something is true

"No one can gainsay the evidence."

"No one could gainsay the evidence that the detective presented because all of the facts pointed clearly to the defendant's guilt."