The Giver Vocabulary 9 th Grade Literature Jeer

The Giver Vocabulary 9 th Grade Literature

Jeer • To shout insulting words at someone; to laugh at or criticize someone in a loud angry way • “Even the children were scolded if they used the term lightly at play, jeering at a teammate who missed a catch or stumbled in a race. ”

Palpable • Capable of being touched or felt; noticeable • “Now, thinking about the feeling of fear as he pedaled home along the river path, he remembered that moment of palpable, stomachsinking terror when the aircraft had streaked above. ”

Wheedle • To persuade someone to do something or give you something by saying nice things • “But like all parents – all adults – they didn’t fight and wheedle for their turn. ”

Sift • To go through (something) very carefully in order to find something useful or valuable • “He wanted to share them, but he wasn’t eager to begin the process of sifting through his own complicated emotions, even with the help that he knew his parents could give. ”

Petulant • Having or showing the attitude of people who become angry and annoyed when they do not get what they want • “; I think I’d like that, ’ Lily said petulantly. ”

Chortle • To laugh because you are amused or pleased by something • “’Maybe they’d study it, ’ Jonas said slyly, and Larissa chortled with laughter. ”

Interdependence • Mutual dependence between things or people • “Fours, Fives, and Sixes all wore jackets that fastened down the back so that they would have to help each other dress and would learn interdependence. ”

Reprieve • To delay the punishment of someone; to give relief or deliverance to for a time • “He had been given an unusual and special reprieve from the committee, and granted an additional year of nurturing his Naming and Placement. ”

Somber • Very sad and serious • “The entire community had performed the Ceremony of Loss together, murmuring the name, Caleb throughout an entire day, less and less frequently, softer in volume, as the long and somber day went on, so that the little Four seemed to fade away gradually from everyone’s consciousness. ”

Scrupulous • Very careful about doing something correctly; very careful about doing what is honest and morally right • “Like the Matching of Spouses and the Naming and Placement of newchildren, the Assignments were scrupulously thought through by the Committee of Elders. ”

Indolence • Inclination to laziness • “What we observe as playfulness and patience – the requirements to become Nurturer – could, with maturity, be revealed as simply foolishness and indolence. ”

Conspicuous • Very easy to see or notice; attracting attention by being great or impressive • “But the most conspicuous difference was the books. ”

Deft • Skillful and clever; able to do something quickly and accurately • “This one had a switch, which the man deftly snapped to the end that said OFF. ”

Torrent • A large amount of water that moves very quickly in one direction; a large amount of something that is released suddenly • “He could see a bright, whirling torrent of crystals in the air around him, and he could see them gather on the backs of his hands, like cold fur. ”

Tentative • Not done with confidence; uncertain and hesitant • “Tentatively he opened his eyes – not his snow-hill-sled eyes, for they had been open throughout the strange ride. ”

Admonition • A criticism or warning about behavior • “He was aware of his own admonition not to discuss his training. ”

Assimilate • To adopt the ways of another culture; to fully become part of a different society, country, etc. • “They really suffered for awhile. Finally, it subsided as the memories were assimilated. But it certainly made them aware of how they need a Receiver to contain all that pain. And knowledge. ”

Assuage • To make (something, such as an unpleasant feeling) less painful, severe, etc. • “It was not enough to assuage the pain that Jonas was beginning, now, to know. ”

Languid • Showing or having very little strength, energy, or activity • “Before he had left the dwelling, he had laid his hands firmly on Gabe’s back and transmitted to him the most soothing memory he could: a slow-swinging hammock under palm trees on an island someplace, at evening, with a rhythmic sound of languid water lapping hypnotically against a beach nearby. ”

Augmented • Having been made greater in size or value • The journey had become automatic: the sleep by day, hidden in underbrush and trees; the finding of water; the careful division of scraps of food, augmented by what he could find in the fields. ”