| Discern | (v.) to see clearly, recognizeSynonyms : Detect, Notice, UnderstandSentence : It wasn’t hard to discern that she killed her husband for the money and took off. |
| Citadel | (n.) a fortress that overlooks and protects a city; any strong or commanding placeSynonyms : Castle, FortSentence : The King stood at the top on his citadel, analyzing and watching over his beloved city. |
| Taint | (v.) to stain or contaminateSynonyms : Infect, DestroySentence : The smog has tainted the beautiful blue skies of Boston. |
| Mock | (v.) to ridicule or treat with contempt.Synonyms : To Disrespect, Make Fun ofSentence : The cruel little kids formed a circle around the new kid and mocked his shoes. |
| Impediment | (n.) a physical defect; obstacleSynonyms : Block, ObstructionSentence : “He has a speech impediment” my mom said, “that makes it difficult to speak fluently”. |
| Hindrance | (n.) Something that delays action or progressSynonyms : ObstacleSentence : The broken button caused a hindrance in the amount of time that they shipped the dress. |
| Provocation | (n.) action or speech that makes someone annoyed or angry, especially deliberately.Synonyms : Egging on, PressureSentence : I was already having a bad day, the provocation from my little sister was the last straw. |
| Spur | (v.) urge (a horse) forward by digging one’s spurs into its sides.Synonyms : Stimulus, IncentiveSentence : He was in a rush, he jumped on the horse and spurred her; he was off in a flash. |
| Infirmity | (n.) a weakness or ailment (physical, mental, moral, etc.)Synonyms : Weak or illSentence : The infirmity was brought on by the disease. |
| Frailty | (n.) the condition or quality of being weak; weakness, especially moral weakness; a faultSynonyms : Easily BrokenSentence : The frailty of the women looked as though she would turn to dust in the wind. |
| Babble | (v.) Chatter idlySynonyms : Rabble onSentence : When being interviewed, don’t give one word answers but also don’t babble on. |
| Prate | (v.) to talk for a long time without purposeSynonyms : Blab, BoastSentence : As my teacher continued to prate about various cultures, I began to fall asleep. |
| Clamor | (n.) Noisy uproar or protest, as from a crowdSynonyms : Commotion, ProtestSentence : We heard the clamor of the students intensify after they learned the bad news. |
| Importune | (v.) to trouble with demands; to beg for insistently. To ask (someone) pressingly and persistently for or to do something.Synonyms : To Plead, To Implore, To BegSentence : Sometimes fundraisers will appeal to your emotions to importune for donations. |
| Dilatory | (adj.) tending to delay or procrastinate, not promptSynonyms : Late, Not Punctual Sentence : She took after her mother, late for just about everything, nothing describes her better than dilatory. |
OTHELLO – Act II Vocabulary
August 28, 2019