Twelfth Night Defs

ample adjective – enough or more than enough; plentiful: There is ample time for discussion left in class. | We have an ample supply of consumer goods for emergencies.synonym- plentiful antonym- meager
Sovereign adjective – (of a nation or its affairs) acting independently and without outside interference: We want to have a sovereign, democratic republic. | The US charged Russia with accusations of interference in their sovereign affairs.synonym- independent
bounteously – adverb – generously given or giving; bountiful: the earth yields a bounteous harvest. Please give bounteously of your wealth to those in need. Synonym- generously antonym- stingily
prodigal – noun – one who spends money or resources freely and recklessly; wastefully extravagant. The prodigal’s wasteful spending habits led him to poverty. Often used as an adjective: Those who are raised to be spoiled often have prodigal spending habits. synonym- wasteful antonym – prudent
prudent adjective – acting with or showing care and thought for the future: No prudent money manager would authorize a loan without first knowing its purpose. synonym- wise antonym- reckless
scoundrel(s) noun – a dishonest or unscrupulous person; a rogue. They still haven’t found the scoundrels who stole our Halloween candy. synonym- rogue
assail verb – make a concerted or violent attack on: The Scottish army assailed Edward’s army from the rear. synonym- attack
barren adjective – (of land or vegetation) too poor or empty to produce much or any vegetation. This barren land will not feed our town. (of a female animal) not pregnant or unable to become so. The effects of the surgery left her barren. synonym- unproductive antonym- fertile
clamorous adjective – making a loud, jarring and confused noise: We were scared of the jostling, clamorous mob headed our way. synonym- noisy antonym- quiet
discourse noun – written or spoken communication or debate: She studied the language of political discourse. | He imagined a discourse between two people traveling in France. synonym- discussion
extort verb – obtain (something) by force, threats, or other unfair means: He was convicted of trying to extort $1 million from a developer.
peevishly adverb – easily irritated, especially by unimportant concerns. : All this gossip makes Steve act immaturely and peevishly at parties.
churlish adjective – rude in a mean-spirited and surly way: It seems churlish to complain about my friend after all we’ve been through together. Synonym: surly
frailty noun – the condition of being weak and delicate: He suffers from the increasing frailty of old age. • weakness in character or morals: All drama begins with human frailty. | You’re too self-righteous to see your own frailties.
mellifluous adjective – (of a voice or words) sweet or musical; pleasant to hear: Her famous singing voice was mellifluous and smooth.
mitigation noun – the action of reducing the severity, seriousness, or painfulness of something: The Green Team’s main job on campus is working on the mitigation of electricity usage on campus. S: alleviation A: aggravation
skittish adjective – 1. (of an animal, especially of a horse) excitable or easily scared: a skittish chestnut mare 2. (of a person) playfully frivolous or unpredictable: my skittish and immature mother. The skittish fifth graders ran away in terror of the deer coming down the mountainside. synonym: anxious
melancholy 1. noun a feeling of pensive sadness, typically with no obvious cause 2. adjective – having a feeling of melancholy; sad and pensive. One could not help but feel a sense of melancholy when the sixth-grade boy was rejected at the dance. synonym: sorrowful antonym: cheerful
scruples noun – a feeling of doubt or hesitation with regard to the morality or propriety of a course of action. Benjie has ignored all of his scruples in gaining the most amount of marks in the history of MCDS. synonym: reservations
Exult verb show or feel elation or jubilation, especially as the result of a success. The undefeated MCDS girls’ basketball team could not help but exult their success by letting out a huge cheer at the final buzzer. synonym: rejoice