Name: ______Date: ______

Macbeth: VOCABULARY

  1. Abominations (noun): things producing great dislike or disgust; horrible and disgusting things. That is an abomination!
  2. Avarice (noun) / Avaricious (adj.): greed / greedy. Avarice is a sin.
  3. Bane (noun): harm, ruin, cause of distress (commonly: the bane of my existence)
  4. Beguile (verb) / Beguiling (adj.): to deceive or trick through charm or attractiveness. She beguiled me with her charms.
  5. Behead (verb): to cut someone’s head off of their body. The traitor was beheaded.
  6. Benison (noun): blessing. God’s benison go with you.
  7. Bribe (verb/ noun): to give something valuable to someone in order to get them to do something. She bribed her children with candy so that they would do their homework. / The police officer accepted bribes.
  8. Decapitate (verb): to behead. The man was decapitated in the sword fight.
  9. Equivocator (noun) / Equivocate (verb): one who tells half-truths in order to mislead/avoid trouble. To do so. Guy Fawkes was an equivocator.
  10. Fantastical (adj.): imaginary or unreal. The world of Avatar is fantastical.
  11. Flout (verb: must have an object, and the object must be a rule/law/convention/authority): to mock or disrespect rules or authority without shame or fear. He openly flouted the rules.
  12. Guise (noun): false or deceiving appearance. He was in the guise of a pauper.
  13. Jocund (adj.): jovial; happy. The students were jocund when they heard about the snow day.
  14. Harbinger (noun): a person or sign that suggests future events/ Something that shows what is coming. It was a harbinger of trouble./ The warm weather was a harbinger of spring.
  15. Heath (noun): a piece of open undeveloped and sparsely forested land (usually in the UK). The witches met on the heath.
  16. Impress (verb): (study THIS usage!) to force into public service (especially military). He was impressed into the army.
  17. Largess (noun: non-count): generous gifts or acts of kindness. They were grateful for the largess.
  18. Laudable (adj): commendable, admirable. His performance in the Olympic Games was laudable.
  19. Lechery (noun - vice) / lecher (noun – person): inordinate indulgence in sexual activity, perversion or lasciviousness. His lechery disgusts me.
  20. Missives (noun): letters or messages. He sent her missives.
  21. Parricide (noun): murder of one’s father, mother or close relative (patricide = father; matricide = mother; fratricide = brother)
  22. Pernicious (adj): causing insidious destruction, harm or death. A pernicious disease/rumor.
  23. Rebuke (verb or noun): to criticize strongly / a criticism. He rebuked the naughty child. He received a rebuke.
  24. Surmise(noun or verb): a conclusion without sure evidence/ to guess. I surmise that there will be a test.
  25. Surfeited (adj.): overindulged/drunk. The surfeited man made a fool of himself.
  26. Treacherous (adj.): Not able to be trusted. He was a treacherous enemy.
  27. Usurp (verb): to take (and keep) something in a treacherous or violent way, and especially without the right to do so. The king’s younger brother was trying to usurp the throne.
  28. Verities (noun): truths. These are verities.
  29. Vizard (noun): mask. He wore a vizard.
  30. Wanton (adj): unrestrained or uncontrolled: used to refer to behavior that is uncontrolled/immoral (especially used of women who are free with their sexuality). I will not allow my daughter to behave in a wanton manner! / The vandals were guilty of the wanton destruction of school property.