The Metro - Vocabulary

NB: the meaning given for each word is contextual meaning, that is to say it is the specific meaning of the word within the context of the story. Some of these words have other meanings not shown here.

Word	Part of Speech	Contextual Meaning	Example Sentence
advances	noun	approaches of a sexual nature	The waitress didn't appreciate the advances from the men in the bachelor party.
amicably	adverb	in a friendly way	The taxi driver amicably offered the poor lady a free ride.
amorous	adjective	full of passion	The couple that met on the beach had an amorous relationship for one week.
antithesis	noun	the complete opposite	Even though they are identical twins, Joe and John are the antithesis of each other.
astute	adjective	crafty, clever	The astute fisherman had the hole in the boat patched before it sunk.
atrocity	noun	very cruel happening or treatment	It was an atrocity when George's friends locked him outside in the snow with no shoes or socks.
bizarre	adjective	very strange	It was so bizarre when the clown at the party knelt down and asked Judy to marry him.
bleak	adjective	discouraging, unappealing	I couldn't believe that homeless people were living in that bleak alley.
blower	noun (slang)	the telephone	Sandy got on the blower with her sister as soon as she heard the juicy gossip.
brief me	verb	give me the background information/details I need	"Can you brief me on the condition of the patient?" the doctor asked the nurse.
brusquely	adverb	quickly, abruptly	The woman brusquely pointed out the thief in the line up of criminals.
buskers	noun	people who beg or entertain for money on the street	I gave the buskers a few dollars to play my favourite song.
cannabis	noun	drug from a hemp plant	The police found cannabis in the house where the thieves were living.
captivated	past participle	unable to stop looking at something	The young children were captivated by the fireworks display.
caught in the act	idiom	found in the middle of doing something (here, having sex)	I caught my aunt and uncle in the act in our basement when I was a child.
Chihuahua	noun	tiny breed of Mexican dog	Chihuahuas have huge eyes for such little dogs.
clairvoyants	noun	people who claim they are able to see the future	I asked Becky if she was a clairvoyant because she always knows when I am dating someone new.
claustrophobic	adjective	afraid of small spaces	I tried to sleep in the attic, but I was too claustrophobic.
coax	verb	persuade gently	Can I coax you into buying some chocolates for charity?
come to a head	verb	come to a point where you can't ignore something any more	The couple's financial problems came to a head when Nancy became pregnant.
concierge	noun	resident caretaker for apartments or hotel	I asked the concierge to call a taxi for room 101.
consultation	noun	a meeting to discuss possible future action or business	The bride often goes for a hair consultation before her big day in the salon.
corpse	noun	dead body	The shipmates buried the corpse at sea.
cramped	adjective	having no spare room	It was so cramped on the bus that we had to sit on our bags.
craved	verb - past	wanted badly (often food)	My sister craved peaches through her whole pregnancy.
cursing	verb - progressive	using bad or rude language	My uncle was cursing as the Christmas lights fell off the roof.
cynic	noun	a person who doesn't believe another is being sincere	I never vote because I'm a cynic when it comes to politicians.
decapitated	past participle	had one's head cut off	Long ago, prisoners were decapitated after committing serious crimes.
deferred	past participle	put off until later	My holiday time was deferred because our company was so busy this summer.
deflect	verb	turn away	I always deflect phone calls from people trying to sell me something.
demoralized	adjective	having lost hope	The demoralized cyclist put his damaged bike on his shoulders and walked to the finish line.
despaired	verb - past	very worried	Amanda despaired because her husband was more than three hours late from work.
despondently	adverb	without hope	I despondently called for help but I knew there was nobody home.
Deutschmarks	noun	German currency (pre Euro)	I transferred my American savings into Deutschmarks before I went to Germany.
disdainfully	adverb	without respect, with dislike	My grandmother stared at my new boyfriend disdainfully because of his long hair.
dismally	adverb	gloomily, without hope	The children stared dismally out the window until the sun finally came out.
dismay	noun	consternation, distress	Rebecca was full of dismay when we jumped out from behind the couch.
disparity	noun	big difference	There was quite a disparity between Anne and George's accounts of why their marriage failed.
dispatched	past participle	sent to do something (often emergency services)	The police dog team was dispatched to an area in the woods where the criminal had been spotted.
domain	noun	subject of interest or expertise	Since I was five years old dancing has been my domain.
duvet	noun	heavy quilt filled with feathers	We don't use our duvet on the bed in the summer; we just use a sheet.
ecstasy	noun	great pleasure (often sexual)	Eileen had never known true ecstasy before she started dating Charles.
emerge	verb	come out from somewhere	The mouse finally emerged from under the fridge.
enduring	adjective	lasting a long time	The minister wished the newlyweds enduring happiness and love.
envisage	verb	imagine	I envisage my first home as an old farm in the country.
evaporated	past participle	disappeared	All of the water in the frog's tank had evaporated by the time we got home from our weekend away.
exodus	noun	mass departure	There was an exodus of young people on the Monday of Spring break.
exquisite	verb	very beautiful, wonderful	The queen looked exquisite in her royal gown.
extricate	verb	to let free	They will extricate the prisoner if he is found not guilty.
festooned	verb - past	decorated	The hotel was festooned with streamers and balloons to welcome the celebrities.
fetch	verb	run and get	If you want the dog to fetch the bone you have to throw it into the ocean.
fiddled around	verb - past	did casual work using one's hands	Ben fiddled around with the wires until he got the computer working again.
flocked	verb - past	went as a group	The children flocked to the ice cream truck.
forensic evidence	noun	scientific proof at a crime scene (for example: blood)	The forensic evidence proved that the murderer was male.
frantic	adjective	wild and scared	The people grew frantic as the tornado got closer to the city.
frisson	noun	shiver	When I watched the car accident on the news it sent a frisson up my back.
fruitlessly	adverb	unsuccessfully	The baby fruitlessly pulled at the top of the jar of candy.
gazed	verb - past	stared at with wide eyes	The children gazed at the field of sunflowers.
germane	adjective	related to the situation	At the germane moment the father walked in and heard the baby saying "Dad" for the first time.
glowered	verb - past	stared angrily	I glowered at the bus driver who closed his doors just as I arrived at the stop.
grandiose	adjective	large and impressive	The couple had grandiose dreams about winning the lottery.
graphology	noun	the study of handwriting	Police use graphology to tell if a suspect is nervous.
gratitude	noun	thankfulness	The students showed their gratitude by sending their retired teacher flowers.
grotesque	adjective	disgusting, hard to look at	The horror movie was so grotesque I had to walk out of the theatre.
grudgingly	adverb	without wanting to	The child grudgingly took the garbage out for his mom.
hastily	adverb	quickly with little thought	We packed so hastily that I forgot my bathing suit.
hawkers	noun	people who sell goods on the street	I bought this necklace from some hawkers in Amsterdam.
head-shrink	noun	psychiatrist	Annie cries so much I think she might need a head-shrink.
heroin	noun	strong narcotic drug derived from morphine	People who use heroin often need help getting over their addiction.
hocus pocus	noun (slang)	magic	It was like hocus pocus when the door shut by itself.
homicidal	adjective	likely to kill someone	The police were extremely concerned, because the criminal that got away was homicidal.
hue	noun	shades of colour	When painting, artists often blend many hues.
huskiness	noun	rough and dry voice	Smokers often speak with a distinct huskiness.
imperative	adjective	very important	It is imperative that you wear your seat belt during take-off.
impromptu	adjective	without being planned	We took an impromptu vacation to Hawaii at Christmas.
incongruity	noun	quality of being out of place	The only female felt the incongruity as the men stared at her during her workout.
indiscretion	noun	something, especially a sexual relationship, that might be embarrassing or morally wrong	His indiscretion cost him his marriage.
insulated	past participle	protected	The front seat passengers were insulated by the car's air bags.
intently	adverb	eagerly, with interest	We watched intently as Monica jumped from the airplane.
intersected	verb - past	crossed paths in the middle	The two highways intersected at the downtown core.
irritable	adjective	grumpy	I'm always irritable when it's this hot outside.
jaded	adjective	tired or lacking enthusiasm after having too much of something	The jaded playboy had completely lost interest in women.
lashed	verb - past	hit violently	Mark got stung after he lashed at the bee in his hair.
leads	noun	clues to solving a crime	We don't have any leads except that the thief is driving a brown car.
legible	adjective	readable print	The photocopy of my driver's license is barely legible.
line	noun	a route on a subway or metro	I took the wrong subway line so I was late for my date.
lovelorn	adjective	sad because one is not loved back by another	The lovelorn man wrote 100 letters to his sweetheart but never got one in return.
mahogany	adjective	reddish coloured wood	The mahogany bookshelf doesn't go with the maple furniture.
manicured	adjective	well kept fingernails	My manicured nails would get ruined if we didn't have a dishwasher.
memorabilia	noun	things you buy that remind you of somewhere (for example: hats, postcards, magnets)	They sell lots of 1950's memorabilia in the front lobby of the diner.
meticulous	adjective	precise, perfect	My father is meticulous when it comes to balancing his finances.
monotone	noun	voice with only one sound	My science teacher is so boring because he speaks in a monotone.
mumbo-jumbo	noun (slang)	nonsense	Most parenting books tell you a bunch of mumbo-jumbo about how you should raise your kids.
nonchalant	adjective	casual	The driver was pretty nonchalant about the accident even though his car was destroyed.
nominal	adjective	(of money) small amount, a token	There is just a nominal fee to cover the cost of coffee and sandwiches.
papers	noun (informal)	immigration forms that legalize a person to work or stay in another country	Migel was living in America without his papers so he wasn't able to find legal work.
piqued	past participle	irritated	The drivers were piqued by the way the cyclist slowed down the traffic.
placid	adjective	calm	The placid woman sang a song in the elevator until the power was restored.
plaque	noun	a flat ornament on which celebratory or memorializing words are written	Each member on the baseball team got a plaque for coming in second place.
poignant	adjective	emotionally moving	The movie was so poignant I cried at the end.
precision	noun	perfect accuracy	Janice paints her nails with such precision it looks like she gets them done professionally.
preposterous	adjective	ridiculous, impossible to be true	It was preposterous that the fourteen year old needed a babysitter.
prowling	verb - progressive	searching secretly	The thief was prowling through our jewellery box when we got home.
publicity card	noun	small piece of paper (business card) that advertises your career or title	My publicity card has my picture and my company's email address on it.
rapport	noun	relationship	I have a good rapport with my boss, so I'm not afraid to ask for vacation time.
recoil	verb	move back in fear	I can't help but recoil when they show operations on television.
reconciled	verb - past	settled or reorganized (finances)	I reconciled my loans and savings accounts after getting my inheritance.
resignation	noun	the giving up of a job	The president of the company gave his resignation after he found out his illness was very serious.
revelries	noun	good times, festivities	Our New Year's Eve revelries kept the neighbours awake until 5:00 am.
ridiculed	verb - past	made fun of	Leslie ridiculed her brother for always wearing mismatching socks.
sanctity	noun	holiness, purity	The sanctity of the church was questioned after the minister was arrested.
save for	preposition	except for	All of the girls at the party were wearing dresses save for Andrea, who always wears jeans.
severing	noun	the cutting off of	The severing of his own arm was what saved the climber's life.
shrine	noun	a place dedicated to a religious or important figure	My aunt's bedroom is like an Elvis Presleyshrine.
sobbing	verb - progressive	crying loudly	We were all sobbing at Angelica's farewell party.
splayed	verb - past	spread wide apart	The woman's arms were splayed out as her husband stepped off the plane.
stern	adjective	strict	My grandfather was so stern that we had to eat every crumb on our dinner plate before we got up from the table.
stirred	verb - past	moved in one's sleep, woke slightly	The child stirred when the phone rang but thankfully went back to sleep.
straddled	verb - past	stood on both sides	When I went travelling, I often straddled borders for photographs.
stunned	past participle	surprised	I was stunned when my best friend told me she was moving to the other side of the world.
succulent	adjective	thick/juicy	The succulent watermelon was exactly what we needed on such a hot summer day.
sullenly	adverb	sulkily, unhappily	The dog stood sullenly beside our suitcases before we left for our vacation.
sweltering	adjective	very hot	The bus was sweltering because there was no air conditioning.
tawdry	adjective	cheap, of fake appearance	The hostess was wearing a tawdry pearl necklace that looked like it came out of a cereal box.
tenement	adjective	divided into separate suites or residences	Our salon is in a tenement building until we can buy our own place.
terminate	verb	put an end to	I tried to terminate my magazine subscription but they keep sending me new issues.
thrust	verb	push or give forcibly	Eric thrust Mia into the pool because she was taking so long to go in.
tolerable	adjective	just barely able to handle	I can't stand talking to the man next door, but his wife is tolerable.
touts	noun	people who bother you to buy something	The touts on the street pressured us to buy their perfumes and colognes.
trifle	noun	a very small amount	This year's Christmas bonus was a trifle compared to last year's.
turmoil	noun	great trouble	Everyone is quitting because there is so much turmoil with our new boss.
turnstile	noun	entrance with revolving metal arms	You pay for the subway at the turnstiles.
uncanny	adjective	difficult to explain	It was uncanny how much the child looked like his adopted mother.
unfaithful	adjective	not keeping a promise to only have one sexual partner	Mrs. Jones divorced her husband when she learned that he was being unfaithful to her.
upholstered	adjective	covered with thick material	My grandfather's upholstered chair needs to be vacuumed.
vaguely	adverb	unclearly	I vaguely remember meeting you many years ago.
veritable	adjective	rightly called	The papers said the parade was a veritable disaster because of the poor weather.
virile	adjective	masculine, manly	There were many virile competitors in the body-building event.
vitality	noun	energy, life	I was filled with a sense of vitality following the graduation ceremony.
voodoo	adjective	a practice which involves sticking pins in dolls in order to cause pain to human figures	I was so mad when I saw my boyfriend with another woman that I actually thought about making a voodoo doll of her.
welling	verb - progressive	filling with liquid	The sink was welling with soap and about to overflow.
whores	noun	prostitutes; women who have sexual relations with strangers for money	The whores stand on the street and wait for men to pick them up.
wits' end	idiom	no longer able to tolerate	I am at my wits' end trying to keep these ants out of the house.
wrung	verb - past	clasped, squeezed tightly	The woman wrung her hands while the policeman wrote up her speeding ticket.
wryly	adverb	said with a grin to show that an unfortunate situation is humorous	"Adam got caught trying to steal another car," his ex-girlfriend said wryly.
yearn for	verb	want intensely	My parents tell everyone how much they yearn for grandchildren.

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