1. The Crucible Vocabulary Acts I-IV

2. inert adjective Having no power of action, motion or resistance; inactive or unable to react She was lying inert in her bed when her mother tried to wake her for school.

3. somber adjective Gloomily dark; depressing or dismal; serious The mood at her grandmother’s funeral was somber.

4. theocracy noun A form of government in which God is recognized as the supreme civil ruler The Puritans lived under a theocracy; therefore, worshipping Satan was against the law.

5. hearty adjective vigorous and healthy; warm-hearted and affectionate Our mother cooked us a hearty meal consisting of meat, potatoes, and vegetables.

6. dissemble verb To give a false or misleading appearance; to conceal the truth Abigail Williams has an endless capacity for dissembling because she is living a lie.

7. faction noun A group or clique within a larger group; strife or trouble within a group There was a faction against Thomas Putnam in Salem.

8. abomination noun A vile, shameful, horrible, detestable action; anything disliked as evil or hated Dancing in the forest was considered an abomination to the Puritans.

9. vindictive adjective Inclined or likely to get revenge; showing a vengeful spirit Many vindictive Puritans of Salem used witchcraft accusations to get back at those with whom they had a conflict

10. corroborate verb To make certain; to confirm, authenticate or validate The two scientists corroborated their hypothesis about global warming

11. intimation noun A hint or suggestion Her father had a slight intimation about the party she had the night before.

12. formidable adjective Causing fear, apprehension, or dread; of awesome strength or size The undefeated football team was a formidable opponent. Cleaning her room as a formidable task.

13. trepidation noun Tremulous fear, alarm; trembling or quivering Her trepidation about giving the speech increased as she took the stage.

14. prodigious adjective Extraordinary in size, amount, or extent; wonderful or marvelous; monstrous The prodigious Rocky Mountains are a well-known natural beauty.

15. inquisitive adjective Given to asking questions;; eager for knowledge; intellectually curious; prying Her inquisitive nature came in handy when she became a reporter.

16. arbitrate verb To determine or settle an argument or dispute Since she was skilled at arbitration, she decided to become a counselor.

17. squabble Verb and noun To engage in a petty quarrel or fight The family’s squabble over money lasted for years.

18. iniquity Noun An injustice or wickedness; a violation; sin Because of her numerous iniquities, she was known as a sinner and thought to be worshipping the devil.

19. defamation Noun The act of injuring the good reputation of another, as by slander (using language/insult) When she made up the rumor about her friend, it was undoubtedly a cruel act of defamation.

20. anarchy Noun A state of society without government or law; lack of obedience to an authority When her parents were gone, the home was in a complete state of anarchy.

21. licentious Adjective Sexually unrestrained; immoral or going beyond proper bounds or limits; disregarding rules Her promiscuously immoral habits caused her to be known as a licentious trouble maker.

22. Act II

23. condemnation Noun An expression of disapproval; a judgment; an accusation He expressed his condemnation after he witnessed her horrible behavior.

24. scoff Verb To mock or speak badly about; to belittle When her daughter asked for a new car, the mother scoffed at the idea.

25. conviction Noun A fixed or firm belief Her convictions allowed her to live an honest life.

26. ameliorate Verb To make or become better or more bearable; to improve He hoped to ameliorate the situation by lending a helping hand.

27. compact Noun A formal agreement between two or more parties or states; a contract Tituba claimed to have made a compact with the Devil.

28. base Adjective Morally low; immoral; dishonorable John Proctor asked his wife if she thought he was base for his indiscretions.

29. pious Adjective Showing a reverence for God; extremely religious Rebecca Nurse was known as a pious woman who went to church and prayed regularly.

30. wily adjective Full of tricks; tricky or sly; deceitful Abigail Williams is a wily girl who tells lies to get power.

31. trifle noun A matter or thing of little value or importance; a small thing When they went for coffee, they talked of trifles.

32. covet verb To desire wrongfully; to want to wish for eagerly Thomas Putnam coveted the land of others, so he accused them of witchcraft.

33. quail verb To shrink in fear; to cower When she saw a spirit, she quailed in fear.

34. evasively adverb Avoiding ; not answering straightforwardly She evasively answered his difficult questions.

35. gingerly adverb Done with great care; carefully She gingerly placed the eggs into her basket so as not to break them.

36. calamity noun A great disaster or catastrophe; a misfortune Many people’s homes were left in ruins after the calamity of Hurricane Sandy.

37. vengeance noun Infliction of harm; violent revenge; desire for revenge Thomas Putnam sought vengeance and began accusing innocent people of witchcraft.

38. menacingly adverb Harmfully, dangerously; done in a way that causes harm; threateningly Government soldiers in armored vehicles menacingly drove through the streets firing into crowds.

39. blasphemy noun Cursing or disrespecting God or sacred things Blasphemy is a serious crime in Puritan society and could cause one to be accused of witchcraft.

40. lechery noun Unrestrained sexual desire; excessive indulgence; lust John Proctor committed an act of lechery when he had the affair with Abigail Williams.

41. pretense noun Pretending; make believe The girls in Salem were never punished for excessive pretense

42. providence noun Luck or divine intervention; fate; The care and guidance of God or nature over the creatures of the earth The Puritans believed there was providence in Salem, so they behaved according to the laws of God

43. Act III

44. abundant adjective Present in great quantity; well supplied; plentiful She had such an abundant supply of clothes that she gave things away to her friends.

45. scorn noun Disrespect or despisal of something Religious people expressed their scorn for the Devil.

46. remorseless adjective Without guilt in spite of wrongdoing; inhuman When Abigail Williams seemed remorseless when she accused Tituba of making her conjure.

47. daft adjective Senseless; stupid or foolish; insane or crazy Elizabeth thought her husband John had gone daft when he cheated

48. contentious adjective Tending to argue; causing conflict or arguments The relationship between the Putnams and most other people in Salem is contentious because the Putnams always have conflict with others.

49. affidavit noun A written declaration upon oath used for evidence in court; testimony; a sworn statement Giles Corey was asked by the judges to submit his affidavit that his wife is not a witch.

50. contempt noun Antipathy (not caring); aversion; disrespect; hatred of something Many people in Salem were arrested on charges of contempt, which is disrespect of the court.

51. baffle verb To confuse or bewilder; to frustrate or perplex Judge Danforth appears baffled when he hears that the girls were pretending

52. deferentially adverb Respectfully following judgment or opinion of others; respectful or courteous regard. The people of Salem have to approach the judges deferentially, or they might otherwise be arrested.

53. summon verb To call into action; to command or gather Many people in Salem were summoned to the court on charges of witchcraft.

54. effrontery noun Shameless boldness; audacity Judge Danforth exclaims that he will not have any effrontery in his court, so most people kept to themselves.

55. incredulously adverb Skeptically; done in a way that shows disbelief Many watched incredulously as Elizabeth Proctor, a good woman, was taken away on charges of witchcraft.

56. solemn adjective Grave or serious as a person in speech, tone, or mood His manner was solemn at his grandmother’s funeral while he read the elegy.

57. pretense noun Pretending; make believe John Proctor tries to tell Reverend Hale that everything the girls do is pretense and that no one should believe them.

58. apprehensively adverb Uneasy or fearful about something that might happen Elizabeth Proctor apprehensively opened the door for Reverend Hale to come in and question her about her religious nature.

59. vengeance noun Infliction of injury or harm to another; the desire for revenge The Putnams are famously known for seeking vengeance on many of those in Salem by accusing them of witchcraft.

60. deception noun Misleading by a false appearance; unfaithfulness Abigail Williams is an expert at deception because she is able to trick many of those around her.

61. allegiance noun Loyalty or devotion to something or someone Tituba is pressured into admitting that she has an allegiance to the Devil.

62. befoul verb To make dirty or filthy; defile; to soil The judges agree that witchcraft has befouled many people in Salem.

63. denounce verb To condemn or disapprove of something publicly; to make a formal accusation against At the end of act three, Reverend Hale denounces the proceedings and quits the court.

64. Act IV

65. gaunt adjective Extremely thin and bony, as from great hunger, weariness, or torture; emaciated After he had been in jail for months, John Proctor wasn’t eating and became very gaunt.

66. excommunication noun To sentence a member of the church to exclusion from the church or community John Proctor was excommunicated from the church in Salem because of the accusations against him.

67. beguile verb To influence by trickery or flattery; to mislead, charm, or divert The judges don’t want to admit they’ve been beguiled by the girls.

68. retaliate verb To take action against, especially by returning some injury or wrong John Proctor was the only one willing to retaliate against the judges.

69. adamant adjective Unyielding in attitude or opinion in spite of urgings; not willing to change Reverend Hale was adamant about trying to get people to confess to save their lives.

70. indictment noun A formal accusation or charge Many people in Salem faced false indictments.

71. spite noun Malicious (negative) desire to harm, frustrate, or annoy another John Proctor would not confess out of spite.

72. penitence noun Regret for one’s wrongdoing or sinning The judges seemed to have no penitence for what they had done and only cared about themselves.

73. salvation noun The act of saving or protecting from harm, risk, loss, or destruction John Proctor would rather die than gain salvation from the corrupt church.

74. incredulous adjective Skeptical or unsure; showing disbelief The judges were incredulous when it came to hearing testimonies.