Vocabulary

Conglomerate: “Names were called out to apartments from streets below, and soon, the whole conglomerate of Arthur Berg’s fruit-stealing troop was on its way to the Amper” (Page 163).
Definition: A widely diversified corporation
My Sentence: The smaller company found that they were forced to compete with the larger conglomerates.

Prolific: “That particular book was a little longer, so Liesel was able to get through it only nine times, her pace increasing ever so slightly by the end of such prolific readings” (Page 89).
Definition: Causing abundant growth, generation, or reproduction
My Sentence: After successfully completing three hours of studying, the girl came to realize that she was making prolific progress.

Innocuous: “If he had not despised him, he might not have taken his place a few weeks later on a fairly innocuous road” (Page 464).
Definition: Not harmful or injurious; harmless
My Sentence: The woman gave her daughter an innocuous remedy for her fever.

Euphoric: “Eleven-year-old relief was euphoric” (Page 132).
Definition: (Euphoria) A feeling of happiness, confidence, or well-being sometimes exaggerated in pathological states as mania
My Sentence: When she entered the gates to Disneyland, Angela felt euphoric.

Flippant: “If you were being flippant about it, you’d say that all it took was a little bit of fire, really, and and some human shouting to go with it” (Page 82).
Definition: Frivolously disrespectful, shallow, or lacking in seriousness; characterized by levity
My Sentence: The audience was shocked when they heard the speaker’s flippant comments about religion.

Deplorable: “He is performing now what is called a Schreierei – a consummate exhibition of passionate shouting – warning the crowd to be watchful, to be vigilant, to seek out and destroy the evil machinations plotting to infect the motherland with its deplorable ways” (Page 110).
Definition: Causing or being a subject for censure, reproach, or disapproval; wretched; very bad
My Sentence: The Wrightman’s claimed that their latest guest had deplorable manners.

Trepidation: “Trepidation found its way onto his face and he made a confession to the girl” (Page 334).
Definition: A nervous or fearful feeling of uncertain agitation
My Sentence: Sonya felt a wave of trepidation wash over her when she was about to enter her interview for her new job.

Accrued: “She would gather all of the accrued letters to her mother and stuff them into one envelope, and use just a tiny portion of the washing and ironing money to mail it” (Page 98).
Definition: To be added as a matter of periodic gain or advantage.
My Sentence: My mother carefully placed all of the accrued coupons into the kitchen drawer.

Ostracism: “It was the accordion that most likely spared him from total ostracism” (Page 183).
Definition: Exclusion by general consent from common privileges or social acceptance
My Sentence: She was appalled by their acts of ostracism towards their new classmate.

Genially: “It suffices to say that at some point in time, I will be standing over you, as genially as possible” (Page 4).
Definition: (Genial) Marked by or diffusing sympathy or friendliness
My Sentence: Her neighbor genially offered her an invitation to her garden party on Saturday.

Temerity: “Whether they watched this with pride, temerity, or shame nobody came forward to interrupt it” (Page 392).
Definition: A rash or reckless act
My Sentence: The boy was punished for his temerity when he shouted aloud during a sacred ceremony.

Tepid: “When he was in the pint-sized bath, Liesel listened at the washroom door, imagining the tepid water turning to steam as it warmed his iceberg body” (Page 214).
Definition: Lacking in passion, force, or zest
My Sentence: The teacher was unimpressed at the students’ tepid poetry.

Dais: “She imagined things like Rudy on a dais with three gold medals slung around his neck” (Page 444).
Definition: A raised platform (as in a hall or large room)
My Sentence: The pastor stood on a dais while reciting the daily sermons.

Microcosm: “It was a nice microcosm” (Page 274).
Definition: A little world; especially: the human race or human nature seen as an epitome of the world or the universe
My Sentence: The little village was a microcosm of the whole country.

Benign: “She made another benign visit to the mayor’s house” (Page 133).
Definition: Having no significant effect
My Sentence: The Werthermann’s breathed a sigh of relief when they realized that their dog’s brain tumor was benign.