"The Hunger Games" Vocabulary from Chapter 5

In a dystopian future a young girl is forced to fight for her life and the life of her family in Suzanne Collins's hugely successful book series.

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. sympathetic
    expressing compassion or friendly fellow feelings
    Venia makes what's supposed to be a sympathetic face.
  2. swathe
    an enveloping cloth or bandage
    The final swathe of my leg hair is uprooted in a painful jerk.
  3. torso
    the body excluding the head and neck and limbs
    My legs, arms, torso, underarms, and parts of my eyebrows have been stripped of the Muff, leaving me like a
    plucked bird, ready for roasting.
  4. vulnerable
    capable of being wounded or hurt
    My skin feels sore and tingling and intensely vulnerable.
  5. wield
    handle effectively
    I stand there, completely naked, as the three circle me, wielding tweezers to remove any last bits of hair.
  6. trio
    a set of three similar things considered as a unit
    I know I should be embarrassed, but they're so unlike people that I'm no more self-conscious than if a trio of oddly colored birds were pecking around my feet.
  7. distress
    a state of adversity
    "Of course, you don't, you poor darling!" says Octavia clasping her hands together in distress for me.
  8. resist
    withstand the force of something
    I look at the cold white walls and floor and resist the impulse to retrieve my robe.
  9. impulse
    an impelling force or strength
    I look at the cold white walls and floor and resist the impulse to retrieve my robe.
  10. retrieve
    get or find back; recover the use of
    I look at the cold white walls and floor and resist the impulse to retrieve my robe.
  11. concession
    the act of yielding
    The only concession to self-alteration seems to be metallic gold eyeliner that has been applied with a light hand.
  12. alteration
    the act of revising
    The only concession to self-alteration seems to be metallic gold eyeliner that has been applied with a light hand.
  13. fleck
    a small contrasting part of something
    It brings out the flecks of gold in his green eyes.
  14. flamboyant
    tending to attract attention; marked by ostentatious display
    I had expected someone flamboyant, someone older trying desperately to look young, someone who viewed me as a piece of meat to be prepared for a platter.
  15. assemble
    create by putting components or members together
    I try to imagine assembling this meal myself back home.
  16. ration
    a fixed portion that is allotted
    I don't recognize the grain, our own tessera ration cooks down to an unattractive brown mush.
  17. sustenance
    a source of food or nourishment
    How would I spend the hours I now commit to combing the woods for sustenance if it were so easy to come by?
  18. despicable
    morally reprehensible
    "How despicable we must seem to you," he says.
  19. complementary
    serving to fill out, enhance, or supply what is lacking
    And our current thought is to dress you in complementary costumes," says Cinna.
  20. customary
    commonly used or practiced
    "As you know, it's customary to reflect the flavor of the district."
  21. principal
    main or most important
    For the opening ceremonies, you're supposed to wear something that suggests your district's principal industry.
  22. industry
    the people engaged in a kind of commercial enterprise
    For the opening ceremonies, you're supposed to wear something that suggests your district's principal industry.
  23. stark
    devoid of any qualifications or disguise or adornment
    One year, our tributes were stark naked and covered in black powder to represent coal dust.
  24. synthetic
    not genuine or natural
    "It's not real flame, of course, just a little synthetic fire Portia and I came up with.
  25. demeanor
    the way a person behaves toward other people
    It crosses my mind that Cinna's calm and normal demeanor masks a complete madman.
  26. revelation
    an enlightening or astonishing disclosure
    Despite this morning's revelation about Peeta's character, I'm actually relieved when he shows up, dressed in an identical costume.
  27. giddy
    lacking seriousness; given to frivolity
    His stylist, Portia, and her team accompany him in, and everyone is absolutely giddy with excitement over what a splash we'll make.
  28. petrify
    cause to become stunned or immobile, as with fear or awe
    I guess we're both so nervous about the Games and more pressingly, petrified of being turned into human torches, we're not acting sensibly.
  29. anthem
    a song of devotion or loyalty
    The ride lasts about twenty minutes and ends up at the City Circle, where they will welcome us, play the anthem, and escort us into the Training Center, which will be our home/prison until the Games begin.
  30. sensation
    an awareness of some type of stimulation
    I gasp, waiting for the heat, but there is only a faint tickling sensation.
  31. ignite
    cause to start burning
    Cinna climbs up before us and ignites our headdresses.
  32. confirmation
    information that verifies
    He grabs my right hand in his left, and we look to Cinna for confirmation.
  33. illuminate
    make lighter or brighter
    In the deepening twilight, the firelight illuminates our faces.
  34. minimal
    the least possible
    Cinna was right about the minimal makeup, we both look more attractive but utterly recognizable.
  35. utterly
    completely and without qualification
    Cinna was right about the minimal makeup, we both look more attractive but utterly recognizable.
  36. suppress
    put down by force or authority
    The pounding music, the cheers, the admiration work their way into my blood, and I can't suppress my excitement.
  37. tangible
    perceptible by the senses, especially the sense of touch
    A hundred hands reach up to catch my kiss, as if it were a real and tangible thing.
  38. prestigious
    having an excellent reputation; respected
    On the buildings that surround the Circle, every window is packed with the most prestigious citizens of the Capitol.
  39. halt
    an interruption or temporary suspension of progress
    Our horses pull our chariot right up to President Snow's mansion, and we come to a halt.
  40. flourish
    a short lively tune played on brass instruments
    The music ends with a flourish.
  41. engulf
    flow over or cover completely
    70 The doors have only just shut behind us when we're engulfed by the prep teams, who are nearly unintelligible as they babble out praise.
  42. extinguish
    put out, as of fires, flames, or lights
    Portia extinguishes them with some kind of spray from a canister.
  43. lure
    provoke someone to do something through persuasion
    He is luring you in to make you easy prey.
  44. prey
    a person who is the aim of an attack by a hostile influence
    He is luring you in to make you easy prey.
Created on Thu Apr 12 13:30:57 EDT 2012 (updated Mon Aug 04 12:07:34 EDT 2014)

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