"Paradise Lost" by John Milton, Book VIII

Learn these words from the original ten-book version of Milton's epic poem, which retells the Biblical story of humanity's fall from divine favor. Read the full text here.

Here are links to our lists for the poem: Book I, Book II, Book III, Book IV, Book V,
Book VI, Book VII, Book VIII, Book IX, Book X

Here is a link to our lists for the twelve-book version of Paradise Lost.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. venial
    easily excused or forgiven
    No more of talk where God or Angel Guest
    With Man, as with his Friend, familiar us'd
    To sit indulgent, and with him partake
    Rural repast, permitting him the while
    Venial discourse unblam'd
  2. wanton
    unprovoked or without motive or justification
    Our pleasant task enjoin'd, but till more hands
    Aid us, the work under our labour grows,
    Luxurious by restraint; what we by day
    Lop overgrown, or prune, or prop, or bind,
    One night or two with wanton growth derides
    Tending to wild.
  3. asunder
    widely separated especially in space
    and somewhere nigh at hand
    Watches, no doubt, with greedy hope to find
    His wish and best advantage, us asunder
  4. asperse
    charge falsely or with malicious intent
    For he who tempts, though in vain, at least asperses
    The tempted with dishonour foul, suppos'd
    Not incorruptible of Faith, not proof
    Against temptation
  5. surmise
    a message expressing an opinion based on incomplete evidence
    then wherefore shunn'd or fear'd
    By us? who rather double honour gain
    From his surmise prov'd false, find peace within,
    Favour from Heav'n, our witness from th' event.
  6. suborn
    incite to commit a crime or an evil deed
    Firm we subsist, yet possible to swerve,
    Since Reason not impossibly may meet
    Some specious object by the Foe suborn'd,
    And fall into deception unaware,
    Not keeping strictest watch, as she was warn'd.
  7. ardent
    characterized by intense emotion
    Her long and ardent look his EYE pursu'd
    Delighted, but desiring more her stay.
  8. rancor
    a feeling of deep and bitter anger and ill-will
    Such ambush hid among sweet Flowers and Shades
    Waited with hellish rancor imminent
    To intercept thy way, or send thee back
    Despoil'd of Innocence, of Faith, of Bliss.
  9. voluble
    marked by a ready flow of speech
    Nearer he drew, and many a walk travers'd
    Of stateliest Covert, Cedar, Pine, or Palm,
    Then voluble and bold, now hid, now seen
  10. tortuous
    marked by repeated turns and bends
    So varied he, and of his tortuous Train
    Curl'd many a wanton wreath in sight of EVE,
    To lure her Eye
  11. resplendent
    having great beauty
    Empress of this fair World, resplendent EVE,
    Easy to me it is to tell thee all
    What thou commandst, and right thou shouldst be obey'd
  12. credulous
    disposed to believe on little evidence
    So glister'd the dire Snake and into fraud
    Led EVE our credulous Mother, to the Tree
    Of prohibition, root of all our woe
  13. solicit
    incite, move, or persuade to some act of lawlessness
    Meanwhile the hour of Noon drew on, and wak'd
    An eager appetite, rais'd by the smell
    So savory of that Fruit, which with desire,
    Inclinable now grown to touch or taste,
    Solicited her longing eye
  14. endue
    give qualities or abilities to
    the Serpent wise,
    Or not restrain'd as we, or not obeying,
    Hath eat'n of the fruit, and is become,
    Not dead, as we are threaten'd, but thenceforth
    Endued with human voice and human sense
  15. tedious
    so lacking in interest as to cause mental weariness
    For bliss, as thou hast part, to me is bliss,
    Tedious, unshar'd with thee, and odious soon.
    Thou therefore also taste, that equal Lot
    May join us, equal Joy, as equal Love
  16. iterate
    say, state, or perform again
    while ADAM took no thought,
    Eating his fill, nor EVE to iterate
    Her former trespass fear'd, the more to soothe
    Him with her lov'd society, that now
    As with new Wine intoxicated both
    They swim in mirth
  17. lascivious
    driven by lust
    but that false Fruit
    Far other operation first display'd,
    Carnal desire enflaming, he on EVE
    Began to cast lascivious Eyes, she him
    As wantonly repaid
  18. abashed
    feeling or caused to feel uneasy and self-conscious
    They destitute and bare
    Of all their virtue: silent, and in face
    Confounded long they sat, as struck'n mute,
    Till ADAM, though not less than EVE abashed,
    At length gave utterance to these words constrain'd.
  19. concupiscence
    a desire for sexual intimacy
    Bad Fruit of Knowledge, if this be to know,
    Which leaves us naked thus, of Honour void,
    Of Innocence, of Faith, of Purity,
    Our wonted Ornaments now soil'd and stain'd,
    And in our Faces evident the signs
    Of foul concupiscence
  20. umbrage
    a feeling of anger caused by being offended
    O might I here
    In solitude live savage, in some glade
    Obscur'd, where highest Woods impenetrable
    To Star or Sun-light, spread their umbrage broad,
    And brown as Evening: Cover me ye Pines,
    Ye Cedars, with innumerable boughs
    Hide me, where I may never see them more.
Created on Wed Aug 07 15:33:38 EDT 2013 (updated Tue Mar 26 11:01:01 EDT 2019)

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