"Simon's Saga," Vocabulary from Episode 6

Philip Geer's "Simon's Saga" includes 820 SAT-level words and gives students an entertaining glimpse into college life.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6, Episode 7, Episode 8, Episode 9, Episode 10, Episode 11, Episode 12, Episode 13, Episode 14, Episode 15, Episode 16, Episode 17, Episode 18, Episode 19, Episode 20, Episode 21, Episode 22, Episode 23, Episode 24, Episode 25, Episode 26, Episode 27, Episode 28, Episode 29, Episode 30, Episode 31, Episode 32, Episode 33, Episode 34, Episode 35, Episode 36, Episode 37
25 words 1583 learners

Learn words with Flashcards and other activities

Definition First
Print Flashcards

Other learning activities

Answer a few questions about each word. Use this to prep for your next quiz! Compete with other teams in real time to see who answers the most questions correctly! Test your spelling acumen. Read the definition, listen to the word and try spelling it!

Teaching tools

Create and assign quizzes to your students to test their vocabulary. Assign learning activities including Practice, Vocabulary Jams and Spelling Bees to your students, and monitor their progress in real-time.

Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. jargon
    technical terminology characteristic of a particular subject
    In sociological jargon I know they say “significant other,” but that’s kind of impersonal for me.
  2. obstinate
    refusing to change one's mind or ways; difficult to convince
    I’m sort of obstinate about these things.
  3. subtle
    difficult to detect or grasp by the mind or analyze
    I prefer to call her my girlfriend—not subtle, but not ambiguous either.
  4. ambiguous
    open to two or more interpretations
    I prefer to call her my girlfriend—not subtle, but not ambiguous either.
  5. paramount
    more important than anything else; supreme
    Except she’s the person who’s paramount in my affections—numero uno.
  6. cordial
    politely warm and friendly
    She’s so cordial.
  7. colloquy
    formal conversation
    When I have a paper due we have a little colloquy on it and he puts me on the right track.
  8. replicate
    reproduce or make an exact copy of
    And before a test he crams information into me until I can replicate it verbatim.
  9. verbatim
    using exactly the same words
    And before a test he crams information into me until I can replicate it verbatim.
  10. reiterate
    say, state, or perform again
    He tirelessly reiterates concepts that I’m too obtuse to understand.
  11. obtuse
    slow to learn or understand; lacking intellectual acuity
    He tirelessly reiterates concepts that I’m too obtuse to understand.
  12. rebuke
    censure severely or angrily
    He rebukes me when my attention wanders.
  13. revivify
    give new life or energy to
    He even revivifies me when I find the discussion soporific and I become somnolent and take a little sojourn in slumberland.
  14. soporific
    inducing sleep
    He even revivifies me when I find the discussion soporific and I become somnolent and take a little sojourn in slumberland.
  15. somnolent
    inclined to or marked by drowsiness
    He even revivifies me when I find the discussion soporific and I become somnolent and take a little sojourn in slumberland.
  16. sojourn
    a temporary stay
    He even revivifies me when I find the discussion soporific and I become somnolent and take a little sojourn in slumberland.
  17. undaunted
    unshaken in purpose
    He just keeps going, undaunted by anything.
  18. convoluted
    highly complex or intricate
    His name situation is a little convoluted, but I’ll try to unravel it for you.
  19. appellation
    identifying words by which someone or something is called
    You see, he has a number of appellations (tags, to use the vernacular).
  20. vernacular
    the everyday speech of the people
    You see, he has a number of appellations (tags, to use the vernacular).
  21. amenable
    open to being acted upon in a certain way
    He’s pretty amenable to any of them.
  22. idiom
    expression whose meaning cannot be inferred from its words
    Have you heard the idiom “has an ax to grind”? Yeah, it means that the reason someone is doing something is selfishness.
  23. abortive
    failing to accomplish an intended result
    Well, I see that once again my attempt to stay on one topic has been abortive.
  24. narrative
    an account that tells the particulars of an act or event
    In fact, I’ve forgotten what the main thread of this little narrative was.
  25. melange
    a varied mixture or assortment of things
    It’s become a regular melange.
Created on Mon Aug 18 17:56:14 EDT 2014 (updated Tue Aug 19 12:55:58 EDT 2014)

Sign up now (it’s free!)

Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, Vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.