Death of a Salesman: Act II

by Arthur Miller
In this Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Willy Lohman is weary of his life as a traveling salesman and tormented by his failure to achieve his dreams.

Here are links to our lists for the play: Act I and Act II.

Here is a link to our lists for The Crucible by Arthur Miller.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. incredulously
    in a disbelieving manner
    willy (furiously): Casino! (Incredulously.) Don’t you realize what today is?
  2. carte blanche
    complete freedom or authority to act
    willy: Well, Bill Oliver — very big sporting-goods man — he wants Biff very badly. Called him in from the West. Long distance, carte blanche, special deliveries.
  3. raucous
    disturbing the public peace; loud and rough
    Suddenly raucous music is heard, and a red glow rises behind the screen at right.
  4. audible
    heard or perceptible by the ear
    Biff (at the table, now audible, holding up a gold fountain pen): . . . so I’m washed up with Oliver, you understand?
  5. befuddled
    confused and vague, especially of thinking
    He starts right, befuddled.
  6. ominously
    in a manner suggesting something bad will happen
    She rises ominously and quietly and moves toward Happy, who backs up into the kitchen, afraid.
  7. implacable
    incapable of being appeased or pacified
    (Linda says nothing but moves toward him implacably.)
  8. immobile
    not capable of movement or of being moved
    Willy (frozen, immobile, with guilt in his voice): No, I don’t want to see her.
  9. idyllic
    charmingly simple and serene
    In accents of dread, Ben’s idyllic music starts up.
    Happy (his arm around Linda): I’m getting married, Pop, don’t forget it.
  10. elegiac
    expressing sorrow often for something past
    Willy (elegiacally, turning to the house): Now when you kick off, boy, I want a seventy-yard boot, and get right down the field under the ball, and when you hit, hit low and hit hard, because it’s important, boy.
Created on Sat Feb 09 18:00:10 EST 2013 (updated Wed Jul 30 14:10:19 EDT 2025)

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