"Romeo and Juliet" Act 4 and 5

Eleanor (United States of America)
Sparks fly when Romeo and Juliet meet, but their families are sworn enemies locked in an ancient feud. Learn these words from Shakespeare's classic tale of star-crossed love.

Here are links to our lists for the play: Act 1, Act 2, Act 3, Act 4, Act 5
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. slack
    make less active or fast
    My father Capulet will have it so, And I am nothing slow to slack his haste.
  2. sway
    controlling influence
    Now, sir, her father counts it dangerous That she do give her sorrow so much sway, And in his wisdom hastes our marriage To stop the inundation of her tears, Which, too much minded by herself alone, May be put from her by society.
  3. inundation
    the overflowing of a body of water onto normally dry land
    Now, sir, her father counts it dangerous That she do give her sorrow so much sway, And in his wisdom hastes our marriage To stop the inundation of her tears, Which, too much minded by herself alone, May be put from her by society.
  4. presently
    in the near future
    If in thy wisdom thou canst give no help, Do thou but call my resolution wise, And with this knife I’ll help it presently.
  5. arbitrate
    act between parties with a view to reconciling differences
    Therefore out of thy long-experienced time Give me some present counsel, or, behold, ’Twixt my extremes and me this bloody knife Shall play the umpire, arbitrating that Which the commission of thy years and art Could to no issue of true honor bring.
  6. commission
    the act of granting authority to undertake certain functions
    Therefore out of thy long-experienced time Give me some present counsel, or, behold, ’Twixt my extremes and me this bloody knife Shall play the umpire, arbitrating that Which the commission of thy years and art Could to no issue of true honor bring.
  7. issue
    a phenomenon caused by some previous phenomenon
    Therefore out of thy long-experienced time Give me some present counsel, or, behold, ’Twixt my extremes and me this bloody knife Shall play the umpire, arbitrating that Which the commission of thy years and art Could to no issue of true honor bring.
  8. surcease
    a stopping
    Take thou this vial, being then in bed, And this distilling liquor drink thou off; When presently through all thy veins shall run A cold and drowsy humor; for no pulse Shall keep his native progress, but surcease.
  9. supple
    capable of moving or bending freely
    Each part, deprived of supple government, Shall, stiff and stark and cold, appear like death, And in this borrowed likeness of shrunk death Thou shalt continue two and forty hours And then awake as from a pleasant sleep.
  10. stark
    devoid of any qualifications or disguise or adornment
    Each part, deprived of supple government, Shall, stiff and stark and cold, appear like death, And in this borrowed likeness of shrunk death Thou shalt continue two and forty hours And then awake as from a pleasant sleep.
  11. kindred
    group of people related by blood or marriage
    Then, as the manner of our country is, In thy best robes uncovered on the bier Thou shalt be borne to that same ancient vault Where all the kindred of the Capulets lie.
  12. headstrong
    habitually disposed to disobedience and opposition
    How now, my headstrong, where have you been gadding?
  13. enjoin
    give instructions to or direct somebody to do something
    Where I have learned me to repent the sin Of disobedient opposition To you and your behests, and am enjoined By holy Lawrence to fall prostrate here To beg your pardon.
  14. reverend
    worthy of adoration or respect
    Now, afore God, this reverend holy friar, All our whole city is much bound to him.
  15. warrant
    show to be reasonable or provide adequate ground for
    Tush, I will stir about, And all things shall be well, I warrant thee, wife.
  16. orison
    reverent petition to a deity
    But, gentle nurse, I pray thee leave me to myself tonight, For I have need of many orisons To move the heavens to smile upon my state, Which, well thou knowest, is cross and full of sin.
  17. behoove
    be appropriate or necessary
    No, madam, we have culled such necessaries As are behooveful for our state tomorrow.
  18. subtly
    in a manner difficult to detect or grasp
    What if it be a poison which the Friar Subtly hath ministered to have me dead, Lest in this marriage he should be dishonored Because he married me before to Romeo?
  19. loathsome
    physically offensive or sickening
    Alack, alack, is it not like that I, So early waking, what with loathsome smells, And shrieks like mandrakes torn out of the earth, That living mortals, hearing them, run mad—
  20. beguile
    influence by slyness
    Beguiled, divorcèd, wrongèd, spited, slain! Most detestable death, by thee beguiled, By cruel, cruel thee quite overthrown!
  21. martyr
    kill as one who suffers for the sake of principle
    Despised, distressèd, hated, martyred, killed! Uncomfortable time, why cam’st thou now To murder, murder our solemnity?
  22. ordain
    order by virtue of superior authority; decree
    All things that we ordainèd festival Turn from their office to black funeral: Our instruments to melancholy bells, Our wedding cheer to a sad burial feast, Our solemn hymns to sullen dirges change
  23. dirge
    a song or hymn of mourning as a memorial to a dead person
    All things that we ordainèd festival Turn from their office to black funeral: Our instruments to melancholy bells, Our wedding cheer to a sad burial feast, Our solemn hymns to sullen dirges change
  24. doleful
    filled with or evoking sadness
    When griping griefs the heart doth wound And doleful dumps the mind oppress, Then music with her silver sound—
  25. redress
    act of correcting an error or a fault or an evil
    Then music with her silver sound With speedy help doth lend redress.
  26. pestilent
    exceedingly harmful
    What a pestilent knave is this same!
  27. presage
    indicate by signs
    If I may trust the flattering truth of sleep, My dreams presage some joyful news at hand.
  28. import
    indicate or signify
    Your looks are pale and wild and do import Some misadventure.
  29. misadventure
    an instance of misfortune
    Your looks are pale and wild and do import Some misadventure.
  30. apothecary
    a health professional who prepares and dispenses drugs
    I do remember an apothecary (And hereabouts he dwells) which late I noted In tattered weeds, with overwhelming brows, Culling of simples.
  31. ducat
    formerly a gold coin of various European countries
    Come hither, man. I see that thou art poor. Hold, there is forty ducats.
  32. dispatch
    kill without delay
    Put this in any liquid thing you will And drink it off, and if you had the strength Of twenty men, it would dispatch you straight.
  33. inexorable
    impossible to prevent, resist, or stop
    The time and my intents are savage-wild, More fierce and more inexorable far Than empty tigers or the roaring sea.
  34. maw
    the mouth, jaws, or throat
    Thou detestable maw, thou womb of death, Gorged with the dearest morsel of the earth, Thus I enforce thy rotten jaws to open, And in despite I’ll cram thee with more food.
  35. haughty
    having or showing arrogant superiority
    This is that banished haughty Montague That murdered my love’s cousin, with which grief It is supposèd the fair creature died, And here is come to do some villainous shame To the dead bodies. I will apprehend him.
  36. hallowed
    worthy of religious veneration
    Stop thy unhallowed toil, vile Montague. Can vengeance be pursued further than death? Condemnèd villain, I do apprehend thee. Obey and go with me, for thou must die.
  37. apprehend
    take into police custody
    This is that banished haughty Montague That murdered my love’s cousin, with which grief It is supposèd the fair creature died, And here is come to do some villainous shame To the dead bodies. I will apprehend him.
  38. peruse
    examine or consider with attention and in detail
    Let me peruse this face. Mercutio’s kinsman, noble County Paris!
  39. inter
    place in a grave or tomb
    Death, lie thou there, by a dead man interred.
  40. ensign
    an emblem flown as a symbol of nationality
    Thou art not conquered. Beauty’s ensign yet Is crimson in thy lips and in thy cheeks, And death’s pale flag is not advancèd there.
  41. paramour
    a lover, especially a secret or illicit one
    Shall I believe That unsubstantial death is amorous, And that the lean abhorrèd monster keeps Thee here in dark to be his paramour?
  42. inauspicious
    presaging ill fortune
    O, here Will I set up my everlasting rest And shake the yoke of inauspicious stars From this world-wearied flesh!
  43. engross
    devote fully to
    And, lips, O, you The doors of breath, seal with a righteous kiss A dateless bargain to engrossing death.
  44. unsavory
    morally offensive
    Come, bitter conduct, come, unsavory guide!
  45. discern
    perceive, recognize, or detect
    As I discern, It burneth in the Capels’ monument.
  46. sepulcher
    a chamber that is used as a grave
    Alack, alack, what blood is this which stains The stony entrance of this sepulcher?
  47. thwart
    hinder or prevent, as an effort, plan, or desire
    A greater power than we can contradict Hath thwarted our intents. Come, come away.
  48. churl
    a selfish person who is unwilling to give or spend
    O churl, drunk all, and left no friendly drop To help me after! I will kiss thy lips.
  49. restorative
    a medicine that strengthens and invigorates
    Haply some poison yet doth hang on them, To make me die with a restorative.
  50. descry
    catch sight of
    We see the ground whereon these woes do lie, But the true ground of all these piteous woes We cannot without circumstance descry.
  51. sovereign
    a nation's ruler usually by hereditary right
    Sovereign, here lies the County Paris slain, And Romeo dead, and Juliet, dead before, Warm and new killed.
  52. liege
    a feudal lord entitled to allegiance and service
    Alas, my liege, my wife is dead tonight.
  53. impeach
    bring an accusation against
    I am the greatest, able to do least, Yet most suspected, as the time and place Doth make against me, of this direful murder. And here I stand, both to impeach and purge Myself condemnèd and myself excused.
  54. purge
    make pure or free from sin or guilt
    I am the greatest, able to do least, Yet most suspected, as the time and place Doth make against me, of this direful murder. And here I stand, both to impeach and purge Myself condemnèd and myself excused.
  55. privy
    informed about something secret or not generally known
    All this I know, and to the marriage Her nurse is privy.
  56. rigor
    excessive sternness
    And if aught in this Miscarried by my fault, let my old life Be sacrificed some hour before his time Unto the rigor of severest law.
  57. scourge
    something causing misery or death
    Capulet, Montague, See what a scourge is laid upon your hate, That heaven finds means to kill your joys with love, And I, for winking at your discords too, Have lost a brace of kinsmen.
  58. discord
    strife resulting from a lack of agreement
    Capulet, Montague, See what a scourge is laid upon your hate, That heaven finds means to kill your joys with love, And I, for winking at your discords too, Have lost a brace of kinsmen.
Created on Fri Jun 06 11:33:57 EDT 2025 (updated Fri Jun 13 11:04:21 EDT 2025)

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