Chapter 20 — Vocabulary

Vocabulary Words from Chapter 20

morbid (adjective)

Characterized by an abnormal and unhealthy interest in disturbing and unpleasant subjects, especially death and disease

incoherent (adjective)

Unable to express oneself clearly or logically; lacking order or connection in speech or thought

nadir (noun)

The lowest point in the fortunes of a person or organization; the point of greatest adversity or despair

pathetic fallacy (noun phrase)

A literary device in which human emotions are attributed to nature or the weather, so that the external environment mirrors a character's inner state

displacement (noun)

The state of being moved from one's usual or proper place; a feeling of not belonging or having no fixed home

irrevocable (adjective)

Not able to be changed, reversed, or recovered; final and permanent

desolation (noun)

A state of complete emptiness, devastation, or loneliness; utter misery and hopelessness

migration (noun)

The seasonal movement of animals from one region to another, typically for feeding or breeding; by extension, any movement from one place to another

catharsis (noun)

The process of releasing and thereby providing relief from strong or repressed emotions

dissolution (noun)

The process of breaking down, disintegrating, or coming apart; can refer to physical, social, or psychological collapse

futile (adjective)

Incapable of producing any useful result; pointless or hopeless

paradox (noun)

A seemingly contradictory statement or situation that nonetheless reveals a truth; a self-contradictory element that is true when examined more closely

elegy (noun)

A poem or piece of writing expressing sorrow for someone who is dead; more broadly, a lament for something lost

vulnerable (adjective)

Susceptible to physical or emotional attack or harm; exposed and unprotected

fixation (noun)

An obsessive interest in or focus on something; in psychology, an unhealthy attachment to a particular stage, idea, or object