VR WORDS 2

Question 1

ABDICATE

verb

Answer 1

To renounce one’s throne (of a monarch or a person of high authority)

Relinquish, renounce, step down

He abdicated his responsibility as team leader by refusing to make decisions.

Question 2

INERT

Adjective

Answer 2

Lacking the ability or strength to move
Lacking vigour, activity, or effectiveness

Inactive, motionless, dormant

The protagonist’s inert response to societal pressures underscores the theme of paralysis in the face of injustice.

Question 3

FRIVOLOUS

adjective

Answer 3

Not having any serious purpose or value

Trivial, petty, superficial, flippant

The author’s portrayal of the elite’s frivolous lifestyle critiques the moral emptiness and shallow priorities of upper-class society.

Question 4

BOON

noun

Answer 4

A helpful or beneficial thing

(less common) a favour or request

Blessing, benefit, advantage

The protagonist’s education served as a boon, granting her social mobility that contrasts sharply with the constraints faced by others in the text.

Question 5

DEBILITATE

verb

Answer 5

to make something weaker and infirm
to hinder or impair or reduce the effectiveness of something

weaken, enfeeble, drain exhaust

The revelation of his fiancée’s execution debilitates the protagonist’s resolve to continue along the altruistic path, exposing the fragility of his moral convictions.

Question 6

ENARMOUR

verb

Answer 6

To cause someone to feel love, admiration, or deep liking for someone or something

To be filled with love or fascination

Enchant, love, admire, captivate, beguile

The protagonist is enamoured of an idealised vision of love”

“Enamoured of” = more formal, more literary, more common in British/Australian English.
“Enamoured with” = slightly more casual; sometimes emphasises fascination with a person rather than admiration for an idea

Question 7

ESCHEW

verb

Answer 7

To deliberately avoid, shun, or abstain from something especially something considered wrong, harmful, or undesirable.

Avoid, shun, reject renounce

The protagonists to eschew societal expectations, yet his rebellion ultimately exposes the constraints of the world he inhabits.

Question 8

MALAISE

noun

Answer 8

a general feeling of discomfort, illness, or unease whose exact cause is difficult to identify

Unease, discomfort, discontent, unrest

The protagonist’s quiet malaise signals an internal conflict that gradually erodes his sense of identity.

Question 9

DESOLATE

adjective / verb

Answer 9

(Place) Empty, barren, abandoned, or bleak, showing no signs of life or comfort.

(Person) Feeling or showing great unhappiness, misery, or loneliness.

barren, bleak, deserted, empty, isolated, miserable, grief-stricken

The protagonist’s desolate emotional state exposes the psychological cost of societal rejection.

Question 10

DEMARCATE

verb

Answer 10

To set the boundaries or limits of something, to mark out clearly

To separate or distinguish one thing from another

Delineate, distinguish, separate

The author demarcates the tension between personal desire and societal obligation, revealing the protagonist’s fractured identity.

Question 11

PERJORATIVE

adjective or noun

Answer 11

(adjective) expressing disapproval or contempt: having a belittling or negative connotation

(noun) a word or expression that carries a negative or critical meaning

Disparaging, derogatory, demeaning

The text critiques the pejorative labels imposed on marginalised groups, exposing how language reinforces systems of power and exclusion.

Question 12

EMBROIL

verb

Answer 12

To involve someone deeply in an argument, conflict, or difficult situation – often unwillingly or unintentionally

Entangle, involve, implicate

The protagonist becomes embroiled in a web of political deceit, highlighting the text’s critique of institutional corruption.

Question 12

PRESAGES

verb or noun

Answer 12

To be a sign or warning of a future event, especially something bad

A sign, omen, of indicator of a future event – usually negative or ominous

Foreshadow, portend, herald

The author employs symbolic imagery to presage the protagonist’s eventual downfall, allowing readers to anticipate the tragic trajectory.

Question 13

FICTITIOUS

adjective

Answer 13

Not real, invented, or fabricated

False or misleading – something that implies deception

Fabricated, invented, imaginary

The protagonist’s fictitious persona underscores the tension between identity and societal expectation.

Question 14

INSOUCIANT

adjective

Answer 14

Showing a casual lack of concern

Nonchalant, untroubled, carefree

The protagonist’s insouciant disregard for convention foregrounds their resistance to societal constraint

Question 15

ERRONEOUS

adjective

Answer 15

wrong or incorrect

mistaken, false, incorrect

The text challenges the community’s erroneous belief that virtue is tied to lineage rather than character.

Question 16

VERACITY

noun

Almost always used with “of”: the veracity of the claim.

Answer 16

Truthfulness, accuracy, conformity to facts

Truthfulness, accuracy, authenticity

The novel destabilises the veracity of the narrator’s recollections, foregrounding the theme of unreliable storytelling.

Question 17

SUFFUSE

verb

Answer 17

To spread through or over something, especially gradually or subtly

To fill or saturate with a quality, feeling, or colour

Permeate, fill, imbue, saturate

The author suffuses the narrative with a sense of foreboding, foreshadowing the protagonist’s eventual downfall.

Her cheeks were suffused with colour after the brisk walk.

Question 18

INGENIOUS

adjective

Answer 18

(of a person) clever, original, and inventive

(of a machine or idea) cleverly and originally designed and well suited to the purpose

Clever inventive creative

The author employs an ingenious structural framework that interweaves multiple perspectives to reveal the text’s thematic complexity.

Question 19

DANK

adjective

Answer 19

Unpleasantly damp, musty, and cold

Damp, moist, clammy, chilly

The author situates the characters in a dank, oppressive environment, mirroring their psychological entrapment.

Question 20

AMALGAMATION

noun

Caution
* Use for things that meaningfully combine, not just coexist.
* Slightly formal; strong fit for literary analysis or academic writing.

Answer 20

A mixture or blend of different elements.

The process of uniting or merging things together

Combination, merger, fusion, blend, union

The novel presents an amalgamation of myth and realism, creating a hybrid narrative mode that blurs the boundary between history and imagination

Question 21

PERNICIOUS

adjective

Use pernicious to describe toxic forces, destructive ideologies, corrosive social norms, or harmful psychological effects within texts.

Answer 21

Having a harmful effect, especially in a subtle or gradual way

Harmful, damaging, deteriorating

The author critiques the pernicious societal belief that one’s worth is determined by lineage rather than virtue.

Question 22

PRUDENCE

noun

Answer 22

Careful, sensible judgement, the ability to govern oneself through reason and foresight when making decisions

Wisdom, caution, discretion

Through contrasting characters, the author interrogates whether prudence or passion should guide human action.

Question 23

CEDE

verb

Answer 23

To give up or surrender (power or territory) – often unwillingly or under pressure

Relinquish, renounce, surrender

The protagonist is compelled to cede moral authority, revealing the corrosive impact of sustained oppression.

Question 24

EXHORT | verb ## Footnote Connotations * Formal and intense. * Implies emotional or moral pressure, not gentle suggestion. * Often associated with speeches, sermons, manifestos, or calls to action.

Answer 24

To strongly urge, encourage, or advise someone to do something | Urge, implore, enjoin, adjure ## Footnote The orator exhorts the populace to embrace sacrifice, revealing how language can mobilise collective action.

Question 25

AUSPICIOUS | adjective

Answer 25

Conducive of future success Marked by good omens | Favourable, promising, fortunate, propitious ## Footnote The protagonist’s seemingly auspicious circumstances at the beginning of the text create a sharp contrast with his eventual downfall, heightening the narrative’s tragic trajectory.

Question 26

EXTOL | verb

Answer 26

To praise something or someone publicly and enthusiastically | Glorify, praise, laud, acclaim ## Footnote The narrator extols the virtues of freedom throughout the novel, aligning the text’s rhetoric with Enlightenment ideals.

Question 27

EXPOUND | verb

Answer 27

To present and explain (a theory or idea) in detail | Explain, elucidate, explicate, interpret ## Footnote The narrative structure expounds the protagonist’s internal conflict, revealing hidden motivations through layered exposition.

Question 28

GREGARIOUS | adjective

Answer 28

(of a person) fond of company; sociable | socialble, outgoing, companionable ## Footnote The protagonist’s gregarious nature contrasts sharply with the novel’s atmosphere of social alienation

Question 29

SPECIOUS | adjective

Answer 29

Superficially attractive or plausible but actually wrong or misleading | midsleading, deceptive, spurious, fallacious ## Footnote The antagonist’s specious appeal to tradition conceals a desire to preserve unjust power structures.

Question 30

EXTRICATE | verb ## Footnote (usually implies a lot of effort in regards to)

Answer 30

to free someone or something from contraint, entanglement, or difficulty | free, release, liberate, disentangle ## Footnote The protagonist seeks to extricate himself from societal expectations, highlighting the tension between individuality and conformity.

Question 31

SOLACE | noun

Answer 31

comfort or consolation in a time of distress or sadness | support, comfort, consolation, cheer ## Footnote The protagonist seeks solace in nature, reflecting the text’s theme of healing through isolation and reflection

Question 32

ENIGMATIC | adjective

Answer 32

Difficult to understand or interpret; mysterious | Mysterious, puzzling, cryptic ## Footnote Her enigmatic smile concealed motives that remained unresolved.

Question 33

PERTINENT | adjective

Answer 33

relevant or applicable to a particular topic or matter | relevant, applicable, apposite ## Footnote The quotation is pertinent to the author’s critique of institutional authority.

Question 34

INEXORABLE | adjective ## Footnote INEXORABLY

Answer 34

Impossible to stop, prevent, or persuade | Relentless, unstoppable, implacable ## Footnote The playwright creates a sense of inevitability as the truth inexorably emerges despite attempts to suppress it.

Question 35

EQUIVOCAL | adjective

Answer 35

Open to more than one interpretation | Ambiguoius, unclear, cryptic ## Footnote Through equivocal language, the text resists a singular ideological reading.

Question 36

UNEQUIVOCAL | adjective

Answer 36

Leaving no doubt or ambiguity | Clear, explicit, unambiguous ## Footnote The narrative delivers an unequivocal condemnation of institutional corruption

Question 37

PROVENANCE | noun

Answer 37

the place of origin or the earliest known history of something | Origin, source, lineage, derivation ## Footnote The painting’s provenance was meticulously documented to verify its authenticity.

Question 38

TRANSGRESSION | noun

Answer 38

An act that violates a law, rule, moral code, or social norm | Violation, offence, breach ## Footnote The novel centres on a moral transgression that triggers irreversible consequences.

Question 39

SUPPLICATE | verb ## Footnote best used when there is a clear power hierachy

Answer 39

To ask or beg for something humbly or earnestly, often from a position of inferiority | Implore, entreat, beseech, beg ## Footnote Forced to supplicate before the regime, the protagonist’s dignity is systematically eroded.

Question 40

SUBSTANTIATE | verb

Answer 40

To provide evidence or proof to support a claim, argument, or belief | Corroborate, validate, support ## Footnote The author’s claims are substantiated by recurring imagery and narrative structure

Question 41

CALLOUS | adjective

Answer 41

Showing or having an insensitive and cruel disregard for others | Heartless, insensitive, unfeeling ## Footnote Through the protagonist’s increasingly callous behaviour, the text charts the erosion of empathy under sustained trauma.

Question 42

ACQUIESCE | verb

Answer 42

To accept or agree to something without protest, although often reluctantly | Comply, consent, concede ## Footnote Citizens acquiesce not because they agree, but because resistance appears futile.

Question 43

DOGMATIC | adjective

Answer 43

Inclined to lay down principles, beliefs, or opinions as undeniably true | Doctrinaire, opinionated, insistent . ## Footnote The text critiques dogmatic morality, exposing the harm caused by unquestioned beliefs

Question 44

AMBIVALENT | adjective

Answer 44

having mixed or conflicting feelings about someone or something | conflicted, uncerntain, equivocal ## Footnote Public opinion remained ambivalent toward the reform.

Question 45

QUINTESSENTIAL | adjective

Answer 45

Representing the most typical, perfect, or essential example of a quality, class or thing | Exemplary, archetypal, classic ## Footnote The protagonist functions as the quintessential tragic hero, undone by hubris and moral blindness.