NEW
Font size
WorksheetsThe Tell-Tale Heart Vocabulary
Total questions: 18
Worksheet time: 9mins
"Above all was the sense of hearing acute. I heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell."
"Acute" means--
precious or adorable
unintentional, by accident
sharp or sudden
increasing by degrees
"You should have seen how wisely I proceeded -- with what caution -- with what foresight, with what dissimulation, I went to work! I was never kinder to the old man than during the whole week before I killed him."
"Dissimulation" means--
pretense, lying
similar to, but not exactly the same
glee, a sense of triumph
disinterest, boredom
"… I put in a dark lantern all closed, closed so that no light shone out, and then I thrust in my head. Oh, you would have laughed to see how cunningly I thrust it in! I moved it slowly, very, very slowly, so that I might not disturb the old man's sleep."
"Cunningly" means--
with a good flavor
with bad intentions
allowing for no mistakes
sneakily, slyly, and with great cleverness
“...for it was not the old man who vexed me, but his Evil Eye.”
To "vex" is to--
anger or annoy greatly
cough quietly
draw upon
amuse lightly
“So you see he would have been a very profound old man, indeed, to suspect that every night, just at twelve, I looked in upon him while he slept.”
"Profound" means--
insightful, deep
in favor of finding things
suspicious and distrustful
silly and frivilous
“A watch's minute hand moves more quickly than did mine. Never before that night had I felt the extent of my own powers --of my sagacity.”
"Sagacity" means--
strength and power
boldness
keen in perception, wisdom
intense focus
“I resolved to open a little --a very, very little crevice in the lantern. So I opened it --you cannot imagine how stealthily, stealthily --until, at length a simple dim ray, like the thread of the spider, shot from out the crevice and fell full upon the vulture eye.”
"Stealthily" means--
in great haste
secretively, so as not to attract attention
with deep concern and caring
with insectlike movements
“It was the beating of the old man's heart. It increased my fury, as the beating of a drum stimulates the soldier into courage. But even yet I refrained and kept still.”
"Refrain" means--
to resist an impulse and hold back
to frain again
to think deeply about something
to reconsider
“The night waned, and I worked hastily, but in silence.”
To "wane" is to
increase in brightness
go on endlessly and ceaselessly
wear away at something, to erode
decrease in size; diminish; fade
“There was nothing to wash out --no stain of any kind --no blood-spot whatever. I had been too wary for that. A tub had caught all --ha! ha!”
"Wary" means--
watchful and cautious
dressed up nicely
quick to act
concerned for the future
“There entered three men, who introduced themselves, with perfect suavity, as officers of the police.”
"Sauvity" means--
deceptiveness and lying
in an official manner
coming in waves
Smooth, polished, sophisticated
manner
“I brought chairs into the room, and desired them here to rest from their fatigues…”
"Fatigue" is--
mental or physical exhaustion
hard work while on duty
dedication to a cause
business currently at hand
“...while I myself, in the wild audacity of my perfect triumph, placed my own seat upon the very spot beneath which reposed the corpse of the victim.”
"Audacity" means--
insanity
nerve, boldness
cleverness
stupidity
“The ringing became more distinct: --It continued and became more distinct: I talked more freely to get rid of the feeling: but it continued and gained definiteness --until, at length, I found that the noise was not within my ears.”
"Definitiveness" is--
finality, certainty
doubt, uncertainty
loudness, noise
brightness, clarity
“No doubt I now grew very pale; --but I talked more fluently, and with a heightened voice.”
"Fluently" means--
loudly and boldly
with speed and ease
in a liquid manner, as if pouring
frantically, in a nervous fashion
“I talked more quickly --more vehemently; but the noise steadily increased.”
"Vehement" means--
anger, rage
with intence emotion or passion
with concern and thoughfulness
showing great misery
“...they were making a mockery of my horror! -this I thought, and this I think. But anything was better than this agony! Anything was more tolerable than this derision!”
"Derision" means--
mocking scorn or ridicule
loud laughter
misery and sadness
lecture, getting yelled at
“I could bear those hypocritical smiles no longer! I felt that I must scream or die!”
"Hypocritical" means--
easy going and relaxed
kindly; expressing compassion
understated and without proof
two-faced; saying one thing but doing or thinking another
