Romeo and Juliet — Vocabulary
William Shakespeare
(Edited)

Play sample Uses ACT/SAT
29 top 1000
banishbanish → banished:forced to leave the community
Romeo is banished.p.144.128 more
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He was banished from his own country.more
banish → banished:forced to leave
Show general definition to expel or get rid of
in various senses, including:
  • to force someone to leave a country as punishment
  • to push an idea from the mind
11 top 1000
warrantguarantee (assure you)
I'll warrant him as gentle as a lamb.p.112.610 more
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I warrant the material is original.more
promise
Show general definition for warrant (as in: I warrant it) to promise, guarantee, or indicate certainty of something
8 top 500
lamentlament → lamentable:sad
Most lamentable day, most woeful day
That ever, ever, I did yet behold!p.201.87 more
Show context notes The suffix "-able" means able to be. This is the same pattern you see in words like breakable, understandable, and comfortable.
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She lamented the loss.more
lament → lamented:expressed grief about
Show general definition to express grief or regret
1 top 500
dwellfocus (let attention stay)
Fain would I dwell on form.p.74.13 more
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Don't dwell on the past.more
think or talk about something longer than seems appropriate
Show general definition for dwell (as in: Don't dwell on it.) to think, communicate, or let attention stay on (or return to) something for a prolonged period
3 top 500
dwell#2dwell → dwells:lives
I do remember an apothecary—
And hereabouts he dwells,p.213.63 more
Show context notes Apothecary is a synonym for pharmacist.
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The creature dwells in the forest.more
dwell → dwells:lives in
Show general definition for dwell (as in: It dwells in the forest.) make one's home in; or to live in; or to stay (in a place)
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scornmock (disrespect)
Uncle, this is a Montague, our foe.
A villain, that is hither come in spite,
To scorn at our solemnity this night.p.54.44 more
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Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.more
scorn → scorned:rejected
Show general definition disrespect or reject as not good enough
7
beseechbeg
Good father, I beseech you on my knees,p.176.16 more
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She beseeches her students to think about their future.more
beseech → beseeches:begs
Show general definition to ask strongly or beg for something
Show editor's word notes Beseech is common in classic literature. Though its usage has doubled in recent decades, it remains a rare word in modern writing.

Synonym Comparison (if you're into word choice):

Beseech is similar to beg or entreat. Beg implies the request for a personal favor, while entreat implies an attempt to overcome resistance.
5 top 1000
loatheloathe → loathsome:disgusting
with loathsome smellsp.202.64 more
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I make New Year's resolutions every year and then loathe myself for breaking them.more
hate
Show general definition hate, detest, or intensely dislike
Show editor's word notes Word Confusion:  Do not confuse loathe with loath which sounds very similar or the same. Loathe is a verb while loath is an adjective describing "reluctance or unwillingness to do something." Note that loathing and loathsome are forms of the verb loathe even though both word forms lack the "e". Occasionally, you will see loath spelled as loathe even in a published book, but it is rare enough that it is generally considered an error rather than a non-standard spelling.
6 top 2000
exileexpel (force to live elsewhere)
And for that offence
Immediately we do exile him hence.p.134.65 more
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She fled Tibet and is living in exile in India.more
eviction from one's home country
Show general definition to force someone to live outside of their homeland; or living in such a condition

or more rarely:  voluntary absence from a place someone would rather be
3 top 500
devisecome up with (invent)
Then comes she to me,
And with wild looks, bid me devise some means
To rid her from this second marriage,p.237.92 more
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She plans to devise something to launch water balloons.more
come up with (invent or create)
Show general definition for devise (as in: devise a plan) to come up with a way of doing something -- typically a creative idea or plan
5 top 2000
chidecriticize
O, what a beast was I to chide at him!p.142.34 more
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She constantly chides me for my grammar.more
chide → chides:corrects or criticizes
Show general definition to tell someone they have done wrong -- sometimes in a gentle way to encourage better behavior
5 top 2000
conjuresummon
I conjure thee by Rosaline's bright eyesp.64.94 more
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She fears his black magic will conjure up evil spirits.more
summon into action or bring into existence
Show general definition summon into action or bring into existence -- often as if by magic
5
frayfight
Benvolio, who began this bloody fray?p.132.34 more
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I'm hesitant to join the political fray.more
fight or struggle
Show general definition for fray (as in: into the fray) a noisy fight, controversial debate, or other exciting situation that usually is not well organized
3 top 2000
apprehendcatch and arrest
  Condemned villain, I do apprehend thee;
  Obey, and go with me; for thou must die.p.223.82 more
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Police are determined to apprehend the murderer.more
Show general definition for apprehend (as in: apprehend the criminal) to capture and arrest someone suspected of breaking the law
3
ficklequick to change
O fortune, fortune! All men call thee fickle.p.168.42 more
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I can't imagine depending upon the fickle wind to sail around the world.more
Show general definition quick to change

(such as a person quick to change their mind, or the weather in a region where it changes suddenly)
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variablechanging
  O, swear not by the moon, the inconstant moon,
  That monthly changes in her circled orb,
  Lest that thy love prove likewise variable.p.74.9
Show context notes The suffix "-able" in variable means able to be. This is the same pattern you see in words like breakable, understandable, and comfortable. Note that when "-able" is placed at the end of a word that ends in "Y", the "Y" is often replaced with "I" as in enviable and deniable.
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The weather in this region is highly variable, shifting from sunshine to thunderstorms within hours.more
changeable
Show context notes The suffix "-able" in variable means able to be. This is the same pattern you see in words like breakable, understandable, and comfortable. Note that when "-able" is placed at the end of a word that ends in "Y", the "Y" is often replaced with "I" as in enviable and deniable.
Show general definition able to change, or something that is able to change
Show editor's word notes A variable in mathematics refers more specifically to a symbol that represents a value or a set of values.
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discorddiscord → discords:disagreements
And I, for winking at your discords too,
Have lost a brace of kinsmen:p.241.72 more
Show context notes In this context, brace is a synonym for several.
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There is too much discord in the team.more
conflict
Show general definition for discord (as in: discord amongst the group) conflict or disagreement -- especially among those expected to cooperate

or (especially in the form discordant):

seeming different or wrong in context
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discord#2discord → discords:unpleasant sounds
It is the lark that sings so out of tune,
Straining harsh discords and unpleasing sharps.p.166.12 more
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She described the loud discordant music as a form of torture.more
discord → discordant:unpleasant sounding
Show general definition for discord (as in: discordant music) unpleasant sound -- especially a combination of sounds that sound wrong together (though sometimes done intentionally in music)
7
writwrote
  Then gave I her, so tutored by my art,
  A sleeping potion; which so took effect
  As I intended, for it wrought on her
  The form of death: meantime I writ to Romeo
  That he should hither come as this dire night,
  To help to take her from her borrow'd grave,
  Being the time the potion's force should cease.p.239.26 more
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Find delight there writ with beauty's pen.Shakespeare  —  Romeo and Julietmore
written
Show general definition for writ (as in: writ in her own hand) archaic way of saying written or wrote
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yieldyield → yielding:giving in (surrendering)
  ...Therefore pardon me,
  And not impute this yielding to light love,
  Which the dark night hath so discovered.p.74.7
Show context notes This could be paraphrased as: Excuse me, and do not think I fell in love easily this evening.
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The country vowed not to yield to pressure from its larger neighbors.more
give in
Show general definition for yield (as in: yield to pressure) to give in, give way, or give up