Curriculum text vocabulary

Abhorrent – inspiring disgust or loathing; Scrooge found the idea of charity quite abhorrent at first.

Altruism – selfless concern for the well-being of others; Fred’s altruism stood in sharp contrast to Scrooge’s selfishness.

Avarice – extreme greed for wealth; Marley’s avarice had bound him in chains for eternity.

Apparition – a ghostly figure or appearance; Scrooge gasped as the apparition of Marley floated before him.

Benevolence – kindness or goodwill; The spirit’s benevolence warmed the hearts of all who saw him.

Beseech – to beg urgently or fervently; He did beseech the spirit for a second chance.

Blithe – showing a cheerful or carefree attitude; Fred’s blithe laughter rang through the room.

Brimstone – sulphur, often linked with hellfire; The preacher warned of brimstone and eternal punishment.

Capacious – spacious or roomy; The capacious hall was filled with laughter and music.

Caustic – harsh or sarcastic in speech; Scrooge’s caustic remarks drove away any potential company.

Cleric – a member of the clergy; The cleric offered prayers for the poor and needy.

Condescension – an attitude of superiority or disdain; He spoke with a condescension that irritated Scrooge.

Countenance – facial expression or appearance; Marley’s ghost had a sorrowful countenance.

Covetous – having a strong desire for possessions; Scrooge was a covetous old sinner, obsessed with his gold.

Despondent – feeling hopeless or discouraged; Bob Cratchit was far from despondent, despite his hardships.

Destitute – lacking the basic necessities of life; The destitute begged for alms in the snow-covered streets.

Dirge – a slow, mournful piece of music; The dirge echoed from the church on Christmas Eve.

Ethereal – delicate, light, or heavenly; The spirit’s ethereal form glowed faintly in the darkness.

Execrable – extremely bad or unpleasant; He wore an execrable expression as he counted his coins.

Facetious – treating serious matters with inappropriate humour; Scrooge made a facetious remark about charity.

Fettered – bound or restrained; Marley’s ghost was fettered with heavy chains of greed.

Forbearance – patient self-control or restraint; Fred showed great forbearance towards his grumpy uncle.

Girded – encircled or fastened tightly; He girded his robe against the cold wind outside.

Gratitude – thankfulness and appreciation; Scrooge’s heart swelled with gratitude for his second chance.

Humbug – nonsense or deception; “Christmas is a humbug!” declared Scrooge.

Infernal – relating to hell or the underworld; The infernal rattling of chains terrified Scrooge.

Inexorable – impossible to stop or persuade; The inexorable passing of time haunted Scrooge.

Intimation – a subtle or indirect hint; There was an intimation of change in Scrooge’s expression.

Livid – furiously angry or discoloured; Scrooge’s face grew livid with rage.

Lugubrious – mournful or gloomy; The ghost’s lugubrious voice sent shivers through Scrooge.

Melancholy – deep sadness or sorrow; The melancholy sound of the wind filled the empty house.

Misanthropic – having a dislike for humankind; Scrooge’s misanthropic ways kept him isolated from others.

Morose – sullen or gloomy; He sat in a morose silence by the fire.

Munificence – great generosity; The munificence of Fred’s Christmas table was extraordinary.

Obdurate – stubbornly refusing to change; Scrooge remained obdurate in his cold-hearted ways.

Obsequious – excessively obedient or servile; The obsequious clerk hurried to do his master’s bidding.

Obstinate – stubborn or unwilling to change; Scrooge remained obstinate in his refusal to celebrate Christmas.

Odious – extremely unpleasant or repulsive; Scrooge’s odious behaviour disgusted his nephew.

Palpable – able to be felt or touched; The cold in the room was almost palpable.

Penitent – feeling remorse for wrongdoing; Scrooge grew penitent as the spirits showed him his past.

Perseverance – persistence despite difficulty; The Cratchits’ perseverance was an inspiration to all.

Phantasm – an illusion or ghostly image; The phantasm hovered at the foot of his bed.

Plaintive – sounding sorrowful or mournful; A plaintive cry came from the deserted street.

Prodigious – remarkably large or impressive; The feast before them was prodigious in size.

Providence – divine guidance or care; Scrooge believed his salvation was an act of providence.

Reclamation – the act of reforming or recovering; The spirits’ mission was Scrooge’s reclamation from greed.

Replete – filled or well-supplied; The table was replete with Christmas delicacies.

Repentant – feeling regret for wrongdoing; Scrooge became truly repentant by the story’s end.

Reverence – deep respect or awe; They bowed their heads in reverence at Tiny Tim’s courage.

Sordid – morally distasteful or dirty; Scrooge’s sordid obsession with money consumed him.

Spectre – a ghost or haunting presence; The spectre of Christmas Yet to Come was terrifying.

Stave – a section or chapter in a song or poem; Each stave of the tale revealed a new lesson.

Suppliant – a person humbly begging for something; The suppliant pleaded for a scrap of bread.

Tarry – to linger or delay; The spirit did not tarry, but carried Scrooge along swiftly.

Threadbare – worn out or shabby; The Cratchits’ threadbare clothes could not hide their cheerfulness.

Transcendent – surpassing normal limits; Scrooge experienced a transcendent joy on Christmas morning.

Ubiquitous – present everywhere; The spirit’s laughter was as ubiquitous as the sound of bells.

Vestige – a trace or remnant of something; Not a vestige of kindness remained in Scrooge’s heart.

Wretched – in a state of great misery; The wretched figures shivered in the cold, hungry and forgotten.

Zeal – great energy or enthusiasm; Fred greeted Christmas morning with unrestrained zeal.