Vocab: A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings

Deign

"A spectacle like that, full of so much human truth and with such a fearful lesson, was bound to defect without even trying that of a haughty angel who scarcely deigned to look at mortals." To be condescending and acting too good for something. Verb Deigned (past tense) The queen deigned to participate in that activity.

Alien

"Alien to the impertinences of the world, he only lifted his antiquarian eyes and murmured something in his dialect when Father Gonzaga went into the chicken coop and said good morning to him in Latin" Being a part of another part/place/thing. Something that isn't common in our usual world. noun Alienly (adverb) and alienness (noun) The old man with wings is an alien that I've never heard of/seen before.

Impertinence

"Alien to the impertinences of the world, he only lifted his antiquarian eyes and murmured something in his dialect when Father Gonzaga went into the chicken coop and said good morning to him in Latin." Act of being rude or showing disrespect noun Impertinent (adjective) and impertinently (adverb). In schools around the world, bullies bring a lot of impertinence to their younger classmates.

Proliferate

"Especially during the first days, when the hens pecked at him, searching for the stellar parasites that proliferated in his wings, and the cripples pulled out feathers to touch their defective parts with, and even the most merciful threw stones at him, trying to get him to rise so they could see him standing." Something that increases in quantity over a short amount of time. Verb Proliferation (noun) and proliferative (adjective). Usually, viruses and bacteria proliferate when in an environment with lots of people.

Decrepitude

"Standing by the write, he reviewed his catechism in an instant and asked them to open the door so that he could take a close look at that pitiful man who looked more like a huge decrepit hen among the fascinated chickens." This is something that is old, unhealthy, or in bad condition/shape Decrepitly (adverb) The typical life of a person living in New Orleans was in decrepitude after the hurricane.

Ingenuous

"Then he came out of the chicken coop and in a brief sermon warned the curious against the risks of being ingenuous." Child-like behaviour- honest, truthful, and innocent. Adjective Ingeniously ( adverb) and ingenuousness (noun). My five year old cousin makes ingenuous remarks whenever I talk to him.

Magnanimous

"Then they felt magnanimous and decided to put the angel on a raft with fresh water and provisions for three days and leave him to his fate on the high seas." Showing a kind/pleasant nature- being generous. adjective Magnanimously (adverb) and magnanimousness (noun) Charity organizations are usually magnanimous to those in poverty or in critical conditions.

Stupor

"They both looked at the fallen body with mute stupor." When someone can't think things through because he/she is drunk/tired/bothered. noun Stuporous (adjective) After she was drugged, she couldn't make a decision- as she was too stupor to talk.