If you’ve read Pride And Prejudice by Jane Austen, I’m sure you’ve been impressed by her manner of writing. She uses the best words to describe the setting and develop her characters. Here is a chance to adopt your own Pride And Prejudice vocabulary words and impress your friends.
As we discuss each Pride And Prejudice chapter on the podcast, we’ll post a chapter recap, add notable Pride And Prejudice quotes, and update this blog full of Pride And Prejudice vocabulary.
Want in on the fun? Listen to our podcast here or on your favorite podcast platform.
Pride And Prejudice Vocabulary Chapter 1
Quick Pride And Prejudice Chapter 1 Summary: We meet three pivotal characters. Mr. Bennet, Mrs. Bennet, and Mrs. Bennet’s nerves. Mrs. Bennet is pestering Mr. Bennet to visit the newest bachelor of the county so they can marry off one of their five daughters.
Please enjoy these chapter 1 words that we have defined for you. We have also taken the liberty of giving you suggestions on how to utilize each word in current times. To see our chapter recap for chapters 1-4, click here.
Chaise And Four
A closed carriage that seats three, pulled by four horses. Symbolizes grand wealth.
From Pride And Prejudice
Mrs. Bennet impresses upon Mr. Bennet how rich Mr. Bingley is.
“Why, my dear, you must know, Mrs. Long says that Netherfield is taken by a young man of large fortune from the north of England; that he came down on Monday in a chaise and four to see the place.”
From Elizabeth
Be sure to use this as you describe modes of transportation. “The rich guy’s new ride is hot, but taking a chaise and four to prom would have been more romantic.”
Over-scrupulous
Extremely careful about what is morally right.
From Pride And Prejudice
Mr. Bennet teases Mrs. Bennet that she could surely visit Mr. Bingley and promote their daughters to him. She knows her place and cannot visit unless Mr. Bennet goes first.
“You are over-scrupulous, surely. I dare say Mr. Bingley will be very glad to see you; and I will send a few lines by you to assure him of my hearty consent to his marrying whichever he chooses of the girls.”
From Rachael
We’ve been talking on our podcast about which one of us is the good sister. Here’s an example:
When Rachael scolds Elizabeth for sneaking her own candy into the movie theater, Elizabeth responds with “It’ll be fine, like OMG, you’re being so over-scrupulous!”
Michaelmas
September 29. A way to separate the year into four quarters. Imagine this as we would use Labor Day in the United States. Although, it is unsure if wearing white after Michaelmas is forbidden.
From Pride And Prejudice
Mrs. Bennet, up to date on all the gossip, tells Mr. Bennet with Mr. Bingley is due to arrive at Netherfield Park.
“…he agreed with Mr. Morris immediately: that is is to take possession before Michaelmas, and some of this servants are to be in the house by the end of next week.”
From Elizabeth
Today, we celebrate Michaelmas by going to corn mazes and Oktoberfests.
Caprice
A sudden change of mood or behavior.
From Pride And Prejudice
Jane Austen describes Mr. Bennet, Exemplary Vegetables favorite cranky dad as such: “Mr. Bennet was so odd a mixture of quick parts, sarcastic humour, reserve, and caprice, that the experience of three-and-twenty years had been insufficient to make his wife understand his character.”
From Elizabeth
Teenagers can show caprice at any moment, bringing them from a pleasant mood to a full-on tantrum in seconds when you’ve made the terrible mistake of singing along with the radio.
Pride And Prejudice Vocabulary Chapter 4
We skip right past chapters 2 and 3, which is full of dancing and gossip. Onto chapter 4, which holds… more gossip. (We’re sensing a theme here…)
Ostentation
Being pretentious or trying to impress.
From Pride And Prejudice
Elizabeth Bennet knows that sweet, sweet Jane will see only good in Mr. Bingley. Even though he’s loaded. “But to be candid without ostentations or design – to take the good of everybody’s character and will make it still better, and say nothing of the bad – belongs to you alone.”
From Rachael
It’s cooler if people find out your talents without you telling them. For example, it might be ostentatious to tell your neighbor that your cool new Jane Austen podcast is better than any other podcast out there.
So don’t do this. It’s cringey.
Haughty & Fastidious
Haughty: Arrogantly superior. Fastidious: Attentive to detail.
From Pride And Prejudice
You get a two for one in this section of Pride And Prejudice Vocabulary! Was there ever such a character that screams haughty and fastidious? Mr. Darcy is described as such: “He was at the same time, haughty, reserved, and fastidious, and his manners, though well-bred were not inviting.”
From Rachael
That guy wearing boat loafers and claiming to vacation in the Hamptons acts all haughty, but really, he can only afford… the boat loafers.
From Elizabeth
My father is fastidious while organizing tools in his shop.
This is true, I’ve been in Elizabeth’s dad’s shop. It’s immaculate.
Pride And Prejudice Vocabulary Chapter 5-8
Quick Pride And Prejudice Chapter 5-8 Summary:
The Bennets and their friends the Lucasses replay the Meryton ball. The Bingleys visit the local society and spend lots of time with the Bennets. It’s suspected that Mr. Bingley and Jane are becoming an item. Jane goes to visit the Bingley sisters and catches a cold, requiring her to remain at Netherfield Hall. Elizabeth goes to support her in her illness. Over the course of the chapters, we learn more about the Bingley sisters and find out Mr. Darcy is crushing on Elizabeth.
Please enjoy these chapters 5-8 words that we have defined for you. We have also taken the liberty of giving you suggestions on how to utilize each word in current times. To see our chapter recap for chapters 5-8, click here.
Mayoralty
Holding the position of mayor.
From Pride And Prejudice
“Sir William Lucas had been formerly in trade in Meryton, where he had made a tolerable fortune, and risen to the honour of knighthood by an address to the king during his mayoralty.”
From Rachael
Can you have mayoralty for other entities? I think I’d like to hold a mayoralty of the fancy cheese section in Kroger. I mean, I practically live there, so…
Denominated
Giving a name.
From Pride And Prejudice
Sir William gives his home a name: Lucas Lodge.
“…he had removed with his family to a house about a mile from Meryton, denominated from that period Lucas Lodge…”
From Elizabeth
Once I was visiting someone, and their neighbor’s wifi was denominated “Bill Wi The Science Fi.”
Supercilious
Being of a superior rank.
From Pride And Prejudice
Again, lovely Sir William Lucas:
“…though elevated by his rank, it did not render him supercilious; on the contrary…”
From Rachael
The supercilious Beverly Hills sales person WIPED OFF my midwestern cooties from a $15,000 handbag.
Fortnight
Two weeks.
From Pride And Prejudice
Elizabeth and Charlotte are speaking of Jane and Mr. Bingley. Charlotte thinks Jane should snap him up right away, and Elizabeth says,
“She has known him only a fortnight.”
From Elizabeth
Not to be confused with the game “Fortnight”. However, both sets of children (Rachael’s and mine) would probably have enjoyed it if we let them play Fortnight for a fortnight.
Vingt-un, Commerce, Loo
These are different card games. Similar to Euchre or Hearts. You would play these in pairs and attempt to win hands or tricks.
Pedantic
A person who annoys others by being a know-it-all (who really knows nothing) that corrects every small error.
From Pride And Prejudice
“Mary had neither genius nor taste; and though vanity had given her application, it had given her likewise a pedantic air and conceited manner…”
From Rachael
Mary is THAT kind of pedantic person who would tell you that you’re feeding your cat the wrong kind of food.
Even though she doesn’t have a cat. Or like cats. Or has never actually fed a cat.
Complaisance
Agreeable
From Pride And Prejudice
Clueless Sir William is trying his darnest to set up Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth by throwing compliments left and right. He says, “… we cannot wonder at his complaisance – for who would object to such a partner.”
Basically, no wonder he’s agreeable, cause you’re such a catch.
From Elizabeth
The woman at Kohls accepting Amazon returns has the most complaisant nature. Especially right after Christmas.
Apothecary
A maker of remedies using plants
From Pride And Prejudice
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
From Rachael
Think an MLM person for essential oils. But legit.
My apothecary says that rubbing peppermint oil on my feet before bed will help me sleep. Except it only makes me smell like a candy cane.
Indolent
Lazy
From Pride And Prejudice
“… as for Mr. Hurst, by whom Elizabeth sat, he was an indolent man, who lived only to eat, drink, and play at cards…”
From Elizabeth
My indolent teens throw their clean laundry on the floor rather than taking the time to hang up their clothes.
Cheapside
A neighborhood in London
From Pride And Prejudice
“Yes; and they have another, who lives somewhere near Cheapside.”
From Elizabeth
Given the rise in rent costs, it’s unlikely that we’ll ever be able to afford a British home, even in Cheapside.
Pride And Prejudice Chapters 9-12
Chapters 9-12 cover the end of Jane and Elizabeth’s stay at Netherfield Park. The other Bennet women visit. Caroline and Louisa, Bingley’s sisters continue to be mean girls. Mr. Hurst continues to complain that no one plays cards. Mr. Bingley continues to be the nice guy. And Mr. Darcy writes a letter and realizes he’s paid too much attention to Elizabeth.
Countenance
Facial Expression.
From Pride And Prejudice
Lydia was a stout, well-grown girl of fifteen, with a fine complexion and good-humoured countenance.
From Elizabeth
You know you’ve done a good job explaining Shakespeare when a freshman’s countenance changes from bored to entertained.
Piquet
A French card game for two people. This is one of the oldest card games still played today.
Panegyric
A speech in praise of something.
From Pride And Prejudice
When you told Mrs. Bennet this morning that if you ever resolved upon quitting Netherfield you should be gone in five minutes, you meant it to be a sort of panegyric, of compliment to yourself.
From Elizabeth
Writing your college application essay is somewhat panegyric, as you’re basically saying here’s why your college should want me.
Precipitance
A sudden cause or stimulus.
From Pride And Prejudice
I did not assume the character of needless percipitance merely to show off before the ladies.
From Elizabeth
Her character contsisted of precipitance and rage, so she was prone to sudden tantrums.
Celerity
Swiftness of movement.
From Pride And Prejudice
I dare say you believed it, but I am by no means convinced that you would be gone with such celerity.
From Elizabeth
I move with celerity when there’s a sale on Old Navy jeans.
Expostulation
An expression of disapproval or disagreement.
From Pride And Prejudice
Miss Bingley warmly resented the indignity he had received, in an expostulation with her brother for talking such nonsense.
From Elizabeth
The mother gave her son an expostualation when he got a speeding ticket.
Pride And Prejudice Chapters 13-17
In Chapters 13-17 we meet two new bachelors: Mr. Collins and Mr. Wickham. There’s bad blood between Wickham and Darcy and we hear Wickham’s side of the drama. Mr. Collins is looking for a wife and has his eye on Elizabeth.
Quadrille
A card game for four players
Backgammon
A board game with dice and counters.
From Pride And Prejudice
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
From Rachael
My dad and I used to play Backgammon all the time. Loser did the dishes. So I’m VERY good at Backgammon. Dad has dishpan hands.
Obsequiousness
Obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree.
From Pride And Prejudice
The respect which he felt for her high rank, and his veneration for her as his patroness, mingling with a very good opinion of himself, of his authority as a clergyman, and his right as a rector, made him altogether a mixture of pride and obsequiousness, self-importance, and humility.
From Elizabeth
The a$$-kisser at your job is nearly disgusting in his obsequiousness as he brings the boss’ dry cleaning to his office.
Lottery Tickets
A card game based on matching cards in which one bets small metal fish that functioned as poker chips.
Whist
A card game played in pairs, like Spades in which one suit is trump.
Precipitate
Too forward or premature.
From Pride And Prejudice
I am very cautious of appearing forward and precipitate.
From
On a first date, suggesting a hotel should be the next location after dinner may be precipitate.
Pride And Prejudice Chapters 18-23
In Chapters 18-23 Bingley holds the ball at Netherfield Park. Mr. Wickham is absent, and Mr. Darcy dances with Elizabeth. Mr. Collins proposes to and is rejected by Elizabeth. Charlotte plots and becomes engaged to Mr. Collins instead. Also, the Bingleys leave Netherfield Park, never to return, much to the dismay of Jane.
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From Pride And Prejudice
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From
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Forbearance
Restraint and patience
From Pride And Prejudice
Attendance, forebearance, patience with Darcy, was injury to Wickham.
From Elizabeth
It takes great forbearance to maintain calm as my husband folds the towel and fitted sheets the wrong way.
Hauter
An obnoxious display of overbearing pride and superiority over others.
From Pride And Prejudice
A deeper shade of hauteur overspread his features, but he said not a word, and Elizabeth, though blaming herself for her own weakness, could not go on.
From Elizabeth
Some actors manage to accept their Oscars without hauter while others feel the need to proclaim their greatness to the masses.
Dissemble
Concealing one’s true motives or feelings.
From Pride And Prejudice
You can hardly doubt the purort of my discourse, however your natural delicacy may lead you to dissemble, my attentions have been too marked to be mistaken.
From Elizabeth
Girls who have crushes on their classmates may dissemble and say nothing of their true feelings.
Assiduous
Showing great care and perseverance.
From Pride And Prejudice
He scarecely ever spoke to her, and the assiduous attentions which he had been so sensible of himself were transferred for the rest of the day to Miss Lucas.
From Elizabeth
My husband’s assiduous behaviour, bringing me coffee and Waffle House hash browns after a night of partying, is grately appreciated.
Resources:
Besides Google, here is a list of references that helped us complile this useful list of Pride And Prejudice Vocabulary words we know you’re ready to start using in the Starbucks line.
