The Simpsons Vocabulary List Volume 1

Target Words: onslaughts frailtiesmeddledrhetoricaleffervescentdiabolicalconcoctdriveltroglodytepersistentmurmurmayhemlethaldeductionschisminsightcontradict

Incidental Words:vulnerability, feebleness, debilityrobustness, vigor, hardiness, ruggednessbaragereconciliationinterveneorator, oratory, orationeffusive, vivacious, vibrantstolid, languorousmalevolent, Satanic, accursedbenevolent, humanitarianfabricate, contrive, connivedismantle, disintegraterecluse, barbarianmutteratriculate, enunciateinterminable, chronicintermittent, erratic, attenuatingchasm, rupture, breachperceptionoblivion, obliviousnegate, neutralize

Frailty

Synonyms and near-synonyms:

weaknessfailingfaultvulnerabilitydelicatenessfeeblenessdebility

Antonyms and near-antonyms:

strengthrobustnessvigorhardinessruggedness

Morphology:

frailtiesfrailnessfrail

Quote: Hamlet: “Frailty, thyname is woman!

Lisa may be aware of Homer’sfrailties and failings, but she loveshim despite these shortcomings.

Aunt Patty: It's almost 9:00. Where's Homer anyway? It's so typical of the big doofus to spoil it all.

Lisa: What, Aunt Patty?

Patty: Oh, nothing, dear. I'm just trashing your father.

Lisa: Well, I wish you wouldn't. Because, aside from the fact he has the same frailties as all human beings, he's the only father I have. Therefore, he is my model of manhood, and my estimation of him will govern the prospects of my adult relationships. So I hope you bear in mind that any knock at him is a knock at me, and I’m far too young to defend myself against such onslaughts.

frailtiesonslaughts

Onslaught

Synonyms and near-synonyms:

attackbarragebombardment

Antonyms and near-antonyms:

reconciliationforgivenesskindness

Morphology:

onslaughts

Homer ignores the onslaught ofcriticism and sarcasm that Marge’ssisters, Patty and Selma, alwayshurl at him.

Related word:

slaughter

Collocation (goes with)

onslaught of

•Sideshow Bob: No children have ever meddled with the Republican Party and lived to tell about it.

meddled

Synonyms and near-synonyms:

interfereintrudeprysnoopintervene

Antonyms and near-antonyms:

ignoredisregard

Morphology: meddlermeddlesmeddlingmeddledmeddlesome

Sideshow Bob threatens to meddlewith the safety, security, and privacyof the Simpsons because he has sworn revenge on Bart.

What to say to a meddler:

Don’t butt in.Don’t stick your nose in.Don’t stick your two cents in.Mind your own business.Stay out of this.Back off.

Meddle

Grandma: [singing] How many roads must a man walk down before you can call him a man?

Homer: Seven!

Lisa: No, Dad, it's a rhetorical question.

Homer: Rhetorical, eh? Eight!

Lisa: Dad, do you even know what "rhetorical" means?

Homer: [incredulous] Do I know what "rhetorical" means?!

rhetorical

Rhetorical

Related to speech-making

Related words: Rhetoric: speech designed to persuadeOratory, Oratorical, Orator, Oral

Rhetorical question: Question that is not expecting an answer

In answering Lisa’s question aboutwhether Homer knows what arhetorical question is, Homer answers with the rhetorical question,“Do I know what a rhetorical question means?”

What's the matter, Homer? You're not your normal effervescent self. —Marj

effervescent

Synonyms and near-synonyms:

livelyfizzyeffusivevivaciousvibrantbubblybouncysparklinganimatedenthusiasticjoyful

Antonyms and near-antonyms:

dullstolidlanguorousunenthusedjoylessdepressed Effervescent

Morphology:Noun: effervescence

Related Words: Fervent: intense

Marge is worried thatHomer might be feelingdepressed, as he is nothis usually effervescentself.

"There they go, two criminal geniuses locked away together. Who knows what diabolical schemes they might concoct."

diabolicalconcoct

diabolical:

ingenious, but in an evil way

Synonyms and near-synonyms:

devilishevilSatanicmalevolentaccursedunholy

Antonyms and near-antonyms:

angelicbenevolentblessedhumanitarianholyinnocent

Sideshow Bob is always cooking updiabolical schemes against theSimpsons, especially Bart.

El Diablo: The Devil (Spanish)

concoct: to create a new combination, especially of something strange

Synonyms and near-synonyms:

inventfabricatehatchproducecombinecontriveconnive

Etymology: Con: with; together Coct: cook

Antonyms and near-antonyms:

dismantledisintegratefall apart

What diabolical scheme is Sideshow Bob concocting againstthe Simpsons now?

“Is your remarkably sexist drivel intentional, or just some horrible mistake?”

Drivel: Foolish, meaningless speech

Ironic, isn't it Smithers? This anonymous clan of slack-jawed troglodytes has cost me the election, and yet if I were to have them killed, I would be the one to go to jail. That's democracy for you." -- Mr. Burns

troglodytes

Troglodyte: A primitive, prehistoric cave dweller, or a person who acts like one

Underground-dwelling animal

Synonyms and near-synonyms:

cavemanhermitreclusebrutebarbarianoaf

Antonyms and near-antonyms:

sophisticate (noun)man-about-towngentleman

Homer Simpson, although he is not reclusive and lives in a well-kept home and not a cave, can certainly be described as a troglodyte for his uncouth ways.

Other words ending in …yte:

acolyte: follower, apprentice disciple, groupieneophyte: newcomer, novice, rookie

I am the only word in English endingin dyte

Guard at Itchy & Scratchy Land: "There's no need to murmur, ma'am. Here at Itchy and Scratchy Land, we're just as concerned with violence as you are. That's why we're always careful to show the consequences of deadly mayhem, so that we may educate as well as horrify."Marge Simspon: "When do you show the consequences? On TV, that mouse pulled out that cat's lungs and played them like a bagpipe, but in the next scene, the cat was breathing comfortably."Guard at Itchy & Scratchy Land: "Just like in real life."

murmurmayhem

murmur: speak softly and not too clearly,or make a sound like speech

Synonyms and near-synonyms:

babblemumblemutter

Antonyms and near-antonyms:

articulate (verb)enunciate

While viewing a particularly disturbing“Itchy and Scratchy” episode, Marge murmured quiet disapproval for its violence.

mayhem: wild violence

Synonyms and near-synonyms:

havocviolencepandemonium

Antonyms and near-antonyms:

tranquilitypeaceserenityquietude

You can always count on mayhemwith fountains of blood in an “Itchy and Scratchy”cartoon.

"I'm Kent Brockman, on the eleven o'clock news tonight...a certain type of soft drink has been found to be lethal, we won't tell you which one until after sports and the weather with Sonny Storm." -- Kent Brockman

lethal

lethal: deadly

Synonyms and near-synonyms:

fatalpoisonousperniciousmalignant

Antonyms and near-antonyms:

benignsalutaryhealthful

“In a shocking discovery, a certain not-to-be-namedsoft drink has been found to be lethal,” announcedKent Brockman.

Greek Mythology:

Lethe: a river in the underworld whose waters caused forgetfulness (oblivion)

"Oh your powers of deduction are exceptional. I simply can't allow you to waste them here when there are so many crimes going unsolved at this very moment. Go! Go for the good of the city!" -- Comic Book Guy

deduction

deduction:a form of reasoning in whichyou generate specific examplesbased upon a generality

Synonyms and near-synonyms:

inferenceassumptionjudgmentconclusionlogicreasoning

By learning the Pythagorean theorem, I can deducethe length of the hypotenuse if I know the lengthof the legs of a triangle.

Word Breakdown:

De: down (descend, decease)Duct, duce: draw (deduce, induce, reduce, produce)

Mrs. K: I believe with persistent discipline, even the poorest student can end up becoming, oh, say, Chief Justice of The Supreme Court.

persistent

persistent

Synonyms and near-synonyms:

constantdeterminedconsistentinterminablereliablerepetitivechronic

Persistence pays off in results.Word Breakdown:

Per: through (permeate, pervade)Sist: stand (assist, consist, resist)

Antonyms and near-antonyms:

intermittentunreliableon-and-offerraticattenuating

Proctor: All right, here's your last question. What was the cause of the Civil War?

Apu: Actually, there were numerous causes. Aside from the obvious schism between the abolitionists and the anti-abolitionists, there were economic factors, both domestic and inter--

Proctor: Wait, wait... just say slavery.

Apu: Slavery it is, sir.

schism

schism:

split; gap;

Synonyms and near-synonyms:

differencedisagreementchasmruptureseverencedisconnectionbreach

The reason for the rebellion was theschism between those in favor ofand those against the new policyabout cell phone while driving.

Antonyms and near-antonyms:

unionunitycontinuanceagreementsmoothness

Collocation:

schism between X and Y

Books are useless! I only ever read one book, “To Kill A Mockingbird,” and it gave me absolutely no insight on how to kill mockingbirds! Sure it taught me not to judge a man by the color of his skin…but what good does *that* do me?

insight

insight

Synonyms and near-synonyms:

perception

A person with insight is able tosee, not with the eyes, but withthe brain and heart.

Antonyms and near-antonyms:

unawarenessoblivion, obliviousness

Forms: Noun: insight, insights Adjective: insightful Adverb: insightfully

I’ve done everything the Bible says — even the stuff that contradicts the other stuff!

Contradicts

Synonyms and near-synonyms:

disagreerebeldenynegateneutralizeopposechallenge

A person is a hypocrite if his or heractions contradict his or her statedbeliefs.

Antonyms and near-antonyms:

agreecorrespondreinforceaccept

Word Breakdown:

contra: against (contraband, contrapositive)

dict: to say (dictionary, predict, diction)

Forms: Noun: contradictionVerb: contradict, contradicts, contradicting, contradictedAdjective: contradictory

Contradict:Express the opposite