Germanic Words Vocabulary

A

ablaze test: burning fiercely; full of light or emotion

The house was ablaze with fire

aft: toward the back of a ship, aircraft, or vehicle

Passengers should move aft

ajar: slightly open

The door was left ajar

allay: to lessen or put to rest (fear, suspicion, or worry)

She tried to allay his concerns

amiss: wrong or out of place

Something seemed amiss in his behavior

avast: stop, cease (nautical command)

Avast, ye sailors!

awry: not in the right position; gone wrong

The plan went awry

B

balk: hesitate or refuse to go on

He balked at the idea of moving abroad

bane: a cause of great distress or annoyance

Gossip is the bane of her life

bask: to lie or relax in warmth or happiness

The cat basked in the sun

beck: a gesture to signal or call someone

She was always at his beck and call

befall: to happen, usually something bad

Misfortune befell the travelers

befoul: to make dirty or pollute

The river was befouled by waste

bereft: deprived of something

She was bereft of her love

beget: to bring about or cause

Violence begets more violence

begrudgingly: unwillingly or reluctantly

He begrudgingly accepted her help

bequeath: to leave something by will

He bequeathed his fortune to charity

bind: to tie or secure

They used ropes to bind his hands

betide: to happen or occur

Woe betide anyone who disobeys

bewitch: to enchant or captivate

He was bewitched by her charm

bide: to wait or stay

Bide your time until the right moment

bode: to be a sign of something

Dark clouds bode ill for the picnic

bout: a short period of activity or illness

My bout with RSI was far from over

briar: a prickly scrambling shrub, especially wild roses

He got caught in the briars

brunt: the main force of something unpleasant

She bore the brunt of their insults

bulwark: a strong defense or protection

The castle wall was a bulwark against attack

D

die, undying: lasting forever (especially of an emotion)

His undying love never faded

dour: relentlessly severe, stern, or gloomy

He had a dour expression

dregs: the remnants left behind; the worst part

Coffee dregs

The dregs of society

F

flit: to move lightly and swiftly

Butterflies flitted among the flowers

flout: to openly disregard a rule or law

I flouted the code of conduct

forebear: an ancestor

He honored the wisdom of his forebears

foreboding: a fearful prediction or feeling

A foreboding cloud followed my every move

forestall: to prevent by taking action in advance

He forestalled the crisis with quick thinking

forethought: careful planning for the future

With forethought, they avoided disaster

forewarn: to warn in advance

We were forewarned of the danger

forlorn: pitifully sad or abandoned

Forlorn figures skated by

forthright: direct and outspoken

She gave a forthright answer

fraught: full of or filled with something negative

Her plan was fraught with problems

G

gawk: to stare openly and stupidly

Tourists gawked at the performers

gait: a person’s manner of walking

He walked with a slow gait

H

harbinger: something that signals what is to come

A harbinger of doom

headway: progress toward a goal

The police made no headway

hearth: the floor of a fireplace; the base or lower part of a furnace, where molten metal collects

They sat by the hearth

heed: to pay attention to

He failed to heed the warnings

helm: a position of leadership or control

She took the helm of the company

herald: a sign of what is to come

The warm winds heralded spring

homegrown: produced locally

Homegrown vegetables taste better