Death of a Salesman: Act I

by Arthur Miller
In this Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Willy Lohman is weary of his life as a traveling salesman and tormented by his failure to achieve his dreams.

Here are links to our lists for the play: Act I and Act II.

Here is a link to our lists for The Crucible by Arthur Miller.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. mercurial
    liable to sudden unpredictable change
    She more than loves him, she admires him, as though his mercurial nature, his temper, his massive dreams and little cruelties, served her only as sharp reminders of the turbulent longings within him, longings which she shares but lacks the temperament to utter and follow to their end.
  2. crestfallen
    brought low in spirit
    Linda: He was crestfallen, Willy.
  3. enthralled
    filled with wonder and delight
    Biff (with vast affection): Sure, we’d be known all over the counties!
    Happy (enthralled): That’s what I dream about, Biff.
  4. pompous
    puffed up with vanity
    Happy: I gotta show some of those pompous, self-important executives over there that Hap Loman can make the grade.
  5. insinuate
    introduce or insert in a subtle manner
    Music insinuates itself as the leaves appear.
  6. approbation
    official acceptance or agreement
    (He pauses, then nods in approbation for a few seconds, then looks upward.)
  7. incipient
    only partly in existence; imperfectly formed
    Happy: I told you he wouldn’t like it!
    Biff (angrily): Well, I’m bringing it back!
    Willy (stopping the incipient argument, to Happy): Sure, he’s gotta practice with a regulation ball, doesn’t he?
  8. anemic
    lacking vigor or energy
    What’re you lookin’ so anemic about, Bernard?
  9. primp
    dress or groom with elaborate care
    (He talks through The Woman’s subsiding laughter; The Woman primps at the “mirror.”)
  10. incarnate
    possessing or existing in bodily form
    That man was a genius, that man was success incarnate!
  11. laconic
    brief and to the point
    He is a large man, slow of speech, laconic, immovable.
  12. ignoramus
    a person who lacks intelligence or sophistication
    Willy (slamming the door after him): Ignoramus!
  13. audacity
    aggressive or outright boldness
    Ben (giving great weight to each word, and with a certain vicious audacity): William, when I walked into the jungle, I was seventeen.
  14. imbue
    spread or diffuse through
    That’s just the spirit I want to imbue them with!
  15. remiss
    failing in what duty requires
    I’ve been remiss.
Created on Fri Feb 08 22:45:22 EST 2013 (updated Wed Jul 30 13:51:19 EDT 2025)

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