An Ideal Husband Study Guide

Glossary of Terms

Affectation

Pretending to feel or think something. Act IV: "I hate this affectation of youth..."

Appalling

The act of overwhelming with shock or horror. Act I: "What an appalling philosophy that sounds!"

Creed

A set of beliefs that express a particular opinion and influence how one lives. Act II: "...a thoroughly shallow creed."

Dandy

a man who places particular importance upon physical appearance, refined language, and the cultivation of leisurely hobbies.

Deteriorated

To become worse in condition. Act II: "unless he has deteriorated since I knew him first."

Dowdies

A shabbily dressed man or woman with a dull appearance. Act I: "The men are all dowdies..."

Expounded

To give a detailed explanation of something. Act II: "he expounded to us the most terrible..."

Heliotrope

A shade of purple. Act I: "That woman in heliotrope..."

Ignoble

The opposite of noble, worthy of shame. Act III: "I am ignoble in her eyes."

Infamous

Having an extremely bad reputation. Act III: "infamous thing."

Insolent

Boldly rude or disrespectful. Act II: "insolent letter to me."

Mar

To ruin or spoil. Act IV: "Don't mar both for him."

Pluck

Courage, bravery and the wish to succeed. Act IV: "It shows he has got pluck."

Reverberations

A loud, deep sound that continues to be heard for quite some time, and often makes the ground shake. Act III: "with shrill reverberations."

Scruple

A principle, belief, or moral feeling that informs behavior. Act II: "have the smallest scruple in doing so."

Superciliously

An act completed with disdain or arrogance. (Stage direction, Act I)

Swindle

A plan or transaction marked by its falseness and corruption. Act I: "Mrs. Cheveley, it is a swindle."