29 pages 58 minutes read

Margaret Atwood

Happy Endings

Fiction | Short Story | Adult | Published in 1983

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Vocabulary

How to use

This section presents terms and phrases that are central to understanding the text and may present a challenge to the reader. Use this list to create a vocabulary quiz or worksheet, to prepare flashcards for a standardized test, or to inspire classroom word games and other group activities.

Vocabulary List

1. remunerative (adjective):

profitable or, in this case, well-paying

“They both have worthwhile and remunerative jobs which they find stimulating and challenging.”

2. tepid (adjective):

weak, or lacking in passion

“He merely uses her body for selfish pleasure and ego gratification of a tepid kind.”

3. repent (verb):

to feel regret about something; to see the error of one’s ways

“She hopes he’ll discover her and get her to the hospital in time and repent and then they can get married, but this fails to happen and she dies.”

4.   hybrid (noun):

something composed of different, originally unrelated parts; or, in this case, a blend made from different varieties of marijuana plants

“One day James breezes in on his motorcycle with some top-grade California hybrid and James and Mary get higher than you’d believe possible and they climb into bed.”

5. virtuous (adjective):

exceedingly moral or good

“The rest of the story is about what caused the tidal wave and how they escape from it.