Charlie And The Chocolate Factory — Vocabulary
Roald Dahl
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Exemplary sample Uses ACT/SAT
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boundtied or held together
Her hands were bound with chains.more
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'Another bad lot, I'll be bound,' muttered Grandma Josephine.2 more
tied up
Show general definition for bound (as in: bound together or bound by law) constrained and/or held together or wrapped

The sense of constrained, can mean tied up or obligated depending upon the context. For example:
  • "Her wrists were bound." -- tied up
  • "I am bound by my word." -- required or obligated (in this case to keep a promise)
  • "He is muscle bound." -- prevented from moving easily (due to having such large, tight muscles)


The exact meaning of the senses of held together or wrapped also depend upon context. For example:
  • "The pages of the book are bound with glue." -- held together physically
  • "The book is bound in leather." -- wrapped or covered
  • "The United States and England are bound together by a common language." -- connected or united (tied together, figuratively)
  • "She cleaned the wound and bound it with fresh bandages." -- wrapped
  • "She is wheelchair-bound." -- connected (moves with a wheelchair because she is unable to walk)
  • "The jacket has bound buttonholes." -- edges wrapped by fabric or trim rather than stitches
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howeverno matter how (how much/how hard/how long…)
However hard she tried, she couldn't do it.more
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Then Mr Prodnose's factory came out with a chewing-gum that never lost its flavour however much you chewed it.4 more
regardless of how
Show general definition for however (as in: However much she tried...) to whatever degree (regardless of how much; or whatever unspecified amount)
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descendmove downward
We saw the rocket descend.more
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  Down goes Veruca! Down the drain!
  And here, perhaps, we should explain
  That she will meet, as she descends,
  A rather different set of friends1 more
descend → descends:moves downward
Show general definition for descend (as in: descend the mountain) move or slope downward
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wretchedmiserable
The children were taken into protective custody due to their wretched living conditions.more
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...the wretched boy was being sucked closer and closer towards the mouth of one of the great pipes that was dangling down into the river.1 more
unfortunate
Show general definition very bad
in various senses, including:
  • unfortunate or miserable -- as in "wretched prisoners sleeping on the cold floor"
  • of poor quality -- as in "wretched roads"
  • morally bad -- as in "The wretched woman stole his wallet."
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positivecertain
I'm positive I've seen her before.more
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We're positive he'd never give
Even the smallest bit of fun
Or happiness to anyone.1 more
Show general definition for positive (as in: I'm absolutely positive!) certain (having no doubt; or used for emphasis)
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conceiveunderstand
It’s difficult to conceive how vast the universe is.more
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"Unthinkable! Inconceivable! Absurd! He could never be made into marshmallows!"
conceive → inconceivable:so totally unlikely it is hard to imagine it could be so
Show context notes The prefix "in-" in inconceivable means not and reverses the meaning of conceivable. This is the same pattern you see in words like invisible, incomplete, and insecure.
Show general definition for conceive (as in: conceive the idea) to originate, understand, or imagine
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indignantindignant → indignantly:with anger or annoyance at something unjust or wrong
"I am not a fool," she said indignantly.more
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'They most certainly would!' cried Mr Gloop indignantly.
indignant → indignantly:angered by something unjust
Show general definition angered or annoyed at something unjust or wrong
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perishbe destroyed or cease to exist
...government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.Abraham Lincoln  —  Gettysburg Addressmore
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They'd perish if they went outdoors in this weather!
die
Show general definition to die -- especially in an unnatural way

or:

to be destroyed or cease to exist
Show editor's word notes You may encounter an informal expression, "Perish the thought."  It means that the speaker hopes the thought will cease to exist and the thing it represents will never happen.
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intrigueintrigue → intrigued:interested, curious, or fascinated
She was intrigued by his surprising comment.more
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...mystic and marvelous surprises that will entrance, delight, intrigue, astonish, and perplex you beyond measure.
interest
Show general definition for intrigue (as in: she was intrigued) cause to be interested, curious, or fascinated
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thereforefor that reason
Kim is taller than Ashley. Ashley is taller than Anna. Therefore, Kim is taller than Anna.more
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Therefore I have to have squirrels to do the job.†
Show general definition for that reason (what follows is so because of what was just said)
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loathehate
I make New Year's resolutions every year and then loathe myself for breaking them.more
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This boy, who only just before
Was loathed by men from shore to shore,
loathe → loathed:intensely disliked
Show general definition hate, detest, or intensely dislike
Show editor's word notes Word Confusion:  Do not confuse loathe with loath which sounds very similar or the same. Loathe is a verb while loath is an adjective describing "reluctance or unwillingness to do something." Note that loathing and loathsome are forms of the verb loathe even though both word forms lack the "e". Occasionally, you will see loath spelled as loathe even in a published book, but it is rare enough that it is generally considered an error rather than a non-standard spelling.
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luminousshining
The sky was luminous with stars.more
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luminous lollies for eating in bed at night.
softly bright
Show general definition glowing or shining

(also used metaphorically to describe beauty or intelligence)
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perplexperplex → perplexed:confused
She was perplexed by the rules of the game.more
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...mystic and marvelous surprises that will entrance, delight, intrigue, astonish, and perplex you beyond measure.
confuse
Show general definition to confuse
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bewilderconfuse
Some of their customs can bewilder travelers.more
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They were bewildered...
bewilder → bewildered:very confused
Show general definition to confuse someone
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repulsivedisgusting (very unpleasant)
The tribe elders find American culture as shown in Hollywood films to be immoral and repulsive.†more
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'And what a repulsive boy,' said Grandma Georgina.2 more
disgusting
Show general definition for repulsive (as in: she found him repulsive) very unpleasant or causing disgust
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despairlose hope
Don't despair. Next year will be better.more
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"You mustn't despair!" cried Mr Wonka. "Nothing is impossible!"
give up hope
Show general definition for despair (as in: do not despair) lose hope or feel distress
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liablelikely to
She's so busy, she's liable to forget.more
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If you leave him in the chocolate-mixing barrel too long, he's liable to get poured out into the fudge boiler,
maybe going to
Show general definition for liable (as in: she is liable to) likely to; or maybe going to; or subject to
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obstinatestubbornly not doing what others want
She is an obstinate child who will not follow the family rules.more
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"I want the gum!" Violet said obstinately.
obstinate → obstinately:stubbornly
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aghastshocked with feelings of surprise or dismay
She stepped back aghast at the behavior.more
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Not a speck of light is showing, So the danger must be growing, For the rowers keep on rowing, And they're certainly not showing Any signs that they are slowing ....' 'He's gone off his rocker!' shouted one of the fathers, aghast, and the other parents joined in the chorus of frightened shouting.†
shocked with feelings of surprise and dismay
Show general definition shocked with feelings of surprise and dismay (sadness, disappointment, or worry)
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morselsmall bit
I ate every tasty morsel.more
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In this way, you will be able to keep yourself supplied with tasty morsels for the rest of your life.
morsel → morsels:very small amounts of food
Show general definition a very small quantity -- usually of food