agony
10 uses
I was in a frenzy for a moment, not myself, insisting to him that the man's heart still beat, and I was in an agony to clamp onto him again.†
agony = intense suffering
Definition
Generally agony means:intense feelings of suffering — can be from mental or physical pain
Word Statistics
| Book | 10 uses |
| Library | 15 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Part 1 |
attribute (2 meanings)
2 meanings, 4 uses
1 —1 use as in:
It is an attribute of...
And there seemed nothing human about him; even his handsome features and dark hair became the attributes of a terrible angel who shared with the rest of us only a superficial resemblance.†
attributes = characteristics (of something or someone)
Definition
Generally this sense of attribute means:a characteristic (of something or someone)
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 4 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Part 3 |
2 —3 uses as in:
I attribute it to...
Of course, . you must understand that Babette, being as strong as she was, never once attributed what she saw to imagination or to ghosts.†
attributed = credited (pointed to a source for something)
Definition
Generally this sense of attribute means:to credit (a source for something)
in two typical senses:
- "I attribute it to her work." — to say who or what made something happen
- "Remember to attribute any quotations in your paper." — indicate the source of a quotation or idea
Word Statistics
| Book | 3 uses |
| Library | 6 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 100 |
| 1st use | Part 1 |
beckon
12 uses
Lestat sat down and beckoned her to sit in his lap.
beckoned = called (to come by using a hand gesture or a nod)
Definition
Generally beckon means:to call — typically to ask or tell someone to come nearer by using a hand gesture or a nod of the head
Word Statistics
| Book | 12 uses |
| Library | 13 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Part 1 |
consequence
1 use
1 —1 use as in:
a direct consequence of
'Exactly, and consequently if you believe God made Satan, you must realize that all Satan's power comes from God and that Satan is simply God's child, and that we are God's children also.†
consequently = resultantly (as a result)
Definition
Generally this sense of consequence means:a result of something (often an undesired side effect)
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 28 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 100 |
| 1st use | Part 3 |
contort
9 uses
I saw her white hand clutching at his sleeve, and I could see his chest heaving for breath and his face contorted the way I'd never seen it.†
contorted = twisted
Definition
Generally contort means:twist or bend to an unnatural shape — something such as the human body, a facial expression, or the truth
Word Statistics
| Book | 9 uses |
| Library | 6 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Part 3 |
despise
8 uses
As I look back on this, I still despise him for it.†
despise = dislike strongly and look down upon
Definition
Generally despise means:to dislike strongly and to look down upon with disrespect
Word Statistics
| Book | 8 uses |
| Library | 14 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Part 3 |
disdain
6 uses
And with a movement of his entire body, much too fast for me to see, he was suddenly standing disdainfully at the foot of the steps.†
disdainfully = with a lack of respect; or with a sense of superiority
Definition
Generally disdain means:a lack of respect — often suggesting distaste and an undeserved sense of superiority
or:
to reject as not good enough
or:
to reject as not good enough
Word Statistics
| Book | 6 uses |
| Library | 7 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 500 |
| 1st use | Part 1 |
grave
5 uses
To bring this suffering on another, and to condemn to death all those men and women whom that vampire must subsequently kill! I broke a grave promise.†
grave = serious and solemn
Definition
Generally this sense of grave means:serious and/or solemn
The exact meaning of this sense of grave can depend upon its context. For example:
- "This is a grave problem," or "a situation of the utmost gravity." — important, dangerous, or causing worry
- "She was in a grave mood upon returning from the funeral." — sad or solemn
- "She looked me in the eye and gravely promised." — in a sincere and serious manner
Word Statistics
| Book | 5 uses |
| Library | 15 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 1000 |
| 1st use | Part 1 |
infinite
14 uses
But then the vampire smiled almost wistfully, and the smooth white substance of his face moved with the infinitely flexible but minimal lines of a cartoon.†
infinitely = unlimited; without boundaries; or too numerous to count
Word Statistics
| Book | 14 uses |
| Library | 14 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Part 1 |
irony
2 uses
1 —2 uses as in:
situational irony
"It would perhaps have been better all around if you had said nothing." And he smiled to see that I understood with him the irony of this.
irony = when what happened was very different than what might have been expected
Definition
Generally this sense of irony means:when what happens is very different than what might be expected; or when things are together that seem like they don't belong together — especially when amusing or an entertaining coincidence
Word Statistics
| Book | 2 uses |
| Library | 16 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Part 1 |
loathe
10 uses
I positively loathed Lestat.†
loathed = detested or intensely disliked
Definition
Generally loathe means:hate, detest, or intensely dislike
Word Statistics
| Book | 10 uses |
| Library | 10 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Part 2 |
malevolent
1 use
Her delicate voice broke, her eyes fixed on the tall, malevolent leader vampire, that demon trickster who now stepped out of the circle of the others towards her.
malevolent = evil
Definition
Generally malevolent means:evil
- of a person — wishing or appearing to wish evil to others
- of a thing — exerting an evil or harmful influence
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 3 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Part 3 |
mortal
21 uses
1 —21 uses as in:
mortal body
Lestat hunted for mortals every night,
mortals = humans
Definition
Generally this sense of mortal means:human (especially merely human); or subject to death
Word Statistics
| Book | 21 uses |
| Library | 7 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Part 1 |
nevertheless
3 uses
And all the while, there was that height and those sharp black eyes and that powerful attention which was, of course, perfect mockery, but nevertheless riveted to myself.†
nevertheless = in spite of that (used to connect contrasting ideas)
Definition
Generally nevertheless means:in spite of that (Used to connect contrasting ideas. Other synonyms could include words and phrases such as nonetheless, all the same, still, and however.)
Word Statistics
| Book | 3 uses |
| Library | 14 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 100 |
| 1st use | Part 1 |
opera
10 uses
And now picture Lestat, gnashing his teeth like a comic-opera devil because he was not going to kill the young Freniere.†
opera = a musical play with orchestra in which most of the dialogue is sung (or the art form that consists of such musicals; or describing something as related to that art form)
Definition
Generally opera means:a musical play with orchestra in which most dialogue is sung — (typically associated with classical music and often in a language foreign to the audience)
or:
the art form (or describing something as related to it) that consists of musical plays with orchestra in which most dialogue is sung
or:
the art form (or describing something as related to it) that consists of musical plays with orchestra in which most dialogue is sung
Word Statistics
| Book | 10 uses |
| Library | 11 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Part 1 |
palpable
8 uses
And I would see her sweet and palpable before me, a shimmering, precious creature soon to grow old, soon to die, soon to lose these moments that in their tangibility promised to us, wrongly .... wrongly, an immortality.†
palpable = very apparent
Definition
Generally palpable means:very apparent (so strong, it almost seems to take a material form that can be touched)
Word Statistics
| Book | 8 uses |
| Library | 4 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Part 1 |
precede
2 uses
The tramp of the feet grew louder, and I began to sense that one step preceded the other very sharply, the second dragging slowly across the earth.†
preceded = went or was before
Definition
Generally precede means:to go or do before
Word Statistics
| Book | 2 uses |
| Library | 9 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 100 |
| 1st use | Part 2 |
rectify
1 use
I'd thought occasionally of going to her, of trying some way to rectify what I had done; and other times I thought it would all heal itself; and in my new life of nightly killing, I had grown far from the attachment I'd felt for her or for my sister or any mortal.
rectify = fix
Definition
Generally this sense of rectify means:correct, fix, or make right
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 1 use in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Part 1 |
yield
6 uses
1 —6 uses as in:
yield to pressure
I took her quickly from Armand, and felt her soft limbs against me as if we were both in. the coffin, yielding to that paralytic sleep.†
yielding = giving in, giving up, or giving way (easily moved or soft)
Definition
Generally this sense of yield means:to give in, give way, or give up
Word Statistics
| Book | 6 uses |
| Library | 14 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Part 3 |