alacrity
2 uses
The old woman ... responded to Mrs. Henchard-Newson's request for a pennyworth with more alacrity than she had shown in selling six-pennyworths in her younger days.
alacrity = quickness; and/or cheerful eagerness
Word Statistics
| Book | 2 uses |
| Library | 1 use in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 3 |
apathy
1 use
When she plodded on in the shade of the hedge, silently thinking, she had the hard, half-apathetic expression of one who deems anything possible at the hands of Time and Chance except, perhaps, fair play.
apathetic = without interest or enthusiasm
Definition
Generally apathy means:lack of interest and enthusiasm
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 2 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 1 |
bequeath
1 use
My good Aunt Templeman, the banker's widow, whose very existence you used to doubt, much more her affluence, has lately died, and bequeathed some of her property to me.
bequeathed = left upon death
Definition
Generally bequeath means:give or pass down — often upon death in a will
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 1 use in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 22 |
capricious
2 uses
The harvest had been so delayed by the capricious weather that...
capricious = unpredictable
Definition
Generally capricious means:impulsive or unpredictable or tending to make sudden changes — especially impulsive behavior
Word Statistics
| Book | 2 uses |
| Library | 2 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 27 |
conjecture
9 uses
The door was ajar; Farfrae knocked; and he who stood before them was Whittle, as they had conjectured.
conjectured = guessed (formed an opinion based on inconclusive evidence)
Definition
Generally conjecture means:a conclusion or opinion based on inconclusive evidence; or the act of forming of such a conclusion or opinion
Word Statistics
| Book | 9 uses |
| Library | 2 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 17 |
contrite
1 use
Henchard, in a state of bitter anxiety and contrition, determined to seek Farfrae himself.
contrition = sorrow or regret for a fault or offense
(editor's note: The suffix "-tion", converts a verb into a noun that denotes the action or result of the verb. Typically, there is a slight change in the ending of the root verb, as in action, education, and observation.)
(editor's note: The suffix "-tion", converts a verb into a noun that denotes the action or result of the verb. Typically, there is a slight change in the ending of the root verb, as in action, education, and observation.)
Definition
Generally contrite means:feeling sorrow or regret for a fault or offense
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 2 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 40 |
countenance (2 meanings)
2 meanings, 3 uses
1 —1 use as in:
a pleasant countenance
Lucetta's countenance lost its sparkle.
countenance = face
Definition
Generally this sense of countenance means:facial expression; or face; or composure or manner
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 2 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 30 |
2 —2 uses as in:
giving countenance
...there was room for wonder why she had countenanced deception at all,
countenanced = approved
Definition
Generally this sense of countenance means:to tolerate, approve, or show favor or support
Word Statistics
| Book | 2 uses |
| Library | 3 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 1 |
discern
13 uses
In a few moments he could discern a female figure creeping in by the great north gap, or public gateway.
discern = see something that is not obvious
Definition
Generally discern means:to notice or understand something — often something that is not obvious
Word Statistics
| Book | 13 uses |
| Library | 6 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 12 |
disdain
2 uses
He was not only a journeyman, unable to appear as he formerly had appeared, but he disdained to appear as well as he might.
disdained = rejected as not worthy of his effort
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 | 2 uses |
| Library | 7 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 500 |
| 1st use | Chapter 37 |
engender
3 uses
For the sufferings of that night, engendered by his bitter disappointment, he might well have been pitied.
engendered = caused
Definition
Generally engender means:cause — usually a feeling (possibly a situation)
Word Statistics
| Book | 3 uses |
| Library | 1 use in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 6 |
ephemeral
1 use
Her companion, also in black, appeared as a well-formed young woman about eighteen, completely possessed of that ephemeral precious essence youth, which is itself beauty, irrespective of complexion or contour.
ephemeral = existing only for a short time
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 1 use in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 3 |
impetuous
2 uses
She looked from the window and saw Henchard and Farfrae in the hay-yard talking, with that impetuous cordiality on the Mayor's part, and genial modesty on the younger man's,
impetuous = forceful
(editor's note: Though frequently used in this sense historically, today impetuous is more commonly used as a synonym for impulsive.)
(editor's note: Though frequently used in this sense historically, today impetuous is more commonly used as a synonym for impulsive.)
Definition
Generally this sense of impetuous means:impulsive (acting suddenly without much thought) — often with an unfortunate consequence
Word Statistics
| Book | 2 uses |
| Library | 1 use in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 23 |
innate
5 uses
This unsophisticated girl did it by an innate perceptiveness that was almost genius.
innate = present at birth; or arising from within rather than having been learned or acquired
Definition
Generally innate means:of a quality: present at birth; or arising from within rather than having been learned or acquired
Word Statistics
| Book | 5 uses |
| Library | 3 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 14 |
inquiry
23 uses
At the interview, when she offered him tea, he made it a point to launch a cautious inquiry if she knew Mr. Farfrae.
inquiry = question
Definition
Generally inquiry means:the act of asking a question or performing an investigation
Word Statistics
| Book | 23 uses |
| Library | 9 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 1000 |
| 1st use | Chapter 4 |
minute
1 use
1 —1 use as in:
minute size
...the finer movements of her nature found scope in discovering to the narrow-lived ones around her the secret (as she had once learnt it) of making limited opportunities endurable; which she deemed to consist in the cunning enlargement, by a species of microscopic treatment, of those minute forms of satisfaction that offer themselves to everybody not in positive pain; which, thus handled, have much of the same inspiring effect upon life as wider interests cursorily embraced.†
minute = small
Definition
Generally this sense of minute means:small, exceptionally small, or insignificant
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 4 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 45 |
resolve
12 uses
1 —12 uses as in:
I resolved to stop drinking.
For the first time he felt a little hurt by what he thought her extravagance, and resolved to say a word to her about it.
resolved = decided
Definition
Generally this sense of resolve means:to decide — typically a firm or formal decision
Word Statistics
| Book | 12 uses |
| Library | 7 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 1000 |
| 1st use | Chapter 2 |
reticent
1 use
Reasoning on the cause of their reticence he concluded that ... [they] were afraid to broach the subject,
reticence = reluctance to speak freely
Definition
Generally reticent means:reluctant — especially to speak freely
Word Statistics
| Book | 1 use |
| Library | 2 uses in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 43 |
sagacious
2 uses
The town was small, but the corn and hay-trade was proportionately large, and with his native sagacity he saw opportunity for a share of it.
sagacity = wisdom
Definition
Generally sagacious means:wise — especially through long experience and thoughtfulness
Word Statistics
| Book | 2 uses |
| Library | 1 use in 10 avg bks |
| 1st use | Chapter 6 |
scrupulous
5 uses
Newson would have rewarded the old woman as far as her small means afforded had she not discreetly borne in mind that it was by that unscrupulous person's liquor her husband had been degraded.
unscrupulous = unethical
(editor's note: The prefix "un-" in unscrupulous means not and reverses the meaning of scrupulous. This is the same pattern you see in words like unhappy, unknown, and unlucky.)
(editor's note: The prefix "un-" in unscrupulous means not and reverses the meaning of scrupulous. This is the same pattern you see in words like unhappy, unknown, and unlucky.)
Definition
Generally scrupulous means:careful to behave ethically and/or diligently (with great care and attention to detail)
Word Statistics
| Book | 5 uses |
| Library | 2 uses in 10 avg bks |
| SAT®* | top 1000 |
| 1st use | Chapter 33 |