used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Sometimes a suspicion of the truth, so faint and so unreasonable in her own eyes, that she would not acknowledge it for a moment, flashed across her mind; and this suspicion had its keenly humiliating as well as its comforting side.
acknowledgeverbUS /ækˈnɑːlɪdʒ/
declare to be true or admit the existence or reality or truth of
From this reading Sometimes a suspicion of the truth, so faint and so unreasonable in her own eyes, that she would not acknowledge it for a moment, flashed across her mind; and this suspicion had its keenly humiliating as well as its comforting side.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading Sometimes a suspicion of the truth, so faint and so unreasonable in her own eyes, that she would not acknowledge it for a moment, flashed across her mind; and this suspicion had its keenly humiliating as well as its comforting side.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The evening passed in constraint and embarrassment.
annoyedadjectiveUS /əˈnɔɪd/
aroused to impatience or anger
From this reading Mrs. Costello was both puzzled and annoyed; Maurice, worn out in mind and body, and only resolute to shield Lucia at his own expense; Lucia herself more thoroughly uncomfortable than she had ever been in her life.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Sometimes a suspicion of the truth, so faint and so unreasonable in her own eyes, that she would not acknowledge it for a moment, flashed across her mind; and this suspicion had its keenly humiliating as well as its comforting side.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Mrs. Costello was both puzzled and annoyed; Maurice, worn out in mind and body, and only resolute to shield Lucia at his own expense; Lucia herself more thoroughly uncomfortable than she had ever been in her life.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Mrs. Costello was both puzzled and annoyed; Maurice, worn out in mind and body, and only resolute to shield Lucia at his own expense; Lucia herself more thoroughly uncomfortable than she had ever been in her life.
the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)
From this reading Mrs. Costello was both puzzled and annoyed; Maurice, worn out in mind and body, and only resolute to shield Lucia at his own expense; Lucia herself more thoroughly uncomfortable than she had ever been in her life.
the two together, not just one
From this reading Mrs. Costello was both puzzled and annoyed; Maurice, worn out in mind and body, and only resolute to shield Lucia at his own expense; Lucia herself more thoroughly uncomfortable than she had ever been in her life.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading She partly understood Maurice's conduct, but doubted its motives.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Sometimes she thought he was influenced by his old dislike to Percy, and that even his kindness to herself was mixed with disapproval or contempt.
comfortingadjectiveUS /ˈkʌmfərtɪŋ/
providing freedom from worry
From this reading Sometimes a suspicion of the truth, so faint and so unreasonable in her own eyes, that she would not acknowledge it for a moment, flashed across her mind; and this suspicion had its keenly humiliating as well as its comforting side.
direct the course of; manage or control
From this reading She partly understood Maurice's conduct, but doubted its motives.
constraintnounUS /kənˈstreɪnt/
the state of being physically constrained
From this reading The evening passed in constraint and embarrassment.
lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike
From this reading Sometimes she thought he was influenced by his old dislike to Percy, and that even his kindness to herself was mixed with disapproval or contempt.
Costello
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mrs. Costello was both puzzled and annoyed; Maurice, worn out in mind and body, and only resolute to shield Lucia at his own expense; Lucia herself more thoroughly uncomfortable than she had ever been in her life.
disapprovalnounUS /dɪsəˈpruːvəl/
a feeling of disliking something or what someone is doing
From this reading Sometimes she thought he was influenced by his old dislike to Percy, and that even his kindness to herself was mixed with disapproval or contempt.
dislikenounUS /dɪˈslaɪk/
an inclination to withhold approval from some person or group
From this reading Sometimes she thought he was influenced by his old dislike to Percy, and that even his kindness to herself was mixed with disapproval or contempt.
doubtedverbUS /ˈdaʊtɪd/
past form of “doubt” — consider unlikely or have doubts about
From this reading She partly understood Maurice's conduct, but doubted its motives.
embarrassmentnounUS /ɪmˈberəsmənt/
the shame you feel when your inadequacy or guilt is made public
From this reading The evening passed in constraint and embarrassment.
divisible by two
From this reading Sometimes she thought he was influenced by his old dislike to Percy, and that even his kindness to herself was mixed with disapproval or contempt.
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading The evening passed in constraint and embarrassment.
at any time
From this reading Mrs. Costello was both puzzled and annoyed; Maurice, worn out in mind and body, and only resolute to shield Lucia at his own expense; Lucia herself more thoroughly uncomfortable than she had ever been in her life.
amounts paid for goods and services that may be currently tax deductible (as opposed to capital expenditures)
From this reading Mrs. Costello was both puzzled and annoyed; Maurice, worn out in mind and body, and only resolute to shield Lucia at his own expense; Lucia herself more thoroughly uncomfortable than she had ever been in her life.
opinion or judgment
From this reading Sometimes a suspicion of the truth, so faint and so unreasonable in her own eyes, that she would not acknowledge it for a moment, flashed across her mind; and this suspicion had its keenly humiliating as well as its comforting side.
deficient in magnitude; barely perceptible; lacking clarity or brightness or loudness etc
From this reading Sometimes a suspicion of the truth, so faint and so unreasonable in her own eyes, that she would not acknowledge it for a moment, flashed across her mind; and this suspicion had its keenly humiliating as well as its comforting side.
past form of “flash” — gleam or glow intermittently
From this reading Sometimes a suspicion of the truth, so faint and so unreasonable in her own eyes, that she would not acknowledge it for a moment, flashed across her mind; and this suspicion had its keenly humiliating as well as its comforting side.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Sometimes a suspicion of the truth, so faint and so unreasonable in her own eyes, that she would not acknowledge it for a moment, flashed across her mind; and this suspicion had its keenly humiliating as well as its comforting side.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Mrs. Costello was both puzzled and annoyed; Maurice, worn out in mind and body, and only resolute to shield Lucia at his own expense; Lucia herself more thoroughly uncomfortable than she had ever been in her life.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Sometimes she thought he was influenced by his old dislike to Percy, and that even his kindness to herself was mixed with disapproval or contempt.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Mrs. Costello was both puzzled and annoyed; Maurice, worn out in mind and body, and only resolute to shield Lucia at his own expense; Lucia herself more thoroughly uncomfortable than she had ever been in her life.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading Mrs. Costello was both puzzled and annoyed; Maurice, worn out in mind and body, and only resolute to shield Lucia at his own expense; Lucia herself more thoroughly uncomfortable than she had ever been in her life.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Mrs. Costello was both puzzled and annoyed; Maurice, worn out in mind and body, and only resolute to shield Lucia at his own expense; Lucia herself more thoroughly uncomfortable than she had ever been in her life.
humiliatingadjectiveUS /hjuːˈmɪlieɪtɪŋ/
causing awareness of your shortcomings
From this reading Sometimes a suspicion of the truth, so faint and so unreasonable in her own eyes, that she would not acknowledge it for a moment, flashed across her mind; and this suspicion had its keenly humiliating as well as its comforting side.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The evening passed in constraint and embarrassment.
influencedverbUS /ˈɪnfluːənst/
past form of “influence” — have and exert influence or effect
From this reading Sometimes she thought he was influenced by his old dislike to Percy, and that even his kindness to herself was mixed with disapproval or contempt.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Sometimes a suspicion of the truth, so faint and so unreasonable in her own eyes, that she would not acknowledge it for a moment, flashed across her mind; and this suspicion had its keenly humiliating as well as its comforting side.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading She partly understood Maurice's conduct, but doubted its motives.
keenlyadverbUS /ˈkiːnli/
in a keen or penetrating way
From this reading Sometimes a suspicion of the truth, so faint and so unreasonable in her own eyes, that she would not acknowledge it for a moment, flashed across her mind; and this suspicion had its keenly humiliating as well as its comforting side.
the quality of being warmhearted and considerate and humane and sympathetic
From this reading Sometimes she thought he was influenced by his old dislike to Percy, and that even his kindness to herself was mixed with disapproval or contempt.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading Mrs. Costello was both puzzled and annoyed; Maurice, worn out in mind and body, and only resolute to shield Lucia at his own expense; Lucia herself more thoroughly uncomfortable than she had ever been in her life.
Lucia
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mrs. Costello was both puzzled and annoyed; Maurice, worn out in mind and body, and only resolute to shield Lucia at his own expense; Lucia herself more thoroughly uncomfortable than she had ever been in her life.
Maurice
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mrs. Costello was both puzzled and annoyed; Maurice, worn out in mind and body, and only resolute to shield Lucia at his own expense; Lucia herself more thoroughly uncomfortable than she had ever been in her life.
Maurice's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She partly understood Maurice's conduct, but doubted its motives.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading Mrs. Costello was both puzzled and annoyed; Maurice, worn out in mind and body, and only resolute to shield Lucia at his own expense; Lucia herself more thoroughly uncomfortable than she had ever been in her life.
consisting of a haphazard assortment of different kinds
From this reading Sometimes she thought he was influenced by his old dislike to Percy, and that even his kindness to herself was mixed with disapproval or contempt.
a particular point in time
From this reading Sometimes a suspicion of the truth, so faint and so unreasonable in her own eyes, that she would not acknowledge it for a moment, flashed across her mind; and this suspicion had its keenly humiliating as well as its comforting side.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Mrs. Costello was both puzzled and annoyed; Maurice, worn out in mind and body, and only resolute to shield Lucia at his own expense; Lucia herself more thoroughly uncomfortable than she had ever been in her life.
motivesnounUS /ˈmoʊtɪvz/
plural of “motive” — the psychological feature that arouses an organism to action toward a desired goal; the reason for the action; that which gives purpose and direction to behavior
From this reading She partly understood Maurice's conduct, but doubted its motives.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading Mrs. Costello was both puzzled and annoyed; Maurice, worn out in mind and body, and only resolute to shield Lucia at his own expense; Lucia herself more thoroughly uncomfortable than she had ever been in her life.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Sometimes a suspicion of the truth, so faint and so unreasonable in her own eyes, that she would not acknowledge it for a moment, flashed across her mind; and this suspicion had its keenly humiliating as well as its comforting side.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Sometimes a suspicion of the truth, so faint and so unreasonable in her own eyes, that she would not acknowledge it for a moment, flashed across her mind; and this suspicion had its keenly humiliating as well as its comforting side.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading Sometimes she thought he was influenced by his old dislike to Percy, and that even his kindness to herself was mixed with disapproval or contempt.
and nothing more
From this reading Mrs. Costello was both puzzled and annoyed; Maurice, worn out in mind and body, and only resolute to shield Lucia at his own expense; Lucia herself more thoroughly uncomfortable than she had ever been in her life.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Sometimes she thought he was influenced by his old dislike to Percy, and that even his kindness to herself was mixed with disapproval or contempt.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Mrs. Costello was both puzzled and annoyed; Maurice, worn out in mind and body, and only resolute to shield Lucia at his own expense; Lucia herself more thoroughly uncomfortable than she had ever been in her life.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading Mrs. Costello was both puzzled and annoyed; Maurice, worn out in mind and body, and only resolute to shield Lucia at his own expense; Lucia herself more thoroughly uncomfortable than she had ever been in her life.
to some extent; in some degree; not wholly
From this reading She partly understood Maurice's conduct, but doubted its motives.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading The evening passed in constraint and embarrassment.
PercynounUS /ˈpɜːrsi/
United States writer whose novels explored human alienation (1916-1990)
From this reading Sometimes she thought he was influenced by his old dislike to Percy, and that even his kindness to herself was mixed with disapproval or contempt.
filled with bewilderment
From this reading Mrs. Costello was both puzzled and annoyed; Maurice, worn out in mind and body, and only resolute to shield Lucia at his own expense; Lucia herself more thoroughly uncomfortable than she had ever been in her life.
resoluteadjectiveUS /ˈrezəluːt/
firm in purpose or belief; characterized by firmness and determination
From this reading Mrs. Costello was both puzzled and annoyed; Maurice, worn out in mind and body, and only resolute to shield Lucia at his own expense; Lucia herself more thoroughly uncomfortable than she had ever been in her life.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Mrs. Costello was both puzzled and annoyed; Maurice, worn out in mind and body, and only resolute to shield Lucia at his own expense; Lucia herself more thoroughly uncomfortable than she had ever been in her life.
shieldnounUS /ʃiːld/
a protective covering or structure
From this reading Mrs. Costello was both puzzled and annoyed; Maurice, worn out in mind and body, and only resolute to shield Lucia at his own expense; Lucia herself more thoroughly uncomfortable than she had ever been in her life.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading Sometimes a suspicion of the truth, so faint and so unreasonable in her own eyes, that she would not acknowledge it for a moment, flashed across her mind; and this suspicion had its keenly humiliating as well as its comforting side.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Sometimes a suspicion of the truth, so faint and so unreasonable in her own eyes, that she would not acknowledge it for a moment, flashed across her mind; and this suspicion had its keenly humiliating as well as its comforting side.
on certain occasions or in certain cases but not always
From this reading Sometimes she thought he was influenced by his old dislike to Percy, and that even his kindness to herself was mixed with disapproval or contempt.
an impression that something might be the case
From this reading Sometimes a suspicion of the truth, so faint and so unreasonable in her own eyes, that she would not acknowledge it for a moment, flashed across her mind; and this suspicion had its keenly humiliating as well as its comforting side.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Mrs. Costello was both puzzled and annoyed; Maurice, worn out in mind and body, and only resolute to shield Lucia at his own expense; Lucia herself more thoroughly uncomfortable than she had ever been in her life.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Sometimes she thought he was influenced by his old dislike to Percy, and that even his kindness to herself was mixed with disapproval or contempt.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The evening passed in constraint and embarrassment.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Sometimes a suspicion of the truth, so faint and so unreasonable in her own eyes, that she would not acknowledge it for a moment, flashed across her mind; and this suspicion had its keenly humiliating as well as its comforting side.
in an exhaustive manner
From this reading Mrs. Costello was both puzzled and annoyed; Maurice, worn out in mind and body, and only resolute to shield Lucia at his own expense; Lucia herself more thoroughly uncomfortable than she had ever been in her life.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading Sometimes she thought he was influenced by his old dislike to Percy, and that even his kindness to herself was mixed with disapproval or contempt.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Mrs. Costello was both puzzled and annoyed; Maurice, worn out in mind and body, and only resolute to shield Lucia at his own expense; Lucia herself more thoroughly uncomfortable than she had ever been in her life.
a fact that has been verified
From this reading Sometimes a suspicion of the truth, so faint and so unreasonable in her own eyes, that she would not acknowledge it for a moment, flashed across her mind; and this suspicion had its keenly humiliating as well as its comforting side.
uncomfortableadjectiveUS /ənˈkʌmfərtəbəl/
conducive to or feeling mental discomfort
From this reading Mrs. Costello was both puzzled and annoyed; Maurice, worn out in mind and body, and only resolute to shield Lucia at his own expense; Lucia herself more thoroughly uncomfortable than she had ever been in her life.
fully apprehended as to purport or meaning or explanation
From this reading She partly understood Maurice's conduct, but doubted its motives.
unreasonableadjectiveUS /ənˈriːznəbəl/
not reasonable; not showing good judgment
From this reading Sometimes a suspicion of the truth, so faint and so unreasonable in her own eyes, that she would not acknowledge it for a moment, flashed across her mind; and this suspicion had its keenly humiliating as well as its comforting side.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Mrs. Costello was both puzzled and annoyed; Maurice, worn out in mind and body, and only resolute to shield Lucia at his own expense; Lucia herself more thoroughly uncomfortable than she had ever been in her life.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading Sometimes a suspicion of the truth, so faint and so unreasonable in her own eyes, that she would not acknowledge it for a moment, flashed across her mind; and this suspicion had its keenly humiliating as well as its comforting side.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Sometimes she thought he was influenced by his old dislike to Percy, and that even his kindness to herself was mixed with disapproval or contempt.
Damaged or thinned by continuous use.
From this reading Mrs. Costello was both puzzled and annoyed; Maurice, worn out in mind and body, and only resolute to shield Lucia at his own expense; Lucia herself more thoroughly uncomfortable than she had ever been in her life.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Sometimes a suspicion of the truth, so faint and so unreasonable in her own eyes, that she would not acknowledge it for a moment, flashed across her mind; and this suspicion had its keenly humiliating as well as its comforting side.
