used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading And the most trivial thing could upset their balance--a fancied slight, a casual statement which was translated into a criticism.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading It could not last too long after that, but they ran the whole gamut of possible moods.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading There were times when the antagonism between them seemed to one or the other so intangible, so imaginary as to be ludicrous; days when the air seemed cleared of dissension and unhappiness; any incident could alter the whole shape of things for them.
alterverbUS /ˈɔːltər/
cause to change; make different; cause a transformation
From this reading There were times when the antagonism between them seemed to one or the other so intangible, so imaginary as to be ludicrous; days when the air seemed cleared of dissension and unhappiness; any incident could alter the whole shape of things for them.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading There were times when the antagonism between them seemed to one or the other so intangible, so imaginary as to be ludicrous; days when the air seemed cleared of dissension and unhappiness; any incident could alter the whole shape of things for them.
a strong emotion; a feeling that is oriented toward some real or supposed grievance
From this reading Some new delight in the progress of the children, some anniversary which it seemed too cruel to let pass in anger, would make them both happy.
anniversarynounUS /ˌænəˈvɜːrsəri/
the date on which an event occurred in some previous year (or the celebration of it)
From this reading Some new delight in the progress of the children, some anniversary which it seemed too cruel to let pass in anger, would make them both happy.
antagonismnounUS /ænˈtæɡənɪzəm/
a state of deep-seated ill-will
From this reading There were times when the antagonism between them seemed to one or the other so intangible, so imaginary as to be ludicrous; days when the air seemed cleared of dissension and unhappiness; any incident could alter the whole shape of things for them.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading There were times when the antagonism between them seemed to one or the other so intangible, so imaginary as to be ludicrous; days when the air seemed cleared of dissension and unhappiness; any incident could alter the whole shape of things for them.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading There were times when the antagonism between them seemed to one or the other so intangible, so imaginary as to be ludicrous; days when the air seemed cleared of dissension and unhappiness; any incident could alter the whole shape of things for them.
balanceverbUS /ˈbæləns/
bring into balance or equilibrium
From this reading And the most trivial thing could upset their balance--a fancied slight, a casual statement which was translated into a criticism.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading There were times when the antagonism between them seemed to one or the other so intangible, so imaginary as to be ludicrous; days when the air seemed cleared of dissension and unhappiness; any incident could alter the whole shape of things for them.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading There were times when the antagonism between them seemed to one or the other so intangible, so imaginary as to be ludicrous; days when the air seemed cleared of dissension and unhappiness; any incident could alter the whole shape of things for them.
the two together, not just one
From this reading Some new delight in the progress of the children, some anniversary which it seemed too cruel to let pass in anger, would make them both happy.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading It could not last too long after that, but they ran the whole gamut of possible moods.
casualadjectiveUS /ˈkæʒəwəl/
marked by blithe unconcern
From this reading And the most trivial thing could upset their balance--a fancied slight, a casual statement which was translated into a criticism.
plural of “child” — a young person of either sex
From this reading Some new delight in the progress of the children, some anniversary which it seemed too cruel to let pass in anger, would make them both happy.
rid of objects or obstructions such as e.g. trees and brush
From this reading There were times when the antagonism between them seemed to one or the other so intangible, so imaginary as to be ludicrous; days when the air seemed cleared of dissension and unhappiness; any incident could alter the whole shape of things for them.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading It could not last too long after that, but they ran the whole gamut of possible moods.
criticismnounUS /ˈkrɪtɪsɪzəm/
disapproval expressed by pointing out faults or shortcomings
From this reading And the most trivial thing could upset their balance--a fancied slight, a casual statement which was translated into a criticism.
crueladjectiveUS /ˈkruːəl/
(of persons or their actions) able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering
From this reading Some new delight in the progress of the children, some anniversary which it seemed too cruel to let pass in anger, would make them both happy.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading There were times when the antagonism between them seemed to one or the other so intangible, so imaginary as to be ludicrous; days when the air seemed cleared of dissension and unhappiness; any incident could alter the whole shape of things for them.
give pleasure to or be pleasing to
From this reading Some new delight in the progress of the children, some anniversary which it seemed too cruel to let pass in anger, would make them both happy.
dissensionnounUS /dɪˈsenʃən/
disagreement among those expected to cooperate
From this reading There were times when the antagonism between them seemed to one or the other so intangible, so imaginary as to be ludicrous; days when the air seemed cleared of dissension and unhappiness; any incident could alter the whole shape of things for them.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading But they never quite relaxed, never quite felt faith in each other.
a strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny
From this reading But they never quite relaxed, never quite felt faith in each other.
formed or conceived by the imagination
From this reading And the most trivial thing could upset their balance--a fancied slight, a casual statement which was translated into a criticism.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading But they never quite relaxed, never quite felt faith in each other.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading There were times when the antagonism between them seemed to one or the other so intangible, so imaginary as to be ludicrous; days when the air seemed cleared of dissension and unhappiness; any incident could alter the whole shape of things for them.
gamutnounUS /ˈɡæmət/
a complete extent or range: "a face that expressed a gamut of emotions"
From this reading It could not last too long after that, but they ran the whole gamut of possible moods.
enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure
From this reading Some new delight in the progress of the children, some anniversary which it seemed too cruel to let pass in anger, would make them both happy.
imaginaryadjectiveUS /ˌɪˈmædʒəneri/
not based on fact; existing only in the imagination
From this reading There were times when the antagonism between them seemed to one or the other so intangible, so imaginary as to be ludicrous; days when the air seemed cleared of dissension and unhappiness; any incident could alter the whole shape of things for them.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Some new delight in the progress of the children, some anniversary which it seemed too cruel to let pass in anger, would make them both happy.
a single distinct event
From this reading There were times when the antagonism between them seemed to one or the other so intangible, so imaginary as to be ludicrous; days when the air seemed cleared of dissension and unhappiness; any incident could alter the whole shape of things for them.
intangiblenounUS /ˌɪnˈtændʒəbəl/
assets that are saleable though not material or physical
From this reading There were times when the antagonism between them seemed to one or the other so intangible, so imaginary as to be ludicrous; days when the air seemed cleared of dissension and unhappiness; any incident could alter the whole shape of things for them.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading And the most trivial thing could upset their balance--a fancied slight, a casual statement which was translated into a criticism.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It could not last too long after that, but they ran the whole gamut of possible moods.
immediately past
From this reading It could not last too long after that, but they ran the whole gamut of possible moods.
letauxiliary verbUS /let/
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading Some new delight in the progress of the children, some anniversary which it seemed too cruel to let pass in anger, would make them both happy.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading It could not last too long after that, but they ran the whole gamut of possible moods.
ludicrousadjectiveUS /ˈluːdəkrəs/
broadly or extravagantly humorous; resembling farce
From this reading There were times when the antagonism between them seemed to one or the other so intangible, so imaginary as to be ludicrous; days when the air seemed cleared of dissension and unhappiness; any incident could alter the whole shape of things for them.
engage in
From this reading Some new delight in the progress of the children, some anniversary which it seemed too cruel to let pass in anger, would make them both happy.
moodsnounUS /muːdz/
plural of “mood” — a characteristic (habitual or relatively temporary) state of feeling
From this reading It could not last too long after that, but they ran the whole gamut of possible moods.
used to form the superlative
From this reading And the most trivial thing could upset their balance--a fancied slight, a casual statement which was translated into a criticism.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading But they never quite relaxed, never quite felt faith in each other.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading Some new delight in the progress of the children, some anniversary which it seemed too cruel to let pass in anger, would make them both happy.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading It could not last too long after that, but they ran the whole gamut of possible moods.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It could not last too long after that, but they ran the whole gamut of possible moods.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading There were times when the antagonism between them seemed to one or the other so intangible, so imaginary as to be ludicrous; days when the air seemed cleared of dissension and unhappiness; any incident could alter the whole shape of things for them.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading There were times when the antagonism between them seemed to one or the other so intangible, so imaginary as to be ludicrous; days when the air seemed cleared of dissension and unhappiness; any incident could alter the whole shape of things for them.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading There were times when the antagonism between them seemed to one or the other so intangible, so imaginary as to be ludicrous; days when the air seemed cleared of dissension and unhappiness; any incident could alter the whole shape of things for them.
go across or through
From this reading Some new delight in the progress of the children, some anniversary which it seemed too cruel to let pass in anger, would make them both happy.
capable of happening or existing
From this reading It could not last too long after that, but they ran the whole gamut of possible moods.
gradual improvement or growth or development
From this reading Some new delight in the progress of the children, some anniversary which it seemed too cruel to let pass in anger, would make them both happy.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading But they never quite relaxed, never quite felt faith in each other.
inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading It could not last too long after that, but they ran the whole gamut of possible moods.
relaxedadjectiveUS /rɪˈlækst/
without strain or anxiety
From this reading But they never quite relaxed, never quite felt faith in each other.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading There were times when the antagonism between them seemed to one or the other so intangible, so imaginary as to be ludicrous; days when the air seemed cleared of dissension and unhappiness; any incident could alter the whole shape of things for them.
any spatial attributes (especially as defined by outline)
From this reading There were times when the antagonism between them seemed to one or the other so intangible, so imaginary as to be ludicrous; days when the air seemed cleared of dissension and unhappiness; any incident could alter the whole shape of things for them.
a deliberate discourteous act (usually as an expression of anger or disapproval)
From this reading And the most trivial thing could upset their balance--a fancied slight, a casual statement which was translated into a criticism.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading There were times when the antagonism between them seemed to one or the other so intangible, so imaginary as to be ludicrous; days when the air seemed cleared of dissension and unhappiness; any incident could alter the whole shape of things for them.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Some new delight in the progress of the children, some anniversary which it seemed too cruel to let pass in anger, would make them both happy.
a message that is stated or declared; a communication (oral or written) setting forth particulars or facts etc
From this reading And the most trivial thing could upset their balance--a fancied slight, a casual statement which was translated into a criticism.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It could not last too long after that, but they ran the whole gamut of possible moods.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It could not last too long after that, but they ran the whole gamut of possible moods.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading And the most trivial thing could upset their balance--a fancied slight, a casual statement which was translated into a criticism.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading There were times when the antagonism between them seemed to one or the other so intangible, so imaginary as to be ludicrous; days when the air seemed cleared of dissension and unhappiness; any incident could alter the whole shape of things for them.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There were times when the antagonism between them seemed to one or the other so intangible, so imaginary as to be ludicrous; days when the air seemed cleared of dissension and unhappiness; any incident could alter the whole shape of things for them.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It could not last too long after that, but they ran the whole gamut of possible moods.
a special situation
From this reading And the most trivial thing could upset their balance--a fancied slight, a casual statement which was translated into a criticism.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading There were times when the antagonism between them seemed to one or the other so intangible, so imaginary as to be ludicrous; days when the air seemed cleared of dissension and unhappiness; any incident could alter the whole shape of things for them.
a more or less definite period of time now or previously present
From this reading There were times when the antagonism between them seemed to one or the other so intangible, so imaginary as to be ludicrous; days when the air seemed cleared of dissension and unhappiness; any incident could alter the whole shape of things for them.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading There were times when the antagonism between them seemed to one or the other so intangible, so imaginary as to be ludicrous; days when the air seemed cleared of dissension and unhappiness; any incident could alter the whole shape of things for them.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading It could not last too long after that, but they ran the whole gamut of possible moods.
translatedverbUS /trænzˈleɪtɪd/
past form of “translate” — restate (words) from one language into another language
From this reading And the most trivial thing could upset their balance--a fancied slight, a casual statement which was translated into a criticism.
trivialadjectiveUS /ˈtrɪviəl/
(informal) small and of little importance
From this reading And the most trivial thing could upset their balance--a fancied slight, a casual statement which was translated into a criticism.
unhappinessnounUS /ənˈhæpinɪs/
emotions experienced when not in a state of well-being
From this reading There were times when the antagonism between them seemed to one or the other so intangible, so imaginary as to be ludicrous; days when the air seemed cleared of dissension and unhappiness; any incident could alter the whole shape of things for them.
upsetverbUS /əpˈset/
disturb the balance or stability of
From this reading And the most trivial thing could upset their balance--a fancied slight, a casual statement which was translated into a criticism.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading And the most trivial thing could upset their balance--a fancied slight, a casual statement which was translated into a criticism.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading There were times when the antagonism between them seemed to one or the other so intangible, so imaginary as to be ludicrous; days when the air seemed cleared of dissension and unhappiness; any incident could alter the whole shape of things for them.
at the time that
From this reading There were times when the antagonism between them seemed to one or the other so intangible, so imaginary as to be ludicrous; days when the air seemed cleared of dissension and unhappiness; any incident could alter the whole shape of things for them.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Some new delight in the progress of the children, some anniversary which it seemed too cruel to let pass in anger, would make them both happy.
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading It could not last too long after that, but they ran the whole gamut of possible moods.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Some new delight in the progress of the children, some anniversary which it seemed too cruel to let pass in anger, would make them both happy.
