used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading I was an alien and a stranger;--no one loved, caressed, nor cared for me;--my actions were all constrained;--I was obliged to sit poring over needle work, and forbidden to prate;--my body was tortured into forms, my mind coerced, and talks imposed upon me, grammar and French, mere words, that conveyed to me no ideas.
actionsnounUS /ˈækʃənz/
plural of “action” — something done (usually as opposed to something said)
From this reading I was an alien and a stranger;--no one loved, caressed, nor cared for me;--my actions were all constrained;--I was obliged to sit poring over needle work, and forbidden to prate;--my body was tortured into forms, my mind coerced, and talks imposed upon me, grammar and French, mere words, that conveyed to me no ideas.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading I sat down, after their departure, and wept--bitter tears--sobbed convulsively--my griefs were unheeded, and my sensibility ridiculed--I neither gave nor received pleasure.
Ah
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At this period, by the command of my father, I was sent to boarding school.--Ah! never shall I forget the contrast I experienced.
alienadjectiveUS /ˈeɪliən/
not contained in or deriving from the essential nature of something
From this reading I was an alien and a stranger;--no one loved, caressed, nor cared for me;--my actions were all constrained;--I was obliged to sit poring over needle work, and forbidden to prate;--my body was tortured into forms, my mind coerced, and talks imposed upon me, grammar and French, mere words, that conveyed to me no ideas.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading I was an alien and a stranger;--no one loved, caressed, nor cared for me;--my actions were all constrained;--I was obliged to sit poring over needle work, and forbidden to prate;--my body was tortured into forms, my mind coerced, and talks imposed upon me, grammar and French, mere words, that conveyed to me no ideas.
aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/
Having no one else present.
From this reading After the rude stare of curiosity, ever wounding to my feelings, was gratified, I was left to sob alone.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading I was an alien and a stranger;--no one loved, caressed, nor cared for me;--my actions were all constrained;--I was obliged to sit poring over needle work, and forbidden to prate;--my body was tortured into forms, my mind coerced, and talks imposed upon me, grammar and French, mere words, that conveyed to me no ideas.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I was an alien and a stranger;--no one loved, caressed, nor cared for me;--my actions were all constrained;--I was obliged to sit poring over needle work, and forbidden to prate;--my body was tortured into forms, my mind coerced, and talks imposed upon me, grammar and French, mere words, that conveyed to me no ideas.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At this period, by the command of my father, I was sent to boarding school.--Ah! never shall I forget the contrast I experienced.
marked by strong resentment or cynicism
From this reading I sat down, after their departure, and wept--bitter tears--sobbed convulsively--my griefs were unheeded, and my sensibility ridiculed--I neither gave nor received pleasure.
boardingnounUS /ˈbɔːrdɪŋ/
the act of passengers and crew getting aboard a ship or aircraft
From this reading At this period, by the command of my father, I was sent to boarding school.--Ah! never shall I forget the contrast I experienced.
the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)
From this reading I was an alien and a stranger;--no one loved, caressed, nor cared for me;--my actions were all constrained;--I was obliged to sit poring over needle work, and forbidden to prate;--my body was tortured into forms, my mind coerced, and talks imposed upon me, grammar and French, mere words, that conveyed to me no ideas.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading At this period, by the command of my father, I was sent to boarding school.--Ah! never shall I forget the contrast I experienced.
past form of “care” — feel concern or interest
From this reading I was an alien and a stranger;--no one loved, caressed, nor cared for me;--my actions were all constrained;--I was obliged to sit poring over needle work, and forbidden to prate;--my body was tortured into forms, my mind coerced, and talks imposed upon me, grammar and French, mere words, that conveyed to me no ideas.
caressedverbUS /kərˈest/
past form of “caress” — touch or stroke lightly in a loving or endearing manner
From this reading I was an alien and a stranger;--no one loved, caressed, nor cared for me;--my actions were all constrained;--I was obliged to sit poring over needle work, and forbidden to prate;--my body was tortured into forms, my mind coerced, and talks imposed upon me, grammar and French, mere words, that conveyed to me no ideas.
coercedverbUS /koʊˈɜːrst/
past form of “coerce” — to cause to do through pressure or necessity, by physical, moral or intellectual means
From this reading I was an alien and a stranger;--no one loved, caressed, nor cared for me;--my actions were all constrained;--I was obliged to sit poring over needle work, and forbidden to prate;--my body was tortured into forms, my mind coerced, and talks imposed upon me, grammar and French, mere words, that conveyed to me no ideas.
an authoritative direction or instruction to do something
From this reading At this period, by the command of my father, I was sent to boarding school.--Ah! never shall I forget the contrast I experienced.
constrainedadjectiveUS /kənˈstreɪnd/
lacking spontaneity; not natural
From this reading I was an alien and a stranger;--no one loved, caressed, nor cared for me;--my actions were all constrained;--I was obliged to sit poring over needle work, and forbidden to prate;--my body was tortured into forms, my mind coerced, and talks imposed upon me, grammar and French, mere words, that conveyed to me no ideas.
contrastnounUS /ˈkɑːntræst/
the opposition or dissimilarity of things that are compared
From this reading At this period, by the command of my father, I was sent to boarding school.--Ah! never shall I forget the contrast I experienced.
conveyedverbUS /kənˈveɪd/
past form of “convey” — (of information) make known; pass on
From this reading I was an alien and a stranger;--no one loved, caressed, nor cared for me;--my actions were all constrained;--I was obliged to sit poring over needle work, and forbidden to prate;--my body was tortured into forms, my mind coerced, and talks imposed upon me, grammar and French, mere words, that conveyed to me no ideas.
convulsivelyadverb
with convulsions, in a convulsive way
From this reading I sat down, after their departure, and wept--bitter tears--sobbed convulsively--my griefs were unheeded, and my sensibility ridiculed--I neither gave nor received pleasure.
a state in which you want to learn more about something
From this reading After the rude stare of curiosity, ever wounding to my feelings, was gratified, I was left to sob alone.
the act of departing
From this reading I sat down, after their departure, and wept--bitter tears--sobbed convulsively--my griefs were unheeded, and my sensibility ridiculed--I neither gave nor received pleasure.
an effort that is inconvenient
From this reading I loved my guardians with passion--my tastes were all passions--they tore themselves from my embraces with difficulty.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading I sat down, after their departure, and wept--bitter tears--sobbed convulsively--my griefs were unheeded, and my sensibility ridiculed--I neither gave nor received pleasure.
embracesnounUS /emˈbreɪsɪz/
plural of “embrace” — the act of clasping another person in the arms (as in greeting or affection)
From this reading I loved my guardians with passion--my tastes were all passions--they tore themselves from my embraces with difficulty.
at any time
From this reading After the rude stare of curiosity, ever wounding to my feelings, was gratified, I was left to sob alone.
having experience; having knowledge or skill from observation or participation
From this reading At this period, by the command of my father, I was sent to boarding school.--Ah! never shall I forget the contrast I experienced.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading At this period, by the command of my father, I was sent to boarding school.--Ah! never shall I forget the contrast I experienced.
emotional or moral sensitivity (especially in relation to personal principles or dignity)
From this reading After the rude stare of curiosity, ever wounding to my feelings, was gratified, I was left to sob alone.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading I was an alien and a stranger;--no one loved, caressed, nor cared for me;--my actions were all constrained;--I was obliged to sit poring over needle work, and forbidden to prate;--my body was tortured into forms, my mind coerced, and talks imposed upon me, grammar and French, mere words, that conveyed to me no ideas.
forbiddenadjectiveUS /fərˈbɪd.ən/
Not allowed; banned or prohibited by rule or law.
From this reading I was an alien and a stranger;--no one loved, caressed, nor cared for me;--my actions were all constrained;--I was obliged to sit poring over needle work, and forbidden to prate;--my body was tortured into forms, my mind coerced, and talks imposed upon me, grammar and French, mere words, that conveyed to me no ideas.
dismiss from the mind; stop remembering
From this reading At this period, by the command of my father, I was sent to boarding school.--Ah! never shall I forget the contrast I experienced.
plural of “form” — the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something
From this reading I was an alien and a stranger;--no one loved, caressed, nor cared for me;--my actions were all constrained;--I was obliged to sit poring over needle work, and forbidden to prate;--my body was tortured into forms, my mind coerced, and talks imposed upon me, grammar and French, mere words, that conveyed to me no ideas.
the Romance language spoken in France and in countries colonized by France
From this reading I was an alien and a stranger;--no one loved, caressed, nor cared for me;--my actions were all constrained;--I was obliged to sit poring over needle work, and forbidden to prate;--my body was tortured into forms, my mind coerced, and talks imposed upon me, grammar and French, mere words, that conveyed to me no ideas.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading I loved my guardians with passion--my tastes were all passions--they tore themselves from my embraces with difficulty.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading I sat down, after their departure, and wept--bitter tears--sobbed convulsively--my griefs were unheeded, and my sensibility ridiculed--I neither gave nor received pleasure.
grammarnounUS /ˈɡræmər/
the branch of linguistics that deals with syntax and morphology (and sometimes also deals with semantics)
From this reading I was an alien and a stranger;--no one loved, caressed, nor cared for me;--my actions were all constrained;--I was obliged to sit poring over needle work, and forbidden to prate;--my body was tortured into forms, my mind coerced, and talks imposed upon me, grammar and French, mere words, that conveyed to me no ideas.
gratifiedadjectiveUS /ˈɡrætəfaɪd/
having received what was desired
From this reading After the rude stare of curiosity, ever wounding to my feelings, was gratified, I was left to sob alone.
griefs
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I sat down, after their departure, and wept--bitter tears--sobbed convulsively--my griefs were unheeded, and my sensibility ridiculed--I neither gave nor received pleasure.
guardiansnounUS /ˈɡɑːrdiənz/
plural of “guardian” — a person who cares for persons or property
From this reading I loved my guardians with passion--my tastes were all passions--they tore themselves from my embraces with difficulty.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading At this period, by the command of my father, I was sent to boarding school.--Ah! never shall I forget the contrast I experienced.
plural of “idea” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading I was an alien and a stranger;--no one loved, caressed, nor cared for me;--my actions were all constrained;--I was obliged to sit poring over needle work, and forbidden to prate;--my body was tortured into forms, my mind coerced, and talks imposed upon me, grammar and French, mere words, that conveyed to me no ideas.
imposedadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈpoʊzd/
set forth authoritatively as obligatory
From this reading I was an alien and a stranger;--no one loved, caressed, nor cared for me;--my actions were all constrained;--I was obliged to sit poring over needle work, and forbidden to prate;--my body was tortured into forms, my mind coerced, and talks imposed upon me, grammar and French, mere words, that conveyed to me no ideas.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading I was an alien and a stranger;--no one loved, caressed, nor cared for me;--my actions were all constrained;--I was obliged to sit poring over needle work, and forbidden to prate;--my body was tortured into forms, my mind coerced, and talks imposed upon me, grammar and French, mere words, that conveyed to me no ideas.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading After the rude stare of curiosity, ever wounding to my feelings, was gratified, I was left to sob alone.
held dear
From this reading I was an alien and a stranger;--no one loved, caressed, nor cared for me;--my actions were all constrained;--I was obliged to sit poring over needle work, and forbidden to prate;--my body was tortured into forms, my mind coerced, and talks imposed upon me, grammar and French, mere words, that conveyed to me no ideas.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading I was an alien and a stranger;--no one loved, caressed, nor cared for me;--my actions were all constrained;--I was obliged to sit poring over needle work, and forbidden to prate;--my body was tortured into forms, my mind coerced, and talks imposed upon me, grammar and French, mere words, that conveyed to me no ideas.
being nothing more than specified
From this reading I was an alien and a stranger;--no one loved, caressed, nor cared for me;--my actions were all constrained;--I was obliged to sit poring over needle work, and forbidden to prate;--my body was tortured into forms, my mind coerced, and talks imposed upon me, grammar and French, mere words, that conveyed to me no ideas.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading I was an alien and a stranger;--no one loved, caressed, nor cared for me;--my actions were all constrained;--I was obliged to sit poring over needle work, and forbidden to prate;--my body was tortured into forms, my mind coerced, and talks imposed upon me, grammar and French, mere words, that conveyed to me no ideas.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading At this period, by the command of my father, I was sent to boarding school.--Ah! never shall I forget the contrast I experienced.
needlenounUS /ˈniːdəl/
the leaf of a conifer
From this reading I was an alien and a stranger;--no one loved, caressed, nor cared for me;--my actions were all constrained;--I was obliged to sit poring over needle work, and forbidden to prate;--my body was tortured into forms, my mind coerced, and talks imposed upon me, grammar and French, mere words, that conveyed to me no ideas.
not one and not the other of two
From this reading I sat down, after their departure, and wept--bitter tears--sobbed convulsively--my griefs were unheeded, and my sensibility ridiculed--I neither gave nor received pleasure.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading At this period, by the command of my father, I was sent to boarding school.--Ah! never shall I forget the contrast I experienced.
not any; not one
From this reading I was an alien and a stranger;--no one loved, caressed, nor cared for me;--my actions were all constrained;--I was obliged to sit poring over needle work, and forbidden to prate;--my body was tortured into forms, my mind coerced, and talks imposed upon me, grammar and French, mere words, that conveyed to me no ideas.
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading I was an alien and a stranger;--no one loved, caressed, nor cared for me;--my actions were all constrained;--I was obliged to sit poring over needle work, and forbidden to prate;--my body was tortured into forms, my mind coerced, and talks imposed upon me, grammar and French, mere words, that conveyed to me no ideas.
under a moral obligation to do something
From this reading I was an alien and a stranger;--no one loved, caressed, nor cared for me;--my actions were all constrained;--I was obliged to sit poring over needle work, and forbidden to prate;--my body was tortured into forms, my mind coerced, and talks imposed upon me, grammar and French, mere words, that conveyed to me no ideas.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading At this period, by the command of my father, I was sent to boarding school.--Ah! never shall I forget the contrast I experienced.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading I was an alien and a stranger;--no one loved, caressed, nor cared for me;--my actions were all constrained;--I was obliged to sit poring over needle work, and forbidden to prate;--my body was tortured into forms, my mind coerced, and talks imposed upon me, grammar and French, mere words, that conveyed to me no ideas.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading I was an alien and a stranger;--no one loved, caressed, nor cared for me;--my actions were all constrained;--I was obliged to sit poring over needle work, and forbidden to prate;--my body was tortured into forms, my mind coerced, and talks imposed upon me, grammar and French, mere words, that conveyed to me no ideas.
a strong feeling or emotion
From this reading I loved my guardians with passion--my tastes were all passions--they tore themselves from my embraces with difficulty.
passionsnounUS /ˈpæʃənz/
plural of “passion” — a strong feeling or emotion
From this reading I loved my guardians with passion--my tastes were all passions--they tore themselves from my embraces with difficulty.
an amount of time
From this reading At this period, by the command of my father, I was sent to boarding school.--Ah! never shall I forget the contrast I experienced.
a fundamental feeling that is hard to define but that people desire to experience
From this reading I sat down, after their departure, and wept--bitter tears--sobbed convulsively--my griefs were unheeded, and my sensibility ridiculed--I neither gave nor received pleasure.
poringverbUS /ˈpɔːrɪŋ/
-ing form of “pore” — direct one's attention on something
From this reading I was an alien and a stranger;--no one loved, caressed, nor cared for me;--my actions were all constrained;--I was obliged to sit poring over needle work, and forbidden to prate;--my body was tortured into forms, my mind coerced, and talks imposed upon me, grammar and French, mere words, that conveyed to me no ideas.
pratenoun
idle or foolish and irrelevant talk
From this reading I was an alien and a stranger;--no one loved, caressed, nor cared for me;--my actions were all constrained;--I was obliged to sit poring over needle work, and forbidden to prate;--my body was tortured into forms, my mind coerced, and talks imposed upon me, grammar and French, mere words, that conveyed to me no ideas.
conforming to the established language usage of educated native speakers
From this reading I sat down, after their departure, and wept--bitter tears--sobbed convulsively--my griefs were unheeded, and my sensibility ridiculed--I neither gave nor received pleasure.
ridiculedverbUS /ˈrɪdəkjuːld/
past form of “ridicule” — subject to laughter or ridicule
From this reading I sat down, after their departure, and wept--bitter tears--sobbed convulsively--my griefs were unheeded, and my sensibility ridiculed--I neither gave nor received pleasure.
socially incorrect in behavior
From this reading After the rude stare of curiosity, ever wounding to my feelings, was gratified, I was left to sob alone.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading I sat down, after their departure, and wept--bitter tears--sobbed convulsively--my griefs were unheeded, and my sensibility ridiculed--I neither gave nor received pleasure.
an educational institution
From this reading At this period, by the command of my father, I was sent to boarding school.--Ah! never shall I forget the contrast I experienced.
sensibilitynounUS /ˌsensɪˈbɪlɪti/
mental responsiveness and awareness
From this reading I sat down, after their departure, and wept--bitter tears--sobbed convulsively--my griefs were unheeded, and my sensibility ridiculed--I neither gave nor received pleasure.
100 senti equal 1 kroon in Estonia
From this reading At this period, by the command of my father, I was sent to boarding school.--Ah! never shall I forget the contrast I experienced.
used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest
From this reading At this period, by the command of my father, I was sent to boarding school.--Ah! never shall I forget the contrast I experienced.
be seated
From this reading I was an alien and a stranger;--no one loved, caressed, nor cared for me;--my actions were all constrained;--I was obliged to sit poring over needle work, and forbidden to prate;--my body was tortured into forms, my mind coerced, and talks imposed upon me, grammar and French, mere words, that conveyed to me no ideas.
sobverbUS /sɑːb/
weep convulsively
From this reading After the rude stare of curiosity, ever wounding to my feelings, was gratified, I was left to sob alone.
sobbedverbUS /sɑːbd/
inflected form of “sob” — weep convulsively
From this reading I sat down, after their departure, and wept--bitter tears--sobbed convulsively--my griefs were unheeded, and my sensibility ridiculed--I neither gave nor received pleasure.
stareverbUS /ster/
look at with fixed eyes
From this reading After the rude stare of curiosity, ever wounding to my feelings, was gratified, I was left to sob alone.
anyone who does not belong in the environment in which they are found
From this reading I was an alien and a stranger;--no one loved, caressed, nor cared for me;--my actions were all constrained;--I was obliged to sit poring over needle work, and forbidden to prate;--my body was tortured into forms, my mind coerced, and talks imposed upon me, grammar and French, mere words, that conveyed to me no ideas.
talksnounUS /tɔːks/
a discussion intended to produce an agreement
From this reading I was an alien and a stranger;--no one loved, caressed, nor cared for me;--my actions were all constrained;--I was obliged to sit poring over needle work, and forbidden to prate;--my body was tortured into forms, my mind coerced, and talks imposed upon me, grammar and French, mere words, that conveyed to me no ideas.
tastesnounUS /teɪsts/
plural of “taste” — the sensation that results when taste buds in the tongue and throat convey information about the chemical composition of a soluble stimulus
From this reading I loved my guardians with passion--my tastes were all passions--they tore themselves from my embraces with difficulty.
the process of shedding tears (usually accompanied by sobs or other inarticulate sounds)
From this reading I sat down, after their departure, and wept--bitter tears--sobbed convulsively--my griefs were unheeded, and my sensibility ridiculed--I neither gave nor received pleasure.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading I was an alien and a stranger;--no one loved, caressed, nor cared for me;--my actions were all constrained;--I was obliged to sit poring over needle work, and forbidden to prate;--my body was tortured into forms, my mind coerced, and talks imposed upon me, grammar and French, mere words, that conveyed to me no ideas.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading At this period, by the command of my father, I was sent to boarding school.--Ah! never shall I forget the contrast I experienced.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading I sat down, after their departure, and wept--bitter tears--sobbed convulsively--my griefs were unheeded, and my sensibility ridiculed--I neither gave nor received pleasure.
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading I loved my guardians with passion--my tastes were all passions--they tore themselves from my embraces with difficulty.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading I loved my guardians with passion--my tastes were all passions--they tore themselves from my embraces with difficulty.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading At this period, by the command of my father, I was sent to boarding school.--Ah! never shall I forget the contrast I experienced.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading At this period, by the command of my father, I was sent to boarding school.--Ah! never shall I forget the contrast I experienced.
commonly the lowest molding at the base of a column
From this reading I loved my guardians with passion--my tastes were all passions--they tore themselves from my embraces with difficulty.
torturedadjectiveUS /ˈtɔːrtʃərd/
experiencing intense pain especially mental pain
From this reading I was an alien and a stranger;--no one loved, caressed, nor cared for me;--my actions were all constrained;--I was obliged to sit poring over needle work, and forbidden to prate;--my body was tortured into forms, my mind coerced, and talks imposed upon me, grammar and French, mere words, that conveyed to me no ideas.
unheededadjectiveUS /ənˈhiːdɪd/
disregarded
From this reading I sat down, after their departure, and wept--bitter tears--sobbed convulsively--my griefs were unheeded, and my sensibility ridiculed--I neither gave nor received pleasure.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading I was an alien and a stranger;--no one loved, caressed, nor cared for me;--my actions were all constrained;--I was obliged to sit poring over needle work, and forbidden to prate;--my body was tortured into forms, my mind coerced, and talks imposed upon me, grammar and French, mere words, that conveyed to me no ideas.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading At this period, by the command of my father, I was sent to boarding school.--Ah! never shall I forget the contrast I experienced.
inflected form of “weep” — shed tears because of sadness, rage, or pain
From this reading I sat down, after their departure, and wept--bitter tears--sobbed convulsively--my griefs were unheeded, and my sensibility ridiculed--I neither gave nor received pleasure.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading I was an alien and a stranger;--no one loved, caressed, nor cared for me;--my actions were all constrained;--I was obliged to sit poring over needle work, and forbidden to prate;--my body was tortured into forms, my mind coerced, and talks imposed upon me, grammar and French, mere words, that conveyed to me no ideas.
in the company of; together with
From this reading I loved my guardians with passion--my tastes were all passions--they tore themselves from my embraces with difficulty.
the words that are spoken
From this reading I was an alien and a stranger;--no one loved, caressed, nor cared for me;--my actions were all constrained;--I was obliged to sit poring over needle work, and forbidden to prate;--my body was tortured into forms, my mind coerced, and talks imposed upon me, grammar and French, mere words, that conveyed to me no ideas.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading I was an alien and a stranger;--no one loved, caressed, nor cared for me;--my actions were all constrained;--I was obliged to sit poring over needle work, and forbidden to prate;--my body was tortured into forms, my mind coerced, and talks imposed upon me, grammar and French, mere words, that conveyed to me no ideas.
woundingnounUS /ˈwuːndɪŋ/
the act of inflicting a wound
From this reading After the rude stare of curiosity, ever wounding to my feelings, was gratified, I was left to sob alone.
