adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading For the first few months after Mercy went away, Stephen seemed to himself to be like an automaton, which had been wound up to go through certain movements for a certain length of time, and could by no possibility stop.
absencenounUS /ˈæbsəns/
the state of being absent
From this reading Sometimes it seemed to him that he did not suffer at all; and he was terrified at this very absence of suffering.
activeadjectiveUS /ˈæktɪv/
tending to become more severe or wider in scope
From this reading Then again he had hours and days of a dull despair, which was worse than any more active form of suffering.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading For the first few months after Mercy went away, Stephen seemed to himself to be like an automaton, which had been wound up to go through certain movements for a certain length of time, and could by no possibility stop.
againadverbUS /əˈɡen/
anew
From this reading Then again he had hours and days of a dull despair, which was worse than any more active form of suffering.
alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/
(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 Sometimes it seemed to him that he did not suffer at all; and he was terrified at this very absence of suffering.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading For the first few months after Mercy went away, Stephen seemed to himself to be like an automaton, which had been wound up to go through certain movements for a certain length of time, and could by no possibility stop.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading For the first few months after Mercy went away, Stephen seemed to himself to be like an automaton, which had been wound up to go through certain movements for a certain length of time, and could by no possibility stop.
anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading Then again he had hours and days of a dull despair, which was worse than any more active form of suffering.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading He did not suffer as he had expected.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Sometimes it seemed to him that he did not suffer at all; and he was terrified at this very absence of suffering.
automatonnounUS /ɔːˈtɑːmətɑːn/
someone who acts or responds in a mechanical or apathetic way
From this reading For the first few months after Mercy went away, Stephen seemed to himself to be like an automaton, which had been wound up to go through certain movements for a certain length of time, and could by no possibility stop.
awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading For the first few months after Mercy went away, Stephen seemed to himself to be like an automaton, which had been wound up to go through certain movements for a certain length of time, and could by no possibility stop.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading For the first few months after Mercy went away, Stephen seemed to himself to be like an automaton, which had been wound up to go through certain movements for a certain length of time, and could by no possibility stop.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading For the first few months after Mercy went away, Stephen seemed to himself to be like an automaton, which had been wound up to go through certain movements for a certain length of time, and could by no possibility stop.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading For the first few months after Mercy went away, Stephen seemed to himself to be like an automaton, which had been wound up to go through certain movements for a certain length of time, and could by no possibility stop.
cavesnounUS /keɪvz/
plural of “cave” — a geological formation consisting of an underground enclosure with access from the surface of the ground or from the sea
From this reading Now he understood, he thought, how in the olden time men had often withdrawn themselves from the world after some great grief, and had lived long, stagnant lives in deserts and caves.
certainadjectiveUS /ˈsɜːrtən/
definite but not specified or identified
From this reading For the first few months after Mercy went away, Stephen seemed to himself to be like an automaton, which had been wound up to go through certain movements for a certain length of time, and could by no possibility stop.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading For the first few months after Mercy went away, Stephen seemed to himself to be like an automaton, which had been wound up to go through certain movements for a certain length of time, and could by no possibility stop.
daysnounUS /deɪz/
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading Then again he had hours and days of a dull despair, which was worse than any more active form of suffering.
desertsnounUS /ˈdezərts/
plural of “desert” — arid land with little or no vegetation
From this reading Now he understood, he thought, how in the olden time men had often withdrawn themselves from the world after some great grief, and had lived long, stagnant lives in deserts and caves.
despairnounUS /dɪˈsper/
a state in which all hope is lost or absent
From this reading Then again he had hours and days of a dull despair, which was worse than any more active form of suffering.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading He did not suffer as he had expected.
dulladjectiveUS /dʌl/
lacking in liveliness or animation
From this reading Then again he had hours and days of a dull despair, which was worse than any more active form of suffering.
expectedadjectiveUS /ɪkˈspektəd/
considered likely or probable to happen or arrive
From this reading He did not suffer as he had expected.
fewadjectiveUS /fjuː/
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading For the first few months after Mercy went away, Stephen seemed to himself to be like an automaton, which had been wound up to go through certain movements for a certain length of time, and could by no possibility stop.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading For the first few months after Mercy went away, Stephen seemed to himself to be like an automaton, which had been wound up to go through certain movements for a certain length of time, and could by no possibility stop.
ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For the first few months after Mercy went away, Stephen seemed to himself to be like an automaton, which had been wound up to go through certain movements for a certain length of time, and could by no possibility stop.
formnounUS /fɔːrm/
the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something
From this reading Then again he had hours and days of a dull despair, which was worse than any more active form of suffering.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Now he understood, he thought, how in the olden time men had often withdrawn themselves from the world after some great grief, and had lived long, stagnant lives in deserts and caves.
goverbUS /ɡoʊ/
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading For the first few months after Mercy went away, Stephen seemed to himself to be like an automaton, which had been wound up to go through certain movements for a certain length of time, and could by no possibility stop.
greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading Now he understood, he thought, how in the olden time men had often withdrawn themselves from the world after some great grief, and had lived long, stagnant lives in deserts and caves.
griefnounUS /ɡriːf/
intense sorrow caused by loss of a loved one (especially by death)
From this reading Now he understood, he thought, how in the olden time men had often withdrawn themselves from the world after some great grief, and had lived long, stagnant lives in deserts and caves.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading For the first few months after Mercy went away, Stephen seemed to himself to be like an automaton, which had been wound up to go through certain movements for a certain length of time, and could by no possibility stop.
HepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He did not suffer as he had expected.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Sometimes it seemed to him that he did not suffer at all; and he was terrified at this very absence of suffering.
himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading For the first few months after Mercy went away, Stephen seemed to himself to be like an automaton, which had been wound up to go through certain movements for a certain length of time, and could by no possibility stop.
hoursnounUS /ˈaʊərz/
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading Then again he had hours and days of a dull despair, which was worse than any more active form of suffering.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Now he understood, he thought, how in the olden time men had often withdrawn themselves from the world after some great grief, and had lived long, stagnant lives in deserts and caves.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Now he understood, he thought, how in the olden time men had often withdrawn themselves from the world after some great grief, and had lived long, stagnant lives in deserts and caves.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Sometimes it seemed to him that he did not suffer at all; and he was terrified at this very absence of suffering.
lengthnounUS /leŋkθ/
the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest dimension of something that is fixed in place
From this reading For the first few months after Mercy went away, Stephen seemed to himself to be like an automaton, which had been wound up to go through certain movements for a certain length of time, and could by no possibility stop.
likeverbUS /laɪk/
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading For the first few months after Mercy went away, Stephen seemed to himself to be like an automaton, which had been wound up to go through certain movements for a certain length of time, and could by no possibility stop.
livedverbUS /lɪvd/
past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading Now he understood, he thought, how in the olden time men had often withdrawn themselves from the world after some great grief, and had lived long, stagnant lives in deserts and caves.
livesnounUS /lɪvz/
plural of “life” — a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading Now he understood, he thought, how in the olden time men had often withdrawn themselves from the world after some great grief, and had lived long, stagnant lives in deserts and caves.
longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/
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 Now he understood, he thought, how in the olden time men had often withdrawn themselves from the world after some great grief, and had lived long, stagnant lives in deserts and caves.
mennounUS /men/
the force of workers available
From this reading Now he understood, he thought, how in the olden time men had often withdrawn themselves from the world after some great grief, and had lived long, stagnant lives in deserts and caves.
MercynounUS /ˈmɜːrsi/
leniency and compassion shown toward offenders by a person or agency charged with administering justice
From this reading For the first few months after Mercy went away, Stephen seemed to himself to be like an automaton, which had been wound up to go through certain movements for a certain length of time, and could by no possibility stop.
monthsnounUS /mʌnθs/
plural of “month” — one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year
From this reading For the first few months after Mercy went away, Stephen seemed to himself to be like an automaton, which had been wound up to go through certain movements for a certain length of time, and could by no possibility stop.
moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Then again he had hours and days of a dull despair, which was worse than any more active form of suffering.
movementsnounUS /ˈmuːvmənts/
plural of “movement” — a change of position that does not entail a change of location
From this reading For the first few months after Mercy went away, Stephen seemed to himself to be like an automaton, which had been wound up to go through certain movements for a certain length of time, and could by no possibility stop.
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/
not any; not one
From this reading For the first few months after Mercy went away, Stephen seemed to himself to be like an automaton, which had been wound up to go through certain movements for a certain length of time, and could by no possibility stop.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He did not suffer as he had expected.
NowadverbUS /naʊ/
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Now he understood, he thought, how in the olden time men had often withdrawn themselves from the world after some great grief, and had lived long, stagnant lives in deserts and caves.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading For the first few months after Mercy went away, Stephen seemed to himself to be like an automaton, which had been wound up to go through certain movements for a certain length of time, and could by no possibility stop.
oftenadverbUS /ˈɔːfən/
many times at short intervals
From this reading Now he understood, he thought, how in the olden time men had often withdrawn themselves from the world after some great grief, and had lived long, stagnant lives in deserts and caves.
oldenadjectiveUS /ˈoʊldən/
relating to time long past
From this reading Now he understood, he thought, how in the olden time men had often withdrawn themselves from the world after some great grief, and had lived long, stagnant lives in deserts and caves.
possibilitynounUS /ˌpɑːsəˈbɪlətiː/
a future prospect or potential
From this reading For the first few months after Mercy went away, Stephen seemed to himself to be like an automaton, which had been wound up to go through certain movements for a certain length of time, and could by no possibility stop.
seemedverbUS /siːmd/
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading For the first few months after Mercy went away, Stephen seemed to himself to be like an automaton, which had been wound up to go through certain movements for a certain length of time, and could by no possibility stop.
someadjectiveUS /sʌm/
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Now he understood, he thought, how in the olden time men had often withdrawn themselves from the world after some great grief, and had lived long, stagnant lives in deserts and caves.
SometimesadverbUS /səmˈtaɪmz/
on certain occasions or in certain cases but not always
From this reading Sometimes it seemed to him that he did not suffer at all; and he was terrified at this very absence of suffering.
stagnantadjectiveUS /ˈstæɡnənt/
not circulating or flowing
From this reading Now he understood, he thought, how in the olden time men had often withdrawn themselves from the world after some great grief, and had lived long, stagnant lives in deserts and caves.
StephennounUS /ˈstiːvən/
English writer (1832-1904)
From this reading For the first few months after Mercy went away, Stephen seemed to himself to be like an automaton, which had been wound up to go through certain movements for a certain length of time, and could by no possibility stop.
stopverbUS /stɑːp/
come to a halt, stop moving
From this reading For the first few months after Mercy went away, Stephen seemed to himself to be like an automaton, which had been wound up to go through certain movements for a certain length of time, and could by no possibility stop.
sufferverbUS /ˈsʌfər/
undergo or be subjected to
From this reading He did not suffer as he had expected.
sufferingnounUS /ˈsʌfərɪŋ/
a state of acute pain
From this reading Sometimes it seemed to him that he did not suffer at all; and he was terrified at this very absence of suffering.
terrifiedadjectiveUS /ˈterəfaɪd/
thrown into a state of intense fear or desperation
From this reading Sometimes it seemed to him that he did not suffer at all; and he was terrified at this very absence of suffering.
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Then again he had hours and days of a dull despair, which was worse than any more active form of suffering.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Sometimes it seemed to him that he did not suffer at all; and he was terrified at this very absence of suffering.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading For the first few months after Mercy went away, Stephen seemed to himself to be like an automaton, which had been wound up to go through certain movements for a certain length of time, and could by no possibility stop.
themselvespronounUS /ðemˈselvz/
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading Now he understood, he thought, how in the olden time men had often withdrawn themselves from the world after some great grief, and had lived long, stagnant lives in deserts and caves.
ThenadverbUS /ðen/
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then again he had hours and days of a dull despair, which was worse than any more active form of suffering.
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Sometimes it seemed to him that he did not suffer at all; and he was terrified at this very absence of suffering.
thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading Now he understood, he thought, how in the olden time men had often withdrawn themselves from the world after some great grief, and had lived long, stagnant lives in deserts and caves.
throughprepositionUS /θruː/
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading For the first few months after Mercy went away, Stephen seemed to himself to be like an automaton, which had been wound up to go through certain movements for a certain length of time, and could by no possibility stop.
timenounUS /taɪm/
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading For the first few months after Mercy went away, Stephen seemed to himself to be like an automaton, which had been wound up to go through certain movements for a certain length of time, and could by no possibility stop.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading For the first few months after Mercy went away, Stephen seemed to himself to be like an automaton, which had been wound up to go through certain movements for a certain length of time, and could by no possibility stop.
understoodadjectiveUS /ˌʌndərˈstʊd/
fully apprehended as to purport or meaning or explanation
From this reading Now he understood, he thought, how in the olden time men had often withdrawn themselves from the world after some great grief, and had lived long, stagnant lives in deserts and caves.
upadjectiveUS /ʌp/
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading For the first few months after Mercy went away, Stephen seemed to himself to be like an automaton, which had been wound up to go through certain movements for a certain length of time, and could by no possibility stop.
veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/
precisely as stated
From this reading Sometimes it seemed to him that he did not suffer at all; and he was terrified at this very absence of suffering.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Sometimes it seemed to him that he did not suffer at all; and he was terrified at this very absence of suffering.
wentverbUS /went/
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading For the first few months after Mercy went away, Stephen seemed to himself to be like an automaton, which had been wound up to go through certain movements for a certain length of time, and could by no possibility stop.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading For the first few months after Mercy went away, Stephen seemed to himself to be like an automaton, which had been wound up to go through certain movements for a certain length of time, and could by no possibility stop.
withdrawnadjectiveUS /wɪθˈdrɔːn/
withdrawn from society; seeking solitude
From this reading Now he understood, he thought, how in the olden time men had often withdrawn themselves from the world after some great grief, and had lived long, stagnant lives in deserts and caves.
worldnounUS /wɜːrld/
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading Now he understood, he thought, how in the olden time men had often withdrawn themselves from the world after some great grief, and had lived long, stagnant lives in deserts and caves.
worseadjectiveUS /wɜːrs/
(comparative of “bad”) inferior to another in quality or condition or desirability
From this reading Then again he had hours and days of a dull despair, which was worse than any more active form of suffering.
woundnounUS /waʊnd/
an injury to living tissue (especially an injury involving a cut or break in the skin)
From this reading For the first few months after Mercy went away, Stephen seemed to himself to be like an automaton, which had been wound up to go through certain movements for a certain length of time, and could by no possibility stop.
