adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading 'I must have seemed a thankless wretch, my dear Miss Mitford,' etc. etc. 'You, my dear friend, know too well what it is to have to finish a book, to blame my not attempting,' etc. etc. 'This is the thirty-ninth letter I have written since yesterday morning,' says Harriet Martineau.
additionaladjectiveUS /əˈdɪʃənəl/
further or added
From this reading They had the additional difficulty of having to procure franks, and of having to cover four pages instead of a post-card.
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 All these people seem to have been just as busy as people are now, as amusing, as tiresome.
allowverbUS /əˈlaʊ/
make it possible through a specific action or lack of action for something to happen
From this reading I will not allow my shame for not having written, to prevent me from writing now.'
amusingadjectiveUS /əˈmjuːzɪŋ/
providing enjoyment; pleasantly entertaining
From this reading All these people seem to have been just as busy as people are now, as amusing, as tiresome.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading They had the additional difficulty of having to procure franks, and of having to cover four pages instead of a post-card.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading All these people seem to have been just as busy as people are now, as amusing, as tiresome.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading All these people seem to have been just as busy as people are now, as amusing, as tiresome.
attemptingverbUS /əˈtemptɪŋ/
-ing form of “attempt” — make an effort or attempt
From this reading 'I must have seemed a thankless wretch, my dear Miss Mitford,' etc. etc. 'You, my dear friend, know too well what it is to have to finish a book, to blame my not attempting,' etc. etc. 'This is the thirty-ninth letter I have written since yesterday morning,' says Harriet Martineau.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading All these people seem to have been just as busy as people are now, as amusing, as tiresome.
blameverbUS /bleɪm/
put or pin the blame on
From this reading 'I must have seemed a thankless wretch, my dear Miss Mitford,' etc. etc. 'You, my dear friend, know too well what it is to have to finish a book, to blame my not attempting,' etc. etc. 'This is the thirty-ninth letter I have written since yesterday morning,' says Harriet Martineau.
booknounUS /bʊk/
a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)
From this reading 'I must have seemed a thankless wretch, my dear Miss Mitford,' etc. etc. 'You, my dear friend, know too well what it is to have to finish a book, to blame my not attempting,' etc. etc. 'This is the thirty-ninth letter I have written since yesterday morning,' says Harriet Martineau.
busyadjectiveUS /ˈbɪzi/
actively or fully engaged or occupied
From this reading All these people seem to have been just as busy as people are now, as amusing, as tiresome.
canmodal verbUS /kæn/
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading 'Oh, I can scarcely hold the pen!
coververbUS /ˈkʌvər/
provide with a covering or cause to be covered
From this reading They had the additional difficulty of having to procure franks, and of having to cover four pages instead of a post-card.
dearadjectiveUS /dɪr/
dearly loved
From this reading 'I must have seemed a thankless wretch, my dear Miss Mitford,' etc. etc. 'You, my dear friend, know too well what it is to have to finish a book, to blame my not attempting,' etc. etc. 'This is the thirty-ninth letter I have written since yesterday morning,' says Harriet Martineau.
difficultynounUS /ˈdɪfəkəlti/
an effort that is inconvenient
From this reading They had the additional difficulty of having to procure franks, and of having to cover four pages instead of a post-card.
etc
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 'I must have seemed a thankless wretch, my dear Miss Mitford,' etc. etc. 'You, my dear friend, know too well what it is to have to finish a book, to blame my not attempting,' etc. etc. 'This is the thirty-ninth letter I have written since yesterday morning,' says Harriet Martineau.
finishverbUS /ˈfɪnɪʃ/
come or bring to a finish or an end
From this reading 'I must have seemed a thankless wretch, my dear Miss Mitford,' etc. etc. 'You, my dear friend, know too well what it is to have to finish a book, to blame my not attempting,' etc. etc. 'This is the thirty-ninth letter I have written since yesterday morning,' says Harriet Martineau.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading I will not allow my shame for not having written, to prevent me from writing now.'
fournounUS /fɔːr/
the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one
From this reading They had the additional difficulty of having to procure franks, and of having to cover four pages instead of a post-card.
franksnounUS /fræŋks/
plural of “frank” — a member of the ancient Germanic peoples who spread from the Rhine into the Roman Empire in the 4th century
From this reading They had the additional difficulty of having to procure franks, and of having to cover four pages instead of a post-card.
friendnounUS /frend/
a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading 'I must have seemed a thankless wretch, my dear Miss Mitford,' etc. etc. 'You, my dear friend, know too well what it is to have to finish a book, to blame my not attempting,' etc. etc. 'This is the thirty-ninth letter I have written since yesterday morning,' says Harriet Martineau.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading I will not allow my shame for not having written, to prevent me from writing now.'
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading They had the additional difficulty of having to procure franks, and of having to cover four pages instead of a post-card.
Harriet
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 'I must have seemed a thankless wretch, my dear Miss Mitford,' etc. etc. 'You, my dear friend, know too well what it is to have to finish a book, to blame my not attempting,' etc. etc. 'This is the thirty-ninth letter I have written since yesterday morning,' says Harriet Martineau.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading 'I must have seemed a thankless wretch, my dear Miss Mitford,' etc. etc. 'You, my dear friend, know too well what it is to have to finish a book, to blame my not attempting,' etc. etc. 'This is the thirty-ninth letter I have written since yesterday morning,' says Harriet Martineau.
havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading I will not allow my shame for not having written, to prevent me from writing now.'
holdverbUS /hoʊld/
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading 'Oh, I can scarcely hold the pen!
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading 'I must have seemed a thankless wretch, my dear Miss Mitford,' etc. etc. 'You, my dear friend, know too well what it is to have to finish a book, to blame my not attempting,' etc. etc. 'This is the thirty-ninth letter I have written since yesterday morning,' says Harriet Martineau.
insteadadverbUS /ˌɪnˈsted/
in place of, or as an alternative to
From this reading They had the additional difficulty of having to procure franks, and of having to cover four pages instead of a post-card.
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading 'I must have seemed a thankless wretch, my dear Miss Mitford,' etc. etc. 'You, my dear friend, know too well what it is to have to finish a book, to blame my not attempting,' etc. etc. 'This is the thirty-ninth letter I have written since yesterday morning,' says Harriet Martineau.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading 'I must have seemed a thankless wretch, my dear Miss Mitford,' etc. etc. 'You, my dear friend, know too well what it is to have to finish a book, to blame my not attempting,' etc. etc. 'This is the thirty-ninth letter I have written since yesterday morning,' says Harriet Martineau.
justadverbUS /dʒʌst/
and nothing more
From this reading All these people seem to have been just as busy as people are now, as amusing, as tiresome.
knowverbUS /noʊ/
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading 'I must have seemed a thankless wretch, my dear Miss Mitford,' etc. etc. 'You, my dear friend, know too well what it is to have to finish a book, to blame my not attempting,' etc. etc. 'This is the thirty-ninth letter I have written since yesterday morning,' says Harriet Martineau.
letternounUS /ˈletər/
a written message addressed to a person or organization
From this reading 'I must have seemed a thankless wretch, my dear Miss Mitford,' etc. etc. 'You, my dear friend, know too well what it is to have to finish a book, to blame my not attempting,' etc. etc. 'This is the thirty-ninth letter I have written since yesterday morning,' says Harriet Martineau.
Martineau
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 'I must have seemed a thankless wretch, my dear Miss Mitford,' etc. etc. 'You, my dear friend, know too well what it is to have to finish a book, to blame my not attempting,' etc. etc. 'This is the thirty-ninth letter I have written since yesterday morning,' says Harriet Martineau.
mepronounUS /miː/
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading I will not allow my shame for not having written, to prevent me from writing now.'
MissverbUS /mɪs/
fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind
From this reading 'I must have seemed a thankless wretch, my dear Miss Mitford,' etc. etc. 'You, my dear friend, know too well what it is to have to finish a book, to blame my not attempting,' etc. etc. 'This is the thirty-ninth letter I have written since yesterday morning,' says Harriet Martineau.
Mitfordnoun
United States writer (born in England) who wrote on American culture (1917-1996)
From this reading 'I must have seemed a thankless wretch, my dear Miss Mitford,' etc. etc. 'You, my dear friend, know too well what it is to have to finish a book, to blame my not attempting,' etc. etc. 'This is the thirty-ninth letter I have written since yesterday morning,' says Harriet Martineau.
morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading 'I must have seemed a thankless wretch, my dear Miss Mitford,' etc. etc. 'You, my dear friend, know too well what it is to have to finish a book, to blame my not attempting,' etc. etc. 'This is the thirty-ninth letter I have written since yesterday morning,' says Harriet Martineau.
mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading 'I must have seemed a thankless wretch, my dear Miss Mitford,' etc. etc. 'You, my dear friend, know too well what it is to have to finish a book, to blame my not attempting,' etc. etc. 'This is the thirty-ninth letter I have written since yesterday morning,' says Harriet Martineau.
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading 'I must have seemed a thankless wretch, my dear Miss Mitford,' etc. etc. 'You, my dear friend, know too well what it is to have to finish a book, to blame my not attempting,' etc. etc. 'This is the thirty-ninth letter I have written since yesterday morning,' says Harriet Martineau.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading 'I must have seemed a thankless wretch, my dear Miss Mitford,' etc. etc. 'You, my dear friend, know too well what it is to have to finish a book, to blame my not attempting,' etc. etc. 'This is the thirty-ninth letter I have written since yesterday morning,' says Harriet Martineau.
nowadverbUS /naʊ/
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading I will not allow my shame for not having written, to prevent me from writing now.'
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading They had the additional difficulty of having to procure franks, and of having to cover four pages instead of a post-card.
OhnounUS /oʊ/
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading 'Oh, I can scarcely hold the pen!
pagesnounUS /ˈpeɪdʒəz/
plural of “page” — one side of one leaf (of a book or magazine or newspaper or letter etc.) or the written or pictorial matter it contains
From this reading They had the additional difficulty of having to procure franks, and of having to cover four pages instead of a post-card.
pennounUS /pen/
a writing implement with a point from which ink flows
From this reading 'Oh, I can scarcely hold the pen!
peoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading All these people seem to have been just as busy as people are now, as amusing, as tiresome.
post-card
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They had the additional difficulty of having to procure franks, and of having to cover four pages instead of a post-card.
preventverbUS /prɪˈvent/
keep from happening or arising; make impossible
From this reading I will not allow my shame for not having written, to prevent me from writing now.'
procureverbUS /proʊˈkjʊr/
get by special effort
From this reading They had the additional difficulty of having to procure franks, and of having to cover four pages instead of a post-card.
saysnounUS /sez/
plural of “say” — the chance to speak
From this reading 'I must have seemed a thankless wretch, my dear Miss Mitford,' etc. etc. 'You, my dear friend, know too well what it is to have to finish a book, to blame my not attempting,' etc. etc. 'This is the thirty-ninth letter I have written since yesterday morning,' says Harriet Martineau.
scarcelyadverbUS /ˈskersli/
only a very short time before
From this reading 'Oh, I can scarcely hold the pen!
seemverbUS /siːm/
give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading All these people seem to have been just as busy as people are now, as amusing, as tiresome.
seemedverbUS /siːmd/
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading 'I must have seemed a thankless wretch, my dear Miss Mitford,' etc. etc. 'You, my dear friend, know too well what it is to have to finish a book, to blame my not attempting,' etc. etc. 'This is the thirty-ninth letter I have written since yesterday morning,' says Harriet Martineau.
shamenounUS /ʃeɪm/
a painful emotion resulting from an awareness of inadequacy or guilt
From this reading I will not allow my shame for not having written, to prevent me from writing now.'
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading 'I must have seemed a thankless wretch, my dear Miss Mitford,' etc. etc. 'You, my dear friend, know too well what it is to have to finish a book, to blame my not attempting,' etc. etc. 'This is the thirty-ninth letter I have written since yesterday morning,' says Harriet Martineau.
thanklessadjectiveUS /ˈθæŋkləs/
not feeling or showing gratitude
From this reading 'I must have seemed a thankless wretch, my dear Miss Mitford,' etc. etc. 'You, my dear friend, know too well what it is to have to finish a book, to blame my not attempting,' etc. etc. 'This is the thirty-ninth letter I have written since yesterday morning,' says Harriet Martineau.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading 'I must have seemed a thankless wretch, my dear Miss Mitford,' etc. etc. 'You, my dear friend, know too well what it is to have to finish a book, to blame my not attempting,' etc. etc. 'This is the thirty-ninth letter I have written since yesterday morning,' says Harriet Martineau.
thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading All these people seem to have been just as busy as people are now, as amusing, as tiresome.
TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They had the additional difficulty of having to procure franks, and of having to cover four pages instead of a post-card.
thirty-ninthadjective
the ordinal number of thirty-nine in counting order
From this reading 'I must have seemed a thankless wretch, my dear Miss Mitford,' etc. etc. 'You, my dear friend, know too well what it is to have to finish a book, to blame my not attempting,' etc. etc. 'This is the thirty-ninth letter I have written since yesterday morning,' says Harriet Martineau.
ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading 'I must have seemed a thankless wretch, my dear Miss Mitford,' etc. etc. 'You, my dear friend, know too well what it is to have to finish a book, to blame my not attempting,' etc. etc. 'This is the thirty-ninth letter I have written since yesterday morning,' says Harriet Martineau.
tiresomeadjectiveUS /ˈtaɪərsəm/
so lacking in interest as to cause mental weariness
From this reading All these people seem to have been just as busy as people are now, as amusing, as tiresome.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading 'I must have seemed a thankless wretch, my dear Miss Mitford,' etc. etc. 'You, my dear friend, know too well what it is to have to finish a book, to blame my not attempting,' etc. etc. 'This is the thirty-ninth letter I have written since yesterday morning,' says Harriet Martineau.
tooadverbUS /tuː/
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading 'I must have seemed a thankless wretch, my dear Miss Mitford,' etc. etc. 'You, my dear friend, know too well what it is to have to finish a book, to blame my not attempting,' etc. etc. 'This is the thirty-ninth letter I have written since yesterday morning,' says Harriet Martineau.
welladverbUS /wel/
(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 'I must have seemed a thankless wretch, my dear Miss Mitford,' etc. etc. 'You, my dear friend, know too well what it is to have to finish a book, to blame my not attempting,' etc. etc. 'This is the thirty-ninth letter I have written since yesterday morning,' says Harriet Martineau.
whatpronounUS /wʌt/
used to ask for information about something
From this reading 'I must have seemed a thankless wretch, my dear Miss Mitford,' etc. etc. 'You, my dear friend, know too well what it is to have to finish a book, to blame my not attempting,' etc. etc. 'This is the thirty-ninth letter I have written since yesterday morning,' says Harriet Martineau.
willmodal verbUS /wɪl/
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading I will not allow my shame for not having written, to prevent me from writing now.'
wretchnounUS /retʃ/
performs some wicked deed
From this reading 'I must have seemed a thankless wretch, my dear Miss Mitford,' etc. etc. 'You, my dear friend, know too well what it is to have to finish a book, to blame my not attempting,' etc. etc. 'This is the thirty-ninth letter I have written since yesterday morning,' says Harriet Martineau.
writingnounUS /ˈraɪtɪŋ/
the act of creating written works
From this reading I will not allow my shame for not having written, to prevent me from writing now.'
writtenadjectiveUS /ˈrɪtən/
set down in writing in any of various ways
From this reading 'I must have seemed a thankless wretch, my dear Miss Mitford,' etc. etc. 'You, my dear friend, know too well what it is to have to finish a book, to blame my not attempting,' etc. etc. 'This is the thirty-ninth letter I have written since yesterday morning,' says Harriet Martineau.
yesterdaynounUS /ˈjestərdeɪ/
the day immediately before today
From this reading 'I must have seemed a thankless wretch, my dear Miss Mitford,' etc. etc. 'You, my dear friend, know too well what it is to have to finish a book, to blame my not attempting,' etc. etc. 'This is the thirty-ninth letter I have written since yesterday morning,' says Harriet Martineau.
YoupronounUS /juː/
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading 'I must have seemed a thankless wretch, my dear Miss Mitford,' etc. etc. 'You, my dear friend, know too well what it is to have to finish a book, to blame my not attempting,' etc. etc. 'This is the thirty-ninth letter I have written since yesterday morning,' says Harriet Martineau.
