adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Will a man lay down his life for his friend?
AchillesnounUS /əˈkɪliz/
a mythical Greek hero of the Iliad
From this reading The main features in the character of Achilles are its intense desire of justice, and its tenderness of affection.
affectionnounUS /əˈfekʃən/
a positive feeling of liking
From this reading The main features in the character of Achilles are its intense desire of justice, and its tenderness of affection.
aidedadjectiveUS /ˈeɪdəd/
having help; often used as a combining form
From this reading And in that bitter song of the Iliad, this man, though aided continually by the wisest of the gods, and burning with the desire of justice in his heart, becomes yet, through ill-governed passion, the most unjust of men: and, full of the deepest tenderness in his heart, becomes yet, through ill-governed passion, the most cruel of men.
alikeadverbUS /əˈlaɪk/
equally
From this reading Intense alike in love and in friendship, he loses, first his mistress, and then his friend; for the sake of the one, he surrenders to death the armies of his own land; for the sake of the other, he surrenders all.
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 Intense alike in love and in friendship, he loses, first his mistress, and then his friend; for the sake of the one, he surrenders to death the armies of his own land; for the sake of the other, he surrenders all.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Take Homer first, and think if there is any sadder image of human fate than the great Homeric story.
anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading Take Homer first, and think if there is any sadder image of human fate than the great Homeric story.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The main features in the character of Achilles are its intense desire of justice, and its tenderness of affection.
armiesnounUS /ˈɑːrmiz/
plural of “army” — a permanent organization of the military land forces of a nation or state
From this reading Intense alike in love and in friendship, he loses, first his mistress, and then his friend; for the sake of the one, he surrenders to death the armies of his own land; for the sake of the other, he surrenders all.
becomesverbUS /bɪˈkʌmz/
third-person singular of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading And in that bitter song of the Iliad, this man, though aided continually by the wisest of the gods, and burning with the desire of justice in his heart, becomes yet, through ill-governed passion, the most unjust of men: and, full of the deepest tenderness in his heart, becomes yet, through ill-governed passion, the most cruel of men.
bitteradjectiveUS /ˈbɪtər/
marked by strong resentment or cynicism
From this reading And in that bitter song of the Iliad, this man, though aided continually by the wisest of the gods, and burning with the desire of justice in his heart, becomes yet, through ill-governed passion, the most unjust of men: and, full of the deepest tenderness in his heart, becomes yet, through ill-governed passion, the most cruel of men.
burningnounUS /ˈbɜːrnɪŋ/
the act of burning something
From this reading And in that bitter song of the Iliad, this man, though aided continually by the wisest of the gods, and burning with the desire of justice in his heart, becomes yet, through ill-governed passion, the most unjust of men: and, full of the deepest tenderness in his heart, becomes yet, through ill-governed passion, the most cruel of men.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading And in that bitter song of the Iliad, this man, though aided continually by the wisest of the gods, and burning with the desire of justice in his heart, becomes yet, through ill-governed passion, the most unjust of men: and, full of the deepest tenderness in his heart, becomes yet, through ill-governed passion, the most cruel of men.
characternounUS /ˈkerɪktər/
an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction (play or film or story)
From this reading The main features in the character of Achilles are its intense desire of justice, and its tenderness of affection.
continuallyadverbUS /kənˈtɪnjuːəli/
seemingly without interruption
From this reading And in that bitter song of the Iliad, this man, though aided continually by the wisest of the gods, and burning with the desire of justice in his heart, becomes yet, through ill-governed passion, the most unjust of men: and, full of the deepest tenderness in his heart, becomes yet, through ill-governed passion, the most cruel of men.
crueladjectiveUS /ˈkruːəl/
(of persons or their actions) able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering
From this reading And in that bitter song of the Iliad, this man, though aided continually by the wisest of the gods, and burning with the desire of justice in his heart, becomes yet, through ill-governed passion, the most unjust of men: and, full of the deepest tenderness in his heart, becomes yet, through ill-governed passion, the most cruel of men.
deathnounUS /deθ/
the event of dying or departure from life
From this reading Intense alike in love and in friendship, he loses, first his mistress, and then his friend; for the sake of the one, he surrenders to death the armies of his own land; for the sake of the other, he surrenders all.
deepestadjectiveUS /ˈdiːpəst/
superlative of “deep” — relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply
From this reading And in that bitter song of the Iliad, this man, though aided continually by the wisest of the gods, and burning with the desire of justice in his heart, becomes yet, through ill-governed passion, the most unjust of men: and, full of the deepest tenderness in his heart, becomes yet, through ill-governed passion, the most cruel of men.
desirenounUS /dɪˈzaɪər/
the feeling that accompanies an unsatisfied state
From this reading The main features in the character of Achilles are its intense desire of justice, and its tenderness of affection.
downadjectiveUS /daʊn/
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Will a man lay down his life for his friend?
fatenounUS /feɪt/
an event (or a course of events) that will inevitably happen in the future
From this reading Take Homer first, and think if there is any sadder image of human fate than the great Homeric story.
featuresnounUS /ˈfiːtʃərz/
plural of “feature” — a prominent attribute or aspect of something
From this reading The main features in the character of Achilles are its intense desire of justice, and its tenderness of affection.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading Take Homer first, and think if there is any sadder image of human fate than the great Homeric story.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Intense alike in love and in friendship, he loses, first his mistress, and then his friend; for the sake of the one, he surrenders to death the armies of his own land; for the sake of the other, he surrenders all.
friendnounUS /frend/
a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading Intense alike in love and in friendship, he loses, first his mistress, and then his friend; for the sake of the one, he surrenders to death the armies of his own land; for the sake of the other, he surrenders all.
friendshipnounUS /ˈfrendʃɪp/
the state of being friends (or friendly)
From this reading Intense alike in love and in friendship, he loses, first his mistress, and then his friend; for the sake of the one, he surrenders to death the armies of his own land; for the sake of the other, he surrenders all.
fulladjectiveUS /fʊl/
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading And in that bitter song of the Iliad, this man, though aided continually by the wisest of the gods, and burning with the desire of justice in his heart, becomes yet, through ill-governed passion, the most unjust of men: and, full of the deepest tenderness in his heart, becomes yet, through ill-governed passion, the most cruel of men.
godsnounUS /ɡɑːdz/
plural of “god” — the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions
From this reading And in that bitter song of the Iliad, this man, though aided continually by the wisest of the gods, and burning with the desire of justice in his heart, becomes yet, through ill-governed passion, the most unjust of men: and, full of the deepest tenderness in his heart, becomes yet, through ill-governed passion, the most cruel of men.
greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading Take Homer first, and think if there is any sadder image of human fate than the great Homeric story.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Intense alike in love and in friendship, he loses, first his mistress, and then his friend; for the sake of the one, he surrenders to death the armies of his own land; for the sake of the other, he surrenders all.
heartnounUS /hɑːrt/
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading And in that bitter song of the Iliad, this man, though aided continually by the wisest of the gods, and burning with the desire of justice in his heart, becomes yet, through ill-governed passion, the most unjust of men: and, full of the deepest tenderness in his heart, becomes yet, through ill-governed passion, the most cruel of men.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading And in that bitter song of the Iliad, this man, though aided continually by the wisest of the gods, and burning with the desire of justice in his heart, becomes yet, through ill-governed passion, the most unjust of men: and, full of the deepest tenderness in his heart, becomes yet, through ill-governed passion, the most cruel of men.
HomernounUS /ˈhoʊmər/
a base hit on which the batter scores a run
From this reading Take Homer first, and think if there is any sadder image of human fate than the great Homeric story.
HomericadjectiveUS /hoʊˈmerɪk/
relating to or characteristic of Homer or his age or the works attributed to him
From this reading Take Homer first, and think if there is any sadder image of human fate than the great Homeric story.
humanadjectiveUS /ˈhjuːmən/
characteristic of humanity
From this reading Take Homer first, and think if there is any sadder image of human fate than the great Homeric story.
ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading Take Homer first, and think if there is any sadder image of human fate than the great Homeric story.
IliadnounUS /ˈɪliəd/
a Greek epic poem (attributed to Homer) describing the siege of Troy
From this reading And in that bitter song of the Iliad, this man, though aided continually by the wisest of the gods, and burning with the desire of justice in his heart, becomes yet, through ill-governed passion, the most unjust of men: and, full of the deepest tenderness in his heart, becomes yet, through ill-governed passion, the most cruel of men.
ill-governed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And in that bitter song of the Iliad, this man, though aided continually by the wisest of the gods, and burning with the desire of justice in his heart, becomes yet, through ill-governed passion, the most unjust of men: and, full of the deepest tenderness in his heart, becomes yet, through ill-governed passion, the most cruel of men.
imagenounUS /ˈɪmədʒ/
an iconic mental representation
From this reading Take Homer first, and think if there is any sadder image of human fate than the great Homeric story.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The main features in the character of Achilles are its intense desire of justice, and its tenderness of affection.
intenseadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈtens/
possessing or displaying a distinctive feature to a heightened degree
From this reading The main features in the character of Achilles are its intense desire of justice, and its tenderness of affection.
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Take Homer first, and think if there is any sadder image of human fate than the great Homeric story.
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading The main features in the character of Achilles are its intense desire of justice, and its tenderness of affection.
justicenounUS /ˈdʒʌstəs/
the quality of being just or fair
From this reading The main features in the character of Achilles are its intense desire of justice, and its tenderness of affection.
landnounUS /lænd/
the land on which real estate is located
From this reading Intense alike in love and in friendship, he loses, first his mistress, and then his friend; for the sake of the one, he surrenders to death the armies of his own land; for the sake of the other, he surrenders all.
layverbUS /leɪ/
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading Will a man lay down his life for his friend?
lifenounUS /laɪf/
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading Will a man lay down his life for his friend?
losesverbUS /ˈluːzəz/
third-person singular of “lose” — fail to keep or to maintain; cease to have, either physically or in an abstract sense
From this reading Intense alike in love and in friendship, he loses, first his mistress, and then his friend; for the sake of the one, he surrenders to death the armies of his own land; for the sake of the other, he surrenders all.
lovenounUS /lʌv/
a strong positive emotion of regard and affection
From this reading Intense alike in love and in friendship, he loses, first his mistress, and then his friend; for the sake of the one, he surrenders to death the armies of his own land; for the sake of the other, he surrenders all.
mainadjectiveUS /meɪn/
most important element
From this reading The main features in the character of Achilles are its intense desire of justice, and its tenderness of affection.
mannounUS /mæn/
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading And in that bitter song of the Iliad, this man, though aided continually by the wisest of the gods, and burning with the desire of justice in his heart, becomes yet, through ill-governed passion, the most unjust of men: and, full of the deepest tenderness in his heart, becomes yet, through ill-governed passion, the most cruel of men.
mennounUS /men/
the force of workers available
From this reading And in that bitter song of the Iliad, this man, though aided continually by the wisest of the gods, and burning with the desire of justice in his heart, becomes yet, through ill-governed passion, the most unjust of men: and, full of the deepest tenderness in his heart, becomes yet, through ill-governed passion, the most cruel of men.
mistressnounUS /ˈmɪstrəs/
an adulterous woman; a woman who has an ongoing extramarital sexual relationship with a man
From this reading Intense alike in love and in friendship, he loses, first his mistress, and then his friend; for the sake of the one, he surrenders to death the armies of his own land; for the sake of the other, he surrenders all.
mostadverbUS /moʊst/
used to form the superlative
From this reading And in that bitter song of the Iliad, this man, though aided continually by the wisest of the gods, and burning with the desire of justice in his heart, becomes yet, through ill-governed passion, the most unjust of men: and, full of the deepest tenderness in his heart, becomes yet, through ill-governed passion, the most cruel of men.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Take Homer first, and think if there is any sadder image of human fate than the great Homeric story.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Intense alike in love and in friendship, he loses, first his mistress, and then his friend; for the sake of the one, he surrenders to death the armies of his own land; for the sake of the other, he surrenders all.
otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading Intense alike in love and in friendship, he loses, first his mistress, and then his friend; for the sake of the one, he surrenders to death the armies of his own land; for the sake of the other, he surrenders all.
ownverbUS /oʊn/
have ownership or possession of
From this reading Intense alike in love and in friendship, he loses, first his mistress, and then his friend; for the sake of the one, he surrenders to death the armies of his own land; for the sake of the other, he surrenders all.
passionnounUS /ˈpæʃən/
a strong feeling or emotion
From this reading And in that bitter song of the Iliad, this man, though aided continually by the wisest of the gods, and burning with the desire of justice in his heart, becomes yet, through ill-governed passion, the most unjust of men: and, full of the deepest tenderness in his heart, becomes yet, through ill-governed passion, the most cruel of men.
sadderadjectiveUS /ˈsædər/
comparative of “sad” — experiencing or showing sorrow or unhappiness
From this reading Take Homer first, and think if there is any sadder image of human fate than the great Homeric story.
sakenounUS /seɪk/
a reason for wanting something done
From this reading Intense alike in love and in friendship, he loses, first his mistress, and then his friend; for the sake of the one, he surrenders to death the armies of his own land; for the sake of the other, he surrenders all.
songnounUS /sɔːŋ/
a short musical composition with words
From this reading And in that bitter song of the Iliad, this man, though aided continually by the wisest of the gods, and burning with the desire of justice in his heart, becomes yet, through ill-governed passion, the most unjust of men: and, full of the deepest tenderness in his heart, becomes yet, through ill-governed passion, the most cruel of men.
storynounUS /ˈstɔːri/
a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading Take Homer first, and think if there is any sadder image of human fate than the great Homeric story.
surrendersnounUS /sərˈendərz/
plural of “surrender” — acceptance of despair
From this reading Intense alike in love and in friendship, he loses, first his mistress, and then his friend; for the sake of the one, he surrenders to death the armies of his own land; for the sake of the other, he surrenders all.
TakeverbUS /teɪk/
carry out
From this reading Take Homer first, and think if there is any sadder image of human fate than the great Homeric story.
tendernessnounUS /ˈtendərnəs/
a tendency to express warm and affectionate feeling
From this reading The main features in the character of Achilles are its intense desire of justice, and its tenderness of affection.
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Take Homer first, and think if there is any sadder image of human fate than the great Homeric story.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading And in that bitter song of the Iliad, this man, though aided continually by the wisest of the gods, and burning with the desire of justice in his heart, becomes yet, through ill-governed passion, the most unjust of men: and, full of the deepest tenderness in his heart, becomes yet, through ill-governed passion, the most cruel of men.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Take Homer first, and think if there is any sadder image of human fate than the great Homeric story.
thenadverbUS /ðen/
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Intense alike in love and in friendship, he loses, first his mistress, and then his friend; for the sake of the one, he surrenders to death the armies of his own land; for the sake of the other, he surrenders all.
thereadverbUS /ðer/
in or at that place or location
From this reading Take Homer first, and think if there is any sadder image of human fate than the great Homeric story.
thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading Take Homer first, and think if there is any sadder image of human fate than the great Homeric story.
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading And in that bitter song of the Iliad, this man, though aided continually by the wisest of the gods, and burning with the desire of justice in his heart, becomes yet, through ill-governed passion, the most unjust of men: and, full of the deepest tenderness in his heart, becomes yet, through ill-governed passion, the most cruel of men.
thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/
in spite of the fact that
From this reading And in that bitter song of the Iliad, this man, though aided continually by the wisest of the gods, and burning with the desire of justice in his heart, becomes yet, through ill-governed passion, the most unjust of men: and, full of the deepest tenderness in his heart, becomes yet, through ill-governed passion, the most cruel of men.
throughprepositionUS /θruː/
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading And in that bitter song of the Iliad, this man, though aided continually by the wisest of the gods, and burning with the desire of justice in his heart, becomes yet, through ill-governed passion, the most unjust of men: and, full of the deepest tenderness in his heart, becomes yet, through ill-governed passion, the most cruel of men.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Intense alike in love and in friendship, he loses, first his mistress, and then his friend; for the sake of the one, he surrenders to death the armies of his own land; for the sake of the other, he surrenders all.
unjustadjectiveUS /ənˈdʒʌst/
not fair; marked by injustice or partiality or deception
From this reading And in that bitter song of the Iliad, this man, though aided continually by the wisest of the gods, and burning with the desire of justice in his heart, becomes yet, through ill-governed passion, the most unjust of men: and, full of the deepest tenderness in his heart, becomes yet, through ill-governed passion, the most cruel of men.
Willmodal verbUS /wɪl/
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading Will a man lay down his life for his friend?
wisestadjectiveUS /ˈwaɪzəst/
superlative of “wise” — having or prompted by wisdom or discernment
From this reading And in that bitter song of the Iliad, this man, though aided continually by the wisest of the gods, and burning with the desire of justice in his heart, becomes yet, through ill-governed passion, the most unjust of men: and, full of the deepest tenderness in his heart, becomes yet, through ill-governed passion, the most cruel of men.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading And in that bitter song of the Iliad, this man, though aided continually by the wisest of the gods, and burning with the desire of justice in his heart, becomes yet, through ill-governed passion, the most unjust of men: and, full of the deepest tenderness in his heart, becomes yet, through ill-governed passion, the most cruel of men.
yetconjunctionUS /jet/
but in spite of that
From this reading And in that bitter song of the Iliad, this man, though aided continually by the wisest of the gods, and burning with the desire of justice in his heart, becomes yet, through ill-governed passion, the most unjust of men: and, full of the deepest tenderness in his heart, becomes yet, through ill-governed passion, the most cruel of men.
