used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading And it often happens that while our neighbours are pitying or envying us, on account of some circumstance which, all the world agrees, must have a weighty bearing on our fate, we are mainly indifferent to it, and are occupied with some inner grief or joy, which would seem to them very trivial.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading To have received and rejected an offer of marriage from a man worth fifty thousand a year would have been deemed by most of May Cheffington's acquaintance about as important an event as could have happened to her--short of death!
completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers
From this reading But to her it was absolutely as nothing, compared with the facts that Owen was on the point of returning to England, and that he was to live in Mrs. Bransby's house.
a record or narrative description of past events
From this reading And it often happens that while our neighbours are pitying or envying us, on account of some circumstance which, all the world agrees, must have a weighty bearing on our fate, we are mainly indifferent to it, and are occupied with some inner grief or joy, which would seem to them very trivial.
personal knowledge or information about someone or something
From this reading To have received and rejected an offer of marriage from a man worth fifty thousand a year would have been deemed by most of May Cheffington's acquaintance about as important an event as could have happened to her--short of death!
agreesverbUS /əˈɡriːz/
third-person singular of “agree” — be in accord; be in agreement
From this reading And it often happens that while our neighbours are pitying or envying us, on account of some circumstance which, all the world agrees, must have a weighty bearing on our fate, we are mainly indifferent to it, and are occupied with some inner grief or joy, which would seem to them very trivial.
(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 And it often happens that while our neighbours are pitying or envying us, on account of some circumstance which, all the world agrees, must have a weighty bearing on our fate, we are mainly indifferent to it, and are occupied with some inner grief or joy, which would seem to them very trivial.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading To have received and rejected an offer of marriage from a man worth fifty thousand a year would have been deemed by most of May Cheffington's acquaintance about as important an event as could have happened to her--short of death!
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And it often happens that while our neighbours are pitying or envying us, on account of some circumstance which, all the world agrees, must have a weighty bearing on our fate, we are mainly indifferent to it, and are occupied with some inner grief or joy, which would seem to them very trivial.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Each mortal's private feelings are the measure of the importance of events to him.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading To have received and rejected an offer of marriage from a man worth fifty thousand a year would have been deemed by most of May Cheffington's acquaintance about as important an event as could have happened to her--short of death!
relevant relation or interconnection
From this reading And it often happens that while our neighbours are pitying or envying us, on account of some circumstance which, all the world agrees, must have a weighty bearing on our fate, we are mainly indifferent to it, and are occupied with some inner grief or joy, which would seem to them very trivial.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading To have received and rejected an offer of marriage from a man worth fifty thousand a year would have been deemed by most of May Cheffington's acquaintance about as important an event as could have happened to her--short of death!
Bransby's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But to her it was absolutely as nothing, compared with the facts that Owen was on the point of returning to England, and that he was to live in Mrs. Bransby's house.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But to her it was absolutely as nothing, compared with the facts that Owen was on the point of returning to England, and that he was to live in Mrs. Bransby's house.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading To have received and rejected an offer of marriage from a man worth fifty thousand a year would have been deemed by most of May Cheffington's acquaintance about as important an event as could have happened to her--short of death!
Cheffington's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To have received and rejected an offer of marriage from a man worth fifty thousand a year would have been deemed by most of May Cheffington's acquaintance about as important an event as could have happened to her--short of death!
a condition that accompanies or influences some event or activity
From this reading And it often happens that while our neighbours are pitying or envying us, on account of some circumstance which, all the world agrees, must have a weighty bearing on our fate, we are mainly indifferent to it, and are occupied with some inner grief or joy, which would seem to them very trivial.
comparedverbUS /kəmˈperd/
past form of “compare” — examine and note the similarities or differences of
From this reading But to her it was absolutely as nothing, compared with the facts that Owen was on the point of returning to England, and that he was to live in Mrs. Bransby's house.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading To have received and rejected an offer of marriage from a man worth fifty thousand a year would have been deemed by most of May Cheffington's acquaintance about as important an event as could have happened to her--short of death!
the event of dying or departure from life
From this reading To have received and rejected an offer of marriage from a man worth fifty thousand a year would have been deemed by most of May Cheffington's acquaintance about as important an event as could have happened to her--short of death!
deemedverbUS /diːmd/
past form of “deem” — keep in mind or convey as a conviction or view
From this reading To have received and rejected an offer of marriage from a man worth fifty thousand a year would have been deemed by most of May Cheffington's acquaintance about as important an event as could have happened to her--short of death!
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Why did this second fact seem to embitter the sweetness of the first?
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading Each mortal's private feelings are the measure of the importance of events to him.
embitterverbUS /emˈbɪtər/
cause to be bitter or resentful
From this reading Why did this second fact seem to embitter the sweetness of the first?
a division of the United Kingdom
From this reading But to her it was absolutely as nothing, compared with the facts that Owen was on the point of returning to England, and that he was to live in Mrs. Bransby's house.
envying
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And it often happens that while our neighbours are pitying or envying us, on account of some circumstance which, all the world agrees, must have a weighty bearing on our fate, we are mainly indifferent to it, and are occupied with some inner grief or joy, which would seem to them very trivial.
something that happens at a given place and time
From this reading To have received and rejected an offer of marriage from a man worth fifty thousand a year would have been deemed by most of May Cheffington's acquaintance about as important an event as could have happened to her--short of death!
plural of “event” — something that happens at a given place and time
From this reading Each mortal's private feelings are the measure of the importance of events to him.
a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred
From this reading Why did this second fact seem to embitter the sweetness of the first?
plural of “fact” — a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred
From this reading But to her it was absolutely as nothing, compared with the facts that Owen was on the point of returning to England, and that he was to live in Mrs. Bransby's house.
an event (or a course of events) that will inevitably happen in the future
From this reading And it often happens that while our neighbours are pitying or envying us, on account of some circumstance which, all the world agrees, must have a weighty bearing on our fate, we are mainly indifferent to it, and are occupied with some inner grief or joy, which would seem to them very trivial.
emotional or moral sensitivity (especially in relation to personal principles or dignity)
From this reading Each mortal's private feelings are the measure of the importance of events to him.
the cardinal number that is the product of ten and five
From this reading To have received and rejected an offer of marriage from a man worth fifty thousand a year would have been deemed by most of May Cheffington's acquaintance about as important an event as could have happened to her--short of death!
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading Why did this second fact seem to embitter the sweetness of the first?
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading To have received and rejected an offer of marriage from a man worth fifty thousand a year would have been deemed by most of May Cheffington's acquaintance about as important an event as could have happened to her--short of death!
intense sorrow caused by loss of a loved one (especially by death)
From this reading And it often happens that while our neighbours are pitying or envying us, on account of some circumstance which, all the world agrees, must have a weighty bearing on our fate, we are mainly indifferent to it, and are occupied with some inner grief or joy, which would seem to them very trivial.
past form of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading To have received and rejected an offer of marriage from a man worth fifty thousand a year would have been deemed by most of May Cheffington's acquaintance about as important an event as could have happened to her--short of death!
third-person singular of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading And it often happens that while our neighbours are pitying or envying us, on account of some circumstance which, all the world agrees, must have a weighty bearing on our fate, we are mainly indifferent to it, and are occupied with some inner grief or joy, which would seem to them very trivial.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading And it often happens that while our neighbours are pitying or envying us, on account of some circumstance which, all the world agrees, must have a weighty bearing on our fate, we are mainly indifferent to it, and are occupied with some inner grief or joy, which would seem to them very trivial.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading But to her it was absolutely as nothing, compared with the facts that Owen was on the point of returning to England, and that he was to live in Mrs. Bransby's house.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading To have received and rejected an offer of marriage from a man worth fifty thousand a year would have been deemed by most of May Cheffington's acquaintance about as important an event as could have happened to her--short of death!
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Each mortal's private feelings are the measure of the importance of events to him.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading But to her it was absolutely as nothing, compared with the facts that Owen was on the point of returning to England, and that he was to live in Mrs. Bransby's house.
the quality of being important and worthy of note
From this reading Each mortal's private feelings are the measure of the importance of events to him.
of great significance or value
From this reading To have received and rejected an offer of marriage from a man worth fifty thousand a year would have been deemed by most of May Cheffington's acquaintance about as important an event as could have happened to her--short of death!
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading But to her it was absolutely as nothing, compared with the facts that Owen was on the point of returning to England, and that he was to live in Mrs. Bransby's house.
indifferentadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈdɪfrənt/
marked by a lack of interest
From this reading And it often happens that while our neighbours are pitying or envying us, on account of some circumstance which, all the world agrees, must have a weighty bearing on our fate, we are mainly indifferent to it, and are occupied with some inner grief or joy, which would seem to them very trivial.
located inward
From this reading And it often happens that while our neighbours are pitying or envying us, on account of some circumstance which, all the world agrees, must have a weighty bearing on our fate, we are mainly indifferent to it, and are occupied with some inner grief or joy, which would seem to them very trivial.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading And it often happens that while our neighbours are pitying or envying us, on account of some circumstance which, all the world agrees, must have a weighty bearing on our fate, we are mainly indifferent to it, and are occupied with some inner grief or joy, which would seem to them very trivial.
the emotion of great happiness
From this reading And it often happens that while our neighbours are pitying or envying us, on account of some circumstance which, all the world agrees, must have a weighty bearing on our fate, we are mainly indifferent to it, and are occupied with some inner grief or joy, which would seem to them very trivial.
be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading But to her it was absolutely as nothing, compared with the facts that Owen was on the point of returning to England, and that he was to live in Mrs. Bransby's house.
mainlyadverbUS /ˈmeɪnli/
for the most part
From this reading And it often happens that while our neighbours are pitying or envying us, on account of some circumstance which, all the world agrees, must have a weighty bearing on our fate, we are mainly indifferent to it, and are occupied with some inner grief or joy, which would seem to them very trivial.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading To have received and rejected an offer of marriage from a man worth fifty thousand a year would have been deemed by most of May Cheffington's acquaintance about as important an event as could have happened to her--short of death!
the state of being a married couple voluntarily joined for life (or until divorce)
From this reading To have received and rejected an offer of marriage from a man worth fifty thousand a year would have been deemed by most of May Cheffington's acquaintance about as important an event as could have happened to her--short of death!
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading To have received and rejected an offer of marriage from a man worth fifty thousand a year would have been deemed by most of May Cheffington's acquaintance about as important an event as could have happened to her--short of death!
any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal
From this reading Each mortal's private feelings are the measure of the importance of events to him.
mortal's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Each mortal's private feelings are the measure of the importance of events to him.
used to form the superlative
From this reading To have received and rejected an offer of marriage from a man worth fifty thousand a year would have been deemed by most of May Cheffington's acquaintance about as important an event as could have happened to her--short of death!
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading But to her it was absolutely as nothing, compared with the facts that Owen was on the point of returning to England, and that he was to live in Mrs. Bransby's house.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading And it often happens that while our neighbours are pitying or envying us, on account of some circumstance which, all the world agrees, must have a weighty bearing on our fate, we are mainly indifferent to it, and are occupied with some inner grief or joy, which would seem to them very trivial.
neighboursnounUS /ˈneɪbərz/
plural of “neighbour” — a person who lives (or is located) near another
From this reading And it often happens that while our neighbours are pitying or envying us, on account of some circumstance which, all the world agrees, must have a weighty bearing on our fate, we are mainly indifferent to it, and are occupied with some inner grief or joy, which would seem to them very trivial.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading But to her it was absolutely as nothing, compared with the facts that Owen was on the point of returning to England, and that he was to live in Mrs. Bransby's house.
held or filled or in use
From this reading And it often happens that while our neighbours are pitying or envying us, on account of some circumstance which, all the world agrees, must have a weighty bearing on our fate, we are mainly indifferent to it, and are occupied with some inner grief or joy, which would seem to them very trivial.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Each mortal's private feelings are the measure of the importance of events to him.
make available or accessible, provide or furnish
From this reading To have received and rejected an offer of marriage from a man worth fifty thousand a year would have been deemed by most of May Cheffington's acquaintance about as important an event as could have happened to her--short of death!
many times at short intervals
From this reading And it often happens that while our neighbours are pitying or envying us, on account of some circumstance which, all the world agrees, must have a weighty bearing on our fate, we are mainly indifferent to it, and are occupied with some inner grief or joy, which would seem to them very trivial.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading And it often happens that while our neighbours are pitying or envying us, on account of some circumstance which, all the world agrees, must have a weighty bearing on our fate, we are mainly indifferent to it, and are occupied with some inner grief or joy, which would seem to them very trivial.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading And it often happens that while our neighbours are pitying or envying us, on account of some circumstance which, all the world agrees, must have a weighty bearing on our fate, we are mainly indifferent to it, and are occupied with some inner grief or joy, which would seem to them very trivial.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading And it often happens that while our neighbours are pitying or envying us, on account of some circumstance which, all the world agrees, must have a weighty bearing on our fate, we are mainly indifferent to it, and are occupied with some inner grief or joy, which would seem to them very trivial.
OwennounUS /ˈoʊən/
Welsh industrialist and social reformer who founded cooperative communities (1771-1858)
From this reading But to her it was absolutely as nothing, compared with the facts that Owen was on the point of returning to England, and that he was to live in Mrs. Bransby's house.
pityingverbUS /ˈpɪtiɪŋ/
-ing form of “pity” — share the suffering of
From this reading And it often happens that while our neighbours are pitying or envying us, on account of some circumstance which, all the world agrees, must have a weighty bearing on our fate, we are mainly indifferent to it, and are occupied with some inner grief or joy, which would seem to them very trivial.
a geometric element that has position but no extension
From this reading But to her it was absolutely as nothing, compared with the facts that Owen was on the point of returning to England, and that he was to live in Mrs. Bransby's house.
confined to particular persons or groups or providing privacy
From this reading Each mortal's private feelings are the measure of the importance of events to him.
conforming to the established language usage of educated native speakers
From this reading To have received and rejected an offer of marriage from a man worth fifty thousand a year would have been deemed by most of May Cheffington's acquaintance about as important an event as could have happened to her--short of death!
rejectedadjectiveUS /rɪˈdʒektɪd/
rebuffed (by a lover) without warning
From this reading To have received and rejected an offer of marriage from a man worth fifty thousand a year would have been deemed by most of May Cheffington's acquaintance about as important an event as could have happened to her--short of death!
tending to return to an earlier state
From this reading But to her it was absolutely as nothing, compared with the facts that Owen was on the point of returning to England, and that he was to live in Mrs. Bransby's house.
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading Why did this second fact seem to embitter the sweetness of the first?
give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading And it often happens that while our neighbours are pitying or envying us, on account of some circumstance which, all the world agrees, must have a weighty bearing on our fate, we are mainly indifferent to it, and are occupied with some inner grief or joy, which would seem to them very trivial.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading To have received and rejected an offer of marriage from a man worth fifty thousand a year would have been deemed by most of May Cheffington's acquaintance about as important an event as could have happened to her--short of death!
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading And it often happens that while our neighbours are pitying or envying us, on account of some circumstance which, all the world agrees, must have a weighty bearing on our fate, we are mainly indifferent to it, and are occupied with some inner grief or joy, which would seem to them very trivial.
sweetnessnounUS /ˈswiːtnəs/
the taste experience when sugar dissolves in the mouth
From this reading Why did this second fact seem to embitter the sweetness of the first?
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading And it often happens that while our neighbours are pitying or envying us, on account of some circumstance which, all the world agrees, must have a weighty bearing on our fate, we are mainly indifferent to it, and are occupied with some inner grief or joy, which would seem to them very trivial.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Each mortal's private feelings are the measure of the importance of events to him.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading And it often happens that while our neighbours are pitying or envying us, on account of some circumstance which, all the world agrees, must have a weighty bearing on our fate, we are mainly indifferent to it, and are occupied with some inner grief or joy, which would seem to them very trivial.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Why did this second fact seem to embitter the sweetness of the first?
the cardinal number that is the product of 10 and 100
From this reading To have received and rejected an offer of marriage from a man worth fifty thousand a year would have been deemed by most of May Cheffington's acquaintance about as important an event as could have happened to her--short of death!
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Each mortal's private feelings are the measure of the importance of events to him.
trivialadjectiveUS /ˈtrɪviəl/
(informal) small and of little importance
From this reading And it often happens that while our neighbours are pitying or envying us, on account of some circumstance which, all the world agrees, must have a weighty bearing on our fate, we are mainly indifferent to it, and are occupied with some inner grief or joy, which would seem to them very trivial.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading And it often happens that while our neighbours are pitying or envying us, on account of some circumstance which, all the world agrees, must have a weighty bearing on our fate, we are mainly indifferent to it, and are occupied with some inner grief or joy, which would seem to them very trivial.
precisely as stated
From this reading And it often happens that while our neighbours are pitying or envying us, on account of some circumstance which, all the world agrees, must have a weighty bearing on our fate, we are mainly indifferent to it, and are occupied with some inner grief or joy, which would seem to them very trivial.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading But to her it was absolutely as nothing, compared with the facts that Owen was on the point of returning to England, and that he was to live in Mrs. Bransby's house.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading And it often happens that while our neighbours are pitying or envying us, on account of some circumstance which, all the world agrees, must have a weighty bearing on our fate, we are mainly indifferent to it, and are occupied with some inner grief or joy, which would seem to them very trivial.
weightyadjectiveUS /ˈweɪti/
having relatively great weight; heavy
From this reading And it often happens that while our neighbours are pitying or envying us, on account of some circumstance which, all the world agrees, must have a weighty bearing on our fate, we are mainly indifferent to it, and are occupied with some inner grief or joy, which would seem to them very trivial.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading And it often happens that while our neighbours are pitying or envying us, on account of some circumstance which, all the world agrees, must have a weighty bearing on our fate, we are mainly indifferent to it, and are occupied with some inner grief or joy, which would seem to them very trivial.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading And it often happens that while our neighbours are pitying or envying us, on account of some circumstance which, all the world agrees, must have a weighty bearing on our fate, we are mainly indifferent to it, and are occupied with some inner grief or joy, which would seem to them very trivial.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading Why did this second fact seem to embitter the sweetness of the first?
in the company of; together with
From this reading And it often happens that while our neighbours are pitying or envying us, on account of some circumstance which, all the world agrees, must have a weighty bearing on our fate, we are mainly indifferent to it, and are occupied with some inner grief or joy, which would seem to them very trivial.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading And it often happens that while our neighbours are pitying or envying us, on account of some circumstance which, all the world agrees, must have a weighty bearing on our fate, we are mainly indifferent to it, and are occupied with some inner grief or joy, which would seem to them very trivial.
an indefinite quantity of something having a specified value
From this reading To have received and rejected an offer of marriage from a man worth fifty thousand a year would have been deemed by most of May Cheffington's acquaintance about as important an event as could have happened to her--short of death!
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading And it often happens that while our neighbours are pitying or envying us, on account of some circumstance which, all the world agrees, must have a weighty bearing on our fate, we are mainly indifferent to it, and are occupied with some inner grief or joy, which would seem to them very trivial.
a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days
From this reading To have received and rejected an offer of marriage from a man worth fifty thousand a year would have been deemed by most of May Cheffington's acquaintance about as important an event as could have happened to her--short of death!
