Every word is available to listen to. Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading And not only were they at ease in their speech, they were at ease in their dress, nothing looked new, nothing looked old, nothing about them was conspicuous, everything attracted the eyes.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading By what mysterious means, he asked himself, did these people make such piquant reflections on the spur of the moment, those repartees which he could only have made after much pondering?
alarmed
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From this reading The material luxury of Paris had alarmed him that morning; at night he saw the same lavish expenditure of intellect.
all
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From this reading If Lucien was surprised at the apt wit and the subtlety with which these gentlemen formulated their replies, he felt bewildered with epigram and repartee, and, most of all, by their offhand way of talking and their ease of manner.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading If Lucien was surprised at the apt wit and the subtlety with which these gentlemen formulated their replies, he felt bewildered with epigram and repartee, and, most of all, by their offhand way of talking and their ease of manner.
apt
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From this reading If Lucien was surprised at the apt wit and the subtlety with which these gentlemen formulated their replies, he felt bewildered with epigram and repartee, and, most of all, by their offhand way of talking and their ease of manner.
askednounUS /asked/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading By what mysterious means, he asked himself, did these people make such piquant reflections on the spur of the moment, those repartees which he could only have made after much pondering?
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading If Lucien was surprised at the apt wit and the subtlety with which these gentlemen formulated their replies, he felt bewildered with epigram and repartee, and, most of all, by their offhand way of talking and their ease of manner.
attracted
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From this reading And not only were they at ease in their speech, they were at ease in their dress, nothing looked new, nothing looked old, nothing about them was conspicuous, everything attracted the eyes.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading The fine gentleman of to-day was the same yesterday, and would be the same to-morrow.
bewilderednounUS /bewildered/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading If Lucien was surprised at the apt wit and the subtlety with which these gentlemen formulated their replies, he felt bewildered with epigram and repartee, and, most of all, by their offhand way of talking and their ease of manner.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading If Lucien was surprised at the apt wit and the subtlety with which these gentlemen formulated their replies, he felt bewildered with epigram and repartee, and, most of all, by their offhand way of talking and their ease of manner.
conspicuous
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From this reading And not only were they at ease in their speech, they were at ease in their dress, nothing looked new, nothing looked old, nothing about them was conspicuous, everything attracted the eyes.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading By what mysterious means, he asked himself, did these people make such piquant reflections on the spur of the moment, those repartees which he could only have made after much pondering?
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading By what mysterious means, he asked himself, did these people make such piquant reflections on the spur of the moment, those repartees which he could only have made after much pondering?
dress
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From this reading And not only were they at ease in their speech, they were at ease in their dress, nothing looked new, nothing looked old, nothing about them was conspicuous, everything attracted the eyes.
ease
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From this reading If Lucien was surprised at the apt wit and the subtlety with which these gentlemen formulated their replies, he felt bewildered with epigram and repartee, and, most of all, by their offhand way of talking and their ease of manner.
epigram
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From this reading If Lucien was surprised at the apt wit and the subtlety with which these gentlemen formulated their replies, he felt bewildered with epigram and repartee, and, most of all, by their offhand way of talking and their ease of manner.
everythingpronounUS /ˈevriθɪŋ/
all things; all of a situation
From this reading And not only were they at ease in their speech, they were at ease in their dress, nothing looked new, nothing looked old, nothing about them was conspicuous, everything attracted the eyes.
expenditure
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From this reading The material luxury of Paris had alarmed him that morning; at night he saw the same lavish expenditure of intellect.
eyes
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From this reading And not only were they at ease in their speech, they were at ease in their dress, nothing looked new, nothing looked old, nothing about them was conspicuous, everything attracted the eyes.
felt
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From this reading If Lucien was surprised at the apt wit and the subtlety with which these gentlemen formulated their replies, he felt bewildered with epigram and repartee, and, most of all, by their offhand way of talking and their ease of manner.
finenounUS /fine/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The fine gentleman of to-day was the same yesterday, and would be the same to-morrow.
formulated
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From this reading If Lucien was surprised at the apt wit and the subtlety with which these gentlemen formulated their replies, he felt bewildered with epigram and repartee, and, most of all, by their offhand way of talking and their ease of manner.
gentlemannounUS /ˈgentleman/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading The fine gentleman of to-day was the same yesterday, and would be the same to-morrow.
gentlemennounUS /gentlemen/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading If Lucien was surprised at the apt wit and the subtlety with which these gentlemen formulated their replies, he felt bewildered with epigram and repartee, and, most of all, by their offhand way of talking and their ease of manner.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The material luxury of Paris had alarmed him that morning; at night he saw the same lavish expenditure of intellect.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading By what mysterious means, he asked himself, did these people make such piquant reflections on the spur of the moment, those repartees which he could only have made after much pondering?
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading If Lucien was surprised at the apt wit and the subtlety with which these gentlemen formulated their replies, he felt bewildered with epigram and repartee, and, most of all, by their offhand way of talking and their ease of manner.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The material luxury of Paris had alarmed him that morning; at night he saw the same lavish expenditure of intellect.
himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading By what mysterious means, he asked himself, did these people make such piquant reflections on the spur of the moment, those repartees which he could only have made after much pondering?
IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading If Lucien was surprised at the apt wit and the subtlety with which these gentlemen formulated their replies, he felt bewildered with epigram and repartee, and, most of all, by their offhand way of talking and their ease of manner.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading And not only were they at ease in their speech, they were at ease in their dress, nothing looked new, nothing looked old, nothing about them was conspicuous, everything attracted the eyes.
intellect
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The material luxury of Paris had alarmed him that morning; at night he saw the same lavish expenditure of intellect.
lavish
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From this reading The material luxury of Paris had alarmed him that morning; at night he saw the same lavish expenditure of intellect.
lookednounUS /looked/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading And not only were they at ease in their speech, they were at ease in their dress, nothing looked new, nothing looked old, nothing about them was conspicuous, everything attracted the eyes.
Lucien
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From this reading If Lucien was surprised at the apt wit and the subtlety with which these gentlemen formulated their replies, he felt bewildered with epigram and repartee, and, most of all, by their offhand way of talking and their ease of manner.
luxury
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The material luxury of Paris had alarmed him that morning; at night he saw the same lavish expenditure of intellect.
made
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From this reading By what mysterious means, he asked himself, did these people make such piquant reflections on the spur of the moment, those repartees which he could only have made after much pondering?
makenounUS /make/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading By what mysterious means, he asked himself, did these people make such piquant reflections on the spur of the moment, those repartees which he could only have made after much pondering?
manner
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From this reading If Lucien was surprised at the apt wit and the subtlety with which these gentlemen formulated their replies, he felt bewildered with epigram and repartee, and, most of all, by their offhand way of talking and their ease of manner.
material
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The material luxury of Paris had alarmed him that morning; at night he saw the same lavish expenditure of intellect.
means
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading By what mysterious means, he asked himself, did these people make such piquant reflections on the spur of the moment, those repartees which he could only have made after much pondering?
moment
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading By what mysterious means, he asked himself, did these people make such piquant reflections on the spur of the moment, those repartees which he could only have made after much pondering?
morningnounUS /morning/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The material luxury of Paris had alarmed him that morning; at night he saw the same lavish expenditure of intellect.
most
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From this reading If Lucien was surprised at the apt wit and the subtlety with which these gentlemen formulated their replies, he felt bewildered with epigram and repartee, and, most of all, by their offhand way of talking and their ease of manner.
much
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From this reading By what mysterious means, he asked himself, did these people make such piquant reflections on the spur of the moment, those repartees which he could only have made after much pondering?
mysteriousadjectiveUS /mɪˈstɪriəs/
difficult to explain or understand
From this reading By what mysterious means, he asked himself, did these people make such piquant reflections on the spur of the moment, those repartees which he could only have made after much pondering?
new
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And not only were they at ease in their speech, they were at ease in their dress, nothing looked new, nothing looked old, nothing about them was conspicuous, everything attracted the eyes.
night
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The material luxury of Paris had alarmed him that morning; at night he saw the same lavish expenditure of intellect.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading And not only were they at ease in their speech, they were at ease in their dress, nothing looked new, nothing looked old, nothing about them was conspicuous, everything attracted the eyes.
nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/
not one thing; not anything
From this reading And not only were they at ease in their speech, they were at ease in their dress, nothing looked new, nothing looked old, nothing about them was conspicuous, everything attracted the eyes.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading If Lucien was surprised at the apt wit and the subtlety with which these gentlemen formulated their replies, he felt bewildered with epigram and repartee, and, most of all, by their offhand way of talking and their ease of manner.
offhand
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From this reading If Lucien was surprised at the apt wit and the subtlety with which these gentlemen formulated their replies, he felt bewildered with epigram and repartee, and, most of all, by their offhand way of talking and their ease of manner.
old
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And not only were they at ease in their speech, they were at ease in their dress, nothing looked new, nothing looked old, nothing about them was conspicuous, everything attracted the eyes.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading By what mysterious means, he asked himself, did these people make such piquant reflections on the spur of the moment, those repartees which he could only have made after much pondering?
only
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading By what mysterious means, he asked himself, did these people make such piquant reflections on the spur of the moment, those repartees which he could only have made after much pondering?
Paris
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The material luxury of Paris had alarmed him that morning; at night he saw the same lavish expenditure of intellect.
people
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading By what mysterious means, he asked himself, did these people make such piquant reflections on the spur of the moment, those repartees which he could only have made after much pondering?
piquant
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading By what mysterious means, he asked himself, did these people make such piquant reflections on the spur of the moment, those repartees which he could only have made after much pondering?
pondering
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading By what mysterious means, he asked himself, did these people make such piquant reflections on the spur of the moment, those repartees which he could only have made after much pondering?
reflections
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading By what mysterious means, he asked himself, did these people make such piquant reflections on the spur of the moment, those repartees which he could only have made after much pondering?
repartee
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If Lucien was surprised at the apt wit and the subtlety with which these gentlemen formulated their replies, he felt bewildered with epigram and repartee, and, most of all, by their offhand way of talking and their ease of manner.
repartees
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading By what mysterious means, he asked himself, did these people make such piquant reflections on the spur of the moment, those repartees which he could only have made after much pondering?
replies
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If Lucien was surprised at the apt wit and the subtlety with which these gentlemen formulated their replies, he felt bewildered with epigram and repartee, and, most of all, by their offhand way of talking and their ease of manner.
samenounUS /same/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The material luxury of Paris had alarmed him that morning; at night he saw the same lavish expenditure of intellect.
saw
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The material luxury of Paris had alarmed him that morning; at night he saw the same lavish expenditure of intellect.
speech
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And not only were they at ease in their speech, they were at ease in their dress, nothing looked new, nothing looked old, nothing about them was conspicuous, everything attracted the eyes.
spur
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading By what mysterious means, he asked himself, did these people make such piquant reflections on the spur of the moment, those repartees which he could only have made after much pondering?
subtlety
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If Lucien was surprised at the apt wit and the subtlety with which these gentlemen formulated their replies, he felt bewildered with epigram and repartee, and, most of all, by their offhand way of talking and their ease of manner.
suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading By what mysterious means, he asked himself, did these people make such piquant reflections on the spur of the moment, those repartees which he could only have made after much pondering?
surprisednounUS /surprised/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading If Lucien was surprised at the apt wit and the subtlety with which these gentlemen formulated their replies, he felt bewildered with epigram and repartee, and, most of all, by their offhand way of talking and their ease of manner.
talking
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If Lucien was surprised at the apt wit and the subtlety with which these gentlemen formulated their replies, he felt bewildered with epigram and repartee, and, most of all, by their offhand way of talking and their ease of manner.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The material luxury of Paris had alarmed him that morning; at night he saw the same lavish expenditure of intellect.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading If Lucien was surprised at the apt wit and the subtlety with which these gentlemen formulated their replies, he felt bewildered with epigram and repartee, and, most of all, by their offhand way of talking and their ease of manner.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading If Lucien was surprised at the apt wit and the subtlety with which these gentlemen formulated their replies, he felt bewildered with epigram and repartee, and, most of all, by their offhand way of talking and their ease of manner.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading And not only were they at ease in their speech, they were at ease in their dress, nothing looked new, nothing looked old, nothing about them was conspicuous, everything attracted the eyes.
thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading If Lucien was surprised at the apt wit and the subtlety with which these gentlemen formulated their replies, he felt bewildered with epigram and repartee, and, most of all, by their offhand way of talking and their ease of manner.
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading And not only were they at ease in their speech, they were at ease in their dress, nothing looked new, nothing looked old, nothing about them was conspicuous, everything attracted the eyes.
thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading By what mysterious means, he asked himself, did these people make such piquant reflections on the spur of the moment, those repartees which he could only have made after much pondering?
to-day
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The fine gentleman of to-day was the same yesterday, and would be the same to-morrow.
to-morrow
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The fine gentleman of to-day was the same yesterday, and would be the same to-morrow.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading If Lucien was surprised at the apt wit and the subtlety with which these gentlemen formulated their replies, he felt bewildered with epigram and repartee, and, most of all, by their offhand way of talking and their ease of manner.
way
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If Lucien was surprised at the apt wit and the subtlety with which these gentlemen formulated their replies, he felt bewildered with epigram and repartee, and, most of all, by their offhand way of talking and their ease of manner.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading And not only were they at ease in their speech, they were at ease in their dress, nothing looked new, nothing looked old, nothing about them was conspicuous, everything attracted the eyes.
whatpronounUS /wʌt/
used to ask for information about something
From this reading By what mysterious means, he asked himself, did these people make such piquant reflections on the spur of the moment, those repartees which he could only have made after much pondering?
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading If Lucien was surprised at the apt wit and the subtlety with which these gentlemen formulated their replies, he felt bewildered with epigram and repartee, and, most of all, by their offhand way of talking and their ease of manner.
wit
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If Lucien was surprised at the apt wit and the subtlety with which these gentlemen formulated their replies, he felt bewildered with epigram and repartee, and, most of all, by their offhand way of talking and their ease of manner.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading If Lucien was surprised at the apt wit and the subtlety with which these gentlemen formulated their replies, he felt bewildered with epigram and repartee, and, most of all, by their offhand way of talking and their ease of manner.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading The fine gentleman of to-day was the same yesterday, and would be the same to-morrow.
yesterday
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The fine gentleman of to-day was the same yesterday, and would be the same to-morrow.
