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Great Expectations
Great Expectations

Chapter XIV

Chapter 14, section 1: It is a most miserable thing to feel ashamed of home. There may be black ingratitude in the thing, and the punishment may be retributive and well deserved; but that it is a miserab
Context Illustration Reading 1/6 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
It is a most miserable thing to feel ashamed of home.
There may be black ingratitude in the thing, and the punishment may be retributive and well deserved; but that it is a miserable thing, I can testify.
Home had never been a very pleasant place to me, because of my sister’s temper.
But, Joe had sanctified it, and I had believed in it.
I had believed in the best parlour as a most elegant saloon; I had believed in the front door, as a mysterious portal of the Temple of State whose solemn opening was attended with a sacrifice of roast fowls; I had believed in the kitchen as a chaste though not magnificent apartment; I had believed in the forge as the glowing road to manhood and independence.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Great Expectations

Chapter XIV

Reading 1/6 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
It is a most miserable thing to feel ashamed of home.
Line 2
There may be black ingratitude in the thing, and the punishment may be retributive and well deserved; but that it is a miserable thing, I can testify.
Line 3
Home had never been a very pleasant place to me, because of my sister’s temper.
Line 4
But, Joe had sanctified it, and I had believed in it.
Line 5
I had believed in the best parlour as a most elegant saloon; I had believed in the front door, as a mysterious portal of the Temple of State whose solemn opening was attended with a sacrifice of roast fowls; I had believed in the kitchen as a chaste though not magnificent apartment; I had believed in the forge as the glowing road to manhood and independence.

Learner Dictionary

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.

most adverb US /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading “It is a most miserable thing to feel ashamed of home.”

Collocations
It isA source-grounded phrase from this reading.
is aA source-grounded phrase from this reading.
All words in this reading · 73

Every word is available to listen to. Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading It is a most miserable thing to feel ashamed of home.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading There may be black ingratitude in the thing, and the punishment may be retributive and well deserved; but that it is a miserable thing, I can testify.

apartment

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I had believed in the best parlour as a most elegant saloon; I had believed in the front door, as a mysterious portal of the Temple of State whose solemn opening was attended with a sacrifice of roast fowls; I had believed in the kitchen as a chaste though not magnificent apartment; I had believed in the forge as the glowing road to manhood and independence.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading I had believed in the best parlour as a most elegant saloon; I had believed in the front door, as a mysterious portal of the Temple of State whose solemn opening was attended with a sacrifice of roast fowls; I had believed in the kitchen as a chaste though not magnificent apartment; I had believed in the forge as the glowing road to manhood and independence.

ashamedadjectiveUS /əˈʃeɪmd/

feeling guilt or embarrassment after doing something that causes embarrassment

From this reading It is a most miserable thing to feel ashamed of home.

attended

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I had believed in the best parlour as a most elegant saloon; I had believed in the front door, as a mysterious portal of the Temple of State whose solemn opening was attended with a sacrifice of roast fowls; I had believed in the kitchen as a chaste though not magnificent apartment; I had believed in the forge as the glowing road to manhood and independence.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading There may be black ingratitude in the thing, and the punishment may be retributive and well deserved; but that it is a miserable thing, I can testify.

becauseconjunctionUS /bɪˈkɔːz/

for the reason that

From this reading Home had never been a very pleasant place to me, because of my sister’s temper.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Home had never been a very pleasant place to me, because of my sister’s temper.

believed

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading But, Joe had sanctified it, and I had believed in it.

best

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I had believed in the best parlour as a most elegant saloon; I had believed in the front door, as a mysterious portal of the Temple of State whose solemn opening was attended with a sacrifice of roast fowls; I had believed in the kitchen as a chaste though not magnificent apartment; I had believed in the forge as the glowing road to manhood and independence.

black

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading There may be black ingratitude in the thing, and the punishment may be retributive and well deserved; but that it is a miserable thing, I can testify.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading There may be black ingratitude in the thing, and the punishment may be retributive and well deserved; but that it is a miserable thing, I can testify.

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading There may be black ingratitude in the thing, and the punishment may be retributive and well deserved; but that it is a miserable thing, I can testify.

chaste

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I had believed in the best parlour as a most elegant saloon; I had believed in the front door, as a mysterious portal of the Temple of State whose solemn opening was attended with a sacrifice of roast fowls; I had believed in the kitchen as a chaste though not magnificent apartment; I had believed in the forge as the glowing road to manhood and independence.

deserved

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading There may be black ingratitude in the thing, and the punishment may be retributive and well deserved; but that it is a miserable thing, I can testify.

door

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I had believed in the best parlour as a most elegant saloon; I had believed in the front door, as a mysterious portal of the Temple of State whose solemn opening was attended with a sacrifice of roast fowls; I had believed in the kitchen as a chaste though not magnificent apartment; I had believed in the forge as the glowing road to manhood and independence.

elegant

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I had believed in the best parlour as a most elegant saloon; I had believed in the front door, as a mysterious portal of the Temple of State whose solemn opening was attended with a sacrifice of roast fowls; I had believed in the kitchen as a chaste though not magnificent apartment; I had believed in the forge as the glowing road to manhood and independence.

feel

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading It is a most miserable thing to feel ashamed of home.

forge

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I had believed in the best parlour as a most elegant saloon; I had believed in the front door, as a mysterious portal of the Temple of State whose solemn opening was attended with a sacrifice of roast fowls; I had believed in the kitchen as a chaste though not magnificent apartment; I had believed in the forge as the glowing road to manhood and independence.

fowls

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I had believed in the best parlour as a most elegant saloon; I had believed in the front door, as a mysterious portal of the Temple of State whose solemn opening was attended with a sacrifice of roast fowls; I had believed in the kitchen as a chaste though not magnificent apartment; I had believed in the forge as the glowing road to manhood and independence.

front

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I had believed in the best parlour as a most elegant saloon; I had believed in the front door, as a mysterious portal of the Temple of State whose solemn opening was attended with a sacrifice of roast fowls; I had believed in the kitchen as a chaste though not magnificent apartment; I had believed in the forge as the glowing road to manhood and independence.

glowingnounUS /ˈglowing/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading I had believed in the best parlour as a most elegant saloon; I had believed in the front door, as a mysterious portal of the Temple of State whose solemn opening was attended with a sacrifice of roast fowls; I had believed in the kitchen as a chaste though not magnificent apartment; I had believed in the forge as the glowing road to manhood and independence.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading Home had never been a very pleasant place to me, because of my sister’s temper.

home

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading It is a most miserable thing to feel ashamed of home.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading There may be black ingratitude in the thing, and the punishment may be retributive and well deserved; but that it is a miserable thing, I can testify.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading There may be black ingratitude in the thing, and the punishment may be retributive and well deserved; but that it is a miserable thing, I can testify.

independence

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I had believed in the best parlour as a most elegant saloon; I had believed in the front door, as a mysterious portal of the Temple of State whose solemn opening was attended with a sacrifice of roast fowls; I had believed in the kitchen as a chaste though not magnificent apartment; I had believed in the forge as the glowing road to manhood and independence.

ingratitude

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading There may be black ingratitude in the thing, and the punishment may be retributive and well deserved; but that it is a miserable thing, I can testify.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading It is a most miserable thing to feel ashamed of home.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It is a most miserable thing to feel ashamed of home.

Joe

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading But, Joe had sanctified it, and I had believed in it.

kitchen

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I had believed in the best parlour as a most elegant saloon; I had believed in the front door, as a mysterious portal of the Temple of State whose solemn opening was attended with a sacrifice of roast fowls; I had believed in the kitchen as a chaste though not magnificent apartment; I had believed in the forge as the glowing road to manhood and independence.

magnificent

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I had believed in the best parlour as a most elegant saloon; I had believed in the front door, as a mysterious portal of the Temple of State whose solemn opening was attended with a sacrifice of roast fowls; I had believed in the kitchen as a chaste though not magnificent apartment; I had believed in the forge as the glowing road to manhood and independence.

manhood

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I had believed in the best parlour as a most elegant saloon; I had believed in the front door, as a mysterious portal of the Temple of State whose solemn opening was attended with a sacrifice of roast fowls; I had believed in the kitchen as a chaste though not magnificent apartment; I had believed in the forge as the glowing road to manhood and independence.

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading There may be black ingratitude in the thing, and the punishment may be retributive and well deserved; but that it is a miserable thing, I can testify.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Home had never been a very pleasant place to me, because of my sister’s temper.

miserable

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading It is a most miserable thing to feel ashamed of home.

mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading It is a most miserable thing to feel ashamed of home.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading Home had never been a very pleasant place to me, because of my sister’s temper.

mysteriousadjectiveUS /mɪˈstɪriəs/

difficult to explain or understand

From this reading I had believed in the best parlour as a most elegant saloon; I had believed in the front door, as a mysterious portal of the Temple of State whose solemn opening was attended with a sacrifice of roast fowls; I had believed in the kitchen as a chaste though not magnificent apartment; I had believed in the forge as the glowing road to manhood and independence.

nevernounUS /never/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Home had never been a very pleasant place to me, because of my sister’s temper.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading I had believed in the best parlour as a most elegant saloon; I had believed in the front door, as a mysterious portal of the Temple of State whose solemn opening was attended with a sacrifice of roast fowls; I had believed in the kitchen as a chaste though not magnificent apartment; I had believed in the forge as the glowing road to manhood and independence.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading It is a most miserable thing to feel ashamed of home.

opening

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I had believed in the best parlour as a most elegant saloon; I had believed in the front door, as a mysterious portal of the Temple of State whose solemn opening was attended with a sacrifice of roast fowls; I had believed in the kitchen as a chaste though not magnificent apartment; I had believed in the forge as the glowing road to manhood and independence.

parlour

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I had believed in the best parlour as a most elegant saloon; I had believed in the front door, as a mysterious portal of the Temple of State whose solemn opening was attended with a sacrifice of roast fowls; I had believed in the kitchen as a chaste though not magnificent apartment; I had believed in the forge as the glowing road to manhood and independence.

place

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Home had never been a very pleasant place to me, because of my sister’s temper.

pleasantnounUS /pleasant/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Home had never been a very pleasant place to me, because of my sister’s temper.

portal

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I had believed in the best parlour as a most elegant saloon; I had believed in the front door, as a mysterious portal of the Temple of State whose solemn opening was attended with a sacrifice of roast fowls; I had believed in the kitchen as a chaste though not magnificent apartment; I had believed in the forge as the glowing road to manhood and independence.

punishment

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading There may be black ingratitude in the thing, and the punishment may be retributive and well deserved; but that it is a miserable thing, I can testify.

retributive

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading There may be black ingratitude in the thing, and the punishment may be retributive and well deserved; but that it is a miserable thing, I can testify.

road

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I had believed in the best parlour as a most elegant saloon; I had believed in the front door, as a mysterious portal of the Temple of State whose solemn opening was attended with a sacrifice of roast fowls; I had believed in the kitchen as a chaste though not magnificent apartment; I had believed in the forge as the glowing road to manhood and independence.

roast

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I had believed in the best parlour as a most elegant saloon; I had believed in the front door, as a mysterious portal of the Temple of State whose solemn opening was attended with a sacrifice of roast fowls; I had believed in the kitchen as a chaste though not magnificent apartment; I had believed in the forge as the glowing road to manhood and independence.

sacrifice

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I had believed in the best parlour as a most elegant saloon; I had believed in the front door, as a mysterious portal of the Temple of State whose solemn opening was attended with a sacrifice of roast fowls; I had believed in the kitchen as a chaste though not magnificent apartment; I had believed in the forge as the glowing road to manhood and independence.

saloon

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I had believed in the best parlour as a most elegant saloon; I had believed in the front door, as a mysterious portal of the Temple of State whose solemn opening was attended with a sacrifice of roast fowls; I had believed in the kitchen as a chaste though not magnificent apartment; I had believed in the forge as the glowing road to manhood and independence.

sanctified

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading But, Joe had sanctified it, and I had believed in it.

sister's

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Home had never been a very pleasant place to me, because of my sister’s temper.

solemn

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I had believed in the best parlour as a most elegant saloon; I had believed in the front door, as a mysterious portal of the Temple of State whose solemn opening was attended with a sacrifice of roast fowls; I had believed in the kitchen as a chaste though not magnificent apartment; I had believed in the forge as the glowing road to manhood and independence.

State

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I had believed in the best parlour as a most elegant saloon; I had believed in the front door, as a mysterious portal of the Temple of State whose solemn opening was attended with a sacrifice of roast fowls; I had believed in the kitchen as a chaste though not magnificent apartment; I had believed in the forge as the glowing road to manhood and independence.

temper

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Home had never been a very pleasant place to me, because of my sister’s temper.

Temple

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I had believed in the best parlour as a most elegant saloon; I had believed in the front door, as a mysterious portal of the Temple of State whose solemn opening was attended with a sacrifice of roast fowls; I had believed in the kitchen as a chaste though not magnificent apartment; I had believed in the forge as the glowing road to manhood and independence.

testify

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading There may be black ingratitude in the thing, and the punishment may be retributive and well deserved; but that it is a miserable thing, I can testify.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading There may be black ingratitude in the thing, and the punishment may be retributive and well deserved; but that it is a miserable thing, I can testify.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading There may be black ingratitude in the thing, and the punishment may be retributive and well deserved; but that it is a miserable thing, I can testify.

There

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading There may be black ingratitude in the thing, and the punishment may be retributive and well deserved; but that it is a miserable thing, I can testify.

thingnounUS /thing/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading It is a most miserable thing to feel ashamed of home.

thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading I had believed in the best parlour as a most elegant saloon; I had believed in the front door, as a mysterious portal of the Temple of State whose solemn opening was attended with a sacrifice of roast fowls; I had believed in the kitchen as a chaste though not magnificent apartment; I had believed in the forge as the glowing road to manhood and independence.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading It is a most miserable thing to feel ashamed of home.

very

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Home had never been a very pleasant place to me, because of my sister’s temper.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading I had believed in the best parlour as a most elegant saloon; I had believed in the front door, as a mysterious portal of the Temple of State whose solemn opening was attended with a sacrifice of roast fowls; I had believed in the kitchen as a chaste though not magnificent apartment; I had believed in the forge as the glowing road to manhood and independence.

well

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading There may be black ingratitude in the thing, and the punishment may be retributive and well deserved; but that it is a miserable thing, I can testify.

whosedeterminerUS /huːz/

belonging to which person

From this reading I had believed in the best parlour as a most elegant saloon; I had believed in the front door, as a mysterious portal of the Temple of State whose solemn opening was attended with a sacrifice of roast fowls; I had believed in the kitchen as a chaste though not magnificent apartment; I had believed in the forge as the glowing road to manhood and independence.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading I had believed in the best parlour as a most elegant saloon; I had believed in the front door, as a mysterious portal of the Temple of State whose solemn opening was attended with a sacrifice of roast fowls; I had believed in the kitchen as a chaste though not magnificent apartment; I had believed in the forge as the glowing road to manhood and independence.