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 For a moment she did not answer.
afraid
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Dimly she knew that she should have been insulted, yet she had no feeling at all, no sense of indignation; there was only a curious faintness that made her afraid.
againnounUS /again/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading It was something which might never again come her way and yet something which was to be feared, because it might destroy her forever.
all
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Dimly she knew that she should have been insulted, yet she had no feeling at all, no sense of indignation; there was only a curious faintness that made her afraid.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It was something which might never again come her way and yet something which was to be feared, because it might destroy her forever.
answer
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For a moment she did not answer.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Dimly she knew that she should have been insulted, yet she had no feeling at all, no sense of indignation; there was only a curious faintness that made her afraid.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading It was something which might never again come her way and yet something which was to be feared, because it might destroy her forever.
becauseconjunctionUS /bɪˈkɔːz/
for the reason that
From this reading It was something which might never again come her way and yet something which was to be feared, because it might destroy her forever.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Dimly she knew that she should have been insulted, yet she had no feeling at all, no sense of indignation; there was only a curious faintness that made her afraid.
comenounUS /come/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading It was something which might never again come her way and yet something which was to be feared, because it might destroy her forever.
conventions
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Somehow she understood that all this in reality had nothing to do with insults, with conventions, even with laws.
curious
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Dimly she knew that she should have been insulted, yet she had no feeling at all, no sense of indignation; there was only a curious faintness that made her afraid.
dark
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sound of his soft voice, the touch of the dark hands, had taken possession of her.
destroy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was something which might never again come her way and yet something which was to be feared, because it might destroy her forever.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading For a moment she did not answer.
Dimly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Dimly she knew that she should have been insulted, yet she had no feeling at all, no sense of indignation; there was only a curious faintness that made her afraid.
doauxiliary verbUS /duː/
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading Somehow she understood that all this in reality had nothing to do with insults, with conventions, even with laws.
evennounUS /even/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Somehow she understood that all this in reality had nothing to do with insults, with conventions, even with laws.
faintness
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Dimly she knew that she should have been insulted, yet she had no feeling at all, no sense of indignation; there was only a curious faintness that made her afraid.
feared
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was something which might never again come her way and yet something which was to be feared, because it might destroy her forever.
feelingnounUS /ˈfeeling/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading Dimly she knew that she should have been insulted, yet she had no feeling at all, no sense of indignation; there was only a curious faintness that made her afraid.
ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For a moment she did not answer.
forever
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was something which might never again come her way and yet something which was to be feared, because it might destroy her forever.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The sound of his soft voice, the touch of the dark hands, had taken possession of her.
handsplural nounUS /hændz/
members of a ship’s crew
From this reading The sound of his soft voice, the touch of the dark hands, had taken possession of her.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Dimly she knew that she should have been insulted, yet she had no feeling at all, no sense of indignation; there was only a curious faintness that made her afraid.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading The sound of his soft voice, the touch of the dark hands, had taken possession of her.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The sound of his soft voice, the touch of the dark hands, had taken possession of her.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Somehow she understood that all this in reality had nothing to do with insults, with conventions, even with laws.
indignation
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Dimly she knew that she should have been insulted, yet she had no feeling at all, no sense of indignation; there was only a curious faintness that made her afraid.
insulted
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Dimly she knew that she should have been insulted, yet she had no feeling at all, no sense of indignation; there was only a curious faintness that made her afraid.
insults
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Somehow she understood that all this in reality had nothing to do with insults, with conventions, even with laws.
ItpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was something which might never again come her way and yet something which was to be feared, because it might destroy her forever.
knew
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Dimly she knew that she should have been insulted, yet she had no feeling at all, no sense of indignation; there was only a curious faintness that made her afraid.
laws
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Somehow she understood that all this in reality had nothing to do with insults, with conventions, even with laws.
made
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Dimly she knew that she should have been insulted, yet she had no feeling at all, no sense of indignation; there was only a curious faintness that made her afraid.
mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading It was something which might never again come her way and yet something which was to be feared, because it might destroy her forever.
moment
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For a moment she did not answer.
nevernounUS /never/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading It was something which might never again come her way and yet something which was to be feared, because it might destroy her forever.
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/
not any; not one
From this reading Dimly she knew that she should have been insulted, yet she had no feeling at all, no sense of indignation; there was only a curious faintness that made her afraid.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading For a moment she did not answer.
nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/
not one thing; not anything
From this reading Somehow she understood that all this in reality had nothing to do with insults, with conventions, even with laws.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The sound of his soft voice, the touch of the dark hands, had taken possession of her.
only
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Dimly she knew that she should have been insulted, yet she had no feeling at all, no sense of indignation; there was only a curious faintness that made her afraid.
possession
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sound of his soft voice, the touch of the dark hands, had taken possession of her.
reality
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Somehow she understood that all this in reality had nothing to do with insults, with conventions, even with laws.
sense
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Dimly she knew that she should have been insulted, yet she had no feeling at all, no sense of indignation; there was only a curious faintness that made her afraid.
shepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading For a moment she did not answer.
shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading Dimly she knew that she should have been insulted, yet she had no feeling at all, no sense of indignation; there was only a curious faintness that made her afraid.
soft
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sound of his soft voice, the touch of the dark hands, had taken possession of her.
Somehow
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Somehow she understood that all this in reality had nothing to do with insults, with conventions, even with laws.
somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/
a thing, without saying which
From this reading It was something which might never again come her way and yet something which was to be feared, because it might destroy her forever.
sound
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sound of his soft voice, the touch of the dark hands, had taken possession of her.
taken
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sound of his soft voice, the touch of the dark hands, had taken possession of her.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Dimly she knew that she should have been insulted, yet she had no feeling at all, no sense of indignation; there was only a curious faintness that made her afraid.
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The sound of his soft voice, the touch of the dark hands, had taken possession of her.
there
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Dimly she knew that she should have been insulted, yet she had no feeling at all, no sense of indignation; there was only a curious faintness that made her afraid.
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Somehow she understood that all this in reality had nothing to do with insults, with conventions, even with laws.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Somehow she understood that all this in reality had nothing to do with insults, with conventions, even with laws.
touch
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sound of his soft voice, the touch of the dark hands, had taken possession of her.
understood
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Somehow she understood that all this in reality had nothing to do with insults, with conventions, even with laws.
voice
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sound of his soft voice, the touch of the dark hands, had taken possession of her.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Dimly she knew that she should have been insulted, yet she had no feeling at all, no sense of indignation; there was only a curious faintness that made her afraid.
way
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was something which might never again come her way and yet something which was to be feared, because it might destroy her forever.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading It was something which might never again come her way and yet something which was to be feared, because it might destroy her forever.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading Somehow she understood that all this in reality had nothing to do with insults, with conventions, even with laws.
yetconjunctionUS /jet/
but in spite of that
From this reading Dimly she knew that she should have been insulted, yet she had no feeling at all, no sense of indignation; there was only a curious faintness that made her afraid.
