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actual
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From this reading This rule, equally arduous in actual and in intellectual life, may serve for the whole distinction between greatness and meanness.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.
all
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From this reading What I must do is all that concerns me, not what the people think.
always
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From this reading It is the harder because you will always find those who think they know what is your duty better than you know it.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading This rule, equally arduous in actual and in intellectual life, may serve for the whole distinction between greatness and meanness.
arduous
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From this reading This rule, equally arduous in actual and in intellectual life, may serve for the whole distinction between greatness and meanness.
becauseconjunctionUS /bɪˈkɔːz/
for the reason that
From this reading It is the harder because you will always find those who think they know what is your duty better than you know it.
become
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From this reading The objection to conforming to usages that have become dead to you is that it scatters your force.
better
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From this reading It is the harder because you will always find those who think they know what is your duty better than you know it.
betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading This rule, equally arduous in actual and in intellectual life, may serve for the whole distinction between greatness and meanness.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.
concerns
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From this reading What I must do is all that concerns me, not what the people think.
conforming
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From this reading The objection to conforming to usages that have become dead to you is that it scatters your force.
crowd
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From this reading It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.
deadnounUS /dead/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The objection to conforming to usages that have become dead to you is that it scatters your force.
distinction
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From this reading This rule, equally arduous in actual and in intellectual life, may serve for the whole distinction between greatness and meanness.
doauxiliary verbUS /duː/
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading What I must do is all that concerns me, not what the people think.
dutynounUS /ˈduːti/
a responsibility that must be carried out
From this reading It is the harder because you will always find those who think they know what is your duty better than you know it.
easy
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From this reading It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.
equallynounUS /ˈequally/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading This rule, equally arduous in actual and in intellectual life, may serve for the whole distinction between greatness and meanness.
find
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From this reading It is the harder because you will always find those who think they know what is your duty better than you know it.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading This rule, equally arduous in actual and in intellectual life, may serve for the whole distinction between greatness and meanness.
force
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The objection to conforming to usages that have become dead to you is that it scatters your force.
greatnounUS /great/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.
greatness
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This rule, equally arduous in actual and in intellectual life, may serve for the whole distinction between greatness and meanness.
harder
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From this reading It is the harder because you will always find those who think they know what is your duty better than you know it.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading The objection to conforming to usages that have become dead to you is that it scatters your force.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading What I must do is all that concerns me, not what the people think.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading This rule, equally arduous in actual and in intellectual life, may serve for the whole distinction between greatness and meanness.
independence
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From this reading It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.
intellectual
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This rule, equally arduous in actual and in intellectual life, may serve for the whole distinction between greatness and meanness.
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading What I must do is all that concerns me, not what the people think.
ItpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It is the harder because you will always find those who think they know what is your duty better than you know it.
keeps
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.
knownounUS /know/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading It is the harder because you will always find those who think they know what is your duty better than you know it.
lifenounUS /life/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading This rule, equally arduous in actual and in intellectual life, may serve for the whole distinction between greatness and meanness.
live
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.
man
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.
maymodal verbUS /meɪ/
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading This rule, equally arduous in actual and in intellectual life, may serve for the whole distinction between greatness and meanness.
mepronounUS /miː/
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading What I must do is all that concerns me, not what the people think.
meanness
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This rule, equally arduous in actual and in intellectual life, may serve for the whole distinction between greatness and meanness.
midst
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.
mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading What I must do is all that concerns me, not what the people think.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading What I must do is all that concerns me, not what the people think.
objection
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The objection to conforming to usages that have become dead to you is that it scatters your force.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.
opinion
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.
ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.
own
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.
people
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading What I must do is all that concerns me, not what the people think.
perfect
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.
rule
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This rule, equally arduous in actual and in intellectual life, may serve for the whole distinction between greatness and meanness.
scatters
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The objection to conforming to usages that have become dead to you is that it scatters your force.
serve
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This rule, equally arduous in actual and in intellectual life, may serve for the whole distinction between greatness and meanness.
solitude
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.
sweetness
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading It is the harder because you will always find those who think they know what is your duty better than you know it.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading What I must do is all that concerns me, not what the people think.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading What I must do is all that concerns me, not what the people think.
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It is the harder because you will always find those who think they know what is your duty better than you know it.
thinknounUS /think/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading What I must do is all that concerns me, not what the people think.
ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This rule, equally arduous in actual and in intellectual life, may serve for the whole distinction between greatness and meanness.
thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading It is the harder because you will always find those who think they know what is your duty better than you know it.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.
usages
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The objection to conforming to usages that have become dead to you is that it scatters your force.
WhatpronounUS /wʌt/
used to ask for information about something
From this reading What I must do is all that concerns me, not what the people think.
whopronounUS /huː/
which person or people
From this reading It is the harder because you will always find those who think they know what is your duty better than you know it.
whole
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This rule, equally arduous in actual and in intellectual life, may serve for the whole distinction between greatness and meanness.
willmodal verbUS /wɪl/
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading It is the harder because you will always find those who think they know what is your duty better than you know it.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.
world
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.
world's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.
youpronounUS /juː/
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading It is the harder because you will always find those who think they know what is your duty better than you know it.
yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading It is the harder because you will always find those who think they know what is your duty better than you know it.
