- aroused – awakened, stirred – This story has aroused my interest.
- persisted – continued to exist. The pain persisted into the morning.
- mysterious – strange.
- poverty-stricken – suffering extremely because of lack of money.
- opportunity – situation that makes it possible for you to do something that
- you want to do
- a thin latch key – a thin key for a latch (lock)
- festivity – celebration.
- concentrate – to give all attention.
- miraculous – amazing, unbelievable, surprising and fortunate.
- aggravated – worsened
- in a fix – in a dilemma
- crystal – a mineral or a rock (clear and transparent)
- offences – crime, wrong-doing
- welled up – appeared.
- mourning – lamenting or grieving for
- announcing – declaring, revealing, reporting.
- grave – a grave is a place where a dead person is buried.
- gratitude – the feeling of being grateful
- shilling – a unit of money (20 shillings make an English pound)
- profusion – abundance, plenty.
- foregoing – sacrificing.
- fixedly – (Adj.) – Continuously, without looking away.
- sneer(ed) – (v) – To show that you have no respect for somebody by the expression on your face.
- consumptive – (N) – A person suffering from tuberculosis
- proposition – (N) – An idea or a plan of action that is suggested.
- mumble (d) – (V) – To speak in a quiet voice in a way that is not clear.
- gazing – (V) – Looking steadily at something for a long time.
- gloomily – (Adv.) – depressingly.
- rustled – (V) – Moved or rubbed together.
- tiptoed – (V) – Walked on the front part of the foot with heels off
- the ground.
- gesticulation – (N) – Movements of hands and arms to express ideas and
- feelings.
- standing over – To supervise or watch closely.
- apparition – (N) – A strange figure appearing suddenly and thought to
- be a ghost.
- laughing stock – An object of scornful laughter.
- monster – (N) – An abnormal boy.
- chum – (N) – A friend
- humming – (V) – Making a low continuous sound.
- athlete : a participant in a group of sports activities
- spectators : persons watching an event
- approaching : drawing nearer ( coming nearer)
- excitement : a state of being excited
- resolved : determined
- poised : here ready
- blocks : two starting blocks on the ground that runners push their
- feet against at the beginning of a race
- signal : a sign to start
- pistol : a starting pistol used to signal the start of a race
- exploded : sounded
- stumbled : hit his foot against something when he began to run and fell
- straggled : lost balance
- frustration : here hopelessness
- anguish : terrible pain
- ovation : expression of popular appreciation for their masterly performance.
- humanity : people in general
- brimming : to be full of something
- lag behind : to move more slowly than other people
- fascinated : very interested
- suppress : to prevent from expressing feeling or emotion
- stare : act of looking at
- plead : to ask for something in a strong and serious way
- tyrant : who has complete power in a country and uses it in a cruel
- and unfair way
- cautionary : giving advice or warning
- petal : the delicate (light and pleasant) coloured part of a flower
- cooing : soft low sound of doves / pegions
- heap : to put a lot of something in a pile on something
- whirpool : a swimming pool in which water moves in circles
- repel : to make somebody feel horror or disgust
- sweet meat : a sweet / candy; any food preserved in sugar
- hawk : to try to sell things by going from place to place asking
- people to buy them
- burfi : a kind of sweet
- murmur : to say something in a soft quiet voice that is difficult to hear and understand
- plea : an urgent emotional request for something
- heed : to pay careful attention to somebody’s advice or warning.
- coil : to wind into a series of circles
- shriek: to give a loud high shout (when excited, frightened or in pain)
- dizzy : feeling as if everything is spinning around
- intently : with strong interest and attention
- hither and thither : in many different directions.
- congested : crowded
- jostle : to push roughly against somebody in a crowd
- stoop : to bend the body forwards and downwards
- soothe : to make somebody feel calmer / better
- approach : to come near
- swaying : moving slowly from side to side
- distract : to take somebody’s attention away from that he wants
- quieten : to make someone calmer / less noise / silent
- yawn : open the mouth wide and breathe in deeply due to tiredness
- maid : a female servant
- curiously : eagerly (to know something )
- retort : make a sharp or immediate reply
- pretend : make it seem that something is the case when in fact it is not
- muse : to think carefully
- curtly : rudely
- chores : a routine or boring task
- daze : unable to think due to confusion
- majestic : beautiful or impressive
- tuck away : to hide something
- set out : began
- gaze : to look someone steadily
- nodded : answered ‘yes’.
- enraptured : filled with joy
- staring at : looking at something for a long time with wide open eyes.
- loafing : spending time carelessly
- summit : the highest point / top (of a mountain)
- stroked : touched in a gentle, loving way
- flutter : to move in excitement
- hugged : held someone tightly putting arms around.
- gloomy : unhappy : having no hope.
- mantel piece : shelf projecting from the wall above the fireplace
- revolting : expressing protest.
- criss-cross : crossed lines forming a kind of pattern
- hobble : walk as when lame
- stoop : bent forward
- rosary : a string of beads used for prayer.
- lewd : indecent
- monotonous : unchanging, with no change of pitch.
- scriptures : sacred book (here, the Guru Granth Saheb, the holy book
- of the Sikhs)
- shroud : a piece of cloth or a sheet wrapped round a dead body