Vocabulary ladder

The Great Gatsby

I

6,068 words. Everyday vocabulary (band A) covers 58% of the text; the hard 6% is 205 entries — all of them below.

A 57.9% (717 types) B 7.1% (302 types) C 4.2% (203 entries) D 2.2% (114 entries) E 0.6% (32 entries) N 3.0% (59 entries)

Band B — common reading vocabulary

A sample of 24 of 302 — you will meet these often; they are explained only at the fullest help level.

Band C — recognition checklist

All 203 upper-intermediate words in this chapter. Tick the ones you know; the rest are explained at the fullest help level.

Band D — advanced (114 entries)

autumn-leaf
the yellow of autumn leaves
breath-giving
giving fresh breath
counter-raid
an attack in return
flower-like
like a flower
fragilely
delicately
great-uncle
a grandparent's brother
impressionability
being easily impressed
inconsequence
not following on
petrol-pumps
pumps for petrol
red-and-white
of red and white
straw-haired
with straw-coloured hair
sun-strained
strained by the sun
unrestfully
restlessly
weather-beaten
worn by the weather
wedding-cake
the tiered cake of a wedding
well-rounded
smooth and complete
well-to-do
comfortably off
wine-coloured
dark red like wine
fifty-one
explained by the text itself
slenderly
slimly
unthoughtful
heedless
searchingly
with a probing look
crossly
in a bad temper
twenty-two
twenty-two
irrelevantly
off the point
unsought
not looked for
alertly
with sharp attention
ye-es
explained by the text itself
twenty-one
twenty-one
imperatively
as a command
accusingly
as if blaming
radiantly
with shining brightness
absently
with the mind elsewhere
dissimilarity
unlikeness
lamplight
the light of lamps
ecstatically
with rapture
anticlimax
a let-down after excitement
suddenness
sudden speed
insincerity
falseness of heart
unquiet
restless
banns
banns: the public notice of a coming marriage
hard-boiled
boiled hard
polisher
one who polishes
pointlessly
with no purpose
girlhood
the years of being a girl
restlessly ×2
without rest
wingless
without wings
unequally
not equally
unashamed
without shame
startlingly
in a way that surprises
hesitantly
with hesitation
settee
a small sofa
seaward
toward the sea
wistfully
with sad longing
riotous ×2
wild and unruly
divan
a backless couch
jut
to stick out
ajar
partly open
gaiety
merry brightness
levity
light, playful spirits
infinitesimal
endlessly small
contemptuous
full of contempt
feigned
pretended
glinted
a quick flash of light
swank
showy display
abortive
coming to nothing
pessimist
one who expects the worst
elations
high triumphant spirits
flabby
soft and sagging
effeminate
unmanly
couldn ×2
could — couldn't: could not
claret
deep wine-red
accentuated
to make stand out more
savours
a taste or smell; to enjoy slowly
wasn ×3
was — wasn't: was not
aren
are — aren't: are not
gruff
rough and deep of voice
muttered
to speak low in the throat
quivering
to tremble finely
nibble
chewed at in small bites
quickened
to grow faster
deft
quick and skillful with the hands
glistening
shining wetly
shrill
high and piercing
retorted
to answer back sharply
veranda · verandas ×2
an open porch
nourished
to feed and keep alive
wail
to cry long and loud
pungent
sharp and biting to the nose
corroborated
to confirm as true
murmur · murmured, murmuring ×6
to speak in a low soft flow
communicative
ready to talk
scepticism
doubt
sedative
soothing
buoyed
to hold up afloat
gulls
the grey-and-white sea bird
fastened
fixed firmly on
fervent
burning with feeling
smirk
a smug silly smile
trembled · trembling ×2
to shake finely
complacency
smug satisfaction
isn ×2
is — isn't: is not
flutter · fluttered, fluttering ×4
to stir with quick light motion
pathfinder
one who finds the way
yawned ×2
to open the mouth wide with tiredness
momentary
lasting a moment
unmistakable
impossible to mistake
coherence
hanging together; connection
compulsion
forcing; being forced
gleaming
a soft flash of light
groan
to give a deep pained cry
scorn ×2
proud contempt
desolate
empty and lifeless
domesticated
tamed

Band E — rare & archaic (32 entries)

extemporizing
making up as she goes
fractiousness
crossness
murmurous
softly murmuring
oughtn ×2
oughtn't: ought not
p-paralysed
paralysed, said with a catch in the voice
plagiaristic
copied from others
rosy-coloured ×2
pink
self-sufficiency
needing no one else
short-winded
soon out of breath
small-breasted
with a small bust
snub-nosed
with a short turned-up nose
snobbishly ×2
looking down on others
uninflected
uninflected: flat in tone
rotogravure
a printing of photographs
peremptorily
in a tone allowing no refusal
irrecoverable
never to be had again
wistfulness
sad longing
supercilious
proudly looking down on others
languidly
without energy; limply
unobtrusively
without drawing notice
peremptory
allowing no refusal
contemptuously
with scorn
feebly
weakly
tottered
to walk unsteadily
epigram
a short witty saying
intimation
a first faint sign
incredulously
unable to believe
imperceptibly
too gradually to notice
egotism
self-centeredness
breathlessly
holding one's breath
ferociously
fiercely
sundials
a garden clock read by shadow

False friends — common words wearing old senses (2)

interest
the spectacle that draws a crowd — the old sense here
use
habit; custom — the old sense here

Names (24)

carraways
Nick's family
buchanans
Tom and Daisy
demaine
a name from Nick's list of the people who came to Gatsby's parties that summer
carraway
Nick Carraway, the narrator
gatsby ×12
Jay Gatsby, the mysterious rich young man who gives the parties
buchanan ×4
the Buchanans, Tom and Daisy
daisy ×30
Daisy Buchanan, Nick's cousin, the woman Gatsby loves
louisville
Daisy's home city in Kentucky
East Egg
the older, more established rich village across the bay, where the Buchanans live
Hot Springs
a resort town in Arkansas
Hôtel de Ville
a French town hall — French
Jordan Baker
the golf champion, Nick's love interest
Lake Forest
a rich suburb of Chicago
Long Island
the island east of New York where the story is set
Maecenas
the rich patron of poets in ancient Rome
Midas
the king of legend whose touch turned things to gold
Morgan
J. P. Morgan, the great American banker
Palm Beach
a resort town in Florida
Saturday Evening Post
a popular American magazine
Tom Buchanan
Daisy's rich, brutal husband
West Egg
the newer, showier of the two rich villages, where Gatsby and Nick live
White Star Line
a great shipping line
Yale News
the university newspaper
green light
the small light at the end of Daisy's dock that Gatsby reaches toward