The Murder at the Vicarage: Chapters 1–6

by Agatha Christie
In this classic mystery novel, the peaceful English village of St. Mary Mead is upset by the murder of a local magistrate.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Chapters 1–6, Chapters 7–12, Chapters 13–18, Chapters 19–24, Chapters 25–32
15 words 79 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. truculent
    defiantly aggressive
    Mary, who is in service at the Vicarage as a stepping-stone to better things and higher wages, merely said in a loud, businesslike voice, “Greens,” and thrust a cracked dish at him in a truculent manner.
  2. joie de vivre
    a keen or exuberant enjoyment of life
    I have read novels in which young people are described as bursting with energy—joie de vivre, the magnificent vitality of youth.
  3. deplore
    express strong disapproval of
    I told him that the colonel had deplored his “Romish tendencies” but that the real purpose of his visit had been on quite another matter.
  4. ribald
    humorously vulgar
    A ribald rhyme concocted by Dennis shot through my head.
  5. rife
    frequent, common, or widespread
    For a moment excitement was rife, then Miss Marple said reproachfully, but with a smile: “Naughty girl!”
  6. enunciation
    the articulation of speech with regards to intelligibility
    Her voice was pleasant, low, yet very distinct, with a clear-cut enunciation.
  7. repose
    freedom from activity
    There was something Sphinxlike about her face when it was in repose and she had the most curious eyes I have ever seen—they were almost golden in shade.
  8. incongruous
    lacking in harmony or compatibility or appropriateness
    Her clothes were perfect and she had all the ease of manner of a well-bred woman, and yet there was something about her that was incongruous and baffling.
  9. perverse
    marked by a disposition to oppose and contradict
    The menu was ambitious in conception, and Mary seemed to have taken a perverse pleasure in seeing how best she could alternate undercooking and overcooking.
  10. reprove
    reprimand, scold, or express dissatisfaction with
    I reproved him:
  11. inamorata
    a woman with whom one is in love
    To infatuated young men, their inamorata always behaves like an angel.
  12. stentorian
    very loud or booming
    “Firmness,” he shouted in his stentorian voice.
  13. upbraid
    express criticism towards
    I had meant to upbraid him mildly for various matters in his province which had been muddled or shelved, but seeing his white strained face, I felt that the man was ill.
  14. repudiate
    reject as untrue, unfounded, or unjust
    I wondered for a moment whether he could have been drinking, but repudiated the idea immediately.
  15. premeditated
    characterized by deliberate purpose and a degree of planning
    It would be a premeditated and cold-blooded action and though the murderer might be a little flurried and possibly might make some small mistake, I do not think it likely he would fall into a state of agitation such as you describe.
Created on Tue Mar 03 08:39:12 EST 2026 (updated Fri Mar 06 12:09:23 EST 2026)

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