The Castle: Chapters 6–10

by Franz Kafka
In Franz Kafka's final, unfinished novel, a land surveyor named K. arrives in a village for work, but quickly becomes ensnared in the messy relationship between the villagers and the bureaucracy of the nearby castle.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Chapters 1–5, Chapters 6–10, Chapters 11–15, Chapters 16–20, Chapters 21–25
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. trite
    repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse
    “I’m surprised you believe in such a trite fabrication.”
  2. fabrication
    a deliberately false or improbable account
    “I’m surprised you believe in such a trite fabrication.”
  3. inaccessible
    capable of being reached with great difficulty or not at all
    I can only speak with the official in his perhaps inaccessible office...
  4. dubious
    open to doubt or suspicion
    ...and this is already quite dubious, at the Gentlemen’s Inn, but I can speak with the private individual at the inn, on the street, anywhere I manage to meet him.
  5. jeopardize
    put at risk
    “I’m not aware of having been impolite,” said K., drying himself, “though you’re quite right that I have more important things to worry about than fancy manners, for what was at stake was my livelihood, which has been jeopardized by the ignominious machinations of officialdom...”
  6. ignominious
    deserving or bringing disgrace or shame
    “I’m not aware of having been impolite,” said K., drying himself, “though you’re quite right that I have more important things to worry about than fancy manners, for what was at stake was my livelihood, which has been jeopardized by the ignominious machinations of officialdom...”
  7. machination
    a crafty and involved plot to achieve your ends
    “I’m not aware of having been impolite,” said K., drying himself, “though you’re quite right that I have more important things to worry about than fancy manners, for what was at stake was my livelihood, which has been jeopardized by the ignominious machinations of officialdom...”
  8. rebut
    overthrow by argument, evidence, or proof
    I rebutted all this easily.
  9. complicity
    guilt as a confederate in a crime or offense
    “Yes,” she said, laughing happily, as though she had gained K.’s complicity in a furtive agreement concerning Frieda.
  10. solicitous
    showing hovering attentiveness
    Leaning against the wall, he unpacked his food, thought gratefully of Frieda, who had been so solicitous, and peered into the interior of the house.
  11. qualm
    uneasiness about the fitness of an action
    “The two of us need have no qualms in leaving the matter to him.”
  12. audacity
    aggressive or outright boldness
    Now that truly would be the height of audacity, if in this way you were trying to shift your own responsibility for yourself onto me.
  13. remuneration
    paying for goods or services or to recompense for losses
    But rest assured, the question of remuneration will soon be resolved.
  14. stipulate
    make an express demand or provision in an agreement
    Besides, it hasn’t been stipulated that I should take every message there at once; had it been stipulated, I would naturally go at once, but it wasn’t stipulated...
  15. admonish
    scold or reprimand; take to task
    ...and if I never went, nobody would admonish me because of that.
Created on Fri Mar 06 03:34:40 EST 2026 (updated Sat Mar 07 09:51:18 EST 2026)

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