Darius the Great Is Not Okay: Chapters 6–10

by Adib Khorram
Darius has always struggled to fit in: he suffers from depression, he is bullied at school, and he can never seem to meet his father's high expectations. When Darius's family travels to Iran to visit his grandparents, Darius finds a place where he belongs, and a true friendship, for the first time.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–5, Chapters 6–10, Chapters 11–14, Chapters 15–19, Chapters 20–26, Chapters 27–36
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. derelict
    in deplorable condition
    I knotted the two loose straps together so I could sling the derelict hulk of my backpack over my shoulder like a satchel, gathered my stuff up, and hurried to gym.
  2. haphazardly
    in a random manner
    Unlike the rest of the Net Sports Unit, which was haphazardly arranged, we had assigned teams for volleyball.
  3. buffer
    a neutral zone between two rival powers
    And when I did see him, it was usually for dinner, when Mom or Laleh were around to provide a buffer, or for Star Trek, which was sacrosanct.
  4. sacrosanct
    treated as if holy and kept free from violation or criticism
    And when I did see him, it was usually for dinner, when Mom or Laleh were around to provide a buffer, or for Star Trek, which was sacrosanct.
  5. calibrate
    make fine adjustments for optimal measuring
    The extra time in the car was throwing off our carefully calibrated intermix ratio.
  6. redundancy
    the attribute of being superfluous and unneeded
    I always used filtered water—it tasted way better than tap water—though Stephen Kellner liked to complain about the redundancy of keeping a pitcher of filtered water when the refrigerator already had a water filter built in.
  7. samovar
    a metal urn with a spigot at the base
    In Russia, people use a samovar—a smaller version of Smaug the Voluminous—to heat a bunch of water, and then mix it with über-strong tea from a smaller pot.
  8. tentative
    hesitant or lacking confidence; unsettled in mind or opinion
    Laleh took a tentative sip, holding her tea with both hands.
  9. imperative
    requiring attention or action
    It was an even more imperative goal...
  10. ominous
    threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments
    It was glowing red and ominous between my eyebrows like the Eye of Sauron, lidless and wreathed in flame.
  11. implosion
    a sudden inward collapse
    I was certain that, if I popped it, the implosion would suck me, my family, and our whole house into a singularity we’d never escape.
  12. stylized
    using artistic forms and conventions to create effects
    The one Dad lent me had his company logo on it: a stylized K and a stylized N, made out of scale rules and T-squares and drafting pencils, even though Kellner & Newton had been entirely digital since before I was born.
  13. elitist
    one who is biased in favor of those with high status
    Mr. Apatan got mad if I ever mentioned tea grading at Tea Haven. He said it was “elitist.”
  14. grudgingly
    in a reluctant manner
    I was grateful—grudgingly—for the Kellner & Newton Messenger Bag, because I was able to sling it in front of me and carry my sister piggyback through the airport until we reached security, while Mom and Dad pulled our luggage.
  15. jersey
    a close-fitting pullover shirt often worn by athletes
    Combat Boot Lady wore a too-large Seattle Seahawks jersey and a pair of sweat shorts, which I felt somehow explained everything.
  16. pristine
    immaculately clean and unused
    My sister had the cleanest white tennis shoes of any eight year-old ever. I didn’t know how she kept them so pristine.
  17. burly
    muscular and heavily built
    “Where are you headed?” asked the officer—a burly guy with dark, angular eyebrows and a round face—as he ran the little brown paper over my hands.
  18. cursory
    hasty and without attention to detail; not thorough
    We ate a cursory meal in the food court (I had a salad to appease Dad, who was unhappy I had finished off the cold pizza for breakfast), and then Laleh used the rest of our interminable layover to visit every single store and stall in JFK’s Terminal 4.
  19. appease
    cause to be more favorably inclined; gain the good will of
    We ate a cursory meal in the food court (I had a salad to appease Dad, who was unhappy I had finished off the cold pizza for breakfast), and then Laleh used the rest of our interminable layover to visit every single store and stall in JFK’s Terminal 4.
  20. interminable
    tiresomely long; seemingly without end
    We ate a cursory meal in the food court (I had a salad to appease Dad, who was unhappy I had finished off the cold pizza for breakfast), and then Laleh used the rest of our interminable layover to visit every single store and stall in JFK’s Terminal 4.
  21. temporal
    of or relating to or limited by time
    Laleh had acquired a bag of Sour Patch Kids while she browsed Terminal 4, and the combination of sugar and temporal distortion proved an incendiary one.
  22. incendiary
    inciting action or rebellion
    Laleh had acquired a bag of Sour Patch Kids while she browsed Terminal 4, and the combination of sugar and temporal distortion proved an incendiary one.
  23. cultivate
    foster the growth of
    I had been cultivating a headache for the last few hours—the kind of headache that felt like it was going to pop my eyes right out of my skull—and caffeine usually helped.
  24. impending
    close in time; about to occur
    Laleh was hangry, the first sign of an impending Laleh-pocalypse.
  25. desultory
    marked by lack of definite plan, purpose, or enthusiasm
    She dragged her feet down the jet bridge, holding my hand and staring at the floor desultorily, until we stepped into the terminal and she caught the scent of Subway.
  26. emboss
    raise in a relief
    Dad shifted his own Kellner & Newton Messenger Bag on his shoulder. His was dark leather with the logo embossed on it—much nicer than my canvas-and-polyester one.
  27. claustrophobic
    abnormally afraid of closed-in places
    It had been across the parking lot from a Subway, and ever since, I couldn’t smell baking Subway bread without feeling trapped and claustrophobic from the porcupine costume I was forced to wear.
  28. customs
    the government agency that oversees and collects duties on imported goods
    There was only one stall open as we wound our way through Customs.
  29. auburn
    (of hair) colored a moderate reddish-brown
    The Customs officer was pale, even paler than Mom, with green eyes, auburn hair, and a five o’clock shadow.
  30. predecessor
    one who goes before you in time
    Unlike his predecessor, Customs Officer II did not look sleepy at all.
  31. keen
    demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions
    He looked keen and alert.
  32. resplendent
    having great beauty
    Unlike Customs Officer I, Customs Officer II did have the full and resplendent beard of a True Persian.
  33. antimatter
    mass consisting of antiparticles of normal substances
    My ears burned hotter than a matter/antimatter reaction chamber.
  34. edifice
    a structure that has a roof and walls
    I had seen pictures of the Azadi Tower, and it was stunning—gleaming white angles intertwining into a tall edifice, with intricate latticework that made me think of The Lord of the Rings.
  35. lattice
    framework consisting of an ornamental wood or metal design
    I had seen pictures of the Azadi Tower, and it was stunning—gleaming white angles intertwining into a tall edifice, with intricate latticework that made me think of The Lord of the Rings.
Created on Tue Feb 26 16:33:01 EST 2019 (updated Wed Feb 27 11:59:50 EST 2019)

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