I Am the Messenger: Part 2

by Markus Zusak
Ed Kennedy lives an ordinary life — but when he stops a robbery, he gets swept up in an extraordinary mission.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Parts 4–5

Here is a link to our lists for The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.
15 words 294 learners

Learn words with Flashcards and other activities

Definition First
Print Flashcards

Other learning activities

Answer a few questions about each word. Use this to prep for your next quiz! Compete with other teams in real time to see who answers the most questions correctly! Test your spelling acumen. Read the definition, listen to the word and try spelling it!

Teaching tools

Create and assign quizzes to your students to test their vocabulary. Assign learning activities including Practice, Vocabulary Jams and Spelling Bees to your students, and monitor their progress in real-time.

Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. feign
    give a false appearance of
    It’s in the trunk of the cab now, cold again and stony, feigning innocence.
  2. chastise
    scold or criticize severely
    I chastise myself....
  3. ultimatum
    a final peremptory demand
    He delivers me an ultimatum.
  4. miscreant
    a person without moral scruples
    I hope he doesn’t think I’m a miscreant or something, sitting in parks and preying on innocent teenagers.
  5. precursor
    something indicating the approach of something or someone
    It feels like a kind of precursor to death.
  6. ominous
    threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments
    He turns and looks at me, ominous.
  7. derision
    the act of treating with contempt
    His derision of me is horrifying, but still I battle on.
  8. unbridled
    not restrained or controlled
    My heart applauds inside my ears, first like a roaring crowd, then slows and slows until it’s a solitary person, clapping with unbridled sarcasm.
  9. atrocious
    exceptionally bad or displeasing
    I get to Henry Street the next night after work and make it to the front door, and I must say, Father O’Reilly’s house gives new meaning to the word atrocious.
  10. dregs
    a small part that remains after the main part is gone
    He finishes the dregs of his coffee.
  11. barrage
    the rapid and continuous delivery of communication
    I breathe a sigh of relief and get prepared for the barrage.
  12. camaraderie
    the quality of affording easy familiarity and sociability
    I don’t know about Marv, but I feel a camaraderie as we kneel down and do the paint job.
  13. derelict
    in deplorable condition
    Halfway through, three derelict men in suits also come out, one banging on top of a bin, the other playing violin, and the last also playing harmonica.
  14. succinct
    briefly giving the gist of something
    His answer is succinct.
  15. saunter
    walk leisurely and with no apparent aim
    When she hangs up, she saunters out...
Created on Wed Sep 11 15:13:38 EDT 2013 (updated Thu Jul 31 12:17:01 EDT 2025)

Sign up now (it’s free!)

Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, Vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.