Too Bright to See: Chapters 7–12

by Kyle Lukoff
During one eventful summer, Bug investigates the ghost that haunts his house and grapples with his identity and his changing relationship with his best friend.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Prologue–Chapter 6, Chapters 7–12, Chapter 13–Epilogue
35 words 40 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. suppress
    control and refrain from showing
    I suppress a shiver as we walk in through the tall front door, a chill gusting from somewhere in the house through my body to dissipate in the heat of an early July night.
  2. earnest
    characterized by a firm, sincere belief in one's opinions
    When he was alive he would sometimes try to help Mom brainstorm, but he was too earnest, too sincere for her brand of dark humor.
  3. revenue
    the entire amount of income before any deductions are made
    “I haven’t wanted to tell you about this, but revenue has been down for a while. We’re still hanging on, and Ellen is exploring other web-based options, but maybe some of the new cards I’ve been coming up with will do the trick.”
  4. nonchalant
    marked by casual unconcern or indifference
    “Do you know what this is?” I ask, keeping my voice as nonchalant as possible.
  5. quirk
    twist or curve abruptly
    She looks at me, a little confused, like What is up with my kid? There’s a quirk to her mouth like she’s waiting for me to tell her what’s going on, and I just can’t.
  6. pry
    move or force in an effort to get something open
    I spent days knocking on every wall, pushing on nails, and trying to pry open fireplaces.
  7. beset
    assail or attack on all sides
    Maybe every old house is this beset by spirits, but I want to learn something more particular about this house, these spirits.
  8. complexion
    the coloring of a person's face
    It looks nice against her complexion and red hair, and I’m suddenly very proud of myself for noticing something like that.
  9. admonish
    counsel in terms of someone's behavior
    Moira raises her eyebrows like she doesn’t believe me, but I can practically see her admonish herself to be nice, since I’m the one with the dead uncle and all.
  10. nostalgic
    unhappy about being away and longing for familiar things
    It makes sense to be a little nostalgic.
  11. keepsake
    something of sentimental value
    I don’t sense any spirits up here, but we’re surrounded by other kinds of ghosts, old furniture and broken kitchen utensils and keepsakes that must have belonged to my grandparents or great-grandparents.
  12. jaunty
    having a cheerful, lively, and self-confident air
    “Just a jaunty stroll down memory lane?”
  13. undercurrent
    a feeling or tendency that is not explicitly expressed
    There’s an undercurrent of curiosity in her voice, like she knows there’s something else going on.
  14. inclined
    having a preference, disposition, or tendency
    My dreams always felt like that, random and meaningless and easily forgotten, so I was inclined to agree with her.
  15. squelch
    make a sucking sound
    When I finally wade out of the creek I’m so stiff that I trip and fall, and my legs are pasty and wrinkled. I squelch home, my head still throbbing.
  16. sliver
    (figurative) a small or narrow piece or slice
    Maybe a sliver of a second late.
  17. scrawl
    write carelessly
    I consider getting up, walking around, seeing if there are any messages written in fog on a window or scrawled onto a mirror.
  18. embroidery
    decorative needlework
    She pulls a throw pillow onto her lap and picks at the embroidery; it’s one that I remember Uncle Roderick working on as we watched old movies together.
  19. paisley
    a fabric with a colorful swirled pattern of curved shapes
    A light blue-and-white paisley pattern.
  20. boarder
    a tenant in someone’s house who typically receives meals
    “Maybe we could open a bed-and-breakfast,” I say. “Or take in boarders. Lodgers.”
  21. beeline
    the most direct route
    I type a few keywords into the catalog: “Ghost,” “Haunted,” “Supernatural,” write down a few call numbers, and meander over to the stacks, stopping at a few shelves along the way so anyone watching won’t see me make an anxious beeline for that section.
  22. knickknack
    a small, inexpensive decorative object
    They’re a type of ghost known for slamming doors, breaking mirrors, throwing knickknacks or books or even furniture around a room.
  23. convulse
    move or stir about violently
    “Excuse me, dear,” a voice says, and my whole body convulses in surprise.
  24. manifest
    reveal its presence or make an appearance
    “‘Those hauntings sometimes mimic a poltergeist,’” Griffin reads out loud, ‘“and can manifest in a variety of ways. Witnesses have observed objects floating, or breaking dramatically.’ Sounds scary.”
  25. objectively
    in a manner not influenced by emotion
    For a moment it feels okay, like we’re just two kids looking at books, but then that narrator in my head starts describing the scene, a girl in ratty clothes sitting across from this new boy, who is objectively cute, and where any normal story might go from there.
  26. frantic
    excessively agitated; distraught with violent emotion
    I have to go before he realizes that everything is wrong with me, and am frantically casting about for an excuse to run away when he points to a page and says, “Hey, this is interesting!”
  27. rasp
    a harsh, grating tone or noise
    I put them away, one at a time, enjoying the rasp of cover against cover.
  28. abandon
    the trait of lacking restraint or control
    I envy her abandon. I want to run out there with her, cool off, feel as free and alive as Moira looks with her arms out, spinning in circles.
  29. ominous
    threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments
    Some of her joy passes on to me and soon I’m smiling, then laughing, as we whirl faster and faster under the ominous sky.
  30. fleeting
    lasting for a markedly brief time
    It’s like the fleeting moments we had together when we were small and not fighting, and I suddenly wish our whole friendship looked like this moment, quick and free.
  31. intently
    with strained or eager attention
    I avert my eyes, staring at her bookshelf intently even though it hasn’t changed in years.
  32. undertone
    a pale or subdued color
    “The color matches your complexion more than mine,” she had explained, and went on to tell me about undertones, cool and warm, and what mine is compared to hers.
  33. meander
    move or cause to move in a winding or curving course
    This is nothing like the vague meanderings I’d felt before, whenever Moira and I had played. We would pretend it was moving by itself but knew it was just our subconscious guiding it for a little bit of excitement.
  34. emphatically
    in a forceful manner; with emphasis
    The letters repeat themselves, again. Maybe more emphatically this time? He wants me to understand, but I don’t, not yet.
  35. dissipate
    go away, scatter, or disappear
    It does say that the energy a dead person leaves behind, in the form of a “spiritual impression,” or ghost, can try and contact the living. And that their energy starts to “dissipate” after some amount of time.
Created on Mon Oct 11 10:43:42 EDT 2021 (updated Thu Oct 14 12:07:31 EDT 2021)

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.