The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants: List 4

by Ann Brashares
A pair of magical jeans helps four best friends feel close even when they can't be together.

This list covers "Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes."–"My karma ran over my dogma."

Here are links to our lists for the novel: List 1, List 2, List 3, List 4, List 5
35 words 6 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. rosary
    a series of prayers counted using a string of beads
    “I do," Carmen confirmed. "My mother is Puerto Rican. She speaks with an accent. She says a rosary."
  2. aptitude
    inherent ability
    “She has her father's aptitude for math," Lydia argued faintly, as though in her heart she didn't believe Carmen was related to Albert at all.
  3. bodice
    part of a dress above the waist
    The bodice was fitted, and the cap sleeves showed a whole lot of over-forty arm.
  4. cinch
    pull, fasten, or tie something tightly
    Krista's had to be taken in a little at the waist. “Oooh,” said Krista, laughing, as Barbara cinched and pinned.
  5. appraise
    consider in a comprehensive way
    Barbara appraised her with critical eyes. “Oh my. Well, this is going to need some work.” She went right to Carmen’s hips and pulled the unfinished seams open.
  6. consternation
    sudden shock or dismay that causes confusion
    Barbara turned to Lydia in consternation, as though it were Carmen's fault that the stupid dress didn’t fit.
  7. mortification
    strong feelings of embarrassment
    “We should have given you Carmen's measurements ahead of time,” Lydia confessed with some mortification.
  8. muse
    reflect deeply on a subject
    “I wonder what Bridget will do in them,” Bailey mused.
  9. derisive
    expressing contempt or ridicule
    She heard Bailey sniff derisively.
    “You working at Wallman’s?” Tucker asked. One of his friends smirked.
  10. resolute
    firm in purpose or belief
    He closed his eyes and freed her arms. When he opened his eyes they were more resolute.
  11. prissy
    exaggeratedly proper
    She was brave, unflinching in the big Cyclops eye of the camera. There was nothing prissy or self-conscious about Bailey.
  12. confounded
    perplexed by many conflicting situations or statements
    It was like how her father had become a respected lawyer in Washington, but her grandparents remained confounded that their son hadn't opened a restaurant.
  13. chasm
    an unbridgeable gap, break, or disagreement
    There was a mysterious chasm between this island and the greater world, just like there was between old and young, ancient and new.
  14. glutton
    a person who is devoted to eating and drinking to excess
    Her temper behaved like a glutton sitting in an expensive restaurant ordering a hundred dishes, only to disappear when the bill came due. It left her lucid mind to do dishes.
  15. lucid
    capable of thinking in a clear and consistent manner
    Her temper behaved like a glutton sitting in an expensive restaurant ordering a hundred dishes, only to disappear when the bill came due. It left her lucid mind to do dishes.
  16. cede
    relinquish possession or control over
    Maybe she should just cede her body to her temper all the time. Let it deal with the consequences, instead of her rational, conscientious self, which ruled her body most of the time.
  17. conscientious
    guided by or in accordance with a sense of right and wrong
    Maybe she should just cede her body to her temper all the time. Let it deal with the consequences, instead of her rational, conscientious self, which ruled her body most of the time.
  18. convey
    serve as a means for expressing something
    But there were a million little lines of shading that we couldn’t convey so easily. They were the subtle things, and understanding them, even knowing when you missed them, was what separated other friends from real friends, like we were.
  19. bravado
    a swaggering show of courage
    "I can’t wait to hear about it,” Ollie said in a doubtful, challenging way.
    Bridget couldn’t resist a little bravado. "I can't wait to tell you.”
  20. ineffable
    defying expression or description
    So how’s the boxing Bapi? How’s ineffable Eff?
  21. impassive
    deliberately unexpressive
    Half the time she believed herself that she couldn't find any way to make her stony, impassive grandparents talk about it.
  22. presumptuous
    going beyond what is appropriate, permitted, or courteous
    Last time she had thought he was a vain, presumptuous jerk, but this time she knew she was.
  23. succumb
    give in, as to overwhelming force, influence, or pressure
    Was he waiting for her? He would be furious. Or he would succumb. Or some combination of the two.
  24. brazen
    not held back by conventional ideas of behavior
    She had clung to him, wanting him, unsure, brazen, and afraid.
  25. unfathomable
    impossible to come to understand
    The intimacy between them had been unfathomable.
  26. bluster
    act in an arrogant, overly self-assured, or conceited manner
    “No, no,” Mr. Brattle blustered. “I’ll speak with her tomorrow.”
  27. insinuate
    introduce or insert in a subtle manner
    Guilt, like the cat she'd never had, wove around her
 legs and hopped up onto the bed to insinuate itself at close range.
  28. impervious
    not admitting of passage or capable of being affected
    Effie shrugged blithely. Her happiness made her impervious to guilt.
  29. jaunt
    a journey taken for pleasure
    Bridget had seen too many movies. She hadn't imagined her encounter with Eric would be...personal. She thought it would be a jaunt. An adventure to brag to her friends about.
  30. canon
    a body of rules established as valid and fundamental
    “I'm tired," she said. “Sometimes I just need to catch up on sleep. Sometimes I crash for a whole day." Diana nodded, as though reassured that this was just another part of the peculiar Bridget canon.
  31. rapacious
    devouring or craving food in great quantities
    Bridget had earned her reputation as a rapacious eater.
  32. benign
    kind in disposition or manner
    He was back to being the benign coach, and she was the irrepressible camper.
  33. paltry
    contemptibly small in amount or size
    “Listen, Bridget.” He seemed to be picking
 over a very paltry assortment of phrases. “I should have sent you away last night. I shouldn't have followed you when I saw you pass by my door....I was wrong. I take responsibility.”
  34. disdain
    lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike
    Carmen gave her a look of full disdain. “I’m not doing an interview. What are you guys, the Coen brothers?" she snapped.
  35. loll
    hang loosely or laxly
    Mrs. Graffman's head seemed to loll a bit to the side, like it was getting too heavy to hold up.
Created on Tue Oct 19 20:53:08 EDT 2021 (updated Tue Nov 16 09:52:11 EST 2021)

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