The Return of the Native: Book Three

by Thomas Hardy
All Eustacia Vye wants is a chance to escape her dull village life, but her unhappy marriage to Clym Yeobright leads to tragedy. Read the full text here.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Book One, Book Two, Book Three, Book Four, Book Five, Book Six

Here are links to our lists for other works by Thomas Hardy: Tess of the d'Urbervilles, Mayor of Casterbridge, Jude the Obscure
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. anachronism
    an artifact that belongs to another time
    Physically beautiful men—the glory of the race when it was young—are almost an anachronism now; and we may wonder whether, at some time or other, physically beautiful women may not be an anachronism likewise.
  2. intrinsically
    with respect to its inherent nature
    His features were attractive in the light of symbols, as sounds intrinsically common become attractive in language, and as shapes intrinsically simple become interesting in writing.
  3. yeoman
    a free man who cultivates his own land
    Hence, when his name was casually mentioned by neighbouring yeomen, the listener said, "Ah, Clym Yeobright—what is he doing now?"
  4. bucolic
    idyllically rustic
    In passing from the bucolic to the intellectual life the intermediate stages are usually two at least, frequently many more; and one of those stages is almost sure to be worldly advanced.
  5. deprecate
    express strong disapproval of; deplore
    A man who advocates aesthetic effort and deprecates social effort is only likely to be understood by a class to which social effort has become a stale matter.
  6. empyrean
    of or relating to the sky or heavens
    Yeobright preaching to the Egdon eremites that they might rise to a serene comprehensiveness without going through the process of enriching themselves was not unlike arguing to ancient Chaldeans that in ascending from earth to the pure empyrean it was not necessary to pass first into the intervening heaven of ether.
  7. heretic
    a person whose religious beliefs conflict with church dogma
    A well proportioned mind is one which shows no particular bias; one of which we may safely say that it will never cause its owner to be confined as a madman, tortured as a heretic, or crucified as a blasphemer.
  8. uncouth
    lacking refinement or cultivation or taste
    To many persons this Egdon was a place which had slipped out of its century generations ago, to intrude as an uncouth object into this.
  9. reclamation
    the conversion of wasteland into land suitable for use
    But as for Yeobright, when he looked from the heights on his way he could not help indulging in a barbarous satisfaction at observing that, in some of the attempts at reclamation from the waste, tillage, after holding on for a year or two, had receded again in despair, the ferns and furze-tufts stubbornly reasserting themselves.
  10. travail
    work hard
    I get up every morning and see the whole creation groaning and travailing in pain, as St. Paul says, and yet there am I, trafficking in glittering splendours with wealthy women and titled libertines, and pandering to the meanest vanities—I, who have health and strength enough for anything.
  11. nebulous
    lacking definite form or limits
    The evening films began to make nebulous pictures of the valleys, but the high lands still were raked by the declining rays of the winter sun, which glanced on Clym as he walked forward, eyed by every rabbit and field-fare around, a long shadow advancing in front of him.
  12. garish
    tastelessly showy
    With the glance the calm fixity of her features sublimed itself to an expression of refinement and warmth; it was like garish noon rising to the dignity of sunset in a couple of seconds.
  13. listless
    lacking zest or vivacity
    When she reached the corner of the enclosure, where the steps were formed for mounting the boundary bank, she sprang up with a lightness which seemed strange after her listless movement towards the well.
  14. ostensibly
    from appearances alone
    He had often come up here without stating his purpose to his mother; but this was the first time that he had been ostensibly frank as to his purpose while really concealing it.
  15. sequester
    set apart from others
    In returning to labour in this sequestered spot he had anticipated an escape from the chafing of social necessities; yet behold they were here also.
  16. hermitage
    the abode of a recluse
    I could live and die in a hermitage here, with proper work to do.
  17. fervid
    characterized by intense emotion
    Three antagonistic growths had to be kept alive: his mother's trust in him, his plan for becoming a teacher, and Eustacia's happiness. His fervid nature could not afford to relinquish one of these, though two of the three were as many as he could hope to preserve.
  18. flippant
    showing an inappropriate lack of seriousness
    "How can you treat me so flippantly!" said his mother, turning again to him with a tearful look.
  19. apathy
    an absence of emotion or enthusiasm
    His heart awoke from its apathy to a warm excitement, and, jumping to his feet, he said aloud, "I knew she was sure to come."
  20. nether
    lower
    They wandered onward till they reached the nether margin of the heath, where it became marshy and merged in moorland.
  21. malign
    speak unfavorably about
    Eustacia was now no longer the goddess but the woman to him, a being to fight for, support, help, be maligned for.
  22. presage
    indicate by signs
    The yellow and vapoury sunset which had wrapped up Eustacia from his parting gaze had presaged change.
  23. laceration
    the act of tearing irregularly
    The wet young beeches were undergoing amputations, bruises, cripplings, and harsh lacerations, from which the wasting sap would bleed for many a day to come, and which would leave scars visible till the day of their burning.
  24. propitious
    presenting favorable circumstances
    It had hardly been a propitious beginning, but he had chosen his course, and would show no swerving.
  25. perfunctorily
    in a set manner without serious attention
    She gave some attention to her flowers, but it was perfunctorily bestowed, for they no longer charmed her.
  26. oblique
    slanting or inclined in direction or course or position
    The oblique band of sunlight which followed her through the door became the young wife well.
  27. allegory
    a short moral story
    All similes and allegories concerning her began and ended with birds.
  28. serene
    not agitated
    When she was serene she skimmed like a swallow, and that is how she was moving now.
  29. circuitous
    deviating from a straight course
    In addition to the upward path through the heath to Rainbarrow and Mistover, there was a road which branched from the highway a short distance below the inn, and ascended to Mistover by a circuitous and easy incline.
  30. inkling
    a slight suggestion or vague understanding
    Wildeve had not received an inkling of the fact before, and a sudden expression of pain overspread his face.
  31. rue
    feel sorry for; be contrite about
    "And he will rue it some day, and think of me!" While she remained thus, overcome by her forebodings, the old clock indoors whizzed forth twelve strokes.
  32. affinity
    kinship by marriage or adoption; not a blood relationship
    Since Thomasin's marriage Mrs. Yeobright had shown him that grim friendliness which at last arises in all such cases of undesired affinity.
  33. browbeat
    discourage or frighten with threats or a domineering manner
    The vision of what ought to have been is thrown aside in sheer weariness, and browbeaten human endeavour listlessly makes the best of the fact that is.
  34. wrangle
    an angry dispute
    But I should like to see the fun, if there's nothing of the black art in it, and if a man may look on without cost or getting into any dangerous wrangle?
  35. expatiate
    add details to clarify an idea
    Wildeve was standing with his back to the fireplace smoking a cigar; and the promoter of the raffle, a packman from a distant town, was expatiating upon the value of the fabric as material for a summer dress.
  36. contemptuously
    without respect; in a disdainful manner
    To win the money, fairly or otherwise, and to hand it contemptuously to Thomasin in her aunt's presence, had been the dim outline of his purpose.
  37. apprehensive
    in fear or dread of possible evil or harm
    Moreover, he was now no longer gambling for his wife's money, but for Yeobright's; though of this fact Christian, in his apprehensiveness, did not inform him till afterwards.
  38. imprecation
    the act of calling down a curse that invokes evil
    While the reddleman was grasping the stakes Wildeve seized the dice and hurled them, box and all, into the darkness, uttering a fearful imprecation.
  39. fluctuation
    an instance of change
    Apart from motions, a complete diorama of the fluctuations of the game went on in their eyes.
  40. obeisance
    bending the head or body in reverence or submission
    Venn made a farewell obeisance, and walked back to his former position, where the byroad from Mistover joined the highway.
Created on Tue Oct 27 21:59:43 EDT 2015 (updated Mon Apr 08 15:38:16 EDT 2019)

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