Road Home: List 3

by Rex Ogle
In this final chapter of his memoir trilogy, Rex is forced out of his family home by his father and travels to New Orleans, trying to find somewhere he belongs.

This list covers vocabulary from "wander"–"vampires."

Here are links to our lists for the book: List 1, List 2, List 3, List 4, List 5, List 6, List 7, List 8
25 words 24 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. onslaught
    a rapid and continuous outpouring
    But each time I open a gallery door and step inside, I am greeted with a torrent of cold air, pure relief from the outdoor onslaught.
  2. unkempt
    not neatly combed
    A burly man with a frizzy, unkempt beard and dirtied cheeks stands there.
  3. harass
    annoy continually or chronically
    Then he keeps walking, harassing anyone in his path.
  4. tuition
    a fee paid for instruction, especially for higher education
    “Don’t worry. I’ll let you save your nickels and dimes for college tuition.”
  5. authentic
    not counterfeit or copied
    “Authentic as hell. You’re going to go wild for the food.”
  6. whip
    strike as if by whipping
    “That’s rough. My dad was pretty hard on us too. He didn’t hesitate to take his belt off when we were kids. Whipped us ’til we couldn’t sit. At least, until he got sober. He’s been sober over a decade. Now he’s a pretty decent father.”
  7. sheepishly
    in a manner showing embarrassment or shame
    Sheepishly, I ask, “Where am I going to sleep?”
  8. ingrained
    deeply rooted; firmly fixed or held
    Some deep and basic instinct pulls me out of my head and into my body, into some ingrained imperative that drives me, leads my every move.
  9. dorm
    a building containing living quarters for students
    Heck, if I can get into college, I can live in a dorm.
  10. qualified
    meeting the proper standards and requirements for a task
    I need this, but I’m also not sure if I’m qualified.
  11. infrequent
    not occurring regularly or at short intervals
    I float along the heated sidewalk, trying to stick to the shade of the infrequent trees.
  12. dehydrated
    suffering from excessive loss of water from the body
    But on Friday, by five-thirty I’m back at Russell’s, exhausted and more than a little dehydrated.
  13. combat
    battle or contend against in or as if in a battle
    Still, the AC struggles to combat the humidity.
  14. contagious
    easily diffused or spread as from one person to another
    Soon it’s contagious.
  15. peek
    throw a glance at; take a brief look at
    At the front window, I peek outside.
  16. crumple
    gather something into small wrinkles or folds
    It takes every ounce of restraint not to crumple up the newspaper and throw it across the room.
  17. persistence
    steady determination
    Maybe they’ll appreciate my persistence.
  18. water table
    underground surface below which the ground is fully saturated with moisture
    “The water table is too high in N’awlins, so nothing buried stays underground for long. Things float to the top.”
  19. queasy
    feeling nausea
    “The sight of blood makes me queasy.”
  20. kindred
    similar in quality or character
    But now my mind races with the idea of going on the tour, of meeting her in the flesh, of her being drawn to me cause we’re kindred souls.
  21. giddy
    exultantly proud and joyful; in high spirits
    I’m giddy with excitement, that today might be the day I meet Anne Rice.
  22. steadfast
    marked by firm determination or resolution; not shakable
    Both unsteady and steadfast, I move closer.
  23. populate
    fill or be filled with
    Antiques and artwork populate every room, including one that houses a massive collection of hundreds of dolls, whose eyes seem to stare back.
  24. reside
    live in
    That is, until the tour guide informs us that the famous author actually resides in her other home on First Street.
  25. pout
    be in a huff and display one's displeasure
    I try not to pout.
Created on Thu May 22 08:18:00 EDT 2025 (updated Tue Jun 10 15:12:34 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.