The Serpent King: Chapters 11–20

by Jeff Zentner
In this award-winning novel by Jeff Zentner, three Southern teenagers struggle with their faith, their families, and their futures.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–10, Chapters 11–20, Chapters 21–31, Chapters 32–42, Chapters 43–53
15 words 13 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. renege
    fail to fulfill a promise or obligation
    As he walked, he decided without much consideration that he would renege on his commitment to let himself forget that this would be his last back-to-school dinner.
  2. existential
    relating to or dealing with the state of being
    As they watched the documentary about the 32,000-year-old cave paintings in France’s Chauvet cave, interwoven with Herzog’s heavily accented existential musings, Travis couldn’t help but wonder what his father would say if he were there.
  3. permanence
    property of being able to exist for an indefinite time
    “So, I’ve been thinking about permanence lately, and how we live our lives without the world ever noticing we’ve come and gone,” Lydia said as the end credits rolled.
  4. catalyst
    something that causes an important event to happen
    He was rarely the catalyst for their activities, and he was proud.
  5. penchant
    a strong liking or preference
    He gets a lot of suspicious looks himself because of his clothes and proven penchant for reading unchristian books.
  6. solace
    comfort offered to one who is disappointed or miserable
    As soon as his mother figures out how he’s finding solace, she brings him home the first book in the Bloodfall series from a shopping trip to Nashville, a recommendation from a bookstore employee.
  7. discernment
    the ability to understand and discriminate between relations
    Everybody wants to be close to greatness and get a piece for themselves. The day may come when it takes some discernment to tell when someone loves you for you and when someone wants to stand near your fire.
  8. rapturous
    feeling great delight
    Dill experienced the familiar rapturous rush of excitement and adrenaline as it neared and began laying on the whistle.
  9. exalted
    of high moral or intellectual value
    He makes mistakes left and right, but nobody notices because they’re caught up in the Holy Spirit, and the walls also vibrate with the exalted and chaotic glossolalia of tongue speaking.
  10. malevolent
    wishing or appearing to wish evil to others
    His father reaches out to him with the thick, sinewy copperhead and Dill extends his hands. He imagines how the snake will feel when he holds it. Cool. Dry. Sleek. Pulsing with malevolent vitality.
  11. recalcitrant
    stubbornly resistant to authority or control
    “Clint, honey,” Travis’s mother said gently, as if she were talking to a dangerous animal or a recalcitrant child (or some combination of the two). “Travis is a Christian. Don’t worry."
  12. loathing
    hate coupled with disgust
    Where he didn’t slink around and shrink from him. Where he didn’t let his father make him feel small and worthless. His loathing of his father kept circling back to self-loathing.
  13. jubilant
    full of high-spirited delight
    His laughter was so infectious and jubilant, she couldn’t help but be taken in.
  14. blithe
    carefree and happy and lighthearted
    Now look who’s casting himself in the role of ‘boy from the wrong side of the tracks who’s misunderstood by blithe rich girl.'
  15. impending
    close in time; about to occur
    He knew the smell of impending loss, how it felt to have parts of his life erode from under him and be swept away.
Created on Fri Jul 07 17:11:15 EDT 2017 (updated Wed Aug 06 12:29:41 EDT 2025)

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