Girl with a Pearl Earring: 1664

by Tracy Chevalier
In seventeenth-century Holland, Griet's life is changed when she poses for a portrait by the brilliant painter Johannes Vermeer.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: 1664, 1665, 1666 and 1676
15 words 599 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. askew
    turned or twisted to one side
    Her cap was askew so that tiny blond curls escaped and hung about her forehead like bees which she swatted at impatiently several times.
  2. apprentice
    work for an expert to learn a trade
    Our father had saved hard to pay the apprentice fee, and talked endlessly of how Frans would learn another aspect of the trade, then come back and they would set up a tile factory together.
  3. mischievous
    naughtily or annoyingly playful
    His face was mischievous, his hair messy.
  4. modest
    marked by simplicity; having a humble opinion of yourself
    They held their services privately, in modest places that did not look like churches from the outside.
  5. industry
    persevering determination to perform a task
    Tanneke puffed up with pride at her own industry.
  6. bemused
    perplexed by many conflicting situations or statements
    He shook his head and then I could see his bemused expression.
  7. sentry
    a person employed to keep watch for some anticipated event
    The plane trees lining the canal stood perfectly still, like sentries waiting for me.
  8. subdued
    quieted and brought under control
    She had been lively all day but had now grown subdued.
  9. ungainly
    lacking grace in movement or posture
    Her mood was not improved by the baby she carried, which made her ungainly and nothing like the graceful lady of the house she felt herself to be.
  10. ignorant
    uneducated in general; lacking knowledge or sophistication
    I felt very ignorant of such things.
  11. berate
    censure severely or angrily
    I never once heard Maria Thins berate her daughter for anything, though Catharina needed it at times.
  12. misfortune
    a state resulting from unfavorable outcomes
    "Griet, I am sorry to hear of your family's misfortune," he said.
  13. dismayed
    struck with fear, dread, or consternation
    Tanneke and I stood side by side, she annoyed, me dismayed by his attention.
  14. soothing
    freeing from fear and anxiety
    He added some Catholic phrases in Latin which I did not understand, but I did not mind much—he had a low, soothing voice that I liked to listen to.
  15. appeal
    be attractive to
    Large crowds did not appeal to him as they did his wife.
Created on Thu Aug 22 19:53:55 EDT 2013 (updated Mon Jul 28 11:10:43 EDT 2025)

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