Inside Out & Back Again: Part 3

by Thanhha Lai
Fleeing to America to escape the Vietnam War, Hà and her family end up in Alabama, where they must adapt to a new culture. This novel in verse was inspired by author Thanhha Lai's own experiences.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4
15 words 9383 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. giddy
    having or causing a whirling sensation; liable to falling
    We’re giddy
    when we
    get off the airplane.
  2. contorted
    twisted, especially as in pain or struggle
    One look at
    our cowboy’s wife,
    arms, lips, eyes
    contorted into knots,
    and we repack.
  3. generosity
    the trait of being willing to give your money or time
    Mother could not believe
    his generosity
    until Brother Quang says
    the American government
    gives sponsors money.
  4. goodwill
    a disposition to kindness and compassion
    People living on
    others’ goodwill
    cannot afford
    political opinions.
  5. neigh
    make a sound characteristic of a horse
    To make it worse,
    the cowboy explains
    horses here go
    neigh, neigh, neigh,
    not hee, hee, hee.
    This example sentence shows how speakers of different languages hear and represent sounds differently. "Neigh" and "hee" are examples of onomatopoeia (words based on sounds).
  6. martial art
    any of several East Asian arts of weaponless self-defense
    Brother Vū wants
    to be a cook
    or teach martial arts,
    not waste a year
    as the oldest senior.
  7. impressed
    deeply or markedly affected or influenced
    She doesn’t seem impressed.
  8. illogical
    lacking in a correct relation of reason
    I pout,
    but MiSSSisss WaSShington says
    every language has annoyances and illogical rules,
    as well as sensible beauty.
  9. solitude
    the state or situation of being alone
    Mother taps her nails
    on the dining table,
    her signal for solitude
    to chant.
  10. inhale
    draw deep into the lungs by breathing
    More sniffles,
    so gentle
    I would miss them
    by inhaling too deeply.
  11. yearn
    have a desire for something or someone who is not present
    I thought so,
    despite her own rule
    Mother can’t help
    yearning for Father
    any more than I can help
    tasting ripe papaya
    in my sleep.
  12. retrieve
    go for and bring back
    After she falls asleep,
    I retrieve the bars.
  13. misery
    a feeling of intense unhappiness
    It’s time to tell Mother
    why misery
    keeps pouncing on me.
  14. writhe
    move in a twisting or contorted motion
    Pink Boy writhes on the pavement.
  15. soothing
    freeing from fear and anxiety
    GOOONNNNGGGGG
    rings out;
    how soothing a real gong sounds.
Created on Tue Apr 15 19:16:57 EDT 2014 (updated Fri Jul 11 11:16:47 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.