Grade 8: "Man in the Arena" by Teddy Roosevelt

This famous passage from Theodore Roosevelt's 1910 "Citizenship in a Republic" speech champions those who risk failure by daring to take action.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. critic
    someone who frequently finds fault or makes harsh judgments
    It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.
  2. deed
    something that people do or cause to happen
    It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.
  3. arena
    a particular environment or walk of life
    The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly...
  4. marred
    blemished by injury or rough wear
    The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly...
  5. strive
    attempt by employing effort
    The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly...
  6. valiantly
    with heroic courage or bravery
    The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly...
  7. shortcoming
    a failing or deficiency
    The credit belongs to the man…who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds...
  8. enthusiasm
    a lively interest
    The credit belongs to the man…who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement...
  9. devotion
    commitment to some purpose
    The credit belongs to the man…who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement...
  10. worthy
    having merit or value; being honorable or admirable
    The credit belongs to the man…who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement...
  11. cause
    a series of actions advancing a principle or particular end
    The credit belongs to the man…who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement,
  12. triumph
    a successful ending of a struggle or contest
    The credit belongs to the man…who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement...
  13. timid
    lacking conviction or boldness or courage
    The credit belongs to the man…who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.
  14. victory
    a successful ending of a struggle or contest
    The credit belongs to the man…who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.
  15. defeat
    an unsuccessful ending to a struggle or contest
    The credit belongs to the man…who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.
Created on Tue Apr 07 17:54:07 EDT 2026 (updated Tue Apr 28 14:21:36 EDT 2026)

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