The Free Verse Society: Chapters 1–7

by Delali Adjoa
A teenaged girl trying to leave her past behind and a teenaged boy trying to hide his present circumstances are drawn together by a poetry club.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Chapters 1–7, Chapters 8–14, Chapters 15–26, Chapters 27–38, Chapters 39–50
15 words 9 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. stagnant
    not growing or changing; without force or vitality
    I have people to see along the way, he’d said. As if they were the ones that made the stagnant hours on the road worthwhile.
  2. breadth
    the extent of something from side to side
    I’m stuck, afraid to move. But still, drawn to the familiar ache of tears. Like the way I cried when I realized Dad wasn’t coming home again. Or the day I signed away the most beautiful gift, not understanding the breadth of forever.
  3. tangible
    perceptible by the senses, especially the sense of touch
    The pain is so tangible I can almost hold it in my hands.
  4. frivolous
    not serious in content, attitude, or behavior
    I’m waiting for Derek to say something, but he looks down, takes off his hat, and runs his hand through his hair. A frivolous waste of time when he could have been explaining things.
  5. tentative
    hesitant or lacking confidence; unsettled in mind or opinion
    Three tentative knocks sound on the door.
  6. tiff
    a petty quarrel
    “What do you see in him, anyway?” I asked in one of our Peter-related tiffs.
  7. motif
    a theme that is repeated or elaborated in a piece of music
    But right before the first song, complete with a dancing-in-the-rain motif, the TV quiets and voices drift in from the living room.
  8. fleeting
    lasting for a markedly brief time
    There were fleeting moments of a captured breath, a vicious, hungry breath.
  9. reprimand
    censure severely or angrily
    Without missing a lyric, she reprimands me with her blue eyes caked in layers of mascara.
  10. morose
    showing a brooding ill humor
    Then I’m in my old neighborhood, a place I never go unless I’m feeling morose.
  11. waiver
    a formal written statement of relinquishment
    And more importantly, I wouldn’t have enough money to apply for college without a fee waiver.
  12. biopic
    a film that dramatizes the life of a well-known person
    And I remember seeing her when I sat down, a dark-haired beauty who could play Selena Gomez in any biopic.
  13. dignitary
    an important or influential person
    “You must be Derek,” she says with one hand on her chest, the other extended, like she’s greeting a dignitary.
  14. laughingstock
    an object of mockery or ridicule
    I’ll be the laughingstock of the soccer team.
  15. martyr
    one who suffers for the sake of principle
    “Derek, where are you going? Don’t play the martyr now. Get back to class.”
Created on Mon Oct 05 04:27:47 EDT 2026 (updated Tue Oct 06 12:01:19 EDT 2026)

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.