Crime and Punishment: Part 6–Epilogue

by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
A classic of Russian literature, this novel explores the psyche of a poor young man who plots to murder and rob a wealthy pawnbroker. Read the full text here.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6–Epilogue

Here is a link to our lists for An Honest Thief by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. abnegation
    renunciation of one's own interests in favor of others
    It seemed strange to him that there was no trace of repugnance, no trace of disgust, no tremor in her hand. It was the furthest limit of self-abnegation, at least so he interpreted it.
  2. pernicious
    exceedingly harmful
    "Ah these cigarettes!" Porfiry Petrovitch ejaculated at last, having lighted one. "They are pernicious, positively pernicious, and yet I can't give them up!
  3. venerable
    profoundly honored
    Well, in prison, it seems, he remembered the venerable elder; the Bible, too, made its appearance again.
  4. abjure
    formally reject or disavow a formerly held belief
    I am waiting from hour to hour for him to come and abjure his evidence.
  5. aberration
    a disorder in one's mental state
    We will make a clean sweep of all these psychological points, of a suspicion against you, so that your crime will appear to have been something like an aberration, for in truth it was an aberration.
  6. expiation
    the act of atoning for sin or wrongdoing
    Are you afraid of the great expiation before you?
  7. obsequious
    attentive in an ingratiating or servile manner
    Svidrigaïlov had not been a week in Petersburg, but everything about him was already, so to speak, on a patriarchal footing; the waiter, Philip, was by now an old friend and very obsequious.
  8. exhortation
    an earnest attempt at persuasion
    Then came interviews, mysterious conversations, exhortations, entreaties, supplications, even tears—would you believe it, even tears?
  9. succumb
    give in, as to overwhelming force, influence, or pressure
    In fact, I triumphed, while my lady remained firmly convinced that she was innocent, chaste, and faithful to all her duties and obligations and had succumbed quite by accident.
  10. epithet
    a defamatory or abusive word or phrase
    "What, have I dropped words like that?" Svidrigaïlov asked in naive dismay, taking not the slightest notice of the epithet bestowed on his designs.
  11. overweening
    unrestrained, especially with regard to feelings
    It's galling too, of course, for a young man of gifts and overweening pride to know that if he had, for instance, a paltry three thousand, his whole career, his whole future would be differently shaped and yet not to have that three thousand.
  12. upbraid
    express criticism towards
    He listened: someone was upbraiding and almost tearfully scolding, but he heard only one voice.
  13. lachrymose
    showing sorrow
    "God bless you," the beggar chanted in a lachrymose voice.
  14. privation
    a state of extreme poverty
    He had been led to the murder through his shallow and cowardly nature, exasperated moreover by privation and failure.
  15. extenuating
    partially excusing or justifying
    And in the end the criminal was, in consideration of extenuating circumstances, condemned to penal servitude in the second class for a term of eight years only.
Created on Wed Oct 09 20:08:23 EDT 2013 (updated Wed Jul 16 12:45:42 EDT 2025)

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