Anya and the Nightingale: Chapters 19–28

by Sofiya Pasternack
Anya, Ivan, and the magical dragon set out on a mission to bring Anya's father home from war, but during their journey, they encounter the Nightingale — a monster who is terrorizing travelers in the forest.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–6, Chapters 7–11, Chapters 12–18, Chapters 19–28, Chapters 29–39
30 words 5 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. fitful
    intermittently stopping and starting
    Anya slept fitfully, even though the bed was the most comfortable thing she’d ever touched in her life.
  2. amble
    a leisurely walk, usually in some public place
    Her hurry turned into an amble, and she eventually found herself at an outer door.
  3. idly
    in a lazy, casual, or aimless way
    A trio of goats stood idly by the open doorway, chewing on hay with their eyes half-closed.
  4. sheepishly
    in a manner showing embarrassment or shame
    “I, um...” Anya said, then admitted sheepishly, “I just wanted to pet the goats and horses.”
  5. pang
    a mental pain or distress
    It reminded Anya of Alsvindr stealing apples, and she felt a pang.
  6. bleat
    cry plaintively like a sheep or goat
    The goats took off, their little hooves thumping on the cold, packed earth, bleating as they ran after the apples.
  7. reconnaissance
    the act of scouting, especially to gain information
    “But it is my method. I need to do some reconnaissance.”
  8. unfurl
    unroll, unfold, or spread out
    And, if Anya wasn’t imagining things, even the beginnings of a tiny smile trying to unfurl on his lips.
  9. countenance
    the appearance conveyed by a person's face
    Alfhercht didn’t smile with his face, but something about his countenance changed.
  10. feral
    wild and menacing
    Alfhercht had let them out after they had agreed that he couldn’t go into the castle looking like a feral, forest-dwelling highwayman.
  11. tinge
    affect as in thought or feeling
    His voice was tinged with the barest trace of hope.
  12. apt
    being of striking appropriateness and relevance
    “You look...“ Anya struggled to find a word that aptly described him now.
    Håkon said it before she could. “Human.”
  13. appraise
    consider in a comprehensive way
    Alfhercht looked down at himself, appraising the outfit he’d put on, and shrugged.
  14. perplexed
    full of difficulty or confusion or bewilderment
    At one point, Alfhercht stopped and turned back to look at the group following him, and he stared at Ivan with a puzzled expression on his face. When he moved his hand to speak—one hand palm-up, with a perplexed shrug to his shoulders—it was obvious what the meaning was: What are you doing?
  15. dappled
    having spots or patches of color
    His skin shifted colors and shades, dappled in the autumn light filtering through the trees, and sometimes he matched the trees around him so well that it looked like he was made of bark.
  16. pantomime
    act out without words but with gestures and bodily movements
    She moved her hand like it was a mouth, talking. Then she pointed to Håkon and Alfhercht. With her fingers like legs, she pantomimed sneaking.
  17. admonish
    warn strongly; put on guard
    He pointed an admonishing finger at them. “But they’re not safe for children to be running around in! I’m not sure if all the branches are safe. Some of them might fall down. The tsar has closed them off to keep people safe.”
  18. nigh
    slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
    “No. No, it’s real. That’s where they came from. The Dvukh. Lukomorye is an island in the northern ocean, shrouded in mists and ice, and finding it is nigh impossible.”
  19. intently
    with strained or eager attention
    Anya laughed, then noticed Alfhercht watching them all intently.
  20. quip
    witty remark
    No quick quip back. No laugh.
  21. gouge
    make a groove in
    Someone or something had gouged a long, deep line into the cave wall.
  22. spruce
    make neat, smart, or trim
    “Håkon,” Ivan said in the dimness, “I don’t care how comfy you think caves are. This one is a dump.”
    “It could use some sprucing up,” Håkon agreed. “At least a good mopping.”
  23. manipulation
    touching with the hands or by use of mechanical means
    He was gaping at the elf’s manipulation even more than Anya was. After all, he could see the threads Alfhercht pulled.
  24. enthralled
    filled with wonder and delight
    His eyes lingered on Ivan’s enthralled face for a breath, and then he turned back to the water.
  25. mottled
    having spots or patches of color
    The columns themselves were the same stone as the walls and mottled with dark splotches.
  26. periphery
    the outside boundary or surface of something
    Around the periphery of the room, a dozen heavy doors were built into the walls.
  27. trepidation
    a feeling of alarm or dread
    He stared at her, glanced around with trepidation, and then slunk into the room.
  28. adornment
    a decoration that is added to relieve plainness
    No carving, etching, adornment. Just a plain old key that could have gone to any door in the—
  29. tarnish
    make or become dirty or dull, as by exposure to air
    On the skeleton’s finger was a ring, dirty and tarnished but unmistakably gold.
  30. nondescript
    lacking distinct or individual characteristics
    She studied the skeleton’s dress again. It had been white at one point. It was a nondescript shade of dirty cloth now.
Created on Thu May 12 13:59:57 EDT 2022 (updated Mon May 23 09:21:19 EDT 2022)

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.