Punching Bag: List 1

by Rex Ogle
In this sequel to Free Lunch, the author recounts how, as a teenager in Texas, he struggled to protect himself and his younger brother from the angry outbursts of their parents.

This list covers "Homecoming"–"Snow Globe."

Here are links to our lists for the book: List 1, List 2, List 3
35 words 203 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. practically
    almost; nearly
    “If I have to live with it, so does he,” she practically yells.
  2. glare
    an angry stare
    She shoots him an icy glare. Then slips into the passenger seat and closes the door.
  3. wispy
    thin and weak
    Her skin is tan and pink, a full head of wispy black hair, as fine as spider webs.
  4. thrash
    move or stir about violently
    Curled up in the front seat, she thrashes wildly, turning, kicking, slapping, shrieking.
  5. flail
    thrash about
    My mom screeches and bucks and flails for a long time.
  6. shrill
    having or emitting a high-pitched and sharp tone or tones
    Her voice is shrill. When I woke up, I could see it in her eyes that she was in a mood.
  7. grit
    clench together
    Marisa says, Say something kind.
    Through gritted teeth, I say, “Thank you for taking me to school.”
  8. vibrant
    (of colors) bright and striking
    It’s muddied with vibrant colors: the deep purple of eggplant, dark red like canned cranberry, sunflower yellow.
  9. maintenance
    activity involved in keeping something in good working order
    Tomorrow, the maintenance man will come to patch the holes and tighten the pipes.
  10. linoleum
    a floor covering made from linseed oil, cork, and resin
    Cleaners will clean the carpet, and a maid will scrub out the stains left behind on the linoleum floors.
  11. subsidize
    support, as through grants or other funds
    I ask, “Is it government- subsidized?”
    Mom rolls her eyes. “No. Sam and I are both working now. We can pay the rent on our own, thank you very much.”
  12. brood
    the young of an animal cared for at one time
    Sleeping, I dream of battling alongside the X-Men against an alien race called the Brood.
  13. writhe
    move in a twisting or contorted motion
    On the ground, I writhe. My body doesn’t listen when my brain tells it to run. I jerk and spasm, clutch at the carpet, trying to get air into my lungs.
  14. coax
    carefully manipulate, adjust, or bring to a desired state
    My body aches, desperate for air. My fingers at my throat, pulling at it, trying to coax in just one little gasp of air.
  15. pummel
    strike, usually with the fist
    Her fists pummel him, hit him, she pulls at his neck.
  16. tussle
    fight or struggle in a confused way at close quarters
    Mom and Sam tussle next to me but I can’t focus on them.
  17. agitated
    troubled emotionally and usually deeply
    “Ma’am, you seem agitated—”
    “I am agitated!” Mom snaps. “You come here, banging on my door at two in the morning, waking me up—”
  18. distorted
    so badly formed or out of shape as to be ugly
    In the headlights of the police car, Mom’s face is all distorted. Her eyes wild, her toothy grin ripping across her face, and the shadows beneath her eyes darker than usual.
  19. unwavering
    marked by firm determination or resolution
    “You can tell me if something’s not right. If that man over there is hurting you or your mother, you can say it.”
    I look at the cop’s face, at his green unwavering eyes.
  20. buoy
    uplift or give encouragement to
    Tears come out of Mom’s eyes as she bursts into laughter. Her smile is like the sun and the blue sky after a nuclear winter. My heart buoys up into my chest and it’s almost hard to breathe.
  21. acrid
    strong and sharp, as a taste or smell
    When Sam opens the door, the acrid stench comes in first, chemical lawn fertilizer soaked into his uniform and skin.
  22. strut
    walk in a proud, confident way
    Sam struts over, stands over me.
  23. wince
    make a face indicating disgust or dislike
    He doesn’t even wince when his thumb lands on a stain.
  24. buck
    move in a jerky or violent manner
    “Nooooooo,” he moans, throwing himself up and down, bucking in his chair.
  25. naive
    marked by or showing unaffected simplicity
    I say, “If you love someone, you don’t hit them. You don’t hurt them.”
    She says, “You’re naïve.”
  26. cul de sac
    a street with only one way in or out
    I follow Todd into a cul-de-sac, the half-made house farthest away from the sleeping neighbors.
  27. saunter
    walk leisurely and with no apparent aim
    Todd saunters in and looks around.
  28. pallet
    a portable platform for storing or moving goods
    The room opens onto a backyard, piled with building materials on pallets.
  29. invulnerable
    immune to attack; impregnable
    In my hand, the brick feels heavy and light at the same time. When I squeeze, it doesn’t give. It’s solid. Hard. Invulnerable. Not like flesh. Glass can’t hurt a brick.
  30. conscience
    a feeling of shame when you do something immoral
    My conscience comes up. “Aren’t we destroying someone’s property?”
  31. seizure
    a sudden attack characterized by spasms or convulsions
    Raindrops skitter along the windows like tiny transparent trains having seizures.
  32. jostle
    come into rough contact with while moving
    The whole car jostles left, pushed by the current.
  33. forge
    move ahead steadily
    The whites of Donald’s eyes grow when I get to the part where we have to forge through the brown river.
  34. afghan
    a blanket knitted or crocheted in strips or squares
    She won’t stop putting blankets and towels over me and Ford. Her accent as thick as the afghan, she says, “You have to stay warm, or you’ll catch cold.”
  35. commissary
    a retail store that sells equipment and provisions
    On Saturday, Abuela takes us back to the Dyess Air Force Base. We go to the commissary first, to buy groceries.
Created on Sat Jul 06 17:59:38 EDT 2024 (updated Tue Jul 16 13:59:55 EDT 2024)

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.