100 words to know before reading Frankenstein

1. Extremely ugly or unpleasant to look at.
2. Morally offensive or shocking.

asked me—“How I, when a young girl, came to think of, and to dilate upon, so very hideous an idea?” It is true that I am very averse to bringing myself forward in print; but as my account

1. Restricted within limits; not free to move or act.
2. Enclosed or shut in a space.

we partook with him. But it proved a wet, ungenial summer, and incessant rain often confined us for days to the house. Some volumes of ghost stories, translated from the German into French,

1. Barely; almost not at all.
2. Only just; by a very small margin.

the idea at greater length. I certainly did not owe the suggestion of one incident, nor scarcely of one train of feeling, to my husband, and yet but for his incitement, it would never have taken

1. Dull, bleak, and lifeless; depressing.
2. Causing sadness or gloom.

I announced that I had thought of a story. I began that day with the words, It was on a dreary night of November, making only a transcript of the grim terrors of my waking dream. At first I

1. Wearing clothes or garments.
2. Covered or dressed in a particular way.

one among us who put his thoughts upon paper. These, as he brought them successively to us, clothed in all the light and harmony of poetry, seemed to stamp as divine the glories of heaven and

1. Inhabited or visited by ghosts or spirits.
2. Troubled or disturbed persistently by memories, fears, or emotions.

white high Alps were beyond. I could not so easily get rid of my hideous phantom; still it haunted me. I must try to think of something else. I recurred to my ghost story—my tiresome unlucky

1. Made a sincere and determined effort to achieve something.
2. Attempted or tried hard to accomplish a task or goal.

than any which the ordinary relations of existing events can yield. I have thus endeavoured to preserve the truth of the elementary principles of human nature, while I have not scrupled to

1. (archaic) You (singular), used as the object of a verb or preposition.
2. (poetic) A form of 'you' in older or religious texts.

“Did I request thee, Maker, from my clay To mould me Man, did I solicit thee From darkness to promote me?” Paradise Lost, X, 743–45

1. Being with someone or something else, often for support or company.
2. Having additional elements or features present alongside the main item.

in its worst shape. One day, when my father had gone by himself to Milan, my mother, accompanied by me, visited this abode. She found a peasant and his wife, hard working, bent down by care and

1. A task or project that is taken on, often one that is difficult or important.
2. A formal pledge or promise to do something.

the secret of the magnet, which, if at all possible, can only be effected by an undertaking such as mine. These reflections have dispelled the agitation with which I began my letter, and I

1. A feeling of great pleasure or joy.
2. Something that gives great pleasure.

attachment with which all regarded her became, while I shared it, my pride and my delight. On the evening previous to her being brought to my home, my mother had said playfully, “I have a

1. A long journey involving travel by sea or in space.
2. The act or process of traveling from one place to another.

to conquer all fear of danger or death, and to induce me to commence this laborious voyage with the joy a child feels when he embarks in a little boat, with his holiday mates, on an

1. Long journeys, especially by sea or space.
2. Travels or expeditions to distant places.

Ocean through the seas which surround the pole. You may remember, that a history of all the voyages made for purposes of discovery composed the whole of our good uncle Thomas’s library. My

1. People who work on ships or boats, especially as crew members.
2. Members of a navy, typically enlisted personnel.

endured cold, famine, thirst, and want of sleep; I often worked harder than the common sailors during the day, and devoted my nights to the study of mathematics, the theory of medicine, and

1. Intense and eager enjoyment or interest in something.
2. A strong feeling of excitement or passion for an activity or cause.

but I will disclose a secret. I have often attributed my attachment to, my passionate enthusiasm for, the dangerous mysteries of ocean, to that production of the most imaginative of modern

1. A determined effort or attempt to achieve something.
2. A project or mission, especially one involving exploration or research.

motion. Frightful must it be; for supremely frightful would be the effect of any human endeavour to mock the stupendous mechanism of the Creator of the world. His success would terrify the

1. Having knowledge or experience of something.
2. Familiar with someone or something.

by cultivation, retains some of the noblest endowments of humanity. I first became acquainted with him on board a whale vessel: finding that he was unemployed in this city, I easily engaged

1. Strong winds, typically with a speed of 32–63 mph (51–102 km/h).
2. Periods of loud, unrestrained laughter.

latitude; but it is the height of summer, and although not so warm as in England, the southern gales, which blow us speedily towards those shores which I so ardently desire to attain, breathe a

1. Until now or until the point in time under discussion.
2. Up to this time; previously.

emotion in her soft and benevolent mind. Her health, and even the tranquillity of her hitherto constant spirit, had been shaken by what she had gone through. During the two years that had

1. A vehicle on runners for traveling over snow or ice, typically pulled by animals or a motor.
2. A heavy hammer used in blacksmithing or demolition work.

I fancy we have seen him; for the day before we picked you up, we saw some dogs drawing a sledge, with a man in it, across the ice.” This aroused the stranger’s attention; and he asked a

1. A person's face or facial expression.
2. Support or approval of something.

But I—I have lost everything, and cannot begin life anew.” As he said this, his countenance became expressive of a calm settled grief, that touched me to the heart. But he was silent, and

1. A feeling of deep sadness or sorrow, often without a clear cause.
2. A pensive or reflective sadness, sometimes with a poetic quality.

his full-toned voice swells in my ears; his lustrous eyes dwell on me with all their melancholy sweetness; I see his thin hand raised in animation, while the lineaments of his face are

1. A state of rest or relaxation.
2. The act of lying down or being at rest.

idle curiosity, in a state of body and mind whose restoration evidently depended upon entire repose. Once, however, the lieutenant asked, Why he had come so far upon the ice in so strange a

1. Partial or total darkness; dimness.
2. A state of melancholy or depression.

to my convalescence. I felt also sentiments of joy and affection revive in my bosom; my gloom disappeared, and in a short time I became as cheerful as before I was attacked by the fatal

1. A feeling of hopelessness or deep sadness.
2. The complete loss or absence of hope.

house, which was situated in a mean street, near the Reuss. But when he entered, misery and despair alone welcomed him. Beaufort had saved but a very small sum of money from the wreck of his

1. To begin or start something.
2. To formally start an event or ceremony.

and they are sufficient to conquer all fear of danger or death, and to induce me to commence this laborious voyage with the joy a child feels when he embarks in a little boat, with his

1. A person's inherent qualities of mind and character.
2. The way something is placed or arranged.

into poverty. This man, whose name was Beaufort, was of a proud and unbending disposition, and could not bear to live in poverty and oblivion in the same country where he had formerly

1. A place where someone lives; a home or residence.
2. (Archaic) A stay or continuance in a place.

an orphan and a beggar. She continued with her foster parents, and bloomed in their rude abode, fairer than a garden rose among dark-leaved brambles. When my father returned from Milan, he

1. A child whose parents are deceased or absent.
2. A first line of a paragraph appearing alone at the bottom of a page (printing).

of subsistence decreased; and in the tenth month her father died in her arms, leaving her an orphan and a beggar. This last blow overcame her; and she knelt by Beaufort’s coffin, weeping bitterly,

1. Kind and generous in nature or intent.
2. Showing goodwill or a desire to help others.

the frontiers of Italy, they passed a week on the shores of the Lake of Como. Their benevolent disposition often made them enter the cottages of the poor. This, to my mother, was more than a

1. Given or presented as a gift or honor.
2. Granted or conferred upon someone.

and looked upon Elizabeth as mine—mine to protect, love, and cherish. All praises bestowed on her, I received as made to a possession of my own. We called each other familiarly by the name

1. Intense enthusiasm or passion.
2. Emotional warmth or fervor.

of love to soften and attract: I might have become sullen in my study, rough through the ardour of my nature, but that she was there to subdue me to a semblance of her own gentleness. And

1. A physical need or desire to drink liquids.
2. A strong craving or longing for something (e.g., thirst for knowledge).

whale-fishers on several expeditions to the North Sea; I voluntarily endured cold, famine, thirst, and want of sleep; I often worked harder than the common sailors during the day, and devoted my

1. A city in Switzerland, known for diplomacy and international organizations.
2. A type of strong alcoholic beverage, like gin.

in the eighteenth century; but while I followed the routine of education in the schools of Geneva, I was, to a great degree, self taught with regard to my favourite studies. My father was not

1. A Latin word meaning "great" or "large."
2. A given name of Scandinavian origin.

I little expected, in this enlightened and scientific age, to find a disciple of Albertus Magnus and Paracelsus. My dear sir, you must begin your studies entirely anew.” So saying, he stepped

1. The act of leaving a place or starting a journey.
2. A deviation from a usual or expected course or standard.

learn to think ourselves fortunate, whilst one remains whom the spoiler has not seized. My departure for Ingolstadt, which had been deferred by these events, was now again determined upon. I

1. To convince someone to do or believe something through reasoning or argument.
2. To influence someone's thoughts or actions by appealing to their emotions or logic.

departure at length arrived. Clerval spent the last evening with us. He had endeavoured to persuade his father to permit him to accompany me, and to become my fellow student; but in vain. His

1. The reflexive form of "we," referring to the speaker and others.
2. Used for emphasis to indicate "we" and no one else.

“we are unfashioned creatures, but half made up, if one wiser, better, dearer than ourselves—such a friend ought to be—do not lend his aid to perfectionate our weak and faulty natures. I

1. Used to emphasize a statement or response.
2. Truly or certainly (often expressing agreement).

to me; and, above all, I desired to see my sweet Elizabeth in some degree consoled. She indeed veiled her grief, and strove to act the comforter to us all. She looked steadily on life, and

1. Questions or requests for information.
2. Official investigations or examinations.

upon the brink of becoming acquainted, if cowardice or carelessness did not restrain our enquiries. I revolved these circumstances in my mind, and determined thenceforth to apply myself more

1. To form or develop an idea or plan in the mind.
2. To become pregnant with a child.

vessel,” said he, “will you have the kindness to inform me whither you are bound?” You may conceive my astonishment on hearing such a question addressed to me from a man on the brink of

1. A miserable or unfortunate person.
2. A contemptible or despicable individual.

of that countenance. A mummy again endued with animation could not be so hideous as that wretch. I had gazed on him while unfinished; he was ugly then; but when those muscles and joints were

1. Trying hard to achieve something.
2. Making a sincere effort or attempt.

I, who had ever been surrounded by amiable companions, continually engaged in endeavouring to bestow mutual pleasure, I was now alone. In the university, whither I was going, I must form

1. Occupied or lived in by people or animals.
2. Populated or settled in a particular area.

of the street would present to my view. I did not dare return to the apartment which I inhabited, but felt impelled to hurry on, although drenched by the rain which poured from a black and

1. Shook involuntarily, typically due to fear, cold, or excitement.
2. Vibrated slightly, often referring to objects or surfaces.

hope, that all these employments are now at an end, and that I am at length free.” I trembled excessively; I could not endure to think of, and far less to allude to, the occurrences of the

1. The reflexive form of "you," referring to the person being addressed.
2. Used to emphasize the subject "you."

will be useful to you; yet, when I reflect that you are pursuing the same course, exposing yourself to the same dangers which have rendered me what I am, I imagine that you may deduce an apt moral

1. A title of respect for a woman, equivalent to "Mrs." or "Madam."
2. Used to address or refer to a woman in a formal or polite manner.

of having caused the deaths of her brothers and sister. Perpetual fretting at length threw Madame Moritz into a decline, which at first increased her irritability, but she is now at peace

1. Formed an idea or plan in the mind.
2. Understood or imagined something in a particular way.

whilst I was yet engaged in my laboratory. As I applied so closely, it may be easily conceived that my progress was rapid. My ardour was indeed the astonishment of the students, and my

1. Began or started something.
2. Formally initiated an action or process.

most melodious verse that adorns our language, than to invent the machinery of a story, commenced one founded on the experiences of his early life. Poor Polidori had some terrible idea about a

1. Physical feelings or perceptions from stimuli (e.g., touch, taste).
2. Strong emotions or excitement.

whenever the safety of others is committed to my care. I cannot describe to you my sensations on the near prospect of my undertaking. It is impossible to communicate to you a conception of

1. Severe mental or physical pain or suffering.
2. Extreme distress or torment.

the print of the murderer’s finger was on his neck. “He was conveyed home, and the anguish that was visible in my countenance betrayed the secret to Elizabeth. She was very earnest to see

1. To shed tears as an expression of emotion, such as sadness or joy.
2. To exude liquid slowly, like a weeping wound or tree.

with his angel mother! Who that had seen him bright and joyous in his young beauty, but must weep over his untimely loss! To die so miserably; to feel the murderer’s grasp! How much more a

1. An expression of sorrow, regret, or grief (interjection).
2. Unfortunately or sadly (adverb).

of your father. Elizabeth, my love, you must supply my place to my younger children. Alas! I regret that I am taken from you; and, happy and beloved as I have been, is it not hard to quit

1. Belonging to you (archaic or poetic form of "your").
2. Short for "thyroid" in medical contexts (informal).

I clasped my hands, and exclaimed aloud, “William, dear angel! this is thy funeral, this thy dirge!” As I said these words, I perceived in the gloom a figure which stole from behind a clump

1. Extremely unhappy or unfortunate.
2. Of poor quality; very bad.

that, knowing my father’s advanced age, and unfitness for so long a journey, and how wretched my sickness would make Elizabeth, he spared them this grief by concealing the extent of my

1. Officially declared unfit for use or unsafe (e.g., a condemned building).
2. Sentenced to punishment, especially death (e.g., a condemned prisoner).

the cause of my visit. The ballots had been thrown; they were all black, and Justine was condemned. I cannot pretend to describe what I then felt. I had before experienced sensations of horror;

1. Past tense of "weep," meaning to shed tears, often due to sadness or pain.
2. To express grief, sorrow, or strong emotion through crying.

I discovered more distinctly the black sides of Jura, and the bright summit of Mont Blanc. I wept like a child. “Dear mountains! my own beautiful lake! how do you welcome your wanderer? Your

1. Public shame or disgrace.
2. Dishonorable or humiliating conduct.

obdurate. Dear lady, I had none to support me; all looked on me as a wretch doomed to ignominy and perdition. What could I do? In an evil hour I subscribed to a lie; and now only am I truly

1. Deep regret or guilt for a wrong committed.
2. A feeling of sorrow or repentance for past actions.

of the grave have succeeded to your sad torments! Thus spoke my prophetic soul, as, torn by remorse, horror, and despair, I beheld those I loved spend vain sorrow upon the graves of William and

1. The state of being alone without companions.
2. A peaceful or isolated place.

sustained. I shunned the face of man; all sound of joy or complacency was torture to me; solitude was my only consolation—deep, dark, deathlike solitude. My father observed with pain the

1. An evil spirit or demon.
2. A wicked or cruel person.

was always scope for fear, so long as anything I loved remained behind. My abhorrence of this fiend cannot be conceived. When I thought of him, I gnashed my teeth, my eyes became inflamed, and I

1. Deep sorrow or distress.
2. An exclamation of grief or lamentation.

the deep and voiceless grief of my Elizabeth. This also was my doing! And my father’s woe, and the desolation of that late so smiling home—all was the work of my thrice-accursed hands!

1. A large mass of ice formed from compacted snow that moves slowly over land.
2. A persistent body of dense ice flowing under its own weight.

the surrounding mountains. Presently a breeze dissipated the cloud, and I descended upon the glacier. The surface is very uneven, rising like the waves of a troubled sea, descending low, and

1. The highest point of a mountain or hill.
2. A meeting or conference of high-level leaders.

melancholy clouded every thought. The rain was pouring in torrents, and thick mists hid the summits of the mountains, so that I even saw not the faces of those mighty friends. Still I would

1. Regarded with disgust or hatred.
2. Strongly disliked or detested.

glut the maw of death, until it be satiated with the blood of your remaining friends.” “Abhorred monster! fiend that thou art! the tortures of hell are too mild a vengeance for thy crimes.

1. Go away; leave (often used as a command).
2. To depart or disappear.

me? and do not you fear the fierce vengeance of my arm wreaked on your miserable head? Begone, vile insect! or rather, stay, that I may trample you to dust! and, oh! that I could, with the

1. Awakened from sleep or inactivity.
2. Stirred to action or emotion.

side of a brook resting from my fatigue, until I felt tormented by hunger and thirst. This roused me from my nearly dormant state, and I ate some berries which I found hanging on the trees, or

1. Small, pulpy fruits often sweet or sour, typically eaten raw.
2. Any small, juicy fruits with or without seeds, like strawberries or blueberries.

to dress my food in the same manner, placing it on the live embers. I found that the berries were spoiled by this operation, and the nuts and roots much improved. “Food, however, became

1. A small, poorly built, and often dirty house or shelter.
2. A shed or outbuilding used for storage or shelter.

of the cottage it was tolerably warm. “Being thus provided, I resolved to reside in this hovel, until something should occur which might alter my determination. It was indeed a paradise,

1. A small, simple house, typically in a rural or semi-rural area.
2. A vacation home, often in a scenic location.

appearance after the palaces I had beheld in the village. This hovel, however, joined a cottage of a neat and pleasant appearance; but, after my late dearly bought experience, I dared not enter

1. People who live in a cottage.
2. In British slang, supporters of Fulham Football Club (from their stadium near cottages).

my hovel. The girl was young, and of gentle demeanour, unlike what I have since found cottagers and farmhouse servants to be. Yet she was meanly dressed, a coarse blue petticoat and a linen

1. Respected due to age, wisdom, or character.
2. Worthy of reverence, especially in religious contexts.

place where I had last embraced my father before my departure for Ingolstadt. Beloved and venerable parent! He still remained to me. I gazed on the picture of my mother, which stood over the

1. Used as a reflexive pronoun to refer to a group previously mentioned.
2. Used for emphasis to refer to a group previously mentioned.

is modest; an excellent quality in a young man. Young men should be diffident of themselves, you know, M. Clerval: I was myself when young; but that wears out in a very short time.” M.

1. A feeling of deep distress caused by loss or disappointment.
2. An event or circumstance that causes sadness or grief.

and he advanced to the couch of the blooming youths, cradled in healthy sleep. Eternal sorrow sat upon his face as he bent down and kissed the forehead of the boys, who from that hour

1. Facial expressions or appearances.
2. Supports or approves of something.

the horror of my situation; and when I perceived that the popular voice, and the countenances of the judges, had already condemned my unhappy victim, I rushed out of the court in agony. The

1. Made of or resembling lace fabric.
2. Decorated with or as if with lace.

and wonderful to one so utterly inexperienced as I was. “The name of the old man was De Lacey. He was descended from a good family in France, where he had lived for many years in affluence,

1. A native or inhabitant of Turkey.
2. A member of the Turkic-speaking ethnic group.

allowed to take a rank in society, was enchanting to her. “The day for the execution of the Turk was fixed; but, on the night previous to it, he quitted his prison, and before morning was

1. A type of straw hat made from plaited straw, originally from Italy.
2. A breed of chicken known for its high egg production.

apartment, and told her hastily, that he had reason to believe that his residence at Leghorn had been divulged, and that he should speedily be delivered up to the French government; he had,

1. Feelings of deep distress caused by loss, disappointment, or grief.
2. Causes or instances of such distress.

for her virtues, and a desire to be the means of, in some degree, recompensing her for the sorrows she had endured, but which gave inexpressible grace to his behaviour to her. Everything was made

1. Friendly and pleasant in manner.
2. Good-natured and easy to get along with.

notwithstanding all the evidence. Indeed, who would credit that Justine Moritz, who was so amiable, and fond of all the family, could suddenly become capable of so frightful, so appalling a

1. Intense physical or mental suffering.
2. Extreme distress or pain.

that I beheld the accomplishment of my toils. With an anxiety that almost amounted to agony, I collected the instruments of life around me, that I might infuse a spark of being into the

1. Past tense of flee; ran away from danger or trouble.
2. Having left quickly to escape.

but a weight of despair and remorse pressed on my heart, which nothing could remove. Sleep fled from my eyes; I wandered like an evil spirit, for I had committed deeds of mischief beyond

1. Unable to understand something clearly
2. Feeling uncertain or hesitant

speaking, and fixed his looks upon me in expectation of a reply. But I was bewildered, perplexed, and unable to arrange my ideas sufficiently to understand the full extent of his proposition. He

1. To exchange or switch places or things.
2. A road junction where traffic flows are separated at different levels.

He continued— “You must create a female for me, with whom I can live in the interchange of those sympathies necessary for my being. This you alone can do; and I demand it of you as a

1. (adjective) Empty, barren, or devoid of life.
2. (adjective) Feeling or showing loneliness or despair.

I could seize him, and educate him as my companion and friend, I should not be so desolate in this peopled earth. “Urged by this impulse, I seized on the boy as he passed, and drew him

1. To give or present as a gift or honor.
2. To apply or devote (time, effort, etc.).

There was the tale of the sinful founder of his race, whose miserable doom it was to bestow the kiss of death on all the younger sons of his fated house, just when they reached the age of

1. To see or observe something, often with awe or wonder.
2. An exclamation used to draw attention to something remarkable.

he had looked upon as the cradle of life. He sleeps; but he is awakened; he opens his eyes; behold the horrid thing stands at his bedside, opening his curtains, and looking on him with yellow,

1. To leave or go away from a place.
2. To deviate from a planned course or topic.

no ambition to lose my life on the post-road between St. Petersburgh and Archangel. I shall depart for the latter town in a fortnight or three weeks; and my intention is to hire a ship there,

1. To begin again or start over after a pause or interruption.
2. To resume an activity or process that was previously stopped.

by the warmth of the sun, which shone brightly on the white ground, I determined to recommence my travels; and, depositing the remains of the peasant’s breakfast in a wallet I found, I

1. Dark or poorly lit; dim.
2. Feeling sad or depressed.

go alone.” The idea of this visit was torture to me, yet I could not refuse. We entered the gloomy prison-chamber, and beheld Justine sitting on some straw at the farther end; her hands were

1. A major river in Europe flowing through Switzerland, Germany, and the Netherlands.
2. A historical region along the Rhine River.

and neither saw the descent of the evening star, nor the golden sunrise reflected in the Rhine.—And you, my friend, would be far more amused with the journal of Clerval, who observed the

1. Causing irritation or frustration.

on the lake after that hour, had rendered our residence within the walls of Geneva very irksome to me. I was now free. Often, after the rest of the family had retired for the night, I took the

1. Extreme misery or unhappiness.
2. A state of being in poor or pitiable condition.

he retreated with his daughter to the town of Lucerne, where he lived unknown and in wretchedness. My father loved Beaufort with the truest friendship, and was deeply grieved by his retreat in

1. A background process in computing that performs tasks without user interaction.
2. A mythological supernatural being or spirit, often malevolent.

stranger’s attention; and he asked a multitude of questions concerning the route which the daemon, as he called him, had pursued. Soon after, when he was alone with me, he said, “I have,

1. Shook or trembled suddenly, often due to fear, cold, or disgust.
2. Reacted with a brief, involuntary movement of the body.

threats: but now, for the first time, the wickedness of my promise burst upon me; I shuddered to think that future ages might curse me as their pest, whose selfishness had not hesitated to

1. A civil officer who administers the law, especially at a local level.
2. A judicial officer with limited authority to hear and decide certain cases.

Is not this a free country?” “Ay, sir, free enough for honest folks. Mr. Kirwin is a magistrate; and you are to give an account of the death of a gentleman who was found murdered here last

1. A state of nervous excitement or unrest.
2. The act of stirring or shaking something vigorously.

to him to take up the letter, while I walked up and down the room in the extremest agitation. Tears also gushed from the eyes of Clerval, as he read the account of my misfortune. “I can

1. A state of peace and calm.
2. Freedom from disturbance or agitation.

hanging in the stars, and ready to envelope me. Her victory was announced by an unusual tranquillity and gladness of soul, which followed the relinquishing of my ancient and latterly tormenting

1. To apply physical or mental effort.
2. To put into vigorous action.

had an accusation to make; that I knew the destroyer of my family; and that I required him to exert his whole authority for the apprehension of the murderer. The magistrate listened to me with

1. Punishment inflicted in retaliation for harm or wrongdoing.
2. Desire for revenge or retribution.

cruel, miserable death of her youngest darling! “Come, Victor; not brooding thoughts of vengeance against the assassin, but with feelings of peace and gentleness, that will heal, instead of