Literature: The Little Match Girl (Hans Christian Andersen) – Vocabulary List | Vocabulary.com

illustration

a visual representation to make a subject easy to understand

An
illustration for the story The Little Match Girl by the author Hans Christian Andersen

author

a person who writes professionally

An illustration for the story The Little Match Girl by the
author Hans Christian Andersen

scuffle

fight or struggle in a confused way at close quarters

They were very large slippers, which her mother had hitherto worn; so large were they; and the poor little thing lost them as she
scuffled away across the street, because of two carriages that rolled by dreadfully fast.

urchin

a poor and often mischievous city child

One slipper was nowhere to be found; the other had been laid hold of by an
urchin, and off he ran with it; he thought it would do capitally for a cradle when he some day or other should have children himself.

cradle

a baby bed with sides and rockers

One slipper was nowhere to be found; the other had been laid hold of by an urchin, and off he ran with it; he thought it would do capitally for a
cradle when he some day or other should have children himself.

tiny

very small

So the little maiden walked on with her
tiny naked feet, that were quite red and blue from cold.

quantity

how much there is or how many there are of something

She carried a
quantity of matches in an old apron, and she held a bundle of them in her hand.

creep

move slowly

She
crept along trembling with cold and hunger–a very picture of sorrow, the poor little thing!

sorrow

an emotion of great sadness associated with loss

She crept along trembling with cold and hunger–a very picture of
sorrow, the poor little thing!

gleaming

bright with a steady but subdued shining

From all the windows the candles were
gleaming, and it smelt so deliciously of roast goose, for you know it was New Year’s Eve; yes, of that she thought.

smelt

extract by heating, as a metal

From all the windows the candles were gleaming, and it
smelt so deliciously of roast goose, for you know it was New Year’s Eve; yes, of that she thought.

corner

the point where three areas or surfaces meet or intersect

In a
corner formed by two houses, of which one advanced more than the other, she seated herself down and cowered together.

advance

move forward

In a corner formed by two houses, of which one
advanced more than the other, she seated herself down and cowered together.

cower

crouch or curl up

In a corner formed by two houses, of which one advanced more than the other, she seated herself down and
cowered together.

venture

an undertaking with an uncertain outcome

Her little feet she had drawn close up to her, but she grew colder and colder, and to go home she did not
venture, for she had not sold any matches and could not bring a farthing of money: from her father she would certainly get blows, and at home it was cold too, for above her she had only the roof, through which the wind whistled, even though the largest cracks were stopped up with straw and rags.

certainly

definitely or positively

Her little feet she had drawn close up to her, but she grew colder and colder, and to go home she did not venture, for she had not sold any matches and could not bring a farthing of money: from her father she would
certainly get blows, and at home it was cold too, for above her she had only the roof, through which the wind whistled, even though the largest cracks were stopped up with straw and rags.

whistle

the sound made when someone forces breath through pursed lips

Her little feet she had drawn close up to her, but she grew colder and colder, and to go home she did not venture, for she had not sold any matches and could not bring a farthing of money: from her father she would certainly get blows, and at home it was cold too, for above her she had only the roof, through which the wind
whistled, even though the largest cracks were stopped up with straw and rags.

numb

lacking sensation

Her little hands were almost
numbed with cold.

afford

have the financial means to do something or buy something

Oh! a match might
afford her a world of comfort, if she only dared take a single one out of the bundle, draw it against the wall, and warm her fingers by it.

comfort

a state of being relaxed and feeling no pain

Oh! a match might afford her a world of
comfort, if she only dared take a single one out of the bundle, draw it against the wall, and warm her fingers by it.

blaze

a strong flame that burns brightly

“Rischt!” how it
blazed, how it burnt!

flame

combustion of materials producing heat and light and smoke

It was a warm, bright
flame, like a candle, as she held her hands over it: it was a wonderful light.

wonderful

extraordinarily good or great

It was a warm, bright flame, like a candle, as she held her hands over it: it was a
wonderful light.

burnish

polish and make shiny

It seemed really to the little maiden as though she were sitting before a large iron stove, with
burnished brass feet and a brass ornament at top.

ornament

something used to beautify

It seemed really to the little maiden as though she were sitting before a large iron stove, with burnished brass feet and a brass
ornament at top.

influence

a power to affect persons or events

The fire burned with such blessed
influence; it warmed so delightfully.

stretch

extend one’s limbs or muscles, or the entire body

The little girl had already
stretched out her feet to warm them too; but–the small flame went out, the stove vanished: she had only the remains of the burnt-out match in her hand.

vanish

become invisible or unnoticeable

The little girl had already stretched out her feet to warm them too; but–the small flame went out, the stove
vanished: she had only the remains of the burnt-out match in her hand.

transparent

able to be seen through with clarity

She rubbed another against the wall: it burned brightly, and where the light fell on the wall, there the wall became
transparent like a veil, so that she could see into the room.

splendid

characterized by grandeur

On the table was spread a snow-white tablecloth; upon it was a
splendid porcelain service, and the roast goose was steaming famously with its stuffing of apple and dried plums.

porcelain

ceramic ware made of a more or less translucent ceramic

On the table was spread a snow-white tablecloth; upon it was a splendid
porcelain service, and the roast goose was steaming famously with its stuffing of apple and dried plums.

service

an act of help or assistance

On the table was spread a snow-white tablecloth; upon it was a splendid porcelain
service, and the roast goose was steaming famously with its stuffing of apple and dried plums.

magnificent

characterized by grandeur

Now there she was sitting under the most
magnificent Christmas tree: it was still larger, and more decorated than the one which she had seen through the glass door in the rich merchant’s house.

decorate

make more attractive, as by adding ornament or color

Now there she was sitting under the most magnificent Christmas tree: it was still larger, and more
decorated than the one which she had seen through the glass door in the rich merchant’s house.

branch

a division of a stem arising from the main stem of a plant

Thousands of lights were burning on the green
branches, and gaily-colored pictures, such as she had seen in the shop-windows, looked down upon her.

ascend

travel up

“Someone is just dead!” said the little girl; for her old grandmother, the only person who had loved her, and who was now no more, had told her, that when a star falls, a soul
ascends to God.

radiant

emanating or as if emanating light

She drew another match against the wall: it was again light, and in the lustre there stood the old grandmother, so bright and
radiant, so mild, and with such an expression of love.

delicious

extremely pleasing to the sense of taste

You go away when the match burns out; you vanish like the warm stove, like the
delicious roast goose, and like the magnificent Christmas tree!”

brilliant

full of light; shining intensely

And the matches gave such a
brilliant light that it was brighter than at noon-day: never formerly had the grandmother been so beautiful and so tall.

anxiety

a vague unpleasant emotion in anticipation of a misfortune

She took the little maiden, on her arm, and both flew in brightness and in joy so high, so very high, and then above was neither cold, nor hunger, nor
anxiety–they were with God.

dawn

the first light of day

But in the corner, at the cold hour of
dawn, sat the poor girl, with rosy cheeks and with a smiling mouth, leaning against the wall–frozen to death on the last evening of the old year.

stark

severely simple

Stiff and
stark sat the child there with her matches, of which one bundle had been burnt.

slight

small in quantity or degree

No one had the
slightest suspicion of what beautiful things she had seen; no one even dreamed of the splendor in which, with her grandmother she had entered on the joys of a new year.

suspicion

an impression that something might be the case

No one had the slightest
suspicion of what beautiful things she had seen; no one even dreamed of the splendor in which, with her grandmother she had entered on the joys of a new year.

splendor

the quality of being magnificent or grand

No one had the slightest suspicion of what beautiful things she had seen; no one even dreamed of the
splendor in which, with her grandmother she had entered on the joys of a new year.