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adj. clever at tricking others; sly;
The Artful Dodger cunningly slipped through the marketplace crowd, leaving no trace of his nimble-fingered work behind.
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adj. deserving of or viewed with contempt; disgraceful; dishonorable
The magistrate regarded the trembling orphan as contemptible, unworthy of the court's patience or its charity.
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v. to draw back or crouch down in fearful submission
Oliver stood cowering in the corner as Fagin's sharp eyes swept the room, counting every stolen handkerchief.
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v. to reduce from a higher to a lower rank or degree; adj. 1 used of conduct; characterized by dishonor; 2 harmful to the mind or morals
Oliver endured every degrading task assigned to him, yet his gentle spirit refused to be entirely broken.
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adj. lacking basic necessities like food and shelter.
The destitute children huddled together in the workhouse yard, their thin coats no match for the bitter cold.
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adj. having lost possession of something valuable.
Oliver was entirely dispossessed, stripped of name, family, and fortune by those who conspired against his birth.
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n. a person who pretends to be different or better than he or she really is; adj. being a hypocrite
The parish authorities were hypocritical in their charity, advertising generosity while delivering only cruelty and gruel.
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v. to control or influence something skillfully.
Fagin could manipulate the youngest children with extraordinary skill, binding them to his service before they knew it.
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adv. in a way that shows no mercy or kindness.
Sikes mercilessly drove the boy through the freezing streets, indifferent to his exhaustion or his terror.
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adv. in an unyielding or unbending or adamant manner
The authorities pursued the pickpocket gang relentlessly through the fog-choked alleys of the Seven Dials.
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adj. 1 dirty or foul as from neglect; 2 morally repugnant; sordid
The squalid lodging house where Fagin kept his charges reeked of damp straw and long-extinguished tallow candles.
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v. to shake or tremble with cold or fear or excitement
Oliver stood trembling before the board of governors, his empty bowl extended in that unforgettable act of asking.
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adj. 1 of or relating to or associated with or resembling a dictatorship; 2 marked by unjust severity or arbitrary behavior
The tyrannical beadle strutted through the workhouse halls, delighting in every misery his authority could inflict.
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adj. without scruples or principles
Monks proved entirely unscrupulous, willing to destroy an innocent child to secure an inheritance he felt was his.
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adj. having or showing a strong desire for revenge.
Monks grew increasingly vindictive as each scheme to ruin Oliver unravelled before it could reach its cruel end.
