23. serene
3
Morrie enjoyed watching life continue outside his window,
and felt a sense of serenity while gazing at nature.
calm, peaceful, untroubled; tranquil (adj.)
27. stagnate
5
He refused to let his life stagnate simply because he
was dying; instead, he turned death into one of the
most important lessons he ever taught..
cease to flow or move; stop developing
(v.)
29. insidious
6
As a result of the ALS, Morrie began to notice the
insidious decay of his body.
proceeding in a gradual, subtle way but
with harmful effects (adj.)
31. lament
7
Rather than lamenting the news about his dying
professor, Mitch decided to visit him every Tuesday
and learn from him in the process.
a passionate expression of grief or sorrow (n.)
to mourn, or express deep grief about (v.)
33. ambivalent
8
Since Mitch’s brother wanted his solitude, Mitch was
ambivalent about contacting him when he became ill.
having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas
about someone or something (adj.)
35. inherent
9
It was Morrie’s belief that we are all inherently
good, and that we turn evil only when threatened in
some way.
exisAng in someone or something as an
essenAal aBribute; intrinsic (adj.)
43. nostalgia
13
Occasionally he would succumb to nostalgia, but
he preferred to focus on the moment at hand.
a senAmental longing or wisEul affecAon
for the past (n.)
47. aphorism
15
Morrie had a slew of aphorisms; one of his favorites
was “When you learn how to die, you learn how to
live.”
an observaAon or saying that contains
general truth (v.)
