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adv. in a way that requires a lot of effort.
He laboriously hollowed a canoe from a great cedar trunk, only to find he could not drag it to sea.
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adj. feeling anxious about something that may happen.
Crusoe grew deeply apprehensive after discovering the footprint, and doubled the height of his outer stockade that night.
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adj. done on purpose and with careful thought.
Every action Crusoe took was deliberate and measured, for a single miscalculation could cost him everything he had built.
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adj. feeling sad and lonely or deserted.
The desolate coastline offered no sign of passing ships, and the silence pressed in on him like a weight.
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v. to make stronger or more secure.
His first priority was to fortify his shelter against both the elements and any savages who might land.
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v. to create or perform without preparation.
Without a kiln he had to improvise, drying his earthen pots slowly under the fierce equatorial sun.
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adj. hardworking and diligent in tasks.
By nature industrious, he could not remain idle; even in despair his hands sought timber, clay, or grain.
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adv. in an orderly and systematic way.
He methodically catalogued every item rescued from the wreck, rationing supplies against an unknown length of exile.
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v. to continue despite difficulties or opposition or discouragement; adj. continuing despite difficulties opposition or discouragement
Crusoe was nothing if not persevering; he rebuilt his canoe three times before it finally held the water.
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adj. happening by good fortune or chance.
He regarded the sprouting barley as providential, a sign that heaven had not entirely forsaken his small patch.
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adj. able to find quick and clever ways to do things.
Crusoe proved remarkably resourceful, fashioning tools from salvaged timber long before his first harvest came in.
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adj. to save or rescue something from harm or destruction.
He waded back to the wreck repeatedly, determined to retrieve every salvageable plank before the tide turned against him.
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adj. able to get along without any help from others
After five years he had become entirely self-sufficient, growing grain, raising goats, and curing his own provisions.
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adj. being alone or without companions.
The solitary years wore upon his spirit, yet Crusoe filled each day with labour to keep despair at bay.
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adv. In a manner that is very determined to do something and not easily discouraged.
He tenaciously maintained his calendar, cutting notches into the post lest he lose all reckoning of the days.
