| Term | Definition |
| Ponyboy Curtis | 14, parents dead, greaser, narrator and protagonist |
| Darrell Curtis | oldest brother, greaser, responsible, quit school to raise ponyboy and sodapop |
| Sodapop Curtis | greaser-happy go lucky, handsome, plans to marry Sandy |
| Two-Bit | Greaser, joker, shoplifts |
| Dallas-Dally | toughest, gangs, violent, criminal record |
| Johnny | smallest, shy, abused, gangs pet, respectful, scared |
| Cherry | Bob's girl friend |
| Randy | 17, a soc |
| Bob | 17, a soc, Cherry's boyfriend |
| Marica | Randy's girlfriend |
| Abruptly | suddenly |
| Aghast | Shocked |
| Aimlessly | without direction |
| Apprehensive | nervous |
| Content | satisfied |
| Conviction | with strong feeling |
| Debating | deciding |
| Eluded | escaped |
| Exploits | achievements |
| Gorged | full |
| Groggy | sleepy or dazed |
| Imploringly | beggingly |
| Indignant | in discust |
| Leery | suspicous |
| Mimicking | copying |
| Rarely | hardely ever |
| Recurring | keeps happening |
| Reluctantly | unwilling to |
| Resemblance | looks like |
| Ruefully | regretfully |
| Sarcasm | says something that means oppisite |
| Sullenly | with bad attitude |
| Vital | necessary |
| Winced | flinch |