Word |
Definition |
Sample Sentence |
Abundant |
Present in large quantities. |
Living close to a lake means we have an abundant supply of water. |
Accumulate |
To gradually collect. |
Each fall, leaves accumulate in our driveway. |
Accurate |
Correct; free from errors. |
Make sure your address is accurate before submitting your online order. |
Accustomed |
Used to something. |
Having 8AM classes means I’m accustomed to getting up early. |
Acquire |
To come into possession of. |
When my grandmother died, I acquired her cookbook collection. |
Adamant |
Refusing to change an opinion. |
The defendant was adamant that he was innocent. |
Adequate |
Enough to suit your needs. |
Our house isn’t big, but it’s adequate for the two of us. |
Adjacent |
Close to or next to. |
The park is adjacent to the school. |
Adjust |
To change something so it serves its purpose better. |
The bike seat may be too high; you’ll probably need to adjust it. |
Advantage |
Something that makes it easier to achieve success. |
His height gives him an advantage in basketball. |
Advocate |
To publicly support. |
My aunt is a major advocate for women’s’ rights. |
Adverse |
Unfavorable; against one’s desires. |
I had an adverse reaction to my medication and had to stop taking it. |
Aggregate |
To combine. |
We should aggregate our resources to share them more easily. |
Aggressive |
Assertive and pushy. |
The salesperson was very aggressive when trying to get us to buy the television. |
Allocate |
To put aside for a specific purpose. |
The village needs to allocate funds for building the new school. |
Alternative |
Another option or choice. |
If the ATM is broken, an alternative solution is to stop by the bank. |
Amateur |
Someone who is inexperienced or not highly skilled in a particular area. |
He’s an amateur soccer player and is still learning the rules of the game. |
Ambiguous |
Having several potential meanings; unclear and difficult to understand. |
When I asked the HR manager what my chances were of getting the job, she gave me a very ambiguous reply. |
Ambitious |
Having large goals. |
My son is very ambitious and hopes to be a millionaire by the time he’s thirty. |
Amend |
To change for the better; to improve. |
I believe we should amend our country’s tax laws. |
Ample |
Plentiful. |
Our new apartment has ample space for the two of us. |
Anomaly |
Deviation from the norm. |
The basketball player is the team’s best free thrower, so his missing both shots was an anomaly. |
Annual |
Occurring yearly. |
The annual company barbeque takes place every August. |
Antagonize |
To tease or be hostile towards a person or group. |
The boy loves to antagonize his little sister by pulling her hair. |
Attitude |
Manner or feeling. |
After she got grounded, the teenager had a bad attitude for the rest of the day. |
Attribute |
To give credit. |
Be sure to attribute credit to your sources when writing a research paper. |
Arbitrary |
Based on a whim or random decision. |
Flipping a coin is an arbitrary way to make a decision. |
Arduous |
Requiring a lot of effort. |
After you cross the bridge, there’s an arduous walk up the hill. |
Assuage |
To lessen a negative feeling. |
The mother assuaged her child’s fear of the dark. |
Assume |
To suppose without solid proof. |
I assumed he was rich because he worked as a lawyer. |
Augment |
To increase or make larger. |
She augments her regular salary by babysitting on the weekends. |
Benefit |
Something positive or advantageous. |
A benefit of doing homework on Friday is that your weekend will be free. |
Berate |
To scold. |
Our neighbor berated us after we broke his window playing baseball. |
Bestow |
To give as a gift. |
The medal was bestowed upon him by the president. |
Boast |
To brag or talk with excessive pride. |
He always boasts of his talents after he wins a game. |
Boost |
To help raise or increase something. |
I gave him a pep talk to boost his self-esteem before his speech. |
Brash |
Rude and tactless. |
The brash man always asked inappropriate questions. |
Brief |
Short (in terms of time). |
It will only have a brief meeting, so you’ll still have plenty of time for lunch. |
Brusque |
Abrupt to the point of rudeness. |
After being away for so long, I expected more than her brusque greeting. |
Cacophony |
A harsh, unpleasant mixture of noise. |
The cuckoo clock shop lets off a cacophony every hour. |
Cease |
To stop. |
I wish they would cease arguing. |
Censure |
To express strong disapproval. |
Every parent in our district censured the education cuts. |
Chronological |
Arranged in order of time or date. |
Put the historical events in chronological order to make them easier to study. |
Clarify |
To make clear; to remove confusion. |
I didn’t understand the instructions, so I asked the teacher to clarify them. |
Coalesce |
To combine or grow together. |
The people on the street eventually coalesced into a group. |
Coerce |
To force someone to do something against their will. |
The young boy was coerced into stealing by his friends. |
Cognizant |
Being aware or having knowledge of something. |
Before mountain climbing, you need to be cognizant of the risks. |
Cohesion |
Uniting; becoming one. |
Water molecules show strong cohesion when they stick together. |
Coincide |
To occur at the same time. |
This year Thanksgiving coincided with my birthday. |
Collapse |
To fall down or break down. |
The old building finally collapsed, leaving nothing but a pile of rubble. |
Collide |
To hit one another with a forceful impact. |
The two cars collided on the freeway. |
Commitment |
Dedication to a cause or activity. |
Joining a school play is a big commitment. You’ll need to practice every evening. |
Community |
A group of people who live or work together. |
The Chinese community in my city is hosting a New Year celebration next week. |
Conceal |
To hide. |
The mountains concealed the ocean from view. |
Concur |
To agree. |
He believes women should be paid as much as men, and I concur. |
Conflict |
A disagreement or fight. |
The conflict between the two families has been going on for generations. |
Constrain |
To restrict or repress. |
You should move your plant to a bigger pot, otherwise you’ll constrain its roots. |
Contemplate |
To consider thoughtfully. |
I spend a lot of time contemplating what career I want to have. |
Continuously |
To go on without stopping. |
My neighbors have been continuously blasting their music since last night. |
Contradict |
To give the opposite opinion. |
I told the employees that sales were down, but my boss contradicted me and said sales were actually up. |
Contribute |
To give something (usually money or time) to a common fund or cause. |
Every roommate contributes part of his paycheck to the grocery bill. |
Convey |
To make known. |
I’ve conveyed my interest in working for that company. |
Copious |
Abundant. |
He always takes copious notes during class to study later on. |
Core |
Central; of main importance. |
Although many employees left the company, the core leadership remained. |
Corrode |
To gradually wear away. |
The rust corroded the paint on my car. |
Cumbersome |
Burdensome; clumsy |
Trying to carry four grocery bags at once was very cumbersome. |
Curriculum |
The courses given by a school or program. |
Our school needs to add more music courses to its curriculum. |
Data |
Facts, statistics, or pieces of information. |
The data from these graphs show that yearly temperatures are increasing. |
Decay |
To decline in health or excellence. |
After the tree died, its wood began to decay. |
Deceive |
To trick or mislead. |
He deceived me by pretending to be a millionaire. |
Decipher |
To find the meaning of. |
The spy deciphered the secret code. |
Declaration |
An announcement. |
He made a declaration to the office that he was quitting. |
Decline |
1. To politely refuse.
|
1. I declined his offer of a ride home.2. Her health has declined ever since she turned 70. |
Degrade |
To lower in quality. |
My attempt at cake degraded into a crumbly mess. |
Demonstrate |
To show. |
Let me demonstrate the proper way of throwing a football. |
Deny |
To state that something isn’t true. |
He denied being the robber. |
Deplete |
To significantly decrease. |
Your shopping sprees have depleted my savings. |
Deposit |
To deliver and leave an item. |
Please deposit your books in the bin outside the library. |
Desirable |
Worth having or wanting. |
Bravery is a desirable trait for firefighters to have. |
Despise |
To hate. |
I despise early morning classes. |
Detect |
To locate something. |
The police dog detected the missing child’s scent. |
Deter |
To discourage. |
The warning signs on the house deterred trespassers. |
Deviate |
To differ from the norm. |
I decided to deviate from my normal route home and took a shortcut. |
Devise |
To plan or create. |
The coach devised a plan for winning the game. |
Diatribe |
A sharp criticism or attack. |
The politician went into a diatribe against her opponent. |
Digress |
To wander from the main subject. |
The teacher digressed from the lecture to discuss the weather. |
Dilemma |
A situation where one must choose between two difficult choices. |
The student faced the dilemma of attending school sick or missing her exam. |
Diminish |
To shrink or reduce. |
Sprinkle baking soda on the carpet to diminish the stain. |
Dispose |
To get rid of. |
I need to dispose of this trash. |
Disproportionate |
Too large or small when compared to something else. |
The piece of pie I received was disproportionately small. |
Disrupt |
To interrupt by causing a disturbance. |
The protesters disrupted the politician’s speech. |
Distort |
To misrepresent. |
The camera filter distorted the image. |
Distribute |
To give portions of something. |
Distribute the materials evenly among the class. |
Diverse |
Showing a lot of variety. |
This city has a very diverse population. |
Divert |
To cause a change of course. |
Because of the accident, the police had to divert traffic down a side street. |
Dynamic |
Constantly changing. |
The theater has dynamic shows, so you never know what you’ll see. |
Ease |
To reduce unpleasantness or difficulty. |
This prescription will ease your allergies. |
Efficient |
Maximizing productivity. |
Now that I’m following a schedule at work, I’m much more efficient. |
Eliminate |
To remove. |
Our team lost the match and was eliminated from the competition. |
Elite |
A select, above-average group. |
The elite detective team were also sent for when there were big crimes. |
Eloquent |
Moving speech or writing. |
Her eloquent writing has gained her many fans. |
Emphasize |
To give special importance to when speaking or writing. |
The teacher emphasized the due date of the project. |
Endure |
To suffer through something difficult with patience. |
He has endured four knee operations so far. |
Enhance |
To intensify or magnify. |
The falling snow enhanced the beauty of the small village. |
Epitome |
A perfect example of something. |
The duchess is the epitome of class. |
Equivalent |
Equal. |
Twenty-four is equivalent to two dozen. |
Erroneous |
Incorrect. |
He apologized for his erroneous statement. |
Estimate |
An approximate value. |
Try to get an estimate of the number of people attending the concert. |
Evade |
To avoid or escape. |
By hiding in the bathroom, we were able to evade the intruder. |
Evaluate |
To assess. |
At the end of the class, every student will evaluate how well the professor taught. |
Evidence |
Facts or information that help prove or disprove something. |
These fossils are evidence of evolution. |
Evolve |
To gradually change. |
The small school evolved into a world-class institution. |
Exemplary |
Worthy of imitation. |
She is an exemplary student, and you should copy her study habits. |
Exclude |
To leave out. |
The young boy was excluded from his friends’ soccer game. |
Exclusive |
Not admitting the majority. |
We may not be able to get in since that club is very exclusive. |
Expand |
To increase in size. |
Adding air to bike tires will cause them to expand. |
Expertise |
Expert knowledge or skill in a particular field. |
The surgeon’s expertise is knee surgeries. |
Exploit |
To use selfishly. |
The company exploited its workers by making them work long hours. |
Expose |
To reveal or unmask. |
The emails presented exposed the company’s corruption. |
Extension |
An act of making something longer. |
If you’re sick on the day the paper is due, the teacher may give you an extension on the due date. |
Extract |
To get or remove something. |
The dentist extracted one of my teeth. |
Famine |
A time when there is an extreme lack of food. |
Millions of children in Ethiopia died due to the famine there. |
Feasible |
Possible to do. |
This study plan you made for me sounds feasible, even with my work schedule. |
Finite |
Having an end or limits. |
Remember that life is finite; you’re not immortal. |
Flaw |
A feature that ruins the perfection of something. |
I got the diamond for a reduced price since the stone had a flaw. |
Fluctuate |
To change continually. |
I’m not sure what to wear since the temperature has been fluctuating so much. |
Focus |
The central point or idea. |
The program is going to focus on environmental issues. |
Fortify |
To strengthen. |
The king decided to fortify the castle walls to protect them during attacks. |
Framework |
A skeletal structure designed to support something. |
Skyscrapers must have a strong framework to support all the floors. |
Frivolous |
Unnecessary; of little importance |
You must stop spending your money on frivolous purchases. |
Function |
A purpose natural to a person or thing. |
The function of petals is to attract insects to the plant. |
Fundamental |
Of primary importance. |
Learning scales is fundamental to being a good piano player. |
Gap |
A space in between to objects. |
Be careful to avoid the gap between the two steps. |
Garbled |
Communication that is distorted and unclear. |
Our answering machine is so bad that people’s voices are always garbled. |
Generate |
To produce. |
The fire generates heat, which keeps the room warm. |
Grandiose |
Pompous; overly important. |
The actress had only one small part before she got grandiose ideas of her fame. |
Hackneyed |
Overused and unoriginal. |
HIs poems contain many hackneyed phrases. |
Haphazard |
Lacking planning. |
There was no schedule, so the event was very haphazard. |
Harsh |
Not gentle; unpleasant. |
Her comments on my performance were very harsh and not kind at all. |
Hasty |
In a hurry. |
In order to avoid the police, the robbers made a hasty retreat. |
Hazardous |
Full of risk. |
The nuclear reactor has a lot of hazardous waste. |
Hesitate |
To pause, often due to reluctance. |
She hesitated before entering the abandoned building. |
Hierarchy |
A ranking system. |
In the office hierarchy, the manager is higher than the associate. |
Hindrance |
Something that causes delay or resistance. |
Her hatred of public transportation is a hindrance when trying to get around New York City. |
Hollow |
Empty inside. |
The dead tree is hollow. |
Horror |
An intense feeling of fear. |
The haunted house filled me with horror. |
Hostile |
Extremely unfriendly. |
My ex-boyfriend’s new girlfriend was very hostile towards me. |
Hypothesis |
An unproven idea that attempts to explain something. |
You’ll need to conduct an experiment to test your hypothesis. |
Identical |
Exactly the same. |
The twins were completely identical. |
Illiterate |
Unable to read. |
Because he’d never been able to attend school, the man was illiterate. |
Illustrate |
To explain by using an example. |
The professor illustrated the lesson with a personal story. |
Impact |
Effect or influence. |
His moving words had a large impact on me. |
Impair |
To worsen. |
Drinking alcohol will impair your driving abilities. |
Implement |
To carry out. |
We will implement the new schedule starting next semester. |
Imply |
To strongly suggest. |
My mother implied that I was the one who forgot to take out the trash. |
Impose |
To force upon. |
After the riots, the mayor imposed a curfew on the town. |
Impoverish |
To reduce to poverty. |
These medical bills are going to impoverish me. |
Incentive |
A reason to do something. |
I hate my job, but the big paychecks are a good incentive to stick with it. |
Incessant |
Continuing without pause. |
I can’t sleep because of the dog’s incessant barking. |
Incidental |
A minor part. |
Don’t worry about your grade on this quiz; it’s only an incidental part of your grade. |
Incite |
To urge on. |
The ringleader incited the soldiers to rebellion. |
Inclination |
A preference. |
My inclination is to go to bed early. |
Incompetent |
Incapable; lacking ability. |
The incompetent worker was fired from his job. |
Inconsistent |
Changing randomly. |
His pitching has been very inconsistent all season. |
Indefatigable |
Untiring. |
She is an indefatigable hiker and can walk all day. |
Indisputable |
Not able to be challenged. |
She’s the indisputable star of the basketball team. |
Ineffective |
Not producing any major impact. |
The drug was shown to be ineffective at curing cancer. |
Inevitable |
Unable to be avoided. |
Even if you’re healthy, death is inevitable in the end. |
Infer |
To guess based on evidence. |
I inferred that she was annoyed based on her body language. |
Inflate |
To increase in size. |
Getting a promotion has really inflated his ego. |
Influence |
The ability to have an impact of something. |
The older sister has been a positive influence on her younger siblings. |
Inhibit |
To hinder or restrain. |
This cleaning spray inhibits the growth of bacteria. |
Initial |
The first. |
She was the initial president of the company. |
Inquiry |
An investigation to determine the truth. |
Congress launched an inquiry after the senator was accused of taking bribes. |
Integral |
Necessary to complete the whole. |
You can’t quit. You’re an integral part of this team. |
Integrate |
To combine. |
When making a cake, you need to fully integrate the wet and dry ingredients. |
Interpret |
To explain the meaning of something. |
I need you to interpret this German speech for me. |
Intervene |
To come between people, objects, or an event and change what is happening. |
When the toddlers couldn’t share their toys, their mothers had to intervene. |
Intrepid |
Fearless. |
The intrepid mountain climber reached the top of Mt. Everest. |
Intricate |
Highly detailed. |
The pattern on this blanket is so intricate. |
Invasive |
Intrusive. |
We found the stranger’s questions too personal and very invasive. |
Investigate |
To examine or study. |
The police are going to investigate the crime scene. |
Irascible |
Easy to anger. |
Even though my grandfather seems irascible, he’s actually very loving. |
Irony |
The use of words to give a meaning opposite to their literal meaning. |
“I love spending my Friday nights doing homework,” she said with irony. |
Irresolute |
Uncertain. |
Not sure which direction to go in, he stood irresolute. |
Jargon |
Words specific to a certain job or group. |
To be a successful doctor, you’ll need to learn a lot of medical jargon. |
Jointly |
Together. |
The newlyweds jointly opened up a bank account. |
Knack |
A special talent or skill. |
My brother has a real knack for solving tricky math problems. |
Labor |
Work or effort. |
Building a house requires a lot of labor. |
Lag |
To fall behind. |
I stayed with the front group of runners for the first few miles, but after that I began to lag. |
Lampoon |
To mock or ridicule. |
The cartoonist lampooned the president’s speech. |
Languish |
To become weak; to be neglected. |
During winter break, my plants languished since I was visiting my parents and couldn’t water them. |
Lecture |
A talk given to an audience. |
The professor will give a 30 minute lecture before the quiz. |
Leery |
Wary. |
I’m leery of taking the dark-looking shortcut. |
Legitimate |
Lawful. |
The way he became mayor is completely legitimate. |
Lenient |
Merciful; less harsh. |
The judge gave the criminal a lenient sentence due to his bad childhood. |
Likely |
Probable. |
I don’t have much homework, so it’s likely I’ll be able to go out tonight. |
Ludicrous |
Ridiculous. |
His claims about me are absolutely ludicrous. |
Maintain |
To continue at the same level. |
She has maintained the same weight since high school. |
Major |
Very important. |
This test is a major part of your final grade. |
Manipulate |
To influence, especially in an unfair way. |
He tried to manipulate the results of the election. |
Maximize |
To increase to the greatest possible size. |
The store’s goal this year is to maximize its profit. |
Measure |
To find the size and dimensions of something. |
By measuring the tree, I found it was seven feet tall. |
Mediocre |
Ordinary, average. |
The meal the chef made was only mediocre. |
Mend |
To fix. |
My mother will mend the hole in my shirt. |
Method |
A way of doing something. |
Her method for making bread takes three days. |
Migrate |
To move from one place to another. |
Every fall, the geese migrate to Florida. |
Minimum |
The smallest or lowest amount possible. |
You need to get a minimum of 70% on the test to pass the class. |
Misleading |
Giving the wrong idea. |
The advertisement for the weight loss pills is very misleading since studies have shown they’re ineffective. |
Modify |
To change. |
I need to modify my style so it looks more professional. |
Morose |
Gloomy, depressed. |
The boy was morose after hearing he didn’t make the football team. |
Negligent |
Lazy, neglectful. |
The negligent babysitter invited her friends over while the children were upstairs. |
Nonchalant |
Indifferent, unexcited. |
I was hurt when my friend greeted me so nonchalantly. |
Obey |
To follow orders or instructions. |
My dog always obeys me when I ask her to sit. |
Obtain |
To get. |
The spy obtained the secret codes we need. |
Obvious |
Easily understood. |
The large poster of Michael Jackson over her bed made it obvious who her favorite singer was. |
Opponent |
Someone on the opposite side for a game or contest. |
The soccer player blocked her opponent’s shot at the goal. |
Oppress |
To unfairly burden. |
For the past ten generations the royal family has oppressed the peasants by keeping them in poverty. |
Origin |
The source; where something began. |
The explorers are trying to find the origin of the Nile. |
Paradigm |
A typical example of something. |
This work of art is a paradigm of the period; you’ll see many examples of it in the museum. |
Parsimonious |
Frugal, stingy. |
The parsimonious woman only donated a dollar to charity. |
Partake |
To join in. |
My leg was feeling much better, so I decided to partake in the soccer match. |
Partial |
Preferring one option over others. |
We can get strawberry ice cream, but I’m actually more partial to chocolate. |
Paucity |
Something existing in very small amounts; scarcity. |
During the drought, the town had a paucity of fresh water. |
Peak |
The highest or most important point. |
Winning the championship was the peak of his career. |
Peripheral |
Located on the side or edge. |
There are some peripheral fights going on at the outdoor concert. |
Permeate |
To penetrate or pass through. |
Let the maple syrup permeate your waffles before eating them. |
Persist |
To continue, especially when facing opposition. |
I may have lost my last six games, but I will continue to persist trying to win. |
Pertain |
Relate. |
How does your question pertain to the lecture? |
Phase |
A period or stage in a process. |
In high school, I went through a phase where I only wore black clothes. |
Poll |
A record of opinions or votes. |
The polls show that my candidate is going to win the election. |
Potent |
Powerful. |
Only take one sleeping pill since they’re very potent. |
Pragmatic |
Practical, sensible. |
Your boyfriend is too dramatic. I think you need a more pragmatic man. |
Praise |
To give approval or admiration. |
The book is the best I’ve ever read; I can’t praise it enough. |
Precede |
To come before. |
The flower girls preceded the bride when they walked down the aisle. |
Precise |
Exact. |
When collecting data, it’s important that your measurements are very precise. |
Prestigious |
Having a high reputation. |
Harvard is one of the most prestigious colleges in the United States. |
Prevalent |
Widespread. |
If more people don’t start washing their hands, disease will become more prevalent. |
Primary |
First; most important. |
Maeve’s primary goal in life is to become a doctor. |
Prior |
Previous or earlier. |
Prior to becoming a teacher, Elena worked as a book editor. |
Proceed |
To continue doing something. |
I’m sorry for interrupting; please proceed with your speech. |
Progeny |
Offspring. |
The dog’s progeny all have yellow fur. |
Promote |
To further to progress of something. |
I’m promoting this new indie movie so that more people will buy tickets to it. |
Prosper |
To do well. |
Dave hopes his new business will prosper and make him a millionaire. |
Proximity |
Nearness in time or space. |
The twins hated to be apart, so they bought houses in close proximity to each other. |
Quarrel |
Disagreement or fight; to have an argument. |
Nina and her boyfriend always quarrel over money. |
Range |
The distance between two things, often the maximum and the minimum. |
The range of ages at the concert spanned from 12 to 65. |
Rank |
An official position or station. |
Archibald was promoted to the rank of first captain. |
Rebuke |
To sternly disapprove or reprimand. |
After staying out too late, Grace received a rebuke from her parents. |
Recapitulate |
To give a brief summary. |
At the end of his speech, the politician made sure to recapitulate his main points. |
Recede |
To retreat. |
Two days after the flood, the seawater finally began to recede from our house. |
Recommend |
To present someone with confidence and approval. |
I need to ask Mr. Smith if he’ll recommend me for this leadership position. |
Reform |
To make changes that improve something. |
Melanie’s father is in charge of reforming to school system. |
Regulate |
To supervise or control a process so that it functions correctly. |
Ben needs to regulate how much he eats in order to stay at a healthy weight. |
Reinforce |
To strengthen with added support. |
The builders reinforced the house’s wooden frame with steel beams. |
Reject |
To say no to something that is offered. |
Lydia rejected my invitation to the homecoming dance. |
Release |
To free; to allow to be known. |
The CEO decided to release the company’s profits from last year. |
Rely |
To depend on. |
I rely on coffee to get my through my mornings. |
Reproach |
To express disapproval or disappointment. |
The coach reproached the players for failing to play their best. |
Require |
To need for a specific purpose. |
The camping trip requires that every participant bring their own food and sleeping bag. |
Resent |
To feel bitterness or anger towards someone or something. |
I’ve always resented my sister because she is my mother’s favorite child. |
Resign |
To give up an office or position. |
Due to his declining health, the mayor decided to resign from office. |
Resist |
To withstand the effect of. |
Resist the impulse to have ice cream for breakfast. |
Resolve |
To come to a firm decision. |
Matt resolved to get better grades next semester by studying every night. |
Restrict |
To confine or keep within limits. |
My doctor told me to restrict myself to one glass of wine a day. |
Retain |
To continue to do something or keep something. |
I’ve decided to retain my normal hairstyle. |
Retract |
1. To draw back in.2. To withdraw something after it’s found to be untrue. |
1. I felt calmer after the lion retracted its claws. 2. After numerous errors were found, the newspaper retracted the story. |
Retrieve |
To bring back. |
Alexis got out of the car to retrieve the ball her little brother had thrown. |
Rhetorical |
Used just for style or impact. |
You aren’t expected to actually answer rhetorical questions. |
Rigid |
Stiff; unyielding. |
The boys’ father was happy to see the base of the treehouse was rigid and sturdy. |
Rotate |
To turn. |
Rotate the sculpture so I can see the other side. |
Safeguard |
Something that serves as protection or ensures safety. |
A retirement fund is one way to safeguard your finances for the future. |
Scrutinize |
To very carefully examine. |
The judges were looking for perfection, so they scrutinized every entry. |
Section |
A part of the whole. |
This section of the stadium dressed completely in red. |
Select |
To choose. |
Jane selected a blue dress to wear to the wedding. |
Sequence |
Things that follow each other in a certain order. |
Librarians need to know how order books in the correct sequence. |
Severe |
1. Harsh or strict.2. Grave, critical. |
1. The robbers suffered severe consequences for stealing.2. My uncle is currently battling a severe illness in the hospital. |
Shallow |
Not deep. |
You don’t need to worry about getting your dress wet. The water is very shallow here. |
Shelter |
To protect from something harmful. |
The empty barn gave the men shelter during the storm. |
Shrink |
To become smaller. |
Hopefully this cream will cause my scar to shrink. |
Significant |
Important, noteworthy. |
The Gettysburg Address was a significant event during the Civil War. |
Source |
A person, place, or thing where something was obtained. |
You shouldn’t use Wikipedia as a source when writing school papers. |
Sparse |
Thinly scattered. |
The farm was almost empty; there were just a few sparse trees here and there. |
Specify |
To clearly indicate which one. |
You need to specify which size shirt you want before I can order it. |
Speculate |
To form a theory without strong evidence. |
My sister loves to speculate on the private lives of celebrities. |
Solitary |
Alone; without others. |
The hermit lives a solitary existence deep in the mountains. |
Somber |
Gloomy; depressing. |
After losing the competition, the chess players were very somber. |
Soothe |
To calm or comfort. |
The mother sang a lullaby to soothe her crying baby. |
Squalid |
Filthy and unpleasant. |
The shelter was squalid and overcrowded. |
Stable |
Unlikely to change or fail. |
We’re lucky to live in a country with such a stable government. |
Stagnant |
Sluggish, showing little movement. |
With few new jobs created, the economy has remained stagnant for the past five years. |
Strategy |
A plan to reach a desired outcome. |
The football team will need a good strategy to win the game tomorrow. |
Subsequent |
Coming after something in time. |
The first king was a good ruler, but subsequent kings have all been corrupt. |
Substitute |
A person or thing acting in place of another. |
If you don’t have sugar, honey makes a good substitute for this recipe. |
Subtle |
Difficult to notice right away. |
Maya’s perfume was very subtle; you had to get close to her to smell it. |
Sufficient |
Enough to serve a particular purpose. |
Make sure you have sufficient food for the camping trip. |
Summarize |
To briefly give the main points. |
The class didn’t have time to read the book, so the professor summarized it for them. |
Supervise |
To oversee work or a process. |
My dad didn’t think we were old enough to build the fort on our own, so he supervised us. |
Supplant |
To take the place of something else. |
The king was supplanted by his treacherous younger brother who locked him in the dungeon. |
Suspend |
1. To temporarily stop.2. To hang something from somewhere. |
1. The power outage suspended the school concert.2. The lamp is suspended from the high ceiling. |
Suspicious |
Having the belief that someone is doing something dishonest or illegal. |
The couple became suspicious when they saw strange men removing their neighbor’s expensive electronics during the night. |
Sustain |
To keep going. |
I stopped trying to sustain the friendship after he made fun of how I looked. |
Symbolic |
Serving as a symbol. |
A cross is symbolic of Christianity. |
Technical |
Relating to a specific subject or craft. |
The laptop manual is full of technical terms only a computer expert can understand. |
Terminal |
Situated at the end. |
Everyone on the train must get off at the terminal stop. |
Tolerate |
To put up with. |
I tolerate the rude man since he is my husband’s best friend. |
Transfer |
To move from one place to another. |
Ben’s work is going to transfer him from Chicago to Detroit. |
Transition |
Changing from one state or condition to another. |
The transition from student to employee can often take awhile to get used to. |
Transparent |
1. See-through material.2. Easy to detect. |
1. The glass vase is completely transparent.2. Her attempt to flatter the movie star was very transparent. |
Tuition |
The fee for instruction at a school. |
College tuition prices have gone up in recent decades. |
Unobtrusive |
Not attracting attention. |
The prince’s bodyguards had mastered the art of being unobtrusive. |
Unscathed |
Unharmed. |
Ian was lucky to walk away from the car crash unscathed. |
Upbeat |
Happy; optimistic. |
Even when she’s having a bad day, my mom always has an upbeat attitude. |
Unjust |
Unfair. |
Since I tried my hardest on the exam, I felt my teacher’s criticism of me was unjust. |
Vacillate |
To waver or be indecisive. |
She vacillated between the two dresses before finally deciding to wear a skirt. |
Valid |
Just; well-founded. |
The soldiers had valid concerns about the battles they’d be facing. |
Vanish |
To disappear quickly. |
The plane vanished behind the clouds. |
Vary |
To be different from something else in a group. |
|
Verdict |
A judgement or decision. |
The jury delivered a guilty verdict. |
Vestige |
A small trace of something that is disappearing or has already disappeared. |
The empty castle still had a few vestiges of its former wealth. |
Vial |
A small container used to hold liquids. |
The chemist carefully filled the vial with the bubbling solution. |
Vilify |
To speak poorly of; to slander. |
Mark was vilified by his angry ex-girlfriend. |
Voluminous |
Taking up a lot of space. |
The puffy wedding dress had voluminous sleeves. |
Whereas |
On the contrary. |
I always save my money whereas my brother is constantly in debt. |
Wholly |
Completely. |
The monk is wholly devoted to his faith. |
Widespread |
Occurring over a large region. |
There is widespread poverty across that country. |
Wilt |
To droop and become limp. |
Plants will wilt if you don’t water them regularly. |
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