| Word |
Part of speech |
Definition |
sentence |
| ambled | verb | To walk at a slow, leisurely pace | The man ambled down the street and ended up late to his appointment |
| apothecary | noun | An early pharmacist. Apothecaries could also prescribe drugs. | My great-grandfather was an apothecary, and all of his children became pharmacists. |
| assuaged | verb | to lessen, to calm. Most times used in the context of fears or guilt | Jenny was sorry she was late for dinner and hoped that bringing a bouquet of flowers would assuage her guilt. |
| corset | noun | a ladies undergarment designed to produce a particular effect on one's figure. Usually a small waist, large bust, large hips | Mrs. Chubby would have to wear her corset if she was going to fit into a gown with a 24 inch waist. |
| dictum | noun | a formal statement of principle | Mr. Arnold e-mailed the latest dictum regarding senior cut day. It would not be allowed!! |
| foray | noun | To go somewhere or do something unusual for you | The eighth grade foray to the south was a huge success. |
| impotent | adjective | powerless | As much as Gary tried to convince his parents to give him the car, his impotent arguments were not enough. |
| impudent | adjective | to be shamelessly bold, as though you do not care what anyone thinks. | Mary slapped Tara while they were in school. That sort of impudence should result in suspension. |
| piety | noun | devotion to religious duties and practices | The priest began the sermon as everyone witnessed his usual piety. |
| strictures | noun | conditions or rules | According to jewish strictures, you must not work on the sabbath. |
| taciturn | adjective | almost always silent | The usually taciturn librarian roared with laughter at Sam's joke. |
| unsullied | adjective | untouched, unused | The crisp white linens were unsullied and inviting. |
| condescended | verb | agreed to so something you consider beneath your dignity | With freshly manicured hands, the mother condescended and picked up her daughter's spur from the mud puddle. |
| covey | noun | group | The covey of witches gathered round the cauldron. |
| cunning | adjective | attracive, cute - almost too cute | The rider thought his cunning inside turn would win him first place until he refused the next fence. |
| entailment | noun | a legal situation regarding the use of inherited property | (blank) |
| indigenous | adjective | belonging to a particular region or country | Cedar trees and cherry trees are indigenous to Long Island |
| sojourn | noun | brief visit | We went on a sojourn to to California for our cousin's wedding. |
| vexation | noun | something that causes annoyance or problems | The woodpecker's early morning vexation left us tired and angry. |
| amiable | adjective | friendly | In mom's usual amiable fashion, she invited the whole grade over for a swim. |
| contemptuous | adjective | having the feeling that someone or something is beneath you. | George Morris' statement about heavy -set riders is contemptuous. |
| contentious | adjective | ready to argue or fight | The Hatfields and McCoys contentious reputation speaks for itself. |
| diminutive | adjective | smaller than ordinary | (blank) |
| disapprobation | noun | disapproval | (blank) |
| discernible | adjective | understandable | Only a few of the words were discernible because of the static on the radio. |
| dispensation | noun | a release from an obligation or promise | After Sam apologized for his rude behavior, the teacher agreed to the dispensation of detention. |
| erratic | adjective | irregular | Jane's test scores were erratic - 98, 46 and 72. |
| gravely | adjective | seriously | Knowing what your allergies are can prevent you from becomming gravely ill. |
| irked | verb | to be annoyed, to annoy | The driver was really irked by the evening traffic. |
| onslaught | noun | a violent attack | We ran from the onslaught of killer bees. |
| persevere | verb | tocarry on in spite of difficulties | One must remain calm in order to persevere during an emergency. |
| tranquility | noun | peacefulness, serenity | This pond is an area of tranquility and it should be left alone. |
| auspicious | adjective | favorable | Graduation day is an auspicious occaision. |
| asinine | adjective | stupid, silly | The nerdy boys were laughing hysterically at their friend's asinine knock knock joke. |
| benevolence | noun | generous, thoughtful gift | Donating the piano for the school's music program was a great act of benevolence. |
| benign | adjective | kind and gentle | The puppy gave an annoying, yet benign, nip on the dog's ear. |
| cordiality | noun | sincere affection and kindness - hospitatlity | I thanked Mrs. Kaplan for her cordiality during my visit. |
| edification | noun | education, instruction | For my personal edification, I looked up the spelling of every word on this list! |
| gape | verb | to stare at with open mouth | I gaped at the tray of chocolate chip cookies that were cooling on the windowsill. |
| inquisitive | adjective | curious, questioning, prying | If you cannot keep your inquisitive eyes to yourself, I will have to cover my test paper. |
| morbid | adjective | gruesome, horrible | My morbid curiousity led me to ask how Sheila broke her leg. |
| placidly | adverb | calmly, quietly | The old horse placidly followed my lead. |
| tacit | adjective | silence as in an understanding or an agreement | I have a tacit agreement that I may stay up late as long as my work is done. |
| eerily | adverb | weirdly, mysteriously | The clouds seemed eerily dark right before the rain began. |
| ensuing | adjective | immediately following | Harry's chicken pox and the ensuing itching left him in misery. |
| malignant | adjective | dangerous, evil | The witch's malignant cackle made me shiver. |
| prowess | noun | superior talent or skill | Dan's mathematical prowess impressed the college admissions officer. |
| waning | verb | becoming less bright, intense or strong | As the batteries became weak, I noticed the waning beam of my flashlight. |
| palate | noun | roof of the mouth, or taste | Peanut butter sticks to my palate. |
| vigil | noun | a watchful waiting | I stood vigil at the window, hoping to see Santa Claus and his presents. |
| aberration | noun | a deviation or moving away from something that is normal. | The four leaf clover is an aberration. |
| perpetrated | verb | carried out, committed | John pulled the fire alarm jokingly - he did not realize he was perpetrating a crime. |
| plaited | verb | braided | Everyone gets their hair plaited in the Bahamas. |
| procured | verb | got | I procured special flowers for the wedding. |
| treble | adjective | high | (blank) |
| unfathomable | adjective | cannot be understood | It is unfathomable to me when you say you will not take the money. |
| beadle | noun | caretaker of a synagogue | The mess from the Purim carneval was left for the beadle. |
| firmament | noun | the vault or expanse of the heavens, the sky | My love for you is as boundless as the firmament. |
| premonition | noun | advance warning, forewarning | I had a premonition that the ice skater would fall. |
| truncheon | noun | short stick carried by police | When the man tried to grab the officer's truncheon, he was placed under arrest. |
| compatriot | noun | person from one's own country | Whenver I go to Europe, I end up meeting several compatriots at the airport. |
| convoy | noun | A group, as of ships or motor vehicles, traveling together with a protective escort or for safety or convenience. | Smarty Jones' trailer was part of a convoy as it travelled to Belmont. |
| scouring | verb | serching through or going over thoroughly | The frightened mother was scouring the crowded playground for her son. |
| barometer | noun | Something that registers or responds to fluctuations; an indicator | The amount of applause is often used as a barometer of how talented an actress is. |
| monocle | noun | eyeglass for one eye | During the "old days" it, was usual for people to look through a monocle to see something small. |
| unremittingly | adverb | never slackening, persistent | The torrents of rain fell unremittingly througout the day. |
| bestial | adjective | having the qualities of a beast, brutal | Doug's table manners were bestial - he didn't even use a fork! |
| oblivion | noun | The condition or quality of being completely forgotten. | The helium ballons were set free - into oblivion. |
| harangue | verb | To deliver a long pompous speech, especially before a gathering. | My boss harangued me all day about my being late. |
| blandishments | noun | Words or acts expressing affection or kindness, and tending to win the heart. | In spite of the flowers, the candy and his other blandishments, I refused to forgive him! |
| interlude | noun | intervening period or episode | I studied all night, except for my dinner interlude. |
| manacled | adjective | Confined or restrained with handcuffs or other means. | The burglar was led into the courtroom with manacled hands and feet. |
| officiant | noun | One who performs a religious rite or presides over a religious service or ceremony. | The Rabbi will be the officient at the funeral. |
| reprieve | noun | Postponement or cancellation of a punishment | There will be no reprieve for your being grounded since you refuse to study your vocabulary list! |
| derision | noun | Contemptuous or jeering laughter; ridicule. | The fans' derision toward the opposing team was a display of bad sportsmanship. |
| indeterminate | adjective | lacking clarity or definition | Braces take an indeterminate amount of time to work. |
| privations | noun | Lack of the basic necessities or comforts of life. | (blank) |
| encumbrance | noun | burden | (blank) |
| semblance | noun | outward appearance | (blank) |
| robust | adjective | full of health and strength, vigorous | All that healthy eating and exercise gave Irene a robust look. |
| contagion | noun | The spread of a behavior pattern, attitude, or emotion from person to person or group to group | Thanks to teen magazines, there is a contagion of celebrity gossip in the high school. |
| livid | adjective | ashen or pale | (blank) |
| riveted | adjective | fastened firmly, fully engrossed | The little boys eyes were riveted to the video screen. |
| hermetically | adjective ? | Sealed against the entry or escape of air. | The smell of the onions was hermetically sealed with Saran Wrap. |
| convalescent | adjectiive | recovering from sickness | Margie was a difficult convalescent following her hip surgery - she only wanted to ride again. |
| pestilential | adjective | likely to cause an epidemic disease | The pestilential migration of crows will cause most horse owners to worry about West Nile Virus. |
| dregs | noun | least desirable portion | After the sale at Bloomingdale's, all that was left were the dregs of last year's inventory. |
| plaintive | adjective | Expressing sorrow; mournful or melancholy. | Whenever Pierre left the barn, Cooky Little let out a plaintive whinny. |
HHS Shrek
