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Spelling bee
List for third grade Pre-intermediate
| Word | Definition | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| adaptation | the process of changing to suit different conditions. | The documentary is about corruption, crime and human adaptation to difficult circumstances. |
| adventurous | willing to try new or difficult things. | I'm trying to be more adventurous with my cooking. |
| advertisement | a picture, short film, song, etc. that tries to persuade people to buy a product or service | I saw an advertisement for the new restaurant that opened in town. |
| accurately | in a way that is correct, exact, and without any mistakes | For the experiment to be valid, it is essential to record the data accurately. |
| aggressive | showing anger and a willingness to attack other people | Aggressive behaviour will not be tolerated in the classroom. |
| agreement | the situation in which people have the same opinion, or in which they approve of or accept something | The whole family was in agreement with her on what they should do. |
| ambitious | having a strong wish to be successful, powerful, or rich. | He's very ambitious for his children |
| anger | a strong feeling that makes you want to hurt someone or be unpleasant because of something unfair or unkind that has happened. | I think he feels a lot of anger towards his father, who treated him very badly as a child. |
| appearance | the way a person or thing looks to other people. | a middle-aged man of smart appearance |
| ascend | to move up or climb something | They slowly ascended the steep path up the mountain. |
| ask around | to ask a lot of different people in order to get information or help | Our babysitter's just moved away, so we're asking around for a replacement. |
| aspiring | someone who is trying to become a successful actor, politician, writer, etc. | I knew him when he was an aspiring young law student. |
| assemble | to come together in a single place or bring parts together in a single group | We assembled in the meeting room after lunch. |
| assume | to accept something to be true without question or proof | I assumed (that) you knew each other because you went to the same school. |
| astronomer | someone who studies astronomy | they are observed by alien astronomers. |
| atmosphere | the mixture of gases around the earth | These factories are releasing toxic gases into the atmosphere. |
| attractive | very pleasing in appearance or sound | I find him very attractive . |
| axis | a real or imaginary straight line going through the centre of an object that is spinning, or a line that divides a symmetrical shape into two equal halves | The earth revolves around the axis that joins the North and South Poles. |
| background | the conditions that existed before a particular event happened, and that help to explain why it happened | These decisions have had to be made against a background of high unemployment. |
| beats | to defeat or do better than | Holland beat Belgium (by) 3–1. |
| be scared of | to be frightened of things in a way that is not reasonable or necessary | I was astonished when I heard she'd been arrested, as I saw her as the timid type who is scared of her own shadow. |
| belong to | to be someone's property. | This book belongs to Sarah. |
| beneficial | helpful, useful, or good | The improvement in sales figures had a beneficial effect/influence on the company as a whole. |
| blades | the flat part on a knife or similar tool or weapon, with a very thin edge used for cutting. | a packet of razor blades |
| bossy | A bossy person is always telling people what to do. | Henry, who is extremely bossy, wants to be in charge. |
| break down | If a system, relationship, or discussion breaks down, it fails because there is a problem or disagreement. | Our car broke down and we had to push it off the road. |
| canvas | strong, rough cloth used for making tents, sails, bags, strong clothes, etc. | These two canvases by Hockney would sell for £1,500,000. |
| capability | the ability to do something. | The university has the capability to monitor for excess energy use. |
| capture | to take someone as a prisoner, or to take something into your possession, especially by force. | Two of the soldiers were killed and the rest were captured. |
| caterpillar | a small, long animal with many legs that feeds on the leaves of plants, and develops into a butterfly or moth. | The caterpillar then leaves the apple and makes its cocoon. |
| certain | having no doubt or knowing exactly that something is true, or known to be true, correct, exact, or effective. | Are you absolutely certain (that) you gave them the right number? |
| cheer up | To start to feel happier: | She was sick so I sent her some flowers to cheer her up. |
| chemicals | any basic substance that is used in or produced by a reaction involving changes to atoms or molecules. | Each year, factories release millions of tons of toxic (= poisonous) chemicals into the atmosphere. |
| choreographer | a person who is skilled at combining movements into dances to be performed. | She is a passionate Spanish dancer and choreographer. |
| coackroach | a flat, brown or black insect sometimes found in the home. | There was a cockroach and a fly at our house too. |
| come across | to find something by chance. | He came across some of his old love letters in his wife's desk. |
| count on | to be confident that you can depend on someone. | You can always count on Michael in a crisis. |
| consensus | a generally accepted opinion or decision among a group of people. | The general consensus in the office is that he can't do his job.. |
| co-operation | the act of working together with someone or doing what they ask you. | This documentary was made with the cooperation of the victims' families. |
| daguerreotype | the first successfully produced type of photograph. | Since early daguerreotypes required a fifteen-minute exposure, post-mortem images of children were easier to produce than images of live children. |
| development | the process in which someone or something grows or changes and becomes more advanced. | The documentary traced the development of popular music through the ages.. |
| disgusting | extremely unpleasant or unacceptable. | It's disgusting that there are no schools or hospitals for these people.. |
| dress up | to put on formal clothes for a special occasion. | You don't need to dress up to go to the mall - jeans and a T-shirt are fine.. |
| easygoing | relaxed and not easily upset or worried. | She's a generous and easygoing boss. |
| eco-friendly | not harmful to the environment, or trying to help the environment. | The building has many features that make it more eco-friendly as well as reducing heating costs. |
| efficiently | working or operating in an organized, quick, and effective way. | She runs the business very efficiently. |
| endangered | in danger of being harmed, lost, unsuccessful, etc. | Social workers who look after abused or endangered children often have stressful days at work. |
| engage in | to take part in something | The two governments have agreed to engage in a comprehensive dialogue to resolve the problem. |
| enjoyment | the feeling of enjoying something. | We don't travel on bank holiday weekends - there's no enjoyment in that. |
| entertainment | shows, films, television, or other performances or activities that entertain people, or a performance of this type. | There's not much in the way of entertainment in this town - just the cinema and a couple of pubs. |
| enthusiastic | showing enthusiasm. | You don't seem very enthusiastic about the party - don't you want to go tonight? |
| entrepreneur | someone who starts their own business, especially when this involves seeing a new opportunity | He was one of the entrepreneurs of the 80s who made their money in property. |
| environment | the air, water, and land in or on which people, animals, and plants live. | Certain chemicals have been banned because of their damaging effect on the environment. |
| essential | necessary or needed. | Government support will be essential if the project is to succeed. |
| fall apart | to break into pieces. | My poor old boots are falling apart. |
| fangs | a long, sharp tooth. | The dog growled and bared its fangs. |
| filthy | extremely or unpleasantly dirty. | Look at this tablecloth - it's filthy! |
| find out | to get information about something because you want to know more about it, or to learn a fact or piece of information for the first time. | Cancer sufferers can go to this site to find out about support services that are available for them. |
| flash mob | a group of people who arrange, by email or mobile phone, to come together in a place at the same time, do something funny or silly, and then leave. | The flashmob video reached two million views within in 5 days of its release. |
| flowchart | a diagram (= simple plan) that shows the stages of a process. | Figure 9 shows a flowchart of the control signal. |
| folk dancing | the traditional type of dancing of ordinary people in a particular country, especially those living in the countryside. | The festival will include folk dancing, steel bands, and storytelling sessions. |
| footprint | the mark made by a person's or animal's foot. | There was not a single footprint in the sand. |
| forehead | the flat part of the face, above the eyes and below the hair. | She's got a high forehead. |
| foreign | belonging or connected to a country that is not your own. | belonging or connected to a country that is not your own. |
| formerly | In the past. | The European Union was formerly called the European Community. |
| fright | the feeling of fear, especially if felt suddenly, or an experience of fear that happens suddenly. | I lay in bed shaking with fright. |
| fur-factory | ||
| generous | willing to give money, help, kindness, etc., especially more than is usual or expected. | it is generous of someone to do something It was very generous of them to take the time to help. |
| geyser | a hole in the ground from which hot water and steam come out. | Geysers and hot springs are distributed all over the island. |
| get together | To meet each other, having arranged it before. | Shall we get together on Friday and go for a drink or something? |
| go ahead | to start to do something. | go ahead with We've received permission to go ahead with the music festival in spite of opposition from local residents. |
| have an impact on | to have a powerful effect on a person or situation. | .The anti-smoking campaign had quite an impact on young people. |
| hazy | Hazy air or weather is not clear, especially because of heat. | the hazy days of summer. |
| herd | a large group of animals of the same type that live and feed together. | A herd of cattle/elephants/goats was grazing in the parkland. |
| hold back | to not do something, often because of fear or because you do not want to make a bad situation worse. | He held back, terrified of going into the dark room. |
| hollow | having a hole or empty space inside. | Hollow blocks are used because they are lighter. |
| honeybee | a type of bee that lives with others in a hive and makes honey. | They are more effective than honeybees as pollinators of fruit trees. |
| horsepower | a unit for measuring the power of an engine. | Nineteen ships were planned with 80 to 250 horsepower engines. |
| hot-air balloon | an aircraft consisting of a very large bag filled with heated air or other gas, with a basket (= container) hanging under it in which people can ride. | |
| hunger | the feeling you have when you need to eat. | I don't know why I'm eating more - it's not hunger, it's just greed! |
| ice-covered | ||
| influential | having a lot of influence on someone or something. | She wanted to work for a bigger and more influential (= powerful) newspaper. |
| jealous | upset and angry because someone that you love seems interested in another person. | Anna says she feels jealous every time another woman looks at her boyfriend. |
| launched | to begin something such as a plan or introduce something new such as a product. | The programme was launched a year ago. |
| leadership | the set of characteristics that make a good leader. | He lacks leadership qualities/skills. |
| left-handed | (of a person) using their left hand to write and do most things. | Are you left-handed? |
| light up | If your face or eyes light up, you suddenly look happy. | His eyes light up at the mention of her name. |
| look forward to | to feel pleased and excited about something that is going to happen. | I'm really looking forward to my holiday. |
| lorry | a large road vehicle that is used for transporting goods. | The stock is delivered by lorry from the huge warehouses. |
| manufacture | to produce goods in large numbers, usually in a factory using machines. | He works for a company that manufactures car parts. |
| masterpiece | A work of art such as a painting, film, or book that is made with great skill. | Leonardo's "Last Supper" is widely regarded as a masterpiece. |
| meaningful | Intended to show meaning, often secretly. | He raised one eyebrow in a meaningful way. |
| migration | The process of animals travelling to a different place, usually when the season changes. | Some old roads follow the paths of seasonal animal migrations. |
| mimicking | to copy the way in which a particular person usually speaks and moves, usually in order to make people laugh. | She was mimicking the various people in our office. |
| misconception | an idea that is wrong because it has been based on a failure to understand a situation. | I'd like to clear up the common misconception that older workers don't know how to use technology. |
| misunderstood | to think you have understood someone or something when you have not. | I told him I'd meet him here, but perhaps he misunderstood and went straight to the restaurant. |
| mood board | a board covered with pictures from magazines, pieces of material, etc. that shows the colours and styles to be used when decorating a room, planning a wedding, etc.; a file on a computer that shows similar information. | I start by creating mood boards and collections of images that are only emotional reactions to the script. |
| open-source | Open source software or information can be obtained legally and for free from the internet, and can be used, shared or changed without paying or asking for special permission. | The machine runs on free, open source software. |
| orchestra | a large group of musicians who play many different instruments together and are led by a conductor. | She's a cellist in the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. |
| organised | arranged according to a particular system. | The letters had been placed in organized piles, one for each letter of the alphabet. |
| outgoing | friendly and energetic and finding it easy and enjoyable to be with others. | She has an outgoing personality. |
| palaeontologist | someone who studies fossils as a way of getting information about the history of life on Earth. | Palaeontologists can now look inside fossils without damaging them. |
| parachute | a piece of equipment made of a large piece of special cloth that is fastened to a person or thing that is dropped from an aircraft, in order to make him, her, or it fall slowly and safely to the ground. | For whatever reason his parachute failed to open. |
| pass away | to die. | She's terribly upset because her father passed away last week. |
| patterns | a particular way in which something is done, is organized, or happens. | The pattern of family life has been changing over recent years. |
| perfectionist | a person who wants everything to be perfect and demands the highest standards possible. | She's such a perfectionist that she notices even the tiniest mistakes. |
| performer | a person who entertains people by acting, singing, dancing, or playing music: | He's a brilliant performer. |
| permanent | lasting for a long time or for ever. | She is looking for a permanent place to stay. |
| perseverance | continued effort to do or achieve something, even when this is difficult or takes a long time. | It took a lot of patience and perseverance for all sides to reach an agreement. |
| personality | the special combination of qualities in a person that makes that person different from others, as shown by the way the person behaves, feels, and thinks. | She has a cheerful, attractive personality. |
| pesticides | a chemical substance used to kill harmful insects, small animals, wild plants, and other unwanted organisms. | The pesticides that farmers spray on their crops kill pests, but they can also damage people's health. |
| phenakistoscope | an optical toy resembling the zoetrope in principle and use and in one form consisting of a disk with the figures arranged about the center and having near the edge radial slits through which the figures are viewed by means of a mirror. | |
| piloting | to fly an aircraft. | Our district is piloting a day-care program. |
| plenty | enough or more than enough, or a large amount. | Don't grab at the balloons, children - there are plenty for everyone. |
| poisonous | very harmful and able to cause illness or death. | an you tell the difference between poisonous mushrooms and edible varieties? |
| pollinate | to take pollen from one plant or part of a plant to another so that new plant seeds can be produced. | Bees pollinate the plants by carrying the pollen from one flower to another. |
| portray | to represent or describe someone or something in a painting, film, book, or other artistic work. | The painting portrays a beautiful young woman in a blue dress. |
| pottery | the activity or skill of making clay objects by hand. | They sell pottery and other handmade goods. |
| powered | to provide a machine with energy and the ability to operate. | Buses and trucks are usually powered by diesel engines. |
| predatory | A predatory animal kills and eats other animals. | The owl is a predatory bird that kills its prey with its claws. |
| psychological | relating to the human mind and feelings. | We are concerned with the physical and psychological well-being of our employees. |
| rave about | praise somebody or something in an excited and enthusiastic way. | The girls raved about the rock concert. |
| recognition | agreement that something is true or legal. | It's a new country, hoping for diplomatic recognition from the international community. |
| retailer | a person, shop, or business that sells goods to the public. | Retailers have reported that consumer spending fell over the last 12 months. |
| satisfaction | a pleasant feeling that you get when you receive something you wanted, or when you have done something you wanted to do. | She had the satisfaction of knowing that she'd done everything she could. |
| scuba diving | the sport of swimming underwater with special breathing equipment. | Cozumel is a tourist destination for its balnearios, scuba diving, and snorkeling. |
| seasonal | relating to or happening during a particular period in the year. | Animals have to find ways of coping with seasonal changes. |
| self-confident | behaving calmly because you have no doubts about your ability or knowledge. | At school he was popular and self-confident, and we weren't surprised at his later success. |
| selfish | Someone who is selfish only thinks of their own advantage. | Your attitude shows a selfish disregard for others. |
| sense of humor | your ability to understand funny things. | She has a really good sense of humour. |
| shipping | to send goods by water, especially by sea. | The goods are then shipped across the Atlantic. |
| sightseeing | the activity of visiting interesting places, especially by people on holiday. | We did some sightseeing in Paris. |
| skilled | having the abilities needed to do an activity or job well. | My mother is very skilled at/in dressmaking. |
| skydiving | a sport in which a person jumps from an aircraft and falls for as long as possible before opening a parachute. | During this period she took up skydiving, and became a national champion in the sport. |
| soar | to rise very quickly to a high level. | Temperatures will soar over the weekend, say the weather forecasters. |
| spacecraft | a vehicle used for travel in space. | Spacecraft can be built and ejected from a solar system at a level of technology compatible with our own. |
| spoilt | to give (someone, such as a child) everything that he or she wants : to have a bad effect on (someone) by allowing too many things or by not correcting bad behavior. | Customers are spoilt for choice when buying a new car. |
| stand out | to be very noticeable. | The black lettering really stands out on that orange background. |
| steer | to control the direction of a vehicle. | She carefully steered the car around the potholes. |
| storyboard | a series of drawings used to show the planned order of events in a film, television advertisement, etc. | We have done storyboards for a number of TV commercials. |
| stubborn | to be hard to fix or deal with. | He’s sick, but he’s too stubborn to see a doctor. |
| swarm | a large group of insects all moving together. | he dead sheep was covered with swarms of flies. |
| take responsibility for | ||
| talk over | to discuss a problem or situation with someone, often to find out their opinion or to get advice before making a decision about it. | I'd like to talk it over with my wife first. |
| temporary | not lasting or needed for very long. | The ceasefire will only provide a temporary solution to the crisis. |
| think about | to remember or imagine someone or something. | He was thinking about the time he spent in the army. |
| threaten | to tell someone that you will kill or hurt them or cause problems if they do not do what you want. | They threatened the shopkeeper with a gun. |
| threshold | the floor of an entrance to a building or room. | It’s traditional for a man to carry his bride over the threshold. |
| tilt | to (cause to) move into a sloping position. | He tilted his chair backwards and put his feet up on his desk. |
| toxic chemical | ||
| track down | to find something or someone after looking for it, him, or her in a lot of different places. | He finally managed to track down the book he wanted. |
| trascendental | A transcendental experience, event, object, or idea is extremely special and unusual and cannot be understood in ordinary ways. | critical realism can be regarded as a form of transcendental realism. |
| tricky | to be difficult to deal with and needs careful attention or skill. | I'm in a tricky situation - whatever I do, I'll offend someone. |
| troop | a group of soldiers, especially ones who fight in strong military vehicles or on horses. | the King's Troop of the Royal Horse Artillery. |
| turn off | the King's Troop of the Royal Horse Artillery. | The heater turns off using this switch. |
| ubiquitous | seeming to be everywhere. | The mobile phone, that most ubiquitous of consumer-electronic appliances, is about to enter a new age. |
| unassailable | in such a strong position that you cannot be defeated. | The president looked unassailable with over 60 percent of the vote. |
| unavoidable | impossible to avoid. | It is unavoidable that the new pharmaceuticals require priority discussions and active resource allocation in health care and in other sectors of society. |
| unbelievable | extremely surprising. | You should see her wardrobe - it's unbelievable - she's got about 50 pairs of shoes. |
| unconscious | in the state of not being awake and not aware of things around you, especially as the result of a head injury. | She was hit on the head by a stone and knocked unconscious. |
| understanding | She was hit on the head by a stone and knocked unconscious. | She doesn't have any understanding of politics/human nature/what it takes to be a good manager. |
| undoubtedly | used to emphasize that something is true. | She was undoubtedly the best candidate. |
| unfortunately | used to say that something is sad, disappointing, or has a bad effect. | Unfortunately, I didn't have my credit card with me, or else I would have bought it. |
| unprecedented | never having happened or existed in the past. | This century has witnessed environmental destruction on an unprecedented scale. |
| unpredictable | likely to change suddenly and without reason and therefore not able to be predicted (= expected before it happens) or depended on. | The weather there can be unpredictable - one minute it's blue skies and the next minute it's pouring rain. |
| unreasonable | not fair or acceptable. | It seems unreasonable to expect one person to do both jobs. |
| unsubstantiated | not supported by facts. | Companies can be punished for making unsubstantiated claims about their products. |
| unwilling | not wanting to do something. | The bank was unwilling to lend her money. |
| venom | a poisonous liquid that some snakes, insects, etc. produce and can put into another animal's body by biting or stinging | The venoms contain many different toxins that vary in their effects; some are extremely toxic. |
| violation | an action that breaks or acts against something, especially a law, agreement, principle, or something that should be treated with respect. | The takeover of the embassy constitutes a flagrant violation of international law. |
| volunteer | a person who does something, especially helping other people, willingly and without being forced or paid to do it. | The health clinic is relying on volunteers to run the office and answer the phones. |
| vulnerable | able to be easily physically or mentally hurt, influenced, or attacked. | I felt very vulnerable, standing there without any clothes on. |
| warehouse | a large building for storing things before they are sold, used, or sent out to shops, or : | The goods have been sitting in a warehouse for months because a strike has prevented distribution. |
| wearable | Clothes that are wearable are easy to wear because they are comfortable, acceptable in most social situations, and look attractive in combination with other clothes: | Unlike a lot of women's fashion magazines, it features clothes that are both affordable and wearable. |
| whimsical | unusual and strange in a way that might be funny or annoying. | Despite his kindly, sometimes whimsical air, he was a shrewd observer of people. |
| widespread | existing or happening in many places and/or among many people. | There are reports of widespread flooding in northern France. |
| wingspan | the distance between the ends of the wings of a bird, insect, or aircraft. | The plane has about the same wingspan as an F-16 fighter jet. |
| wisely | showing good judgment. | Sienna had very wisely left the party before all the trouble started. |
| withdrawn | shy and quiet and preferring to be alone rather than with other people. | Following her son's death, she became quiet and withdrawn and rarely went out. |
| work out | to do a calculation to get an answer to a mathematical question. | I need to work out how much tax I will have to pay. |
| worldly | relating to or consisting of physical things and ordinary life rather than spiritual things. | For many of the refugees, the clothes they are wearing are all the worldly goods (= possessions) they have. |
| worthwhile | useful, important, or good enough to be a suitable reward for the money or time spent or the effort made. | She considers teaching a worthwhile career. |
| xylophone | a musical instrument consisting of flat wooden bars of different lengths that are hit with sticks. | The work opened with rapidly-played repeated notes from the soloist, punctuated by xylophone. |
Created by:
Adriana Esparza
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