Sept to Jan 2015-2016Words – Definitions/parts of speech/sample sentence
undaunted – adj not discouraged; not hesitating because of danger or difficulties
The hiker’s hopes for rescue remained undaunted, even though he had been lost in the wilderness for two days.
its-your-our-their – possessive pronouns Belonging to someone or something
That’s their house on the corner.
Our house is right next door to theirs. Is your house close by? What’s its color?
oblivious – oblivious: adj. – not aware of something She lay motionless where she was oblivious to the pain.
congenial – adj having a pleasant personality synonym: good-natured
The tour guide was both knowledgeable and congenial, making our time in San Francisco interesting and fun.
antagonize –verb to cause a person or animal to become hostile
Jody taunted and antagonized her little sister until she became upset.
docile– adj. – easily managed or handled; readily trained or taught. My dog is such a docile creature. He allows me to dress his up like a baby doll.
procrastinate – verb to put off doing something until a future time
I’d better start writing and not procrastinate any longer, because the report is due tomorrow.
ostracize: verb – to exclude, by general consent, from society, friendship, conversation, privileges, etc.John’s friends decided to ostracize for his bad behavior in class.
formidable – adj – causing fear or dread causing fear due to size or strength; awesome; of great strength; or impressive . Due to the boxer’s undefeated report the opponent had a formidable task ahead of him.
boisterous – adj. – noisy, lively, and full of energy The concert goers were a boisterous but good natured crowd.
immaculate – adj. extremely clean and neat
I’ve spend all morning cleaning my bedroom, and now it is immaculate.
cite – verb – to quote or mention something, especially as an example or proof of what you are saying. Remember to cite all your resources at the end of your research paper.
tolerate– verb. To put up with something synonym: endure
When my dog could no longer tolerate the kitten’s playful nibbling, he turned around and barked at her.
dejected –adjective - depressed in spirits; disheartened; low-spirited:
synonyms - discouraged, despondent, dispirited, downhearted, unhappy, miserable.
The dejected expression on the face of the loser spoiled my victory.
flourish – verb to grow or develop in a strong and healthy way
We hope our tomato plants will flourish in the rich soil.
corrupt – adj. dishonestly using your position to your advantage, especially for money.
A corrupt official at city hall accepted money to get his friend’s parking ticket taken off the records.
pungent – adj. sharp or strong to the senses of taste or smell
The pungent odor of fish could be smelled from one end of the wharf to the other.
vital – adj. necessary for supporting life antonym: unimportant
Clean air is vital to human survival.
synthesize- (verb) to combine different ideas, styles, or systems into a single idea or system that is more complex.
In order to write a highly effective essay, you must synthesize your reasons or arguments in the conclusion
hearty – adj. full of warmth and friendliness
My grandfather gave us a hearty welcome when we arrived.
inundate – verb 1. to flood or overflow or 2. To overrun or overwhelm
The heavy rains caused the river to rise and inundate the lowlands. The nearby fields were inundated with ants fleeing from the rising water.
it’s – who’s – contractions
it’s – is a contraction for the words “it is” or “it has”
It’s ____ day at SGS today. Or It’s been raining for 3 days!
who’s – is a contraction for the word “who is”
We need a final head count so who’s going on the class trip?
tirade - noun- a long angry speech criticizing someone or something
The protestor’s tirade was shown on every nightly news program.
ravenous – adj. very hungry
The ravenous kittens all fought for a place at the bowl of milk.
deplete – verb to use up
If I buy those expensive basketball shoes I will deplete my savings.
jostled – verb bumped or pushed around roughly
The passengers were jostled about when the train came to a sudden stop.
congested – adj. 1. To be overcrowded or filled to overflowing; 2. Having too much mucous in a body part.
We drove to the pharmacy to get medicine for my sinuses. It took a long time because it was rush hour and the streets were congested with traffic.
implore – verb to beg urgently synonym:plead
It doesn’t matter how much we implore-our mother never lets us rent PG-13 movies.
vicinity –noun the area nearby
There are three playgrounds in the vicinity of my home.
there – adverb- at or in that place
Please sit over there.
where – adverb- questioning the place something is in, or is coming from or going to. question word
Where can I hang up my coat?
here: adverb- at this place
Put your books here.
terminate – verb to bring to an end
We had to terminate our bike ride when it began to rain heavily.
immerse – verb 1. To involve or occupy completely 2. To covere completely with water or liquid
She was so immersed in the magazine she was reaiding that she immersed her sleeve in her bowl of soup.
indicate – verb- to make reference to, point towards, or show something
The teacher said, “Indicate with a show of hands who will be staying for extra help.”
Dark and heavy clouds indicate an approaching storm.
curtail – verb- to reduce or restrict
My mother refuses to buy me soda, because she wants to curtail the amount of sugar in my diet.
passed – adjective -havingcompletedtheactofpassing
The ray of light passed by the Earth on its way to the moon.
rhetoric- (noun) the art of using language in a way that is effective or that influences people, especially the use of figures of speech and other techniques.
Or
Style of speaking or writing to persuade
The politician’s rhetoric was very effective in winning the debate because she used a lot of questions and analogies to appeal to the voters’ emotions or feelings.
imply – verb - toindicateorsuggestwithoutbeingexplicitlystated
The excited cheering in the stadium implied that the team had just made a touchdown.
explicit- (Adj) something that is stated clearly and in detail that leaves no room for confusion.
The directions explicitly state that you must “cite textual evidence to support your claim.” Where is the text evidence?
draw (verb) 1. To get ideas, information, or knowledge from somewhere
In order to develop a strong argument, you must draw evidence from different sources.
2. ‘Cause to move by pulling or dragging
If you draw the rug from under my feet, I will literally fall.
3. To produce a picture or diagram by making lines or marks
She likes to draw caricatures of famous people in her sketchpad.
(Noun) 4. A game that ends with a score that is tied and the winner is undecided.
Although the soccer game ended in a 2-2 draw, the home team was not happy because they gave up the lead in the final minute.
you’re – they’re – we’re: Contractions…
you’re – contraction: the shortened form of "you are"
Example: The teacher explained, "You're going to add baking soda and vinegar to create a chemical reaction."
they're – contraction: the shortened form of "they are"
Example:"They are going to create foam," Sarah replied.
We're – contraction: the shortened form of "we are"
Example:"We're going to make a huge mess!" exclaimed John.
retaliate – verb to strike back; to get revenge
It’s best to avoid a bully. You could get hurt if you try to retaliate.
impartial – adj. not favoring one over the other synonym: fair
It was hard for the referee to be impartial when his son’s team was playing.
evaluate – verb – to consider someone and something in order to make a judgment about them, for example how good or bad they are.
Evaluate how well you are doing your school assignments and work to make them better.
ovation – noun a loud and enthusiastic show of approval
The audience gave the choir a standing ovation at the end of the concert.