Middle School Literature Vocabulary List

Middle School Literature Vocabulary List

Second Semester

Here are all the vocabulary words from the books we’ve read this semester. You can use this to study for the final exam on May 23.

alliance / [uh-lahy-uhns]
–noun
1. the actof allyingor state of being allied.
2. a formal agreement or treaty between two or more nations to cooperate for specific purposes.
3. a merging of efforts or interests by persons, families, states, or organizations: an alliance between church and state.
4. the persons or entities so allied.
5. marriage or therelationship created by marriagebetween the families of the bride and bridegroom.
During World War II, the United States formed an alliance with other countries, such as Britain, France, and the USSR.
avenge / [uh-venj] verb
to take vengeance or exact satisfaction for.
Inigo Montoya vowed to avenge his father’s murder
avert / [uh-vurt]
–verb (used with object)
to turn away or aside: to avert one's eyes.
to ward off; prevent: to avert evil; to avert an accident.
Jason’s driving skills helped him to avert an accident.
Hannah adverted her eyes during the scary parts of the movie.
baffle / [baf-uhl]
–verb (used with object)
to confuse, bewilder, or perplex:
to frustrate or confound; thwart by creating confusion or bewilderment.
The scientist’s long explanation about physics only helped to baffle me more.
He was baffled by thetechnical language of the instructions.
buoyancy / [boi-uhn-see,boo-yuhn-see]
–noun
1. the power to float or rise in a fluid; relative lightness.
2. the power of supporting a body so that it floats; upward pressure exerted by thefluid in which a body is immersed.
3. lightness or resilience of spirit; cheerfulness.
The buoyancy of the water kept me afloat.
chide / [chid]–verb (used with object)
to expressdisapproval of; scold, reproach.
to harass, nag, impel, or the like.
–verb (used without object)
to scold or reproach; find fault.
I will sternly chide anyone who laughs at another student’s mistake.
The principal chidedthechildren for their thoughtless pranks.
clamor / [klam_ər] noun loud, continuous noise
I could barely hear myself think over the clamor of the birthday party.
Other forms:
verbWhen I walked in the door after being gone all day, the cats were clamoring to be fed.
consternation / [kon-ster-ney-shuhn]
–noun
a sudden, alarming amazement or dread that results in utter confusion; dismay.
To her great consternation, Jessica woke up late and realized she had forgotten to set her alarm clock.
cosmos / [koz-muhs,-mohs]
–noun, plural -mos, -mos·es for
1. the worldor universe regarded as an orderly, harmonious system.
2. a complete, orderly, harmonious system.
The cosmos contains an amazing amount of stars.
cunning / [kuhn-ing]
–noun
skill employed in a shrewd or sly manner, as in deceiving; craftiness; guile.
artfully subtle or shrewd; crafty; sly.
Informal . charmingly cute or appealing
The cunning fox waited for his prey.
I looked in the stroller and saw a cunning little baby.
dejected / [dih-jek-tid]
–adjective
depressed in spirits; disheartened; low-spirited.
related form:
dejectedly, adverb
The dejected expression on thefaceof the loser spoiled my victory.
“I can’t believed I flunked that test!” the student said dejectedly.
demean / [dih-meen]
–verb (used with object)
to lower in dignity, honor, or standing; debase.
Hannah would not demean herself by acting as rude as the other girls.
The senator demeaned himself by accepting thebribe.
density / [den-si-tee]
–noun, plural -ties.
1. the state or quality of being dense; compactness; closely set or crowded condition.
2. stupidity; slow-wittedness; obtuseness.
3. Physics . mass per unit volume.
The density of the Dead Sea makes it very easy to float in it.
desolate / [adj. des-uh-lit;v. des-uh-leyt]verb
1. barren or laid waste; devastated. ; 2. deprived or destitute of inhabitants; deserted; uninhabited. ; 3. solitary; lonely. ; 4. having the feeling of being abandoned by friends or by hope.
The foreign invasion left the city desolate.
distort / [dih-stawrt]
–verb (used with object)
to twist awry or out of shape; make crooked or deformed:
to give a false, perverted, or disproportionate meaning to; misrepresent: to distort thefacts.
—Related forms
distortion (noun)
It was difficult to find out the truth because the witnesses seemed to distort the facts.
Arthritis had distorted Harold’s fingers.
His description of the event was a complete distortion of what actually occurred.
facade / [fuh-sahd,fa-]
–noun
the front of a building, especially an imposing or decorative one.
any side of a building facing a public way or spaceand finished accordingly.
a superficial appearance or illusion of something.
Although the Frump family had lost millions on bad investments, they managed somehow to maintain a facade of wealth.
falter / [fawl-ter]
–verb (used without object)
to hesitate or waver in action, purpose, intent, etc.; give way:
to speak hesitatingly or brokenly.
to move unsteadily; stumble.
–verb (used with object)
to utter hesitatingly or brokenly:.
–noun
an unsteadiness of gait, voice, action, etc.
Her courage did not falter at thepossibility of hardship.
Tommy faltered at the beginning of his speech, but soon recovered and gave a brilliant speech.
foray / [fawr-ey,for-ey]
–noun
1. a quick raid, usually for the purpose of taking plunder:
2. a quick, sudden attack:
3. an initial venture: a successful foray into politics.
–verb (used without object)
4. to make a raid; pillage; maraud.
5. to invade or make one's way, as for profit or adventure: foreign industries foraying into U.S. markets.
–verb (used with object)
6. to ravage in search of plunder; pillage.
The Vikings made a foray on the port.
The defenders made a foray outside the walls.
forlorn / [fawr-lawrn]–adjective
1. desolate or dreary; unhappy or miserable, as in feeling, condition, or appearance. ; 2. lonely and sad; forsaken. ; 3. expressive of hopelessness; despairing.; 4. bereft; destitute.
Jimmy was forlorn when he found out he wasn’t invited to the party.
gaunt / /gɔnt/[gawnt]
–adjective, -er, -est.
extremely thin and bony; haggard and drawn, as from great hunger, weariness, or torture; emaciated.
bleak, desolate, or grim, as places or things.
—Related forms
gaunt·ly, adverb
gaunt·ness, noun
After being trapped in a mine without food for 10 days, the men were very gaunt.
The once thriving farm was gaunt after the tornado.
glimpse / [glimps] noun brief look
Sarah only got a glimpse of the princess through the crowd.
Other forms:
Sarah glimpsed the princess through the crowd.
grandeur / [gran-jer,-joor]
–noun
1. the quality or state of being impressive or awesome: the grandeur of theRocky Mountains.
2. the quality or state of being lofty or elevated in conception or treatment: the grandeur of a prose style.
The grandeur of the Grand Canyon took our breath away.
gruesome / [groo-suhm]–adjective
1. causing great horror; horribly repugnant; grisly: the site of a gruesome murder. ; 2. full of or causing problems; distressing: a gruesome day at the office.
Since I don’t like gruesome scenes, I never watch horror movies.
hasten / [hey-suhn] verb to move quickly
Unhealthy habits like smoking, drinking alcohol, or playing in traffic can hasten your death.
Other forms:
We hastened to the theater because we didn’t want to miss the beginning of the movie.
haughty / [haw-tee]
–adjective, -ti·er, -ti·est.
1. disdainfully proud; snobbish; scornfully arrogant; supercilious: haughty aristocrats;
I did not get any help from the haughty salesclerk.
The Lord is looking for people whose hearts are not haughty but humble before him.
horde / [hawrd,hohrd]verb, hord·ed, hord·ing. –noun
1. a large group, multitude, number, etc.; a mass or crowd: ; 2. any nomadic group. ; 3. a moving pack or swarm of animals:–verb (used without object)
After accidentally stumbling upon their hive, Winnie found himself chased by a horde of angry bees.
horizon / [huh-rahy-zuhn] noun line where earth and sky meet
There was a beautiful sunset on the horizon.
incessant / [in-ses-uhnt]
–adjective
continuing without interruption; ceaseless; unending: an incessant noise.
The puppy’s incessant yapping was very annoying.
infinite / [in-fuh-nit]
–adjective
1. immeasurably great: an infinite capacity for forgiveness.
2. indefinitely or exceedingly great: infinite sums of money.
3. unlimited or unmeasurable in extent of space, duration of time, etc.: the infinite natureof outer space.
It’s estimated that the number of stars in the universe is notinfinite.
intricate / [in-tri-kit]–adjective
1. having many interrelated parts or facets; entangled or involved. ; 2. complex; complicated; hard to understand, work, or make. ; 3. full of elaborate detail.
The princess’s gown was decorated with intricate embroidery.
knoll / [nohl]–noun
a small, rounded hill.
You can get a better view from the top of the knoll.
labyrinth / [lab-uh-rinth]–noun
1. an intricate combination of paths or passages in which it is difficult to find one's way or to reach the exit. ; 2. a maze of paths bordered by high hedges, as in a park or garden, for the amusement of those who search for a way out.
The mouse had to find his way through the labyrinth to get to the cheese.
lure / [loor] noun bait; thing that attracts
I can’t wait to see if my new fishing lure attracts fish.
Other forms:
verb He lured the fish with a new type of bait.
verb He is luring the fish with his new bait.
myriad / [mir-ee-uhd]
–noun
1. a very great or indefinitely great number of persons or things.
2. ten thousand.
–adjective
3. of an indefinitely great number; innumerable: the myriad stars of a summer night.
4. ten thousand.
In the spring a myriad of flowers bloomed.
nectar / [nek-ter]
–noun
1.the saccharine secretion of a plant, which attracts the insects or birds that pollinate the flower.
2.the juice of a fruit, esp. when not diluted, or a blend of fruit juices: pear nectar; tropical nectar.
3.Classical Mythology. the life-giving drink of the gods.
4.any delicious drink.
A glass of strawberry nectar is healthy and delicious.
pestilence / [pes-tl-uhns]
–noun
1. a deadly or virulent epidemic disease.
2. bubonic plague.
3. something that is considered harmful, destructive, or evil.
The bubonic plague was a terrible pestilence that killed many people during the Middle Ages.
pitch / [pich] noun dark, sticky substance from trees or other plants, used for waterproofing or for plugging holes
(NOTE: there are other meanings for the word pitch, such as pitching a ball or pitching a tent. You already know those meanings. For this class, we are focusing on pitch as a noun.)
Pitch has been used to plug holes in log cabins and to make wood used in boats waterproof.
Other forms:
verb We pitched the holes in the wall to keep the bad weather out of the cabin
plunge / [pluhnj]–verb (used with object)
1. to cast or thrust forcibly or suddenly into something, as a liquid, a penetrable substance, a place, etc.; immerse; submerge: to plunge a dagger into one's heart. ; 2. to bring suddenly or forcibly into some condition, situation, etc.: to plunge a country into war; to pull a switch and plunge a house into darkness.
Bobby decided to plunge into the pool head first.
prattle / [prat-l]
–verb (used without object)
to talk in a foolish or simple-minded way; chatter; babble.
–verb (used with object)
to utter by chattering or babbling.
–noun
chatter; babble
Mrs. Wesson patiently listened to her three year old prattle on about her birthday party.
It's difficult to end a phone conversation with her because she just prattles on and on about the silliest things.
When I asked her why she had done it, she answered with a lot of prattle but no real reason.
realm / [relm]–noun
1. a royal domain; kingdom.
King Henry was the ruler of the realm.
reef / reef] noun low ridge of rocks, sand, or coral that rises above the surface of a body of water
A group of colorful fish swam toward the reef.
reproachfully / [ri-prohch-fuhl] adverb in a disapproving manner
“I can’t believe you forgot my birthday,” Maria said reproachfully.
Other forms
verb Maria reproached her twin sister, Mary, for forgetting her birthday.
verb I am going to reproach Mary for forgetting Maria’s birthday.
rival / Georgia Tech is UGA’s rival in football.
other forms:
verbGeorgia Tech’s defense rivaled UGA’s.
savory / [sey-vuh-ree]adjective, -vor·i·er, -vor·i·est, noun, plural -vor·ies. –adjective
1. pleasant or agreeable in taste or smell: a savory aroma. ; 2. pleasing, attractive, or agreeable.
Esau sold his birthright for Jacob’s savory stew.
scarce / [skairs] adj. hard to find; few in number
Food was scarce during the famine.
other forms:
adverb We could scarcely find any food during the famine.
sickle / [sik-uhl]–noun
an implement for cutting grain, grass, etc., consisting of a curved, hooklike blade mounted in a short handle.
If you have another sickle, I will help you cut the grain.
snare / [snair] noun trap
Rupert hoped to catch a rabbit in his snare for dinner.
Other forms:
verb Rupert hoped to snare a rabbit for dinner.
verb Rupert snared a rabbit for dinner.
solstice / [sol-stis,sohl-]
–noun
1. Astronomy .
a. either of thetwo times a year when the sunis at its greatest distance from the celestial equator: about June 21, when the sun reaches its northernmost point on the celestial sphere, or about December 22, when it reaches its southernmost point. Compare summer solstice, winter solstice.
b. either of the two points in the ecliptic farthest from the equator.
After the winter solstice, the days start to slowly grow longer.
spring / [spring] noun source of water flowing out of the earth
The freshest water on the island comes from the spring.
sprite / [sprahyt]–noun
an elf, fairy, or goblin.
The water sprite would hide whenever the humans were around.
stern / [sturn] adj. harsh or severe in manner
The teacher was very stern with the noisy class.
Other forms:
adv.The teacher spoke sternly to the students.
swarm / [swawrm] noun large number of things in busy motion
Winnie jumped into the lake to escape the swarm of bees.
Other forms:
verbThe angry bees swarmed around the bear who tried to steal their honey.
tactics / [tak-tiks]
–noun
1. ( usually used with a singular verb ) the artor scienceof disposing military or naval forces for battle and maneuvering them in battle.
2. ( used with a plural verb ) the maneuvers themselves.
3. ( used with a singular verb ) any modeof procedure for gaining advantage or success.
The enemy’s poor military tactics made them loose the battle.
torrents / [tawr-uhnt,tor-]
–noun
1. a stream of water flowing with great rapidity and violence.
2. a rushing, violent, or abundant and unceasing stream of anything
3. a violent downpour of rain.
4. a violent, tumultuous, or overwhelming flow.
The normally quiet brook becomes a ragingtorrent in stormy weather.
treachery / [trech-uh-ree]
–noun, plural -er·ies.
1. violation of faith; betrayal of trust; treason.
2. an act of perfidy, faithlessness, or treason.
Judas Iscariot’s betrayal of Jesus was treachery at its worst.
twinkling / [twing-kling]–noun
1. an act of shining with intermittent gleams of light. ; 2. the time required for a wink; an instant.
A thousand stars were twinkling in the sky.
tyrant / [tahy-ruhnt]–noun
1. a sovereign or other ruler who uses power oppressively or unjustly. ; 2. any person in a position of authority who exercises power oppressively or despotically.
King Humphrey was a tyrant who taxed his people into poverty.
valiant / [val-yuhnt]
–adjective
1. boldly courageous; brave; stout-hearted: a
2. marked by or showing bravery or valor; heroic:
3. worthy; excellent.
The student made a valiant effort at giving her speech, even though she was very nervous.
My Uncle Gary was a valiant young man who died saving the life of a fellow soldier.
valor / [val-er]
–noun
boldness or determination in facing great danger, esp. in battle; heroic courage; bravery.
The Purple Heart is a medal for valor awarded to those who are wounded or killed in battle while serving in the U.S. military,
wreckage / [rek_ij] noun broken and disordered parts from something wrecked
Luke searched the wreckage of the cage to see if there was anything worth saving.