Mrs. Haseltine’s Words of the Day—12th Grade
2016-2017
1. atone – (v.) to make up for
2. defray – (v.) to pay for
3. ghastly – (adj.) frightful, horrible; deathly pale
4. impoverished – (adj.) poor, in a state of poverty, depleted
5. lucid – (adj.) easy to understand, clear; rational sane
6. sardonic – (adj.) grimly or scornfully mocking, bitterly sarcastic
7. taunt – (v.) to jeer at, mock; (n.) an insulting or mocking remark
8. bondage – (n.) slavery; any state of being bound or held down
9. diligent – (adj.) hardworking, industrious, not lazy
10. hamper – (v.) to hold back
11. incessant – (adj.) never stopping, going on all the time
12. posthumous – (adj.) occurring or published after death
13. superfluous – (adj.) exceeding what is sufficient or required, excess
14. tenacious – (adj.) holding fast; holding together firmly; persistent
15. credible – (adj.) believable
16. doleful – (adj.) sad; dreary
17. hew – (v.) to shape or cut down with an ax; to hold to
18. intricate – (adj.) complicated; difficult to understand
19. prim – (adj.) overly neat, precise, proper, or formal; prudish
20. supplant – (v.) to take the place of, supersede
21. adieu – (int.) “Farewell!”; (n.) a farewell
22. assimilate – (v.) to absorb fully or make one’s own; to adopt as one’s own; to adapt fully
23. interim – (n.) the time between; (adj.) temporary, coming between two points in time
24. meander – (v.) to wander about, wind about; (n.) a sharp turn or twist
25. obstreperous – (adj.) noisy; unruly, disorderly
26. shoddy – (adj.) of poor quality; characterized by inferior workmanship
27. tirade – (n.) a long, angry speech, usually very critical
28. advent – (n.) an arrival; a coming into place or view
29. bogus – (adj.) false, counterfeit
30. inundate – (v.) to flood, overflow; to overwhelm by numbers or size
31. metropolis – (n.) a large city; the chief city of an area
32. pensive – (adj.) thoughtful; melancholy
33. sprightly – (adj.) lively, full of life; spicy, flavorful
34. vagrant – (n.) an idle wanderer, tramp; (adj.) wandering aimlessly
35. apex – (n.) the highest point, tip
36. exorbitant – (adj.) unreasonably high; excessive
37. malign – (v.) to speak evil of, slander; (adj.) evil
38. momentous – (adj.) very important
39. perilous – (adj.) dangerous
40. surly – (adj.) angry and bad-tempered; rude
41. assurance – (n.) a pledge; freedom from doubt, self-confidence
42. dilate – (v.) to make or become larger or wider; to expand upon
43. flippant – (adj.) lacking in seriousness; disrespectful, saucy
44. liability – (v.) a debt; something disadvantageous
45. rabid – (adj.) furious, violently intense, unreasonably extreme; mad; infected with rabies
46. remunerate – (v.) to reward, pay, reimburse
47. venture – (n.) a risky or daring undertaking; (v.) to expose to danger; to dare
48. asylum – (n.) an institution for the care of children, elderly people, etc.; a place of safety
49. dross – (n.) refuse, waste products
50. immunity – (n.) resistance to disease; freedom from some charge or obligation
51. preposterous – (adj.) ridiculous, senseless
52. realm – (n.) a kingdom; a region or field of study
53. sparse – (adj.) meager, scant; scattered
54. warp – (v.) to twist out of shape; (n.) an abnormality
55. console – (v.) to comfort; (n.) the keyboard of an organ; a control panel for an electrical or mechanical device
56. dwindle – (v.) to lessen, diminish
57. institute – (v.) to establish, set up; (n.) an organization for the promotion of learning
58. pugnacious – (adj.) quarrelsome, fond of fighting
59. rejuvenate – (v.) to make young again; to make like new
60. sterling – (adj.) genuine, excellent; made of silver of standards fineness
61. auxiliary – (adj.) giving assistance or support; (n.) a helper, aid
62. drudgery – (n.) work that is hard and tiresome
63. expedient – (n.) a means to an end; (adj.) advantageous, useful
64. grievous – (adj.) causing sorrow or pain; serious
65. impel – (v.) to force, drive forward
66. monologue – (n.) a speech by one actor; a long talk by one person
67. repugnant – (adj.) offensive, disagreeable, distasteful
68. candid – (adj.) frank, sincere; impartial; unposed
69. envoy – (n.) a representative or messenger (as of a government)
70. feign – (v.) to pretend
71. heterogeneous – (adj.) composed of different kinds, diverse
72. incredulous – (adj.) disbelieving, skeptical
73. prognosis – (n.) a forecast of the probable course and outcome of a disease or situation
74. scuttle – (v.) to sink a ship by cutting holes in it; to get rid of something in a decisive way; to run hastily, scurry; (n.) a pail
75. cubicle – (n.) a small room or compartment
76. escalate – (v.) to elevate; to increase in intensity
77. flair – (n.) a natural quality, talent, or skill; a distinctive style
78. horde – (n.) a vast number (as of people); a throng
79. inscribe – (v.) to write or engrave; to enter a name on a list
80. rasping – (adj.) with a harsh, grating sound; (n.) a harsh sound
81. adept – (adj.) thoroughly skilled; (n.) an expert
82. chide – (v.) to blame; scold
83. emancipate – (v.) to free from slavery; to release or liberate
84. extemporaneous – (adj.) made or delivered on the spur of the moment
85. languid – (adj.) drooping; without energy, sluggish
86. preamble – (n.) an introduction to a speech or piece of writing
87. skeptical – (adj.) inclined to doubt; slow to accept something as true
88. aspire – (v.) to have ambitious hopes or plans, strive toward a higher goal, desire earnestly; to ascend
89. despicable – (adj.) worthy of scorn, contemptible
90. erroneous – (adj.) incorrect, containing mistakes
91. impair – (v.) to make imperfect, damage, turn
92. mire – (n.) mud; wet, swampy ground; a tough situation; (v.) to get stuck
93. render – (v.) to cause to become; to perform; to deliver officially; to process, extract
94. slipshod – (adj.) untidy in dress, personal habits, etc.; careless, sloppy
95. bleak – (adj.) bare, dreary, dismal
96. diminutive – (adj.) small, smaller than most others of the same type
97. exploit – (v.) to make use of, develop; to make improper use of for personal profit; (n.) a feat, deed
98. invincible – (adj.) not able to be defeated, unbeatable
99. obtrusive – (adj.) forward; undesirably prominent; thrust out
100. rugged – (adj.) rough, irregular; severe, stern; strong; stormy