Semester 1 Vocabulary

1. Semester 1 Vocabulary

2. Week 1: September 8 • Petty • Venture • Whim • Quizzical

3. petty • Rate the word • 1-I have never heard of this word • 2- I have heard of the word but I have no idea what it means • 3 I have heard the word and I guess that’s its’ meaning is ______________ • 4 I know the word and it means _____________

4. petty • Guess the meaning using context clues • ”Students shouldn’t argue over such petty things like who gets to answer the question first.”

5. petty • adj. • contemptibly narrow in outlook; (informal) small and of little importance; inferior in rank or status; • noun • larceny of property having a value less than some amount (the amount varies by locale) • Synonyms • small-minded, petit larceny, petty larceny, fiddling, footling, little, niggling, piddling, piffling, trivial, inferior, lower-ranking, lowly, secondary, subordinate

6. venture • Rate the word • 1-I have never heard of this word • 2- I have heard of the word but I have no idea what it means • 3 I have heard the word and I guess that’s its’ meaning is ______________ • 4 I know the word and it means _____________

7. venture • Guess the meaning using context clues. • After hearing the creaking sounds in the house, she carefully ventured outside the bedroom.

8. venture • noun • any venturesome undertaking especially one with an uncertain outcome; a commercial undertaking that risks a loss but promises a profit; an investment that is very risky but could yield great profits; • verb • proceed somewhere despite the risk of possible dangers; put at risk; put forward, of a guess, in spite of possible refutation • Synonyms • embark, hazard, adventure, stake, jeopardize, speculation, guess, pretend

9. whim • Rate the word • 1-I have never heard of this word • 2- I have heard of the word but I have no idea what it means • 3 I have heard the word and I guess that’s its’ meaning is ______________ • 4 I know the word and it means _____________

10. whim • Guess the meaning using context clues. • The teenager dyed her hair blue on a whim last weekend.

11. whim • noun • an odd or fanciful or capricious idea; a sudden desire • Synonyms • notion, whimsy, caprice, impulse

12. quizzical • Rate the word • 1-I have never heard of this word • 2- I have heard of the word but I have no idea what it means • 3 I have heard the word and I guess that’s its’ meaning is ______________ • 4 I know the word and it means _____________

13. quizzical • Guess the meaning using context clues. • After I told the the long, complicated joke, she gave me a quizzical look.

14. quizzical • adj. • perplexed (as if being expected to know something that you do not know); playfully vexing (especially by ridicule) • Synonym • questioning, mocking, teasing

15. Week 2- September 15 • Moderate • Fiasco • Gritty • Contemplate

16. moderate • Rate the word • 1-I have never heard of this word • 2- I have heard of the word but I have no idea what it means • 3 I have heard the word and I guess that’s its’ meaning is ______________ • 4 I know the word and it means _____________

17. moderate • Guess the meaning using context clues. • I will not moderate my criticism! • The debate was moderated by a famous law professor. • Most voters in the neighborhood reported being moderates.

18. moderate • adj. • not extreme; being within reasonable or average limits; not excessive or extreme; marked by avoidance of extravagance or extremes; • noun • a person who takes a position in the political center; • verb • make less fast or intense; preside over; restrain or temper; make less strong or intense; soften; make less severe or harsh; lessen the intensity of; temper; hold in restraint; hold or keep within limits • Synonyms • chair, lead, temperate, restrained, centrist, middle of the roader, chasten, temper, tone down, tame, mince, soften, control, hold in, hold, contain, check, curb

19. fiasco • Rate the word • 1-I have never heard of this word • 2- I have heard of the word but I have no idea what it means • 3 I have heard the word and I guess that’s its’ meaning is ______________ • 4 I know the word and it means _____________

20. fiasco • Guess the meaning using context clues. • The party started out small and controlled, but as soon as the word spread it soon turned into a fiasco.

21. fiasco • noun • a sudden and violent collapse • Synonyms • debacle, blunder

22. gritty • Rate the word • 1-I have never heard of this word • 2- I have heard of the word but I have no idea what it means • 3 I have heard the word and I guess that’s its’ meaning is ______________ • 4 I know the word and it means _____________

23. gritty • Guess the meaning using context clues. • The sandpaper was gritty. • Those that chose to move west on the Oregon Trail had a gritty disposition.

24. gritty • adj. • willing to face danger; composed of or covered with particles resembling meal in texture or consistency • Synonyms • game, gamy, gamey, mettlesome, spirited, spunky, farinaceous, coarse-grained, grainy, granular, granulose, mealy

25. contemplate • Rate the word • 1-I have never heard of this word • 2- I have heard of the word but I have no idea what it means • 3 I have heard the word and I guess that’s its’ meaning is ______________ • 4 I know the word and it means _____________

26. contemplate • Guess the meaning using context clues. • She contemplated her reflection in the mirror.

27. contemplate • verb • consider as a possibility; look at thoughtfully; observe deep in thought; reflect deeply on a subject; think intently and at length, as for spiritual purposes • Synonyms • chew over, think over, meditate, ponder, excogitate, muse, reflect, mull, mull over, ruminate, speculate, study

28. Week 3 VocabularySeptember 22 • Diplomatic • Taunt • Obsolete • Exaggerate

29. diplomatic • Rate the word • 1-I have never heard of this word • 2- I have heard of the word but I have no idea what it means • 3 I have heard the word and I guess that’s its’ meaning is ______________ • 4 I know the word and it means _____________

30. diplomatic • Guess the meaning using context clues. • My teacher is so diplomatic at giving feedback that I never get my feelings hurt when I get the wrong answer.

31. diplomatic • adj. • skilled in dealing with people • Synonyms • Tactful

32. taunt • Rate the word • 1-I have never heard of this word • 2- I have heard of the word but I have no idea what it means • 3 I have heard the word and I guess that’s its’ meaning is ______________ • 4 I know the word and it means _____________

33. taunt • Guess the meaning using context clues. • The zookeeper had to scold some teenagers who were taunting the lion by poking sticks through the bars of its cage.

34. taunt • Verb • To tease or make fun of • Synonyms • Mock, tease

35. obsolete • Rate the word • 1-I have never heard of this word • 2- I have heard of the word but I have no idea what it means • 3 I have heard the word and I guess that’s its’ meaning is ______________ • 4 I know the word and it means _____________

36. obsolete • Guess the meaning using context clues. • Just as CD’s made records a thing of the past, DVD players made VCR’s obsolete.

37. obsolete • adj. • old; no longer in use or valid or fashionable; no longer in use • Synonyms • out-of-date, ancient, extinct, stale

38. exaggerate • Rate the word • 1-I have never heard of this word • 2- I have heard of the word but I have no idea what it means • 3 I have heard the word and I guess that’s its’ meaning is ______________ • 4 I know the word and it means _____________

39. exaggerate • Guess the meaning using context clues. • Tall tales usually exaggerate and attribute superhuman traits to characters.

40. exaggerate • Verb • to enlarge beyond bounds or the truth; do something to an excessive degree • Synonyms • Overstate, magnify, amplify, inflate

41. Week 4September 29 • Tendency • Persistent • Extricate • Flaunt

42. tendency • Rate the word • 1-I have never heard of this word • 2- I have heard of the word but I have no idea what it means • 3 I have heard the word and I guess that’s its’ meaning is ______________ • 4 I know the word and it means _____________

43. tendency • Guess the meaning using context clues. • The puppy has a tendency to chew on things.

44. tendency • Noun • Likelihood of behaving in a certain way • Synonyms • Inclination, propensity, leaning

45. persistent • Rate the word • 1-I have never heard of this word • 2- I have heard of the word but I have no idea what it means • 3 I have heard the word and I guess that’s its’ meaning is ______________ • 4 I know the word and it means _____________

46. persistent • Guess the meaning using context clues. • The persistent hikers finally overcame the last obstacle and reached the summit. Their ordeal left them with persistent aches and pains.

47. persistent • adj. • Not giving up • Lasting a long time • Synonyms • Perseverant, insistent, relentless

48. extricate • Rate the word • 1-I have never heard of this word • 2- I have heard of the word but I have no idea what it means • 3 I have heard the word and I guess that’s its’ meaning is ______________ • 4 I know the word and it means _____________

49. extricate • Guess the meaning using context clues. • The bear struggled to extricate itself from the net.

50. extricate • Verb • to set free from a difficult or embarrassing situation • Synonyms • Free, release, disentangle