8TH GRADE VOCABULARY Copy all words and definitions
List #1
1. auxiliary—1) ADJ. giving assistance or support 2) N. a helper
2. candid—ADJ. 1) frank, sincere 2) impartial, unbiased
3. cubicle—N. a small room or compartment
4. drudgery—N. work that is hard and tiresome
5. envoy—N. a representative or messenger (as of a government)
6. escalate—V. 1) to increase in intensity 2) to elevate
7. expedient—1) N. a means to an end 2) ADJ. advantageous, useful
8. feign—V. to pretend
9. flair—N. 1) a natural quality talent or skill 2) a distinctive style
10. grievous—ADJ. causing sorrow or pain
List #2
1. heterogeneous—ADJ. composed of different kinds, diverse
2. horde—N. a vast number
3. impel—V. to force or drive forward
4. incredulous—ADJ. disbelieving, skeptical
5. inscribe—V. 1) to write or engrave 2) to enter a name on a list
6. monologue—N. a speech by one actor; a long talk by one person
7. prognosis—N. a forecast of the probable course and outcome of a disease or situation
8. rasping—1) ADJ. with a harsh, grating sound 2) N. a harsh sound
9. repugnant—ADJ. offensive, distasteful
10. scuttle—1) V. to get rid of something in a decisive way; to discard 2) N. a pail or bucket for containing things
List #3 Copy all words and definitions.
1. adept—1) ADJ. thoroughly skilled 2) N. an expert
2. aspire—V. to have ambitious hopes or plans; to strive toward a higher goal
3. bleak—ADJ. bare, dreary, dismal
4. chide—V. to blame; to scold
5. despicable—ADJ. worthy of scorn, contemptible
6. diminutive—ADJ. small, smaller than most others of the same type
7. emancipate—V. to free from slavery; to release
8. erroneous—ADJ. incorrect, containing mistakes
9. exploit—V. 1) to make use of 2) to make unfair use of
10. extemporaneous—ADJ. made or delivered on the spur of the moment; impromptu
List #4
1. impair—(V) to damage, to harm
2. invincible—(ADJ) not able to be defeated, unbeatable
3. languid—(ADJ) drooping; without energy, sluggish
4. mire—(V) to get stuck in a tough situation; (N) mud
5. obtrusive—(ADJ) too pushy and forward; undesirably thrust out; in the way
6. preamble—(N) an introduction to a speech
7. render—(V) to process, to extract from
8. rugged—(ADJ) rough; severe and stern; strong
9. skeptical—(ADJ) inclined to doubt; slow to accept something as true
10. slipshod—(ADJ) untidy in dress and personal habits; sloppy
List #5
1. brevity—(N) shortness
2. comport—(V) to conduct oneself; to behave in a certain way
3. concise—(ADJ) expressing much in just a few words
4. demure—(ADJ) serious in manner; modest
5. depreciation—(N) a lessening in value
6. deteriorate—(V) to wear away; to worsen; to lower in
quality
7. divulge—(V) to tell; to reveal; to make public
8. enlightened—(ADJ) free from ignorance and false ideas
9. forestall—(V) to prevent something by acting first
10. garble—(V) to distort in such a way as to make confusing and
hard to understand
List #6
1. proponent—(N) one who puts forward a proposal
2. quaver—(V) to shake, to tremble
3. recoil—(V) to spring back, to shrink (N) the act of springing back
4. recoup—(V) to regain; to make up for
5. reek—(V) to give off an unpleasant smell; to smell bad
6. relentless—(ADJ) unyielding, harsh, without pity
7. rivulet—(N) a small stream
8. squander—(V) to spend foolishly; to waste (money)
9. staccato—(ADJ) disjointed in sound; abrupt in sounds
10. statute—(N) a law; a rule
List # 7
1. appreciable—(ADJ) sufficient to be noticed or measured
2. autocratic—(ADJ) absolute in power or authority
3. blanch—(V) to remove the color from; to make pale
4. blasphemy—(N) an act, speech, or writing which shows contempt for something sacred
5. brawny—(ADJ) strong, muscular
6. concerted—(ADJ) planned or performed in cooperation with others
7. contend—(V) to fight, struggle; to compete
8. humane—(ADJ) kind, merciful
9. illustrious—(ADJ) very famous, distinguished
10. intolerable—(ADJ) unbearable
List # 8
1. irreverent—(ADJ) disrespectful
2. laborious—(ADJ) not easy, requiring hard work
3. lithe—(ADJ) bending easily
4. maltreat—(V) to abuse, use roughly
5. ponder—(V) to consider carefully, reflect on
6. subversive—(ADJ) intended to undermine or overthrow
7. synthetic—(N) something artificial (ADJ) made or put together by people; man-made
8. temperate—(ADJ) mild; moderate
9. venomous—(ADJ) poisonous; spiteful and mean
10. wily—(ADJ) sly, shrewd, cunning
List # 9
1. ad infinitum—(ADV) endlessly
2. apportion—(V) to divide and give out in shares
3. bona fide—(ADJ) genuine; sincere
4. buoyant—(ADJ) 1) able to float easily in water 2) cheerful, hopeful
5. clique—(N) a small, exclusive group of people
6. concede—(V) to admit as true; to yield to
7. congenial—(ADJ) getting on well with others; agreeable and friendly
8. lofty—(ADJ) noble and grand
9. migration—(N) movement from one country or region to another
10. perceive—(V) 1) to be aware of through the senses 2) to understand
List # 10
1. perverse—(ADJ) inclined to go against what is expected; turned away from what is good and proper
2. prelude—(N) an introduction; that which comes before
3. rancid—(ADJ) stale; spoiled
4. rustic—(ADJ) simple; coming from the country
5. sever—(V) to separate; to divide into parts
6. sordid—(ADJ) 1) filthy; dirty 2) wretchedly poor; run-down
7. untenable—(ADJ) 1) impossible to keep or maintain 2) impossible to defend (as in an argument or opinion)
8. versatile—(ADJ) able to do many things well; capable of many uses
9. vindicate—(V) to clear from a charge of wrongdoing; to acquit or absolve
10. wane—(V) to lose size, strength or power; to grow gradually smaller
List # 11
1. annex—(V) 1) to add to, attach; to incorporate 2) (N) an attachment
2. cleave—(V) 1) to cut or split open 2) to cling to
3. cordial—(ADJ) in a friendly manner, hearty; cheery
4. cornerstone—(N) 1) the starting point of a building 2) the fundamental principle or element, fundamental belief
5. debacle—(N) an overwhelming defeat; a complete failure
6. devitalize—(V) to make weak or lifeless
7. embroil—(V) to involve in a conflict; to throw into confusion
8. exonerate—(V) to clear from a charge or accusation
9. glib—(ADJ) thoughtless; insincere
10. haphazard—(ADJ) by chance, not planned; lacking order
List # 12
1. improvise—(V) to compose or perform without preparation; to construct from available materials
2. incite—(V) to rouse, stir up, urge on
3. influx—(N) incoming flow of items
4. pallor—(N) an extreme or unnatural paleness
5. pedigree—(N) a list of ancestors, a family tree
6. precipitous—(ADJ) very steep
7. profuse—(ADJ) very abundant; given freely and plentifully
8. reconcile—(V) to restore to friendship
9. shackle—(N) a chain; a fetter (usually used as a plural)
10. threadbare—(ADJ) shabby, old and worn
List # 13
1. abase—(V) to lower in esteem or respect; to humble or humiliate
2. actuate—(V) to move to action; to trigger an action; to instigate
3. avert—(V) to turn aside; to prevent; to avoid
4. boorish—(ADJ) rude, unrefined; vulgar and crude
5. brunt—(N) the main impact, force or burden
6. combatant—(N) a fighter; a warrior
7. dormant—(ADJ) inactive, sleeping
8. dubious—(ADJ) doubtful or uncertain
9. harangue—(V) to deliver a loud, ranting speech (N) a loud speech
10. harry—(V) to torment and harass
List # 14
1. impenitent—(ADJ) not feeling remorse or sorrow for offenses or mistakes
2. knave—(N) a tricky, deceitful person (usually used in male form)
3. legion—(N) 1) a large military force; any large group or number 2) (ADJ) many; numerous
4. liberality—(N) generosity, a generous act
5. plaintiff—(N) one who begins a lawsuit
6. probe—(V) to examine, investigate
7. protract—(V) to draw out or lengthen in space or time
8. quarry—(N) 1) a place from which stone is taken 2) something that is hunted or pursued
9. spurn—(V) to refuse with scorn; to reject
10. subterfuge—(N) an excuse or trick for hiding something
List # 15
1. admonish—(V) to caution or advise against something; to scold mildly
2. breach—(V) to create an opening; to break through
3. brigand—(N) a bandit; a robber; an outlaw
4. circumspect—(ADJ) careful, cautious
5. commandeer—(V) to seize for military or official use
6. cumbersome—(ADJ) clumsy, slow-moving
7. deadlock—(N) 1) a standstill resulting from the conflict of two equal forces 2) (V) to bring to a standstill
8. debris—(N) scattered fragments of rubbish; wreckage
9. diffuse—(V) to spread or scatter freely or widely
10. dilemma—(N) a difficult situation or problem
List # 16
1. efface—(V) to wipe out; to keep oneself from being noticed
2. muddle—(V) to make a mess of
3. opinionated—(ADJ) stubborn and often unreasonable in holding to one’s own ideas; having a closed mind
4. perennial—(ADJ) lasting for a long time; persistent
5. predispose—(V) to incline to beforehand
6. relinquish—(V) to let go; to give up
7. salvage—(V) to save from a fire or shipwreck
8. spasmodic—(ADJ) sudden and violent but brief; intermittent
9. spurious—(ADJ) not genuine; not true; not valid
10. unbridled—(ADJ) uncontrolled; lacking in restraint
List # 17 p. 28
1. adjourn—(V) to stop proceeding temporarily; to move to another place or time
2. alien—(N) a citizen of another country
3. comely—(ADJ) having a pleasing appearance; attractive
4. compensate—(V) to make up for; to repay for services
5. dissolute—(ADJ) loose in one’s morals or behavior
6. erratic—(ADJ) not regular or consistent; different from what is ordinarily expected
7. expulsion—(N) the process of driving out or forcing out
8. feint—(V) to make a deceptive movement; to make a pretense of
9. fodder—(N) food for horses or cattle
10. fortify—(V) to strengthen; to build up
List # 18
1. illegible—(ADJ) difficult or impossible to read
2. jeer—(V) to make fun of rudely or unkindly
3. lucrative—(ADJ) bringing in money; profitable
4. mediocre—(ADJ) average, ordinary, undistinguished
5. proliferate—(V) to reproduce, increase or spread rapidly
6. subjugate—(V) to conquer by force, to bring under control
7. sully—(V) to soil, to stain, to tarnish
8. tantalize—(V) to torment by teasing; to tempt by holding something just out of reach
9. terse—(ADJ) brief and to the point
10. unflinching—(ADJ) not drawing back; standing firm
List # 19 p. 35
1. abridge—(V) to make shorter
2. adherent—(N) a loyal supporter; something which sticks to something else
3. altercation—(N) an angry argument; a fight
4. cherubic—(ADJ) resembling a child-like angel
5. condone—(V) to pardon or overlook a wrongdoing
6. dissent—(V) to disagree with another’s ideas
7. eminent—(ADJ) famous; standing out above others
8. exorcise—(V) to drive out (something evil or undesirable)
9. fabricate—(V) to make, to manufacture
10. irate—(ADJ) very angry; enraged
List # 20
1. marauder—(N) a raider, plunderer
2. obesity—(N) the condition of being excessively overweight
3. pauper—(N) an extremely poor person
4. pilfer—(V) to steal in small quantities
5. rift—(N) a split; a break between two things
6. semblance—(N) a likeness; an outward appearance
7. surmount—(V) to overcome; to rise above
8. terminate—(V) to bring to an end
9. trite—(ADJ) commonplace; overused and stale because of overuse
10. usurp—(V) to seize by force without legal right
List # 21 p. 51
1. abscond—(V) to run off and hide
2. access—(N) an approach or admittance to places or persons
3. anarchy—(N) a lack of government and law; confusion because of a lack of rules or law
4. arduous—(ADJ) hard to do; difficult; requiring much effort
5. auspicious—(ADJ) favorable; fortunate
6. biased—(ADJ) favoring one side; prejudiced
7. daunt—(V) to overcome with fear; to intimidate
8. disentangle—(V) to free from complications; to unravel
9. fated—(ADJ) determined in advance by destiny or fortune
10. hoodwink—(V) to mislead by a trick; to deceive
List # 22
1. inanimate—(ADJ) not having life; without energy or spirit
2. incinerate—(V) to burn to ashes
3. intrepid—(ADJ) very brave, fearless
4. larceny—(N) theft; the crime of theft
5. pliant—(ADJ) bending readily; easily influenced
6. pompous—(ADJ) overly self-important; excessively arrogant
7. precipice—(N) a very steep cliff
8. rectify—(V) to make right; to correct
9. reprieve—(N) a temporary relief or delay (of a punishment)
10. revile—(V) to attack with words; to call bad names
List # 23 p. 58
1. accomplice—(N) a person who takes part in a crime
2. annihilate—(V) to destroy completely
3. arbitrary—(ADJ) unreasonable; based on one’s wishes or whims without regard for reason or fairness
4. brazen—(ADJ) shameless; bold in a disrespectful way
5. catalyst—(N) a substance or thing that causes or hastens a change
6. exodus—(N) a large-scale departure or flight
7. facilitate—(V) to make easier; to assist
8. incorrigible—(ADJ) not able to be corrected; beyond control
9. latent—(ADJ) hidden; present but not detected or seen
10. militant—(ADJ) given to fighting; aggressive in support of a cause
List #24
1. morose—(ADJ) having a gloomy or sullen manner; not friendly or sociable
2. opaque—(ADJ) 1) not letting light through; not clear or lucid 2) dense in thinking; stupid
3. paramount—(ADJ) chief in importance; above others
4. prattle—(V) to talk in an aimless, foolish, or simple way; to babble
5. rebut—(V) to offer arguments or evidence that contradicts an assertion; to contradict
6. reprimand—(V) to scold; to find fault with
7. servitude—(N) slavery; forced labor
8. slapdash—(ADJ) careless and hasty
9. stagnant—(ADJ) not running or flowing; foul from standing still
10. succumb—(V) to give way to a superior force; to yield
List # 25 p. 65
1. atone—(V) to make up for
2. bondage—(N) slavery
3. credible—(ADJ) believable
4. defray—(V) to pay for (the cost of something)
5. diligent—(ADJ hardworking, industrious, not lazy
6. doleful—(ADJ) sad; dreary
7. ghastly—(ADJ) frightful; horrible; deathly pale
8. hamper—(V) to hold back
9. hew—(V) 1) to shape or cut down with an ax 2) to hold to; to adhere to
10. impoverished—(ADJ) poor