SAT 7Quiz Date:Wed., Jan.28th (A-Day) and Thurs., Jan.29th (B-Day)

  1. AUSTERE (aw-STEER) ADJ. Stern in manner or appearance; strict in moral. The austere lifestyle of Dan’s household made him gloomy and humorless.
  2. BELITTLE (be-LIT-tul) V. To make something seem less important. My feelings were hurt when my friends tried to belittle my skill at photography.
  3. CLAIRVOYANT (clair-VOY-unt) ADJ. Having exceptional insight. Josh used his clairvoyant powers to make a fortune on the stock market.
  4. GARNER (GAR-nur) V. To gather and store away; to collect. By paying close attention you may be able to garner some information which will help the situation.
  5. ICONOCLAST (eye-KON-oh-klast) N. A person who attacks cherished beliefs or established institutions. Calling himself an iconoclast, Robert questioned the value of the reading lists.
  6. PRUDENT (PROO-dunt) ADJ. Careful or cautious in a sensible way; wise; thrifty. With prudent management, Nick turned his small savings into a fortune.
  7. REMORSE (ree-MORS) N. A deep feeling of sorrow or guilt over a wrong one has done. Dave felt deep remorse over having broken his promise.
  8. SCOFF (SKOF) V. To mock or jeer; to make fun of. Our rivals came to scoff at our team on the practice field, but that made us more determined to win.
  9. SERENE (seh-REEN) ADJ. Calm; unruffled; peaceful. Somehow the owner of the shop remained serene while looking over the fire-gutted building.
  10. WHET (WET) V. To sharpen; to make stronger; to stimulate. If you whet the blade on the stone, you will have a more useful and effective tool.

TONE 7 Quiz Date:Wed., Jan.28th (A-Day) and Thurs., Jan.29th (B-Day)

  1. caustic – sarcastic; biting
  2. earnest- sincere; genuinely wanting to help; can have a sense of intensity or urgency
  3. ironic-difference between what is expected versus what actually happens
  4. judgmental-authoritative and often having critical opinions
  5. ominous-menacing; threatening
  6. sanguineous – optimistic, cheerful

SAT 8Quiz Date:Wed., Feb.11th (A-Day) and Thurs., Feb.12th (B-Day)

1. ABSTRACT (AB-strakt) adjective. Not applied or practical; hard to understand. Since Justin had never missed a meal, hunger was an abstract concept for him.

2. CRITERION (cry-TEER-ee-un) noun. Standard for judging; a test. Mrs. Rouse’s prime criterion in a composition is content.

3. DETER (dee-TUR) verb. To discourage; to keep someone from doing something. Every attempt to deter Amanda only made her more determined to succeed.

4. FORLORN (for-LORN) adjective. Left alone and neglected; unhappy. The dogs at the animal shelter looked so forlorn that I wanted to adopt them all.

5. INCIPIENT (in-SIP-ee-unt) adjective. In an early stage. The rookie was incipientin his career, but he hoped to get better with each season.

6. PIQUE (PEEK) verb. To hurt the feelings of or to make resentful; to arouse or excite. To pique the students’ curiosity, Mrs. Kalwat told them she had a surprise for them at the end of class.

7. PROFANE (proh-FAYNE) adjective. Not holy; not connected with religion; irreverent. “Please do not use such profane language at school,” Mr. Dillard stated.

8. REBUFF (reh-BUF) verb. To refuse in a sharp or rude way; to snub; to beat back. Because it was impractical, I had to rebuff John’s suggestion, but I could have been kinder.

9. SQUALID (SKWA-lud) adjective. Dirty; morally repulsive. The homeless man lived in a squalid house on the edge of town that was not fit for anyone to live.

10. STAGNATE (STAG-nayt) verb. To lie inactive; to fail to progress or develop. Mr. Capone changed jobs every few years so he would not stagnate in one place.

TONE 8 Quiz Date:Wed., Feb.11th (A-Day) and Thurs., Feb.12th (B-Day)

1. critical-finding fault

2. forthright-directly frank without hesitation; blunt; candid

3. intimate-very familiar

4. optimistic-hopeful, cheerful

5. pessimistic-seeing the worst side of things; no hope

6. sardonic-scornfully and bitterly sarcastic

SAT 9Quiz Date:Wed., Feb.25th (A-Day) and Thurs., Feb.26th (B-Day)

1.AMELIORATE (ah-MEE-lee-or-ayt) verb: To improve. Installing the new air conditioner will certainly ameliorate the working conditions.

2.CAJOLE (kah-JOLE) verb: To persuade by pleasant words or false promises. The young mother tried to cajole the picky toddler into trying the squash casserole.

3.CELESTIAL (seh-LESS-tee-ul) adjective: Having to do with the heavens; divine. The new astronauts will be the celestial pioneers for the next century.

4.DEARTH (DERTH) noun: Shortage; lack. The current dearth of qualified applicants will make it difficult to fill the position.

5.ENIGMA (eh-NIG-ma) noun: A puzzle; a baffling situation. Why such a bright student dropped out of school is a real enigma to us all.

6.LASSITUDE (LASS-eh-tood) noun: State or feeling of being tired; weariness. Because of the depression over his injuries, Josh lapsed into a state of lassitude.

7.LEVITY (LEV-eh-tee) noun: Lack of seriousness; fickleness. My mother scolded us for our levity during the church service.

8.PUGNACIOUS (pug-NAY-shus) adjective: Eager and ready to fight. John’s pugnacious attitude made him very difficult to work with.

9.SECTARTIAN (sek-TAIR-ee-un) adjective: Pertaining to a group within a larger group that is limited by common beliefs or interests; narrow-minded. Will’s sectarian beliefs made it difficult for him to find acceptance from others at the university.

10.TENET (TEN-et) noun: A principle, doctrine or belief held as a truth by a group. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are basic tenets for Americans.

List 9 Quiz Date:Wed., Feb.25th (A-Day) and Thurs., Feb.26th (B-Day)

1. contemptuous-showing or feeling that something is worthless or lacks respect

2. indignant/irate-marked by anger aroused by injustice

3. sincere-without deceit or pretense; genuine

4. patronizing-air of condescension

5. whimsical-odd, strange, fantastic; fun

6. obsequious-polite and obedient in order to gain something

*You may retake only 1 vocabulary quiz. Vocabulary quiz retake due dates will be announced in class and posted on my website. Pay attention to those deadlines! Vocab 7-9 Test on Wednesday, March 4th(A-Day), and Thursday, March 5th(B-Day). The retake due date for the test will be Friday, March 13th.