Lesson 1 Wordly Wise Grade 8 Flashcards
avid
adj. 1. Having a strong desire for, to the point of greed.
2. Eager; enthusiastic.
Avid for the attention of their baby-sitter, the children shouted and tumbled about on the floor.
Marcia is an avid skier who spends each weekend on the slopes.
concise
adj. short and to the point.
“Speed Kills” is a concise way of warning drivers of the danger of going too fast.
brusque
adj. Abrupt in manner or speech; gruff.
brusqueness n. The quality or state of being brusque.
The lawyer’s brusque questioning intimidated the witness.
With a bursqueness unlike her, Melanie ended the phone conversation.
demean
v. To cause a lowering of self-esteem; to lower in reputation or character.
demeaning adj. degrading.
Don’t demean yourself by denying what everyone knows to be true.
June felt that being scolded in front of her friends was demeaning.
despicable
adj. Deserving contempt or scorn.
Stealing from the class treasury was a despicable thing to do.
emulate
v. To try to equal; to imitate.
Musicians around the world have tried to emulate Louis Armstrong’s soulful trumpet playing.
evoke
v. 1. To call forth; to produce.
2. To bring to mind, often by suggestion.
evocative adj. Creating something again, especially through the imagination.
The costumes and music of the film were evocative of Paris in the 1920s.
After the oil spill, the governor’s appeal for clean-up volunteers evoked a huge response rom people in the state.
The tinkling notes from the music box evoked for me the carefree joys of childhood.
excruciating
adj. very painful.
The ointment soothed the excruciating burn on Ronald’s arm.
inaugurate
v. 1. To install in office with a formal ceremony.
2. To begin officially or mark the opening of.
inauguration n. The act of installing in office.
Governor Maitland was at her desk within hours of her inauguration.
Presidents of the United States are inaugurated in January following the November election.
On Tuesday, Mayor Ovalles inaugurated a free vaccination program for all children under five living in the city.
pervade
v. To spread throughout.
pervasive adj. Spreading throughout.
Laughter pervades the house whenever Aunt Sara visits us.
We could tell from the pervasive odor of disinfectant that the cleaning crew had mopped every floor.
proprietor
n. An owner of a store or other business.
The proprietors of the downtown shops planned a sidewalk sale for the first weekend in June.
pseudonym
n. A fictitious name used by an author; a pen name.
Female British authors of the nineteenth century often had to use a male pseudonym in order to get their books published.
rebuff
v. 1. to reject bluntly.
2. to drive back.
n. 1. a blunt rejection.
2. an abrupt setback in progress.
The owner’s rebuffed all attempts to take over their successful computer company.
Although the men in the Alamo were determined to rebuff Santa Anna’s forces, in the end they were defeated.
Caroline’s offer to Fred to patch up their quarrel met with a rebuff.
After a storm delayed their start, the climbers experienced another rebuff when a rock slide shut down one of the trails.
resilient
adj. 1. capable of recovering quickly from misfortune.
2. returning quickly to an original shape or condition.
resilience n. 1. The ability to recover.
2. The ability to spring back.
After slipping to third place, the Red Sox were resilient enough to regain first place.
A wool sweater is more resilient after washing than a cotton one.
Tennis balls lose resilience after three or four sets of vigorous play.
turbulent
adj. 1. chaotic; unruly.
2. stormy;tempestuous
turbulence n. 1. Great disturbance or agitation.
2. Rapid changes in wind speed and direction in the atmosphere.
My brother and I tried our best to stay calm during the turbulent period of our parents’ divorce.
Such a turbulent sea prevented all boats from leaving the harbor.
The turbulence of the 1960s included peace marches, civil rights, protests, and assassinations.
The “Fasten Your Seatbelts” sign flashed on when the plane encountered turbulence.
