Wordly Wise Vocab

Lessons 13+14

A slideshow by Jacqueline Nelson

arduous

Adjective- requiring much effort My task was very arduous because I

had to haul a 50 ton truck up Mt. Everest.

canny

Adjective- shrewd and careful; watchful of ones own interest

Jackie made a canny decision when she decided to share her PowerPoint with the rest of the class; she figured someone else might then share with her, which would help Jackie out.

climax

Noun- the highest point; the greatest moment ever

The climax of the movie was when the heroine faced the bad guy for the last time, and it seemed like she might lose!

endorse Verb- to sign the back of a check before cashing or

depositing it I endorsed my check by putting the money into my

account. Verb - to approve of; to support When Oprah endorsed Barack Obama, he gained

many new followers because people listen to her. Verb - to be favorably associated with a product in

return for payment Athletes often get paid to endorse certain products

because companies know people will want to buy the same gear athletes use.

Exuberant

Adjective- happy and excited; bubbling over with enthusiasm

I was so exuberant when I saw my sister after 13 years apart that I was screaming and crying with joy!

intrepid

Adjective- feeling or showing no fear; brave; courageous

The man was very intrepid when he went into a tank with sharks when he was soaked in blood, just to lure the shark away from his other friend who accidently fell in.

kindle Verb- to start burning The fire started to kindle after we

rubbed the rocks to create a spark, which ignited with the twigs.

to cause to become excited or stirred up

The thought of going to Hawaii over Spring break kindled my interest; I almost fell down I was so excited!

lucrative

Adjective- producing wealth or profit  My factory was very lucrative and was

making a lot of money for the company!

mentor

Noun- A wise and loyal friend and adviser

My mentor is my mom because she is always there for me, and is very helpful when I need to make tough decisions.

obsession

Noun- An interest, idea, or feeling that fills one's mind and leaves little room for anything else.

My obsession with puppies was evident; whenever I had a piece of paper I would draw pictures of them!

personable

Adjective- Pleasing in manner and appearance

I had to very personable when I showed up for my interview so people would think I looked neat, organized, and able to run a business.

proficient

Adjective - Able to do something very well; skillful

I was very proficient at reading because I could read 7 pages in 1 minute.

scanty

Adjective- Not enough or just barely enough; small in size or amount

We had a scanty supply of food; although there were ten of us, we only had three sandwiches and a bag of potato chips for our lunch.

strait

Noun-A narrow body of water connecting two larger ones

Between Siberia and Alaska is the Bering Strait, a frigid stretch of the northern Pacific Ocean.

Trouble or need I was in a real strait when I had one

dollar and hadn’t eaten in two days.

zest

Noun - Great enjoyment of; excitement

I was full of zest when my parents got me the puppy I had wanted since I was five, it was a dream come true for me!

allege

Verb- To state as a fact but without offering proof

The teacher alleged that I was cheating on the test, but since she had no proof I didn’t get a detention.

conclusive

Adjective- Putting an end to doubt; convincing

It was conclusive evidence that I didn’t cheat on my test when I got a 32 and everyone else in the class got a 100.

Counterpart

Noun- A person or thing that is similar to another

My friend Michelle is my counterpart because we have the same color eyes, hair, style of dressing, and hair style.

dismal Adjective- dark or extremely gloomy The beginning of Poe’s “The Raven” clearly

describes a dismal night; “It was in the bleak December…”

Causing misery or sadness; depressing It was very dismal outside, it was nasty and

made you feel sad about yourself no matter how good of a day you had.

enthrall

Verb- To hold the attention of as though under a spell

I was enthralled by the lava lamp; I was so fixated on it my friend had to blow a horn in my ear just to break me away from it.

exotic

Adjective- Fascinating because of being very different from the ordinary

The platypus is very exotic because you don’t see it everyday, and it’s odd looking.

incredulous Adjective- Doubtful; skeptical I was very incredulous that my dog would

be found after he ran away and he wasn’t wearing his collar: it had been three weeks since we last saw him.

Showing disbelief Peter’s expression was incredulous; he

rolled his eyes and huffed loudly to show that he thought I was crazy.

legendary Adjective- Well-known; famous and much

talked about over a long period of time Although he is no longer President, Bill

Clinton is a legendary figure in American politics.

Relating to a story (usually untrue) handed down from the past

Superman is legendary; his story has been told for ages as bedtime stories.

lurk

Verb- To prowl or lie hidden, as though about to attack

The cat was lurking behind the bushes waiting for a mouse to pass by.

menagerie

Noun- A collection of animals kept in cages for showing to the public

The play The Glass Menagerie gets its title from the fact that one of the main characters has a large collection of animals made of glass.

naive Adjective- Inexperienced; ready to accept

without analyzing I was very naïve when I accepted the

contract without looking it over to make sure there were no loop holes.

Simple in a childlike way; innocent Because children are naïve, they are

unaware of how many dangers there are in the world, and they need to be protected.

pander

Verb- To give or promise what is wanted in order to please someone – has a negative connotation

The spoiled girl’s parents pandered to her every whim, which is how she ended up with a hundred dolls, thousands of dollars worth of jewelry, and a pony before she turned twelve.

plausible

Adjective- Seeming to be true but not necessarily so

It is plausible that a comet hit the Earth and killed all the dinosaurs, although they could’ve gone extinct many other ways.

preposterous

Adjective- Too absurd to be believed; ridiculous

It was preposterous to think that aliens would come down from the sky and give me a machine to do all my homework.

scrupulous Adjective- Marked by close attention

to the smallest detail I was scrupulous when I was

correcting papers too make sure I gave everyone a fair grade.

Acting in correct and honest manner  Judges for competitions are expected

to be scrupulous so the results of the competition will be fair and accurate.