Grade 11 Vocab Unit 7 Admonish – Vindictive 20 WORDS

Word: Admonish Definition: to scold Part of Speech: verb Example Sentence: I admonished the students for not checking their calendars for the upcoming due dates.

Word: Amorphous Definition: shapeless Part of Speech: adjective Example Sentence: Without the correct baking techniques, a cake can become an amorphous blob of dough and sugar.

Word: Belabor Definition: to dwell/harp on, argue a point in excessive detail Part of Speech: verb Example Sentence: The saleswoman belabored her point about the discount being the best she’s ever seen so much so that customers started getting annoyed at her lengthy argument.

Word: Censure Definition: to express severe disapproval Part of Speech: verb Example Sentence: Judy censured her son for earning poor grades and talking rudely to his teacher; she was extremely disappointed in his behavior.

Word: Conjecture Definition: to guess Part of Speech: verb Example Sentence: The teacher conjectured that students would do well on their vocab quiz based on the fact that they did well on the practice quiz.

Word: Decorous Definition: proper Part of Speech: adjective Example Sentence: My mom always reminds my sister and me to be decorous and mind our manners.

Word: Docile Definition: easily taught, obedient Part of Speech: adjective Example Sentence: The docile students received many rewards from their teacher for being so well-behaved and obedient. Trippy is a docile, well-behaved dog.

Word: Euphemism Definition: a pleasant substitute for an offensive word Part of Speech: noun Example Sentence: Instead of cursing in class the student used a euphemism to express his frustration. Jake used a euphemism when he said his uncle passed away instead of saying his uncle died.

Word: FOIBLE Definition: minor character flaw Part of Speech: noun Example Sentence: One of Jane’s foibles is her constant lateness.

Word: Ignominy Definition: disgrace Part of Speech: noun Example Sentence: After his continuously rude behavior, Matt’s reputation fell into ignominy.

Word: ICONOCLAST Definition: one who attacks popular beliefs Part of Speech: noun Example Sentence: The vegetarian chef was an iconoclast in the steak house that specialized in meals focusing on meat.

Word: Maudlin Definition: overly sentimental/emotional Part of Speech: adjective Example Sentence: The TV series finale that included the two long lost lovers reuniting after years of being separated was maudlin and cliché.

Word: Onerous Definition: requiring difficult and heavy obligations, burdensome Part of Speech: adjective Example Sentence: I find packing and moving a very onerous and exhausting task.

Word: PHILISTINE Definition: a hostile person who does not appreciate culture or arts Part of Speech: noun Example Sentence: The fact that Tom could not appreciate The Great Gatsby proves that he is a philistine; he wouldn’t know good literature if it hit him over the head.

Word: Provident Definition: preparing for the future Part of Speech: adjective Example Sentence: Kelly’s provident manner of saving some money from each paycheck paid off when she had enough money to buy a house. Frances made the provident decision to apply to many colleges to ensure that he got into at least one.

Word: Reprehensible Definition: worthy of blame Part of Speech: adjective Example Sentence: Stealing is a reprehensible act.

Word: Skeptical Definition: doubtful Part of Speech: adjective Example Sentence: I was skeptical of Karen’s claim that she got into Harvard with her low grade point average.

Word: Surfeit Definition: excess, surplus Part of Speech: noun Example Sentence: There was a surfeit of leftover food after Thanksgiving dinner.

Word: Torpor Definition: sluggishness, inactivity Part of Speech: noun Example Sentence: First period Monday morning usually produces a general feeling of torpor among students.

Word: Vindicate Definition: to justify, to clear from blame Part of Speech: verb Example Sentence: The lawyer vindicated his client who had been accused of stealing.