9th Grade English Level C Unit 4 Vocabulary 9th Grade English Level C

Annul (v.) to reduce to nothing; to make ineffective or inoperative; to declare legally invalid or void The Catholic church prefers to annul marriages instead of having couples divorce.

Blasé (adj.) indifferent; bored as a result of having enjoyed to many pleasures; apathetic Since a new smartphone comes out practically every month, Hank is blasé to the latest technological invention.

Bolster (v.) to support, to give boost to; (n.) a long pillow or cushion; a supporting post Free tickets were given away to bolster attendance at the game.

Deplore (v.) to feel or express regret or disapproval The teacher deplores student cheating on tests.

Frivolous (adj.) of little importance, not worthy of serious attention; not meant seriously Spending two hundred and fifty dollars on a pair of sneakers seems frivolous to someone who lives on a tight budget.

Muster (v.) to bring together for service or battle; to gather or summon; to amount to, comprise, include; (n.) a list of men for military service; a gathering, accumulation The Commander-in-Chief mustered the 5th Battalion to a mission in Afghanistan.

Nonentity (n.) a person or thing of no importance Sometimes seniors treat underclassmen as a nonentity..

Obsess (v.) to trouble, haunt, or fill the mind It’s not uncommon for some students in high school to obsess about their grades.

Ornate (adj.) elaborately decorated; showily splendid In some countries ornate decorating is part of their culture.

Oust (v.) to remove, drive out of position or place Anti-government protests in Egypt in 2011 ousted President Mubarack.

Peruse (v.) to read thoroughly and carefully You will need to peruse the manual to properly set up the new wireless television.

Porous (adj.) full of tiny holes; able to be penetrated by air or water The porous rock soaks up moisture, degrading the limestone.

Promontory (n.) a high point of land extending into water Visitors like to stand on the windswept promontory of the Delaware Bay in Cape May.

Prone (adj.) lying face down; inclined, likely The man lay prone on the floor in his office where he had fallen.

Qualm (n.) a pang of conscience, uneasiness, misgiving, or doubt; a feeling of faintness or nausea My neighbor has no qualms about downloading pirated music files from the Internet.

Recourse (n.) a person or thing turned to for help or advice; the act of seeking help or protection If chemotherapy failed, the next recourse would be surgery, which the doctor dreaded because of its high risk of mortality.

Residue (n.) a remainder, that which remains when a part has been used up or removed Many paper factories leave residue in the environment.

Solicitous (adj.) showing concern or care; fearful or anxious about someone or something My solicitous neighbor is worried about her elderly mother.

Staid (adj.) serious and dignified’ quiet or subdued in character or conduct The elderly librarian at the public library always dresses in a staid manner.

Sustain (v.) to support, nourish, keep up; to suffer, undergo; to bear up under, withstand; to affirm the validity of The wrestler can lift 400 pounds, but can only sustain that weight for a very short time.