8th Grade Vocabulary 4th Set Haze, gesture, deftly, wryly, urgency, surge, staccato, condescending, strode, commotion

1. haze haze (noun) – foggy; a state of mental confusion Sample sentence: Jule awoke in a haze of hot and cold. Synonyms – mist, fog, cloud, blur, daze

2. gesture gesture (noun): a movement of part of the body, especially a hand or the head, to express an idea or meaning Sample sentence: Alex made a gesture of apology. Synonyms: signal, sign, motion, indication

3. deftly deftly (adverb) – in a way that is neatly skillful and quick in movement Sample Sentence: He stopped at the last stall and deftly lifted the bucket over the gate, placing it on the floor with ease. Synonyms: aptly, fluently, cleverly

4. wryly wryly (adverb): in a way that expresses dry, especially mocking, humor Sample Sentence: She shut the door after they entered, and smiled wryly at Adrienne. Synonyms: sarcastic

5. urgency urgency (noun): importance requiring swift action Sample Sentence: Emilia heard the urgency in his voice. Synonyms: demanding, immediate

6. surge surge (noun): a sudden powerful forward or upward movement Sample Sentence: Flooding caused by tidal surges. Synonyms: gush, rush, outpouring stream, flow

7. staccato staccato (adverb and adj): with each sound or note sharply detached or separated from the others Sample Sentence: Because the bird was trapped in the wire, it started to chirp in staccato spurts. Synonyms: chorus, chant, rhythm

8. condescending condescending (adjective): having or showing a feeling of patronizing superiority Sample Sentence: She thought the teachers were arrogant and condescending. Synonyms: superior, snobbish, snobby

9. strode strode (verb): walk with long, decisive steps in a specified direction Sample Sentence: He strode across the road. Synonyms: march, pace, step

10. commotion commotion (noun): a state of confused and noisy disturbance Sample Sentence: She was distracted by a commotion across the street. Synonyms: disturbance, uproar, fuss