8th Grade Vocabulary 3rd Set Dismay, dubiously, tension, imperious, intoned, stalk, tentatively, sprawling, ruefully, gnarled

1. dismay dismay (noun) – distress, typically that is caused by something unexpected Sample sentence: To the husband’s dismay, she left him. Synonyms – alarm, shock, surprise

2. dubiously dubiously (adverb): feeling doubt about something Sample sentence: She looked at me dubiously after I gave her my name and asked for identification. Synonyms: unclear

3. tension tension (noun) – mental or emotional strain Sample Sentence: There was a lot of tension at the meeting. Synonyms: stress, anxiety

4. imperious imperious (adjective): assuming power or authority without justification Sample Sentence: When Mark got promoted to the rank of captain, he became very imperious. Synonyms: bossy, haughty, authoritative

5. intoned Intoned (verb): to utter with a particular tone or voice change Sample Sentence: He quietly intoned several prayers. Synonyms: chant, recite, sing

6. stalk stalk (verb): to pursue or approach stealthily Sample Sentence: She called the police because her ex-boyfriend was stalking her. Synonyms: creep up on, trail, follow

7. tentatively tentatively (adverb): in a way that lacks confidence; hesitantly Sample Sentence: “Are you all right?” Claire asked tentatively. Synonyms: conditionally, temporarily, uncertainly

8. sprawling sprawling (adjective): spread out over a large area in an untidy or irregular way Sample Sentence: The sprawling mansion left her speechless. Synonyms: spread, stretch, extend

9. ruefully ruefully (adverb): in a way that expresses sorrow or regret Sample Sentence: The little boys ruefully apologized for breaking the window. Synonyms: mournful, pity

10. gnarled gnarled (adjective): knobbly, rough, and twisted, especially with age Sample Sentence: The arthritis had caused the once talented pianist’s fingers to become gnarled. Synonyms: lumpy, bumpy, knotty