Unit 1 Vocabulary

compress (v) To press together; to reduce in size or volume; (n) a folded cloth or pad applied to an injury

The woman has placed a cold compress on her forehead in hopes of diminishing her headache.

dispatch (v) To send off our out for a purpose; kill; (n) an official message; promptness, speed; the act of killing

The police use radios to dispatch important messages to one another.

douse (v) To plunge into a liquid, drench; to put out quickly, extinguish

Luckily, the firefighters were able to successfully douse the flames.

famished (adj) suffering severely from hunger or from lack of something

The child had not had a meal in quite some time, and was famished.

gainful (adj) profitable; bringing in money or some special advantage

The child’s first business experience was quite gainful.

immense (adj) very large or great; beyond ordinary means of measurement

The man was so immense that he had to bend over to fit in the room.

inept (adj) totally without skill or appropriateness

If you are an inept singer, you will not be successful on American Idol.

instantaneous (adj) done in an instant, immediate

This meal could be cooked almost instantaneously in the microwave.

irk (v) To annoy, trouble, make weary

If you irk someone, they will not respond positively!

oaf (n) A stupid person; a big, clumsy, slow individual

Baby Huey from the Looney Tunes cartoons is an incredibly bumbling oaf!

recede (v) To go or move backward; to become more distant

The man’s hairline was beginning to recede.

Unit 2 Vocabulary

billow (n) A large wave; (v) to rise and swell like a wave

We watched the waves billow high above the shoreline.

confront (v) To meet face-to-face, especially as a challenge; come to grips with

The Sneetches confronted each other on the beach.

depict (v) To portray; to represent or show in the form of a picture

The chart depicts Egyptian heiroglyphics.

disinterested (adj) fair-minded, free from selfish motives; indifferent

The Koala bear is disinterested in the lady.

hypocrite (n) A person who pretends to be what he or she is not or better than he or she really is; a two-faced person

How is this person being a hypocrite?

incomprehensible (adj) impossible to understand

Asian characters are incomprehensible to me.

maximum (n) The greatest possible amount or degree; (adj) reaching the greatest possible amount or degree

If you are very sick, then you would probably prefer the maximum strength Pepto Bismol.

mimic (n) A person who does imitations; (v) to imitate; to make fun of

A mime might mimic your actions.

ruffle (v) To wrinkle, make uneven; annoy, upset; to flip through; (n) a gathered strip of material used for trimming edges; a ripple; a low drum beat

The dress had beautiful ruffles across the bottom part.

stamina (n) The strength needed to keep going or overcome physical or mental strain; staying power

It takes a lot of stamina to run on a treadmill for a long time.

Unit 3 Vocabulary

bigot (n) An intolerant, prejudiced, or biased person

Adolf Hitler is infamous for being a bigot.

diversity (n) A difference, variety; a condition having many different types or forms

The diversity in this picture is in the form of colors.

gloat (v) To look at or think about with great intensity and satisfaction; to take great personal joy in

The dog is gloating over the cat because he is inside and warm, and the cat is not.

illusion (n) A false idea; something that one seems to see or be aware of that really does not exist

This is an example of an optical illusion. If you look closely, you will see a planet.

infuriate (v) To make angry, enrage

When you are running late, traffic jams are infuriating!

motivate (v) To provide with a reason for doing; to push on to some goal or course of action

Money will often motivate people to work!

vocation (n) Any trade, profession, or occupation; a sense of fitness or special calling for one’s work

These are some vocations you might want to try when you are older.

vow (n) A solemn or sacred promise or pledge; (v) to declare or promise in a solemn way

When President Kennedy was assassinated, Lyndon Johnson was sworn in as the new president. He had to vow to protect the office of the president.

wither (v) To dry up, wilt, sag; to cause someone to feel ashamed, humiliated, or very small

Towards the end of summer, the beautiful flowers in my garden begin to wither.