7 TH G RADE C ORE V OCABULARY

A DAMANT ADJECTIVE - DESCRIBES We tried to talk him into coming to the store with us, but he was adamant about staying home. I remained adamant about getting the actor’s autograph, even after he had disappeared backstage.

A GGRAVATED ADJECTIVE - DESCRIBES The child's constant scratching aggravated the rash. She aggravated an old knee injury during a competitive soccer game.

APATHETIC ADJECTIVE - DESCRIBES The men aboard the Californian appeared to be apathetic, as they seemed to ignore the Titanic’s cries for help. The apathetic student did not care what grades he received. Your previous vocabulary word, indifferent, is a synonym.

A PPREHENSIVE ADJECTIVE – DESCRIBES Eleanor Roosevelt was apprehensive about marrying Franklin because she was afraid she couldn’t trust him with her heart. The young boy was apprehensive about entering the haunted house because he could hear the screams from the people in front of him. The apprehensive dog tucked his tail in between his legs and slowly walked toward his angry owner.

B ENEVOLENT ADJECTIVE - DESCRIBES The charity received a gift from a benevolent donor. He belonged to several benevolent societies and charitable organizations. My teacher returned my test paper with a benevolent smile, which reassured me that I did well.

C ARELESS ADJECTIVE - DESCRIBES Look at the root word of careless. Now look at the suffix of careless. What do you think this word means? The woman’s unprofessional attire hinted that she grew careless of her personal appearance. I did not do well on my math test because I made too many careless mistakes.

C OWER VERB – ACTION WORD The children cowered at the sight of a shark in the ocean. I cowered behind the door, afraid of what I might find waiting outside. He was cowering away from the fierce dog.

D ESTITUTE ADJECTIVE - DESCRIBES Many families were left destitute by Hurricane Sandy. Our organization has been working tirelessly to bring help to the destitute neighborhoods of our city.

D ISCREDIT VERB – ACTION WORD Look at the root word of discredit. Now look at the prefix of discredit. What do you think this word means? The prosecution discredited the witness by showing that she had lied in the past. Later research about cells discredited earlier theories.

E XEMPLARY ADJECTIVE – DESCRIBING WORD Eleanor Roosevelt is a exemplary woman. She is a role model for woman everywhere. Exemplary schools are given awards so that other schools can follow in their footsteps and become great schools too. The baseball player was so exemplary that his team mates watched his every move in an effort to be as good as he was.

F ACETIOUS ADJECTIVE – DESCRIBES I did not like how he was speaking in a facetious manner about the serious subject. I was merely being facetious when I told her that if we wanted to stop having arguments, we should all just sing songs together. The woman said, "I don't seriously mean that you are not smart -- I was being facetious."

FLAW NOUN - THING One fatal flaw of the Titanic is that it did not contain enough lifeboats for all the passengers. The Liberty Bell contained a flaw during the casting process and once it was rung, it cracked. Mr. Ruppert told me that comma usage is a common flaw in many people’s writing.

F RUGAL ADJECTIVE - DESCRIBES Your office needs a frugal manager who can save you money without making painful cutbacks. Bob was very frugal; he walked to work instead of taking the bus. He didn't earn much, therefore he lived a frugal lifestyle.

J OVIAL ADJECTIVE – DESCRIBES FDR’s friends and family described him as jovial. He was the opposite of Eleanor, who was quiet and rarely smiled. Santa Claus is often described as jovial because he has a great sense of humor and enjoys making people happy. Jovial people are fun to be around!

J UBILANT ADJECTIVE - DESCRIBES Michael Phelps was jubilant after racing to a gold medal in the 2012 Summer Olympics. Jubilant crowds welcomed the victorious team home.

L INGER VERB – ACTION WORD The poor children would linger around Scrooge’s door just for the opportunity to carry his lantern. They hoped for a few pennies in return for lighting his way. P.258 I lingered at the bus stop hoping to see Beth when she got done work. “Don’t linger too long,” my mom said, “I want to get home soon.”

PERISHABLE ADJECTIVE - DESCRIBES The Titanic’s kitchen contained the latest in refrigeration to keep the perishable item from spoiling. My mom always yells at me when I leave the milk sitting out because it is a perishable item. In order to keep the perishable items fresh on our picnic, we placed them in a cooler.

P REDICTABLE ADJECTIVE - DESCRIBES Ebenezer Scrooge was so predictable. Everyone knew he was stingy and mean so they tried to avoid him when he walked down the street. P.258 The weather this year has not been very predictable. The weathermen never know if it is going to be cold or hot, wet or dry! My friend’s behavior is very predictable. I can always depend on her to be happy and upbeat.

R EPULSIVE ADJECTIVE - DESCRIBES Scrooge found poor people repulsive. He couldn’t even look at them when he walked past them on the street. The shelter’s nonperishable food spoiled and the smell was repulsive. Burt's scratching, belching and chewing with his mouth open was a repulsive experience for his fellow dinner guests.

R ESERVED ADJECTIVE – DESCRIBES Eleanor Roosevelt was described by her family and friends as reserved because she didn’t show her feelings and was very quiet and thoughtful. Shy people are often reserved. They think before they speak and they try not to get involved unless they feel comfortable. The quiet, reserved man took a seat in the back and didn’t say much.

R ESOLVE VERB – ACTION WORD I resolved to work harder this marking period so I could make honor roll. It took three years to resolve the dispute with a property management company. The problem was resolved when Tonya admitted to stealing.

TENTATIVE ADJECTIVE - DESCRIBES On board the Titanic, many of the passengers were tentative about getting on the lifeboats, because they thought they were safer aboard the “unsinkable ship.” Look at the man and the woman in the foreground of the picture below, the woman is being tentative.

T RUDGED VERB – ACTION WORD I trudged through the mud and muck to find my lost lizard. The lazy boy slowly trudged up the small hill as if it was an enormous mountain. A few nights later, I came back, breathing steam as I trudged through the freezing rain.

UNNERVED VERB - ACTION WORD The passengers on the lifeboats were unnerved by the eerie silence which followed the haunting screams of those in the water. The little boy was unnerved by the spooky appearance of the haunted house, and was unable to go inside. What other word do you recognize in this word that might help you understand its meaning?

V ANTAGE NOUN - THING The elevated tracks that run alongside the river on both sides provide an excellent vantage from which to view the abundant birdlife. I need a better vantage than this to create the perfect scene. The country house was comfortable, with first floor balcony and large deck providing a delightful vantage for watching the wildlife.

W RETCHED ADJECTIVE Ebenezer Scrooge was a wretched, lonely old man because of his stingy, miserly attitude. No one, including Scrooge, took notice of the prisoners living in wretchedly overcrowded conditions. Scrooge built up a huge empire by taking advantage of wretched people who had to sell their home or starve. Be careful! This is a negative word like repulsive but it does NOT mean the same thing!