Vocabulary Unit 7B

Metropolis  (n.) a large city; the chief city of an area  Hint: 1. the Mets play in NY city or 2. Metropolis was the big city in which superman lived

Sentence  When the young man from Arkansas asked us where the Hyatt Regency was located, we were amused that he had mistaken Allentown for the great metropolis of New York City.

Momentous  (adj.) very important  Hint: a moment in time that changes history

Sentence  The election of President Obama was a momentous event in the history of our nation.

Obstreperous  (adj.) noisy; unruly, disorderly  Hint: Obstreperous is a difficult and disorderly word to say

Sentence  Unfortunately, obstreperous behavior in the classroom can result in detention or phone calls home.

Pensive  (adj.) thoughtful; melancholy  In Harry Potter a pensive is used by Dumbledore to view his thoughts

Sentence  By the pensive expression on the teen’s face, the teacher was able to determine that the student had something weighing on his mind.

Perilous  (adj.) dangerous

Sentence  The climb up to the lookout was perilous, but most visitors thought the view was worth the danger.

Shoddy  (adj.) of poor quality; characterized by inferior workmanship  Hint: the SHOe fell apart because it was badly made

Sentence  The contractor produced such shoddy results that the homeowners reported him to the Better Business Bureau.

Sprightly  (adj.) lively, full of life; spicy, flavorful  Hint: combine spirited and light

Sentence  The sprightly manner in which she went through life set a great example for us; we all need to enjoy what life has to offer.

Surly  (adj.) angry and bad-tempered; rude  Hint: “Shirley is surly without her coffee”

Sentence  When PPL announced that it was raising rates by almost 30%, many of its customers responded with surly calls and letters.

Tirade  (n.) a long, angry speech, usually very critical  Hint: Tirade is an irate speech

Sentence  After I picked up socks on the living room floor, I went into a tirade about members of my family and their lack of consideration.

Vagrant  (n.) an idle wanderer, tramp; (adj.) wandering aimlessly  Hint: remember vague or unsure and without direction

Sentence  (n.) Vagrants frequently move from city to city carrying all of their possessions in a small bag and hitchhiking whenever possible.