1. Unit 2 Grade 9

2. Abhor V. To hate Synonym: to despise
Collin abhorred broccoli and could not understand how his mother and sister could eat it everyday.

3. Amenable Adj. Agreeable; easy to get along with Synonym: easy-going
Simone is the most amenable person I have ever met; she is always happy to do what her friends want to do and she never argues with anyone.

4. Augment V. To increase Synonym: to add in number
Tim decided to work a second job on the weekends in order to augment his current salary.

5. Catalyst N.
A substance that causes a reaction; something that causes a reaction between two or more persons without itself being affected
Synonym: instigator
Receiving a job offer with higher pay and better benefits proved to be the catalyst Jeremy had needed to finally make the move out to California.

6. Condone V. To overlook; to accept Synonym: to allow
Even though Mary did not approve of the way her son spoke to his teacher, by not correcting her son, Mary condoned his rude behavior.

7. Defame V. To attack the name or reputation of someone Synonym: libel
When Owen published an article in the school newspaper that accused Evan of cheating on a major test, Evan had every right to feel that his good name had been defamed.

8. Edify V. To instruct someone Synonym: to benefit by teaching
Noelle truly appreciated Mrs. Smith’s attempts to edify the class about how to act in other cultures.

9. Fabrication N. Something that is made-up or untrue Synonym: a lie
Jonas’s fabrication as to why he didn’t have his homework done did not manage to fool his teacher, who gave him a zero for the assignment.

10. Hiatus N. A break, especially a break from work Synonym: sabbatical
Since I have been working so hard over the past few months, I am really looking forward to my hiatus at the beach next week.

11. Insatiable Adj. Incapable of being satisfied or appeased
Synonym: unsatisfied
Clara’s insatiable appetite for books was causing a problem; she had run out of bookshelves and still has nearly 100 books that she needs to put away!

12. Malinger V.
To fake an illness, especially as a way to get out of doing one’s work
Synonym: to shirk
Jane has a bad habit of malingering as a way to get out of contributing to group projects.

13. Oblique Adj. Indirectly stated or expressed Synonym: understated
Even the most dedicated Star Wars fan would have difficulty deciphering Tom’s oblique reference to the first film.

14. Pertinent Adj. Relevant Synonym: on point
It takes Will at least an hour to tell a simple story because he is unwilling or unable to only give his listeners pertinent information and instead adds many meaningless details.

15. Qualify V. To modify or restrict Synonym: to alter
Susan qualified her praise of Joan by saying that while Joan’s cooking was excellent, she did not find her personality quite as nice.

16. Sanctimonious Adj. Pretending to be devout Synonym: acting better
Lily’s sanctimonious attitude makes it difficult for people to get to know her; she is always judgmental and makes others feel badly if they make even the slightest of mistakes.