1. Vocabulary
Unit 2
Words 1 – 20
6th Grade
Thank you Mrs. Kind!

2. adverse (adj.) unfavorable, negative; working against, hostile
Synonyms: difficult, trying
Some people suffer an
adverse reaction if they eat
peanut butter or anything with
peanuts.

3. arid (adj.) extremely dry; uninteresting, dull
Synonyms: waterless, parched, boring, unimaginative
Although California leads the nation in farming, crops won’t grow in its most arid regions.

4. assailant (n.) a person who attacks violently (with blows or words)
Synonyms: assaulter, attacker, mugger
The jogger was injured by an unknown assailant who left him immobile on the side of the road.

5. billow (n.) a large wave Synonym: breaker
(v.) to rise or swell like a wave
Synonym: surge, bulge, balloon
Fans cheered enthusiastically when they saw their team’s flags billow over the stadium.

6. confront
(v.) to meet face-to-face, especially as a challenge; comes to grips with
Synonym: face, encounter
In court, defendants can confront their accusers in a controlled setting.

7. constrain (v.) to force, compel, to restrain, hold back
Synonyms: pressure, restrict, confine, limit
You can’t constrain me against my will.

8. contemporary (adj.) belonging to the same period of time as oneself
Synonyms: present-day, modern, current
(n.) a person of the same time
Synonyms: peer
His novel used a contemporary style but had a historical setting.
Rather than ask parents for help, teens often turn to a contemporary for advice.

9. depict (v.) to portray; to represent or show in a form of a picture
Synonym: sketch, draw, picture, illustrate
The painter chose to depict a plain prairie landscape using bold colors and shadows.

10. disinterested
(adj.) fair-minded, free from selfish motives; indifferent
Synonyms: neutral, impartial, unbiased, apathetic
A judge must remain disinterested in order to render an evenhanded and logical decision.

11. encompass
(v.) to encircle, go or reach around; to enclose; to include with a certain group or class
Synonyms: surround, envelop, comprise
Oceans encompass about three-fourths of the surface of our planet.

12. groundless (adj.) without any good reason or cause, unjustified
Synonyms: baseless, unsupported
Joe’s groundless fear of hurting himself during exercise has left him weak and out of shape.

13. 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
Synonyms: phony, charlatan, fraud
The speaker who said one thing but did something else entirely was regarded as a hypocrite.

14. incomprehensible (adj.) impossible to understand
Synonyms: baffling, confusing, bewildering
Our school’s intercom system is so old that this morning’s announcements were almost incomprehensible.

15. manipulate
(v.) to handle or use skillfully; to manage or control for personal gain or advantage
Synonyms: work, maneuver, exploit, influence
Scientist should not manipulate data.

16. maximum (n.) the greatest possible amount or degree
(adj.) reaching the greatest possible amount or degree
Synonyms: largest, highest, utmost
The postage scale can weigh a maximum of only five pounds.

17. mimic (n.) a person who does imitations Synonym: copycat, impersonator
(v.) to imitate; to make fun of
Synonym: parrot, impersonate
The comedy troupe has many talented members, but it still needs to hire a good mimic.

18. ruffle (v.) to wrinkle, make uneven; to annoy, upset, to flip through
(n.) a gathered strip of material used for trimming edges; a ripple; a low drumbeat
Synonyms: (v.) disturb (n.) frill
Try not to let wisecracks ruffle your feelings.
My favorite pillow is soft and fluffy to the touch and has a velvet ruffle.

19. serene
(adj..) peaceful, calm; free of emotional upset; clear and free of storm; majestic, grand
Synonyms: tranquil, composed, fair, august
How does she manage to stay so serene in the face of such chaos.

20. sheepish (adj.) embarrassed; resembling a sheep in meekness, timid
Synonyms: shamefaced, meek
His sheepish grin made the crowds cheer all the more for his unlikely victory.

21. stamina
(n.) the strength needed to keep going or overcome physical or mental strain; staying power
Synonym: endurance
Marathon runners need a great deal of stamina.