Rotation 9
Vocabulary
Credulous
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Adjective
Definition: having or showing too great a
readiness to believe things
Synonym: gullible
Antonym: suspicious
“Katniss finds on the Victory Tour that President
Snow is not credulous, making it impossible to
convince him of her love for Peeta.”
“Michael’s credulous nature makes it easy for
Jim to lie and get out of tasks at work.”
Nettle
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Definition: to bother or annoy
Verb
Synonym: annoy, vex*
Antonym: calm
“Peeta nettled Katniss when he first confessed
his love for her in the Hunger Games.”
“Peter Griffin describes things that nettle him in
his segment Grinds My Gears.”
Curt
Adjective
 Definition: rudely brief
 Synonym: Blunt, brusque
 Antonym: Lengthy, wordy
 “Though Haymitch’s advice is usually curt,
Katniss is able to understand what is
expect of her.”
 “Richard Sherman’s response was not
curt, but it certainly was rude.”
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Noxious
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Adjective
Definition: harmful, poisonous,
or very unpleasant
Synonyms: Poisonous, pernicious*
Antonyms: harmless
“Pulling out the noxious berries, Katniss
committed her first act of rebellion.”
When asked what smells rotten and puts people
to sleep, Spongebob responded, “Noxious gas?”
Grave
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Adjective
Definition: requiring
serious thought
Synonyms: momentous, serious
Antonym: light, unimportant
“Gale, believing in the district’s ability to
overthrow the Capitol, is grave when speaking of
rebellion.”
“The attack on Pearl Harbor was a very grave
day in history.”
Odious
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Adjective
Definition: extremely unpleasant
Synonym: Repugnant*, repulsive
Antonym: pleasant
“Effie values manners above all, and can’t stand
odious children who eat with their hands.”
“In one part of The Little Rascals, Alfalfa
odiously describes Darla as “the scum between
my toes.”
Innocuous
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Adjective
Definition: not harmful or offensive
Synonyms: innocent
Antonym: harmful
“Rue, an innocuous little girl, was forced to
compete in the 74th Hunger Games.”
“Beemo, though innocuous, does weird things
when he is alone.”
Malleable
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Adjective
Definition: able to be hammered or pressed
permanently out of shape without breaking or
cracking
Synonym: pliable, flexible
Antonyms: rigid
“Katniss’s bow, specially designed by Capitol,
must have been made from a malleable material
to make that shape.”
“Play-doh is a very malleable material; you can
sculpt it into any shape.”
Thwart
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Verb
Definition: prevent (someone) from
accomplishing something
Synonym: avert
Antonym: help
“Katniss attempted to thwart rebellion in the
districts during the Victory Tour.”
“Once on the show Cops, a man tried to thwart
arrest by hiding in an attic full of fiberglass
insulation.”