Novel (adjective): new and innovative
It would be a novel experience for me to play
videogames
Novelty
Simplistic:
Characterized by extreme simplification—
OVERSIMPLIFIED—achieved by ignoring
complexities; childish
Negative Connotation
Does NOT mean simple.
SO, Thoreau does NOT tell us to live simplistic
lives.
Ex: Reducing all politics to good/bad
To try to solve global warming just by
increasing the price of cars would be simplistic.
Overly simplified; childish
Has idea that complications have been ignored.
Conscience: awareness of right and wrong when
choosing an action; guides toward right action
If I cheated on a test, my conscience would
certainly bother me.
Conscious: Aware; awake
I was not conscious of the fact that I was
embarrassing my children.
Ephemeral (Adj)
Lasting a very short time; brief, transitory
Origin: ephemos
Ephemera:
(Connotation—goes by quickly but we wish it
were here longer)
The cherry blossoms in our capitol are an
ephemeral tourist attraction each spring.
Selena
Flagrant: adjective
Definition: conspicuously bad, offensive, or
reprehensible
Root from flame.
Sentence: Some religions believe that short
skirts are flagrant offences.
Flagrant violation.
In flagrante delicto
Gianna
Alexis
Milagros
Atrophy- noun, verb
Definition: decrease in size or wasting away of a
body part or tissue
Sentence: At an older age, her muscles began to
undergo atrophy.
Riley
ASTUTE – adj
Definition: clever, cunning, almost manipulating
Showing ability to accurately assess.
Quick to understand a situation and how to get
an advantage from it
Example: Mrs. Hansen astutely assigned the
students to teach vocabulary lessons, so she
wouldn’t have to.
Astuteness – noun
Astutely - adverb
Lilly
Dubious- adj.
Definition- causing hesitation or Doubt
Not to be relied upon
Origin- Latin Dubare meaning to vacillate or be
indecisive
Example- I tried my best to win the debate, but I
could tell the audience was dubious.
Gianna:
Ameliorate
Amelioration
Verb
Means to make an unsatisfactory, or bad, thing
better.
comes from a French word meiller meaning
better
Sentence: In order to ameliorate a boring game
like Janga, one might choose to set fire to the
pieces for more excitement.
Jenelle- gullible
Part of speech: Adjective
Other forms of the word: Gullibility- noun
Gullibly- adverb
Synonyms: Naïve, credulous (umlaut)
Definition: easily persuaded to believe
something; easily tricked, deceived, fooled, or
cheated
Origin: 1815- 1825 gull- dupe
Sentence: The gullible tourist decided to buy
many foreign delicacies even though the vendor
made them overpriced.
Alexis
Raegen – Ambiguous (adj.)
Origin: ambi(latin) – both ways, ambiguus(latin)
– doubtful
Definition: able to be understood in more than
one way (an ambiguous answer) or unclear or
inexact because of a choice between alternatives
has not been made
Synonyms: equivocal, ambivalent, arguable,
debatable
Sentence: The students were frustrated with the
teacher’s ambiguous intructions.
Other forms of the word: ambiguously,
ambiguity (Noun)
Word: extol (verb)
Other word forms: extolled, extolling
Definition: To give high praise, eulogize, to put
above.
Synonyms: glorify, celebrate, exalt
Origin: Extollore (latin)- to lift up; extollen
middle English-raise 1350-1400
Sentence: The majority of the class seemed to
extol the actor, but I thought he was mediocre.
Alexis
Paucity (noun)
Definition: the presence of something only in
small or insufficient quantities or amounts;
scarcity
Origin: paucus (latin) – few
Sentence: The man accused of the robbery was
set free because of the paucity of evidence
provided.
Ben
Cacophonous: Adjective, Having a harsh
sound, Discordant.
Synonyms: loud, not pleasant to hear
Origen: (Greek root) kakos meaning bad or evil,
and phone meaning voice.
Other Forms: Cacophony (Noun)
Sentence: When Diego realized he lost his
sweater the cry he let out was cacophonous
Kaka= icky
MY name is Diego
Didactic-adjective
Definition: used to describe someone or
something that tries to teach something (such as
moral behavior) in a way that is annoying or
unwanted
Didactical
Didactically-adverb
Didactisism-noun
Synonyms: sermonic, moralistic, preachy
Even though my parents drive me crazy, I know
they think they are being helpful by giving me
didactic advice.
Origin: didaskein(teach) GREEK
didaktikos
Adalid
Philanthropist- Definition- a person who gives
money or gifts for charities, or helps the needy.
Some famous examples would be Bill Gates or
Andrew Carnegie
Suffix “-ist” describes a person’s particular
action
“Philanthropy” is from late latin philanthropia,
also greek, from philanthropos
Prefix- “phil” is humane, kind
“anthropos” is man, mankind
synonyms would be benefactor, benefactress,
sponser, contributor.
Sentence: Andrew Carnegie is one of the most
known philanthropists, since he has donated
many buildings in both the Western and Eastern
United States.
Amanda
Elucidate (verb)
Definition- to make clear of something difficult;
to clarify or explain
Origin- Latin elucidare meaning to make clear or
enlighten
Information- lucid (clear)
Synonyms- clarify, illuminate,
Sentence- While her lively face is conveying her
feelings, her fast-moving hands elucidate her
thoughts.
Ex.
Sherlock Homes often has to elucidate his
theories for Dr. Watson
Amanda
Banal (adj.)
Definition: devoid freshness or originality
Synonyms: bland, common
Antonyms: fresh, new, original
Origin: French, ban- in common, commonplace
Sentence: Because the movie’s plot was so
banal, the audience knew exactly how the film
would end.
Rowan
Blasphemy (Noun)
Definition-The act or offense of speaking
sacrilegiously about God or sacred things; also
referred to as profane talk.
Synonyms: Profanity and Sacrilege
Latin word blasphemia, Greek word
Blasphemous
Example: It was blasphemy when young Bruce
stated there is no god after the witnessing of his
parent’s brutal murder.
Jack
Virulent (adj.)- poisonous intensely noxious, highly
infectious malignant or deadly
Spreads like a virus
Latin- virulentus = poisonous
The young boy got the black plague, a virulent disease.
Return
Prosaic: dull, boring, unimaginative
Comes from prosa-ordinary tedious
adjective
Example: a reporter has a knack for finding the most
interesting details in the prosaic suburban life.