7TH GRADE CORE VOCABULARY
ADAMANT
ADJECTIVE
- DESCRIBES
 We
tried to talk him
into coming to the
store with us, but he
was adamant about
staying home.
I
remained adamant
about getting the
actor’s autograph,
even after he had
disappeared
backstage.
AGGRAVATED
ADJECTIVE
- DESCRIBES
 The
child's constant
scratching
aggravated the rash.
 She
aggravated an
old knee injury
during a competitive
soccer game.
APATHETIC
ADJECTIVE- DESCRIBES
The men aboard the
Californian appeared to
be apathetic, as they
seemed to ignore the
Titanic’s cries for help.
 The apathetic student did
not care what grades he
received.
 Your previous vocabulary
word, indifferent, is a
synonym.

APPREHENSIVE
ADJECTIVE
– DESCRIBES
• Eleanor Roosevelt was apprehensive
about marrying Franklin because she
was afraid she couldn’t trust him
with her heart.
• The young boy was apprehensive
about entering the haunted house
because he could hear the screams
from the people in front of him.
• The apprehensive dog tucked his tail
in between his legs and slowly
walked toward his angry owner.
BENEVOLENT
ADJECTIVE
- DESCRIBES



The charity received a gift from
a benevolent donor.
He belonged to several
benevolent societies and
charitable organizations.
My teacher returned my test
paper with a benevolent smile,
which reassured me that I did
well.
CARELESS
ADJECTIVE



- DESCRIBES
Look at the root word of
careless. Now look at the
suffix of careless. What do
you think this word means?
The woman’s
unprofessional attire
hinted that she grew
careless of her personal
appearance.
I did not do well on my
math test because I made
too many careless
mistakes.
COWER
VERB
– ACTION WORD
 The
children cowered
at the sight of a
shark in the ocean.
I
cowered behind the
door, afraid of what I
might find waiting
outside.
 He
was cowering
away from the fierce
dog.
DESTITUTE
ADJECTIVE
- DESCRIBES
 Many
families were left
destitute by Hurricane
Sandy.
 Our
organization has
been working tirelessly to
bring help to the destitute
neighborhoods of our city.
DISCREDIT
VERB
– ACTION WORD



Look at the root word of
discredit. Now look at the
prefix of discredit. What do
you think this word means?
The prosecution discredited
the witness by showing that
she had lied in the past.
Later research about cells
discredited earlier theories.
EXEMPLARY
ADJECTIVE
– DESCRIBING WORD
• Eleanor Roosevelt is a exemplary
woman. She is a role model for
woman everywhere.
• Exemplary schools are given
awards so that other schools can
follow in their footsteps and
become great schools too.
• The baseball player was so
exemplary that his team mates
watched his every move in an
effort to be as good as he was.
FACETIOUS
ADJECTIVE
– DESCRIBES
I did not like how he was speaking in a facetious
manner about the serious subject.
 I was merely being facetious when I told her that
if we wanted to stop having arguments, we
should all just sing songs together.
 The woman said, "I don't seriously mean that you
are not smart -- I was being facetious."

FLAW
NOUN- THING
One fatal flaw of the
Titanic is that it did not
contain enough lifeboats
for all the passengers.
 The Liberty Bell contained
a flaw during the casting
process and once it was
rung, it cracked.
 Mr. Ruppert told me that
comma usage is a common
flaw in many people’s
writing.

FRUGAL
ADJECTIVE
- DESCRIBES
 Your
office needs a frugal
manager who can save
you money without
making painful cutbacks.
 Bob
was very frugal; he
walked to work instead of
taking the bus.
 He
didn't earn much,
therefore he lived a
frugal lifestyle.
JOVIAL
ADJECTIVE
– DESCRIBES
• FDR’s friends and family
described him as jovial. He was
the opposite of Eleanor, who was
quiet and rarely smiled.
• Santa Claus is often described as
jovial because he has a great sense
of humor and enjoys making
people happy.
• Jovial people are fun to be around!
JUBILANT
ADJECTIVE
- DESCRIBES
 Michael
Phelps was
jubilant after racing
to a gold medal in the
2012 Summer
Olympics.
 Jubilant
crowds
welcomed the
victorious team
home.
LINGER
VERB
– ACTION WORD
• The poor children would
linger around Scrooge’s door
just for the opportunity to
carry his lantern. They hoped
for a few pennies in return for
lighting his way. P.258
• I lingered at the bus stop
hoping to see Beth when she
got done work.
• “Don’t linger too long,” my
mom said, “I want to get home
soon.”
PERISHABLE
ADJECTIVE-DESCRIBES
The Titanic’s kitchen
contained the latest in
refrigeration to keep the
perishable item from
spoiling.
 My mom always yells at me
when I leave the milk sitting
out because it is a perishable
item.
 In order to keep the
perishable items fresh on our
picnic, we placed them in a
cooler.

PREDICTABLE
ADJECTIVE
- DESCRIBES
• Ebenezer Scrooge was so
predictable. Everyone knew he
was stingy and mean so they tried
to avoid him when he walked down
the street. P.258
• The weather this year has not been
very predictable. The
weathermen never know if it is
going to be cold or hot, wet or dry!
• My friend’s behavior is very
predictable. I can always depend
on her to be happy and upbeat.
REPULSIVE
ADJECTIVE
- DESCRIBES
Scrooge found poor people
repulsive. He couldn’t
even look at them when he
walked past them on the
street.
The shelter’s nonperishable
food spoiled and the smell
was repulsive.
Burt's scratching, belching
and chewing with his
mouth open was a
repulsive experience for
his fellow dinner guests.
RESERVED
ADJECTIVE
– DESCRIBES
• Eleanor Roosevelt was described by
her family and friends as reserved
because she didn’t show her feelings
and was very quiet and thoughtful.
• Shy people are often reserved. They
think before they speak and they try
not to get involved unless they feel
comfortable.
• The quiet, reserved man took a seat
in the back and didn’t say much.
RESOLVE
VERB
– ACTION WORD



I resolved to work harder
this marking period so I
could make honor roll.
It took three years to
resolve the dispute with a
property management
company.
The problem was resolved
when Tonya admitted to
stealing.
TENTATIVE
ADJECTIVE- DESCRIBES
On board the Titanic, many of the passengers were
tentative about getting on the lifeboats, because
they thought they were safer aboard the
“unsinkable ship.”
 Look at the man and the woman in the foreground
of the picture below, the woman is being tentative.

TRUDGED
VERB
– ACTION WORD



I trudged through the mud
and muck to find my lost
lizard.
The lazy boy slowly trudged
up the small hill as if it was
an enormous mountain.
A few nights later, I came
back, breathing steam as I
trudged through the
freezing rain.
UNNERVED
VERB- ACTION WORD
The passengers on the
lifeboats were unnerved by the
eerie silence which followed
the haunting screams of those
in the water.
 The little boy was unnerved by
the spooky appearance of the
haunted house, and was
unable to go inside.
 What other word do you
recognize in this word that
might help you understand its
meaning?

VANTAGE
NOUN



- THING
The elevated tracks that run
alongside the river on both sides
provide an excellent vantage
from which to view the
abundant birdlife.
I need a better vantage than this
to create the perfect scene.
The country house was
comfortable, with first floor
balcony and large deck providing
a delightful vantage for
watching the wildlife.
WRETCHED
ADJECTIVE
Ebenezer Scrooge was a
wretched, lonely old man
because of his stingy, miserly
attitude.
No one, including Scrooge, took
notice of the prisoners living in
wretchedly overcrowded
conditions.
Scrooge built up a huge empire
by taking advantage of
wretched people who had to sell
their home or starve.
Be careful! This is a negative word like repulsive
but it does NOT mean the same thing!