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vital (adj)
necessary to life
Having its mother's milk was vital to the kitten's survival.
Synonyms: essential, critical
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arid (adj)
extremely dry
The farmland was so arid that no crops could grow.
Antonyms: wet, moist
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accommodate (verb)
1. to do a favor or service for
2. to hold comfortably without crowding
1. We made burgers, but also veggie burgers to accommodate the vegetarians.
2. The bus accommodates 50 passengers.
Other forms: The word accommodation (noun) can mean both the act of accommodating and
also a place to stay like a hotel or lodge.
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swarm (verb)
to move or gather in large numbers (as with bees)
The kids on my block swarmed to the ice cream truck last night.
Other forms: A swarm (noun) also means "a large number of insects moving together," and is
especially used to describe bees.
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leeway (noun)
extra time, space or materials to work with, or a bit of freedom
My parents are very relaxed, so they gave us plenty of leeway when it came to building a tree
house.
Synonyms: flexibility
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cordial (adj)
friendly and warm
She gave me a cordial greeting when I got off the plane.
Antonyms: cold, distant
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commend (verb)
to congratulate or praise
Makela, I must commend you for a job well done.
Antonyms: to insult, to diss
Other forms: A commendable (adj) job is one that is worthy of praise and may receive
a commendation(noun).
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compact (adj)
dense, solid or packed together
The doughnuts were so compact in the box that their powdered sugar was coming off.
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plummet (verb)
to fall straight down
The skydiver was going to plummet from the plane and land on the top of a hotel in Las Vegas.
Synonyms: to plunge, drop
Antonyms: to ascend, increase, rise
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stationary (adj)
standing still, not moving
The gym had lots of stationary bikes; even though you didn't go anywhere, you got a good
workout.
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declare (verb)
to make known officially; to announce
After hearing how children were being treated in African mines, Ed declared that he was against
buying diamonds.
Synonyms: to pronounce, to state
Other forms: If you declare something, you make a declaration (noun).
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transport (verb)
to carry or move from one place to another
The ferry transported the new cars from maker to seller.
Synonyms: to carry, convey
Other forms: Transport can also be a noun, meaning "a vehicle that carries something,
especially a plane or ship."
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knack (noun)
a clever skill, or a special way of doing something
David had a knack for computer programming; he had been doing it since he was six.
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blunder (noun)
a careless mistake
It was quite a blunder when the principal cancelled school because he thought there would be a
snowstorm: not a single snowflake fell.
Synonyms: error, slip-up
Other forms: Blunder is also a verb meaning "to make a mistake," as in: The
announcer blundered the names of the musicians in the performance; he couldn't pronounce
any of them.
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soothe (verb)
to calm or comfort (someone); to ease or relieve pain
Applying fresh aloe vera can soothe a sunburn.
Antonyms: to upset
Other forms: Something that soothes can be soothing (adj), like a mother's voice to a baby.
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