Grade 9 Vocabulary

List 1
Word

Part of
Speech

Definition

Sample Sentence

worthy of respect because

At family reunions our venerable

venerable adjective of advanced age, dignity,

etc.

puerile

levity

adjective

noun

foolish for a grown person

to say or do; childish

lack of proper seriousness;

improper gaiety

grandmother, now past eighty, is

accorded great respect.
Some seniors think it's fun to throw
objects at passing cars, but I consider it
puerile.
During the assembly George kept
giggling; levity for which his teacher
later scolded him.
Her frugal attitude allowed her to save

frugal

adjective thrifty; not wasteful

a good deal of money at the

supermarket.
Because of his bigoted remarks, the

antipathy

noun

feeling of intense dislike

speaker provoked the antipathy of the

audience.

Your sentence

Grade 9 Vocabulary

avocation noun

a hobby; supplementary

Bird watching was an avocation that

occupation

gave him many hours of pleasure.

one who poses as an

charlatan

noun

expert in a skill or
profession for which he is
not qualified

doughty

adjective brave; strong and able

elucidate

verb

to make clear; explain

The Great Imposter is a movie about a

charlatan who posed successfully as a
surgeon.
The doughty naval commander fought
against very heavy odds.
You may elucidate what happened after
you relax for a while.
He was indolent by nature but still

indolent

adjective lazy

blamed the heat wave for his inability

to do work.

Grade 9 Vocabulary

List 2

Word

ludicrous

Part of
Speech

Definition

Sample Sentence

causing laughter because

His answer to the question was so

adjective absurd or ridiculous;

laughably absurd

callow

blithe

adjective

young and inexperienced;

immature

adjective merry; cheerful; happy

favoritism shown to
nepotism

noun

relatives, especially in
securing jobs

malign

verb

ludicrous that everyone burst out

laughing.
He was surprised when his company
hired a callow youth just out of college
for the important new position.
Our neighbor is a blithe fellow who
tells amusing stories.
Whenever a President appoints a
relative to a government position, the
cry of nepotism is raised by the
opposing party.

to speak evil of; to

I cannot bear to hear you malign such

slander

a good man.

Your sentence

Grade 9 Vocabulary

occurring after death;

posthumous adjective published after the

heinous

clandestine

refute

cursory

adjective

adjective

were published before she died; the

author's death

rest were posthumous.

outrageously evil or

The convict was severely punished for

wicked

his heinous crime.

kept secret or hidden

The clandestine activities of the

adjective especially for some

verb

Only two of Emily Dickinsons poems

terrorist group were never discovered

illegal purpose; secretive

by the police.

to disprove or

The district attorney summoned many

demonstrate the falsity of

witnesses to refute the testimony of the

something

defendant.

hasty, hurried or not

thorough

His cursory studying of the material

could not give him a full understanding
of the subject.

Grade 9 Vocabulary

List 3
Word

reticent

travail

opulence

arduous

paltry

Part of
Speech
adjective

noun

noun

adjective

adjective

Definition

Sample Sentence

quiet, reserved, or

Because she was so reticent, very few

uncommunicative

people got to know her well.

hard work; exhausting

labor; agony

His family found that the travail of

serving ten years in a prison camp had
changed him greatly.

wealth, luxury, or

She was amazed at the opulence of her

abundance.

neighbors.

difficult, strenuous, or
hard to achieve

practically worthless;
petty; trifling

Climbing the tree proved to be an

arduous task but not a particularly
dangerous one.
I complained not because of the paltry
three cents that I was overcharged but
because of the principle of the thing.

Your sentence

Grade 9 Vocabulary

abduct

tractable

verb

adjective

to carry off by force

easily managed, taught, or

controlled
to do away with or

obliterate

verb

destroy; to blot out

completely

prodigious adjective

adjective

from her home.

The horse was tractable as long as he
was going in the direction of the barn;
otherwise he was unmanageable.
He tried to obliterate from his memory
any trace of that horrible day.

extraordinary in size or

Anyone who has orbited the Earth has

amount; enormous

performed a prodigious task.

having or showing great

haughty

The kidnappers abducted the child

pride in oneself and

disdain, contempt, or
scorn for others

He seemed at first to be rather cold and

haughty, but we came to realize that
this was due mainly to his shyness.

Grade 9 Vocabulary

List 4
Word

equanimity

Part of
Speech

noun

Definition

Evenness of mind or
temper; calmness;
composure

exacerbate

gratuity

incredulous

verb

noun

adjective

adjective

When one becomes engaged in an

argument it is best to retain ones
equanimity in order to keep the dispute
from exploding into something bigger.

To irritate or make bitter;

The line of questions so exacerbated

to make more violent

the witness that he refused to answer.

A tip; payment for

A gratuity of 10 to 15 percent of the

service for which no bill

check is customary in many

is offered

restaurants.

Skeptical; doubtful; too

extraordinary to be
believed

loquacious

Sample Sentence

The teacher was incredulous when he

heard the amazing excuse.
The lawyers loquacious summation

Talkative; chatty

annoyed his client, who could see that

the jury was losing attention.

Your sentence

Grade 9 Vocabulary

reprehensible adjective

The man did not find the action of his

Deserving blame; wrong

enemy as reprehensible as he thought

he would.

stringent

adjective

The Dean imposed a curfew of 7:00,

Strict; rigid; exacting

the most stringent one in the history of

the school.

taciturn

adjective Habitually silent; not

given to conversation

ubiquitous

vapid

adjective

Present everywhere

adjective Having lost its spirit or

zest; spiritless

John Wayne often portrays taciturn

characters in his movies.
The ubiquitous pizza parlors seem to
be feeding America.
The guest speaker made one of the
most vapid speeches the audience had
ever heard.

Grade 9 Vocabulary

List 5

Word

meticulous

Part of
Speech

Definition

Sample Sentence

Overly or unduly careful

She was extremely meticulous about

adjective about small details;

extremely careful

altruism
(altruist)

ameliorate

rustic

Unselfish concern for the

noun

welfare of others;
selflessness

verb

adjective

To improve or make
better

her clothes and spent hours dressing

for a party.
Altruism is a virtue that very few
people possess.
Despite the Mayor's best efforts, he
could not ameliorate the situation in
the ghetto.

Characteristic of the

His rustic manners seemed out of place

country and country

in the elegant setting of the hotel

people; simple and

dining room.

unsophisticated
deride

verb

To make fun of; to scorn

The teacher told the obnoxious student

not to deride his fellow classmates.

Your sentence

Grade 9 Vocabulary

diffident

adjective

Lacking self confidence;

timid; shy

To exclude someone from

ostracize

verb

a social group by general

consent

truculent

vindicate

adjective

verb

pugnacious adjective

Savage; cruel; fierce;

warlike

We discovered that beneath his

diffident Personality there was an
active and inquiring mind.
Although he was found innocent of
treason, Aaron Burr was ostracized by
society and left this country to live in
England.
The debate, which might have been
very interesting, was marred by a
truculent exchange of personal abuse.

To clear of suspicion, as

Since he has been fully vindicated by

of a charge of

the investigation, he will resume his

wrongdoing

old position in the government.

Eager and ready to fight;

quarrelsome

He became much less pugnacious after

he picked fights with boys who gave
him sound beatings.

Grade 9 Vocabulary

List 6
Word

forbidding

Part of
Speech
adjective

Definition
looking dangerous,
threatening, disagreeable,

Sample Sentence

The glow from the distant lighthouse

cast a forbidding hue over the ocean.

repellent
inane

adjective foolish, silly, lacking

sense or meaning

inure

verb

We were trying not to sound inane as

we spoke to the art historian, but we
really knew nothing about the subject.

to become accustomed to

I never became inured to running in

something, difficult,

the early morning.

painful, etc.
the complete absence of
anarchy

noun

government, political
disorder or violence,

If he gets up, well all get up. Itll be

anarchy, is a famous line from The
Breakfast Club.

disorder in any activity

enmity

noun

hostility, antagonism,

Many Americans cannot help but feel

hatred; the bitter feelings

enmity toward Osama Bin Laden and

of an enemy

his terrorist network.

Your sentence

Grade 9 Vocabulary

any office or position that

sinecure

noun

brings profit or advantage No one would ever need to retire from

without involving much

a job that is a sinecure.

work or responsibility
tacit

adjective

not expressed or declared

openly, but implied or

Her nod was enough tacit approval for

me to understand her message.

understood
inveigle

verb

anachronism noun

to trick into doing

The salesman had a reputation for

something, to lead on

inveigling his customers into buying

with deception

things they did not intend to buy.

anything that is or seems

to be out of its proper

For a girl to call her boyfriend her

beau is anachronistic in 2011.

time in history
avarice

noun

His avarice increased with age, until it

too great a desire to have
wealth; greed for riches

became an uncontrollable obsession

for wealth.

Grade 9 Vocabulary

List 7
Word

condone

Part of
Speech

verb

Definition

Sample Sentence

to excuse, forgive, or

His behavior was so outrageous that I

pardon; to overlook an

cannot see how anyone could even try

offense

to condone it.

made trite and

His writing style is weakened by

hackneyed adjective commonplace by overuse;

repeated use of hackneyed phrases.

stale
imperative adjective

required; absolutely

It is imperative that you submit your

necessary; compulsory

application before May 1.

worldly, (as distinguished

mundane

adjective from heavenly);

commonplace

placid

adjective

calm; peaceful;
undisturbed

Now that we have discussed all those

profound philosophical problems, let's
get down to the mundane job of
preparing dinner.
Although the scene was still placid, I
knew that before long we were in for
some wild excitement.

Your sentence

Grade 9 Vocabulary

not genuine or true;

spurious

stealthy

adjective lacking in authenticity;

The document on which we had

intended to base our case turned out to

fake

be spurious--a crude counterfeit.

marked by secrecy or

Creeping stealthily, through the

adjective concealment; furtive; sly

underbrush, the soldiers approached

their enemies.

refined; polite and

urbane

adjective courteous in a smooth,

polished way; suave

pariah

desecrate

noun

verb

a social outcast; one

despised by society

I admired the urbane ease with which

he handled the difficult situation.
In Lord of the Flies, Piggy quickly
became the pariah of the small society
that formed on the island.

to violate the sacredness

Vandals had desecrated the church by

of something; to profane;

carving their initials on the large

to treat as if not sacred

wooden doors.

Grade 9 Vocabulary

List 8
Word

Part of
Speech
adjective

vociferous

euphemism noun

dearth

noun

Definition

Sample Sentence

loud, noisy, or vehement

The judge ordered the vociferous

in making one's feelings

spectator to be thrown out of the

known

courtroom

a mild or pleasant

Instead of calling Meredith "fat," he

expression substituted for

tactfully employed the euphemism

one that is harsh or blunt

"pleasingly plump."
When the crops failed, there was a

a scarcity or lack; too

small a supply or shortage

harbinger

irate

noun

dearth of grain for flour, and bread

prices skyrocketed.

a person or thing that

The first robin is a well-known

comes before to announce

harbinger of spring. The first vulture

or give an indication of

circling is a harbinger of something

what is to follow

else.
He is usually even-tempered, but he

adjective
angry, wrathful, incensed

becomes irate when he encounters

rudeness.

Your sentence

Grade 9 Vocabulary

At the very pinnacle of success, he

pinnacle

noun

the highest point, peak;

enjoyed wealth, admiration from

culmination

others, and widespread affection.

We cannot allow one recalcitrant

recalcitrant adjective

stubbornly disobedient or
rebellious; hard to handle;

student to disrupt the work of the entire

class.

unruly
squalid

adjective dirty from neglect;

wretched

nebulous

decry

adjective unclear; vague; cloudy,

verb

Jakob Riis photographed the awful

living conditions in the squalid
tenements of New York.
His ideas were so nebulous that no one

misty

could agree or disagree with him.

to speak out against

The graduation speaker decried the

strongly and openly; to

tendency of too many Americans to

denounce

seek wealth before all else.

Grade 9 Vocabulary

List 9
Word

extol

Part of
Speech
verb

Definition

to praise highly; to laud

Sample Sentence
The speaker extolled the doctor for his
great contributions to mankind.

that which seems to be

innate

adjective

with someone from birth;

His good taste and courtesy are not the

existing naturally rather

result of training but rather are innate.

than acquired
a perplexing or seemingly
enigma

noun

unexplainable matter or
person

rancor

invective

noun

noun

The many aspects of his changing

personality make Tom an enigma to me.

a continuing and bitter

Unfortunately, the debate between them

hate or ill will; deep spite

was marked by personal rancor rather

and malice.

than honest discussion of the issues.

a violent verbal attack;

It is possible to wage a hard-hitting

strong criticism, insult

political campaign without resorting to

curses, etc.

the use of invectives.

Your sentence

Grade 9 Vocabulary

keenness and quickness in

acumen

noun

understanding and dealing

with a situation;
shrewdness

In the 19th century, many fortunes were

made by men with great business
acumen.

not easily moved to pity

obdurate

adjective

or sympathy; hard-

In spite of all our efforts to persuade

hearted, stubborn or

him, he remained obdurate.

obstinate

pragmatic adjective

audacious adjective

banal

adjective

practical; concerned with

Rather than listening to the politicians

actual, everyday things

explain the theories of poverty, he had

rather than with theory or

the pragmatic problem of getting food

speculation

on the table.

fearlessly daring; bold;

arrogantly insolent

In this time of crisis, we need

imaginative, bold and even audacious
leadership.

common, unoriginal,

The lecturers banal comments bored

drearily predictable

the audience to tears.

Grade 9 Vocabulary

List 10
Word

culpable

Part of
Speech

Definition

Sample Sentence

Responsible for doing

Anyone who took any part in the

adjective something wrong;

conspiracy was considered equally

deserving blame; guilty

culpable.

Deserving disgrace or

The traitor spent the last years of his

ignominious adjective shame; dishonorable;

life in ignominious exile.

despicable
ostentatious

adjective

showing off boastfully;

The man displayed his expensive new

boastful

suit in a very ostentatious manner.

changes in fortune; ups

vicissitudes

noun

and downs in
circumstances

alacrity

noun

cheerful willingness or
eagerness

You must learn to face the many

vicissitudes of life.
Since Bob needed a job to pay for his
college expenses, he accepted with
alacrity the offer.

Your sentence

Grade 9 Vocabulary

decadent

adjective

in a state of decline or
decay; deteriorating

When people lose interest in literature,

it's a sign that the society is becoming
decadent.
The garrulous cab driver kept up a

garrulous

adjective Talkative

Reckless, boldness;
temerity

noun

foolish disregard for

danger

composed of materials
eclectic

adjective gained from many

sources, systems, etc.
a thing or person

anathema

noun

accursed or damned; a
thing or person greatly
detested; a formal curse

steady stream of chatter.

In 1941, Japanese militarists had the

temerity to risk the future of their
country on the wild gamble of a
knockout blow on Pearl Harbor.
The statesman did no believe in only
one political philosophy, but rather
took a more eclectic view of world
affairs.
After almost 200 years, the name of
Benedict Arnold is still anathema to
Americans.

Grade 9 Vocabulary

List 11
Word

Part of
Speech

Definition
noble in mind; high-souled;
generous in overlooking

magnanimous adjective injury or insult; rising

above pettiness or

Sample Sentence
Churchill emphasized that we should be
firm in war, defiant in defeat, and
magnanimous in victory.

meanness

misanthrope

parsimonious

pundit

noun

adjective

noun

a person who hates or

mistrusts all people

unreasonably cheap or
stingy

Because of his hateful stares and habitual

silence, the man had the reputation of
being a misanthrope.
He had become so accustomed to a
parsimonious way of living that he denied
himself even the simplest comforts.

a person who has or

During the week of the Super Bowl, many

professes to have great

so-called pundits are always telling you

learning; actual or self-

in advance which team will win the game.

professed authority

officious

adjective

offering unnecessary or

To disguise the fact that he was

unwanted advice or

performing no useful function, he

services; meddlesome,

developed an officious manner of

especially in an

intruding into everyone elses work

Your sentence

Grade 9 Vocabulary

overbearing way

intrepid

adjective

bold; fearless; dauntless;

very brave
very sad or mournful,

lugubrious

adjective

especially in a way that

seems exaggerated or
ridiculous

All honors should go to the intrepid and

highly trained men who are exploring
outer space.
His lugubrious expression was intended
to suggest that he, more than anyone else,
understood the sadness of the occasion.

intended for or understood

by only a chosen few

esoteric

adjective beyond the knowledge and

understanding of most

The lecture was too esoteric to be

appreciated by most people in the
audience.

people

imperious

adjective

arrogant; haughty; seeking

to dominate; overbearing
distressing to the feelings;

poignant

adjective touching; appealing to the

emotions; affecting

He is so inflated with the sense of his own

importance that he adopts an imperious
manner toward his subordinates.
Who can remain unmoved by the
poignant scene in which Sidney Carton
sacrifices his life for the woman he loves.

Grade 9 Vocabulary

List 12
Word

repugnant

Part of
Speech
adjective

Definition

Sample Sentence

distasteful; offensive;

I find his horrible manners utterly

repulsive

repugnant.
Since mother raised no objection to my

tacit

adjective implied but not expressed

idea, I assumed that I had her tacit

consent to go ahead with the plan.

involving sympathetic
participation by a
person in the experiences
vicarious

adjective

of another; experienced
or endured or enjoyed
through imaginative

Having been too frail to participate in

competitive sports, he took vicarious
pleasure in his younger brother's
football heroics.

participation in the
experiences of another
to evade or conceal the
prevaricate

verb

truth; to deviate from

the truth; to lie

Although you may be tempted to

prevaricate, in the long run it will be
better off if you own up to what you
did.

Your sentence

Grade 9 Vocabulary

supercilious adjective

enervate

plethora

verb

noun

contemptuously proud;
haughty; disdainful

In spite of his supercilious attitude, I

refuse to concede that he is our social
superior.

to weaken; to deprive of

The long stretch of hot, humid weather

force

enervated all of us.

an excess; an
overabundance

The boy has a plethora of energy and

inventiveness, which he sometimes
directs into mischief.

an original that serves as

prototype

noun

a model on which later

Salinger's brilliant Catcher in the Rye

stages are based or

has served as the prototype for many

judged; an early and

novels about confused teenagers.

typical example
askew

abrogate

adverb

verb

to one side; crookedly

to cancel or repeal by
authority; to annul

In my efforts to straighten the picture,

I knocked the lampshade askew.
Since the treaty had proved
unworkable, the two nations decided to
abrogate it.

Grade 9 Vocabulary

List 13
Word

Part of
Speech

Definition

Sample Sentence
My father bequeathed to his children a

bequeath

verb

to leave to another in a

little money and the glorious example

will; to hand down

of a life well spent in the service of his

country.

laud

At the testimonial dinner, he was

verb

to praise highly

lauded by community leaders for his

service to the school.

crass

adjective

complacent adjective

tribulation

noun

grossly stupid or dull;

coarse

smug; self satisfied;

pleased with oneself

great misery or distress;

great trouble

His attempts to argue about a subject

far beyond his depth seemed only to
reveal his crass ignorance and conceit.
He had the complacent attitude of a
man who considers himself superior to
the "common herd."
The tribulations which he suffered and
overcame have made him a wiser,
more compassionate person.

Your sentence

Grade 9 Vocabulary

to coax or persuade with

cajole

verb

insincere or false
words; to wheedle

chagrin

docile

vacillate

sage

noun

adjective

verb

adjective

Using rather far-fetched promises, I

finally
cajoled her into accompanying us to
the fair

mental distress due to

When he did not receive an invitation,

disappointment or

he tried unsuccessfully to conceal his

humiliation

deep-seated chagrin.

easily taught; responsive;

tractable

to waver in mind or
opinion

Since I expected him to be unruly, I

was pleasantly surprised by his gentle,
docile behavior.
When you have considered all the
factors carefully and have decided
what is right, act without vacillating.

marked by wisdom and

His sage advice has helped thousands

good judgment

of people deal with their problems.

Grade 9 Vocabulary

List 14
Word

Part of
Speech

Definition

Sample Sentence
Only an inexperienced and naive

dupe

verb

to deceive

person could be duped into investing

money in such a hairbrained scheme.

acme

noun

deter

verb

highest point; pinnacle

noun

Once he had decided where his duty

from action through fear

lay, nothing could deter him.

emphasizing moral
principles

epicure

noun

acme of his long and brilliant career.

to restrain or discourage

a sermon; a discourse
homily

Election to the Presidency was the

Instead of those high-flown homilies,

we need some good practical plans.

one who cultivates refined

The store specializes in delicacies that

tastes, especially in eating

will please even the most demanding

and drinking

epicures.

Your sentence

Grade 9 Vocabulary

surfeit

itinerant

noun

adjective

excessive amount

traveling from place to

place

cache

noun

a hiding place

incite

verb

to instigate; to spur on

I have had my surfeit of excuses and

evasions; I want action!
Peter became an itinerant folk singer,
traveling to college campuses all over
the land.
The conspirators had set up a cache of
firearms in the old farmhouse.
Only intolerable living conditions could
have incited the peasants to rebellion.

to bring to a state of peace

appease

verb

or quiet; to satisfy by

The tyrant can be appeased only by

making concessions or

absolute submission to his will.

giving in to

Grade 9 Vocabulary

List 15
Word

Part of
Speech

impetuous adjective

perfidy

hovel

advent

noun

noun

noun

Definition

impulsive; done hastily or

rashly

treachery; breach of trust

or faith

a dirty, wretched dwelling

place

Sample Sentence
Because he is impetuous by nature,
John often has cause to regret his rash
actions.
Because he betrayed our country,
Benedict Arnold's name has become a
symbol of perfidy in American history.
It is shocking that the families of the
migratory workers had to live in such
hovels.

coming into view or

The advent of winter brings thoughts of

being; arrival

sleds, ice-skates, and skis.

Your sentence

Grade 9 Vocabulary

The purpose of this new program is to

indigent

adjective needy; poor

help those indigent people who can't

help themselves.

effrontery

noun

rectify

verb

amass

verb

impudence; shameless
boldness

to correct; to set right

How does he have the effrontery to ask

me for help when he ignored my
requests during my time of need.
It is good to rectify a mistake; it is
better not to make it in the first place.

to accumulate; to gather

By saving systematically over the years,

together

he amassed a large fortune.