Name: Block: Date:

Concise (adj.)—expressing a lot with few words

If something is concise, it's short and gets right to the point. A concise edition of your diary might be 50 pages of the most important entries.Concise comes from the Latin word concidere, which means to cut down. When we use concise, we're talking about words that have been cut down. There are no concise trees, but there are concise works of political philosophy. A concise Italian-English dictionary, is shorter than an unabridged one. If you're good at quick explanations, you have a concise manner. A good synonym is succinct.

Your connection:

Use concise in a sentence

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Dispel (dih-SPELL) v.—force to go away; scatter or cause to separate and go in different directions

To dispel is to get rid of something that's bothering or threatening you, regardless of whether that's warts, worries, or wild dogs.The nifty thing about dispel is that you can use it when talking about emotional problems (such as worries and fears) as well as physical ones (such as wild dogs). Note, however, that when dispel is used in reference to physical foes, it often has the added meaning of scattering your opponents in all directions. So, while you can dispel a pack of wild dogs, you should just chase off or drive away a lone wolf. Good luck with that, by the way.

Your connection:

Now, use the word dispel in an original sentence.

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Elaborate (el-AB-or-ate) v.-- add details, as to an account or idea; clarify the meaning of and discourse in a learned way, usually in writingElaborate can be used as an adjective when you want to describe how something is very detailed or especially complicated, like a devilish prank planned out weeks in advance.The verb elaborate is used when you do something with a lot of attention to detail or when something is intricate or detailed itself. The word comes from the Latin elaborare, which means "to produce by labor" but it has come to mean a lot of labor, especially work that is complex and precise. To imagine this word, think of a painting with lots of flourishes or a story with many sub-plots and characters that all fit together in extensive ways.

Word in the wild: “I wasn’t going to elaborate and go into detail about my life.”

--The Freedom Writers Diary

Your connection:

Now, use the word elaborate in an original sentence.

Name: Block: Date:

Emerge (e-merj) v. –to come out into view, as from concealmentTo emerge means to come out into view or come forth. You might hope to emerge from an epic perming session looking like a beauty queen, but chances are it will just look like you got electrocuted.From the Latin emergere, meaning to “rise out or up, bring forth, bring to light,” emerge is an intransitive verb that might bring to mind the image of a whale rising up from the depths of the sea, or of a person popping out from a dark corner to spook you. Appear and peep are synonyms, while dip and sink are antonyms.

Word in the wild: Thomas squeezed his eyes against the blinding light of the sun as he emerged from the woods.

--James Dashner, The Maze Runner

Your connection:

Use the word emerge in an original sentence:

Name: Block: Date:

Intervene (v.)—to get involved so as to change or hinder an action

From the Latin "intervenire," meaning “to come between,” the verb intervene means just that: to get involved, to jump in the middle of something, to interfere.The verb intervene was first recorded around 1600. Since then there haven't been many interventions in its meaning or usage. You should probably intervene in a heated verbal fight between two of your friends before it escalates and gets physical. Especially if they're debating the United States’ habit of intervening in international conflicts.

Your connection:

Use intervene in a sentence.

Name: Block: Date: Carefully read and think about the definition of the following word. Then make a connection and use the word in a sentenceMeticulous (meh-TIH-kyoo-lus) adj.—marked by precise accordance with details

People who are meticulous can be pretty annoying, what with their extreme attention to detail. But if that person is, say, your surgeon or your accountant, you'll want them to be meticulous.The Latin root of meticulous is metus, which means "fear," so it's easy to see how eventually meticulous got its meaning. Someone who's meticulous is afraid of what will happen if they're not careful enough to get every detail right. "Detail oriented" and "perfectionist" are other ways of describing someone who cares deeply about the small things and about getting things exactly right, every time. Concert pianists must be meticulous, because audiences are always listening for wrong notes.Your connection:

Now, use the word meticulous in an original sentence

Name: Block: Date: Carefully read and think about the definition of the following word. Then make a connection and use the word in a sentence

1. Tentatively (TEHN-tuh-tihv-lee) adv. –in an uncertain or hesitant wayTentatively means hesitantly, like how you go about a delicate or dangerous situation. It also refers to uncertainty, like when you tentatively make plans to go to a party, even though you don't have a ride yet.

Make a connection to the word. What does this make you think of? You can write a situation, draw a picture, anything that will help you remember.Your connection:

Now, use the word tentatively in an original sentence:

Name: Block: Date:

Aplomb (n.)—great coolness and composure under strain or pressure

Aplomb is the ultimate test for cool: grace under pressure. Use aplomb to show great restraint under even the most trying circumstances. In retail, it's always a good idea to handle the angry customers with aplomb.Angry at the long lines at the grocery store? Irritated because the driver ahead cut you off? Take a deep breath, and approach life's messes with aplomb. When you think of aplomb, think cool, calm and collected. Not frazzled, furious, and fiery. Aplomb comes from the French word meaning "perpendicularity," from the phrase à plomb for "poised upright, balanced.”

Word in the Wild:

“Rowling and the assured direction of veteran David Yates, who handled the last four “Potter” films with aplomb, and who maneuvers around several challenges here.”

Washington Post, Nov. 17, 2016

Your Connection:

Use aplomb in a sentence.

Name: Block: Date:

Brandish (v.)— move or swing back and forth

To brandish something is to wave it about aggressively, as one might brandish a sword or tennis racket (if it's a particularly intense game).

Brandish often implies that a person is wielding a physical weapon. In fact, brandish comes from the

archaic French word brandir, meaning “sword.” However, it’s also possible to brandish objects that

aren’t weapons. If you win a bowling tournament, for example, you might be inclined to brandish

your shiny new trophy in front of the other competitors. Be careful, though; they might mistake

your trophy for a "brandir" and respond accordingly.

Word in the Wild:

“She tossed her new weapon up in the air, caught it again, brandished it, and urged the horse forward.”

--C.S. Lewis, The Magician’s Nephew

Your connection:

Use brandish in a sentence.

Name: Block: Date:

Cohesive (co-HEE-siv) adj.—united; well-integrated

When the parts of the whole work or fit together well, they are cohesive, like a cohesive family whose members pitch in with everything from making dinner to painting the house.The adjective cohesive comes from the Latin word cohaerere, or “to cleave together.” Cohesive things stick together, so they are unified. A cohesive neighborhood's members get together to plan things like block parties, and they work together to solve problems. A cohesive fitness plan would include menus and exercise routines designed to lose weight, build muscle, and so on.

Word in the wild:

“We’ve been communicating and working together cohesively since the spring, so we expect to go out and there and play well, have success,” Kelce said.

The Washington Times, September 10, 2016

Your connection:

Now, use the word cohesive in a sentence.

Name: Block: Date:

Deft (adj.)—skillful in physical movements, especially of the hands

Deft means "showing cleverness and skill in handling things." What you want to see in football or basketball is some deft handling of the ball.Some people are physically deft, like accomplished athletes and ballet dancers. Their movements are fast, graceful, and deliberate. Others might be mentally or intellectually deft. You could describe a beautifully written essay as deft, or talk about a politician's deft work on an anti-bullying bill. The source of deft is the Old English gedæfte, "mild or gentle," which became deft in Middle English along with its meaning of "apt, skillful, or adept."

Your connection:

Now use the word deft in a sentence.

Name: Block: Date:

Impending (adj.)—close in time; about to happen

If something is impending, it is about to happen. If you hear thunder in the distance, you might go inside to escape the impending storm.The word impending often refers to something threatening or frightening: impending doom, impending disaster. Something that is impending hangs over you — you might say, "I was so distracted by thoughts of my impending failure in my exams, I couldn't study." A synonym is imminent.

Word in the wild:

She couldn’t decide which was more terrifying - the impending destruction of New Rome, or the way Octavian was poisoning the legion from the inside.

Rick Riordan, Blood of Olympus

Your connection:

Use the word impending in a sentence.

Name: Block: Date:

Malleable (adj.)—capable of being shaped or bent; easily influenced

A malleable personality is capable of being changed or trained, and a malleable metal is able to be pounded or pressed into various shapes. It's easier to learn when you're young and malleable.Similarly, there are ductile metals that can be hammered out into wire or thread; gold, silver, and platinum are examples. The adjective malleable dates back to Middle English, from Old French, from Medieval Latin malleābilis, from malleāre "to hammer," from Latin malleus "a hammer."

Word in the wild:"Children are malleable; you can change their opinion and beliefs quickly."

Reuters, Nov. 18, 2016

Your connection:

Use the word malleable in a sentence.

Name: Block: Date:

Pertinent (adj.)—being of striking appropriateness; having precise or logical relevance to the matter at hand

Something pertinent is relevant and on-point. If you give your best friend pertinent advice, that means the advice is appropriate for the situation.Something pertinent is related to the current topic or situation — and probably helpful too. If you're in math class and you make a comment about World War I, that's likely not pertinent. If you're in music class and you talk about a cello, that probably is pertinent. Pertinent things are appropriate and logical. In most situations, people like to get comments and questions that are pertinent — anything else can just seem like a distraction.

Word in the Wild:Most of the 68 teams in the tournament knew, or had at least a reasonably strong sense, that they were getting in before seeing their names on the CBS bracket (or the version that leaked on the Internet during the selection show broadcast), but without the pertinent details - date, site, opponent - not much could be done on a logistical front until Sunday night.

Washington Times, March 14, 2016

Your connection:

Now, write a sentence using the word pertinent.

Name: Block: Date:

Vigilant (adj.)—carefully observant or attentive; constantly on the lookoutUse vigilant to describe someone who keeps awake and alert in order to avoid danger or problems. When taking the subway, be vigilant about your wallet––always know where it is, or someone might steal it from you.Vigilant descends from Latin vigilans, from vigilare "to be awake, watch," from vigil "awake, alert." If you stay awake all night, you're keeping watch or keeping a vigil.

Word in the wild:

“She had the poise of a sword fighter—relaxed yet vigilant, as if ready to spring into action at any moment.”

--Rick Riordan, The Son of Neptune

Your Connection:

Write a sentence using the word vigilant. Incorporate a correlative conjunction if you need a challenge.

Name: Block: Date:

Advocate (n.)—a person who speaks in support of something (cause, idea, person, etc.)

An advocate (AD-və-kit) is someone who supports a cause, like an advocate for outdoor recess. Advocate (AD-və-kate) is also a verb meaning to speak in favor of, so you can advocate for that outdoor recess by urging your school to play outside!As a noun, an advocate is a person who represents another person’s interests, like a lawyer does. In fact, the word comes from the courtroom – it’s from Latin advocare, to “add” a “voice.” To advocate is to add a voice of support to a cause or person. An advocate is anyone who adds that voice by representing another person in court, or by supporting or working toward a particular course of action.

Your connection:

Use the word advocate in a sentence.

Name: Block: Date:

Ambiguous (adj.)—having more than one possible interpretation

Look to the adjective ambiguous when you need to describe something that's open to more than one interpretation, like the headline "Squad helps dog bite victim."Newspaper headlines can be unintentionally funny when they're ambiguous. In "Squad helps dog bite victim," is the squad helping a victim of a dog bite or helping a dog bite a victim? The ambi- prefix means "both ways," while the guous part is from the Latin verb agere, "to lead or drive." Thus an ambiguous sentence or situation drives us in two different directions at once. The accent is on the second syllable, "big," which you can remember since something that's ambiguous can lead to big misunderstandings.

Your Connection:

Use the word ambiguous in a sentence.

Name: Block: Date:

Anomaly (n.)—something unusual or abnormal; a deviation from the standard or norm

An anomaly is an abnormality, a blip on the screen of life that doesn’t fit with the rest of the pattern. If you are a breeder of black dogs and one puppy comes out pink, that puppy is an anomaly.The noun anomaly comes from the Greek word anomolia, meaning "uneven” or “irregular.” When something is unusual compared to similar things around it, it’s the anomaly. If you are an Olympian who comes from a family of bookish types who all find it strenuous to walk the dog, you are an anomaly.

Word in the wild:

There was a wealth of girl power, an anomaly for women who are almost always in the minority in any martial arts gym.—Washingto Times, March 4, 2017

Your Connection:

Use the word anomaly in a sentence.

Name: Block: Date:

Ebb (v.)—to fall away or decline

When something ebbs, it is declining, falling, or flowing away. The best time to look for sea creatures in tidal pools is when the tide is on the ebb — meaning it has receded from the shore.Ebb is often used in the phrase, "ebb and flow," referring to the cyclical changing of the tides from low to high and back to low again. This sense of cyclical change can also be applied to other things. If you want to make money investing, you have to weather the ebb and flow of the stock market.

Word in the Wild:Dawn was approaching, and the horrors of the night were ebbing away.

--Nancy Farmer, The House of the Scorpion

A hand closes around my throat, holding me in place as control of my own body ebbs away.

--Victoria Aveyard, Red Queen

Your Connection:

Use the word ebb in a sentence.

Name: Date:

Elucidate (v.)—to make clear and understandable

If you elucidate something, you explain it very clearly. If you don't understand fractions, a visit to the pie shop may elucidate the subject for you.Elucidate is from Late Latin elucidare, from the Latin prefix e- "thoroughly" plus lucidus "clear, bright." This Latin adjective is the source of English lucid, which describes someone who thinks clearly or something that is clear enough to understand.

Word in the wild:Since then, radiographic images have revealed hidden artifacts, elucidated embalming techniques and even pinpointed health issues and diseases in mummies.

--The Washington Post, Oct. 14, 2016

Your connection:

Use elucidate in a sentence.

Name: Block: Date:

Emulate (v.)—strive to equal or match, especially by imitating

When you emulate someone, you imitate them, especially with the idea of matching their success.When someone is impressive because of their great skills, brains, strength, or accomplishments, others will emulate them. To emulate is to imitate and model yourself after someone. People emulate role models — people they want to be like. After Michael Jordan retired from the NBA, player after player tried to emulate Jordan's game and success. It's hard to be as good as someone like that, but having a hero to emulate can be helpful in many areas of life.

Your Connection:

Use the word emulate in a sentence.

Name: Block: Date:

Juxtaposition (n.)—the act of placing of two things side-by-side

If a waiter served you a whole fish and a scoop of chocolate ice cream on the same plate, your surprise might be caused by the juxtaposition, or the side-by-side contrast, of the two foods.Any time unlike things bump up against each other, you can describe it as a juxtaposition. Imagine a funeral mourner telling jokes graveside, and you get the idea — the juxtaposition in this case is between grief and humor. Juxtaposition of two contrasting items is often done deliberately in writing, music, or art — in order to highlight their differences.

Word in the Wild:

The Moscow protest presented an odd juxtaposition of anger and an outdoor party.

Washington Post March 26, 2017

Your connection:

Feature the word juxtaposition in a sentence that also uses one of the conjunction comma rules.

Name: Block: Date:

Vehement (adj.)—marked by extreme intensity of emotions or convictionsYou can use the adjective vehement to describe an extremely strong, powerful, or intense emotion or force. The teenager argued for a much later curfew in a vehement speech to her parents; her parents responded with an equally vehement “No way!”

Vehement is from Latin and was originally applied to intense natural phenomena: pain, heat, wind, etc. It is now more commonly used for intense emotions or beliefs. With the adverb form, people can be vehemently in favor of something, but the more common usage is for people to be vehemently opposed to something. Many people, for example, are vehemently opposed to politicians they didn't vote for, other people spoiling the endings of movies or books, or someone else taking the last piece of chocolate. The stress is on the first syllable (VEE-uh-ment).

Your connection:

Use the word vehement in a sentence.

Name: Block: Date:

Ambivalent (adj.)—having mixed feelings about something; uncertain or unable to decide what course to follow

If you can't decide how you feel about something, declare yourself ambivalent about it.Ambivalent means "having mixed feelings about something." A Swiss psychologist named Eugen Bleuler coined the German word Ambivalenz in the

early twentieth century, and it was soon imported into English. Bleuler combined the Latin prefix ambi-, meaning "both," with valentia, "strength." So etymologically speaking, if you're ambivalent you're being pulled by two equally strong things — but in practice, ambivalence often arises from caring very little either way. You might feel ambivalent about your lunch options if you have to choose between a murky stew and flavorless tofu.Your Connection:

Use the word ambivalent in a sentence.

Name: Block: Date:

Conflate (v.)—mix together different elements of; confuse

Conflate is a more formal way to say "mix together." You probably wouldn't say you conflated the ingredients for a cake, but if you blended two different stories together to make a new one, conflate would work.

The verb conflate comes to us from the Latin word conflare, which literally means "to blow together." So think of using this word when you want to talk about two things getting thrown together and combined. Things that have been conflated often seem mixed up or confused, as when you conflate two different ideas, taking parts of one and parts of another to build your own Frankenstein version of things.Synonyms: coalesce, blend, combine, equate, meld, mix

Word in the wild: Yet many alarmists conflate policies they abhor with threats to the republic.

--Wall Steet Journal, March 16, 2018

“A smart politician would not conflate the lack of an opponent with widespread satisfaction,” said D.C.

--The Washington Post, March 4, 2018

Your connection:

Use the word conflate in a sentence.

Name: Block: Date:

Dubious (adj.)—fraught with uncertainty or doubt; open to doubt or suspicion; not convinced

Choose the adjective dubious for something you have doubts about or you suspect is not true. That bridge you just "bought" might be of dubious value.Dubious stems from Latin dubiosus "doubtful" or "uncertain" and contains the Latin root duo in this case meaning "of two minds." This is apparent in that dubious generally describes something that appears one way but is truly another. A dubious claim is probably not true, whereas a dubious website or character is of questionable quality. Dubious can also be synonymous with doubtful when referring to a person as in "she was dubious about the idea."

Word in the Wild:“Some, with furtive looks around them, conjured fires with their wands; others were striking matches with dubious looks on their faces, as though sure this couldn’t work.”

--J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

“I tell her how he’s less cynical than he thinks he is. About his awful dad, about his dubious wardrobe choices.”

--Nicola Yoon, Everything, Everything

Your Connection:

Use the word dubious in a sentence.

Name: Block: Date:

Egregious (adj.)—conspicuously and outrageously bad or reprehensible

Something that is egregious stands out, but not in a good way — it means "really bad or offensive." If you make an egregious error during a championship soccer match, your coach might bench you for the rest of the game."My massage therapist gave me bruises," someone complained recently on Twitter, asking, "When does it cease to be deep tissue massage therapy and become egregious and unabashed manhandling?" An egregious error is hardly forgivable. Some synonyms are shocking, appalling, and intolerable. The word has made a 180-degree turn from its original sense in Latin, when it meant "exceptionally good." Word historians have speculated that the negative usage was originally meant to be ironic, but it is the only sense that has survived. Be careful not to use it to mean "outstanding," since no one wants to be called egregious.

Your Connection:

Use the word egregious in a sentence.

Name: Block: Date:

Undermine (v.)—hindering or weakening something, often the efforts of another

To undermine literally means to dig a hole underneath something, making it likely to collapse. But we more often use the word to describe sabotage or the act of weakening someone else's efforts.Originally spelled with a ‘y’ instead of an ‘i’, undermine has Germanic roots and means to weaken, hinder, or impair. Accidentally undermine the foundation of a house by digging a tunnel to China beneath it and you might be forgiven. Undermine your teacher’s authority by speaking out of turn and throwing spitballs and odds are you’ll get in trouble.

Word in the Wild:“In doing so, they hoped to embarrass America and undermine American soldiers’ faith in their government.”

--Laura Hillenbrand, Unbroken

“’That’s a vicious lie! Someone’s trying to undermine the reputation of the Keepers!’ cried Carlos.”

--Nancy Farmer, The House of the Scorpion

Your Connection:

Use the word undermine in a sentence.

Name: Block: Date:

Verbatim (adv./adj.)—using the exact wording of the original

Repeat something you've read or heard precisely word-for-word, and you have just quoted it verbatim. That's great if what you deliver verbatim is the directions on how to defuse a bomb, but not a good idea if you're cheating on a test and copying someone's answer verbatim.As a word, verbatim is powerful for its precision. When you can say that you are repeating someone's words verbatim, it means every single word is exactly what was said. If you write something down verbatim, you can rely on it being a duplicate of the original document, recreated. Repeating words verbatim in your own writing can be tricky business. Without attributing the original author, verbatim can be the condemning evidence of plagiarism.

Your Connection:

Use the word verbatim in a sentence. In your sentence, use a conjunctive adverb to combine independent clauses. Make sure to check punctuation!