grade 8 vocab

Motif

A recurring theme, subject or idea in a narrative

Oxymoron

Two opposite ideas in writing

Analogy

Comparing two different contexts to illustrate a common idea

Lethargy

A lack of energy and enthusiasm

Enjambment

A single thought broke into lines without punctuation

Callous

showing or having an insensitive and cruel disregard for others

Menial

not requiring much skill and lacking prestige

Subservient

prepared to obey others unquestioningly

Redundant

not or longer need or useful

evince

reveal the presence of (a quality or feeling)

obsolete

no longer produced or used; out of date

egregious

outstandingly bad; shocking

malign

evil in nature or effect

volatile

liable to change rapidly and unpredictably, especially for the worse

pecunious

With money, wealthy; financially independent

quixotic

extremely idealistic; unrealistic and impractical.

mitigate

make (something bad) less severe, serious, or painful.

pragmatic

dealing with things sensibly and realistically in a way that is based on practical rather than theoretical considerations

absolve

declare someone free from blame, guilt, or responsibility

calamitous

involving an event causing great and often sudden damage or distress; catastrophic or disastrous

proclivity

a tendancy to choose or do something regularly

steppe

A large area of flat unforested grassland

totalitarianism

a form of government that attempts to assert total control over the lives of its citizens.

positivism

a philosophy that accepts only things that can be seen or proved.

modernism

modern character or quality of thought, expression, or technique.

despotism

the exercise of absolute power, especially in a cruel and oppressive way.

schism

formal division in or separation from a church or religious body.

concurrence

the fact of two or more events or circumstances happening or existing at the same time.

anterior

nearer the front, especially situated in the front of the body or nearer to the head.

calamities

an event causing great and often sudden damage or distress; a disaster

boisterous

noisy, energetic, and cheerful; rowdy

anagram

a word or phrase formed from another word or phrase by changing the order of the letters

platitude

a remark or statement that has been used too often to be interesting or thoughtful.

indict

formally accuse of or charge with a crime.

convolute

make (an argument, story, etc.) complex and difficult to follow.

truism

a statement that is obviously true and says nothing new or interesting.

cryptography

the art of writing or solving codes.

recourse

a source of help in a difficult situation.

relegation

the action of assigning to an inferior rank or position.

trepidation

a feeling of fear or anxiety about something that may happen.

aptitude

a natural ability to do something.

garnet

a precious stone consisting of a deep red vitreous silicate mineral.

aperture

an opening, hole, or gap.

causation

the action of causing something.

opulence

great wealth or luxuriousness.

grandeur

splendour and impressiveness, especially of appearance or style.

imminence

the state or fact of being about to happen.

irascible

having or showing a tendency to be easily angered.

fractious

(typically of children) irritable and quarrelsome.

waspish

readily expressing anger or irritation.

reticent

not revealing one's thoughts or feelings readily.

stipulate

demand or specify, typically as part of an agreement.

Sibilance

A type of alliteration in which the "s" sound is repeated.

paternal

of or appropriate to a father.

amorous

showing, feeling, or relating to sexual desire.

reticence

the quality of being reticent; reserve.

Extraversion

an aspect of a personality that is often characterized by expressive and outgoing patterns of behaviour.

paganism

a religion other than one of the main world religions, specifically a non-Christian or pre-Christian religion.

indolent

wanting to avoid activity or exertion; lazy.

adulation

excessive admiration or praise.

antebellum

occurring or existing before a particular war, especially the US Civil War.

concession

a thing that is granted, especially in response to demands.

accede

agree to a demand, request, or treaty.

obtuse

annoyingly insensitive or slow to understand.

acute

(of an unpleasant or unwelcome situation or phenomenon) present or experienced to a severe or intense degree.

credence

belief in or acceptance of something as true.

mettle

a person's ability to cope well with difficulties; spirit and resilience.

scepticism

a sceptical attitude; doubt as to the truth of something.

ledger

a book or other collection of financial accounts.

metallurgy

the branch of science and technology concerned with the properties of metals and their production and purification.

corroborate

confirm or give support to (a statement, theory, or finding).

abrasion

the process of scraping or wearing something away.

invigorate

give strength or energy to.

besotted

strongly __infatuated__.

fallacy

a mistaken belief, especially one based on unsound arguments.

tribulation

a cause of great trouble or suffering.

stagnant

showing no activity; dull and sluggish.

malleable

(of a metal or other material) able to be hammered or pressed into shape without breaking or cracking.

actualize

make a reality of.

gregarious

(of a person) fond of company; sociable.

impecunious

having little or no money.

assuage

make (an unpleasant feeling) less intense.

vena cava

a large vein carrying deoxygenated blood into the heart.

aorta

the main artery of the body, supplying oxygenated blood to the circulatory system

cerebellum

the part of the brain at the back of the skull in vertebrates, which coordinates and regulates muscular activity.

capillary

any of the fine branching blood vessels that form a network between the arterioles and venules.

jovial

cheerful and friendly.

inquisition

a period of prolonged and intensive questioning.

capricious

given to sudden and unaccountable changes of mood or behaviour.

seditious

inciting or causing people to rebel against the authority of a state or __monarch__.

rescind

revoke, cancel, or repeal (a law, order, or agreement).

infirmity

physical or mental weakness.

continuance

the state of remaining in existence or operation.

Ornithology

branch of zoology devoted to studying birds

gamete

reproductive cell of an animal or plant

imperial

relating to an empire.

envisage

__contemplate__ or __conceive__ of as a possibility or a desirable future event.

impede

delay or prevent (someone or something) by __obstructing__ them; hinder.

salacious

having or __conveying__ __undue__ or inappropriate interest in sexual matters.

paradox

a seemingly __absurd__ or __contradictory__ statement or __proposition__ which when investigated may prove to be well founded or true.