Vocabulary Final 8th Grade

Units 7-12 2025

acme

n. the highest point

s: summit, top, peak, pinnacle

attribute

n. a quality or characteristic belonging to or associated with someone or something, v. to assign to, credit with; to regard as caused by or resulting from

s: n. trait, v. ascribe

belittle

v. to make something appear smaller than it is; to refer to in a way that suggests lack of importance or value

s: minimize, underrate, disparage

haggard

adj. thin, pale, and careworn as a result of worry or suffering; wild-looking

s. gaunt, drawn, wasted

juncture

n. a joininadag together; the point at which two things are joined; any important point in time

s. union, seam, joint, turning point

predatory

adj. preying on, plundering, or piratical

s. looting, pillaging, ravenous, rapacious

ravage

v. to destroy, lay waste, ruin; n. ruinous damage, destruction

s. wreck, devastate

stance

n. a way of holding the body; an attitude or position on an issue

s. posture, bearing

wallow

v. to roll about in a lazy, clumsy, or helpless way; to overindulge in; to have in abundance; n. a wet, muddy, or dusty

waver

v. to move to and fro, become unsteady; to show lack of firmness or decision

s: hesitate, falter

attire

(n.) clothes, apparel, garb; (v.) to dress, adorn, or bedeck

s: clothing

cryptic

(adj.) puzzling, mystifying, or enigmatic

divergent

(adj.) going in different directions, different from each other; departing from convention, deviant

s: not in agreement, differing, unorthodox, unconventional

fervent

(adj.) very earnest, emotional, passionate; extremely hot

s: enthusiastic, burning, blazing, scorching

gaunt

(adj.) thin and bony, starved looking; bare, barren

s: lean, lanky, all skin and bones

infiltrate

(v.) to pass through or gain entrance to gradually or stealthily

s: slip into, creep into, penetrate

nullify

(v.) to make of no value or consequence, cancel, wipe out

s: invalidate, annul

perceptible

(adj.) capable of being grasped by the senses or mind

s: noticeable, discernable, observable

plummet

(v.) to plunge straight down; (n.) a weight fastened to a line

s: (v.) to take a nosedive

proclaim

(v.) to declare publicly or officially

s: announce, promulgate

awry

(adj., adv.) in a turned or twisted position or direction; wrong, out of the right or hoped-for course

s: (adj.) crooked, askew, amiss

bludgeon

(n.) a short club used as a weapon; (v.) to strike with a heavy club; to use force or strong arguments to gain some point

s: (n.) cudgel; (v.) clobber, clout

defile

(v., trans.) to make unclean or dirty, destroy the purity of; (v., intrans) to march in a single line or in columns; (n.) a narrow passage; gorge, canyon

s: (v., trans.) pollute, contaminate

dire

(adj.) dreadful, causing fear or suffering; warning of trouble to come; demanding immediate action to avoid disaster

s: disastrous, ominous, sinister, urgent

disgruntled

(adj., part) in bad humor, discontented, annoyed

s: displeased, grumpy, surly

encroach

(v.) to advance beyond the usual or proper limits, trespass

s: intrude, infringe

fend

(v.) to ward off, resist; to get along, manage

s: stave off, cope

predominant

(adj.) the greatest in strength or power; most common

s: chief, major, paramount, prevalent

prodigy

(n.) something wonderful or marvelous; an unusual feat; a child or young person with extraordinary ability or talent

s: marvel, wonder, genius

recluse

(n.) a person who leads a life shup up or withdrawn from the world

s: hermit

barter

(n.) an exchange in trade; (v.) to exchange goods

s: (v.) trade, swap

curt

(adj.) short, rudely brief

s: rude, brusque, terse, summary

devise

(v.) to think out, plan, figure out, invent, create

s: contrive, work out, design

engross

(v.) to occupy the complete attention of, absorb fully

s: immerse, preoccupy

impending

(adj., part.) about to happen, hanging over in a menacing way

s: imminent, upcoming

personable

(adj.) pleasing in appearance or personality, attractive

s: agreeable, likable

scoff

(v.) to make fun of; to show contempt for

s: ridicule, laugh at

trepidation

(n.) fear, fright, trembling

s: dread, anxiety, apprehension

vitality

(n.) strength, energy; the capacity to live and develop; the power to endure or survive

s: verve, stamina

whimsical

(adj.) subject to odd ideas, notions, or fancies; playful; unpredictable

s: odd, peculiar, quaint, fanciful

appease

(v.) to make calm, soothe; to relieve, satisfy; to yield to

s: pacify, mollify, propitiate

belated

(adj.) late, tardy

s: behind schedule

cite

(v.) to quote; to mention; to summon to appear in court; to commend, recommend

s: refer to, enumerate, subpoena

conventional

(adj.) in line with accepted ideas or standards; trite

s: ordinary, commonplace, orthodox

gallantry

(n.) heroic courage, respect and courtesy; an act or statement marked by a high level of courtesy

s: bravery, chivalry, daring

judicious

(adj.) using or showing good judgement , wise, sensible

s: thoughtful, prudent, shrewd, astute

mediate

(v.) to bring about an agreement between persons or groups, act as a go-between; (adj.) occupying a middle position; indirect, acting through an intermediary

s: (v.) arbitrate, umpire, referee

outlandish

(adj.) strange, freakish, weird, foreign-looking; out-of-the-way, geographically remote; exceeding reasonable limits

s: bizarre, odd, unorthodox, unconventional

overbearing

(adj.) domineering, haughty, bullying; overpowering, predominant

s: high-handed, overriding

shiftless

(adj.) lazy, lacking in ambition and energy; inefficient

s: careless, sloppy

abdicate

(v.) to resign, formally give up an office or duty; to disown, discard

s: relinquish, renounce

bestow

(v.) to give as a gift; to provide with lodgings

s: confer, lodge, put up

caustic

(adj.) able to burn or eat away by chemical action; biting, sarcastic

s: burning, corrosive, sharp

crusade

(n.) a strong movement to advance a cause or idea; (v.) to campaign, work vigorously

s: (n.) campaign, organized movement

deface

(v.) to injure or destroy the surface or appearance of; to damage the value, influence, or effect of; to face down, outshine

s: mar, disfigure

fallacy

(n.) a false notion or belief; an error in thinking

s: misconception

levity

(n.) a lack of seriousness or earnestness, especially about things that should be treated with respect; buoyancy, lightness in weight

s: giddiness, flippancy, frivolity, fickleness

negate

(v.) to nullify, deny, bring to nothing

s: invalidate, annul

pivotal

(adj.) vitally important, essential

s: crucial, critical, decisive, seminal

tenet

(n.) an opinion, belief, or principle held to be true

s: doctrine, precept

via, vey, voy

way, road, path

cis, cise

cut

junct

join

crypto, crypt

secret, hidden

verge

bend, curve, turn

cept

taken

domin

master

arma

arms, gear

apt, ept

suitable, fit

dexter, dextra, dextro

right, right-handed

hab

live

cor, cour, court, cord

heart

pac, peac, peas

peace

medi

middle

sequ, secu, suc

follow

ceiv, cept, cip

take, catch

vor, vour, vora

eat greedily

lev

light in weight