ELA Vocabulary Words

“The Washwoman” forebears: part of speech

noun

forebears: definition

ancestors

forebears: full sentence

“But this washwoman, small and this as she was, possessed a strength that came from generations of peasant ______.”

accumulated: part of speech

verb

accumulated: definition

collected

accumulated: full sentence

“Mother would count out to her a bundle of laundry that had __________ over several weeks.”

rancor: part of speech

noun

rancor: definition

hate

rancor: full sentence

“The old woman told this without _____.”

atonement: part of speech

noun

atonement: definition

making up for a wrong doing

atonement: full sentence

“Or she would say ‘May I be the ________ for the least of your fingernails.’”

obstinacy: part of speech

noun

obstinacy: part of speech

noun

obstinacy: full sentence

“But an inner ________ seemed to call out: No you may not fall.”

pious: part of speech

adjective

pious: definition

having religious devotion

pious: full sentence

“I had a strong feeling: the coins in the old woman’s washed out hands seemed to become as worn and clean and ______ as she herself was.”

“New Directions” conceded: part of speech

verb

conceded: definition

true or valid

conceded: full sentence

“When she told her husband Mr. William Johnson, of her dissafation with their marriage, he _______ that he expected, and had been secret hoping to leave and study religion.”

amicably: part of speech

adverb

amicably: definition

in a friendly way

amicably: full sentience

“They parted _______, Annie keeping the one room house and William taking most of the cash to carry himself to Oklahoma.”

meticulously: part of speech

adverb

meticulously: definition

carefully and precisely

meticulously: full sentence

“She made her plans ______ and in secret.”

balmy: part of speech

adjective

balmy: definition

soothing or pleasant

balmy: full sentence

“For the next few years, on ______ spring days, blistering summer moons, and cold, wet, and wintery middays, Annie never disappointed her customers, who could sound on seeing her tall brown-skinned woman bent over her brazier carefully turning the meat pies.”

ominous: part of speech

adjective

ominous: definition

threatening

ominous: full sentence

“Each of us has the right to and the responsibility to access the lads which lie ahead and those over which we have traveled and if the future roads looms _______, or unpromising, and the roads lead back uniting, the we need to gather our resolve and carrying the only things necessary baggage step off they road into another.”

unpalatable: part of speech

adjective

unpalatable: definition

distasteful, unpleasant

unpalatable: full sentence

“If the new choice is ________ with out embarrassment we must be ready to change that as well.”

“Sonata for Harp and Bicycle” encroaching: part of speech

adjective

encroaching: definition

intruding

encroaching: full sentence

“Without much need of prompting the staff hustled like lemmings, along the corridors to green-and blue-filled washrooms that mocked with an illusion of cheerfulness the __________ dusk.”

tantalizingly: part of speech

adverb

tantalizing: definition

in a teasing way

tantalizing: full sentence

“Yes I do” “Miss Golden answered ________.”

furtive: part of speech

adjective

furtive: definition

sneaky; hidden

furtive: full sentence

“A tiny ________ wedge of darkness beckoned him, a snicker, a hacker, an alley carved into the thickness of the building.”

menacing: part of speech

adjective

menacing: defintion

threatening

menacing: full sentence

“It was approaching him fast, bearing down on him, urgent __________.”

reciprocate: part of speech

verb

reciprocate: definition

return

reciprocate: full sentence

“She began to ________ his love, and they used to share a picnic supper every night at eleven and she’d stay on while to keep him company.”

preposterous: part of speech

adjective

preposterous: definitie