WOTD List #2

1. WOTD List #2 2013-2014

2. WOTD #36 • Perpetuate (v)- to cause to be continued or to be remembered for a long time • Ex.- This statue was built to perpetuate the memory of the war hero.

3. WOTD #37 • Vivid (adj)- clear, vibrant, colorful • Ex.- The vivid night showed hundreds of stars overhead.

4. WOTD #38 • Appall (v)- to shock; to dismay; to horrify • Ex.- Didn’t the newspaper editor realize that a picture of the crime victim would appall many readers?

5. WOTD #39 • Dissembling (v)- disguising the truth about something • Ex.- Abigail was obviously dissembling when Parris questioned her about her antics in the woods.

6. WOTD #40 • Vindictive (adj)- vengeful; eager to get revenge when wronged • Ex.- The vindictive ex-girlfriend found great satisfaction in spreading rumors about her former boyfriend.

7. WOTD #41 • Ascertain (v)- to find out • Ex.- He could not ascertain what the problem was from the hysterical girl.

8. WOTD#42 • Prodigious (adj)- extraordinary in size; wonderful; monstrous • Ex.- When I look at my student loan bills, I wonder if I will ever pay off the prodigious debts.

9. WOTD #43 • Indignant (adj)- filled with anger caused by something unjust or mean • Ex.- Rachel’s indignant response to her mother resulted in a week’s grounding.

10. WOTD #44 • Deadpan (adj)- showing no feeling; expressionless • The deadpan look on the comedian’s face made his jokes seem even funnier.

11. WOTD #45 • Excel (v)- to do better than others; to surpass • If you want to excel at something, you will probably have to work very hard and make sacrifices.

12. WOTD #46 • Paradox (n)- any person, thing, or situation exhibiting an apparently contradictory nature. • Ex.- The paradox of the Salem community is that one would expect the Puritans to exemplify Christian behavior, but instead they sought revenge and murder.

13. WOTD #47 • Ordeal (n)- harsh or trying experience; severe test; nightmare • Ex.- The ordeal of battle created strong bonds of affection and loyalty among the soldiers.

14. WOTD #48 • Stolid (adj)- unemotional, unexcitable, impassive • Ex.- Orrin is so stolid that sometimes I feel I should take his pulse to make sure he’s alive.

15. WOTD #49 • Licentious (adj)- lacking moral restraint • In The Crucible, the people of Salem thought they had many licentious people lurking around their village.

16. WOTD #50 • Blanched (v)- to turn pale with shock or fear • Parris blanched when Abigail said Tituba called the devil.

17. WOTD #51 • Whim (n)- sudden notion; fancy; impulse • The Worthingtons are very wealthy and often take off for Europe on a whim.

18. WOTD #52 • Ameliorate (v)- to improve • His attempt to ameliorate the situation between the fighting friends resulted in a punch in the face.

19. WOTD #53 • Monstrous (adj)- tremendous • She came back from the dessert bar with a monstrous amount of ice cream.

20. WOTD #54 • Subtle (adj)- delicate; difficult to understand or distinguish • Ex.- The best friend made the subtle comment that the girl’s outfit was not flattering.

21. WOTD #55 • Daft (adj)- crazy; mad • They thought he was quite daft when he suggested they pick up and leave on an unplanned vacation.

22. WOTD #56 • Inaudibly (adv)- unable to be heard clearly • The inaudibly spoken speech caused the class to fall asleep.

23. WOTD #57 • Tyranny (n)- a cruel use of authority; oppressive power • Ex.- The tyranny of many dictators and kings proves that power can corrupt people.

24. WOTD #58 • Hypocrisy (n)- an expression of feelings or beliefs not actually possessed or held • Varied forms include hypocrite and hypocritical • Ex.- The cliché “actions speak louder than words” reveals a nature of hypocrisy in humans.

25. WOTD #59 • Unintelligible (adj)- incomprehensible; unable to understand • Ex.- The unintelligible writing caused the student to earn a zero on the assigned essay.

26. WOTD #60 • Indictment (n)- accusation • Ex.- The indictment that she had cheated on her test caused the girl to yell in outrage.

27. WOTD #61 • Dauntless (adj)- fearless • Ex.- The man’s dauntless struggle with cancer made all the doctors admire him.

28. WOTD #62 • Beguiling (adj)- charming or delighting • Ex.- His beguiling smiles caused her to instantly fall in love.

29. WOTD #63 • Craven (adj)- cowardly person • Mitchell’s craven behavior of blaming someone else for his disrupting the class caused the teacher to completely lose respect for him.

30. WOTD #64 • Deficiency (n)- a lack • Ex.- He had a deficiency when it came to math.

31. WOTD #65 • Composed (adj)- calm; cool and collected • Ex.- He stayed completely composed when the lawyer questioned him.

32. WOTD #66 • Strife (n)- a bitter conflict • Ex.- Longfellow tells readers to “Be a hero in the strife!”

33. WOTD #67 • Solemn (adj)- sacred; formal; serious; somber • Ex.- We gathered in a solemn assembly to honor the fallen men and women in our military.

34. WOTD #68 • Eloquence (n)- articulate; powerfully and effectively persuasive • Ex.- The politician’s eloquence made up for his dismal voting record.

35. WOTD #69 • Patriarch (n)- a man who is a father or founder; generally refers to the Old Testament and the father of the human race • He’s not just a patriarch; he’s a mentor and role model.

36. WOTD #70 • Morose (adj)- gloomy and ill-tempered • Ex.- The cantankerous old man stayed morose all the time.