Vocabulary ListVocabulary List#2#2

77thth Grade Language Arts Grade Language Arts

whimsicalwhimsical• The children’s play features a

whimsical tango by a frog and a swan.

• The Ballroom Blender Museum is popular for its whimsical sculptures of dancing food.

• playfully odd or unusualplayfully odd or unusual

inadequateinadequate• Jacob wasn’t allowed to join the hockey

team because his parents said his grades were inadequate.

• “That trout is inadequate to feed both of us,” Russell said to Larry, who wasn’t listening because he was happy just to have the first catch of the day.

• not good enough; doesn’t meet the not good enough; doesn’t meet the requirementsrequirements

contemplatecontemplate• Greta likes to sit in her backyard in

the evening and contemplate life.• The professor asked if anyone had

ever contemplated the long-term effects of using a microwave oven.

• to look at or think about something to look at or think about something carefully and thoughtfullycarefully and thoughtfully

humdrumhumdrum• Armand was bored with his humdrum

life as an accountant, so he quit his job and became a race car driver.

• Many people take vacations to relieve the humdrum pace of everyday life.

• without change or variety; without change or variety; ordinary; dullordinary; dull

vindicatevindicate• Accused of stealing frozen macaroni

from the cafeteria, Debra was vindicated when two pans of it were discovered in the principal’s office.

• Ella was vindicated when Bart confessed to painting the poodles green.

• to clear of accusation or blameto clear of accusation or blame

euphemismeuphemism• Instead of “war,” the king used the

euphemism “conflict” in his announcement.

• Marty used a euphemism when she said she “borrowed” the coat. In fact, she stole it.

• a pleasant expression substituted a pleasant expression substituted for an unpleasant onefor an unpleasant one

inhabitedinhabited• A tuba player inhabited the

apartment next to the one for rent, so Rosa decided not to move in.

• Nobody likes a house inhabited by cockroaches, rats, ants, or Komodo dragons.

• lived in; occupiedlived in; occupied

turfturf• When his friends from the city came to

visit him on the farm, Dan said with a grin, “You’re on my turf, now.”

• An argument over turf began when the girl in the Mickey Mouse costume and the guy dressed up like Goofy both wanted to be the first to greet visitors at the entrance to Disney World.

• someone’s territorysomeone’s territory

colleaguecolleague• The professor had doubts about his

colleague’s invention, which had something to do with computer chips, doughnuts, blinking lights and peroxide.

• Many professionals ask their colleagues at the office for advice about problems.

• a fellow member of a professiona fellow member of a profession

stagnantstagnant• The stagnant pool of water near

the garage smelled terrible.• Paul felt stagnant in his job at the

restaurant; he knew he would always be a line cook and never the head chef.

• standing still; without movementstanding still; without movement

*scenario*scenario• “What happened? Here’s what I see

as the scenario,” said the policeman at the crime scene.

• “I don’t want to hear everything,” said the play producer to the writer. “Just give me a scenario, and I’ll let you know if I’m interested in reading the whole thing.”

• an outline or summary of a chain of an outline or summary of a chain of eventsevents

*nonchalant*nonchalant• Jared’s mother was upset that he

was so nonchalant about his bad report card.

• Even though her heart was pounding and her palms were sweaty, Misty tried to look as nonchalant as she could when she passed the bus full of football players.

• casual; unconcernedcasual; unconcerned