lurch (verb) to sway abruptly with a sudden jerking movement I watched the bus lurceatyre as it came to a sudden stop at the crosswalk.
eager (adjective) very interested in doing something; enthusiastic Jen was eager to start her new job.
rambunctious (adjective) wild, unruly, noisy The children rambunctious children were making such a racket that the librarian told them to leave.
mend (verb) to repair something that's damaged or worn
The broken step has finally been mended.
motive (noun) a reason for doing something Jealousy was the motive for Sally stealing her classmates pen.
solemn (adjective) serious or sad in appearance, sound, or mood The solemn man hung his head with sadness when he heard the awful news.
arduous (adjective) hard to do, difficult, using much energy Playing the piano may seem arduous at first, but it gets easier with practice.
teem (verb) to be very full, to have abundance of, swarm (usually followed by the word "with")
The lake teemed with fish. "it's going to be a great day for fishing", hollered Dad.
aroma (noun) a pleasant smell, such as that of a plant or something cooking The kitchen had an aroma of freshly baked bread.
ascend (verb) to go upward, climb, rise
The airplane ascended until it was well above the clouds.
din (noun) a loud, unpleasant, and continuous noise They tried to make themselves heard over the din of the crowd.
deter (verb) to stop or discourage from some action by creating doubt or fear.
Her parents tried to deter her from becoming a painter by telling her most artists are poor.
predicament (noun) a difficult or dangerous situation with no good solution
Heather found herself in an awful predicament of being arrested for stealing.
adorn (verb) to add beauty to, to decorate
We adorn our house with lights during Christmas to make it look pretty.
She adorned herself with jewelry.
The wreath adorned the table on Christmas Day.
monotonous (adjective) uninteresting because it goes on and on in the same way Shredding paper can be a monotonous job. The monotonous tone of the teacher lulled us to sleep.
amateur (noun) a person who does something without much skill or experience The ballerina was not considered an amateur due to her years of training.
debut (noun) a person's first appearance on stage, in concert, or on film.
Tonight is her singing debut.
coax (verb) to convince or ask to do something in a sweet and gentle way She coaxed the puppy to come back in the house by holding a treat in her hand.
yearn (verb) to have a strong desire, craving, or wish for something
After years at sea, he yearned to be with his family.
gratitude (noun) the feeling of being thankful I have an amazing amount of gratitude for my parents who help care for my children.
aloft (adjective) high up, far above the ground When the hot air balloon was aloft, they could see everything on the horizon.
swiftly (adverb) moving in a very fast way The athlete ran swiftly across the finish line.
deliberately (adverb) describing an action done on purpose She deliberately ignored my question and changed the subject.
secluded (adjective) isolated or hidden away from view The resort is secluded and can only be reached by boat.
canister (noun) a box or can with a lid , for storing coffee, tea, etc. The aroma of the roasted coffee filled the air as I lifted the lid of the canister.
sternly (adverb) to do something in a strict or harsh way The mother looked sternly at her son when he began to laugh during the church service.
proceed (verb) to carry out an action or process.
After dinner, she proceeded to complete her homework.
tattered (adjective) old and torn; in poor condition
My copy is so tattered and worn out, I'm thinking of buying a new one to replace it.
acquire (verb) to get for ones self Joshua went to school to aquire the skills needed to build homes.
abundant (adjective) more than enough, very plentiful There was an abundant amount of apples because it was a good crop this year.
colossal (adjective) -extremely large in size or magnitude The museum is a colossal building. She could not face the truth, and telling her was a colossal mistake.
rouse (verb) to wake, stir up, or excite We have to shake him for a long while to rouse him from his sleep. The speaker tried to rouse the audience.
vacant (adjective) not containing anything, empty The seat next to me was vacant, so my friend sat down.
cumbersome (adjective) awkward and difficult to manage because of size, shape or weight
It's a sturdy backpack, but it's too cumbersome for serious hiking.
precarious (adjective) dangerous Charlotte knew how to drive a coach around any precarious turn.
aspire (verb) v.) to have ambitious hopes or plans, strive toward a higher goal, desire earnestly The businesswoman aspired to be the head of her company some day.
seize (verb) to take hold of in a sudden, strong, or eager way, to grasp
The troop seized the fort and claimed it for themselves.
oblivious (adjective) unaware, unmindful, forgetful She was oblivious of the time because she was so involved with reading the book.
sufficient (adjective) enough or adequate They didn't have sufficient evidence to convict him of the crime. Have you packed sufficient clothing for your trip?
treacherous (adjective) dangerous or risky The roads were icy which made them treacherous to drive.
collaborate (verb) to cooperate or work with someone else, especially on an artistic or intellectual project.
Teams of scientists in different parts of the world can collaborate virtually.
disheveled (adjective) not in order, untidy or unkempt
Her disheveled hair needed brushing.
reluctant (adjective)-not willing or enthusiastic
She was reluctant to go into the dark house.
schlep (verb) -to move slowly or with great effort.
The hikers had to schlep down the mountain carrying their heavy bags and other gear.
kin (noun) the members of an extended family together; relatives.
All his kin gathered at the reunion.
replenish (verb) to fill something that has previously been used or emptied
New sand had been brought in to replenish the beach after the storm washed it away.
resist (verb) to fight against or oppose.
The workers are resisting the new rules. She couldn't resist telling us what she'd heard.
perplexed (adjective) not understanding something
Meg was perplexed when her mom told her they couldn't go on their planned vacation.
deed (noun) a act or action done intentionally or on purpose
I try to do at least one good deed daily.
Alvin never told anyone about the horrible deed he did, but he knows in his heart that his actions are wrong.
classify (verb) to group or arrange in categories
He classified his coin collection according to type and age.
yearn (verb) to have a strong desire, craving, or wish for something
After years at sea, he yearned to be with his family.
verify (verb) to double check in order to make sure something is tru and correct
We verified his story by talking to his father.
The waiter verified our bill by checking it with a calculator.
boast (verb) to talk with too much pride; to brag.
She boasts about her musical talent whenever she has a chance.
meticulously (adverb) to do something in a very careful or precise way
He meticulously cleaned the apartment making sure everything was put away and the floors were spotless.
jostled (verb) to push, crowd, or bump into on purpose
The children jostled each other as they waited in line.
ferocious (adjective) fierce; savage.
Mother bears can become ferocious if their cubs are hurt.
stifle (verb) to hold back; inhibit.
He stifled his laughter during the ceremony.
gullible (adjective) believing almost anything; easily tricked.
My brother is so gullible that he believed his friend when he told him there was school on Saturday.
cantankerous- (adjective) bad-tempered, argumentative, and uncooperative.
Mrs. Tucker is cantankerous before her morning coffee.
Vain (adjective) having too much pride in one's appearance; conceited.
She is very vain about her hair.
defiant (adj.) showing no respect for authority; refusing to obey.
Defiant students will be sent to the office.
summon (verb) to call or send for someone/something in order to meet
I have sent a messenger to summon all of Daniel's old friends to celebrate his 70th birthday.
trivial (adjective) not important, insignificant
I wonder why she is crying over something so trivial.