Download - Grade 9 Vocabulary
Grade 9 Vocabulary
List 1
Word Part of
Speech Definition Sample Sentence Your sentence
venerable adjective
worthy of respect because
of advanced age, dignity,
etc.
At family reunions our venerable
grandmother, now past eighty, is
accorded great respect.
puerile adjective foolish for a grown person
to say or do; childish
Some seniors think it's fun to throw
objects at passing cars, but I consider it
puerile.
levity noun lack of proper seriousness;
improper gaiety
During the assembly George kept
giggling; levity for which his teacher
later scolded him.
frugal adjective thrifty; not wasteful
Her frugal attitude allowed her to save
a good deal of money at the
supermarket.
antipathy noun feeling of intense dislike
Because of his bigoted remarks, the
speaker provoked the antipathy of the
audience.
Grade 9 Vocabulary
avocation noun a hobby; supplementary
occupation
Bird watching was an avocation that
gave him many hours of pleasure.
charlatan noun
one who poses as an
expert in a skill or
profession for which he is
not qualified
The Great Imposter is a movie about a
charlatan who posed successfully as a
surgeon.
doughty adjective brave; strong and able The doughty naval commander fought
against very heavy odds.
elucidate verb to make clear; explain You may elucidate what happened after
you relax for a while.
indolent adjective lazy
He was indolent by nature but still
blamed the heat wave for his inability
to do work.
Grade 9 Vocabulary
List 2
Word Part of
Speech Definition Sample Sentence Your sentence
ludicrous adjective
causing laughter because
absurd or ridiculous;
laughably absurd
His answer to the question was so
ludicrous that everyone burst out
laughing.
callow adjective young and inexperienced;
immature
He was surprised when his company
hired a callow youth just out of college
for the important new position.
blithe adjective merry; cheerful; happy Our neighbor is a blithe fellow who
tells amusing stories.
nepotism noun
favoritism shown to
relatives, especially in
securing jobs
Whenever a President appoints a
relative to a government position, the
cry of nepotism is raised by the
opposing party.
malign verb to speak evil of; to
slander
I cannot bear to hear you malign such
a good man.
Grade 9 Vocabulary
posthumous adjective
occurring after death;
published after the
author's death
Only two of Emily Dickinson’s poems
were published before she died; the
rest were posthumous.
heinous adjective outrageously evil or
wicked
The convict was severely punished for
his heinous crime.
clandestine adjective
kept secret or hidden
especially for some
illegal purpose; secretive
The clandestine activities of the
terrorist group were never discovered
by the police.
refute verb
to disprove or
demonstrate the falsity of
something
The district attorney summoned many
witnesses to refute the testimony of the
defendant.
cursory adjective hasty, hurried or not
thorough
His cursory studying of the material
could not give him a full understanding
of the subject.
Grade 9 Vocabulary
List 3
Word Part of
Speech Definition Sample Sentence Your sentence
reticent adjective quiet, reserved, or
uncommunicative
Because she was so reticent, very few
people got to know her well.
travail noun hard work; exhausting
labor; agony
His family found that the travail of
serving ten years in a prison camp had
changed him greatly.
opulence noun wealth, luxury, or
abundance.
She was amazed at the opulence of her
neighbors.
arduous adjective difficult, strenuous, or
hard to achieve
Climbing the tree proved to be an
arduous task but not a particularly
dangerous one.
paltry adjective practically worthless;
petty; trifling
I complained not because of the paltry
three cents that I was overcharged but
because of the principle of the thing.
Grade 9 Vocabulary
abduct verb to carry off by force The kidnappers abducted the child
from her home.
tractable adjective easily managed, taught, or
controlled
The horse was tractable as long as he
was going in the direction of the barn;
otherwise he was unmanageable.
obliterate verb
to do away with or
destroy; to blot out
completely
He tried to obliterate from his memory
any trace of that horrible day.
prodigious adjective extraordinary in size or
amount; enormous
Anyone who has orbited the Earth has
performed a prodigious task.
haughty adjective
having or showing great
pride in oneself and
disdain, contempt, or
scorn for others
He seemed at first to be rather cold and
haughty, but we came to realize that
this was due mainly to his shyness.
Grade 9 Vocabulary
List 4
Word Part of
Speech Definition Sample Sentence Your sentence
equanimity
noun
Evenness of mind or
temper; calmness;
composure
When one becomes engaged in an
argument it is best to retain one’s
equanimity in order to keep the dispute
from exploding into something bigger.
exacerbate
verb
To irritate or make bitter;
to make more violent
The line of questions so exacerbated
the witness that he refused to answer.
gratuity
noun
A tip; payment for
service for which no bill
is offered
A gratuity of 10 to 15 percent of the
check is customary in many
restaurants.
incredulous
adjective Skeptical; doubtful; too
extraordinary to be
believed
The teacher was incredulous when he
heard the amazing excuse.
loquacious
adjective
Talkative; chatty
The lawyer’s loquacious summation
annoyed his client, who could see that
the jury was losing attention.
Grade 9 Vocabulary
reprehensible
adjective
Deserving blame; wrong
The man did not find the action of his
enemy as reprehensible as he thought
he would.
stringent adjective
Strict; rigid; exacting
The Dean imposed a curfew of 7:00,
the most stringent one in the history of
the school.
taciturn
adjective
Habitually silent; not
given to conversation
John Wayne often portrays taciturn
characters in his movies.
ubiquitous adjective
Present everywhere
The ubiquitous pizza parlors seem to
be feeding America.
vapid
adjective
Having lost its spirit or
zest; spiritless
The guest speaker made one of the
most vapid speeches the audience had
ever heard.
Grade 9 Vocabulary
List 5
Word Part of
Speech Definition Sample Sentence Your sentence
meticulous adjective
Overly or unduly careful
about small details;
extremely careful
She was extremely meticulous about
her clothes and spent hours dressing
for a party.
altruism
(altruist) noun
Unselfish concern for the
welfare of others;
selflessness
Altruism is a virtue that very few
people possess.
ameliorate verb To improve or make
better
Despite the Mayor's best efforts, he
could not ameliorate the situation in
the ghetto.
rustic adjective
Characteristic of the
country and country
people; simple and
unsophisticated
His rustic manners seemed out of place
in the elegant setting of the hotel
dining room.
deride verb To make fun of; to scorn The teacher told the obnoxious student
not to deride his fellow classmates.
Grade 9 Vocabulary
diffident adjective Lacking self confidence;
timid; shy
We discovered that beneath his
diffident Personality there was an
active and inquiring mind.
ostracize verb
To exclude someone from
a social group by general
consent
Although he was found innocent of
treason, Aaron Burr was ostracized by
society and left this country to live in
England.
truculent adjective Savage; cruel; fierce;
warlike
The debate, which might have been
very interesting, was marred by a
truculent exchange of personal abuse.
vindicate verb
To clear of suspicion, as
of a charge of
wrongdoing
Since he has been fully vindicated by
the investigation, he will resume his
old position in the government.
pugnacious adjective Eager and ready to fight;
quarrelsome
He became much less pugnacious after
he picked fights with boys who gave
him sound beatings.
Grade 9 Vocabulary
List 6
Word Part of
Speech Definition Sample Sentence Your sentence
forbidding
adjective
looking dangerous,
threatening, disagreeable,
repellent
The glow from the distant lighthouse
cast a forbidding hue over the ocean.
inane
adjective
foolish, silly, lacking
sense or meaning
We were trying not to sound inane as
we spoke to the art historian, but we
really knew nothing about the subject.
inure
verb
to become accustomed to
something, difficult,
painful, etc.
I never became inured to running in
the early morning.
anarchy
noun
the complete absence of
government, political
disorder or violence,
disorder in any activity
“If he gets up, we’ll all get up. It’ll be
anarchy,” is a famous line from The
Breakfast Club.
enmity
noun
hostility, antagonism,
hatred; the bitter feelings
of an enemy
Many Americans cannot help but feel
enmity toward Osama Bin Laden and
his terrorist network.
Grade 9 Vocabulary
sinecure
noun
any office or position that
brings profit or advantage
without involving much
work or responsibility
No one would ever need to retire from
a job that is a sinecure.
tacit
adjective
not expressed or declared
openly, but implied or
understood
Her nod was enough tacit approval for
me to understand her message.
inveigle
verb
to trick into doing
something, to lead on
with deception
The salesman had a reputation for
inveigling his customers into buying
things they did not intend to buy.
anachronism
noun
anything that is or seems
to be out of its proper
time in history
For a girl to call her boyfriend her
“beau” is anachronistic in 2011.
avarice
noun
too great a desire to have
wealth; greed for riches
His avarice increased with age, until it
became an uncontrollable obsession
for wealth.
Grade 9 Vocabulary
List 7
Word Part of
Speech Definition Sample Sentence Your sentence
condone verb
to excuse, forgive, or
pardon; to overlook an
offense
His behavior was so outrageous that I
cannot see how anyone could even try
to condone it.
hackneyed adjective
made trite and
commonplace by overuse;
stale
His writing style is weakened by
repeated use of hackneyed phrases.
imperative adjective required; absolutely
necessary; compulsory
It is imperative that you submit your
application before May 1.
mundane adjective
worldly, (as distinguished
from heavenly);
commonplace
Now that we have discussed all those
profound philosophical problems, let's
get down to the mundane job of
preparing dinner.
placid adjective calm; peaceful;
undisturbed
Although the scene was still placid, I
knew that before long we were in for
some wild excitement.
Grade 9 Vocabulary
spurious adjective
not genuine or true;
lacking in authenticity;
fake
The document on which we had
intended to base our case turned out to
be spurious--a crude counterfeit.
stealthy adjective
marked by secrecy or
concealment; furtive; sly
Creeping stealthily, through the
underbrush, the soldiers approached
their enemies.
urbane adjective
refined; polite and
courteous in a smooth,
polished way; suave
I admired the urbane ease with which
he handled the difficult situation.
pariah noun a social outcast; one
despised by society
In Lord of the Flies, Piggy quickly
became the pariah of the small society
that formed on the island.
desecrate verb
to violate the sacredness
of something; to profane;
to treat as if not sacred
Vandals had desecrated the church by
carving their initials on the large
wooden doors.
Grade 9 Vocabulary
List 8
Word Part of
Speech Definition Sample Sentence Your sentence
vociferous adjective
loud, noisy, or vehement
in making one's feelings
known
The judge ordered the vociferous
spectator to be thrown out of the
courtroom
euphemism
noun
a mild or pleasant
expression substituted for
one that is harsh or blunt
Instead of calling Meredith "fat," he
tactfully employed the euphemism
"pleasingly plump."
dearth
noun
a scarcity or lack; too
small a supply or shortage
When the crops failed, there was a
dearth of grain for flour, and bread
prices skyrocketed.
harbinger
noun
a person or thing that
comes before to announce
or give an indication of
what is to follow
The first robin is a well-known
harbinger of spring. The first vulture
circling is a harbinger of something
else.
irate
adjective
angry, wrathful, incensed
He is usually even-tempered, but he
becomes irate when he encounters
rudeness.
Grade 9 Vocabulary
pinnacle
noun
the highest point, peak;
culmination
At the very pinnacle of success, he
enjoyed wealth, admiration from
others, and widespread affection.
recalcitrant
adjective
stubbornly disobedient or
rebellious; hard to handle;
unruly
We cannot allow one recalcitrant
student to disrupt the work of the entire
class.
squalid
adjective
dirty from neglect;
wretched
Jakob Riis photographed the awful
living conditions in the squalid
tenements of New York.
nebulous
adjective
unclear; vague; cloudy,
misty
His ideas were so nebulous that no one
could agree or disagree with him.
decry
verb
to speak out against
strongly and openly; to
denounce
The graduation speaker decried the
tendency of too many Americans to
seek wealth before all else.
Grade 9 Vocabulary
List 9
Word Part of
Speech Definition Sample Sentence Your sentence
extol verb to praise highly; to laud The speaker extolled the doctor for his
great contributions to mankind.
innate adjective
that which seems to be
with someone from birth;
existing naturally rather
than acquired
His good taste and courtesy are not the
result of training but rather are innate.
enigma noun
a perplexing or seemingly
unexplainable matter or
person
The many aspects of his changing
personality make Tom an enigma to me.
rancor noun
a continuing and bitter
hate or ill will; deep spite
and malice.
Unfortunately, the debate between them
was marked by personal rancor rather
than honest discussion of the issues.
invective noun
a violent verbal attack;
strong criticism, insult
curses, etc.
It is possible to wage a hard-hitting
political campaign without resorting to
the use of invectives.
Grade 9 Vocabulary
acumen noun
keenness and quickness in
understanding and dealing
with a situation;
shrewdness
In the 19th century, many fortunes were
made by men with great business
acumen.
obdurate adjective
not easily moved to pity
or sympathy; hard-
hearted, stubborn or
obstinate
In spite of all our efforts to persuade
him, he remained obdurate.
pragmatic adjective
practical; concerned with
actual, everyday things
rather than with theory or
speculation
Rather than listening to the politicians
explain the theories of poverty, he had
the pragmatic problem of getting food
on the table.
audacious adjective fearlessly daring; bold;
arrogantly insolent
In this time of crisis, we need
imaginative, bold and even audacious
leadership.
banal adjective common, unoriginal,
drearily predictable
The lecturer’s banal comments bored
the audience to tears.
Grade 9 Vocabulary
List 10
Word Part of
Speech Definition Sample Sentence Your sentence
culpable adjective
Responsible for doing
something wrong;
deserving blame; guilty
Anyone who took any part in the
conspiracy was considered equally
culpable.
ignominious adjective
Deserving disgrace or
shame; dishonorable;
despicable
The traitor spent the last years of his
life in ignominious exile.
ostentatious adjective showing off boastfully;
boastful
The man displayed his expensive new
suit in a very ostentatious manner.
vicissitudes noun
changes in fortune; ups
and downs in
circumstances
You must learn to face the many
vicissitudes of life.
alacrity noun cheerful willingness or
eagerness
Since Bob needed a job to pay for his
college expenses, he accepted with
alacrity the offer.
Grade 9 Vocabulary
decadent adjective in a state of decline or
decay; deteriorating
When people lose interest in literature,
it's a sign that the society is becoming
decadent.
garrulous adjective Talkative
The garrulous cab driver kept up a
steady stream of chatter.
temerity noun
Reckless, boldness;
foolish disregard for
danger
In 1941, Japanese militarists had the
temerity to risk the future of their
country on the wild gamble of a
knockout blow on Pearl Harbor.
eclectic adjective
composed of materials
gained from many
sources, systems, etc.
The statesman did no believe in only
one political philosophy, but rather
took a more eclectic view of world
affairs.
anathema noun
a thing or person
accursed or damned; a
thing or person greatly
detested; a formal curse
After almost 200 years, the name of
Benedict Arnold is still anathema to
Americans.
Grade 9 Vocabulary
List 11
Word Part of
Speech Definition Sample Sentence Your sentence
magnanimous adjective
noble in mind; high-souled;
generous in overlooking
injury or insult; rising
above pettiness or
meanness
Churchill emphasized that we should be
firm in war, defiant in defeat, and
magnanimous in victory.
misanthrope noun a person who hates or
mistrusts all people
Because of his hateful stares and habitual
silence, the man had the reputation of
being a misanthrope.
parsimonious adjective unreasonably cheap or
stingy
He had become so accustomed to a
parsimonious way of living that he denied
himself even the simplest comforts.
pundit noun
a person who has or
professes to have great
learning; actual or self-
professed authority
During the week of the Super Bowl, many
so-called pundits are always telling you
in advance which team will win the game.
officious adjective
offering unnecessary or
unwanted advice or
services; meddlesome,
especially in an
To disguise the fact that he was
performing no useful function, he
developed an officious manner of
intruding into everyone else’s work
Grade 9 Vocabulary
overbearing way
intrepid adjective bold; fearless; dauntless;
very brave
All honors should go to the intrepid and
highly trained men who are exploring
outer space.
lugubrious adjective
very sad or mournful,
especially in a way that
seems exaggerated or
ridiculous
His lugubrious expression was intended
to suggest that he, more than anyone else,
understood the sadness of the occasion.
esoteric adjective
intended for or understood
by only a chosen few
beyond the knowledge and
understanding of most
people
The lecture was too esoteric to be
appreciated by most people in the
audience.
imperious adjective arrogant; haughty; seeking
to dominate; overbearing
He is so inflated with the sense of his own
importance that he adopts an imperious
manner toward his subordinates.
poignant adjective distressing to the feelings;
touching; appealing to the
emotions; affecting
Who can remain unmoved by the
poignant scene in which Sidney Carton
sacrifices his life for the woman he loves.
Grade 9 Vocabulary
List 12
Word Part of
Speech Definition Sample Sentence Your sentence
repugnant adjective distasteful; offensive;
repulsive
I find his horrible manners utterly
repugnant.
tacit adjective implied but not expressed
Since mother raised no objection to my
idea, I assumed that I had her tacit
consent to go ahead with the plan.
vicarious adjective
involving sympathetic
participation by a
person in the experiences
of another; experienced
or endured or enjoyed
through imaginative
participation in the
experiences of another
Having been too frail to participate in
competitive sports, he took vicarious
pleasure in his younger brother's
football heroics.
prevaricate verb
to evade or conceal the
truth; to deviate from
the truth; to lie
Although you may be tempted to
prevaricate, in the long run it will be
better off if you own up to what you
did.
Grade 9 Vocabulary
supercilious adjective contemptuously proud;
haughty; disdainful
In spite of his supercilious attitude, I
refuse to concede that he is our social
superior.
enervate verb to weaken; to deprive of
force
The long stretch of hot, humid weather
enervated all of us.
plethora noun an excess; an
overabundance
The boy has a plethora of energy and
inventiveness, which he sometimes
directs into mischief.
prototype noun
an original that serves as
a model on which later
stages are based or
judged; an early and
typical example
Salinger's brilliant Catcher in the Rye
has served as the prototype for many
novels about confused teenagers.
askew adverb to one side; crookedly In my efforts to straighten the picture,
I knocked the lampshade askew.
abrogate verb to cancel or repeal by
authority; to annul
Since the treaty had proved
unworkable, the two nations decided to
abrogate it.
Grade 9 Vocabulary
List 13
Word Part of
Speech Definition Sample Sentence Your sentence
bequeath
verb
to leave to another in a
will; to hand down
My father bequeathed to his children a
little money and the glorious example
of a life well spent in the service of his
country.
laud
verb to praise highly
At the testimonial dinner, he was
lauded by community leaders for his
service to the school.
crass adjective grossly stupid or dull;
coarse
His attempts to argue about a subject
far beyond his depth seemed only to
reveal his crass ignorance and conceit.
complacent adjective smug; self satisfied;
pleased with oneself
He had the complacent attitude of a
man who considers himself superior to
the "common herd."
tribulation noun great misery or distress;
great trouble
The tribulations which he suffered and
overcame have made him a wiser,
more compassionate person.
Grade 9 Vocabulary
cajole verb
to coax or persuade with
insincere or false
words; to wheedle
Using rather far-fetched promises, I
finally
cajoled her into accompanying us to
the fair
chagrin noun
mental distress due to
disappointment or
humiliation
When he did not receive an invitation,
he tried unsuccessfully to conceal his
deep-seated chagrin.
docile
adjective
easily taught; responsive;
tractable
Since I expected him to be unruly, I
was pleasantly surprised by his gentle,
docile behavior.
vacillate verb to waver in mind or
opinion
When you have considered all the
factors carefully and have decided
what is right, act without vacillating.
sage adjective marked by wisdom and
good judgment
His sage advice has helped thousands
of people deal with their problems.
Grade 9 Vocabulary
List 14
Word Part of
Speech Definition Sample Sentence Your sentence
dupe verb to deceive
Only an inexperienced and naive
person could be duped into investing
money in such a hairbrained scheme.
acme noun highest point; pinnacle Election to the Presidency was the
acme of his long and brilliant career.
deter verb to restrain or discourage
from action through fear
Once he had decided where his duty
lay, nothing could deter him.
homily noun
a sermon; a discourse
emphasizing moral
principles
Instead of those high-flown homilies,
we need some good practical plans.
epicure noun
one who cultivates refined
tastes, especially in eating
and drinking
The store specializes in delicacies that
will please even the most demanding
epicures.
Grade 9 Vocabulary
surfeit noun excessive amount I have had my surfeit of excuses and
evasions; I want action!
itinerant adjective traveling from place to
place
Peter became an itinerant folk singer,
traveling to college campuses all over
the land.
cache noun a hiding place The conspirators had set up a cache of
firearms in the old farmhouse.
incite verb to instigate; to spur on Only intolerable living conditions could
have incited the peasants to rebellion.
appease verb
to bring to a state of peace
or quiet; to satisfy by
making concessions or
giving in to
The tyrant can be appeased only by
absolute submission to his will.
Grade 9 Vocabulary
List 15
Word Part of
Speech Definition Sample Sentence Your sentence
impetuous adjective impulsive; done hastily or
rashly
Because he is impetuous by nature,
John often has cause to regret his rash
actions.
perfidy noun treachery; breach of trust
or faith
Because he betrayed our country,
Benedict Arnold's name has become a
symbol of perfidy in American history.
hovel noun a dirty, wretched dwelling
place
It is shocking that the families of the
migratory workers had to live in such
hovels.
advent noun coming into view or
being; arrival
The advent of winter brings thoughts of
sleds, ice-skates, and skis.
Grade 9 Vocabulary
indigent adjective needy; poor
The purpose of this new program is to
help those indigent people who can't
help themselves.
effrontery noun impudence; shameless
boldness
How does he have the effrontery to ask
me for help when he ignored my
requests during my time of need.
rectify verb to correct; to set right It is good to rectify a mistake; it is
better not to make it in the first place.
amass verb to accumulate; to gather
together
By saving systematically over the years,
he amassed a large fortune.