Week OneEnglish II Vocabulary

AdageNoun

My mom is constantly repeating the adage “the early bird gets the worm,” but I still sleep till 3 p.m. every Saturday.

Adage

A proverb or wise saying

BonanzaNoun

The Avengers movie proved to be a bonanza at the box office.

Bonanza

A large amount of something very valuable or rewarding

ChurlishAdjective

I tried to be nice to him, but after his enduring his churlish attitude for two days, I gave up.

Churlish

Lacking politeness or good manners; rude

Vacuous Adjective

She thought her poem was deep and meaningful, but it seemed quite vacuous to me.

Vacuous

Empty; lacking ideas or intelligence

CollaborateVerb

Do you like to learn alone or do you prefer to collaborate with your peers?

Collaborate

To work together

DecreeNoun and Verb

My grandma decreed that I couldn’t go to the movies until I cleaned my room, so I grabbed the vacuum right away.

Decree

An authoritative order (noun)To command or give an order (verb)

DiscordantAdjective

The choir began to sing, but the director stopped them when the song sounded discordant.

Discordant

Disagreeable in sound; lacking in harmony

EvolveVerb

My feelings about same-sex marriage have evolved over time.

Evolve

To develop or change gradually

ExcerptNoun and Verb

After reading an excerpt of the new Sharon Draper book, I was excited to read the whole thing.

Excerpt

A passage taken from a book, article, etc. (noun)

To take a passage from a book, article, etc. (verb)

GropeVerb

When I got up in the middle of the night, I had to grope to find the light switch.

Grope

To feel about uncertainly with the hands or the mind