Context Clues
Use context clues in the sentence below to define the word "seldom":
The agoraphobic man seldom left his house, as being outdoors caused him to become anxious, panicked, and confused.
Give a synonym for "delicious".
Tasty, delectable, appetizing.
Which word best fits both of these definitions?:
1: Having an unpleasant taste.
Example: The pills left a ______ taste in his mouth.
2: Having an angry or mean attitude towards something.
Example: His three divorces left him feeling _______ towards women.
Bitter.
Fill in the blank by picking the correct homophone:
Her parents said she drank (to/too/two) much coffee.
Too.
Define the word:
Eager (adjective)
Excited or overly ready to perform a task.
Use context clues in the sentence below to define the word "credible":
The geologist had been studying volcanoes of this type for 35 years, so his warning about its eruption was believed to be credible.
Reliable, believable, worth taking seriously.
Give an antonym for "concise".
Lengthy, verbose, rambling, long-winded, wordy.
Choose the word that best fills in the blank:
Being forced to eat green beans as a kid caused him to ________ them as an adult.
(a) child
(b) loathe
(c) contemplate
(d) nice
(b) loathe
Fill in the blank with the correct homophone:
When (your/you're) finished with the paperwork, have (your/you're) lawyer look it over.
1. You're
2. Your
Define the word:
Deplete (verb)
To use up or diminish.
Use context clues in the sentence below to define the word "monotonous":
The monotonous rhythm of daily life caused him to re-evaluate his relationships, job, and habits, and seek out more exciting ways to spend his time.
Boring, repetitive, predictable
Give an antonym for "gaudy".
Subdued, muted, tasteful, conservative, quiet, understated.
Use the word "ecstatic" in a sentence.
Example: He was ecstatic about his winning lottery ticket.
Fill in the blank with the correct homophone:
Don't slam on the (brakes/breaks) when you begin skidding.
Brakes.
Define the word:
Shrill (adjective).
High pitched and piercing, often in an irritating way.
Use context clues in the sentence below to define the word "decadent":
He lived a decadent lifestyle of penthouses, marble floor, supermodel girlfriends, private jets, and cars which were exotic, foreign, and fast.Depraved, excessive, luxurious, self-indulgent, opulent
Give a synonym for the word "animosity".
Hostility, antagonism, resentment, hatred, rejection.
Which sentence is the best example of a "breathtaking spectacle"?:
(a) A PowerPoint presentation about wheat production in central China.
(b) Waking up 15 minutes before your alarm goes off.
(c) A man riding through the street on the back of an elephant, juggling flaming swords.
(d) Forgetting where you put your keys.
(c) A man riding through the street on the back of an elephant, juggling flaming swords.
Breathtaking (adj) - amazing, astonishing, surprising
Spectacle (n) - a display, performance, or parade.
Fill in the blank with the correct homophone:
Only people with Top Secret security clearance are (aloud/allowed) to view those files.
Allowed.
Define the word:
Reprimand (verb)
To scold or lecture someone as a punishment or a warning.
Use context clues in the sentence below to define the word "hackneyed":
The novel was a hackneyed series of unmemorable and stereotypical characters, bad prose, and recycled story elements. It was capped off with a "twist" ending that was obvious from the first chapter.
Cliche, unoriginal, untalented, stale,
Give an antonym for the word "whimsical".
Cranky, predictable, boring, grumpy.
During their acrimonious breakup, Jake dumped bleach on all of Lindsay's clothes. She retaliated by sawing his prized guitar, a 1967 Fender Jaguar, in half with a table saw.
Based on context, pick the best synonyms for "acrimonious" and "retaliated":
a) friendly/reconciled
b) inconsequential/annihilated
c) grotesque/forgave and forgot
d) bitter/got even
d) bitter/got even
Fill in the blank with the correct homophone:
The meteor that killed the dinosaurs had a huge (effect/affect) on the next 65 million years of evolution.
Effect.
Define the word:
Ephemeral (adjective)
Lasting for a very short time.
Example: The single-use plastic objects that we think of as ephemeral (grocery bags, straws, wrappers), will be around for thousands of years.