Vocabulary List – Week 4

  1. dec·adeNoun/ˈdekād/
    A period of ten years.
    My older brother is a decade old.
  2. per·me·ate
    To pass through the openings
    To spread through or penetrate something.
    As my girlfriend put on some perfume, the smell permeated the room so that everyone could smell it.
  3. dis·traught/disˈtrôt/
    Adjective: Deeply upset and agitated
    My mother was distraught that she couldn’t find me in the store.
  4. al·le·giance/əˈlējəns/
    Noun: Loyalty or commitment of a subordinate to a superior or of an individual to a group or cause.
    Even though I get mad at my brother, my allegiance is still with my family when it comes to choosing between him or someone else.
  5. re·cedeVerb/riˈsēd/
    Go or move back or further away from a previous position
    The flood waters receded.
  6. mis·giv·ing/misˈgiviNG/
    Noun: A feeling of doubt or apprehension about the outcome or consequences of something.
    I had a real misgiving about going into the haunted house. You never know, ghosts might be real.
  7. li·bel
    A false publication, as in writing, print, signs, or pictures, that damages a person’s reputation.
    The newspaper had libeled me when it said that I was a horrible person when in reality I am a wonderful one.
    The act of presenting such material to the public.
    That person was libeling me when he wrote that I liked Susie Jenkins on the bathroom wall!
  8. in·stan·ta·ne·ousAdjective/ˌinstənˈtānēəs/
    Occurring or done in an instant or instantly.
    Operating or providing something instantly: “instantaneous communication”.
    My mom instantaneously ran up the stairs as soon as she heard the baby cry.
  9. in·stant
    An almost imperceptible space of time.
    A particular or precise time.
    In an instant, I was at my brother’s side when the bully approached.
  10. in·gen·iousAdjective/inˈjēnyəs/
    (of a person) Clever, original, and inventive.
    (of a machine or idea) Cleverly and originally devised and well suited to its purpose
    I think it was ingenious to put peanut butter together with jelly. It really is a perfect combination. 
  11. in·ept/iˈnept/
    Adjective: Having or showing no skill; clumsy
    My brother is completely inept when it comes to dancing.
  12. im·mense/iˈmens/
    Adjective: Extremely large or great, esp. in scale or degree.
    As I stood in front of the Empire State building, I looked up and saw exactly how immense that building really was.
  13. for·sake  (fôr-sk, fr-)
    tr.v. for·sook (-sk), for·sak·en (-skn), for·sak·ing, for·sakes
    To give up (something formerly held dear); renounce.
    To leave altogether; abandon:
    My parents had forsaken lots of luxuries so they could afford to pay for school for us kids.
  14. fam·ished/ˈfamiSHt/
    Adjective: Extremely hungry
    My brother and I were famished when we came in from playing outside.
  15. ex·press
    (v) to put (thought) into words
    I need to express my ideas clearly.
    (v) to send by express or quirky
    Can you express that package, it needs to get there overnight.
    (n) an express train, bus, elevator
    We took the express elevator to the top floor of the building.
  16. dis·patch/disˈpaCH/
    Verb: Send off to a destination or for a purpose.
    Go dispatch a letter to the president of the company.
    Noun: The sending of someone or something to a destination or for a purpose.
    I just received a dispatch from the president of the company saying I was promoted!
  17. de·nounceVerb/diˈnouns/
    Publicly declare to be wrong or evil.
    Inform against.
    I denounced the behavior that the class bully had done since he had tripped my best friend.
  18. ap·par·el/əˈparəl/
    Noun: Clothing.
    My mother was wearing apparel that was clearly left over from the 1980’s.
  19. be·siegeVerb/biˈsēj/
    Surround (a place) with armed forces in order to capture it or force its surrender; lay siege to.
    The guerrillas continued to besiege other cities to the north.
  20. compress –
    com·press (k m-pr s ). tr.v. com·pressed, com·press·ing, com·press·es.
    To press together.
    She compressed her lips which made her mouth look strange.
    To make more compact by or as if by pressing.
    My sandwich was compressed between my books and when I went to eat it, the peanut butter had oozed out the sides and made a terrible mess.